Another side

In July I will be showing at the Perkins Center for the Arts in Collingswood, NJ, a show for emerging artists, and in September I will be showing at the RRCA as a Center Member artist. I've limited my shows for this year. Maybe during Christmas I will also include some work in the RRCA's Artful Giving.

I will be introducing my computer art, what I've labeled as my "elaborations". They are computer enhanced photographs. I fiddle around at night on the computer, distorting photos. I have a little black book where I note each change, each progression, as I'd never remember how I achieved an effect, from beginning to last elaboration, morphing of an image. There are quite a few series of this type of work. It interests me greatly, it is fascinating what the computer is capable of.

Busy week. I finished my inventory (quite large) and yesterday I made my first trip to the river with the new easel, turned out two pochades. Bright and breezy painting as was the day. Next Saturday the local artists will gather on the Glasstown Plaza to paint, draw, from 10 to 2. We are replacing the farmers market this year. The easel will come in handy then too.

Quite a difference between the computer art and the pochades, study, study, study......

Sketching

Short post this morning, long day ahead. Two days ago I was hired to work Sundays at the RRCA, I start the 7th. Today I have some training. Then, there is a picnic for the local artists and musicians. Should be fun. Happy Holiday!

I threw my back out last Sunday doing power yoga, and I was in and out of bed rest all week. Very frustrating with having a new french easel that you have to carry. It's getting better slowly. Yesterday afternoon I was in some pain during a life drawing session at Artist Consortium, but that was my own fault as I lifted weights in the morning. I'm stubborn and pushed my body as I was feeling fine.....paid later.

I have two working sketchbooks, one landscape, one figure. Friday night I went to the local coffee shop and sketched one of our local artists/musician, turned out a nice likeness. I go out with my sketchbook from time to time and sketch the nightlife, and I needed to do something creative after being laid up all week. Yesterday they had a live model at the Consortium, it's a five dollar tip for two hours of drawing. The model was excellent, knew his poses, with staff and Pilate's ball this session. Quite interesting. As I was trained, it's important to study the figure, so I still try to do so. Still passionate about drawing.

I hope to get out there next week with the new easel. Have most supplies, even bug spray:).......

New Toy!

On my way to swim in a minute. I threw my back out again over the weekend during the weekend, but I don't want to quit exercising, so I'll swim. It's good for the soul too.

My french easel was delivered yesterday, ordered online, on sale. Bought a half box with the recommendation of one of our finest plein air painters. Everyone else said "FULL" but I really wanted a half box because of the weight. I love it.

One of the legs wouldn't tighten properly, and I was sorely disappointed. Costs to send back. So I went down to Howel's Hardware, local, this morning, and they fitted it with a new washer and bolt, wala! and didn't charge me a cent! Just said- Go out and paint! Wow. They took the time to check out the problem and fix it free. Wouldn't have received that treatment at Home Depot, I guess. Sometimes I just love this town.....

I'm excited. I'm also nervous. Painting in public. I'll be wearing headphones I'm sure unless I want to listen to the wind, but still. Am I ready for this?..........

This Morning

I had enough paint on my palette leftover from the last painting to maybe knock out two little 5x7's- I opted to try an 8x10 masonite board. I've never painted on masonite before. I also tried a new approach to under painting summer foliage I read about- red, or alizron instead of the prussian blue I usually use. It was a little difficult at first, the paint didn't seem to want to "obey" at first, but then I got lost in the process of the paint application. The painting seemed to just grow and move. Looser than I have ever painted, which is what I am reaching for. I've looked at it this evening, it doesn't seem quite finished, but at one point this morning I sat back and thought- there, that's it, not another touch, and set it aside to dry. I won't touch it again, I want to study my spontaneity.

The little ones are much freer than the 16x20's. I want to bring that freedom to the larger canvases.

I have walked by the river most morning's for the past week, just breathing and living the presence of the river. Inhaling........

This afternoon I window shopped for french easels. I'm waiting for the president's generous stimulus, which I didn't receive last time.

My contribution to the economy............:)

I'm setting aside a week to do some important paperwork, which includes an inventory of work I'm half way through, then I'll return to the easel.

Youth Art Auction

Two short blogs tonight, after a healthy strenuous work out at the gym. Listening to Baroque. Saturday was the RRCA's Youth Art Auction. Today I kicked out a little 8x10. Busy.

