First of all, I hope 2023 is an exceptional year for us all. Collectively we've been through a hell of a LOT over these past few years. It's been tough rolling with the punches, yet we are brave and stronger than we know, so let us tap into that positive energy and move forward! I'm not one to make New Year's resolutions but, I am one to reflect on the past year as the New Year comes upon us. Personally, last year was challenging due to multiple loved ones dealing with health issues as well as the ensuing grief that comes from the loss of a beautiful soul. Those things are the always the hardest for me to deal with. During times of high stress, it's so difficult for me to get into my natural zone of creativity. Truth is, there were times in 2022 that it felt rather impossible. For months, my mind was mentally preoccupied with concern and/or outright sadness that I couldn't turn off. Yet, here I am. Battered but I got through it. After reflecting on the past year, my thoughts then move to the future and the possibilities. I'm feeling excited about the direction my creative flow is taking me. I've found myself putting much more personal emotion into my art and plan to explore that further going into this new year. I'm also very aware that in 2023 I need to spend regular time and effort in the area of marketing and networking. First published a year ago, today this website celebrates its 1 year-old birthday. I was late to the party for social media: on March 9th, 2022 I began posting on Facebook and, on July 13th 2022 I began posting on Instagram. If you're on either platform, check it out and give me a follow and/or a shoutout! My natural inclination is to concentrate solely on making art and NOT do these marketing and networking things - a fact that has made me quite aware of WHY an artist like myself would benefit from gallery representation. That would free me (somewhat anyway) from the self-promotion arena so I could concentrate on making art. While I'm not actively pursuing that, I remain open to contemplating and exploring whatever opportunities may eventually swing my way. Positive vibes going forward! Below you can see the LAST piece of artwork that was created in 2022. The art is entitled SELF-CONSCIOUS. It's 24x36" and, as you may notice, it has been painted over a heavily textured surface. Prints are available HERE. What will 2023 bring?
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Never did I think I'd ever create art that featured a cat! But, two years ago this tiny feral kitten made himself known by meowing loudly outside of the house. It was dark and cold since winter was on the way. Longer story made shorter - we rescued the tiny mackeral tabby cat. He was too young to feed himself, and needed to be bottle fed. A few weeks later, his 3 siblings appeared near the trash bins. Longer story made shorter - we ended up taking his sister in and found a home for the other two. He was named TikTok and his sister was named Cashmere. If it wasn't for "the cat's meow," we would NOT have any cats! WHY? Because we were dog people. Always loved and had dogs. Dog people through and through. If we hadn't heard the meowing in distress we wouldn't have any cats today. But here they are and both of them have found their way into our hearts. Now we cannot imagine life without them. Never say never. THE CAT'S MEOW
20x20" gallery canvas acrylics and hand cut paper elements Prints and MORE are available here. This month I created the mixed media piece shown below entitled, MIND BLOWN. I had been thinking about using some collage elements in conjunction with paint and finally took the dive. This piece was much more labor intensive than I anticipated BUT, it was the first artwork I've created that included hand cut paper elements. More to come! I like the effect the collage added to it. Prints and more featuring this original design can be found here. STAY TUNED! I've got plans to create more work in this style.
Fall is here, my favorite time of year! This was the month I decided to try oil painting alla prima style on some smaller canvases. If you don't know what alla prima style is, essentially, it's starting and finishing a painting in one sitting, while the paint is still wet. I've gotta admit, I was scared to even try this painting style. I haven't even been playing with oil paint for long. I'd been thinking about alla prima for a while, telling myself "one day" I would give it a go. That one day was in October. I had a brave moment and thought to myself, "what the hell, just give it a go" and I did. Intentionally going out of your comfort zone helps you to learn and grow. The first three canvases painted were 11x14" gallery canvases that are 1.5" deep. The fourth was painted on a 9x12" canvas panel. Alkyd oil paint was used on these. Alkyd oils have a faster drying time. The last two canvases (alla prima #5 & #6) were painted using regular oil paint. These were both painted on 9x12 canvas panels. The regular oils I had and used were gifted to me and some were picked up secondhand many years ago. None of them were great quality oils, but it gave me a chance to try them. I did learn from this experience, but one thing stood out. That is that alkyd oil paint and regular oil paint are quite different. I found that alkyd paint is stickier than regular oils. You don't notice it at first with the alkyds because fresh out of the tube they are very blendable - but, over time, after the hours pass, they get a LOT stickier and trickier to blend. The regular oils, even though they were lesser quality, stayed open and and are easier to move and blend. I'm accustomed to painting while standing up but, since these were a smaller size, I put them on a small easel on a table and painted them there while sitting. Each painting took me between 4 and 5-1/2" hours to complete. Sitting there for so long was a pain in the neck - literally, which is something I hadn't experienced standing. It was interesting to experiment with alla prima and, I will practice this again in the future. After these first six paintings, I'm partial to #4 and #6. |
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