So far gone...

I'm sorry to have been away so long. Live has been so busy of late and my art has taken the hardest hit. I am coaching for the Twin Cities Junior Roller Derby and my girls both skate in that. Add in school work, home work, basketball and daily life, I have gotten lost in the shuffle.

My friend Randi shared this with me today and I wanted to pass it along:

"Being a mother and an artist is a partnership that can fuel each other, but it takes determination. Creating art is a release, but it is not for the faint of heart. Not only does it require determination, but also dedication and belief in self. I think that is why art saves. It is a way to reach into yourself and declare with paint or pencil that what you have to say or feel matters enough to be put out into the world. And it does."  -  Bridget Guerzon Mills

The results are in...

"I get knocked down
But I get up again
You're never going to keep me down" - Chumbawumba 'Tubthumping'

 As you might guess by the lyrics above, my painting was not accepted into the MNSF Fine Arts Show. I will admit I am a little disappointed but where one door closes a window opens. My painting will be on display at Salon 300: Minnesota State Fair Overflow Show at the Hopkins Center for the Arts! I won't be able to make it to the opening reception but you can bet that I will make it out there to see it, I hope you will too.

I'm going to spend a good amount of time in the studio today, experimenting, working on lessons from several workshops I'm taking and rocking out. The cool cloudy weather makes my creative juices flow. 

What are some of your favorite workshops you've taken, online or in person?

I did it!

Untitled - MN State Fair 2010
18" x 24" on Gesso Board

I've been talking about doing it for years. I've actually entered a painting into the MN State Fair Fine Arts competition. My husband enters it every year (in the Photography catagory) and it's beyond competitive. If I remember correctly, he's only made it in once in as long as I can remember and he is an AMAZING photographer.

My nerves are riding high and will be until August 11th when I find out if I've been accepted. Keep your fingers crossed for me! It would be a huge boost to the ego to make the cut on my first try.

Long Lost Blogger

Hello? Anyone out there?

I'm sorry for being gone so long! I've been working on larger paintings and I am amazed at how different it is working on a different scale and medium!! I have my practice painting done and have started working the piece I hope to enter into the State Fair Fine Arts competition. I'm stressing myself out working under a deadline. I have to finish it and have it framed in the new 2-3 weeks so I can submit it the first weekend of August! The pressure is killing me!

Once the state fair project is complete, I'm going to dive into The Sketchbook Project and I'm pretty psyched about it. I have a friend that I've just reconnected with after 13 years who is doing it along with me and I can't wait to have some art dates with her.

Thanks for your patience and please bear with me! I'll keep you posted when I can!

Looking through the eyes of a child

This past Wednesday I spend the day with my oldest daughter, Celia. I introduced her to the gastronomical wonder that is a Juicy Lucy on a lunch date to the Blue Door Pub. She loved it but it didn't love her back, poor kid.

After lunch we went to the Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis. It was inspiring to see and hear Celia's reactions to the pieces on display. There was one piece in particular, a hanging sculpture constructed of beads and wire, that caught her eye (I am sorry I didn't get the name of the artist/piece). It was hanging at eye level and was delicate and sparsely sprinkled with color, nice to look at. Celia got down on her hands and knees and looked up at the bottom of it and insisted I do the same. I shook my head and told her to get off the floor but she wouldn't move until I got down there with her. Looking up through the bottom of the piece we discovered an explosion of color as it was a solid mass of glass seed beads! It would have never occurred to me to do that without her prompting and I am so happy I listened and gave in to her quirky request.

When was the last time you looked at the world around you through the eyes of a child?

Rust

We spent a sunny Fathers Day at the MSRA Back to the 50's car show and it was just rich with inspiration! I took a lot of photos to gather the textures to file away for inspiration. It's the first time I've gone out with my camera since it was passed down to me by my husband (he's an amazing photographer and upgraded his equipment recently). I really need to get to know my camera better though. I botched a good number of photos because it was set to bracket the exposures, oops.

Back to the photos, I did a painting last night based on my favorite shot of the day! Consider this a preview since it's a cell phone shot, better photos will follow!

