Mouse and Crabapples

10"x9" watercolor NFS

I am not getting around very well but I was able to get outside with my watercolors and sit and paint this.  I grabbed the little mouse figurine as I was walking out and cut the crabapple from the tree drooping down to the porch.  It has more crabapples this year than ever before.  It felt so good to be outside and it almost always feels good to be painting.  I like the transparency of this one and I really like painting simple subjects.
Below shows the other painting project I did.  I painted my crutches lavender.  It's like doing the glass half full thing.  I am going to add some beads and ribbons next.  It looks like I am going to using them for another long stretch of time, so they might as well act as an accessory. 

Not Just a Pretty Painting

9"x10" Watermedia NFS

Today I have much to say.  Something changed for me.  I am sure it started a long time ago, but the realization just struck me today.  I have been going through a really tough year, physically, with a lot of pain, disappointments and incapacitation.  Although it may have been the biggest physical challenge of my life, and I am still in an unresolved condition, I have been able to stay afloat mentally and even been jolly a lot of the time.  I have attributed this to a number of things including:  having a generally bouyant personality, having inherited my mom's optimism in dealing with life, having a spiritual foundation, having a good family, lots of friends and many reasons to be happy.  None of these things really can be attributed to anything I "do."  It is dumb luck for the most part.  But today, I saw a pattern that has been growing in my life and it has everything to do with daily painting.  For the last 5 years I have attempted to have a daily painting habit.  There have been stretches of time when I didn't do that for very legitimate reasons, but mostly I have developed this habit.  All kinds of things can be said about that, but what I realized today, is that the most important part is that every day I look for things that excite my eye or create a feeling of joy and love in my heart/mind.  I have, through the daily painting process, developed the desire to find beauty no matter what else is going on.  So for me, it isn't really about my art career, or the product I produce, but it is about how I live my life, what I see and feel moment to moment despite the circumstances.  This is what has saved me this year.  This is what is inside me and what I have to say through my art.  It isn't going to be "dark" or probably "deep," but it will reflect what joy I am finding in my daily life.

This painting was a huge struggle for me and I think it was a metaphor for what I have been experiencing. It was a conflict alternating between beating it to death and trying to breathe life into it.  I worked it, reworked it, tried again, and then did some more.  So, at least for me, it's "Not Just a Pretty Painting," but a map of a battle and in it are a lot of lessons for me.  It probably won't ever get framed and hang on someone's wall to bring them a reminder of beauty and joy, but I will keep it to remind myself of this amazing and cathartic day in the life of this daily painter.
This is as profound as I get.

Thank You

8"x8" oil  NFS

This painting is different than my other work in a couple of ways.  To start off with, it is a concept painting.  I thought of an idea I wanted to illustrate and planned it out.  Then I did a very detailed drawing on the gessoed panel, as much work as if it was a finished product.  Then I painted it, using soft scumbled areas on the left, over the names of women who have helped me over the last 8 months as I have recuperated from surgery.  I like the idea of a child praying, as it represents such innocent belief and hope.  I am not selling it, but am doing another project with it.  I have always liked using text in painting as it adds an interesting pattern and another layer of meaning, but I seldom do this.  I am really happy with how this turned out.

Tonal Jazz

5"x7" oil

This painting is the third in a group I have done.  I have decided to give away all three this month!  I will be posting a contest the next couple of days, so if you like abstracts, then keep an eye on this.  All three paintings were the result of color studies.  This one is actually a study in mixing grays and each gray on this piece is made from a different mixture of colors, not including any color of black or gray.  I really enjoyed doing these and may continue with this abstract trend.

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The Bird Tree 5"x6" oil

This is clearly another value study and I will be adding a bit of color to it in a few days.  I want to be really stingy on the color for this one because I like the graphic effect of the black and white, but I want to give more sky and highlight the bird and squirrel, which has a really large head that I didn't see until I posted it here.  I promised myself I would look at all my photos carefully before posting them but I seem to have forgotten that promise!  On another note I taught a painting class at the Chaffee Art Center last night and it was a lot of fun with an enthusiastic group.NFS yet

When We Met 2"x6" acrylic

My husband and I met on Valentine's Day and that is when we started dating.  I did this little painting as part of another project as a gift for him.  We are a case of opposites attract and it has worked out well for us.  We are really good friends and really enjoy some favorite activities.  So now we are headed off to ski because he took the day off as a surprise Valentine's gift for me .  Hope you have a good day too.

Canoe Presents 6"x6" mixed media

This abstract is one I made for myself.  I like the round shapes of artist Mareva Millarc who is an accomplished abstract artist and generally great person.  She is married to Peter Huntoon who is a successful watercolorist who has a unique style. They are two of my favorite Vermont artists.  I wanted to give a nod to Mareva for her inspiration so I looked up her name and in Tahitian it means, "canoes bringing presents from island to island."  This is interesting but too long, so I shortened it to "Canoe Presents." Mareva is not Tahitian, so her name I suppose is a French combination of Marie and Eva which is lovely.
NFS

Home On Leave 4"x4" oil

Story:  She has been anxiously awaiting the week, then the day, then the moment when his plane would arrive.  While he is stationed overseas, their marriage is based on short visits.  When they embrace, they both just want to hang on forever.
This is day two in the challenge and I chose a different subject (figurative, rather than landscape, emotional rather than aesthetic) and different format...much smaller 4"x4."  It is not for sale as I am going to gift it to the bride, who has been such a good friend to my "other daughter."