Category: art

Procrastination love it or hate it.

Today was suppose to be the hottest day of the week but because there was a nice continual breeze it was almost perfect outside. The trees swayed long and loud as the wind Russelled it’s leaves and branches drowning out all sound except for the frequent cicadas that let off a high pitch sound very nearby. The birds seemed quite social for a change. The temperature gage read 100 degrees but it’s in the direct sunlight. I sit here in the shade drinking ice tea. My kids are having a safari animal pool party. Everyone is getting wet even me. I am having a stress free day. For some reason the world doesn’t seem in such a bad place. For a moment I have a glimmer of hope and a sense of direction.

Although I seem to be having a bit of an artist block if you can call it an artist block? I had been working on finishing a painting and had even started another one just for some variety. And then out of the blue I just stopped painting. Time always seems to be the big issue with me first scheduling it and then using it wisely. Procrastination you have to love it or hate it. So it frustrates me now and I despise this struggle I go through every time to get back to work where I need be and painting.

Summer meant lazy days of sleeping in, sun tanned from head to foot and dirty feet.

Photo by almostfinnishWe had some really amazing days here. The temperatures reached up into the near 80’s and there was a warm zephyr that blew our hairs around in delight. And then there’s this smell of the earth rejuvenating you know that wet mosey damp soil smell that always wisps past us for that first time in a matter of seconds. For me it’s a nostalgic smell, a reminiscent smell, and a smell that keeps bringing me back to my youth. Most of my greatest memories are collected within a smell like the smell of lemons, gas cans, musty old basements, an old paperback book, foggy nights and with that hint of alewife in the air.

So I have been thinking about telling my story as I remember it. It’s about a place and time. There are no antagonists and no sidewalks. Although we battle nature and growing up. Some periphiral characters seem to come to light as we tell the stories amongst ourselves.

More importantly, along with writing, I’ve started a series of paintings originating and departing from some photographs taken during my recent return to the old farmhouse, duck pen, silo, and the trees we sit under or swing from.

As a child, I would lay in bed at night and a warm breeze would blow into the room and the shear curtains would slowly rise and fall. The lights outside would sometimes reflect on the curtains making them more white than ever. I would lay there wide awake, observant and listening to the quietness, maybe a cricket, a whippoorwill, a frog on occasion but my thoughts made me distant to all.  As my mind wandered an old familiar smell passed in front of me it was always sudden and it was always a surprise. Spring was here I wanted to remember this smell and this moment forever. It also brought on a longing as I remembered the anticipation and the excitement that was to come not only was it spring but that school too would soon be over.

When school was out it meant summer was about to begin.  Summer meant lazy days of sleeping in late, being sun tanned from head to foot and bare feet. Summer meant ice cream, watermelon and that smell of fresh cut grass. We would go to town occasionally for a trip but mostly it was long filled days of exploring through the woods and dragging along a red wagon, a coffee can or a butterfly net. We spontaneously created and built these things beyond our imaginations and never to be seen. Our life was of great adventure and our minds full of wonder and possibilites.

Sometimes my sanity is more important than my art.

I like to think I eat sleep and breathe art but in reality it is like the last thing I get to do on my list. Tuesday and Thursday are my two big days if these days fall through so does the whole week.

Last Thursday I invested all my time in just cleaning brushes and my palettes. My theory in the past was to just buy new paint brushes when I ran out of clean ones. But instead of throwing brushes away I kept them and now I have a gazillion brushes and when I paint I use a gazillion brushes. So I’m trying to stand back and analyze my predicament. Clean up time should be short and sweet.
My whole way of thinking has changed. Although I am painting more and better my time to paint is less. I really don’t need a lot of time to paint. A solid one, two, three hours can be sufficient.

As for this Tuesday well everyone was out of the house which is unusual. As much as I wanted to busy myself. I stopped and got breakfast and a coffee with three creams. I just came back and enjoyed a nice solitaire breakfast for a change and caught up with some stuff. Sometimes my sanity is more important than my art.

It is late and I have been painting. The room smells of turpentine and oil paint and it is a welcoming smell. I have too many canvases in process and unfinished hence the name ‘almostfinnish’ and some that are just taking up space so I need to take serious measures to be able to differentiate from ‘has potential’ to ‘hopeless’. How many times in the past has an artist painted over their paintings???? Is there too many times?

