I am still working on the two new series. Not sure what I will call them. One I am thinking of might be Grey Angels. The other Dreams. The titles are also Works In Progress.
Two new pieces for the Grey Angels. Still need to let them rest then go back and adjust things that might improve them.

 I see a bird in one. I may emphasis that object. I have been adding birds to a few of the forms paintings. Crows mainly, but in this one I may make it a dove. I am thinking that may bring the two series together. The circles or bubbles are one aspect of cohesion but it definitely needs more if I plan to hand these together.


 I have one new piece for the Forms Series. I am thinking I might dilute the colors as I did in the first painting of this series. It gives it a more ephemeral feel by calming down the colors. Just not sure I am ready to do that yet.

I seem to be focusing on life stages and then into the hereafter.

Visting Galleries

Another good day with Dave. We visited several galleries and saw an eclectic collection of styles and subject matter, as well as some Photoshopped photography . Lots of great conversation with Dave and once again some new inspiring ideas.  Once home I came up to the studio and decided to read through some of my former postings. Appears I am always, well nearly always; positive that I have found my way back to painting again. Though most of the time some real life event diverts my attention and I leave the studio and do not go back as planned to finish out my challenges that I presented to myself.



My hometown series went no further than the 6 I posted. I should go there because most all those pieces sold but is that the criteria that I wish to paint on, they are sale-able?.

 My BEE HAPPY pieces were going to evolve further int paintings of dragonflies and other buggy ideas but so far the 9 bees are the only thing finished; the dragonflies are base painted and quick fly bodies have been painted but no detail






The landscapes, even with the challenge of Sky Holes, never really had a chance, I think honestly they were doomed from the start. Maybe I should have challenged myself on the landscapes to do them plien' aire.......

 but my dream series is growing and I am producing new pieces. I just have not posted them. After today with Dave and our over the lunch table talk....I know I must get back to it. Even if a "baby fix" and a trip to Huntsville is suddenly thrown in to the schedule. Even if grandson's graduation is attended and celebrated. Even if trips with Tom come up. Even if going to MWC better known as Mom's work camp. Even if rushed visits to the kids in Texas or birthdays coming up. Even if soccer games, babysitting and everything else that REAL LIFE throws at me are calling my name. This series is my comeback series and I find I can't wait to get back up to the studio. Hope you will hang in there waiting for me to post new works.....I am back this time for sure.

Angels

so now that I am working seriously again....I am branching out with my silhouette ideas.. I had some dark base painted canvases thinking I would work on thoughts of the Universe and as I studied them I noticed small figures...I started developing the figures and as I went along I noticed "wings" so here is my angel series that I am working on....these are works in progress and if you visit often you will probably notice small tweaks to each of them.

Dream Series

new work....I am still trying to find my way back to expressing myself. I have tried flowers, I have tried landscapes... landscapes almost got me back. But a bad turn and it was dropped once again.
Now I am going to try a more expressive style. See if I can get to my inner core and bring back what I lost...
DREAM SERIES.
title either        Heart of Man......or Complete....

Through The Portal

building on the ground floor....which translates to...working more on the trees...
I am beginning to enjoy the process again.
Will continue to refine and work on SKY HOLES in the trees....makes them more realistic.

LOST in the COUNTRY

My Last post I thought I would go off on a WILD GOOSE CHASE
or maybe even opt for HARE & NOW...
then I switched over to CHICK IT OUT....and I got Lost in the Country....

Blue Tree on the Creek   18 x 24

Autumn Tree Line 10 x 10

landscape paintings for a exhibition in OCT..as I wandered through the trees I remembered an Autumn Tree Line 

hopefully I will continue

 to paint and keep looking 

for the silver lining 

  of my own creativity.

OVER & OVER
I am still trying to find something that inspires me. I started with whimsical this year...and thought.OK not bad.....in fact almost enjoying the thinking process. So I decided to be happy..be happy ok that started it... BEE HAPPY....everyone was telling me to be happy to feel happy. So off I went to paint.

 

So here is BEE HAPPY by yourself. Very small and easily finished. 

What's next....well continue of course.

 

Ok so enough of being happy by myself..

now time to BEE HAPPY in twos...maybe even threes or fours.

Maybe I can even find happiness in a crowd.

