EXPLORING NEW MATERIALS

Friday was the last day of a big sale for a local art supply store in preparation of moving to a new location.   I decided to take advantage of the opportunity and buy some expensive oil pastels.   I have about three sets of inexpensive oil pastels and have periodically experimented with using them.  All drawing media intrigues me.  Tbis is a piece I first experimented drawing on a printed background mounted on foam board.  Here are some more colorful oil pastel experiments on top of acrylic printed pages in  a small sketchbook.  I find I like the look and feel of oil pastel over acrylic.  

CHANGE OF PACE!

VERDANT 

SAN DIEGO OVERLOOKING THE OCEAN

The source photo for my latest painting is from a recent trip to San Diego.  After putting this image through various photo app manipulations, I painted this landscape by scraping acrylic over a collaged surface which I had applied to a wooden cradle board.  This was a lot of fun to complete a painting without one actual brush stroke.  I wound up totally covering over the hand printed surface papers but the texture made a huge difference in the final result.  Originally, I had created a much more abstracted image but was struggling with the final touches and then went for a more traditional impressionistic solution.   I really admire many non-representational pieces by others.  Somehow, I find it very difficult to do.  I am trying to challenge myself to work in a more abstracted manner, at least part of the time.  This painting is going to be part of an exhibit of abstracted landscapes by my critic group friends.  I will share more details of where and when after I have the official information.

ANNUAL SIGNATURE WATERCOLOR SHOW AT FALLBROOK ART CENTER

FORWARD FACING

This is my painting that is on exhibit in the annual Signature Watercolor Show at Fallbrook Art Center.  I was in San Diego last weekend to visit my son and we drove the hour north to the charming mountain community of Fallbrook to attend the opening reception of this fabulous show.  Signature membership in a national watercolor society is a requirement to submit an entry, so the show is full of masterful work.  It must have been a very difficult job for the Juror, Dale Laitinen,  to select the show and award the prizes.  I felt honored to be included.   If you go to their website, you can read a list of the winners.   Unfortunately, there are no images except for Dean Mitchell's winning entry.  

This painting is on "reconstructed tyvek" which is my term for tearing up a failed painting on tyvek and sticking it back down on another failed painting on watercolor paper (or canvas, cradle board etc.)  I glue it down with YES glue so the paper will accept watercolor.  I like how the watercolor paint will seep into the crevices of the surface and create greater texture.  This has become one of my favorite surfaces for painting a very craggy face.  You can tear a sheet of tyvek if you first make a cut in the side of the paper with a scissors.  You can pick up free envelopes of Tyvek at the Post Office.  It isn't necessary to paint on the paper before tearing it up.  I just like to recycle failed paintings and the painted surface adds unexpected elements into the mix.  Try it both ways and see what your preference is.  If you want to purchase sheets of Tyvek, you can order them from allweatherblueprints.com  If you know of a place where you can order even smaller quantities of Tyvek, let me know.  

"LIFESCAPES" SOLO SHOW THROUGH MARCH 12TH

"THE CLAN" centerpiece of Lifescapes Solo Show

Sunday was an exciting day.   After months of planning and lots of work getting ready. the opening reception for my first solo show was finally here.  My out of town children made the effort to come in to celebrate with me.  A beautiful day and so many friends and well wishers came out.  I am posting a video of the show for those of you who can't come by in person.  The exhibit is up through March 12th.   If you are in the area,  please stop by.  If you let me know when you are coming, I will try to meet you there and give a personal tour of the Museum and artists studios.  The Peninsula Museum of Art in Burlingame Ca. is a true hidden gem.  

 My husband and 3 sons are featured in the centerpiece painting above, The Clan.  Although my eldest son, Bill is very out of focus on this piece, he is featured in another painting in the show.  He is one of my favorite subjects and submits to my constantly photographing him.  My youngest son hates to be photographed so I have very little source material for paintings with him.  My middle son doesn't like me to paint him either.   My husband is a great subject and is pleased to be featured in some of my best efforts.  It is interesting how people feel so differently about being the subject of a painting, and we have to be sensitive to their wishes.  Either way, my family has been tremendously supportive of my art career and my appreciation and gratitude knows no bounds!

ON THE NEWSSTANDS NOW!

This is one of my paintings featured in an article I wrote which is in the latest issue of The Artist's Magazine.  If you are interested in finding new ways to generate ideas for more imaginative paintings, check out my ideas for using digital applications to manipulate photographs for inspiration! I have detailed instructions for getting started and some tips I learned through trial and error.  I based the article on my teaching these ideas in my workshop which shows  many artists how to embrace the digital age with confidence and use these amazing tools to enhance their creativity.

FAREWELL TO A GREAT PRESIDENT!

During President Obama's inaugural address, I took some screen shots off the tv and made these drawings.   They hardly do him justice, but I wanted to pay tribute to a brilliant, elegant and devoted public servant.  This was a class act that we won't be seeing again for a very long time.   

IT AIN'T NECESSARILY SO!

ANGER MANAGEMENT

This is a painting of a wonderful photographer, Gary Bridges.  Not only is he a great photographer, he is a very nice, warm and friendly man.  When I met him, I was taken with his lean rugged countenance and asked if I could photograph him and create some paintings.  He was very gracious and so I took 3 or 4 different poses and have painted 4 or 5 versions.  Because I don't like to paint teeth, my subjects look serious.  In this case, Gary looks downright menacing.  As the song from Porgy and Bess goes, " It ain't necessarily so!" 

This painting is going to be on exhibit starting this weekend with the 2017 national exhibition of the California Watercolor Association.  This is an organization very close to my heart so I was particularly happy to be included in the show.   National shows always have so much competition with excellent level entries vying for too few spots.  Sometimes I am able to make the cut and sometimes not.  Lucky this time!  I am looking forward to attending the opening reception on Saturday the 14th at the Harrington Gallery in the Firehouse Art Center in Pleasanton, Ca.  This is a fabulous venue and I am excited that CWA was able to have this important show here again. Reconnecting with local friends and a few from as far away as Florida is going to be another highlight of the day.

This is a new surface I experimented with.  It is supposed to resemble plaster.  You take paper toweling and separate it into one ply and glue it to the surface (watercolor paper, canvas, wood panel, etc.) with an equal mixture of gesso and mat medium.  I used paper towels that already had some paint on them and would have been thrown away.  I like how the whitish ground has subtle color coming through.  The surface when dry is quite rough, so don't use good sable brushes on it.  I added some watercolor crayon to the final piece which helped to accent the texture and the element of drawing that I feel is important to my work.