A Little Studio Time

I thought I would share what I have been working on in the studio. I have made no decisions about it yet, even if it is done or not. It will probably go into the Contemplation Series, though. This is a standard 24 x24 canvas. I used gel medium with a bit of blue spread rather thickly on the canvas with a cake frosting spreader. I allowed that to dry for about a week or so. Then I painted over that with more darker blue, some red, of course purple and a bit of black. Once that dried, I used gold inference to highlight a few of the more interesting lines made by the origional gel.

Lately, I have been doing a bit of exploring with some of the more unusual paints like the inference, some metals and pearl. They are interesting, but do not photograph very well...most likely it is the photographer, though.

What is happening in your studio? I know there are some really interesting blog posts going on.

I am not sure what tomorrow will bring. Are you planning a fun weekend?

The First of the Week

So I have been telling you I have been painting this week! Above you see a corner of one of the rooms I painted with my son, my father and my sister. These rooms were white before we began. We painted everything except the ceiling of the smaller of the two rooms. This is a corner of my parents living room (lounge). We also painted the dining room. They have a large farm house here in Virginia. I was the trim girl. On Monday, I painted out all the edge areas and it took me 13 painting hours. On Tuesday morning we finished it all up and had all furniture back in place including dishes in the hutch, by 2:30 pm (14:30). Last night, I slept very well. So that was my project for the first of the week.



Painting a room or rooms gives me time to contemplate what I might consider next. Those 13 hours gave me lots of time to do that. Sometimes you just have to step aside and do something different. It felt so good to do this for my Mom and Dad. They were so happy to see the change and it was good for me to see them feel so good about it. I was so very proud of them making the choice to use such a bold color. They are now ready to do it again since they have been able to see the difference this makes.



Do you like to paint interiors? Do you paint them plainly to show off your art work or do you make the walls your canvas and paint special things?

Tomorrow, we are back to talking about studio painting.

Crazy Times...

It has been warm here the last few days, so I thought I would greet you with thoughts of spring. This photo was taken from a hotel room in Brecon, Wales, United Kingdom. The flower boxes were incredible and the flowers were not only flowing down the front of the building on the outside, but they were growing into the room. I still look forward to a bit of winter, though.

Tomorrow I will show you what I have been up to for the last two days, but tonight I wanted to speak a bit about the tiny thing I do to encourage participation of viewers/clients. One of the things which is important to me is to encourage those who purchase any of my paintings to participate a little beyond viewing. No, I am not talking about handing them a canvas to make their own paint mark on top of mine or anything as drastic as that. It is far easier to take, at least for me.

As you have probably gathered, once my paintings have been painted, I have less of an attachment to them than I do while I am working on them. I suppose there are probably others who do this as well, but I thought it was a good way to encourage what is also important to me. I sign my canvases on the edge rather than the front. In doing that, they can be hung in the way the client wants to view them. Several of the people who own my work have commented on how they appreciate that. One client moves quite a bit and has said that in some of their homes it looks good one way and in other homes it looks good hanging another way. She really appreciated not being dictated by the signature. I am sure this is probably not the greatest thing to do if I want people to recognize my signature, but what I really want is for owners to enjoy what they have of mine.

Do you do anything to encourage participation in your art?

It is good to be back talking with you again.

Until tomorrow....

Odd Monday

Today I am going to have to put off my origional post until tomorrow. I am painting...although not in my studio, but something different. At any rate, I do need to get going with it. I will talk about that and about client interaction tomorrow!

I send you all to your studios to have a beautifully, creative day!

Commissions

I thought I would share this painting with you today. It is Contemplation 6, 12" x 12" acrylic on deep, gallery wrapped canvas.

So today I am going to move off in a different direction. Babs ( http://www.wilsonart-babs.blogspot.com/ ) suggested possibility talking about commissions. My friend, Julianna ( http://www.colorspeaker.com/ ) has recently talked with me about a commission she is working on. And Andrea's postings ( http://cestandrea.blogspot.com/ ) started me thinking about how to approach commissions once they are procured. So I think I am supposed to talk about commissions today.

