Peach Pie

Freestone   oil/canvas   6 x 6 x 1.5

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

The Great American Pastime

Cubs fan...a sketch

For many people, baseball is the great American pastime. For me, it is sketching. We took an urban vacation this year year to Chicago to join several family members for 4 days of urban adventures. One such adventure was to Wrigley Field where we (?) watched The Chicago Cubs play the Cincinnati Reds. For me, the thrill lies in people watching and learning about the nature of drawing the human face and figure. However, when the crowd rises to its feet and explodes with applause, I follow suit in order to fit in, even though, for the most part, I haven't a clue as to the reason for the excitement. For me, the excitement lies in capturing just the right angle of the nose, or in understanding the jumbled values of masses in the eye/eyeglasses area. As a result, I am never bored. Stick me in a seat anywhere with my sketchbook and I am happy as a clam. The frozen lemonade is just gravy. I know that the Cubs won. I do not know the score. Fine with me.

Water Warrior

Water Warrior   oil/canvas   48 x 24 x 1.5

Our friend Pat is a water warrior, i.e., an expert kayaker in white water. What an interesting concept that is a perfect balance of the yin and the yang! Maneuvering through the fast-moving white frothy stuff requires great intuition and moment-to-moment decision-making. As for me, the notion of a warrior that can prove his strength in a quiet, self-sustained way is an appealing one indeed. No killing. No guns. No squealing tires. No arrogance. When Pat saw the finished work, he seemed moved that the face seemed to be timeless....he saw himself as a 17-year-old and at present, somewhat older. At first I was clueless and thought myself to be the recipient of a happy accident. However, my process involves lots of reductionism, lots of wiping out. Perhaps the details of the present were wiped away. Perhaps an essence of my friend is what remained. My goals were only to render the notion of water without droplets and to show the deep admiration that I hold for the man that he is, and the ways in which he chooses to participate in this life. Amen.

Unraveling Perspective

Stack of Books and a Gourd...a sketch

I love visual problem solving! I think that is why I enjoy facing the easel every day. And that is why I don't like to repeat processes. Setting up new problems is invigorating! I can only hope that the artists in my perspective class feel the same way. This week's problem involves a drawing of a stack of books. Alack and alas.....this problem is definitely more intricate than what it first appears. The three books share a common horizon line as the eye level of the artist remains constant. However, each book has its own two particular vanishing points along that line if each is skewed in a different direction. I advised the artists to do thumbnail sketches first in order to understand what is going on before they jump into the rendering which is infinitely more fun. Stay tuned for the finished drawings. Linda Davis demonstrated that she understands the presented perspective problem. Ahhhhh......satisfaction.

Cyclist

Cyclist   oil/canvas   36 x 24 x 1.5

It is always gratifying to get into a national exhibition and even more gratifying to receive a nod from the juror. "Cyclist" is currently a part of The Cooperstown Art Association's 74th National Exhibition and received a juror's citation from Albert Handell of Santa Fe, NM. The exhibition runs through August 28th in Cooperstown, NY. Fellow artist Tom Campbell posed for this painting in our Akron Society of Artists studio. The grand prize painting "Great Mother" by Erica Hart is amazing! I am proud to be a part of this exhibit.

Gizmo

Gizmo at Seventeen   watercolor   11 x 19

Last week I lost my perfect studio companion. She loved unconditionally. She was non-judgmental most of the time. She kept excess chit-chat to a minimum. And, she was willing to dance at a moment's notice given the right song. Gizmo was 19. I will miss her.

What appears simple....................

What Appears Simple   watercolor/mixed   27.5 x 21

Some lessons must be learned again and again....especially for me. The notion of "simple" is a case in point. I am not sure there is really such a thing. Consider those smooth 3-point baskets by LeBron James. And Michael Jackson's sleight-of-foot dance moves. Reports emerge of his endless hours practicing in the studio. To be really really good at something requires more than talent.....we must add in desire and lots and lots of practice. Drawing and painting follow suit. Those whose hands make amazing marks and strokes make them continually.....the ease and comfort with the tools become part of who they are. In our spring watercolor class, we tackled the painting of a tricycle....simple, right? NOT. Those little machines are complex. Mine started as a simple painting which evolved into a mixed media work. I printed rectangles into the background, reminiscent of the cement block garage of my childhood. The grass in front was carved from linoleum and printed on. Graphite marks were added throughout. I like the smudging, the unsure lines and the power lines as well. Time has a way of simplifying the complex. Would a unicycle be any simpler? I don't think so.

Buddies

Buddies   oil/canvas   20 x 10 x .5

We live close to Mogadore Reservoir which is a rich source of beautiful outdoor images....lots of fishermen, canoes, hikers, explosive light and memories. I have memories of hiking the trail in snow that was over two feet. There are running memories, bike memories, swan memories, so-many-varieties-of-ducks memories, ice memories and canoe rental memories. It is always great to have a buddy with whom to enjoy these outdoor experiences. And it can be a four-legged buddy! My challenge in this painting was to squeeze all of my story into a vertical format....I just love challenging tradition in this way, and I also love vertical formats....period......It is always difficult to surpass the notion of local color, which I believe is the key to creating more magical environments. Pushing the color envelope just a bit can enrich both the painting and viewing experiences. Cases in point: Wolf Kahn and Charles Basham. Their work inspired me for "Buddies".

