Abstract Art Blog

A Year of Making Art, Day 211: Folk Artist Mary Shelley

November 16, 2007  Day 211

There was snow on the ground this morning, but nothing serious.  Just enough to create a winter postcard.

In today's drawing I concentrated on the yellow-to-red-to-purple range of colors:

  Drawing #216  12" x 9"

Then I had a meeting with folk artist Mary Shelley, who has a wonderful new website.  She prefers to describe her art as self-taught, though I see it fitting Americana, naive, and other similar categories.  She does low-relief wood carvings and paints them with acrylic paint.  We met to plan some updates and changes for her website, as well as info on how to get an art blog started. 

Now I've got grandkids Mike and Rachel here, after picking them up from school.  Blixy will come for dinner, and this is also Jim's last night with us.  He heads back home to my sister Laura and Kansas City tomorrow.

(Note:  There is a gap between the dates I'm writing and posting in order to give me time to get ahead.)

A Year of Making Art, Day 210: Antidote to a Profusion of Color

November 15, 2007  Day 210

I think we had our last warm day for the season yesterday, and even though it rained some, we had a lovely walk in the woods with Roxy.  Today it is colder and raining, with forecasts of snow later.

In today's drawing I continued the full-page, to-the-edge approach I've been using lately, but focused on blues and greens:

   Drawing #215  12" x 9"

I realize I'd better order some new drawing pads, since the one I'm using is almost finished, and the only other one I have is 14" x 17" which I don't think I have the stamina to fill.

The canvas I worked on today is very different from the one I did yesterday.  This canvas is softer and more narrowly focused in terms of color--from mustard yellow to brown.  I like what I have so far, but will see what I think of it tomorrow:

  Canvas #25  36" x 36"

(Note:  There is a gap between the dates I'm writing and posting in order to give me time to get ahead.)

A Year of Making Art, Day 209: Primary Colors

November 14, 2007  Day 209

Today I focused on primary colors in my drawing and painting, using strong yellow, red, blue and green, with browns for toning things down.

   Drawing #214  12" x 9"

Next, in my painting, I used strong black lines to bring the disparate colors and shapes together:

  Canvas #26  36" x 36"

I just received a "Call for Fellowship Applications" from an arts colony in India that sounds great from their description.  Check it out at GlobalArtsVillage.org.

It's unseasonably warm today, and even though it's supposed to rain, I'm going for a walk with Adrian and Roxy.

(Note:  There is a gap between the dates I'm writing and posting in order to give me time to get ahead.)

A Year of Making Art, Day 208: Is Blue Really Blue?

November 13, 2007  Day 208

In today's drawing, I worked with the yellow-to-red family, adding some green for accent, continuing to let the design go off the page.  This approach has felt very comfortable the last few days.

  Drawing #213  12" x 9"

Then I worked on three canvas backgrounds, painting the top and bottom of the two I had started previously, and then beginning another:

  Canvas 27  36" x 36"

In the afternoon I had my pre-op for cataract surgery, which will be in two weeks.  All went well.  The nurse asked if I noticed any difference in the way I see colors, but as far as I can tell, I see them as I always did.  The colors look like the names on the tube or pen.  Blues, supposedly, can look brownish when you have cataracts.  But I don't think it's happening to me.

Time will tell.

(Note:  There is a gap between the dates I'm writing and posting in order to give me time to get ahead.)

A Year of Making Art, Day 207

November 12, 2007  Day 207

This morning I continued to draw "to the edge" of the page, which gives a totally different feel to the final result:

   Drawing #212  12" x 9"

After seeing a house he liked for the second time and talking it over with Laura, Jim made an offer on it.  A price was finally agreed on by both parties this morning, and the closing is at the end of December.  It will be so great to have my sister living nearby!  We share a lot of interests and haven't had a fight since we were kids sleeping in the same bed.

(Note:  There is a gap between the dates I'm writing and posting in order to give me time to get ahead.)

A Year of Making Art, Day 206: Pressure, pressure, pressure

November 11, 2007  Day 206

Today I made my drawing in late afternoon, and for some reason I was relaxed and had a lot of fun with it.  I didn't worry about containing myself within the page, but swept the pens freely from edge to edge.

