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Summer Sketch Tour 2010

November 9, 2010 in Plein Air Painting | Permalink

It’s been a while since I “blogged.” That’s because I’ve been overwhelmed with the business aspects of being a commercial artist. That sort of thing is necessary, but it’s hardly fodder for an interesting exposition. Frankly, it’s very boring.

I’ll digress a bit at the start. This summer, my husband and I took a four-month trip to investigate various groups and venues on the East Coast I’d heard about and, obviously, to paint or at least get some very good reference photos of things I planned to paint.

A taste of the Old South

Our first major stop was Charleston, South Carolina. As everyone knows, it’s a beautiful city. I was really taken by the historic houses; the area reminded me a lot of Boston. We also visited Magnolia Plantations. All in all, it was a rich, rich area for taking reference photographs. I didn’t really get to paint much as we were only staying a short time, but I always try to sketch something, just to get my feet wet.

We also stopped in the Shenandoah Valley near Lynchburg, Virginia, for a few days. While we were there, I visited Thomas Jefferson’s summer home, Poplar Forest. The building itself is a hexagonal structure, designed personally by Jefferson. The grounds were lovely and I took a large number of pictures that I hope will inspire some watercolors in the future.

Natural Bridge

A highlight of this visit to the Shenandoah Valley was The Natural Bridge. It’s over 200 feet tall and arcs over almost a hundred feet. It was formed by a combination of water and the collapse of the surrounding terrain leaving an awesome natural formation. George Washington carved his initials in the bridge while he was making a survey of the area. Present day visitors are warned not to try to emulate our First President.

I was deeply touched by the juxtaposition of the ancient stones and the present-day verdant growth that complement each other so well. I had such a strong sense of permanence and spontaneity in harmony. I spent quite a while just absorbing the ambience. I had been counseled that there needed to be both an emotional and a cognitive aspect to my art and this seemed the perfect inspiration.
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/I’ve been pondering this for quite a while. I was deeply touched by how well the disparate components, the massive structure of the rock in one timescale and the fragility of the foliage in another, completely different, one, worked together. One enduring for eons, while the other constantly recreating itself.

Natural Bridge, Watercolor 22 x 30

I’ve tried to convey that in my paintings and I’m quite happy with it. It was a daunting project since it was on a full-sheet, and I’ve never worked on that scale before. I still need to get it matted and framed. I may have to experiment with cutting mats because when inspiration collides with standard sizes, it’s the mundane that has to yield.

Our next stop was Washington, D.C., where I largely simply toured the museums, particularly The National Gallery. It is a magnificent place. I had visited it before, but it is the kind of place that one can visit over and over again.

Matisse Cut-outs at National Gallery

One display that greatly impressed me was the Matisse “cutting into color.” It is a technique involving freehand cutting of colored papers into attractive shapes, which he pinned loosely to white walls, later adjusting, re-cutting, combining, and recombining until he was satisfied. I had no idea of how big they were. They are bigger than most murals. Seeing them in real-life made me realize that this is why museums are there. Books and photographs are useful, but one needs a place to really experience the art.

After leaving D.C., we stopped along the Long Island seashore and finished up the leg on Cape Cod where I did a lot more of the “investigation of venues” which was one of the goals of the trip. We visited the Cape Cod Museum of Art which is really well done, beautiful grounds and a nice selection of art.

When we were there, they had an exhibit of the works of The Seven Lively Artists. More than five decades after the group formed, the Seven Lively Artists continue to have a standing Friday lunch date at which they talk about upcoming exhibits and painting trips and share stories of past adventures. It was impressive to see a plein air group exhibited other than in a local display.

I did some plein air work while I was on the Cape. I got in touch with the Eastham Painters’ Guild, a wonderful group of people with whom I hope to do further work because they do some outdoor shows. Several members suggest that at some point I might be their artist of the month.

Strong Island

The experience with these people was entirely enjoyable. They paint a lot and have a great practical, no nonsense, way about them; they set up fast and get right to work. I was able to go painting with them on the Chatham harbor from which we had a view of Strong Island. The resultant picture is unique because, forgetting to bring a supply of water, I used the sea water from right off the beach. Now, I can tell people “this painting was painted with THAT water… the water you are looking at.”

We also went painting at some old barns. The gentleman who is in charge of the group is a long-time resident of Eastham. He knows a lot of local history and a lot of people so he can get access to properties which would normally be off limits.

