Prelude to the Sweetness of Reunion: The 5th Work in the Finding Faith Series

Prelude to the Sweetness of Reunion
oil on canvas
30 x 24 inch

Prelude to the Sweetness of Reunion

video (click to play)

 I have finally finished with the 5th project in my Finding Faith series and this one was near and dear to my heart.  Prelude to the Sweetness of Reunion is about that tender time just before the arrival of a loved one or loved ones you have been separated from for a while.  I know many can relate to this story.  As a child, I was separated from my family and those days of anticipating the arrival of my siblings in Kansas are pretty special.  I remember my mother busily cleaning house and getting things just right for company.  And now that I am older and my sons live in other states, well...that sweet reunion is always a joy...right down to baking the muffins.  :)

I think Katie did such an amazing job in this.  She is so patient during the shoots and her sweet demeanor was perfect for this story.  Thank you Miss Katie!  And a huge thank you goes to my long time friends Kathy and Jerry who let me use their beautiful home for the shoot.  It was just the right setting.

I am keeping all the works in this series in one place and they can be found in the Finding Faith tab at the top of the blog if you wish to view the others.

Take care...until next time...

♥ Lisa

Little Interiors

Little Blue Kitchen
oil on canvas panel 4 x 6 inch
available here

These small interior paintings were done a few weeks ago and I really enjoyed the challenge of getting all the details in such small spaces.  There is something about tiny interiors paintings that remind me of doll houses filled with tiny furnishings.  I never had a doll house as a child, but I was always fascinated by them when I did see them.

Glow Desk
oil on canvas panel 4 x 6 inch
available here

My fifth painting in the Finding Faith series is underway and going well.  Slow, but well.  As usual, the nice weather, family time, and work is where I am spending my time these days.

Until next time!

♥ Lisa

His and Her Space and a Little About the Next Work in the Faith Project

His and Her Space

oil on canvas panel 4 x 6 inch

available for purchase

In preparation for the next painting in my Finding Faith series, it seemed like a good idea to get out the oils again.  Interior spaces has been the thing and I have completed three very small 4 x 6 inch paintings.  I love the challenge of putting a lot of detail on such a small canvas.  I will share the other two paintings when they are dry.  

Katie and I will be filming the next video this Sunday and I am so excited to be back on this project again.  The other day as I was out on my daily walk, I went through the scenario step by step, trying to organize the video in my mind.  Once I got home, I sat down and jotted down all my ideas with all the variations I could try if any one particular scene didn't work out.  I have to make sure I don't forget anything on the days we shoot the video and photographs, otherwise I would have to call Katie back and try to recreate "the look" we had previously.

The other challenge is actually coming up with stories that flow in a short amount of time and that actually make sense.  I want to keep them simple, but interesting enough to hold attention for 3-5 minutes.  It is not easy to do.

This is the dress for the next project.  I can't wait to paint the patterns on it.

See you soon!

♥ Lisa

May The Dress Always Fit You - The 4th Finding Faith Project Complete

When I was out shopping for costumes and props for an earlier work in the Finding Faith Series, I found this wonderful checked dress at a second hand store.  Immediately I envisioned a girl in long braids and bobby socks wearing that dress, so I purchased it and put it away for a few months until I could come up with a use for it in the series.  I had no idea of what the story would be, all I knew was that I wanted to use THAT dress.  After completing the last Finding Faith painting, I took the dress out and hung it in my studio, allowing it to sort of stare back at me over the course of a week or two as I studied it while trying to come up with a story.  I have to say this was the most challenging work so far in the series. Coming up with a mirrored dresser alone was time-consuming. I found a pair of shoes just a couple of hours before the shoot. However, creating a cohesive meaningful story was the hardest part. I knew it would be about childhood memories, but how to tell it was the challenge.  As I worked on the project, writing out thoughts and ideas for the shoot, a deeper meaning evolved.  I started thinking about how important it is to remain youthful in our hearts because when we do this we are happier humans.  We notice the clouds, we watch the bees, we give ourselves the freedom to play and enjoy life, and we have faith in troubled times.  And this is what May The Dress Always Fit You is about.  

I hope you enjoy and may YOUR dress always fit you.
♥

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May The Dress Always Fit You

video

May The Dress Always Fit You
oil on canvas 30 x 24 inch




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 Note:
The beautiful young woman featured in this work is Katie Maher, a good friend of the original Faith in the first three works.  She was wonderful to work with, and being a photographer herself gave a couple of great ideas for the shoot.  She had some challenges too...it's not easy to stare at yourself in a mirror while picture after picture is being taken of you!  I am happy to say she is willing to work in another project, so you will see Katie again at some point.