Now I am not going to talk about how to locate commissions. I wouldn't know where to begin with that one. I am not a person who would take on a commission lightly as it would have to be the right proposal at the right time. What I would like to talk about is how to work with your client to produce the best work you can for them. The one thing you want to do is make the experience of working with you a positive memory. So you first need to realize why a client might have chosen you. First of all, it is obvious, they like the work you do. But I also think it is very appealing to many people to know someone has put effort in creating something original just for them. This is why you want to make the experience a positive memory for them. But you also want to have a positive experience.

First of all, say yes when you feel as though you can work well with the client. That is really important. Say NO if you just don't feel right about it! Lean on your intuition for this one. The next thing I think is important in creating this positive memory is to find out as much as you can about the client. Oh, we will ask what of the work we have done do you like? What colors do you like? Where will the painting be placed, etc. These are issues which can change quickly. So I think it is important for everyone to go a bit beyond that. For example, as an artist, evaluate the type of person they are: introvert, extrovert, laid back, type A, who and what do they surround themselves with, what are their major interests, how do they dress (gives great information), what kind of focus will the work have in their living/working space and of course the specific location they have in mind for the work...although that can change drastically. And use this information to create...

Considering a few of these you may need to think about the opposite of the answers to these questions. For example, a laid-back introvert may very well enjoy an exciting, colorful, over powering work...and they may not. Maybe the classic dresser really loves the idea of rustic...and they may not. The international banker might just love the idea of terra firma...and maybe not. You see, it is your job to really explore all of the possibilities and get a sense of what is going to excite this client in the type of work you do. And by-the-way, no space in a home or office is to be considered not worthy of your work. Sure, who would not like to be commissioned a huge canvas for the foyer of the penthouse? But the bathroom is a place where the viewer is captured alone to contemplate what is on the wall. And the more intimate the space, the more your work will be appreciated.

So here is the question, how do you effectively work with the client in a few meetings? That is where Andrea's (see link above and to the right...CestAndrea) project comes in. If you go to her blog site, go ahead, it is really wonderful, and scroll down to where she is talking about her "trend boards". Do you see these creative boards she is using to help broaden the colors for her work? If a client had these kinds of references to view, so you could get an idea of what they like and what they think they do not like, I think it would make the world of difference in the commission experience for everyone. If boards like this were created for the elements of art and you could use the principles to pull together the perfect piece for the client, don't you think it would be a positive experience? Yes, yes of course you would have to create the boards, but that would also be a positive experience for you (I have found that revisiting the elements and principles from time to time is very refreshing) as well. And over time, you could have a lovely series to use not only for your own reference, but to use with possible commission clients, too.

This brings me to my final point, for me it is important to connect with lots and lots of different artists. As you know, I love painting, but I also love other art forms a lot. I also love textiles a great deal and that is what drew me to Andrea's blog (and the fact she lives in Paris and speaks excellent English :) ). I additionally adore glass and have my favorite glass artists, too. Then there is the pottery...oh, I could go on and on here. But the point is by working together and understanding most all creative people are confronted with the same issues, we can learn so much with so much less pain. Sometimes it is another creative person who comes to your for a commission, and that makes working with them a bit easier...there is the common language. But often it is not someone who speaks the language of creativity who wants to commission you, so you have to help them learn a little bit of creative speak and you will need to learn a little bit of "whatever" speak. The experience I have in interior design has allowed me to understand whenever you allow the client into your world a little bit and give them the chance to "participate", then they are almost always happy with the result!

So what do you think? I am sure there are some wonderful comments wanting to get at me on this one.

On Monday... I will tell you what I do to make it easier for viewers/purchasers to participate in how they see my paintings.

Until then, have a Beautiful and Creative Weekend. And let me know your thoughts...

Needed for Creativity....

As promised, I am sharing a few of the paintings I photographed yesterday. It is good I did that, too, since today we are very cloudy and that isn't so good for the way I have to do this.




So this one is called Contemplation 3 and is an 8" x 8" in Acrylic on Deep, Gallery Wrapped Canvas.

I will show you another one in a little bit, but I said I would talk about what I need when I create. Like Babs and JafaBrit (see comments on yesterday's posting), I do not work well under pressure. The thing is I have learned to contend with that in a way I don't hear about too often, I clear my schedule and get the work done when I first get the project going. Yes, I am one of those people who has to get things done early, so I don't feel the pressure. I think this is a hold over from my interior design work (one doesn't spend 30+ years in a field without it having an impact), along with other strange practices.

