Duchesses

Duchesses  Acrylic on Hardboard  6"x6"

One week until Christmas.  We are in a deep freeze here in northern Iowa.  Temperature is 45 degrees below zero if you figure in the wind chill.  Most of the United States is experiencing similar raw weather.  This makes it difficult for my dog, Rondo, to go outside to do his business.  But, necessity calls and he dutifully complies.

The painting above, Duchesses, was painted for a client in St. Paul.  I had done one of her dog a few weeks ago and she asked me to another one for a brother I believe for Christmas.  I feel real good having someone request an additional painting.  It is a Christmas present for the ego.  The 6 x 6 inch format is small and hard to use larger brushes.  It is easy to tighten up in this case.  I prefer the 8"x8" as a minimum personally but it is a challenge to go smaller.

Stay warm.

Bella-Lets Go

Bella  Acrylic on Board  8"x8"  

This dog was painted for my daughter who is giving it away for a Christmas gift.  I have seen this intent gaze in my own dog. The dog looks up at you for something....food, a treat, a sign that you might be taking a walk, any number of things. It is the look of anticipation.  It is the look of "Lets go".
Winter has definitely dropped her cold and frigid breath on the Midwest with temperatures dropping even lower this weekend.  My own dog, Rondo, is not happy with the snow and below 0 temperatures when he goes outside.  He does his business quickly, however and is happy to reenter the warm house.  I haven't taken him to the groomer recently and he is getting quite long fur.  In this weather it does him good.

Thomas-the Watcher

Thomas Acrylic on Masonite 12'X12'

This was a more complicated or should I say involved painting than the previous ones I have been working on.  I have two definite styles that are developing in my work.  One is the more detailed, defined painting like this one.  The other is a more playful, cartoonish look what emphasizes the black outlines akin to print blocks.  I chose to do a more serious painting of Thomas here.  He was a cat that lived in St. Paul, MN with my sister.  He was quite old and died recently of a medical problem.  But, I knew this kitty personally and he had a great life with great people.  He had the freedom to roam the neighborhood for many years and was a friend to many.  His fur was long and luxurious and reminded you of a lion.  But, this was a gentle animal and enjoyed being on your lap or not.  Here he was painted sitting in the backyard garden in early spring enjoying the sun and watching.....as cats tend to like to do.

Madison

Madison Acrylic on Board  8"x8"

I had an interesting challenge painting Madison.  Not only was he a black dog so definition can be difficult but the photo I obtained of him he was sitting on a plastic tarp with all sorts of light reflecting and bouncing off it. And the tarp was also a neutral color.  I tried to make the tarp more on the red/violet side of blue and Madison himself more on the blue/green side.So, there is a definite cool vs warm feel here.  A little different angle of the puppy looking up at the viewer.  Dogs are so expressive.

Two can be Better than One

  

The owners of this commissioned painting are hair stylist that work in Minneapolis. It was great fun painting the long fur and perky expressions on these two little guys. I can imagine much activity in this household. It always amazes me the diversity in the animal breeds. I watched  "Best of Show" last weekend on the dog breeders dogshow winners. I got to say, I love the movie also. 

Butterfly

Philippians 4:13  Acrylic on Masonite, 8"x8"

I have a friend who has cancer.  It is a frightening ordeal.  She is relatively young and right now hope is at a premium.  She can't have flowers at this point in her hospital room.  Therefore I painted this painting and gave it to her recently wishing it will provide her a place to quiet her mind and lighten her heart.  I named the painting Philippians 4:13 which is from the Bible.  The verse is "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  Strength, hope and prayers.

What have I learned?

Gracie 6"x6" Acrylic on board

I am posing a question for the holiday.  Usually we sit around the table at Thanksgiving and routinely say what we are thankful for.  It is important to reflect on these things that we take for granted.  Health and family are two big ones that come to mind.  However, this year I am reflecting on the things I have learned as well.  Last June I took a painting class in Grand Marais, MN which brought me back to acrylic painting.  It has also brought me to this blog.  I entered an artwork in our local Area Art Exhibition put on by the MacNider Art Museum here in Mason City, Iowa and was selected for showing.   I have also sold several of my works which is also reaffirming.These are all steps in the Creative Way that I have come forward and progressed.  So, this Thanksgiving, I am reflecting on the question of "What have I learned?"