We also visited the Crosby Mansion in Brewster. I took a number of photo references there, particularly the art.

Aside from painting and taking pictures, I used the trip to reorganize my palette. I cleaned it all off, moved some colors around, added a few more and made a map of it. Then, I designed a few sub-palettes because I was studying more about color and I wanted some where all the colors were mixed from the same sub-palette. I created my standard transparent mixing palette as well as an alternative palette and then I did a delicate non-staining transparent palette, an opaque palette, a “Cape Cod” palette and then I took every single tube of paint I had and value-mapped it at the standard strength at which it comes out of the tube. This turned out to be a very useful exercise because it gave me more ability to know how my paint was going to react.

Oct. 15th was the opening at the new place.

After about a month, we went up to Vermont for a two-month stay. Again, part of the goal was to look into the venues and to prepare for those with whom I was already involved. I was already a member of MAC, the Memphremagog Arts Collaborative, in Newport, but I hadn’t seen my work on display in their center so I had been impatient to get to Vermont.

Each regular member of MAC is expected put in time at the center, so one of the first things I did was go through a training course on what was expected. While I’m really non-local, I wanted to be able to do my share. It was very interesting working in a gallery, seeing people come in, look around and buy things. During my stay, I produced a number of paintings that I was able to leave for MAC to display.

My time in the MAC gallery made it clear that for the Vermont market, at least, I’m going to have to focus on more affordable art so now I’m branching out into original watercolor cards in a five-inch by seven-inch format that I can sell at a lower price point. I really believe that one of my goals is to get art into people’s hands. Art should be accessible.
However, this raised an internal concern: “am I selling out.” It took a lot of thought but I’m not at ill ease since I’m still working on art that moves me and that I have to think and ponder about and then create. I love to interpret the natural world, flowers, trees, old barns, and while these are subject that sell, I’m painting them because I love to do it.

These cards have also been a good exercise in patience for me. I do several at the same time and have to wait while they dry. In the past, I’ve returned to my work too soon and ruined some pieces by not waiting long enough, but with the smaller art work, I am finding I can be more fastidious and careful. Interestingly enough, it is taking me the same amount of time to do the small ones as the large ones, but I’m feeling more connected.

While we were staying in Vermont, I used some workshop DVDs to do independent study. One was Don Andrews’ five DVD set that cover topics like “painting with light,” ”granulation,” “how to loosen up” and “painting negative space.” They were very informative and I’m sure I’ll watch them again, and I’m going to a live workshop with him that the Palm Beach Watercolor Society is sponsoring in December.

I also viewed a number of DVDs on watercolor portraits. After I did one for my nephew’s child, Gabriella, I’ve gotten more requests from people for similar work, and I felt that I needed some formal instruction in the area. One I used was by Susan Harrison Tustain that sets down a step by step guide for creating watercolor portraits.

I also wanted to check out some Vermont venues, one in particular, The Old Red Mill, which is used yearly for an exhibit by the Northern Vermont Art Association, which I think I may eventually join. The building itself is a delightful old water-powered mill which is now a shop selling souvenirs and is, typical of Vermont, also a post office. The walls are dedicated to rotating displays of art.

Because I’m interested in the Saint Albans Art Society we drove over to Burlington. The group traces its roots back over a century. However, it is a long drive over two-lane roads, spectacular scenery but a long, long drive.

I also looked into the Vermont Watercolor Society, but they are mostly centered in the southern part of the state. This would greatly limit my opportunities to interact with them or display at their shows.

I didn’t get a chance to look at the New England Watercolor Society exhibit as I had hoped. They are another group that has a long history, starting out as the Boston Watercolor Society. I am hoping to get involved with them in the future.

Aside from “scoping out” the groups, I did some plein air painting at Barton’s Crystal Lake and on an excursion to Eastport and Bar Harbor, Maine. When I wasn’t painting, I was doing photo-reference shoots in the lovely scenery of those states.

Now that I’m back in Florida, I will be doing both the indoor and outdoor shows with the Delray Art League, giving me a chance to show off some of the work I did during the summer. I’m also active with the Palm Beach Watercolor Society and will be getting things ready for some of their shows.

I’m really looking forward to the upcoming season.

