Summer acrylic work

I've had a chance to take a couple of classes this summer.  The first is an on-line class entitled "Wild Wonder" Here's the link: http://annamieka.com/wildwonder/  Another round will start in October.  Annamieka teaches a collage and acrylic technique along with a bit of botany.  She uses the Ruzuku site to show videos, as well as a private Facebook group.  Here's my piece:

Flowering Pomegranate

I'm taking the summer session of Intermediate painting at the Drawing Studio on Division Street in Portland, Oregon. Drawing Studio The instructor is always trying to get us to stretch.  His philosophy is that it is better to go beyond your comfort zone, than always stopping at 75%.

Last night we had a live model. Here is one stage:

Stage 1

Stage 2

I think I prefer Stage 1, but pushing helped me see what can happen after working it.  I'm used to watercolor where you try to get it without overworking it.  Apparently, practicing in this way can help with whichever media you choose. It's nice to have some of the white paper showing. Our goal was not to make a pretty painting, but to see what the paint can do. You can tell I'm not great with hands. I'm so impatient.

The third class is another on-line class, the 21 Secrets from a while ago called "Color, color, color!" at Dirtyfootprints Studio. Looking forward to trying out some of the techniques. The summer heat is making the garage less than comfortable.  It should break soon.

Post cards that I sent

Here are a few of the cards I sent:


Drawing of Chocolate Cosmos with liquid water color and Peerless Transparent Metallic water colors.



Trying various pens and designs.
 

It's fun to experiment - there are always some I like better.  How many layers to make? How much is too much? When to stop?  It sure is fun to play with the paints.

 

4 months and 50

A pleasant interlude via a neighbor's garden.

Art, job, taxes, money, love. I have a lot of love in my life, my job keeps me busy and will bring in money to pay the taxes. Art is always there but not always active.

I've been pondering the fact that if I choose to forgive my parents and other people in my past, then what I'm left with is that I'm in control of and responsible for my life.  Me, alone.  Sigh.  What a big responsibility.

As I look around at my messy office, studio, house, finances and realize it's all my own doing, I kind of want to hide under the covers and not come out.  The good news is that it's all fixable!

That's what I've been thinking about as I turn 50 and 1/3 years old next week.  I do have a goal to have some art made by the end of August.  Three weeks? We'll see!

Upcoming Events

It was 60 degrees on Monday and expected to be 101 degrees on Thursday. How's that for the ramp-up to Summer?

Garden 2006

I have an opportunity to do a show in October. OK - so it will be seen by oh, say, no more than 20 people, but I'm excited. It will give me a goal and a chance to try it all out. My client has a very nice cafeteria with room for around 15 pieces of art. They've been rotating shows every month. It will give me a chance to gather together 15 works of art, frame and prepare them for hanging, create title cards, and an artist statement: ("I like color. Thank you very much".)

It will feature both encaustic and water color works. I have three months to prepare. Can I do it? Crossing my fingers!

Feature wall - I plan on creating four 24x24 encaustic works for this.

Gratitude Day

Clematis

After this long weekend and before I sit down to dealing with the inevitable letdown of real life, I want to list many things I am grateful for, in no particular order:

• the beautiful sunshine we're enjoying after so many months of rain


• that I drank just enough water to avoid sunstroke yesterday


• the incredible effort and work of the volunteers and coordinators of the Lake Oswego Art Show


• that I had enough energy to create and submit art and be a participant


• my friend Jenny is home after 2 weeks in the hospital


• the existence of Starbucks, cell phones and taxi cabs after I missed the last shuttle


• I'm of the age that reunions are interesting and welcome


• the friends I've reconnected with this past year and the new ones I've met


• Bob's help framing the art works and attending the show with me


• Bob doing the laundry, cleaning and barbecuing while I gallavanted around all weekend


• the artists who teach and share their techniques in person and on-line


• the people who support me and have supported me in the past that I often take for granted!
• I have work/career that lets me indulge my interests

Travel, work, looking at art...

Not a lot of making art. Here are a couple of photos from around the neighborhood.
Happy May!

Water color

Here are some exercises I painted. The first two use Koi pan water colors, the second two use the colors from my palette, mostly Daniel Smith and M. Graham paints.
They're painted on Khadi Rough paper from India, about 5x7.

First try - clematis and roses from our garden. I thought I didn't quite get it all integrated enough - not enough lost edges.

More lost edges.

Drawn using a grey Pitt pen and painted using my palette colors.

Drawn in pencil, painted, then ink added with a calligraphy pen. I have to admit, I like the high contrast. Next time, I might try to remember to vary the type of lines.