Insects

Throughout my career there have been a few subjects that I continually am drawn to paint.  Of course the figure is my main love, but then too I am nearly equally drawn to nature.  I've had an on going series of paintings of dead birds that was started while still in college, though my fascination with birds likely started at a much younger age.  My childhood best friend's father was the director of the Massachusetts Audubon Society. Nearly every weekend was spent on some bird count our nature hunt.  But right now, I seem to have reconnected with insects.  Here are a few small, recent, little buggers for your viewing pleasure.

Cicada Killer, oil on panel, 5" x 5"

Progress Shots of Bumblebee:

Bumblebee, oil on panel, 5" x 5"

I have one more insect related painting that I just completed.  The paint has dried dull in some areas and needs varnish to even it out.  So until I can get a good final image, here are just a few progress snapshots of my painting titled Orchestrate Change which features a cocoon, likely of a Polyphemus Moth .

 

  

Orchestrate Change, oil on panel, 6" x 18"

Ostrich Skull Still Life

Ostrich Skull, oil on panel, 12" x 12"

Here is a fun painting that I finished this week.  I wanted to choose a background and fabric pattern that had similar tones that I could see with in the ostrich skull itself, which would force me to use a narrower range of color and value.  Choosing a pattern that supports the "character" of the main subject of a still life painting has been a favorite past time of mine since I first started painting dead birds (has it really been about a dozen years?).  In 2009 Larry Groff did a wonderful interview of me on Painting Perceptions which about halfway down has a nice description of the dead bird series.  Then again a few years ago, I used this pattern idea in my Beautiful Vessel series.  I am enjoying incorporating this personal tradition into my current paintings of natural forms.

Here are a few progress shots of this painting:

humble beginnings...

  Sometimes an in progress glarey photo actually helps you internetlopers see the built up texture of the paint.

finished detail version.

And again the final painting.
Ostrich Skull, oil on panel, 12" x 12"

At the end of this post I can't help but think of John Baldassari's painting (yes, this is a huge acrylic painting in the Broad Collection) titled Tips for Artists Who Want to Sell.  Notice the items in parenthesis of the second bullet... I am doomed.

 

Workshop - Natural Object Still Life Painting

Nest, oil on panel, 8" x 8"

Natural Object Still Life Painting Workshop

at Townsend Atelier

June 8, 9, 10th 2012

9-5pm

$350

with Special Demonstration & Gallery Talk at  

The Hunter Museum of American Art 

Thursday June 7th 5-8pm

I am so stoked to be headed to lovely Chattanooga, TN in June to teach a wonderful painting workshop.  I hope you will be able to join me.  I also have the great honor of being invited to give a demonstration at the Hunter Museum of American Art.  If you can't make the whole workshop, I hope you will at least be able to enjoy the evening demonstration and gallery talk.  Here is the official description and a few links.  Please contact the lovely, helpful folks at Townsend Atelier if you want to sign up or need help finding accommodations. 

This course will cover the essentials of oil painting from proper surface preparation to color mixing, with a primarily earth tone palette.  Using direct observation, students will learn about composition, color theory and paint application as well as gain skills and confidence in representing what they see.   Students will be encouraged to select their own items that will enable them to develop personal narratives or meanings within a still life painting.  This three day oil painting class will start with an optional walk to experience and connect with nature, as well as to collect the natural found objects that the student will bring back to the studio to paint.   Students who choose to skip the morning walk will be encouraged to bring their own natural form discoveries such as various botanical items, seed pods, skulls, feathers, bugs – whatever it is from nature that you are inspired by!  The teacher will also bring such items from her own collection to share.

Townsend Atelier

201 West Main Street Suite 107
Chattanooga, TN

423-266-2712
or toll free: 1-877-903-1488
www.townsendatelier.com

info@townsendatelier.com

The Hunter Museum of American Art

10 Bluff View

Chattanooga, TN 37403 

(423) 267-0968

www.huntermuseum.org

Guardian

 

Guardian, oil on panel, 64" x 48"

My painting Guardian is now dry enough to photograph.  As I stated in the previous post (which you can read here), this painting is a deeply personal image that has stuck with me for approximately three years.  I'm not ready to verbally explain all the symbols and meanings of this painting - hopefully there are some that you will be able to read in the painting on your own.  I will share that this has been one of the most rewarding painting experiences of my life.  This painting has developed and evolved and gushed out of the deepest parts of my being.  I feel so much gratitude for being able to experience this.     

 Guardian (details), oil on panel, 64" x 48" 

 

Progress of Failure

(detail) Horseshoe Crabs on Sill, oil on panel, 8" x 12"

I have several figurative paintings going on at the moment, all at different stages - but it has been too hard a shift for me to jump right back into these big painting projects after "coming down" from my Southern Weeds exhibition.  I needed something to clear my head and to be able to paint directly from observation.  Walking around my house searching for something interesting to set up for a small still life painting, I found a few dried horseshoe crabs that my nephews had sent me from Florida.  They know how much I enjoy nature and they had saved these little gifts from the sea for their crazy Auntie.  I had thought that this was going to be a quick painting that would sort of cleanse my palette, so I could get back to my more serious works.  Instead this little still life became a bit of a frustration and struggle.  I will share with you the progress of this little failure.  I should say that though I view this painting as less than successful, I am grateful for the lessons learned for having gone through the process.   

This was my set up.  My studio is normally in my garage, which is neither heated nor cooled, so with temperatures in the mid 90's I found our dining room a much more temperate environment to paint.  We have a nice view of some woods in our backyard that I thought would be an interesting juxtaposition for these sea creatures.  The first problem with this choice was that although the view is good, being a south-west facing window, the light changed very rapidly.  I basically only had 2 hours of painting time each day, before an immense glare (on our very dirty windows) totally obstructed the view and even changed the light on my little horseshoe crabs.