For me, also having supplies at my fingertips eliminates a lot of irritation, thus helping the creativity flow. I am not a person who needs a pin neat space always, but I do need to be able to see my materials. That, I know, is part of being a visual person...I just have to see it. The flip side of that, I know, is for some visual people their line of vision can't be cluttered. Like most creative types, I need lots of light and a comfortable temperature in my studio (this second one just might have to do with being right at 50 years old). I also like quiet surroundings or peaceful music. I am quite sure I cannot work with the television on, although maybe I should try sketching that way to see what happens. Of course, as mentioned before, it is important for me to be happy. Most of the time, I am quite happy, but when that spurt of anger or negative emotion comes, I can get nothing done. And I need my inspirations! Oh yes, I suppose positive feed back and quality discussions are also important to me. While I don't do that while I work, I do need it in my life to move my work forward. Is that the reason I am doing this blog? There are lots of reasons for that...I just adore all the wonderful people I have met over the last months!

But one thing I know is important is to have opportunities to be influenced by other art. I mean all of the work you each share, but also writings, theatre, excellent film, dance, music, etc. And I am going to include cultures in this one. While a mobile studio is a must for me with our moving around, I do feel the need to experience a variety of cultures...within this country and outside of it!

Okay, so now here is another photo I took yesterday...

This is Contemplation 4 and is a 10" x 10" Mixed Media on Gallery Wrapped Canvas. With this one I did a lot of texture on the canvas with odd bits and pieces...like paper, gauze and bits of metal...then I covered it with a heavier rice paper and painted over that with acrylics.

So here is my question for you...what kinds of things do you need to be creative?

Tomorrow...well, as Babs suggested...maybe we should talk about commissions. It has come up a couple of times. I know there are lots of you there with insights to that one!

How do you best work?

So today I have been working in the studio putting a few touches on a few things. I also am trying to take advantage of our sunshine to get a couple of photos taken.



But I have been thinking about something (as usual) Cath Sheard (visit her blog at: http://cathrs.blogspot.com/ ) brought up in her comment to yesterday's post. In 2007, Cath did a project where she created a piece of art every day! I have seen on other artists blogs where there are quite a few people into doing this. As I read about it, I can't even imagine taking on such a project. But Cath said it did make a difference for her...I am assuming a positive difference. While I attempt to do something...even if it is writing or doodling...every day, I can't imagine working under the pressure to produce like that. I think it is really me!



But this is what I want to ask... would you work well creating under pressure? How do you get your best work? What has to be right? It will be interesting to hear your thoughts on the matter. I am guessing it will be as varied as the individual.



Tomorrow, I will share with you what I need to work...and hopefully some decent photos, too!

Seeing Feelings

In the comments with the most recent snow photos, Babs (visit her at Off The Wall Art: http://www.wilsonart-babs.blogspot.com/ ) said, "I can feel that air." But she was looking at photographs! She could feel the message of the image. I thought that was telling. As artists, we all understand just what she meant and try to convey that in our work every time we are in the studio.

Now, click on that link to Bab's blog! Go on...there are lovely things to see there! But on or near the top she has posted a painting of two cats, "Callie and Frankie", she painted for her late mother. To me, that painting feels like love, and Babs says it makes her feel happy. We are both seeing the feelings, but they are different. Clearly it all depends on the viewer's frame of reference as to the feelings they see in individual works! What you might paint in anger may feel like excitement to someone else....think reds with touches of black!

Now, seeing feelings in the familiar is easier for many viewers than seeing feelings in non-realistic art. Consider this painting:

Well, really it is a corner of a painting. But what does this feel like to you? I feel scared. Maybe that is because I was sticking my neck out when I did this. But I am guessing "scared" wasn't the first thing which came to your mind. If I show you the whole thing...

...do you get a different feeling? I feel icy.

