When life gives you lemons, draw them, 11 x 14 inches dry pastels, graphite on paper

"When life gives you lemons, draw them". (Nikki)

"...the painting has a life of its own. My mission is to bring forth this life". (Jackson Pollock)

"Trust your intuition, it's just like goin' fishin'; you cast your line 'til you get a bite." (Paul Simon)

Archive for April, 2010

Basic Drawing workshops in May

Monday, April 26th, 2010

Iris, 24 x 18 inches oil pastels on paperIris, 24 x 18 inches Oil Pastels on paper

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Basic Drawing and Color Play

Workshops 

Dates:
1) Saturday, May 15th 10:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
2) Saturday, May 22nd 10:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Ages: Young adult (16) - Adult - Seniors

Experience Level:
Beginners to Experienced Artists, maximum number of participants: 6

The Workshop:
We will sketch simple objects using a variety of loosening-up techniques, graduating to a more complex still-life arrangement, fun with color, then a longer study period in the afternoon.
Supplies:
Bring favorite reference photos or items that you’d like to study, sketchpad and supplies that you usually work with. A variety of papers and drawing supplies will be on hand to experiment with during class. Also bring beverage and lunch.

Fees:
Registration (pre-paid) - $50.00 Oxide Gallery 501 West Hickory St., Denton, Texas 940-483-8900

Registration Deadlines:
March 12th and March 19th – Maximum Students per Class 6

A creative twist

Sunday, April 18th, 2010

  Sugar cookies: leaf-shapes placed over twisted waxed paper create 3D effects

…well, just a twist of waxed paper actually. The leaf-shaped cookie dough was laid gently over twisted pieces of waxed paper. After the cookies baked and cooled the waxed paper was removed.  The Sugar Cookies recipe is the same as used for Culture Cookies. Browse down to the end of the article, then go back and read the article while you’re munching on the cookies you bake.

Dancing With Trees Art list for Madison, WI

Friday, April 16th, 2010

 

Dancing With Trees, exhibition signature piece, 85H x 45W x 3D inches acrylics on canvas Norway Maple, 48H x 36W x 2D inches acrylics, gel paste on canvas Sounds of Silence, 36H x 24W x 2D inches acrylics on canvas Neighborhood Heron, 11H x 11W x 3D inches acrylics on canvas Jones Falls, 11H x11W x 3D inches acrylics on canvas
St. Catherine's Sunset, 11H x11W x 3D inches acrylics on canvas Paint Arson, 11H x 11W x 3D inches acrylics on canvas Sweetgum, 11H x 11W x 3D inches acrylics on canvas Reflections, 11 x 11 x 3 inches acrylics on canvas Chapala Wind, 11 x 11 x 3 inches acrylics on canvas
Ceiba Leaves, 11H x 11W x 3D inches acrylics on canvas Kookaburras, 11H x 11W x 3D inches acrylics on canvas Young Howler Monkey, 11H x 11W x 3D inches acrylics on canvas Shadows of Summer, 60H x 40W x 3D inches acrylics on canvas Spruce, 28 x 28 x 1” acrylics on canvas
First Snow, 40H x 28W x 1D acrylics, crackle glaze on canvas Polypore Fungi, 58H x 41W x 2D modeling paste, acrylics on canvas Morning Light, 59 x 40 x 2 inches acrylics on canvas What Large Leaf Maples Do At Night: day view, 20 x 57 x 4 inches acrylics on canvas, LED light system What Large Leaf Maples Do At Night: night view, 20 x 57 x 4 inches acrylics on canvas, LED light system
The Campsite, professionally framed size 22 x 29 inches, watercolors on 140 lb. acid free cold pressed premium Salt Spring Island Fog, professionally framed size 29 x 34 x 3 inches, dry pastel, graphite on paper Eastern White Pine, professionally framed size 26 x 32 inches, oil pastels on paper White Pine Bows, 20 x 34 x 1.5 inches acrylics on canvas Scarlet Oak: Sun Shower, more Photography on www.majestyoftrees.com

Paintings as shown are not to scale in comparison to one another

The Dancing With Trees Art Exhibition celebrates the importance of trees and forests throughout history, portraying their diversity and relationships through a variety of creative associations. Twenty three of the paintings in this collection are on exhibit in the Steinhauer Trust Gallery at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum, May 1st through June 30th, 2010. Opening Reception Saturday May 1st, 12:45 – 4:00 p.m.

