Figuratively.....

 I'm reading a new book and it's by the artist Rolina Van Vliet.  It's chalk full of great information on abstract painting, which I've learned I've never really done before.  I am a figurative painter because each of my pieces is based off of nameable, concrete subjects.  I've been trying to move away from that a bit and delve into complete abstraction, but more on that later.

 This is the first piece I ever painted.  It is 3ft by 3ft and I had named it "Anna".  We went home for a quick visit last weekend and it was fun to go through my parents' house and see how my style has changed over the years.  I had been drawing ever since I could remember, but was unable to paint until I was 15 years old and then THIS happened.  Over the next two years I felt so free to experiment.  the school paid for my supplies and I really felt no restrictions, and so I produced a lot of pieces, some of which I really still love. I was surrounded by art-loving friends:), and my mom has amassed a small gallery of my work (and one of my sister's:)).

 This is my style.  I had painted this about a month ago and just wasn't pleased with the outcome.  I hate staring at pieces and not knowing how to fix or finish them  I need to be more patient.  I added a thick layer of gloss gel and painted with liquid acrylics.  The effect that it creates for me is a sense of movement. It also adds vibrancy that I really love.

 I had originally painted this about 11 yrs ago, during a pretty dark time.  The piece looked totally different and a lot of people said that it looked scary to them.  I decided to give it one last chance and to apply some of the abstraction techniques I was studying.  I'm really pleased with the result and have named it "Origins". + There's something very satisfying about going "back in time" through years of experiences, and then changing the outcome, all with a few brush strokes.+

 My first true abstract, although I have to mention that I hate the harsh way that I chose to sign it...kind of ruins it for me.  I had fun working on this piece and like the colors I chose and um, the ABUNDANT PAINT SCRAPING!!!!!:)  I like that it has a feeling of movement.

 My second.  Not a huge fan of this (nice that it's small:)), but I think I will employ the technique again later.

 I might have to scrap this one for good.  I painted and re-painted and it's just not coming together for me.  It's from a beautiful photograph by Nathan Gillette and I will just start over again with a new canvas.  Holla if this one speaks to you, otherwise it'll meet it's end this week.

I am really excited about this one.  My two youngest and I went mule riding for the first time today.  It was a gorgeous day and we have wonderful friends.  This start is from a photograph of Terry from a few years ago.  Don't get too excited though because it might not turn out, then again it just might:) I LOVE the colors and plan to leave it loose.  I want to capture my impressions not just the photograph.
And that's it.  Still working on zentangles when I can't sleep, but I wish I already knew what I was doing.  Developing patients is so frustrating!:)  I'm also playing around with some Pebeo glass paints, but have nothing to show yet.  The moral of this post is: I like figurative painting; it's what I do.  The End.

The Secret Life of the Mom/Painter

Here's what happens when: two older kids have oral surgery, one middle kid goes to his first scout camp (thank you!!! to those who helped), one toddler gets sick, oneself gets sick, and another toddler likes to play with scissors, knives, and toxic chemicals--you take a week off from the artist gig and get your full-time mommy hat back on.

Thankfully, everyone is now well which led to a week full of painting and other artsy endeavors.

 I feel like I'm getting back into my groove,  This is and 8x10 on canvas, from a photograph by Joe VanDeGraff.  I started out paying painful attention to detail and then when it started to not feel fun anymore, I layered it with glossy gel medium and added strokes of liquid acrylics.  My goal, after all, is to use photos for reference only and to focus on capturing a mood or impression; give my interpretation.  This is for my red haired friend Julie P. if she'll have it:)  She's always so supportive of my tulip projects:)

 This piece is one of my favorites for its message.  The topmost image is the completed piece, but I'm a little conflicted as I kind of prefer the earlier version, which is on the bottom.  Please feel free to leave thoughts etc. on the blog or fb.  This is titled "Mending Broken Fences" and it is 6x6 on gessobord.  I wanted it to be a simple piece, "So simple, it's kind of hard" says my friend.  The idea is that repenting and forgiving are both simple principles, but it takes humility to be one who steps over the fence and decides that it doesn't really matter who is right and gets to work on repairing. The red symbolizes that the process can be painful, but the over-all simplicity of the piece says "it's so worth it!"

