Getting Empty

Change. Everything changes. Perhaps that is why so many of us go to such lengths to keep things “just as they always were”. I went into my studio and began to put large canvases back into their original plastic bags. I packed a few more boxes and did my last creative thing in this space: I set up some charts for the Guild to which I belong. It will not take long to empty the shelves, drawers and horizontal expanses. The delay is at the other end where we have “a lot of work to do”. In the meantime I can do some mourning. “Inspirations” has been a wonderful place in which to paint and share. I so enjoyed the freedom of the openness, the possibility of keeping things organized, the quiet corners in which to read, write and create in other ways. I loved the light. Even without the windows there was light. I loved the pegboard which made it easy to hang pictures in progress, paintings for sale, ideas in incubation. Now it is getting empty, no longer mine, less and less intimate. Time to move on. What has the change brought? Many gifts. I have often thought how much more convenient it would be to have all my stuff in one location. True the office is still in the house but everything else will be in the garage. I will no longer buy two of one item. I have a lifetime supply of full spectrum bulbs. Rent will be a thing of the past, the space will be mine for as long as I want it. It will be cozy, everything within easy reach. My students will enjoy sharing the area and seeing first hand my latest endeavours. We will inspire one another. So “Inspirations” will continue, inspired and inspiring.

Mary

Mary Before

Mary After

I did some painting this week! Mary is done. Maybe. As I was applying the isolation coat I noticed the blue in the hair. It may need just one more glaze of burnt sienna. I will think about it. Before I add the varnish. Martin was filling boxes and emptying others as I was doing the painting. Several recycling bags stood at the door. I had decided canning is not going to be part of my life anymore. One easy decision. As the shelves became more visible I took a break and rearranged things a little. Martin was wondering if progress had been made, after all, the horizontal spaces were just as full as they had been… I assured him that, yes indeed, progress had been made. I must admit there is some more decluttering in order, among the seashells. I love seashells. They are not so easy to let go. Perhaps a few rocks, leaves and vases could follow suit. I might run out of jars…. Hold on there. It is not as if we are going to stop eating. There will be other jars. Decluttering. What to keep? What to toss? What to send on? It feels so good once the decision has been made. There are other decisions in the offing as well. The new storage unit for large canvases will be built. Martin asked, “Where?” I pointed to the west side of the garage. He sighed, shook his head and said, “We have a lot of work to do.” I agree. We have a lot of work to do and this is Christmas week. So let us put some seating in the living room, plug in the tree and make merry. Have a wonderful Christmas everyone.  

My New Studio

The Garage

Today I went into my studio for the first time in a long time and packed up all the paints and liquids that could freeze. I am not sure if the heating will be cut off, I am not sure how bankruptcies and foreclosures work. There is a pile of boxes and pails ready to go sitting at the door. They are headed for the garage. I am so looking forward to keeping the rent! However, there is a small challenge with regard to space… So this is the before picture of our garage, my former teaching space. It will be totally revamped. I am thankful for all the shelving that is available. Emptying it is the first order of business. My wonderful husband is presently choosing boxes he would like to reduce and store elsewhere. Our garage was never a garage. We knew that when we built it. Our vehicles have never graced the threshold. The big double door is just for show. It has always been a space in which to create and share. It used to be that my painting would be put away when my students came. This time it might be that the teaching will take a back seat. In any case a major decluttering is in the offing. It is amazing how much stuff is accumulated over sixteen years. And the statue? Well, that is something else I do. The restoration is just about complete. Done before Christmas. Tomorrow and Thursday will be my last classes before this season’s celebrations as well. It is all in the plan. Tonight I will paint another wall or two before I put my head cold to bed. Who knows? We may even put up a tree.

A bump in the road.

