Merry Christmas

Yeah, it's a little late to say "Merry Christmas", but it is still the Christmas season. We are well within the 12 days of Christmas.

Since my last post was in the beginning of November, it may be obvious that it's been a busy time for me. Life intrudes on my painting time. Actually, I let it in - it's still difficult for me to think of myself as mostly an artist when the rest of my life is so full of other meaningful things.

So, here is our Christmas card for 2014. I think it says a bit about being tangled up in life on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Not to fear, the Christmas lights did get untangled, the tree put up, presents wrapped and delivered. Our lives did settle down. It has been a lovely holiday celebration with family and friends.

Hope yours was wonderful, too!

And on to 2015 - HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Seachlights

I am still in searching mode - that in-between period of not being particularly inspired and eager to paint. My husband calls it "walking in circles." I know it's partly because my life is so full of other things, like the workman/painters who are all over my house and in and out of my studio cleaning up their brushes...and some other projects that are calling to me.

But, yesterday I had a free afternoon and got into the studio by myself. (it was raining, no workmen) I decided to revisit some paintings that I had been playing with. The last time I painted I was just playing with color and had done a very wet study of the 'rainbow' - sort of. I remember thinking it would be fun to make the viewer look at a particular spot so placed color around a small white circle.

It was certainly not an inspiring painting, but was fun watching the colors blend and change. As I have been scolded by some of you, I left it to dry - did not wash it off. So here it is as an 'underpainting.'

So, yesterday I picked it up again to fiddle with it. Unfortunately, I did not take pictures along the way, but I can tell you what happened. I began playing with color again - lots of red, yellow and blue squiggles all over the paper. I put the paint on fairly thick and then sprayed it...and watched the colors mingle and run. Actually, it did that two or three times - doing different lines, shapes and values each time. After a couple of hours, I did a final spray, watched it run and then wiped it off. 

Thinking I was done - and the paper was very saturated with water and color - I turned off the lights and got ready to leave. As I turned for one last look, I had an idea to lift some color - what the heck, "it's only paper!"

With the lights out, I got a damp brush and began to run it in straight lines across the mess I had made. Another line here and there and it was really fun! As I removed color, the water that was still on the brush pushed the surrounding color away for some interesting effects. 

Can you see the original painting and find the tiny white circle? Hint - turn it around a bit.

I have not been back yet today to see what it looks like, but who knows what it will become by the end of the afternoon...

Which way is up?

A couple weeks ago I attended a five day portrait workshop with Janet Rogers. Actually, I attended about 5 half-days of the workshop because of some volunteer conflicts, but it was an amazing week. Janet paints in this wonderfully loose style and makes it look so easy.

She encouraged us to make puddles of color and play with them. Mix a little of this and a little of that...oops, flood in another color, throw in something else, use big brushes, set a timer and make yourself paint fast, don't get too detailed... Challenging and fun.

Today I tried to use all these painting 'skills' in a new way. To really get myself out of the need to 'paint a picture' I thought I would just play... I'm going abstract ... and, remembering what many of you said the last time I ventured in this direction, I'm posting what happened this afternoon. Hmmm, which way is up? How to crop?

Here goes... Which way is up?                           #1

#2

                                                                                #3

#4

Now there are so many other choices.  Do I crop it? What shape?

#5 - Horizontal rectangle? Remember it could also go in any direction...

#6 - Another horizonal...cropped a little differently.

#7 - A square? Which way up?

#8 - Vertical rectangle? Which way up?

#9 - Another vertical rectangle?

What a fun afternoon it has been. It really doesn't make any difference which direction or what shape it is...I had a great time.  (but I'd love to hear from you - what do you think?)

Autumn Color

Currently there is an exhibit at the St Michaels Library called "Autumn Color." I haven't seen it hanging as yet - it's been a busy week - but I am told that it is beautiful.

The painting I entered was the one I mentioned in my last post. This cute little girl has recently turned 13 - now a beautiful teenager! Way back then she had visited a pumpkin farm and was so excited to have found just the right one for her. It's fun to see the little kids pick out their pumpkin and then try to carry it back. This child was a bit more realistic than some others who struggle with the biggest ones they can find!

I began with a watercolor underpainting on sanded paper.

I wanted to colors soft and at the same time bold. Hmmm, is that possible?

