Dussel Farm...

Bi-Color   oil/canvas   11 x 14  

in Brimfield is where we shop for corn....the tastiest thing going in this harvest season.  The circular driveway is arranged so that you literally drive-through and just open your window.  Members of the Dussel family are ready to serve you a dozen or a half (with an extra one included).  These are hard-working people, local farmers, who depend on our support for their existence.  Sure, it is a bit out of the way.  Sure, it costs a fraction more.  But ever so much more delicious than the genetically engineered stuff that fills the bins at Marc's.  It seems to me that if we artists seriously value the notion of one-of-a-kind art, then it follows that we would be apt to support and sustain the farms and farmers of our locale and in our farmer's markets.  Amen.  Please pass the butter.

Farmers Markets...

Tomato Basket   oil/canvas  16 x 20 x 1.5

are in full swing now and need our support.  Since the 1950's, chemical farming has altered the way food is grown in our country.  High-tech farming has lessened the quality of the foods and depleted the soil causing lower nutrient crops as well as increasing erosion.  The yield per acre has tripled.  Labor has been cut by 2/3.  But energy use has quadrupled.  Not a good thing....all sponsored by the petrochemical industry.  According to Moore Lappe and Joseph Collins of the Institute for Food and Development Policy in San Francisco, the myth of world hunger has also been propagated by this same industrial outlook.  Rather, hunger is not the result of poor production, but the result of social and political policies that cause farmers to plant commercial one-crop products that are exported for monetary gain, leaving the local and regional communities with little to nothing.

I have spent the past three weeks painting fruits, vegetables and other food items.  I cannot paint without thinking of the subject and what this particular experience has to teach.

Delight...

Asparagus, Peaches and Cherry Tomatoes   watercolor   12.5 x 14

is a matter of personal preference, of course.  I feel lucky that my my delight threshold is so low....my brain is stimulated by marks on the sidewalk, stacks of books.....and going to the market.  Marketing has always been a pleasure for me even when in a hurry....which is just about always.  Summer's produce is a wave of textures and colors to spin my creative fan.  Who doesn't love the collection of peppers....all yellow, orange, red and green....stacked in baskets and boxes?  Pity the person who does not notice.

Delight in the seeing, the touching, the smelling and the eating.

And, I will confess to buying things I don't need just because they are beautiful.

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?

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.

Painting an apple a day.....

Granny Smith's Grin   oil/canvas   4 x 4 x 1.5

The artists in my classes will attest to the fact that I love apples. Almost always, we paint apples for the first session in the fall, as they are easy to lug along and fun to paint. And then they provide a treat for the ride home. We also discuss design elements. If we attest to the simple explanation of good design as "big and little things arranged pleasingly on a page", then we must also admit that not every still-life set-up offers the ultimate in great design. Sometimes it is necessary, and even preferable, to allow our imaginations to create where reality falls short. I think of line, especially pencil line, as an inviting element incorporated into a painting. Those first pencil lines that peek through a watercolor not only function as a design element, but also allow soulfulness to appear by watching the attempts, and perhaps the struggles, of the artist. Lines that have virtually no meaning literally still pack a punch when read visually. Squiggly energetic lines playing with the front-stage round form of the apple. Yum. In "Varietal" I painted the scene in front of me, then added calligraphic line work in the form of the various kinds of apples that are available to us in the marketplace. Playful lines. Colorful lines. Contrasted with rounded forms. Crunch.

Bounty

Tomato Tango   oil/canvas   8 x 8 x 1

My life is inextricably bound up with the seasons. Time of year determines what I will be painting, what I will be wearing, how I will be feeling and what I will be doing. There is a constant hum in our kitchen right now....the oven dehydrator is working full-tilt to preserve all of the tomatoes that ripened within a week's time. Funny how that is..............we wait and wait and wait..........and then the ripe goodness inundates our menus and our lives all at once. I always look forward to autumn and its quiet. More quality time in the studio. Less to do in the yard, After the tomatoes will come paprika peppers, then parsley, then thyme, then chives. I love following the rhythms of the seasons. Goodness emerges from each. Georgia O'Keefe once said that visiting the East inundated her senses with green.....and she got bored with so much green. Time to put away the greens. Time to squeeze out tubes of earth tones....raw sienna, raw umber, the burnt counterparts of each; yellow ochre and perhaps some violet. I am ready.

A kernel of truth...

Bi Color   oil/canvas   11 x 14

Just what is a kernel of truth anyways? A small bite....practically microscopic? Something easy to digest? Something that we ourselves digest and decide whether or not it is true? I like that one. When I was a young artist, I was always so impressed by paintings, usually watercolor, of corncobs. The ones of multicolored Indian corn were always the most impressive. It was apparent that these artists had extreme patience, a will to survive and extremely small brushes. Therefore, it was many years before I attempted to paint corn, as I had very little of the above......well, maybe a medium-sized brush. As we grow as artists, we come to digest small kernels of our own truths...the qualities that define us as individual artists. And, for me, it was definitely not going to be perfectly-painted kernels of corn. For me, those kernels had to become supporting actors to the entire cobs and their luscious leaves and silks that twist, undulate and protect. There, I did it. One more kernel on my cob.