Martin's Office Before

Martin's Office After

I began this morning by giving this entry a title. As it turns out there has been more than one bump in the road yesterday and today. At this point in time I wish I had several back up blogs. I do on occasion but I have used them all lately. Let us just say that recently life has been… interesting… a challenge… an adventure! I joyfully entered my studio yesterday morning and savoured the moment. It had been two weeks. I guess it would have not been quite that long if we were dealing solely with home renovations. Add a new renter for a new condo which needed painting and a daughter moving out of another…. Well, we managed to get things done for Sunday. Monday was glorious, delicious, until the phone call. Sometime during the afternoon I listened to the messages on the phone. One was from a lawyer. I do not often get messages from lawyers so I answered that one immediately. Not good news. I have approximately three weeks to relocate my studio. The business from which I was renting has gone into receivership and I cannot stay. I completely forgot my blog. I left the house to race around the city attending to other unforeseen matters my daughters had asked me to do when Sarah invited us to have dinner with her and we accepted. The evening passed so quickly and I fell into bed late that night. So this morning I sat down and wrote the title to my blog…. The phone rang. Had I forgotten about the medical appointment for which I had promised to be a taxi? Yes. I managed to get to Anna’s place in just over half an hour and she handed me the slip of paper with the doctor’s address on it… the other side of the city. One traffic jam later we were only ten minutes late. Dropping Anna off at work I stopped in to see Sarah; she had called in sick. I spent the major portion of the rest of the day with her, bought a few things and stopped at the studio before I came home. Four men were moving things out. Murals. They had been under the assumption that all had to be moved by tonight…. No. The end of the month maybe. I decided to go home. There is a limit to how much chaos I can handle in one day. I had reached it. And my home renovations? The floor is in. And there is one room done. Martin’s office.

Renovations

My living room

getting better

There is a certain joy in renewal. It is sometimes painful, like getting out of a crouch position after having been there too long, but the stretch and the freedom to move make up for the temporary distress. Renovations are renewing. I have made several tough choices lately. Every choice has a benefit and a price. For me, my choice to stay home and help with the renovations has cost me my studio time. The benefit is that the disruption will be done by Christmas and I will have a brand new house in which to celebrate. Another benefit is the realization that my attitude has transformed what could have been a very trying, unpleasant experience into fun. I especially enjoyed mixing the paint. I bought some mistints and poured them into a laundry tub in which I used to mix salads during my catering days… yes, I have done a lot of different things… I adjusted the colours with the bits of left over paint that were stored in the garage from other projects and added white. I was thankful that the mixing was completed before the new floor went down in the laundry. I got a new pair of shoes out of the mess I created, another benefit! At the moment I am sitting in the middle of my office at my overcrowded desk surrounded by empty walls waiting for some mud and a little paint. The floor is in. I can taste the beginning of the end…. And it is delicious. I am not sure what I will have for you next week; that depends upon the choices I make this week. I do know I will be enjoying the open, clean spaces of my new home!

Listening

40” x 30”

Mixed media

Canvas

This is the twenty-third in the ongoing series “The Many Faces of Eve”. Listening is a skill I am looking to revive. Largely lost in our busy world, listening requires an openness which precludes my own agenda and the responses upon which my defense and/or solutions insist. Just being. Just listening and allowing the other to solve his/her own problems or revel in the communion of attentive fellowship, that is my ambition. I had some unusual pieces of tissue paper. I had actually tried to control the outcome as I added the necessary colours. The results were far from what I had anticipated. I had set these unique pieces aside knowing there would be an opportunity to use them later. Later came along in the form of trees for “Listening”. Having installed the trees on the left I repeated the patterning on the right saving some strips for the hair. Using other pieces and colours I constructed the clothing leaving the rest for paint, graphite powder and watercolour pencil. This morning I noticed a visual error on the side of the painting. I do paint around the edge and perspective is not always accurate. In this case it was proportion that caused a problem. The ear was way too small. Of course no one can see the ear from the front so from this point of view everything looks fine… Well, out came the gesso and tomorrow my listener will have a new ear. And, although the appearance of listening is present, I wonder….

Alley Lace

Alley Lace
15" x 11"
Watercolour

It was a glorious holiday. I spent most of my time outside in the sunshine hidden behind sheds and in corners trying to be inconspicuous, out of the way, invisible. There is something compelling about happening upon an artist at her easel, staring at puddles and overhead wiring. What madness is this? Often people would stop to chat and take a look. Many would pretend they had not seen me, to maintain my illusion of invisibility, or to avoid connecting with someone from another dimension. Yes, all creativity has its roots and inspiration in another dimension. I visit often, would prefer to stay, however, practical considerations require my presence in this world. The first attempt at this delicate piece left an impression that an elephant had trampled through the wires or that some mud storm had passed through leaving streaks of heavy, inconsistent strands slicing the sky asunder. I enjoy drawing negative space. It is that bit that shows up between things. The holes as it were. I love drawing the holes. This method is usually the best and fastest way to a stunning composition and, in this case, the opportunity to play with colour. The watercolour pencil I use for drawing adds its own voice once water is introduced to the surface. I often choose complementary colours so that red peeks between the green branches, orange streaks the blue sky or yellow graces a purple grass. This time I chose an analogous colour. The darker blue against the paler blue/purple blends beautifully and makes green among the yellow leaves. Another ode to autumn, my favorite season.

