Abstract Art Blog

Revisiting Two Paintings

Last year I had painted two mostly green canvases, each 24" x 24".  At the time they seemed as finished as I could make them, but their images continued to haunt me.  I am not used to painting in this small size, and often have difficulty coming up with something that works for it.

Recently I got them both out and decided to have some fun with them.  Here are the originals:

Choose Life One, 24" x 24"

  Choose Life Two, 24" x 24"

Here is how they look after I revisted them:

  Choose Life One, 24" x 24"

  Choose Life Two, 24" x 24"

Painting a Series

In my last group of paintings I worked on a series which began with one painting called Culmination.  In the series, I used a similar method of preparing the backgrounds, then drawing circles and filling them in, and finally drawing a leaf pattern and filling it in.  Each layer is somewhat transluscent, allowing the previous layers to show through:

  Canvas #42 40" x 40"

  Canvas #41  44" x 44"

  Patchouli 30" x 30"

  Earth Songs  40" x 40"

I had to go back several times and change the shade of color I used in each of these, until I felt the blend was right. 

A Year of Making Art, Day 366: The Final Day

April 20, 2008  Day 366

I have completed my project:  I made a drawing a day for an entire year!

What have I learned from this year?  First, that I shouldn't necessarily jump full speed into every project I think of.  Second, that I do have enough fortitude to carry out a long-term commitment like this.  Third, it is better to write a blog when you have something to say rather than filling space every day just to do it.

As a bonus, I now have 373 new drawings.  While many are so-so, I think there are a good number that I can be proud of.  Some day I might even add them to my website (another huge project).

Today's drawing is celebratory:

  Drawing #373  9" x 12"

I also painted today, finishing Canvas #41, though I may go back and change a color or two:

  Canvas #41  44" x 44"

I plan to keep writing this blog, but two or three times a week instead of every day.  Thanks to those of you who stayed with me through this year and gave me encouragement along the way!

(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 365: One More Day

April 19, 2008  Day 365

Last night my sister Laura and her husband, Jim, arrived in Ithaca permanently.  A moving van loaded everything from their house in Kansas City last week and will deliver it this Monday.  I still can't believe I'm lucky enough to get my sister to move to the town I live in.  With families spread all over the continent and further these days, those of us who can live near each other are very fortunate.

This morning I finished Canvas #42 by filling in all the lines I'd drawn yesterday.  I may still decide to change one or two of the colors, but I am basically pleased with it:

  Canvas #42  40" x 40"

After that, I made my drawing in browns and tans.  I finished with a black brush pen, and a few strokes of yellow.

  Drawing #372  9" x 12"

(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 364: Two More Days

April 18, 2008  Day 364

This morning I got up at 6:30 a.m. because Blixy was coming at 7:00 to drop off Mike and Rachel.  They have no school this week.

After breakfast, Rachel and I helped Mike put up the badminton net, and then we played for an hour.  I was wiped out then and suggested a table game next.  We did, and then moved on to ping-pong.  Then another table game, and Dance Dance Revolution.  After lunch we visited the Museum of the Earth, which did not have their air-conditioning on.  It is in the 80s today, and the museum was so stuffy that we didn't stay long.

After having an iced-chocolate drink, Mike and Rachel played computer games while I got my work done.  Today's drawing was an experiment, where I first made all the short pen strokes in reds and oranges, and then began to shape it.

  Drawing #371  9" x 12"

After that, Blixy arrived and we played some more badminton before dinner.

(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 363: Three More Days

April 17, 2008  Day 363

I have no idea why I woke up in a bad mod this morning, but a sense of foreboding and self-pity has tainted everything I've done.  Instead of having compassion and patience with Adrian's foibles, I reacted as if he were weaving a noose around my neck.

So what if there were spots of dried red cherries all over the kitchen floor when we got up this morning?  Cleaning it up only took ten minutes.

At least I weaseled my way out of going to the doctor's office with Adrian this morning, and it only cost me a bucket of guilt.  "You should have gone with me," he said when he got back.  "I forgot everything."

Adrian always gets the brunt of my bad moods.  Who else will put up with them?