Studio Clip: Behind The Scenes From After The Rain

Hello!  It's been a while!  I hope this finds everyone well and I want to thank those of you who have found me on Instagram and Facebook.  That is where I post regularly now, and it has been a joy to stay connected with blog friends in those places.

I found that writing blog posts used to be a joy for me, but now feels like a lot of work.  I would much rather be painting...and making videos!

Which brings me to why I am posting today in the first place.  I have finally completed another studio clip and this one is all behind the scenes of the last project After The Rain in my Finding Faith series.

I am in the midst of making plans for the next one! However, we have "lost our Faith" as she is now married and living away. But who knows! She might show up again! :)

I have decided to continue with the title "Finding Faith" for this series, even if the true Faith cannot be featured. As the projects have progressed in the series, it has also become about finding faith in myself as an artist as I explore this idea of combining videography, photography and painting.

Thank you as always for following this series!  I enjoy sharing it with you as it grows.  I am painting a lot of other art as well.  I hope you come find me on Facebook or Instagram if you haven't already so we can stay connected more often.  Links are above.

Bye for now!

Studio Clip

Next costume for the 4th project in Finding Faith

Finding Faith: After The Rain

After The Rain
oil on canvas
30 x 24 inch

detail

After The Rain

video (click to play)

After The Rain

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About the Creation of After The Rain

This is the third completed project in my Finding Faith series of works that include video, photography and painting.  The idea for this one has been stirring in me since Spring,  It began when I came upon a tee pee constructed of large fallen tree branches in a wooded area I often visit during my daily walks.  It stood about 15 feet tall and I wanted to incorporate it into the work somehow.  However, it was difficult to find the time for the shoot.  Faith works full time and was very busy with her upcoming wedding (which takes place next weekend!) and preparations to move to another city.  The shoot would have to wait until her schedule opened up.

In June Faith was able to commit to a date, which would take place on a Saturday morning, early enough to avoid the Kansas heat.  In the meantime I walked the area several times to check out the condition of the tee pee, worried that someone would come along and tear it down before we could get there.  Actually, it did start to fall little by little, but that was not my biggest problem.  To my horror one day, I realized that the path leading to the tee pee along with other paths that were going to be in the shoot were covered with poison ivy!  There was NO WAY I was going to risk it with Faith's wedding around the corner.  Another problem I had was coming up with a story that made any sense.  All I knew was I wanted to use that tee pee.  I dreamt up everything from a bird doctor of some sort living in the woods, to a lost girl finding her way, to some sort of mother nature being who pranced about making the wind blow, the birds sing, and the bees buzz.  (Oh brother...rolls eyes).  What I am saying, is that the story did not come easily and all my ideas seemed ridiculous.  But I really wanted to photograph and paint Faith in those woods! 

Well, the idea came suddenly and it all started with going grocery shopping of all things.  What happened was, it was pouring rain that day and I was obsessed with my project, deeply disappointed because of the poison ivy situation.  I had already invested hours in testing the area out, breaking it down to where we would shoot, taking practice shots of it.  I had also already shopped for and hand-stained and painted Faith's clothing.  I made a practice crown out of leaves too.  I just had to find a way to make it all work.  I knew the tee pee was definitely out, but I could not let go of wanting to do something using the woods as the backdrop.  I could have waited until another day, but I am not a patient person sometimes.  Especially when it comes to a vision.  I didn't have a solid story, but my vision of how Faith would look in an earthy tattered white dress among all that lush green was clear as crystal in my mind.  

As I drove near the woods on the way to the grocery store, my obsession made me pull over.  I grabbed an umbrella and my camera to look for a Plan B.  Maybe there were areas without poison ivy.  When I approached the pond (seen in the video) it looked so peaceful in the rain.  I watched it for a while thinking, and then started to take video.  I decided to scope out the area some more to look at other places that were supposed to be part of the shoot.  I was so excited to see that one of the paths I had chosen originally, was not covered in poison ivy! It was the path with the large tree seen in the photos and video.  I have always loved the look of it on the edge of the path, woods beyond it so deep and dark green.  Lucky luck!  It was surrounded with a lovely ground cover type of ivy.  Not poison ivy!  I took multiple video shots and decided I should leave since it was lightening.

The rain started to slow down.  I decided to visit the river and see if there were some possibilities there to help create some sort of tangible story.  It was when I saw the geese gently floating on the water, that the story hit me.  I wasn't going to need the tee pee after all.   I had plenty to work with.  The story would simply be about nature...loving nature, being in nature, and wanting to be one with it at times.  It would be about the peace that is present in it, and how it makes us ponder and think and remember. It would be about how nature soothes and calms our spirits when we are troubled.  A simplistic idea, but with different and complex meanings to everyone.  Who doesn't feel something when they are in it?

