Day and Night Painter

2012 Challenge

2012-01-25T10:00:00.000-08:00

While I told myself 2012 would be the year I challenge myself to create a new artwork every week (fleetingly I even contemplated creating a very small work every day, as many more disciplined bloggers do) here it is, late January and I have created nothing but the beginnings of something: yesterday's distressed panel.

Every day for the past couple of weeks I've sought inspiration by looking through my collection of travel photos, reading other artists' blogs, magazines, books, sifting through on-line images of classic and contemporary artworks, YouTube demonstrations of encaustic, collage, and painting techniques, and ... zilch ... I seem to be having some kind of mental block. I explained my dilemma to my daughter and she told me it sounded like I'm inspired to be inspired but am stuck. She's right - I am stuck. I notice there is a plethora of information on getting 'unstuck', including an article in the Cloth Paper Scissors magazine I purchased yesterday: 52 Art Prompts for 2012. Must go read it now before I get stuck doing something else ...

Attempt #1 - Encaustic Painting

2012-01-24T15:49:00.000-08:00

Over the past many weeks I've been gearing up to begin an exploration of encaustic painting: I've purchased books, equipment and materials, spent many hours researching various techniques on-line, and even signed up for an on-line video workshop with Oregon encaustic artist Linda Womack.

Yesterday, keen to get going, I began work on a 6" x 6" wooden cradle panel. I painted a couple of layers of wax medium (dammar crystals mixed with filtered beeswax - commercially produced) over the panel and attempting a photo transfer from one of the pictures I took of a hallway in Kilmainham Gaol while my youngest daughter and I toured Ireland last year.

My first problem was with the thrift store griddle I'd purchased for melting the wax medium - it overheated and the medium began smoking; second problem - I didn't have the proper ventilation required for drawing away the toxic fumes, so I threw my studio door wide open and the icy breeze cooled down the wax too quickly; third problem was attempting a photo transfer using an inkjet photocopy rather than a toner-based photocopy. My second attempt at the transfer seemed to be coming along nicely until I hit it with the heat gun and the transfer suddenly shrank severely, cracked, and lifted off the waxed substrate - eeeeek!

I was picking the brittle bits of transfer off the wax, silently cursing and wondering if I should attack it with a scraper and begin again at square one. Partway through the picking and scraping, I stopped to examine the distressed surface and decided it was beginning to look interesting; just for the heck of it I added some red wax medium and decided the experiment was taking a turn for the better. I quit then and will continue to work on it again soon, once I've purchased a new griddle and thermometer to ensure a minimum of toxins in the studio.

Must do more research before I return to the panel... stay tuned.

Negative Space With Crows, With Apologies and Thanks to Mordecai Richler

2011-12-27T15:43:00.000-08:00

I recently attempted to read "Solomon Gursky Was Here," a novel by Mordecai Richler. I've read and enjoyed a few books by Richler, but I thought this one was nothing but nonsensical babble - I mean, really bad, dull and verbose in the extreme. This review sums it up.

I feel compelled to finish a book once I've started it, but in recent years I've decided there are far too many good books out there for me to waste time plodding through bad ones. As for this book, I didn't want to pass it along to another unsuspecting reader, and my life-long love of books wouldn't allow me to throw it into the trash, so I decided to recycle it in my own special way. Feeling like a bit of a devil, I began tearing pages out of the book - and I must admit the more I tore, the more I enjoyed it!

I've done some painting over collage elements before and felt pleased with the effect, so I used a mixture of water and acrylic medium to adhere bits from the torn pages onto a wooden cradle panel and began painting. I've created four works so far incorporating pages from the book and have several other Richler-collage substrates awaiting. Best of all, I sold one of these works just a few days after I'd finished it and two others are hanging in the Watershed Art Gallery!

Painter's Remorse

2011-09-22T19:18:00.000-07:00

Three Women at the Spring, Picasso, 1921 (MoMA, New York)

Several years ago I was inspired by this painting and created my own version, incorporating the colour palette and symbolic elements I often employ in my works:

Three Women at the Spring, After Picasso, 2007 (now lost, Delta, BC)

Here it is on my easel, close to being finished (alas, I cannot find a photo of the finished work).

The painting hung on the wall in my dining room for many years. One impulsive morning, when I was overflowing with inspiration and had no suitable substrate at hand, I took it down, removed it from the frame, and painted over it. Never regretted it or gave it another thought until this morning when I was surfing through blogs and discovered this post by Felicia Marshall.

Her lovely painting started stirrings of regret in my wee brain. I worked on my painting for months and it turned out not too badly, in fact, members of my household were more than a little annoyed with my impulsiveness and claimed it was a favourite. Okay, okay - lesson learned. In future I shall attempt to be less impulsive and more circumspect. In fact, perhaps I shall paint over the paint-over and go for a reinterpretation ...

Winged Woman as Vessel

2011-09-12T14:33:00.000-07:00

There's nothing like a swiftly approaching deadline to push me back into the studio. I've had this work sitting, half-finished, on my easel for months. Finished it just now and will deliver it to North Delta's Firehall Gallery tomorrow; show opens Friday.

Back in the studio again

2011-06-29T22:08:00.001-07:00

I've been in the studio all day working on a new Woman as Vessel piece - stay tuned ...

The Emerald Isle

2011-05-31T19:06:00.000-07:00

My youngest daughter and I returned last week from a fabulous two weeks in Ireland. What fun we had and what delightful sights we saw!

One of the finest examples of a Celtic cross, Monasterboice.

Monasterboice

Over a garden wall.

Cliffs of Moher, 214m high at the highest point and range for 8 kilometres over the Atlantic Ocean on the western seaboard of County Clare.

Dunluce Castle, North Antrim Coast.

The Giants Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, North Antrim Coast.

Inspiration

2010-12-28T12:36:00.000-08:00

Rowan Leaves and Hole by Andy Goldsworthy

These past few days my mind has been wandering aimlessly in something of a post-Christmas daze and I was beginning to feel guilty about my lack of meaningful concepts for future artworks. I definitely needed a jump start to get my creative vehicle moving forward. Fortunately, I was flipping through channels last night and stopped at the Knowledge Network to watch Rivers and Tides, a documentary (that feels more like an art film) about the awe-inspiring and often evanescent environmental sculptures created by British artist Andy Goldsworthy.

I'm embarrassed to admit I had zero knowledge of Goldsworthy until last night. In college I learned about Spiral Jetty and other earthworks by Robert Smithson and was impressed with the originality and scale of those works. Goldworthy's works tend to be less monumental, more ephemeral and decidedly delightful than Smithson's. I think Goldworthy's success is connected not only to his love of natural materials, but also to the fragile nature of his works; in the careful placement/balance of each and every leaf, stone, delicate bit of ice, or twig, and the intimate scale of his works. The simplistic appearance of Goldsworthy's works belie the complexities behind his concepts and the physical challenges involved in the resultant sculptures. If you get the chance to watch Rivers and Tides, don't miss it. You can view some highlights from the film here and here.

Watching the film brought me back to the sculpture classes I enjoyed in college and the joy of creating intriguing works from the simplest of materials. I think I'll revisit the lessons I learned and the outside-the-box thought processes I employed way back then. Thank you Mr. Goldsworthy!

Woman as Vessel #2

2010-10-26T19:45:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in the post before last, I was inspired to start a new painting after flipping through an old sketchbook and becoming inspired to revisit the concept of woman as vessel. Here's the canvas in the early stages of the painting process in late September:

I struggled with this one - painting over areas that became bogged down with too much detail (oh how I love to get lost in complex detail). Eventually I created a balance between areas of calm and areas of detail and now it's close to being finished. I'll work on the face when I'm back in the studio next month.

