Something different!

    I had no idea it had been so long for a post!  Golly, time zips by.

    I had an interesting call last week asking for my permission to use photographs of one of my painting for some posters for a small film group.  The got my name from a friend of my daughter in law in New York.  They thought it fit with "Uncle Vanya".  Love creative people.

   Some of us, 8 to be exact, are having an OPEN STUDIO day Nov. 15th. for those of us who live in Pecan Grove outside of Richmond, TX.  It's free.  If any of you are interested, let me know and I will send you a e-vite.

   I'll be doing a workshop on painting trees in the landscape with some of my ideas about color on October 26th-27th.  I started painting trees when I moved away where it is hard to find models for figurative work.  Thought maybe trees were the closest thing to people,  It's at the Art League of Fort Bend's  "5th Street Gallery" in Rosenberg.  Let me know if you're interested.   

Thinking about the art of creating

 
 A play set me thinking about the art of creating.
  Four of us went to the Alley Theater's new production "Old Friends", a play by Horton Foote.
It was thought provoking, and well preformed, though not really a happy situation.  But it got me thinking about the process of putting thoughts on paper or canvas.  I love to go to the theater.  It always gets me thinking, or I should say gets my mind racing like the roulette wheel.
      Creating a painting must be much like creating a book or play, perhaps even music.  The ideas bounce around the brain attempting to find a place to rest.  Emotion!  That's what it's all about.  How do I put what I feel into a way it can communicate with a viewer or reader.
      A thought must first become a reality that then creates the emotion in the eye of the beholder..  In a play,  it's translated by the words and actions of the performers.  In a painting it must be translated into a visual reality of color, content and composition. 
      A while back, I began searching for a way to visually explain how I feel when I encounter another for only an instant.  In a flash I see a woman in a car next to me.  I see the group waiting for  a bus or a mother with her children rushing them to school.  Maybe a man is walking his dog or simply sitting on a park bench.  Or maybe just mowing his lawn. Their image leaves a fleeting image that quickly passes off my screen.  Yet I know they have a real existence that I can only imagine.
 So, how do I express this on a blank canvas?
     I have been thinking about this for some time.  I have even tried some sketches.  But I have not been satisfied with the result.
     In the meantime I  paint other things that interest me.  Trees, skies, weather, flowers......these are solid, three dimensional things that can easily be translated to the paper. I can use color, draftsmanship...all the artist's tools. But all the while I have been searching my mind to come up with a solution to my quandary.
    The time has come, I decided, to try again.  So I will begin exploring this here on my blog for a while.  I hope some of you who read this will watch my progress and pass your thoughts on to me.

On the Easel

COMISSIONED PIECE UNDER CONSTRUCTION

      This is for a condo in NYC.  It's taken from a photo from Christmas, 2013.  I'll be glad when it
done.  The scene is a little outside my area of expertise and is pushing my knowledge.  There's a good bit left to do and it's slower than usual.  It just needs to be done by Thanksgiving.. I seen some glaring problems I need to work on.

Changing subjects

          I enjoyed trying my hand at the water and sky with the series of gulf shore paintings, but my true love still is with figurative work.  So I an anxious to get back to it.  It's just a little harder to get my subject matter together.  And right now I'm working on a commission for another winter scene.  Want to do some more kids at play type and maybe add some cats.  I have ready models for that.  Out the window of my studio I can see the little chameleons running along the sill.  Such fun.  But don't think they're great subjects for art.  They're really cute when they blow out their throat that is bright red.  But the garden is in full bloom now and hence the flowers.  Well, I'll see what tomorrow brings.

Gulf Sunset.

I call this one "Home before Dark" because the birds seemed to be hurrying home.  It is from a scene
at Dauphine Island in Alabama, and is part of my beach paintings I did this summer.

Bird of Paradise

This is not a painting.  It's just the first bloom this year on our Paradise.  We have wanted one ever since we were in Australia and have finally got one to bloom.  Actually we had a bloom last year but this year we will have at least 2.  This is the first in 2014.

R & R

Took some time off to think about where I wanted to go on my paintings.  Decided to change subjects for awhile to refresh.  Have done a couple of florals.  Let me know what you think.

This is from my garden, "Roses of Sharon".  I usually call them Altheas but my friends told me that name was too prosaic for the painting.

This next one is also a view of the garden coming around the corner from the back.  It is not as nice nor interesting as the althea.  I don't know if it is the subject or the composition.  Haven't even named it yet.  Actually, I can't decide if it deserves one.

Painting of the girls at the beach has been sold.

Fun at the beach? 10x8 oil on canvas.

Painted this today.  Haven't named it yet.  Any suggestios?

Finished paintings

These were taken by a bad photographer.

On The Easel

Another beach scene entitled "Almost Dark", 20 x 16 oil.  Just started this.  Probably won't get to work again until Friday.
'

Getting there.

I'm calling this "Dreaming" as a working title.  It's an oil, 20x16".
Anyone have a better suggestion?

Explanation

  Well, "the best laid plans" have been fouled up again and here I am doing what I planned 3 days ago.
   Any way....more on the same subject of being frustrated with painting.
  I am showing 2 photos.  The first is the photograph of my subject and the second is the painting, definitely unfinished, of the painting in question.
   Something happened to my painting time this week and now further work is postponed until at least next week

The original photograph of a young girl sitting on a rock overlookiing the gulf.  Great mood, I thought.

