Above: Central detail of 2D Pinecone, woven canvas strips, acrylics - painting in progress

March 6th and 7th: 2D Pinecone, 24 x 24 x .5 inches, woven canvas strips. Work in progress shows 1) weaving and 2) a very rough sketch on the primed canvas.

March 9th: have been working more on tones in the background, which weren’t planned initially; I had hoped to use only pure colors without the usual layering, but it’s otherwise too hard to look at. Also am connecting a few shapes horizontally, and it’s almost “there”, but 2D Pinecone was started in order to avoid overworking this.

March 6th: a huge thanks, Virginia for taking the time to write and digitize a detailed, objective critique. I sure appreciate your opinion about what might improve this. Spotted Cow Syndrome eh? Yes, you’re absolutely right. There needs to be one focus somewhere; left thumbnail shows another day of work..still in progress. 

Sorry if you’re having problems registering to this site in order to make comments, but those rotten spams get through..

Norway Maple in Madison, Wisconsin, 36 x 48 x 2 inches acrylics and modeling gel on canvas, gallery wrapped sides painted.

Feb. 28th, above right: detail of above, left Adding a solid patch of turquoise to lower left and some tiny details like that may ground the whole thing, but that’s about it; am leaving it out of sight for a while. This really is a carnival of color, I love it!

Below thumbnails: Combined, edited posts of progression between Dec. 8th, 2009 - Feb. 27th, 2010 1) Started December 8th, 2009 2) Modeling gel is available in varied textures, finishes and viscosities. Acrylics paint can be mixed with the medium or when dry paint can be applied over top. 3) January 18th, 2010: work in progress; applying modeling paste to the base painting, and sculpting with a small trowel. 4) February 27th: lighter background colors were added in order to open up the space. The painting is too busy at this stage - a little heavy with brushstrokes actually, and needs to flow better.

Left: Jan 28th, detail image - used  a dry brush so paint would catch mostly on the textures, and kept the feeling soft. Intentions are to maintain the fresh pure colors. Studied from a distance for about a week after this stage to contemplate what the next move will be. 

All paintings and Art forms created from now until the end of April will be specifically toward the Dancing With Trees Exhibition to be held at the Steinhaur Trust Gallery, Wisconsin-Madison University Arboretum, scheduled May through June 2010.

The article, Extreme Drawing is finally revised and re-posted…10 days writing and revising. If I could draw about extreme writing I would! Tomorrow, a treat away from all the computer work: starting a new painting.  Today: a leaf study, conte and graphite on paper. Also, many of the the photo momtages have been updated on the Dancing With Trees website.

Marie Lake campsite, Alberta, 8 x 10 inches pen on paper

I’m trying to get a painting started that’s all planned in my mind’s eye, but have been finishing written articles and upgrading/updating the websites, so these little pen sketches are all I can manage lately; maybe a series is borne?

Cartoons to “Cool!” Drawing and Illustration: How to take your abilities less seriously so they can seriously improve.

Cartoons a) use basic geometric shapes b) eliminate unnecessary details c) simplify lines and d) exaggerate key characteristics and the most obvious features of a subject. The same principles translate well to creating representational work also. Participants will learn to portray these basics in a favorite image, then have time to complete a more realistic drawing in the afternoon.

Where, When, and Sign up at: Oxide Gallery, Denton, Texas - Saturday, March 27th 10:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. If there is enough interest, a second workshop will be held Sunday, March 28th as well. Participants are welcome to sign up for both days.

Fee: $50 10:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.     For ages: 16 - 100 yrs old, any skill level  (if you are 15 or 101 you will still be considered eligible)    Min. - Max. # of participants: 5 - 15      Supplies: A variety of supplies will be provided, but also bring any of your own supplies that you want to work with. We will work partially from a still-life arrangement which you may choose to finish, but also bring favorite pictures, photos; images of any subject matter. Select one in particular that you hope to accomplish, or have a clearer direction toward finishing (in the manner you choose) at the end of the day.

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Quote from The Zen of Seeing - seeing/drawing as meditation, drawn and hand-written by Frederick Franck:

“How, I am asked, does one draw animals cows, horses, birds? Since for me each new drawing is an adventure for which I cannot predict the outcome, is always — in a sense – my very first one, I can give no recipe.”

I’ve been asked to teach drawing since ‘way back, but with the philosophy that we are our own best authorities when it comes to creating anything, I’ve never felt even half-qualified to “teach” anything. It was a recent conversation with a couple of other artists, that propelled the energy to commit to this workshop. There are many ways to approach learning - specifically, how to draw - as many ways as there are individuals. 

Translation: It’s snowing in Dallas today!

It snowed all day, huge Texas-sized flakes. Here, the snow melts on the warmth of the brick-work in the garden.

