Thursday, February 23, 2006

Mini-Art Exchange


I knew I'd better get my rear in gear as the saying goes if I am to get the work done for the International Mini-Art exchange exhibit this year. So I went into the studio last night and got the substrates cut, gessoed and toned to start on today. This work has to be 20 x 20cm as the largest size and not any depth at all since they have to hang on a wall with velcro. I decided that 7.9 inches is about as close as I can figure for the size so I cut three pieces from rag mat board thinking I might do collage. I gessoed the fronts and backs to help equalize the pull of the moisture and prevent curling. I just love that color of acrylic.........Golden Quinacridone Gold and used it for the toned background.
I started today with charcoal just fooling around with mark-making.......hum............more landscapes emerged. I took pictures of these first steps but for some reason I can't get them out of my old digital camera..........the computer can't access the drive with the card. Oh well, I took another one with my Canon but I can't go back to the beginning steps now.
These are the three at the moment............I may not do anything else. I can't believe how fast they went together as small stuff usually takes me forever comparatively speaking. I'll have to sleep on them overnight to decide for sure.
Hum..........and which one will go to the Mini-Art exchange in Queen Charlotte City, BC in May?? they only take one.

Thursday, February 16, 2006

Somtimes nothing works




Some time ago I painted a small painting for someone and then the commission fell through due to a scam. The painting was okay but just not right

somehow....somewhat pedestrian (or that was my thought that day)....whatever happened to being able to critique your own work.
This is what I ended up with ....first stage. Robin wanted to see the painting so here it is.

Hum......maybe I should have left well enough alone and just put it away for some time in the future. But no, I started fooling with adding more to the layers and before you know it, there was a whole 'nother painting here. It was just such a gorgeous day that day that the title, On A Clear Day, came to mind. (Painting below in previous post)

Now, after more time to stare at this painting, I just don't know what to do with it. It may be okay but I'm not after okay. This also might just be me and my mood for the day...or should I say many days. I'm just not pleased with much of what I'm doing lately. Others will say this is due to growth. I certainly hope so but I wish this spurt of growth would end for awhile and let me be pleased with some of what I'm doing. I'm thinking what I don't like (today, anyway) is that there is a tentativeness in this painting that I don't like to see. That might not be what others see.............


Why in the world am I showing all these paintings to anyone who happens upon them??? I have no real idea except it might be a good thing for anyone who is just beginning to paint to know that no matter how long you do art, you go through these conflicts about your work. They don't all turn out as you'd like. ..........but I just keep on working on them until I finally like them well enough to ship them away.....just put them back in the closet for another day.

Another day, another painting........or on to something else entirely.

Tuesday, February 7, 2006

On A Clear Day


Some days ago, my friend Robin, said........show me the painting. I put it off for a long time since my commission fell through (a scam...long story). Anyway, I did go back to the painting again and worked on it twice more so it turned into a whole 'nother painting, of course. Seems like all my paintings lately cry for more layers.

I still don't know what to think about it as it seems like my critique skills for my own work have walked off the job lately. Just now as I photographed and cropped out the background, a title for it came to mind.....On A Clear Day. What else could it be as that's what we're having here today.........clear and cool.

Saturday, February 4, 2006

Here it is

Well... here it is............I can finally see what my painting on the cover of Nita Leland's new book The New Creative Artist looks like (scroll down to the entry). It will be on sale around the middle of July. I can't wait to get my copy as Nita has totally revamped it and added another chapter and a lot more imagery. This link will go to the picture right now but will be changed on down the line as Nita makes more entries in her blog. Needless to say, I feel ten feet tall. The first edition of this wonderful book had a part of one of my heroes, Edward Betts, paintings depicted on the cover.
Here's the link to the painting on my website. ...Little Pieces of Land 23