All life forms on this planet proliferated, continue to flourish, and ultimately depend on the existence of trees. While the message is urgent, I consider humanity’s role on the planet as positive, with the statement that creativity is our greatest asset; that “Our carbon footprint is worthy”. Further, creative thinking is our most primal, yet highly advanced and ever-evolving contribution toward solutions to healing wrongs done and changing ingrained habits to ones that are more appreciative of the environment in general.

Purchase Art here                                 Purchase Photography here

2D Pine Cone

Monday, April 12th, 2010

    2D Pinecone, diagonal 24 x 24 x 1 inches, acrylics on woven canvas

2D Pine Cone, diagonal 28 x 28 x 1 inches, acrylics on woven canvas, gallery wrapped sides painted, signed on the back so as not to intrude on the design. This is the 2nd attempt with larger woven canvas strips, hanging diagonally on a superimposed blue background.

More often than not, allowing some imperfections to show through says “a human made this”. Still, quality ought to be the result, and it wasn’t working (see version #1 below). The crooked pattern on the first woven canvas was impossible to correct, which I tried over and over many times. Then I made pine bristles from threads pulled from the sides of the canvas, painted various shades of green: time consuming and experimental, and also not successful, so I started all over with a new rewoven frame, above.

2D Pinecone, 24 x 24 x 1 inches, first pieceLeft, April 8th: 2D Pine Cone, first version

There were second thoughts about opting to go the imperfect route in the weaving process right from the start. The canvas strips are not all the same size, a deliberate choice, and I assumed it wouldn’t matter, but the pattern of scales relied on the woven accuracy. The color combos are interesting, but things should be a bit straighter.

  Phase 01, weaving folded, ironed canvas stripsWoven canvas strips, 24 x 24 inches2D Pinecone, first phase of painting

March 6th and 7th: 2D Pinecone, 28 x 28 inches, woven canvas strips, acrylics. Work in progress shows 1) weaving and 2) a very rough paint-sketch on the primed canvas.

Norway Maple: finished, combined posts

Friday, April 9th, 2010

  Norway Maple, 36 x 48 x 2 inches acrylics, modeling gel on canvas

Norway Maple in Madison, Wisconsin, 36 x 48 x 2 inches acrylics and modeling gel on canvas, gallery wrapped sides painted, narrow frame, finished April 9th

Norway Maple: working more on background, tones, horizontal shapesMarch 9th: Subtle changes since last post…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 the meantime to avoid overworking this.

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Merging Visions Exhibition

Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

  Milkweed Melody, 27H x 33W inches framed Oil Pastels on 140 lb cold pressed premium watercolor paper

Milkweed Melody, 27H x 33W inches framed Oil Pastels on 140 lb cold pressed premium watercolor paper 

Partnering with poet Christina Smith and her poem, Earth’s Love Song Milkweed Melody is showing April 1st - 30th at the VAST (Visual Arts Society of Texas) and Denton Poets Assembly collaborative event, Merging Visions Exhibition, with art and poetry at both the Emily Fowler and North Branch Libraries, Denton, Texas. Opening Receptions Saturday, April 17th 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. at Emily Fowler and 1 - 3 p.m. at North Branch

Extreme writing

Thursday, April 1st, 2010

 Leaf study, conte and graphite on paper

The article, Extreme Drawing is finally revised and re-posted…10 days writing and revising. If I could draw about extreme writing I would, because it would certainly be a lot easier! 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.