Aspire to Be More

I am not the biggest fan of the saying, "when life gives you lemons make lemonade!".  Instead I think we should say, "aspire to be more".  Same thing, different words. 

I saw a facebook link to this U-tube yesterday.  Something told me to go there....to see it....to pass it forward.  It changed me.  My words are not always chosen carefully.  But I am just like this yummy bowl of lemons....aspiring to be more.



If you are in the Atlanta are this weekend, please come by and see me at the Sweetwater420 Festival.  I am listed under Mattie's Social Circle.  You'll recognize the work though I am sure!!  Hours are Saturday:  12-10PM and Sunday:  12-7PM.    The skies have broken, clear thanks goodness, and looks like it's going to be a great day!!

What We are Capable Of

I am always in awe of what one can accomplish in a given day.  Yesterday I was overwhelmed, completely.  But after a very, very productive list checking off kind of day, I was able to stand back and and truly absorb what was right in front of my eyes.  Sometimes being right in the thick of the creative process I completely loose sight of what should be an enjoyable journey.  The technique I use does not reveal its true beauty until the very last step.  But once the journey is over the reveal is well worth the wait.

If you read this blog on a regular basis then you've seen the willow tree sneaking its' way into the mix of compositions.  Their natural beauty mesmerizes me.   And combined with Ernestine.....well I am amazed at what sometimes I am capable of capturing through a paint brush.  It's so simple....this composition.  And yet it it has gravity.  It is entitled "embracing the journey home."

Below the willows  become almost like wintry whispers.  I wrote this sometime back to incorporate into a painting, and this was the one....but words stamped into this particular composition I think would have been distracting.  Here are the inspirational words behind the painting:

"how beautiful is the breeze as it carries your song to me"

The way the colors illuminate off one another well,  it's like they are dancing a romantic waltz around the canvas.   It takes my breath away.  And reminds me once again that this studio is truly an amazing place to create.

  

New Threads

In early January I wrote a blog post about finding a common thread.  In the post I wrote that finding your thread is important to creating a body of work and giving yourself an identity in the art world. Here's the thing though, I fight that thread. Yep. I have a beautifully woven "mattie blue" and orange sweater hanging in the studio.  And darn if I don't I feel the need to add something crazy like purple to it every once in awhile.  We all fight the urge to create the trend, to create the what's hot now.  But truly, if you continue down an authentic path with your art, you will find yourself growing.   Now I'm not going to get past my stellar 5'4", but I can certainly grow in my artistic strengths and trust the journey more.  

The past two weeks I have been literally growing by leaps and bounds.  I'm finding my favorite threads again.  And trying not to use any purple!  One of my favorite techniques in painting is to add a texture layer base to wood, carve into the layer, add rich opaque paint layers then an oil pastel rubbing.  I know, sounds interesting right?  Here is what the texture layers look like while drying: 

When I do this technique the ideas flow so fast from the sketchbook to the wood.  Literally I was able to draw out 8 compositions in 2 hours.  Now painting the compositions, well that takes a little longer.  I'll show you the next step Thursday after the paint layers have dried.  For now though, I've got to get some rest and start fresh in the morning!!

Slow Down Ernestine!

So either I am getting slap happy from all the paint fumes, or this painting seriously looks like little Sally is saying, "Ernestine slow down or you're gonna mess up my hair. And I just got back from the beauty shop!" Yep. It's the fumes. Lovin' this truck painting. I've been wanting to try one, and my buddy Laura said, "Hey I've got pictures of my Ernestine." She sent them my way, and here she is. I've always wanted a Mattie Blue truck. May not be able to sell this one.....

She's 24"x24", a little bigger than my regular paintings. And of course she'll have an old peely paint white barn wood frame. Hope you had a great weekend!!

Ooey Gooey Heaven

Last night Billy and I had a quiet evening to ourselves. Kiddos both had sleep overs. It is a very rare occasion that we have the house to ourselves. Now, we go out all the time just the two of us, especially during session, but the house, alone? It was creepy quiet. And we had no idea what to do with ourselves. It was pretty funny.

