Wide open spaces and a commission's progress

What Remains, 24 x 24, acrylic on deep cradle panel

Finally found some time to get back to a larger painting. I'd photographed this pine a while back with the intention of painting it just as was in reality, i.e., with its full quota of needles. I loved how its asymmetric branches reached to either side and up and away. As I began to fill in the needles, I realized it made more of the statement I had in mind as is, with just a crown remaining.

It's symbolic of the struggle against all odds: timbering, old age, pine beetles, and extreme weather. This will be part of my "Branching Out" show in January. It's a little out of focus, as I photographed it in the house with only incandescent light, so I'll replace this shot with a better one tomorrow.

Portrait of Sassy and Katie, 36 x 48, acrylic on canvas.

This commission for a portrait of two dogs is a large canvas - 36 x 48 - to go into a big timber frame home. I've still a ways to go on the shadows and highlights and both dogs' feet, but it often helps me to be more objective when I post things online. I'd love to hear any feedback or responses anyone has. For one thing, I'm wondering if the post on the upper left needs more softening? Wha'd'ya think?

Two Small Pieces

Draped in Fur, 3 x 18, acrylic on vintage chair harp (sold)

I'm working on my next large commission, so I've only energy enough at night to sit on my couch and paint small things for myself. Here are a couple I painted this past week. The chair harp pieces seem to sell as fast as I can paint them. If I can't find a source for the harps, I'll have to start cutting out my own shapes on the bandsaw. The only problem with that is the vintage harps are shaped in a shallow "S" curve to fit a person's spine. This shape adds much to the character of each figure. My pieces would have to be cut from flat wood stock.

I took this to Sautee Gallery for the Holiday show - and it sold the same day.
If only that were always the case!!

Sitting Pretty will go to the Heritage Center tomorrow where I'll be demonstrating and working the sales counter. I'm borrowing a friend's car as mine will be staying home waiting for my mechanic.

Sitting Pretty, 10 x 12, acrylic on panel $58.00 (Sold)

Not Lavender or lavendar - but Equiangular

Toto 2
With your dangerous beauty you
are like unto a tornado,
touching down,
laying waste to trepidation...
I am drawn, into your world,
seeking an Oz of my own.

Let me trade silver
for your ruby set in gold.
I look for you in the yellow moon -
while the wind and City keep you,
I keep this to hold.

... for Peter, 2006 c. ply

Logarithmic Spirals, 24 x 24 - Acrylic on deep cradle panel

My fascination with storms and whirlwinds likely has much to do with growing up in "Tornado Alley," an area of the Midwest whose borders shift with ever changing weather patterns. Though I now live in the foothills of the Appalachians, I long for a big, big sky, full of mystery and the promise of a story borne on the wind in whispers and murmurs - and deafening roars.

The images I paint arise out of stories read and weather footage viewed, as well as memories, dreams and imagination. Sure, the Wizard of Oz is a fantasy, but as a child I fully expected the next tornado to carry me to a place where horses changed color and creepy monkeys carried off little dogs! (To this day I can't abide monkeys...)

The science of twisters fascinates my left brain as well. Tornadoes, cyclones, hurricanes, galaxies, and the Chambered Nautilus are all examples of logarithmic spirals, which often appear in nature. Spira mirabilis, "the marvelous spiral" was first described by Descartes in the 1600's. Marvelous spirals, indeed...






The "Pop" art of the 60's, classic " hypnosis wheels", the boinging eyes of cartoon characters - each made much of spinning spirals.

Wow - Four equiangular spirals (hurracanes) seen from satellite orbit.

And my personal favorite spiral done by an artist?

Robert Smithson's Spiral Jetty, 1970

And here - by way of Stu's comment, is a piece by another of my favorite conceptual artists: Richard Long.



Lots of circles, spiral and targets...

Lavender again...

Lavender Tangles, 16 x 20, acrylic on canvas

I'm never painting another complicated tree again... until the next time. I had to make a grid out of string because I kept getting lost. The string thing worked well though - only had to scoot the string aside to join up the 2 x 3 grid squares as I finished them. I now have some lovely painted string, too, as I didn't always scoot in a timely mannner.

Actually, though the tree was a challenge, the entire rest of the painting was repainted at least twice. For me, the original design was just too busy, and believe it or not, this is the pared-down version. Some of my artist friends said "It doesn't look like your paintings" or "where is all the empty space"? I still think it's too busy- too much competition with the tree. I'll take it with me on the Arts Tour tomorrow, and perhaps make some changes.

