Fresh Paint

One Last Mini

2011-12-08T10:05:00.000-08:00

Marble Top, 3 x 3" o/c...
At one time I considered doing a small line of these mini's on little easels. And I theoretically could have been that industrious--but tiny isn't really doing it for me. In fact, for next year I'm thinking of not allowing myself to do anything smaller than 16 x 20. It's time to think big.

Party Time

2011-12-07T20:31:00.001-08:00

Vintage Penguins, 5 x 4" oil on canvas panel...
This may be it for a little while--lots of seasonal activities in the coming weeks, starting with my Holiday Open Studio on Saturday. For the rest of the December, I'm not sure what I may post. I need time to gather my thoughts and generate ideas for some type of theme or series in 2012. Here's hoping the coming year is more productive and less eventful than 2011 has been.

Brass Bear

2011-12-03T23:11:00.000-08:00

Brass Bear, 10 x 10" oil on canvas panel
Kind of a China theme: panda, Chinese lanterns and mandarin. Some paintings look a little better than they photograph. This is one of them.

A small run of mini's

2011-11-29T22:40:00.000-08:00

Cactus Surrounded, 4 x 4" oil on canvas panel...
This is the smallest of the half-dozen more small canvases I have prepared and am hoping to fill in the next 8 days.

Tiny gift

2011-11-24T17:41:00.000-08:00

Autumn Jewel, 5 x 7" o/c
I swiped this from the nursery last week. Since its remaining life is short, I don't think they'll mind. It was to be part of a still life (and may still be) when it was flat; but it actually became more interesting as it dried and curled. I think of it as a metaphor for myself: shriveling but colorful.

Come One, Come All

2011-11-23T13:03:00.001-08:00

...because I am a glutton for punishment. I will show paintings that were unavailable on Friday and Saturday during the Tour and also some new, "gift-size" pieces.

I'm posting this because recovery from the last event took a little longer than expected, and I needed to light fire under myself. As unbelievable as it may seem to the small number of people I allowed to peek into my studio--where the floor and workspace were covered with "stuff" due to closet shelves collapsing two days prior--I find chaos extremely distracting and typically do not work in such a mess. It's all better now.

Pricing Art Appropriately

2011-11-15T07:32:00.000-08:00

SOLD

5 x 7 w/c--an older piece from a previous blog--wondering if I'll ever use that media again...
Two more days of distractions--returning paintings to the gallery in Sacramento; picking up a couple of giclée’s, stretching them and painting the sides (there goes today); and a trip to Stanford Medical Center with my son (there goes tomorrow)--before I can get back to painting.

In the meantime, THIS POST by Stapleton Kearns, about pricing, is excellent. As I told him in a comment, "Thanks, I really needed that. Even though my painting prices are a fraction of what I got for illustration, and people consistently tell me I'm low, I feel guilty charging appropriately even when people don't ask for a discount, but I think they shouldn't be spending their money that way!"

What am I--everybody's mother?! And how dumb is that, anyway? If someone enjoys a piece of art, of course he (or she) should buy it!

What Sold

2011-11-14T07:38:00.001-08:00

Weekend sales
So here's the wrap-up... As was the case last year, I think little can be concluded from looking at the collection of paintings that sold over the weekend--or maybe I just don't want to think too much about it. With the exception of two 24 x 24" canvas prints of the tree, which were a fraction of the cost of the original, all were small, and all were pretty tightly realistic.

Ordinarily I would have the whole house fairly tidy during this event; but this year I have a solid day of cleaning in the disaster zones: my studio and the three doors-closed rooms into which we shoved all the "stuff" from our "public areas." Then it's back to work, as I have scheduled another open house/open studio on December 10, to show a little new work and the pieces that were at the gallery on Friday and Saturday. I thought it would likely be sparsely attended but realize I handed out a lot of fliers. So if a few friends and even half the people who took invitations come back, yikes!

2011 Placer Art StudiosTour

2011-11-13T10:54:00.001-08:00

Day 3 of my Open Studio is getting underway. Yesterday after tour hours (10-5), I raced down for four hours of "Second Saturday" at Sacramento's Kennedy Gallery. Whew! Between the two, some books and four paintings have sold so far. Not quite as good as last year, but in such an economically difficult year, I'm not complaining.

Calling fowl

2011-11-07T10:51:00.001-08:00

Freckled Fowl; 14 x 18" o/c...
...From a photo I took at the Box R Ranch of a Hamburg hen, that I turned into a rooster. Couldn't do without that big, red comb and wattle.

The copyright issue has been a hot topic in my online picture book discussion group since everyone learned about the various "search by image" tools. Fellow book illustrator Elizabeth Dulemba posts children's coloring pages to her website, which apparently are stolen routinely. She has a very informative couple of blog posts on the matter. She regularly collects fees from infringers who have used her work for profit or promotion. While doing so is certainly fair, many of us, however illogically, feel slimy and uncomfortable demanding money in such situations. However, it seems to be the only way to enforce copyrights and educate those who should know better. Infringers who get off with a mere a demand to remove the images should consider themselves fortunate, regardless of how "nasty" they perceive such requests.

Copyright Infringement: A Risk for ALL Artists

2011-11-02T22:36:00.000-07:00

A cautionary tale (revised)

As an illustrator I was more acutely aware of the possibility of copyright infringement than I supposed I might need to be as a fledgling "fine artist." (I still prefer to call myself merely a "painter.") I assumed paintings were less likely to be appropriated and used illegally than more commercially applicable pieces. Turns out I was wrong. It is still wise register any image posted online with the US Copyright Office--the only vehicle that enables one to collect punitive damages for infringement.

Last night I learned about Google's new "Search by Image" tool. Imagine my surprise when the first file I dragged onto it--my Twin Towers at Sunset painting, done in 2007 from photos I took myself--came up not only on this blog, but in two places on a site called the Twin Towers Alliance. I have no idea how long the TTA has been using this image in their fund-raising efforts without my knowledge or consent--possibly for years.

Latest update: The images have been removed and a somewhat back-handed apology/explanation received --accompanied by the comment, "You certainly painted a lovely image, but you can’t take credit for the sky and the light and the Towers..." and acknowledging that they also printed it on the cover of a booklet that "was only distributed to a few individuals,"

Yeah, right. What did I do other than copy what was right there for anyone to see? Here's the painting, and here's my closest reference photo. As you can see, they're exactly the same. Words fail me--at least any of the ones I would be comfortable saying here.

Nevertheless, I have deleted the rest of my original ranting post. The whole thing was an interesting first-hand experience of the effects of the widely-held misconception that anything that can be found on Google is available for for public use. My advice to register images stands, and from now I will be more diligent about doing so myself.

It is also fascinating to observe a controversial or ranting post generate several times the typical traffic.

...and a Quickie

2011-10-30T20:53:00.001-07:00

Three to One; 8 x 10" o/c...
Once in a great while, a piece sort of paints itself.

Another Revisitation

2011-10-30T16:03:00.000-07:00

Roses in Copper; 12 x 12 o/c

Busy, Busy

2011-10-24T23:20:00.000-07:00

Mary, Mary; 18 x 18, o/c...
When I caught the shots I used for this at the nursery a few weeks ago I was really excited about it. After working on it too long, not so much. The foreground jumps out more in this scan than it does in room light. Maybe I should have painted just the tractor--the seat was my favorite thing. I'll be retreating back to my still life comfort zone for awhile now, I think. And trying to focus.

Art Blog Slave

2011-10-16T10:32:00.001-07:00

Unfinished section of WIP
As some of my fellow bloggers may have noticed, blogging creates a certain sense of obligation to post regularly. This is especially true when you know a few readers check regularly, expecting to see something new. So here is a tiny preview of the next piece I've started--another antique in the garden. Unfortunately I do not expect to complete it until later this week.

Despite my desire to follow Thoreau's advice--"Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify, simplify!"-- another major, unavoidable distraction is underway: a third foot surgery for my 20-y-0 son tomorrow. The other two were his second foot surgery in July, which was a spectacular failure (proving for a second time that if something doesn't hurt much, surgery can fix that!) and my mother's tragic illness and death, which pretty much wiped me out from Feb-June. Here's hoping for more productive painting time and a significantly less eventful 2012.

Another Round on an "Unfinished" Piece

2011-10-13T09:32:00.000-07:00

Oranges and Lavender Bouquet; 16 x 16" o/c
I did not have to live with the earlier version of this (below) long to realize it still wasn't up to par, so this morning I took one more run at it. Part of the problem is that I like to work from life; but before I was barely started, events interfered, the roses wilted and the colors in my reference photo did not match reality. The background drapes also were an afterthought. Today I've pulled the color of the roses back toward the lavender of the initial lay-in and simplified them a bit. If it doesn't work this time, it may have to designated "permanently unfinished" or perhaps "landfill."

