Do the Georgia...

O'Keefe.  Another painting exercise that is wonderfully exciting is what I call "Blown Up Blooms".  Georgia said that she painted large blooms to produce more impact, as people don't really SEE flowers...they pass them by.  True.....big is good....big can be seen.  Another by product is the fact that we can't rely on reality as much. Each part of the bloom, the petal or the leaf for example, is so much larger that we have to rely on our creativity with the paint.  It also, to me, has a more modern look.  Perhaps the little vases of posies have been overdone so much that, even if beautifully done, they have become visual chloroform to me.  So.....blown up blooms.  

Sunflower Head   watercolor   8 x 8

Fresh Art...

What Appears Simple   watercolor/mixed   27.5 x 21

On any given weekend, there is a wide variety of art events from which to select.  So much to see.  So little time. This is my weekend pick:

     Fresh  Art

     Summit Artspace, 140 E. Market Street, Akron Ohio 44308

     Call 330.376.8480 or e:  info@akronareaarts.org  for further information

     Juried by:  John T. Adams and Clare Murray Adams

My work " What Appears Simple..." has been included.

We at Akron Society of Artists will also be painting on Saturday night from 5-9 pm at the ASA studio.

Come on along....it'll be fun.

Reliance on Photographs...

Julie   conte crayon on paper   17.5 x 10

Photographs are the life preservers of painting and drawing.....they don't really teach you to swim, but they keep you buoyant.  It is very difficult for some folks to give them up as part of the work (?) is already done - the subject has been flattened into 2 dimensions.....the artist's job then is to pump 3-dimensional reality back into the work.  Photos are portable.  Photos save time. Photos freeze the subject in time. Photos are like reading Cliff Notes to try to understand a great American novel.  In a pinch, I have used both. Photos lie. So do Cliff Notes.  Everything is on the same plane.  Darks and lights are polarized.   Working from reality teaches the true nature of things, the to's and the fro's.  Models get tired, flowers wilt, and the sun changes.  But I believe that an artist can learn way way more and achieve more freshness and energy by working from life.  "Julie" is a portrait started from life at my drawing workshop in Warren where most of the attendees are portrait artists.  I will say that I could probably have worked another hour on it, but, being a workshop, we needed to move on.  The natives were growing restless.  I remember, though, that it felt good, I felt as if I had a handle on the subject.  It felt simple and right.  I snapped a photo so that I could finish the work at home.  A week later, I relied on my photograph to finish the portrait.  I was let down.....I felt that there was so much I had missed....how could I have been so wrong?  All those details.  Too many details.  The photo caused me to doubt my observations.  Although I finished the work to my satisfaction, I have to wonder what the work would have looked like had I been able to finish it on the spot....

Doodling...

Domino...a doodle drawing

Wordless Expression.  This is the title for the workshop I did at Cleveland State last Friday as part of the "Create a Life" seminar.  The participants in the workshop were therapists (art and occupational), social workers, nurses and psychologists.  We doodlers recognize each other.  We also recognize our first cousins the fidgeters.  We are people that need to be engaged on  more than one level.  Doodling can be expansive and enlightening.  Our tools are all marks that can be made:  dots, triple dots, variegated dots, slashes, swirls, swoopies and lines of all kinds.  We find patterns all over the place and take inspiration from:  fabrics, nature, braids, ribbons and picnic baskets.  Most of us have been doodling, and feeling a bit guilty about it, for most of our lives.  We are looked at as if we are not paying attention.  But a new study discussed in Time Magazine tested doodlers versus non-doodlers attending a lecture full of detail.  The doodlers actually recalled more information from the lecture.  It was surmised that somehow doodling kept the attendee from day dreaming, and more on focus.  Wow.  Good News.  Dissolve that guilt.  Arm yourselves with pen and paper for that next bored meeting.  (or is that board?)