Well now that I found myself happy....maybe I will go off on a WILD GOOSE chase

 Walking in Memphis

Strange Cargo
Beale St Memphis TN
10 x 10 acrylic

I had a lovely day of gallery hopping in Memphis last Wednesday. I have this chance to go out with my cousin Dave, a photographer,  and find new places to visit that might inspire us to do some new work. We will set these art days up and plan what new place we want to visit and look forward to giving a quick critique to the pieces we view.  After visiting several galleries and museums we usually stop to have lunch. While eating we often will discuss the art work we had seen that day, or simply we will talk about life and living, it didn't always matter what we talked about just the idea of being out and looking at art was the business of the day. This time while we were lunching, Dave made a comment about a Friday Night Gallery walk he attended, and how he stood and watched this group of Drawing Society individuals doing work involving the old water tower on that side of town. 

WC Handy Park
 Beale St Memphis TN
10 x 10 acrylic

Something about that particular remark plucked my heart strings and I felt this long lost stirring about painting.
His remark reminded me that I once did a small series of  works titled My Hometown in watercolors. I managed to have a few prints made of that series, and thinking about them again, reminded me how much enjoyment those little watercolors meant to me.......so that brings me to where I am at the moment....actually painting and enjoying it a whole lot.

 I found reference photos of downtown Memphis that I had taken maybe 6 to 8 years ago, and from that point I started composing some new works. I  focused on the idea of SIGN'S for the new pieces and it appears I might have been playing with that thought years ago.  I found that to be fascinating too, that a focus from the past uncompleted, would bring inspiration to me now. From there I made some further plans for the paintings and decided I would try out new painting techniques and colors. I decided to keep myself to a simple palette of limited colors and found that to be the hardest of the plans I had set for myself. I noticed as I worked along I would sometimes get "outside that box" of limited colors and add more and more. That is when I discovered that the paintings were not flowing as well and it reminded me to go back to the limited colors for the next canvas, expecially if I were going to consider this to be a series, not just in subject matter but in painting style and color as well.


Ms Polly's Soul City Cafe 
Beale St Memphis  TN
12 x12 acrylic

     Anyway, here are the first 6 works that I completed

         and the best part....

I feel there are plenty more inside of me

wishing they too could be put on canvas as well.

Rum Boogie Cafe & Bar
 Beale St Memphis TN
12 x 12 acrylic

I am thinking of adding an additional parameter to my lists of how I am going to paint this series and that is to take each new piece into a more Impressionistic style, soften the edges and colors even further than I did in these first six. I look forward to seeing where this challenge is going to lead me.
I have to admit, I am excited and so very very happy for the return of my creativity..



Blues on Beale St Memphis Tennessee
30 x 40 acrylic



another day another field of flowers..... Sunny Fields.

I sit here and think of all the possiblities with flowers...I guess there are more paintings in me after all. ~smiles This one may not be finished after all...appears to have an empty space midcenter...rethinking.

second working.....think it fills out much better....it too me a little while to balance the top flowers and looking at it on the screen there may still need to be a bit more tweaking. Ah, ha, I took out some of the blue green that weaved it's way to the top...and I think that is what is missing...back again to the easel. (the light sure does make a difference the shadowy one at top I like better)

 

now I worry about overworking...better give this one a break and let it rest and come back to it later.

 

Still Painting.....

 

 

...I think I finally got to a place where I like the colors that I am using. I always have felt that my colors were too harsh, too tube, not enough mixing. So working late at night I think I found what I needed...

Along with the new colors I decided to continue on in the frame of impressionistic fields of flowers. I was going through the internet and came across Farm Garden by Kilmet.... thinking great title I will one day do myself a farm garden. Until then I will continue to paint TEXAS POPPIES 2

Painting.....

Painting...Yes, I am painting...not big, not huge but painting. First I started with a tree from down in Texas an Old Oak tree....not much but at least I had a start.

hedge Row 8 x10

Pathway 8 x 10

then I found reference photos and decided to do a few studies of trees. I enjoyed the work for the first time in a long time.

Old Oak  acrylic 12 x 12


It does help to publish the page
after you finish posting
 if you expect anyone to
be able to view.
Guess  learning how to set up the pages and posting will take a bit of time

Beginnings

just a title and nothing else.....let's see if I can't turn it into a new start.

Organized? what....

I go on an on about things I want to do.
I keep piling on more work and never even seem to get anything done any longer.
Is there a secret to putting it all in place?

Well if there is I have no idea when, where, or how.

When time permits

I should do more visiting of blogs.
I was just introduced to a new one this evening and it was delightful to read such poignant words.