Finding Inspiration

2011-10-08T22:24:00.000-07:00

No Longer Needed, 16 x 20" o/c
On Monday I went back to the nursery to get another quick shot of something I had planned to paint, then guiltily lingered a bit and at the last minute noticed this chair. The owners really have an eye for placing old things in beautiful settings, and I couldn't pass up such a great subject. Which goes to show that allowing ourselves our "artist's dates" and time to wander really is necessary and productive.

While I did flop my photo and manipulate a number of things, I probably did not simplify it as much as I should have. Ironically, the more pressure I am under to produce work quickly, the tighter and slower I become. I don't know how to classify this. Is it a landscape or a still life?

Uncontained

2011-10-05T20:03:00.000-07:00

SOLD

Cracked Open; 9 x 12; oil on panel
Although another larger piece is on the easel, today I felt the need to paint something I could finish in one session. I painted my first egg way back in art school for a design assignment titled "The Container and the Contained." If not the most brilliant idea, it was at least completely original at the time. Ironic that eggs have since become a rather popular subject in the daily painting movement. It's also kind of interesting to compare one's treatment of the same subject over a long period of time. This one is slightly freer than the watercolor egg in my blog header, but I'd like it to be far looser.

"Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary...Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything--all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure--these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important."--Steve Jobs, 2005 Stanford University commencement address

Pretty good advice for artists of all types on this sad day, I think.

The Container and the Contained, 1978; watercolor, 13.5" x 12"

Dollars and Copper

2011-10-01T16:37:00.000-07:00

Dollars and Copper, 16 x 19" o/c
This brass and copper teapot is the other little item I got on my mini-splurge at the antiques mall a few weeks ago. I love the shape and the warm tones of the copper--one of my favorite things to paint. The tall, elegantly shaped mauve vase was another thrift shop find, cracked and on sale for $1.

I like finishing paintings--makes me feel like I've justified my existence for the day. I should do it more often.

Look Better, Paint Better?

2011-09-24T09:39:00.000-07:00

Pink Cannas, 16" x 20", o/c
A few weeks ago I took my camera on a mini field trip to our local high-end nursery, where, among other things, I shot these gorgeous pink Canna lilies in the noonday sun. I then moved some leaves around and combined several of them for the painting.

An often-cited benefit of at-home employment is the ability to work in a bathrobe and bunny slippers. Modern day painters often wonder at some 19th and early 20th century painters' habits of working daily in suit and tie, risking the ruination of good clothes. I think I understand. For me, looking better=feeling better=more confidence; and more confidence almost always means better painting. I think cleaning up is also a component of discipline. I'm not saying it works every time; but on days I begrudgingly take the time to do my hair and make-up (ugh!), put on decent shoes, and wear on something not out of my "fat" wardrobe, I sometimes paint better than when I look and feel like a slob. Anyway, if I fail at painting, at least I look cute for my "patron of the arts."

I'm also seeing how working helps painters stay sane. When you really concentrate on a painting, at least for a few hours everything else falls away.

Still Chill

2011-09-20T21:51:00.000-07:00

Still Chill, 16 x 20" oil on canvas panel
I had a some fun on this one. Might even be even be creeping up on a style I can live with--somewhere between tight realism and a little impressionistic color.

On Being Unfinished

2011-09-17T08:23:00.000-07:00

Lavender Roses, 16 x 16" o/c
To encourage students, Craig Nelson has said, "There are no bad paintings, only unfinished paintings." This painting was quite "unfinished" when I left it. I've pretty much re-painted it, but, as usual, am not at all objective yet in judging whether it's a success or a failure. As always, it will have better color when I can scan.

Even though I had completed school and been illustrating for a dozen years when I attended my first workshop with Craig in 1994 (with no idea what I was doing there), I consider him my first painting teacher; because while some illustration certainly can achieve the level of art, most of it is not painting as I have come to understand and aspire to do it.

Surrounded by natural beauty, I grew up in an isolated rural community in a home virtually devoid of artwork. A couple of primary and secondary classes gave us the chance to dabble in graphite, charcoal and watercolor; but as far as I remember, unlike many of my painter friends who were exposed to art, art history, and even painting instruction at an early age, I spent no time studying or even seeing any of the world's great paintings. I was late to the party and have been playing catch-up ever since. To paraphrase R. F. Coleman, whose books I'm currently devouring, a recounting of my art career reads like a recipe for hot water: nothing to it. I had a great childhood with many advantages, so this is neither an excuse nor a lament, merely a recognition of what is. How it explains the source of my desire to paint or where it may be going, I can not say. I am still an early work-in-progress.

More Editing

2011-09-14T19:44:00.001-07:00

Island Reflection II
I decided my original version of this painting wasn't working, so I cut it down to18 x 24" and added a flower. At least now maybe everyone won't ask if it's upside down. As I've noted before, cropping is almost always a good thing.

"More editing" also describes my life, especially this year, when it seems God is pretty much laughing at every plan I've made. Without going into a lot of boring detail, I'll just say I'm attempting to manage another unexpected health crisis with my son, who has had many of them in his young 20 years. A second foot surgery has completely failed, and we are scrambling to rearrange his college schedule and get him to an orthopedic surgeon at Stanford, which seems to be the only place in northern California with surgeons who know what they're doing in certain departments--he was there four years ago for a third sinus surgery. So once again, I'll be painting in the "spaces" --which is not always a bad thing.

9-11-2011--In Memory

2011-09-10T00:20:00.000-07:00

Twin Towers Sunset

Mixed Media Experiment

2011-08-28T19:00:00.000-07:00

Untitled, 12 x 12" acrylic & oil on canvasboard
I'm a little tired of how dark and/or contrast-y my paintings often are, so thought I'd try something a little different. I painted a splotchy, drippy acrylic ground, used it as a background for photos of some thrift shop bottles and spent hydrangeas, then replaced the board with a similar colored drape (I like to look at both the set-up and my photos) and painted on the board. I covered up more of it than I wanted to, but some of the texture still shows. Haven't decided how I feel about it yet. It's still pretty contrasty, but the color was kind of fun.

After taking longer than planned to finish this thing--as usual--I finally sat down to post and found that Google had replaced the Blogger editor/photo uploader with their new, updated version that DOESN'T FREAKING WORK with my Firefox browser. I searched some forums for help and fortunately was able to switch back to the old editor before losing my mind. Why, Blogger? Everything was working just fine, and I really don't have the patience to figure out your surprise "improvements." I'm not switching to Explorer to make it work, either--though WordPress is beginning to look more attractive.

Yeah, I'm a little tense. As well as the Vino De Art event in Auburn on September 10, I suddenly have both the art tour and a show in Sacramento scheduled in November. So I'm firing the afterburners and doing whatever it takes to get inspired.

"Echo of Eternity"

2011-08-21T13:57:00.000-07:00

24 x 24" o/c
An eternity also is about what it took, but it's finally done--and I think that's all I have to say about it for now.

Hospice Shop Find

2011-08-11T20:22:00.000-07:00

Little Brass Pot, 8 x 10" oil on canvas
I was beginning to think I had some kind of terminal painters' block, but after a couple of false starts, I finally finished one. I seem to be more picky about subject matter these days, and a "little painting" felt like all I could manage. The little pot was $1 at the hospice thrift shop in Yreka. I thought I might use it for my studio tour postcard, but decided to go with the one on the right instead.

Guilty Pleasures

2011-08-11T14:09:00.000-07:00

I snapped a few covert shots at the Crocker's impressionist exhibits today: Sargent, Potthast, Bischoff, Payne--all so inspiring. The ones with thicker, more layered paint are my fav's. Bought a Bischoff book, but the reproductions are too contrast-y and don't compare to the originals.

Surviving Forty

2011-08-04T13:58:00.001-07:00

Heritage Oak, WIP, 30 x 30" oil on canvas.
Sadly, by "forty" I do not mean age forty, but a fortieth high school reunion, which I will be attending this weekend. I've gotten a haircut, pumped up the blond (which DOES NOT cover any grey!), and put in my feathers; but I am not sure anything can prepare me for the shock of being amongst all those vaguely familiar people who clearly will be much older than I am.

Hence the appropriateness of re-posting this ancient Sierra heritage oak I started back in November, became bored with and put aside. When I was equally uninspired by yet another still life I began a few days ago, I again found the tree more appealing and recognized some color and value possibilities I had not really pushed. Since I am still searching for my "niche" as a painter, I obviously can not possibly be old enough for a 40th anything. (Now if I could just convince my knees...)