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Return fom Vemont

June 6, 2010 in Plein Air Painting | Permalink

After picking up my sister, Catherine, in Pennsylvania, I drove over to my aunt’s 90th birthday party, but along the way, we stopped at the Brooklyn Museum and saw the Judy Chicago exhibit of “The Dinner Party.”  I had seen this during its late 70’s tour when it appeared in The Cyclorama in Boston.  The Cyclorama was a great venue for the exhibit but seeing it in its present permanent installation was magnificent.

It brought back many of the same feelings from my first viewing; however, at the time, I hadn’t realized the significance of this break-through feminist art, something that now is clear in retrospect.  However, I was deeply touched by it at the time and the Brooklyn display brought back those feelings.

The Brooklyn Museum is a little treasure.  I wish that I had more time to see it, but the party provided a deadline that we had to meet.  We did have enough time to visit the exhibition of ancient Egyptian art.  The museum is definitely on my list of places to visit again.

The party for my aunt was fantastic as was the chance to see the many members of my family.  Following that, my sister and I stayed the night with an old friend who lived nearby.  One of the things about these tours is the chance to catch up with old friends.  It’s a valuable and nurturing experience that is well worth the effort.

 

The next leg took us to Vermont.  A visit to The Vermont Store awakened the “Oh, I want to get out my paint brushes” feeling, but I limited myself to capturing the scenes with my Canon camera and its new 55mm – 250 mm lens.  It’s valuable for close-ups without intruding on the scene. For example, I made some nice shots of a fiddler at the store.

We finally reached the Northeast Kingdom and we had some quality time with my other sister, Judy.  This trip also gave me the opportunity to move some items that we were no longer using in Florida but would be handy when we took up Summer quarters in Vermont.  One of these “items” was the Saturn I’d driven up in.  When the time came to return, I dropped off the car with Judy, and Catherine and I boarded a train for the trip south at Essex Junction.
The trip through the mountains and along the Connecticut River was very beautiful, and the nine-and-a-half hour ride into New York City didn’t seem all that long.  Since the rail lines were laid out during the industrial heyday, any long ride is an interesting mix of the conventionally scenic and a view into the country’s past.

I don’t think I’ve ever arrived in New York with such ease. There was no traffic snarl and I could appreciate the view of the city’s skyline.  We stayed over in NYC and went to visit the Met in the morning.

I had been there several years ago, but it’s always worth a visit.  Simply the magnitude of the place is so impressive. However, the “natural” settings were awe inspiring.  For example, the Tiffany windows were displayed in a portico that was also designed by Tiffany with Islamic inspired columns.  As another example, the Robert Leyman exhibit is set up just as it was shown in his house.  This is truly fantastic.

The highlights tour whizzes you around the museum.  It’s a lot of walking but it does a wonderful joy of whetting your appetite for return explorations.  After the tour was over, we made a more leisurely visit to the impressionists and a selection of Renaissance masters.

We returned to our hostel via a walk through Central Park and then took the subway south.  Catherine split off at Port Authority to take a bus back of Pennsylvania and I continued on to Penn Station for my train back to Delray Beach.  Even though I  arrived well before my departure time, Amtrak made the wait pleasant.  They have a well-appointed waiting area with wi-fi that is right off the subway exit.

While we’ve all heard stories about New Yorkers, my experiences showed me another, much more pleasant side. I had people spontaneously help me with my luggage, the people in the hostel were fantastic.  I was really pleasantly surprised.   I don’t know if it was just that I’m more receptive but I was very very happy to see just how friendly and helpful New Yorkers can be.

The trip back was fun and relaxing.

There was a club car and a dining car.  In some ways, it is taking you back to another era, but in others, I had to think “why do I have to be squished into a flying sewer pipe where I can’t even more, let alone stand up.”  I’m not that tall, but in a commercial plane I barely have any leg room.

The train was very different.  I could stretch my legs all the way out; I could walk around.  It was fun watching the landscape change from the New England setting to Middle Atlantic and finally to the sub-tropical of Florida.

John was waiting for me at the Delray Beach station.  It had been uncomfortable for both of us to be apart for a week, but now we are taking time to kick back and get ready to head north again.  This time we’ll be together and we’ll be going for four months.  The trip up will be slower and we’ll stop to see the sights and I’ll have my paints ready.

