Getting Lost and A Conversation this Week

Since I shared with you the testing I had done on the acrylic paper, I thought you might like to see what I did with the rest of the pack. You can clearly see the ones which have the pearl powder pigment. One I did as a weaving and that did not work well since the paper is just too stiff. Now I added something to the red paint, but now I cannot remember if it was pearl acrylic paint (not powder) or inference. That is so like me, getting into the moment and not "thinking" about the process. So what good are these experiments if I do not remember? If anyone has insight or can tell from the photo, I am eager to hear your thoughts.

I really have to do better with recording my experiments, but I do get so lost in not thinking when I am in the studio. I know Elis has also brought up this subject, and she is trying to stay present. Do you have any suggestions on how I might accomplish this challenge? Do you get lost in your work while you are working? I would love to hear from you.

Stay tuned this week because I have another Conversation to be published. I will be talking to Dianne McNaughton on Wednesday. Dianne writes Intuitive Painting which is a wonderful, contemplative blog. She is not only an artist extraordinaire, but has a wonderful life in South Africa to share with us. Please come back to enjoy this wonderful conversation. I think you are going to be very happy with the insights Dianne shares with us all. I think you will find it an exciting read.

Have a Great Day!

Exploring in the Studio

I wanted to share this with you since I thought it turned out kind of nice. Like many of you, I get going sometimes with trying different things to see if I might use them for larger pieces in some way.

This is just a 5x5 piece of what I purchased as Acrylic Paper. I am not sure what that means, but I will not purchase more...it kind of seems like a plasticized paper to me. That aside, I want to share with you what I did to get this effect. The acrylic paper was painted with acrylic paint (in this case a blue) and while it was wet I sprinkled pearl powder (this was Jacqurd PearlEx brand) using a few layers of gauze. I then allowed that to dry. The powder was still easy to remove from the surface, so I did not want to use a brush to move it around because I liked the effect. What to do to seal it? Mmm, I was not sure, but what did I have to loose? I spooned the clear acrylic glaze into the middle of this piece...spoonful by spoonful. Yes, it was thick...it tilted the paper until it seemed smooth over the surface. If you click on this image and look around the edges, you can see where the glaze did not get to every edge of this paper. Once it was spread out to the edges, I left it to dry for a couple of days. Now you can see the final result.

While I will not use the acrylic paper for anything but testing (and will not buy more), I will use this technique again without a doubt! What do you think? Would you consider trying something similar? Do you think it would work out with other base colors, too? Do you have any other ideas for sealing the powder on the surface?

Now, are you planning a fun weekend? I hope to get a bit of creative time in sometime this weekend!

Enjoy Everyone!

Photographing Reflective Paintings

Many of you have seen this painting before. It is 30"x40" gallery wrapped canvas (staple-less) in acrylic. The first layer of paint is black, then I dry brushed a layer of acrylic pearl. The other paint which what poured, dribbled and flung also had a bit pearl acrylic blended in. I call this painting Considering Pearls. You can imagine the difficulty I have had in photographing this surface with all of the reflective paint. The image above was taken without a flash. On my computer it looks pretty good, but it is darker than the actual painting and the colors are not as vibrant. I also hand held my camera which is heavy, so I may not have been as still as I could have.

Now I have a new strong tripod and a flash diffuser. The photograph below was taken in the same location with the same natural light conditions. I used the white diffuser (there are also a green and a yellow) over the flash to spread that burst of light about. Clearly the tripod held the camera more steady than I could. The photograph below is the result:
These came out very different, although I still do not have the lighting right for these reflective paints. The diffuser seems to create a darker edge to these large canvases with that burst of light (although not glaring) towards the middle. The edge of this painting does have a bit more of the black appearing through the pearl, however it is not as pronounced as this shows it.

So an exact image this is not. I think it shows some of the details a lot better, however. Do you have ideas about photographing these highly reflective surfaces? Do you think I need to purchase a very expensive, adjustable flash for my camera or do you think a couple of lamps would do the trick to adjust aside from the camera?