Varietal...

potatoes, varietal beans and varietal line, the mix of which is ever so exciting!  Mixing it up can give us artists a totally fresh perspective.  Sometimes, in the drone of making, we use the same the same the same and approach things the same the same the same.  In our workshop, we used charcoal sticks to experiment with the many ways that simple stick can be used:  pouncing, on its side, on an angle, on its end.  This, to me, is poetry.  Why use a multitude of small strokes when a big one will do?  And pair it up with some small ones to give it more power.  Yes.  We also used our erasers to make smudgy marks and shapes.  In the sample shown, those beautiful wavering lines were created with an eraser.  As are the large half-toned circular shapes.  It is, in my opinion, through these simple lessons in playful abstraction that we are able to play, to experiment because reality doesn't get in the way.  Hopefully, we are able to cross over these lessons with a fresh eye when approaching reality drawing.

Express Yourself...

Paintbrush(Labor Series)   watercolor  8.5 x 14

I spent Saturday last doing an expressive drawing workshop at The Trumbull County Art Center in Warren, Ohio.  Enthusiastic artists were there to open up and possibly stretch themselves in a new way as far as drawing goes.  Drawing, like anything else, can be experienced in ways that are quite polar......and everything in between.  Too often we find ourselves sitting down and working with finely sharpened pencils slaving over accuracy.  We tighten up and make small marks that come from the wrist....a bit like handwriting. As we sharpen and resharpen in order to find the reality of the subject, the freshness and enthusiasm give way to overworking and perfection.  Too much control. Using fatter tools, standing up, and moving from the shoulder allow for more expressive mark making, bolder mark making, and more happy accidents.  We began with a series of calligraphic exercises designed to aid in larger movements from the shoulder, and natural curves that begin to find their way into a natural rhythm.  Practice aids in muscle memory and we eventually gain a bit more control.  Out-of-control control.  Cool.  These artists were hard working and sincere...it was a delight sharing these exercises with them.

Your challenge should you choose to accept it is...

Bit of Orange   watercolor   8.25 x 6.5

whatever you need work on.  I have heard it said that it is our responsibility to work with both our talents and weaknesses in our quest for success in anything.  Challenges are good.  And challenges are many.  I try to add at least one challenge to any project in the works.  Not enough challenges to interfere with the enjoyment of the painting, but enough to take me from just painting what I see into learning just a bit more.  Increased ability to problem-solve is the goal.  Each artist in class was given an orange and instructions to cut it whichever way they wanted.  In addition:

* our papers were divided horizontally into three equal zones, either horizontal or vertical format   for the paper

* the orange was to be located in the central zone to the left, to the right, mid center, all of the artist's choosing

* half of the artists were to put hard edges on the top of the orange, shifting attention to the top of the work

*  half of the artists were to put hard edges on the bottom of the orange, shifting attention to the bottom

* we were to use a limited palette, using only one blue.  we were to create a neutral background using that      blue, with an orange.

Wow, we ended up with an amazing variety of wonderful works.  I had hoped to show some here, and perhaps will be able to next week.  I photographed them all only to realize that my significant other, a photographer, had removed the camera card from my camera.  No images.   ergh.....................

"Bit of Orange" is my solution.  My hard edges are, of course, at the bottom.  The painting was cropped to support the interest toward the bottom third of the paper.

Mix it Up...

An Accommodating Curve   watercolor/gouache   27 x 14

These days, I am quite drawn to mixed media paintings....they offer more surprises than works that are more pure.  When I first joined my local art organization many years ago, those who painted with watercolor were teased with, "When are you gonna use REAL paint?", jokingly (?) meant to acknowledge the supposed superiority of oils.  This whole notion, in fact, smacks of a REAL MAN society....and I really don't wanna go there.  I would like to think that mixed media works are now mirroring the multicultural aspect of our society and our world.  We taste and sample foods and products from all over the world. I, for one, find this to be very stimulating.  I did a turn at gallery sitting last week at Summit Artspace gallery and found that I am quite taken with the work of Sean O'Donnell, a young painting student at the University of Akron.  His use of pencil and small bits of folded paper affixed to the canvas are novel and offer interest and novelty.  Why then, do we hesitate to add another medium, as if we are tainting the pure?  I am not sure.