Failure two was not working out the composition well before plugging away at the painting.  I was so excited and eager to just get into paint.  I had wanted to do a horizontal image, but didn't have a good sized panel to start on - so instead of taking the time to run to the store to get the proper size, I used what I all ready had -which happened to be a 12" x 12" square.

Here you can see in the forrest on the top half of the window the shadows are moving diagonally up - but then as the time went on the shadows changed so on the bottom half the shadows lay diagonally down... Which one to pick?

Here you can see me trying to make sense of why I needed all that grass in the bottom portion of the composition.  I was considering putting some land creature (bunny, robin, squirrel) frolicking in the grass, but I thought that would detract from what was supposed to be the real focus of the painting - the horseshoe crabs.

Horseshoe Crabs on Sill, oil on panel, 8" x 12" 

In the end, I took a drastic measure - I broke out the table saw and cut her up!  Its sort of scary how empowering the hum of a power tool is.  Really, I know this is a cheap way of trying to solve some of the problems I set up for myself.  In the end though, I do believe it is a better composition.  And from the struggles of working this one out, I have learned much about working with nature and its fleeting light, and taking the time to plan in the beginning.  Without having to fight yourself and the problems you create early on, you can more easily get to the joy of painting.

Invitation

Woohoo the invitations are in!

Please join me at the Opening Reception on First Friday, May 6th from 6-10pm.

Artspace -201 E. Davie St. Raleigh, NC 27601

(...psst, I'm still painting.  Images of all 10 weeds coming soon :))

Plein Air in Spring

These last few weeks, I have been pushing hard to finish up a few more Southern Weed paintings for my show coming up in May at Artspace.  I am getting anxious and tired, and still have far to go to be "finished" (and then framing and photography needs to miraculously happen).  This push is an exciting time though.  And I think the body of work is slowly growing into something lovely as a whole.  For awhile, I was cursing plants and my initial attraction to them, but I've come again to a spot of appreciation and admiration.  I think now, weeds will find their way into all of my work. 

In the meantime, I have also been trying my hand at plein air landscape painting. Since the Women Painting Women group painting trip to Charleston, SC in November last year, I have been inspired to get more proficient at Plein Air painting.  In a setting, responding to changing light, and conditions is so thrilling and yes, sometimes frustrating as well.  This past weekend, I had the chance to go out and paint some local scenes.  I am lucky to live in an area with these spots of splendor just minutes away.  Take a look.  Thoughts are always welcome.  Happy Painting folks! 

Jenks Farm, oil on panel, 8" x 10"

Jordan Lake, oil on panel, 10" x 12"

Jay

Blue Jay, oil on panel, 12" x 12"

Here is a recent painting of a Blue Jay that flew into an on coming car this past summer.  My daughter and I witnessed the poor bird's accident while on a walk together.  As you may know, I have been painting dead birds for at least a decade.  The first dead bird was a Mourning Dove left as a prize by our cat.  After that first painting, people started to bring me their cat kills and dead bird finds.  I see these birds as fleeting gifts of infinite beauty.  It is a challenge and honor to try to capture that beauty.  You can find a few examples of my previous bird paintings on the still life page of  my website.  Unfortunately, most of the birds were photographed using old school 35 mm slide film.  Remember that stuff?  Well, those slides don't scan so well and those paintings have found good homes long ago.  So I don't have very good images to share with you.  I guess I'll just have to keep painting new ones.  :) 

Blue Jay, oil on panel, 12" x 12" (detail)

Blue Jay, oil on panel, 12" x 12" (detail)      

Notion Fine Art Grand Opening

Notion Fine Art is a brand new gallery opening in Laguna Beach, CA.  I am proud to be showing along with fellow Laguna College of Art & Design alumna Stefani Tewes for their Grand Opening Exhibition!  The Reception will be Thursday, March 4th to coincide with Laguna Beach's First Thursday Art Walk, and it will continue thru March 30, 2010.  I hope you will be able to make it out to support this new gallery.  Great things are sure to come!

Notion Fine Art
1590 South Coast Hwy. Suite #1
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
www.notionfineart.com

The Sketchbook Project

I've spent the last 4 months trying to keep quiet about this fun project that I decided to be a part of, because... well, I wasn't sure if I could pull it off. I must admit it did help quite a bit that they extended the deadline.

The Sketchbook Project, now in its fourth variation, is a opportunity for anyone to submit a sketch-filled moleskine, sketchbook to become part of the permanent Library of Art House Gallery. Steven Peterman and Shane Zucker have recently announced that they will also be opening up a new space in Red Hook in Brooklyn, NY in January 2010. The Sketchbook Project Volume 4 exhibition will begin touring January 29th, starting in Atlanta and moving to NYC, then Los Angeles, St. Louis, MO and Chicago, IL. Hundreds of people will be able to receive a library card to be able to get a hands on look at the sketchbooks.

Each participating artist was given one of 30 possible themes to base their creations on. The theme idea was created to help the artists get a clear focus as well aid the visitors in finding the books they are most interested in viewing. The theme I was randomly given was "The Aftermath of..." and I filled in the blank for the title/ theme to read The Aftermath of Line and Sight. You can click that link to view more pages from my submission.

I am so very happy to be a part of such a huge community driven project. I love that so many people will get to handle the book and see the drawings up close. I hope you will take a look at this link for the touring dates. If the books come to your neck of the woods, go take a-look-see. I think you get to keep your library card.