Peach Pie

Freestone   oil/canvas   6 x 6 x 1.5

This past weekend my friend Peggy Shriner served peach pie at a get-together. Delicious! My mother could never understand my preference for peach-anything. She always said it had no flavor. Flavors of all kinds are very personal, very subjective. Same with artwork. Every person visiting The Chicago Institute of Art will probably come home with different favorites, works that will stay in the mind long after the visit. We might not even know why. Such is the case with "Le Premier Pas" (The First Step), an oil painting by Constantin Brancusi. It latched onto me from across the gallery. Maybe it is the subject matter. The "first step" is and always will be a monumental event for any parent. Perhaps it is the color....neutralized pastels that confuse the viewer...is it pastel? or is it oil? I love contradictions of all kinds. It may have been the extraordinary use of what appears to be a raw umber line along the perimeter of the small figure. Line work is not that common in paintings. It is bold and demonstrates a sure hand. I love raw umber. Perhaps. I am not sure why. Brancusi and Peaches....what a great combination!

Farmers Market/Framers Market

The Apple Seller   oil/canvas board   12 x 9

The Saturday morning Hudson Farmers Market is an absolute delight....that is where I perched under a tall pine tree Saturday morning during the drizzle. The smells that wafted from the chef's demonstration were tantalizing. The colors of the fresh produce and flowers were stimulating. I was initially drawn to a flower seller, but soon realized that she bounced around too much for me to catch a likeness of her figure. The apple seller was more stationary under his umbrella.....I was satisfied with that. Just across the green from the market is Hudson Fine Art and Framing....a framers market, so to speak. I enjoyed both that day!

I'm Peachy....You're Peachy

Pail of Peaches   watercolor   17 x 12.5

A hot book 40 years ago (?) was I'm OK....You're OK by Thomas Harris, M.D. I read it myself, and judging by its popularity, so did many others who, like me, were trying to feel good about themselves. We live in a culture that rewards sameness. Communities are becoming more and more homogenous with their outdoor malls and chain stores. Individual and eccentric behavior is regarded with suspicion. Our parents of the 50's simply couldn't imagine why we didn't want to be just like them. We were often punished for wavering from "the path", their path. I love all things peachy...especially peach ice cream. My mother ridiculed me for this as she simply could not understand why anyone would like something that "had no flavor". Well, well, well. Many years hence, I am truly understanding how my own preferences define me. I happen to love the understated peachy flavor and can smell these luscious fruits when I enter the store. "Pail of Peaches" was a breakthrough painting for me in that I could finally appreciate my own preference for vignette formats. My painting style was evolving into a more expressive one, making use of rhythmic and gestural strokes. That is my thrill. When I painted in this way, there was always space left-over. When I "filled in the background", I felt as if I were killing the liveliness of the painting. I might as well be painting the living room wall. So, thanks to Dr. Harris, I can finally say.....I love peaches......and.....I love vignettes....and that is O.K.

Painting by Seasons

Red Gold   oil/canvas   6 x 6 x 1.5

I live and love in the Midwest.....our lives are marked by seasons......just about an even fourth of the year for each. I dress, cook and paint seasonally, and my feelings change as the temperatures and landscapes change. I always look forward to the next, but not without bittersweet feelings for the waning. Our garden has provided so much enjoyment this summer, color-wise, taste-wise and entertainment-wise. (watching the chipmunks eating cherry tomatoes right on the vine). The season for tomatoes is nearly complete....they are no longer coming in faster than we can use them and they have now taken on more preciousness. They are now like red gold.

sdrawkcab gnikniht

Organic Carrots, watercolor   10 x 17

Thinking backwards is always fun for me....it is sort of a game, and keeps my mind in a playful, nonsensical mode. Traditional watercolors are worked, usually, from light to dark. The opposite is true for working with oils. I enjoy watercolors that incorporate the full-body-ness of oils...sort of a richness with lots of darks. As a result, I have lots of failed watercolors, as it is much more difficult to change your direction once the darks are laid in. Sometimes I try to do the same subject in both mediums to see how they translate. Mostly, I find that a particular subject is better rendered in one medium or another, due to the feelings involved or the appropriateness of the mood. "Organic Carrots" is a spin-off from the "Carrots" oil painting. Why not take full benefit of the purchase of the organic carrots before they wither? Economy is also in my nature. It makes me happy.

Animation

Carrots   oil/canvas   8 x 24 x .5

I was a Disney kid.....my life full of talking trees, humanized animals and magic. (even though I never really enjoyed cartoons) As a result, I love for my still life and architectural paintings to have a life, to breathe. I really do see them as living things. Although I have never really analyzed it, I guess that this can be accomplished by using more organic lines and fewer straight ones. "Carrots" was painted right after "Beets". Painting pairs can result in works with a similar feel. I was striving for animation, but found out that color was the thing that piqued my interest here. Happens all the time. Strive for one goal and hit the finish with yet another. Fluidity is a good thing.

