Tag Archives: artist friends

Feb24

The Second of Many

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Arches & Shadows

Arches & Shadows

Funny how when you’re learning something new, sometimes it turns out really good.  But, after you have been practicing for a while, you become more critical and almost go backwards.

This watercolor is the second watercolor I had ever done.  My teacher was Lola Jarvis, and she was really a good teacher.  Lola was a perfectionist, and she demanded certain things from her students. She definitely brought out the best in her students, and I was lucky enough to have had her first.

Since then I have taken lesson from several watercolor artists including Helen Shafer Garcia whom I have become friends with, and to this day love and admire her work.

Today I only use watercolor in my visual, or traveling  journals, and usually paint in acrylics or even oils.

May29

Time Out for Art!

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A Gourd full of Succulents

A Gourd full of Succulents

Last week one of the challenges that was given to the Blogging 101 class, was to join a blogging event of our choice, and participate in this group.  After searching through all the different events, I chose to join “Time out for Art!  I liked the idea, and after emailing the Leader of the Pack, I liked her, and the event even more.

You can find more about the Blog I’m following here at “Zebra Designs & Destinations!”

Today I’m posting a little sketch that I did while visiting with friends I hadn’t seen in years.  In it is a bit of  zentangle,, and a little creative thinking, and simply mindless doodling as we  chatted. They were painting with watercolors, I was playing with graphite, and pens!  Another Mixed Media problem…..it’s really difficult to drag all the stuff with you that is needed to work in mixed media, thus the journal sketching.

I’m going to make an effort to post a little sketch for the Time Out for Art Blogging Event which is to be posted by Thursday each week….we’ll see how that goes since I’ve had little time to paint recently, and that’s what I need to be doing.   But I’ll try! 

 

May27

More Fun Stuff About Me!

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More Fun Stuff About Me!
Cow

Cow

A A

week or so ago I posted a little about myself.  I reminisced, I laughed, I shared, and then I’d had enough, it was over!  Today I’m going to tell you a little more…

Well…

By now, you’ve probably guessed that I like to do a little of everything – being a Mixed Media artist and all.  You would be absolutely right!  I can get sidetracked so fast it makes even my head spin! My head spins a lot, not just from Mixed Media, but all the thoughts and ideas that run through at all hours of the day and night.  There aren’t any of my art friends that sleep well, we all wake up with ideas, and all night “the process” runs through our heads, along with solutions to anything we’ve been working on.  Sometimes I get up in the morning exhausted from working things out all night long.  Sound familiar?

Here it goes…..

Simple Journal

Simple Journal

I have boxes of old jewelry, bolts, washers, cardboard, metal, and more just sitting around (boxes neatly stacked) waiting for me to get inspiration.  When I do, maybe I’ll glue things down, or maybe I’ll sew it all together – who knows?  It’s all good, and that comes under the “Mixed Media” heading.

A friend of mine once said to me,  “Karen, if you don’t call yourself a Mixed Media artist, you wouldn’t have to save all that stuff.  Then you wouldn’t have all those  boxes!”  How true that is, but don’t we have to create what our heart is happiest creating?  I know my friend is happiest painting watercolors, and many of my friends do work in that medium.  At one time in my life, I did too.  But many of us have moved to something else we can learn to express ourselves with.  It’s all good as long as it makes us happy!  In the name of Mixed Media, I’ve created some amazing things.

Everything here is Mixed Media, and for me, it’s pretty interesting.  I have many journals with decorated covers.  All because I can’t seem to leave a surface bare even if it’s on a journal.  Maybe its just a great excuse to create one more little piece of the Karen puzzle!  Maybe I’m just trying to use up the über amounts of art supplies I have bought over the years, making myself feel like it has been money well spent.  Who knows, but it makes me happy!  Isn’t that all that counts?

Has anyone told you not to create like you do, and to do something else?  Do you follow their suggestions?  Do you think constructive criticism is constructive, or just plain criticism?

Your thoughts are important, please share them.

 

Jun12

Finding The Time!

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As I get older, my life seems to be flashing in front of my eyes!

Certainly twenty, or thirty years ago my life was much busier, so what makes this time more hectic, or why do I seem to have less time?  One reason could be, I don’t have as much energy as I ounce had, or maybe I’m trying to do too much, and not getting anything accomplished in the end!  All that Bee Pollen makes me go in circles!

What ever it is, it’s time for a change!

I keep busy, and at the end of the day, I’m ready to slow down.  The thing is, I haven’t made time, or felt like I had the time for my creativity!  What I love to do the most, is something I haven’t done in quite a while.  Quite a while could mean a week to me!

I’ve been working on my garden…

Spending time with three of my grand-kids…

Shopping…I had to buy new dishes…

AND, A couple of times one of my girlfriends, and myself signed up for an evening of painting while drinking wine!  Oh yeah, it was fun!  I can’t say any of my paintings will ever hand in La Louvre, but after drinking wine, who cares?

I’m still working on the Hacienda painting, and if I don’t start playing with it, I’m sure it will go into the stack of canvases that are all screaming at me to finish them!

All the time, I still have a dog, and a cat, and a husband that needs to be cared for, and get attention!

So what now?