Flexibility

Meeting people halfway

Keeping an open mind

The above painting is of Gracie.  This little dog is owned by a past student of mine.  I taught art in the local high school for many years and I was delighted to have the opportunity to paint this little guy for someone I had in class in the past.  Lots of unruly fur made the dog fun to paint with the liner brush.

Kittens on the Farm

Kittens on the Farm    10"x10" acrylic on masonite.

It is the 14th of November.  Tonight the Super Moon will be at its fullest.  According to EarthSky website the moon of November can be called the Frosty Moon, the Hunters Moon or the Beaver Moon.  Nature is such a splendorous thing.  

These two kittens that I painted and posted here are frolicking in the grass.  They were born on a rural Iowa farm and are two members of numerous litters that occupy the grounds.  Green grass will soon be covered by white snow.  Winter is coming.  The seasons are changing.

Black Cat on a Black Chair

Toki 6"x6" Acrylic on Masonite Board  11-16

This was definitely a challenge for me.  This kitty is my daughters.  I already painted her other cat, Stella, on August 4th.  This is Toki.  A very black cat.  Back in August I cat sat for the two kitties for a week.  Toki was a little shy and didn't stick around much to socialize.  She did jump up on the refrigerator and stare at me while I watched the television.  I did manage to get a photograph of her on this black chair glaring up at me, at least long enough to get a photograph.  I like the perspective and the challenge of painting black on black.

Mindfulness: a journal by Catherine Price

The Mindfulness journal is a wonderful method of paying deliberate attention to your life and the living in the present moment without judgment.  It is a helpful method to slow the mind and really pay deliberate attention to life being lived.  The journal gives prompts that can help you start the writing process.  You can go through the book in a linear fashion or skip around if desired.  This slowing down of the mind opens up new avenues of thought that I find helpful in artistic practice.  How does this relate to a practicing artist?

Creating art is a combination of many aspects of a person's mind, body and soul.  There are the technical skills developed through practice and time.  There is the careful observation of other artist's works.  There is the inspiration that comes from creative ideas and insights and the incorporation of them into artwork currently being worked on or those of future projects.  The Mindfulness journal has been helpful in allowing ideas that are floating in mindspace to be captured in print and then reflected on later.  For me, personally, it has been as valuable as a sketchbook in guiding ideas and thoughts related to artistic practice.

Blue Dog

Stella 6x6 Acrylic on Masonite

   I had the good fortune of having my sister find clients for me for painting. Today she told me she has a third person that wishes to have a painting of their pet.  Now she is asking for commission.  Sisters!
    It is interesting how some paintings go easily and others are more of a struggle.  This painting went relatively smoothly, everything falling into place and I knew when I needed to stop.  I like the diagonal, rather restless nature of this painting.  This is an active dog and I think the diagonal line reflects that.

Samson Smiles

 Recently I visited my sister in St. Paul.  I was helping her with a day of Gelli Printing with her third grade classroom as the artist-in-residence.  When I arrived, she was entertaining a few quests on her front porch from an event that she was hosting and it was winding down.  I got to talking with one individual about my painting of pets and she commissioned me to do her daughters dog, Samson.  So here is the results of my efforts.  It is a 6"x6" painting and I think shows his personality fairly well.  I believe her daughter lives in Oregon so the painting will travel a good distance away.

The Butterflies Disappear as Autumn Progresses ....Tiger Swallowtail

Tiger Swallowtail acrylic on masonite, 6'x6'

The butterflies are gone.  I am doing a series of them.  This tiger swallowtail happens to be resting on a background of yellow leaves and I had a difficult time making a strong contrast with the yellow of the butterfly from the background.   They are certainly delicate creatures and much appreciated after gazing at them for a period of time.  Then.....one day they are simply gone as the nights chill and the leaves turn they migrate and all that flower activity ends and the garden becomes very quiet.  The late ones I understand will overwinter in chrysalis state and emerge in the spring.  DD

An Essential Handbook for the Classical Painter

Lessons in Classical Painting by Juliette Aristides is a beautifully designed book targeted for an audience interested in upping their color use and application in mainly the oil medium.  The content definitely is applicable to other mediums but here the topics strictly focuses on oil paint.  

