Change of seasons -- A Halloween Spirit

This morning I finished a painting I've been working on for a couple of nights now. It's got a two-sided feeling to it -- excitement and shadows. I like it. I like it a lot. Would love to hear other opinions besides my own. The dogs really didn't show much interest. FB friends commented, but there is something about that -- here today and gone tomorrow. Who said what?

Hey, I'm famous -- in Roswell and Alpharetta -- maybe

A couple of weeks ago, I walked into the Appen newspaper office on North Main Street and asked the receptionist if they might be interested in a story about my exhibit in the Roswell Cultural Arts Center. Lo and behold, an arts-savvy young reporter, Jonathan Copsey, appeared. We sat down, he interviewed me and the rest is history. He wrote an article my mother will love:

http://www.northfulton.com/Articles-COMMUNITY-NEWS-c-2012-09-12-195008.114126-sub-Roswell-Cultural-Arts-Center-features-local-artist.html

"In the Pink" and "Natural Wonders"

Bigger is interesting. After I stretched these canvases and balanced them on two easels to keep them steady, I was dealing with space, lots of wonderful, open space. Faced with a perfect canvas, the urge to make wide, sweeping gestures is irresistible. It's physical and challenges those of us who are not among the big and tall. I can't say why, but I've always liked to work on a large scale. The impact is so much greater. And there is a joy in being able to make something that keeps your attention. The little item on the table is not going to distract from the painting that is five feet by five feet -- which is what these two paintings are -- as is "Seriously" (give or take an inch or two).  A confession -- yes, I am jealous of the artists who are currently painting murals on the sides of buildings. The ultimate result is WOW! You can't miss their message.

Serious about "Seriously"

Guess what? "Seriously" is going to be the image that will be used on the invitation for next exhibit opening at the OneTwelve Gallery on 112 Krog St., August 10. And I came just a hair away from messing with the painting and not leaving it in its pristine condition. Andre and Erin were here and liked it the way it was. They convinced me to sign it and leave it alone. So...there it is.

Seriously

Another painting, this one taking up two easels -- oil on canvas, lots of white paint and an accent on the primary colors, the sharp edges of summer bleeding into the composition. It kept warning me to stay away and not over-do it. I had to stop and leave it at what seems to be its minimalist best. I like the clean, open air that it breathes.

Transparent Worlds

   
                                                  Transparent Worlds I
                                                Watercolor and Ink, 12"x14"

                                                 Transparent Worlds II

                                               Watercolor and Ink, 12"x14"

      Sometimes we see up close and sometimes we look beyond. Blink and the whole vision has changed. The light of day changes constantly, as does our point of view. Part of what we see is on the surface, the other part is what we add from what is in our hearts and memories. All of which explain why some visions will appeal to some and not other. We literally see a different scene in spite of the fact that we stand side by side.

Feminine and Free!

                                Feminine and Free -- Three canvases, each 12"x30", in oil.


This painting started out mild and innocuous. I kept working and it started to acquire blood and guts. There is enough wallpaper in this world that blends into the background. The turmoil that bubbles under the surface, the angst that is churning and the hearts that break -- I think I got close to it in this painting. I applied the paint with brush and palette knife. Then, I scratched and I scribbled. Too much perfection and smoothness is patently artificial. Overly dramatic? After as many decades as I have been around--I think it only beings to tell the story. The whole truth is impossible to express. I do believe that the truth is that women yearn to be free, free of the constraints that have been attached to them over the centuries in almost every culture.


Below: Close-ups of  the scratches and scars. 

T

"On the Edge of the Horizon"

Is there an explanation for all this nonsense?

Deep in the bottom of my soul, I think there are spots and lines and crazy shapes. Whenever I pick up a brush or a pen, they're there, talking to me, jumping in my face, insisting on being there. When the colors and lines blend, there is always a story, always a feeling. This one has hills and valleys, a big wide space that suggests its own universe. No, I'm not a conscious artist who plans and knows what is coming. It doesn't happen that way, but my eyes keep seeking a balance, a jolt, a reflection of life. It's not done until it gets to the point where it has an integrity of its own. That may not make any sense to anyone but me, but there it is.

"Happy"

Painting in progress...Happy? Was working at my desk, forcing myself to work at my desk and finally allowed myself to take a short reprieve. The freedom, the joy of it...no matter what the painting looks like...not finished...but bursts of color that say it's worth going forward. Needs to be finished.

For Love of Los Angeles

There is no place like Los Angeles. My love for the place is in this painting...beautiful hills, incredible light, and a big, big sky.

Sincerely Yours

In the spirit of Valentine's Day, a painting for the ones I love..."Sincerely Yours"

Valentine's Day Specials

For an exhibit at 2 Rules Fine Art in Marietta -- opening the evening of Feb. 3 -- I did two special paintings. The theme is commercialism and love. That's not too hard to put together in our world. Soooo...I did (A)Heart of Gold and Eyes the Color of Money and (B)You Have to Love Me. I Bought You So Many Things.

Splashing Waters

Last night I came home and had to paint. Had to feel centered. This afternoon, I picked up the brushes and palette knife and gave it some finishing touches. With the torrential rains we've had lately, not surprisingly, it is "Splashing Waters."

Tsunami

A powerful subject, oil on canvas, 36"x40"

With the news of the Japanese tsunami ringing in my ears, I stood in front of my canvas and painted. It was as if the waters and the color of Japanese art mixed and melded and poured out with me as the instrument. The forces of nature overwhelmed me in the moment. Then, there they were, an image frozen in time.