Ski bum

I drew this guy in at the ski area I was visiting this holiday vacation. He never stopped moving but his face was so interesting, I wanted to see if I could capture it. I don't know if I did, but I really liked the sketch so I thought I'd see if I could turn it into an interesting painting. I'm certainly interested by it, hopefully others are, too.

I like the sketch much better. Perhaps as time goes by, I'll get better at transcribing the original marks onto the painting. On the other hand, painting can be about something else. This painting is the original image after reflection. It's also about a guy with jowls whereas the first guy is really more sporty. Hum.

Notebook drawings.

I did some drawings in my little daily notebook in one of the whistler pubs after a day of skiing. I really, really like these. I don't worry about finesse at all. I just do what interests me which is the faces of the people and their relationships. Lines, movement in space, the content of space, lights and shadows entertain me endlessly.

figure painting

I feel rather triumphant when I succeed in forcing myself to address paints and a paint brush when doing figures. It's like making a two year old clean her face. She dodges, twists and turns, anything to avoid the wash cloth.

I made her rather fatter that she is so I simply brought the blue background in further. Her breasts were glowing like headlights until I darkened just a tad the shadowy side. I also worked on subtle value changes and using warm versus cold, all things I learned about in my classes and now just have to work into muscle memory.

I had thought that I wasn't so interested in realistic figure painting but the more I do it, more I enjoy it. I'm still not so interested in getting a person's real skin tone down. I'm still looking forward to seeing where I am in March.

figure class

I'm really having fun now exploring figures in space. The opportunities to draw models dwindles during the holiday season. I had planned on working on my figure skills for six months- September to February but I'll have to extend through March. Which will be good as I'm planning on applying to WWU so I'll be too busy putting together my application to worry about creating another series.

modeling sessions.

I got side tracked by my personal life and haven't done any paintings but I have continued going to the modeling sessions so the next few days will consist of these.

I'm getting a better feel for the figure and how to model it but colors still elude me. I am particularly happy with the way I managed to make his hand placed on his back look the way it should.

Why does the figure fascinate me so? According to Tony Godfrey in 'Painting Today', "Making a painting is all about hand, eye and brain co-ordination: no other art form links mind and body so totally." The figure is where I find this co-ordination to be the most challenging.

Preparing for a show.

I learned today that I have been accepted for the 2011 Allied Art Shows. I had better get busy to make sure that I have a good selection of paintings to choose from. I painted one today that I'm not at all sure about. Its evening now so the photograph is not a good one, so much so that my computer refused to copy it.

Instead, I give you this one for your edification. This may or may not be the final image. I am going to have to choose heavier paper because I'm warping the light weight stuff. The blue shape at the bottom is fun but the yellow relaxed space needs some more interest.

Waverly McFardle.

Recognize this painting? I do not know what to title it. Suggest one.

The previous one left me cold. There wasn't enough going on in it to retain my interest for very long. I like some hard edges but too many can be abrupt and harsh on the viewer, too few and I feel like I'm floating out to deep space never to be seen again.

The green misty rectangle at the top is so glowing and luscious.

Why do I like blue and yellow so much?

I have been pushing myself into new and uncomfy realms of endeavor. I'm not so sure what I think of the work itself, but I continue to feel that I'm going in the right direction.

I found an art group in Anacortes that has lots of room and tables to paint on so I feel like I can go back to painting in the large. For a month now, I have been pretty much painting what I see in front of me but I feel that real artists can paint the ideas out of their imaginations. Yesterday, I drew a little cartoon in my note book that I carry everywhere. It was extremely rough and awkward but I liked it anyway. You can see where professional artists beginnings are not as smooth as one is accustomed to seeing them.

In Fairhaven, in the cafe at the bookstore, there were some figure paintings that were interesting and active but without faces on the figures which I find disturbing. The paintings all sold so I figured there was something to them. And its probably what bothers me about my paintings. They are static. I went to the mall to do some action drawings, which was really beyond my capabilities to draw fast enough but maybe with practice...There you are- all my so fascinating thoughts on why I like blue and yellow.

Western Sky.

