V. Mired in Blue

Mired in Blue   watercolor   19 x 7.5

was painted from life and from a sketch done in two subsequent sessions.  The model was a lithe and artsy young woman who managed the goings-on at the desk of our local art center.  The countenance of the relaxed and unposed face is always so appealing to me, its being devoid of a public personna...the model usually drifting quietly into self.

While painting just the figure is an admirable aim, which I so much enjoy in the work of others, is near to impossible to me, as a search for design and color to take the work into more "me-ness".  As I tell the artists in my classes, the search for your personal aesthetic is a long and arduous road, only achieved after the reality of the subject has fully been discovered, achieved, and discovered and achieved again and again.  And, so, while I fully admire the simplicity and beauty of just the reality of the model, I must, at this point, be satisfied with my own way of working.  And....to celebrate it.

Lost and Found,

Lost and Found   conte and pastel on Rives BFK   18 x 21.5

picking and sorting, organizing....the stuff of which my life is comprised...constant evaluation:  weeds vs. flowers; healthy relationships vs. the toxic; and that which we deem necessary vs. that which just takes up space.  It is, I think, a perpetual process that helps us find ourselves.

This drawing was referenced from a photo shot last September at a family wedding, where our granddaughter, just two, was given the responsibility of being a flower girl.  During the long wait, she dropped the basket a couple of times, and patiently replaced the petals into the basket.  She took this job quite seriously.

The biggest challenge during this work was to push and pull those hard and soft edges for the purpose of movement throughout the composition.  This is a process that I particularly enjoy, along with a manipulation and shifting of values in an attempt to create work with strong design, while remaining soft.

Initially, I had planned only a light sketch.  The project morphed into a more complete painting-like drawing, in which the Rives BFK (a printmaking paper) was pushed as far as it could go in terms of workability.

I take my job quite seriously as well.

Happy Father's Day

Rick - a sketchbook drawing

...to my husband...patient, kind, supportive...and, above all, a wonderful, wonderful father.

Cherry Pie

Cherry Pie   Watercolor on Khadi paper   12 x 12

seems to be a favorite and pies, in general, seem to be the quintessential American dessert.  I come from a long line of pie makers.  My mom always offered up at least three varieties at each holiday gathering.  Her sister used to stay up all night before family get-togethers rolling and filling and baking.  She even had a large multiple-shelved carrier with a top handle that allowed her to cart at least eight pies to events.  Any uneaten pies were sent home with guests. As a result, I am afraid that I became over-pied....just too much of a good thing, I suppose.

Recently, while having a bit of brunch in Clintonville, we stopped into a wonderful place....Dough Mama.  On the wall was a wonderful pie drawing that inspired my own version.  This painting is more meticulous than usual for me, as I took painstaking care in the overs and unders of the latticework crust.  I attempted to keep sparkling whites, mostly in the cherry filling.  The background was the devil.  Each color seemed wrong...too colorful to compete with the vibrant pie.  I finally layered the background with a pick-type brush (cut out like a comb) using white gouache for a more subtle application.  In this regard, I was inspired by a children's book in which all of the illustrations were painting on wood, with the grain as part of the overall texture.  I am pleased.

Care for a slice?