epiphany

With no message in mind for the viewer as I painted this one, the image had a chance to evolve more directly through me - without all my usual filters of what I think will make a painting "successful." Playing with color, shapes and edges nourished me in a way unlike what I have formerly (three days ago) experienced when painting.

Sometimes, finding the Silver Lining in a situation happens before you realize there is a need to look for one.

a leap of faith

Yesterday I took a leap of faith from my comfort zone to explore my sense of place in a more abstract manner (A Sense of Place-April). I went to bed wondering what had just happened to me but awoke in the middle of the night knowing I wanted to paint Happy Landing today.
12 x 12 inches.

baby-step into abstraction

For many months, I've been thinking about "a sense of place" and how mine has evolved since childhood - and continues to change. I'm talking about a physical nesting place; the place we feel safe and content. And for me, perhaps more than for some others, a place that is visually pleasing.

Today's pastel painting is my first baby-step to abstract a sense of place. It was fun and my husband actually "got" it!

oil, pastel and colored pencil

One of my sources of inspiration and support for the past 14 years has been an Artist Critique Group. Most of us started as colored pencil artists and many continue to work primarily in that medium. As always, I was amazed and inspired by their work at our meeting yesterday. It motivated me to finish this little piece that has been on my easel for a week. It began as an oil foundation on white Wallis paper. I added some pastel, a little colored pencil, and left the oil foundation to stand alone in the foreground.

restraint

I read recently that failure can enhance your brain. When those with growth mind-sets (rather than fixed mind-sets) fail at a task, the brain enters a focused state and grows as it tries to solve the problem. I'm hoping that a couple days of frustration with this painting has enhanced my brain.

I began this painting with a fantastic reference photo that I took through a rain spattered window. The beautiful reference photo was the problem because I found myself trying to duplicate the scene. After hosing the pastel off 3 times, I started again, repeating the word RESTRAINT all the while I was working. I finally have a result I'm pleased with though it is nothing like the reference photo - and that's a good thing. 21 x 18 inches.

on, off, then on again

I remember hearing of someone who painted 27 times on one piece of Wallis paper by washing the pastel off and starting again. I certainly hope I can become content with this piece of Wallis long before that number.

This painting was originally posted 1/23/09 both as the foundation and finished painting, "Winter Riverwalk." Since then, it has been sitting in my studio, bugging me. About a month ago I washed it off and today I began again. As in my post of 1/26/08, I turned it upside down for a fresh start. For now, I'm OK with this one. We'll see how long it lasts. See the upside down foundation below. This time I'm calling it "Charmed."

featured...yay!

I am honored to have my painting, "Renaissance" selected for the show postcard of the upcoming Women Painters of Washington exhibit, "Summer Dreaming", beginning May 5, 2009 at the Women Painters of Washington Gallery, 3rd floor, Columbia Center Building, Seattle. The address is 701 5th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104. Gallery hours are M-F 10AM - 4PM.

peas instead of pastel

Beautiful, sunny, warm weather in Seattle area the past few days. I planted peas and transplanted daylilies instead of painting. Finally, here is the completed pastel painting on the foundation of my last post. 10.5 x 14 inches on gessoed Wallis paper.

award at wpw show

A nice Artists' Reception for the 2009 Women Painters of Washington Members' Show tonight despite pouring rain. I was honored to receive the Elsie Weiner Award for "Beach Grass." The judge was Tom Jensen.