4th of July

Patriot   watercolor   13 x 10

At this point in my life, the 4th of July becomes a melded memory of all of the past 4ths...........wonderful times. Rain or not. Sun or not. The waking up and knowing that the day is different than the others.....holiday. Time to break away. Permission to just enjoy. Barbeques. Hotdogs or burgers. Potato Salad or not. Kayaking. Late breakfasts. Enjoying the love of your family. All under the banner of patriotism. Fine by me.

Children of the World

Girl with Hat...a sketch

Children are wiggly and wonderful! Children represent our future. And, for me, children display a purity and innocence only possible before culture indoctrinates them with "shoulds" and all forms of us-versus-them. If only we could emulate their openness! These days our influence is world-wide. The world is indeed growing smaller as our exposure to other worlds and other cultures has opened up by means of media. What a wonderful thing! In my earlier art days, I would park myself unobtrusively in corners of waiting rooms at hospitals and malls and attempt to draw these squirmy creatures...what a task. "Girl with hat" was drawn quickly at a Native American festival held outdoors at Kent State University.....funny how the experience of doing the drawing becomes fused with the drawing itself! My daughter-in-law gets to travel the globe in her job as a designer with The Tea Collection, which infuses other-culture influences into children's apparel. Their new Japan collection is being unveiled with a video....check it out! Squirmy. Wormy. Lively. Jumpy. Active. Lovely.

Bags, Bags and more Bags

Girl with Bag...a sketch

I am always surrounded by bags. Bags, of course, under my eyes from perpetually designing my days to streamline endless details in order to allow for large chunks of creative time. That is a given. Bags with drawing tools. Bags with watercolor painting supplies. Separate bags for oils. Other bags for plein-air oils. And, of course, canvas bags for grocery shopping! It's a good thing I like them so much! Tom Auld has an amazing leather rucksack that is now perfectly patina-ed and soft that was a gift from his daughter. Mo Mosyjowski has a most creative canvas sling that resembles a log-carrier and is designed to hold her watercolor palette as well. And Lynda Rimke always has the most amazing canvas bags purchased for a song. Muscanvas offers some amazing canvas bags that are handmade.....love them all. Indeed. The maker is someone near and dear to me.....my son. Check it out!

A New Perspective

Last evening was the first of my drawing class where we plan to pay special attention to perspective. Let the wild rumpus begin! We began by considering the truths of perspective:

TO KEEP IN MIND.................

Distortion of subjects is the result of the position you take up when drawing. Three simple principles to remember are:

1. Objects viewed flat on have correct height and width but distorted depth.

2. Objects viewed at an angle have correct height but distorted width and depth.

3. Objects viewed close up have distorted width, height and depth.

Wow....to tell you the truth, I might as well be reading an insurance manual to see if my root canal is covered! It is hard to put into words that which you know visually!

We will be studying one-point perspective for a couple of weeks....that which is face-forward, directly in front of us. We will consider what happens to the object as it moves further back into space. We were all amazed at the tricks that our minds play on us.....i.e. we know that the book is taller than it is wide......but when we draw the book laying down at least 3' from us, the length becomes much shorter than the width......our drawing-what-we-know-to-be-true-brains are being challenged!

Must save some energy....next week we are tacking teacups and ellipses!

Feel like joining us?

Settling In

EverGreen   oil/canvas board   10 x 8

During the last session of the 3-day paint-out, I finally felt comfortable....isn't that the way it always is?
The gardens at this last dwelling were mostly evergreens of many varieties....there was a cool feeling throughout. I finally took off my earphones to enjoy the quiet and paired up a stone sculpture of a giraffe with an evergreen. In reviewing this small painting, I feel it needs some straight lines somewhere....everything is just too organic for me. On the positive side, I really enjoyed the small canvasses that I had toned and textured ahead of time. They lent themselves well to the nature of painting outdoors in gardens. These are the lessons that I feel I must retain when painting alla prima.......there is always next year.

Farmers Market/Framers Market

The Apple Seller   oil/canvas board   12 x 9

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

Making Hay while the Sun Shines

Baughman Barn   oil/canvas board   12 x 12

The Friday morning of the paint-out poured! So.........I spent the morning on the covered porch of Hudson Fine Art fine-tuning paintings from the previous day. I hope that some day I will be satisfied with my impressions from just one session. The afternoon turned hot and sunny so I spent it at the Baughman property, a renovated arts and crafts house that drew quite a crowd! Although the house was amazing and the gardens quirky and creative, I decided to focus on the barn.....that is so funny, in that 20 years ago, I swore never to paint a barn, as I felt that they had reached a point of redundancy-plus in terms of paintings. I guess it was because I was dying to use my square canvas and the barn was perfect for that. Plus, my goal was to improve upon my ability to use purer color and harder edges earlier on in the process. I usually put those things off until later in the process, after some time for consideration. Alla prima requires more immediate decision-making. We are always learning..............that's why the whole thing is so stimulating! "Baughman Barn" is the result. Although it has a nice mystical quality, I think that, in considering it this week, that it would benefit from a few harder edges and, perhaps, the addition of another color.