Here is what I did in the first hour or so. I debated whether to change the color of her sweatshirt to accommodate the 'autumn color' theme and decided to just go with the purple.

A few more refinements on the face, hands, pumpkins, background...just kept tweaking...

Getting a little closer to what I wanted - playing with the shadows and background...

"I Found One"  9x12 pastel  $125

Time's up...stop fiddling...sign it and frame it.

A little left of center...

I interrupted my painting this morning to bake some brownies for a dinner that we are going to tomorrow night. (I'll probably be blogging about the painting at a later time.)

I guess I was in a very strange 'creative' mood, but this is what happened... I added the oil, then the water and lastly the two eggs... VOILA!  It was looking at me and smiling.

Cheers, everyone...

Who knew I would be making art in the kitchen?

Learning that lesson

Okay, okay, I heard some comments after my last post about things not working out. What I thought was just a throw-away, some of you liked! Thank you...

So, here is another one of those 'play day' paintings. This one was painted while the other one was drying. I was doing basically the same thing, using fall colors and only a big brush. The paper was not quite as wet with this one.

This is as much as I accomplished in class. It has that 'leaf/branch' look about it. My teacher and classmates liked this one better and suggested that I connect the areas of color with some thicker, dark branches. So I brought it home to play some more. Remember, it's only paper...

That dark bluish blob in the upper left corner was a bit overwhelming. I tried to make it more branchlike and then cropped some of it off. Well, it is autumn color...and I'll keep looking at it for awhile. I have not signed it, but at least I haven't washed it off...yet!

It doesn't always work out...

Last week I subbed again in the watercolor class. I was in between projects - didn't have anything that I was working on. I had thought that I might begin something for an exhibit that is coming up in October called "Autumn Colors." Then I found out that watercolor was excluded from that show. (I had forgotten that.)

I decided just to have a 'play day'...to play with autumn colors and see what might happen. It's fun when I let myself experiment - really let go of the need to create 'the' masterpiece.

I was thinking of autumn leaves...what else when you think of autumn colors? So, here's my process. I got out a sheet of watercolor paper and a pencil. I began drawing some oak leaves. I love their shapes. When I thought I had enough leaves, I wet the paper and began brushing around some reds, golds, greens and even threw in a bit of blue (thinking sky...) I wanted to use only one big brush for the entire painting.

Interestingly to me, the pencil marks were there and completely ignored as I applied color. I was so involved in play that I did not use them at all. The paper was very wet at this point so I set it aside to dry a bit. My instructor saw it at this point and said, "You're not afraid to try anything." I think that was a nice way of saying, "That's pretty awful, but good for you for trying something new."

Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo of it at this stage. When I went back to it later, I needed a way to draw all the areas of color together. I randomly put in some arcs of color using the tip of same big brush I had used earlier. The freedom was really fun.

The end product is a little 'muddy' in places and I am not sure exactly how it goes...I painted it with the blue at the top. I think I like it better at the bottom...hmmm, not sure. It's not something that I would sign and frame, but it was freeing and fun.

When I got home I experimented with it some more - really messed it up and ended up washing it all off! The freedom comes from one of my teacher's voices in my head that says..."It's only paper!" 

It's very OK, it doesn't always work out...

Westies and the American Girl Doll

A few weeks ago I ran into friend at an art show. We began to talk about all the talent and creativity exhibited in that space. Although Katie was not exhibiting in that show, she could have been. She sews and quilts and does beautiful work.

I commented to her that I loved seeing her Facebook posts of her work. Much of what she does has a Westie (West Highland White Terrier) theme - wonderful fabrics depicting Westie puppies and dogs. More recently, a family member (recognizing her sewing talent) asked her about making clothes for an American Girl doll. So now she posts pictures of these adorable dresses and outfits along with photos of her Westies - frequently lying all over the sewing projects. So cute!

We talked some more and she asked me if any of my granddaughters were into American Girl. As it happened, we were about to have a visit from two of the girls who are beyond the doll age, but one of their younger sisters was about to have a birthday. Katie invited me to come over with them and pick out a birthday outfit.