Downstream

Downstream
60" x 30"
Mixed media
Canvas

I walked away dissatisfied with the last coat I put on. Grumbling to myself I went home to renovations. Perhaps renovations has a lot to do with the way I see things right now. It is all a matter of attitude. We have lived in this house for sixteen years. It (not us!) has accumulated dust, clutter and battle scars, an understandable eventuality after four children and two cats. That day, as I stepped through the door, I caught my breath. The sub-floor was showing, the bare bones exposed. I decided to work in the garage that afternoon. Again, as I opened the door later that same day, my breath escaped my lips, oooh, lovely! There is hope. Yes, we will have a brand new home soon. There is another advantage: we have an extraordinary opportunity to declutter. I love orderly, clean, open spaces. That is why I love being in my studio. Oh there are canvases all over and projects in every corner but everything is in order and there is room to move. A good thing. Four foot by six foot canvases need a lot of room…. Upon returning to my studio the next day I glanced at what I had done. The dark cloud I had left with the previous day had obviously interfered with my vision. I like that. So grabbing my pens, metallic for the psalm and felt for the poem, I put the finishing touches on Downstream, the second in the series “Rocks and Rivers”. The first one sold almost before I had it hung up at the show last weekend. Mmmm. I am satisfied.

Suncatcher

Suncatcher

8" x 8"

Mixed media

Canvas

I had long admired the sunflowers in my friend’s garden. There were dozens of them everywhere but especially snuggled up next to the fence both north and east. Faces of gold, burgundy and all variations in between turned to greet the sun. It was a particularly warm, sunny afternoon when I dropped in for a visit. Gertrude is an excellent listener. I had a distressing problem I wanted to air and we sat in the backyard under the sturdy spruce trees sipping something cool. The flowers waved their greeting and nodded in agreement every time I made a point. I love flowers. Just before I got up to go the offer came. Take some home. Yes. Lovely. I filled a five gallon bucket and we loaded it into the van. There were too many for just one bouquet. I arranged two vases and took one to the studio to set on the table just in front of the window. As I entered the store I was informed that they were not sunflowers but daisies. A lively discussion ensued on the benefits of having flowers brighten our day. Laughing we came to the conclusion that the daisies were just what we both needed. Happily I installed my still-life and another Tiny Treat was born. 

The Other Side

The Other Side
15" x 11"
Watercolour

The leaves were so brilliant, intense. I collected fist-fulls. Carefully I placed them in between sheets of wax paper and dumped a bunch of phone books on top. Someone told me they would turn brown. I refused to believe, after all, they had kept their colour before. Just in case, I worked another watercolour and took a bunch of pictures. I suspected I knew the truth. My intention is to use these lovely masterpieces in a collection of abstract paintings, another series just begun. In the meantime I enjoyed my cozy view of the very soggy landscape outside wondering if the boats moored and beached on the other side of the lake were used often. Once I was home I carefully unpacked my treasures and to my dismay the yellow had begun to disappear. The red and the multicolours remained, not quite a brilliant as before. I do have a solution however. Necessity is the mother of invention and yellow is really essential to my composition. Brown will do too, red, purple, green and anything in between. Yellow comes in an artificial form carefully shaped and coloured. Tissue paper leaves will peek out here and there accenting patterns and enhancing rhythms. Next year I will select a few bright yellow real ones and seal them in acrylic. Perhaps it is the air that disagrees with the longevity of hue. Like canning, the sooner the better.