Blue, blue, blue

Endless Summer   oil/canvas board   12 x 9

As I drove down College Street in Hudson looking for my next painting site, my attention was grabbed up by some awesome hydrangea bushes....their blueness stood out among the endless greens. The century house behind was captivating, but difficult to paint with so much cut-work around the porch. The owner stopped by and told me that the bushes were new and promised to bloom all summer.....the variety called "penny mac". If I had been able to come into the painting for a second pass after several days of dry-time, I would have come back in with some purer blue pigment. Ah.....regrets. Too much mucking around in oil paint creates nothing but mud....the same as with watercolors. "Neverending Summer" is my resultant painting from that Thursday afternoon.

....and did I mention rain?

The Learned Garden   oil/canvas board   10 x 8

The paint-out in Hudson was exhilarating! Dodging the ever-present drops added to the level of excitement.......it is difficult to paint in front of people, to be sure, but I found it to be less threatening than it used to be. One of the problems for me is the overwhelming complexity of gardens. In order to create an interesting composition, I need to be able to include a larger, simpler form. I also need to tweak the color palette away from the given, the local color, in order to enhance the process and harmony. My first attempt on Thursday morning was a garden next to a guest house. Things fell into place. I usually count on another painting session after drying is near to completion....that is when I add strokes of more pure color as well as enunciating strokes to firm up the movement in the overall composition. As this step is simply not possible in painting plein air, I have had to make adjustments by speeding up the problem solving and trying to foresee conclusions more quickly. "The Learned Garden" was completed in 2 1/2 - 3 hours on Thursday morning. These paintings are available for purchase through the end of June at Hudson Fine Art & Framing.

The Jazz of Life is not Found in the Comfort Zone

Lemonade   watercolor   13.5 x 18

O.K.....my comfort zone is painting privately in my studio. Large glasses of iced tea whenever. Throw in a load of laundry whenever. Check email whenever. Relaxed. Comfortable. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday of this week, I will join a host of many fine artists to paint at the Hudson Home and Garden Tour Plein-Air Paint-Out sponsored by Hudson Art & Framing. Bright Sunlight. Bugs. Lugging painting stuff. Bugs. Where can I go to the bathroom? Bugs. Loud noises. I can do this......Granted, this experience lies well outside of my comfort zone, but I believe in participating in events that come your way............there just may be many wonderful surprises in store. I am gradually learning how to: paint smaller; focus-in on outdoor scenes; put my "create and destroy" process on hold for a while to concentrate only on reality; and enjoy the beauty of the experience. My colleague Carolyn Lewis is a master at this.....she is my inspiration for this event. Come out and see us!

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

Pail of Peaches   watercolor   17 x 12.5

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

In for a little heavy reading?

A book must be the pick ax that shatters the frozen sea within us.”
-Franz Kafka

Leonard Shlain wrote such books. Leonard Shlain, one of my heroes and the father of filmmaker Tiffany Shlain, died last month. He was a surgeon in San Francisco, as well as a genius and best-selling author. His book Art and  Physics demonstrated how movements in art predated groundbreaking scientific discoveries. But it was his book The Alphabet versus the Goddess: The Conflict between Word and Image that rocked my soul. He follows the evolution of our culture from a right-brain-image dominant-one to a left-brained-world that is ruled by words and aggression. This book was revolutionary for me.....in a left-brained-word-driven world, we turn our natural resources into weapons. In a more peaceful image-driven-right-brained world, the materials are crafted into art, into decoration, into jewelry. I am hoping that our tattooed children are leading us into a more evolved and peaceful existence. Leonard Shlain had hope for the future.....as we evolve into a more image-driven existence. I salute this brilliant man. His work made its way into my soul.

Bluebird Babies! - painting nature

Cottage in the Woods   watercolor   16 x 12

"Our task must be to free ourselves from the prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. – Albert Einstein”

Albert Einstein was the man! Oh, what those with great intelligence can teach us! My husband loves nature and birds in particular. He sets up bird houses all over our yard and checks on them daily. He knows and delights in their songs. He communes with them. I believe that we can hold communion with whatever is sacred to us, with whatever it is that elevates us. At present, we have 4 bluebird babies, all pink and new. The parents are working hard to help them survive. "Cottage in the Woods" was painted as a still life set-up in my watercolor class.

and it's a hot one

Infusion   watercolor/gouache   19 x 27

It promises to be a hot one here in northeast Ohio today. This week is my friend Jo's birthday. The hot weather brings back memories of her family and ours at the beach in North Carolina....so many beach summers that they all meld into an all-encompassing beach memory. We each have three sons. It took so much preparation that we actually needed that vacation to rest from preparing FOR the vacation. As we sat in our little beach chairs, the swirling waves sucked out all worries and anxieties.....we became one with the ocean. We liked becoming "flotsam". We became tea bags that were infused into the great water. Jo is a coppery beach person and she wears the most luxurious (in my mind) gauzy summer dresses.....and always flip flops. Her beach casual was queen-like. My mind is filled with the roar of the ocean and my skin feels salty even as I write this tribute. Happy birthday, dear Jo.

Surprises

continuous line drawing....mine?

Doesn't everyone love surprises? It's just another way to pique our interest....stepping outside the daily humdrum for a minute or two. A total clean-out of my studio has provided several surprises. Some of the drawings and painting that were stashed away a few years back seem better than what I recall......they have never been worse. Apparently my memory does a number on them when I put them away. In fact, some of the passages actually seem a bit brilliant (passages, not the entire paintings, mind you). I would like to think that we see things differently since we, as artists and as human beings, have evolved and are therefore more accepting of what we see at present. More open-minded? There were many many old sketchbooks filled with "eyeball" and "superhero" art, left over remnants from when my children filled the first pages. A continuous line drawing caught my eye....I am not certain if it is mine, actually. But the lines thrilled me, as well as the overall feel of the drawing. Especially the little curl resting by the wrist. Wow.....I will have to try some more of these. Maybe even the "blind continuous line" drawings, done without looking at the paper. I do love surprises.