I feel the strongpoint of the book is the beautiful overall design of the book.  Holding the book and reading through it are wonderful quotes by artists and exceptional full page reproductions of artworks to illustrate concepts Aristides demonstrates in the book. As for content, there are four main chapters broken into value pattern, form painting, temperature, and color.  She builds on the idea of understanding value first and then adding dimension through form.  Her chapter on temperature was complete and thought provoking.  I will have to go back through that chapter again and study and practice her lessons she lays out to advance your knowledge of the topic.

I would strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in the art of classical painting to view this book for an insightful and well articulated look at color and its application and for the beautifully designed book which is a delight to have in my art library.

Change in the Weather

  

I am spending the week traveling north to Bemidji,MN where I am going to meet up with my two sisters. Today I am at Cross Lake, MN enjoying a beautiful cool day. The weather got to the low 40s last night and I had to break out a sweater and socks. Did a little watercolor of some foliage from a photo I took at Gull Lake yesterday. There are so many lakes in this area of the world.  I included a photo of my portable watercolor/drawing kit I take along to support my creative habit. 

Traveling Shoes

Chinese Cat from San Diego Museum of Art Asian Art collection

I have been traveling here and there the last few weeks and have not produced much in the way of completed artwork.  However, I have been busy on the creative front.  I would file it under incubation and maybe research and development.  I had the opportunity to go to San Diego for a week and experience beach life along the Pacific Ocean.  Everyday is a perfect day.  I got to visit Balboa Park and the San Diego Museum of Art, which is the region's oldest and largest art museum, hense, cat sculpture.

Next week I will be traveling to Minnesota in the lush of pine trees and lakes, starting in St. Paul and ending up in Bemidji where I will be quilting for the weekend.  Where everyday is the same perfect weather in San Diego, every day will be a mystery of atmosphere and color as I head north.  Autumn is the magic time.  

I signed up for an online sketchbook class from Dionne Swift.  She is a UK fiber artist/teacher.  I have included an interview with textileartist.org, a great website for fiber artists and creative inspiration in general.   http://www.textileartist.org/dionne-swift/  I am looking forward to starting this sketchbook class on the 19th of September and will include some of my processes as I work the problems out in visual form.  

San Diego Museum of Art

 

I had the amazing opportunity to visit my niece in San Diego this past week.  She lives just several blocks from Pacific Beach.  It has been a incredible time.  Today I had the opportunity to go to Balboa Park and visit the San Diego Museum of Art.  I was on a tight schedule due to the fact that we had a 16 month old along and I had one hour to view as much of the museum as possible in that time alone.  

Art museums are a spiritual experience for me.  It is like meeting old friends when I visit my favorite artists and view works I have never seen before.  Today there was an incredible quilt exhibit on loan from Boston.  Tomorrow I return to Iowa and hopefully get a few new paintings completed over the next few weeks.

Update of Work in Progress. Cairns

When I was in Iowa City a few weeks ago I had the privilege of hearing Terry Tempest Williams speak about her new book The Hour of Land at the Prairie Light Bookstore, an independent bookstore in town.  Terry describes the book as a personal topography of America's National Parks.  I have not finished the book yet but it definitely help lead me into this current painting which I believe I have completed.  I plan to do a book review and a more complete connection of the book and my painting at a later time.

Content

Willow  6"x6" acrylic on Masonite

It has been a few days since I have posted a painting. I have been working on a larger work for an art exhibit in October which had taken most of my studio time. I have also had garden produce to deal with. Tomatoes, cucumbers and green beans have occupied much of my free time. 

The kitty above is a 6"x6" acrylic painting.  She is relaxing on a pillow as kitty's do. Her name is Willow and she lives in St. Paul, MN.  