One thing I don’t have is a shortage of supplies so if a few canvases end up in the trash I’ll be okay.

It’s spring break here for us. Ten days all together. So my quest is to try to finish up some paintings sitting in limbo.

Nothing gets left behind.

I feel like I’m falling behind.   I have set some really great goals this year and have a whole year to implement them but my mind races and say its April already!!!  I don’t work very well under pressure that is why I did not go into commercial art. So I have to get past this I need to be relaxed and focused to paint. Distractions are my worst enemy.

I finished two paintings that have been weighing heavy on my mind successful or not they are done.

I finally started painting on a large canvas which is something have been wanting to do for some time.

The Granny painting still sits but is not too far from done and neither is my still life now that I look at it.

But as I write I sit in front of another unfinished painting a nocturnal night scene painting one that I enjoy very much even though it’s not finished. I just need to perfect it a little and straighten out the perspective in one of the buildings and then it’s done. So I have been sitting here for about an hour staring at it trying to figure out what exactly I’m going to do because I don’t want to muck it up. There are some really great areas in this painting that I don’t want to lose. I need a ruler… I’m cautious because I know I’ll go in there and want to rework the whole painting so I’m refraining from that. That is not what this painting needs it just needs a little attention not a lot. But once the creative process starts who know what will happen.

It’s little painting like this that detour me from staying on the straight and narrow path to where I need to go. It’s like nothing get left behind.  Is this good or bad?  I’m still progressing just at a different speed and it’s more like leap and bounds when I do go forward.

Nude figure drawings on display.

photo by almostfinnish

It was a busy week. I have been working on my website.

My website has become more than just a place to show my art work but hopefully more of a place where people and galleries and potential customers can stop in see my work and visit the studio while here. I am adding a lot of new images, pages and trying to organize it so it makes more sense it has been constantly evolving and changing through trial and error.  

Framing my art work has been the undeterred thought this week. Frames are something that I already have but wanted to alter and enhance so I can present my work in a more finished format.  My thought earlier in a blog was a stainless steel looking frame I love that look. So I picked up three different color versions and tried them all out on samples of wood. After deciding on one I went ahead and painted a frame. You know it just did not have that pizazz that I was hoping for so I tried the frame out on an earlier series that I did and it seemed to work out better. I only wish I had thought of this during that show. Live and learn. So I went ahead and painted all these frames silver and will take plan a photo shot soon and will add to my site. Getting back to my series at hand although silver came in second gold won over all. So I went and painted all the frames gold like I had originally started and I’ll tell you it did make a big difference and a better picture over all check it out for yourself and tell me what you think at my website.          http//www.cedarlodgeportraitstudio.com.  

I was determined this week to sign and take photographs of all my old figure drawings that I have hanging up around the studio or just stored in the basement. I have such a problem with signing my work if I died tomorrow I would leave no painting legacy. Just sign the damn things and be done with it. Signing them means that there finished, complete or at least resolved. Some of the drawings are deteriorating but there still very nice. I have great respect whenever I see homes that have figure drawings on display somewhere within the rooms.

My goal is to get my art work out of my studio and on display in galleries, coffee shops, martini bars, libraries and more avenues on the internet. There are a lot of spaces available and that are free. I regret that a lot of places take advantage of artists and charge them for displaying their work but that’s a blog for another day.

I was painting my Scruples?

                                                                                                    

I framed this piece today I’m trying to decide if the gold goes with this odd color combination…or not?

After a time of taking a lot of photographs for my series ‘Behind the Curtain’ and other photo’s of interest that went into a different direction. I began to paint some small acrylic paintings using some of the photo’s as a reference and inspiration. This is one. This was my cat named Scruples who was my faithful companion for over ten years. She was named after the book by Judith Krantz. She was a one person cat but when my daughter was born her maternal instincts kicked in too so she was always there and very concerned until she started crawling of course. So it is nice to have these photos and paintings although she is gone now cat heaven we say.