Sorry for the poor quality of the pic - it was taken at night, using the flash, and the reflected glare doesn't make for an accurate image.

A little time away from the studio

2010-10-14T22:03:00.000-07:00

Visited family in San Francisco with my mom last weekend and enjoyed the sunshine and sights, not to mention the food and the excellent company.

It was fleet week, so the city was teeming with naval personnel.

The Blue Angels put on quite the performance for us.

We schmoozed with the locals...

Enjoyed the public artwork...

And yummy chocolates...

Checked out the UC Berkeley campus.

Played at a beach off the beaten track...

that turned out to be a missile launching site from WWII.

We even took our lives into our hands by driving up the extremely narrow one-way road to the top of Sausalito and took in what is arguably the best view of San Francisco.

Had a fabulous time and am looking forward to a return visit.

Style change leads to no-go stack

2010-09-28T17:52:00.000-07:00

Because the peacock painting wasn't entirely different after all (as mentioned at the end of my last post), I decided to revert to a style I used many many years ago when I first started painting - dark background and loose brushstrokes. After many hours working on the peacock in this manner, I remembered why I gave up this style oh so long ago - it leads (in my case, at least) to paintings with an overall generic look. The peacock is now facing the wall in the 'no-go' stack.

At a loss as to what to paint next (I admit I was pouting a bit due to the peacock disaster), I began flipping through my old sketchbooks and discovered some 2006 sketches that lead to Woman As Vessel:

Definite possibilities for new works there, so I've hoisted a new canvas onto the easel and have covered it with a wash of red and a conte crayon drawing and am once again in happily-painting-mode.

And now for something completely different

2010-09-27T07:04:00.001-07:00

I've been working long hours in the studio nearly every day for the past couple of weeks and am delighted by the intense creative pace and the resulting mental momentum. Usually I take my time creating a work - first the mental work of weeks of contemplating a concept and image, several tiny sketches, intensive day and night painting sessions, revisiting the work over and over again over a long period for the finishing details, followed by weeks (or months!) of distraction and studio avoidance. Only then do I begin a new work. However, at my current pace, I'm moving from one work to another, unconcerned with completing each piece before starting another - as a result I have several works nearing completion in the time it normally takes me to finish just one.

With my new-found momentum, I've been reviewing photos from my travels for inspiration, with the idea it's time to challenge myself to work on something other than my usual themes of motherhood, community, and nurturing. As I reviewed photos from last year's trip to Thailand I found images of a fantasy peacock temple that had captured my fancy in Bangkok's Ancient City, a huge park featuring small scale and life-sized replicas of ancient architecture in Thailand. I took dozens of photos of that particular temple, thinking I'd like to do a peacock painting... however, by the time I arrived home, just in time for the hectic Christmas season and subsequent months of distraction.

Yesterday, nearly a full year after my original visions of creating a peacock painting, I googled images of peacocks as well as information about their symbolism in different cultures. I was reminded of what beautiful and unusual creatures they are, and found intriguing information here and here.

My apologies for the lengthy post - the point I was getting to is I have the beginnings of different type of painting on my easel:

Actually, now that I see a portion of the 10 year old painting in the background, I realize my "new" image is far, far, from being completely different. Hmmmm...

Hope for a sow's ear ...

2010-09-25T15:30:00.000-07:00

I've been housebound and out of blank canvases - a nightmare for a painter with a paint-every-day-for-several-weeks plan. Fortunately, as mentioned in a previous post, I have a large stack of abandoned works to forage through and as I did so late one night I discovered Portrait of an Alter Ego. This work was abandoned well over a year ago after my model decided there were better things to do than pose for me. Left to my own devices and imagination, I began taking liberties and was soon distraught to realize the face had taken on a Disney-esque quality. I had added a lot of collage elements that I was pleased with, but the face was too much, so I turned the work toward the wall, and as the months slipped by and other flops were stacked along side of it, all memory of the work was erased. Until Thursday night.

My critical examination concluded with a decision to salvage the piece. I've worked on it for several hours Friday, changing the face and adding more colour, texture, and collage elements and am pleased at how nicely it seems to be coming along.

(as yet unfinished, acrylic and mixed media on wood cradle panel, 20"x16")

Although the figure no longer resembles my model, said model/novelist entered the studio yesterday and excitedly proclaimed the face on my easel to be an EXACT likeness of Princess Alishetti Karika. What can I say ... clearly, either I'm incredibly intuitive or our story-writer is happy to finally see a clear image of her royal heroine.

I have a few more collage elements and Celtic interlace to add (must first learn how to draw those confounding knots), then I'll post a final image. Stay tuned!

Day 2 of Morning Pages

2010-09-22T23:17:00.000-07:00

Spent the very first part of my day writing my morning pages (see yesterday's post), and I must admit it's great to just peel off a lot of negativity before the day gets going. I'm sure this will become a regular, if not addictive, habit which will result in speeding up my creative thought processes.

Since finishing my last painting (untitled), I've revisited Tree of Life #3 and worked to create a sense of lushness. Here's the work as it looks on my easel today:

I'll work on the background tones tomorrow.

The Artist's Way

2010-09-21T08:26:00.000-07:00

OK, so I read the first 14 pages of The Artist's Way and decided to try the "morning pages" where it's suggested we sit down each morning before the day gets going and write three pages stream-of-consciousness-style in long hand - never reading it afterward. The idea to remove a lot of negativity from our brains by putting it down on paper, hence holding the inner Censor (that nasty self-critic always whispering in our ears) at bay for the rest of the day. Didn't know if I'd have enough to fill three pages, however my scribbling ran over three pages and I wanted to keep going. Hopefully this has cleared away a few cobwebs in my brain and made room for creativity to flow.

Close to completion

2010-09-20T08:27:00.000-07:00

Untitled, 20x20", acrylic on wood cradle panel. Just a few fine details, another wash of burnt umber for the background, and a protective topcoat to attend to.

I've become unusually attached to this image and am finding it difficult to move on. Often when I'm this close to completing a painting I've already prepared another canvas and loosely painted an outline of some sort. Instead, I now find myself drifting towards my collection of half-finished paintings and slapping a little paint around (if I don't have a good momentum going within the first week of starting a painting, I rarely finish it and relegate the canvas to my no-go stack). After working into the old paintings, I then return to this work and add yet more minute detail. EGAD - I fear I'm suffering from painter's block! In an attempt to battle my condition, I've dragged out my copy of Julia Cameron's The Artists's Way. I purchased the 10th anniversary edition half a dozen or so years ago, read a few pages, then neatly filed it away on a bookshelf (there's the problem with momentum thing again). I'll try to get through a few chapters and hopefully find a jump-start to my next painting. I'll keep you posted.

A day's progress

2010-09-16T18:07:00.001-07:00

I'm adding layer over layer of details and am pleased with how it's looking so far.

I've been asked on more than one occasion if I'm inspired by North American native work - and although I haven't always seen it, I definitely feel it with this work. I'm using the usual archetypes and colours that define my work, however, there's something about this piece ... perhaps it's the circular format, the strong outlining, the bold blocks of colour, or all three elements that lends it a native art feeling. I decided to take to the internet and do a bit of research and, after looking at hundreds of images, I recognized elements similar to those in works by Norval Morrisseau. What do you think?

Working again at last

2010-09-14T07:18:00.000-07:00

After a very long hiatus, and many happy hours spent filling my sketchbook, I'm back in the studio working day and night. My house is unkempt, bed unmade, dishes piled high in the sink, dust bunnies getting large enough to trip over, and there isn't a clean sock in the house - all in the name of artistic progress, and I'm loving every moment! (Please don't drop by unannounced - I'm going to need a good 24 hours notice to tidy!)