Work in Progress

I included a work in progress today.  The subject matter is from a photograph I took in Grand Marais, MN last June.  I am considering entering this work in an art competition in October.  So I have plenty of time to complete this work and decide if this is something I will enter or not.  It is acrylic on canvas.18"x 24". I am not sure if I am going to stay with local color of the original photograph or start a sequence of layers of colors  So, I am at a point that I need to step back to think about this a little while.  Meanwhile I think I will work on a figure painting.  

Making the Intangible Concrete

 

Charlie acrylic on Masonite  10"x10"

I started a painting I will be entering in a local art exhibition in a month or so.  It took me some time to really think about what it is I wanted to spend time painting.  The canvas is 18"x24" and I have gessoed it with black.  Last night I started sketching on the basic shapes and will complete that this evening.  I have some vague ideas about how I will approach this work but it is like I always told my students, a leap of faith.  You simply start and see where it leads.  It is a journey, as the metaphor goes.  

I included a painting I did of a dog named Charlie.  He is a rescue dog from a friend of mine that works in an animal rescue center in Ankeny, Iowa.  

Drawing the Wild

 While camping over a long weekend I had the opportunity to take several hikes and therefore took many great photos of early August foliage in central Iowa woodlands. I didn't take my paints on this venture but did take my sketchbook and drawing supplies. This includes a small watercolor kit, Prismacolor permanent markers, and pencils. I don't want to make it so complicated that I don't get my supplies out and actually do something.

I found these flowers blooming a brilliant yellow everywhere. In the drawing I was thinking about negative space and developing receding space. I use my phone to take quick pictures as reference for later work. 

I am probably not done with this particular drawing. I need another pencil for darker contrast that I didn't bring. I might add color but that is a decision unmade at this point. 

Book Review Basic Design: the dynamics of visual form by Maurice de Sausmarez

 

Basic design: the Dynamics of Visual Form was originally published in 1964.  I received it as a textbook for art education classes in 1974.  Now I reread it in the year 2016 and here is what I gleaned from it all these years later:

The author was a professor in Leeds, England.  This book was very popular with his philosophy of modern art and the concept of design driving art with subject matter being secondary to the physical nature of the materials used and formal design concepts.  Personal expression, interesting use of materials, using your personal experiences for expressive resources was the main focus of artistic development.  It was a heady concept when I was a student in the 1970s.  

It was worth rereading.  It is a short book of 100 pages with many illustrations.

How will I apply this to my current work?  I think I will be more conscious of my brushstrokes and paint colors.  I am usually thinking about the shape/space composition of the picture plane.  I may be less concerned with the fact if colors "go together" or not.  Trust the gut feeling on that one.

Invasion

 

Stella  8"x8" acrylic on Masonite

I spent last week in Iowa City, IA taking care of my daughter's two cats, Stella and Toki.  I invited my sister from St. Paul, MN along for the ride.  We kept ourselves busy in this fun college town by trying out fun restaurants, shopping on the pedmall, going to a book reading at Prairie Light Bookstore, and sitting in the backyard eating salsa and chips made with fresh picked produce.  We even spent one day on RAGBRAI, a bike ride across Iowa, that was happening south of Iowa City a little ways.

Stella kept to herself during the week due to the fact that I brought Rondo, my dog, along and he would always want Stella to play.  Stella would have none of it.  The painting shows her in one of her more brissley moods.

Carrying On

 

Zoe   acrylic on Masonite,  10"x10"

This is a painting of Zoe.  She is a six month year old puppy, the daughter of Payton who passed away earlier this summer.  I enjoyed painting her with her two colored eyes and frisky temperament.  She is also growing up free on an Iowa farm.  I can envision her sitting on the front porch waiting for someone to come home.  How quickly they grow from a small puppy to a large dog.  