When the girls and I arrived at her house, she took us upstairs to view several outfits laid out on a bed. They were adorable! Katie said, "They are ALL for you!" When I tried to pay her for them, she refused to accept anything. I offered to make a contribution to a cause that she supported. She then suggested that I paint a picture of a Westie that she could offer at auction. She would give the money to a Westie Rescue organization. What a great idea - we could each share what we love to do!

I have never painted a Westie before, so I did a little Google research... These are such adorable little dogs. I couldn't stop at one painting. Yesterday I delivered these pastels to her. She tells me that she is going to wait until closer to the holidays and then put them up for auction. Talk about a feel good experience...there are a lot of winners in this story.

Pine Corner

We have just returned from our summer trip to Vermont. This year we stayed at "Pine Corner" - that's the name of the 'camp' (that's what Vermonters call a 'cabin') on Woodbury Lake. It is a small, rustic building - uneven floors, outside shower (inside toilet - which is important...we have done the outhouse thing a few years ago!), screened porch and a wonderful view of the lake.

In the mornings, the mist on the lake was amazing - it is so soothing just to sit and look at water. I also love the feel of lake water - deliciously cool - perfect for swimming.

This view could probably be painted from many angles and at all times of the day, but I chose one morning to sit and sketch. This is so relaxing for me...and I loved capturing this scene in my sketchbook.

I like the way this looks without color...the looseness of pen and ink captures the feel of the morning. But, I had my watercolor travel kit with me and decided to experiment. So...

A bit of watercolor...and the reflections, which I realized I had not put in the original sketch. Ahhh, a lovely memory of a cool, summer day.

Twists and Turns

A couple weeks go I was asked to substitute for two weeks in the watercolor class. I love going to the class - I always learn something and it gets me out of doing all the other administrative things that seem to keep popping up. I do need to be in my right brain. (Now that's another story, if you are left-handed - as I am - do I go into my left brain to find my creative side? Am I usually already in my right brain? Too much thinking...)

Anyway, that day in class I just couldn't get into a grove. I painted an awful painting of a fawn that had been sitting in our yard for a few days. I thought it would be good to do something 'cute' - it wasn't... In fact, even my teacher suggested that I just wash it off! She was so right.

On to week two of subbing - I was determined to come to class with an idea that would excite me. Looking back at recent paintings...there were all those ropes. Could I do another in my rope series? Actually, it was my watercolor instructor who suggested that a series would be fun. After googling several ideas: maritime, ropes, cleats, ships' wheels...I began to sketch. I was just going to make up something and purposely NOT paint from a photo.

This is what I took to class:

Sorry about the photo quality, but hopefully you can see a rope and a ship's wheel. It is a little different - I thought it might be interesting. Barbara (my teacher) did not like the shape that the rope made in the upper left hand corner.

Here it is after I re-drew that area:

I got to work with my watercolors and it began to take shape:

Here are the basic shapes and colors - now to add some shadows for a more dramatic effect. By the end of class this is how much I had gotten finished.

When I got home, I put it on my easel and looked at it for a few days to see what else it needed. It also helps me if I put a mat around it  - interestingly that helps to see what else to do. A lot of staring and tweaking later... I added highlights to the wheel and played a bit more here and there with the line and its shadows and... voila!

"Twists and Turns" matted 16x20 watercolor $200

It's ready to go to the SMAL gallery in St Michaels. We will be hanging new artwork for the month of August. Stop in and see what's new - 106 Railroad Ave in St Michaels.

Happy Fourth!

Since this new painting is mostly red, white and blue . . .I thought it would be fun to post it today - the 4th of July.

This painting is a re-paint of one that I blogged on June 16, 2013 for the Red, White and Blue Exhibit last July.

I always particularly loved the light and shadow on the girl on the left - that's granddaughter, Graeme, a few years ago. I thought I would crop this painting and just paint her. 

So, I began with a sketch and a watercolor underpainting.

When I do a pastel I use masking tape on the corners of my paper and attach it to a piece of foam core as a backing while I am working.

After the watercolor paint dried, I began working with my pastels. When the original photo was taken Graeme had a cast on her arm - it's hiding behind her leg - and she was helping her sisters dig in the sand. You can just barely see her shovel. 

I thought the shovel needed to be more visible after I got this far. Here you can also see the many colors that I use creating skin tones. It's amazing to me that the greens, blues, oranges, pinks, reds, purples all go together to make up the illusion of skin! I haven't done much with the water yet.

