My Blog

Self isolation day 118 - let's talk water

7/8/2020

Something I really enjoy doing is taking the time to get my paint well-mixed. Yes, I have said before that it is a rather zen-like occupation. But, let me take a moment and share that the best way I have found to add water to paint in the wells on my palette. It is by using this: A condiment bottle. Yep, spend a whole whopping 99 cents and purchase one of these see-through bottles. Fill it with distilled water and voila!, the best money you will spend on supplies for the foreseeable future. Let me share that, many years ago, I started with a spray bottle. My own experience is that is was messy and inconsistent...not enough control, therefore I was not satisfied. I moved on to a small squeeze bottle that I found at a local craft store. Much better, but the size was too small. It only held enough fluid to go around the wells one time before I had to refill it. So one summer I was standing in the check out line at the grocery store and noticed a see-through condiment bottle. Not red, not yellow, but clear. It is perfection. I hope you will give it a try and you find it enjoyable too. Now go mix up some color. Back to my brushes.

"Colors, like features, follow the changes of the emotions." - Pablo Picasso

That Moment

6/25/2020

Yes, that moment. The one every watercolorist loves. It just delights your eyes and sends tingles up your spine. It is just so beautiful and out of control. Yup, that moment when the paper has been prepped for that touch of color...and it takes off going who-knows-where. It is such a delight to the eyes and mind. It is one of the reasons you choose this medium. The surprise of watching your painting do its own thing. So on Self-Isolation Day 105 thought I would spend a moment just writing about the beauty in my life. Back to my brushes.

"I would define, in brief, the poetry of words as the rhythmical creation of beauty." - Edgar Allen Poe

self isolation day 102

6/22/2020

I have been working on a small painting which I completed yesterday! Hooray! I titled it Seeking Tranquility , which is rather self explanatory. (It is 2020 after all). So now I have the opportunity to start another small one while I work on a larger one. I have about six ideas I would like to test out, so I'll pick one and see how it goes. One I tried previously seven years ago and just couldn't pull it together, so that idea is definitely in the running. The weather here has improved and we have enjoyed some sunny days for a wonderful change. Hot, but just beautiful and sunny. As far as the coronavirus goes our numbers here continue to rise. Few people here will wear a mask, so I must remain at home. I'm sending a shout-out to Cynthia who left a comment on my last post. Sounds like she has a great system for storing her art supplies! I always enjoy hearing how other people store all this stuff. And thanks for the encouragement too. Sounds like you and I are in the same boat...just different places. I will be sure to post the link as soon as I am aware of it. Back to my brushes.

"Normal is an illusion. What is normal to the spider is chaos to the fly." - Morticia Addams.

Self-isolation day 89

6/9/2020

I am still dealing with a hurt back, but recovering slowly. So I haven't been painting for the past week. We have had some sunshine, that was a pleasant change. But even with that, the ground is still saturated. Luckily, tropical storm Cristobal didn't impact our area too much...just clouded, rained a little, and blew away. So, pandemic-wise numbers are worse here, unsurprisingly, but on the upside my cooking has improved! AND we got yeast!!! Yes, bread is comfort food. That's it for today, I can't sit here anymore. Back to my brushes soon.

"The clean tongue, the clear head and the bright eye are birthrights of each day." - William Osler

I'm pleased to share

6/9/2020

I'm pleased to share that my painting Nature's Tools has been accepted in the National Watercolor Society's 100th International Open Exhibition! My thanks to the judges of selection: Katherine Chang Liu, Dean Mitchell, and John Salminen. This on-line exhibit runs from October 1, 2020 through January 30th, 2021. The ARTSPAN online gallery sales will open the same day. Back to my brushes.

"Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement." - Golda Meir

self-isolation day 76

5/27/2020

The newest thing in my life... I hurt my back and have been laying in bed as a result. On the bright side, that gave me a perfect opportunity to watch InArte Fabriano 2020 on YouTube which has been terrific! I enjoyed watching the online conference specifically. Not only did I enjoy seeing their faces, I liked the discussion. I look forward to watching more of the demos today. Look for the silver lining (there is a song in there somewhere). I am almost finished with a new full-size painting that I have taken-on specifically for my youngest, but will have to put off finishing it until my back recovers. It has turned out surprisingly well considering the subject matter. But there is always that point where I am ready to move on to the next painting but the current one isn't quite finished. I guess that happens to everyone? If I did more than one painting at a time I would never finish a painting. Is it boredom or anticipation? I'm guessing a bit of both. This current piece is pretty much a two-color painting again. I am not a fan. I like the result, (more importantly they like the result) but the drudgery of it just wears me down. I'll think about that tomorrow.

I think the highlight most recently has been that we got more yeast for making bread!!! That was a moment. Apparently in other parts of the state it is not an issue, but here - good luck. It has continued to rain as well, and that is wearisome. But focusing on good things I can recommend some books I have finished: Fool by Christopher Moore. I have never been disappointed by Moore; Euphoria by Lily King. Spoiler alert - the ending is sad; Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. I think this is the perfect time for this book; Still Lives by Maria Hummel. Art and mystery is my favorite combo; The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith. I enjoyed the weaving of culture and story, very enjoyable. And some quick little mysteries The Curse of Braeburn Castle, The Black Cat Murders, and Murder at Melrose Court all by Karen Baugh Menuhin. Enjoyable, fast, and most importantly for me - some levity. Back to my brushes (hopefully tomorrow).

