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Well, That is the Question! It is said that it takes two artists to paint a painting. One to paint the painting, and one to tell the other one when to stop! I believe this, and this is why……. I’m a terrible closer! When I worked in sales, my boss use to tell me, I […]
I said there were many unfinished canvases in my studio, and I was planning on finishing them. The more they sat there, the more I started to think, “If they haven’t said anything so far, maybe even they don’t know where to go with themselves!” So I grabbed a second unfinished painting, and gessoed over it. Ha! I’ll show it! Gessoed over it very lightly, so the under layer of a mix of Quinacridone Burnt Orange, and Quinacridone Gold still showed through in places. Then the sky came to life with some light blue, and next but not last, I lightly brushed in some violet, orange, and yellow. That ‘s just the sky!
Now the trees!
The larger trees were already roughed in with tissue paper, so my decision to paint trees was already made. I just followed through, and added some more trees, but decided to emphasize the bigger trees since they were standing out in the first place. No big decisions there! At some point, my thoughts have gone to, “Enough time wasted on this, let’s get down to business!” While I love to keep playing with my trees, I also want to decide on what to do next, and start something else!
My ideas are all over the place, and usually I tend to jump in feet first, sink or swim……usually sink! It would be nice to do a little more planning for the next one. The funny thing is, I love the spontaneity of not knowing where I’m going, or how I’ll get there. I love letting the painting take the lead, with Happy Accidents at the finish of the painting! The very thing I love the most, is the very thing that trips me up the most! Is it the planning that is the problem, or is it the subject matter? Or, am I not listening?
How many of you have the same problem, or do you have answers that I hadn’t thought of? Let me know because I’ve been struggling here, and someone must have answers….
The trees are speaking……
After playing with lighting, and watching my trees, I pretty much decided to keep playing with them. My trees are not finished, but still need shadows, more lights, and darks!
While I’m finishing up my trees, I’m also getting ready for another class. This class will be all day at ArtBeat on Main Street. This is a fairly new gallery in the heart of Vista, Ca, that took me by surprise when I walked in. The ladies that own tArtBeat are down to earth, and easy to know. They seem to have put together a gallery rarely seen in this area! It really belongs further south in Del Mar, or La Jolla. It’s that classy! So when my friend, and artsy sister said she was taking this class, at her urging I checked it out, and was pleasantly surprised. The artist teaching will be Scott W. Prior, an artist well known in the art community.
We’ll talk…
And more practice!
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.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!
Weeks ago I signed up for a short four-hour workshop with Cathy Carey. Cathy is a working artist, with her paintings in many galleries! She is known for the way her paintings sing with color and movement. Many years ago she offered a one day workshop to “Paint Like Monet!” I jumped all over that, and was amazed at the results. This is when I was still painting in watercolor, and hadn’t dabbled in acrylics,or learn what they could do! So when I overheard her tell someone else that she was giving a half day workshop, I hopped right on it!
I have admired Cathy for her use of color, and how she marries opposites together for many years, and now I have the opportunity to learn more from her!
This weekend was the class I signed up for, and I was excited to be there!
What transpired was a fun morning with each artist having their own spin on the same subject. What I learned were things I already knew, but never put together in this way! I don’t profess to be anywhere in the same category as Cathy Carey, but you have to start somewhere, right? Especially since I’m all over the place with my art! This class, and what Cathy was teaching certainly spoke to me – Big Time! The pictures of my art reflect the process. I’m sure you will agree how far I need to go, but the results were fun, and I’m planning to keep working on her technique! I love color!!!
I have to admit, since I’m in love with color, I really like the second to the last photo. The one with all the opposites, before the final color is applied. To me it’s a lot more exciting, and it sings, to me!
What Are Your Feelings On This?