I've been living in the Pacific Northwest for five years now but I guess the western sky is indelibly imprinted on my psyche.

I laid in a figure painting this morning but was then irresistibly drawn to paint abstract paintings. I made two but am going to save the other in case I find myself with a week's worth of paintings that I don't particularly want anyone to see. Which is what happened last week.

This could also be a tempest at sea.

new western landscape

I thought the photo of this painting was really washed out until I tilted my computer screen farther back and discovered that the photo is true to life.

I was not thrilled with it's stripyness (o.k., not a word) but loved, loved, loved the wash of blue over nickel azo gold in the rain showers. I was unhappy about the large yellow, green shape until I expanded it and painted out some of the purple shape, washed the nickel over the upper part and now it's a coherent painting. Fancy that.

I took this photo this summer on our drive back home through the west. The sky is immense in the west because there are no trees to obscure vision and one can see forever. Some times I miss the wild, wild west.

Tired of being good.

The painting on the right is what I painted yesterday. The first one is how the painting looks today. I added glaze to the large red shape because I enjoy the contrast of shiny versus matte. The large red shape lets light in giving it a feeling of depth in contrast to the areas that absorb some light.

Unfortunately, my brain has assigned an image to the shape that I am not enjoying so I'm going to have to make some changes but I do like the negative shape it creates so I'm not sure how I'm going to resolve my dilemma.

I also had fun creating the color for the neutral background. I enjoy my frankenstein color creations. Yellow is not a color I choose to wear or live in but it seems to be my color of choice for painting.

i'm still here.

Despite my resolution to be good and post blogs more frequently to keep readers coming back to read fresh items, I let life lead me astray. I took the weekend off and went to Seattle. The change was refreshing. I've been going to my various figure drawings venues but have been chicken to show the results. Perhaps I should just get over myself and show them, already. Nah.

Today, I felt like throwing off the restraints and playing. So. I watched a cheesy vampire movie in the a.m. and fooled around with some paint and crayons in the p.m., thank you very much. What d'ya think?

Rotating the figure

Over dinner the other night, I mentioned that Temple Grandin, who designs human cattle chutes (thank goodness the computer dictionary read my mind and offered me both words because I spelled is the way the verb is spelled). She claims that she can see a plan of what she wants to build in her head and rotate it to see it from every angle. My son felt that anyone could do that but when he tried to imagine the human figure from every angle, he found it to be difficult. Seeing a standing figure from underneath, in one's head, is the most difficult.

One could imagine my drawing from more angles than one could the painting.

colorado landscapes from last summer

I was inspired to try my hand at cloud paintings after viewing Sharon Kingston's cloud paintings. These pieces of art are acrylic and water soluble crayon on paper. This is going to be my media of choice of a while because I like the variety of affects it affords me. As far as I know, there are no water soluble paint sticks that I could use with water soluble paints. These have the added benefit of being more affordable in this troubled market.

Yes, I admit freely that as much fun as I have creating these little beauties, I am a professional artist. Gasp.

I applied myself to the business of art today.

Is this not lovely? It is color coordinated with my current favorite palette but not otherwise very arty. I'm pretty proud of it, none-the-less.

It is the application to Allied Arts call to art for 2010-2011. I don't enjoy this part of the business of art but who does enjoy every aspect of their chosen career? But now, I have all my ducks in a row and it should be easier to put together more.

The only thing left to do is write a artist statement. The Squando web site advises that "Your artist's statement can be a moving testament to your creativity and integrity." I thought that my paintings were that testament. What other field has to convince everyone of the validity of exercising their talents?

art journal

I have been interested in art journaling but have been putting it off to concentrate on serious art. I also want to learn how to do figure painting but have been putting that off because producing sophomoric paintings at my age isn't any fun at all. Then I got a big idea, I could do my hard work in a fun environment!

Hence the cheesy paintings in a journal. Who needs serious art? In six months, you can tell me if this method was effective.

My Plan.

The first photo is a random bug on my front door but seeing the photos together, I notice a familiar color scheme.

