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.

Online Presence...

Angie   conte crayon   20.5 x 14

It is said that we artists need an online presence.  In fact, everyone seems to have an online presence.  It used to be business cards and brochures.  But what better way to reach a large audience for your work?  A few weeks ago, I found myself getting braver and braver in changing elements on my website.  My web mistress and longtime family friend Angie is also a full-time mom to three young sons.  I can relate.  She is busy (understatement).  Well, long story short, I wiped out the entire gallery page on my site and haven't a clue how I did it....OK, perhaps I got click-happy.  End of smug.  Tail between legs.  Desperate call to Angie....SOS.  We met last evening and discussed the possibilities of changing the site so that I won't be intimidated.  She informed me that sites and blogs and evolved enormously just in the past year.  The whole issue for me is I want to spend my precious hours painting...not spending  time managing my online presence.  I am more fearful about making changes, but need to get back in the saddle......just like painting.

Bad painting.....keep painting.  Online disaster....keep clicking.  Summon your courage, lass.

Who am I?...

Hiding Behind Curls   watercolor   10.5 x 9

We artists often struggle with self-definition.  What makes our own particular brand of picture-making our own?  As we study other painters, we wish to assimilate their virtues without copying them.  We also long for self-definition.  Very often, in my experience, we find when we are on the road to SELF when we look around and realize what we are not.  I idolized one particular painter's style until I realized that he just didn't give a damn about paint quality.  Paint quality is so important to me.  So I splintered off from this idolatry toward some other admiration.  And so on and so on.  What is left at the end of the long journey, hopefully, is what we are, what makes our own work our own....SELF.  For some, vivid colors rule.  For others, spontaneous stroke-making.  Story-telling is at the top of the list for some. For others, having a finished work that is exactly like its photograph....one could hardly tell the difference.  Others enjoy softness.  Some lots of simple hard-edged forms.  Calm.  Hyperactive texture.  The list goes on and on.  The list of design elements and principles is our list of ingredients and how we put them all together makes each and every painting recipe a bit different. 

For Christmas, I was given the complete works of Van Gogh.  This book is so heavy that I have to use a pillow on my lap for support....I simply couldn't lift it in order to have a close look.  It really is like holding a child. Van Gogh paints the same subject again and again, each different yet the same.  They are all his.

Maybe we worry too much about self-definition.  Maybe all of our paintings are valid.  I wanna be like Van Gogh......excepting that ear thing.

W.A.R.M.s my heart......

Generous   watercolor   17.75 x 12.25

Artists are barraged with requests to donate artwork.  Sometimes it is exhausting....therefore, we must be selective and truly support those organizations in which we believe.  In this "having" culture of ours, women and children are sometimes considered to be possessions(Erich Fromm To Have or to Be).  Sad but true.  Women are still abused and battered.  Also true.  The majority of students in art schools are women.  Yet the opposite remains true as far as gallery representation:  the great majority are men.  In my 1960's hippie girl days, I believed that we had reached a turning point in equality.  Not so.  Change takes a long time.  Minds are not easily educated. President Obama is still trying to legislate equal pay for women.  Evolution  grinds slowly.  We Americans love to possess things.  

Standing Rock Cultural Arts and Women's Art Recognition Movement (W.A.R.M.) is sponsoring its 9th Annual Silent Auction to benefit safer futures and the Portage County Battered Women's Shelter.  Lots of artwork to bid on.  The opening is Saturday, March 6 at 8 pm.  at the North Water Street Gallery....257 N. Water Street in Kent, Ohio.  The auction and the bidding end at 5 pm on Saturday, March 20.  Gallery Hours are Thursday-Saturdays 1-5 pm.  Call 330.673.4970 or 330.686.9800 for further information.

I think Mrs. Bryner would approve.

ah, the best laid plans...

Garden Bench   mixed/paper   20.5 x 27

We need to be flexible.  No painting ever unfolds exactly the way we see it in our minds. Sometimes there isn't even a plan. For some unknown reason, watercolorists have a difficult time adding other mediums to the mix, as transparent watercolor, the pure way to work, is considered by some to be preferable.  But sometimes the limitations of the medium snag the progress.  "Garden Bench" started as a large watercolor.  I didn't have a preconceived notion of its appearance.  But I knew that I wanted the end result to have a sun-parched, chalky feel.  At some point in its evolution, I added gouache.  That helped, but I seemed to spiral on and on without arriving.  Enter Christmas season and the painting was put away for reconsideration.  Come February, I had had it.  What did I have to lose? Pastel was added, and washed down with water and a large brush.  The resultant painting had the feel that I wanted.  I arrived.....through the back door.

Paint about what you know...

