Figuratively Speaking - Serena in Gold Shawl

12"x16" oil Price $480

I am tall.  When I was young and healthy and relatively cute, some people would say to me, "you should be a model."  No one ever said, "You should be a jockey.  You should be a gymnast.  or You should be a airline stewardess."  I am so glad I didn't attempt to be a model.  I am sure I would not be where I am today if I had and I really like where I am at today.  No one ever told me I should be a doctor or lawyer or dentist or airplane pilot either.  Honestly, all I ever really wanted to be was an artist.  I wish I had been mature enough and believed in myself enough to have pushed to go to art school and to have been driven enough to succeed.  Problem is, I wasn't.  So if I had gone, I probably would have blown it.  I needed to go through all the trials and made all those stupid mistakes to have learned how to appreciate the opportunities I was given.  I definitely learned from the school of hard knocks.  I wasted a lot of wonderful opportunities and got derailed by my bad choices, but somehow it all worked out. I learned to work hard and be frugal as a young adult by living on "The Farm," an alternative farming community. Later I became a teacher so that, as a single mom, I could see my kids during the day.  Being a teacher was certainly an opportunity to fly by the seat of my pants, but I did learn to be disciplined and efficient.  I learned to identify the objective and find different ways of communicating it.  I ended up being a fairly decent teacher and I learned to love much about the job. Honestly my chance to be an artist came when I married a very stable, honest, man with integrity who played by the rules and had a good  and stable job (pretty much the opposite of me).  It also really helped my parenting.  So when anyone asks me how long it takes to do a painting, I can answer them honestly and say it took a lifetime.  Go Figure!

8"x10" watercolor price $50

Yellow and Purple don't really suit me I think.  This portrait has a very vague resemblance to me, like it could be an unknown sister or fraternal twin.  I did it as a study in complementary colors.  That means that they combine to enhance the qualities of each other (thank you Webster).  They also combine to create interesting neutrals.  Originally I only used those 2 colors and white, but later I added a touch of red to the skin tones.  On the other hand, complimentary (with an "i" not an "e") refers to praise or giving something free of charge.  I know people who are very complimentary, but not very authentic.  I know people who give free of charge, like advice or their opinion, or even criticism, and it just isn't nice or helpful.  So, instead of being a complimentary person, I think I will stick with complementary and enhance the qualities of another.  Next time I do a complementary selfie though, I will try it with Christmas colors, green and red, or maybe orange and blue...to see which pair complements me the most!  Go Figure!

Figuratively Speaking - Julia

6"x6" oil

Julia is such a feminine name.  This is Julia Foster Ward painted by Jules-Joseph Lefebvre in the late 1800's.  Poor Julia lived a short life, dying when she was only 19.  The morning glories in her hair may symbolize her short existence as this painting was probably done after her passing.  Since morning glories mostly bloom in early morning and have a short existence, they would be an appropriate choice.  There are over 1,000 varieties of morning glories and they have been used for a variety of purposes from laxative use to vulcanizing rubber and also for creating hallucinogenic  effects.  This gallery viewer, who happens to be my sister, struck the same pose as poor Julia.  Lucky for me, my little sister is approaching 6 decades of life.  In those years she has raised 7 beautiful and talented children and now that she has time, she swims 1-2 miles a day.  She is proud of her age and what she has accomplished and, I am lucky to have her as my sister.  There is enough distance in our ages that we didn't really have much of a rivalry in our youth.  I always thought she was adorable and talented...I am sure she thought I was a fantastic big sister with a driver's license.....go figure!

Figuratively Speaking - Meditation and Boredom

Meditation is a good thing.  I heard someone say recently that if you can't meditate for 20 minutes then you need to meditate for an hour.  I know people who say they can't meditate or do quiet exercises like yoga because their minds are going too fast.  They say it like it is a badge of honor, like having a mind speeding out of control is a positive thing.  We are all made a bit differently so what do I know?  I cut my finger kind of seriously and can't get in the pool until it heals so instead I have been walking on the treadmill.  Now I know the painful boredom of repetitious walking without going anywhere.  Some people love it, I guess because of the endorphins released when they start to sweat, or something along those lines.  I tried listening to music, watching a video, reading, but honestly, it was still a really mind numbing exercise for me.  I couldn't get into the "now" of it.  I just wanted to escape.  I do like yoga, meditation and quietly painting in my studio.  I can sit by the creek and write or just inhale the visual beauty around me, and I know the elegance of being really present.  However, the treadmill (aptly named) is my undoing.  How can I feel critical or superior about someone saying they can't slow their mind down, or don't even want to, when I am overcome with the nothingness of the treadmill?  Opportunities for humility are to be found everywhere!  Go figure....