Recycle

Recycle
15" x 11"
140lb watercolour paper

Martin and I had decided to take our chances on finding a place to stay as we pulled out of Montreal. A nice bed and breakfast would be good, not too far from Québec City where we had chosen to spend most of our time. About twenty kilometers out the B&Bs disappeared. A highway sign indicated that there was a campground nearby with some cabins. Why not? The chalet was exquisite with a large front window overlooking Lac St. Augustin. Lovely. The leaves glowed. I could spend the five days just here. We bought groceries and I set about the challenge of cooking without the usual abundance of pots and pans or ingredients. Did I mention? I love a challenge. Fun fun. Our first visit to Québec, many years ago, had involved four children and a very different camping routine. As we had walked past the cafes and bistros I had promised myself that we would return when we could enjoy them. It was raining the following day so we decided to stay and enjoy each other’s company in hopes the weather would improve. I set up my paints and began to draw the scenes out the window. The very next day we set out in the rain, exploring old Québec, revisiting the Artist Alley with time to stop and talk. I was thankful not to be manning a post there. It was cold. Occasionally I really wonder about my passion and what keeps us going as artists. We explored ruins, a café and ate some sandwiches under a leafy canopy. The rain did not abate. On the subsequent day during our trip to the Charlevoix region, fog set in with the rain. There is a grandiose viewpoint overlooking the St. Lawrence where we stopped to stretch our legs. I noticed that we could not see the parking lot below but the pictures on the wall were lovely. At Baie St. Paul we explored some galleries and decided to call it quits. I was anxious to get back to the paintings I had started. We spent most of our last day in the cabin painting and reading. A blessed repose. The sun came out and we went for a walk. I would finish my paintings in the morning….There is a lesson in this. Something about blooming where I am planted and filling each present moment with joy. Sometimes why I am an artist is no mystery at all.

Treasures

Treasures
5" x 7"
watercolour/ink
140lb watercolour paper

Jet lag. That is my excuse. So I woke up at 4am this morning and remembered my blog. Knowing that sleep was no longer possible I rose to the occasion. Yesterday I did manage to take pictures of the paintings I had done this last week. The only one I actually painted en plein air is this one. It rained most of the time but not this day. This day was perfect. The morning began with sunshine and laughter as good friends shared food for body and soul. It was about noon when breakfast moved into kayaking. I had never kayaked before. I had done some rowing so I was aware of the theory involved. Dropping my camera and my portable studio behind my seat I paddled out behind the leaders. I got wet. The sun shone, a light breeze  brushed through the splendid colours embracing the lake edge and over the water, pushing me around. The panorama was breath taking. New Hampshire in September. I had parked my paddle, allowing the will of the wisp to take me. Everything moved. I prefer quiet corners. We explored many quiet corners behind islands and in reedy lagoons. My first attempt at anchoring my kayak occurred in a reedy patch. Later I discovered my draft was not always small enough to clear the rocks and mud banks. It has to do with body weight and breakfast… or many breakfasts. We skirted the shore, my camera and I often pulling up the rear. Finally turning a point we found ourselves out of the wind, the five kayaks snuggled together as we savoured our experience and friendship. The entrance to the mouth of the creek was tricky, very shallow and crisscrossed with rocks and gravel banks. Where there is a will there is a way. I knew this is what I had been looking for. I parked my kayak on a rock, got out my paints and set to work. Carefully I placed my two little jam jars of water in the bilge, propping them up with my rain gear, selected some brushes and set to work. Eventually I noticed the abundance of flowing water around me. I laughed, rinsed my brush and finished the painting.

Close up

Close Up
14" x 11"
oil
linen board

Alberta weather. Yes. Dan Schultz was up from Colorado Springs to lead us through the workshop “Painting Figures en Plein Air” but it is September and the weather is rarely predictable in our neck of the woods. I wonder why it is called a “neck”. Well, we waited five minutes and the temperature changed, it dropped. The intermittent rain did not abate and the concensus was to retreat to the warm confines of our host’s studio. The model, Mia, was relieved as she looked through her apparel for a suitable outfit to accommodate an in-studio session of portrait painting. There was some grumbling, not enough to dampen spirits, and I looked forward to the challenge of portraiture because I had not painted one in some time. Dan suggested we limit our palette to the traditional selection of the old masters, red cadmium, yellow cadmium, black and white. Black had been a forbidden choice during my formative years. I did have a student grade tube in my collection as it had been a requirement for the workshop. Since I had never attempted this particular limitation I decided to follow along and see what happened. I had read that ivory black created a blue cast when used with these colours so I was anxious to find out what it could do. To my surprise and enjoyment the result was quite pleasing. I began to think ahead to the request made to me not long ago with regard to another workshop that I might lead in painting portraits for my St. Albert friends. This restriction to only four tubes of paint would make the process even easier. Delightful in fact. Another piece in the puzzle fell into place for this upcoming workshop when I shared my new knowledge with another emerging artist who came for consultation. Fat over lean. We applied the paint thinly with oil colour greatly diluted by thinner and then the pigment straight out of the tube on top. It did not work. The technique does not work well with student grade paints. Switching to artist grade colours we had no trouble adding a new layer over the first. Fun, fun, fun!