Narrow Bridge   oil/canvas   36 x 24 x 1.5

It is said that writing can best be done when you write about what you know.....the knowing.  I would like to further that notion by stating that, for me, I paint best when I paint what I know.  It is difficult to prop myself up with my easel in unfamiliar surrounds and try to tell a visual story....the story that combines the surround with the feelings that it conjures up inside me.  My feelings are inseparable from the view.  Likewise, when painting from an unfamiliar model, my results are correlate to my feelings about that model.  If he/she is someone with whom I have many positive shared experiences, the end product shows emotion and commitment.  Even a new model will yield positive results is I feel an emotional accessibility.  I have some pretty bad paintings of models who where whiny, stiff, or unable to relate some of their emotional selves.  This correlation presented itself after many years of painting.  And so, for me, for commitment, I chose subjects with which I have an emotional bond....landscapes, people or objects.  Those are the stuff of which I am willing to go the extra mile. "Narrow Bridge" is a scene that I pass several times a week....just down the street from me.  The scene may go unnoticed my many.  For me, it is home.  Pure bliss.

Love your community art center today...

October Hydrangea   watercolor   9.25 x 13.5

Community art centers are such a valuable asset to all communities.  They offer opportunities for intellectual and artistic growth, as well as providing like-minded creative people to spend time together and to learn together.  Unfortunately, the art centers are struggling and need our support....just like the artists who frequent them.  The "Faculty and Student Exhibition" is currently on exhibit in Cuyahoga Falls....that is where I teach.  Three of the artists in my Monday evening class have received awards:  Norma Ott, First Place and both Mo Mosyjowski and Candy Bennington received Honorable Mentions.  I am pleased as punch!  The faculty exhibit is not judged.  Our entries were to have been works that were done within the constructs of the classes.  Can do.  "October Hydrangea" is one of my entries.  

The Cuyahoga Valley Art Center is located on the Front Street Mall in Cuyahoga Falls.  Try something new.....browse....sign up for classes.....visit their gift shop......love your art center.

Craving Some Color...

Turkish Pitcher and Orange   watercolor   14 x 10

It is around this time of year that I have noticed my friend Jo declaring her craving for color...bright color.  We are shut in this year for long periods of time as snow has been in the forecast nearly daily for at least a month.  Cabin fever.  Just as we need extra vitamins C and sunshine D, our souls crave color for elevation, as a mood enhancer.  Norma, an artist in my class, chose to paint oranges under the theme of a "snack" painting.  Her color palette is full of vitamin C as well....citrusy brights to alleviate the boredom and the darkness.  Her painting is freshly rendered, nicely composed and believable.  So...........I guess the lesson is.

February:  eat and paint oranges....in no particular order at all.

What is harder to paint than flowers?...

White Rose Pair   watercolor   6.5 x 20

Nothing, in my opinion.  Although flowers are a popular subject matter for painters, I don't do them much at all.  First of all, I would rather have the real thing in a vase.  Secondly, they just don't provide a spark for me.  And, last, they are so darned difficult to paint.....each bloom is extremely complex in its formation, not to mention the bending of the form to and from the light source that gives it credibility.  Throw in another 8 or 9 blooms and you have a real headache....many decisions to be made as far as a focal point, leading flower actor and supporting blooms.  This week in both of my watercolor classes we will be painting flowers in honor of the love day.  Tonight's class in Kent we will be doing small 5 x 7 paintings of single blooms.....this class just started and we will be easing into larger things.  At Cuyahoga Valley Art Center next Monday, we will tackle "a bouquet that you would like to give to yourself".....a more complex problem for artists who have been painting a while.  No plastic please.  Wish us luck.

PLAN AHEA.............

D.  That is me.  Remember those signs at the turnpike gift shops that were carved with

     "PLAN AHEA

       D"?   (the D is always on the second line)

Grit   conte crayon   34.5 x 20

That is me.  That is my weakness.  No matter what size ground I am given, paper or canvas, small, large, or in-between, I am running off the borders.  My weakness shows up even when I work larger.  I tend to work all over at once, and often consider the subject matter as secondary to other rhythms, (the initial block-in losing a bit of importance) so, often, a bit of time passes before I realize that I don't have room for all of the crucial elements.....and my painting euphoria comes to a screeching halt.

So, in order to compensate for this tendency, I have become used to placing a smaller rectangle inside the real one....an "imaginary boundary" that must be obeyed.  It seems to work for me.  In fact, the pencil boundary can often be seen faintly underlying layers of paint in watercolors.  In oils, it can easily be removed on a subsequent layer.

I once did a drawing of my son Seth who is a runner.  There simply was no room left on the paper for his feet.  And I really liked the drawing.  In this case it worked for me, as the emphasis was on his upper body and face, which was in survival mode.  But this drawing was the final straw for me.....I simply must be more careful.  

PLAN AHEAD.  I guess I was attracted to that sign for a reason.

The Knowing/Unknowing...

Sylvia   watercolor/watercolor pencil   18 x 9

We artists like to think that we are always progressing....that our knowledge increases, becomes more sophisticated, more "there".  But sometimes we pull out work that is years old and are surprised at its immediacy and its power.  Always a surprise.  I believe that there is a fine line between the knowing and the unknowing.  It is always good to be in possession of more knowledge...for sure.  But the goal is to be able to move about the work with a bit of naivete and the enthusiasm that comes only from our R-brain which doesn't concern itself much with rules and formulas.  Such is the case with "Sylvia", an amazing person, and a painting from years ago that I like very very much.

