Seasonal
« Previous EntriesChrysanthemums and Nikki: work in progress
Friday, May 18th, 2012
Chrysanthemums, 45L x 85W x 3D inches, graphite, charcoal and primer on 100% cotton, work in progress
Rather than priming the fabric first as usual, water and primer are painted to enhance the graphite while the composition works itself out. It’s been all about getting lost in the improvisation and surprise! Grass blades are implied by the buildup of thin streaks throughout, which also serve to balance and energize the work, plus add slight cubist effects.
This is will hang in a contemporary-style room. If color is used at all it will be limited to red, yellow and green areas near the large main flower. Parts of the surface may be left raw, so to set the finished piece, the entire back will be primed and the front will be sprayed with fixative.
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I’ve been very concerned that this blog has been inactive for so long; that moving to Oregon might jeopardize the career-related momentum gained after nine years in Dallas. The chaos of this past year has truly put my mouthy artist’s statement to the test; that ‘creativity is an attitude toward life’.
I’m accustomed to creating chaos in my artwork, then resolving it. With too many move-related priorities and seemingly endless unfinished renovations, no wonder I’ve felt increasingly disoriented. I’ve tried to paint walls, for example, with a view that it contributes to the whole picture, but it’s just not the same as art-related work. With camera and overly-kooky imagination I made light of that wall-painting situation; three homes in fact (see previous posts). I’m telling you, when you enter a realm of madness, you must rely on the expression you know best. Find something to laugh about, or at least pretend it’s funny! For the most part I managed to get lost in the improvisation and surprise of each day. I do trust that observations never stop, that potential has nothing to do but replenish itself until such a time it bubbles over and has no way out but transformation…but after a year and a half of not painting or drawing… really? Really?!
Shortly after my art supplies were finally located and unpacked, I heard myself say, “Now take charge”.
True colors
Thursday, May 26th, 2011
Tree fern shadows cast across garden rocks in Chapala, Mexico
“Your true colors are beautiful” - Cindy Lauper
I’ve been in Mexico for the past two weeks, so I’ll be contributing more images to the True Colors website, created in 2007 as tribute to the colorful landscapes and cultures here. Developed separately from the other chapters of nikkiartwork.com, True Colors is considered as one complete and independent project. I’ve posted a few more of the recent pieces in this series on nikkiphotography.com
Five seconds of beauty
Thursday, February 10th, 2011
There are days when a falling leaf is just a falling leaf, but today one caught my eye as it floated down then caught an updraft, then flipping sideways and rolling over a few times, it seemed to be avoiding its final destination as long as it could. It was five seconds of beauty I will never forget!
I’m sure my friend and mentor, Jo Williams will not mind me passing along her note of a quote by Judith Hanson Lasater: “As many times a day as you can, find something to be grateful for because that will connect you with yourself, with others, and with the wider world. And we need to do this MOST when things are their most difficult in our lives. ”
Maybe the leaves have fallen like that all season, but I was too busy grumbling about raking half of them from our neighbour’s yard. I’ve been too busy detailing the house inside and out, trying to get it listed as soon as possible. There have been issues this winter of solid ice in the evestroughing, and having to chip away and melt trails with boiling water so the roof run-off would flow properly. I was too annoyed to notice the incredible phenomena on the other side of the house that were created by the very same problem. Left and above: alien-like forms were created when slow-melting ice dripped from the eavestroughs onto shaded Dogwood branches.
Before the snow and frigid temperatures last week, the pansies were finally filling in and gorgeous alongside the back yard fence. When winter came with a vengeance and would not let go, so did my view that, “Aww! The pansies are frozen!”, but yesterday,it changed to: ”Awe! The pansies are frozen!”
Thanks for sharing, Jo!
Framing on “Northern Delights” update
Tuesday, December 14th, 2010
Northern Delights, acrylics on canvas, 24 x 36 inches on top of a 36 x 48 inches canvas, work on framing in progress. Left: Day 01, above: Day 02
Frame, Day 02: The abstract framed around impressionist styles don’t really belong together, but I kind of like it anyway; so unexpected..unpredictable..rebellious!