I worked on two canvases this morning, continuing my "culmination" series in blues:

  Canvas #41  44" x 44"

  Canvas #42  40" x 40"

In my drawing, I began with browns, adding black and tan.  I started with calligaphy pens and added lines with a fine point black pen for texture. 

  Drawing #370  9" x 12"

(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 362: Four More Days

This morning I finished the top and bottom of Canvas #39 and spent the rest of the time on Canvas #40.  This is the first time I tried to paint a "culmination" series painting in blues instead of red, orange and yellow.  I mixed some shades of light blue, brilliant blue, and cobalt blue to fill in the lines I had drawn:

  Canvas #40  30" x 30"

Then I did a simple black-and-white sketch for the day's drawing:

  Drawing #369  9" x 12"

Now I've got to do the grocery shopping because Adrian is still wearing a boot cast and limping around.

(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 361: Five More Days to Go

April 15, 2008  Day 361

Since this is a leap year, I have five more days to go in order to finish my "year of making art."  It is great to know I will make it, because too many times in my life, I did not stick things through to the finish.  I always get restless and want to move on, perhaps as part of my bipolar disorder.

Today I finished painting Canvas #39 and did some work on Canvas #40:

  Canvas #39  30" x 30"

In my drawing, I made a frivolous, spring-like floral:

  Drawing #368  9" x 12"

It is definitely spring today.  The temperatures are only in the fifties, but daffodils and crocuses are out, all our neighbors are gardening like mad, and birdsong at dawn is a cacophony.

(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 360: Culmination Series

April 14, 2008  Day 360

Today I worked on Canvas #39, drawing and filling in circles, and then additional lines that I will fill in tomorrow. I am working on a series of Culmination paintings, attempting to capture that sense of bubbling up and exploding that was in the original:

  Canvas #39  30" x 30"

  Original CULMINATION  48" x 48"

I also worked on several more backgrounds today, for three canvases that will follow the culmination tradition, but in blues rather than red, orange and yellow.  I'm not sure if it will work as well, but if not, it will be something different.  I'll find out as I paint.

In my drawing today, I began with brown lines, gradually building up a strong center that flies out to the edges.

  Drawing #367  9" x 12"

Then I had to get my teeth cleaned, which I hate.  Does everyone feel that way?

(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 359: A Final Attempt on Canvas #37

April 13, 2008  Day 359

When I looked at Canvas #37 again this morning (see previous post), I decided there was too much contrast around the edges of the large circles in the perimeter of the painting.  I began to fill in these areas with the orange I had mixed yesterday.  Then I covered over the circles completely with the orange to tone them down.  After that, I began working with the lighter orange, again toning everything down in the next group of circles.  After that, I refilled all the small leaf-like spaces, beginning with a pale yellow and working my way to red around the edges.  This pretty much took all morning, but I was finally satisfied:

  Canvas #37, 40" x 40"

I ran out of 14" x 11" paper, and opened up a 9" x 12" pad in which I found an old drawing with no date on it.  I loved its sense of playfulness, and tried to get that same effect in my new one.  The old one was made with mixed media, including ball-point pen and pencil, which gave it a lot more interesting set of textures.  Here's the old one:

  Found Drawing  9" x 12"

Here's my new one:

  Drawing #366  9" x 12"

After that, Blixy and the kids came over and we went for a great walk in the woods.  It was brisk, but mostly sunny after a bit of rain and snow flurries this morning.

(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 358: Fixing Canvas #37

April 12, 2008  Day 358

This morning I tried to "fix" canvas #37.  I mixed a yellow, an orange-yellow and an orange-red wash (diluted with water and gloss medium), and wove bands of color around the circular shapes, filling in all of the pale background.  When I got done, I liked the painting much better, but there is still something bothersome about it.

  Canvas #37  40" x 40"

In my drawing today I focused on blues and purples, with fine black lines for detail and a slash of yellow for highlighting:

  Drawing #365  11" x 14"

Adrian and I went out to check on Laura and Jim's house again.  They will be moving here permanently next week, and I am looking forward to that.  The house looks great, and there were no open doors or windows this time (see previous posts).  Almost all the renovation work is complete.

Adrian was wearing his boot cast for his Achilles' tendon, and I thought we might take a walk in the park, but he said it was irritating him, so we went straight home.