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Summer Sketch Tour part 1

May 31, 2010 in Plein Air Painting | Permalink

Here I am on the first leg of my Summer Sketch Tour. A month or so ago we bought a Ford Transit that I call the Studiomobile Its fitted as an art studio and for a bit of crashing and relaxing on long trips. That gave us two cars, and we discovered we really didn’t use the old Saturn all that often after getting the Transit.

When my whole family decided to gather on the Sunday before Memorial Day in Connecticut to celebrate my aunts 90th birthday, that provided the basic timing for this trip.

The first day I drove 12 hours and made it deep into North Carolina. The weather was beautiful and the traffic was light so long as it was, the day was pretty enjoyable. Traffic was a little heavier as the holiday weekend approached but I made good time to Reading where I spent an enjoyable afternoon with my sister, Catherine, and her husband, Frank.

Tomorrow, well go to the festivities in Connecticut and, from there, to Vermont. While I’m in Vermont, Ill be joining the Memphremagog Arts Collaborative and I’ve brought some paintings up to exhibit. While I’m there I’ll visit my other sister, Judy, and some other relatives.

Then, I’m taking the train back. I hope to get a lot of photography done while Im doing that but at least Ill get to sit back and enjoy the scenery. Ive never taken a train before so I’m looking forward to the new experience.

Im hoping it will help me in my artistic process. Im finding that my painting process includes a lot of thinking, pondering, and planning. This often takes up four times as time much as the actual painting. This has led me to seek out rich experiences as environments for the preparatory cognition. This was a major reason to take the train back, a rich visual experience without the constant intrusion of need-to-do things.

I may add a big to this blog over the next few days, but because they may be hectic, I decided to write this now so if I’m unable to write, it can serve as a stand-along document.

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Saturday at Vermont Studio Center

May 1, 2010 in Plein Air Painting | Permalink

It’s Saturday afternoon and the week is winding down this week… this really wonderful week. I’m so happy to have had this experience, and I’m sure everyone else who is here feels the same way.  I’ve gone around and taken pictures of everyone in their studios.  Perhaps I’ll make some kind of photo collage.

I was completely open when I came here; I didn’t have a plan and brought only blank paper and blank canvases.  I think that worked out to a good thing because it made me completely open to experimentation.  Yesterday afternoon when I was finishing “Awakening,” the one with the rainbow hair and the overt symbolism, I had an epiphany; I felt like I I was free and expressive.  At that point, a few people came by said that they really liked it.

This gave me such a feeling of affirmation… like I really was in touch with something inside of me.

Later, I decided to use a new medium, a watercolor canvas, with the geometric painting I’ve been working on.  I had begun that one very very methodically, and some of it had to do with the readings I’ve been doing on visual intelligence and the way the eye sees and interprets certain objects.

Part of my planning and process was the study of it all.  This, in turn, opened a cognitive door that has brought me in touch with my own process, which tends to break down into a lot of planning and investigating various processes, such as photographing, looking, touching, reading, studying…  all the various sensory approaches I can use to communicate the topic and environment of the painting.

Usually it’s an emotion or a feeling.  It can be quite tricky sometimes, but I now feel that, at least, I’ve identified the process.  An example of this happened when I was working on this geometric painting.  I had begun with the portion I’d planned out methodically in advance, but new ideas began to appear and overwrite what I’d planned to do with each section.  The painting was interacting with me.  It was like being in a Jazz dance with each new move flowing organically from what had come before, but in a living, dynamic and unexpected pattern.

I’m looking forward to trying this with an entirely new image.  Now, that it’s happening there is so much potential and I want to do something different with it.

Of course, I still have the rainbow hair one to finish; I’ll always see it as a treasure because of what it gave me.

I’m going to top off this week by getting a massage.  I noticed one of my studiomates this afternoon strongly resembled toffee in the warm sun.  When I asked her about it, she told me our life model is also a masseuse who is offering a special price to the Vermont Studio Week people.

That is just too good to pass up.

Main Street Johnson, VT

I’ll get the massage, finish up my painting tonight, drop in at the readings being done by the literary arts people, and tomorrow is Open Studio… then back to the real world.

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Thursday Musings; Vermont Artists’ Week at Vermont Studio Center

April 30, 2010 in Plein Air Painting | Permalink

Gihon River at VSC in ther Snow

End of April, at VSC by the River; typical NE weather

It’s Friday morning and  a good night’s sleep and a great breakfast is behind me.   The people here are great.  They were open to begin with, but as the week has passed, I’m really feeling like a part of the Vermont Studio Center.  We talk a lot about the sense of calm and enablement that this place brings and the changes this is bringing to their work.

