What has been going on

Wow, last few weeks have gone by faster than I ever imagined. As I had stated in the last posting, I had started a critiquing group in the Austin area. We now had three sessions, so I will catch up on the last two first. A few confessions first; on the 1st meeting I was very nervous. I had not done anything like this before but I felt that it's needed. Now I'm really feeling very comfortable with our critiquing group. It is growing and the talent pool is great. We all see something different and our words are kind. I've recently noticed more and more artists are opening up and sharing more. Which I think is absolutely fabulous. There is a group in the Dallas metroplex that I had the pleasure of meeting at a workshop with Carol Marine in Jan of this year. They all work together and that is what it's all about. I would like to invite them publicly to our next session. You hear that Karen, Mark, Suzy, Carol, Grant, Sharon, and Kay; and if I forgot someone sorry. Come on down and we can make a day of it. As for the critiquing three weeks ago was our second session. Kirsten and Kitty were there and Melinda came in a little later. Kirsten had two new paintings, great colors and contrast. You can really feel the mood she is trying to create. Kitty had one she had got closer to finishing and another that she decided to change into an abstract. I was still struggling with one and Melinda has just blown me away with her paintings. And to think she is just getting back into it. This week Kirsten, Kitty, Deborah and Belinda were present. Kirsten you are a painting machine. She had two more paintings done. Kitty finished her floral and with some very very minor color tweaking in this small area she will make it all pop. Deborah, your colt is just wonderful. Belinda was running short of time so she did not bring her paintings with her and I revisited my last painting and got some tips on adding depth and it should be done and I will post by the next session. I certainly learned alot this week about the way I paint and how to make it better. Thank you all for being here it really made a difference in the way I think about my paintings and what I see. We have a great group and I would encourage all artists to get together with other like minds and see how much your own artwork will blossom because of it. Next session I will demonstrate how I stretch my canvas.

Inside the Gate....

Inside the Gate 22 X 18 Oil on Canvas

Wow, time fly's when you're busy. I promised a new painting and I have more. So first things, first. This is a view from an open gate on the island of Cyprus. Hence the name "Inside the Gate". I know you will enjoy the view as much as I did.

Next I started a critiquing group that has met twice thus far. It is really great, they are some extremely talented artists who have a discerning eye when it comes to what little tweaking needs to be done to bring a somewhat complete a painting to am outstanding painting. Example the one above was two inches longer, therefore there was too much shadow to allow your eyes to travel into the painting gracefully. Not to say the shadow was not done well it just was a bit too much. With the suggestion from one artist then verified with several others, I took the plung and cut two inches off before stretching the Canvas. What a dramatic difference those two inches made. I can't thank those artists enough for making a painting for average to great. Anyway, the group is wonderfully filled with lots of caring critiquing, loads of shared information, and new ideas. I had one artist say this is what she had been looking for, a group that is not afraid to share, being honest, and truly wanting the other artist to succeed. Yes my artist friends and collectors there are really great people out there and I have been graced by them and they are fabulous artist to boot. We all have our strengths and we know our weaknesses, and we are not afraid to put our hearts out on the line because we know that it will not be injured, it will be held lovingly and nurtured to create what our souls intended. In the weeks and months ahead I will introduce you to them thru their eyes (or should I say brushes), so stay tuned.

Busy week and then some....

Well it has been awhile. I have not painted as much as I would have liked, but have been busy with kids, and sports. I am working on a scene from Le Suzette from local hilltop, it's about 3/4 done and hopefully be finish this week. In other news, I am starting a critique group. This is in attempt to create an atmosphere of honest helpful critiquing, inspiration, sharing ideas and support. It seems that there are long stretches of time when we spend so much time in our studios we sometime loose sight of our artistic instinct, or just need an extra set of eyes to help us figure out what may be wrong with a painting.

Why are you an artist or better yet what makes you an artist?

