Catching up!

When I began this blog in 2011 (how can that be?), I pledged to myself that I would write at least twice a month... Obviously, that pledge has totally 'fallen by the wayside' this year! 

I haven't done that much artwork, still adjusting to my new life, but the work I have done just didn't ever get posted.  Today is an amazing Fall day with nothing on my calendar. Maybe I can catch up a little.  So, I went back and looked at a few images that I had worked on...

Last June, my youngest granddaughter graduated from high school. She was getting ready to write some thank you notes for her graduation gifts. Her mother had bought her some nice (but unremarkable) cards to use for her notes. We were joking around about how to make them more fun... the next day I sketched out some ideas that eventually became this:

Gator Meets Hokie

Her high school mascot was the Gator. She would be on her way to Virginia Tech whose mascot is the Hokie! 

Then...there was a joint graduation party to be given by her and one of her friends who would be going to Clemson...  so we then had to have the Clemson Tiger!

Moving on...into June... I volunteered to do a house drawing for the Christmas in St. Michaels house tour booklet. It's deadline to get to the printer (even though the event in not until December) was the end June.  This was the June project. The event is December 13-15. This year they are celebrating the 35th anniversary of this project which supports non-profits in our area.

Now into July... two projects! My daughter sent me a knitting project... She wanted me to knit a Hokie! It is a strange turkey-like creature. After looking at various patterns... this is what I came up with for granddaughter's birthday in August before she left for college.

The Virginia Tech colors are maroon and orange! Apparently, when VT began looking for colors, a committee made a list of all the colleges then in existence and found that maroon and orange were the only colors that had not been put together anywhere!

At the same time I was knitting at night I was also working on a pastel of a photo of my great grandson. When his parents had posted it, I knew I had to paint it! I finished it in time to give it to them when they came for a visit in August. It was on their wedding anniversary - a special time together. I wanted to put it in a show in September so I gave it to them and then took it back! It will make its way to their house soon.  I titled it "Reflecting"

One more and I'll be caught up... The art league is currently exhibiting artwork at the library in Easton. This exhibit is called "Capturing Autumn".  This is a painting of one of my granddaughters who is now 25! I love so much about this... her curiosity with the leaf, the colors, the timeless quality of sitting in a pile of leaves...  It is a pastel titled "Her First Pile of Leaves."

One of the things that I know is that when I see a photo of one of these 'little people' I am captured by it and it often then 'paints itself.' 

This current show will be at the library through the month of October. 

Talbot County @ 110mph

 Yikes! The summer is almost over...I have done very little artwork, but I have had fun. I am copying a story I wrote following an experience I had last week. This photo doesn't tell it all, but it does give you a preview...

Talbot County @ 110mph 

I have just returned from an amazing afternoon. Thanks to Hunter Harris of Aloft Biplane Rides I went on a tour of Talbot County at a speed of 110mph.

 

Hunter and I had been talking about taking a flight in his open cockpit biplane.  The conditions were just right today. Beautiful blue skies and perfect temperature (not too hot as it has been for most of the summer). I got the phone call a little before 3:00. We were in the air a little after 4:00.

 

I had had hip replacement surgery in the past few months so getting into the plane was a little challenging. But I was determined and, with a little help, was in the plane.

Before taking off, there are a lot of important safety issues to keep in mind:

·      strapping in with a harness and seat belt,

·      putting on the helmet and adjusting to hear when the motor is on (it can be noisy without it),

·      which button to press to talk,

·      which pedals NOT to step on (the red ones),

·      stay out of the way of the stick,

·      be sure to look out the right side of the plane when taking of and landing (the pilot looks out the left side – don’t block his view),

·      don’t use your phone to take pictures (It might blow away in the 110mph wind)

to name just a few things!

Soon we were through the checklist, talking to the tower and headed down the runway.

 

There is something magical about going down a runway and lifting off in a small plane. I could ‘feel’ that very moment when we left the ground – suddenly untethered to the earth. There was a real sense of freedom as we rose in the air, leaving behind the ‘cares of the world.’ As we climbed, the air/wind welcomed me into another world.

 

This world is ‘from the top.’ The tops of trees, houses, roads, boats, and water – so much water. As we flew over the rivers and creeks, I was struck by the beauty of the boats leaving various white ‘V’ wakes in the water.

 

We ‘waved’ at a pleasure craft and circled over a few houses whose residents waved back. There were lots of cars at Perry Cabin with perhaps a wedding in process. The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum also looked busy on land and water.

 

We circled my house on Broad Creek a couple of times allowing me to get a true ‘birds-eye’ view.

 

I saw the power of waves, erosion, and climate change as we flew over what was once an island – only one tree still standing. There is sadness about what once was…our changing Bay.

 

Flying over the Oxford area we saw three or four log canoes being towed home after the day’s races. So many things that we have all seen from the ground now coming to life from above.

 

I enjoyed my pilot, Hunter’s, dialogue as he pointed out several specific points of interest, but he also left quiet time for me just to take it all in. The magic of the moments in time.

 

And then it was time to head back to the airport…  I remembered to watch out of the right side of the plane so Hunter could see out of the left side. We touched down softly. I was reconnected to the earth.

