Nothing Beats Observation...

Eggs of a Different Color   watercolor/gouache   8.5 x 13

Observing objects through glass, and water in a glass, is always interesting, always a surprise.  Stems of flowers appear not to connect to the stems above the water level.  The same with anything else....such as a spoon.  Actually, I have found that the easiest way to paint what is under water is to simply paint what you see rather what you think you know.  What a fun exercise this time of year when we are coloring eggs anyways....I always have loved this process....it is somewhat magical....waiting for the color to intensify...transforming the whiteness into spectacular color.  In "Eggs of a Different Color" I kept the glasses and the eggs transparent and worked a bit of opacity into the background.  My goal in so doing, was to juxtapose the two elements, hopefully making the transparent appear to be even more so.  I'm not sure that part was all that successful, but I still enjoy the painting.  

Colored eggs are the best.

Fresh Produce...

Red Cabbage and Leeks   watercolor   8 x 8

Nothing is more visually stimulating to me than standing in front of the produce section of a good market.  All those colors and textures!  One of our painting challenges in class was "fresh produce".  I knew quite ahead of time that I wanted to pair up red cabbage and leeks....the combination suggested by Irish cuisine that is popular this month.  I thought about the color palette in advance.  Of course, red and green are complements, so that is a built-in power factor.  But those two primaries had to be altered....the red towards violet and the green towards yellow. I sketched and considered.  My goal was to create a watercolor painting that was equal in richness to the ones I had done in oils.  This painting practically painting itself.....and that is so rare.  I guess we artists deserve one like that now and again.  I am pleased with this painting....and how often does that happen?

Painting Companions...

Delores in Fendi   watercolor   11 x 8.25

Everyone needs a friend or two.  Painting companions are friends, indeed, but there are a few characteristics of such a friendship that make this relationship unique.  Painting friends base their relationship on the common love of art, of painting....and so they understand completely the goal of "getting into the zone", of being timeless and of staying on target.  We don't chat.  We don't do lunch.  Of course, there are some pleasantries when we begin, and a bit of conversation at the wrap-up, but we respect each other's needs for creative freedom, which is tough to find and even tougher to perpetuate.  Words come from the left brain and demand our immediate attention.  We wouldn't think of interrupting this process with words.  I have such a friend in Delores.  We have painted together off and on for many years.  She is definitely the most progressive older woman I have ever met(I am blessed each week by at least one of her nuggets of wisdom)....I appreciate her insights, her critiques and her never-failing enthusiasm and questioning.  During one of our recent sessions, she attacked her paper with a feverish ardor....off in completely separate part of the room.  At the end, we emerged fatiqued with work in hands.  She felt that she had never painted better or more loosely.  I agree. "Pot of Flowers" is the result.  We chatted and critiqued for a few minute.  We then went home.  Friends. Beautiful.

Framing...

Mina...a sketch

Last evening our Akron Society of Artists group had a program on framing led by Shirley Blake and Kim Moore, both of whom have had lots of experience.  All kinds of topics were discussed...constructing your own framing; hardware; various types of glass; kinds of tape; etc.  Very informative.  I guess my bottom line these days is that I never ever consider my framing job to be permanent....rather, just a way to protect the work for time being.  An art seller friend of mine believes that people are buying the work, not the frame.  And, very often, people like to put their own mark on their new purchase.  Like it or not, folks like the work to match their living room couch.  When finishing a watercolor, for example, I never know whether or not it will need to be shipped....so I use the neutral light-colored mat and plexiglass.  Very often a work will go in and out of framing several times.  I never use a dust cover on the back until the work has been sold.  I do, however, believe that we artists need to identify which types of frames are aesthetically pleasing to us....I prefer the more modern light woods with no ornamentation, hand-carved frames especially from Mexico; and some of the shabby chic frames with pealy paint.  Yes.  Picking up thrift frames is a bit hazardous.....as you can end up with too many.  And painting to fit a frame is always dangerous, as it inhibits the idea by size from the get-go.  Yet, I do it all the time, especially with works that are class projects.  With no disrespect meant to the presenters, I love to sketch during the program and appreciate the feeling I get from relaxing to draw and listening all the while.  Last night's sketch was of Mina, who was seated about 2 yards away from me.  She is a sketcher as well, so I knew she wouldn't mind.

