Happy New Year! I am off to a good start so far, continuing my commitment to paint while getting used to the new job responsibilities. I think of the painting as a way for me to keep a balance of family, work, and self enrichment, and I am really enjoying the process of it all. This year, I will finally get a drop ceiling with proper lighting in my cubby, which may not improve the technique, but make it a nicer place to hang out! Tis project will also mean a good "cleaning out" of supplies and organizing. I spent yesterday sorting out some older supplies from my "pre Daniel Smith" days. I took these good, student grade materials to my nieces and nephews, and we had a blast painting and drawing. I 'm not sure who enjoyed it more--them or me! They are a very talented group of students, and each one has an eye for something different. I will post some of their work here soon. Happy Painting :)
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This painting is coming along quickly! I've had this photo of my niece for several years and finally decided to "get in the Spirit" to paint it. She is a very special person, and I can't help wondering what she whispered! Now that I've started, I am excited to finish, so I keep going back adding layers over the past few days. I guess this is my way of "extending the Holiday" , and I am enjoying the process. I've done the underpainting in warm New Gamboge, but the background will end up very dark, greyish blue (I HOPE!)
I have had a FABULOUS year, and I can't begin to count the many blessings I've been given. I feel very thankful and blessed, and I wish everyone GRACE, HOPE, and PEACE throughout the coming year. Happy New Year, I'm going to continue last year's commitment to keep painting! Multitasking and managing many responsibilities at once is a valuable skill to develop. HOWEVER, (you knew that was coming!) There is also value in the ability to prioritize and focus on the most critical elements of what you are trying to accomplish. For instance, My goal for this year was to do something creative each day, increase my productivity, and develop skill in an area outside my comfort zone of character portraits.
I have to say I believe I have accomplished these three things. My recent change at work has taken more time from my art work, so I had to "get creative" with the time I have to spend with art. So, while the time frame between the website updates has increased, the actual work in my cubby has increased by doing smaller still life projects in between the larger paintings. I used my small amount of time more productively, and the benefit was developing my skill at still life. One project in particular is a square sheet of 300lb Arches Paper that I divided into four sections (about 9in. square each) I drew four separate arrangements, then proceeded to do a layer on each one, rotating the sheet as I moved from piece to piece. This kept me moving and helped me to focus on the technique rather than any one finished painting. Not only did I get a lot of practice time in, but I will have 4 paintings complete when finished! (a record for me). Lesson Learned: Focus on a few most important projects when time is short, and you will get more quality for your efforts! Remember to make time during this busy time of year to feed your soul and nurture your creative spirit. Happy Holidays, and make time to paint! :) This is the scary stage when all the colors are wet and blotchy, but if you notice how light her hands look, you will see how light her face will dry. this helps to get all those colors that are underneath her skin. (I've taken to staring at folks with lots of colors and textures in their skin, and am trying to reproduce that.) As I did with "The Student", I am trying to have the light reflect from the quilt to her face. Soooo. while the wash (watercolor) is drying on "The Quilter", I am doing wash (for real) and working on some small still life paintings. I like to have two or three going with the same theme (fruit) so I can do a small area and move on to the next while the others dry. This makes the most of the time I have to paint, and keeps me in the right mindset. If I go out to the kitchen or (yikes!) run the vacuum, I get out of the "flow" and sometimes don't get back to painting until the next week. This way I get more done in a small amount of time. I find I also relax and enjoy it more, because I am not interrupting my process, just working on a different sheet of paper. HAVE A GREAT WEEK, HAPPY PAINTING! :) After turning the clocks back, I decided to make the most of my "extra" hour by getting back into my daily habit of painting. I got "The Quilter" transferred to the Watercolor paper while the paint dried on these small still life paintings. The advantage of working small paintings is that you can work on several at a time, and always have something to work on "while paint dries". I also decided on my Christmas Card, with the help of my husband. We are doing something a little different this year, simply because it made us laugh.... hope you all will enjoy it too! :) Sometimes inspiration for a painting comes from hearing a word or idea. I have been mulling over the "idea" of a quilting painting, but was unsure where to go with it. Recently, Molly Halstead, Tamarack Gallery manager, announced a theme for an upcoming gallery exhibit, titled "Warmth". I began to think of all the different meanings of the word: a warm smile, warm food, sunshine, and finally settled on the quilting painting. In developing the concept, I used my notebook to write down what I wanted to express with the painting. For instance, the quilt itself can be warm, and certainly feels wonderful on a cool Autumn evening, or in the Summer when it comes fresh from the clothesline to wrap a chilly swimmer. Of course, the real warmth from a quilt comes from the hands that create these wonderful covers, and I settled on my final idea. "The Quilter" will be similar to "The Student" in style, with the soft wrinkles of the fabric repeated in her skin. I am using a reference for the thread in the background from J. Anderson, titled "Big Sisters" from the Southern Watercolor Society, and loosely interpreting Mary Whyte's "Lovers" when creating the skin and quilting wrinkles. I use tracing paper the size of my WC sheet to do the preliminary sketching (and erasing!). Right now, I think her nose is a little big, so I will try several versions before transferring to my WC sheet. I'll keep you posted on my progress! :) Having fun and making a difference!