Book Review-The Acrylic Painter by James Van Patten

I found this book extremely helpful.  I have been an acrylic painter for many years but took a hiatus for ten years without producing many completed works.  This book brought me up to speed on new products and new ways to use old products.  It gave me much to think about as to the various approaches to acrylic painting.
I have read many books on this subject but I have to say, something about this book made it better than most.  It was useable, viable information.  Much of it was written for a beginner. However, I found this information a great refresher and thought provoking.  I did go out and buy some new products to try. I would recommend this book to beginners just starting the acrylic painting journey as well as someone who would like a comprehensive look at the overall approach and all the different aspects it takes to complete a painting from start to finish.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James Van Patten is a native of Seattle, Washington, where he graduated from the University of Washington in 1965 with a BA in art education with an emphasis on painting. He completed his MFA in 1968 in Painting with minors in both Art History and Printmaking from Michigan State University. He has taught painting (as well as other studio classes), and lectured in art history at the university level in the ensuing years on both coasts and in the Midwest. Presently, he is a professor of painting at the School of Visual Arts in New York, NY. There he has taught the only course in acrylic techniques offered by SVA for over twenty years. He’s spent bulk of his career in the studio as a practicing artist, working primarily in acrylic paint on large-scale landscape paintings. OK Harris, New York, NY represented him exclusively for over thirty years, and for over a decade the Plus One Gallery of London has shown his work exclusively in England. His work is featured in collections throughout the United States and Europe.

More Info on Purchasing this Book

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review."

Charlie

 

This painting was completed this week while I have been visiting Iowa City cat sitting for my daughter. I had the photo of Charlie from last spring, hense the dandelion.  I think I did a good job making his fir look fluffy.  He is a eight year old Lhasa Apso with a great disposition.  

I plan to paint the two cats in the near future, Stella and Toki.  They were much harder to keep track of than I had originally thought.  Rather sneaky, getting into their food when they weren't suppose to.  There was a learning curve involved with these two.  

Intimately it has been a slow week as far as painting.  However, I finished a book on acrylic painting which I will write a review on soon.  I also made a trip to Dick Blick here in Iowa City to purchase Golden Acrylic Gloss Medium to cover the painting before I put the final varnish on it.  Occasionally I do not put a finish on the surface and let the Matt gesso remain.  Then when it is held to the light it has a shiny, matt quality to it.  Not sure at this point which I like better.  

Rhythm and movement

Single Iris "8"x10"  acrylic on hardboard

I had an opportunity to visit our local county fair this morning.  The temperature was already creeping into the 90 degree range with a heat index close to 100.  Everyone was moving in slow motion but the general attitude of the attendees was that of fun and excitement.
I returned home at noon to a house full of company and an afternoon of visiting friends and relations I rarely see, reminiscing old stories as we remembered them.  We sat and talked as the air conditioner clicked on and off, fans humming, drinking ice tea and enjoying each other's company.  Last night was a full moon, the "Thunder Moon".  My zinnias are coming into full bloom as are the lowly marigolds that line my vegetable garden.   Summer has its own rhythm and movement.

I included in this post an earlier painting of a single iris that was painted in June.  A simple still life.

Trash to Flash....a Transformation

Flash 8"x10"  acrylic on hardboard 6/20/16

This painting is of a dog named Flash.  He lives with my sister and brother-in-law in Minnesota.  He has had a dubious life in his early years and when my sister first got him he was named Trash.  He was a street dog and a vagabond.  His first owner traveled on boxcars and hitchhiked across the United States.  He is now eating regular meals, has a comfortable Minnesota home to live in and loving owners who have changed his name to Flash.  He still has a ragtag look about him, tattered ears and two colored eyes that are disconcerting until you get to know him.  Once you do get to know Flash, you will find that he has the sweetest disposition and is a pleaser.

Roadside Inspiration

Immanuel Lutheran Church  12"x12" acrylic on hardboard

This is a landscape painting of a church in Copperas Cove, Texas.  I was visiting there a couple years ago and knew I would paint this eventually.  There is a large hill directly behind the church grounds where it is possible to get a high vantage point from where I took the photo the painting is based on.  I haven't painted many landscapes so I am not sure if I am finished or not.  I may change the shadow on the roof of the church and play with the trees on the right some.
I do like the depth created in the painting and the road disappearing in the distance.

Summertime...

Payton II Acrylic on hardboard  8"x8"

The weather is reaching 90 degrees this week.  The garden is full of green beans.  We are canning the first batch today of five quarts.  I have been eating fresh garden picked kohlrabi, fresh cucumbers, raspberries, zucchini, and beets. I am anticipating making my first batch of home made ice cream in my little ice cream maker.  Also, we have been going through the seedless watermelons like there is no tomorrow.