(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 357: Taking a Break with Sharapova

April 11, 2008  Day 357

Today I spent all morning finishing Canvas #38:

  Canvas #38  44" x 44"

Later I made a drawing in reds, which seemed a bit too contained:

  Drawing #364  14" x 11"

I took a break in the middle of the day to watch Sharapova win the quarterfinals of the Bausch & Lomb tennis championships.  I yearn to get out on the courts myself, and hope that sister Laura will be up for that when she finally moves here next week.

(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 356: I Throw Away a Bad Drawing

April 10, 2008  Day 356

Today I filled in the lines I'd drawn on Canvas #37, but after all that work, I didn't like the results:

  Canvas #37  40" x 40"

Then I went to my ophthalmologist's office to get "computer glasses."  Lately I've noticed I have to bend my head back in order to see through the middle part of my glasses, which has the prescription for seeing at that distance.  New glasses which have the computer prescription all the way to the top should help ease this strain.

The first drawing I worked on today was so bad that I'm throwing it away.  After that, I did a quick whimsical piece--the opposite of the tedious one I'd been working on:

  Drawing #363 14" x 11"

(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 355: A Real Spring Walk

April 9, 2008  Day 355

Today I continued work on Canvas #38, adding some colors with my palette knife and brush, and then drawing lines in red, blue, brown and white.  Unfortunately, I did not photograph this step in the process.

My neighbor and I took our first real spring walk--there was absolutely no snow or ice anywhere!

I didn't get around to my drawing until late, working with browns, tans and a little black:

  Drawing #362  14" x 11

(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 354: Tired of Wave Drawings

April 8, 2008 Day 354

I had enough wave drawings (see previous posts).  Today I made a red-green-blue-yellow design with calligraphy pens.  It was very soothing to work on:

  Drawing #361  14" x 11"

After that I worked on canvas #36 and #37.  Here are the two steps, with more work to follow:

  Canvas #36  44" x 44"

  Canvas #37 40" x 40"

Tonight is our bipolar support group meeting, and I'm glad I don't have to facilitate this time.  I always feel I am either two rigid or not rigid enough in enforcing timing rules.

(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 353: Working Overall

April 7, 2008  Day 253

I just couldn't give up on wave drawings (see previous post), so I tried another one today.  Putting in the details took a while, and then I felt it didn't have enough focus, and added some stronger lines.  Here it is when I quit working on it:

  Drawing #360  14" x 11"

I did some more work on canvas #38 today, working overall with a brush, water, and colors straight from the tube:

  Canvas #38  44" x 44"

And that was it for the day.

(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 352: The Second Time Is Harder

April 6, 2008  Day 352

I liked my wave drawing from yesterday (see previous post), and tried to do another one today.  Often, the second time I do something doesn't quite turn out as well as the first time, when it happens spontaneously.  I had to work a lot harder on this one to get it to the point where I consider it finished.

  Drawing #359   14" x 11"

Then I continued work on the backgrounds for three paintings.  Here's a sample:

  Canvas #37  40" x 40"

After that I began to hang art around the studio now that my new wall is finished.  I am not a very good curator--I have to try every combination before I can figure out which paintings work or don't work together.  In addition, since I had to limit the size in most places, I couldn't simply pick any painting I wanted to.  Most of my canvases are too large to fit in the spaces available. 

I ended my day with food shopping, a chore Adrian usually does for me.  Now that he's incapacitated, I'm beginning to appreciate just how much he did before.

(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 351: Folk Art Americana at Mary Shelley's House

April 5, 2008  Day 351

Last night Adrian and I went to an open house at folk artist Mary Shelley's house/gallery in downtown Ithaca.  It was amazing to see so many of her works together, each one strengthening the effect of the others.  Mary does relief carvings in wood and then paints them with acrylics.  Her subjects are often diners, farming, and other regional subjects from upstate New York.  Mary has an impressive resume, with works at the Smithsonian, the Fennimore Art Museum in Cooperstown, New York, and the National Museum of Women and the Arts in Washington, DC.  If you haven't seen her work yet, take a look at her website:  Mary Shelley Folk Art.

Going out to see Mary's art rejuvenated me, and I got past yesterday's depression.  Today I feel great, especially since I finally got to paint again after a long pause for renovations to my studio.

