Saturday, August 28, 2010

Pretty Pictures All in a Row....






Paintings are politely lined up.... ready to be wrapped and put into the car for a ride down to Lake Orion, MI for my show at Flint Street Gallery (inside Little Monsters)

The show is called... "Transitions: The Joy of the Process"

Here's my artist's statement for the show....

"Over the last year and a half, our family has gone through some big changes… Moving up to northern Michigan and sadly, my mother’s illness and death were the two biggest things to adjust to. 2009 was a real challenge, and we are transitioning our way through and away from it.

The Collage paintings….

The collage florals are the result of me immersing myself in happy, joyful colors and shapes. The challenge is simplifying the intricate and delicate forms of the flowers. After I get the shapes down, I can have some fun cutting, ripping and pasting; kind of like Kindergarten. Collage also reminds me of the process of quilting. (My mom was a terrific quilter.) I love the feel of the surface of these paintings…tactile. I love smoothing the paper down with my goopy fingers…messy. I love finding just the right piece of paper to add without having to adjust it with paint...finding treasure.

Gouache Ink Resist paintings….

The gouache ink resist pieces are similar to the collage pieces in that it’s about simplifying things, but to an even greater degree. Gouache Ink Resist paintings remind me of linoleum or wood block prints, but without the cut fingers. :) As the title suggests, the gouache (pronounced gwash) is painted on, then covered with india ink. After that’s dry, you hold the paper under running water, to wash away the gouache, revealing the painting. The process takes some planning, and it’s sort of unforgiving, but when it works…. Wow… magic trick at the sink. :)

Both of these types of paintings have helped heal me…I can immerse myself in the effort of creating. For me, it’s all about the joy of the process of artmaking.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Fall is in the air...finally!


Fall 2009... What we have to look forward to!

Ok... I have figured out that I like the "idea" of summer... Picnics, lounging on the decks, boat rides, golf... but the actual summer...especially this actual summer, with it's hot temperatures and humidity...me no likey.

Today, I needed a hoodie to go down the drive to get the paper. aaaahhhhhhh. Fresh air. It reminded me of the house we lived in in Rochester Hills, MI... We were close enough to the high school that we could hear the marching band practicing in the dark of the early morning. I just loved waking up to the far away beat of the drums and faint music. Nothing like the star spangled banner to get you up in the morning. :)

I really miss that herald of early fall. Maybe I'll grab my kazoo, and march down the drive humming my favorite show tunes. I'm sure our neighbors would appreciate it as much as I did....don'tcha think?

Even without the cooler temps... I can see a change in the quality of the light. The sun is lower in the sky... the colors are becoming more saturated... Magic.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Is my hair too big?



Well.... is it?

hehehe
One of a few characters I made today with collage and acrylic paint...

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Grumbacher Class samples tadaaaaa!


Landscape Sample for Acrylic classes...
Just a tree... out-standing in a field. :) Easy peasy beginner class.



Floral Sample for acrylic classes...
This one is a bit more involved... But still fine for a beginner.

Classes will be held at Michaels in Traverse City, MI.... I'll post the class dates when they are scheduled. Hope you can join me!

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