Painting workshop!

 

Last month I took an amazing painting workshop with Nicholas Wilton. It was so much fun! I loved it so much and came home so inspired. And then life took over and I didn't get a chance to even pick up a paintbrush again for a month. 

 

2014 - A New Year!

I love the time around the new year because it encourages reflection of the past and looking forward to the future.

I keep a journal of my goals for the year so I can look back and see what I've done (and see what I still need to work on.)  I never make progress as quickly as I like, but it helps motivate me to have it in writing.

A consistent goal of mine every year is to Make More Art! I hope 2014 is a good year for that!

(And last year I wrote that I wanted to be competent in encaustics by March 2014. I need to get busy on that. Time is ticking...)  

Somerset Studio Gallery!

Two of my collages are included in the Winter 2014 issue of Somerset Studio Gallery. I've always loved this magazine, so it's really fun to be included in it! 

This issue also has some wonderful images by Jessica Swift and many other great artists. Check it out if you have a chance!

Work in Progress - very slow progress...

This is a new picture I'm working on when I can squeeze in a few free moments.

I love reading old painting instruction books because the authors are always so opinionated and serious. Here's my latest favorite quote:   There is a big difference between "pretty art" and beautiful art. Pretty art is usually not profound, not truly studied or true to the beauty of nature. It usually consists of pretty colors...but they do not belong in the category of art. To be profound-- and beautiful-- a work of art must be based on truth with little, if any, compromise. - Andrew Loomis 

I totally disagree!

Work in Progress - Flower Power

I'm just playing around on this piece so far -- trying to keep things light and flowery.

Inspired by these bright vintage placemats/coasters (what are they??) that I just got at a garage sale. The woman was very surprised and happy that I wanted them.

(I couldn't pass up these colors - they'll be perfect for collage pieces.)

A New Direction

I painted over some parts of this painting that were really bugging me. This still has a long way to go, but now I know what direction it's going in at least.

I take so long to do every stage of my art. I feel bad when I read quotes in art books like this: "Painting a picture should be effortless and simple. If you work at a picture a long time, the picture may appear labored, lacking freshness and spontaneity." 

Oooops. I try to keep it fresh, but I would never use the words "effortless and simple" to describe my process. Oh well. Different (brush)strokes for different folks, I guess.

About to Disappear...

This half-started painting is about to get painted over and disappear. I want to paint something really different, better, and richer. I hope that by tomorrow it will look completely changed.

"The risks you are willing to take that might ruin, destroy, or mess your painting will be the measure of whether or not any learning will take place"   -- David Leffel

I'm ready to learn something *NEW*!

Cleaning Up. Blah.

 This is the worst part of every project: The Clean-Up.

I hate it. Scraps everywhere.

I really want to have one of those neat and organized studios like you see in Where Women Create magazine. But I actually think I am more creative with all my scraps spread around me. So, my space just keeps getting messier and messier... 

Illustration Friday - Tribute

This image is a tribute to our big, beautiful world.

I'm glad I live here. Home Sweet Home.

detail from image

 

There are a lot of crazy things going on in the world these days, so I made this image to remind me about all the beautiful, amazing things I love about our world. There's a lot to love!

To cut or not to cut?

I just scored a vintage Golden Book illustrated by MARY BLAIR (my favorite!) for two dollars at the used book store!

I can't believe I'm actually considering cutting it up to use for collages. I hate the idea of that! But I also think the lush colors would be really fun to collage with.

I guess I have to wait and see what happens-- you never really believe you're going to cut up a good book until you see the perfect image and the scissors start clipping...

Work in Progress - Big Beautiful World

Work in Progress- Scraps are everywhere!

This piece has had many phases, and as I try to do the final steps on it, I am reminded of a quote by painter Edward Betts: "Finishing the painting does not mean killing it."  Wish me luck.

Updates

I finally updated my website to include my more recent art. My work has really changed over the last few years, but I hope my voice still comes through.

I'm still trying to express my same ideas of hope, strong women, and love of nature. But now, in addition to collage, I'm mixing in paint, textures, and encaustic wax.

I always thought I'd focus in on just one medium, but I keep finding new techniques and ideas that I want to experiment with. It's just too much fun to try out new things!

(While working on my website I also figured out how to add a pinterest button to my blog. And I LOVE pinterest!)

home

In this piece I tried to capture a lot of things that I love: trees, birds, rocks, flowers, the moon, and the feeling of HOME.

Illustration Friday - Wings

 One day, she realized that she had wings!

 

 (This is my first encaustic piece with my new encaustic set-up in my bedroom. It was such an impractical idea, for me to do this considering my tiny house, but sometimes you just have to disregard reason and go for it!)

Finally!!!

After five months of absolutely no time for art, I have finally started a new picture! In the past five months, we've moved, my grandma has died (Rest In Peace), my son started a new school and my husband started a new job... so things have been very, very busy! 

It took forever to get my space ready and my mood ready. But once I got started, it took no time at all to make a huge mess again. F-U-N!

Visiting the Wise One

This image is about reconnecting with our ancestors-- seeking counsel, understanding, and serenity.

My grandmother is in the process of dying and I am spending a lot of time with family. It's making me think of our foremothers, our history, and what comes next...

In Memory of Eva Newman

In Memory of Eva Newman
Beloved Grandmother
Holocaust Survivor
Despite her past, she always saw the positive, the LIGHT!

Moving...

We've been moving to a new home. What an enormous project-- both physically and emotionally.

Our homes become such a big part of who we are: they affect our daily routines and our moods. We often forget what a big impact they have on us, until we move and realize everything is suddenly so different.

(It's been so much work! But decorating and sewing curtains has been great fun.)

Real, Paper Books!

Book Heaven = Kinokuniya Japanese Bookstore.

The Japanese must really love their books, because the Kinokuniya Bookstore is full of rows and rows of the most beautiful, wonderful books! They use nice paper, creative bindings, and tons of pretty images. The language barrier is a bit of an issue (I don't know a word of Japanese) but the images make up for it. They are dreamy, bubbling with joy, and childlike-- it's like they know that in the childlike is where the magic lives!

(Meanwhile, the New York Times is full of news about how paper books and real bookstores will disappear soon, replaced by e-books. Please, say it isn't so! Books are so much more than words on a screen. The thought of a world without real books keeps me up at night.)

Technology Fatigue

Sometimes I feel like technology is taking over everything. It used to be that when you wanted directions, you looked at a map; to do research, you went to the library; to look at pictures, you pulled out a photo album...now everything is done on the computer! I feel like I am always looking at that glowing screen. And I long for the days when the computer was just a tool I used at work.

Can we ever go back to a less computerized lifestyle? Would anyone even want to? Will our children be able to imagine a different way of living, or will they be completely dependent on their technology?

This weekend I was feeling the need to disconnect from it all, so I took my son and went to the woods. He played on the rocks while I drew in my sketchbook. The sun was warm on my face and there was a soft breeze. It was beautiful, peaceful, and there was not a computer in sight. Perfect!!!