I worked on the backgrounds of three paintings, but in the third one, I tried a more structured and thoughtful background than I usually make:

  Canvas #38  44" x 44"

Before that, I made my drawing for the day with blue/green and purple waves going across the horizontal plane:

  Drawing #358  14" x 11"

(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 341: Primary Colors

March 26, 2008  Day 341

Blixy called at 8 a.m. to see if I could take Rachel to the orthodontist today, which I did.  She is now at a neighbors playing with a 12-year-old (Rachel is 9 and loves to play with older girls).

I used mainly primary colors today, with accents in a fine-point black pen.  I used a template for most of the circles, and a ruler for the straight lines.

  Drawing #348  11" x 14"

Adrian went out late this afternoon with Roxy.  This is his first day taking her out since he fell and hurt his leg.  I just hope he doesn't overdo it.

There is a strong paint smell in here because half my studio floor was painted this morning.  Tomorrow we'll move all the furniture to the other side so that this half can be painted.

(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 337: Split Personality

March 22, 2008  Day 337

I made my drawing early today.  It has a split personality, which I used to think I had when I was younger.  I did, in the sense that I was bipolar (undiagnosed at that time), and suffered severe mood swings.

  Drawing #344  11" x 14"

Blixy is bringing Mike and Rachel over today to see their California cousins who are staying with us.  I already did the food shopping for dinner.  With luck, we'll get a walk in this afternoon and play a lot of ping-pong.  It is cold, but sunny for a change.

(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 336: Civilized Teenagers

March 21, 2008  Day 336

I picked up my stepson and family at the airport last night.  The flight was actually early--not typical for US Air.  They came in from California and the two teenagers were thrilled to see it snowing here.  We didn't get much accumulation, but they went out this morning and made snowballs.  Then they came in and said it was too cold to go for a walk with their parents and Adrian and Roxy.

I started my drawing today in black, adding a bit of dark gray and some yellow highlights:

  Drawing #343  11" x 14"

The teenagers are going to make dinner tonight, so that will be a nice break.  Earlier, I played ping-pong with them.  These fourteen-year-olds are quite civilized.  (Not like I was at that age.)

(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 335: The Californians are Coming

March 20, 2008  Day 335

In this morning's drawing, I began with greens and yellows, later adding accents in brown:

   Drawing #342  14" x 11"

My stepson Dan and his family are arriving from California this evening, so we were busy getting ready for them a good part of the day.  Laura dropped by to do her laundry, and we played some ping-pong.  The contractor is still working on my studio wall.

Winds are high today, so I hope Dan's final flight into Ithaca is not held up.

(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 334: Painting vs. Drawing

March 19, 2008  Day 334

I struggled with today's drawing, but I've gone about as far as I can with it:

  Drawing #341  14" x 11"

I think it is easier to "fix" a painting on canvas than a drawing on paper.  Eventually, the paper you draw on can't take any more, and you can't really cover up your mistakes completely the way you can with paint.  You can't scrape it or wash it off, either.  So what you have to do is turn the drawing into something else, but while utilizing what you already have.  That's a greater challenge, I think, although it could be that I'm simply more used to painting than drawing.

I got another call from an artist looking for advice on marketing her art.  There seems to be much more concensus on how to succeed in the other arts than in visual art.  Not that it's any easier to accomplish a successful career in music, dance, or literature, but the paths seem to be clearer.  If you get an MFA in fine art and become an academic, then I think things might be more straightforward.  You present yourself in terms of what the academic curator wants to see, and try to build a reputation through exhibitions and gallery representation.

That, at least, is what I imagine an academic artist does.  I am not one of them.  For the rest of us, it is not clear how to proceed.  Or perhaps there are so many options, and so little time, that it becomes confusing.

So what is my advice to young artists?  Follow your strengths.  Try several paths.  Go with what seems to be working.  Take opportunities that come along.  Learn from what you see others doing.  Be persistent.

Every city must have at least one artists' organization.  Join it and talk to people.  Join online artists' organizations and talk to people.  I've gotten a lot of good advice over the years from artists I've met through the internet.  By sharing, we don't diminish ourselves.