It Figures

2011-07-31T15:32:00.001-07:00

Purple Figs, 8 x 8 x 1" oil on canvas with gesso and acrylic "frame"
Thinking to save on framing costs and produce some more finished, ready-to-hang pieces, I tried creating a faux frame on the canvas, as I have seen a couple of other artists do. The 1" sides are textured the same way. It's time consuming, and I don't like it. I notice every little imperfection, and I think it makes the painting seem more "crafty" than fine artsy. So I grade this idea "fail." No comment on the painting itself. Let's just call it a "warm-up" after a long hiatus.

Out With the Old

2011-07-26T07:48:00.001-07:00

While cleaning out my studio, I came across this portrait I did in a John Solie workshop session at an American Society of Portrait Artists weekend seminar, held at the Academy of Art in August of 1999. Color-wise it is less awful than most of the other life paintings I did in those days--though I have utterly no memory of what Mr. Solie said that might have facilitated that.

I am anxious about getting back to work now--my sore knee and hips from the weeks of moving and cleaning have slowed my efforts. I have pitched a lot of old, yucky illustrations and just have to shove supplies and other remaining junk back in place. It is always tempting to hope that profound life events and contemplation will magically transform our artwork, but I have painted long enough to know that is unlikely. Chances are that when I finally get back to it, I will be rusty and have to struggle to remember where I was six months ago, before all Hell broke loose. At some point I hope for a renewal of spirit and enthusiasm, as well as improved physical condition.

Still debating whether to join Fine Art Studios Online (easy) or muddle through trying to design my own site on GoDaddy (cheap). Feeling old and impatient, so "easy" will probably win.

Bub-Bye Illustration Website

2011-07-23T16:16:00.000-07:00

Seven or eight years ago, when it became unavoidable and not a minute before, I dragged myself kicking an screaming to GoDaddy, bought my domain name, and re-directed it to my advertising page on the theispot (remember them?). Five years ago, I felt like a genius when I found Foliosnap and finally created an actual web site of my own. Today I canceled my account and after this weekend will no longer be showing illustration or children's books at all--just paintings. I am vacillating between buying a small package on FASO or just making do with my five free pages from GoDaddy and whatever I can cobble together with my meager web skills. Or I could just redesign this blog and add some tabs.

It has been a long six weeks. As my right knee gives out, I am closing in on my wholesale house/studio reorganization and the commencement of some painting again--any day now.

"Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely." --Motivational speaker Karen Kaiser Clark.

Excuses, excuses

2011-07-02T10:15:00.000-07:00

Some of Mom's "junk"
It seems half of my posts consist of some sort of explanation for not painting enough. Nevertheless, once again I can only apologize to the little group of lovely people who occasionally check in to see what I've been doing.

The excuse du jour: after being away off and on for nearly three of the last five months; coming home from the painting workshop with a cold; having a big pile of inherited "stuff" to organize; my studio/closet/cabinets needing a complete spring cleaning first; and other assorted distractions--such as a little bodywork on my accidentally damaged van, my son's foot/hip surgery last week, and 4 weeks of physical therapy to address my chronic sciatica--painting is on the freaking back burner. I'm hoping to get back in gear within a week.

The Pile
Behind the table are12 full boxes of assorted stuff. There's also a large knitting machine and supplies that need to be set up, photographed and put on Craigslist. My grandmother's china head doll, converted hurricane "Gone With the Wind" lamp, and Roseville Pottery vase and candlesticks above comprise my new antique collection. That much is cool.

Mountain Retreat

2011-06-14T20:14:00.000-07:00

Mountain Retreat, 10 x 10" o/c
This "faux plein air" (painted from a photo) was the most successful of the three pieces I did at last week's workshop. The other two, painted from life, are below. In spite of an accident that nearly destroyed my French easel on Day 1 and contracting a cold on Day 2--which fortunately did not get nasty until the last day--I enjoyed the beautiful mountain setting and getting some insights into how the other illustrator/painters work. I also left with a little more confidence in my own developing style and ability.

I have just returned from being away for two more weeks, with another load of inherited "stuff" to add to the pile that needs organizing and putting away. Hopefully I will be able to stay home and work on that and some painting for a good long while now. A small show at Latitudes in Auburn has been scheduled for August. Never a dull moment.

Cowboy, 14 x 18" o/c

Earthy Crocks, 11 x 14" o/c

Regrouping--slowly; returning to work

2011-06-03T11:29:00.001-07:00

When I enthusiastically registered for this workshop six months ago, I had no idea I would be attending it in my current state of emotional, mental and physical exhaustion, following four months of dealing with my mother's illness and death. I got home only five days ago, after another 14 days of working daily on the aftermath, sleeping in my sister's basement. Haven't picked up a paintbrush in weeks.

Nevertheless, on Monday, off I go, up the same 300 miles of highway I have driven seven times since February. The one-day exclusive workshop with Michael Dudash begins Tuesday morning at 8:30; the rest of the conference runs Wednesday through Saturday. At this point I'm not sure what I can hope to accomplish--perhaps nothing more hanging with other artists, watching Michael, Mick and Chris paint, looking at the mountains, and trying to figure out where I'm going from here.

I turned down the children's book I was supposed to begin illustrating two weeks ago--the combination of unfavorable contract terms, time constraints, and wanting to paint finally were too much to accept. My entire focus for the coming year is reorganizing home and studio (finding space for the boatload of "stuff" I've inherited) and getting back to painting. Doing some new work for the open studio in November, once a blip on the radar of a typical year, is now my only goal. Maybe one other show somewhere in the area, depending on how it goes.

I may have something new to show here when I return in a couple of weeks...or not. I'm thinking this blog needs revamping, as well.

Palette Shift--WIP, updated

2011-05-13T14:52:00.000-07:00

Full Bloom Lavenders, 16 x 16"; work in progress

Had to do something pastel-y and 180 degrees from the red and black stuff. I'm not keen on showing my work-in-progress messes, but it's either this or nothing. I'm not moving too fast, and my arrangement of our lavender roses--already at the end of their bloom--totally wilted before I even started painting. So I cut another one for color, and will have to rely on my photo for the rest--though maybe a whole new crop will bloom before I get around to finishing.

I attended the preview party for the 20-20 Show Thursday night and was stunned to find the first place ribbon on the wall next to my collection. I'm sure it was a factor in selling five of the paintings, so I am doubly pleased. Hoping for a few more sales at tonight's Second Saturday event and throughout the run of the show. And that will be about enough partying for me for awhile.

20/20 Collection

2011-05-06T12:51:00.001-07:00

Black and White and Red All Over

Since the show is called "20/20", I assume five of the 25 paintings we submit will be culled and/0r held in reserve as replacements. So if it were up to me (which it isn't) here are the 20 I might choose and a possible arrangement. OK, the last two are somewhat dry, and I am off to deliver them. Whew.

1,600 Square Inches

2011-05-06T00:14:00.001-07:00

Apple Stack; Black, White & Red series; 8 x 8" oil on canvas panel ...

Done! Twenty-five 8 x 8" paintings--the equivalent of a 40 x 40" canvas. Doesn't sound like that much. I know people who could knock it out in a week or two. But it feels like a little bit of an accomplishment, and I'm ready for a tiny celebration--maybe a massage. By now I've done about everything I wanted to do in this series, so the last two were kind of a grind. Here's hoping I can cook them dry enough overnight to package up in the morning.

Tomorrow I will assemble them all digitally, just to see the whole lot together. Then it's "over and out" for a little while, as I will be heading back to Siskiyou County for a week or more to take care of family business.

Vintage Stapler II; Black, White & Red series; 8 x 8" oil on canvas panel

Sque-e-e-a-k

2011-05-05T13:11:00.001-07:00

SOLD

One Down; Black, White & Red series; 8 x 8" oil on canvas panel ...

Tight enough? I am not proud, but it was the default approach for this subject. This is actually a vintage bottle in a new carton, with some artistic license taken.

Also, I had to be a "squeaky wheel" today--always my favorite pastime.

And Then I Ate It

2011-05-04T16:18:00.001-07:00

SOLD

Red Velvet Cupcake, 8 x 8" oil on canvas panel; Black, White & Red series...

Mwah, haa, haa.

Polka Dot Shoe

2011-05-03T20:36:00.001-07:00

SOLD

Polka Dot Shoe, 8 x 8" oil on canvas panel; Black, White & Red series...