Many years ago, I did lots of watercolor work on top of a gouache under-painting.  It changed the quality of the strokes and added a milky quality to the paint.  "An Accommodating Curve" is an example.  When I took this painting to critique, the leader was visually confused as to the medium.  It looked a bit like oil, a bit like pastel.  Whatever.  His comment made me happy.  

I look forward to the day that we don't have to check-mark our supposedly "pure" race on applications of all sorts.  I really don't like purity all that much.

Directionality of Line...

Moroccan Man...a sketch

I am a big fan of using the direction of line to support my intent.  In this case, of course,  my "hand" is always visible to the viewer.  For me, this is refreshing and supports the collaboration between artist and sitter.  There are those whose lines are so very fine and so very smudged that prefer to let the sitter shine and for them, the artist, to remain invisible.  Although line can be used in painting, one can take advantage of this useful design element more easily in drawing.  In the case of "Moroccan Man" I used the line to support the direction of the form, or that part of the form that I was trying to describe.  Most of the texture is in the face.  I chose to leave the head wrap smooth and plain, thereby using texture/no texture as another design feature.  This stuff spins my fan.  

In the beginning, I believed that there was only one correct line - the one that more accurately described the contour of the form.  Hallelujah..........there are infinite ways to use line, and endless possibilities.  Sign me up.

I wanna triple.....time as a healer...

Wait   mixed on paper   20 x 13.5

Well then, would that be a triple base run, a triple lutz, or three great paintings in a row?  Sometimes, the ideas expressed by other artists resonate within me.  Not immediately, but will rise to the surface of my thoughts in time.  I am grateful for this.  Last week an artist in my class lamented the fact that he felt he needed to progress more, and the measure for that would be three or four great paintings in a row.  Those of us who have been painting a long while just looked at each other and simultaneously declared, "That ain't gonna happen".  

Like it or not, we have a lot in common with athletes and I believe that we need to incorporate some of their experiences into our own.  While the desire to conquer, to win, to claim the prize is decidedly a left-brain notion, the actual playing of the sport, the moment-to-moment maneuvering of one's body in response to another's is an in-the-present notion that is shared with us artists.....from the R-brain.  One needs only to take in the sports news for a week or so to realize that even the best of the best athletes have their share of disappointments and setbacks.  To attain peak performance at all times is an oddity.  What matters, of course, is the long run, the continued playing of the thing, the continued painting of the thing over time that allows for more success, whatever that might entail for any given individual.  The process is the thing. The love of the thing.  The playing.  The triple-lutzing.  The capturing of light in early morning.  A peak performance at any given event does not guarantee a peak performance at the next.  You are only as good as the current game, the current painting.

"Wait" is about exactly that.  A feeling of failure.  A loss.  Not living up to what one believes is his or her potential.  The only healer is time....waiting.....painful waiting....until the next painting when all goes as planned and one's self-imposed definition of success is met.  Sometimes it happens.

drawer? painter?

Many artists proclaim, "I am a painter".  The word painter connotes a degree of mastery, an elevation.  Not many declare, "I am a drawer".  That connotes part of a chest of drawers, a bureau.  But, rest assured, all good painters spend a great deal of time being good drawers.  Discipline before freedom.

I love stroke-making and all of the freedom that comes along with it...strokes that are bold, strokes that support my intent, and strokes that hold their own independent beauty, regardless of the subject matter.  In order to feel surface-freedom, that freedom occurring on the plane of the canvas or paper, it is necessary to be as comfortable as possible with the draftsmanship of the subject, the skeletal construction that lies beneath  those beautiful strokes.

Most new to painting desire to be proficient at painting without a solid knowledge of drawing....painting classes fill up before drawing classes.  I think that it is in our nature to go for the gold.  Perhaps painting is more tenable, more quantifiable.  What occurs, unfortunately, is that most errors in painting are actually drawing errors.  So, it stands to reason that the more we draw, the more comfortable we will be when we take brush in hand.

So....Stand up.  Be counted.  Declare your passion.  I am a drawer.

Bunch of Daffodils...