Summer festivals are everywhere.  Yesterday I played clarinet in Sigs band in Forest City, Iowa for their annual Puckerbrush parade. Forest City is home to the Winnebago Motorhome annual rally.  Afterwards I played in the Forest City Municipal Band in the city band shelter as the community ate their chicken dinner in the park. It was a perfect day and I couldn't help but get a little emotional as we played our final selection of Stars and Stripes Forever.   I couldn't help but appreciate such an exceptional day, with community hovering around enjoying our music and each other.

My painting I am highlighting today is a second painting of Payton. (see July 14)  I like the abstract negative spaces in red that surround her.  I also like how she fills up the picture frame.

,

Unconditional Love

Howdy 8"x8" acrylic on hardboard

What is it when an animal looks at you with such unconditional love that you have to adore them.  This painting is from a photo that was sent to me by a friend of mine that is a member of my bookclub.  I had to paint it.  The meadow and the flowers with the dog in the center were the deciding factor in selecting this for subject matter, let alone the dogs attentive stare at his owner as she took the photograph.

Defiance

Defiant Turtle  12"x12" acrylic on canvas

Creativity and defiance can go hand in hand.  Taking a stand on something requires courage and the ability to hold your ground when others do not agree with your actions.   Occasionally it takes this mindset to move foreword with ideas and certain breakthrough artworks that might not be mainstream.
The painting, Defiant Turtle, was inspired from a photo I took.  I was going canoeing in a nearby lake and this turtle stood directly in my path.  I ended up painting two versions of this little guy.  I will post the second painting at a later time.  I was definitely on his turf and I was the intruder.

Eulogy for a Lucky Dog

Payton  8"x8" acrylic on hardboard

This painting was completed about a week ago.  Payton is no longer alive.  She died rather suddenly of liver failure, but not before having one litter of puppies.  Payton was 8 years old when she got sick.  Within a few days she was gone.  But during those eight years Payton got to live free on an Iowa farm.  She slept outside in an insulated doghouse on the front porch and kept watch over the landscape.  She was never locked up or tied up. Her owner attended to her and took care of her.  And amazingly this spring she became pregnant for the first time and had a litter of cute little puppies.  One, Zoe, stayed on the farm. So, the loss of Payton is not as sad as it would of been if Zoe wasn't there to carry on.  Payton was in fact, a very lucky dog.

Nine Lives

Stinker 6"x6" Acrylic on Hardboard

Stinker is a cat that lives in the country.  It arrived at it current owners starving and without much hope to live.  But it survived and has thrived.  Now it is a lazy, pampered fatcat. I enjoyed painting this kitty that used up most of its nine lives early on and now can live the life of leisure on a recliner basking in the sun.

Discovery...An Ongoing Adventure

Jazz Fest Lily 6"x6" acrylic on hardboard

For two weeks I have been writing and adding paintings to this blog.  During that time I have been thinking about the direction the blog might take and its purpose.  On the first entry I said my main purpose was "reflection, inspiration, and accountability toward my work in progress".   
I like having a record of my work as I complete the daily paintings.  Some, like todays Jazz Fest Lily did take just one day.  Some works have taken two or more depending on the problems I have had to solve to complete the work.  
So, what have I discovered in the last two weeks?
 • The technical aspects of painting, (loading the brush, combining a limited palette of colors, working with black gesso,) 
•Composition (viewing composition problems before I am too far into the painting to correct them easily)
•Setting up a blog, photographing artwork web ready and original, filing artwork, keeping a system for future reference on a spreadsheet.
•Organizing and prioritizing my life and schedule so that I have time to paint on a daily basis.  I am creating a habit of painting.  
•And finally I am continually viewing my world around me for inspiration.  As I sit here and type I look out directly below my window and I can see a small brown bunny nibbling at something near a hosta plant.  The sun is almost down. No shadows exist.  Not a breeze stirs the air.  If only I had a camera and I was closer I would take a photo ........ 