I think the coolest thing about this one is the shoes themselves, which I found at a local thrift shop--barely worn Kenneth Cole suede pumps for six dollars. They even fit. Though sorely tempted (no pun intended), I'm probably too old and wobbly to actually wear them anywhere without risking serious injury.

Playing Catch-up

2011-05-02T16:41:00.000-07:00

SOLD

Spring Bud, Antique Goblet, 8 x 8" oil on canvas panel; Black, White & Red series...

Yesterday I flaked. But I had to go shopping, and even God rested on Sunday.

Craft vs. Content

2011-04-30T22:36:00.000-07:00

SOLD

Berry Bowl, 8 x 8" oil on canvas panel; Black, White & Red series ...

"It's not what you said, it's the way you said it" was a reprimand my smart-mouth teenage self often heard.

Painting ordinary objects (what one says) skillfully (how one says it) is generally a positive goal. As an illustrator, I mainly aspired to improve my craftsmanship. But lately I have begun to think more about the point of painting any particular subject--and sometimes about the point of painting at all. Is saying something well--even something mundane--enough of a reason to do it? What should I aspire to say? Do I have a message?

Oddly enough, not knowing the answer to that question is one reason that, although I majored in journalism, I never became a writer. While I am fairly proficient at factual essays and editing, I have never been creative or thought I had any great message or story to impart. Likewise, I am fairly decent at rendering what I see--but do I bring anything more to an image than reproducing a passable copy of reality? Will I ever create anything more than forgettable wall decor?

Here is the little I do know:

When I look at other people's paintings, the "how" usually still matters more to me more than the "what." At the moment, color usage is my main interest.
Good composition matters--which is one reason I have never been much interested in the single-object-smack-in-the-middle-of-a-canvas compositions favored by many "daily painters." I usually spend a fair bit of time arranging and re-arranging things--like exactly how the strawberries are piled in the bowl--until they look "right" to me.
Certain paintings do "speak" to me in ways that can't always be put into words--and I do look at them repeatedly.

This one came together better than some of last few, though I can't really explain why--and I sort of like it. But ultimately, can art really affect people in the same way music or writing does? I'm not sure. What message or story do you try to tell with your art?

Chickadee

2011-04-29T20:29:00.001-07:00

N/A

Black Capped Chickadee, 8 x 8" oil on canvas panel; Black, white & red series...

I'm completely out of commentary--just flailing away on the last SIX of my primarily black, white and red ideas.

Adrift

2011-04-27T19:58:00.001-07:00

SOLD

Adrift, 8 x 8" oil on canvas panel; Black, White & Red series

I drifted into a little more color on this one. We'll see if it goes with the rest when they're all finished.

Cropping: Almost Always a Good Thing

2011-04-25T17:16:00.001-07:00

Pom and Plume, 8 x 8" oil on canvas panel; Black, White & Red series
Time-wise I'm up against it, so I'm slashing, revising and re-purposing a couple of existing paintings to fit my theme. In this case, it is a definite improvement.

Because working is what I do

2011-04-24T19:40:00.000-07:00

Spheres and Cubes, 8 x 8" oil on canvas panel; Black, White & Red series

Although I am torn about whether to reveal events that perhaps should remain private, their timing may serve as the strongest testimony I have been given--or will ever have to offer.

As I mentioned in earlier posts I later removed, my mother has been very ill since early February. When I left her last Thursday, after another four weeks away and with little more I could do, to spend Easter weekend with my husband and son (her only beloved grandson), we both knew we would not see each other again in this life. Her last words to me were, "I will never leave you." Three days later, this Easter morning at 7:00, I called my sister, who was by her side, seconds before she breathed her final breath.

She was my biggest fan and constant cheerleader. Although I know she is finally "home" with Dad and dancing with the angels, I will miss her so much.

Blog Status

2011-04-15T19:13:00.000-07:00

Due to a family emergency, this blog is temporarily suspended. I hope to resume posting new work in May. Thanks for checking.

The Best Laid Plans

2011-03-25T22:08:00.000-07:00

SOLD

Watermelon Tea, Blk & Wht + Red#10; 8x8" oil on canvas panel;

My schedule for making the 25-painting show deadline may be derailed by an unexpected development. Don't want to jinx things by saying too much, but I'm excited about the possible sale of some of some of them to a corporate buyer before they even hit the gallery. That would be a real shot in the arm for my fledgling painting career, but ack! If several go, it's hard to imagine I'll have enough time to replace them. Wish I'd painted harder and faster last year, so I'd have more to offer. On top of this, I just agreed to illustrate another children's book, beginning in mid-May. So with the open studio in November and a few other odds and ends, there goes the rest of 2011. Advertising illustration deadlines were intense, but short notice, often with gaps inbetween. Even after 13 books, I still get a little overwhelmed by these long-term, back-to-back commitments. If the hubby retires this year as planned, I guess he'll be on his own!

The Hits Keep Coming

2011-03-24T17:29:00.001-07:00

Pssssst!, Black, White & Red series #9, 8x8" oil on canvas panel

Although it's invisible, I have Statcounter installed on this blog. I don't show it, because in comparison to a lot of other blogs, my hit count is embarrassingly low. Having even a few regular readers already stresses me out; so, although I do check a number of other blogs frequently, I don't often comment or do much to actively promote my own.

Anyway, if you have Statcounter, you know it records the daily number of unique visits, repeat visits, the referring URL (if any), and the general part of the country from which visitors come. But unless people comment, in most cases it is impossible to know visitors' identities. I can identify some of my facebook friends, because that group is also small! But when I get repeat visits from someone in, for example, Roseville, Sacramento, Houston, etc., and it's not someone I can guess, it makes me intensely curious to know who is interested enough to check back regularly. So if you are one of those, and you'd like to satisfy my curiosity, please say, "Hey!" I'll try to return the favor.

Mo' Betta

2011-03-23T10:37:00.001-07:00

Tulip Shadows (revised); Blk & Wht + Red #8, 8x8" oil on canvas panel

Thereby proving to herself that if the values are right, the color is pretty flexible, and you can have fun with it. Does it still fit with the other paintings in the series? I don't know. I don't care--it's better than it was in the first round, a post I have deleted.

Back to the kitchen

2011-03-21T20:24:00.000-07:00

SOLD

Open and Shut, Blk & Wht + Red #7, 8 x 8" oil on canvas panel

Tonight I am a woman of few words.

Believing the Unbelievable

2011-03-20T08:18:00.000-07:00

SOLD

Striped Chaos, B & W + Red #6, oil on canvas panel

Yesterday a facebook friend posted one of those great TED Talks. Much of how the speaker described her "before" self resonated with me. My left brain has trouble accepting the unquantifiable--serendipity, faith, grace, that sort of thing. And yet, it can not deny the realization that, in the big picture, many doors knocked-on have opened, many things asked-for have been given, and "coincidences" abound.

When disaster periodically destroys the fragile structures we take for granted, and we experience what feels like free-fall, it's easy to question the value of continuing to make art. But for whatever reason, through a variety of life-altering situations, I have always come back to it. Painting of one sort or another is what I do and somehow, miraculously, continue to be enabled to do. I guess I should just accept that. Art survives the chaos, and I am grateful to be some small part of it.

OK, So I AM a Control Freak

2011-03-19T17:58:00.000-07:00

SOLD

Cracked Up, B & W+ Red #5, 8 x 8" oil on canvas panel

One of the greatest things about painting instead of illustrating is having control over what, when and how I paint. Absolutely love it. One of the hardest things is periodically being assailed by doubt about whether it's "worth" the effort--about whether I'm too old, too slow, too amateur, too ... you know.

The age question really bugs me. Reading a recent post on Fine Art Views documenting sexism and ageism in the art world didn't help. One of my grandmothers was paranoid about age (among other things) to the point of refusing, at age 51, to be called "Grandma". When I was growing up, being compared to her usually was not a compliment. Something of a pessimist, she was fond of saying, "Life's just one damn thing after another." We used to joke about that but now realize that, to some extent, she was right (ha, ha, ha). As well, I have come to better understand her fear of being perceived as old--of being marginalized, taken less seriously, and ultimately of losing control. I've also realized for some time that being in control of anything is largely an illusion, so I'm working through it.

Berry 'n Creamer Redux

2011-03-17T10:46:00.000-07:00

Berry 'n Creamer, #4 in B & W + Red series; 8 x 8"

An existing 8 x 10 with a green background I decided I could crop, mount and revise to fit the theme--because I WILL make this deadline, and I WILL complete at least 9 new pieces in the next two weeks. If I actually finish more than 25, maybe I will ditch it, maybe not. It isn't my favorite but has elements I don't totally hate, either.