(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 333: The Idea of a Pastoral

March 18, 2008  Day 333

In this morning's drawing, I started with the idea of a pastoral in greens and pale blue, but soon had something much more colorful.  At one point it seemed it would not come together and I might have to scrap it, but some strong lines with a chocolate brown saved the day:

  Drawing #340   14" x 11"

After that I worked on cleaning up my website, but the new Dreamweaver I have for the Imac works differently from my old program, and I was frustrated.  An experienced Imac user gave me some advice, however, and I'll try again tomorrow.

New doors are installed in my new wall, and soon that part of the construction will be finished.  Then the rest of the floors have to be finished, and when that's done, I should be able to paint again.

(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 331: Visiting Local Galleries

March 16, 2008  Day 331

Yesterday afternoon we went to some local art galleries.  We enjoyed the annual juried photo show at the State of the Art Gallery.  Laura's husband, Jim Kirsner, is a photographer, so he was interested in the variety of techniques displayed.

Next we went to Belle Melange, a relatively new gallery in Ithaca.  There we were impressed with works by Mary Shelley and Kim Schrag.  Kim is an abstract artist who paints in intense colors, so naturally I was attracted to her work.  Fernando Llosa, another favorite, was also exhibiting at Belle Melange.

Today is a Sunday, so we slept in and I got a late start.  That's fine, because I've been too tense lately and need to slow down.  In my drawing this morning I started with black, but soon moved freely into more color:

Drawing #338  14" x 11"

Tomorrow I am shipping the original painting of "I Fancy":

  I Fancy 40" x 40"

(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 328: Packing and Shipping Pains

March 13, 2008  Day 328

Instead of a nap yesterday afternoon (see previous post), I went on a great hike with my neighbor.  The trail we go on is hilly, and it was covered with a mixture of snow, crusted ice, and mud.  In a few weeks it will be total mud and swampy water.

This morning I tried to get a 51" x 51" box inside my Honda Element, and it wouldn't fit.  I remembered getting this size in before, so I don't know what went wrong.  We finally took a seat out and eventually had success.  The worst thing about my art business is the packing and shipping, especially with the larger paintings.

I finally got around to my drawing for the day, and as it took shape, I thought of dunes:

Drawing #335  14" x 11"

Tonight we are having company for dinner, and that always makes me anxious.  But Laura is coming over to help, and that will ease my nerves.

(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 326: Coaxing Form and Shape

March 11, 2008  Day 326

Today I went with Adrian on his walk with Roxy through the woods.  We still have ice covering the branches of all our trees, and it was melting in the bright sunlight today.  An amazing sight.

Tonight we have our bipolar support group meeting, which has been canceled the last two times because of bad weather.  We only meet twice a month, so it is difficult for many members when we have to cancel.

In my drawing today, I had to work hard to bring order out of chaos.  Once or twice it seemed to be coming together nicely, and then I ruined that and had to continue to coax it into something with form and shape:

  Drawing #333  14" x 11"

I got a call from a Boston gallery today and they want me to send five paintings right away for a presentation they are making to a client.  I will get on that first thing tomorrow.  Now, I'd better make dinner so I can get to my bipolar meeting.

(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 325: My Favorite Day

March 10, 2008  Day 325

Ah, it is Monday again, my favorite day.  Sunday's are always the hardest, somehow.  I can never figure out how to make it a relaxing day, yet working hard all day Sunday doesn't feel right, either.

I tried to take a nap yesterday afternoon, but Adrian woke me just as I was falling into a deep sleep, and then I got so angry with him that I couldn't control myself.  He did not realize I was asleep, so there was no reason for me to take it out on him, but I did.  Later I apologized.

Daylight savings time started this weekend, so that has thrown everyone off.  We slept in today, and I didn't finish my drawing until noon.  I drew edge-to-edge, beginning with calligraphy pens and finishing with brush pens:

  Drawing #332  11" x 14"

I just joined ArtReview.Com, which looks like an interesting place for artists to hang out.  There are so many new artists' group sites starting up all the time that I usually don't bother joining, but this one looks pretty sharp.

(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 323: Studio Space in Limbo

March 8, 2008  Day 323

After waking up betwen 5 and 6 a.m. every morning for a week, today I slept in until after 8.  Tonight daylight savings begins, so that will mess up our internal clocks even more.