The painting I included today was done in one sitting.  It is a photograph I took of a daylily that was blooming over the 4th of July at the Iowa City Jazz Festival (therefore the name Jazz Fest Lily).  I like the movement of the leaves as if it is dancing.  

Creativity and Curiosity

Rondo With Attitude Acrylic on Canvas,  16"x20" 

Yesterday I caught a podcast from Public Radio Station from the program On Being.  It was an interview with Elizabeth Gilbert.  Elizabeth Gilbert is the author of Eat, Pray, Love which has now been in print for 10 years.

Elizabeth Gilbert also has her own podcast called Magic Lessons http://www.elizabethgilbert.com/magic-lessons/

Here is a quote from Elizabeth that I really can relate to from an article by Melissa Dahl:

I think discipline is a bit overrated in the creative field, and self-forgiveness is underrated. We all start our projects on day one with passion and excitement, and all of us look at what we did on day two and hate ourselves. The difference with people who return to work on day three and the people who don’t is the people who return to work forgave themselves, knowing you did the best you could with what you had at that moment.  Elizabeth Gilbert

So, I try to keep showing up.  Some days are better than others in the creative front.  Some days more productive, some more technically proficient, some more expressive...yet some days nothing really happens. But, forgiveness, curiosity and persistence makes for a slow progression of improvement.

Today I included a painting of Rondo, my three year old Shih Tzu, Bichon Frise mix.  I tried to use a big brush and few brush strokes letting the black gesso show through as much as possible.  Easier said than done.  Knowing when to stop is critical in this type of painting.

Book Review-The Drawing Lesson by Mark Crilley

If only I had a mentor like the lead character in the graphic novel The Drawing Lesson by Mark Crilley when I was in upper elementary, early middle school.  This book not only demonstrates the importance of mentors in helping kids learn to draw but gives some great fundamental concepts to practice and internalize to become an accurate draftsperson.

The graphic novel format is fun to read and the storyline is engaging between the mentor, Becky, and the young student, David, as they interact and David becomes a more accomplished drawer, gains self confidence and skills.

There are many ways and books to teach drawing.  The graphic novel format is a clever way to reach another audience.  The book is excellent for all ages even though it is mainly effective for a 10-12 year old wishing to learn more about drawing. However, with any skill, reading about the skills necessary to be good at something is not the same as working hard to develop the skills to accomplish them.  But the book definitely leads the reader to the basic drawing techniques necessary to become a good drawer.

By the way, Mark Crilley has many YouTube videos on drawing that are very detailed for those interested in realistic drawing or mastering Manga.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

And the Band Plays On

Arches near Picacho State Park in CA  8"x10" Acrylic on hardboard

Our small town has a annual celebration as all small towns do which includes a parade.  If you are not watching the parade you would be in the parade.  In my case I am in the parade playing the clarinet in a little band that performs marches, polkas and popular music called "Sig's Band".  Live music is on the decline in most parades.  It is difficult to find organized groups to perform let alone pay them for their service.  We work for a minimal fee and lunch.  Our band performs at several of these little town parades throughout the summer.  It is a great gig because everyone is in a good mood.

The painting I did yesterday is of an area that I took a hike to with my cousin in southern California last January, just north of Yuma. I have been interested in doing a landscape and I was wondering how I would solve the problem of the rocks and sandy ground.  The painting is basically monochromatic and I am somewhat satisfied with how it turned out.  It was definitely a moonlike landscape compared with the lushness of greenery and black dirt in Iowa.

Let There Be Light

Tosca  Acrylic Painting, 6"x6"

Due to the resent storm that destroyed our large shade tree in the backyard, today the tree removers came in and little by little took the branches down to where just the six foot trunk currently remains.  I am saddened by the loss of this one tree that has brought so much to me on a daily basis.  Not only did it shade the north deck with lacy shadows but it housed many songbirds and bird feeders.

So, now change is happening.  Light has entered an environment that has been in darkened moistness.  A hummingbird sits on the tip on a fallen branch. Time to adapt to what is now the new normal.

Today I included a painting of Tosca, a cat that came from Portland, Oregon to live in Cedar Falls, Iowa.  Tosca's new caretakers are kitty lovers from way back.

