Bugged



Bugged, watercolor on Arches, 13x14

Five years ago I dreamed I was at a party; a huge bug was attached to my back, and no one noticed.  I thought the dream was odd; I sketched it while half-asleep.

I found the sketch tucked in a drawer and began the painting three weeks ago in a playful mood.  I thought I'd try a bit of everything with watercolor--masking with torn painters' tape, washes, scrubbing, glazes, muddy colors.  As the painting progressed, however, I realized the subject wasn't really funny--that I was painting my life.  I'm always bugged by something but I smile or joke my way through--so how would anyone know I'm upset?

Art--cheaper than psychiatry.  Now I'm really bugged.

The woman looks a bit like Miss Kitty from Gunsmoke or Margaret Thatcher and has quite a long arm reaching for that wine.  I don't think wine will debug me--don't like the taste or the headache.  I'll just have to keep painting; it usually helps.

He Walked



He Walked, watercolor on arches, 10x12

I picked him up about ten miles outside town.  It was shortly after the 9/11 attack and I had been listening to CNN coverage on my car radio.  I said, "It was terrible what happened in New York."  He said, "I didn't do it." 

He didn't want me to drive him home so he got out of my car at the traffic light in town and began walking west--he had seven miles to go.  Maybe he got another ride; maybe not.

I miss seeing him on the road.  I imagine he still walks but no longer needs his cane and his back is straight.

(My mother taught me that whatever one does on New Year's Day, one does for the rest of the year so I began this painting at 10 p.m. on January 1.)

Awards and a Visit with Rembrandt

I received a comment from SamArtDog.  She said "Your blog is a treasure so I am passing along an award to you, The Liebster Blog Award."  Your words, Sam, are all the award I need.    I am honored, especially since your blog is one that I treasure. Sam has a mix of wonderful pastels, acrylics, the first iPhone paintings I ever saw, and photographs of a part of America I've never visited.  I suspect that Sam has picked up a bit of "Southern" along the way--I think she likes my stories.  Thank you, Sam.

Earlier, in November, Donna Iona Drozda named me as one of her 7 links.  That was an honor, too--Donna's blog has wonderful paintings of women and beautiful wildlife; she encourages honoring the earth and following the cycles of the moon.  I am usually slightly out of step but Donna and I read some of the same books back in the 70s so I feel part of the group.  I failed to follow through on that award, too. Thank you, Donna.

And there were some earlier awards I didn't pick up.  

Maybe I am just too content arting around here in southern Virginia and blogging about it.  The best part of blogging is what I've learned from other bloggers.   I considered adding a "No awards please" to the sidebar but it seemed a bit pretentious, especially since I hadn't received any at that time. 

Yesterday, I arted around by visiting the Rembrandt exhibit in Raleigh.  I think he may be a relative.

Rembrandt's self-portrait at age 65



My self-portrait at around 65 (white conte on black paper)

Notice the resemblence?  His portrait of his red-haired sister reminded me of myself as a child, too. 

Tonight, I've spent several hours sitting in front of the webcam, wearing a black fur hat (with the name James Hunter sewn inside), shining a flashlight on my face, trying to look like Rembrandt.  I thought it would work but the flashlight washes out my wrinkles!  Maybe I need a mustache.

I'm keeping the hat on for taking the trash to the curb.  I haven't received my down coat yet--I guess the Eddie Bauer people are hung over from the holidays.  AND I paid for shipping--should have waited; they were offering free shipping today.

Goodbye 2011



Goodbye 2011, created in Corel Draw



When I dragged the trash to the curb last night it was cold.  I wore two coats, gloves, and a hat.  Willie always insists on helping and then he insists on a walk.  After the cold walk, I came inside and ordered a long brown down coat.  Then I imagined how I'll look on trash-to-the-curb nights as I played with Corel Draw (that's a plastic bag for poop in the pocket).  Hopefully, hunters will not mistake me for a bear.  I, of course, remember the Seinfeld episode when George wore his huge gore-tex coat.

Labeling the trash can 2011 is today's afterthought and seemed appropriate.

Happy New Year.

I don't make resolutions.
 I hope to play and laugh more in 2012.
What about you?
 

Christmas of Yore

Visit with Santa 1967, gouache on arches, 18x14

     

HO HO HO!

Merry Christmas

Inspiration for a Painting



On Watch for Rustlers, gouache & wc on arches, 14x17






First drawing



Inspired by:

My Egypt by Charles Demuth (Whitney Museum)

I was perusing THE 20TH CENTURY ART BOOK when I saw this painting by Demuth.  I didn't see a building; I saw boots and cowboy hat.  I closed the book and made a quick sketch on green card stock--a cowboy and his dog/horse.  Later I read that cattle rustling was on the rise in the West; I took that as a sign I should make a painting, and this one was pure fun--watercolor background and first time using gouache for the figure.

The gun (probably an over-and-under) was an afterthought; I thought the painting needed a vertical.  Later when I looked at Demuth's painting I noticed the smokestack--it was probably buried in my subconscious.  Wonder what else is there?

I always like my first childlike drawings.  I added the grid later just to check placement--I believe that we have an innate sense of where things should be placed and can hit the marks without aiming.     