Here's one in the works:

Here are the beginnings of a painting on cradle panel:

I've nearly finished another Tree of Life work and will post an image once it's completed.

Stay tuned...

Still here

2010-09-07T08:58:00.000-07:00

Although my blog has lain dormant for months, I've been busy over the summer creating dozens of jewelry pieces in preparation for my annual November Open Studio. My usual supplies for making jewelry consist of glass beads, fresh water pearls, small Swarovski crystals and sterling silver findings, however this summer I've expanded my materials to include semi-precious stones, copper beads and findings, fine silver and gold-toned chain, and larger Swarovski crystals. I've thoroughly enjoying working with these new colours and textures to create new designs.

Now that summer appears to have suddenly ended with the arrival of September rains, it's time to return to my canvases and paint pots. Soon I hope to be posting images of paintings inspired by the hours I spent sketching and soaking up the sun over the summer months.

Stay tuned.

Portrait of Anton as a Young Man

2010-06-10T08:59:00.000-07:00

I've just had a look back at my last several months' posts and it appears this blog has turned into a travel blog instead of an art blog. Actually, it's hardly a blog at all - just a place to post photos from time to time. I've been blessed with travel opportunities recently and haven't had much time for my art practice (tch-tch-tch - LOL). I have spent a little time in the studio recently and this photo is an update to this post. The piece was finished at 3:55 a.m. the morning of my departure for Atlanta and in my bleary-eyedness I forgot to take a photo of the finished piece - in the meantime it was delivered to the young fella who inspired the piece. I'll post a photo when I have one.

Atlanta Aquarium

2010-06-08T08:02:00.000-07:00

Seahorses and jellyfish - two of my favourite aquarium creatures.

Mazatlan sunset

2010-05-14T22:05:00.001-07:00

Back to the studio soon!

Changing things up

2010-04-07T18:45:00.001-07:00

I'm back in the studio working on a new piece comprised of found objects and mixed media, and boy-o-boy, am I ever having fun!

It's something of an extrapolated portrait of a young man who is near and dear to me - he's of Dutch descent (Friesen, actually), hence the inclusion of imagery from Rembrandt, Van Gough, and Vermeer (with my apologies to these esteemed gentlemen).

Below are bits and pieces from the assemblage to date ...

Studio

2010-03-02T19:13:00.001-08:00

As soon as I get a broom to strike down all the cobwebs in the studio, I'll get started.

Oh my, where has the time gone?!

2010-01-29T14:41:00.001-08:00

EEEEK!! I see it's been quite a long time since I last made a post. Life has been very busy between Thailand, Christmas, my daughter's wedding, and now I'm out of town again. Soon I'll be back in the studio producing something interesting (I hope). I'm feeling inspired by the sights and activities of the last few months, so stay tuned ...

Thailand was fabulous!

2009-12-23T16:17:00.000-08:00

Myanmar

2009-12-09T19:35:00.000-08:00

Since my last post I had my open studio show & sale and traveled to Thailand and Myanmar and home again. Our trip was extraordinary - especially Myanmar where we stayed at Inle Lake and spent our days in long narrow boats taking in the sights of the floating vegetable gardens, floating temples, floating silk factory and silversmith. How clever to grow vegetables in a lake, where you'll never have to water your crops and the roots of the plants cleanse the lake water.

Here are a few photos I took along the way:

5th Annual Open Studio Show & Sale

2009-10-22T15:24:00.000-07:00

Hi Facebook friends,

The last 2 posts show works by the artists involved in this weekend's 5th Annual Open Studio show & sale. I've been working day and night for weeks completing new works, making jewellery and planning & reorganizing my house (now mostly devoid of furniture to make room of all the works!). If you'd like to attend, the hours are Friday 4 - 9 pm and Saturday & Sunday 11 am - 4pm. For directions to my house, please e-mail me at barbararoden@hotmail.com.

Cheers,

Barbara

Teaser

2009-10-15T20:22:00.000-07:00

Mixed-media works and paintings by yours truly.

Blown Glass by Robert Parkes

Shibori Silk by Deanna Welters

Outdoor Container Gardens by June Bergen-Holt

Teaser

2009-10-14T14:42:00.000-07:00

Photography by Doug Kerr

Ceramics Fountains by Ernie Hall

Preserves by Jeanette Parkes

Vegan soap (Mermaid) by Kathy Neudorf

Glass works by Jill Hall and Freda Yeomanson.

Buzzin' round the studio

2009-10-09T18:16:00.000-07:00

I have several unfinished works going in the studio as I prepare for my upcoming Open Studio Show & Sale later this month. I'm hoping to finish some next week and post images for you. In the meantime, I've been busy with administrative preparations for the show and am glad I started a few weeks ahead of time, as there's much to do and it's taking up as much of my time, if not more, as painting time.

Stay tuned ...

SPROUT

2009-10-02T15:06:00.000-07:00

Here's Sprout, hot off the easel. I really enjoyed working on the papier mache surface (over a wooden cradle panel). The slick surface of the papier mache made for an interesting finished texture that's quite different than my works on canvas or wood.

For this work I was inspired partially by Germinate and partially by
Tree of Life, and with a little bit of a nostalgic feel thrown into the mix. It's smaller than my usual works, however, I'm enjoying the sense of intimacy I feel pondering this petite work (16x12").

More fish

2009-09-25T12:27:00.000-07:00

I had such fun painting those fish in the last painting I posted they're now appearing in my new works. I'm experiencing pure joy experimenting with colours outside my usual palette. I didn't know dioxazine violette mixed with pthalo green could create such a range of interesting colour - obviously I'm not experimenting enough, happy as I've been in my comfort zone. Note to self: EXPERIMENT!

Update

2009-09-25T12:22:00.000-07:00

I found my camera!

Here's the nearly completed piece. I'm thinking about reducing the size of the crescent moon ... I'll let it sit as is for a week, then look at it again.

Missing my camera

2009-09-23T14:39:00.000-07:00

I went canoeing on the weekend, was bitten on the wrist by a wasp, had a bad reaction, gobbled anti-histamines, became dozy but paddled like hell anyway, returned to the dock, went home and slept round the clock and haven't seen my camera since. Turns out the evil wasp had been eating something nasty before he bit me, so my arm became infected, puffed up like a balloon, from the palm of my hand to my bicep. After several days, antibiotics and other pharmacy products, I'm able to paint again and would love to show you my progress, but alas, no camera - blame it on that nasty beastie wasp.

I'll borrow a camera and post some images soon.

Cheerio!

On the easel

2009-09-17T19:16:00.000-07:00

Step 1 - red ground, conte sketch, slap on a little background colour.

Step 2 - paint in all the basic shapes in the darkest colours.

Q. Are those wine goblets or fish? A. Both - ponder that.

Step 3 - add mid-tones and a few layers of glazes without totally obscuring the goblet/fish.

Step 4 - take a break for a day or two and play with beads and buttons instead.

2009-09-15T06:59:00.000-07:00

I'm pleased to report yesterday was a productive day in the studio. I started 2 acrylic paintings: one on canvas, the other on linen - I haven't worked with linen before and thought I'd experiment. I like the extra texture of the linen and am interested to see how it may affect the overall look of the painting once I've added several layers of paint, glazes and tiny details.

I'm feeling quite relaxed after taking most of the summer off and perhaps that's why my new imagery is all curves and rounded or oval shapes - quite unlike the sharp-angled works I usual create, like those below from the series Our Town and With Sturdy Shoes.

I'll post some images tomorrow, when my camera has charged.

