New Colorful Abstract Process

This new abstract genre is full of layers and layers of mixed media. I use watercolor, acrylic, china markers, oil pastels, Crayola II sticks, regular No. 2 pencil, colored watercolor pencils and gesso. All this is layered onto D’Arches 140 lb. watercolor paper.

The beginning is always easy, it’s the middle that gets me. Right there in mid process, I wonder what in the world I am doing, why in the world I thought it would turn out. And then I just keep going.

The funny thing is that in the end, you can not even see the beginning layers. But I know they’re there.

The end result is my new love.

Raw Unfiltered

Erin took up beekeeping and gifted us honey and lip balm. Now, because the jar is so gorgeous, we hate to break the glittery gold seal to enjoy it.

Andrew was given all kinds of beekeeping supplies, beekeeping books and membership in the local bee keeper’s society.

Pottery 101

Looking for the address we passed two really cool looking modern homes; as we whizzed by, I joked about wishing the class was there. We had to do a U-turn and lo, that was the address!

Andrew and I signed up for a pottery session and made slab bowls. I am ready to do more.

Linocut Prints From Styrofoam

A great “upcycle” for styrofoam meat trays is to use them in place of linoleum boards for creating a template for printing.

The one little problem I encountered was that a lot of meat trays are already compromised; they have dimpled or stamped bases, or the glue to hold the absorbent paper in the tray does not come up. So, I had to work around those imperfections to cut out a flat smooth piece of styrofoam.

We used linoleum block printing inks and two brayers- one for inking, one for rolling the paper on the styrofoam template.

This ended up taking a full two hours to complete with a break in-between printing to wash off our styrofoam and brayer to switch colors.

All Pumpkins, All Month

I had my students paint pumpkins with watercolor. Just before the weather turned too cold to be outside we sat outdoors and painted. We worked on blending in colors wet in wet.

Next class we switched to acrylic. As always, I wanted them to fill the whole canvas. And I added a lesson on depth perception in painting.

Practice makes Perfect

I know definitively that when we practice and apply; we learn. I know that.

I homeschooled my seven children to great glorious futures, and I did it by showing up every day, teaching math everday, teaching grammar everyday, teaching science everyday… and then one day they were bloomin’ geniuses.

But I just could not, would not apply that same principle to my painting, which I knew was just plain foolishness. Alas yesterday came. As I sat in my studio, I realized I was out of ideas, out of photos, out of inspiration. So I decided to plod through a practice and application of an art lesson.

No, these aren’t amazing but I learned a lot. I differed the underpainting color and saw how it turned the bright day to a cold day. But it still holds that practice perfects.

Fall Art Project for ages 4- 13

I promised my grandchildren a day with bonfire, hotdogs and s’mores but evening was a long way off. So I set up the paints and gave each of them a little 3” X 3” canvas. Everyone practiced the pumpkin shape and size once on paper and then lightly drew it on the canvas.

Museum of Fine Art, Boston

It is fabulous that kids (and adults too) are given permission to copy masterpieces sitting right there in front of it. Drawing boards and sketchpads are fine most anywhere. Paints and easels are permitted with prior permission. Watercolor in the courtyard only. But no solvents, pens, markers, charcoals and pastels, harsh chemicals or spray paints allowed which seems more than fair.

A fascinating place in the Museum of Art, Boston is the restoration room. I could stand there for hours. I find the minute careful detail work fascinating. There is a viewing window to watch the process without disturbing the craftsmen. I can only imagine how many audio books a restorer can go through in a short time.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Yet another of my favorite museums. I think it must be the inner courtyard in an art museum that seals it for me.

The museum was completed in 1901 but it wasn’t just a museum; Isabella Stewart Gardner made her home on the fourth floor. She acquired art and arranged it in her home/art gallery for the rest of her life. When she died she left the museum to the public with the stipulation that not one piece of art could be rearranged and no art could be added to the collection.