 

However, my disappointment in having to land was quickly pushed aside by the thankful feeling of a magic afternoon. I will continue to treasure this sense of being a part of something and apart from it at the same time.

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HUGS!

It's graduation time again. My youngest grandchild will graduate from high school in two days. Time really does fly...

Many commencement ceremonies have been moved off campus or interrupted this year. I find that sad, particularly because this graduating class has already been disrupted. They 'lost' their freshman year to COVID - no in-person classes or opportunities to gather with new friends on a new campus. They don't/didn't need to lose this ceremony that they have worked so hard to get to!

I was watching/listening to a few commencement speakers during the upheaval this past month. Some were 'run-of-the-mill', but one caught my attention. I do not remember who it was or what university students he was speaking to, but his address was about the need for kindness. One phrase in particular has remained with me. Apparently, it was something he had heard or read. Perhaps I have heard it before but, like a lot of things, we hear when we are ready to hear - it may even take on a new meaning according to circumstances. 

"Someday someone will hug you so tightly that all the broken pieces will fit back together."

It's now a part of my journal - I changed one word to make it more personal. Being kind to ourselves and to each other can change the world!

"Singing the Blues"

The second anniversary of my husband's death was in mid-April. Of course, it was filled with memories - it's bittersweet. It was a lovey day. I spent time out on the dock enjoying some quiet and listening to some of 'our music.' 

When I came inside, I knew I needed to 'produce' some artwork. I haven't painted in awhile and the art league's annual Members' Show was coming up in May. I had no idea what I wanted to paint...  I decided to just get out a sheet of Yupo paper and experiment with my watercolor paints.

I just 'messed around with color'... My yellow got really muddy...I continued to 'play'. I wondered what would happen if I dropped alcohol on the wet paint. Some interesting effects. The alcohol moved the color around and left circles that eventually turned into abstract shapes...and a big mess!

I started again with some clean yellow, red and blue. This time not mixing the colors, just looking to see what would happen with the alcohol. You can see it more clearly on the red and blue.

When that paint dried I decided to paint over the whole thing. This time I used a lot of blue to cover what was there. I squeezed out blue paint straight from the tube and spread it around in different places...lots of brush strokes. I dropped alcohol, made lots of blotches and let it dry. Unfortunately, I do not have a photo of what it looked like then.

The next day I looked at it and decided to lift some of the paint. Yupo paper is fun to work with! I have found that if I wet the paper and then blot it, the paint lifts right off to show the white paper beneath. Without planning anything, I wet a toothpick and drew around the top of a large jar. Two big circles...then another smaller circle. I was on a roll...I put in some lines...  I wanted to do some smaller circles so I looked around and found my scissors - the thumb holes do ovals well. I began to lift ovals. Here I finally began to think...artwork needs odd numbered things. I counted off seven ovals in a chain. Then three in another place.

If you look closely, you can see the colors from the underpainting although most of it disappeared!

looked at it again and decided that the places I lifted paint needed to be more visible. So I then wet a Q-tip and drew with it.

I love blue... (obviously) and had done a painting a few months ago that I called "Garden Music". (See post from December 6, 2023) This new painting had that banjo sort of shape in it...so I called this "Singing the Blues."

I was ready to register for the May show. I signed it and framed it. Finished, right?

Well, there's a lot more to this story... I thought it would be fun to Google 'Singing the Blues' and listen to the words. That decision opened my heart in an incredible way! I began looking at this painting in a whole new light. 

I am aware that I often do things - simple things - and later find meaning that I did not know was there. This was no longer a painting about my favorite color 'blue' but a true painting about 'the blues.' I had been painting my feelings...  I suddenly saw the two large connected circles as George and me. Then there is a single circle...me alone. Then I saw the broken chain. The longer chain that I had counted seven links, now had eight! The shorter chain was three. We were married 38 years! I now see that the chain has broken at some sort of crossroads...and, if you follow the small two lane..one lane road you get to the three links. I have moved into my third year alone! I keep finding more and more symbols.., I love the light coming through the 'blue' woods... I see 'hope.'

Now, I am sure that this is all just me. The amazing thing about abstract art is that each person finds their own message when they look closely.

To see this painting 'up close and personal', visit the St. Michaels Library during the month of May.  Find and write your own story!

Belated - Happy New Year!

 It seems I have been very absent from my blog. I just noticed that my last post was in December - at least it was 2023!

So where have I been? I'm still occasionally doing journal pages - I'll post some more of those in upcoming messages. I have given several books talks about the book I put together with George's essays. I have done a few paintings for art league projects.

I begin with this post by catching up with my banner painting for 2024. A little history - the St Michaels Art League - SMAL - has provided banners for the poles along our 'main street (which is really named Talbot Street) since 2010. The theme for this program is 'Celebrate St. Michaels'.

I have been painting a 'cartoon' crab for years. A friend named him 'Mikey' - appropriate for St. Michaels. Each year Mikey is doing something that represents what happens here. My idea for 2024 was to have Mikey be an oysterman. 

Oysterman are hearty souls. They begin in the Fall and work through all the 'R' months. We are now in April - they have been out on their boats through the winter months and their season in now about over. I have great respect for them. I wanted Mikey to honor them this year.