With yesterday's post posing the issue of your emotions when you create, I thought this one would be a positive follow up. Maybe my interest in this subject is connected to my interest in the psychology of environments. But Bab's comment got me going with this and I think it is something I will be exploring from time to time. The psychology of art. I would love to hear your comments on this subject. So what feelings do you see common in your own creative works?

Is it really dangerous?

(because you seem to like the snow photos)

Do you subscribe to arts Journal (http://www.artsjournal.com/ )? I get their weekly email posts and find some of the articles quite interesting. You will probably like it, too, if you enjoy reading about issues, etc. in all parts of the arts. There is an article in this weeks postings which caught my eye about how Americans are too happy! Eric G. Wilson writes in The Chronicle of Higher Education an article titled, In Praise of Melancholy.

He seems to indicate in this article that Americans are blissfully happy, they ignore all the problems of the world and this is killing creativity! Now I don't know about you, but like most people I have good days and bad days. Now on my bad days, my creativity seems to shut completely down and my left brain takes over. On my bad days I can clean, balance the checkbook, organize things, etc. ...these are things that normally make me run away kicking and screaming. But on my good days, I can spend lots of time painting, sketching, doodling, writing, cooking and all the things I adore doing! Because I can't "work" (real work) when I am down, does that mean I am not creative enough? Since my work is quite introspective doesn't it seem plausible I have to find the right place within myself in order to find my own creativity? We also know being able to find flow is important to our creativity...and I find my flow when I am happy. So, as you can see, I had a difficult time connecting with the message of this article.





I know there some of the greatest artists have an issue with depression and what Wilson calls melancholy. What I think is we all have out ways of figuring out what works for us. I also feel as though a greater awareness of creativity and the importance of accessing it in our lives has allowed Americans (because this article only addresses this group) to understand their happiness is an individual thing which comes from within as opposed to their external life. Is that so bad? What do you think?





Here is the question of the day...Are you more creative when you are happy or when you are down? Or is there a difference?





Tomorrow...I want to talk about "seeing feelings" as Barbara Wilson at Off The Wall Art (http://www.wilsonart-babs.blogspot.com/ ) brought to my attention.

As Promised

Yesterday I spent doing inside things...well, except for the driveway and photo taking...but just watching the snow fall was a peaceful feeling. I am clearing out some of the projects I have going in the studio, because I do want to play a bit this weekend with some new things which are flying around in my head. Most likely they are flying at me because of the peaceful day yesterday! So today, I want to leave you on a calm note for the weekend. Here are a couple of photos I took yesterday.

Yes, this is the same tree the owl was in earlier in the year.

I really loved looking up into the trees...

And here is just a general view of what I was able to experience. It was lovely and true to all snow days very quiet.

Have a Lovely Weekend!

Article

Since I have been on this jag lately about color, I thought you would enjoy this article by Allan Swinson: http://www.cagzine.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=187&Itemid=77 on how artist create their own color theories every day.

For now, on this snowy day, I am off to my studio...maybe some more snow photos tomorrow :)

Another Medium????

After a day of travel yesterday, I was delighted to return home to find a delivery of art supplies. Yes, I have to admit, I couldn't resist spending some holiday gift money for supplies! How bad am I? Mainly I purchased things like mediums, but I did get one thing which was not from Golden!

My husband had given me some wonderful paper which I was dying to work with. The paper is for dry applications (I had it on my wish list), but the pastels I owned were not the quality the paper deserved. So I just plopped down the money for these wonderful soft Senneliers. These are the dark tone set. I have a set of the oil pastels which I adore. I have also used Sennelier's oil sticks on some of my paintings. Many people are intrigued by depth they add to a painting. But I am off track here. I hope I can begin to work abstractly with the pastels and also continue to work with the acrylics. Sometimes, there is just the need to play around with a lot of different things.

I was talking to artist, Florence Artur who told me she often returned to her work with pastels between paintings. She said on some days she just didn't have the energy painting required, but pastels seem to do the trick for her. I hope to use them on the days I can't seem to get to the paint. Visit Florence's web site, www.florenceartur.com to see how she uses one medium to influence the other. So it is with Florence's encouragement, I take her suggestion to try pastels, again. By-the-way, Florence's web site can be viewed in English or French (note the buttons in the upper left of the opening page).

What do you do to influence your work?