More Landscape

Along the Levee, 18 x 24, acrylic on canvas

I came across an old photo taken somewhere in Southern Illinois years ago. The color in the photograph had faded to dull blue-green, but I liked the composition with the great sweep of water reaching toward the foreground. I decided to improvise my own palette. The end result is this combination of soft and vibrant color.

And just for fun, here's a look at some of the commercial work I used to do. For nearly ten years I designed painted furniture for a few small - and one large high end - furniture manufacturers, during the 1990's heyday of painted furniture. The design end usually meant painting a sample board or panels which were submitted to the company for consideration. These samples were then returned to me and I would copy my own work - or farm out the painting to artist friends for completion.This is one such sample.

Ruth's Stats, 28 x 28, sepia tone acrylics on hardboard, framed

I did a series of sports-related designs including this one depicting the statistics of Babe Ruth. It was intended as the top of a side table or small trunk, but could be adapted for other pieces. I painted quite a few of these!

I came across it as I was cleaning out my workshop and it is for sale. ($185) Here's hoping some baseball fan will like it enough to take it home. Me? Not much of a big-league baseball fan - though I enjoy the often slow pace of a minor league or even high school game. Give me a volley-ball game any day! I used to be the setter on a Philly YMCA team and I had a mean roundhouse serve. And yes - I was the only woman on the team. (heh) Momma didn't raise no fool.

Three small paintings...

Click on images to enlarge detail...

Lavender Fields, 10 x 10, acrylic on panel, $125.

It's been a busy - and good week! Sold three pieces at the Sautee-Nacoochee Gallery within the first couple of days. None of them were among the three here, but these are also in that show.

Deep Dusk, 10 x 12 (framed), acrylic on panel, $125.

Each of these captures a certain mood - a time and place less of this world than that of the dreamer. In Deep Dusk, I left the panel as a "mat" around the very small painting. I liked the tones of the wood grain with the background's gold and purple tones. I happened to have the perfect frame in my stash - and voila!

Deep Dusk, sans "mat" and frame...

Heading Downstream, 7 x 12, acrylic on painted door panel, $85. (sold)

I received a new commission - a cat portrait for an artist friend's family. He saw the large one I just finished for a client and thought it would make a neat and unique Christmas gift. Hoo-rah. I'll do that one this week.

Here's a photo of the commission I finished and delivered last week. That's Tippy on the Windowsill, 36 x 48, acrylic on canvas. The client will be placing this above a large bookcase on a windowless wall, thus a faux window, complete with cat and everlasting plants. I have two more commissions from the same client: her two dogs, and then a portrait of their three horses. I really enjoy doing animal portraits - as opposed to those of the human variety... unless of course I can paint the sitter as I please - rather than to please...

Assemblage: Making things from other things...

... a few of my recent collage/assemblages...

I'm still producing as many small works as I can. Artwork priced under $100 is still selling slowly, but steadily. I price these between $38 and $90, depending upon size, treasured items, and (heh) effort required.

Emile, 8 x 10, mixed media and drawing
click to enlarge for detail

For some time (years!) I've been collecting stuff. Bits of metal, pieces of wood, odd little toys, broken jewelry, bones, hardware, wire, keys - a treasure trove (at least by my standards) of fabulous found objects. This stuff is my flotsam and jetsam collection, raw materials for recreation and recombination into images, allegorical, mythological, enigmatic, personal - and yet - only recently have I dedicated a room for doing the actual assemblage.

Most of my assemblages have one or more concurrent themes (my thoughts as I worked). I often write little ditties to accompany each.

The Flight of Apollo Friday the Thirteenth, 7 x 10, mixed media
Apollo's uplifted - left his blues behind.
Laughing and twisting, he's blooming on high.
Crazy with sanity

It makes all the difference to have a space where I can surround myself with all the choices within reach, and be able to close the door on unfinished works. The door is important, as it prevents all those little pieces from becoming cat toys!

Absolute Contrasts, 10 x 10, mixed media assemblage

A Pony For Me, 10 x 10, collage

I have always been fascinated with the work of Joseph Cornell, an artist who made "boxes" filled with objects that confound and inspire due the juxtapositions of objects inside. There's a fun site for admirers of his work here, and another with many of his collages and assembled boxes here.

Below are some of my favorite Cornell assemblages:

bebe-Marie

1942, untitled

Solar Set

Untitled (soap bubble set)

Untitled (Cockatoo and Corks)