In the Field
14" x 11"
Oil
Linen board

It is getting late. I was waiting for a miracle today. The package I anticipate in the mail did not arrive. It will contain my camera. I remember clearly placing it on the windowsill knowing I would need it again. Well, I certainly need it. I forgot it at the workshop I attended in Cochrane with Dan Schultz. So I waited. I was going to use it for my blog today. The solution to the problem came to me just before supper tonight. I could use my husband’s camera! Yes! So I dashed off to my studio and snapped all the latest work, picked up the car from the garage, made supper, had a conference call and the ensuing discussion, photo shop and here I am, almost ready. “In the Field” is the fruit of the second day of the workshop “Painting the Figure in Landscape”. We actually got outside! Alberta weather. Well, that topic is for another day. The model froze and the rest of us were oblivious as we entered our creative zones. The sun came out briefly. I liked what it did with the shadow of the sweater. It was all about colour temperature. Warm sun, cool shadows. I painted quickly but not fast enough. A lot of it had to be done from memory especially in the grasses. The overcast completely changed the light so the shadow became warm and much lighter in contrast to the cool light down her back. This is when hair pulling enters the process. Fortunately I do not have much hair to pull! It does not help anyway. Dan is a patient and astute instructor. He kept reminding me that if I choose warm light I choose cool shadows. I like the result and it is time to go to bed. Good night.

Upstream

"Upstream"
60" x 30"
mixed media
canvas

Nothing like the last minute. The last minute seems to be expansive as all that I have left to be done seems to be miraculously accomplished. Like this blog…. I have started a new series. It is entitled “Wood and Water” a subject that could encompass a wide variety of landscapes. This particular painting is part of a threesome, not a triptych, but rather triplets from the same area of the woods. I do not visit the woods often enough.  There is something healing in the beauty and abundance of nature. My husband and I hiked past Angel Glacier at the beginning of the month. In order to get to Mount Edith Cavel we drove right past Miette Hot Springs which is the setting for the trio. I remember taking a dip in the pool and relaxing in the warmth of the water while the air we breathed threatened to freeze us before we dressed. That was several years ago. Inspiration incubates occasionally over many years. Maybe it waits for just the right media in order to express itself. I began, as usual, with many layers of colour covering the under painting, then, a little watercolour pencil and some graphite powder. Graphite powder leaves such an interesting texture on the surface, perfect for rocks and also a little shadowing among the trees. Tissue  paper creates the illusion of trees in shadow and sunlight. Some more layers of colour and basecoat and the water flows. This one may not be quite done yet. I still have some issues with the light in the distance. The poem and the psalm have been inscribed. It is close. Do I sign it or not….?

Lipstick and Lecture

Lipstick and Lecture
8" x 6"
Mixed media
Canvas

I just love my lipstick plant. I takes all kinds of abuse and. when I remember to water it, it blooms. Gorgeous red blooms. Red is my favorite colour. My wardrobe is red. My car should be red…Turning our attention to painting, I did not realize that I would be painting a series on my lipstick plant. There is another Tiny Treat coming up. At least it is in my mind. I may delay that project until another set of blooms burst forth. The present blossoms are fading. The sun has been hiding lately too. Plants need both sun and water it seems. In any case, this plant is loving its new location. I moved it out of direct sunlight so it would have a chance to drape down the side of the bookcase. I invented some red books so there would be repetition within the image. The contrast between the organic and the geometrical holds a spell. Like composing a symphony, the various notes coming together to create a new sound, I use two sets of complementary colours to create a mood. Red, of course, is accompanied by green and gold glows beside purple. Light is very important. In order to see the light we need a contrast of darker areas beside the brighter ones. The more contrast the more brilliant the light appears to be. Darkest dark against lightest light draws the eye. As does red. Red wins the day. Having drawn the original setting in poppy red watercolour pencil, red shows up here and  there accenting the rhythm. Music, light and paint; a miraculous combination.