Don't tell anyone, but....

Some Things are Seen More Clearly in Winter - Danseuse   oil/canvas   48 x 24 x 1.5

I am a lover of winter....the snow, the cold and the isolation.  For me, it is my most painting-productive time of year as well as a respite from feverish activity.  This season promotes introspection and the observance of quiet living.  OK.  Well.  Don't ever say it in public, as the vast majority of people seem to prefer other seasons, any other season...summer most often.  It is true that my job does not require me to leave home, so driving and perpetual bundling are not issues.  For me, things are more clearly seen in winter....the visual delights as well as the emotional dilemmas.  Bare Bones.  Less competition.  Definitely less noise.  The cardinal takes on more importance in the background of winter.  Love it.  Love it.  Love it.

End Game...

Lone Cone   watercolor   7 x 7

With watercolor, the end game is always the trickiest....I guess that it is true in all mediums.  The major difference is that in applying the darkest darks, certainty is more crucial, in that these pigments are impossible to remove, and the spoiling of the work is always a possibility.  By the time I have nearly reached a finish, I have an idea of exactly which dark I would like to use.  For me, it doesn't really matter which hue is used, as it is read as "just dark".  I guess that temperature is more important.  It is then applied sparingly (usually) to lead the eye around the picture.  Light washes of cadmium red were added to some of the bracts.  (Thanks to Tom Auld for this new word) Crucial edges become more defined.....last minute details.  More often than not, the artists who look at my work find them to be under-described more than over-. Fine by me.  When I tread across that fine line, the works just don't look like mine anymore.  Most often, we find the areas that have been less-worked to be the freshest and the most agreeable.  More spontaneous.  More calligraphic.  Yes, there will always be passages that hit the mark.  And always those that don't seem to commit.  I guess our goal might be to increase the number of those passages that do. 

more than I ever wanted to know about pinecones....Quiet Conversation..

Quiet Conversation   watercolor   9 x 13

Not really, but drawing or painting any object is really the only way to begin to understand its nature, its rhythm.  The beginning of the painting is always the most important....it sets the stage for me, the mood.  If that beginning is not loose, not rich, and doesn't offer lots of possibilities, I would sooner quit.  So, you see, the pine cone  photo from the last session is really the most important one.  It is not possible to start tight then go looser.  It is only possible to start with wild childlike enthusiasm, then gradually rein it in.

During my second session with this painting, which was at home, I continued to work on:  defining the color temperature; working towards more darks, and also towards more texture.  The temperature was a surprise (YES!) as I really did think that this painting would have a warm dominance.  But as I worked along, the cooler hues were thrilling me more, and setting off the slight warmth of the cones themselves.  Also, I continued to describe areas throughout with crisp well-defined edges that, hopefully, would aid to lead the eye around the composition.  And, there was also the relationship between the two cones on the left, one in front of the other, that needed definition by using dominance.  I am guessing that this second session was about an hour and a half.  Still feeling excited.......

Complaint Department...why my work changes drastically from one session to the next

The front desk of the complaint department of my art store (that imaginary place where I make art)is lined up with watercolor artists in my classes who register the same complaint again and again.....

...your work is never finished in class and when you bring it back, it looks entirely different...Guilty as charged. The reasons why are:

* I work within the framework of abstraction while painting realistic objects
* Time means nothing to me. Sometimes I finish before the end of the session...but that is rare
Paintings can take days to finish, or just a couple of sessions. I have goals, but they are so
flexible. My personal sense of aesthetic is the final judge. There is no checklist.
* I try to postpone the hard edges and dark values...as their harshness cannot be taken away.
I try not to commit too soon, all the while enjoying the painting process

At our last session, each artist was given three pine cones. What a difficult proposition! All that detail! All of that complex rhythm! The goal was to be able to put the form first....the details of the cones secondary. Those who obey realism the most will probably have the most difficult time, as they tend to describe the object by its detail, rather than the larger notion of its form in the composition. Although I have never been a fan of the 1..2..3..method of painting (there is no such thing as three simple steps), I will attempt to describe the progress of the cone painting visually.

The first class session was about 1 1/2 hours painting time. My goals for that beginning session where to lay down a groundwork of wonderful swirling light-valued washes that connected the three forms, while maintaining some sparkling whites. After that was done......and that is a slow process due to the amount of water on the paper and the time needed to dry it up a bit...I began LIGHTLY to describe just a bit of detail in the forms at locations that I have deemed important....all that is worked out ahead of time in preparatory drawings.

I am, and will always be, a toad. Spontaneity does not always equal speediness.

Surprises...

Tomato Basket   oil/canvas   16 x 20 x 1.5

I love surprises....just a bit of something that breaks through the ordinary. I never read programs at the theater, for example. I don't want to about the actors' real lives, at least not before the show. I want to believe the illusion that they present on stage. I rarely make the same meal twice....and when I do, it is usually a disappointment. That is why I paint like I do. Although the subject matter is concrete, I try to maneuver throughout the painting making snap judgments and relying, hopefully, on a more-or-less practiced knowledge of the design elements and principles. (The opposite, of course, being photo-realism, which allows for no surprises at all.....the goal being for the resultant work to look exactly like the photo).