Creative Community

I believe that it behooves us to look around and learn from all members of the creative community, including those who create with computers, food, flowers, wallpaper and fabrics. After all, we all work with those same design elements and principles in mind. During my down time of studio repair, I have been perusing decorating books, which is something I rarely make time for. Being a bit of a francophile, I turned to French decorating....whoa.....way too fancy for me, for the most part. No bows, no crystal, no Queen Ann legs and, please, no chintz. Then I proceeded to Scandinavian decor....the simplicity is me.....as well as the soft colors which, apparently, are modeled after the home of Carl Larsson, a painter. I have always neutralized my colors by using the complements. These books suggest using Raw Umber, a bit at a time, of course, to achieve those soft neutrals! What a find! I am definitely going to try it! We have been painting antique toys and well-loved items in my painting class. My painter friend Mo used a wash of her home-made walnut ink on the top of her painting.....it was ingenious. Neutralized....softened....aged. New tricks for old painters.

BTW, members of Akron Society of Artists will be painting from a model tomorrow evening from 5 - 9 pm on the 3rd floor of The Summit Artspace building. Come take a peek!

Group Gesture

Young Warriors   watercolor   12.5 x 17.5

It seems to take me a while to process large groups of art seen at exhibitions and critiques. Within days, however, those works that really touch me seem to float to my surface consciousness. There is an artist at "The View From Here" at Second April Galerie in Canton whose work has nipped my artistic aesthetic in a big way. I can't remember his name but all of his 5 or 6 paintings involved group gesture.....he is a very astute man. Using color and gestural groupings of figures, as well as the negative areas between them, he has so accurately described many social moments. One is called "Awkward Moment" and other something like "Just Arrived" (before the party begins). As a person who struggles with social engagements, I found these works to be all-powerful and all-telling with a minimum of description. Bravo! None of these figures has faces or distracting detail. The evolution is complete. We must learn that in the telling of the story of a figure, the face is secondary. When we tell the story of a group of people, facial detailing and other details simply must go. There is a limited amount of power innate in a picture....and that power is divided between all of the elements in the work. We, as artists, struggle to eliminate the non-essential in order to place the power where we want it. "Young Warriors" is my earlier attempt at a group gesture and was done before my work incorporated this important notion. It is in the collection of The State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio.

Model Night

Filling In   watercolor   10 x 10

Tonight is Model Night, the first Wednesday of the month, at my club, The Akron Society of Artists. It's my favorite........drawing or painting from a live model. Although it would seem otherwise, it most definitely involves a silent communication between the model and each of the artists who works to capture his/her essence. When I get a good feeling from the model, I receive an empathic feeling that helps me commit to the work and, I believe, makes me more receptive to what it is about the model that is his or her genuine essence or beauty. "Filling In" was painted many years ago....our model didn't show up and a newcomer freely took the model stand. I have thought about her and her wistful essence throughout the years. She used makeup tubes from her bag to create art. Her husband picked her up at precisely 10 pm. She shared a bit of herself with me and, although I don't know her name, we were connected for three short hours.

Define Painter...

Paint Brush (labor series)   watercolor   8.5 x 14

There are many kinds of painters. Recently, my studio has been emptied....closed down....for a couple of weeks for home improvements and painting. Bummer. I have been avoiding it for several years, but it had to be done. Instead of painting, I have been watching my husband paint the walls and woodwork. Over the years, he has developed a seemingly effortless stroke....knowing just how much paint should be on the brush, and manipulating the brush in a rhythmic and sleight-of- hand fashion. No matter what task we are performing, repeating the action again and again gives us an ease and relaxation that not only aids the task, but also beckons us into "flow". Muscle memory is involved. Beginners often over-control and choke up on their brushes and pens, causing a stilted and awkward movement. Those who are more comfortable, with many hours under their smocks and painter's pants, move their hands up toward the handle tip, allowing more freedom, more expression and a lightness of touch. They hold the brush more loosely. Muscle memory is involved as well. So, for a while I am dedicated to endless cleanup and selecting of new colors. It has been said that you learn a lot in the off-season. "Paint Brush" - Labor Series can be seen at Hudson Fine Art and Framing.

Now you see it...now you don't

Hidden Symmetry   oil/canvas   48 x 24 x 1.5

Illusion is what painters do....the illusion of a 3-dimensional object on a 2-dimensional ground. My community of Brimfield is probably like many semi-rural communities in that it is being invaded by commercial ventures such as WalMart, Lowe's, Dollar Tree, Appleby's and Kohl's. Things are changing rapidly. A beautiful barn on my road was always a stand-out due to it's two dilapidated but beautiful spires. I always hoped to paint them. A couple of years ago, I finally had an opportunity to produce a painting of each one. Whoa...........within a few weeks of completion, the spires were removed and disassembled, despite local rumors that the owners were going to completely refurbish the structure. I feel lucky. My goal in "Hidden Symmetry" was to juxtapose the extreme texture of the shingles and old wood with a complete smoothness of the background. As always, easier said than done. My normal painting style is full of texture and strokes. Painting the background was most difficult, what with trying to hide and smooth out brushstrokes. "Hidden Symmetry" can be seen in "The View From Here", currently on exhibit at Second April Galerie in Canton.