Figuratively Speaking - Sisters

6"x6" oil  SOLD

The thing about sisters.....where do I begin?  I am blessed with 4 sisters and several more almost sisters.  They each are unique, individualistic, self assured, talented and opinionated.  I am second in line, got hand me downs (which I never minded) was the most rebellious, and was always in awe of one of my other sisters.  My older sister, is one of the most generous and giving of women I know.  She is also hard headed, creative, imaginative, evasive and stronger than she realizes.  She has always loved books and reading which is amazing because I remember my father teaching her how to read and it was a painful process.  It was so painful, I decided I would learn on my own!  The same thing happened when we started to drive.  There were times when we just butted heads, and she knew, better than anyone,  how to get me to cry. But,  there have been more times where we have been best of friends.  All of my sisters are creative and beautiful.  Linda paints and knits.  Barb sews and gardens and raised 7 kids.  Sharon makes beautiful handmade cards and never forgets an event, anniversary, birthday or holiday.  Patty could be anything she set her mind to.  She is a natural at interior decorating and fashion (neither of which I know anything about).  Then there is Mary who is smart and so, so funny and Brenda who is sweet, smart, organized and full of surprises.  I don't think any of them read my blog, but I love them all and am OK saying it to my little world of which you are included.  Let me know who is special to you.

Little Elf and the Magic Egg

8"x10" oil $200

Everything seems topsy turvy.  I am in the process of redefining myself as an artist.  There are a lot of invisible things happening that are filed under "the learning curve" folder.  In a short while I will be revamping my blog, my website and all those social media sites I am afraid to go to.  I have been wanting to take my painting in slightly a different direction, and this one kind of reflects that.  Hopefully I will be able to unveil the new direction of my art business as well.  So, figuratively speaking, I am putting on a new dress and dancing to a new drummer!  What is new in your life?

Wedding Portrait

8"x10" oil SOLD

There is a shadow on the top of this because I photographed it on the easel.  It is a commissioned portrait for a newly married couple.  I think they are adorable.

Sloany Bolognie

8"x10" oil  SOLD

Sloan, dressed for her recital,  caught her first glimpse of herself in a mirror.  This was a fun painting to do, especially the tutu.  I hope I was able to capture her surprise and amazement at herself, and I hope she never forgets that feeling that she is special.

I Can Fly

6"x6" oil SOLD

I love the expression on this cutie's face.  It was a really fun painting to do and I loved the abstract aspects of it, especially the rhythms and patterns, the dashes and drops of color.  I have been attempting to paint with less saturated colors and this one fits that bill.  It is not that I don't love the beautiful strong colors, it is just that I think I need to explore other options including those that don't come easy for me.

Woof!

6"x6" oil

Carol Browne another artist, posted a photo of her dog with the request that others interpret it in their style.  I thought he was so cute, so I  jumped on the band wagon and whipped this out.  The second image is the first layer of paint I put down, just to give you an idea of how I start a painting

Eban

6"x6" oil commission Sold

 I did this portrait using the technique I learned in the Dream Love Paint workshop, starting with a layer of transparents (see below) and then building up with opaques. 

First Ride

8"x10" oil

I thought I would post the first stage of the painting with transparent paints and the finished product.  I wanted to capture that happy moment of wobbly success.

Lilly

6"x6" oil SOLD

This was a commission and I am happy with the results.  I feel like I got a good likeness, movement and appropriate values.  It is a bit difficult to do small figures on a 6"x6" panel and keep them looking fresh and not fussy, so I considered this a success.  There are things I can do to set the mood for painting, which can be very helpful in creating an atmosphere conducive to happy painting.  When I do those things (music, lighting, scents, and careful planning) I feel more confident about my beginnings, but it isn't always the entire recipe for a confident and clean painting.  Sometimes I just can't get it right!  I usually work at it until I feel like it is resolved enough to call done, but they are never my favorites because I lose some clarity of color in the process, and color is what excites me the most.

Mia Loves Maizie

This is a watercolor sketch for an illustration for a children's book.

My art group went to Peter Huntoon's studio today for a demo.  It was so much fun to see how he loosely begins his work and turns a scene which may not be particularly exciting into an athletic and stunning work of art.  Peter has recently added oil painting to his repertoire of watermedia and he approaches it very similarly as he would a watercolor painting, with lots of drips and splashes and interesting tools.  He is one of the quintessential Vermont painters.

Portrait Study

I want to do a bunch of portraits for practice so I decided to try this one in watercolor.  I was trying to get the correct look of the sitter, but I at some point, I just wanted to get a decent painting, so it isn't very 'exact' but it is close.  Sometimes I just can't figure out what it is I need to do to make it right.  Other times, just a tiny change makes all the difference.

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.

Naia

6"x6" oil

I couldn't help but smile the whole time I was painting beautiful Naia.

Do You Hear What I Hear?

6"x6"  oil

I love the pose on this one.  Babies and old folks (like me) know nature's way of amplifying the audio mysteries of the world...just scoop your ear into a better sound catcher!

Listening

11"x11" oil

My niece lives and works in Antarctica.  Although I am fairly sure she was just goofing when this photo was taken, I think it expresses a lot about her and about life in general.  There are those moments when we are in the frozen tundra of existence and we are seeking that voice to guide us.  Rebekah's life is certainly driven by that desire.  She is also a very brave woman who wants to see it all and experience it all!

Little Pumpkin

5"x7" acrylic SOLD

Coming out of the fog of 4 days without electricity, internet or telephones.  It is really beautiful here..kind of like a magical winter wonderland, but there is a harsh side to the reality.  One that requires preparation...a generator, woodstove, lanterns and down comforters.  Once those things are taken care of, our attitudes can switch from "what we don't have" to "what an amazing place this is!"