Cheerio!

Studio time

2009-09-14T09:46:00.000-07:00

After several months of not doing much in the studio, I'm ready to get painting. I've been busy sketching this past weekend and am excited to turn some of my sketches into paintings... stay tuned

Mini Tree of Life

2009-08-20T13:23:00.000-07:00

Here's a photo of the 12x12" reproduction of Tree of Life (1/4 the size of the original). A collector of prints of my work has purchased this reproduction and is interested in others once I have the originals scanned. The ability to have high quality reproductions made one at a time, as they're purchased, is wonderful because in the past artists have had to order traditional fine art prints in quantities of 250-500 or more, which is not only an expensive proposition, but also creates distribution and storage problems, not to mention more than a little anxiety about when and if the remaining 249+ will be sold and the cash outlay recovered. With this reproduction process, the copies are not only incredibly true in colour and clarity, and may be created on canvas, but they're also affordable to a wider audience of art appreciators.

Only time will tell if sales of my imagery increase due to this process; later this year the company producing reproductions will take the project on-line and in the meantime they're pursuing marketing opportunities - cross your fingers for me.

Marketing

2009-08-12T08:22:00.000-07:00

I haven't any images to show for the past two weeks, although I've been working diligently on marketing - the least enjoyable part of my art practice. I'd rather be up to my elbows in paint and sawdust, completely absorbed in a new painting or mixed media work, than trying to get out there and "get selling". Actually, though, I've been quite excited about the possibilities resulting from a new high quality process for creating reproductions of art work on stretched canvas. I had Tree of Life scanned and a "12x12" reproduction made on canvas - I'm thrilled to bits with the quality of colour-matching and clarity - if I'd had it done in the full 24x24" size of the original, you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference between the reproduction and the original without touching the two to feel for texture. I'm in the process of having Winged Teacher With Sturdy Shoes and Community Advocate With Sturdy Shoes scanned as they're the most popular prints in my Etsy store and other venues - coming this fall they'll be available on-line in a variety of sizes - I'll keep you posted.

Working outside under the deck today to beat the heat!

2009-07-30T16:46:00.001-07:00

Even though the heat was tough today, I was inspired to prep a few small cradle panels and a framed wooden canvas I made over a decade ago. I laid on several layers of torn bits from the local newspaper (classified adds and feature stories), painting under and over each layer with a mixture of matte medium and water to create a slick papier mache covering. The brilliant sunshine was just the thing for quick drying these foundations.

While I waited for those pieces to dry, I washed off the half-mannequin I liberated from a give-away-or-toss-it pile one Spring Clean-up week, also a decade ago. Garsh it felt good to cover up the poor girl's peeling and cracked skin with a couple of layers of Gesso!

I'm not sure exactly what my next step will be, but I'm pretty sure it'll be interesting ... I just need some cooler temperatures than these record breaking ones to get working in the studio again.

Too hot to work in the studio this week

2009-07-28T17:09:00.000-07:00

Sorry, there probably won't be any updates this week because of this glorious weather - it's seems to be conducive to making one want to flop somewhere comfortable in the shade rather than work.

A little more progress ...

2009-07-22T16:02:00.000-07:00

Promise of progress

2009-07-15T23:19:00.000-07:00

I've made progress on my latest work, but haven't unpacked the camera from my weekend trip yet. I promise to post an updated image tomorrow!

Cheers.

Progress

2009-07-08T12:31:00.000-07:00

I was up late last night coaxing this piece along, painting over the old image with layers of gesso and acrylic paint.

I played with shapes, textures and patterns until I was pleased with the look of the interconnected threads on the infants' blankets and within the womb formed by the negative space of the figure's arms.

Eventually I got the figure's hair on the right track (or is that the left track?) and now I'm painting out the tiny threads on the dress of the original figure and blocking in the community on her apron.

Sadly, I had to take a break to work my shift at the SAGA gift shop. I hated to leave the painting - when I'm on a roll in the studio and have to break, I feel a sense of unease akin to what one might feel leaving the baby in the bathtub to pick up a ringing phone. Sounds ridiculous, I know, but when I'm painting, the canvas becomes my baby.

The artist within awakens

2009-07-08T10:17:00.000-07:00

Even before I awoke this morning to the sound of pitter patter on the roof (no, thankfully, not those pesky racoons but rather the third day in a row of rain), I was forming an image in my half-sleep and knew I was going to paint today. As I look back at previous posts, it is with not a little horror I realize it has been 4 months since my last go at a canvas or board.

I've begun painting over the 5x4' painting that was Concentric. I quite liked the concept for Concentric, but was unhappy with the painting itself, so had no qualms about recycling it. Unfortunately, my youngest daughter expressed her horror and is quite annoyed as she claims it was her favourite piece. I have agreed to paint her a mini version and hopefully when I do that I'll work out to my satisfaction the problem I had with the original.

As you can see, I'm keeping the basic shape of the largest original figure. By the time I'm finished the work I'll have repainted 90-95% of the canvas.

I'll keep you posted.

In the garden

2009-06-30T16:56:00.000-07:00

Here's a view of part of the garden from just outside my studio (note I said "outside" the studio - I can't bring myself to commit to even a 2 or 3 hour session inside the studio when the sun is shining like this!).

My friends June and Mary have a passion for sedums, and I think I'm beginning to understand - I'll post an updated photo in a couple of months once all these "hens and chicks" and the String of Pearls have filled out.

I bought the elegant but dinged container at a discount from Winners a few years ago, knowing it would come in handy one day for something ... sometimes my "junque" collecting pays off. As for my friend the snail it's my nod to a stolen garden ornament - you remember Seymour, dontcha?

Enjoy today's sunshine!

Odd ball stuff

2009-06-30T16:05:00.000-07:00

I have been busy in the garden for a month or so and haven't felt inspired to get into the studio - this is the usual part of my yearly creative cycle. The sun comes out so I go to the garden - the rain comes; so I go to the studio. We've had lots of sun lately, so my creative outlet has been my garden. I have, however, done the odd bit of work, including the monthly drawings I send to my niece. When we were together at Christmas, she suggested that as a way of keeping in touch I could send her a drawing each month of the year. We planned a topic for each month and so, with the list tacked to the cork board in my studio, each month I send her a mailing tube containing a 6" x 24" cartoon styled drawing for her to colour. I think of her when I draw it and she thinks of me when she colours it - not a bad way to stay in touch. My niece lives in the United States and has just learned to ride a bicycle, so this month's image features her riding her bicycle and the 4th of July.

First I have to be able to get into the studio

2009-06-14T10:39:00.000-07:00

Oh dear ... my studio is a disaster, as you can see, and I don't even have room to move around in there. I began rearranging and adding a couple of upright cabinets a few weeks ago, then got side tracked painting a few other rooms and stored the artwork in the studio, then was distracted by the weeks in the garden ... and now EEEEEK! I can barely get into the room.

The weeds have been pulled, the rooms are painted, the day is overcast, and I have several hours to dedicate to clearing this room today. Wish me luck!

Spider webs

2009-05-29T07:29:00.000-07:00

It's a pretty clear indication that I've spent too much time away from the studio when my face is attacked by a spider web when I enter the space!

It's the fault of this gorgeous weather and the weeds in my garden. Another week or so and I'll get back to work. Uh-oh - I see some buttercups in a corner of the raspberry patch - gotta go!

Reality can be very good

2009-05-14T12:27:00.000-07:00

I'm back in the studio and must admit reality has been pretty positive this first week home: Celestial Messenger has been erected outside the offices of A&A Contract Customs Brokers Ltd. at the Pacific Highway Truck Crossing at the border and 176th Street, and while I was away Tree of Life won the top prize (Award of Excellence) at artSpacific 2009.