Frame, Day 01: I could never find the right frame for this painting — ones I tried ended the picture too abruptly at the edges, yet I knew it needed something, so yesterday I mounted it onto another canvas. I’ve found the solution, not only for this piece, but for my own sense of peace. Work as reprieve from work…imagine that!
Here is the finished painting as it was previously. I used masking medium to block out areas that are intended to stay white, and am continuing the same technique on the back frame.
A continuing saga
Friday, October 22nd, 2010
“This could be your last chance, Sweets. I’m moving on up to Oregon.”
The Studio Affair saga on previous blog posts: October 20th, 2009, October 28th, 2008 , October 30th, 2007
That’s right, me and all the skeletons in my closet are moving to Oregon, so the painting now is all about walls. I’ve bought a small 4 x 6 sketchbook, hoping to sneak in some time to do a few thumbnail drawings of my travels this year.
The past six months: starting with driving up to Madison, Wisconsin at the end of April to set up the Dancing With Trees Exhibition, after the show opening, it was back to Dallas then shortly afterward to Singapore for 3 weeks (amazing!). Two days after returning from Singapore I drove up to Ottawa, Ontario. At the end of June, the drive back down through Michegan.to meet my internet artist-friend, Virginia Wieringa (triple amazing!) then across to Wisconsin to pick up the DWT show, then down through Chicago to drop off Morning Light 01, through the U.S. midwest back to Dallas.
Two weeks later I drove up through OK and North Dakota into Saskatchewan,. then into Alberta. I took so many photos (that still need sorting) on the drive across Canada through the prairies two weeks later, and the Great Lakes region back to Ontario, where I stayed for another 2 weeks. Back down to Dallas! During September we found out that my husband is transferred to Portland, OR for work. So here we go again. The first week of October we both drove west in separate cars, across the Continental Divide, the red rocks and incredible geography in Utah, finally reaching our future home just outside of the Columbia River Gorge, and on the other side: the Pacific Ocean shores and the Sequoia and Redwood forests. I drove back to Dallas with a truck and trailer to refill, and will make the trip across only one more time before winter – hopefully the weather holds up. I’m excited to get to work again after the move..
“Oh well, maybe she still needs more time… guess I’ll jus’ hang around here for a while.”
Mary Ann Pel’s Bench
Wednesday, October 20th, 2010
Mary Ann’s Bench 11 x 14 inches graphite on paper
Illustration of a bench dedicated to a client’s sister by the staff at the University Arboretum, Madison, Wisconsin
Morning Light – commission for a second version
Wednesday, September 8th, 2010
Above: Sept. 12th detail
Morning Light 02, above: upper detail of 60 x 40 x 3 inches acrylics on canvas in progress, comissioned work (NFS)
Phase 01, 03 and 07 show various changes and adjustments made as I attempt to paint Morning Light 02 as close as possible to the original version. As this is a unique individual painting in its own right, copying is not the goal. As work progresses, the most important thing is to find the same light and etherial qualities as in the first version.
On exhibit
Friday, July 9th, 2010
On exhibit at Oxide Gallery, Denton, TX
Dandelions, 16 x 20 acrylics on canvas, dark brown wood frame with red trim design. Total size 22 x 28 inches, Bonsai Garden, Chinese Gardens, Singapore 9 x 12 inches graphite on paper Milkweed Melody, 27H x 33W inches framed Oil Pastels on 140 lb cold pressed premium watercolor paper, Seasonal, 36 x 24 x 2 inches acrylics on canvas, gallery wrapped sides painted, narrow frame
Stars and Fireflies
Sunday, June 27th, 2010
Home from Singapore for a few days, and having to go north to pack up the Dancing With Trees exhibition, I drove up to Ontario first so I could see my sons in Canada before Christmas. At night in the fields and trees from Tennessee to Michegan there are stars and fireflies in the trees – so magical! Until I can express it in paint (and I must!), here is a quick photoshop impression.
Turmeric blossoms
Thursday, June 10th, 2010
Turmeric, 9 x 12 inches graphite on paper
Turmeric is a member of the ginger family. The rhizomes are a rich golden yellow, and the plant is used as a food coloring and flavoring agent, in dyes and traditional eastern cosmetics, and is an important ingredient in curry powder. Native to India, it is grown widely in the tropical areas of Asia. The blossoms are about 14 inches across, seen at the Botanic Gardens, Singapore.
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