Painting in Progress

I've been working on this painting for the last couple of days. I wanted to work with whites, yellow whites, pink whites and blue whites.

This painting is in a state of  'middleness' - a time of judging and editing.  Should the flower that is falling off the left side of the canvas go away?  how much darker can I make the background? should I use a cloudy white glaze on the table? which white will be the best for the bright white highlight needed on the vase? 

The process of paintings, like all creative endeavors, is an inverted arc.  At the start, the image is clear in my mind, my goals straightforward and exciting.  In the middle the image has become confusing, my goals unclear and it is a struggle to finish.  

Another point of view is helpful, a postive response is even better - so with a very wet painting in hand I walk out to Charles' studio and get both, plus some constructive critism.  

I'll let the paint dry a bit, incorporate his suggestions and finish this painting, hopefully arriving at the end of the creative arc pleased with what I have done.  

Meanwhile I've begun a new yellow house painting.  

Pears, Pears, Pears........

An explanation of  why my avatar is a group of pears. 

I worked with clay, made  jewelry, created quilts and other needlework, before  I was inspired by a package from my mother. She sent me nine tubes of watercolor paints and a note, ' Give it a try.' 

I bought watercolor paper, a few brushes and a number of books and began to paint.  A pear seemed like a good subject - its form is recognizable even if not expertly rendered.  An apple might be mistaken for a tomato or pepper but pears are pears.  One pear led to another.  I enjoyed the challenge of painting a pear that transitioned from red to green with pink, orange and yellow in between.

Big, small, lumpy, round, elongated, red, green, maroon, without noticing, for nearly a year I painted only pears.

Now I paint with both oil and watercolor and create all sorts of paintings, but if I'm stuck, stumped by a blank piece of paper or an empty canvas, often a pear or group of pears appear.

This is the painting for the first in my series of fruit note cards.

 To purchase note cards  ***click here***

To Market, To Market

Creating a painting is only one part of being an artist.  Getting painting out into the world is another.. With that in mind I have decided to submit three  paintings for consideration to Studio Place Arts in Barre, Vermont for their upcoming 12 x 12 (inches) show that will run from June 16 through July 25.

These flowers were painted at the Vermont Studio Center during my January residency. 

The Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, Vermont is a place like no other,  an artists' colony where visual artist and writers  work, recharge their creative battery, and live in community. 

While there,  I began to work with soft pastels, created small sculptures with found material, (including the beetle I posted earlier, worked on a series of oil paintings, including this one, painted with a very dark pallet, ate incredible meals, had wonderful conversations with many residents and returned home energized, inspired and rested. 

 

Start a Poster

I am designing the logo for Bookstock: The Green Mountain Festival of Words.  A collaboration of the Norman Williams Library, The Historical Society, Pentangle, The North Universalist Chapel Society, The Thompson Center, and other community organizations in Woodstock, Vermont. There will be upwards of fifteen literary events, in a number of venues in the village of Woodstock, during the first weekend in August. 

My process began with a search for images of books, mountains and valleys.  I looked at clip art and played with text.  Unsatisfied by what I found, I turned to digital images of my oil paintings and was inspired by the  landscape of a valley in France posted above. Now its time to turn to my computer and Photoshop.  

I'll post the final image, at least final for the moment, when I'm satisfied.