The second photo is my first installment of my plan to take over the world...of figure painting. It's acrylic on paper to avoid the tyranny of canvas and all it's sneering superiority, for the time being. This is by no means the way I ultimately want to paint but if I want to get any where I'm going to have to be willing to goof up. I'm always willing to goof off.

I also want to be more regular about posting so some of my postings may be a little terse so that I'll just do it and stop messing around.

work day

I got a lot of new projects started today and finished up two small panels finished. I have had some good conversations with my peers (and one small explosion) lately. I feel inspired and energized.

The two main ideas that I have are to a) explore relatively discrete shapes on a passive background that interact in various ways to attract or rebuff the viewer b) find some way to do figure paintings that satisfy me.

I'm really wrestling with the figure and have decided that the only way to resolve my dilemma is to simply slog through a bunch of potentially dissatisfying paintings until I arrive at a solution.

two more steps in the right direction

I have been wanting to add two things to my paintings lately but have dithered for too long because I didn't want to leave my familiar area of competence. I have finally gotten so bored with my self that I am willing to take on the frustrating feeling of been back in kindergarten at the not-so-tender age of what ever age I am.

The second image was the first completed. I was trying to do continue with my "What's New" series but wasn't loving it. Cindy Lauper's new album was on and I scribbled "don't cry no more" on the bottom with water soluble crayon and smeared it. I need to write a new biography, etc. and was advised to talk about why I paint. So I'm wondering, why did I paint this painting? Don't know...it looked neat?

So back to kindergarten, I painted a horse because that's one of the few things I enjoyed drawing but stopped because I hated how stiff I made them. Well, my figure is still pretty stiff but now I know that I have to do this a few thousand times before I get any good at it. Now my critical voice is complaining about how trivial my writing is so I'm going to go drown it in junky television. I'm glad I did these two paintings, worth while in and of themselves or not, they are two steps in the direction I want to go.

'My Mother's Quilt"

Yesterday, I sat down and got some business done. I photographed four paintings from my 'Nostalgia' series and sent them to my web designer. They should be on my site very soon.

'My Mother's Quilt', is an ironic title as my mother never left me any quilts. She died when I was young so I never knew her. I wasn't consciously thinking of any particular subject when I painted it. I was responding to the marks I was making and enjoying the effect of the feathery white. It's red, white, and blue so it reminds me of a flag, an association I don't really enjoy. So, instead, I chose to tie it to warmth and affection of a maternal caress.

Music camp.

A few photos and some quick drawings in my notebook that I carry with me always, are the extent of my artistic activity these days. I bought a book on illustrated letters from the Smithsonian archives of America Art, "More than Words". I was struck by the simplicity of the line drawings by Walt Kuhn, Betty Parsons, etc.

For the past few years, I have been trying to see and draw planes with little success, I have felt. I enjoyed just whipping these little drawings out last night, with a minimum of fussiness. I will continue to try to see planes. I know that I wasn't always successful with my drawings but kept at it anyway and now I feel a little (sometimes a lot) of progress. What I need to do now is just paint, paint, paint and just put each one away without even looking at it until I get some automatic muscle memory going. Minimum of fussiness is always the key for this somewhat lazy artist.

Coming home.

I went to Rutie V's drawing session today. It felt good to be holding a pencil in hand. I have to build up my stamina again. A couple of hours of scribbling, and I could hardly stand up.

I spent a few years getting comfy with drawing and it is time for me to get more practice with color. I felt like I rushed into becoming a showing artist a little too fast and now am spending time enjoying learning my trade without self-imposed pressure to produce. Though someone may need to eventually tell me to GET ON WITH IT ALREADY.

We have one more month until the end of the summer. It may seem like too short a time for my son, who is loathe to give up his freedom, but it seems like forever for someone like me. I do not juggle tasks well. I am enjoying my time with my family and our travels across the west to Colorado.

The sky over the prairies in Colorado and Wyoming really give you an idea of the infiniteness of space. These are the scenes that I grew up with and which inform my artistic sensibility.