There is a certain freedom that comes from escaping from one’s daily duties and routine and just focusing entirely on the artwork.  Although I must admit, listening to some of the stories that my fellow artists tell, I’m so grateful about the supportive atmosphere I have back home.  In some cases, the difference is so great that I don’t want to compare my situation with theirs.

In any case, I do feel freer.  I finished my painting of the river in the snow.  I used a splatter technique at the end to bring out the snow, and I’m very happy with the way it came out.

Then I started with one of the larger pieces of paper – the 22 x 30.  To first put paint on a sheet of that size is always a bit intimidating.  The image is a profile of a woman with her hair flowing back and her hair becomes a rainbow.  It came together well, but yesterday, just seemed to be a bit of a low-energy day, so I broke up the periods of painting with casual walks.  Then, in the evening, I stayed in the studio, the first time that I’ve done that during this week, and continued to work on my dream-reality.

As I added touches, I was really happy with the way it was making me feel; I was engaging with it, and it was so exciting, I almost didn’t want to leave it as the evening progressed.  Now, I have that to look forward to today as well as some other stuff.

This is such an enabling experience.  I’m so happy I had the chance to come up here and work.  With good fortune, I’ll have other opportunities to come up here.  This is a unique and wonderful idea.  I love it.

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Wednesday Musings; Vermont Artists’ Week at VSC

April 30, 2010 in Plein Air Painting | Permalink

It’s Wednesday morning and I’m just beginning to wake up.  There’s something positively tranquilizing about the cool Vermont air… besides these blankets are warm.

Yesterday, the weather, which had been lovely, decided to show its teeth.  Rain became hard rain– hard, cold rain.  Then, it became something that is known in Florida only as a legend—snow.  White, swirling snow.  The accumulated warmth of the ground melted much of it away, but the trees became spectral white shapes.  It looked beautiful, a bit sloppy, but still beautiful.

The snow inspired me.  That is it inspired me to stay put inside the studio.  Beauty has many different aspects and when one of them involves wet, cold shoes paired with a completely inadequate jacket, it is best viewed from a distance with at least one layer of Thermopane between the viewer and the viewed.

The time for the figure drawing class came and went and still the snow came down.  Contenting myself that the by now snow-covered landscape was as aesthetically satisfying as the human form, I took a few pictures.  Besides, I had taken those same views a day before and I plan to do a few studies in contrast.  You know the sort—winter and spring.  I didn’t need to tell any potential viewer that in Vermont those can be only hours apart.

Once the creative ice was broken, I took out the sketch of the river scene I’d made on Monday and re-rendered it in watercolor.  This took much of the rest of the day.  It came out so well that I began another, drawing from my earlier inspiration, showing the same scene in the snow.  I plan on working on it for much of today.

One reason for this dedication is that the snow is still falling quite enthusiastically, and there is a winter storm warning in effect until four or so this afternoon.

One of the natives commented that this snow was even after “the sugaring snow.”  It is so Vermont.  I just love being here and I’m looking forward to finding a place so we’ll have a permanent northern New England address.

Last night, I braved the outdoors to listen to the writers’ readings.  The various writers were reading selections from their works.  It was a wonderful change of pace from working in the visual and really enjoyable.  There were a wide range of material being presented.  One man read a comedic piece that was quite funny in a tongue-in-cheek way.

On the way back, I stopped off in the studio.  It’s interesting to get to know my “studio mates.”  We took the opportunity to do a bit of show-and-tell about our various projects.

Vermont Week at VSC

 

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Vermont Artist Week at VSC

April 29, 2010 in Plein Air Painting | 1 comment

Bivins House

I’ve gotten all settled in at Vermont Studio Center and it’s a wonderful relaxing feeling.  I arrived yesterday and toured the facility and met some of the people.  After dinner, I was so exhausted that I went to bed about 8:30.

What a wonderful night’s sleep!

My alarm was set for seven, but only about five minutes before that I woke up naturally.

With a hearty Vermont breakfast under my belt, I’m ready to begin this wonderful experience.  It’s wonderful to be with other artists and writers, and the staff go out of their way to make it a very community oriented experience.  After only a single day, I can feel that clearly.  I think this is going to be great.

