Fun with color!

I've had this certain, lovely silk scarf for a number of years now.  It's one of my favorites and I can't recall where I got it. What I love about it are the colors - blues, greens, and touches of purple.  It became a source of inspiration for this, my first real abstract painting.

I'd painted one abstract before, a real "strokey" kind of thing with splashes of color laid down by the brush.  Here, though, I wanted to work with blocks of color.  And draw from the inspiration of that lovely scarf.

I worked on this in class and Hazel, in her roundabout way, shared her thoughts on abstracts.  Her teacher, a well-regarded artist and creative director for a number of leading fashion publications, took her to a show one time.  Must've been 40-50 years ago.  She told him someone else she listened to in the art world claimed abstract art would be a flash in the pan and die out soon.  Her mentor (Pops, she calls him), took her to this show of a brilliant abstract artist (sorry, didn't catch the name) and in Hazel's words "tears came into my eyes!"

She said it was the colors that moved her so, but she learned the importance of allowing a color to flow behind another color, to weave in and out as if intertwined.  And as I worked, she reminded me to allow the paint to mix on the canvas, not on the pallet.  I'm so thankful for her little "minuette" lessons.  Before I painted this, I never gave much credence to abstract painting, perceiving it as just paint slapped onto a canvas.  But as I worked, I gave so much thought to each "layer" I added it took more time than many traditional paintings I've done.  I call it "The Produce Aisle" since the bright fuschia/magenta color in the lower right side resembles, to my mind, a watermelon with its repetitive strokes of black erupting from the reds as seeds.

I love this work and enjoy looking at it since there is so much to explore.  I hope you like it too!

UP!

It's Saturday evening, and David and I managed the installation of all my paintings (40 - exceeding 20,000 square inches of canvas!) in good time and -- more importantly -- without any huge fights! (Not that we do, usually, but, given the enormity of this project, and tension involved, I was sure we'd have a blow up or two!).  They are now showing at one of Nashville's finer restaurants, The Mad Platter, on Sixth Avenue North in the Germantown Neighborhood.

The installation went so smoothly, I'm shocked!  The biggest piece, the 36 x 80 "Miracle in the Breeze", went up as if it were made for that space!  And all the others laid out perfectly, too.  I was so afraid I'd not have enough, but it.all.just.fit.beautifully!  Marcia, owner of The Mad Platter, was sick and at home resting and only came to lock up at the end, giving us her stamp of approval and pleasure over the works.  They'll be hanging there for six to eight weeks.

The show's reception is set for May 2, and my artist BFF Bindy, is coming down for it.  Good thing, too since there are some 50 people who've RSVP'd for the reception and she's got the kinda charm and personality that lights up any room.

The Big One... Done

It was punishing me, just resting there, huge, taunting, belittling me in its blankness.  I'm talking, of course, of the grand piece for my show.  As previously mentioned, it's a 36" x 80" wood support I've chosen to paint for the back wall, brick, in The Mad Platter.  I have to have it painted and ready for installation Saturday, and yet, I was frozen here. 

Then, on a hike with the dogs, it struck me.  I'd wanted to do something floral, and graphic in style.  Reverse sunflower?  Possibly, but sunflowers are so overdone.  I'd scanned my photos, poured over seed catalogs, and more.  It wasn't until I left the worry to wander in the open air that I got the image I wanted. 

"Miracle in the Breeze."  I don't know about you, but I've always been one to take dandelions for granted and deigned them ugly because they are weeds. But as I walked, and the dogs chased the puffy seeds in the air, I couldn't help but think about dandelions on their own level.  They are really remarkable, when you think about it.  First, the cheery yellow bud, then the fuzzy seedheads designed to be light as air to carry far and wide and propagate.  Who's the weed nazi that determines the pecking order in the domestic plant kingdom?  Why are these weeds and things like roses, with their thorns and dropping leaves, desirable flowers? 

Not important now.  What's important is that I can use this this -- downy living miracle -- and fill canvas with lovely colors and convey the meaning all at once.  Combine the miracle of it with motion and authenticity -- and here's the critical thing - look great on the red brick wall at The Mad Platter -- all at once! 

