Latest

There is another deadline. I like deadlines. They inspire me to keep working. The show is in November and I decided to continue with the watercolour series “invitation”. The gallery space requires about twelve full-sheet size paintings. Depending on how things go I may include the four already completed. This one is called “Invitation: to ponder”. What you see is the beginning of a second layer. Watercolour develops patience. The first layer defines the light areas with particular attention to the white spaces one wishes to maintain. White is only white once: the beginning surface of the paper. The light areas are not all necessarily white though. I put in variations of quinacridone gold, ultramarine blue and burnt sienna and, with a few strokes of the brush, created what appear to be grass, trees and rocks. With the second layer of colour the pigment is a lot stronger and I begin to play with negative space. This play is made much easier when the previous strokes already hint at blades of grass or pine needles in trees. All I do is fill in the holes! Life is so good.

The Sun Came Out

The contractor was getting antsy. The rain kept pouring and the schedule fell way behind. Still the rain continued. So my husband and I requested some nice weather and the sun came out. The cement is poured. Progress!! I am making progress in other areas too. I have just completed the painting for a commission. I am going into prints. My client prefers prints for her prizes so I took my sketch to the lithographers today for a scan and a proof. New territory. The same company completed another task for me this past week: notecards. I will be making up packages of six and looking for venues in which to sell them. The clear packaging should be arriving this week. Something else will be delivered this week: some more “Connections” books. So exciting! The latest watercolour is well on its way too. Watercolour does not take long to dry, depending on how much water I apply to the surface. And I could use a hairdryer to speed the process. I find I have better success letting the paint dry naturally rather than forcing it. Waiting for paint to dry is not exciting…. This week I decided to plan out the next seven or so paintings, looking for good notan compositions. In the meantime the paint dried. Another task I pick up at intervals is packing. I filled two boxes today. Did I mention that there is a certain order in which things are to be done? Paint first, pack later. When I am getting close to closing time I may not have the energy to be creative. Packing does not require creativity, just a good sense of space and volume. Life is good.

A Hole in My Fence

We moved everything out of the garage under our big spruce trees thinking the fence provided enough protection… not that anyone would want the stuff. Now we have a huge hole instead of a garage. This is my new studio. The cement pad will get a facelift with the addition of a couple of inches. It is raining today so it won’t happen right away. Once the new surface is dry the framing begins. Can you see how beautiful it will be? I love my new space already! In the meantime things are bustling as usual. I am preparing and delivering three paintings to Harcourt House for the upcoming member show. As well a small commission awaits completion so I can send it off by email for approval then off to the printers for some copies… Life drawing this afternoon, my granddaughter’s presentation this morning and a visit to the grandkids tonight… Life is good.

Contour Drawing

Recently I submitted five drawings to show in the upcoming Naked Show “Stark” at Harcourt House. Two were selected, one of which you see above. I have a tendency to minimalist mark making; I prefer a clean edge. It is not always possible to achieve a one-line visual of the form before me. Some days I should just stay home! On this particular day the model happened to position himself in ways that were conducive to a group image. As I added each image I felt myself tense knowing the next one might ruin the whole project. Deep breathing helps. Letting go of perfection also aids in maintaining the necessary connection between the eye and the hand, to stay in the flow. Drawing is at its best when I no longer need to think about the how. Often, in order to enter into that sacred space where the seeing and the feeling move together, I stop and stare for a while. There is not a lot of time as my best connection happens in the two to five minute poses. As soon as I feel I have entered that timeless zone I put pen to paper. In this case I put several pens to paper with a little pencil added in. The different colours pull the figures forward or push them back. Fascinating! I love what I do. Life is good.

Serious Questions

It is time to reevaluate. Just the other day I took the time to listen to a discussion about how art is viewed in today’s world and how that has changed over the centuries. In our visual saturated environment we artists seem to garner respect from a diminishing few. So why do we keep painting? How do we connect to a wider audience? There was a general consensus about the why. It seems to be in our DNA; wired into our very fabric as human beings. I cannot NOT paint. I have even tried not to paint. I have ignored, denied and resisted to no avail. My soul desire rests in the creative delight. I am happiest when I am painting and there is no amount of hiding that can change that. So how do I pay for my passion? Lori Wolfson suggests a spiritual dimension in our creativity is the basis for connection. My work does have that dimension. Many people connect and remain with the images I create. Perhaps they are too disturbing. After all I am calling people to an awareness of the possibility of changing our world into a paradise through taking on responsibility in the project. Perhaps all they want in a nice place to hide for a while. So do I paint pretty pictures and abandon my mission? Do I starve my soul to feed my stomach? Does that sit with my sense of integrity? Since I am not starving (thanks to my husband) I am in a fortuitous position to continue the quest. Perhaps in my exploration I will discover the precise balance. If I listen well… I await my muse. Life is good.