Mentor Update!

Well I just found out that one of my mentors from LCAD FINALLY has a website.  You can see a previous post I did that included a mention of him here regarding Flesh Tones.

And enjoy looking through Stephen Douglas' website here! 

Enjoy!

Diane with Kitten

 

Diane with Kitten, oil on panel, 20" x 16"

I've had a few more brief sessions on the painting Diane with Kitten and I'm pleased that I have re-visited this painting.  In the previous post, I noted the size as 24" x 18", when in fact it is actually 20" x 16".  No big deal, except that the incorrect dimensions threw off how I sized the image for the web, and therefore her head felt stretched.  Why didn't I notice that before?  Beyond my apparent ineptitude at reading a ruler, I really am quite pleased with how I have pushed the color and softened the value shifts from light mass to shadow mass on the face.  I'm not sure how much of a difference you'll be able to see from the images here, but I'm happy none the less to call her done.

Also of note:  I have reciprocated the favor of modeling for Diane.  She has posted a (may I say, brilliant)  painted sketch that she's done of me on her blog which you can find here!

Notion Fine Art Grand Opening

Notion Fine Art is a brand new gallery opening in Laguna Beach, CA.  I am proud to be showing along with fellow Laguna College of Art & Design alumna Stefani Tewes for their Grand Opening Exhibition!  The Reception will be Thursday, March 4th to coincide with Laguna Beach's First Thursday Art Walk, and it will continue thru March 30, 2010.  I hope you will be able to make it out to support this new gallery.  Great things are sure to come!

Notion Fine Art
1590 South Coast Hwy. Suite #1
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
www.notionfineart.com

Artist Lecture at ECU

Kitchen Window, oil on panel, 48" x 36"

I am pleased to announce that following student critiques, I will be giving a lecture on my work, methods and art related ramblings on Friday, February 26th at East Carolina University in the Jenkins Fine Arts Center's Auditorium (room 1220).  The lecture will take place in the early evening around 5:30pm.  Stay tuned, as the time still has yet to be confirmed.  You can find out more about ECU's School of Art and Design Here.  Thank you to ECU's Painting Guild and especially Beth Blake for the honor and invitation!

I hope you will come and enjoy the evening with me!  

Click here for a Campus Map

Scattered

It has been a frustrating few weeks.  I've had a series of  distractions that has kept me out of the studio.  The least fun perhaps was the 'chance' to do our taxes.  This yearly endeavor causes nothing but grief and hair loss.  It is rather depressing to see how much money can be spent on the making of art.  In fact, I let it creep into that cyclical crevice in my brain that holds the nefarious creature I've spoken of before...  Yes, good ol' Self Doubt.  I quickly started to doubt the validity of being an artist at all.  What a selfish pursuit it is to be stuck in a room alone to make pretty pictures, when there are masses of people who are in need of real things like food and water and shelter.  How can I quantify the value or cost of my Art to my children?  I let these thoughts paralyze me.  I'm embarrassed to share that I could have given drawings to the Lodi Project's Artist's Unite For Haiti; I had intended too.  Yet, in my tail spin, I missed the drop off dates and lost an opportunity to feel like I affected some small change.  Did I intentionally sabotage myself so that I wouldn't feel a bit better?  And now even, is this post an attempt to appease the guilt felt for being a have instead of a have not?

At some point though, there is a need to breath again; to lift myself from the muddle of thoughts; to regain my determination to become a better artist (whatever that is to me, at that moment).  Once again, it was the by the grace of Mother Nature that yielded inner peace.  We were dealt our first snow storm of the season.  And it was wonderful to see the world anew.  A fresh white palette to observe the minutia in the scheme of the whole.  I wandered into my refuge, the woods, and once again found clarity.  I took these photos of nature undisturbed.  I am sure some of these images will pop up in paintings to come, as personal symbols of calm and clarity.

For the Love of Art

Visual Art Exchange is hosting it's 26th Annual Live & Silent Auction at the beautiful Raleigh Marriott tonight starting at 6pm. 

If you are one of the 400 or so lucky ticket holders, then I will look forward to seeing you there tonight.  I've spared my husband the hassle of accompanying me to this swanky evening.  He hates these kind of social events, especially if it means he has to dress up.  Instead I am joining the lovely and uber-talented Kiki Farish (who happens to have also won First Place for the juried aspect of this event).  You can see all the work that was donated (including my two figure drawings and Kiki's prize winning triptych) by viewing VAE's Flickr site here. 

