Synapses

Last week I found free painting videos on the website for Jerry's Artarama, and could hardly wait to get to my studio to try a diptych in context, a la Joe DiGiorgio.  He talks about 4 basic elements of abstract works: line, color, shape, and texture.  Joe's Black Bag video shows him using only 8 supplies, including equipment...so just a couple of colors were utilized.  The Liquitex purple jumped right out of my paint box, and of course I had to use my favorite: Golden's Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold.  I tried some Gesso, copper wire, and buttons for texture. As this painting evolved I was intrigued, but frustrated that the purple was just something I "never" use (although the collaged tissue paper was painted a couple of years ago!)  Then, in the smARTist conference I've been involved with, a speaker talked about keeping your body of work cohesive by using the same color palette even when working in diverse mediums or genres.  After a while with that thought, I realized my diptych needed some Cobalt Teal to bring it in line with my other works.  Now it doesn't seem quite so separate from the other paintings on my gallery wall.  It's definitely a different genre from my last post with the watercolor/collage sunflowers, but the palettes are closer.  Thank you Jerry's!

Connect / Out of the Box

last week

Sunflowers Out of the Box

It's been an amazing week with so much creative inspiration and seren-dipitous activity.  First, as I showed you before, I am taking the free online Recycled Journal Pages class with Pam Carriker.  Her idea of using photo copied images from your old paintings jumped me into salvaging an old painting.  I actually put that improved painting into a frame, but had forgotten to sign it, so I took it all out again and while signing, decided to do some Zentangle doodling in the squares...something else I've been experimenting with after reading blogs from other Journal-istas.  This also led to outlining the flowers with the brown marker, which gave definition and depth to the flowers. (Click on the image to see it larger.) You may disagree, but I think Sunflowers Out of the Box is much better than it was last week! 

Then, also from exploring other artist's blogs, I found a great one called 37 Days, by Patti Digh, from North Carolina, who has a new book, Life is a Verb.  The next day, I saw on Facebook that she was doing a workshop in Nebraska!  I commented on it, and the day after that I got a message from the local organizer telling me of another workshop in March!  The world gets smaller...

Then, on Tuesday, I read an email from Ariane Goodwin, who was giving a free registration for smARTist Telesummit 2011, to the artist who comes up with the longest qualified list of phrases referring to art, artistic endeavors, or creativity – but were used in a more every day sort of way.  My mother helped me, and we won!  (Thanks Mom, and Ariane!)  So, I'm also spending the next few weeks immersed in information from fabulous artists and business coaches.  This is already influencing the way I'm painting and thinking of what's next.... 

And, since I'm going to visit my daughter in North Carolina in February, I wanted to include an art class with the trip.  I found Joe DiGiorgio, teaching a class at Jerry's Artarama in Raleigh, and signed up....  I've already finished a painting inspired by one of his online videos.  Can't wait to connect with more artists!  

I've come up with my focus word for the year:  Connect...with artists, buyers, family, self.

2011 is definitely off to a great art-focused start.  It's only three weeks until the Governor's Mansion show goes up.  Yikes!  Time to connect with my lists and PR folder.

Crossing Over

This painting is titled Crossing Over...originally because of the color and texture "crossing over" a line and blending together.  Then, I realized the circular glow on the right could be seen as the tunnel of light described in near death experiences...as in "crossing over" into the other world!  That seemed, at first, a bit too cliche, but it has grown on me.  The intense color and heavy texture make me smile.  This painting was one of the first I did using Behr Interior Texture Paint, as suggested in an ANAC workshop at Halsey.  It sat for nearly three years with the eerie blue blending  in the top, and including the circle which was mostly ivory. I just couldn't decide what to do with it, but I knew it was an interesting start to something.  Where it is now golden on the bottom part, was originally ivory with some blue and brown stain wiped over it to show the texture.  So, in the last couple of months I have added a lot of color, and a lot of oriental papers, as well as adjusted the composition by cutting 6" off the top side, and 4 " off the left side.  It is in a wide black frame with no glass, and can be seen for the next month at The Color Box in Imperial.   Then, it will be in the Governor's Mansion show in Lincoln February 10-March 11.