"He who would learn to fly one day must first learn to stand and walk and run and climb and dance; one cannot fly into flying." - Nietzsche

I'm pleased to share

5/8/2020

I'm pleased to share that my painting The Nature of Tools has received an "Award of Excellence" at Watercolor USA 2020! My thanks to the judge Misa Jeffereis, Assistant Curator at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, and the Watercolor USA Honor Society board members Sandra Schaffer and Carole Hennessy for this honor. The exhibit plans to be open for the exhibit beginning June 6th, but I understand they are planning a virtual experience as well. A closing reception is planned for August 14th at 5:30 p.m. Visit the Springfield Art Museum for more information regarding public health concerns. Congratulations to all the award winners and exhibitioners! Back to my brushes.

"Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each others eyes for an instant?" - Henry David Thoreau

self-isolation day 50

5/1/2020

Well let's start on a high note. I'm pleased to share that my painting "Tooling Around" has been accepted in SPLASH 22 - The Creative Spark. All of the paintings will be published in a 116-page special edition magazine, The Best of Watercolor: Winners From the 22nd Annual Splash Competition, which has a tentative publication date of June 2021. Always a surprise and honor to be a finalist for this publication. My thanks to the editor and staff of Golden Peak Media Fine Art Group! In the meantime, be sure to look for this year’s special issue, showcasing winners from Splash 21, coming to newsstands (and to artistsnetwork.com/store) on June 16, 2020.

I continue to keep busy painting as much as possible. I got terribly behind last year and am using this time as an opportunity to catch up. So, I'm about to finish this half-sheet painting (a companion piece). I figure three more days will do it. That's really fast for me. Consider I started the last one in January and finished in April. I put that one a board to flatten and haven't looked at it since. It is a series of sorts...distilling the seminal influence of my favorite artists of the past and making that idea the relevant compositional aspect of my painting. It's been fun and challenging. The last was Kandinsky, and so find it most enjoyable from a distance. The pattern is key, but I believe the message is clear. I'll enter it in something and see what happens.

Other than art, food continues to be a focus of my time. I'm getting better at cooking. I appreciate a crunchy salad more than ever. It is a new month, but the days run together, broken up only by horrendous weather. Today the sun is shining for a change. One of my Nanny's iris has bloomed (see slide show). The hail took some of the other blossoms, but this one survived. Stay home. Stay safe. Nothing has changed. Back to my brushes.

"It sounds plausible enough tonight but wait until tomorrow. Wait for the common sense of the morning." - H. G. Wells

Self isolation day 36

4/17/2020

I finished my painting! What a struggle it has been. The tape has been attached for so long I had to use tweezers to get it off the paper. It is sitting in my living room so I can look at it occasionally with a critical eye. But honestly, I don't think there is any reason on earth that would compel me to pick it up again. I'm done with it. The good news is that I have started the other painting I mentioned and I am happy to report that sticking my paintbrush in a beautiful rich green has lifted my spirits. It helped that the sun was out for two days, but it is back to the disgustingly depressing gray rain again today, so...ugh. Anyway, the painting makes me happy and will be fast. Two great things. And food. Always food.

So totally off the subject, but something I have found to be interesting is the live feed from the dedicated interstate exit for WalMart (the data center) which is now available for viewing. I started watching it a couple of days ago...(I think it was two days ago; I don't keep track anymore). Anyway, it is interesting to see the volume of traffic on the interstate now. It appears our infrastructure finally meets demand. Just saying. Here is the name of the app: IDrive AR. When it loads, just pick the area you want to watch. Kinda fun actually. So stay safe, and stay home. Back to my brushes.

"The mountain is voiceless and imperturbable; and its very loftiness and serenity sometimes make us the more lonely." - Henry Van Dyke

self isolation - Day 30

4/11/2020

This might be a bit of a mashup. I usually only try to share my art adventures, but hey, extraordinary times. Thus, I will share more personal observations too. I suppose what I spend the most time thinking about is food. As I have shared before, I don't cook. But I can bake a little. I did have to use some self rising flour and I didn't know what to use it for, but decided to try cinnamon rolls that I found online - "no-fail" cinnamon rolls. WRONG! They were frankly awful - just awful. Ended-up-in-the-trash awful. And believe me, I am mindful of wasting food. Or shall I be more accurate and say mindful of wasting ingredients? But my second attempt with self rising flour was buttermilk biscuits and they were spectacular. Really! I made 24 and every one of them was consumed. Long-term good as well because I put them in a zip lock bag and we had them for a few days. Terrific.

Also, bread loaves. I usually make bread in the winter and I suppose we all describe it as a comfort food. That is still true, it's just not winter. So butter topped loaves have become the norm. The part left at the end I have ended up grinding and using as bread crumbs with which to roll chicken. So again, mindful of wasting ingredients.

Art wise, I have some progress on my latest work and hopefully I will finish it this weekend because I am sick of it. I just can't deal with the two color concept. It depresses me, as does the subject. But tenacity kicks in and you just carry on. Right? And as a statement piece it works. I have conceived and set up my next still life. (I just had to take a break from this one.) The sun was out! I couldn't just paint and look out the window at that beautiful sunshine. The rain has just been a constant - a gray, depressing constant for weeks. By the way, this next painting is a companion piece to another 1/2 sheet painting. Why a companion piece? Not for any other reason except how I plan to hang them and the fact that it is full of freaking color. So stay safe, and stay home. Back to my brushes.

"The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month." - Henry Van Dyke