Then it suddenly occurred to me…….at 4:30 this morning

Instead of laying awake until 7:30 in the morning so I don’t disturb my husband, I need to get up, have my tea, and paint!  Or even write, anything would be an improvement!  I use to do this a long time ago, but our home is small now, and any noise seems to disturb  him.  So for Fathers Day, I’ve decided to buy him – ear plugs!  And, start getting up really early when my creative juices are flowing!

That should do it!

!

Feb26

Practice, Practice, Practice,

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And more practice!

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Recently I was in a workshop at the Artist Tree in San Marcos.  The artist giving the class was Cathy Carry, and if you aren’t familiar with her work, please take time and look her up.  Cathy has a distinct style that I haven’t seen in too many present day artists.  I’ve always been interested in her work for a number of reasons.

  • Cathy is really good at what she does!
  • She is an excellent colorist!
  • A great teacher!
  • Easy to get to know, and willing to share!

So when the opportunity presented itself for this half day class, I jumped on it, and  I wasn’t disappointed!

In my February 4 post, I talked about the class, and a little about my history with Cathy Carry.

Last week one of my paintings that wasn’t working, just found itself with a fresh coat of gesso on it, and the beginning of not just a new painting, but a new technique!  It started out so well, and just like anything else one is trying to master, went downhill…….  There isn’t much else to do to it at this point, except maybe gesso over it once again.  However, I’m not going to do that.

Here is Why!

When I’m working on a new technique, I like to look at it, analyze it,  let it sink in, and give it a chance to talk to me.  That is my process, and in doing that I can see things I don’t want repeated, things I might do differently next time, or even things I really love about the painting.  This painting has all of that!  I have posted pictures from beginning to end, and I don’t think I’m going to go any further on it, but rather keep it so I might be reminded of what direction I want to go, and what direction I never want to go again!

The pictures are also an attempt at stomping back my ego, and get over myself!   After all you can’t be perfect right out of the gate, and how can I develop a style if I don’t practice, practice, practice?  

Taking pictures of my work as I’m painting is one of the ways I find things that might, or might not be working.  I’ve done this for years, and it has helped me a great deal.  As I’m gathering the pictures to include in this post, I’m seeing new things that I like, and things I realize now I don’t want to repeat.  So thank you one and all for prompting me to keep writing, and to me for listening to you.  I’m learning as I sit here and blog!

P.S….As I look at this painting, and trying to figure out what isn’t working, I’m seeing many things that I hadn’t seen before.  I said it was finished, but I’m going to play with it just a little more, and then my intentions are to leave it alone, call it finished, and learn from it!

Feb12

Valentine Fever…

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Recently I talked about making Valentines for my grandkids, and how little time there is left to created them.  Well, I started a couple of weeks ago pressing out the clay, cutting out the heart shapes, and stamping into them.  It was so much fun creating each one differently.

My stash of stamps is numerous, and some of them spoke to me big time!  Things like XOXO, Friends One Of God’s Greatest Gifts, If The Shoe Fits Buy It, and several more.  I used paisley stamps, elephant shapes, and on and on.  When they were all baked and finished, It hit me!  Almost every heart shape would be perfect for a girlfriend, but not for my grandchildren!

Now What?

One might say, “It’s back to the drawing board!”  By golly, I think you’re right!  I can only take so much  clay, but it’s still fun to work with now and then, so it’s back to Michael’s for more clay.  I hate going in there because Michael’s always carries things that call to me, and I rarely come out of there with only what I went in for!  I really do try, but things just grab  me!  So on Wednesday, I dragged the pasta maker out once again for yet another go at the heart-shaped clay Valentines!

Somehow I was Having Trouble Getting Back Into The Hearts!

In Michael’s I  found  about six more stamps (on sale for 99c) appropriate for little ones.  The old standbys like, Be My Valentine, or Will You Be Mine!  That’s more like what I wanted to put on Valentines for a three, or a six-year-old.  The  girls are easier to make Valentines for, but the boys just have to get use to them also!  Boys will be getting Valentines for the rest of their lives!

Again – Now What?

Since there are all kinds of projects going on around our house, I’m going to pack up all the “Stuff,” and take it for an Art Day with the Fabulous Five this weekend!  Every month my girls and I get together to share, critique, and play with ideas.  Sometimes we get really into some project, and sometimes we sit and throw ideas around, discussing technique, or problems we’re having with some specific piece of art one of us is working on.  Whatever happens, we all come away from our day together feeling  full of creative energy, and more ideas than we could have even imagined!  All of us agree, that the single most important thing an artist can do for themselves is to share creative energy with other artists.  So yes, I have a great support system,  consisting of four other artists, each bringing something different to the table.  Not one of us creates the same way, but each of us is inspired by the other.  I couldn’t ask for more!

What did you create together?

Nothing!  We hadn’t seen each other in quite a while, so not one of us could stop talking long enough  so we could get some Valentines made.  And after I bought über amounts of clay to make them with!  The clay will go back to Michael’s just as soon as I’m finished.  All in all, we had a great time together with many ideas (not involving Valentines).

Once Again – Now What?

Now it’s back to the drawing board to finish the Valentines on my own.  I’m happy to report that after baking dozens of heart shapes, and stamping into them, I’m so finished!

With all the hearts completed, put together, wrapped, & addressed they are ready to go out the door.  The pictures above are of the four sets of Valentines that are finished!  I don’t want to see another Valentine until I get that box of See’s Candy from my husband in a few days!

 I’m so ready to get back to organizing the studio, and to painting. Mostly Painting…