Hidden Falls

Hidden Falls 

9x12

There are some places in my memory that are so much a part of me, that I feel the need to express them in my painting.  This place is one of them.  A few years ago my husband and I were visiting the Bayfield, Wisconsin area.  Since I'm always on the lookout for scenic photography as reference, we asked the locals where we could find some waterfalls.

That day we took a drive to a little town called Cornicopia.  People were so friendly and helpful.  They told us about a waterfall hidden in the forest about five miles in.  The only way to get there was to hike on the ATV trails.  No problem, right?  Well, we hiked back there and were rewarded by a beautiful, pristine waterfall.  I got lots of beautiful shots of the waterfall and river.  It was indeed worth the ten mile hike that day.  Except for the deer ticks! 

Awards, Yay!

I received two awards recently.  I don't know how I got so lucky, but I'm extremely honored and humbled to be the recipient.  There are so many wonderful artists on the internet. Most of the artists I've come across are extremely passionate about their work.  And most go out of their way to give advice and be helpful.  Some artists actually give part of their proceeds to good causes.  I could go on and on.  The bottom line is that I've never met an artist blogger I didn't like.  

The Lemonade Award is for artists who show a positive attitude and gratitude.  I received this award from Kathleen Krucoff about a week ago.  She's an amazing glass artist, so you need to check out her blog to see for yourself.
A Passion for Painting Award speaks for itself.  I received this award from Trish Siegel.  Her work is beautiful and she's obviously a very passionate artist.  

I'm in the position, now, to award other artists with these coveted awards.  I've made lists of those who I think go above and beyond in the art world.  But deep down inside, I think we all deserve a part of these awards.  The fact that so many of you have blogs and/or websites speaks volumes for your passion, devotion and positive attitudes.  So I'm devoting these awards to all artists on the internet.  This may be unorthodox, but I guess, so am I!

Glazes

Strolling Along

5x7

You may recognize the above composition from a painting I posted two weeks ago.  In this little painting I used the transparent process using very bright, warm colors.  It didn't start out that way.  

Using the glazing process requires that the painting is completely dry before applying another layer of color.  That's the hard part for me.  Waiting for the paints to dry.  Sometimes it only takes a day.  Other times, depending how thick the underlayers are, it may take up to three days.  The beauty of this process is that the viewer can see two vibrating colors at one time.  Glazing a thin layer of say, orange, over an underlayer of blue gives a particular glow.  That's why I'm moving away from the alla prima process to this painstakingly, long process.  I love the results.  Too bad I'm not a patient person!

Okay, now I have a confession to make.  (It's so embarrassing)  I don't know how to upload, or copy and paste (whatever) two badges I've received lately.  My twentysomethings are in and out of the house like whirlwinds, so I forgot to ask them how to do it.  I was very honored to receive a Lemonade award from Kathleen Krucoff and a Passion for Painting award from Trish Siegel.  I don't want to seem like an ingrate, so can anyone give me some tech advice?   I'm such a right brainer.  No wonder I have bad technology days.

Editing

Posies

24x30

This is a painting I did in oil about a year ago.  I haven't done a lot of flower paintings because usually I get so caught up in the details, that I'm not happy with them.  But in this painting, I painted just the very basics.  I admire other artists who are able to capture the subtle nuances of flowers.  I'm just not one of them.  

It's that way with my other work too.  In landscape art, if I start recording too much, I feel the painting isn't me for some reason.  I prefer the distilled version.  I enjoy capturing the vague impression of the landscape.  To me, this feels real - authentic.

It's taken a lot of time and tons of paint to come up with this final analysis of my work.  I've only come to this conclusion because now I can look back more objectively.  Painting the very essence of a still life or landscape requires more thought for me because it requires more editing and planning.

On a different note, I'm thrilled to have received a Lemonade Award from Kathleen Krucoff.  She's an amazing glass artist and if you haven't checked out her blog yet, you're in for a treat.  The only problem I'm having is downloading the badge (a requirement) onto my site.  So I'll have to wait for one of my twenty-somethings to help me!

    

Finding One's Authentic Voice

Strolling Along

9x12

 My work is about to take a detour.  I've always been in search of my true voice and it's been a long, winding path.  Trying to get in touch with one's authentic artist voice is a push and pull of learning from others and listening to oneself.  Sometimes the listening to oneself is the most difficult.  

Being objective and critical of one's work takes some distance and time.  It's a matter of knowing what works and what doesn't .  When it doesn't, I feel it's a waste of time and energy.  But in fact, all those "mistakes" are how I've learned.  And all those "mistakes" have shown me where I want to go.  

I'll be talking more about where I want to go in future posts.  In the meantime, I'm taking an on-line course with Deborah Paris.  She's a gifted artist and an amazing teacher.  She knows how to pare down compositions and paint in a truly luminous style.  I'm learning so much from taking this class.  But  I don't want my work to look exactly like hers (which is beautiful and unique).  I want my work to look like mine.   

Studio Move

Basement Studio

I thought everyone might enjoy seeing my studio, since I LOVE seeing other artist's studios.  It's better than looking at a decorator magazine to me.  I just find it fascinating to see how other artists work.  The above photo is my basement studio.  I no longer work here, just mostly store stuff, i.e., canvases, completed paintings, paintings waiting to dry, extra paint, etc.  I also wash my brushes in a small sink down here.  But I won't show that.  It's too messy.

This room used to be kind of a family room at one time.  We live in a cottage/bungalow type house built in 1924.  It's a Sears home.  At one time the kids watched TV down here.  There was even a fish aquarium.  When my kids went off to college, I claimed the space for my studio.  My husband installed spotlights, speakers for the stereo and various other things for me.  It's a great space and has everything I need.  Except natural light.

So I moved my french easel upstairs.  I thought I would just try it.  It was meant to be a temporary thing.  That was a year ago and I'm still upstairs in my light-filled little sunroom.  It's much smaller, but I find it so much more enjoyable.  

My Current Studio

It's also closer to the kitchen for my many refills of instant coffee.

Last Light, Low Light

Last Light

16x20

This painting has been on and off my easel for the last two weeks.  Every time I think I'm done with it, I change my mind.  I actually signed it yesterday.  I think I just wanted to stop the questioning.  

The odd thing about this painting is that it looks good from a distance.  But if I stand close to it and really observe all the details, the doubts come flooding in.  One evening I was talking about this painting with my husband.  I usually talk to him about things like this when I simply can't gain perspective.  It's amazing what he comes up with from his non-artistic background.  He said, "It should be hung in a place where there's low light".  

I think he's right.  Shouldn't the lighting be taken into consideration when hanging certain paintings?