I keep leaning toward the abstraction. I want it complicated enough and simple enough so it catches the curiosity and brings the viewer closer. Abstraction is harder than I ever thought it to be. So I do a combination of both abstraction as we see things and how we might think we see things. Art and the creative process what’s your process?

The cat behind the curtain.

This is one picture of a series of photographs that I took during a time when I had stopped drawing for a while and took up the camera. 

This series of photographs is called ‘Behind the Curtain’. It’s a subjective approach about cats broken down to its most simplest form and enhanced by all elements that intervene to shroud the subject. Subtle transparencies emerge and shadows distort but the work is not about clarity but reality. The pictures bring the viewer closer to what exactly is present and in original form. The perception is geared toward the cat but the viewer keeps coming back to the curtain as the light intensifies, flattens and solidifies the curtain.The curtain stands alone with its subtle folds, elegant drapes and soft patterns. Even though we can’t get past the curtain the cat is still identifiable.

Reminds me of The Scream by Edvard Munch.

The red dress…This is a painting that I did some time ago and it still remains to be my favorite.

It was during a transition time for me when my life took a different direction. More importantlyI started painting. 

this painting remains a bit of a mystery. A moment in time.

This is a small 11″ x 14″ expressionistic acrylic painting. It is loosely executed.  This might look like a sad painting but it’s meant to be courageous. For sale $350.00.

Visit my website at http//cedarlodgeportraitstudio.com

I am a big fan of Malcolm T. Liepke.

I am working on getting some good camera shots of my art work. I try and try but a photograph never captures everything that’s in a painting. So I’m trying to think outside the box by doing combination shots of my art work, art in public spaces and reflective color to enhance the colors that be. My goal only to portray my art work in its truest form.  Not watered down or over exposed but just as it is seen under the most complimenting light ever. You know how when were out and about and there is this ambient light giving everyone a youthful glow that’s the light. Ambient light can be found  in the mid morning and late afternoon a notable fact that was brought to my attention and works out wonderful when taking photos outdoors.

 So while I’m doing this I am also thinking about framing. In the past I have been encouraged to go wider in my frames a minimum of at least 2.5”. I am also interested in spray painting my frames either gold and or a stainless steel  look which is very much the trend. I love stainless steel I’d do my whole kitchen like that if I could well not my kitchen because I don’t cook but I hang out and try to pay attention and open the wine if the meal calls for it.

 I am a big fan of Malcolm T. Liepke and I came across an artist of interest on twitter which brought me to facebook where I also found Malcolm and some of his art works ‘framed art works a must see.’ I added the link but I think you have to be a friend to see. http://www.facebook.com/#!/Arcadiagallery          

Seeing his work is a pleasure but seeing them framed as such was even more inspiring. This is exactly what I’ve been trying to do for some time now. Usually no matter how much I prepare for a show framing is like the last thought and something I do the night before the show. So I’m trying not to repeat history.

The digital world is it exciting or intimating?

I struggle as an artist almost a needless struggle.

I don’t know, do I set my goals too high? (no).

 I have a hard time finishing a painting (maybe)

 I’m not computer savvy enough to just jump into some things that I want to start (unfortunately yes).

Not confident enough to just start the camera and make my own artist video without direction (not going to happen).

I think I spend a lot of my time and my life pulling back on the reins. When I’m scared it makes sense but when I’m not it’s just frustrating.

My ex said something to me once that I will always remember   “I never say no anymore because that just fuels your fire and makes you more determined to do it.”

My question was why would he not want me to do it?

I took a break from painting last week and worked on my website.

I finally found that Chicago gallery that I was interested in and am trying to decide my presentation as I make a slide show. There is so much to take into consideration this is my elevator speech which I write over and over again in my head.

In the past I have walked in with my art work or made an appointment and then walked in with my art work but now the world of digital is hitting closer to home.

Is it exciting? yes and intimidating? definitely.

I love my digital camera!  Although I have not said goodbye to my rebel 35mm camera yet nothing compares to digital. I can delete the bad ones. I am almost guaranteed at least one good picture and if not with some inexpensive software I can crop, enhance and re-size in an instant. I can browse, upload and tag my images.

It’s been a big year for me. I understand the computer better, the Internet and photo-shop. Although I was given a needed push. Which is the secret to ones success.