  Drawing #211  12" x 9"

I could not sleep last night and spent some time agonizing over everything that was on my mind, feeling pressure to make some changes and to ease up on myself.  This morning I talked to my sister Laura, who is always a good sounding-board for me when I'm going through this kind of analysis.  After talking to her, I canceled my commitment to give a workshop on internet marketing for artists next summer.  Too often I just say "yes" to any opportunity that comes along, and then I'm sorry later.

It's been too long since I have had time to paint.  I need to clear off my desk and find that space to do my own creative work.

(Note:  There is a gap between the dates I'm writing and posting in order to give me time to get ahead.)

A Year of Making Art, Day 205: A Pastoral Feel

November 10, 2007  Day 205

Today I am trying to catch up on everything that's piled up on my desk this past week.  Then in the afternoon we are going back to revisit a house Jim fell in love with.  He and my sister Laura may make an offer on it, which will clinch their moving to Ithaca if it all goes well.

In my drawing this morning I focused on the green-blue range of calligraphy pens, enjoying the full array of shades available to me.  It ended up having a pastoral feel:

   Drawing #210  12" x 9"

(Note:  There is a gap between the dates I'm writing and posting in order to give me time to get ahead.)

A Year of Making Art, Day 204: New Calligraphy Pen Craze

November 9, 2007  Day 204

This morning I went kind of crazy with all the new calligraphy pen colors I just bought.  I tried out the shades from yellow to deep red to pink.  I think it will take me a while to get used to having all these choices.

   Drawing #209  9" x 12"

Today is Adrian's birthday, so I went food shopping this morning and made a roast chicken after I picked up Mike and Rachel from school.  Rachel made a beautiful card for Adrian, as well as several origami swans and jumping frogs.  Jim brought home a rich chocolate cake from Ithaca Bakery, and we had a long celebratory evening including champagne and ping-pong.

(Note:  There is a gap between the dates I'm writing and posting in order to give me time to get ahead.)

A Year of Making Art, Day 203: We Find a House for Laura and Jim

November 8, 2007  Day 203

It is 10:45 p.m. and I am finally getting a chance to write this blog.  I did my drawing in the afternoon.  My new zig calligraphy pens arrived in a full array of colors, as well as some new calligraphy brush pens.  I didn't have time to try them all out, but used some of the subtle new shades in today's drawing:

   Drawing #208  9" x 12"

This morning I went house-hunting with Jim, and we found the perfect house for him and my sister Laura.  Laura said she trusts us to pick out a house without her seeing it, so I think they might make an offer this weekend.  We will go back on Saturday to confirm our first opinions.  This is all so exciting!

This evening I was on a panel about self-publishing, and that was enlightening because each of the other authors on the panel chose different paths for publishing their books, and had different reasons for doing so.  Even our audience contained self-published authors with interesting stories to tell.  "Doing it yourself" is difinitely IN today.

And now, I must to bed. 

(Note:  There is a gap between the dates I'm writing and posting in order to give me time to get ahead.)

A Year of Making Art, Day 202: The Alternative to Selling Art Through Galleries

November 7, 2007  Day 202

I enjoyed a drink with three other writers last night while we talked about self-publishing.  Drinking on an empty stomach made me a bit tipsy, though, and I felt afterwards that I had headed into a hypomanic over-enthusiasm that might put the others off.

In today's drawing I used black, blue and purple calligraphy pens, adding lines with a fine point black pen, and filling in spaces with brush pens.

   Drawing #207  12" x 9"

Tonight I am on a panel at the State of the Art Gallery, where the topic is "Getting in the Door: Issues of Presenting Artwork for Acceptance by Galleries, Museums and Alternatives."  I am presenting the alternative--selling art through the internet.  Having a professional website has also helped me to find galleries, so it's not as if you have to choose one over the other, although some galleries would prefer artists not sell their work that way.

(Note:  There is a gap between the dates I'm writing and posting in order to give me time to get ahead.)