Today I'm working on Celtic Maiden and am planning to have it finished next week, in time to enter it into the Arts Council of Surrey's 2009 juried exhibition at the Surrey Art Gallery.

Last days before reality

2009-05-11T13:39:00.000-07:00

Mazatlan was wonderful, despite the swine flu hoopla - we carried on as usual as you can see in the photo below ...

Actually, there were no reported cases of swine flu in Mazatlan, and the locals had many theories about what was really going on. Some folks talked about conspiracy theories relating to US pressure on Mexico to share its oil - "You won't give us your oil? Let's see what happens to your economy if we shut down tourism for a month. Others believed CNN was having a slow news week, especially as they had already covered Obama's new dog and his purchase of a cheese burger.

I contemplated the meaning of it all from a horizontal position, between margaritas, and couldn't decide anything except that it might be time for a pedicure.

Hasta luego!

Lazy Days and Lazy Nights

2009-04-26T14:28:00.000-07:00

Hola from Mexico - yes Mexico, the country best known today as ground zero for the swine flu. No cases to date of the flu affecting anyone in Mazatlan. I've had a nasty non-swinish cough for two weeks, so have spent most of my vacation sprawled on a lounge chair on the balcony reading some very good books (The Cellist of Sarajevo, The Reader, and now The Book of Negroes).

My cough is gradually settling down, so I hope to get out and about a bit before I return home.

Hasta luego!

Jingling all the way

2009-04-17T18:57:00.000-07:00

Although I haven't been painting, I did manage to create a few charm bracelet styled jewellery pieces before closing the studio door for the next few weeks:

This one features freshwater pearls and silver-plated starfish and an embellished toggle clasp. (If you click on the image you'll get an enlarged image and will be able to see how lovely these are.)

This one's made from silver findings, glass, fire polished glass, Swarovsky crystals, and vintage Japanese beads.

I'm pleased to report my Tree of Life painting has been juried into Delta's 2009 artSpacific show. The show at the Firehall Centre for the Arts in Delta will run from May 1st - 29th, with the opening reception being held Sunday May 3 from 1 - 4 p.m.

I'm still alive

2009-04-16T08:06:00.001-07:00

It's been a long time since I've posted anything as I haven't spent much time in the studio lately. We've had a few small renovations since my last post, so I suppose, aside from relocating furniture and boxing decorative items and books, I must have spent more time than I realized peering over Don's shoulder as he worked (Don did an amazing job installing and finishing the hardwood floor and rebuilding and tiling our stairs). And then there were those sunny days when my garden called to me ...

Now I'll be out of touch again for a while as I'll be sprawled on a poolside lounger with a Margarita in my hand.

Hasta luego!

There's lots of elbow room in the studio now

2009-03-20T11:45:00.000-07:00

Now that the eagle is out of my studio I have an extra 7 feet of horizontal space to work in and I've already filled it up with a variety of sketches and works in progress. After a long stall, I've decided to make Celtic Maiden into a mixed media work by adding 2-d and 3-d collage elements. I was inspired to take a new tack with this piece after reading Robert Genn's Painters Keys - I realized I was having a difficult time moving forward with this painting because it had become too "precious" to me, a struggle I spoke of in an post earlier this year when I was working on Tree of Life. I'm letting go of that preciousness and am adding textures and 3-d elements to the piece and am once again excited to work on it.

I'm also working on a piece inspired by a difficult few months my family went through half a dozen or so years ago - I was at my wit's end trying to communicate the love and support I had to give to one who was near and dear to me and who just wouldn't/couldn't hear it; words were not enough. It'll be an assemblage of sorts and my amazing Uncle and Aunt, who can create just about anything from a mere stick of wood (this time a 2x4), have created the substrate for me in the form of a shallow box containing a gridwork of compartments. Stay tuned ...

Flown the coop

2009-03-18T13:14:00.000-07:00

Ready to go ...

Rick and his co-worker from BC Lions Society arrived at 10:30 this morning.

and out the door it went...

into natural daylight

rolling along

and into the truck

secured in the truck, along with prolific muralist Elizabeth Hollick's eagle

Bye-bye birdie.

Celestial Messenger is completed

2009-03-13T12:57:00.000-07:00

Art Garage Sale Update

2009-03-10T11:40:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all who have taken a look at the works included in my art garage sale. Since posting the sale I've sold 3 of the listed works and 4 unlisted works - you never know where a little shameless self-promotion may lead.

Art Garage Sale

2009-03-05T15:45:00.001-08:00

I'm clearing out my art storage room to make room for guests arriving from Europe in late Spring. I've sorted through all the paintings hanging and leaning against the walls in the room and have organized an on-line garage sale (thanks for the idea Andrea). Here's a link to the garage sale. No reasonable offer refused!

It's all in the name

2009-03-02T14:41:00.000-08:00

The back side of the eagle is all but completed - I'm making arrangements for a couple of strong folks to help flip it over tonight so I can finish the front by the end of the week. I've been contemplating a title for the piece for weeks and finally this morning at my physio therapy appointment, the moment I relaxed as I lay on a table having electric pulses encourage blood circulation into my neck and shoulders, a name popped into my head - Celestial Messenger - right out of the blue (forgive the pun). This seems to be the likeliest choice as it conveys the essence of the meaning behind the imagery. I checked online and discovered there were several sites that included the name 'Celestial Messenger', including one featuring a statue located at Holy Family Parish in the Philippines; an angel therapy practitioner; an Oregon artist; and many others - the majority were positive with the exception of the character mentioned in this one.

I still like the name and think I'll keep it.

Portrait of an alter ego

2009-02-26T09:31:00.000-08:00

After last night's snowfall and freeze, my car is covered in snow and icicles and I'm unable to open the car door - as a result I had to cancel this morning's appointment. Being the sideways and upside down thinker I am, I took this to be a clear sign from the heavens above that I am meant to take this time to update my blog ...

I've been intending to create a series of portraits for a number of years, but was keenly aware that my usual painting style simplifies everything down to the basic elements to the point of faces being homogeneous - definitely not what's required for recognizable portraits. After finishing Tree of Life, I decided to continue in that style and start on the first portrait, in between working on the eagle.

The model is a budding novelist with a penchant for unicorns and all things Irish. When I began washing in the first layers of colour, the young lady asked me to keep the hair blonde (although she is not), because she visualizes the heroine in her stories as a blonde version of herself.

A portrait of an alter ego - a delightful and interesting idea that opens up all sorts of fantastical possibilities.

With glee, I changed my original concept and have begun including objects to reflect the interests and personality of the model's alter ego. The fun has just begun!

Don't touch the face!

2009-02-20T17:43:00.000-08:00

OK, so right after I completed my last post, I went into the studio to turn the canvas against the wall for a week ... but something caught my eye that needed to be fixed (AGAIN!) so ... some time later, after restructuring her cheek bones, subtly adjusting the shape of the upper lip and right eye ... I will now promise (cross my heart and swear to die, etc.) that I shall not touch the face again - unless I absolutely have to ...

I'll let the piece sit over the weekend while I contemplate whether or not to continue with my ideas for the background around the head, or to leave it as is.

Have a lovely weekend!

Tree of Life

2009-02-20T14:02:00.000-08:00

I'm having ambivalent feelings towards this piece - I usually work on a painting steadily over several days or a couple of weeks from start to finish. This piece has dragged on for months for a variety of reasons, mostly beyond my control, but one of the reasons is that I've allowed the image to become overly precious to me and I've fussed and redone parts of it repeatedly, trying to perfect it. This is a problem I was warned about early on during my art training. My instructors in college helped students overcome this by having us quickly create a work in clay (for sculpture class and ceramics), then destroy it, make another, destroy it, make another, destroy it, etc. Through this process we could see that no matter how fond we were of the original piece, subsequent pieces usually improved upon the original and the final piece was significantly better than the first. No amount of fussing with the original would yield as good a result as starting over, more than once or twice if necessary.