Acrylic on Watercolor Paper - 9"x12"

Rain, rain, go away

A cloudy rainy weekend and now a rainy Monday. It was perfect sleeping weather though and led to lots of much needed napping which left little time for paining. When I did find time, my creativity escaped me and I sat there staring blankly at the paper.

I am working my way through more of the Layer Love Lessons and it's taking time. The lessons are becoming more challenging and I am having a really hard time liking the finished product. I am pushing through and hope to have another painting or two for you by the end of this week, but I won't make any promises just yet.

On a cheery note, I thought I'd share a bright sunny photo from my garden. I have a new application on my cell phone called Toy Camera and I've been taking lots of photos like this with it.

Untitled - 18"x24"

Here we go! This is my first painting of this size. What do you think? You can click on the image for a larger view.

 Multimedia on Gesso board, 18"x24"

Oilbars? I have so many questions

I know I promised you something new last week and it's so close to finished that I can almost taste it. It should be done already, but I used a new medium and it's taking so much longer to dry than I thought.

Lesson learned: Winsor Newton Oilbars + heavy handed application + cool, dark and semi damp basement = a lesson in patience. I have no idea how people work with oil paints as I've been absolutely spoiled by the quick drying times of my GOLDEN Fluid Acrylics.

Does anyone have advice for working with the Oilbars? I want to add one more layer but don't know if I have to wait for the under layers to dry. Or if those under layers have started to dry, will adding another layer end up completely trashing the piece?

In the mean time, I've been adding color to random pages of my art journal. Now I need to round up the courage to actually journal on them. That's a subject for another day.

Please stay tuned, practice your patience as I practice mine and please send along any and all tips for working with oils. Lord knows I need the help.

Layer Love - Lesson 3

It feels like it has been so long since I posted last. I am hoping to update more often as I find more time to paint. It's all I'm able to think about lately!

I'm still taking the Layer Love Workshop and below is my piece for Lesson 3. The addition of Acrylic Polymer - Gloss and Gel Medium - Gloss really help this piece glow. The textures come through much more than on previous paintings and the shine really adds to the richness and depth of color.

Acrylic and Collage on watercolor paper - 9"x12"

Please leave your comments and feedback below. I thrive on them!

I have something bigger and completely in store for you very soon! Stay tuned.

Layer Love Lessons 1.5 & 2

I'm back and with better photos this time! Thank you so much dear Fotodog for your support!

I am having so much fun doing this! Last night we had a thunderstorm roll through while I was painting. My studio is set up in our basement and the sound of thunder was dampened to a soft purr by the cinder block walls. It was awesome!

Lets start with posting a quality shot of Lesson 1:

Acrylic on watercolor paper, 9"x12"

The next piece is my attempt at 'winging it' using what I learned in Lesson 1 and basing it on what I remember seeing in the video for Lesson 2.

Acrylic on watercolor paper, 9"x12"

The last one for today is Lesson 2, completed while watching the videos and using collage elements. The color saturation on this one is just breathtaking!

Acrylic and Collage on watercolor paper, 9"x12"

Complex Collage - Designated Shapes

I finished this piece about a week ago. It's from the Complex Collage class offered by Julie Prichard. She is a phenominal teacher who is really there to support her students. I'm always so proud to show off what I've learned from her. I promise to start taking better photos with a real camera, not just my cell phone!

Acrylic, tissue paper, collage, gel medium (gloss), 8"x8" wrapped canvas

Layer Love - Lesson One

Yesterday I set up an official studio space in my basement and initiated it by painting along with Layer Love - Lesson One, presented by Julie Prichard. I am absolutely thrilled with the results!

Acrylic on watercolor paper, 9"x12"

Dream big or go home

Here I am, jumping in with both feet into the world of art!

I will be posting my finished pieces as I work my way through some amazing e-classes and try to find a style of my own. I hope to eventually make a living from my art, but this is just the beginning. As my husband says, "If you're going to be a bear, be a Grizzly!"

Please take a look around and leave as many comments as your heart desires.