Paradigm Shift

In 1962 scientist Thomas Kuhn developed his notion of a paradigm shift, which determined that progress, or knowledge, is not linear, not evolutionary, but, rather a series of peaceful interludes punctuated by intellectually violent revolutions.  I don't think that this notion is strictly science-based.  Over the years, I have been obsessed, sometimes for years, about various art-related elements, all related to the way I see art-making and what I have decided to be visually stimulating and aesthetically pleasing TO ME.  We all know, that seeing is subjective.  And aesthetic differences vary from artist to artist.  That's what makes it all so fun.  My quest in all of this problem solving is to reduce an image to its essence, to say only what needs to be said.  The overall feel of the work is more important than the pieces parts.  My first obsession was the notion of transparency/opacity.  That lasted many years.  Then I moved on to complex color.....layering of colors to achieve a good feel.  I found that I much preferred color that was layered and truly considered, rather than the spontaneous local color expressed in most all prima works.  (I do, however, feel that alla prima painting offers so much in learning to make quick decisions and fresh stroke-making).  Hard and soft edges became another obsession, where my desire was to merge the subject and its ground in a kind of oneness.  Recently, I have experienced yet another shift in the way I wish to see my art....I simply cannot resist it.  The process tends to deconstruct the subject a bit, allowing for an even deeper merging into the ground, as well as further redefining that which is important.  The process is difficult, enduring and, frankly, requires a whole lot of paint.  But, for some reason, I believe that this is where I am supposed to be at present.....and I am enjoying the ride....when I am not tearing my hair out. It is stimulating.

Lost in the Freedom...

Rabbit Study   pencil and conte crayon   10 x 13

These days I spend most of my time considering painting the nothingness, the space that connects the subject to the background....that for which there are no plans save intuition and freedom of the moment.  It is very rewarding and exhilarating....breaking up the spaces and letting go of the reality in the places that seem to matter least.  I am not always successful.  I am always up for the challenge.  On those days where success seems shallow and uncertain, I come back to the more honest beginnings, where describing the reality of the subject was the goal.  "Rabbit Study" is such a work, done with finely sharpened pencils.  As I recall, this drawing took over a week to complete.  It was a study in order to get to familiarize myself with the sculptured form of a rabbit, so that I could paint it more freely further on down the road.  It is good to ground myself and my work now and then.  See Rabbit Study at Discovered Artists.

Embracing Our Differences...

Spirits Conjoined   oil/canvas   40 x 30 x 1.5

One of my paintings "Spirits Conjoined" has been accepted into Embracing Our Differences, an outdoor billboard show......each of the 39 works selected will be made into a billboard!  These billboards will be on display in April at Island Park, Sarasota, Florida and in May in South Sarasota County.  I am so very pleased to have a work included in this exhibit, as, really, this whole issue of beautiful and loving differences is so very important to me.  Since we were children, both girls and boys, our culture through our families has spoon-fed the "ideal" to us....what we should be and how we should act and what we should do with our lives.  Those of us who varied from this path often felt guilty and suffered some consequences.....I was often told, "Your average person would never think that...."    I have never striven to be average. And I hope my readers will never either.  And what is average anyways?  I look to our children who are more accepting of deviation from this norm.....more accepting in general of differences.  Evolution cannot speed up enough for me.

For a look at the artwork selected and to read about the exhibit, visit:  embracing our differences.

Be Brave. Paint with Authority.

This is a quote from one of my favorite watercolor artists....and one of my mentors, Alvaro Castagnet, who was the juror at Watercolor Ohio 2008.  Alvaro has just received the top award at the Shanghai Zhujiajiao International Watercolour Biennial!  His winning painting "Overview" is a scene from downtown Montevideo and can be seen on his website.  He says:

     Art is totally insight.  Painting is based on intuition; it is a cosmic thing.

