Art resolutions for 2010

Today I wanted to say a little something about art resolutions. I didn't really make any art resolutions for 2010 until now because we had just finished moving to our house and I hadn't even got finished unloading all the boxes much less sorting through and throwing out a bunch of stuff. And typically right around the first of the year I actually do my Art Income and Expenses so I don't hold up my tax preparer. This year I didn't do it until 2 days ago thus I didn't get around to my resolutions.

What I'm really trying to say is that I have a much better idea now what those resolutions should be. I've already done an Encaustic demo, had an exhibit of my mixed media "Legacy of Trees" work. Watched the recession recede somewhat. Recovered from the worst of the winter flu season. And tried to find storage space for my painting finished and unfinished that are not in shows.

Drum roll please......the only art resolution that is possible after looking at my supplies and materials and unfinished paintings is .....To finish all unfinished paintings and use up all canvas', boards, paints, wax, collage materials in an envelope pushing kind of way and to make them exhibit ready artwork!

Here's an example of what I mean. On the left was a painting with potential that I got too detailed with and started "fixing" then put away because it was a sample of the worst thing an artist can do, then I picked it up at the end of last year and gessoed it over totally and did a new painting which then promptly sold. If I can do that with every half finished painting I have then I will have the work I want for 2010!

And lest you think I've given up on encaustic - NOT SO. Its just that my garage studio is ccccooooolllllllddddd right now and windy and the wax will work much better for me when it warms up so I've pretty much settled myself to doing my encaustic work only on warmer days, ie mostly summer.

So have a happy Easter to you where ever you are!

It's about the work

I've decided that there is nothing in the world like doing the work. That is, challenging myself everyday to paint and let the creativity just pour out. I stop up everytime I try to structure it or corner it or guide it. I think for me it just has to flow. This plays havoc with trying to develop a conceptual theme and a body of work but perhaps with many, many works done, the theme will arise naturally. So that's what I'm going to try.

My friend Sue just finished a great class with Robert Burridge in Palm Springs. I've heard so much about him from her that I finally decided to take a class from him this summer. I have been trying to find my way into more texture and maybe he can help with that.

For now, on this very windy, blustery day, I finished varnishing 5 small paintings like this 8" X 10" called "Future" which will go for $45 and I will show them over the next several days. As they dry, I wire them up and it's very satisfying to send them out into the world. Stay tuned to this blog.

This particular painting is mixed media with collage elements. I painted most of it in one session at the firehouse where I meet on Wednesdays with my fellow artist Bernie. A great way to stay connected to whats going on around the community and not just with the arts happenings. On our way home, we stopped in at a small artists studio which neither of us had ever visited. We were quite blown away by the great paintings - Michele is a superb artist doing work in metallic painted scratchboard. Some of her paintings are $4500 and worth every penny. She also has been investigating some very interesting textile "art to wear" knitted items.

Now joyfully back to painting!

Sign and Gallery Opening

After so much time has passed since my last entry, I thought I'd catch up on my finished projects lest you think living rural means doing nothing! Quite the opposite!
The Sea Mist cottage sign was finished in real life with proud owner Marcia standing beside it at her house. This project required buying a piece of fine cedar, then distressing it with bleach, washing it, drying it, knocking off the edges, sanding it and finally staining it to match the character of the driftwood piece that it is accompanying. Came out beautiful. and I agreed to talk about garden and house art at their July Garden Club meeting which I'm looking forward to.
Today looks to be a beautiful day at the coast with temps soaring to low 60's after some very seasonal weather mix up. that means that 2 days ago the wind was gusting 30 mph and it was 43 degrees and raining buckets.



Next up is a picture of the Astoria Art Walk opening of the "Sanctuary Gallery" for the Art's and Cultural Exchange headed by Julia Carter with help from husband Mathew and many friends in the community. Here are some of the entrance way art done by children of the local Catholic School Star of the Sea. Julia worked with them to create these patterned flags that represent different tribes in Africa and really looked like colorful mud cloths whether done by young children using crayon resist or older children using fabric paint. Congratulations all on fine art work and magical night. My picture here is not nearly as good as I'd like but you get a feeling of how great it was.

And lest you think that I had time to really rest on my laurels, this week I am finishing up the planting plan for one of my landscape clients, meeting with a new client and beginning the concept sketches for the cutest little house in town. Hopefully next week I'll have some new paintings for you on the site. Stay tuned.

New sign

Today along with gesso-ing my large panels and getting them ready for a triptych painting, I thought I'd put up a mock up of the house sign I'm doing for a lady here in Long Beach. She's a transplant from the Seattle area and saw my earlier sign - see Pub sign posts in archive)and I had to put her off till I finished my move and set up my studio. Now all that's done, I have the mental room to concentrate on her design and do a color board - part watercolor part color pencil full size image of how it will look. I'll be meeting her tomorrow and we will add or subtract based on what we see here. Then next will come the actual painting on a piece of her found driftwood and a partially deconstructed cedar board.