Labor

Painter   oil/canvas   48 x 24 x 1.5

Labor is a notion that I would like to celebrate in my work. The process of working with one's hands is, in my opinion, one of the most satisfactory things a person can do.....we can lose ourselves in the daily rhythms of cleaning, gardening, repairing and painting, whether a picture or a dwelling. In The Re-Enchantment of Everyday Life, Thomas Moore says that caring for one's dwelling is important to the soul.....that is, as opposed to hiring someone to do our own "dirty work". I believe that is true. Cleaning our brushes with care is part of the creative process. Cleaning our bathrooms can be equally as satisfying. Two of my sons live in San Francisco where turn-of-the-century Victorian homes abound. These dwellings are often several stories with loads of decorative turned and lacy piece-work. Not an easy job to paint! On a walking tour of the Mission district, I shot photos of a house painter, perched high up on a ladder, seeming almost relaxed in the rhythm of the strokes. "Painter" is the result. I hold this man in high regard. That is the story. "Painter" can be seen at Second April Galerie in "The View From Here".

Dappled and Wabi Sabi

Happy   oil/canvas   10 x 20 x .5

I recently read a few books on the Japanese notion of Wabi Sabi. The three important principles are: Nothing is Permanent. Nothing is Finished. Nothing is Perfect. What a relief! I believe that these principles further the connection to process over product. One of the books was a children's book done in beautiful collage work about a calico cat.....named Wabi Sabi. For me, this whole notion cemented the connection to my appreciation of The Dappled. The French have a notion of beauty called "jolie laide". This translates literally to pretty/ugly. Perhaps this is all tied up with Joseph Campbell's notions of paired opposites.....where the marrow of life can be found. The plastic notions of perfect beauty are discarded in favor of a more honest, more imperfect beauty that can be found just about anywhere we look....any small visual that gives pause. Happy, my friend's calico beauty, died this year after a long happy life. My painting of Happy is a celebration of her life, my friend and a tribute to dappled, to jolie laide and to wabi-sabi.

Things Dappled

Self-Taught   watercolor   12.25 x 9.25

I have long had a great love for things dappled....things with spots, gradations, textures and so-called imperfections. For me, they are gist of life. Painting is a legacy. We painters are choosing to make our thoughts and our preferences somewhat permanent, dependent on the venues where our work is shown. For many years, I have wanted to do a series of work on things dappled and am hoping that my ideas will be realized in the coming years. I often paint to music.....songs by The Red Hot Chili Peppers are among my favorites. Their song "Midnight" is a hymn for me and expresses my thoughts exactly in the lyrics "All along I said I know no enemies. Mix it up until there are no pedigrees". You can hear the song at:

http://apps.facebook.com/lyricsdomain/artist/red_hot_chili_peppers/song/midnight

Pedigrees imply past successes and, I believe, limit growth. For me, living in each moment implies a newness, a reliance only on what is in the here and now. No enemies. No pedigrees. No purebreds.

Things dappled.

Seasonal...

In Their Prime   oil/canvas   16 x 20

My life, as well as my art, is cyclical. The smells, sights, light and sounds of each season influence what I paint and how the work is approached. For the past two weeks, our miniature lilacs have perfumed my studio. Outside on the patio, a hedgerow of peonies has grown so rapidly that we swear we could see them gain several inches in a day. I have painted that grouping several times. These beautiful blooms were given to me by my maternal grandmother Daisy Street. That legacy makes them all the sweeter. Peonies teach us patience as the blooming proceeds ever-so-s-l-o-w-l-y aided by the black ants who eat the wax off of the tightly formed bloom heads. This weekend which is Memorial weekend, several blooms are fully open. My note to myself is to appreciate their beauty and their fragrance in the short time that they are in full bloom. All too soon the petals will be scattered across the brickwork, and their influence only a memory.

Mother Love=Art Love

An Accommodating Curve   watercolor/gouache   27 x  14

Being an artist is tough. Being a woman is tough. Being a mother is sometimes tough, but fills us with a love so great, so big, that it can easily spill over into our art-making. I was blessed with three wonderful sons.....I really do believe that my art-making is so much richer from that deep communion. Just as a great writer uses his life experiences to season his writing, we visual artists do the same. As more and more women are making art, I am seeing the vastness of the experiences that women artists have to offer. Our intuition and our emotions play out in our work. Mother's Day, in my opinion, should also be a celebration of our children, and all that they have given to us. Our curves carry groceries and laundry, as well as art supplies. Our curves sustain our children. My love for these organic curves shows in my work. Hip...hip...hooray! Andrew Wyeth said, "One's art goes as far and as deep as one's love goes". "An Accommodating Curve" was painted many years ago.....watercolor over gouache.

Graphic Grass

Grass Border...linoleum block print

I am working on a large mixed media painting of a tricycle and wanted to have some simple graphic-looking grass at the bottom. Painting it on resulted in visual confusion. So I carved a small linoleum block to print it on. The marks were made with a 5.0 calligraphy marker that I twisted as I moved upwards from bottom to top, thus making the marks gradually thinner. I found that the negative spaces were as important as the marks themselves here. I wanted the spaces to be intriguing and playful as well. Painting is almost too direct at times.....i.e. one stroke is almost too bold, too important, too direct. Sometimes the printing medium is what I crave.....that secondary application of pigment that doesn't quite cover everything, leaving a bit of background peeking through. Pure bliss. And, I might add, a fun foray into something different.