Around 8:30 this morning when I finally awoke from my beauty sleep, Billy was up and at 'em getting ready. And this was our little conversation with my eyes half opened: "Where are you going?" "To run a few errands. and then go get William." "Oooooo will you go to the grocery and get some cat food, turtle food and lunch stuff? Oh, and I'd really love a doughnut." (Doughnuts were a staple in my house growing up, but in this house they are like freakin' caviar. A delectable treat only to be consumed on very special occasions.) "Ok" he said and off he disappeared into the cold air. I figured I better crawl out of bed before he got back and decided the couch was as good a place as any to enjoy coffee and conversation with sweet Lily, plus I needed to catch up on few shows I'd taped during the week. After that chore was done I headed off to the art room where the piles of paintings were waiting for me to grace them with my presence. While painting the blue truck, Billy came home from errands, HUGE smile on his face, hands behind his back and said, "gotcha something" . I really love my man. One yummy dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts just for me. Some poor saps were selling them in the median on his way to the grocery. On a side note, I seriously think I would rather give my child $100 cold cash than stand in the median on HWY 154 selling doughnuts on a very cold, wet Saturday am. But, I am so grateful that these tasty items made it to my kitchen. 10 secs in the microwave and I was in gooey warm doughnut heaven. (I've now gone to heaven 5 times today btw. Crap. Gonna have to run 5 extra miles on Monday. And I hope to goodness Kathleen doesn't read this post!!)
But in all seriousness, despite the lazy TV watching, cuddling with Lily, watching Americas Next Top Model with Mailey (who I finally got at 3PM), I was able to get some paint on 3 of the larger textured pieces. So very tickled with the way they are progressing.

Next on the agenda, well there are 9 more textured boards waiting to be painted. Right now though, I am nursing a woozy doughnut tummy and am seriously thinking that a movie and fire are in order. Now that William and Mailey are home and asking for the craziest things, I feel like life is back to normal. For example, Mailey is asking to do laundry in the kitchen sink, like the old days. I have a funny feeling in my stomach that a flood is approaching my kitchen floor. (Or maybe it was the 5 trips to heaven?)

What to paint.....what to paint....

It's been awhile since I really pulled out the canvas, brush and paint. Getting ready for Holiday shows requires a different type of mind set and product. And I was really happy to pack all that stuff away Wednesday. And now I have a pile of fresh canvases, framed wood, new paints, new collage papers and a brick of wax from Valerie to try a new mixed media idea out. But the ideas are kind of swimming. During the holiday shows I always had my sketchbook to fill pages with all sorts of new thoughts and ideas. I see words, birds, new shapes and new doodles coming into play. But for now I leave you with a few of the images I've gone through in the past three months. Some favorites to take some visual clues and color combinations from.

So the birds are coming back and this time they are playing with time, gears, movement and the idea that living life to the fullest means taking time to be ourselves. Our truest selves.

New Work to Show Off!

I've been working for several days now on some new smaller pieces. I've been combining texture, acrylic and collage all on one piece. And although it is a process of cutting, pasting, drying, waiting, painting, drying again, filling lines, etc....It produces a look I am very pleased with! (Although not so easy to photograph!) This is called Morning Walk. I love the vertical layers on the very bottom. All 5 of the bottom layers are supposed to represent the layers of the earth.

And this one is Walking Towards My Heart. I really love the play on all the textures and colors. I've got one more on the table that needs finishing up. I will probably be cleaning the art desk up for the rest of the week at this point once it's done. I've got to get labels made, jewelry on cards, tiles in frames, etc. All building up to this weekend. I like to be super organized because there is no night before setting up. It's an early Saturday morning for Valerie and I! Have a great week!

Whew.......

Yes. Whew. I just finished up a large body of paintings for an upcoming show. I was asked by Matilda's Cottage two weeks ago to join her booth at the Folk Fest here in Atlanta. Sure I said, knowing that I had very few paintings available at the time. So I "put on my big girl panties" and dove right in. As you know, my texture paintings are time consuming. I've learned that starting a bunch at once helps the momentum and keeps me excited about the end results. Last week I had the wood cut, laid the texture and drew the compositions. And since the compositions are sometimes the biggest hurdle to overcome, it is always nice to get this part of the process over with! Once the bases are dry, the fun part of painting begins! I used an entirely new color palette for this series. All spicey colors- paprika, dry mustard, pepper, Lawry's, and more! I just love this palette. I also tried to add more collage to the texture series. It's a bit challenging, but adds such a nice new dimension.

This is my favorite I painted. The streamers and bike bell really bring back the nostalgic days of summer gone by. Now I have to photograph, sign, name and frame them all (all 12).

So now I am off to add beaks and legs to these girls I made coming and going to Saint Simons. They are just cracking me up in the studio....yes, my work speaks to me. It speaks volumes about me too!