So, it's done.  Took me a full day to prep the support, and two more days and yeah, a great deal of paint - to get it done, but it's there.  The mindgames are over, the canvas is no longer blank, and come Saturday, will look fantastic (IMHO) on that red brick wall! 

Thank God for great weather - painting on the patio

Fortunately, (or not), my consulting (left-brain) work has been slowish this month so I've completed a boatload of paintings lately, including a 48 x 72 inch triptych of water/golden sky.  My largest so far, this posed a number of challenges to make sure I got the horizon lined up right, etc. I'd intended to lay something in the foreground of this, but the colors are so captivating, I chose to leave it simple and serene as is. 

On top of all the painting, since it is gorgeous weather, The Satchell family held part two of our garage sale on Saturday to unload all the clutter that remained piled up in our garage that wasn't sold off last Friday.  It's a great feeling to thin things out and working in tandem with David always ensures it is done well (he's the tidy one!).  Once we got the garage cleaned out, I turned the remainder of the day spent as "cashier" of the yard sale into productive painting time by bringing an easel in the garage. It gave me a chance to get started on something I know is going to be lovely once I've gotten it fine tuned - Nashville's Centennial Park with the Parthenon building in the background. 

Yesterday I had a friend over that paints gorgeous scenes from a village in Mexico she stayed at for several months years ago.  She painting at one easel and I at the drawing board with my Centennial Park one and on the picnic table where I got started on my most ambitious project yet:  a 36 x 80 inch piece on wood -- I told you the Restauranteur told me to "go big".  I gessoed it twice and decided to go lighter - an ice blue background.  Then, I was stuck and a form of "painter's block" hit.  I'd intended to do a grand cannas design since I love the pattern in the leaves but cannas are tall and I needed short and squat.  I was tempted to do just outlines and the veins but really am troubled by the short and wide format... Time is running out and I've got to get this big one done! Wish me luck!

Easter Sunday: No painting but a clean house at least

One good thing about having company:  it forces you to clean! 

The day was a pristine, perfect 75-80 degrees with a slight breeze and we were able to hang outside on the patio when the family (my brother Barry, his fiance, Gretchen, friends and a nephew) came.

I spit roasted the lamb after marinating it in a blend of fresh rosemary and other seasonings and it turned out just delicious!  The ham was cooked as I've always done them, from my mom's recipe, with pineapple rings, ginger ale, brown sugar and lots of cloves.  I threw in more fresh ginger slices and yeah, it was delicious! 

So, though I was unable to paint, the day was not wasted.  In fact, it was quite a lovely respite!  

Yard Sale Interruptus

It's supposed to rain tomorrow. Good news for the allergies, bad news for the yard sale I'm supposed to have today and tomorrow.  Can you say "Yard sale interruptus?"

And Sunday is Easter and  yours truly has an ambitious "dual meat" plan worked out - boneless leg of lamb AND a Ham since David, who grew up seeing sheep shorn on the Welsh countryside, doesn't like lamb.   I hope to squeeze in some painting time along with the cooking but am not holding my breath.

Agh! Allergies are making the eyes go wonky!

OMG, I have so much painting to get done!  This restaurant where I am having my show is quite deep with lots of wall space and as I'm the solo artist, I really need to get a lot of big stuff painted!  Don't get me wrong, I love and am totally up to the challenge, attacking it all with analytical mind and photoshop filters to "trial" run some of what I plan on painting.  I've got the studio space and since I'm a small business owner, can set my own hours, more or less, to work around my painting.

The painting above was my first attempt at working with a palette knife.  It's ok I suppose, I mean the paint goes on in no time, but I prefer using paintbrushes.  Maybe it will lend itself to certain types of paintings but for detail work it was impossible and I grabbed my brushes.

The problem is, my allergies are so bad this year that my eyes are going all wonky!  Seriously!  Every time I look down with the eyes, I get this unfocused sensation one gets after riding a playground merry go round!  Dizzy somewhat, but just totally unfocused.  Painting under a deadline this will not do, so I've taken to steroids, allergy meds, and warm compresses on my face hoping to alleviate what I think is sinus swelling causing the damn spells.

Wish me luck!