Saturdays

daisy stamp...carved from eraser

Saturdays are my days to break my weekly routine. Saturdays are for yard work, errands, framing, catching up on details and making small bits of art just for fun....no grand paintings or drawings.....just bits of creative experimentation that may lead to something down the road. IDEAS. This past Saturday, I attended a wonderful two-hour workshop on printing lead by Susan Mencini. Susan lead us through the process of conception, carving and printing from plastic erasers. Pure fun. There were a dozen or so artists present...each one turned out a marvelous stamp. We used Speedball lino-cut tools and juicy water-soluble markers for printing. What a wonderful way to add to Saturday fun. Each exhibit at Summit Artspace offers many such Saturday afternoon forays into creative fun....just a taste, just a bit of what could lead to something bigger. If you have some free Saturday afternoon time please visit: http://www.summitartspace.org/

Enthusiasm

The word enthusiasm comes from "en theo".....which translates as "God within". I have to agree. Enthusiasm, for me, is defined by an infectious, childlike joy. Ah, if we could only approach our daily work this way! We have the choice to approach our work in this way. The L-brain way tells us to approach our work in progressive steps, always prescribed by "the other", orderly and rule-ridden. This way creates self-doubt and invites containment and criticism, as "someone's" rule has always been broken....ad tedium. If we approach our work with a childlike joy lead by the R-brain, the lotus of control moves to self....we create our own rules, solve our own problems and liberate the creativity within. Tough stuff. Yesterday, I watched a small video with what appears to be an inner-city choir singing "The Eye of The Tiger" by Survivor and lead by their guitar-playing teacher who has enthusiasm to spare. The spirit and lack of inhibition by the students inspired me for the day....the week. 

Painters' Post

Tortoise...a small watercolor sketch

Another source of inspiration for me comes in the form of Robert Genn's twice weekly newsletter which is sent to my email box. He is a wonderful writer and touches on subjects that often speak to me. He has composed another site called "Painters' Post" which includes inspirational articles from around the world that may be of interest to painters. My time is limited and valuable so I need to get to the marrow ASAP. Yesterday I read an article by Germaine Greer that piqued my interest. I thought about her ideas the entire day. You can the site at: http://clicks.robertgenn.com/painters_post.php . Today I chose an article for reading that dealt with slowing down.....perfect. Taking things at a snail's pace has its advantages. I become both the tortoise and the hare during my days and weeks. In order to have timeless creative hours, I become a hare with everything else. Laundryvacuuminggroceryshoppingpostofficemealplanningcooking........
..ahhhhhhh..................p*a*i*n*t*i*n*g. Off to work now...................in order to slow down.

Dylan-esque

Rock Stah   oil/canvas   30 x 24 x .75

I absolutely love getting twinges of interest from information that flies freely in my direction. Inspiration abounds from the least likely places. Music, lyrics and rhythms are my favorites. My son Nate plays guitar and is a Bob Dylan affectionado.....he reads Dylan's words and studies his music. This past weekend he shared with me an interesting Dylan-fact. It seems that Bob Dylan strives to play each of his songs differently each time.........Whoa............that is profound for me. That makes each song, each work, original each time. He avoids the lull of sameness. Lately, Dylan has been into changing the rhythms of 4/4 songs into triplets. That certainly is a way of spinning off into a fresher "newness"! Thank you Nate! Thank you Bob Dylan!

Equinox

Maiden   mixed/paper   19 x 13.5

I am very mistrustful of words. Dominant cultures have altered meanings and implications throughout time to suit their need for power. Words are used to empower and to diminish. OK. We have to use them to communicate....right? I guess that I appreciate and am more likely to trust those who measure and use fewer words. Visual communication is subjective. It is quiet. The word " pagan" is a perfect example. It used to imply "of the country" or "rustic".....a person who lives his/her life in an intuitive way, according to the seasons. Somehow along the way, the word has been tainted. Spring's renewal of energy is a wonderful feeling. I have been watching the unfurling of our ferns. The unwinding of the frond is unmatched in beauty. Its implications are numerous. Pure rhythm. "Maiden" was drawn with soft pencil. The ferns were printed afterwards.

Windows to the Soul

Morning Balcony   watercolor   20 x 10.5

For as long as I can remember, I have ascribed human characteristics to buildings. Maybe everyone does. Maybe I have an overactive imagination. Maybe Disney movies have been permanently cemented in my brain. Fantasia, etc. Brooms that dance and doors that converse. Maybe that explains my fascination with windows, doors and rooftops, second only to my love of painting the human figure. I guess they could be hair, eyes and mouths. Whoaaaa.............whatever. The neighborhoods we live in tend to be fairly homogenous. And the dwellings we live in seem to be regionally homogenous as well. Visiting other areas of our vast country or other countries gives us a welcome new perspective. We discover differences that are beautiful as well as functional. Two of my sons live in San Francisco where the weather is perpetually mild. There are no air-conditioners hanging from windows and no need for storm windows and doors. The beauty of these structures is more apparent, more visible. "Morning Balcony" is just one example. I look forward to doing more.