Tuesday's Post on Monday Night!

My plans tomorrow will limit my time at the computer, so I am posting tomorrow's post this evening. I wanted to show you what I have been up to in my studio as of late. I was encouraged with the comments from the last WIP I shared that I went a bit further and tried another one with the rice paper, tearing it, etc. Again, this one is complete; however this is what it looks like so far:

I used a new product for me called Micasceous Iron Oxide from Golden. That it is under the flower shapes. If you have never used it, give it a try...rather like painting on that wet sandpaper product. Again, I just tore the rice paper away where it wasn't stuck very well.

I have also prepared another canvas, but the rice paper is really on there and I like the way it has turned out. So I just might leave it the way it is. The other things I may do is layer this one rather than go below the surface as I have done with the others. I will live with it a little while and see what it wants me to do.

The other challenge I have given myself, in light of my recent posts, is to see f I can paint something without using purple! I had a canvas I wasn't happy with, so I painted over it and didn't use purple.

This is still wet, so clearly we are talking another WIP here, too. It is 30" x 40" deep, gallery wrapped canvas in acrylics. I am focusing on not pulling out any of those purples I have hanging around the studio until it is done. I will let you know when it is.

???

For some reason I can't get the paragraphs to set for the posting below...strange. I have had this issue before, but just can't seem to work it out. Please bear with me until I do...or comment here if you have a suggestion for me...I am so digitally challenged!

Part Two

A couple of good issues came out of Friday's post on color. Since it is a subject with a lot to talk about, I thought I would continue with it based on some of the comments made as well as another thought generated by another blogger. I also want to share with you the work of of an artist I feel uses color and form to great advantage.


Lynette (visit her blog, Original Art by Lynette Clay, http://lynxes123.blogspot.com/ ) said when she was a child she loved the color blue, however now she adores brown. You would think Lynette was joshing you with her favorite color being brown, but she loves the way she makes brown by mixing the primary colors in just the right way for what she needs. She is also in love with the warmth of the hue. If you visit Lynette's blog, you will see she uses a lot of browns and needs to be able to manipulate them well...and she does. So, what is it about the color that makes the it so appealing to you? Remember, I said I love purples because they are not often chosen by a broad range of people, but additionally some would say they are difficult to use. Maybe I want the challenge, and I know I am different.


San said she was writing about totems on her blog (remember she can be found at http://alifewithaview.blogspot.com/ ) and would be addressing color sometime soon. This made me wonder if artists use totems regularly. Maybe these totems are not the ones traditionally thought about...like the appearance of a beaver in San's paintings...but the appearance of things like, well..., color! Is purple a totem for me? I posed this question to San and she thought it might come up in her future posting...so watch her blog.


Todd Camplin (visit his thinking blog at: http://camplinart.blogspot.com/ ) encouraged us to all keep talking about art and not just making art. Of course that is a lot of what happens with me. I love talking about art and creating things. Todd has been really encouraging and has some really interesting thoughts on his blog. So while he didn't speak of color directly, his indirect comment pushed me to this second post.


Now I also did a bit of visiting around different blogs this weekend. I was happy to see Philip Edson posting again (do visit his wonderful blog at: http://philip-edson.blogspot.com/ ). And guess what? Philip has taken color out of his work! He has had a few commissions where he was asked to do them in black, white and the values of grey. I asked Philip if he thought we might get colored out sometimes. This is what he said: "You are right I do feel coloured out. I got obsessed with the colour mauve (and variations of) and I never thought it would end but it has. Black and white seems so clean." And it does! Thank you, Philip, for that reaction and your post.


One other thing I did was visit other blogs and found one I thought was interesting was Julianne Richard's site ( she is The Colorspeaker at: http://www.colorspeaker.com/ ). She has a great way with color and form I think you will enjoy. Do visit and see what you think.


So color is sure an interesting subject. I hope you enjoy visiting these blogs and finding out what it is they do or do not do with colors! Also, please post a comment if you have any thoughts about this subject or if you blog about color and it's use or theory.

More Thinking...