"Tomato Basket" is a painting that never quite made it out of choppy water. I never ever felt all that comfortable at any stage of the painting. Uneasiness. Insecurity. I reached what I considered to be a stopping point, confident that I had attempted all possible solutions within my reach. OK. It was hung in the dining room during holiday season because of its color but each time I walked by, I questioned whether or not I should have another go at it. Our ASA critique was last evening....so I toted it along wearing my thick skin in hopes that other solutions might present themselves. Problem areas to me were not problem areas to the leader whose aesthetic sense is one I trust. Problem areas that were questioned by others were not problematic to me. I was surprised. And I will let sleeping dogs lie, so to speak. Unless, that is, you have another solution that has not yet been considered...

Between the Folds...on origami...

Leap of Faith   acrylic/paper   29 x 19

We watched an amazing movie the other evening...."Between the Folds", a documentary focused on those who have become obsessed with origami....scientists, artists and mathematicians. This movie appeared at last year's Cleveland Film Festival but we were unable to attend, so anxiously awaited its release at Netflix.

Matisse said: Much of the beauty that arises in art comes from the struggle an artist wages with his limited medium.

True. True. True. Painting is an additive art. Sculpture a subtractive. Origami uses only one given....a square piece of paper that can range in size from a few inches to several feet. Some of our era's greatest minds have given up their lives to study this discipline, a wild combination of art, math and science, and actually believe that it might hold the key to solutions in medicine. Technique has exploded since the 60's when an origami work may have had a dozen folds compared to today's works that take several days and hundreds of folds to complete. Works using thousands of folds are on the horizon.

As technique has become more important, however, several practitioners have noted the inverse relationship between technique and emotion. The more technique.....the less emotion. And these same artists, whose work in origami has spanned decades, have endeavored, after achieving great technical feats, to reinstate emotion into their work by reducing their efforts to the simple, the expressive, the abstract. Sound familiar?

The work is a ballet in progress....yes, yes, yes. If the process is good, then the end result is an object that looks good. Orchestration. Dance. Music. Yes. It's all about process. Amen.

beep...beep...beep...(annoyingly)...backing up..

Cog   watercolor/mixed   9.5 x 13

These days you can hear all sorts of vehicles backing up....dump trucks....public transportation buses and even cars. The sound is annoying to be sure. But necessary. I am backing up here to our first watercolor class. This one is the very first, where artists come somewhat prepared, but what to paint? For too many years I used apples because they were easily portable....and cheap. We cut them in various ways to make it interesting. This year I was certain I needed a change when one of the participants came prepared with an apple....just too predictable. I decided that we just needed to experience the joy of mucking around with paint...in a restricted non-objective manner. I felt some perimeters were in order:

* we attempted to preserve sparkling whites
* we had to work in the traditional watercolor way....light to dark
* we needed to use both organic and straight line (forms with those lines), with one or the other
being dominant

My hope was that we could all enjoy the freedom of painting spontaneously and non-objectively without the concerns of reality-painting, and more importantly, that we would be able to transfer this freedom to painting from reality during the subsequent lessons. All went very well. The results were admirable. "Cog" is the result of my work that night. I finished it off at home with a fat dark water-soluble crayon. I guess my brain was telling me that I need to get in gear. Get that vehicle in drive!

The sublime...the soft...the understated...

White Rose Pair   watercolor   6.5 x 20

To me, watercolor works are sublime. Soft. Understated. These days we are barraged with images from all corners of our existence and, unfortunately, those images that shout the loudest are those that stay with us. Watercolors require us to pay attention. They often speak to what is underneath the surface. And they are the most difficult to bring to fruition given the nature of the medium, which does not allow for infinite applications of paint. In a world of words, watercolor is poetry and even, perhaps, haiku. In my earlier years, I wanted watercolor to be the end-all while I went about trying to break through its limitations. That is good.....an envelope pushed. These days I find myself being more satisfied with its limitations, and even enjoying them. That is good too. Age? Fatigue? Acceptance? Whatever. "White Rose Pair" is one of my favorites.....I can actually say that I like it. Especially the small violet wash that came as a surprise.

Watercolor is full of surprises................that is its strength.

Crunch...

Winter Print   watercolor   11.5 x 8

Crunch is definitely an onomatopoeia word.....sounds like its intended meaning. And we are hearing plenty of it these days as we trod through the snow to get our mail and get to our vehicles. Crunch. The footprints left behind are a sort-of fragile relief.....many layers of to and fro....patterns that catch the light in various ways. Last year I attempted a footprint painting....in fact, I attempted two. My goal was to achieve the 3-dimensions of the pressed print left in the snow by heavily soled and corrugated boots. OK. Also.....to play with color temperature....a dominant cool painting with bits of warmth to make it more dynamic. This little project was more work that what I thought! Each stroke seemed too strong.....yet necessary for the definition of the pieces parts. The little resultant painting is confusing, I think. I don't believe that it reads as it should. The print part doesn't really read as being beneath the surface of the snow. Perhaps my aesthetic need to join the shape with the background resulted in the visual confusion. At any rate, I am still crunching away. Maybe I will try it again.....next winter.