Unlike my husband, I do like playing dress-up occasionally.  Unfortunately though, the dress in my closet that I had in mind that would be perfect for this event is now way too big!  I guess that is a good thing, but at the same time, I wish I had thought to take it out and try it on sooner than yesterday.  Since my sewing skills are very sub-par these days, I am off to the mall on a rainy day, instead of drawing like I wanted to.  I knew I should have skipped more gym sessions...

Finding Inspiration

Vivaldi’s Virgins
By Barbara Quick
HarperCollins

At best, studio time has been sporadic over these last few weeks as my familial duties ebb and flow.  Although I don't have any worthy images to share with you, I thought that I could share with you a bit of unexpected inspiration.

I have been reading a most stimulating historical fiction by Barbara Quick titled "Vivaldi's Virgins".  I am addicted to art related fiction.  It's a genre in writing that easily sucks me in and keeps me up at night as I obsessively turn pages.  This story recreates for us 18th century Venice thru the eyes of a cloistered orphan and student of Vivaldi, the Red Priest.  Barbara Quick's style of writing immediately set my visual senses a flutter.   There are passages that had me weeping at the brilliance of the idea.  Here is a favorite:

"Are all lives such a complicated puzzle?  Maybe it's only in Venezia - in this place where everyone's role is so striclty and precisely defined - that the cracks between the puzzle pieces tell as much a story as the pieces themselves.  Each piece, seen in isolation, makes no sense at all - a corner of this, a limb of that; a leaf, a shadow, a section of water or sky.   The meaning only becomes clear when all the pieces are fitted together."

I also found an insightful review by Terez Rose that you may read HERE.

Have you found inspiration in writing before?  Do you have a favorite art related fiction to recommend?  I'd love to hear your thoughts.  Now, I must binge on Vivaldi's beautiful scores as I paint and draw.

Los Angeles Art Show

 Heirloom, oil on panel, 10" x 10"

This painting will be exhibited at this year's Los Angeles Art Show which opens with a Gala Reception on Wednesday January 20th and continues thru January 24th.  Sullivan Goss - An American Gallery has once again put together an impressive collection of work which you can see in person at booth G182.  I am very happy to once again be a part of this fabulous show.

Artist and Mother

Lately, I have had extended conversations with several young aspiring women artists who are most interested in how I manage motherhood with my career. I suppose it’s a valid question, although in my own naiveté, it was not one I thought to consider when I was deciding to pursue a career as an artist. I’m not sure where to start on this one though as it is such a big topic with much potential for controversy. I do have fears of being pegged as one thing or another but, I feel this is an important enough topic to bring up, that my fears are less consequential than the potential benefit this post may have.

As a student, there were several professional women artists teaching at LCAD. Most (if not all?) of them had chosen, long before I became their student, to decidedly NOT have a family. I think this was, at least partially, due to the stigma of not being seen as a professional artist. Betty Shelton, Sharon Allicotti, and Darlene Campbell were all wonderful role models for me on how to become a strong, intelligent, sensitive, and successful woman in a career path that at the time, (and I’ll let other’s decide about the current scene) seemed dominated by male egos. Yet none of these working professional women were raising a family. I was too naïve to see this deficiency.

Now, I am the mother of two young children (5yrs and 3yrs) for whom I choose to stay home with, while maintaining my career as a painter. It is not easy by any stretch of the imagination. It sometimes feels that everything is happening at once. But, I’m not sure I wouldn’t feel the juggling act of life any less without children. It’s just that my concerns are different than they would be without a family. We all have busy lives, with too little time in the day. Right? I also believe that by continuing my painting career, I am a better parent, because I am showing my children how to be a whole, complete and happy adult.

I think it’s very important for me to point out here, that I am not the type of person who thinks everyone should have children. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. For me though, I knew it was right. I have always loved children. I very much enjoy seeing their worlds open wide with every minor discovery. I knew I would raise a family and I feel I’m doing a good job in that role. Being an artist has made parenting that much easier because we always have creative outlets to fall back on. What kid doesn’t like making a mess on the dining room table with paint, glue and of course glitter?