Tension

Precarious Stack of Vintage Bowls   watercolor   12.5 x 9

Tension is definitely an emotion we can all relate to. We can identify tension in sounds and visuals. Tension causes us to pause....at least, that is my take on it. Tension in paintings very often relies on diagonal lines.....those that are momentarily suspended between the vertical (active) and the horizontal (passive, restful). My husband loves photographing the tension of broken tree branches in the forest that have become lodged in the crooks of other trees. We all know that eventually they will fall.....but when? Fences and telephone poles are often more interesting when they stray from the vertical. They become more active and break up the status quo. Robert Genn's twice weekly newsletter of today refers to sterility versus fertility and he lists ways to "shake it up", ways to pull oneself out of the familiar. His list mostly involves ways for the artist to change her/his approach. I would like to add "painting stacks of things" to the list. Stacking is always interesting to me....a piling up of varieties into the grand vertical format. "Precarious Stack of Vintage Bowls" was a lesson from my watercolor class. The values of the white bowls have been exaggerated to bring up the drama and to hold up to the strong dark background. What will happen next? I am involved.

Day Tripping

Wendy Park(Cleveland)  oil/canvas   20 x 16 x .5

Cleveland is an hour's drive from Akron and there are so many places to view and appreciate art. My fellow artist Mina Huang really enjoyed the current exhibition at MOCA...superlight, a digital display and Christian Wulffen's "It is, It is not". Mina is an engineer by day and so appreciated this cutting-edge, technology-based art. These exhibits are in their final week. My work is represented in the annual exhibit at Artist's Archives on the east side in the University Circle area. Fellow artists Mitzi Lai and Trisha Kaman, also members of The Akron Society of Artists, both are represented in this exhibition.

May 1-June 4, 2009
Artists Archives of the Western Reserve Annual May Members Show
1834 E. 123rd Street, Cleveland 44106
Gallery Hours: Wed-Fri 10-4; Sat 12-4
Public Opening: May 1, 6-8:30 pm
For further information, call 216.721.9020 or visit www.artistsarchives.org

Sweet...

Judy Gaiser...a sketch

The other evening at our club critique (Akron Society of Artists), I noticed several artists sketching throughout the long evening. It really is possible to watch and listen and sketch at the same time. It made my heart go pitter-pat. Great stuff. I have found that people, for the most part, return to the same 2 or 3 positions repeatedly. So........it is possible to start a sketch then to pause until that subject returns to that same position. Attentiveness. I have known some artists to go absolutely haywire when the model changes the pose even slightly.....even when a piece of hair falls into another position. The resultant reprimand seems to make the model stiffen. The energy is killed. My preference is to take what the model gives to me freely.....sometimes the later subtle shifting is even better. Staying attentive gives you what you need. The results are rarely perfect but always energetic and honest. Our president Judy Gaiser is one sweet girl!

Slice of Time

Slice   oil/canvas   4 x 4 x 1.5

Most of the time, I am back and forth between 2 or 3 paintings. Problem solving is difficult work. But putting some distance between you and the work in progress is a great thing......it allows you to see the work with new eyes, in a new way, in a couple of days. This distancing is difficult to pull off, but quite necessary. Often, I am so involved in the work at hand that I can't stand leaving it at the end of the day to return to my "normal" life. Over-involvement is not good in painting, or in life. When this happens, I pull out a tiny, tiny canvas and just paint something at hand. Those small paintings are calming and reaffirming. And they just take a small slice of time!

Artist Time

Early...a sketch

Artist time is commonly referred to as "whenever". I'm afraid that there is some truth to that stereotype. I spent at least half of my life being late. After some not-so-nice results from my tardiness, I have resolved to mend my ways. I didn't think about the fact that it was rude to others......I didn't think about the stress that it would cause others. For me, it is the direct result of my tunnel vision. I love living in the present moment, and I seem to be able to experience a bit of flow in whatever-the-present-task. The notion of not concentrating on the immediate is a bit foreign to me. And planning out little blocks of time and limiting my time in each block was abhorrent. Well....here I am....the new me. I now try to adhere to the little blocks of time and try to estimate the time each task will take. And, most importantly, my whole life is organized to try to allow my painting block the maximum of time. O.K. That being said, my fixation with being on time has been overdone. I was an hour early for a meeting in March. Red Dot Project is housed in an old press building in Cleveland....it is constructed a bit like the old 1950's school building. When I realized my error, I sat down on the cement floor near the entry where early spring sun was streaming in. I drew my own shoes and allowed myself the time to really consider all of the shadows and all of the subtleties. It was March 17, as I am wearing my shamrock socks. The session was a treat. However, I was happy to move to a comfortable chair when the meeting started....one hour later.

Admiration for calves like bowling balls

Calves like Bowling Balls...a sketch

I am always equipped to sketch wherever I go.....it helps to pass time and, most importantly, it helps me to learn about life. Most of the elite runners at any race have similar body types....compact, slim with no body fat and a kind of "lightness". Heaviness just doesn't go as fast. The George Washington Parkway race was a veritable smorgasbord of body types: old ladies pacing a fast walk, overweight people with their trainers urging them on, kids of all ages, and parents pushing strollers while running. These folks are an inspiration to all. They don't fit the mold, yet that doesn't hold them back. Wow....profound. After the race, I was lucky to see an unlikely runner stretching his legs as he leaned against a railing. His shoulders were oh-so-broad and his calves were the size of bowling balls. He was almost as wide as he was tall. During those brief moments, I loved this man and I loved his effort.

