Changing My View

While my blog is devoted to my art, that is not all I am. I am many things besides an artist and all those things contribute to how I view life and how I do art. There are many things that come before my art. But through the years art has seeped in and become a large part of my identity.

My other life and my art are not always on the same track. Sometimes the art needs to take a back seat and sometimes I get to move it to the front of the bus, like taking a yearly weeklong workshop, for example. But for the last and next few weeks it takes a back seat and my blog will only see small sketches as I move my studio to another part of the house to make room for my dad to move into our home.

In the past such an upheaval would have brought my painting to a dead halt. And it has to a point. But the 30 day challenge taught me that I have to paint for myself, not to create grand works of art or large paintings. Not that I paint that many grand large paintings, but thats always the thought. Or it was. I'm free of that now. Now I paint daily (almost) in some small way, just for me. It completely changed how I think about my art and has given me a fresh perspective or a new view.

At first I was sad to give up the space I have used to paint and grow for ten years. But always, change brings growth. The move has literally given me a new view. My new space has a window facing the other side of the house and I situated my painting table there. The upheaval has given me reason to go through things, organize and purge what I really don't need. I feel this incredible surge of creativity and possibility at having this change that I at first was not all to excited about.

It will take a little time to get things settled and to adjust to this new arrangement. But once I tweaked my attitude and got down to business I realized I would do my art in the bathroom over the tub if I had to! So, you see, this move has given me a new view in more than one way!

Below is a sketch in the sketchbook painted in the new studio amidst the chaos! It was rushed and the ellipses ore not right, but as I said before, I just needed to paint!

Friday Fun

Yesterday afforded a tiny bit of time to sketch from a photo that's been calling me! Once again, it's the gesture of his little body. The fact that his hands are stuck in his overalls, not his pockets and that he's looking down.a. Shy or contemplative?
I'm pretty sure this photo was taken by a professional. So what you ask? The photo and concept are the photographers property. Legally, he/she owns the intellectual rights to the whole photo.
If I want, I can try to get a release to use it. I did sketch it out on watercolor paper before it dawned on me.
Now, I need to check into this further since I'm in love with the pose and like the sketch!
So, here's a sketch. Stay tuned to see if I can do something with it or if it was just a great practice piece!
Happy Friday!

My Hearts Bleed For You!

In honor of Valentine's day, I've put my bleeding heart watercolor for auction on ebay at the low, low starting price of $35! Just thought I would shamelessly promote myself! Click the link below to bid.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bleeding-Hearts-Watercolor-Painting-/140917095673?pt=Art_Paintings&hash=item20cf503cf9

Winter Rush

While sitting in the car waiting for my dad, I noticed the late afternoon light on the rushes in the pond across the parking lot. The sun was down low and it's light was yellow orange, my favorite time to paint the landscape. I knew I had five minutes, so I drove across to the pond and pulled out my sketch book. (You just never know when your going to need it, so keep it in the car or take it with you in your purse). The rushes had beautiful graceful curves and were lit with orange light and I quickly sketched them and took some photos with my phone to finish when I had more time.

Have you ever noticed cattails all bend the same way? Does the wind only blow one direction? These things you ponder when you take the time to sketch! Again, it's about being mindful. Being in the now! Exploring and questioning what you see and experience.

Not a great work but its nice to fit in some small stuff in when your life is busy and rushed. I'm glad I sketched and didn't just take photos because in the end I had a better memory from having spent that time observing and somehow I deleted the photos and had to rely on memory for the painting anyway!

Another day, another mindful sketch!

Married to Art

Being a subject of my art is one of the hazards of being married to me!  Well, just knowing me could mean you end up in a painting! Yesterday I celebrated 33 years to an amazing guy who supports me and my art and who also has been painted a few times!  Since I will be really busy with some big life changes over the next month, I may not be able to post much fresh work.  So I thought I would recycle some older stuff you may or may not have seen.  Here are some works over the years.  I've lost some of my photos, somewhere, of  small sketch work like "Aviators" above.  (in sketch work I do not aim for a likeness, but rather to practice gesture or capture some other idea) Reviewing all my portraits reminded me I need to paint a few loved ones that have escaped my brush!