My first workshop is figure drawing, but before it starts, I plan to wander around a bit and take some pictures.

After returning from making assorted mundane purchases at Grand Union, I decided to paint outside.  It was cool this morning, but the day is warming nicely.  It promises to be a lovely day.

I’ve been thinking about the book I’ve been reading, Visual Intelligence.  Looking at things from the author’s viewpoint, I notice that I can see more things than my camera can capture, and I think that’s what for me about painting outside.

Peripheral images while not distinct are an integral part of the whole picture, so I feel surrounded and involved by the totality of the scene.

One of the reasons why I am here was to explore outside of my comfort zone, so I elected to make my first landscape a bit abstract.  The one I’m working on now is a bit more traditional but I’m drawing on a number of the value studies and putting a bit more detail in the trees.

Of course, there isn’t a lot of detail here, so it shouldn’t be that big of a deal.  I’m just trying to capture a sense of the place and the darks and lights.  It’s Spring here and things are just beginning to bud.

The trees largely seem grey but they also have that glowing “bud green” sparkling all over them.  To me this is the essence of Spring: just beautiful.  I hope that I can capture that in my painting.  I’m planning to make at least two attempts.  One against the sky and clouds; one against the trees.

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Discovering my own history as an artist while studying women artists during Women’s History Month

March 27, 2010 in Plein Air Painting | Permalink

I’m going to take the opportunity of March being “Women’s History Month” and study a bit about women artists in the past.  The biggest problem with studying that topic is that there just isn’t that much readily available material.

My first group show was in 1956

Women in art seem to have been largely ignored until the 1960s and the Feminist Artists Movement.  Of course, this was a challenge, and I love a challenge.

Some of the findings were real eye-openers.

Women artists had not been unproductive in the past.  However, much of what they did was not defined as “art” by the “artistic community;”  it was “craft.”  To show how this worked, we can look at the output from and the reception of the works by very skilled and productive artist, Faith Ringgold.

An African-American woman, Ms Ringgold grew up with family members who had been held in slavery in their youth.  As an adjunct to keeping oral histories, the women of the family had created what they called “Story Quilts.”  The squares in each quilt depicted incidents in the family history.  Ms Ringgold, a painter, took these images and incorporated them into her work, retaining the form and content of the original in the new medium.

It was, to me, such an exciting concept, a sort of “unbroken chain,” connecting people and generations.

To be honest, male artisans of the Renaissance struggled under much the same ghetto-izaton.  Leonardo Da Vinci did more to create the concept of artist-genius that anyone else.  When he began his campaign, the artist was considered a menial craftsman.  By continually stressing the intellectual aspects of art and creativity, Leonardo transformed the artist’s public status into, as he put it “Lord and God”.

Eventually, the men of the era were able to break through the “snob ceiling;” unfortunately, they weren’t accompanied by their female contemporaries when the history was told.   Until the appearance of revisionist art histories in the 1960’s most information about women artist’s was buried.

This brought about a personal revelation.  I had been thinking that I had begun my quest to be an artist a short time ago, but viewing my life through the new facet of a cognitive prism, I realized that I’ve really been on this road for much of my life.  I had been convinced that the quilts, paint-by-number, macramé and all the crafts I had experimented with weren’t really “creative.”  In fact I used to go out plein air drawing when I did not even know it was considered a genre.  When in Boston, I used to go to Walden Pond to soak in the natural beauty of the place and to draw flowers.

However, with this epiphany, I could see that it had been a real outlet for my creativity.  Such an exciting unearthing!

Just recently, my nephew uncovered evidence that I had had an artistic background early in life.  He had been going through some family photos, and he found a picture of me, with my first-grade class, taking part in a group painting exercise in a storefront.  Seeing the picture triggered a wealth of memories.  It had been great fun.  They actually let me use all the paper I wanted.  Midas at his height could not have felt more privileged.

Floodgates open, I remembered that in the seventh grade I had been the team captain for the winning group of youngsters who painted the Halloween decorations for the town storefronts.  It was amusing to think that this was a foretaste for two of my careers: project manager and artist.

It hadn’t seemed worth of consideration back there, but I was the one that drew all the pictures with the members of my team painting them as I directed afterwards.  Shades of a Renaissance studio.