Turkey Shopping





Turkey Shopping, created in Corel Draw X5

I'm preparing for Thanksgiving; that doesn't mean I'm all work.  I played with the drawing tools in Corel Draw--it's taken me a week to get this drawing from Corel into my blog (and, somehow, several inches of white got cropped from the top).  Oh, well--I'm getting close.



Dip Mold, photo

Yesterday, while cleaning out the refrigerator to make room for the turkey, I found some old dip.  The mold on top looked like sculpture, so I got out the camera.  I see a reindeer, a rabbit head, a rear end, and some duck and pig feet--art is sometimes found right under our noses.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Circling the Thing Called Art



Pencil Sketch of Dave, 5x5



My sketchbook is always handy but until three weeks ago I had never sketched in public.  At an auto shop I got my chance; sitting across from me was a great model, my husband Dave.  Both our Jeeps were at the dealer (54 miles away) for repairs.  Dave's not very patient--he sat for a few minutes, left before I sketched his feet, and returned to a different seat.

Corel'd Dave

I recently bought Corel Draw Graphic Suite X5 (an upgrade because Suite 12 didn't work with Windows 7).  I wanted to play with digital paint brushes and colors so I tried scanning the sketch into Corel--the scanner didn't work.  We now have a new printer/scanner.  Everything's working, thanks to a good friend, Sam Caparatta.  Sam and Dave spent lots of time talking with "Tech."  We bought a Windows 7 computer in January and it has taken me 10 months and a lot of cussing just to get back to where I was last year.  I'm not sure this is progress; it's more like treading water and trying not to drown.   

I took a 3-hour linoleum block printing class at
Convergence Art Guild, a real pleasure, taught by my sister-in-law Mary Wilkerson.  My
subject was the chair next to my work
station.  I added a cat the following day, Halloween, and only needed three bandaids. 



Two-legged Chair, linoleum block, 7x5



I hope to do more linoleum block printing.  My problem is I like the block itself--looks like bas relief , and I'm hesitant to cut pieces away for printing with more than one color.  I just read THE COMPLETE PRINTMAKER, a book I've had for years; printmaking is definitely interesting.



Terry, charcoal drawing, 24x18

I attempted to draw my artist friend Terry during Thursdays at the Y Art.  The easel contraption stood still; Terry didn't.  When she appeared too thin, I took the easy way and made her head smaller.  She said she had always thought she had a pinhead--ha.  She was wrong when she said she lacked a sense of humor--we laugh a lot.  

Longwood Park

I feared I had missed the autumn colors so I took my camera along when I voted yesterday; luckily, I wasn't too late. 



Kinderton Golf Club



Clarksville Marina--3 blocks from my house





End of 4th, next to Marina--my favorite.  Geese patrol this knoll during the summer.

And I'm still playing with my Winsor and Newton watercolors--nothing worth posting yet. 

Halloween on Commerce Street

On my street we like our natural decorations--very old half-dead trees, vultures, and spiders. Maybe that explains why no trick-or-treaters showed up. Now I have to eat all that candy! 

These photos were taken on or from my front porch.  Happy Halloween.

Chase City VA



Chase City VA >or<
pastel on Wallis paper, 16x12



I finally got off my porch and made it to the next town.  Chase City is about 15 miles away--a ride through the country side; then suddenly there's a view from an overpass that reminds me of Baltimore.  This is it--more or less.  I moved the water tower and omitted a few buildings.  For this view I'd have to look up and down; right and left.  I will add that Chase City has some very beautiful homes, and MacCallum More Museum and Gardens (where I've exhibited my work) is there.  For painting, I chose the grittier side. 

The tall building in the center has lettering on the bricks:

THE

SOUHT
SIDE

ROLLER

RINK

My guess is that the sign painter, after climbing down the 30-foot ladder, said, "I'm not climbing up again to change it to SOUTH SIDE--people will know what it means."  Actually, the sign can't be read from the road (most of these buildings are falling down)--I noticed it when I zoomed in with the camera.  From making posters I know how easy it is to transpose letters.

Update Oct. 31.  I just learned from my friend Everett's comment that this was a ROLLER MILL--not a Rink.  I guess that means a grist mill where flour was made.  I learn something new every day.

This work has been an education in how not to work with pastels.  I began the painting at the Y; then continued at home in the upstairs bedroom.  My nose was completely stopped up from pastels.  I looked at this the following morning and thought, "What crap."  I took it outside, whacked it against the side of the house, then used a house painter's brush to remove all the pastel.

I started again--got about three-quarters through and suddenly decided I should glue the paper to an Ampersand board.  To ventilate the workshop while spraying glue I opened both doors; then had trouble with placement of the paper--15 minutes is a long time to hold one's breath.  I covered the painting with wax paper, rolled it to remove bubbles, and used three of my wallpaper sample books to weight it down.  It worked.

I then put the painting on my "big easel" (for you, Celeste) and applied pastels to the sky and water tower.  The pale blue fell down onto my buildings!  It looked like sheets of rain.  I cleaned it up by blowing the dust and repainting; now I believe it's almost finished.

First I need to figure out how to cut off the top two extra inches of Wallis paper (18x12) without smearing the work; I cropped the photo.  I don't want to think about framing--glass, spacer, frame, fingerprints, etc.  I'll worry about that later; I just ordered a set of watercolors.