It Takes a Village...

Every Mother's Daughter   oil/canvas   36 x 48

I am a painter.....yes, indeed. And a painter with focus, I believe. But I am a mother, first of all. We human beings are very fragile....our children are fragile.....and I believe that the responsibility of raising feel-good children belongs to us all. Many years ago, I painted a young friend while she was still a university student. For me, she epitomized the notion of openness, of inclusion....she still does. She posed, somewhat painfully, on the fireplace mantle in her small apartment, with an Indian mandala cloth tacked up on the wall behind. This holiday season I heard from dear Kate.....she is really one of a handful (sadly - yes) of women I have met who celebrate others as well as themselves....who understand the notion of different but equal.....a very difficult lateral adjustment for those of us who grew up within the vertical ladder of success of authoritarian behavior. ( Escape from Freedom, Erich Fromm) Sure, she demonstrates good-for-me......but she also celebrates good-for-you. She is the product of lots of love....from her parents.....and from the village. She now lives in LA and works in Hollywood in the movie industry....and travels the globe. Good for you, Kate!

Giving Pause...

So Young Worries   watercolor/mixed   15.5 x 10

We should pay more attention to those things, those events and those life passages that give us pause. I love that catch-phrase "giving pause"! I believe that it is our creative subconscious at work, highlighting notions to which we should be paying more attention....those designs, those colors, those fragments of knowledge that help to define our individual selves. And, counter-likewise, when we see works, actions and events that "turn us off", we should pay attention as well. Those negatives help us to see what we are not.

Defining our individual selves as artists is quite difficult. I think that we should avoid trying to paint like Joe, or Pablo, or whomever. By gradually eliminating what we are not, we should be able to come up with, over time, what we are.....hopefully. ATTENTION MUST BE PAID.

Who knows why some images just stick in our brains? It happens to me now and again. My daughter-in-law recently shared a book on Picasso with me that she is using as inspiration in her job as a designer at The Tea Collection. I thumbed through the pages enjoying them all. Then, a week later, I found that I just could not forget one in particular. "Woman with a Crow" was done in charcoal, pastel and watercolor. The overall effect is so immensely pleasing to me.....the subject matter, the way the color is used, the vibrant colors that were selected.....and the paint quality. In addition, this work is owned by The Toledo Museum of Art, my daughter-in-law's home town.....quite a coincidence! This image, for me, may represent a direction for discovering my artistic self. Perhaps not. But I am wealthier for taking note and really really infusing this painting into my soul.

Purgatory Ain't Nothin' But The Blues

During the weeks of altered Christmas reality, where I seem obsessed with making lists and sub-lists of those lists, an image from the newspaper caught my eye.....no time for this....remain on current list-track.....can't help it.....it is powerful and amazing......there before me was an article by Dorothy Shinn reviewing an exhibit by former Akronite and always-my-hero-and-inspiration Tyrone Geter. By the time the article appeared, the exhibit was almost over. We made it into the little-known-and-had-to-be-unlocked gallery on the last day, January 4. This man and his work bowl me over! His drawing skills are extraordinary. His expressiveness beyond compare. The resultant charcoals speak, yet softly, across a room. These newer works combined collage, with torn and cut paper, and assemblage with his drawing and painting. Beautifully-constructed boxes held some of the work. His heritage and his elevated consciousness are beautifully told. For a short while, I was transported into his world. What a wonderful gift! Thank you, Tyrone Geter, for your stories. Thank you, Tyrone Geter, for sharing your growth with Akron.........Thanks..............I needed that.

Winter Red...a simply cardinal painting

Winter Red   watercolor   19 x 12.5

It has been snowing for days on end....beautiful quiet stuff. Peaceful. Our home has been emptied of holiday visitors (sigh) and we are back to our pre-holiday rhythms....albeit a bit slower than usual. Outside our window, however, is a feed-fest. Our bird feeders are open 24/7 for the cold and hungry. Watching the diners is like peeking into the microcosm of human and animal behavior. Big bullies. The tolerant and the not-so. The flighty. The stable. Those with beautiful coats pure in color. Those who sport tasteful neutrals. It is both enjoyable and entertaining. Peaceful it is not.

Tis the Season...for small works...

Delicious   oil/canvas   5.5 x 5.5 x 1

I have found that most of my creative energy of late has been devoted to preparing for a wonderful holiday season with my family. I'm sure I don't have to list here all of the added activities that consume December time...we are well aware. As a result, my painting time has come almost to a screeching halt....I simply do not have the attention span or the brainpower to solve visual problems. Mini-paintings are a wonderful solution to keeping our brushes in paint. Sure, they have some problems to solve.....but not overwhelmingly so. And a min-painting can usually be finished in a session. The drawbacks, of course, are those confoundedly small brushes and setting up a large easel for such a small canvas. These small canvasses can be put on shelves and side tables for more intimate viewing....I am particularly happy with the color harmony in " Delicious". This painting is 5.5 x 5.5!