This is the perfect time to start experimenting with our art! Certainly, if I don’t experiment, I won’t grow. I have a ten pound box of Cotton Linters sitting in my garage, still in its original box, and waiting for me to decide what to do with it. The Linters were shipped to me many years ago when I was in my paper making phase, and since then it has been given away (still in the original box), and found its way back home (still in the original box)! I can’t seem to get rid of them! But for the last year or so, it has been calling to me….
For those of you who aren’t familiar with Cotton Linters, they are the cotton fibers pressed into large sheets of rather soft paper. It is easily torn up, and run through the blender. The pieces get pulverized to the point of being put on a screen, filtering out the water, and dried flat – making handmade paper! (This is the simple version!)
10# of Cotton Linters just waiting for inspiration!
What on earth could it possibly be saying?
I only have vague ideas of what to do with it, but that ten pounds keeps just on the edge of my creative mind. There isn’t any way I still want to make paper, but I was thinking of preparing it the same way, and putting it into a mold of some kind to create a raised, molded image to place in a mixed media piece. I know this sounds vague, it does to me too. But like I said it seems to be circling the creative mind constantly! If it can be pulverized in a blender, why can’t it be pressed into something with a shape. Now I’m thinking if I put Elmer’s Glue with it, i could make some harder shapes.
OMG, just think of the possibilities!
This is how we come up with new ideas that haven’t been done before, this is how art is created! Trial and error!
Has anyone tried to do anything like this? I’d love to hear about it, or your thoughts, and ideas…
I’ll definitely get back to this subject at a later date, but for now, I’m letting it simmer, and marinate up there in the old cabasa!
I believe in many things, but today I’m keeping it to ART!
Each time I lose steam, and this is one of them, I have trouble getting back into the swing of things. Usually it’s after the holidays…like now! Sure there are many things going on in our lives, all our lives, but why is it that some people can shove all things aside, and keep creating, and some of us just can’t seem to get our mojo running?
I sit in front of my computer and... I got nothing!
That’s not like me! My husband tells me I always have my soapbox dragging behind me, and I’m more than happy to stop, and climb on… I really hope I’m not all that bad, but given the right prompt, I will, and have…climbed on my soapbox. Rarely do I drag it out for religion, or politics, those are touchy subjects to many people, and we all have our own opinions! Isn’t that what makes our country the great country that it is? So, I try to stay away from those two subjects.
What will you talk about?
I’ll talk of art at the drop of a hat! It doesn’t have to be a fancy hat, any old hat will do….. I love hearing other artists talk of technique, better yet, watching them work. We can learn so much from each other, maybe even creating a spin-off of something we have seen somewhere else. I still find creating a bit intimidating at times, especially if I’m over saturated with art. For example, I became fascinated with Pinetrest many months ago. I couldn’t believe how much inspiration I got from that site. It pushed me to create many things I hadn’t thought of, and I haven’t seen anywhere else. But somewhere along the line, I felt like I was on overload and had to back off! It almost zapped my creative energy. So I rarely go onto that website prior to painting. If I have any ideas at all, I stay away!
Here’s what I just finished!
Tuesday morning, I went to the Escondido Municipal Gallery to participate in the “Artful Inches Fundraiser.” Several artists donate their time to do a little painting on a portion of about 40 feet of watercolor paper that has been hung on the wall. Over a period of three weeks, artists come and go, leaving their painting somewhere on the paper. Eventually the paper is all filled in, and the fundraiser begins!
Next month on February 9th, there will be a reception, the public will be able to purchase a section of the painting with the help of their selected size of matting. The prices vary depending on the size of the mat! Last year was the First Annual Fundraiser, and it was a huge success! The money supports the annual Student Art Show in April and participating teachers.
When I went in to paint, I hadn’t any idea what I would do, but I found myself alone to do it! The room was empty, no one was painting on Tuesday morning except me! So I was able to spread out and jump in! This felt oddly freeing, being able to have such a huge space to paint without interruptions. The picture above is what I created…..It just popped out of me – Journal Style!
Karen's Stone Soup... 
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