Adrian and I tried to move a piece of furniture out of my studio, and scuffed the new floor coating.  We were both upset at first--we work so poorly together--but then we talked about it and decided it was just a floor, after all, and not to punish ourselves for it.

Maybe I'm feeling lethargic because my studio space is in limbo and there's no room to paint?  I do have a big list of other things to catch up on, but it's not the same.  And with this gloomy weather we're having, there's no incentive to go out.  Adrian did of course, in order to take Roxy for her walk.  He was soaked to the bone when he got back.

Laura came over today to help with my bookkeeping.  I guess my old system was not that accurate, because we found some mistakes.  She is going to whip everything into shape.

I finally got around to my drawing late today.  I thought I would do something lush in reds, orange and pink, but ended up adding dark brown and black in order to make it work:

  Drawing #330  11" x 14"

(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 322: Young at Art

March 6, 2008  Day 322

Today is Blixy's birthday.  We'll celebrate it tomorrow, a Friday, by going to gallery night downtown and then out to dinner.

I just spent an hour and a half with a young artist who wanted to pick my brain about marketing his art, and especially, getting into galleries.  Somehow, I find myself exhausted at the end of our session.  While I was talking to him, I felt an excitement at his prospects--a young artist finding his way in the art world.  He seemed to have so much energy and enthusiasm, both for his art and the enterprise of marketing it.

Most artists in this country do not make a living by selling their art.  They teach or apply their creative skills to commercial careers in industrial or fabric design, advertising, and so forth.  Some have day jobs totally unrelated to their art.  Yet it is every artist's dream to eventually find a way to live by making fine art.

My drawing today is about texture.  I thought of the "ovals" and "push-pulls" we were required to pen years ago in grammar school:

  Drawing #328  11" x 14"

(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 321: Organizing Piles of Papers

I got up at 5:30 a.m. this morning and went out to the studio early.  My drawing is in red and purple with a splash of lime green: 

  Drawing #327  11" x 14"

I spent the rest of the morning organizing piles of papers I hadn't looked through in months.  It's always enlightening.

The contractor put up protective sheets and began the first step in building a wall in my studio today.  He painted that part of the floor with a sealer, as well, so I have to go out the back way and around to get into the house.  The sealer will help keep dirt and dust from rising from the cement floor.  It looks much better, too.

Now it is six p.m. and the contractor just quit.  I'd better also.

(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 320: Dislocated

March 4, 2008  Day 320

There is an echo now at the end of the studio we cleared out for the contractor to work on.  It feels strange to have everything crowded into a smaller space, and I am a bit "disclocated."  On the other hand, since I cannot do any painting until the studio is finished, it gives me a chance to catch up on other things.

Then Laura came over to use my computer to work on the "books" she is setting up for my art business.  Without a space to paint in, or my computer to work on, what was I to do?  Lots of things, actually, but first I made today's drawing, a study in blues and greens:

  Drawing #326  11" x 14"

(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 319: Jazzy Improvisation

March 3, 2008  Day 319

 

Here are a few more photos from my past art exhibitions:

  Gallery for the Arts, Mt. Sterling, Kentucky

Adrian and Lynne, Soho South, West Palm Beach, FL

  Soho South

  Lynne at Tompkins Cortland Community College Exhibit

Last night I was up for a couple of hours worrying.  I took a sleeping pill, but that didn't work right away, so I got up and played solitaire.  One thing I was worried about was the hassle of shipping the new prints I am offering.  They are so large that they won't fit in my Honda Element or in any ordinary van.  But as I played cards, I realized that if I couldn't find a good solution, I could just eliminate that size.

This morning Adrian solved the problem by checking with our packer, Pak-mail.  The owner has a trailer that will hold whatever size I make, and agreed to pick them up when I need her to.  Phew!