March 18, 1990, 13 works of art valued at a total of $500 million were stolen. Today empty frames hang where the art was stolen, an eery yet hopeful image of a museum that hopes one day to recover the works.

Walters Art Museum Baltimore, MD

Walters art museum is a gorgeous building full of perfect light. It has a center courtyard, an architectural feature that if I were made of tons of money, I would have in my house.

Happily I have grandchildren (and a husband) who are willing and even eager to go see art.

And the extra amazing thing about this beautiful art museum is that it is free!

The inner courtyard.

Which is which?

I snap chatted a photo of the museum piece to my son and apologized that his art had been relegated to the back yard by the hose spigot. I needed to retrieve it as soon as I got home and bring back its dignity indoors.

The Museum of Fine Arts Boston has a wing devoted to contemporary art- many of the artists are still alive- many of them quite young. It was inspiring to see that these artists while still in “their day” had been discovered by an art museum of renown.

So, what I’d like to know is this- Do you know which is the museum piece and which is the rescued yard piece?

Collage Inspiration

I am smitten with Lance Letscher’s collages. He perfects placement, color, flow, and overall appeal. I had to buy his book, Lance Letscher: Collage, and I was absolutely thrilled to open it and discover he had signed it! And as I watched the documentary, The Secret Life of Lance Letscher, I had to stop the movie and get to work; I knew what I wanted to do with a recent abstract.

My gold and blue abstract is divided into sky, land, and water but it lingered in my studio; I knew it needed more; but what? I used Giotto’s angels, Monet’s boat and an ancient Crete palace’s mural of dolphins to complete my piece.

Look up Lance Letscher’s work and be mesmerized.

This begged for just a little more.

heaven, earth, and sea

73/250

Full Life

This has nothing to do with art and everything to do with my big full family life. Well, actually, a little to do with art because the gifts are hand-made from the heart.

I am full to bursting. All our children and almost all our grandchildren AND Andrew’s brothers AND great friends helped celebrate his 60th birthday for 4 full days. (Meghan did say that 4 days of feeding feasters is a bit over the top and not to expect that when I turn 60)

All our children, sons-in-law wrote the most overwhelmingly wonderful letters to Andrew. Our grandchildren gave him the sweetest gifts- Their absolute favorite geode, the best biggest shark tooth, the smoothest polished rock wrapped in copper to form the base of a bejeweled copper tree. And one little bag of disparate objects until you read the letter:

“In this bag there are many things. First there is a whistle to give to Grandma for when you get too old and crazy. Second a plastic container to keep all our good thoughts and memories. Third, a paper origami heart for how much I love you and you love me.”

Glass Blowing

My son received his masters in mechanical engineering with materials science and the emphasis on glass. Penn State has an outlet for all that glass knowledge by way of a glass blowing studio. On a trip to visit Jarrett before he graduated, we were able to watch the fascinating process.

Bold Floral

The night before hopping on a plane to fly east, I was determined to have my students finish their floral painting on canvas. I always STRONGLY encourage them to fill the canvas; leave no naked canvas. Success!

ArtWalk Moscow, ID 2018

I love painting. I love being alone in my studio listening to my playlist, or a book, or binge watching something no one should ever want to watch, especially in quick succession. I love the paint colors, the way mixing them bring out a vibrancy that you can’t get from a single tube color. I love how the color wheel from third grade makes so much sense here on my palette. I love seeing my art hung in places I never imagined it would hang, brick coffee house walls, expansive winery walls, little cottage shop walls. But I do not like being the artist at the reception. Hanging my favorite best works out there for perusal and inspection is fine; I just don’t want to be there for it.

So I was relieved and thankful that Aileen, Jason and Sigge would be hanging around with me at the recent show. And then unexpectedly and suddenly Caitlin and Zac walked through the door too. I wept tears of joy. For real. A troop of support for me and my art.

If you are in the area, visit Bucer’s Coffee House and Pub in Moscow, Idaho for their flavorful coffee and delicious food and then sit there and enjoy my art. I won’t be there but it’s right there on the brick wall.