Rhythms

"Rhythms"
14" x 18"
canvas
mixed media

Few of us realize the infinite possibilities in any one situation. We are limited by our own imaginations. Limits are formed as we grow up. As adults we either embrace these limitations or we shun them. To date I have decided not to plunge out of the side of a sky diving plane in an attempt to prove I am no longer afraid of heights. Instead I will take a brush loaded with powdered graphite and smear it all over the surface of my canvas, grind it in and extract the excess with some alcohol. No, not the kind I can drink. I then throw all manner of substance at the image in the excitement of forming something unusual in hopes that other people as well as myself can enjoy it. On this occasion there is an interesting, self-imposed restriction. The St. Albert Painters’ Guild decided it was time to perform an exercise that had been tried once before with fascinating results. We selected one photograph from many submissions and posted it for all the members so anyone who wished to take the challenge of interpreting the image could do so. The Guild boasts membership ranging from young to older (some of us never grow old!) exercising in every media imaginable. In any given show one will find abstracts to photo realism with everything in between. The fun part is discovering the possibilities. On the night of our opening we will see the gathering of an enthusiastic admiration society, comparing notes and exchanging comments on the mind boggling variety before their eyes. One image, infinite possibilities. Should you be in the neighbourhood on the 22^nd of October, drop in and join the fun. We love surprise visits.

Roots

Roots
60" x 40"
mixed media
300lb watercolour paper

It does not take long to bring things together. There are several “must do’s”. Usually one thing leads to another and suddenly it is done. As a rule of thumb repetition integrates the various elements within a piece. For instance, the laser copy transfer of my grandmother holding my cousin was all alone in technique. Transfers look like felt pen so a repeat performance was begging to be installed. Where? Where would I use more felt pen? The bark of the trees lent itself to texture. They required darkening to create more of a contrast between the background and the figures.  So beginning with an obscure, off-to-the-side branch I began to experiment with mark making. Little strokes, long strokes, curly strokes, cross-hatching.  Yes. A mixture was best. As I moved through the work I noticed some imbalance with value, corrected it, added the poem to repeat the rhythm of the leaves and … something was not quite correct. The background was competing with the foreground, demanding entirely too much attention. This exercise is like negotiating a peace treaty! The main advantage in this negotiation is that although the painting may squawk I have the final say. Out came my paintbrush. I hoped the applications of gel I used to affix the leaves would not interfere with the watercolour. It would be easier if I could just lay a wash over the whole thing… but then again, I could fix… Voilà! Take a picture, add a signature and the painting is done. Now all I have to do is figure out how to hang it….  

Roots: Stage Three

Roots 3

60" x 40"

300lb watercolour paper

It has been awhile. Placing appropriate pieces of tissue paper usually takes the most time. Things were getting tense. The inevitable question arose: How many more hours must I devote to this? with its requisite response: As many as it takes! Oh the agony of not knowing…. I must have control! There was a time when I would truly lose it. Control was big in my life. Relax. Enjoy the ride. This is fun and easy! And so it is. Once I began to breathe again I spent some time just meditating this piece. There are so many considerations. Where do I wish the eye to rest? How do I subdue some areas while enhancing others? I have several sheets of a single colour in various values, that is, light and dark. I also have several different shades of green with variations within by adding sprinkles of yellow or blue or red to the base. Making sure the tissue paper is well wrinkled before applying the colour washes ensures wonderful patterning. This time I required a certain colour in a certain value. It took three attempts to produce the sheet I needed. I now have extras for other projects. I make life more difficult for myself by not using scissors to shape the pieces but I prefer the softness of the torn edge. If I wish a hard edge I fold the paper on itself. This is fun. Taking artistic liberties I decided a few hints of red would focus and direct the eye. All was well until I noticed the bottom was disappearing. The carefully crafted watercolour grasses could not compete with the vibrant colour of the leaves. Oops. Now what? I looked at the piles of tissue paper scattered about the work surface and I saw scraps. Lovely. Perfect pieces for empowering grass blades. A little gel and a bit of patience later things were looking much better. Still… Something was missing. I opened my container of gold refuse, the leftovers from the leaves and other paintings. Ahh…. much better. I love the cheeriness of this piece. This stage is done. The only major question left to answer is: How do I bring it together? Yes, well…. that is for next time.