Two deadly words: "if-only". Don't even think them; just deal. Sniff, cough.

Another Countdown

2011-03-16T14:40:00.000-07:00

Strut Your Stuff, #3 in Black & White + Red Series; 8x8" oil on panel

Because they can't all be still life's.

I'm a little spacey today and forgot to title this post before hitting "publish". On top of everything else going on, I have a cold. Isn't stress always a great catalyst for getting sick? Anyway, I have two more weeks to work before heading north again to help with my Mom's care. I should be accustomed enough to deadlines to be confident of completing 25 paintings by May 6, but at this point, the jury's out. Speaking of which, getting a jury notice last week was the icing on the cake.

Now, Where Was I?

2011-03-13T21:07:00.001-07:00

SOLD

Grapes in a Square Bowl; #2 of 8x8" black & red series
I am so grateful to be back home. Painting has resumed, if only for a few days.

Making 25 Canvas Panels

2011-02-24T13:06:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I picked up 25 8 x 8" hardwood panels to be painted for the upcoming "20 - 20" show. Since I prefer a canvas surface, and since the edges have to be finished, I am in the process of covering them. I had hoped use prepared canvas and avoid the whole priming thing, but no such luck. It's only available in giant, $80+ rolls, and enough un-primed canvas was only $8.95. So after they're covered, priming it is.

Instructions for laminating canvas to panels can be found online, so I won't detail the entire process. Needless to say, there are several phases, with weighting and drying time inbetween--especially when wrapping the sides. Professional presentation is important, and in limited quantities I don't mind this crafting aspect of the project because it will produce a nicely-finished final product. (If you can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, baffle 'em with ... ?) I'm also still more-or-less in crisis mode on a couple of fronts with the family, so this somewhat mindless work suits me for now. If I can get all of them covered and a couple finished, I will begin a painting and take the rest with me when I return to oversee my mom's care in an Oregon medical facility next week.

Painting Interrupted

2011-02-12T14:35:00.000-08:00

I was pretty enthusiastic about the next series of paintings and a show I had planned; but work and posting are temporarily suspended due to a family emergency. I'll keyword this one "life", because it's the type of situation that comes to everyone sooner or later--particularly women, who are most often the hands-on caregivers. My sister and I are caring for our elderly mother, who has been seriously ill; we also have some time-consuming changes to make for her. I may be splitting my time between home and Siskiyou County (5 hours away) indefinitely. Painting is portable, so hopefully I can resume some kind of work schedule once the crisis is over. Nothing like complications to test our painting resolve and make us appreciate the periods when life is easier.

In the opening paragraph of The Road Less Traveled Scott Peck explains that once we accept that "life is difficult," it becomes less so. I believe this.

First Variation on a Chosen Theme

2011-02-06T15:05:00.000-08:00

SOLD

Lean on Me, 8 x 8" o/c
I did this with the thought of entering it in a show in which artists will submit 25 8 x 8" thematically related pieces. The idea of choosing and confining myself to some parameters appeals to the left side of my brain. Rather than defining a theme based on subject, I decided basing it on color might make a dramatic and unified presentation. My plan involves compositions of subjects that are primarily black, white and red, but painted with a full palette (and almost no actual black). Even though I have a lot of ideas, in the early stages of this first one I was discouraged, uncertain and thought I might have made a huge mistake in thinking I could pull it off--especially 24 more times. But thanks partly to Hatfield teaching me not to fear "mud", I ended up kind of liking it. Keeping a consistent style may be a challenge, because I know I will be tempted to render some of them more tightly. I have a feeling those black stripes might be making another appearance.

A Little Less Conversation

2011-02-03T06:03:00.000-08:00

A little more action, please

Grapes in a Blue Bowl, 10 x 8" o/c
I think I need to blab less and paint more for awhile. And since I've backslid into tight realism, I don't want to talk about this one, other than to say that it will appeal to a certain market and that I needed a companion piece to hang below the Coke and lemon painting.

Selling Art Online

2011-01-30T20:35:00.000-08:00

I just finished this illustration in acrylic for a Christian children's publication--a nice client who waited several months for me to be available. Only have a couple of weeks left now to do some new work for the little restaurant show I'll hang on Valentine's Day.

Last week another blogger recommended Zatista as a successful new venue for selling art online. The site has received editorial coverage in publications like Elle Décor. I checked it out and was disappointed to find that, like a number of similar sites, their user agreement's grant of rights is far too broad and over-reaching for my comfort. It says, "You grant Zatista a non-exclusive, worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, sub-licensable (through multiple tiers) right to exercise the copyright, trademark, publicity, and database rights (but no other rights) you have in the content, in any media known now or in the future. Additionally, you grant Zatista the right to use your content for the purpose of marketing, merchandising, and advertising in media including, but not limited to, the Zatista Site and partner sites.”

Uh...no. Despite their aw-shucks explanation or intent ("…you grant us licesnse [sic] so that we do not violate any rights you may have in the content"), does anyone else see this language as legally giving away the store? I an not an attorney, but allow me to translate, as I understand it:
You - you, the lowly, eager-to-sell-your-art-at-almost-any-cost artist
grant - give away
Zatista - a corporation owned by entrepreneurs who are "internet industry veterans from eBay" and whose primary interest (based on their "About Us" statement) appears overwhelmingly to be art buyers (who provide the money), not art sellers (who provide the goods but are a dime a dozen)
non-exclusive - they'll let you share the usage of the art with others
perpetual, irrevocable - once you hit "agree" and upload images, the license is theirs FOREVER, even if you remove the images from the site
royalty-free - regardless of how it's used, unless someone buys the original you will never get a cent
sub-licensable (through multiple tiers) - if they decide, at some future point, to give or even SELL the right to use the art to anyone, anywhere, they can legally do so; and whoever they give or sell it to can do the same
right to exercise the copyright - the legal right to reproduce the art "in any media known now or in the future". That's the store, folks. This was written by attorneys to benefit and protect only Zatista in every conceivable way.

At the very least, I see no justification whatsoever for any such agreement to be "perpetual" or "irrevocable." Removal or sale of the art should terminate the license agreement; and no one's art should be used for marketing purposes without compensation. I fear many fine artists are less knowledgeable about copyright and the value of commercial usage of their work than most illustrators are. Otherwise, I don't understand why artists do not protest en masse and force these web sites to modify their agreements, as happened a few months ago when Facebook tried to claim copyright to everything anyone ever posted there. If anyone (especially an attorney) could weigh in on this or tell me if and why I'm wrong, I would appreciate it. 'Cause it would be cool to have a good online venue to sell art other than eBay.

Resilience for the Journey

2011-01-23T21:48:00.000-08:00

Orange Reflection, 5 x 7" oil on canvas panel
Even though I attend church less regularly than I should, and sometimes reluctantly at that, once in awhile a message catches up with me. This morning's sermon was about resilience in faith, but I heard it as an art message directly applicable to the doubts and frustrations evident in my last post. Despite the effort to be fully present in the work, I am often guilty of thinking more about the destination than the journey--about reaching my goals rather than appreciating the brilliance of the moments. (Hence my discomfort when the goals are nebulous or unclear.) A contrasting analogy is the dog who is walked on the same route every day, yet each time sees it excitedly as a whole new world. Artists especially are obliged to do this--to find the extraordinary in the ordinary. Someone said, "It's not an adventure until you've lost your luggage." Personally, I'd love to lose the heavy baggage but hold tightly to my little bit of cherished luggage.

I knocked this one out in just over an hour, so that makes me happy. Just for kicks, I'm listing it on eBay.

Still Life with Frog

2011-01-22T20:00:00.000-08:00

10 x 10" oil on canvas; weird set-up, glare-y photo. Please view some other post
Art-wise, it's been a one-foot-in-front-of the other kind of week, after tripping and literally falling on my face on the way into last Tuesday's workshop. Bruised and somewhat in shock, I didn't paint at all well, and that day's piece went straight into the trash. It doesn't take much to derail me; the wolves of self-doubt have been snapping ever since: I'm in some sort of slump for no very good reason. At my age, it seems I should be giving workshops, not taking them. I am teaching a junior college community ed painting class in April, but that's not remotely in the ballpark I mean.

Nevertheless, I just mailed my registration and am stoked about attending the Masterpiece Christian Artists Conference in Ashland, OR this summer (near my hometown) with fabulous artists Michael Dudash, Chris Hopkins and Mick McGinty. I met Chris and Mick at the Air Force art presentation dinner in October; Michael is a former illustrator turned painter I have admired for literally decades. He is featured in the January issue of Southwest Art. I still have some of the TV Guide covers he did in the 80's and can't believe I'll finally have a chance to meet and work with him.