     Good Art goes beyond intelligence.  Be naive.

I guess that we are drawn to the working methods of those artists similar to our own, as it validates our own findings, our own problem-solving.  He relishes freedom of the brush, as well as being-a-bit-out-of-control.  He uses the hand-tied squirrel hair mop-shaped brushes that help to diminish control(thus allowing more freedom).....and.....he holds them at the end of the handle which furthers this experience.  Yeah, baby, yeah.

I couldn't agree more.....congratulations, Alvaro!!!!

Home..

Dussel Farm in February   watercolor   8.25 x 23.25

Sense of place is so important to our well being.  I am fortunate to be able to work in silence in my studio and to feel a part of the outside natural world through the large windows.  It took many years for me to feel comfortable in our rural community.....I think we were "newbies" for the first twenty years.  I believe that is why moving is often difficult, even traumatic.  I have known a few people whose constant childhood moves have impacted them negatively for the rest of their lives.  HOME.  The farms around us have gradually been selling off and becoming housing developments.....although I try to keep in mind how happy these new homeowners are to have their own part of the American Dream,  I know in my heart that I prefer looking at pastures.  Thomas Moore states in The Re-Enchantment of Everyday Life:

     I would wish to be a member of a community that judged itself on the happiness of its children rather than on      the unhindered flow of its mechanical inventions.

Dussel Farm is one of the hearts of our community.  We pass it almost daily.  We buy corn, bird seed and pumpkins there.  Our children schooled with theirs.  "Dussel Farm in February" is heartfelt.  My last winter landscape of the season.

Zen Mind Beginner's Mind...Shunryu Suzuki-roshi

I love the teachings of Shunryu Suzuki-roshi.....that approaching all things as a beginner, as a child, is the way to go.  It follows, then, that we can learn from the experiences of a newbie, that artist who is completely unencumbered with rules and rituals.  It also follows that loads-full of knowledge is questionable....that "having" knowledge can sometimes be prohibitive.  And so, my painting and drawing classes are a mix of artists....it is more fun that way....we can all learn from each other.  It also follows, for me, that reaching certain levels of certain art organizations that grant the use of special initials when "more accomplished artists" deem your work worthy of theirs is a slippery slope.  Of course, goals and the reaching of those goals are worthy endeavors.  But resting on the laurels of a signature membership is not.  Approaching the work with the enthusiasm of a child and the freshness of a beginner is to be encouraged.  Solving new problems in new and personal ways.

Jackie has never before taken an art class.  She has a sense of fun and openness about her.  Although we experienced painters agreed that the composition could benefit from cropping in order to make either the foreground or the background dominant, this scene from her back yard in the snow is wonderful.....and the snow strokes done in blue with a flat brush are enviable. 


My right hand holds the hand of someone who knows less than me, and I am the teacher.
My left hand holds the hand of someone who knows more than me, and I am the student.


Thank you, Jackie.

Time to Paint....time to eat...

Pot of Potatoes   watercolor   13 x 17

Fresh Produce is alluring....to shop for, to prepare and to paint.  I have always enjoyed painting fruits and vegetables....they are beautiful and they are a part of my life.  Seasonal foods are exciting.  We are graduating into the warmer sunshine of Spring and the offerings at the market will be changing as well.  Actually, when my children were small, I spent a crazy amount of time in the kitchen daily.  Cooking is where I first experienced "flow" and its remarkable comfort and sense of well being.  Although my time in the kitchen has morphed into time in the studio, I still enjoy my time spent there.....for the most part....there are definitely exceptions.  My future daughter-in-law is studying currently at the Cordon Bleu in San Francisco and has a remarkable facility in food preparation.  I enjoy working and learning with her.