As for the painting - I've changed various parts of the face repeatedly, especially the eyes and skin tone, and recently had the thought that what I was feeling was probably similar to what Michael Jackson was feeling when he realized that rather than enhancing his appearance, all those plastic surgeries were destroying his looks to the point of him becoming irreversibly freakish.

I'm setting the work aside for a few weeks and will re-evaluate then. In the meantime, I'll hoist a fresh canvas onto the easel and see where that leads me.

Recovering from dermabrasion

2009-02-11T20:40:00.000-08:00

Here she is after her dermabrasion treatment, enjoying a nice gesso facial mask. Even though she's been neglected lately due to my working on the eagle, she's continued to smile subtly at me every time I see her - not pouting in the least. Strong well-centered women are great that way.

Back to the Tree of Life

2009-02-03T17:44:00.000-08:00

I'm having a problem with my right arm so decided to take the Tree of Life into my kitchen where I could lie the work down on the table and try a different painting position (usually I stand in front of the easel with the painting resting in a near vertical position). This didn't work very well for my aching arm, however it did wonders for my inspection of the painting. Seeing the piece in natural daylight, away from the bright halogen lights in my studio, I was able to see ridges and bumps on the work that weren't evident in the studio - textural flaws that detracted from the imagery. The lighting in my studio was such that it flattened these flaws to the point where I couldn't see them, even with my reading glasses on. I toted the painting back to the studio and attacked it with fine sandpaper - the result is that I shall have to repaint the face, except for the eyes and lips.

This is a source of great frustration for me because I had just completed the face to my satisfaction, after a several weeks of much pondering and making slight alterations in shapes of features and colouration. The positive side is this will save me no small amount of embarrassment should the painting be juried into a show and put on exhibition in lighting that reveals the flaws.

Here's the work as it appeared before my lady had her extreme dermabrasion treatment:

She's not feeling or looking very well just now. Perhaps she let me post her picture after she's recovered.

Ciao.

With Sturdy Shoes: Community Volunteer updated

2009-02-02T15:35:00.000-08:00

This painting, begun in 2006, has lain first in my studio and then in my daughter's bedroom for about two and a half years. My daughter claimed it as her own (as she often likes to do or attempt to do with various of my works) and said she loved it just the way it was - unfinished. Ever since I've been cringing every time I see it and muttering that when I have some extra time I really should finish it.

Motivated by the fact my daughter is in the process of moving away from home and plans to take the painting to her new home this week, I secretly hauled the painting into the studio and up onto my easel on the weekend while she was many times over loading boxes of her many many possessions into her car and delivering them to the new place (think books, books, books, purses, purses, purses, and shoes, shoes, shoes - I must admit she's something of a "chip off the old block", except for her penchant for collecting teeny-weeny cutesy objects).

I just couldn't let Community Volunteer go out into the world in its piteous (to me) unfinished state. So I set aside the eagle and Tree of Life to get to work on completing this painting.

I feel much better letting the work out of my sight now and hope my daughter likes it as much or more than before!

Tree of Life

2009-01-22T14:52:00.000-08:00

Here's how the piece is coming along so far. I started work on it today to take a break from the eagle and recover from the loss of my favourite liner brush.

Requiem for a paint brush

2009-01-20T21:20:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, while working on the eagle, I became distracted and set down a brush loaded with paint onto my wet palette and left the room to talk to my daughter, then took a phone call, left the house on a quick errand that turned into a 4 hour absence, returned home just in time to prepare dinner, have a glass of wine, watch a little television, settle into a hot lavender-scented bath, climbed into bed ... this afternoon I returned to the studio - uh-oh, the brush. I'm hard on my brushes, usually replacing several every couple of years. But this one was different. It was a favourite, inherited from an artist who willed his art supplies to my uncle who then passed this brush and others along to me - it must have been 25 or 30 years old when I received it, and I've been using it for about 12 years. A lovely thin sable liner brush, made in England, the perfect brush for incredibly thin lines that flowed off it's tip with amazing grace ... used so often and so intently the paint has worn off the handle.

I picked up the brush, aghast - the entire length of it's once supple hairs had hardened to the point where it could now be used as a toothpick. I rinsed it in tepid water, tried peeling the acrylic off with my finger nails - oops, a few hairs came off on my first attempt ... I tried rinsing the bristles in warm and then hot water (not too close to the ferrule, though, as I didn't want to melt the glue holding the bristles together - an artist only makes that mistake once!) and rubbed a little soap onto it, worked off the acrylic as best I could, losing a few more hairs along the way ... unable to get all the dried paint off near the ferrule ... oh dear, it's not the same brush anymore - won't hold nearly as much paint as it did, doesn't let the paint flow off the tip in lovely straight flowing lines of seemingly endless lengths ...

I've attempted to prepare for this situation for some time, knowing that with the loss of a hair here and there over the years this favoured brush would one day need to be replaced. Whenever I'm in an art supply store I look through the liner brushes, but can't find anything close to it - I suspect the decades of use enhanced the brush's extremely subtle graduated taper-point.

Boo-hoo.

I have several seldom used liner brushes, and now I shall begin using them to facilitate their 30 year evolution to becoming THE perfect liner - I'll be 80 years old by then, probably just hitting my prime as a painter. Then watch out!

Progress

2009-01-19T15:38:00.001-08:00

New work on the easel

2009-01-18T11:38:00.000-08:00

I'm taking a break from my week working on the eagle and started work on a new piece I began in November. Here's a detail shot of a work inspired in part by the romantic pre-Rafaelite paintings. Quite a departure for me, but I'm injecting my own style and symbology into the work, as you can see.

I'm determined to improve on my organizational talents and submit to a few more juried exhibitions this year than I did last year. I have several sketches and ideas on the back burner and intend to finish this one in time for the Arts Council of Surrey's Arts 2009 deadline of May 15th for their show at the prestigious Surrey Art Gallery.

Back to the studio today

2009-01-13T18:30:00.000-08:00

It's been a few months since I've picked up a paint brush, however, today was the day to get back in the saddle and get painting. I've the eagle to complete over the next few months, and I've begun a new series of paintings I'm excited about. Once I make some decent progress I'll post an image.

Cheerio!

Home again, home again; shovellin' ain't done!

2009-01-06T08:19:00.000-08:00

Here's what we arrived home to - actually we couldn't see the car at all when we arrived home; this photo was taken this morning after an evening of rain greatly reduced the snow mass!

I don't mind my car being stuck today as the situation has encouraged me to get back in the studio right away to complete a few big projects. I was brought up with the paradigms of positive situations are "meant to be" and disappointments were the result of "it just wasn't meant to be" and I also heard a lot of "the Lord works in mysterious ways". So for those of you inconvenienced by the huge snowfall, I must apologize because apparently it was created by either fate, kismet, or the Lord to help me get back to work!

P.S. Here's a link to a visual dictionary I found on my friend Andrea's blog - enjoy!

Mexican Sunset

2009-01-02T09:11:00.000-08:00

What can I say...? A picture paints a thousand words.

Must learn Spanish!

2008-12-19T02:31:00.000-08:00

Life is good in Mazatlan.

Next post - January 2009

2008-12-14T21:40:00.000-08:00

I'm off for a few weeks of inspiration in sunny climes. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy New Year!

