At the far ends of the earth...and back

I've been writing a lot -- but yesterday I was moved to do a couple of watercolor paintings for cards I needed to send. The abstract is a sympathy card -- life is so complicated. The seascape is for my mother's 90th birthday. She is living in Hawaii near the Pacific with a view of the ocean from her window.

Off the Deep End

Another excuse not to be working...drawing a silly cartoon in response to a friend's post on fb:

Photography -- another addiction...

Yesterday in the downpour, I found relief through the lens...and messing with colors and contrast. Here is the not-so-intellectual take on nature's waterworks:

Painting is an addiction...incurable

     Just when I got to the point where I was sure that I had had it...no more painting...too much stuff piled up...no payback for dragging my work to one exhibition after another...Here I go again. It soothes my soul and makes me feel like I've done something worthwhile. I start with an empty canvas and end up with a reflection of my thoughts that can make me smile. Here is what happened when I walked into my studio, picked up my brushes and painted after being sure I was done...finished...moving on... Why me?

                                      Rainy Days...a humble 9"x 12" painting, oil on canvas.

And then there was the dawn...

Swirling Seas, 9"x12", oil on canvas.

Is it possible that there is nothing as fascinating as the ocean? Land locked in Atlanta...I dream of the water glistening in the sunlight and waves washing the shore.

Some days painting brings sanity and peace of mind

Underwater Secrets

Today was one of those days -- after the rush and bother of putting together the Dolls in the City exhibit and trying to keep all the other pieces of my life together --then there was painting. Like most of the paintings I like the most -- and enjoyed doing the most -- it began without a plan, just materials and the freedom to ride.

This one, a return to the beauty of pure color and reminders of oceans with their depths and their mysteries.

Dolls in the City -- Art Exhibit with a message

This is what I put together with some of my most awesome artist friends...Yes, I have one painting in it, too, my "Children of the Night," but it's about the sum total:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8_lLuICVDQ

Debbie Smith -- Doll Maker Extraordinaire, Amandine Drouet --  Sculptress and Photographer, and Maggie Vicki Bethel, Photographer and Mistress of Collage. At the opening, I asked Maggie to lead a group collage project -- and lots of people stopped and participated. It was wonderful to give guests a chance to make art, too.