Breakaway

Breakaway   watercolor   19 x 27

This past weekend, my husband and I broke away from our routine to travel to Alexandria, Virginia to watch our son run in The George Washington Parkway 10 K race. Breakaways are important.....as they help you to increase your tunnel vision to take in events and experiences that wouldn't usually come your way. They inspire and they help me to reconsider and reevaluate. I always leave home dragging my feet, however, as my mind and my body prefer to follow the usual path, to stay within the boundaries of "familiar". I witness this phenomenon even in my painting classes, where artists typically sit in the same chair, and observe the class with their comfort zone. We seem to become protective of our space go to great lengths to avoid the uncertain and the unfamiliar. The rewards, however, of breaking away are exponential. Seth had a great race and I was inspired by each of the 7200 runners there who braved the 90-degree heat to prove something to themselves. I am tired this morning but hopeful that some of those visual memories will filter into my subconscious and make my work more human and more genuine. I want to experience something new.

Copyright

Earlier in my career, I signed on with a print company who asked for exclusive rights as well as the copyrights on the work that I did for them. I was so happy to have work, that I willingly signed on the dotted line......for five years. Granted, the work is schmaltzy......cutesy.....whatever....that is the nature of mass printing. The company was successful and growing. I received a paltry percentage. In fact, 4 of my prints were featured one season in the Spiegel catalogue for $49.95 each. I received less than $100 from that exposure. The company is now bankrupt. My prints are all over the internet, on stitcheries and on puzzles. I have even seen them on the Baghdad Museum website. I receive nothing. I suspect that the income generated from my prints, and the prints of many other artists, is being used to pay off the company's creditors. I certainly sent in all of the claim forms to the courts in that state, but am doubtful that the outcome will represent any positive income for me and my family. So, I guess that the moral of this story is NEVER NEVER EVER GIVE UP YOUR COPYRIGHTS.

Relief

Architectural Rosette   watercolor

I guess I am attracted to all-things-handmade, especially things that are carved from wood.....or even those molded in iron.....or things pressed into copper.....or...........let's just say that I like relief work. Painting one of these objects is a wonderful exercise as we learn all about 3-dimensionality on a flat painting surface. Those parts that are closest to the light source, and to us as viewers, will have a lighter treatment. Those parts that receive the least light will be the darkest. And then there are the areas in-between, whose rising and falling make the image believable. Old architectural pieces offer much in the way of painting relief, as do kitchen molds, egg cartons and muffin cups. Hopefully, we will be able to translate what we learn into the topography of the human figure, a still life painting or a landscape. An even more challenging task would be to render some abstract marks using our findings.....to watch them rise and fall from the painting surface. Awesome.

William Morris

Daisy Tile   watercolor/gouache   6 x 6

William Morris has been another inspiration for me, especially during the years that I designed greeting cards. The swirling patterns of flower shapes and leaves are both flowing and mathematically designed. The father of the arts-and-crafts movement, he promoted simplicity as a reaction to the overly-ornamented and sugary-sweet decor of Victorianism. He believed that beautiful things were in accordance with nature. Much of his wisdom was borrowed from the Japanese, including his use of restrained color so as not to tire the eye. His designs and fabrics are timeless. William Morris is Wabi Sabi. He found value in the uncomplicated.

Quick Draw

Quick Draw - Laura

This past Wednesday evening, our art club program was a quick draw. We all took turns posing for various gestural drawings for 30 seconds to a couple of minutes. It really was such fun....thanks to Akron Society of Artists programs chair Jana Volkmer! The speed helps to get to the heart of the matter right away....for me, it is the gesture line that holds the pose, that imaginary line, a curve, that mimics the energy of the figure. Lines go this way and that. I don't really strive for accuracy here....just energy. What fun! For this session, I used China markers as they glide so easily across the paper. I was prepared with several, as they wear down rather quickly and are quite the sticky-wick to unravel. Other artists used charcoal pencils and shorty pencils. We used lots of paper as well.....paper well-spent. Working quickly also helps me to work slowly as well....later on in the drawing.

Ntozake Shange

i tried to love her fiercely   oil/canvas   48 x 24 x 1.5

If we are open to the universe, we can be inspired by our intake of all kinds of ideas: music, books, people, acts of kindness and events. Those small inspiration-bites hit me like a brick....make no mistake about it.....my right brain underlines, italicizes, and makes bold any notion that speaks to me personally. When my children were smaller, I was fortunate to complete one or two paintings during a calendar year. I read inspirational biographies of women like Alva Myrdal whose diplomatic career took off after child-rearing. Such is poetry of Ntozake Shange, an American poet who speaks to women and African-American women in particular. At a time when I was struggling so very much (more than now), trying to begin a career after my children were in school, I read her words: "i found god in myself/ and i loved her; i loved her fiercely". I needed empowerment. I needed to love myself. I needed to hear the words of Ntozake Shange. The Artists Archives of the Western Reserve Annual May Members Show opens May 1 with a reception from 6-8:30 pm and runs through June 4. The gallery is free and open to the public. Gallery hours are: W, Th and F from 10-4 and Sat from 12-4. The Artists Archives is located at E. 123rd Street in Cleveland in the same neighborhood as Cleveland Institute of Art.