Cohen-inspired again

2008-12-04T15:42:00.000-08:00

I'm feeling inspired by Leonard Cohen, and not for the first time, as you will recall from a previous post.

Last night I was at the Canvas Lounge on Powell Street for a showing of prints by Leonard Cohen - this is the third showing of his works, previously in Manchester and Toronto. The trendy nightclub was closed to the public and open only to invited guests (I was the accidental recipient of an e-mail invitation and though we were not actually on the guest list, Garth and I managed to talk our way in.

Cohen's charming son Adam spoke at the event, in a deep voice tightly resembling his father's. He was rather witty and managed to convey the deep respect he has for his father and not only made the crowd laugh, but also to cheer!

Oh to have such an opening for my own work!!! There was well over a hundred attendees, all fashionably dressed, apparantly upwardly mobile (or had already achieved a spot at the top), and noticeable amidst the dark clothing was the sparkle of "bling". Bar tenders on all three levels were serving martinis and wine at a swift pace and about a dozen volunteers culled from the art department of a local college stood at regular intervals between large framed limited edition prints of Cohen's line drawings. These volunteers were there to point the way to the bars and washrooms and to explain a little about the works and the process for purchase (envelopes attached to the wall beside each print held cards with the print name and number, so that more than one person could purchase the same image but with a different print number; i.e. 20/150 and 24/150). The prints were priced between the mid-$2,000 and high $9,000 range - a little steep for my wallet, but clearly not a deterrent for other attendees. The works were enlivened with sometimes witty and sometimes poignant text, bright colours, and Cohen's logo-like double flipped heart (forming a star of David) and what appeared to be his personal chop in brilliant red. As Garth commented, the drawings were somewhat Picasso-esque in their simplicity.

If you'd like to have a look at Cohen's works yourself, by Saturday they will be available for viewing and purchase from Linda Lando's gallery in Kerrisdale.

Winged Mother of Two

2008-11-07T17:57:00.001-08:00

I'm very nearly finished the piece and am pleased with it - it's been a while since I've painted a winged mother. The painting is on a wooden cradle panel and as you can see, the edges are a part of the painting.

Inspiration out of chaos

2008-11-04T09:44:00.000-08:00

Isn't it funny how when we're at our busiest we somehow manage to make ourselves even busier? At least this is true for me. I'm one of those people who works well under pressure (well, am I working well or working like a crazy person on 10 cups of coffee, I must ask myself). With my studio show quickly approaching and in the midst of rearranging furniture, framing prints and small paintings and hanging them and larger works all over the house, and finishing, pricing, and tagging jewellery pieces, I suddenly became inspired to start a new painting. As you can see, it's in it's beginning stages, however, I'm sure it'll be finished in time for my show next week.

Getting ready for my Open Studio show

2008-10-30T23:28:00.000-07:00

I've been busy for the past couple of weeks making new jewellery works and shall continue for another two weeks in preparation for my Open Studio in mid-November. - I love arranging bits from my vast collection of beads and silver to make unique one of a kind jewellery pieces - it's an alternative way to play with colour and texture.

Feathers

2008-10-21T11:41:00.001-07:00

Here's a peek at what I've been working on in the studio - eagle feathers (sounds like an expletive, doesn't it!), using a very fine liner brush while in a meditative state.

Back from the deep South

2008-10-16T07:55:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week, kayaking on the Chattahoochee River, checking out the beaver dams, basking turtles and herons.

After 2 weeks away from the studio, I'm enthused to get back in there and let the creative juices flow and grow. I find no matter how focused on a goal I may be, some time away (physically and mentally) is the surest way to reengage energy and mindfulness to allow for a better outcome.

Watch out studio, here I come!

New website

2008-10-09T11:10:00.000-07:00

I've been working on a website and, although it's still a work in progress, it's ready for you to view: www.BarbaraRoden.ca

I'd appreciate your feedback.

A change of scene

2008-10-08T07:53:00.000-07:00

I'm having a lovely visit with my brother and his family in sunny Atlanta, Georgia (well actually, today it's raining, so I'll have to give up my usual afternoon poolside read until tomorrow or the next day).

I'm planning to visit some of the wonderful art galleries here - they always inspire me to get busy in the studio. There's nothing more motivating than seeing the work of accomplished and innovative artists.

Not quite an eagle

2008-09-24T13:20:00.001-07:00

My dear husband wanted to share progress on a bird of his own - chicken BBQ'd on an open can of beer. Delicious!

The Eagle Has Landed

2008-09-19T08:09:00.000-07:00

Now that I’m running my fingers along the contours of the actual 3-d sculpture, fresh ideas have surfaced from the depths of my wee but creative brain and I’ve decided to all but abandon the preliminary 2-d sketches.

I’ll remain true to the original concept discussed with my eagle’s sponsor (thank you A&A Contract Customs Brokers!) - themes of nurturing and community. The finished piece will be an expression of the importance of social responsibility and cohesive community in relation to our multicultural youth.

I’m keenly aware of the unique set of challenges I face working with an unpainted sculpture designed and created by someone else; with a purpose to raise money for charity; will often be viewed from long distances and seen for only a few seconds from passing cars. It must engage the imagination of the viewer immediately. It should encourage the viewer to draw closer for a second and third look.

Perhaps I should eat Wheaties for breakfast before I begin painting ...

The Eagle Has Landed

2008-09-16T08:14:00.000-07:00

I bought a silicone half-mask yesterday, complete with particle canisters, and began working on the eagle with a soft sanding sponge. I gave it an earnest twice-all-over sanding and will repeat today to get a truly smooth surface. I've been researching images of bald eagles, feathers, beaks, talons, wing structure, etc., and am revved up for interpreting these features on the sculpture in my usual style as soon as the prep work is completed.

The Eagle Has Landed

2008-09-08T14:17:00.001-07:00

Here are images of parts of the eagle; the last image shows the texture I have to sand off to create a smooth surface to paint on. I'm going to buy myself a good ventilator mask before I begin sanding; sanding isn't my favourite part of the process, but it's a necessary precursor to the creative part - PAINTING!

The Eagle Has Landed

2008-08-19T20:09:00.000-07:00

Now that my hand is a bit more flexible, it's time to consider the 7 1/2' Eagle statue standing on extended wing outside my studio door (these images were taken over a month ago). The first step is to sand the coat of gesso the manufacturer sprayed on - get it down to a smooth paintbrush friendly finish, followed by a serious attack of imagination, creativity, and paint. I plan to begin the first week of September; in the meantime I ponder...

Three Weeks Later

2008-08-14T07:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my hand was finally feeling pretty good, even nimble, so what kind of fool was I? I could apply enough pressure to use scissors and garden clippers for the first time in a month, so I tentatively clipped a branch or two off of a shrub or two ... not bad, thought I, I'll just prune a few more ... and a few more ... which lead to an enthusiastic six hour long prun-a-thon. By the end of the day the shrubs looked great! As for my hand ... I'm icing it as we speak.

I'll be hauling paintings and some of the new jewellery pieces I've recently created over to North Delta's Art in the Park event late this afternoon. The number of paintings I bring will correlate directly to how much the swelling in my hand recedes. Wish me better wisdom in the future!

One Week Later

2008-07-30T09:45:00.000-07:00

It's a week later and physiotherapy is helping - I can nearly make a fist and can now touch all my fingers to my thumb. According to the physiotherapist, although nothing's broken, I've damaged a bone in my hand and a deforming lump is forming just where a pen or paintbrush touches my hand when I use them. His advice is don't use either until laser treatment calms down the area. To alleviate boredom, I have tried a few activities - gentle gardening - no good, I can't bear any weight or do anything productive with this gimpy hand; washing dishes - good, the warm water feels great and my children are very happy about this and are only too happy to contribute glasses and plates to the cause; beading - very good if I don't do anything that requires twisting wire. Usually I don't bead until the fall when the rains start because sunshine makes me want to garden... but let's not talk about my poor garden right now (a gardener needs two strong hands to do a good job).