Daffodil Bunch   watercolor   18 x 10.5

Nothing signals spring to me more than daffodils....luscious horns of bright yellow to warm our hearts!  I have painted daffodils every spring for more years than I can remember...in vases, lying down, tied with string, in the flower bed, blush background, brown background, turquoise background.....they are always difficult to paint and always a thrill.  We are in the process of naturalizing our front yard for many reasons, the most important being to block off increasing noise from the county road out front.  I planted a variety of 50 just last fall and most have come up.  This year the Granville Garden Club is using one of my daffodil paintings on their advertising materials.....again, a thrill.

Granville, Ohio 65th Annual Garden Club Daffodil Show and Sale featuring over 300 varieties of these pest and deer-resistant bulbs!

When:  Saturday, April 17, 1-7 pm; Sunday, April 18, 11-6 pm

Where:  College Town House, 334 East Broadway, Granville, Ohio 43203

Contact:  Call 740.522.6914 or granvillegardenclub@gmail.com  for further information

              

              

It's Raining Cats and Dogs...

Happy   oil/canvas   10 x 20 x .5

We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals....Immanuel Kant

Opening:  Friday, April 9, 5:30-8:30 pm, wine and cheese reception

                 Hudson Fine Art & Framing, 9 Aurora Street, Hudson, Ohio

                 Percentage of proceeds to benefit PAWSibilities, the Humane Society of Greater Akron

                 photos by Neil Evans, watercolors by Sinclair Stratton, sculptures by Gail Chavenelle 

                     (some of my work as well)

When a man has pity on all living creatures then only is he noble....Buddha Siddhartha Gautama

Under the Weather...

Under the Weather...a sketch

From time to time we all get hit with the flu bug.  Unanticipated down time.  Low Energy......inability to work on paintings.  What could be worse?  That is where I have been for the past few days.  When others in my household have been ill, or even taken to afternoon naps or sleeping in, I have regarded the circumstance as the most wonderful  way to sketch an inert model.  Sketching people while sleeping is somewhat invasive but it gives us a completely different view of the human head as it twists and melds into a pillow.  I have surprised more than one family member when their eyes open to face the morning....oh well.  When my boys were smaller, I used to pay them to sit still while watching television.  This sleeping/sick scenario offers complete relaxation for all.  I can't wait to get back to work.

Spring Equinox...

Cracked   watercolor   9 x 13.5

The arrival of the Equinox brings many changes to our lives.  For most of us, these changes are welcome.  I confess to being a winter-lover as I seem to have more quiet creative time that I need.  Spring brings along yard work and changes in rhythm.  I am sure that I will benefit from this shift and new opportunities will present themselves.  Ah, yes, and the Easter dinner.  Eggs and more eggs.  Last evening while putting away the groceries, I tried to cram just one too many eggs into the egg holder....definitely my m.o.  The mess that resulted took even more time to clean up than the time it would have taken for me to be careful.  Again, my m.o.  "Cracked" sums up the experience.  Please tell me that it doesn't just happen to me.

Off I go to make red beet eggs....our Pennsylvania Dutch tradition.

the life so short, the craft so long to learn...

Kinyatta   oil/canvas   30 x 24 x .5

Hippocrates.  Yes.  The night of the critique is always a sleepless one for me....images twirling and swirling in my brain.  The creative subconscious at work.  And, in the morning, a bit of resolve, as I attempt to assimilate the lessons presented to me during the session.  (And this time, it cannot be attributed to Diet Coke)  I really do embrace the beautiful differences of my artists friends and colleagues...the wonderful composition by Judy Gaiser, the complex color behind Dan Lindner's vintage pencil sharpener, the abstracted and spontaneous boats of Kevin Hudik, the sparkling carousel painted from a mutated photograph by Manna Huang, and marvelously complex and patterned world of Tricia Kaman.  These are my inspirations.  My own deconstructed painting of Kinyatta registered some valid comments....the placement of the hand, the too-much-dominance of the thumb and the necessary/unnecessary white stroke mid-bottom....I take these comments seriously, especially from artists whose work I admire and enjoy.  I will think on these things...the face and hands seem sacrosanct in this process...for me the question is

what do I really need?