 6x6 gessobord  My very favorite part of this piece is the topmost left hand corner where all of the layers show through.  I'm trying to get my abstract on and daily painting gives me the opportunity to experiment with colors and techniques before I apply them to a bigger piece.

 This is another favorite.  6x6 on gessobord, from a very non-abstract barn photograph by David Gillette:)  No title for it yet (I may or may not have done most of these pieces in one day--today in fact.

 6x6 gessobord.  I might forever be done with canvas.  I love this surface so much!  This was a very fun and strangely relaxing piece.  It's so filled with movement and yet creating it was almost like taking a much needed rest or going for a long long run.  Loved it.

 This is another where I feel conflicted. The top is the "finished" piece, but I prefer the open simplicity of the original.  I feel that by adding so many shadows in I took away from the clean beauty of the leaves and the light.  One thing I love about acrylics; nothing is ever permanent.  Except when it is, and then I throw it away:)

Lastly, my sweet little Zentangle.  I am just barely reading about this technique, but I really enjoy it and look forward to learning more and making more complicated tangles.  These are done on 3 1/2x3 1/2 ich tiles, so they are really tiny and perfect for getting into the zone.

P.S. Every piece that I show (unless I indicate otherwise, is for sale, so if you are ever interested just contact me and we can get the ball rolling:)

Tis the season?

Ok, so this was my first week of daily painting and as you can see, I went a little wild.

 This first piece is 8x10 on canvas and was taken from part of a painting I had seen in someone's house, but the work was unsigned.  I really hope I haven'y broken some international law or anything like that:)  I liked the thick brush work and the colors.

 This piece is also 8x10 canvas and it's title is "Caroline in the Park".  both of these first two pieces sold on facebook.  Again, I liked the loose brushstrokes and I'm with my friend in saying "I just can't stop staring at it,"

 I honestly can't remember the dimensions on "Chloe", I'm thinking probably 12x12 on canvas.  That is actually gold paint and not just the flash:)  When I first posted it on facebook, it hadn't dried yet and a friend said "Oh, I love the gold" and I thought "Snap!  That's what it needs to be completed",  So I finished it off in the morning and sent it out to Chloe's mom.

 Again 8x10 canvas, from a photograph by Joe VanDeGraff.  I kind of slipped back into a more comfortable, smoothe style ( I needed a break).

 This one is larger and I actually finished it sometime ago.  It's called "The Ancestors' Walk"  I kind of love this painting, unfortunately it was painted on a really cheap canvas and it has started to warp.  Not sure what to do about that one.

 This is another larger piece from a photo by Joe VanDeGraff.  I like the colors and shapes actually.

 This one is large and I will literally pay someone to take it off my hands.  I painted over an old painting and it just doesn't feel like this one will come together for me.

 8x10 from photo by Joe VanDeGraff.  This one turned out feeling stiff and flat to me.  The reference photo is beautiful and I think I just couldn't do it justice:(  Sorry J and K

 Then......the gessobord panels came in!!!!!  they do not have a frame, they're just flat 6x6 panels.  I used the same palette for this one as I did for the tulips and it feels a bit more like my natural style, bold and wild.

This is my favorite of all.  I love the effect you get by layering paint and then scraping it back with a palette knife.  Very satisfying.

Lastly, this goodie is from a photo by David Gillette.  I can't find the finished product.  There was a lot more scraping of paint in the foreground, and in the end it kind of overshadowed the barn, but I'm a sucker for paint scraping:)

More gessobord, from photo by Joe VanDeGraff.  Did I mention I love paint scraping?

Ok, I guess I lied, I painted two barn pieces this week! Whew  From another photo by David Gillette.  This is the one where the scraping got a little out of hand:)

Lessons from this week: I gave waaaay too much time, attention, and thought to art, and not nearly enough to the really important things (6 of them) in my life.  I feel torn because I am expecting a shipment of Pebeo paints uhm, tomorrow (might have been over nighted in a manic rush of artistic enthusiasm).  I am so excited to be working again and I know about local and online galleries and shows, I may or may not have temporarily opened and etsy shop again....but maybe this is my season to keep drawing coloring books for the two at home and sketching when I can.  I love the idea of doing some kind of art each day, but I hate dragging kids to the graphics shop and then the shipping shop (they're especially lovely by that point), and then checking my phone all of the time.  I really didn't get attatched to many of these pieces, I didn't have time to consider titles and this post has literally taken me an hour because I'm just THAT good with technology.  Maybe in six more years it will be my season to really get into marketing and such (because my life will have slowed waaaay down by then right?:), "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven."

