Another Artist's Date

Every once in a while I'm pulled out of my everyday routine to go on a day of inspiration. Usually I'm not the one who plans these outings. My daughter does. Last Friday was one of those days. Jessica has an internship at the School of the Art Institute. She's almost done with her Master of Library Science degree and has a curatorial project on display. So, of course I needed to see it! While walking around the streets of Chicago, we came across the newly restored iron grillwork of Louis Sullivan. Seeing this masterpiece up close made my jaw drop.

Even though I don't like the traffic in Chicago, it's worth the trip because there are cultural surprises at every turn. And I come away from these artist's dates with a feeling that my inspiration well has been filled. Of course we needed to have a very sophisticated lunch at Atwoods. My daughter picked the place. After all, moms always pay the bill!

Moonshine

Moonshine

16x20

Oil on Linen

This painting is another departure from my usual warm skies. I'm not sure about the lack of drama. There is just something about warm, glowing skies. This sky is actually blue-green although on my monitor it shows up as blue.

But Mother Nature gives us time to rest and reflect. If we had dramatic beauty all of the time, we would never have time to rejuvenate. So here's my sleepy time painting.

Memory of the Day

Memory of the Day

16x20

Oil on Linen

My husband and I have an evening ritual. We sit in our living room facing the western sky with a glass of wine and watch the sun go down. Some nights there is brilliance and drama in the sky. Other nights, the sun is obscured by cloud patterns. But no two skies are ever alike.

I incorporated this sky into the composition from a different painting. I just had to try and record what I really saw. Nature is never stingy. She is always a source of inspiration. Anyway, sky watching is always cheap entertainment.

Edge of Day

Edge of Day

Oil on Linen

20x16

This is a larger painting I did from my smaller study that I showed two weeks ago here. I've found that it's almost impossible to do a painting exactly like another. There are always variables such as my mood, weather and what music I'm listening to that day. I think of each painting as "what was happening at that time".

A wonderful blogger, Catherine Jeffrey asked what kind of music I listen to. If you haven't had a chance to check out her blog, you're in for a treat. I swear I can hear what's going on in her paintings. Anyway, that got me to thinking that I'm all over the place when listening to painting music. Rock, alternative, classical, country, new age. It goes on and on. Lately, I've become addicted to Josh Groban. I resisted listening to him for years and now love his voice. I try to start out each painting with a little Josh.

What kind of music inspires you when you paint? I would love to know!

Moment in Time

Moment in Time

8x10

Oil on Linen

Last night my husband and I went to the symphony. I love classical music, so we usually go about once a year. There was a solo violinist who was so amazing. He knocked everyone's socks off. He was only seventeen years old, but had the talent of someone much older.

So this got me to thinking, ... are there some people who are just born with talent? What made this young man light years ahead of the rest?

I think some people discover their artistic voice very young in life and soar with it. Some people live in the moment. So I decided to call this small painting Moment in Time, in honor of that inspiring young violinist.

Contemplation

Contemplation

10x8

Oil on Linen

I haven't posted anything for a week and a half. That's because I've been working on four paintings at once and I'm still not done with the other three (but I'm close). As I've said many times before, the tonalist process takes time because of the many layers that need drying before another is applied. But that's okay. Because it's like a meditation for me.

My husband made an observation about my painting last night. He saw an artist on TV who painted a big painting in under an hour. He wasn't trying to be critical, but couldn't understand why I sit and stare and paint for hours on end. What the outside observer doesn't understand is that's when I'm in the zone. With the music cranked up in my own little world, I'm completely happy.

Art is contemplation. It is the pleasure of the mind which searches into nature and which there divines the spirit of which nature herself is animated.

- Auguste Rodin

Ha, now there's a guy who gets it.

Living in a 1924 Sears House

Since I have several underpaintings started right now, I have nothing of interest to post. Maybe some other time, I'll show my entire painting process. But for right now I thought I would share where I paint from everyday. I've shown my indoor studio before. So here is the outside. We live in a 1924 Sears bungalow. It's the Crescent model and we still have the original blueprints. Since we are only the fourth owners, we're lucky that people always left the plans.

Mr. Swanson built this house along with his brother in 1924. Some of our neighbors knew him from when they moved into the neighborhood in the 1960's. They say that he would put a smoke lamp in the window at cocktail hour. That meant everyone was invited over for one hour to imbibe before dinner. Mr. Swanson died in the front bedroom in 1970. The mailman noticed mail piling up.

But there are no ghosts here, only feelings of warmth. My guests never want to leave!

The coal chute

Original birdbath

Unfinished porch. Maybe in the spring (ha)

The sunroom. Where I paint.

Original pumps behind the garage. Yes, they still work!