Photograph of unfinished painting

Decision Time

It's always great to finish a painting and feel overall pretty good about it.  But then there's always a
"now what".  So here I am.  I have been pleasantly surprised by the nice comments I've had about the snow painting.  I was worried because I really have seen very little snow in my life.  And oddly enough everyone has liked the colors.  Well, I feel very confident about my use of color.  I am thinking about another one and have had a request to do a large one for a condo in NYC.  And I probably will do that.  And I have a photo I took with some birds in a tree.  I would really like to do that even though most people won't like it and thus it will probably not sell.  Not that that has ever stopped me from painting what I want.
Then the other evening I noticed the late afternoon sun coming through the front door had really interesting  shapes and colors ( I go crazy over shapes).  I love the way the sunlight dances through the vine on the front porch.
Every time I've tried to paint this week something  has come up and now I'm getting frustrated about not being able to get in the studio besides wondering where I'm going to start, or really even "why", since  I don't even have a gallery to show in.
Oh well!.  For some reason, I just have to paint.  It's like an affliction.  Somewhere inside something is schreaming at me, "paint, paint, paint!'  So, paint I will, when I decide where to start.
I'm still contemplating how I can best do my"relationship" series.  I've had a few more ideas with mixed media.  That just needs to cook for awhile.

Finished oil, "Winter Morning"

I think this is finally finished.  First ever snow pic for me.  May do another one similar for my daughter's new condo in NYC.  I have a request.

This one is 20x24 and under construction.

Living here where it snows a few inches every 10 years or so, I'm not sure I'm qualified to paint it.  But this is based on a photo my daughter in  law took in Central Park last winter.  I thought it would be fun to give it a try.

"Reach for the Sun", 24" x 30", oil

Not a great photo.  There was some glare on the right side.  It will do for now though.

Indecisions?

I am still alive.  Ive been dealing with a quandary...to paint or not to paint.
Do I want  to use watercolor inspite of a still somewhat shaky hand, or..do I want to paint at all?
Well after much soul searching I KNOW I want to paint.
As to what and where, I'm still not sure.  My "invisible people" work is still with me, but in the meantime I have been working on trees in oil.
If you've read any of this before, it is repetitive.  Sometimes it's tough to deal with changes in life. I never realized old age before.  Funny, I don't feel any different inside.  But stupid bodies don't always agree with me.  People think we're all senile and/or worthless.  Look what they did to Jay Leno and he's only middle aged.  The only thing I can see is I have less patience with stupidity and want to spend time doing what I love.  I'm sure NBC is right in thinking that we are not so easily persuaded  to purchases whatever the advertisers are selling.  And perhaps my ideas of entertainment are probably different than they used to be.  Big parties have certainly lost their charm.
 I apologize for being so wishy washy.  Any way, I've been working on a couple of oils and would appreciate your opinions, for better or worse.
Right now my only gallery is 5th Street Gallery in Rosenberg.  It's a little out of the way and to be honest I don't have anything there right now.  But I will probably go back soon.  So this blog and facebook are my galleries for the moment.
Pictures soon.

FINISHED?

Although the painting is covered, I am not completely happy with it and may do a completes revision.  But, this is basically what it will be.  I call it "Where's that bus" or "My car is in the shop", or it;s open.  Have you a suggestion?

Still in Progress

                     
                                                   Still in progress.  It's slow goint.  

Work in Progress: Car trouble! W/C

Wow, time flies!

I knew it had been a while, but didn't realize how long it has been since I wrote.   Well, we spent that time in Tennessee with Mary, and then came Christmas and then New years and, well I couldn't find the supplies I needed out here and had to get them off the internet, and then I wasn't sure how to start my new series and then......of well.  You get the idea.

Well, now the supplies have come.  I bought some great new sable brushes and arches watercolor paper, my favorite brand.   Well, actually I had started earlier, but hated the paper I could find out here and I piddled around and sketched, then I changed it, then I thought maybe I should start with an easier version.  So then I started with what I had with the original drawing.  Then I wasn't happy with it.  Then I put some color on it to see if it would work.  Then I didn't like it.  Then...well you know how it goes sometime.  So I left it alone for awhile.

So, then all the family left.  It was great seeing everyone.  Now it's great, well good anyway, and I can get back to work.

So I pulled out some new paper.  Then I didn't really know where to start.  Then I finally sketched it, and made some changes, then some  more changes.  And finally one day, I began to paint.  Well I love the new brushes, but, it has been 5 years since I painted in watercolor.  And I need a new shoulder from standing at my easel and using the brush at arms length for s few, well, really many years, and they don't want to operate on it  and I don't really want them to either.  So I got a shot.  Well, you know I broke my right arm around labor day and had that operated on (no choice that time) and my arm got real shaky.  So I went to the accupuncturist to see if he could help my right hand.  And he has, sort of, so it only shakes when I use it.....

Well now it's January and I am really painting.  It's a little harder cause my hand isn't as steady as it was, but I'm working on it.  And I find it is getting a little easier as I get in the swing of watercolor again.  Now, I have  it about half done and it's not as good as it should be.  And the decisions about how to go about it are some what resolved.  And I hope to finish it this week.  And if I think it passes inspection I'll frame it.  And if it doesn't, I'll start over.  If I do that I may start on an easier idea.

So, tomorrow when the sun is up, I'll put a pic in just so you can see where all this has led to.  But I will finish it regardless so I will know what to do next time.

And a very Happy New Year to you all!