Daily Painting

So, in my attempts to loosen up a little, I came across a book titled : Daily Painting by Carol Marine.  Everyone has a sticking point(s).  Mine is the plural.  First of all, starting a new piece can be intimidating, not to mention expensive if it doesn't turn out for me.  Second: I'm a perfecting person:) and I can get so caught up with details that I lose my love for whatever piece I'm working on.  Then it becomes more of a chore than a joy.  The ideas behind painting daily, or as often as you can were intriguing to me.   Painting small pieces often:

-Fits into your busy schedule.  I've got six busy schedules that I have to try to work around.  Most of the time when I would get and hour to myself it would come down to: nap?,study?clean?............paint?  Painting usually lost.

-You're more inspired to experiment.  Like I mentioned, painting large pieces can be intimidating, especially if your style is naturally tight.  Working on small pieces I can experiment and then when I have more time, I can use new techniques on larger pieces.

-You're less emotionally involved.  I like this one because it's not a huge crushing blow emotionally and financially it something doesn't work out.

-You gain confidence.  I'm still trying to find what my style is and this gives me the opportunity to try a lot of different things and find what I like best. 

Here's this week's batch.

This first one was my interpretation of an art piece I saw but was not signed:/ I hope nobody's offended. I really loved experimenting with colors here.

This second one was a great study for me on brushwork  I enjoyed loosening up, and I'm titling this "Caroline in the Park"

What do you do when you have thirty minutes to yourself?  I sometimes paint portraits of my friend's kids:)  This was a first for me, I actually am not a good portrait artist.  I've painted two of my children, and felt that I was only able to do that because I knew them so well  For me "Chloe" was more of a study in mood and texture than an exact portrait.  But, hey, thirty minutes right?

This last one is from a photograph by my talented friend, David.  Again, mood, color, and texture.

All of these are small paintings 8x10 is the largest.  I hope to produce five or six each week and I'll post the final products here.

Personal

This piece is titled:" I Will Restore Health Unto Thee" from Jeremiah 30:17  Need I say more?:)

I love the colors on this one.  They remind me of a phoenix, which makes the piece much more meaningful.

I had thought and thought about a good tree painting for a friend of mine.  Her brother was killed in a car crash several years ago, and had written the poem that is carved into the painting.  The poem is titled "Trees" by Garrett Isom

Instead of a forest,

I think,

just a tree would be nice.

To give me shade on a 

hot summer day,

And branches to climb

and to swing on,

And always be there

when in doubt and

despair,

I need something to lean

on.

But still it would give me 

the room

And the space that I

need

To step into the sun

And be warmed by

it's rays.

Forests are good

When you need to feel

lost

And want to hide from

the world

But in a forest

You can't 

Get away from the trees

Instead of a crowd,

I think,

Just a friend

Would be nice.

A friend of mine has challenged me to loosen up and try some abstract painting.  I never had been a true fan of abstract work, because it was so hard to find meaning in it for myself.  I'm glad that I tried it though because this is what emerged.  I have coaxed pieces out of a canvas before, knowing already what I expected it to look like in the end.  I tend to be rigid and controlled, but this piece coaxed it's self out of me.  It began with layers and layers of symbols and when I felt a little stuck, I went for a run and then came back to work on it, and it emerged.  It is inspired by the semicolon project which is a suicide prevention movement, for those who have lost someone and for those who struggle themselves.  The semicolon represents that a life could have ended, but because there is no period, your story isn't over yet.  The title of this piece is "Purpose".  There are windows painted in the figure's head which represent perspective and opportunity.  There is an Eye under the first bird representing eternal perspective, and a sun in the top left corner.  As this painting came to life I saw a few different things; I saw a person letting go of grief, anger, fear, bitterness etc. and setting those feelings free, like a bird.  Letting go and letting God, as the birds ascend to the heavens.  I also saw that for those who have taken their own lives, the semicolon is still a valid symbol.  Although their life on this earth has ended, it goes on eternally.  Also at the bottom of the semicolon I painted a "..."to represent the same thing.  There are spiral symbols showing that we often feel like we find ourselves in the same place or situation, but next to that I painting a growing plant showing that the spiral is more like a spring, even though it might seem that we are experiencing the same things over and over again, through learning and growth, we move higher up the spiral so that our perspective is never the same.