Hair's the thing

2011-01-11T18:00:00.001-08:00

12 x 16" o/c study; model with ginormous hair in today's 3-hr workshop

I believe I've spouted off enough for one week.

Transitions and Necessary Losses

2011-01-10T22:30:00.000-08:00

Latitudes in Winter; 16 x 19" oil on canvas panel; Latitudes Restaurant, where I will be showing (I think) in February and March. (Never mind the “Gallery” page of their website, which apparently has not been updated in seven years.)

Although the superior function and efficiency of modern architecture are undeniable, the Victorian style continues to charm and remind us of a bygone era that was in some ways gentler. There’s my painting comment and segue to at a more “talky” post than usual.

The difficult thing about change is that it nearly always includes loss. This is not news: Judith Viorst’s 1998 book Necessary Losses: The Loves, Illusions, Dependencies, and Impossible Expectations That All of Us Have to Give Up in Order to Grow describes the losses we inevitably experience in the course of a lifetime. Even when change is largely positive, the accompanying loss can be difficult.

After 25+ years of meeting illustration deadlines and 20 of being a mom, I am suddenly unemployed--the chronically ill kid survived, thrived and has flown the coop, and illustration as I knew it has all but vanished. Sure, the kid still needs me (though somewhat reluctantly and in less frequent and predictable ways), and I’m still doing art. But the way forward is unclear. With illustration, parameters were defined and payment guaranteed. Now, the choices are unlimited, the deadlines nonexistent (other than those that are self-imposed and the final big one), and the chances of making regular, significant sales uncertain at best. While the transition was foreseeable, I am adrift in my new found “freedom.”

Clearly I am challenged and have much to do. I only hope I have enough energy, motivation, organization, discipline and time left to achieve some form of success . My college teacher and long-time friend DeWitt Jayne was Carmel’s New Masters Gallery's longest-running original exhibitor. He did not begin producing gallery work until he was 55 and painted until he was 90. That’s encouraging. His knowledge and technical skills far exceeded mine; but I have come to believe that technical skills are not necessarily the whole game.

Since Losses, Viorst has written Suddenly Sixty and Other Shocks of Life, and I'm Too Young To Be Seventy: And Other Delusions. Yikes. I won’t read those just yet. Never mind how far I am on one side or the other of 55; let’s just say the age-defying face cream isn't really defying anything.

Heirloom pitcher with tulips

2011-01-01T17:07:00.000-08:00

14 x 14" o/c
Once again, I'm not sure about this one. I haven't been painting enough, and I think it shows. Anyway, I felt it on this one. Even though I can still see some evolution, I want to get back to the looser style I was finally starting to "get" a couple of months ago and seem to have lost over the holiday hiatus. In Feb/March I have committed to a show of about 15 pieces at a restaurant; this painting at least shows up well in subdued light.

I have a couple of illustration projects in January, so will once again be bouncing between a more realistic style and painting.

More of the same

2010-12-29T12:01:00.001-08:00

20 x 20" o/c; yesterday's 3-hr. study
OK, I'm getting pretty antsy about not getting anything else finished and posted lately--the oak tree and a growing number of other of paintings I need to do for an upcoming show. With Christmas over and no books to illustrate, I thought I would have endless time to paint; instead, it's other chores and distractions that seem endless--family stuff, small illustration jobs, home and car maintenance, a year's worth of bookkeeping for the tax man, etc, etc. Art colony, anyone?

Boot camp continues

2010-12-21T18:36:00.000-08:00

16 x20" o/c, 3-hr study (digital photo)
Painting workshop is like the gym: every Tuesday I question whether or not I really want or need to go and consider skipping the effort. But Don is a faithful teacher who has promised improvement if I stay the course, so I am committed to doing what it takes. Not surprisingly, once I get myself out the door and down the road, the necessary focus and discipline usually leave me less scattered than I am the rest of the week. There is something calming about being in a welcoming environment where the only demand and everyone's only interest is the work. Painting is so much of who I am that it sometimes seems odd interacting with friends or even immediate family who often are largely oblivious to it. But I guess we are all oblivious to each other's interests to some extent.

Although I could have accomplished much more with this one, such as getting more saturated and interesting color, I am surprised--pleased, even--to see progress: at least now I am establishing the drawing and getting the canvas covered and and major values blocked in with time left to work on a few areas of detail.

Now on to in-laws and preparing Christmas dinner. Whee.

Wearing his Christmas tie

2010-12-14T20:09:00.000-08:00

14 x 18" o/c, 3-hr study
I wasn't sure how focused I'd be but ended up having a pretty good time in today's workshop session. I went in with the goal of getting out of the grays and into more saturated color, which I think I accomplished. Again, the photo is somewhat less than accurate, but gives the general idea. The model was seated. With a little more time, I would have brought out the left sleeve in front and made the right arm not look like it's growing out of his stomach.

It's holiday time with all the attendant distractions--so naturally work is picking up. I have two or three illustrations to do and in February/March have agreed to hang about 15 pieces at a dinner house that regularly hosts little shows for local artists. Yikes.

Little Start, Big Painting

2010-11-22T20:55:00.000-08:00

"Sierra Heritage", Granite Drive Valley Oak, 30 x 30" work-in-progress
With this painting in mind, I photographed a large, complicated Rocklin heritage oak last summer. I had planned to finish it before the open studio, but after spending a couple of days getting it drafted and transferred to the canvas (since it's a specific tree, I wanted the drawing to be accurate), there it sat. Now that I have finally started and figured out my values and palette, I'll have to put it aside until the Thanksgiving folderol is over. But with a road map in mind, finishing will just be a matter of putting in the hours.

Open Studio Wrap-up

2010-11-15T08:11:00.001-08:00

I sold eight paintings (one not shown), three original book illustrations and about 20 books during last weekend's 3-day open studios tour. Two were my favorites, others surprised me. I've concluded there's absolutely no predicting what will appeal to buyers. Although I had a some more expensive pieces, everything that sold was under $400. In some cases that was perhaps more than reasonable. Sure, I could have charged more; but would higher prices have offset the sales that undoubtedly would have been lost? My opinion is no. So overall, I am rather pleased. A couple of friends and some other nice people got my work, and it's good to have it out there, making room and creating incentive to produce new pieces.

Countdown to Open Studio

2010-11-11T12:16:00.000-08:00

Dining-living room ready for open studio/open house
My front room, breakfast nook and hall bath are ready for tour guests. The studio still needs attention, and anyone interested probably will see a "working" studio. Doing the baking and last minute errands and details today, hoping to make it to bed by 1 a.m. This is the first time I'll be on the tour at my own place. I've invited everyone I know but have no idea how many people to expect. As usual, I don't have as much new work as I had planned (there are a dozen or so more pieces other than what can be seen here and a lot of original book illustrations in the bin), so I hope everyone who stops by finds something new--or at least enjoys the food.

Busman's holiday

2010-11-09T18:02:00.000-08:00

3-hr. nude study; 20 x 16" oil on canvas
After a month-long lapse, and in spite of everything I still have to do to get ready for the art tour, seeing Don Hatfield's Guardian of the Vinyards reminded me what a great resource I'm missing and compelled me back to his workshop at S12 this afternoon. After all the dabbing and fiddling on my last few pieces, him making me really push some paint around was great exercise.

So-so sequel?

2010-11-09T06:17:00.000-08:00

"Creamy Duo"; 6 x 6" oil on canvas
I picked up a pair of little black frames and intended this as a companion piece to the last painting. Hmmm--the color works, but the painting doesn't work as well overall. Whites seem to confound me somewhat. Don't hate it, don't love it. In any event, only three days now until my open studio during the Placer Art Studios Tour, so it's time to move on to food shopping and baking.

Doing What Works

2010-11-05T13:56:00.001-07:00

"Wanna-Be Roses" 6 x 6" oil on canvas panel
One of the many downsides of perfectionism is the delay tactics and mental gymnastics I often go through before getting started. The fear of mistakes or failure is one of the biggest impediments to any creative effort, I think. I'm back in the zone of realistic-but-a-little-more-painterly and am actually fairly happy with this one. But it seems it will take much more painting and many successes for me ever to get past that initial resistance to starting.

Fini--and countdown

2010-11-04T14:59:00.000-07:00

"The First of 20 Questions" 16 x 16" o/c
The finish has been slow in coming because, like someone with adult ADD, I'm bouncing from one task to another in preparation for my Nov 12-14 open studio/open house. Between the house, the food, the books, the business stuff, and trying to get a few more pieces done, there are so many details. In spite of my best efforts do everything ahead of time, I just KNOW I'll be racing around at midnight the night before and end up barely making it by the time people start arriving. Ack. And then it will be Christmas.

