Doin' the "Hokey Pokey"

Doin' the "Hokey Pokey"

I'm thrilled to announce I am the newest member of the High Country Arts Association!  This group is very invested in bringing art to our local community and fostering an interest in art with local students.  I will be helping with the July 4th Art Festival by (hopefully) securing lots of great items for the Silent Auction.  Yay!!!!!

Also my membership secures me display space in the gallery so that means (yay yay!) 

As you can see, "Hokey Pokey" is fresh off the easel and ready for public enjoyment.  This piece is acrylic on 20 x 20 gallery profile board (that is code for "you don't need a frame").  Please feel free to contact me for purchase details. 

Go out and make it a great week!

Down a lazy river with Pointillism

LAZY RIVER
Please email me at pjsnm@cableone.net for purchase information.

LAZY RIVER

This piece measures 18 x 24, acrylic on canvas.

I recently attended a workshop with Claudia Hartley at the Sedona Art Center.  Claudia has a very engaging style and this image is the first piece I completed under her instruction.

There was so much to learn but I think my biggest takeaway was to not underestimate my ability.

This was my first time working extensively with heavy body acrylic paint.  I was skeptical about acrylic paint in such a dry climate.  I've always used the Golden Open Acrylic products and love them.  They still hold a special place in my heart for those times when I want to blend and glaze but for this method the heavy body paints are sure the star of the show.

"AFTER" I completed this course of study with Claudia I backtracked to learn a little more about the "pointillist" style of painting.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pointillism

Notable artists who have used the style are:  Georges Serurat, Camille Pissaro and Vincent Van Gogh, all shown below....

Georges Serurat - 1888, La Récolte des pommes, oil on canvas, 61 x 74 cm, Dallas Museum of Art

Camille Pissaro - 1888, La Récolte des pommes, oil on canvas, 61 x 74 cm, Dallas Museum of Art

Vincent Van Gogh - Self Portrait, 1887, using pointillist technique.

On the surface you would think this is an easy technique to master but looks are deceiving.....my love for this style stems from my enjoyment of achieving bright a sparkling color along with a pleasant meditative zone I so easily drop into when I'm creating art in this style.

My decision to work with Claudia Hartley was not founded in any thought-out process.  I saw her work and made the decision "on.the.spot".

Every time I have listened to my heart, followed my gut, the result has been nothing short of wonderful.  If you haven't tried it yet, I'd highly recommend it.

I hope this finds you all happily going about whatever it is that makes you whole.

Reach out to me anytime.  I'm on Instagram, Facebook and of course, here. 

P

Hi there!

Below is my latest piece ~ #2 in a series of three "Transformation". 

This is 20 x 20 acrylic, handmade stencils and collage material, graphite mark making on 300lb watercolor paper mounted on 1.5 cradled wood panel.  Ready to hang on your wall with no frame needed.

I thought I'd take a moment to talk about values.  I've included a color image and a black and white image so you can see the variety of values that present themselves in this painting.  There are some very light areas, some mid-range areas and then of course some very dark areas.  You could also use the term "contrast" but I think in the art world we usually refer to this as values or grayscale.   Effective use of values gives your painting that punch it needs to be interesting to the eye.  Although this piece seems to be heavy on the mid to light values, I think it still works. 

I'm a little conflicted about the placement of the smaller circles......even though there is an odd number of smaller circles, it still seems off to me.  So maybe this piece needs to rest a bit more so I can process the circle placement.......but I also think I could be close to overworking.....so hmmmmmm......WHAT DO YOU THINK??????

I've been thinking a lot lately about my recent retirement and all the opportunities I'm now afforded, like spending entire days in my studio ~ painting.  On the surface that seems like fun but being the "driver" I am it has come with a few speed bumps.  I tend to have high expectations and there are two sides to that coin. 

1. On the one hand I'm always striving to be better, to reach higher to achieve the very best.  But by who's standards?  Well for now, my standards.  I get pretty wound up because I have a vision in my mind of how I want the artistic outcome to look, however getting there is another story. It can be crazy making - for me.
2. On the other hand it means I could start over and over and over trying to get it right and never really getting anywhere and that is a great advantage. This is crazy making - for my husband who comes in and whats to to what happened to that great painting I just started.  Which is actually crazy making for me.....I guess unless you've held the brush and stood in front of that blank canvas you can't identify with struggle.  Artists don't necessarily have an endless flow of creativity that just magically appears the moment they pick up the brush. So I try to limit the times I start over, otherwise....well....you know.......(picture puppy chasing her tail) lol

With this particular piece I wanted to collage a couple of the circles on.  Much like I did the circles on the pieces in my previous post.  I am making my own collage papers.  I'm having an issue in that mark making, even with products that say "waterproof" does not apply when the marks have been made on deli paper, even if sprayed with fixative.  Lots of fits and stops and starts trying to come up with something that would work.  I went back and looked at art demos by Anne Bagley because I know she uses deli paper.  I also noticed she uses artist quality tissue paper so I've ordered some of that and will give it a go to see if I get better results.   I guess this could be considered the "mad scientist" part of mixed media art.