So now the shovel is positioned better, but standing back and looking at the painting on the left I could see that her shoulder blade was too low. I corrected that and spent some time on the water. In the original photo there was that little wave on the left - I put it in and kept looking at it. It was somehow distracting. So I took it out. That is one lovely thing about pastels - I can make changes like this.

I think it's about finished. Maybe a little more work on the shadows . . . ? I need to look at it from across the room for another few days and then I'll be sure. There is something about working on a painting too long - I just can't see it. A little time off and I'll come back at it with fresh eyes.

Time for a swim - Hurricane Arthur's winds are dying down where we live and it's a beautiful day!

Another ROPE!

Yup, I warned you in my last post that you might be seeing more ropes . . . I got so intrigued by those other lines (sailor talk for 'ropes'), that I went looking for more. I had imagined a rope sort of coiled on a piling. . .

This is a time when living on the water has its advantages. Of course, that is the case most of the time for me. I feel blessed to be able to look out on Broad Creek any time, any season and have a lovely view.

Well, I walked out on the dock, found some line and put it up on a piling to give me an idea what it might look like. (Yes, our water here really is green)

I still liked the idea, but knew I needed to tweak it a bit. For one thing, I wanted a heavier line - this line is for my husband's current boat, a little 18' sailboat. I wanted something sturdy. I liked the water and the piling in this photo. I could use them.

I began my sketch, trying different line configurations. Remembering the other painting and all the knots, I thought I would add some interest with a knot.

This photo isn't that great, but you get the idea. So I was ready to begin painting . . .until I really looked at what I had drawn. I liked all the coils and the knot, but when I tried to follow the line it either went nowhere or ran out. I could not actually follow it around and around.  Now I am laughing at myself and trying to figure out how to make it work! After some very confusing attempts, I finally made it work with lines on top of lines. Now - time to begin painting . . .

It was coming together at last. Lots more layers of color needed, but getting there. The last thing I added was the nail stuck in the piling to hold the line. My husband suggested a fancier way to hold the line, but I love the casual nail and the not so neat coil.

I really like the strength in this painting. The strong color in the piling and the lines contrasted with the softness in the water, shoreline and the sky. I think it may be time to sign it and let it go.

ROPES!

For the past few weeks I have been in the watercolor class again. It is really nice when I can go several weeks in a row. I can begin to work on a project and get follow through advice from the class. My first week there was playful warm up exercises - trying to loosen us up. Then we worked on some flowers that were blooming at the time. That is always frustrating for me - I get lost in all the petals!

Last week I found out that this class will be showing at a gallery on the Annapolis waterfront later in the summer . . . so we are now working on paintings to go in the show. Annapolis waterfront - yeah, that means boats, marine 'stuff' and bay scenes. I couldn't get very excited about any of that until I looked through my picture file and found some pictures that I had taken when some tall-ship type boat had been in the St Michaels harbor a few years ago. She was tied up at the maritime museum and had welcomed locals aboard. I had taken lots of pictures that day and had never looked at them again.

I found a picture of lots of ropes . . .hmmm. Last October I challenged myself by painting Buoy #1. (See Blogs Oct 26 & 29, 2013) I remember thinking at the time that doing the ropes was interesting. Once I figured out that each rope is just a series of 's' shapes, it was great fun putting in the shading and some color here and there. So, why not try lots of ropes? I'm just multiplying the fun, right? (Remember, I actually wrote the word 'fun.')

I spent one whole class on my sketch which turned out to be way out of proportion. I took it home and used that sketch to practice painting the ropes. Then I redrew the whole thing.

Lots of ropes. huh?

In class, my teacher had suggested that it would be a great study in negative painting, so I began by putting in the background. The picture had all sorts of boat things in the background, but I simplified it to be just color.

Now that's kinda cool. Then . . .I started painting the ropes. I began on the right side of the painting (because I am left handed, I work right to left). It was not long before I realized that I had chosen something that was not what I bargained for.  Remember my saying that we had done an exercise to loosen us up? It was not this! What was I thinking? This was going to take me all summer . . .

I had gotten this far - I was not going to give up. Well, what I discovered, is that the more I painted, the more I was enjoying it. It really did become fun. Unlike painting flowers and getting lost in the petals, I was figuring out where the ropes went and putting in knots.

