Dreams

We all dream whether or not we remember. It has to do with our brains sorting out the millions of bits of information we receive every day most of which have not surfaced to consciousness. This is another insight that teaches me about how little control I actually have over my thoughts and over how my life manifests… I am not in control…. Scary. Or, whew! What a relief! I choose to surrender. Life is so exciting when I surrender. In my latest series I start with a vague idea. I am never quite sure what it is going to look like until it is finished… And when is that? Good question. Not always easy to discern. I am experimenting with interference colours (they do not show up in the photo) and all sorts of household items like tin foil and cheesecloth. This painting will be part of the solo show I am preparing for in March at PAVA. As far as dreams go, I remember my daydreams better than my night visions. Life is good.

Concentration

I have been concentrating. My back, my legs and my feet are feeling it. I will discover new ways to do this intense yet fascinating method or it will kill me! Actually I have been spending way more time in the studio and way less time on the computer. I did go out and buy a new MacPro and an Ipad, both of which are waiting for a password to get onto the internet…. I promise to write it down this time! My old Acer is on its last legs and complaining, like me… Saturday was very long for me. I am feeling the cement underneath the foam interlocking carpet I put down. Perhaps I will become accustomed if I continue to put in eight hours a day… I do have days off, like Sunday and Friday. Friday we went house hunting. Ah, yes, we are planning to move this fall… I told my dear husband he may not be getting the customary help from me as I will still have about sixteen more paintings to do at the end of this month. I am neglecting all sorts of things like housework. The difference in all of this is that I do not feel guilty. I am working. Just because I adore what I do and I find delight in every quiet moment, just because what I do is fun, does not mean that I am not working. Really! Life is so good.

Philosopher

The easel is empty. There is a painting behind me, several on the floor and two on the table. These days I am working horizontally for the most part. I have liquefied my colours so that they puddle and flow. Controlled puddling. A great deal of time is spent watching what the colours do one against the other. Colours react to one another. I have discovered a wonderful combination: ultramarine blue and phthalo blue, green shade. We are getting very specific here. There is a red shade which would be too close to the ultramarine and yet not quite as purple…. The green shade sings with the violet hues of the ultramarine. That is what I like to see and hear: the music that colours make together. I am throwing a little quinacridone burnt orange into the mix because the complementary colours enhance the action. Once the puzzle is solved as to where each of the colours are placed and how much of each is used I put down my brush (imagine painting a 30” x 60” canvas with the tiny brush I am holding!) and I pick up my pen. I write a poem. Sometimes the inspiration comes to me as I am driving like the last one did. Sometimes it shows up in the bath, on a walk or as I am eating lunch. Once the poem is written I look for an appropriate Bible verse. A lot of them come from the psalms. Usually I can find the verse without a problem. I used the internet to locate the one I needed for the present image. I record it all in a book and begin the next panel. Finishing touches will be applied to each painting when I have completed the set. Finishing touches include writing the poem, my signature and the psalm with different pens into the painting, varnishing, recording all the information on the back of the piece and installing some wire for hanging. Then there is the paperwork. Even artists have paperwork. Life is good.

Pinky

Artists each have their own peculiarities. Some are neat and tidy; some are messy like me. Today I am covered in ink. I was concentrating on moving something, don’t remember what, when I felt this curious sensation of wet, right between my legs. I glanced down at my left hand as it was holding the bottle of specially prepared ink and noticed that what used to be a full-to-the-brim container was no longer. Instead I had a lovely puddle sitting on the seat and elsewhere….. I seem to be much calmer these days; I did not get upset. Instead I straightened my hand, put the bottle down and reached for a rag. The rag helped the chair but not much else. I love being in my studio. I do not have to look good. I do not have to impress anyone. I can smile and carry on. The other extremities that are more often covered in paint are my hands. Fingers are wondrous appendages. They can be used for all sorts of useful things such as steadying the hand holding the paint brush as it carefully applies paint to a tiny surface. They can be used for wiping, scumbling, applying paint, interpreting paint and whatever I may choose to do. The best feature of fingers is that they are handy. I never have to go looking for them… The acrylic medium in the ink is now sticking to my legs. Time for a nice bubble bath me thinks. Life is good.

