Frozen Waterfall

Frozen Waterfall, acrylic, 12x16, 2011

Here's a valid metaphor for my artistic life right now.  Hopefully spring is on it's way.  I did not get a chance to finish the driving painting because school needed my time today.  I did get a few things knocked off the to-do list, but a few more were added, so on we go.  I was glad I went to the events my colleagues had worked so hard to plan and execute.  I enjoyed talking to the students about their science fair projects, and seeing students at the book fair.  So I actually do like my job, I just wish I could do it in 40 hours per week or less.

I did not post this painting when I first painted it because of technical difficulties, and then I did not post it because something about it really bugs me.  Something in the basic composition.  If anyone wants to give suggestions, I'm open.  No ego to bruise here.

Grandma Valerie

Not out of the Woods Yet, pastel, 22x28, 2000

Here is a drawing of Grandma Valerie who passed away recently, and her husband Arne, who passed away in 1999.  In the photo I used as a reference, they are seated at a long folding table at their grandaughter's wedding, watching the bride and groom dance.  There really was a styrofoam coffee cup sitting on the table, of course the trees are my invention.  They were married 67 years, I believe.

The pastor who did the service was new to the church, so he never met Valerie or Arne, but he asked some of the longtime members about them and did a really nice job talking about memories different people had of them.  Bill and his sister did a nice job too in talking about their Grandma.

I drove 400 miles yesterday, so now would be a good time to try to finish that painting I posted the other day.

Work in Progress

Traveling, acrylic and oil stick, 16x20, 2011

This is an unfinished drawing/painting that is in my studio space right now.  I will be traveling to Hibbing for a funeral soon.  There have been times in my life when I spend an extreme amount of time in a car, I think that is what this one is all about.  I'm not sure how to resolve the composition issues here, perhaps I will get some inspiration on this next road trip.

Seattle trip

brown purse doodle, ink, 6x9, 2011

One of the sessions I attended at the conference was about Joseph Albers' style of teaching drawing.  He was most well known for "Homage to the Square", which was an exercise in creativity.  (if you keep the shape and texture constant, how many different ways can you paint it?)  It intrigued me to think about how many different ways can you combine the same type of line.  He said they worked a long time of elipses, and then he brought a bunch of pumpkins in to draw, and they found they already knew how to draw them.

On the plane ride home I was thinking about that and in looking at the purse on my lap, I noticed that it was made up of hundreds of slightly curved lines all about the same length.  I started to sketch it with a felt tip pen.  The picture above is how far I got before I needed to stop.

The pictures below were done yesterday (Saturday).  A sunny day in Seattle!  I spent about two hours at the water and a little over 2 hours at a park that had a lovely wooded ravine with a stream and bridges at the bottom.  My goal was to use as many sheets of my watercolor block as possible and not worry about making finished pieces.  I was trying to figure out how to make the marks.

Driftwood beach, 9x12, watercolor, 2011

Wooded ravine, watercolor, 9x12, 2011

Drawing for Prizes

Self Portrait, oil pastel and pen, 9x12, March 18, 2011

Almost two weeks since my last post!  I've been busy and I've been sick, but all better now. 

I'm in Seattle at the National Art Educator's Convention.  One of the vendors is offering a bagful of free art supplies to everyone who takes the time to draw a self portrait in oil pastels.  At first I planned to only spend 10 minutes or so, but I found that I needed to draw more than I needed to stick to my original plan of sessions to attend.  I really truly need to draw more.  I do not even know yet what I want to draw or paint. I think that the only way to figure that out is to make lots of drawings and to make them fast.

Because I sat there so long working on this, one of the employees gave me a set of "artist's quality" oil pastels.  They have lightfastness ratings and everything.  I have a hard time believing that oil pastel drawings can be permanent.  Anyone out there have any thoughts or knowledge about that?

A new painting!

untitled, shiva paintstick, 16x20, 2011

It's not much, but I am just getting back into it.  I was thinking about Kandinsky's claim that blue represents the spiritual and yellow is earthly, but I just let it become what it wanted to become.  Looks like a building in the snow with clouds and a giant red bird.  Ha.  Better not analyze it too closely.  Just make another painting tomorrow.  This one I painted yesterday (Sunday).  Today was conferences until 8pm, so no painting today.  I should have a free hour or so tomorrow.

Making Space

quiet afternoon, colored pencil, 8x10, 2011

I read Kandinsky's book "considering the spiritual in art".  Very intense, intellectual, academic read.  Thank goodness it was less than 100 pages.  But it motivated me to draw something again.  My intention was to just draw non-representational shapes, but they looked too much like hair, so I let it become this portrait of I don't know who.  

I drew this while sitting in Coffman Union on the U of MN campus.  My daughter was in a swim meet at the aquatics building.  I remember protesting the construction of that building.  That was a long time ago.  The swim meet was so crowded I absolutely could not find a place even to stand without being in the path of people trying to enter or leave.  Crowds freak me out, and it was going to be at least an hour before her next race, so I went for a walk around the campus and ended up in that quiet spot.  Shortly before I left to return to the swim meet, someone sat down at a nearby piano and began to play.  It was quite pleasant.  It was less crowded when I returned to the meet and a friend saw me and made space for me next to her.  I was very grateful.