An artist that I admire got me thinking about clouds in a way that I had not bothered with before. The plan is to commit some of these visions to paper in the very near future. Hopefully this will whet my appetite for creation and yours for seeing them in the future. Tomorrow, however, I will be hiking at Mt. Baker.

Just doodle it.

I have been feeling the need to jump off my chosen track lately both personally and professionally. I thought I'd start with my professional life as that only affects myself should things go awry. So I took a doodling class at the local paper store.

You wouldn't think that an artist would need to take a class about it. This artist would. As a child, I would watch other people do it and envy their freedom to mark up a page with any old idea they had. I couldn't do it because the nag in my head wouldn't stop critiquing every thing I did. I've managed to put that nasty old grump in the back some where, but it still keeps shouting at me from the closet.

I didn't work at art seriously for a long time because I didn't think I had any ideas. I need a way to unblock my thoughts and dreams to let them flow through me and out onto the paper. These doodles aren't the end product I'm looking for but perhaps they are the route.

It's baaack.

It's been a few weeks since I last posted and I'm sure everyone is waiting with baited breath to find out what I've been up to. I decided it was time to lay fallow for a bit. I needed to regenerate and, let's admit it, just fiddle around a bit.

I'm back in all my glory. I did eight relatively large canvases this spring. I have been wanting to begin some bookmaking and doing some imaginative drawing for some time. I think this summer is a good time to ease into this project. I bought a book that focuses more on imaginative drawing rather than life like drawing. My first drawing isn't imaginative at all but 'ease into' is the key phrase. The second photo is of gessoed paper that I plan to use in some imaginative painting experimental thumb nails.

The kind of art that impresses me has more than technical proficiency, it shows some kind of playful spirit. That's the kind of art I want to make. Ironically, in order to work up some confidence I feel the need to work on my capabilities. Whee.

It's never over until the fat lady sits on you.

I finished this painting today and thought that I was done with this series. I put out the four paintings to see if I could brain storm some names for them. There are two themes- red and action versus contemplation.

The other three paintings have areas of white which are bleeding into solid color and areas of solid shapes with definite boundaries. This painting is complete on it's own but isn't my favorite painting. In order for it to be complete in the series, I'm going to have to make one shape trickle into the solid color.

I have the photo of the original sketch because I think it's interesting to compare the visceral encounter between artist and environment and the more thoughtful debate. I believe in april I showed another comparison.

Come Play With Me.

My latest triumph. I mean that I overcame all my doubts, fears and general feeble mindedness to complete this painting. I feel quite satisfied with it. I don't think that its quite as fantastic as the first painting in the series but it will do.

The blue stream is covering up a shape that did not work at all. Even though I can wipe and wash the paint off, it doesn't entirely go away. I have to be light enough on my feet that I can deal with failures and turn them into successes. I have to ignore that nasty voice in my head that's saying such unpleasant things. It gets easier to ignore what I don't like the older I get.

I wanted to see if I could have whole areas in a composition in which nothing much happens and still have an interesting composition. In fact subtlety can be even more attention grabbing than lots of frenetic activity. One wants to know what's going on under the surface. It leaves room for the viewer to use his imagination. It is an invitation to come play with me. Which, I believe, will be the title to this piece.

heart of greyness

The working title for this painting is 'heart' but its looking like something out of the bayou in this incarnation. Perhaps my preoccupation with the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is creeping into my art, or should I say 'oozing'? I would like my art to be about the issues of the day but I also don't want something dreary hanging on my walls. How do other artists reconcile that problem?

I'm still learning about my materials. Other artists that I know seem to be very knowledgeable about their craft and I certainly aspire to that ideal myself. I also enjoy futsing about and seeing what new, weird, and wonderful things I can create next. The painting on the right is the underpainting. On the left, I added a grey I created. When I put some of the grey on the blue shape, I discovered that ultra marine blue deep dries over night unlike cadmium red or white. Also, the grey I mixed is a lot more reflective that the other colors I have used. With water-soluable oils, if you get any water in it, you have to wait until it dries to get the true color. I'm not sure if anyone else has noticed this

working title, red dancer

This is my latest canvas, in its last but one incarnation. I had been wanting to see if I could add some serene energy to the frenetic activity on my canvases. I am pretty satisfied with the results. I have one last sketch from which to work then I am going to devote my energies to getting my little ducklings out in to the scary world to see how they fare.