Oops

I missed last week all together! Decidedly I was  having too much fun. My blog did not even rate a thought until Wednesday… Sigh. Still I can share what I was doing in Seattle. Besides helping out with an AquaRun which took place on Sunday, my mastermind and I took in the Northwest Trek Adventure course and the Chichuly installations of blown glass on Monday. Blog day. My first experience at zip lines and rock walls. Wow! I am so thankful I no longer fear heights. So much fun!  And the glass sculptures blew us away. What is a mastermind? Many people ask me that question. In case you have not experienced the phenomenon, a mastermind is a group of capable people who gather regularly to encourage, challenge and to whom an account is given for the week’s activities. Have the goals been met? If not, why not? Are you still on track? The discussions help to clarify purpose and direction in all that we do. They also help to bring balance to a hectic life when schedules get out of control. A good mastermind makes life uncomfortable on occasion. There are many forms as well. Some cost money; in order to belong there is a fee payable. My mastermind is a gift from a personal development course I took about five years ago. We have been together that long, meeting once per week on the phone and once per year in person. This year we met in Seattle. We certainly would not have chosen each other but the mix has been extremely beneficial to each of us. We bring a variety of gifts to the forum and we have a common vision: to be the best we can be. Masterminds are only for those who wish to improve personally and professionally. They require honesty and courage. We are still growing as a group. There is a lot more to be had than we have offered so far. The future looks bountiful because the present is rich. Life is so good.

Garden of the Gods

The Ute people in Colorado have considered the Garden of the Gods as holy ground for millennia. The spectacular sandstone formations jut out of the soil in parallel rows and in razor back shapes. Sculpted by wind and rain they have taken on individual personalities. The contrast of deep orange against the jade green of the juniper trees and other flora surrounding them forms a breathtaking view. I so enjoyed the opportunities to paint that our little sojourn into the south afforded. Painting en plein air presents its own unique challenges. This image appeared on the first day and it is the strongest of all the paintings I did during our vacation. Having planned to spend some time in the open I packed my larger watercolour backpack. It fits nicely into a medium suitcase along with the camera tripod and a chunk of plywood cut to fit with a tie nut set into its center. The plywood and the tripod permit me to set up a level table on any terrain and provide a large enough surface to hold my medium sized palette with a couple of jars of water and the quarter sheet of watercolour paper. I use large clips to hold everything to the plywood so should there be a wind it will not disturb the setting. The brush case usually ends up on the ground. I am always thankful for my fingers as they separate the half dozen brushes at work. I intend one brush per colour or set of colours. For this piece I really paid attention to the notan under structure. Likely that is why I am more pleased with it than the others. Somehow I managed to ignore the little beasties biting me... I was standing on an ant hill, it had the best view... Life is good.

Projects everywhere

O.K. I admit my studio looks as crowded as it did when I was in the middle of painting the mural. I really like having more than one project on the go even when I am faced with deadlines along the way. I took the time to determine how many paintings would be necessary to fill the space for my upcoming solo in March next year. Apparently I will need about twenty-eight fairly large sized canvases. I have about twelve that have been prepared and initiated, so that leaves only sixteen that are still in their packaging. How long does it take to do a painting? The one on the easel had its beginnings a couple of years ago, maybe even three or four….. I might have to pick up the pace a little…. One thing I have decided is even if we move this fall, which is a likely possibility, even a probability, I will remain in my present studio until after the PAVA exhibition. That being said the schedule of hours spent in there will also be adjusted to accommodate the time required to complete the work. And yes, three or four years per painting will be reduced drastically. How many hours will I need to finish? Well, I once painted seven large canvases in six weeks…. I don’t think I will wait for January to begin….