Think Small 09.....

Two of my paintings were accepted into Lawrence Street Gallery's "Think Small 09" juried show. All works measure under 12 inches in any direction.

A really manageable size to gift wrap! (hint hint) :)

The opening is tomorrow evening, and I won't be able to be there, unfortunately... I'm still up north helping out my mom. If you can, you should check it out... there are always some surprising and exquisitely lovely small works....



"Earn Your Stripes"
6 x 6 (11 x 10 framed)
acrylic gesso and colored pencil on yupo paper
$75


"Partners In Climb"
6 x 6 (11 x 10 framed)
Acrylic gesso and colored pencil on yupo paper
$75
(this photo makes me laugh... my two big thumb prints on the outside edges of the image are matted out of the framed painting... LOL... gotta get another photo of this one! How professional I am....geesh!)

Michigan Holly...

"Michigan Holly"
8 x 8
oil pastel and watercolor on paper

Michigan landscape in November has mostly neutral tones...umbers, dark green pine ...sienna oak leaves... Then there is flash of brilliant red orange berries and bright green moss. An oasis for color starved eyes! This is another small one inspired by my daily walks in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lake Shore park.

I'll be taking a break from the park walks since deer hunting season has begun with a literal "bang" this morning and will continue for 2 weeks. And no more wearing my reindeer hat for a while! :)

Thoughts on Walks

"Thoughts on Walks"
watercolor and colored pencil on paper
8 x 8 inches

Those of you that know me... know that I've been helping out my mom as she deals with acute myelogenous leukemia, and the stroke she suffered because of it. I've been here in Honor, Michigan for just over 8 months (with a few quick trips home). I really feel lucky to be in the position to be able to do this for her. It is a gift to be able to help out where it's needed and appreciated.

Though, obviously there are some challenging parts to helping out a sick parent. One thing that's kept me somewhat sane and calm are my walks in the "Sleeping Bear Dune National Lake Shore" park. I can walk from the house straight down a dirt road that leads to Lake Michigan.... On some days I won't see another soul for the hour and a half it takes me. Imagine that! The most beautiful forest that leads to the dunes and then the lake in all it's magnificence enjoyed in complete solitude (other than the wildlife...and occasionally Ranger Jim). I listen to my Ipod... and have a notebook and pen for the wonderful insights that seem to pop into my head during these long walks. I really feel quite lucky.

The watercolor was painted from memory...and then the word stream that seems to ramble out of my head, was added with colored pencil. I can't even really read it, since I chose a pencil close in value and tone to the painting.

Paperwork Monster....

Bag O Work....

Cracked me up when I saw the face that greeted me on my desk this morning... I'll get to it tomorrow... Today is my day off.

"Lights, Camera, Action!" Completed....

"Lights, Camera, Action!"
12 x 12
Acrylic on canvas

After a nights sleep... I woke up with a bit of a plan. I subdued some of the areas with white. and added a few dashes of pink to brighten up it's outlook. Calling this one finished.

I'm enjoying my birthday today... I love cake. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. oinky oink.

Lights Camera Action...Work in Progress

Lights Camera Action (Work in Progress... gonna sleep on it)
12 x 12
Acrylic on canvas

Felt oh so good to be slapping paint around today... Got out a canvas with some paint already on it and just started painting. I was working on 7 paintings at once... my favorite way to work! This one needs some areas simplified... but I need to think on it a little bit.

Enjoyed the most glorious sunny fall day today... Heading out for a walk right now, to enjoy the last little bit of it.

Aspire...and your art can too match your sofa...

"Aspire" work in progress...
24 x 24
acrylic and pencil on canvas

About this painting: The gold sections are Daniel Smith's gold gesso (which is addicting to use...but really hard to use 'well' I think) and will eventually be covered in gold leaf... we'll see how that goes...LOL

"Real Art Doesn't Match the Sofa"
I don't know where this phrase came from... probably from a frustrated artist.... I can almost hear the conversation as they are looking at the completed and commissioned floral painting...

patron (holding her couch arm sleeve thingie): "shouldn't that rose be a more lipsticky mauve rather than the purpley mauve you've painted?
artist: "If i change the color then that rose will not fit in with the rest of the painting."
patron: "Well, see here in the fabric...it really is a more lipsticky mauve."
artist:"But that color wouldn't look right against the greens that you provided with the paint chips."
patron:"I really thought that the rose would match this lipsticky mauve color in my sofa..."
artist:"Real art does't match the sofa."

Yup... I can imagine where the phrase came from... But, I think it puts up a barrier....
It makes the average person feel intimidated... It's as if artwork coordinating with furnishings is soooo not cool...
And I completely disagree....

Furnishing a home is an art... A room is a composition.... I would not place a piece of art in a spot that didn't look good.... If the pattern on my sofa looked awful with a fabulous painting above it... I would move the painting, or the sofa.

I know I'm being literal with this saying... and that's probably not what the author meant...
But we shouldn't be flippant and roll our eyes at someones "unsophisticated" tastes... It's never good to make someone feel dumb...

As artists need to try to educate and lead... (Especially here in the US... where art education is so sadly pushed to the bottom of our schools' curriculum.) We need to try to entice our friends and family into our artistic circles... to show them what we see and feel, with approachable language and an open and welcoming attitude.

"Real Art is for Everyone"