BACK AGAIN

wow....things on internet change in a heart beat.....one minute you can get in....next minute it takes days to return.... Ok...Ok....it isn't really the fault of the internet...more likely my fault...I take full blame...mainly my lack of interest, passion, desire...for anything creative. Just when I think I am about to make a break through and get going again.....something in REAL LIFE throws me another lemon and I am off again in my spiral of neglect. I use to stand up against RL problems and just integrate it into my creative processes. I have got to get back there again or RL will simply swallow me up..... My first step was getting back here...it took all day...and man I am mentally tired now. But I am not giving up...nor stopping...I will turn it on and I WILL be posting again.. Life is too short to sit idle and watch the wind blow......it is time now to express that wind blowing in a painting. See you soon....I promise myself.

Long Slow Journey

It has been a long slow journey getting over the passing of my father...in fact it is 1 year for that passing and now we are facing his birthday without him once again. It is still hard to not have him around for counsel, but I am moving on and learning to accept that there will always be an empty place.
For anyone who is following or reading this blog...you may ask what does this have to do with art as I see it....well....actually that is exactly it. I don't seem to see the colors any longer. I first worried about not having the passion to paint, but figured as time passes, the passion would return. Then I worried,yes; I have come to realize that worry is my major job at the moment; but back to the subject of art, I worried that the colors I use to explore just don't excite me any longer. Ok, so this is the way it is going to be, I need to get over it and find ways to handle what I am left. There are great things that can be done with subtlety, I just have to learn how to handle it. My journey now is in learning to live with the quieter side of life, to see things NOW, not as I imagine them. To find beauty in the quiet leaves that are falling, the birds that take to wing, the lazy river that feeds the swamps. Not everything has to be blinding like the sun in your eyes......or rushing so fast that you only have glimpses. So I am going to slow down, I hope, and find something that will get me motivated again to paint. AND...I am going to have to learn how to stop worrying. HA!!!!! that may be my new passion.

About Art

I know this blog is suppose to be about art and how I see it.....but lately it has been about family and death. To me, I somehow have intertwined the two...without family I don't have art, without art I push the family away. This is a dark place to be and anger is ever present for whatever reason and for none at all. I do not wish to be an angry person, but it is where I am.

I am told to just paint...find a brush and canvas and just paint. It is so hard, nothingness is hard to compete with.....but I must do something to break this cycle. I set up the easel and for days I sat in front of it as if something would reach out and grab me. I set up the paint pans, the brushes, the light, the whatever next because nothing was happening. Just pretend. They say to pretend until it happens. I wasn't sure it would but I kept going there.

So I painted. I painted over anything that reminded me of another time. I subdued my colors, I knocked out any recognizable images, I pretended to go through the motions and at some point I found a place to be. I found the zone of unsolicited movement. It just happened. The final product is wishful, misty, quiet, maybe a place I am longing to be......but I painted and right now that is enough.

Broken and shattered

I thought I had quit trying.....then the call came that someone else in the family died suddenly.....21 years old and gone in a flash. A life of suddenness. She was always full of living, enjoying, laughing, trying, and now......she is gone. Another space in my heart ripped out.
Home from the funeral and once again a call....NO...this can't be happening...but yes another passing, and more passing's to come through out this year. How much can a heart take? one after another until the heart just goes numb. Why? no room to grieve, no room to learn to accept, just more sadness and pain. I look forward to this year ending except for the fact no one knows what is just around the corner.......will another boot fall?

the girl who seemed unbreakable
BROKE
the girl who seemed strong
CRUMBLED
the girl who always smiled
Cried
the girl who never gave up
JUST QUIT TRYING!

When does the Pain stop......

When does the Pain stop......
I really don't dwell on the latest events that have happened in my life.....but there are always these unexpected moments that bring it home to the heart. A photo, a small personal item, a letter, a thought.........even the wish to hear someone's voice just one more time. Then the tears flow and you stand there wondering how it happened that the sunshine filled day suddenly becomes a storm. I ask...when does the pain stop? Am I expecting relief too early or am I truly going into the tunnel of darkness of no return. Someone asked the other day HOW ARE YOU DOING.....I told them I am OK except when someone asks and it brings it all back to me once again. Isn't that silly? Everyone says I seem to be doing great...then why does it hurt so much. I guess, it is Father's Day and it is just another reminder that he is gone. I love you Dad. I posted a photo of you on my facebook page and everyone has written that I look just like you....funny, I never noticed it before.