Do you ever wonder if you think too much? People tell me I do all the time. I am not sure I understand what they mean, because to me I kind of zone out a lot, too. You know? I was reading the comments after my last post and Jess and Babs thought maybe there was too much emphasis on what art means. Jess (visit her blog, Messyjessie, at http://jess-messyjessie.blogspot.com/ ) said she has spent far too much time thinking about what her art meant and it was better just to go with the flow and stand back later to see what it means. That is good advice, but people keep asking me what it means...and I don't know! Then, Babs (visit her blog, Off the Wall Art, at http://wilsonart-babs.blogspot.com/ ) suggested there was really no need to explain what it meant that maybe it came from a place where only I went and could understand. That made me realize maybe it isn't about what it means to me (because it is the process I am interested in doing), but what it means to the viewer.

Then, San (visit her blog, A Life With A View, at http://alifewithaview.blogspot.com/ ) said she thought she understood what I was trying to say. My guess is she comes up against this with some frequency as a gallery owner. The woman who lives both sides of the art world. So today, I am back at thinking.

Jess said in another comment she was also a lover of purple. So I wondered what particular colors meant to different people. For me, purple is just one of those hues not everyone is drawn to, so I am very attracted to it because the majority of people are not! But here are some words which are attached to purple: intuitive, seeking, creative, kind, self-sacrificing, growth oriented, strong,wise, rare spiritual, good judgement, magic, mystery and royal. Well, I don't mind also being associated with these words. But here is something about purple which is important to remember...purple is a combination of red and blue! Red being a warm hue and blue being cool! So purple is balanced, just like green! Does that mean because I like purple, I am balanced...I think probably not!

So here is my question for you to ponder this weekend! What is your favorite color? What does is mean to you and what words are associated with it?

If you are interested in color, I highly recommend this very interesting book on the history of color, Color by Victoria Finlay. I am not traditionally a history person, but this book really held my interest:

Here is to your colors being bright and joyful!

Doodling and Digging

So often I am asked how I figure out what I am going to do or where I get my inspiration. I find that hard to answer sometimes, do you? And if people see the things I do to try and get to that place, they will wonder how one translates to the other. I can't answer that, either. Can you? The image above is just some light modeling paste tinted with acrylic paint which has been smeared...literally...onto some black paper. I then wanted to see what green inference paint would do on the rough purple hue, so I swiped...literally...some of that across the background. What about those three dots? Well a friend had sent me a jar of metal foil flakes, so I did 3 dots of gel medium at the bottom and stuck on a few of those. That is what happened. Not so exciting, but I learned a lot. These are the kinds of things that kind of push me into other larger pieces. I have tons and tons of scraps about, portfolios full of papers like this. Sometimes I pull those out and see if there is anything I wish to revisit.

What makes me come up with what goes on the scraps of paper? A lot of the time it is interest in how far I can push a medium. You know, what can I make it do? Other times, it just seems to fall into place as I am working on something. That is what happened with the WIP I posted yesterday. I had gotten a few books as gifts along with some new paints, etc. I wanted to see what I might make the paints do and try something a bit different. But I couldn't follow directions specifically...something in my just will not allow that...so I grabbed an idea and did it my way. That is often the way things work out. Is that the way it works for you?

Here is a snap from another example of something I did a couple of years ago...do you think I like purple? But I have just added the copper paint. I wanted to see what that would do and how it would react. So I just plopped it on here. Digging through old stuff is also a good thing for me.

My interest in what makes creativity happen pushes me to explore what that means for me and what it means for the viewer, too. I only wish I could find a place where I could explain it so people could understand what I mean. Well, I would blame the loss of words on my age, but I have often found myself dealing with that issue.

The Last Few Days

The cord has been found (thanks to my husband), so here is one of the things I have been working on the last few days. It is very different for me, but it has been fun to explore the various mediums I used with it. The canvas is 2.5" deep gallery wrapped 12" x 24". I painted the canvas with a smalt and titanium white acrylic and before it dried I applied moist, crumpled rice paper. I then dry brushed the paper with alizarin crimson then iridescent silver. When this was all dry - I gave it a good 24 hours - I pulled away the rice paper where it did not stick as well. This gave me some exposed holes of the underpainted surface and some cool rice paper to use somewhere else. So I decided I was going to outline those in carbon black. Once the black was dry, I decided to paint some blobs within these spaces...well, one thing led to another and the blobs began to look like blossoms so the rest is history. This is still a WIP to be sure.