This is actually the companion piece to "Purpose" and its title is "And They Awoke Unto God". 

"Behold, they were in the midst of darkness; nevertheless, their souls were illuminated by the light of the everlasting word; yea, they were encircled about by the bands of death, and the chains of hell,..Behold he changed their hearts; yea, he awakened them out of a deep sleep, and they awoke unto God."  

This piece isn't done yet and though the styles are completely different, they are one piece together.  The abstract of the first shows that thinking and experiencing  emotions are not always clear and precise, and that thoughts tend to emerge sometimes all at once, but usually it's a process of peeling back layer after layer.  This second piece, which is still true to my word (loosened up much more than I'm comfortable with) says with clarity and LIGHT; YOUR STORY IS NOT FINISHED.  Enjoy:)

 Ahhh, first, let me explain that I cannot for the life of me remember where I last left off!  This first painting was done a couple of years ago and spent the last month in my local gallery's spring art show.  It's a personal favorite that I've titled "Abide".

 Now for the meat:  I spent this winter in and out of the hospital for various surgeries and trying to get a diagnosis for some serious illnesses.  The short and sweet of it all goes something like this: I had three surgeries, went 43 days without eating or drinking anything, and only remember a few hours from an about 12 week period.  Miraculous, yes, absolutely.  Completely physically and emotionally draining, YES!!!  As my body began to heal and I was able to tolerate foods and do more than sleep, I started to get a *bit* down (definitely an understatement:)).  After some thought, I picked up my brushes and broke out the paints; it had been about three years since I had worked on anything of this nature.  I was drawn to a childrens' book called, "Sleep Like A Tiger" with illustrations by Pamela Zagarenski.  This was a daunting piece given its complexities and the fact that it had been so long since I had painted.  I should explain that in the past I have been know to paint with a manic fury:)  I would start and finish a piece in one sitting.  Often that meant the "chair of neglect":) (it's really just the highchair with lots of Ritz crackers:)) for the youngest child, and cereal for dinner and an over-all atmosphere of "fend for yourself!"  If I felt like painting at night, then I wouldn't sleep.   Back to the present.  I didn't have the ENERGY to do much of anything for four months or so.  I started this painting (the tiger one) and left it up in my studio/kitchen and walked by it multiple times each day and got to see it in different lights.  I felt peaceful each time I looked at it and could see potential. I could see where I could make changes and that any part of it could be re-worked and that in the end it would be a completed piece.  (One million metaphors here:))  I WAS really please with the way it turned out and I felt encouraged to work more.  My fabulous cousin's husband graciously let me use his photographs for reference, and pretty much, I've been at it since:)  I've felt inspired and guided to paint certain subjects for certain people and have felt immense satisfaction in creating.  I try to stay busy and will work on one or two pieces each week.

 This was my first ever pet-commission, although from what I understand this is no ordinary horse, but a tornado survivor as well.

And this is the piece I'm currently working on.  It's cheery and peaceful and THAT says a lot for me!

Sick Day

 Don't be too impressed, the bunny idea came from a painting off of Rosenberry Rooms that I liked.  I changed the ground colors and added the ribbons via hot glue, which I feel like I should get a prize for that one seeing as I had not used a hot glue gun since the fourth grade:)  Also, I had plenty of "help" in the form of four persons of small stature but spirited dispositions.  I should have stopped after the first project was finished, but I felt a little desperate for some creative time.  I worked on two more baby room paintings, which I have not shown as they are still in the too early stages.

 This last piece I finished around midnight, and I'm pleased with the way it turned out, but not so much with my lack of photography skills:/  It's bee a LONG time since I've been able to sit down and paint, and it was so lovely to be able to do that yesterday.  Here's hoping for another sick day in the near future.  (Just kidding:))