My next thought was that I could use the rainy video clips I had just taken if  by chance Faith could do the shoot that evening.  This way there would be continuity in the colors of the photo and video takes.  I sent her a text asking her to call me when she got off work. I was worried she would think I was crazy to twitch gears so suddenly, but she said she could do it!

 There were more storms out there, but as luck would have it again, the storms moved north.  The clouds remained, giving us perfect conditions for our shoot.  Faith got ready and was at my house in a blink. We had already discussed how she needed to do her makeup earlier in the week, and her hair is naturally curly, so no work required there.  I made her a fresh crown with cuttings from a bush in our front yard.  We grabbed some props to use and dashed away knowing our daylight was limited.  

Faith looked stunning and the surroundings were magical after the rain.  I always joke about the "art gods" looking after us, because on all three projects we've completed so far, it amazes us how things come together so smoothly.  There was no one around for the most part which makes things easier, especially for Faith.  We were also blessed with a sunset and the Canadian geese were cooperative.  Well mostly...they tried to go after Faith to take her basket of crumbs.  She looked quite graceful trying to run away from them.  :)

It took a very long time to choose only a few photos out of the nearly 200 taken!! There were so many good ones.  

When it came to the painting, all the green that would be required was intimidating.  I suspected it would take a long time and it did.  I took the advice of my friend Julie Ford Oliver.  She said to start with a thin transparent red oxide in order to tone down the harshness of the greens.  I did that and it did make the painting seem warm from start to finish.  I also stayed away from sap green and other ready-made greens until the end, even then using them sparingly.  I used ultramarine blue, ultramarine violet, Indian yellow and cadmium yellow light to make the greens.  The palette knife came in really handy too.

I did freeze up a few times on the painting.  I just get so afraid to move forward, afraid to botch it.  In the end, it came together just as the photo shoot did.  Happy Lisa.

I might post a making-of video and some photos soon.  Would you be interested in that?  I plan to continue with the Finding Faith projects, however don't be surprised if you see some new faces in the future since Faith is moving away.  People have asked if the paintings are for sale.  They are not as of yet.  Many have suggested I do a show with these works, and that is exactly what I hope to do some day when I have enough of them completed.  It would be a dream to have a exhibit including video, photos, paintings and the props used in each one.  Who knows!  It may be 2020 before I get around to it, but it is something to work for.  :)

Thank you so much for all your comments and visits here and on my Facebook and Instagram sites.  It is SO meaningful to know that people look forward to these.  

♥ Lisa

On a Lazy Day in Matfield Green: The Second Finding Faith Project Complete

After the incredible response that our first Finding Faith project received, I was really eager to get to work on the second, and we nearly pulled it off in record time. The video and photo shoot went perfectly.  So perfect in fact, that it seemed the "art gods" were with us once again...a funny saying that Faith and I have started to say whenever things are going very well. But then life happened...not in a bad way, but in a busy way...and the painting came forth like a slug.  I never thought I would get it done and was tempted so many times to just "call it good enough", but the perfectionist in me won't allow such an ending and I HAD to keep going until it was right.  Even though I am not striving to be a realistic painter on this project, it is important to me to capture certain details and moods and emotions in the painting that are present in the short videos that we create as well as the photographs.  For those of you that paint, you KNOW this does not usually come easily.  We have to work for it.

A little bit about our setting...it was shot in a very teeny tiny town called Matfield Green, which is a little over an hour away from Wichita.  This little place is nestled in the beautiful Flint Hills of Kansas and its population is 50.  That's right...50.  I did not forget any zeros!  It would be easy to miss it, except for the hilarious signs they have along Highway 177 reading "Matifield Green Next 3 Exits".   But they are not exits, they are just streets.  The 50 people in Matfield Green have a great sense of humor.  :)

We filmed at a place called Pioneer Bluffs which is a gorgeous public property with many uses.  It consists of lots of tall trees, a creek, an old cabin from 1859, which you will see in the project, and many other interesting buildings and barns.  We were lucky on the day of the shoot because there was not a soul there.  It was early Spring and Pioneer Bluffs was operating  on their Winter schedule, which means it was basically closed (thank you, art gods).  

Modeling for this project are my beautiful niece Faith and her handsome fiancé Sam.  They did such a fantastic job at the shoot.  It is not always easy because there is a little bit of acting necessary for this, and they have to put up with me constantly saying things like "turn your head this way...walk that way...no, other way...look at me, now look away", etc.  Their patience was extraordinary the entire time.  They moved with grace and their expressions were brilliant as you will see in the video and photos.  I could not have asked for an easier pair to work with!  Thank you again Faith and Sam!

