hello.....

Hello cyber friends - I have not left! truly!  I had my knee replacement surgery two weeks ago and am climbing back.  I won't bore you with all the medical stuff because many of you have traveled this road or other such roads and it's pretty much just keep climbing.  Long, slow and a bit painful.  That's pretty much it.  I wanted to say Hi!, I'm on the rebound and I wanted to share something that I'm in love with.  Over a month ago I found an Amsterdam artist, Leslie Oschmann while cruising the internet for a birthday present for myself.  My husband was after me to find something I wanted and to be truthful, I couldn't think of anything I needed, wanted.  But I cruised.  I stumbled across some images of the most amazing tote bags.  As I researched them, I discovered Leslie Oschmann and her unique bags.  She sources markets in Holland and Belgium for vintage oil paintings and repurposes them into gorgeous bags.  Bingo!  These had my name all over them, vintage, repurposed, paintings?  what not to love.  Jim loved them too, so yesterday my bag arrived.  Great care and quality materials are used to juxtapose these paintings into a very unique 'one of a kind' bag that will only get richer with time.  Happy Birthday to me!! A picture of both sides hanging on my new friend 'the crutch'. 

 To find more of Leslie's work go here.http://swarmhome.bigcartel.com/category/bags

Will be back here with some more news later.  Be well!

personal markers

Maturing into an art practice is so rewarding!! When I think back over the 20 or so years I've been painting and what my initial goals were, it's quite an eye opener.  Just walking into my studio and passing by work that I did 3 or 4 years ago and then walking into my work area with my current work, I have to say, I'm so glad I didn't give up.  There were so many times I just wanted to walk away, and I actually did a couple of times, but the desire never left.

Looking at the older work I see markers that pointed the way - in the beginning my personal style was evident - not developed, but definitely there - those early markers are in my current work and are my personal voice.  It's really interesting to go back and see what has remained constant - I have tried on alot of different techniques over the years, but my personal markers never varied.  Obviously the work has matured and I'm a better painter then I was 20 years ago, but that constant thread continues to inform today.  The image below is a compilation of some work I did in 2009.

compilation of work

these are details of 8 paintings I did on paper in 2009.  The next image is of a piece I finished this week.

oil and wax on panel, 20x16, 'Single Digits'

You can see the markers that continue to show in my work, although done in different ways, they are still there.  So interesting to me.

I continue to march through my boat load of life and find it challenging and rewarding.  Will see you all back here next week!!

something I'm loving......

.......is just having the time to work!!  I don't take it for granted when days, weeks and months spread themselves out before me without interruption.  A steady focused work is so wonderful.  A time to wallow in the work!! Even when there is a boat load of life stuff happening all around me, (and trust me, there is a BOAT LOAD of life happening, geez!) studio time is still presenting itself.  My now not so new studio, has become as friendly to me  as my little shed in the woods was.  The luxury of exploring new ideas without pressure, making a heap of bad work that teaches and informs, it's all good.  The painting below I've been working on for a couple of weeks and was delighted when this blue showed up!

oil and wax on panel, 36x36, 'Turning South'

I have been doing the total opposite of what I would normally do when confronted with "what should I do next" - sitting back and looking at a piece in progress I've been asking, "what is the least likely next step that shouldn't work" and then I do that!!  Man oh man, have I been enlightened!!  Sometimes it truly was the wrong thing to do, but if I didn't go there, how would I know!!

Hope you are all full of energy and creating everyday!

steady on.......

I wish I had some new and exciting anything to share, but alas, no.  I'm just steady on........working, working, working and honing my skills.  It's all pretty much the same, pushing paintings past their original resolves and finding it all exciting on my end.  So not to bore you with another 'pushed' painting, I will share a brand new one.....painting below is at it's first resolve and only time will tell if it will stay at this level or be pushed later in the year.....

oil and wax on panel, 20x20, Her Spring Ribbons

Also, for those of you who are Seth Apter fans, you probably already know that his new book will be out in October of this year - The Mixed Media Artist

I am one of the 40 artists featured - it was a fun experience and answering all the questions made me more aware of who I am as an artist - at least at the time - It's been a number of months now and I am at a loss as to what I actually said, so when the book does appear,  it will be interesting to read where my art mind was at the time. You can pre-order it here.

 

below is a sneak peak detail of one of my paintings in the book

detail

Steady on everyone!  See you all on the other side of the weekend!! 

another 'pushed' painting.......

Here is another 'push' on a painting.  I'm very focused right now on going as far as I can with the work.  What have I got to lose?!! Absolutely nothing - I can keep a boat load of 'just nice' work, or push past the comfy and go for something I've never seen.  This painting was grabbed off the wall as I went into my studio today and I just pushed it to another place.

it had some nice elements and was pleasant, but geez! so what!!! wanted to try a new little thing I learned and see if it was a 'just once happy accident', or if it really was another way to work with this wax medium.  Well, yes, it is another way to work with cold wax - I love combining different methods all in one painting.  It gives me some wonderful options and variations.  The painting below is the final result.  Much more interesting alive in my mind!!

oil and wax on panel, 24x36, 'Her Untimed Reversal'

Have some little news bits, but will save them until later in the week.  Hope you are all finding life good and creating amazing things.

all roads lead back......

I'm continually amazed at how often I find myself back at a very familiar place.  I love the adventure of exploring new ways to work and what I find along the way, but eventually, I find myself back at a very similar aesthetic that I began with over 20 years ago.  Each time I return to this place, the work has grown and expanded, but it is the same place.  I started recognizing it again about two weeks ago and then as I put several pieces up on the wall to look at today, I knew I was back again.   It's a hard thing to put into words, but it has happened over and over again through the years.  This is when my work is the  most honest.  It's home and I don't feel like traveling a different road anytime soon.  The work below I finished this afternoon.

oil and wax on panel, 24x24, 'Her Doubtful Cross Purposes'

The next photo is of three of the works together..........there are at least 2 more that belong in this family

When I drive into town on my way to the studio, I pass a house where several men, who appear a bit down and out, live together.  There is always one of them outside smoking a cigarette.  However recently they added something new to the front porch.  Two white plastic outdoor chairs, however, these sometimes face looking inside the house.  They have a large screen TV and sometimes one or two of the men is sitting in these chairs, smoking but watching the TV inside from the outside.

Happy first day of Spring everyone! Well not everyone, for some, the first day of Fall.......see you all back here next week!

catching up..........

A painting will wait for you to catch up.  It will sit patiently.  It has no time limit on it.  It is okay in the moment and is never in a hurry.  We work away adding our life to the surface and the painting waits to speak.  As I hone my skills, I have learned to be patient - patience is not an innate quality of mine.  I have had to learn it.  It truly is a virtue.  I finished the painting below a month ago.  I truly liked it.  However, I realized today, hmmmmm, it has been waiting for the final coat of life. 

I got a whole boat load of life going on right now, so this seemed a good time to lay on another layer.

I truly was amazed AGAIN! that the extra push at the end made the work live.

oil and wax on panel, 24x24, 'Her Taste of Wishing'

So there you have it!  I have two other works going through the same process - pushing until the end.  It's a good place to travel to.

On the surgery front, final date hasn't been set, but it does loom - in the next few weeks I should know - in the process of preparing for it - surgeon wants me to do a few things first, so I am in process as my work.

Push to the end everyone!   See you all back here in some form........