Just popped in to say "HI". I've been having terrible interent service this week. Urgh...About to switch service especially since I just lost this post and am now having to re-type it. Anyhoo, above is a new texture painting. One in a series I made for the Studio Gallery in Grayton Beach, Florida. I love the warm colors and the surprise pop of turquoise in the top corner.

I am headed to a Indie Craft Fair tomorrow with Valerie and some other "Flea Chicks" for a Flea Field Trip. I can't wait to be inspired by other crafters. Hope you have a super crafty weekend yourself!

Why Yes Toto, We are in Kansas

As I've mentioned before, I like to do things in series. I am dubbing this series the "American Still Life" series. A few bikes, campers and a payphone so far have appeared. All are a little lonely, very simple in composition but very thought out on my part. The colors are definitely thought out. All of the titles, well I like to have fun with those. Some titles make you the viewer think a little, or take another gaze or two. The pink camper was "Barbie's Dream Camper". This one is "Why Yes Toto, We are in Kansas". Hmmmmm...you ask? It's because as I was using my handy gel medium to attach the random map I cut out I realized that I'd chosen of all places, Kansas. Thus, Toto came to mind. And that was my favorite movie as a child. Memories. Digging deeper though, I was having a conversation with Greg Blair of Dogwood Gallery earlier this week. And we were discussing the importance of naming your work. He said he's had artists come in with great paintings, and when asked a title they say, "Untitled No.1" or so and so on. He said that some buyers are hesitant when they see this as a title. I have found that naming my work makes it more personal. I take time to name them, sign them, and document each piece as I finish. It is a part of the process of making the painting. An important one in my book. So all of my paintings will have names, some catchier than others. I hope at least one catches you off guard and causes you to pause and smile.

Every Once in Awhile.....

Every once in awhile I get a wild hair and decide to do something realistic. Not too often, because my birdies quite me quite entertained and busy. Last year I painted a poppy field that I was quite proud of (pat on the back). This spring I was once again inspired by a flower photo from a magazine, this time it was flowering quince. Which according to the article can bloom pink, red, green or white. So I did one in pink...... And one in green. Both were done with my texture technique which really gives the simple composition a nice contrast. They are much more dramatic in person, maybe you'll see them soon!

Making of a Series

I tend to paint in series. I suppose it's because I like one composition so much I have to repeat it, over and over. Always with a different twist...maybe the colors are tweaked, the flowers placed a little different, but similar always. I am currently working on a series of smaller sized pieces (10"x10") framed in thin salvage wood. They look great all together, or on their own. I can't wait to turn this series into framed tiles. These compositions will be great for my 4" tile in the old barn wood frames.

I have two big upcoming events that these paintings will be available for. The Vintage-Flea is hosting Canvases and Cocktails on Friday, March 27th from 6-9PM. If you are in the Newnan area come by and see me! Also, I'll be at the Wesleyan School Artist Market at the end of April. I know that seems far away, but they need inventory by April 1st. So for now, I've got to get to painting! Hope you have a creative weekend!

Springing Up

Spring is coming early in Georgia this year it appears. With all the rain, rain, rain and the early warm weather, plants are springing up all over the place. I also noticed some new weeds, onions, and clover springing up as well! I love to work outside and plant new items in my yard. And I must have great soil, because bushes and flowers tend to grow like crazy for me. Just ask my mail lady about the lantana around our mailbox come spring. It gets taller than the mailbox every year. After the first frost I chop it all down, and after the first sign of spring, it comes right back up. Love that. Last year we did some grooming in the back yard after we got the adorable playhouse. It had to have it's own little yard. It was too cute to just not! Anyhoo....gotta run and start some new paintings before the kiddos get home. Have a lovely afternoon!

Fall Artwalk in Downtown Newnan

This Friday night from 5-8 PM merchants in downtown Newnan will be open late for the annual Fall Artwalk. It is always such a fun evening. Lots of people, lots of food and even more wine! This year I am participating as just an artist. I'll admit it is a bit strange being on the other side of the counter these days! My art will be featured at The Vintage-Flea right along side Valerie's, several jewelry artists, a pastel artist and probably more! We at the Flea always loved having lots of fresh artists featured.
I'll be bringing just my textured paintings this time around. I've developed this technique into something I really enjoy the process of. It takes 3 days to complete a painting, which makes me crazy impatient sometimes, but the end results always outweigh this impatience! Some come on down and say hello!