A Menal Trip Back to Hawaii Via Art

I've had a few days of feeling down about my artistic endeavors. Between a bad cold, a rejection from a competition and lack of inspiration, I've just not felt very positive. If I don't feel inspired, then the artwork really can't be viewed with the best eye either.

But the good news is that I get out to the studio and put in my time.

Yesterday I decided to go back to my Hawaiian theme. I love painting people, kids especially, but paintings of children are often seen as "precious."

This new piece has some really good things going for it I think. It's not done. The white area is just too big, but I haven't figured out how to handle it yet. I like the mix of colors I used in the rocks and background--it creates neutral, yet stimulating passages. Maybe the sand needs more detail, too. At this point I like it, and need to take my time to continue to enhance the story of the child and turtle, without leaving bland and uninteresting areas.

 

Finishing touches

 

Well, Here it is. This morning I spent some time painting directly on the piece I'd used the mask and pour method. I do like how the focal point pops out. It does tell a story.

I'll look at the painting a few days as my blisters heal and contemplate using this technique again.

Reading leads to blisters and bad smells

I suspect I'm like many artists with shelves of books by other artists who have a particular technique they share within the 125+ pages of a hardbound book you can buy from an art book club. The other day I pulled down Jean Grastorf"s Pouring Light. Her technique involves masking out areas, pouring paint, masking and pouring several more times. As I read it with my morning coffee, I decided that I might give it a whirl. The reasons I haven't in the past were 1) I dislike using mask 2) I lack patience 3) I'm too cheap to want to pour paint down the drain.
The start: This is another Italy scene--an outdoor fruit and vegetable stand.

 

The next step: more mask and pouring paint

 

More masking and pouring

 

Finally I felt that I had to peel off the mask or burst so I began. But unlike the examples in Ms. Grastorf's book where she peeled off the mask easily, mine sat there as I rubbed with my fingers until I developed blisters on both index fingers, scraped with credit cards, and wore out a huge gum eraser. I have to admit, the mask is very old. Does it die in the bottle? It certainly smelled like it, in fact, it smelled like a decaying animal. Did I make a mistake not using enough, or using it in too many layers. This is all new to me, so I can't answer those questions. Here's the result. It will take some further direct painting, but I see the appeal of the fresh and pure colors. I'll post the final painting which I'll work on tomorrow. For now I'm letting my blisters heal.

 

Photo used to create "It Was a Good Year"

By request

 

Making decisions

This painting is another of my Italy series based on my trip and photos from Aug./Sept. I loved this image of a lovely gentleman drenched by sunlight. The photo was taken in Vernazza in the Cinque Terra where the village streets are lined with these umbrellaed outdoor cafes. The photo I took has no wine glass, but I wanted to tell a story, so added the wine.

I had completed the figure and the loosely implied pots with plants yesterday. I chose a very dark background behind the figure to emphasize the man. Then I stopped short of completing the upper portion of the diagonally placed umbrella. My questions were about the colors to use, whether to make stripes or not, and how to apply the paint to help tell the story but not overwhelm the importance of the figure.

After mulling it over during the evening and perhaps even dreaming about it, this is how I completed it this morning. Below the image, I'll include my decision making process.

It Was a Good Year

18 x 21

I decided to use a striped pattern because for me it creates a sense of place. I did not want the stripes to be precise and become dominant, so I painted them loosely, wet into wet. The painting is unified by warm colors, so the stripes continue with the browns, reds and grayed down blue, which is created by adding burnt sienna to the cobalt blue.

All in all, I think it's a successful painting that tells a story. As always comments are very welcome.

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Thanks again to all of you who read my blog.

Revisiting an old painting

Winter Wetlands

14 x 20

While looking through old (2+ years) the other day, I came across this one. Having arrived back in Oregon from Hawaii in the middle of winter, the theme resonated with me. Although I feel I've changed directions in my work, I still love the Oregon winter landscapes; the winter sky where the sun almost breaks through the clouds, the flocks of birds, the misty background.

When I pulled this piece out of a pile, it was appealing, but bland. I clipped it to my board and began to enhance the sky with French ultramarine. I saw that I needed to bring more attention to the focal area where the birds fly in to the rivulet, so darkening the sky brought a lot more drama to this piece.

One thing I've gained in the past couple of years is more confidence to be bold. I don't know if I think this is a particularly great painting, but I do respond to the subject matter and enjoyed the simplicity of improving it.

Noah's arrival

Who can resist a baby? Certainly not me, so I was delighted to be around for Noah's birth and to spend a week helping out my younger daughter and her family as they adjusted to Noah's arrival.

The beautiful first grandson.

The two princesses who will protect him and boss him around--on the left, cousin Angelica and big sister Marin on the right.

My husband Mike enjoys some snuggle time.

I do enjoy being a grandparent.

And now I have returned to my home, where the snow has melted and crocus are blooming and the evenings provide a cacophony of frogs from the ponds in the pasture.

This week I will get back to the rhythm of painting, posting, planning future art shows and gallery searches.

I am lucky to have such a full life!