Unpredictable

Coffee Cup Acrylic 3'x2'

Last night we had a huge storm.  It came at 2:30 at night with straight line winds. Trees were twisted and torn, uprooted and tossed about.  In the morning the neighborhood looked like a war zone.  Luckily only minor damage was done to homes in the vicinity.  However, the destruction of the trees caused a sense of loss. Many in the neighborhood I had watch grow and change with the seasons.  Now they were the victim of chainsaws and dump trucks. You never know from one day to the next.  Life is certainly unpredictable.

I did paint today.  The painting I included today was not the result of my days efforts however.  My coffee mug was painted a couple weeks ago when I was just getting my feet wet in painting once more on a daily basis.  It is actually a rather large painting, 3'x2' done with acrylic on black gessoed paper.  It was an exercise used by my instructor, Kat Corrigan, at a workshop I was taking at Grand Marais, MN.

Demolition

Chihuahua What?  6"x6" Acrylic on hardboard

In order to create you have to tear down.

Today I observed the total destruction of the house across from our garden being torn down that has not been occupied for 15 years.  Bulldozers and other unnamed large machines came in and broke it up like a cardboard box and it ended up in a pile of dust. I regret not absconding with some of the perennials that were scattered around the foundation, now lost to the rubble.

Change happens.  The house had created a sort of private wall to our backyard.  Will there be builders on the lot?  Will it sit abandoned and simply a grassy area? Nothing stays static.

This creative path that I am working on has its own sort of demolition.  Old habits need to be redirected in order to make room for creative pursuits.  Time to paint, time to think about painting, and time to collect subject matter to paint.  It shakes up the complacency of life and forces new ideas to come forth.  New directions to emerge.

The painting today is from a photo of a little unnamed Chihuahua that was sent to me by a friend.  I used zinc oxide white instead of the usual titanium white in my color palette.  Zinc oxide is much more transparent than titanium and therefore the white texture. He looks alert at these little dogs usually do.  Nothings seems to get by them.

Solitude

Quieting the mind is essential to creative exploration.  The continual chatter of my "to do" list bounces around my head as I take care of this and that.  When I finally eek out a bit of time to enter my studio and paint I first put on the music, get out my supplies, fill up the water jar, and begin the ritual that slides me into the zone.  It always amazes me how once I start the ritual how lost I can become in the process of painting.  How calming the process becomes to my inner self.  

The painting I am posting today is called Solitude.  It is a 6"x6" acrylic on hardboard of Lake Superior North Shore in northern Minnesota.  The sun is low and the horizon is lost in the distance as water and sky meld together.

Reading for Inspiration

Life has got in the way as I have been trying to sort out the various parts of my new endeavor of painting, buying supplies, getting set up, photographing subject matter, reading, and looking how best to market my work.  I am of the concept that if I do it all at once I will somehow bring it all together in a single mass.
Couple of books that have been helpful lately have been Daily Painting:  Paint Small and Often to Become a More Creative, Productive, and Successful Artist by Carol Marine.  The other book that I have been reading has been The Painter's Keys:  A Seminar with Robert Genn by Robert Genn.  Both have been instrumental in  guiding me forward on this path I am on presently.
The painting I included today was done from a photograph I took in Clear Lake, Iowa on the bike path that goes for about a mile through a prairie.  I call the piece Prairie Life due to all the activity that was surrounding the butterfly and plants as I rode through this area.  this is an 8"x8" acrylic painting on hardwood board.

Commitment to Painting

The date is June 28, 2016.  I finished a class in the amazing Grand Marais Art Colony in Grand Marais, MN last week with Kat Corrigan.  She is an acrylic painter who stresses the daily painting habit and was an excellent teacher out of the Minneapolis area.  She has inspired me to jumpstart my painting interests that I have dabbled in throughout my life but not actually committed to.  I received my art education teaching degree in the late 1970s, my masters in painting in the mid 1990s and retired a couple years ago teaching 35 years of ms/hs art in rural Iowa.

My goal is to use the blog as reflection, inspiration, and accountability toward my work in progress. Let's see where the journey leads.