Less Blogging, More Painting

Closing out the Thanksgiving week, I am reminded that 'Thanksgiving' is not just a holiday...but thanks giving is a state of mind that should be carried with us every day. I am thankful for many things this week...most notably, my friends and family who uplift and enrich my life.

Serendipity

9X12

Pastel on Ampersand Pastelbord

'Tis the season for small works... perfect for me, stripped down to the essentials of time, no time for large works, delay, analysis, procrastination...self doubt...only time for the fervor of work, and creative energy. In this fervor, I am finding a flow and rhythm in landscapes (that until now, I have unintentionally avoided), responding to the watercolor underpainting with a deeper sense of expression and intimacy... and with an efficiency that comes from the pressure imposed by time.

A few of these landscapes will be on display for the "Small Works" exhibit opening

Friday Dec 6th at Liberty Town Arts in Fredericksburg.

Paintings will also be on exhibit in December...

The Workhouse Arts Center at Lorton

Merger of Art and Design: MAD Artist! Designer's Choice Exhibit

Nov 22nd-Jan 4th

as well as

The Fredericksburg Center for the Creative Arts

Small Wonders National Juried Exhibition

Dec 6th- Jan 28th

Happy Thanks Giving today and every day!

The curious world of Iris

There have been many "starts and stops" to this painting over the past few months. Each time returning to work, I find myself re-evaluating my intention..what is it I see here?...what is it about this painting that keeps me returning? After all, a new day, brings new perspective (both in life and in art)...new interpretations, new insights.

So I have to ask myself...can my intention be the same each time I return..what I see in the image be the same...when I have changed from day to day? I don't believe it can..exactly; the mood, aesthetic, and way of seeing have changed. I notice these subtle difference in the way I have approached different areas each time following a pause in work. The challenge is in finding harmony among the various "intentions" within the painting and exploring the curiosity that attracted me in the beginning.

So, what is the intention here? Of course, most will see "flowers"; the iris a symbol for hope, faith and wisdom. But today I see energy, curious wonder in the flow of line, lost and found shapes, and the statement of color.

The curious world of Iris

Pastel on Ampersand Pastelbord, 16X20

On Exhibit October 4th-November 8th

@

The Workhouse Arts Center, Gallery 16

Lorton Arts Foundation

my garage?

Watercolor on Aquabord in progress, and progress, and progress 22X30.
Though not from my garage...I very much appreciate the wonderful "collection" of aged treasures and visual repetition of lines, angles and what will be secret dark spaces perfect for exploring. One of my fondest memories from childhood...exploring my great grandmothers long-abandoned log cabin, built by her and her husband; the decorative wallpaper...newspaper from the nearest rural south Texas town (that was able to produce a paper)...and the nostalgic smells and shapes of furniture re-purposed from a previous life and necessity.

Suffering...how it takes place while someone else is eating or opening a window...or just walking dully along.

"About suffering, they were never wrong, the old masters: how well they understood, it's human position; how it takes place while someone else is eating or opening a window or just walking dully along." WH Auden

In light of recent tragic events and the people suffering in Haiti, I am reminded of this quote. Though I choose to interpret "Masters" as really anyone. I mostly connect with this statement as a nurse and mother, roles that help ground me in reality, but also often from an artist's view and the importance of being thankful for the beauty in what we see everyday.
And so this second week of the new year...and a new decade...I planned to re-organize and renew... my priorities... my intentions....my pastel box. I listed a few of these artistic "resolutions" below, but they seem lofty even as I type them remembering that others are simply "surviving". My real goal...never to walk "dully along".

1. Make better decisions when juggling competing responsibilities.
2. Focus more on the joy of creating and the journey.
3. Seek authenticity and work to develop a cohesion in vision, handling of medium, artistic touch and style.
4. Be confident in and value the of sharing my vision of art and the beauty in everyday, unlikely places.

Recommended by my friend who works at USAID:
Those interested in helping victims in Haiti can get more info by visiting the following sites (cash is viewed as the best way to help): Center for Int'l Disaster Info www.cidi.org; Interaction www.interaction.org for a list of credible responding agencies; www.give.org for assistance in making informed decisions when supporting charities; and www.globalgiving.org.