The fat/thin paradox...

Sparse Tree   linoleum print Christmas card

I am an amateur print-maker. In other words, I am no Joan Colbert. But I have done linoleum cut holiday cards a number of times. It is refreshing to work in a different way and to experience different creative problems. Several years ago, I decided to challenge, for myself, the notion of a beautiful Christmas tree. Some folks insist on finding the "perfect" shaped tree every year. Some love tall.....and the taller, the better. Some prefer a certain kind of pine, exclusive, always the most expensive. We are what we decorate? All in all, the notion of bounty rules in the Christmas tree realm. Full has become more beautiful....that is, unless we're talking about the female figure. Well nourished. Well fed. Fewer gaps. Straighter.The kind we like to see on happy Christmas cards. The year of this card, we had a Charlie Brown tree.....the sketch of it turned into a card the following year. Mixing the dark green color was problematic for me, as each batch of mixed paint yielded quiet a different color. My studio is brightly lit, so those that seemed perfect became almost blackish in a more dimly lit surround. Oh well. The bulbs were printed with the tip of an eraser. Several years hence, I realize that there is just too much white space.....perhaps the Charlie Brown tree could have had more branches. I do, however, love the fact that I challenged this notion. I also like the diagonal cuts in the border. Sometimes I am satisfied with a few good passages. I am easily amused.

The Dance...

Before the Dance   oil/canvas   20 x 16 x 1.5

There is absolutely nothing more beautiful to me than THE DANCE. The spontaneous movement of the human body gracefully moving through space. It is pure. And, likewise, I enjoy the movement of forms and rhythmic placement of forms on a canvas. (Mind you, this does not include the dances that are signaled by the counting and recalling of the L-brain saying, "1 and a 2 and a 3 and a 4".) I have spent lots of paint, lots of paper, lots of canvas on the beauty of the dancer. Time well spent. And I have a very naive notion that if all people would just dance, the world would be a better place. Spinning, swaying, tapping and spiraling in unrestrained joy. No inhibitions. No rules. Dance like there's no one watching. Paint like there's no one watching. What a buzz.

Eyes to the Skies...

Big Snow   watercolor   20.5 x 13.5

For the past several days, we have been under a severe snow advisory here in northeast Ohio. The skies have been violent and winds severe. Most of the Midwest has been blasted with snow. Here, nothing so far....except extreme cold. We have dodged the snow-bullet temporarily. However, there are several weather systems just south of Lake Erie. Our friends just 50 miles away are shoveling out a foot of snow from their driveways. As they say here in Ohio, "Don't like the weather? Just stick around for five minutes." We artists benefit from our constantly changing environment. "Big Snow" was painted last January from a scene at a horse farm just up the street in Brimfield Center. The huge piles of snow were dirtied from the efforts of snow removal crews. The sky was tumultuous. The only pure white snow was on the rooftops and yards. I wanted to shift attention in this painting to the sky. I used pure color in the counter areas around the clouds and used muddied neutrals in the foreground. "Big Snow" is currently on exhibit at Hudson Fine Art and Framing.

Appropriateness...

April...a sketch

Although I profess to be a lover of novelty and experimentation, I will acknowledge that certain ways of working are appropriate to certain circumstances. Standing while painting and drawing offers the possibility for more movement, grander strokes, a more aggressive application of pigment. Large brushes, large sticks of pigment and pencils with very large leads seem to work the best. So does a large sheet of paper or a large canvas. Sitting while working is more passive and more intimate.....usually leading to smaller sizing of both tools and grounds. Which is best? Neither, in my opinion. Both have their benefits and their limitations. Just like musicians who are able to construct songs that both elevate and let down; both shout and whisper; both accelerate and decelerate; artists who go to both lengths can widen their visual experiences resulting in more freedom and more interest, both for the viewer and for the artist herself. Avoiding the same the same the same. My drawing of April was done in a grandstand at the MAC championships in 2007. It is one of my favorite drawings in the aforementioned sketchbook. It was done in bits and pieces throughout the event with a small pencil, probably a harder lead. It is small and tender. Perhaps I appreciated my patience that evening...my willingness to take a bit longer, to consider a bit more, and to enjoy the finer mark-making. My natural impulsiveness usually precludes this kind of work. Good memory. One of my personal goals is to do that which does not come naturally.

Milestone...

Jane Kovacic...a sketch

Today is a milestone - a big one. I am removing my small sketchbook from my bag and replacing it with a clean and untouched new one. This small book has recorded events and notations since March of 2006 when it was begun. This precious visual diary is now in dangerous condition.....the beautiful cover and binding are pulling away from its pages. It contains hundreds of drawings of family members in recreation and sickness; track and field athletes; and, of course, drawings of my artist friends. It even contains essential insurance information from a traffic accident several years ago when it was the only paper at hand. Despite the fact that I am never successful at multi-tasking, I have, for some strange reason, developed a tolerance for listening to speakers and drawing at the same time. In fact, it is an optimum experience and extremely pleasurable. I beg forgiveness from all speakers past and present as I work and listen simultaneously. One of the first drawings in the book is of fellow artist (and one of my heroines) Jane Kovacic as she uses binoculars at a critique. The drawing has been done in brown china marker and, I believe, captures her character. Many of the drawings are complete; many are faulty in one way or another; and most have been abandoned quite early on. These efforts reflect my life and these marks mirror both my searching and my successes and failures.