So here we go with a simple story told in film, photos and painting...

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On a Lazy Day in Matfield Green

On a Lazy Day in Matfield Green
oil on canvas
24 x 30 inch

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Thank you all so much for your incredible enthusiasm for our project!  It has been a joy to create these and the fact that they bring joy to others encourages me to do more.  Thank you again!

♥ Lisa

Touch

Touch
oil on canvas
16 x 20 inch

When I first began painting, I painted a work called "Purple Ladies" which was a hideously executed acrylic painting about gossiping.  There were three ladies...one that was talking, the other with her head up to the sky laughing and the one in the middle standing with a look of distaste on her face.  I've always hated it when I hear someone being talked about. It's one thing to speak one on one to a trusted friend about things, but it's quite another to blab in front of a group that may or may not have had the chance to make their own judgments about the person being talked about.  So in my opinion, it's best to just keep the mouth shut.  

So anyways, I decided it was time to cover up my ugly painting and paint something more positive.  Now these ladies have the right idea...compassion.  That is how it should be.  Don't you agree?

frame detail

I had this frame that I believe came from a thrift shop and it worked perfectly.

I took it to Tessera Gallery.  Final Friday is tonight, but this piece is not on display yet because I was too late delivering it there.  Life is keeping me busy...working in the yard, working on the next Finding Faith painting, creating new pieces for the gallery and most exciting of all was our youngest son's master piano recital last weekend.  We traveled to Texas to see him play and WOW.  He has really grown in his music the last two years he has studied at UT Arlington.  We were in tears.  If you are interested in seeing video from his recital click HERE. If you are short of time, you can forward to the last minute and a half or so.

I hope to finish the second Finding Faith painting in a week or so, but until then, here is a another peek.  As you can see, there was a reason for that red flannel shirt.  :)

sneak peek detail of next Finding Faith painting

Have a beautiful weekend everyone!

♥ Lisa

Small Paintings and a How the Finding Faith Project is Going

Wendy With a Watering Can
oil on panel 6 x 6 inch
(sold)

 You can probably tell from my color palette that I am excited Spring has arrived.  I've been very busy in the flowerbeds cleaning them out, digging and planting.  Mud on my shoes makes me happy.  I was outside from 10 am to 9 pm yesterday, so obviously the progress on my next Finding Faith painting is moving along VERY slowly.  I did these small paintings over the last three weeks or so.  I am loving oil paints right now and vibrant colors.  I am working on new ways to paint flowers...always a challenge for me.

Flower Pitcher
oil on panel 5 x 7 inch
(sold)

Ella
oil on panel 5 x 7 inch

Striped Pitcher
oil on panel 5 x 7 inch

Here's a little teaser from the next Finding Faith video (the music you hear in this snippet will not be a part of it).  The photos and video turned out great and the 30 x 24 inch painting is coming along.  It might be another couple of weeks before I am done.  If you have no idea what the Finding Faith project is click HERE.

I invite you to follow my other social media sites as that is where I spend most of my online time these days.  Click on the links:
Instagram
Facebook

I wish you all a joyful end of the week!  

♥ Lisa

Commission Work, Small Paintings and What's Next on Finding Faith

Commission painting
mixed media on 9 x 12 inch canvas

A friend of mine has this wonderful and faded photo from 1926 of her grandparents and her grandmother's two sisters jumping rope in the middle of a field in Kansas.  She asked me to paint them in my style and this is how it turned out.  She loved it, which is always a relief!

Bedroom in Gold and Sky Blue
mixed media on wood block 4 x 6 inch

 Last week seven of my tiny paintings (4 x 6 to 6 x 8 inch sizes) sold from Tessera Gallery, so I painted several more to fill the empty spots.  I really enjoyed doing the interior paintings that were inspired by some old decorating books I bought from a used bookstore last year.

Dining with Cobalt and Paisley
mixed media on wood block 4 x 6 inch

And of course my favorite subject...figures.  These are all imagined or from my "sketchbook sweetie" sketchbooks.

Peggy and Patty in Pigtails
mixeed media on wood block
4 x 6 inch

Grace With a Good Luck Cat
mixed media on panel 5 x 7 inch

Liliana and the Sleepy Cat
mixed media on panel 5 x 7 inch

Bike Ride in Spring
mixed media on panel 5 x 7 inch
(SOLD)

 And look what I found!  A red flannel shirt for my next Finding Faith project.  It cost $3.49, so does that make my project low budget?  :)  I am happy to tell you that things are well on the way and we are excited about how the video and photos have turned out.  Time for the painting!  Wish me luck!

