You Never Know...What's Really There...Until Later

I have found that I am more and more passionate about painting children - and grandchildren in particular.  So, I am taking pictures whenever possible to use for future paintings.

I grew up with a film camera and knew that every shot I took needed to be carefully crafted because it would cost real money to have it developed and printed.  Enter the digital camera...  aha!  Now I can shoot at will and review hundred of pictures...for free.  (My darkroom photographer husband thinks this is 'bad form,' but he's tolerant.)

However, I know he has also had some experience with this phenomenon. You take a picture and it is not until later that you really see, I mean REALLY SEE, what is there.

A couple years ago we were on Spring Break with my daughter and her family.  I was taking pictures like mad of all the granddaughters at the beach.  A few weeks ago I was looking through old photos to find something to paint and discovered one of the four year old walking along the beach with late afternoon shadows.  I was up on a deck when she walked by so it is at an interesting angle.

I began to paint it - actually I sketched it and did a watercolor underpainting...planning a pastel.  Picture this...I am painting away...finding the right pastels to paint her arms and her leg...yikes!  Only one leg!  It's not until I am well into this painting that I discover that this child has only one leg!  The unusual angle highlights the child and shadows...her dress hides the other leg.  My head knows that it is there, but I NEVER saw that it wasn't!

Now I am laughing to myself (and at myself) and finishing the painting to give to her for her sixth birthday.

And, I am wondering...did anyone else notice that she had only one leg?

Pondering Fall Leaves

Remember that big pile of fall leaves that we used to jump in?  Remember the crunching sounds we heard when we ran through them?  Remember that distinctive smell when we burned the pile after we finished playing in it? I am also remembering the hot dogs and marshmallows we roasted on that fire... sadly we have learned that some of these things were not good for us, but the memories are priceless.

Well, now that all the pictures are framed and ready for the show that we are hanging next week, I had time to look through old photographs and see what I wanted to paint next.  And, I came upon several of a granddaughter who is about to turn 13 - can't believe that - when she was experiencing her fist pile of leaves. She wasn't too sure what to do.  As the oldest child, there was no one to run through them with her, so she spent some time just sitting in them and pondering.  I remember snapping several photos at the time - I love this one the best.

It's still a work in progress, but that birthday is coming up fast...

His and Hers

Several years ago, George and I did a His and Hers Show - his photographs and my paintings.  It was a small collection of our artwork in a rather out-of-the way building in St Michaels. Since then, we have talked occasionally about showing again, so when I heard that there were some unclaimed months on the sign-up sheet at the St Michaels Library, I filled in our names for August.

As part of the preparations, we talked about making a sign to go with the show... hmmm, what to do? We tried a couple of different things - and since we 'do' different art, nothing was quite right.  So, we decided to go with our differences.  "His" in black and white with a black and white photograph.  And, "Hers" in color with a watercolor/pastel painting.

On August 1st we will hang our show - photographs and paintings. It has been fun preparing and comparing.  (You show me yours and I'll show you mine...)  We'll show YOU all of it.  Drop by the library gallery anytime in August and/or come to the artists' reception on Thursday, August 23 at 5:30 when we will talk about putting it all together... and our experiences creating the various pieces of artwork.

First Date

A few years ago my daughter sent me a photograph of her youngest daughter (who I think must have been about 4 years old) walking to the Timonium Fairgrounds - Maryland State Fair - with a friend.  I think they must have been told that they needed to stay close together and not get lost in the crowds.  I remember thinking at the time that this these two little ones would make a wonderful painting...

In August, George and I are presenting his photographs and my paintings in a "His and Hers Show" at the St Michaels Library.  For the past few weeks we have been organizing, painting, printing, framing - generally trying to get ready.  Just a few weeks left...

I decided to do three groupings: landscape, still life and figures.  As I was going through my figure paintings trying to decide what to show, I recalled that I had not yet painted the two children.  So, I did the watercolor underpainting and then (after it dried) began the pastel.  Now, I'm not sure what to do...  I love this, but... what to do next?  They probably need to be walking on a path or something...or maybe just some kind of non descript, suggestion of something...

Help... anyone?

Elephants in the field

When I was growing up - in a small farm community in the Midwest - we used to see the hay balers in the fields spew out rectangular bales of hay.  One by one, the bales would appear - tied in some kind of string - and wait to be put on a truck to be hauled away.

Many years later when I took my children to Georgia to visit their grandmother, we went to my uncle's pond to go fishing.  This was always a treat.  The pond was hidden away on his farm and we had to drive on dirt roads and through fields to get there. One particular evening I remember my mother exclaiming, "Oh, look at the elephants in the field!" And there... we saw big round bales of hay 'standing' all over the field. The new baler had arrived.

As I was going into St. Michaels the other day, the hay had just been cut and there was a small herd of elephants!

They are not much to sketch, but the memories are priceless...

The New Watering Can

I am loving painting children at the beach.  This was a chilly day at Caspian Lake (many years ago), but Maizie had a new watering can so we had to have some beach time.  She was fearless and waded into the cold water to fill up the can and then enjoyed pouring it onto the gray sand...again and again.

Never mind that the sun wasn't out and that she had to wear a sweatshirt because of the chilly wind.  It was a happy day.

This little girl turned 13 last week - how can that be?  Happy Birthday, Maizie!

Pastel on sanded paper

Chloe's Frog

A few weeks ago, my other grandchildren, Chloe and Issy (Issy's Bracelets - July 14, 2011 post), dropped by for a quick visit during their Spring Break.  It was wonderful to see them.  Now that they live in Vermont, it is harder to connect so any time we have together is very special.

Ever since I painted Issy I have been trying to draw Chloe. She has just turned thirteen - and is a lovely, talented 'young lady.' She plays several instruments, is a member of the Vermont youth orchestra and is now also singing!

But, when she was little, she was so interested in nature. (actually, I think she still is...) Whereas, Issy would be dancing and doing 'little girl' things like playing with bracelets, Chloe would be looking for snakes, frogs and creepy things.

So, the reason that it has taken so long to paint her is that I had several pictures, but none that was just right.  I wanted to paint her with a least one of her nature 'friends,' so I have tried combining several pictures and added the frog.

I think I have caught her...perhaps at age five... can't believe she is now a teenager! Happy Birthday, Chloe!