I could probably pick at it all day, but decided to stick it in a mat for now and just look at it for the next few days before I frame it for the show.

You are not going to believe this . . .I am now looking for other ways I can paint ropes - coiled on a piling, around a cleat, lying on a dock . . . more to come.

Spring Break Sketches

Today I am looking at my computer desktop which is crowded with pictures. All this means is that I am in 'doing too many things at once' mode. I drag files and pictures that I am working on to the desktop until I am finished with them (and am reminded that I am not done) and then they hit the trash. . . they disappear from view.

So, today I am looking at all the photos and notice that some of my sketches from Spring Break are still there. Oh yes, I was going to post them after I posted the ones that my granddaughters did . . .a month or so ago!

Well, here are a few - I love doing rough sketches. The quick, pen and watercolor images remind me of the fun vacation times and also reflect the easy lifestyle of laid-backness. No attempt to get it all right - just capture a memory.

This is the beach house where we stay. It really is on the beach and has this great deck overlooking the gulf.

This is another page of the sketchbook. This the front of the house  - surrounded by plantings. On the right is a sketch of one of the flowering 'things' - I confess, I do not know what it is, just that is was really colorful and had a nice shape!

And here are some of the shells that the girls found on the beach. I love the crusty, barnacle-y ones.

Ahhhh, until next year.

A Quiet Moment

Several weeks ago, my nephew's wife posted (on Facebook) a wonderful picture of her husband and little four year old Nate. Nate was happily sitting on a pier with a fishing pole in his hands. His daddy looked like he had just come home from work. Shirt sleeves rolled up, he was kneeling on the dock - probably encouraging his son to wait just a little longer.

You have to know that daddy Mark lives to fish and I have seen some amazing pictures of his catches. So here he was with the next generation, waiting for a first fish.

The moment I saw the photo I was hooked and wrote to Olivia right away to ask if I could paint it. (Painting someone else's photo is a huge no-no in my world) She quickly gave me permission and I have loved trying to capture this moment.

Being an artist  - having 'artistic license' - is such fun. I can change things around that are fixed in a photo. I moved Nate and Mark a little closer together and fiddled with the background a bit. After all, this is about relationship not about what is on the other side of the lake.

I have worked on this off and on - in between all the art league 'stuff' that has been calling me - and decided that I just needed to package it up and send it off. One big question that is always looming is "When is the painting finished?"  Yesterday I was watching a video of Albert Handell (renowned pastelist)  and his answer was, "It's finished when you get tired of working on it!" I think for me, it was finished, because I kept picking at it - time to let it go.

The Post Script on this is, that the next day, there was another photo posted of Nate with an enormous fish and equally big smile! Hooked another one . . .

Spring Break

For the past several years we have been invited to join my daughter and her family for "Spring Break." We fly to Florida to enjoy the warm sunshine and beach. The four girls are so full of energy and laughter - it is really a delightful week together.

I always take a sketchbook and some of my watercolors with me. I will sit and sketch while others are playing lacrosse, running on the beach, or balancing on the stand up paddleboard. There was a time when all the girls wanted to paint a picture and my sketchbook holds some wonderful paintings of other trips.

This year, just the 'littles' (what my daughter calls the two youngest ones) wanted to paint in my book. They take this very seriously and I always promise to post what they have done.

This is Winnie's work:

 We were sitting outside on the deck and she was drawing everything she saw. The table and chairs where we eat all our meals. (There were 8 chairs there, but we thought drawing 2 was enough), the flag on the deck railing, and a pot of flowers. She thought it would be fun to put a pair of sunglasses in the flowers - you can see them peeking through.  And then, of course, she signed her work  - as every great artist does when they are finished. I love it!

This is Hildry's creation:

I do not know where this idea came from. . ., but she painted a barn! Off to the right you can see the pig pen (lots of mud) with a fence around it and a tractor just behind it. "Tractors are always green," she told me. (Her uncle is a farmer, so she would know this.) She put flower boxes in the windows and the big X on the barn door. Then she started painting the sky and put in big thunderbolts and words like 'aabam,' 'caboosh wosh,' and 'crash boom!'

Both girls had a great time . . .and I love it that I can show them off!