"Pot of Potatoes" has always been one of my favorite paintings....it just offers up something so basic that is part of me.  I also offer two of my favorite food blogs.  Partake.  Enjoy.  Paint.

my seat...mine, mine, mine...on resisting change

I have noticed over the years that artists sit in the same seats time and time again.....perhaps we have been conditioned from school days.  I used to be terribly annoyed at this, not understanding why these people wouldn't like to sample another point of view.  But I have come to some understanding about this.  For me, good artists whose habits are worth emulating resist formula painting at all costs.....they resist perpetually painting the same subject in the same way with the same tools.  They paint from life.  And they embrace the unknown.  Now it is a known fact that our bodies return to status again and again.  We resist inertia.  We are always searching for "the formula" that guarantees success.  It is not our fault as we have been conditioned by that thing called survival to continually measure and assess all moves.  When we find something that works, we tend to do it again and again.  And so the quest for perpetual change is a bit alien to us and causes some anxiety.  Of course, we artists know that the outcome is exhilarating and energizing, well worth the effort.  And....back to seats.  I have come to realize that we need some sort of bungee cord to stabilize us as we leap off into the creative unknown.  My seat.  The constant.  The place where I feel secure enough to be able to think novel thoughts and create novel visual arrangements.  Mine.

Jolie Laide...

Paint Dancer (a self-portrait)   oil/canvas   40 x 30 x 1.5

It is said that the French have an expression "jolie laide" that refers to unconventional beauty or an odd attractiveness.  (Literally it means "pretty ugly" which fails miserably in direct translation, as do most idioms). Other definitions have to do with personal grooming and other meaningless details.  I am guessing that this expression is more English than French in its origins and somewhat satisfies our desire to explain that amazing sense of enviable style possessed by the French.  For me, it implies much, much more....in fact, I give it my own meaning:  that of a combination of two polar opposites (beauty and ugliness), the combination of which provides soulfulness to our senses.  I am enamored with this notion and strive for it in my work.  The past has given us more than enough samples of paintings of beautiful women, beautiful bouquets and perfect-setting-sun landscapes.  Yawn.  It seems that many young male painters still perpetuate the notion that if-you-are-a-great-artist-than-you-will-paint-beautiful-women.  In this scenario, the work is then external, dependent upon the beauty of the sitter.  Yawn again.  For me, the paintings of tattooed bodies that lean more towards counterculture are a bit more interesting but still smack of surface value.  So, then, for me, a goal is to elevate the ordinary, to search for a bit of meaning and essence in the mundane and, hopefully, a bit of reaching inwards.  For this to occur, there must be, in my mind, a conjoining of the efforts of both the sitter as well as the painter. I am sticking my neck out here....a goal is just that....a goal....it is always striven for but not always reached.

This detail is from my self-portrait.  When shown at a critique, I was advised by more than one male artist to take out the evidence of aging, to make the portrait more narrowly youthful and beautiful.  But, I argued, that was the whole point of making the painting.  Several female artists were excited and supportive in my choice of what to include.  In my choice to honor the "jolie-laide", I have chosen to show my own self-portrait for fear that I might offend any of my other models.....for who wants to be jolie-laide in America?

Lotus Kids...

Lotus Kid (Sonya)   oil/canvas   30 x 40 x 1.5

I have been totally turned on by the multicultural spirit of the Olympic Games.  I enjoy painting models from various cultures as well.  In high school my favorite club was The American Field Service which hosted fundraisers of all kinds in order to bring exchange students to our school for a year.  A lifetime friendship with Meredith Williams Gawler of Australia is the result.  Making the world smaller.  Diminishing differences.  Appreciating the colors and stories of the other cultures.  I am also inspired by The Tea Collection, a children's apparel company with the same philosophy.. Have a peek at their new Korea collection.....emerging fresh on the heels of seeing the outstanding Korean athletes on the ice.  

"Lotus Kid" is a painting of a lovely Korean woman.....and the title inspired by The Red Hot Chili Peppers whose music I listened to as I painted.  

I really do think that we Americans are a bit egocentric.....I hope that we can develop a love and appreciation for other cultures...........knowledge is power.