Friday, May 28, 2010

Crop - a midsummer's night dream


It's late, making myself quit for the night. Get excited when a piece is coming along. This is a crop of a midsummer's night dream theme for The Artist Challenge site. Trying two of the techniques that were demonstrated in a workshop attended a week ago (Nicholas Simmons).

If your getting bored or are trying to come up with an unusual concept for your next piece; drop in and take the dare. Two themes each month (one free) each theme presented by a member (or client looking for a specific piece)voted on and then presented by many artists based on their composition.

Monday, May 24, 2010

And am rethinking the photoshop format


this is the final one will post 'cause the other one I am looking like "Madamn" the puppet complete with mouth and lips flapping away. hahaha!

Running in place


I could have posted this one but SHE WAS HIDING!

Saturday, May 22, 2010

shu ha ri (three stages of learning)


Thank you Nicholas for pushing us along!

(this piece has been submitted to The Artist Challenge website under the theme concept of Portrait of an artist. Come spend some time and view many other artists concepts as well as the Inferno which are our talented writers who develop the written word in story or poetry stroke)

The journey have been on made so much sense in reading part 5 of Tony Smibert's "the professional watercolorist" from the Dec/Jan 2010 issue of international artist.

To condense he talks about the forms and techniques of earlier masters are copied by the beginning artist. Then the artist evolves by incorporating these techniques into their"own" work. Soon he/she reach the final powerful originality of their own work. Finding myself in the 2nd stage of this development (this piece was Nick's concept and the techniques used were his to demonstrate). Enter photoshop and design of ones own with layers, adjustments made in composition; believe am now equipped to create and explore my own originality. Am sure there will be many works ahead that will expand on the growth and am thankful there are artists out there that share in our development. Am reminded of watching your child take their first steps.

Connections

This was the only one that didn't have my mule likeness in it! he who hath the camera RULES! You need to SMILE MORE miss SUNBEAM thats all! so enjoyed catching up with you again and meeting Sharon and Rhonda for the first time. Often comment on blogs to folks; it's so great that your all the same personality in person as on your blogs. Am a workshop junkie for this reason. Feel we learn the most about the work by those we cross paths with.

My favorite Rosie Huart, Leonard Williams and Karen Benedetti were there and they never disappoint! Leonard and I found this motorcycle outside and like to have missed one of the experiments getting caught up in our over the road fantasies! (we took upteen photos of this bike for reference). Sharing...

Nicholas Simmons


Can't get enough, between throwing paint, dripping it on to hot press and watching it flow, wetting areas of the paper and watching the "magic work with the fluid acrylics" and listening to a day in the life complete with toilet paper trails; focus....
Rhonda Carpenter documented it all perfectly! clickback on her blog she's my new "fav".

Have never been to a workshop where we each took up the brush to practice the technique. Found this to be so wonderful as most often have gone back to attempt the technique and failed miserable in the process.

And the photoshop "quickie" outstanding-it takes me several times to get something so was able to stay after for the briefer version which answered alot of questions had in the initial session.

Friday found myself down at the gallery (Cannery CDAC) trying to complete one of the pieces for the latest theme challenge of Portrait of an Artist The artist challenge site There are so many different presentations of the piece Nick presented and loved walking around each morning checking out the other artist's direction. Will sidebar a little here the servitude of a Geisha is perhaps not acceptable in most cultures. However, boiling it down into the foundation of thought (yes am limiting it here to my noodle) pride, integrity and the quiet knowledge that one provides the utmost of service to another is an art. In looking at the Geisha; thoughts' came back pondering (there's that word again Cheryl)
her self esteem. The window she looks out on in the world, her white powdered face heavy with the ruby red lips and black lined covered eyes with the Japanese lettering stamping out her identity. It is to be the very best on the path she has chosen in life, to excel. We are all works of art in that sense.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Happy Mother's Day-Peony Sonnet


Collage work with washi and rice papers. Watercolor, india inks. USD 400
prints available (hit contact link)

Under the Sea



April theme acrylic inks, watercolor and pastels 20x13 on hot press watercolor paper USD 400