I love working with these reflective products (including the heavy clear glazing), but I feel I do need to be able to photograph them better.

I do highly recommend a good tripod (even if you have a light camera). I also feel I will make very good use of this flash diffuser, although I wish it had of worked better for this particular painting. Maybe it is a matter of the size, so I will keep trying and keep sharing what I learn here. Please let me know your thoughts and suggestions on this subject, though.

I also wanted to let you know I will be doing a very special Conversation soon with Dianne McNaughton from Cape Town, South Africa. She has some beautiful and exciting things to share with us. So stay tuned for an exciting first Conversation of 2009!

I Have Been Interviewed

Suki has interviewed me! It is an exciting opportunity to be interviewed if you would like (see below). Suki sent me 5 questions and below you will find my answers. Remember to read all the way to the end to see how you can also be interviewed.

1) You have moved a lot and lived in many different places. How has this affected your artistic self? You know, it is difficult for me to imagine not moving around. I am one of those rare people who love it. With each move I have a different perspective with my art. For so many years it was very structured, however looking back on that structured time I can see how it continued to loosen up with each move. Actually, my friend Lesley McIver is the one who pointed out to me how much my paintings had changed with this last move from England back to the United States. The move before that from Virginia to England oddly gave me the gift of working large and really challenging myself with lots of exploration of paint. When we moved from Texas to Virginia I moved from drawing (pens, pencils, pastels, etc.) to the freedom of abstractly and lyrically expressing myself with paint. It is not to say I would not change my work when I am in one place, however it does open a different door. How has it influenced your life perspective? Moving has opened a whole new world for me. As you can imagine living in different settings and meeting different people has helped me to clarify just what it is I need and want in my life. I see lots of different ways of looking at issues which are important in my life – education, sustainability, healthcare, relationships, etc. It has also helped me to understand what it means to be a woman no matter what your experience. I think moving has help me to understand we all have a story and we all deserve to be heard and respected. I have also learned a lot of patience, because I often have no idea when the next move is going to happen and how fast or slow it might happen. Forcing what is to be is something which has not worked out well in this life I have.

2) You have a great respect for process, for noticing the small steps that go into making things whether in art or in life. Where did this sensibility come from? Oh, I am not sure where that came from. I have always been curious and would drive adults around me insane when I was younger (so I learned to keep my thoughts to myself). Even as an adult I had trouble finding people who would “wonder about things” with me…everyone wanted answers not questions. I suppose blogging has given me a platform for my wondering and blog readers are dealing with years of pent up curiosity. Or put another way who or what influenced you in this respect? I wish I could put my finger on a person or group of people who prodded me along that path. I just cannot do that.

3) You were an interior designer at one time. What do you miss about that world? I miss the opportunity of creating environments which made a difference in the lives of people. However that is also the part which became the most difficult because usually those kinds of environments were very rarely realized for one reason or another. Does your early experience with interior designing influence your paintings of today? Absolutely…it makes me just the artist I am now. Interior designers have to completely understand the elements and principles of design which are also the elements and principles of art. The nature of design school in the late 1970’s was learning to appropriately design on a 2 dimensional surface so it translates well 3 dimensionally. In my case, I have been a student of art for well over 30 years. It is funny the first thing I think of when I stand back from a painting is the space where it will look the best. I never, ever think of it hanging on a white wall, it is always with color behind it. I also think of how it might be presented in a different way with all of the elements of an interior space supporting the art and the art supporting the vision for the interior environment.

4) What are your favorite books on: art, child raising or education, and interior design? I read Mothering Magazine when the kids were little, but mainly I listened to my own inner voice about raising my children. Basically respecting the people they were and not trying to make forceful changes in their personalities was really important to me. I loved reading John Holt’s ideas about education. Both David Gutterson and John Taylor Gatto had a great impact on our decision to homeschool our children, however.