A beautiful new leather book has already been selected.....very exciting. Sometimes I leave the first page blank as the pressure of the FIRST PAGE is just too daunting. Time to move on.

Change of Rhythm...

Pine   watercolor   9.5 x 7

Life is full of changes in rhythm. I remember when my children were small, I would no sooner get used to one rhythm of naps and developmental hurdles, then it would be replaced by another. Good thing. It helped me to become more fluid. My background in music and dance enables the enhancement of rhythms for me....they are everywhere! No time of year presents a greater change in rhythm than Christmas. We become ever so busy with the shopping, the wrapping, the baking. Even so, I find that this season brings peace to my soul, in that it signals the beginning of winter, the interior season, which provides me with much needed reflection and production. Many rhythms are more visible with a white backdrop of snow......including that of pine trees. Had I been asked to simply draw the pine tree in my brain which is dependent on the tree-icon of a 6-year-old, I wouldn't have noticed the rhythm. Recently we studied trees in painting class.....not groupings, but the personalities of individual trees. It was then that I noticed this branching rhythm. Peace, quiet, visible rhythms, solitude.

Gotta go..........so much to do.

The Eye of the Beholder...the art critic

The air at Summit Artspace yesterday was abuzz with reactions to Dorothy Shinn's critique of the Kaleidoscope 2009 exhibit. As always, she states her preferences for that which she considers to be non-traditional work and a bit of disgust for those who choose a non-traditional approach. This is old news. The danger of this black and white thinking is dividing artists into polarized groups: the-validated-by-Dorothies and the not-validated-by-Dorothies. This is actually a problem that I have been considering for many years. Us versus them. Very dangerous thinking. Art making and art appreciation come from the R-brain and the responses are largely visceral, instinctual.....without words. Words have their original in a more aggressive L-brain. Almost an unfair attack.....writers and artists simply are not armed with the same weapons. (weapons being a notion of the L-brain.) This interesting problem is discussed at length in Leonard Shlain's The Alphabet versus the Goddess. He is one of my personal heroes along with Erich Fromm.

My friends, Kim and Kevin, and I decided to judge the exhibit ourselves during the time that we gallery-sat. We judged independently (excluding our own works) and then came together for our choices. Interesting, we had some common works on our lists....in fact, none of the award winners. We all enjoyed the landscapes of April Cameron and Carol Klingel's wonderful drawing "Crazy Little Quantum String Thing Called Love".....one that probably would have been in the validated-by-Dorothy category, and the other probably not. Which shows to go you....both were in the validated by Kim-Kevin-Linda category.

I believe that there is room for Dorothy Shinn in this world......and for all of us. Artistic journeys are highly personal. Self-validation.

Candace 4...

Candace in Black and White   watercolor   26.75 x 17

This is it. Candace 4 shows my resolution and I am happy/ After doing some value sketches to decide if I might like the addition of a very dark area, I did just that using a blackish-green and dropping in some orange. (Ideally, these invaluable value studies should be done before beginning any painting, but not as probable in demonstration circumstances where time is at a premium and people want to see you paint) The dark at the top helped to devalue the fedora.....a decision had to be made. Dominance for the hat or the boots....not both. I also left some pink patches showing through to mimic the pattern in the coat. I really like the way the boots drop off of the solid color field onto the lightest area. Although I am basically finished, I am still considering the addition of a very light stroke on the left of the the boot on the viewer's left.

There were actually many more passes than four.....I have described here only the four that were more groundbreaking in order to condense this process.

Life Lessons...

Raking   watercolor/graphite   21 x 13.25

I love learning. And I prefer learning life lessons from experience rather than through books. I prefer the learning that self-corrects after mistakes that are made. And I love drawing and painting from life rather than from photos. Life observation teaches about the sculptural qualities of the human form, the human face. This is my preference and I'm sticking to it despite the current wave of artwork, especially award-winning artwork, that is obviously done from photos or even (cringe) photos projected onto canvasses. (Now, of course, being that every yin has a yang, and every tradition spins over into a "new" revelation, modernism is quite accepting of the work that results from copying, rather than observing from nature. Case in point: experiencing sports through realistic digital simulations on your own television; i.e. bowling, skiing or playing football. )

In one of our last painting classes for the year, we painted from a model, a raking man. It was a challenging exercise for both the model and the artists. Things that move. Things that force you into capturing the essence early on. For me, the spirit of the figure is more important than the mistakes that are inevitably made. I noticed that the weight-bearing leg changed from artist to artist as the model shifted weight to avoid fatigue. I believe that all of the paintings of "raking man" were successful in their honesty and in their attempts to understand. This painting session was an hour and a half............well spent. And, come to think of it, never say never, I adore Guitar Hero.