Paint your Vegetables

Beets   oil/canvas   8 x 24 x .5

One of the challenges that I present to myself is to paint quickly and, hopefully, passionately, using as few brush strokes as possible. That is what makes me happy. It seems that more often than not, the first way I articulate a passage is my favorite.....subsequent paint-overs may achieve more detail and more accuracy, but often fall flat in terms of energy and excitement. Vegetables offer so much as subject matter............texture, amazing color and a life-quality that somehow seems lacking in man-made objects. Of course, I am not always successful in my challenges. Some paintings seem to paint themselves, while others snail their way into being. That is the process. "Beets" was such a challenge. It was basically painted in one session, with just a few strokes added to turn up the color volume after it was dry.

transparency::opacity

Tomato, Pepper and Sage   watercolor/gouache   10 x 10

Transparency and opacity, and their relationship, plagued me for years. Watercolor paintings without some opacity seem to bother me, as well as did oil paintings without the slightest notion of transparency. Upsetting the boundaries and limitations set forth by individual mediums is important to me. Yesterday, my husband and I visited the opening of The Butler Institute of American Art Midyear Exhibition opening. The works that stimulate me the most are those that seem to transcend the limitations of the medium, or seem to merge various mediums. In approaching, I am trying to decipher the medium, but am puzzled. I love that! I recently unearthed an older painting "Tomato, Pepper and Sage". I am more pleased by it now than I was at the time. I can recall the need to make the sage opaque, both the color and the texture. I felt that it simply couldn't be done any other way. So I added body color in the form of gouache. Ahhhh.....cooking without a recipe.

Power

June Bounty   watercolor   14.5 x 18

It seems to me that most relationships, conversations and interactions are driven by power.......that is why I prefer to limit my interactions with a trusted few........those who understand a mutual give and take, a reciprocity that respects all parties. Same with paintings. To me, the picture plane represents the power potential.....all things within it must share the power. So, again, in my own opinion, the more things in the picture, the more the "picture power" must be shared. Last summer I conducted a watercolor class called "Summer Bounty" in which our goal was to paint the bounty of the season. The notion of bounty implies plenty and, in an effort to respect all artists, each artist brought one thing for the set-up each week. Too many opinions. Too much stuff. As I look back, our paintings had far too much stuff in them.....the power of the negative space was overlooked....a good harmonic balance was disturbed. I have learned from this experience. "June Bounty", I believe, was one of the more successful works, as its color palette was limited, making up for too many objects.

Inspiration

Blueberry Tip   oil/canvas   6 x 6 x 1.5

I am inspired by so very many things.....sometimes it's enough to make me quiver with excitement! This past weekend we watched a movie entitled "Something Within Me", a documentary about the introduction of the arts in a poor Catholic school St. Augustine's in South Bronx. The music, especially enlivened their lives and raised all of their test scores. I don't think that this would come as a surprise to most artists. The wonderful band instructor in the film told them that the rhythm is much more important than any of the individual notes, and encouraged the young musicians to improvise with confidence, even though they missed notes here and there. WOW! That underscored just exactly how I feel about painting! The group gesture is always more important that the individual elements in any work, more important than exactitude in any of the pieces parts.....it was profound to me. "Blueberry Tip" is a painting in which I was challenged to paint the gesture of the bunch of berries. Hmmmmm.....more difficult than it seems.....always is.

Flux

Cauliflower, Tomatoes and Celery   watercolor/gouache   10 x 10

I believe that we are constantly in a state of flux, our opinions and preferences ebbing and flowing according to our moods, our peers and our cultural mores. Who hasn't looked back at a photo of himself/herself from the previous decade and wondered, "What ever was I thinking?" And so it goes. It often happens that I am dissatisfied with a painting or drawing only to find that someone else likes it a great deal. And on the flip side, a work that I find successful will draw many "I think you should_____" comments at a critique. I pulled a work out of my portfolio from several years ago and found that I liked it much more than I had originally. Is it because I am in a different place mentally? I don't know. Sometimes, the more you learn, the less you know.

Impermanence

Summer Gold   watercolor   10 x 10.5

I really do like "shaking it up" in my painting by alternating materials, size and supports. The painting "Summer Gold" is on Yupo paper, a synthetic paper with an extremely coated-like surface. No stroke place on the paper is ever permanent. I liken the experience to painting on wax paper. Dollops of color are dropped onto the surface. Subsequent dollops placed on top tend to remove what was there earlier. Whoa..........this is difficult. The whole experience is like a dance of act-react-act-react. Exciting but difficult. Two artists I know who handle this surface beautifully are Mary Sanders and Susan Kiedio. They achieve wonderful results filled with texture! I was satisfied but found that I sorely missed my calm, flatly-painted areas for relief. This kind of painting, however, breaks up the status quo and expands the problem-solving abilities for further work.