And I kept painting!

While not in class studying drawing and design, I kept working on my painting.  I decided I really like painting buildings, so I did a bunch of them.  I also took a wonderful workshop with John Poon early in the year and then began a Painting I class at the community college with Erin Whitman.  In that class we worked in acrylics (a whole different experience) and focused on color study and layering.  It was eye-opening to see how the layering of transparent paints could produce the depth that I got in the acrylics.  While I enjoyed the colors, I wasn’t in love with acrylics, but didn’t see how I could apply the techniques to alla prima oil painting.  Strange, how one thing tends to lead to another.  Nancy Medina’s flower painting workshop at the end of the year tied it all together.  She sets her palate by breaking out the transparent paints from the opaque and did all the initial painting in transparents.  Whee!  A whole new approach – and one that I could play with layering.  Here are a few examples of 2013 paintings.  I’ll have my website populated in another week, will post the link here once it is ready for viewing!

Building competence & confidence

I want to be a producing artist, selling my work.  I have hesitated sharing; haven’t felt very competent in any of my chosen activities; painting, jewelry/ metal-smithing and sculpture.  Last year I took a number of classes at the local community college: beginning drawing (one of my insecurities), painting I introduced me to formal color study and sculpture I to foundry work. I was amazed at the level of effort I put into those classes, and the progress I saw in my work was very encouraging!  In my 2D class taught by Marie Ramos, we focused on design, color for mood, composition and motion.  We used ink, gouache and collage.  Drawing with Josh Eggleston familiarized me with charcoal, pencil and pen as well as drawing from life, perspective and copying using the grid method.  We had a lot of fun, and I’m pleased with some of the work generated. 

Converting garage into a studio

Phew!  I have finally converted the small garage into a functional studio!  That was a project!  I had already moved all my art projects into the garage; but it was also serving as a “catch all” and every time I’d go to work, I’d end up moving stuff around, finding things and… well, you get the picture.  Additionally, I wanted to add a sculpting station so I could continue the work I started in a workshop earlier this year.  So, bookshelves, peg boards, old kitchen cabinets were put to use along with lots of plastic bins.  I moved out anything that didn’t contribute directly to painting, sculpting or jewelry making (drawing and photography were moved into my home office.  That’s another story).  Studio is now wonderful… take a look!

Discovering the world through art!

My first post is a challenge.  I stopped setting up the blog until I could figure out what the purpose was. So, I’ve been mulling it over; where am I with my art, where do I want it to take me, what can I contribute in a blog… Who am I as an artist? Since I’m still working on techniques, styles and procedures, those are a part of what I hope to discover along the way. But what has become abundantly clear to me in the past year is how much of a fog I’ve lived my life in; only aware of the obvious images, or feelings. No real exploration. My classes this last year have forced me to slow down, stop and LOOK! And in the process, I am discovering a whole new world. I dedicate this blog to that discovery – exploring the world through artwork.