Genesis...

Genesis   oil/canvas   20 x 60 x 1.5

Genesis is unlike anything else I have painted up to this point. But the seed for this work has been in my brain for more years than I can remember. It is currently on exhibition in Kaleidoscope 2009 at Summit Artspace. Some viewers have asked, "Is it Lakemore?", "is it Barberton?", is it Firestone Park?", is it "North Hill?". The truth is all of the above. It is also Pittsburgh and Gary, Indiana. These are the neighborhoods at the core of every Midwestern city. These are the houses that were inhabited by the rubber workers and the steel workers. These are the homes that my grandparents lived in, the homes that we visited on holidays. I can remember looking out of our car window during the dark season en route to visit my grandmother. These are the neighborhoods that I saw. And these neighborhoods existed before we understood the notion of "suburb".

The image in my mind included more roof top.....as if viewed from above on a hill. But when I went looking for reference material, I realized that the viewpoints of my mind existed only behind the chain link properties of the expressways. Stopping on the expressway in the snow, climbing chain link fences and exploring expressway land seemed impossible. So my references were gathered from many places and put together in my own neighborhood composite drawing and resultant painting. It was a painting that just had to be.

It just could be Hazel Street near City Hospital in Akron.

Inside-Outside-In...

Gourd Fest   watercolor   8 x 12

Most of the time, I advocate painting and drawing from the inside-out. This whole process delays boundaries.....form follows function. This notion has also been touted as a way to design homes according to the owner's activities and preferences.

The opposite tack is to set limitations ahead of time. I have always associated this plan with illustration and design. Setting and knowing your boundaries comes first. Card design, for example is almost always a 7 x 5 vertical format. You can be creative, but your creative impulses must fit inside the boundaries. Same with framing. I have a myriad of frames that are the most unusual of sizes......all because the cropping of said painting was the preference.

It is always more economical to use standard sized frames that follow the harmonizing golden mean ratio of length to width. Ho hum. That standard rectangle looks pretty boring after a while. Occasionally I will pick up a vintage frame....only if well constructed and has an aesthetic that I enjoy. No oak. No gold. No metal. I prefer dinged up pine, frames with paint that is not perfect, and, of course, the hand carved and raw looking frames from Mexico. Painting with a particular frame in mind is difficult, as the boundaries are set in advance, including those of the mat board....no skimpy stuff either. Such was the case with "Gourd Fest". It was designed to fit into hand-carved Mexican frame and, as far as I am concerned, pleasingly echoed the shapes and rhythms of the gourds.

All who saw it loved the combination. Except one......an artist and framer himself who said he had never seen such an atrocious combination....ever. I guess it's like getting a haircut. When changing beauticians, the current is always shocked at the horrors perpetrated by the former.

I like the rhythm of "Gourd Fest". I also like the rhythms in the framing as well. Of course, you can change it if you wish. Individual aesthetics. "Gourd Fest" can be seen this Friday evening at the ASA Studio, located on the third floor of the Summit Artspace Building, 140 E. Market Street in Akron. Our studio will be open during the opening of "Kaleidoscope 2009" from 6-8 pm in the Taylor Gallery on the first floor. Check out that Mexican frame. Let me know what you think.

Reading...

Books...two-point perspective drawing

The air is cooling down and the time is ripe for reading. I read first thing in the morning while I enjoy my cup of java...it puts my brain in a receiving mode and lifts my spirits. I plow through all kinds of books, mostly non-fiction. Recently, I returned a biography of Thomas Jefferson after two renewals, yet remaining largely unread....I tried and tried, but just couldn't do it. The author reveled in minutia, writing chapter upon chapter detailing all of the books in Jefferson's library. Lots of lists. Very little interpersonal stuff. My brain craves distillation....that which is sifted and sieved into importance. I felt a sense of defeat. I started thinking about the books that are so very spiritual to me that I have them in my library and return to them time and time again.

Letters to a Young Poet by Ranier Maria Rilke is a series of 10 letters written over a period of 5 years to a young soldier named Franz Kappas with the intent of critiquing this man's poems. Rilke was 27 at the time. Rilke's intimate words reveal what it is to be an artist.....and what it is to be a person.

The Art Spirit by Robert Henri is a collection of Henri's words, taken from the notes of his students. Lucky for us....his students were paying attention. This work is based on his in-depth considerations of their paintings. "Art, when really understood, is the province of every human being".

The Alphabet versus the Goddess: Conflict Between Word and Image by Leonard Shlain considers the paradigm shift that occurred as a result of literacy and considers the differences between left-brain-knowing and right-brain-knowing. It is provocative, disturbing and and inspiring. (Shlain also wrote Art and Physics).

Words are a concoction of the L-brain but the powerful feelings that remain are processed in the R-brain, the intuitive brain. These three books are close to my heart. Also close to my heart is Laura, my wonderful daughter-in-law.