Hi followers! Just an update, this blog is moving to www.bloggingthesketch.wordpress.com
Follow me there! :-)
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Hi followers! Just an update, this blog is moving to www.bloggingthesketch.wordpress.com Follow me there! :-)
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I've been paint, paint, painting! This is the painting I've been working on. I'm actually much further than this now, and if you follow me on twitter, you've probably seen this. But I don't want to spoil the final piece so this is the last sneak peek I'm posting. :-) I've also been working on the series artist statement. This part of the process is always difficult for me. I do like artist statements, I'm not one who says, "What's the point, shouldn't my work say it all?" No, I like that my work gets a partner in presentation. Something that reassures the viewer they aren't totally off base. But, that doesn't change the fact that my perfectionist brain spins out of control when I'm trying to find the exact words my work needs to dance with. Not too much, not too little, clear, but not empty. Sigh. It's a little nerve wracking, making sure it compliments the work and not distracts from it. Right? Am I right people? Who else starts spinning here? Also.. Guess what I found? My first slides from my body of work produced in high school. Can I get an Awweeee? Lol. :-) PS.. If you are interested in commissioning a piece, email me! [email protected] I walked into the hallway today to see my 18 month old coloring on the wall. Nothing too shocking there right. But then upon further inspection I saw written in legible handwriting her name... Now there's only one kid in my house that can write, and that's my seven year old daughter. At first I thought, what the heck? Why would she abuse her privileges with art supplies like that? She knows better. But then I couldn't get too mad, being an artist and all, I think about drawing on the walls constantly. Lol. I've planned out a wall mural for every room in my house. So, I can see the appeal there. :-) Still, I couldn't just let my 7 year old think it was cool to color on the walls, she gave the pencil to my toddler and let her go crazy remember. So I asked her to go to her room and write me a letter about why she did it and what consequences there were. At first she cried about how she didn't know why she did it.. So imagine my surprise when she had finally finished she totally had what I thought was an acceptable excuse! She had measured Ava's head against the wall, she had seen moms do it on cartoons, and she wanted to see how tall Ava would grow. Awwwwwweeeeee. It was actually kind of sweet. So we had a reminder talk about not coloring on the walls. Then I let her put up a "How Tall am I?" chart with some of our drawing paper. So, the moral of the story is, if your kid colors on the wall, don't forget to ask why, you might be pleasantly surprised. :-) Seriously, the number one question I get, from literally everybody, when I tell them I'm an artist is, "How do you have time for that?" I understand, I have three LITTLE kids, so I appreciate that people recognize that in itself is a lot of work. And I'm not going to act like time to paint just appears. Like I have down time and just fill it with painting. Lol. Nope. If you're like me, you have kids, but also want to be a working artist, here's some tips- 1) You have to MAKE the time, you can't wait for it, you have to create it. Most likely, they want to do what you want to do, so preperation is key. Get their paints out, get their water, towels, and brushes, but most importantly... Their space! Don't let those little reckless paintbrushes anywhere near your masterpiece. :-) 2.) Expect a mess. That's why I let them use watercolors. (Speaking of, did you see those awesome watercolors they're using. Those big thick circle blocks of watercolor are the BEST! You can clean them so easily by adding a little water on top, and lovely again.) Don't get any dilusions about their work making it out successfully if this is something you're letting them do while YOU'RE painting. If something worth keeping comes out of it, you're lucky. But if you're worried about their work you won't be focused on yours. And this is a GOOD thing. Kids love that space to let their creativity grow, where you aren't micromanaging their artwork. Telling them things like, erasers don't work on watercolors, or the water is supposed to stay in the cup... Nonsense, let it go. :-) (I'm not suggesting you leave them unsupervised however, I'm assuming you're in the room. :-)) 3. Take a break to praise what they're doing, when they take a break to come look at yours. Eventually, little wondering eyes will want to come peak at your work, so let them see, and then guide them back to their work by asking to see what they've done... And give them praise!! I can't say that enough!! Kids live to impress you, so for goodness sake, be impressed if you ever want them to pick up a paintbrush again. 4. Know when it's time to take a real break. Don't forget to feed your kids, paint is not safe in the hands of a hungry kid. Lol. On a more serious note, please be aware of your materials if you are a parent whose studio is in the home. Some paints and paint thinners are toxic, which may seem like common knowledge to some people, but it's not to everyone. I use acrylics. Know what you are working with and the risks involved. Keep those babies safe! :-) I am very (and by very I mean totally enthusiastically) pleased to announce during the month of April 2014 my new series will be showing as a solo exhibition at Broadway Market on Capitol Hill in Seattle. http://www.shopbroadwaymarket.com/info/gallery Broadway Market also participates in the Blitz! Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce Art Walk So join in all the fun on the second Thursday of the month! :-) I am so excited! :-) If you would like to purchase a piece from the show, you can contact me directly, [email protected]. All purchased pieces will be shipped or delivered after the show ends in May. I will also be making prints available at a later date. Yay!! Come see my work at Broadway Market! :-) So... I have to confess. I'm a bit mad in my obsession with perfection in my paintings. Something you might not have guessed based on my sketching. :-) That' s one of the great things about sketching! You can let go of the obsessive pursuit of perfection, because it's about getting the idea out, or the creative juices flowing, or sometimes it's just about practice! But it's never a final work of art... So it's ok to let go of the need to perfect. For me, a sketch is like stretching. It loosens all those creative muscles. It puts me in that place in my mind where details rule the roost. And I see them and work with them, but I don't obsess, not like when I paint. When I paint, that's the real workout. In a sketch I can get through the entire piece in a few hours, on a painting a few hours shows improvement to me, but to, say my husband, it looks like I've made little progress. Why? Because I've been working out my friend! Tortuously zoned in on details and brush strokes no sane person will ever see. But details make the masterpiece I say. See that paintbrush above? That's my main baby at the moment. We get stuff done, it's just done slowly. But we make beautiful details don't we?! Here's my current state of progress- This isn't the whole image by the way. :-) I'm still working! :-) And remember, I'm an artist for hire so if you find yourself in need, get a giant bright light, cut out the symbol of a paintbrush in cardboard. Tape the cardboard to the light. And then flash it into the sky. :-) Or email. :-) This was the first painting in my current series. I love his little boots and the dark tones of the painting imitating the the darkness of January here in Seattle. When the sun rises late and sets too early and is hidden by thick gray rain clouds all day. Every house is dark and every little boy wears rain boots. :-) So I guess you are wondering what my "real" work looks like. :-) My paintings I love with a passion and consider, "my work" right now, are black and white acrylic paintings done in a photorealist style. I used to be a black and white photographer. Yes, 35mm film, printing with an enlarger, burning and dodging. I'll always have a passion for that and that passion that burns deep down in my soul inspires my paintings today. I use digital images I take myself, and then paint as if I'm in a darkroom again. Meticulously studying every detail, until I reach perfection in contrast, clarity, and subject matter. Sigh. I'm in love with the process of Art. Real love. Like my heart swoons. :-) Oh- the above painting is "Little Tapper" Black and White Acrylics on Canvas 9x12. My sketch from last night and this morning. I love to sketch in this way because it keeps me feeling young and creative. I can finish it in less than 24 hours, compared to my photorealism work which takes me months. This kind of work comes from a different place, a place of inner reflection, it's whimsical and free. Not to mention it has color. :-) I enjoy color in my sketchbook when I'm so focused on my passion for black and white on the canvas. |