Stops and Starts

2010-10-26T22:31:00.001-07:00

16 x 16" o/c, work in progress
Despite my best intentions to paint and post daily, this blog reflects my continuing uneven and inconsistent course. *Sigh* Though it doesn't look like much yet, for the sake of posting something, here's the current work in progress. The focal point, yet to come, is something I hope will have some real punch, but I can't put it in until the very end, when the areas around it are drier. Obviously I've reverted to a tighter style for the time being. Impressionism takes a level and type of energy I just don't have right now. Maybe next week, after I've been painting every day for awhile.

Back from Dayton

2010-10-24T14:16:00.001-07:00

Souvenir place marker--a mini-canvas mounted to mirrored plaque--and event program
I just returned from Wright-Patterson AFB, where we spent two days touring the enormous National Museum of the Air Force, then donned our fancy clothes for the main event Friday night--the formal art presentation banquet held amid the planes of the Korean and Viet Nam eras. It was quite an event, and the overall quality of the 250 paintings donated this year was high. I am inspired to paint something bigger and better for the next donation in 2012. It was also fun meeting and spending time with the other illustrators, some of whom I have known and/or admired for many years. The event photographer is emailing photos, so I will post a couple when they arrive.

I've been up since 1 a.m. PDT to make the flights home, have only eighteen days left to paint and prepare for the Placer Art Studios Tour (Nov 12-14), and the cat has an eye infection. No time for jet lag!

In the Pink

2010-10-09T08:49:00.001-07:00

SOLD

11 x 14" oil on canvas
A somewhat deceptive title. I've been out of it for a few weeks and seem to have lost my enthusiasm for the images I thought I wanted to paint, once I had the time. Finally had to force myself to do something--anything. So I'm somewhat back in the saddle, if not yet quite in the groove. The color of this cute little deco cream pitcher called out to me at an antique shop in Tahoe City last week. I may take another shot at it in different surroundings.

Deja Vu

2010-09-23T16:25:00.001-07:00

Dickens 8 x 8" oil on canvas
Before art school, before college, before time began, I did horse and pet portraits in charcoal--about 10/month for a couple of months, before completely burning out. Although I can hardly believe I could be doing them again, it reportedly is a popular offering at the Auburn gallery where I'm showing. So this afternoon I painted my bratty but adorable British Shorthair, Dickens. and will throw it into the mix at our opening tomorrow night. For reference I combined a couple of shots I had in my camera, neither of which was quite what I wanted on its own (see below). I think it worked out OK. This is really "him" (it helped that I know him so well.) Id'n he cute?

Back to work

2010-09-21T18:00:00.000-07:00

11 x 14" oil on canvas, 3-hour session
Back in Don Hatfield's class, after a two-week hiatus. None of the master's strokes on this one--it's all mine. Today all he told me was to work on the shirt (which I did), and that I seemed to do better when he leaves me alone. I hope that doesn't mean he's giving up on me.

Looking forward to the Ordaz Gallery grand opening reception on Friday night. Frank says everal of my pieces have generated some interest today, so I'm hopeful of a sale or two. I have ideas for a few more rock paintings, and the realism seems to be what sells, so I guess I'll continue to bounce between the two styles.

Appearances Are Deceiving

2010-09-13T08:38:00.000-07:00

SOLD

Appearances are Deceiving: Rock, Paper, Scissors, 10 x 10" Acrylic and Oil on Canvas
In the game, paper covers rock, and scissors cut paper. But in reality, long after the paper disintegrates and the scissors rust, the stone endures.

I am not abandoning the rigor of more impressionistic painting, but I have a number of ideas that do not seem to lend themselves to that style. OK, maybe they're small ideas, and maybe I'm temporarily backsliding, making merely (that dirty word) illustrations. But at the moment I'm doing well to function at all. So for the time being, this blog is like a box of chocolates--you never know what you'll get.

Motivation

2010-09-11T08:52:00.001-07:00

Postcard for upcoming gallery opening
Despite being completely dispirited by the recent departure of my only kid, I feel obliged to do some new pieces in time for Frank's gallery opening--within the next two weeks. Since the market in Auburn seems to favor realism, I'm reverting temporarily and working on a couple of ideas that seem more suitable for that style.

I have not forgotten what day it is. Twin Towers Sunset

The best laid plans: explaining my absence

2010-09-03T18:47:00.000-07:00

I thought I would be painting up a storm about now, but once again, "life" has intervened. Here's the short version. My son is transferring to a university about 45 minutes away for his junior year. After a week of preparation and packing, complicated by some fairly serious personal difficulties with him, we loaded up a truck and two carloads of his belongings this morning to take to his long-anticipated first apartment. We arrived to find the place so filthy it was uninhabitable. The reason is too long a story. I cleaned a small section of the floor well enough to pile a couple of the largest items, contacted the management office, and brought the disappointed, surly kid home along with everything else. Due to the holiday weekend, professional cleaning will not be completed until Tuesday. So I will have to miss Don's class that day to again move furniture and boxes--and return to the apartment Wednesday with a few remaining items and to help set it up. ****!!! (Insert your favorite expletive.) OH. WELL.

Plum Bowl

2010-08-19T19:55:00.000-07:00

SOLD

11 x 14" oil on canvas
I'm doing a presentation tomorrow that involves some sort of demonstration, so I guess this was practice. Also, everything decent I've ever done is at the gallery, so I have nothing to show. If I can do this in 4 hours or so, maybe I can paint a single apple in one. Anyway, for some reason the family likes this painting. But what do they know? I think the DH likes it because everything is from his garden. I admit I am much happier doing still life than figures--even though Hatfield says it's "all the same "

Global Hawk at Beale

2010-08-15T14:50:00.000-07:00

28 x 15" oil on canvas
The final stretch was like pulling teeth, but my Air Force painting is finally done. (Yay!)

The RQ-4 "Global Hawk" is an unarmed, unmanned, remotely controlled, high-altitude, long endurance reconnaissance aircraft that can reach anywhere in the world within 24 hours. In addition to it's role in military surveillance, the Global Hawk is used to gather information in situations such as the Haitian earthquake and California wildfires. But I rather liked the wood lettering on the conference room ceiling at Beale: "In God we trust; all others we monitor."

In even-numbered years, civilian artists who donate paintings are flown to a formal dedication banquet attended by the Secretary of the Air Force and other dignitaries. Past events have been at Andrews or Bolling AF bases in Washington, DC. This year's event will be held at the Air Force Museum in Dayton, OH, where we will have a behind-the-scenes tour. I donated another painting four years ago; but, after making all the arrangements, we were unable to attend because my son was too ill; so this will be my first banquet.

Auburn Gallery Redux

2010-08-11T16:08:00.001-07:00

It's amazing how much effort it takes to hang 10 little paintings. I was in Auburn today for the third time this week, to change out a couple of pieces, rearrange, and add three new frames. So this is it for now. That handsome fellow is Frank Ordaz (of On Being Frank), gallery owner and artist/illustrator extraordinaire. He's in the photo for human interest, because I was too much of a wreck to let him take my picture today. I'll be debuting tomorrow night during the Auburn Art Walk. If you're in the area, come on up--we'll have food and drink. The West Coast Pastel Show is also in town.

Slippery Slope

2010-08-10T18:13:00.001-07:00

11 x 14" o/c, 2.5 hrs.
.....In this case the title refers to my surface rather than the subject. I gave a commercially prepared canvas three coats of gesso and unexpectedly ended up, once again, with a surface much too slick for my liking--so the paint slid around and felt like Vaseline. Oh well. It made for some extra floundering, but didn't totally defeat me as it has in the past. But never again.
.....Today Don's primary input was getting the really hot colors into the light areas. Otherwise, it's pretty much mine. He painted his own canvas a bit in class today. When I complained about my surface, he almost totally derailed me by trying to get me to work on his painting for a few minutes. I tried, but was completely paralyzed--felt as if anything I did would be desecration.
.

Tête á Tête

2010-08-07T16:02:00.001-07:00

4" x 6" oil on linen panel
At the moment, each of these paintings goes through a stage at which I think, "WHAT am I doing??" At that point, I just have to plow forward and hope for the best. Eventually I seem to beat them into some sort of submission. But whether I succeed or fail, I still find the roughness more satisfying than "licking" them down to a rendered finish. This one seems a little dark; but a black frame and bright light perk it up significantly.