Safety

"Safety"

24" x 18"

Mixed media

on cradled board

Most parents concentrate on keeping their children safe, mothers in particular, or maybe that is just my point of view. This is the theme of the latest in my series “The Many Faces of Eve”. Balance is a challenge in life and in painting. Within the realm of parenting we have the opportunity to grow with our children. Our protective shields are slowly removed as they mature giving them more freedom to explore who they are. I remember holding their hands and finding places to set them free. Painting is much the same. I had a problem with this one. It hung on the wall for a long while. I could not quite see what it was that rendered the image unacceptable. Insights come in many forms. Usually it is just time and a fresh eye in the morning. On other occasions it requires divine intervention. My angel entered my studio, someone just passing the time as her laundry was drying. She made a few comments and I could tell this was a woman who knew what she was talking about. I showed her the painting and told her I did not like it. Her comment was, ‘The rocks are too well defined.’ Brilliant! My need for control was showing. Lately I have been challenged with the idea that the less I define my images the more interesting they are. That means releasing my notions of perfection or rather redefining them. Perhaps it is time to let go and let fly.

Come Along Children

Come Along Children

8" x 6"

Mixed Media

Canvas

I have managed to paint another daily painting. This time it only took about three days to complete. I am getting faster! Actually I was standing in the middle of the floor, gazing at the work I had planned to do, wondering what to do with my foul mood when I took up another prepared little canvas and began to play. Putting marks on a surface, whether it is watercolour pencil, paint, ink, or graphite, seems to immerse me in another world where bad moods and negative thoughts are not allowed to enter. Picking up a paintbrush is a direct connection to a better world, my God and an infinite amount of positive energy. As the painting proceeds there are always so many considerations: where am I going to put the important images on the surface; where will the center of interest be; what colours will I use; will the shadows be warm or cool? Once I put paint to canvas I may change my mind at anytime usually as a direct result of falsely interpreting what the results of my conclusions were. That is correct. I make mistakes all the time! I have found that the most important response to unpredicted events is to welcome them. This allows me to reconsider, imagine something new and step into possibility. I love my world. It is fun to be alive.

Roots: more beginnings

Roots
40" x 60"
300lb watercolour paper
mixed media

Stage two has arrived! There is always a hesitation and a quandary about the exact point at which a different media is introduced. I knew the transfer of an image of my grandmother holding one of my cousins would be part of the painting. Another piece of knowledge was bugging me. Once acrylic gel has been introduced to the surface of the paper it seals it and further adjustments are no longer possible with watercolour. The transfer also had to be done early enough for the drawing to have the necessary presence. Later. I will think about it later. Look at those leaves! Some of them must be gold. Out came the gold leaf and following some very anxious moments I admired the beautiful results. Fun. Transfer coming up! Oooh. I like that too. Now for the second washes of watercolour. Purple blue tree trunks here we come! Next: a few tissue paper leaves. I wonder what effect they will have on their surroundings. I don’t know. Do you?

Roots: beginnings

Roots

60"x40" (152cm x 102cm)

300lb watercolour paper

Roots

I am distracted. Definitely. I ran into a problem with one painting so I hung it on the wall to incubate. It is still incubating. I prepared four other canvases. They are patiently waiting at various stages of preparation. An idea had come along. It is amazing from whence ideas venture forth. This one came from disappointment. Someone had asked me to do a workshop on negative space so I looked through my photos and discovered the perfect clump of trees. Not only could we explore negative space in the background but the image lent itself to foreground adventure as well. The workshop was cancelled. So I had this image and an idea. Resistance set in. This was not the way I had imagined it to be. Having no idea when I would use the lesson I had prepared I put it aside to concentrate on the five works waiting for me. Resistance is futile. The more I thought about it the bigger the idea got. Watercolours were a must. I have such fun playing with watercolours and negative space. I toyed with the idea of a full sheet size. No. Too small. What was the plan for the other two sheets of 40”x 60” watercolour paper I had stored? I forgot. Perfect. First of all I looked for the original image on my computer to make a few other copies….. Lesson #135: do not delete images for which you may have a use. Off to the photocopying machine before I took a felt pen to discern the spaces I would use. Grid out the image and transfer it to the paper. What you see is the first play of watercolour. This is another in the series for “The Many Faces of Eve” so it will be mixed media…. Stay tuned!