Now, I’m coming to understand there were a lot of road marks, potential premonitions about which I simply hadn’t taken cognizance.

As another example, when I took electives in college, where my cord studies were hard science, I took art courses.

Studying these women artists has been fascinating, both for the factual information and how it has helped me in personal growth.  I’ve put a lot of addition information about what I’ve found on my FaceBook page for anyone who might be interested.

It has been such an interesting experience.

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What a way to spend a birthday!

March 4, 2010 in Plein Air Painting | 1 comment

For the last month or so, I’ve been participating in outdoor exhibitions run by The Delray Artist’s League that are called “Artists in the Park.” Usually, it’s a fun and interesting, although particularly unprofitable, experience.  However, on my birthday, February 20th, it got a lot less fun.

Here is where I hit the street to sell my art

I was moving things from the car to my assigned display-spot when my toe was caught by the concrete stop the city had put in place to prevent cars from touching their precious sidewalk.  Because I had my hands full, the first part of my anatomy to reach the ground was my face.  Fortunately, beyond a cut lip, an enormous bruise on my cheek and a broken rib, I was relatively unharmed.

Back in my consulting days, we had the phrase “hit the street running,” this was NOT what we meant; however, it did point out with painful clarity the difference between what I was fearing, “falling flat on my face as an artist” and what had happened, simply “falling flat on my face.”  Obviously, I wasn’t able to vend that weekend, but the next weekend, I was back in my old spot, fired by a new determination.    Up to this,  it had been Sidewalk -1,  No Sales -1,  Donna -0.  It was time for me to get on the scoreboard.

It worked.  I sold a print.  A total stranger walked up, loved my work, and bought it.  The print was of one of my favorite paintings, an underwater view of a coral reef with all the delightful wildlife that is so much a part of it.  What a head trip to be recognized as an artist!

Of course, I haven’t been wasting my time.  While I sat outside of my tent painting, I have been taking careful note what people seemed to like about my work, what things were appealing to them and what my colleagues were selling.

Another thing that takes place quite a bit when I’ve vending is because my sign announces my orientation as a Remodernist Painter.  While I do have a short explanation of what this means as part of my personal display, many people come by and ask me to expand on it.  This has led me to consider creating “an elevator speech,” something that is short, compelling and memorable.

When I asked the assistance of my friends on the artists’ website RedBubble, it spawned what is called “a challenge,” wherein the contributor on a particular board engage in the cooperative effort of refining a statement to its essence.  (You can view all the responses at http://www.redbubble.com/groups/remodernist-painters/challenges )     My personal response is Remodernism is an alternative to the established High Art hegemony, known as Post-Modernism.   The movement  is a response to the distance from meaning, beauty, and emotion that Post-Modernism has traveled and favors instead the intent of the artist communicated through the spirituality or emotional impact of their work.

The other big news is that I’ve been accepted for Vermont Artists Week at the Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, Vermont, and I will be going up there the last week in April through the first week of May for an intensive week of studio work.  All of the participants live at the Studio Center and share time, space and meals.  I will have a private studio and have a chance to meet with other artists.  I’m really excited about the opportunity.

Oh, and another thing, I’ve discovered that Dunkin Donuts and I are celebrating the same number to years, not sure if that is good or not.

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Are you an Artist?

February 15, 2010 in Plein Air Painting | 4 comments

Something interesting happened today as I was leaving my art class.  I was riding the elevator in the parking garage when someone said to me “are you an artist?”

Perhaps they had a hint from the portfolio that I was carrying and the charcoal smudges on my jeans, but it was kinda cool to have someone walk up to me and say that.  I said “yes,” and we started talking … as long as one can on an elevator.

Nice ego boost.

I’m still trying to hone my skills, the class I just mentioned being part of this, and, but I’m increasingly thinking more and more, “What am I trying to say?” and that brings me back to the physical world verse the spiritual world.  It’s still a struggle.

Even if I can’t find a resolution there, I’m gaining more skills.  I love the figure drawing.  There’s something very visceral and very real about it, and I’m learning so much about the human ability to recognize.  We are evolved to recognize other human beings through form, structure and expression so when you are drawing another person you are communing with that person in a way but you are also sharing with the viewer of your drawing.  They are able to recognize the form and the beauty in the form.  This gives me a kind of metaphysical feeling to be painting another.   Here is the latest sketch from the figure class.

Steve

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