Melon and Roses

2010-08-05T19:55:00.001-07:00

SOLD

10 x 10" o/c
I still have to finish the last little corner of the Air Force piece, but needed a longer break from what essentially feels like one more tight illustration assignment. This one has some freedom, but other than that, objectivity escapes me. I have no idea whether it has any redeeming qualities or is just a mess. I think working under Don's tutelage deludes me into thinking that I'm improving. Doing it alone at home is a whole different ballgame.

Addendum: I went to the "Birth of Impressionism" show (paintings from the Musee d'Orsee) in San Francisco yesterday with friends Patris and Suzanne D'Arcy. Suzanne gave me some good comments: the leaf obscuring the opening of the vase creates too much of a tangent--hard to tell whether it's a leaf or a badly drawn opening. The edge where red meets the green in the background is also a little too much in line with the top of the melon and shoulders of the vase. The light behind the dark side of the vase is too bright. The red/green balance is almost 50/50--predominant colors should be closer to a one-third/two-thirds proportion (something I had never heard.) She also guessed the vase was brass, and therefore a little too red. But actually it's copper, so I think it's OK. With the exception of the color balance, I can adjust the rest. Overall they approved, so I'm happy.

Not essentially mine

2010-08-03T18:31:00.000-07:00

14 x 14" o/c
I have mixed feelings about posting today's workshop piece, since I can't claim anywhere near complete authorship. Don (Hatfield) gave me some major direction in starting; near the end of the session, I had redrawn and pretty much painted over everything he had done and was feeling not too bad about it; but in the last 15 minutes he pretty much went over everything again, to change colors and improve transition areas. So I guess it's a "collaborative" effort, undoubtedly a lot better than anything I would have painted on my own (though he didn't seem totally happy with what he had done, either.) I was actually hoping to stay with still life, but we're back to figure. Oh well. I am getting better at covering the canvas and establishing the major values sooner in the process, and the model was great; so I'm a little more confident of continuing to learn using the figure instead. And it's still so dang much fun.

S-l-o-w-l-y I turn . . .

2010-07-31T19:45:00.001-07:00

15 x 28 o/c Global Hawk at Beale, in progress (click to enlarge)
I'm really futzing along on this, not sure why the resistance. Here's an awful thought: what if painting at times becomes as much of a chore as illustration? I guess that's why they call it "work," even if it's self-generated. This is somewhere inbetween--part painting, part illustration. I'm trying to make the background slightly looser, the plane more detailed. Hence my top-to-bottom approach: I can't rest my hand to paint the plane details if the canvas is wet all around it. The problem with doing it this way, of course, is that I can't judge the values as accurately as if I were working all over the painting at once. Upon resuming today, I realized I had the buttes in the background far too dark and contrasty to look distant enough and allow the plane to be the focal point (revealing what is of more interest to me personally). So I knocked them back a little and may have to adjust other values once everything is in.

This is the plane the Air Force wanted painted, but I have another image from the trip that is more to my liking--the U-2 pilot suiting up; so I may attempt another one on based on that when this is finished. The deadline is the end of August. Painting workshops with Don resume next week, so between the two I should have plenty of material in the coming month.

Archaic Media

2010-07-29T07:22:00.001-07:00

Yogurt label art

Three of seven preliminary sketches
For years, by which I mean decades, I have dreamed of throwing my airbrush as far as possible, going and getting it and throwing it again. I detest everything about the mechanics of airbrushing. Although the airbrush has been almost entirely supplanted by digital art (which I will never do), I still get the occasional call for something that requires me to use it. Not that, as previously mentioned, I am not entirely grateful for the income--especially since my spouse, a self-described "patron of the arts" (a half-joke that used to annoy me but doesn't anymore because it's true) is subject to the selectively applied furloughs re-instituted yesterday in California.

Now, hopefully, there won't be any revisions, and I can get back to doing and posting some paintings. I like Stapleton Kearns' recent post about calling ourselves "painters" rather than "artists", which always felt a little hubris-tic.

Procrastination and Fear of Starting

2010-07-27T18:34:00.000-07:00

15 x 28" oil on canvas
You know the feeling: you stare at a big, empty canvas, you have an idea, but instead of starting, you putter around, check your email, tidy up the studio, get some coffee, rearrange your reference and supplies, do a load of laundry, check email again, read some blogs, drink more coffee, realize you need to shop for dinner or buy supplies or find another piece of reference … etc. Why? Maybe you have a grand idea and fear messing it up, or maybe you're afraid your composition is weak to begin with. Either way you realize that the process is going to involve a lot of struggle. Or maybe you don't do this at all; maybe it's only me.

In any event this is the start of my Air Force painting of the Global Hawk at Beale AFB. I would have preferred to post a finished piece, but naturally now that I've finally gotten started, I have to stop work and do a little illustration job. Oh well-- things are rarely a straight line.

"Stock, Hydrangeas and Black Apricots"--work in progress

2010-07-14T21:23:00.000-07:00

14 x 14" oil on canvas
Tonight I did the rough lay-in of one I actually (hopefully) intend to finish. As usual when paint is wet and I photograph instead of scan, there's a little glare, and colors are only semi-accurate. I got the little copper vase on eBay and the black apricots at Costco, thinking of eating, not painting them. They are super-sweet and actually taste more like the plums I'm sure are a component of their genetic make-up; but they also have a fine coating of fuzz that gives the edges and highlights a soft bluish cast. Hoping my flowers will hold up for one more day--stock likes cold weather and is already wilting. If not, I will work from a photo I took before beginning. Trying to get back in the groove after a few days distractions: sketches for a small label job, grocery shopping, laundry, taking my son for surgery on an unhealed broken toe, catching another of his colds. You know--standard "life" stuff.

"Berry 'n Cream"

2010-07-08T07:17:00.000-07:00

8" x 10" oil on canvas
.....Right about now, with each painting, I still have to resist adding the disclaimer, "this is not how I really paint"--and redeeming myself with a tight little rendering. I am tending to like each new piece a little more than the last, so I hope that means I am progressing and that this is leading somewhere--though I'm thinking this one probably got tighter than Don would have approved. I really like his latest post about not drawing. Even though that's not easy for me, I love the concept.
.....Painting a little finished piece almost every day is also tough! (and I've only done three). Gives me even more respect for those daily painters who have kept it up for a year or more. Maybe it gets easier with time? Yeah, right.

"Entwined"

2010-07-05T12:43:00.000-07:00

N/A

5" x 7" o/c
.....I decided to give this one to a friend I'm seeing tonight. She's the best designer I know and favors contemporary, mostly abstract work for herself. But she's also a majorly gourmet cook, and this is really small, so I hope she'll like it.
.....We're going out with her and her husband tonight to see Jesse Cook, one of my favorite performers (and not bad on the eyes).

"The Eyes Have It "

2010-07-04T17:15:00.001-07:00

10 x 10" oil on canvas
.....Freedom! I feel like Shel Silverstein's "Melinda May":
"... And in eighty-nine years she ate that whale
Because she said she would!"
.....Though at times I almost despaired, I finally finished my seemingly interminable, historic/cultural alphabet book illustrations. Took four days to decompress, clean my house and studio, and reconfigure my work space for painting. I made a PVC pipe frame for still life set-ups, bought lighting and fabric, got my French Mistress (palette box) lined with glass, and started a collection of props. First up: this cute little pale gray vase I got for $.50 at the thrift shop and some black-eyed Susan's from our yard. Although another small job may be on the way, I am so excited to have some extended time ahead to paint. I'll be muddling through on my own--in my "new" more impressionistic style--until August, when Don's workshops resume.
.....Here is what 29 separate book illustrations look like all together.

The Ripple Project--a chance to help

2010-07-01T08:36:00.001-07:00

.....Last month illustrator Kelly Light started "Ripples," a blog selling small artworks donated by artists to support wildlife cleanup groups in the Gulf of Mexico. 100% of the proceeds go to small not-for-profit groups working around the clock to save oil coated animals. Her project was an instant success: to date she has sent $6,000 in donations from buyers who paid only $10 each for the first several hundred pieces. It takes three bottles of Dawn--about $10 worth--to clean one pelican.
.. During July Kelly's blog will offer pieces by published illustrators, some well-known and some not-so-well-known (such as moi) for $50 each. My donation above is 5.25" x 5.25", matted to 10" x 10", acrylic on watercolor paper. It was used on the back cover of a book I illustrated, a copy of which will be included with the art. I thought it was reminiscent of the familiar starfish story: we can't save all the animals--but we can save this one ... and this one ... and this one ...
.....New work is posted on Ripples frequently; I will post a notice here as soon as I know when mine will be offered. Meantime, if you are an artist you might consider sending a tiny painting.