Play...

Blueberry Tip   oil/canvas   6 x 6 x 1.5

Sometimes I get overwhelmed in problem-solving in my larger paintings....pushing will not help.  It is all a matter of consideration and time.  It is then that I need to play.  Smaller paintings are the answer.  These small works are often done of fruits and vegetables where I paint what I see.  Their forms are already complex enough and the problems are usually readily solved.  Most of these small works are color-driven and provide an opportunity to experiment with color that lies just outside of the reality, the local.  I enjoy pushing those color limits just a bit.  There are other notions to be practiced as well....the painting of a bunch of small berries as a mass, rather than each berry one-by-one.  This lesson can be transferred to painting hair, bushes and a host of other things that benefit from massing.  Play.  With the benefits of play, I am further prepared to tackle more complex problems. Taking a break to play keeps us lighter....emotionally and with brush in hand.

Model Night...

Amanda   charcoal/paper   16.5 x 11

is a cheap thrill for me.  $5.00 paints the model for 3 hours sponsored by Akron Society of Artists.  I love these nights, for it is then that I experiment and hone in on certain goals or techniques that I have been wishing to attempt.  It is also the time for experimenting with different mediums.  My friend Shirley was trying her hand at pen and ink this past week.  I always go with a goal in mind.....nothing general like finding a likeness.  My goals are more technique driven.  "Amanda" was done with various charcoal sticks....I think mostly vine.  I arrived at my goal which was the placement of lights and darks.  In my frenzy, I did not measure so much so the likeness is off.  Even though the human head has some basic formula measurements, everyone is different, so it is dangerous to go to default.  In this case, Amanda's head was shorter, I believe, that the norm.....I found that out afterwards.  Oh well.....next time.

Where will this lead?...

Barefoot in April   watercolor/mixed on paper   20.5 x 13.5

I don't know....but at least it will be a surprise.  I love this notion.  Not having preconceived notions about where a particular piece of work will go is so exciting.  Normally, I start out painting from life until I feel the need to veer off of the path.  It can be a color, a texture or just of feeling of "this is just too boring" that jump starts the leap into the unknown.  The idea of letting the work itself suggest transitions is yin and keeps me interested and flexible.  It also helps to deal with life...where nothing really turns out as we plan.  "Barefoot" started out life as a watercolor painting in the ASA studio during the April art walk.  It was the first really warm day of the season and the model willingly removed his shoes.  I painted what I saw.  Working later, I realized that I disliked the darkness in the lower right corner and also disliked the stool that had been painted in.  I wanted the energy shift to life upwards toward the bare foot....that was my story.  Printing on top of the work solved part of the problem and the resultant textures were much to my liking.  The work was finished off with fat pencils and a bit of charcoal.  This is indeed an oversimplified explanation, as I had no idea where I was headed and, in fact, felt several times that this work was headed for the trash.  After several wrong turns, and just one right turn in excess, I was rewarded.  This work spins my fan.  Barefoot.  In April.

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?

Nothing Beats Observation...

Eggs of a Different Color   watercolor/gouache   8.5 x 13

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

Colored eggs are the best.

Fresh Produce...

Red Cabbage and Leeks   watercolor   8 x 8

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

Painting Companions...

Delores in Fendi   watercolor   11 x 8.25

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

Framing...

Mina...a sketch

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

Paradigm Shift

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

Lost in the Freedom...

Rabbit Study   pencil and conte crayon   10 x 13

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

Embracing Our Differences...

Spirits Conjoined   oil/canvas   40 x 30 x 1.5

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

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

Be Brave. Paint with Authority.

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

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

     Good Art goes beyond intelligence.  Be naive.

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

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

Home..

Dussel Farm in February   watercolor   8.25 x 23.25

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

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

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

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

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

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


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


Thank you, Jackie.

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

Pot of Potatoes   watercolor   13 x 17

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

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

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

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

Jolie Laide...

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

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

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

Lotus Kids...

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

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

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

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

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.