A while back, I was reading an art magazine and somewhere along the way I started thinking about why I wanted to be an artist. It's strange but I can remember many years ago my father introduced me to a doctor friend of his and he asked what I wanted to be when I grow up. Now mind you, my father worked in the health industry, this was my first week as a candy stripper/hospital volunteer (for those who are younger) and I am sure this gentleman just assumed that I wanted to be in the same industry, anyhow I replied that I wanted to paint and be an artist. He just smiled, (you know one of those smiles that have more to say but won't say it) but I am sure he was thinking somewhere along the lines of "that's fine little girl but we doctors make more money". (Ah my comment now is" but do they enjoy their vocations for many, many years and even into those retirement years or don't have the fear of being laid off or have some young college kid taking over for less money) So why is it that I wanted to be an artist at such a tender age? Well, the only thing I can think of is that my school took the ling trip to Chicago Art Museum one year, and I was hooked. I remember asking my mother for a paint-by-number kit, which she did. When I got to the real small parts, you know the ones for highlights or nuances of color to make the shape turn and such. Weill, I had already painted over the numbers that indicate what was the number/color was supposed to have gone there. (Hey, it was the first time I had such a kit and didn't know all the rules) Anyway, I add libbed what I though needed to be there and frankly it turned out ok, for the first painting of an 8 year old, and it was all I could muster, and to that same 8 yr. old it was a masterpiece. From that point on that was all I wanted to be. Now mind you this was a long, ok, ok, really long time ago. Now it was not only in my mind but it was in my heart racing through my veins. So now the question remains what makes you an artist? Now exactly what does an artist do? For me I look at an object/scenery and think of it in shapes and color masses. Questions start racing through my head like, how would I paint that, what colors create the colors in the sky/tree/building or whatever. If I add a color like yellow will it make it come too far forward/and the opposite for a green or blue. What if I took this tree out so I could see the building better? Will a square or rectangle canvas be a stronger composition? What do I need to add or subtract to make it a better mood? And then there is the, I can't do anything else, I just have to paint that scene because it just moves me so much. Everywhere I go everything I see; these are the questions that arise. And the questions continue until I decide to paint or not. Whether it is abstract, realistic, impressionist, a photograph, made of any type of material or into any object; it is considered these days as art. Age has no limit on this either. I know, there are some people out there that would say I am wrong, or my definitions are out in left field somewhere, but really am I truly that far off? Is it training or schooling, well no because I know of several self taught artist who are doing quite well. so the only thing I can conclude is that it is in your heart and that it is all you want to do, it is all you see and think about. It is a job that consumes you 24/7, and it is done with great enthusiasm, and gratefulness to be able to create. So the torch is passed to you the reader, fellow artist, art collector: what is your definition?

What would you do part 2

The top is the version that was to be corrected. Can you tell me what was wrong with it? Are you able to see where the perspective is off? Would you have just left it alone?

This is the corrected version, can you see where changes were made? Would you have made similar changes? Granted both paintings were taken in two different locations so the color may seem a bit different but let me explain what changes were made and why. Karen asked/stated a valid point (commented on Blogspot); she asked what decision I had made and she would like to view what was done so she and others could maybe learn from it.

Ok, did you see what changes were done? Well I did some adjustments to the shutters to line them up correctly. Then I did the same for the bottom of the doorway, things were just not lined up. Then the last thing was I added some more stones to the planter.

Both Monte and Gayle had great points also(commented on my website blog), the percentage of changes was not that great, and it seemed to me that when I paint something a second time sometimes I lose some of the spontaneity and spirit that was created in the first painting. So let me know what you all think of the painting and the changes.

What is a person to do?????

This is for all you painters out there. I had finished a painting 2 weeks ago, and I leave it somewhere in my studio to view. This is a practice that helps me know when a painting is really done. As I am working on another painting or just puttzin' in my studio, I have the pleasure of reviewing the painting several times a day for about a week or two. Well this last one that I call Red and Blue, was bugging me. Something about it was wrong or off. I had one of my critique buddies stop by to look at the painting, and she loved it; actually four of them had stopped by and all said the same thing. I had picked these people because they have great taste, yet they are not professional painters but they all have done a great deal in the creative realm. Anyway, it was still bugging me so I left it out for review. For the life of me I spent two weeks looking at the paintings and I could not spot it, whatever it was. I finally re-measured and noticed my perspective was really off. I had used the wrong tools during the drawing stage and got myself in trouble. So my question to you is... If you have a painting that needs to be corrected in a few places, do you correct the original or do you just start over? And to what extent do you work on the first one before you just say you are better off starting afresh? is it a judgement call, or something like if it is less than 25% you work on the first one but after that you might as well start over? I have always wondered. Do you sand that part that needs the correction, what is your process? I am curious, what would you do with it all?

All about Fredericksburg Texas

Fredericksburg Farmhouse

Fredericksburg Farm

These Paintings will have there last hours at The Upper Crust Cafe today. The Group will be taking them down after lunch time closing. It is always a great pleasure to have you painting hanging in an establishment that has a lot of traffic. I would like to thank the management of Upper Crust for allowing us to display there. It was fun to be able to visit with friends, grab a snack and look at wonderful works of art all at the same time. All these opportunities only make my paintings stronger, I always strive to create new and inspiring work. To have them work with each establishment or with the group of paintings that it is being hung with; yet really pop, if that makes any sense. We are working on the next showing, coming to you soon.