For me to feel healthy and sane, I need to balance the solitude to reflect on my life with the action of getting out there and living life. I feel that I am growing as an artist as I introduce introspection into my images to balance the strength and energy that goes into my art.

For this series, which I will begin to reveal over the nest few days, I started with a sketch I did on paper using paint sticks. Drawing is an immediate reaction to emotions, images and the medium. Paint brushes put a little distance between the artist and the canvas, allowing the artist, and the viewer to move back and forth in communication.

Too tired to party.

I have been working on four canvases today, two oil and two acrylic. I want to paint in oil because it is more sensuous to paint with as it resists the brush stroke a little. I'm also pursuing a reluctant quarry as I still don't quite know how to make it do what I want. Acrylic is so easy going and versatile, it's kind of like my favorite buddy to party with. My son came to visit me in my studio after school. "That painting needs green," he said. Sure enough, I tested it out and the solid color stripe I wanted to paint on the bottom looked the best in green. It made the muddy red pop but the viewer doesn't get hit over the head with a glaring red color.

New Series or, I finally got an idea!

I've started a new series of paintings based on some left over gestural drawings from a year ago. It feels really good to be addressing a canvas again, smearing paint and creating the weird colors I enjoy so much. I suppose I should call them 'subtle' so as not to freak anyone out but it is so fun to take two colors, or three and create my very own palette.

I believe in being mildly disciplined and try to do something in the way of art every day but if the creative genius fails to show up, it is okay to have a fallow period every once in a while. I gather experiences that eventually make it into a painting or learn some techniques or allow my brain to work on a problem unsupervised by my nagging mind.

I took a look at "The Paintings of Joan Mitchell" as I started. Her later paintings where her gestures began to cohere into larger shapes were my favorites.

Chores

I didn't have a stimulating day in the studio today but I am setting up for an exciting day tomorrow. I gessoed two canvases. Whee. But now they are like presents sitting under the tree waiting for me to unwrap them and expose the fabulous painting waiting underneath. Now I have my metaphors a little mixed up. I am giddy with excitement.

I have my sketches for the paintings stacked up behind the blank white rectangles you see in the photo. The paintings won't be exactly like the sketches as I like to leave myself free to take up an new fabulous idea when I encounter one in the course of painting. Also, I will not be the same person I was creating the sketches.

In the meantime, like a child waiting for a special day, I must compose myself for my action-packed day tomorrow

Yesterday, I attempted a painting in acrylic after a Mary Cassatt painting. It did not turn out as I had hoped. In the afternoon, I drove to La Conner to attend the membership meeting of the Museum of Northwest Art. Afterwards, three glass artists presented their work. Of the three, I thought that Masami Koda's work really stood out. She combines metal working with glass. Her pieces were simultaneously delicate and suffused with strength. I was very impressed. I rounded off the day as a cowboy. I was walking past someone's yard when I waved at a four year old boy up in his play house. He called to his sister, "Hey look, it's a cowboy". It was a great ending to a great day.

I spend the whole day in the studio preparing to hang my art in a local restaurant. There is something to be said for a deadline to make one buckle down and work. I did some larger and some smaller drawings. I felt more intimidated by the larger space and so filled it with a lot of busy marks that I had to later incorporate into smoother, larger shapes. Perhaps because I was tired by the time I turned to the smaller paintings, I was more relaxed. I made larger, more swoopey (o.k., not a real word) shapes to which I later added some random marks. I think I'm going to call the bottom drawing 'Light and Dark duke it out.' I really love how the purply blue jousts with the flakey white. Now, it's time for a good meal and hopeful a nice evening walk.

Relief Maps

April 2, I will be having an opening for my Relief Maps exhibition of large abstracts. These paintings explore the terrain of life to find out where the artist has been and perhaps to chart a future course. Its my first solo show and I'm excited and nervous. I hope I have covered every contingency. Guess I need a map!