My initial idea was for Mikey to be holding an oyster knife, having just shucked a platter of raw oysters.

Eh, not quite right... what about a bushel of oysters, some shucked oysters and oyster tongs?

 Trying it again with some color...

Still not good... I tried moving the tongs...

Awful! Oysters just out of the water are usually dirty... these look like a bushel of potatoes! Several  disasters later and a friend said "No one ever sees the dirty oysters. Just paint the clean shells."

A few more tries and this is what I ended up with...

"Eat More Oysters"

This painting is currently hanging on the gallery wall at the St. Michaels Library. It will be there through the month of April and then will hang at Blue Crab Coffee (next to the library). The banners will be hanging along Talbot Street soon and will stay there until next November! 

Posters of all the banners are available at Creative Xpressions (store in St. Michaels). 

A Berry Merry Christmas!

My last couple of posts have been describing some of my watercolor efforts on Yupo paper. When I was beginning to plan my Christmas card for this year, I was very much in the experimental yupo phase.

I wanted to do something like I had done with the Pumpkin Patch (see Nov. 8th blog). This time I had in mind a multi-green background. I wasn't sure what I would do with it...maybe fir branches, a pine cone. holly leaves... something 'holiday-like.'

I began by using a lot of different greens and then added some blues and yellows. I really like the way the different colors add depth to this image. This was not the final background, but gives the idea of how I began.

The fun thing about Yupo paper is that I can paint something and if it doesn't work, I can just wash it off! Beginning with the background which had dried, I wet a tooth pick and began to draw freehand. I draw with the toothpick and then blot with a Kleenex to lift the wet paint. I tried several different branches before I got to this one. 

It was 'OK'  - a good start. I had such a fun time drawing the pine cone, I experimented with just doing the pine cone...

It was an 'eh'... what about adding color?

Fun to try, but, no.  Back to the branch! I thought the other one had too many small pine needles 'messes.' I splashed some green paints over a few spots and covered them up.

The branch looks better, but still not happy with the pine cone. I lifted more color from it and added some highlights to make it look more round. Unfortunately, (or maybe not) I do not have any images of these next few 'fixes'. I continued to work on the pine cone and lifted more color from the fir needles.

I put it all aside and came back to it a day or so later. It was so GREEN! More COLOR - was what it needed! I look a Q-tip, dipped it in red paint and started adding berries! I got a little carried away, but what was once a chore, became fun again! A dot of white to highlight each berry and I called it finished!

A Berry Merry Christmas to all!

Honorable Mention!

More than 15 years ago I made a commitment to myself to enter artwork in every exhibit sponsored by the St Michaels Art League. For the most part, I have kept that commitment, even entering shows that we not my usual medium. (I began with watercolor, branched out to charcoal, graphite, pastel and then acrylics.) In December each year, SMAL's exhibit is in memory of Martha Hudson, a local watercolorist. It's our annual "Martha Hudson Excellence in Watercolor" exhibit. 

It was time to put aside my acrylic paint pouring for a bit and work with watercolor again. I had no energy for this, but pushed myself to do something. I had done some watercolor on Yupo paper (see last blog) for the November show and had been working on a Christmas card using that same technique (my next blog - in another week or so).

I decided to just 'play' with color...maybe that would get me to a happier place. I love bold, bright color! I wet the Yupo and began splashing color all around. I wanted to balance the bold reds with the blues and greens and then added some yellows. The wetness of the paper allowed the colors to flow - where they wanted to go - with little help from me. (I'm encouraging myself to 'let go' more!) Well, not entirely...there were a few puddles of color that I blew around with a straw.

I let it dry and went back to look at it later. I wanted to play some more. I love this paper! I took a wet toothpick and a ruler, drew three lines across the yellow blob at the top of the paper and blotted them. Liking that, I did it again. I thought the second set of lines were too narrow so I used a wet Q-tip and did it again. The Q-tip made the line thicker and also with a softer edge. I liked the look of the hard and soft edges, so I began making all the lines hard and soft. At this point I wanted something round so I found a small plate, put it down on the paper and drew around it twice with the toothpick and then softened one of the lines with the Q-tip! 

I liked that and wanted to keep going... I looked around for other things to trace and saw a pair of scissors! I traced the inside of the thumbhole in three different places - connecting them to each other. I also added a couple of blots of very wet color and blew the color around with my straw. Now I knew I was 'on a roll' and had better stop! Sometimes I get too carried away and really make a mess! Fortunately, I walked away.

It's always better for me to go do something else...  I came back to this the next day. I liked what was going on but felt it needed something more in the lower right corner. Those three little ovals needed to be connected to the rest of the painting. I got out my scissors and began to make a chain of ovals. I didn't want to intrude on the large round, but decided to subtly connect to the three thinner lines...sort of weaving in and out of the paint. One more blast of dark color in that corner and it was finished. 

The whole painting felt like fun with a mix of control and letting go.

I was so surprised to win an Honorable Mention ribbon! 

The show will be hanging at the library gallery for the month of December. Stop by and see an amazing collection of artwork.