surprising myself

Yesterday I spent the day at the Women Painters of Washington Gallery in Seattle with artist, Kristi Galindo Dyson. She recently received a Best of Show award and, as we discussed abstract and field painting, I was surprised to find myself relating more fully than in past conversations. It made me realize how much my method of painting and my thinking has changed.

And so, today when I came across my posting dated January 28, 2008 on this blog, it made it smile because I have forgotten that feeling of only a year ago when I wrote, "I’m a big admirer of artists who start with an idea and paint it without reference photos or standing before the actual scene as they paint. However, that process doesn’t work for me."

out of the blue

After finishing "Dream Catcher" last week, I expected my next painting to be similar - quiet, reflective and understated. So, when I read the Spring/Summer 2009 Pastel Society of the West Coast newsletter article by Margot Schulzke, "It's All a Matter of Focus" and her words of wisdom, "Much is said by not saying too much." it confirmed my recent art endeavors.

However, add a couple days of beautiful Washington weather, a grandson's soccer game, hours of weed eating, garden and yard work and something very different happened to the next painting. While the active busy days of summer begin, another part of my life is on hold. It's an exciting but sometimes confusing time.

hold on tight to your dreams

This Mother's Day painting is another in my Sense of Place series: "Dream Catcher"

A nice surprise

While browsing around tonight on some favorite websites, I was surprised to see my work posted on the Women Painters of Washington homepage. Many thanks to WPW Webmaster Kay Dewar.

chain of events

In hind-sight, the chain of events to a goal or to the outcome of a state of affairs is sometimes surprising. I'm amazed that I'm abstracting my paintings these days. 12 x 12 inches, pastel

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.

too many mediums...

Today as I began the oil underpainting for a beach path scene in pastel, I was amazed to find an affinity for oil that I didn't know I had. It was so much fun to work in that medium again - I found myself painting longer than usual at the underpainting stage. It made me want to paint in oil again. Too many mediums, too little time.

#5 and the reference photo

This time it is acrylic over an ochre gesso ground. I'd love to continue playing with this medium but I need to return to pastel for upcoming spring shows. I'm including the one reference photo used for this week's acrylic experiments.

aha! moment

When I worked exclusively in colored pencil, the paper surface was critical to the outcome of my art. Then, I started working in pastel and again, found the surface was all-important. I am still finding my way with oil and don't have a favorite surface yet but one would think that SURFACE would be on my mind. Apparently not because I have been playing all week (without a lot of enthusiasm) with acrylic on canvas panel.

Today I finally had an aha! moment and switched from canvas to a paper surface. I'm much happier with the result. I have one more surface idea then tomorrow, I'll post the reference photo for the experiments of the week. 9 x 12 inches, acrylic on paper

bye bye sky

Another try with one brush, glazes and hopefully, more spontaneity. In the end, I wiped away all the sky that wasn't dry which left just a hint of the mountains. 9 x 12 inches, acrylic.

one brush instead of four

Acrylic again. Same reference photo, a little different composition. Today I used only one brush (#10 Connoisseur white taklon flat) and thin glazes to start. Yesterday, trying to find my way, I used four different size brushes. 9 x 12 inches, acrylic on canvas panel.

seven months later

It has been seven months since I first painted with acrylics. Today is my second try. I'm going on faith that I'll be able to get softer edges if I become better acquainted with this new-for-me medium. I may continue throughout the week using the same reference photo. 9 x 12 inches, acrylic on canvas panel.

late night color

Tonight, "Lavender Sky 2." So much color just before bedtime...wonder what that will do to my dreams?

back to pastel

Today it is "Lavender Sky." My afternoon attempt to get back to painting in my studio with pastel instead of painting the interior walls of our house. After the red kitchen (Behr New Brick), I moved on to the great room (Ralph Lauren Lincolnshire Olive). I'm done with walls for now.

Meanwhile, we're still looking for retirement property on Lake Sawyer or Lake Morton in Washington State. Anyone know someone there who wants to sell?

almost there

Here's a shot of the spaghetti sauce kitchen walls. Cabinet hardware is on order but I'm ready to move on from this project.

Good advice from my chiropractor this morning:
"Dreams are free; dream BIG."

side-tracked by spaghetti sauce

It has been a struggle this week to get into the studio to paint - lots of other things going on. Today was going to be the day but then the spaghetti sauce thing happened. I was cleaning up after dinner; I put the left over spaghetti sauce in a quart jar and headed for the refrigerator. But the color of the sauce was so beautiful I just stood in the kitchen holding the jar. The next thing I knew, I was on a mission to update the kitchen by painting the walls that color. One thing led to another and today was spent in major cleaning to get ready to paint the kitchen. The whole pantry needed to be rearranged to accommodate all the stuff from the counter tops and the collection of teapots, candlesticks, and water pitchers from above the cabinets. Tomorrow I'll buy the paint. I've been side-tracked by spaghetti sauce.

day's ease

What better time to paint a colorful late summer hillside than a rainy Sunday evening, the first day of March?
10.5 x 10.5 inches, pastel on paper