I did my drawing early today because Jim and Laura were coming over to help us move all the furniture in the studio so the new wall can be built tomorrow.  The drawing is kind of a hectic, jazzy improvisation:

  Drawing #325  11" x 14"

Right after Jim and Laura arrived, a tractor-trailer driver showed up at the door.  He said he was down at the main road with a delivery of flat files for me.  "We don't go on private roads," he said.  So Jim and I drove down in the Element and I backed up to the truck.  There were two skids, each very heavy, but Jim and the driver managed to get one loaded.  Then they rode on the tailgate as I drove it up to the garage, and they unloaded it.  We did the next one the same way.  I am a terrible backer-upper, but I knew I had to do it, so I did.

The good news is, it's 50 degrees out today and most of the snow and ice has turned to mush.

Why did we pick this lot to build a house and studio on?

After that adventure, we moved tons of shipping boxes into the garage, and then moved all the furniture in the studio--some to the basement, and some to one end of the studio.  Tomorrow our contractor will begin the wall, as well as coating the floor with a protective finish.

 

(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 318: Exhibition Photos

March 2, 2008  Day 318

Today I was determined to finish going through everything in my studio in preparation for the construction work that will happen soon.  In addition to lots of junk to throw out and give away, I found a cache of old drawings and some photos from exhibitions I'd been in years ago:

  Hartley Gallery, Winter Park, Florida

   Lynne at Hartley Gallery

  Hartley Gallery

  Lynne at Div. of Cultural Affairs Gallery, Tallahassee, FL

The process of sorting through all my stuff was emotionally and physically exhausting, but I finally finished, and then did my drawing for the day:

  Drawing #324  11" x 14"

Now I am beat and need to relax.

(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 317: Windy, Cold and Beaten

March 1, 2008  Day 317

Today's drawing is a light and whimsical piece made with calligraphy pens:

  Drawing #323  11" x 14"

After making my drawing, I continued sorting through all the stuff in my studio in order to get rid of as much as possible.  In a day or two we will move the furniture around so that the carpenter can start work on the new wall (see previous post).

At three o'clock Blixy and the kids came over.  We went for a short walk around BeeBee Lake on Cornell Campus, but it was windy and cold, so we came back right after that.  Later Mike beat me at ping-pong and Dance Dance Revolution battle mode.  I remember that a year or two past, he could barely play ping-pong.  It's neat to see your grandchildren gaining new skills, but when they begin to surpass you, you are reminded of your mortality. 

Earlier today, a collector in New Zealand called to purchase another painting:

   Bird Song 48" x 48"

(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 315: Free and Expressive

February 28, 2008  Day 315

In this morning's drawing, I felt free and expressive using the Zig calligraphy pens:

  Drawing #321  11" x 14"

After that I embarked on a "clear out the studio" campaign to get ready for some new flat files I ordered.  There is much "stuff" here that does not have to be, and like Adrian, I have trouble dealing with it.  Chances are I will not throw out as much as I should, but I can move a lot of it to the basement now that it has been cleaned up and organized.

(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 314: Expert Help is Always Appreciated

February 27, 2008  Day 314

In my drawing this morning, I used a template for drawing circles, and then a ruler for adding straight lines, to come up with this design:

  Drawing #320  11" x 14"

Jim and Laura came over later to help me:  Jim framed a drawing and a print I recently sold:

  Art Blog Drawing #290

   Print of Abstract Drawing #3

Laura began to set up Quicken on my computer to keep track of finances.  She had been a CFO and Executive Vice President of Helzberg Diamonds before she retired, so she should be a terrific help in getting my records straightened out.

After that, all four of us went to a matinee of There Will Be Blood, and then dinner out.  Wow, going out in the middle of the week!  The movie was very well done, and a terrific vehicle for Daniel Day Lewis.

(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 313: Primary Colors

February 26, 2008  Day 313

In this morning's drawing I covered the paper from edge to edge, focusing on primary colors:

  Drawing #319  11" x 14"

Then I finished gessoing ten new canvases.

Laura came over in the afternoon and we went for a walk in the new snow.  We'd gotten 3-4 inches over the course of the day, and it was a wet snow which clung to tree branches, transforming the landscape beautifully.

(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 312: The Importance of Negative Space

February 25, 2008  Day 312

I was made acutely aware of negative space in my drawing today.  Space that looks "empty" because it is not filled with line or color has an important function in a composition.  The oval opening in today's drawing is an obvious example of this, but in every drawing or painting, the negative spaces have an important visual impact.