Cycad Fossil Chair, Salish NW Pacific culture wooden whorl replica Chair, and Ancient Mayan bowl replica refurbished vintage chair, 29 x 29 x 29 inches mixed media. More details about these chairs can be viewed here, items #11, 12 and 13.

On exhibit and available for purchase February 11th - 27th at Visual Image Fine Art Puiblishing and Gallery Juried Show, 14320 Midway Road, Suite 300, Dallas, Texas.  Come and meet all the Artists at the Opening Reception this coming Saturday, Feb. 13th, 3 - 9 p.m.

~

Good Artist Pals also come in threes

Some friendships will last forever, and how fortunate that three of mine also happen to be artists! Listed in no particular order of favoritism, each are miles apart geographically speaking and personality-wise, but they all have one thing in common: they’ll tell it like it is if you ever need a good critique, and on the flip side of the coin: a smile, a boost of energy; encouragement. I’ve posted my favorite works created by each, and highly recommend browsing each of their websites..

a) Chris Bolmeier: Happy Pigs, Oil on canvas  I met Chris on the internet three years ago through Robert Genn’s Painter’s Keys newsletters. Formerly an actress and professional singer, she’s not through yet with entertaining you through humour, song and paint. She often posts mini-videos of herself singing, and her artwork is pure, straight from the gut, and some of the funniest, most original material ever. Her blog, which she entitles poignantly, ”Christerical” is exactly that. I chose this piece to share as an absolute favorite, portraying fanatically goofy pigs because it makes me laugh…not just smile, but laugh Christerically every time I look at it. In my opinion her best work is of childhood memories, and some of the baffling stuff that originates from who knows where in the infinite canvas of her mind!

b) Karen Xarchos: Restaurant mural in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada  Karen and I were neighbors many years ago. We designed and painted murals together in the Ottawa area for a couple of years. Thank goodness for the internet, we’re able to keep in touch when either of us needs a good eye and some honest advice. Karen’s style and mine are vastly different; our pace, the style, the manner and we continue to learn so much from each other. She reminds me to slow down and smell the paint; her blending techniques are amazing.

Karen accepts commissions for canvas pieces like wall borders painted at home, then cleverly installs them with wallpaper paste so home owners can remove the work and take it with them when they relocate. My favorite work of Karen’s are the murals depicting work of the Masters, which are enjoyed by customers dining in many of the Greek and Italian restaurants in the Ottawa area.

c) Virginia Wieringa: Prayer, mixed media collage  Virginia and I met about four years ago on an Artists’ interactive website, wetcanvas.com, and I think she still participates there under the avatar name ”Veedubya”. I’m positive she’d love to meet you there too. Virginia has well-developed drawing and painting abilities and currently experiments intuitively with mixed media collage. Her work, no matter what the media, reflects her open-mindedness and strong sense of spirituality. Formerly an Art teacher, she’s fun to write to because she puts up with my inner-most silly self and doesn’t hold back her own. My favorite work of Virginia’s are the subtly symbolic collages, and some of the more vivid, energetic paintings that are about two phases pre-Realism.

…there are too many other things to do, but I wandered off anyway, missing the Alberta Spruce, so brought some back to Texas with a few ink-pen and digital pen scribbles.

Most websites require that you register before leaving comments, but I was hoping not to have to resort to those kind of restrictions. Are the days of trust completely gone? I sure hope not in our daily life, but on the internet it’s only wise to be careful. I deleted 348 spam comments the other day, so if you wish to leave comments you must now fill out your name and email.  Thanks!

Above: finished final details yesterday. Started Aug.7th: A Heart Filled to the Brim, 36 x 48 x 2 inches, Water soluble graphite, acrylics on canvas. On exhibit along with Polypore Fungi February through May at the Oxide Gallery, Denton, Texas

An excerpt from the song, I Don’t Believe by Paul Simon on the CD, Surprise:

I don’t believe a heart can be filled to the brim

then vanish like mist as though life were a whim.

Maybe the heart is part of the mist

And that’s all that there is and could ever exist.

A portrait of Alzheimer’s honoring my Grandmother, my Mother-in-law (whose portrait this is, and whose 80th birthday is in two days), and now recently my own Mother who is in the earliest stages; and with empathy for all those afflicted, including the families dealing with the awful emotional reverberations caused by this disease.

Here are a few websites providing information about Alzheimer’s Disease

http://www.alz.org/index.asp

http://www.alzheimersrxtreatment.com/learnaboutalz.html

http://www.alzheimers.org/

Merry Christmas from Airdrie, Alberta

столове~ Snow on French Lilac ~

Check out the Alberta/Texas phone interview for a pull-out feature in today’s Denton Record Chronicle.