Then addressing size.  I have a spare bedroom for studio space, actually a nice big room but not big in the sense of an artist producing BIG work.  So for this series I've gone to 20 x 20 which is the largest sheet size I could find for watercolor paper.  I suspect any gallery will want to see something much larger so I'll be figuring out that issue here very soon as I plan to take my art to the Phoenix/Scottsdale/Sedona market in search of representation sometime in the fall when I have a bigger body of work amassed.  Anyone out have first hand experience with how to approach galleries?  I'd love it if you could share your experiences so I have a better idea of how to prepare and what to expect.  I've read a lot but someone with first hand experience is icing on the cake.

So without further ado......I'm please to present the first in a series of three -

TRANSFORMATION ~ acrylic, handmade stencil/collage paper/stamps, graphite marks on 20 x 20 hot press watercolor paper mounted on 1.5 cradle board.

I've been away for quite some time.  Lots of changes to life, except for art ~ that never changes.  Here is what is hot off the easel.  These are smaller studies for larger pieces.  Comments always appreciated.

Still in process.

Saturday morning on the cool side of the house.  It has been in the 100s here.......gaaaaaaa....the garden is gasping.....the birds are singing but hungry and thirsty....not much else is going on.  The doc says it is a summer cold.....my head feels like it is going to explode.....

What are you up to today?

Isn't this guy cool.  Lady said it wasn't for sale.......I will forever feel the space her answer left in my heart. 

Later, dudes

P

Yeah, so it has been awhile........

I'm not so good at this I guess. 

Maybe it is the sound of crickets that get to me. 

More later..........

soon-to-be postcards

So since I couldn't bring myself to cut up the piece in the previous post for post cards I made some others......here is how they turned out.

Awakening Garden Study

I thought I was going to cut this up for postcards but fell in love with the final product and couldn't bring myself to do it.  At 14 x 17 I may mat and frame this.

What phase are you in?

I was out walking on my lunch break the other day and came across this.  Caused me to pause and ponder how life has it's many phases.  I tend to think perception is everything. What about you?

Another look.....

Cool Furniture????

We found these pieces this weekend.  I love the look but wonder if I'll grow tired of them soon?  What do you think?

Done

More love.....

These little rocks say it all "my love is solid as a rock".

Your Heart Is In The Right Place, I Know It

Today I've still been recovering from the total shock over the death of a friend and colleague, Greg Miller.  Brutally murdered is not how I want to remember this kind, and often cantankerous man who was my boss for 11.5 years. My head is still not around this. Painting hearts is just about all I had the energy for. 

Wow, life is so, well, so real.

Still reeling.  Shock.  Roller-coaster emotions. 


In loving memory of Greg Miller. 

You will always have a space in my heart, dear friend and colleague.

 

Fresh and green,

slow and easy,

a day to remember

when I am stressed and 

feeling between a rock and 

a hard spot.

The New Year's Journal

I was over at Judy's and she's on a book making binge.  Well, that inspired me.  This was a lot of fun and a nice change of pace.

started out with wallpaper scraps and paper bags

the inside covers

i love the roughness of the page edges

vintage stuff from my friend Sandy and a medal

my first attempt with this stitch

2011 was quite the year.  A lot happened.  2012 looks to be every bit as fun filled and change-able.  I guess the important point to remain open and flexible.

I applied to a couple of art shows for 2012 and should soon learn whether I've been accepted or not.  My work has really changed and evolved over the past couple of years.  I hope I'm ready for the BIG art world of selling.  I'd sure like to.  Only that jury and those customers will tell the tale.  If I'm not ready, then I'm not ready.  We'll see.  Won't stop me from painting and challenging myself. 

Let me know how you are!!!!!

May You Feel Happiness

Whole

Whole ~ Writing Myself Whole ~ Admitting I'm Whole (with no holes) ~ Moving The Pieces To Create A Whole ~ The Whole Shebang ~ Loving With My Whole Being ~ Admitting I'm Not Whole ~ How Do I Become Whole ~ Can I Ever Really Become Whole ~ I Ate The Whole Thing ~ I Want The Whole Thing ~ The Truth And The Whole Truth (so help me god) ~ Making You Whole ~ 

Oh boy, this thing about "Whole" gives me a lot to meditate and journal on.....................

What about you?????

Yep, I'm lazy

You know what I just figured out?  I'm lazy.  Yep, I'm lazy.

What are you up to?  Have a great Sunday.

still looking at this one

I'm still looking at this one too.  Thinking about some glaze.  Don't have a name yet either....this one is escaping me for now.......got any suggestions? 

Off to do some final holiday shopping.  Need to get things in the mail.

The kids have the week before xmas off of school.  I think I'm going to have my grand daughter and a couple of her friends for the day to make ornaments and cookies....give them a break from daycare mayhem.  May have bitten off more than I can chew, but I guess it is just for one day.  Little girls are so darned cute!

We've had snow on the ground for over a week now.  Very unusual for my part of the world.  Makes it feel like Christmas.  But I must admit I'm ready to ditch the heavy coat.  Not big on the heavy duty winter stuff.

Oh, and we bought a new coffee grinder.  A Breville.  Bought it from some place in Seattle.  They do these really cool online demos which made it easier to buy.  Wow, our coffee really rocks now!  We've also discovered there are lots of little coffee roaster establishments in the area.  Who knew?  So the next big purchase will be a new coffee maker....ours is an antique.  I'm gonna feel kinda sad not going to Starbucks any more.....I'm gonna miss those breakfast sandwiches.  Guess I could learn to make my own, now that is a novel concept!

Well, I'm giving myself the "make a change" award today.  I don't think I've ever had so much to say on my blog. 

What's up with you?