The Youth Art Auction was the brainstorm of our new director Amy Sullivan. We all volunteered for the event, it was a lot of fun. Once again, children are so inspiring. The local youth was given the opportunity to enter work in a silent auction from 10 to 12. During the viewing of the work for sale we also had face painting, keyboard, raffle. I was upstairs in the classroom with our new intern with a plethora of supplies for the children and parents to create whatever their heart's desired. It was hot and sunny, beautiful, and the place abuzz with activity. I bid on a stunning piece by a six year old- "Woman and Volcano" that blew me away- but the artist's grandmother, then framer, outbid me. I was grateful to participate- they thank me all the time for my work as a volunteer- I don't know if they realize how much I get in return. To see children so alive with the joy of art and creation, and encouraged, it fills my soul.......

The RRCA didn't quite reach it's fundraising goal for the ACE program, but this is the first Youth Auction. The participating children all received certificates from the Center, and their faces were glowing with pride. Worthwhile event. :)

Riverwalk IX

Rain for a week was awful dreary after awhile. But the mornings it broke I would walk down to the river (and to Wawa for a vanilla cappuccino) and contemplate the river. The tide was high, and higher yet with the rain. If the sky had cleared the river reflected blue, so blue, and the endless pattern of the trees that bend down to dance. The trees along the river are alive to me- personable- figurative- alive with movement, twisting and turning. The fishermen are out, I think they may think I'm a little nutty as I just stand there and stare in awe at nature. It's the same old river to them, same old herring, stripers, water to lazily pass the time. I remarked this morning to one that "the river is so pretty" and he looked at me as if to say yea, yea and let me pass without a word, just a strange glance. I noticed one morning how STILL the water was on one side of the bridge- sheltered by tree banks, and swarmed with ripples on the other- open air stirring the water. In just a few feet. Everything is all right when I walk this path, everything clears, and I am at peace. This week I have fallen in love again with this spectacle just two blocks down the street.

Today was sunny. Last night I blissfully slept with a window open. After morning chores I set myself to the task of finishing Riverwalk IX. I thought it would take two days. But I finished quickly, and joyfully. I love what I see, observe, and painted without hesitation.

I showed the image to a friend when finished and he remarked I caught the scene accurately while being there. Not the first time I have received this comment. "Photographs" I said, I don't have my french easel yet. "Well, you captured it"........ I love the compliments as I love the river, it means something to me that at least people are seeing that, so I may think. That there is a passion for what I see.

I read once you must be familiar with your subject. I have walked, pondered, sketched, photographed, pondered again, stared in trance, sat in silence, trudged in snow, touched spring dogwood, breathed, breathed, breathed..........I don't want to stop painting this.

I have paint left. Enough for two little ones. In two days, tomorrow I teach. Sigh.........

"Merry- Go- Round"

Tomorrow morning I teach. We will be doing still life in pastel as the exhibition in the RRCA Main gallery is about food. I set up large tables this morning with centerpieces of fruit, flasks, flowers- we will do charcoal drawing studies first, for form and shading, then move on to color. After tomorrow I have about two weeks I can devote entirely to painting, and I don't know when I will blog again. I might get lost in paint.

I took a different tack last night and today, as I was getting a bit miserable with district politics. I decided to soak up the atmosphere of the town on this lovely spring day and hope to carry the enthusiasm to my students tomorrow morning. I usually stay home and study books for class. Friday night I gallery sat again- so I missed much of Third Friday socializing with other artists. Saturday day I tried to paint but I really had no energy, slightly wiped out from the night before. I always feel disjointed the Saturday after Third Friday, I don't think I'm alone in this. But I made a chat call to a musician friend who supports my work- and my clarinet studies; was very much energized by the conversation and felt much better. Hit the gym to find they had new rowing machines and I "played" for half and hour, new fun! Restored, I went to the local coffee shop and found a pocketbook encyclopedia on the Impressionist with 180 photos- WONDERFUL! and my enthusiasm for living here returned. And I thought I'd seek inspiration from my surroundings for teaching class Monday.

So today I made the rounds of the district galleries as I used to do on Third Friday nights. Just lovely. Met with Glenn Rudderow who had an exhibition of new etchings, and an inspiring video. Later I went to poetry, another rarity when I teach. This morning before set up at the RRCA, I sat outside with artists and musicians playing on the streets in the sunshine, just enjoying ourselves and each other in a rare down moment, grouped in iron benches by the shops.

I sat for a time with another artist friend, Verna, a pastel artist with her own gallery business. She shows quite often, and sells frequently. I've gleaned some business ideas from her, such as obtaining my promo materials printer and soon to be website provider.- I showed 13 times last year and burned out. Now I am painting for the sake of painting. She informed me today that SHE has told everyone she has stepped off the "merry-go-round", of shows, sales, preparation, other's favored painting subjects- to create and paint what SHE wants to. So we had a very enjoyable discussion. Ah, a kindred spirit. And another near soul I may discuss the creative process with. We'll both return to selling and showing, sometime. But not right now.

Sigh, until, and enthused:) Lucky for my students, huh? Luck for me too.