One of the things I will try next time I do the rice paper application is to roll on the paint or medium before applying it - just a different way.

The other thing I have played with over the last few days is this:

I poured tar gel over a painted surface, dropped dots of paint onto the surface of the tar gel and swirled them with a wooden skewer. It took a long time to dry (maybe 5 days), but it is interesting. I used the tar gel as a suggestion, but I think I would like just plain gel medium better. I will keep playing with that. This is just on board...a small 5" x 7".

So there you have it. I am so glad to have the camera cord back...it feels like freedom!

Contemplating Color Again

Quite possibly it is the time of the year, although we have had a beautiful (almost spring like) day here today, but I have been thinking about color a lot. Maybe it is because I am still looking for that cord to download the photos from my camera (tomorrow) and I have been playing around with a lot of fun hues on my current canvas - I am not sure! Anyway, in thinking about how colors mean different things to different people, I remembered a photo I had taken just a year ago in Paris. The weather was quite warm that January day, there were so many American tourist around. My daughter and I were walking along and there was a lovely restaurant front sparkling away in the dusk of late afternoon. Of course I had to snap a photo! I did not get the impression this was holiday decorations as the colors were more spring like than winter. But the lights, glass balls and twigs just seemed to work just right for that moment. Isn't color like that?

It is wonderful how nature works in concert to create the most incredible color combinations. And in the case of the Paris restaurant, how color can change the mood when it is unexpected. I dare say if I had seen this same front, though, in full sun I would have been impressed. Why? Well, it was the light that made the difference...as it always does with color.

And color helps color, too. For example, this photo of the marzipan...

without the green the red would not appear as delicious! As we all know, this is using color to the max.

I have always been attracted to clear jewel tones. It doesn't matter if it is in a painting, my clothes or an interior...these are the colors I naturally gravitate to. Even in the last period of browns and more muted hues, I have stuck with black and jewel tones. Thankfully, these colors are returning! How wonderful is that?

Have you ever considered what your choice of color means? While color forecasters and color therapist have a good idea, I think it is an individual issue...and maybe a collective one since there are some relationships to popular colors and the economy.

Ah well, it is all interesting stuff! Elements of art interest us all, but I have a soft spot in my heart for this subject of color.

You might like this book....

This is a book I received as a gift over the holidays. I do use a lot of acrylics and Golden is my choice. This book was clearly commissioned by the Golden company, however if you are interested in learning about a variety of support mediums, this is an excellent place to begin. There are over 100 different techniques shown, but that isn't all that exciting in itself. What seemed to click for me was the wide variety of ways the mediums could be used and the ideas which began to bounce around in my head as I went through the book. The style is very loose and she gives suggestions for using them...actually there are quite a few finished examples. For me the book is just down right fun to play around with. My copy already has some page flags.

Today has been one of those days where you are going along and then, BAM! You hit a road block. My road block came in the form of not being able to find my USB cable for my camera! Such irritation. I know just where it was, however some people like to tidy up around here and move my things about...wonder why? Yes, I admit I like to have things where I can see them and live with people much neater than I! Anyway, until I find my cable, I can't show you what I have been doing. But that will happen soon, if I have to go and buy another cable! I suppose we all have days like that, though. There is just never a good time for them to happen.

Happy 2008!

Welcome to 2008!

2007 was an exciting year and 2008 is starting off with excitement, as well. I have been in my studio all day working on some new paintings and trying out some fun techniques. I hope to have some photos to show you all soon of the things I have been doing.

One of the most exciting things which has happened over the last week is the set up of my art web site. While it is still under construction, the url has been secured and the basics are up and running. Feel free to take a look at www.KimRodefferFunk.com Soon there will be new paintings posted there, as well. Some you have already seen here, though.

Today I have been thinking about what 2008 is going to mean for my art. I really hope to have a greater presence on the web this year and additionally hope to get some of these paintings sold. I want to remain open to all of the possibilities the universe has for me this year. I have never been one for resolutions, but want to continue to evaluate what my life and my art means.

So enjoy the day and come back often to see what I am up to.