Inspiration for the New Year

I'm in an online workshop with Pam Carriker, whose blog I've been following for about a year.  She is doing amazing things with her art marketing, creating lots of art, and showing amazing improvement in her techniques.  The free workshop is a series of videos on recycling Journal Pages.  It is sponsored by Strathmore, and by the way all the art supply websites are back-ordering their journals, it must be a good deal for the company!  It is inspiring and fun to share with over 900 other artists involved.  I think you can still join this group if you're interested.

This week we were to add a few papers and images to a journal page.  A new video is posted each of 4 weeks, adding to the journal page each time.  I think most of the "students" are anxious to get on with it!  This photo shows what I've done so far.  I was inspired by the words a friend posted on Facebook after her father died.  More of her words will be added later.  It includes some previously painted tissue papers, scrap-booking leftovers, an old watercolor pencil portrait, and pieces from photocopies of an old painting.  This photo copying of my own work was a great idea.  I even grabbed an inadequate, old watercolor painting of sunflowers and added 17 pieces cut from photocopies of other sunflower paintings for a much improved painting.  This one may still be evolving, but it's good to be inspired.

Guests Put an End to Procrastination

A year ago, I was so excited about my new 12 foot tall Christmas tree that I told my friends at the Ogallala Art Society they should plan to have the December 2010 meeting at my house so they could see my tree...and so they could appreciate how far I travel for the meetings with them!  It is 56 miles north to Ogallala, and some of them live 15 miles north of there.  Well, last month I started dreading my commitment.  The "studio" they wanted to see was far from being a "studio."  I could barely walk in the door to the guest room/place where the paint supplies are stored.  I still needed to get that big tree up and decorate for Christmas.  It was a twisted sort of relief when my son got the flu on the night before they were supposed to arrive.  I actually was sort of prepared at that time, but rescheduling for a week later was a blessing that allowed for a much cleaner house and that makes me happy.  Maybe it's because it doesn't happen often for me, but I just love the feeling of a clean house!

In the last 6 weeks, things have gotten done around here that should have been done 15 years ago!  My husband laid new flooring over the old peeling linoleum in the hall bath.  Drywall damage was repaired and painted, 45 year old carpet was hauled out of the basement and to the dump, and the remaining floor has been painted.  I even finished painting the concrete block wall in my "studio" which had been only partially painted for at least 8 years!  A swiveling stool I ordered for the studio is now usable after sitting in a box for two years.  In the last few months, the focus I had worked toward with my art had been put aside too many times with other commitments, but now I am inspired to set some new goals and get back at it.  I think the Art Society members left here a bit inspired, too. 

It's time for resolutions, and theme words.  Last year I decided on "willingness" in order to increase creative joy.  The year before, I chose the word "perseverance," to help me focus on continued, patient effort.  In the next week, besides altering 5 show choir dresses, wrapping and mailing Christmas gifts, accompanying the church concert, planning a college class for the spring semester, writing the church blog, and worrying about my son's scholarship applications, I hope to come up with the theme word for 2011.  Any ideas?  It'll be a big year.  My Governor's Mansion Exhibit will be held February 9-March 11, and I will be showing in the Meadowlark Gallery with my Cancer Survivor Painters in September.  I plan to take an online art journaling class in January, and get to the ANAC art camp at Halsey in September.  Maybe since my house is clean, I will be able to just sit for a bit, basking in the glow of Christmas lights, and think.  Then I can start painting!

clue

hello

Golden Mean

I'm teaching a basic painting class at the local community college this semester.   A discussion of composition is part of this week's lesson.  It always makes me think of Deon Bahr, a painting friend I met at the ANAC camp in Halsey a few years ago.  The painting to the left is one he started at Halsey.  Deon is an architect, and his geometric paintings and sculptures are often based on his fascination with the number Phi, known as the "Golden Mean," or the "Golden Number."  At camp, Deon explained to us the basis of the "Phi-nomenon."   I have a copy of the sketch he made in his graph paper notebook, showing the mathematical formation of the nautilus shell design.  Check out his website.

I found another site, in my research for class, that has a great visual explanation for the nautilus concept on it's homepage.  Check out  this graphic.

Let's work on great compositions!