I'm looking forward to the Encaustic demo on Saturday, February 27th at 9:30 at Arts and Cultural Exchange in Astoria and then later the Gallery opening on Saturday March 13th in Astoria at the same location.

I've also got some smaller paintings going and will post as soon as they're finished. I need to move on to a new series of work in both encaustic and acrylic and I'm not there yet. Like some of my other art friends, it takes a period of thinking, feeling and experimenting time to find that series of thoughts and concepts that click. See the links I've posted to the right to go visit some of my favorite artist and non artist blogs.

I'm back

I've got my studio(s) back up now and am just finishing up sorting supplies. It's been like 2 months down and the creative devil is gnawing me from the inside out.

I've had a young man helping me push boxes, bins and tables into just the right place for creating masterpieces both in my garage and in my inside office studio. I got 2 inspiring magazines in the mail - Ornament with a shimmery egg on the front showing jewelers and beaders inside the covers and Surface Design all about felt this time.

And it isn't that I lack customers either since I left one client hanging until after my move to finish her gorgeous house sign composed of dolphins and seahorses - I'll take a pix to show. Both of my local art hanging places would love to see some larger brand new work, and I've got a new gallery gig for March of my "Legacy of Trees" series in Astoria at the Arts and Cultural Exchanges new gallery space.

So I'm bbbbaaaaackkkkk! :-)

Stormy Bay

Here's a typical picture of the deluge like rains, low cloud cover and wind we've been having here. To live here you must love this kind of weather and you need to have several inhouse activities that really turn you on!

Which makes it the perfect time to a: unpack boxes (this is where the real deluge is since we moved into our new house just before Christmas) b:unlitter yourself-that is go through your belongings and simplify by throwing out or giving away 1/3 of your belongings and c: set up your art studio(s) in my case it's 2 different locations - one where I can vent fumes (say garage) and the other that's warm and dry d: knit e: read. Preferably the last 2 by a lit fireplace.

For men though, going to Home Depot seems to be the activity of choice. Something about rain and the smell of lumber and all those tools.

After all that rain yesterday and the rain and wind to come which has been forecast for the next 7 days, it dawned today with a beautiful sunrise which I hope to be able to show you shortly once I find my download cord. It's these wonderful winter sunrises that are so inspirational here whether you're a painter or not.

ART NEWS:
My encaustic painting class did not fill though there were 7 very interested people. The recession/depression has hit our families hard here and money for classes is scarce though interest is high. So Julia of Arts and Cultural Exchange in Astoria has suggested I do a demo on February 20th instead and so I will.

My "Legacy of Trees" series will be hanging in the Arts and Cultural Exchanges new gallery space opening in March for 2 months. It will be seen for 2-3 Artwalk nights.

I have 5 small paintings up at Old Trading Post Coffee Shop - a gathering of artists, antique collectors, knitters and Heritage Museum folks as well as 15 paintings up in Azure Day Spa. There always lots to see and do here for people who want to get away and take a breather on our lovely coast.

January 2010 - the resolutions

Well as part of my first blog of the new year, you all will note that I have changed my blogging name to Waxing Rural which just seems a lot more fitting to where I am both physically located and where my head is.

It seems like all the blogs I look at have great resolutions for the new year and I applaud this. Jokingly at first I have been emailing friends and family with my top 3 resolutions of the year and these follow directly from our recent move.

1. Eliminate printing everything out on paper which not only is bad for the environment but means you have to save and try to re-find those pieces of paper and they are just impossible to find when you are 59 years old as of December! So my alternative is to create some directories on my computer to save things and we'll see how this works in 2010

2. Get a cell phone for god's sake so people can get me - this is a problem for my husband as well as for friends and clients since I am rather reclusive and elusive at the same time. (By the way, this one is done as of 2 days ago, breaking a long standing vow never to have a cell phone -the most demonstrable item of my former and hated life)

3. Simplify my life by dis-accummulating material things that I have to keep track of, dust, move and make room for. I always had this goal when we moved here to coastal Washington, but the reality of getting rid of stuff that filled a 2,500 square foot house and fitting in to a 1,200 square foot house is still daunting.

Now these seem like very worthy resolutions but here a couple more that I found out there in the ether that I especially liked:

Start everyday from a "yes" point of view, meaning get up everyday willing to embrace the positive spin rather than the negative or crabby spin. It's surprising how easy it is to fall into the negative but negative doesn't help you find or seek answers,or joy, or acceptance. So this one is one I'll adopt.

Become healthy self - not a thin self, not a certain weight self, not an athletic self (all of which deny the many years of dieting, running, walking, low carb and low fat foods I've done or eaten) but instead be as healthy as I can be, as pain free as I can be, as benign as I can be right here and right now. I think this is worthy one too.

And then finally I really will blog nearly every day and put up plenty of photo's and painting. I'm also going to update my website more often too so folks can link to that and see all the work. I PROMISE!