I’m not going to lie though. These last, especially, three years have been the hardest of my life. Our little family has had to deal with a series of unfortunate medical and financial issues that has both tested and strengthened us as family. Finding balance has been the key for our survival as a family, as parents and as artists. I am very fortunate to have my husband, who happens to also be an artist. He understands how profoundly important it is for us both to continue our chosen career paths. We often swap family roles so the other parent can get to the studio to work. I don’t think I could be as good an artist, mother or person if I didn’t have the overflowing love and support of my husband. Andrew Wyeth said, “One's art goes as far and as deep as one's love goes.” I think that ‘love’ Wyeth is talking about is as much the love the artist has for her subject and process as well as the love that’s put into the artist from those around her.

I really believe there is nothing in life that should limit your art, and your art shouldn’t limit your life. Meaning, if you WANT to have kids and a career you can. There will be times when there seems to be an imbalance, with one needing more time. But, with hard work, dedication and a clear heart open to both, your life will be full for having both. Your life experiences no matter your choice of family or not, will inform your work. For me, my children have really benefited my work, by giving me a clear vision, optimism and a reason to make this world a bit better.

I hope my words will be comforting to some young artists out there who struggle with the desire for both family and career. It is possible, with patience, balance, love and support. Please feel free to share your stories or comments on the subject.

The Sketchbook Project

I've spent the last 4 months trying to keep quiet about this fun project that I decided to be a part of, because... well, I wasn't sure if I could pull it off. I must admit it did help quite a bit that they extended the deadline.

The Sketchbook Project, now in its fourth variation, is a opportunity for anyone to submit a sketch-filled moleskine, sketchbook to become part of the permanent Library of Art House Gallery. Steven Peterman and Shane Zucker have recently announced that they will also be opening up a new space in Red Hook in Brooklyn, NY in January 2010. The Sketchbook Project Volume 4 exhibition will begin touring January 29th, starting in Atlanta and moving to NYC, then Los Angeles, St. Louis, MO and Chicago, IL. Hundreds of people will be able to receive a library card to be able to get a hands on look at the sketchbooks.

Each participating artist was given one of 30 possible themes to base their creations on. The theme idea was created to help the artists get a clear focus as well aid the visitors in finding the books they are most interested in viewing. The theme I was randomly given was "The Aftermath of..." and I filled in the blank for the title/ theme to read The Aftermath of Line and Sight. You can click that link to view more pages from my submission.

I am so very happy to be a part of such a huge community driven project. I love that so many people will get to handle the book and see the drawings up close. I hope you will take a look at this link for the touring dates. If the books come to your neck of the woods, go take a-look-see. I think you get to keep your library card.

Good Art in Raleigh

Shortly after relocating to North Carolina, about one year ago, I went out to experience my first Raleigh art walk (known as First Friday), which happened to fall on January 2nd 2009. What an unfortunate first impression this night left on me. Having come from Southern California, where there are almost too many Art Walks to choose from each month, Raleigh's art scene appeared a very ho-hum, dead scene. People must have been recovering from their festivities, because I now know this isn't the typical First Friday scenario. But on that blustery, night I happened to walk into the (then quiet) studios of 311 W. Martin St. It was there that I met an artist who gave me hope that Raleigh wasn't the cultural vacuum I had assumed.

Julie Niskanen has her studio at 311 W. Martin Studios, which houses many fine print makers and a few painters as well as hosts gallery exhibits in the front space. I immediately fell in love with the rich blacks of Julie's mezzotints as well as her seemingly simple compositions. I've been coveting one of her piece's in particular, since that night. And today my husband and I celebrated our twelfth anniversary by purchasing this piece. Please take the time to look through her website which includes installation shots and mixed media pieces as well as drawings and of course her beautiful prints.


Julie Niskanen, Sanctuary, mezzotint, 18" x 24"

Winter Figures

The top two drawings were done with graphite, the rest are ink using a new brush pen that my husband picked up for me. This is THE best brush pen I have come across. You can get incredibly fine lines with it, (which has been my main complaint with the majority of commercial brush pens). I love to use an ink well and series 7 brush when in the studio, but this is so much easier to tote to the many figure drawing groups I go to. A lot less clean up as well. My husband, Greg Baldwin (of Creaturebox) gives the details about the maker of the brush pen and describes how he is using it on his blog which you can check out here. We discovered that if you order it from the UK, you get extra refills and it's slightly cheaper (even with shipping). I hope some of you will give it a try.