YOOOOUCH!

2008-07-16T13:49:00.000-07:00

Is it just me, or do you feel this way too: whhen you can't do thingsn becausenof a circumstances beyond your control, you suddenly feel that you really really want to do all sorts of things youve been putting off for weeks or even months?

yesterday I tripped over uneven pavementn and went down like a ton of bricks. It really did seem to happen in slow motion, just lie in the movies... my knees hit the pavement, followed by my outstretched right hand, then my lips and chin. Justbeforemy mouth hit thepavement, I thought, oh no, i'm going to smashn my teeth... I lay on the ground clutching at my mouth, completelystunned. i was thankful to note my teeth were intact and the blood onmy handswasfrom my lips. my daughter and two passersby came to my aid - one of whom had a mini first aid kit and wasn able to give my a bandage for my bloody knee and an antiserptic wipe for my mouth. an x-ray told me my hand isn't brroken, so I suppose the swelling was probably caused by my finfers hyperextending when theyhelped to break my fall. i'm very sore today, wondering if the exray was read correctly, as my hand has swollen totwice it's size and I'm inable to hold anything. i look like i've been mugged and beaten, so i', hiding inside, unable todo the many tasks i need to do to prepare for this weekend's show... plus, i'm imagining all sorts of inlikely thingsi feel compelled to do that require the useof my useless right hand (i'm right handed and am typing right now with my left hand a d my right thumbnail - sorru for the typos)

i'm thinking thatn if my hand was working (IMHWW) i'd be baking a raspberry dessert with fresh berriesfrom my garden (as if! each morning forthelast 10 days i've been picking berries and depositing them directly into my mouth!); IMHWW i'd try the chicken alfredo recipe i read about yesterdayh before my fall (as if! i've been so busy prepping for the show thatmy charming and ever supportive husband has been preparing dinners every night!); IMHWW i'd finish painting the front of the house (it's waaaaaaay too hot to paint outside today, and i'm tiredof having to tryto paint into the deep recesses in the stucco - who the bloodyhell's idea was it to start painting the front of the house?! OK, i admit it was my idea and i had laughed devilishly when i'd slapped several brushstrokes from the sample jar on the deqad centre of the front of the house, figuring this was a surefire way to convince my hubby that this was the year to paint the house); IMHWW i'd clean outthe garage (hahahaha! highly unlikely as it's filledwith heavy hubby toys I couldn'tpossibly move anyway - an old boat, a dilapidated car, broken down motorcycle he plans to restore and take on a legendary roadtrip, old televixioms and ancient computers and their defunct components).

Ta-ta ... I'm off to soak my hand in epson salts before i re-ice it and think of other things i could be doing IMHWW.

Coasting

2008-07-09T21:32:00.000-07:00

After all that power painting for last Sunday's show, today I fizzled out as far as working with paint in the studio goes. Instead I began working with some of the glass, pearls and semiprecious stone beads I purchased earlier this year on various of my travels - a fun change of pace. I sat down at my work table and before I knew it the day was over and I had a dozen new pieces - earrings, necklaces, bracelets. Just in time for a wee country fair I'm participating in on the 20th of this month in Halfmoon Bay.

Never a dull moment

2008-07-08T13:44:00.001-07:00

Ahhhh... the winery show is over and I was pleased to have 10 new works to exhibit there, along with a few older works and some of my beaded glass jewellery creations. The day started out a bit dreary with iffy weather and an hour and a half road closure due to a rather serious car accident at the end of the street (before a single art appreciator could find his/her way to the delightful grounds of the winery). However, the sun eventually shone, the temperature warmed a bit, and people began trickling through the acre or so of artworks. It's very interesting to see the wide variety of works at group shows - there's always something that will appeal to one's taste, no matter how mundane or avant garde. No matter how much or how little I sell, I find I invariably walk away with some intensely helpful information, generally shared by a generous and well established artist or artisan, and that's the truly beneficial part of participating in these events - talking the talk and walking the walk with like-minded folks.

This afternoon, just as I finished putting away all the accoutrements necessary for Sunday's outdoor display, TA-DA! The Eagle landed.

It just fits under the deck, outside my studio door, with only an inch or so to spare above it's upper wing.

A blast!

2008-07-03T17:09:00.000-07:00

I'm enjoying a pre-exhibition energy blast: painting from early in the morning until the wee hours of the following morning every day.

More Slippery Slopes

2008-06-30T21:20:00.000-07:00

Close to being finished:

I'm on a roll now (thanks for the inadvertent kick in the pants, Andrea). Ideas for these slipping houses are coming fast and furious and I'm thinking faster than I'm able to paint - a thrilling if frustrating experience for me (usually I'm speaking faster than I'm able to think and this leads to all sorts of unimaginably embarrassing conversations and to many odd looks sent my way). I'm boldly going where I've never gone before ... cerulean blue skies and wavy waterways ... I'm breaking out of the restraints of my ridiculous and arbitrary self-imposed painting rules and am enjoying every moment of feeling absolutely wicked about it! Why didn't I do this years earlier?! Perhaps it has something to do with 2008 being my 50th year on the planet and I'm feeling ever so free to be imperfect (just to give you an inkling as to how long, long ago 50 years was - Sputnik fell to earth 50 years ago).

I'm enjoying life and my work more than ever and I'm take risks I'd never imagined half a lifetime ago (I'm not talking about painting now .... nor about sex, so don't worry).

Cheers!

Slippery Slopes

2008-06-28T17:55:00.000-07:00

I've been working vigorously in the studio preparing for next weekend's show at a local winery. I've taken a ruthless tack and have painted over several unfinished works on canvas to create new pieces. A long-experienced artist once told me to paint over unsold works that have been laying about for a couple of years collecting dust, however I could never quite manage it, until now. I'm finding it uplifting to give old canvases new life and activate stagnant chi. So here goes ... The beginnings of this new piece cover what was once a field of sunflowers from my Villages of the South of France series.

Rumour of an Eagle

2008-06-24T23:20:00.000-07:00

I don't know quite why I have been putting off getting back into the studio this week - the sunshine perhaps? The weeds overrunning my garden? The dust-bunnies overrunning my house? The yearly bout of self-doubt about my talent as an artist (or a poet, given the "... bout of self-doubt about ..."). Actually, it's too late, or too early for that particular avoidance-inducer as a local commercial gallery just sold one of my paintings. Anyway, today, just as I was running out of reasons to putter about instead of returning to the blank canvases in my studio, I received a telephone message ... "when can the Eagle be delivered?"

I am delighted to think that this latest cause for an excuse will be fairly legitimate - I couldn't possibly attack those canvases when I must clear room in the studio for the 7' eagle sculpture ... it could take hours and hours, or even days and days ...

OK, so it does take more than just two days ...

2008-06-13T20:18:00.000-07:00

... especially when the sun shines and my garden beckons. It's nearly finished - just needs a little work on the background and some finishing touches to the figure, leaves, baby.

A little detour ...

2008-06-11T22:18:00.000-07:00

Instead of beginning the new series I mentioned in yesterday's blog, today I felt inspired to begin this petite work for a show in early July and tomorrow I'll add more layers and the finishing details. It's enjoyable to work so small (10" x 8") and complete a work in just a couple of days; I'm anticipating each work for the new series to take several weeks to complete.