My great loves in interior design (aside from applying my creativity) is the psychology of design and design sustainability. Here are a few interior design books I really love:

A Pattern Language: Towns-Buildings-Construction by Christopher Alexander, Sara Ishikawa, and Murry Silberstein

House as a Mirror of Self by Clare Cooper Marcus

Sustainable Architecture White Papers. By Earth Pledge Foundation

The Power of Place: How Our Surroundings Shape Our Thoughts, Emotions, and Actions by Winifred Gallagher

Archetype Design: House as a Vehicle for Spirit by Vishu Magee

Cradle to Cradle by William McDonough and Michael Braungart

The New Natural House Book: Creating a Healthy, Harmonious, and Ecologicaly Sound Home by David Pearson

Home: A Short History of an Idea by Witold Rybczynski

Healing Environments by Carol Venola

Sacred Space by Denise Linn

And these I consider support books which are not design books, but helped me to shape ideas about design:

A Natural History of the Senses by Diane Ackerman

The Creative Journal: The Art of Finding Yourself by Lucia Capacchione, Ph.D., A.T.R

A Place of My Own: The Education of an Amateur Builder. By Michael Pollan

Art books are fun for me, but they are few and far between. Often I focus on abstraction and process books. Here are a few of the Art Books I love:

Abstract and Color Techniques in Painting by Claire Harrigan

Abstract Painting: Concepts and Techniques by Vicky Perry

Beyond Realism by Brian Ryder

The Tao of Watercolor by Jeanne Carbonetti

Acrylic Revolution by Nancy Reyner (note: this book was clearly commissioned by Golden Paint Company)

Arteffects by Jean Drysdale Green

Art Escapes by Dory Kanter (this is a daily exercise book, however I do not use it that way)

The Artist’s Quest for Inspiration by Peggy Hadden

Inspiring Creativity edited by Rick Benzel, M.A. (this is an anthology of insights and ideas)

The Encyclopedia of Acrylic Techniques by Hazel Harrison

Art From Intuition by Dean Nimmer

Spiritual Doodles & Mental Leapfrongs by Katherine Q. Revoir

Spirit of Drawing by Connie Smith Siegel

Colour by Victoria Finlay (I purchased this book in England, so in the US the title may be spelled differently. It is also more of a history of color than anything…I highly recommend it, though.)

Why A Painting Is Like A Pizza by Nancy G. Heller

Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards

The Artist Way by Julia Cameron

5) Music is important to you in your creative process. Can you talk a little about that and list a few of your favorite pieces or CD's? I do listen to music while I am in my studio. When I am painting large works…basically standing at my easel..I like to move around a lot to the music (dancing in my own way). I will listen to all kinds of things when I am doing that from Queen to Willie Nelson (which is as country as I can go). When I am doing small paintings or just messing around with little bits I tend to listen to softer music which more or less blends in the background (if it stops, I usually don’t even realize it). I only know the music I love and am not at all a music head. I adore my little iPod and use it often. Here is a bit of what I love:

Electric Light Orchestra

Carole King

Dan Fogleberg

Elton John

Five for Fighting

Fleetwood Mac

Jim Croce

Coltrane

Cold Play

Josh Groban

Kenny Loggins

The Moody Blues

Rolling Stones

Savage Garden

Simon and Garfunkel

There are so many more I listen to, but this gives you a flavor. While music is important to me, so are all of the arts. I find it is often the arts which influence my painting and it might be music, but it also might be a poem or a novel which I am reading. I honestly only tap into my emotions when I paint, but I also recognize a lot of the time the arts pull my emotions out.

Suki, thanks so much for doing this. As you know I feel the process of sharing is so important to me and now I feel as though I have been interviewed, too.

Here's the instructions:

1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me".

2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. (I get to pick the questions).

3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.

4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.