It is hard to believe it is the middle of October! I have several large paintings lined up, but have been busy with my "real world" job. To keep on track with my art and de-stress, I have been doing small still life fruit studies. I have managed to complete about 10 of these so far this year, donating 6 of them to League for Service Silent Auction. My most recent "smalls" are pen & ink with watercolor, fruit with cut glass. I love the way the colors reflect in the glass, and it leaves a little room in an otherwise tight drawing to let the colors flow randomly. This one is going to the League for Service Women of Enduring Spirit luncheon. If you look closely, the League Logo is reflected in the glass. This represents the abundance of generosity and Community Spirit exhibited by the women of the Clarksburg League for Service that has Prints will be used as part of the centerpieces. It is good to see the fall colors "peeping", and I can't wait to try a landscape again! Have fun, and keep painting! :) Wow! Last night the Clarksburg League for Service Auction was a grand success, raising money for the Amy's Attic project serving need folks of the community. This years event featured the art of the WVwatercolorSociety, along with other Items in a silent auction. My contribution was six small still life paintings that were set up in a Chinese auction. There were many bidders who put tickets into the jars by my paintings who stopped me during the evening to say they were hoping to get one of them. Those folks are always so complimentary! I got several compliments from members of the WVWS who attended who hadn't seen my recent projects. They commented on the techniques I am using and I told them the auction paintings "made" me work to get finished. The best way to improve is to practice, so THANK YOU to the Clarksburg League for Service for challenging me to be a better painter! The next project for the League is to create a 2014 calendar featuring the artwork from the artists of WVWS. All proceeds from this calendar will benefit Amy's Attic. I've already ordered two, and plan to get more once they are printed, to give as gifts. My painting for the calendar will be "Mimi's Beans" See any League or WVWS member to order yours! This Summer, I am involved in several projects around my community. The main one is the Clarksburg League for Service Charity Auction that will be held at Pete Dye Golf Club on August 3rd. We have coordinated with the West Virginia Watercolor Society to present over 50 pieces of artwork for "an Evening in Florence", featuring a live auction, silent auction with gift baskets, artist demos, dinner, and live music. My contribution will be several small still life original paintings set up Chinese Auction style. The image to the left is the artwork I was asked to create for the Clarksburg Farmer's Market logo. Opening at 8am on Saturdays through the Summer months in downtown Clarksburg, the Market features fresh produce, plants, hand made soap, and preserves. I took feedback from the members of the market, and designed a logo they will use for publicity. I enjoyed meeting these folks, and A good rainy day to finish up details. I wanted to finish in time to send this for the Juried Show at the Randolph County Community Art Center Gala. I'm really pleased with the light on his face, and am going to look around for some photo subjects with similar lighting to work on this effect. I hope my Dad likes the painting as much as he likes Popcorn! :) |
AuthorI think it is important to share our process with others, just as we gain from watching other artists work. Archives
January 2024
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