Commissions

Alexandre Tache

Historical Portrait

24"x18"

Mixed media

Cradled board

Commissions come in clumps, feast or famine. This one is my latest. I was asked to paint a historical portrait on Bishop Alexandre Taché as a gift to a newly opened school bearing his name. I love challenges. I was neither certain where to begin nor when I was going to take the time as I was teaching in two different schools as artist in residence and leaving for a week to San Francisco. God provides. I decided to accompany my husband (a school trustee) to the opening of the school and was totally delighted with the keynote speaker, Père Bélanger, who provided me with all the historical data I required. I asked him for a copy of his speech, visited the archives for photo references and set to work. Mixed media is such fun! I tore out the tree shapes from tissue paper, transferred a sketch of Père Lacombe and adjusted everything with watercolour pencil. I prefer oils for portraiture and proceeded to render a full colour likeness from a black and white reference. Challenges: the spice of life! There was something not quite right about the final image. I could not identify it so I took it with me to my regular mastermind meeting for critiquing. The eyes of others are so clear. One less tree clump and voilà! I love masterminding almost as much as I love mixed media….

Lipstick and Sunshine

"Lipstick and Sunshine"

6"x8" (15cm x 20cm)

mixed media

canvas

The idea of creating a painting per day, quick and easy, totally intrigued me. This is my first attempt. I decided to remain consistent with the other work in which I am presently involved so I chose mixed media. Having previously prepared several panels beforehand (which means at least four layers of various ingredients) I grabbed one and marched into my kitchen. The sunlight was pouring through the semi-opaque window pane (I must clean that someday…) and danced across the tablecloth on its way over my struggling lipstick plant. If I remember to water it, it may bloom again one day and I will do a second version. As the image was generally green in my area of focus I chose a red watercolour pencil to do the drawing. I love drawing and was soon lost in the foliage happily creating darker and lighter shapes, playing with negative space. When I looked again the shadow patterns on the table had totally renewed themselves in a different composition. Lovely. I will have to remember that…. I decided not to redraw it and began adding layers of colour. By this time it was lunchtime. All in all it was a delightful exercise and it only took me four days to complete!

Hope

"Hope"

24"x18"

mixed media on

cradled panel

Welcome to my world! Things move quickly here. Mostly I have to watch out for flying ink, or paint, or water. Oops! Sideswiped the bucket again! I have not quite learned to put my water supply out of my traffic lanes. I am doing better with my cup of tea. It has been a long time since I dipped a brush in that. Out of chaos artists create order, or the other way around. I prefer order, not control. Accidents are the essence of masterpieces. It takes a lot of accidents to make a masterpiece. I am working my way towards that end. I have recently begun a new mixed media series entitled “The Many Faces of Eve”. “Hope” is the latest in that series. Mostly I am exploring the world of woman, my world, but in doing so I also explore universal subjects such as hope. I found an old photograph of my mother gazing out the window early in her nursing career. She was dreaming of other places. She had wanted to be a writer. The nearest school at that time was in Toronto and she was fresh off the farm from somewhere in Saskatchewan. It did not seem possible so she picked one of her three local choices: teacher, secretary or nurse. Years pass and life unfolds. Everything is linked. As it turned out Mom’s sister was more of a grandmother to our children because she lived with us. Still the continuum is forged as we work together to create a better world, filling in the voids and smoothing out the pathways.

In this series I begin with a roughen surface using molding paste, I had started with using plaster but it is too delicate. The initial layers are usually acrylic based when my supports are canvas or board. Occasionally I begin with watercolour on paper that I eventually hang as a tapestry. I start to play in earnest as I add graphite powder, ink, alcohol, tissue paper, gold or whatever happens to be handy. I may end in oils, especially when I am doing a portrait. As a finishing touch I write a personal poem in felt and a psalm in metallic pen throughout the piece in both official languages. Why? Well, that is a story for another time.