5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Still Trying To Get Stuck In and Donating Art To Charity

I know you have seen this painting before. It is one I did a long time ago, but I no longer have it here. No, it did not sell (it seems not a lot is selling these days), but I have donated it to a charity. It sold at auction and sold well. It is currently hanging in someone's vacation home on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.This painting was painted in England during Bonfire Night, so you can understand the inspiration.

Many bloggers do wonderful giveaways, and I need to take a page from their blog book. What I am wondering today is do you donate your art to charities?

Today I commented on Andrea's blog I am having a difficult time getting the things I am doing photographed. No, not because I have technical problems but because I have head problems. :) I have enjoyed working in my studio and have been making my mark each day, but I have not been photographing what I am doing. I promise to get to that as soon as possible so you can see what is going on in my art world. I was given some new, helpful photographic tools for Christmas (new, strong tripod and a flash diffuser) so there is really no excuse for my behavior. Do you have problems getting stuck in with some little parts from time to time? What do you do to get yourself out of it?

Everyone have a day full of love and grace. Those of you in the Northern Hemisphere...keep warm!

Magazine Submissions and A Tag

If you will remember I posted an opportunity to submit to a magazine called The Truth About The Fact. I decided to take that opportunity and submitted a few images (photos and photos of art work) myself. One of the submissions was this photo taken in a Stockholm, Sweden hotel bathroom. I had never seen this before nor since...granted, this was not a 5 star hotel, but it was not a 1 star, either. :) I think it is not only funny, but clever. It is in black and white because that is what the magazine needed for the submissions.Now I have also been tagged by Jessica Torrant. The tag is to list six unusual things about myself and tag six other people letting them know they have been tagged. I am also to link to my tagger. So here are my six things:

1. My son says I am made of surplus parts :)
2. I love the movie What Dreams May Come
3. I love Marmite
4. I am really into Victorian novels written by women at the moment
5. Snowy winter days in front of a fire with my journal, a good book and cups of excellent, strong English tea is very appealing to me.
6. My sweet husband usually leaves "Sunrise Earth" on the tv for me to watch when I first get up in the morning (if you do not know it you should find it. The photography is excellent and it is only soothing music.)

So there you have it. Who do I tag...every reader who would like to take the challenge. Now visit Jessica's blog...you are going to enjoy her very much!

Have a Great Day!

Art Process, Nature Process and Life Process

I love watching the development of work from other artists. I find the process of art making fascinating to say the least. Andrea knows this and a little while back she sent me an envelope with some of her process bits and pieces. I thought you might like to see two of them today.She featured this little bear on her blog last year. Isn't he the cutest?
This is one of my favorite things, however there were quite a few in this particular packet. I love, love, love seeing the marks Andrea made as she was working...and making notes to herself, too. I hold things like this very dear.

While I am talking about parts which make the whole I thought I would share this brush stroke nature made for me one day. I pulled this apple out of the bag and lo and behold there was the nicest stroke of the brush just for me to enjoy. Well, I could not keep it for myself, so here, you enjoy it too.

Do you find great joy in art processes in general...yours, others or natures? Do you cherish small bits which are supportive of how art is made?
While I was off playing with my family, blog friends Suki and Dianne did a tag I thought was wonderful. Dianne encouraged me to take the tag and go with it, so I thought I would do that now. If this interests you, please feel free to take it and go along with it, too.

I am supposed to list five things I do daily to keep my spirit happy and healthy. So here we go:

1. I wake slowly allowing me the time to contemplate how my day may unfold, then do a bit of yoga (the sequence is never the same).

2. I will do a short meditation at the beginning of each day.

3. I make a connection with friends via email, blogs or phone.

4. I make a mark every day (this is a new thing which Andrea has encouraged me to do).

5. At the end of the day, I will journal and note 5 things I am grateful for that day. Reminding myself to always be grateful is critical for me.

So there you have it...I think there are probably many more things, however the tag was for five. I would have added art making, however I do not always get to that each day. What do you do each day to feed your spirit?

Have a Beautiful Weekend!