A million thanks for all your amazing and uplifting comments on this project.  I was truly overwhelmed with all the kind comments, sweet emails, and encouragement to keep at it.  Faith loved reading all the comments too, and that's important because without her, there would be no Finding Faith.  :)

See you soon.

  

♥ Lisa

Finally! Finding Faith Project Unveiled: the Video, Photos and Painting

Over a month in the making, and my "Finding Faith" project is finally finished! I named it Faith is Waiting For Spring and it is a three part art project using painting, video and photography to tell a simple story.  I have always loved to dabble in photography and with my new-found love for videography, I had the idea to connect them with my painting and this is what materialized.  

I really hope you enjoy the video and photos and especially the surprise ending in the painting!
:)

 FULL details on the making of this project are below for those of you who want to know more.  I know who you are and it was written for you.  

Thank you for looking!

♥ Lisa

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Faith is Waiting For Spring

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Video: click to play

Faith is Waiting For Spring
oil on canvas
30 x 24 inch

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 Details About the Project

working in the studio

As you know, if you follow my art, I am a figurative and narrative painter and often paint intuitively (where the story unfolds by itself as I paint) or by creating scenes using vintage photos.  However, I had a new idea for my approach and that was to create the story with the use of video and photography, and then attempt to paint it.   In all honesty, this whole concept started with finding the 8 mm app for my iPhone.  It is the same app I have been using to make my "Studio Clips" videos, and it has me hooked on video making.  It's kind of funny to me how such a big idea can come from such a small thing like finding an app, but that is what happened.  Plus I have always loved taking pictures, so this project provided a way I could sort of tie these arts together with my love of painting. 

  The video and photographs took only 1 1/2 hours to shoot, but took over 10 hours to edit because I was very picky and kept changing my mind about the clips of video I wanted to use. Plus, selecting the music took a while.  I needed something slow since the whole theme was about Faith waiting for "Spring" to arrive. It is amazing how music can make or break the mood!

My beautiful niece, Faith was my gracious and willing muse and we did the shoot in an open field in the middle of Benton, Kansas.  I found her dress and the small props at a thrift shop,  borrowed the table and chairs, and  I made the flower crown myself.  I was pretty excited the day of shooting because everything turned out exactly as I had envisioned and the weather was perfect!  

My friend and gallery owner Teressa Sliger helped me locate the property after I sent a text to her one day to ask if she knew of any "Andrew Wyeth-looking places" out in the country where she lives. (My all time favorite painting is Christina's World, and the Kansas landscape looks exactly like that painting). So Teressa took me driving around one day trying to locate the perfect spot for my project and I ended up selecting the first one we saw.   I have to point out here what a great friend and support Teressa was to do this for me...indulging with me on my what had to seem like such a crazy creative whim.  She questioned me very little and just rolled with it.  Had she not done this, I might have just chucked the whole thing aside labeling it as a dumb idea, but her interest and enthusiasm helped push me forward.  Also, the property we chose was private property and we were not sure who owned it, so she offered to meet us out there on shooting day to keep watch for anyone that might question what we were up to.  We had to lug the table and chairs a long ways off the road to the tree that provided the main part of our stage and Faith and I were a bit nervous about trespassing.  I  imagined poor Faith being hauled off to jail in her pretty dress and flower crown, and me having to explain to her mother what had happened.  But having Teressa there helped us relax as we worked.  She assured us it was not a big deal to be out there and it wasn't.  We never saw a soul for the entire hour and half we were there.

After the photos and video were complete I busied myself in the studio attempting to capture the scene in the painting.  Since I do not paint realistically, this was a challenge for me.  I had to keep reminding myself that my job was to capture the essence, not every single detail.  Also, I knew from the start that I could not make Faith look like Faith.  I had already tried painting her face over and over again in my sketchbooks.  I decided that if I could at least capture the scene with just a likeness of her I would be happy.  I worked in oil because it is easier for me to make adjustments.

   Being outside, collaborating with people, taking photos, shooting video...it was such a fulfilling way to work in art!  Plus working with all the images from the photos and video,  and physically having been in that location provided a lot more information for me to work with, which for some reason seemed to make the painting process flow more easily. However, I can't always work this way because it is so involved.  From time to time though, it will be fun and I love the challenge.

Didn't Faith do an incredible job?  She is a natural beauty and she just knew exactly what I was wanting for the video and photos.  She was such an easy model to work with and I could NOT have done this without her!  We had so much fun that day and I am happy to say we are already scheming for the next project.  I just need to find a red flannel shirt somewhere.  :)

Thanks for reading.
xo