Tuesday, January 27, 2009


I've come to the realization that I've come as far as I can with this. My talent limited. It is what it is. Yesterday was not a good day for me. I fell into a dark hole and in that dark hole I found something. Like one of the quotes says that with each painting is a discovery...I discovered that as much as I'd like to be whimsy or cute....I cannot. My paintings reflect who I really am. I am a serious individual and it shows in my work. I am always wanting what I don't have. A cute, quirky, personality that shows in paintings....well, I'm not and it shows. So out of every struggle something good comes if we look for it.
I'm moving on...and I can't paint ducks!
Quotes

"Different motives inevitably require different methods of expression."
~Pablo Picasso
1881-1973


"Painting is self-discovery. You arrive at the image through the act of painting."
~Adolph Gottlieb
1903-1974


Friday, January 23, 2009


This is what I did this morning. I probably won't get too much painting done this week-end, but wanted to post what I did work on. Is the duck getting any better? Thanks again for the comments...keep them coming!!! I appreciate it.
I'm throwing both of these pictures up because...when I cropped them I adjusted the "Auto color correction" because the original looked too dark, and the color corrected one seems a little too bright...so the real colors are somewhere in between. I actually like the brighter colors myself...
I tried blending some edges on the duck, but not sure it's working yet..maybe I should throw some blue on his body somewhere...????? maybe green???!#^*()

Thursday, January 22, 2009



I know this is crazy. You probably can't notice a difference but there is. It's so funny because after downloading this picture I have already changed some areas..the shape of the mouth( jaw), etc. When ever I stand back and look I see things I didn't see before. I just get too close and involved to see the big picture I guess. I nit pick forever. Maybe it's my way of getting lost.
Yes, I'm still working on it. positively don't like the way the ducks body looks and the water behind the dog needs adjusting...and I'm sure there will be more. This picture isn't suppose to be serious..not suppose to be realistic..but not sure if I'm achieving that either.

Monday, January 19, 2009


With my post card for 18 Artists done and off to the printer this morning I have been able to move on. I saved the organization a couple hundred dollars doing it and in the process gained some knowledge that can help me personally down the road.

This I'm still FEELING my way through. I added some blue chalk to get an idea of what I want to do. darker/lighter, etc. The duck needs some help..but I told you I'd post what ever..for me it's a slow process. I guess it's intuitive painting.

The other dog painting isn't done. The wine glass is crooked and a little weak, so will alternate between that and this.

I have my large roll of canvas out and plan to start my vision of a life size painting of a woman standing with her arms stretched to the sun and her feet planted in the earth with roots and the wind blowing her hair around her body as to cover her. The idea of this painting will be that women receive their strength from the earth..sun, wind and earth. That will take me a long time to do so will work on these and other little pieces. This has been a vision of mine for a couple years now. My good friend modeled for me in Richmond, so I have what I need to get started.

Thursday, January 15, 2009



Nine degrees below zero, and a foot and a half of snow, my foot in a bootie from a fall I had after New Years and It's a good recipe for staying in and getting things done. I finished the post card after doing several changes on it and started painting again after some good words of advice "Dawn stop messing around and start painting!" Which I did!
I have several projects that need to finish so after my sister in law in Boulder suggested that my dog at the table needed a glass of wine I did just that yesterday. So I'll post it and you can be the judge if it's done. For me they are never done..
My husband flew to Savannah, Georgia this morning for a NATERA meeting so I'll be able to work tonight as long as my foot doesn't yell "Need Ice", "Need Ice".
I started working on the camo dog today. I decided he needed a companion so thought I'd add his best friend duck hiding in the grass. I'll post a picture but remember IT ISN'T DONE! The duck was blocked in and I worked on the dogs legs...but I still plan to put grass in front of the both of them and I need to paint the water in, etc, etc..I used a new medium and that's why his legs are shiny...I should have left the medium alone! I wished I could see other artists work in progress...just to see the process. It's not easy having people see all the things that look bad in the beginning and then to know it still might not work out. Not every piece does. It's problem solving and not everything can be solved!

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

My Latest Project!

This has been my project lately instead of painting. Hours and hours on the computer and a learning process as well. They only thing I could not do and maybe someone out there will know is how to re-size the card to a sumo 11x6 card. The image shows I had to tape it as I could not re-size it. So, computer experts let me know!!! I did this in Print shop 22. I have Adobe 6.0 but thought it would be easier in Print shop. I'm thinking I'll send it to Modern Post cards and let them deal with it.?!#@*
Quote

"The common denominator of artistic expression is the ordering of a vision into a consistent complete form. The difference between a mere expression - however intense and revealing - and an artistic image of that expression lies in the structure of the form."

Georgy Kepes
1906-2001
from THE ARTIST'S DESIGN: Probing the Hidden Order by Marie MacDonnell Roberts

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

A New Year a New Begining!





Now that the holidays are over we can all get back into the grind of things! It was a good time as I had my very good friends come for the New Year and we all ate and drank way too much. When ever we are together we laugh and have so much fun. I hated to see them board that plane!

My best friends are my best clients. They fell in love with my experimental fish so off to Richmond it went. Thank you for believing in me!

I'm yearning to paint again but I have to put a post card together for 18 Artists that needs to be ready to go to the printer the first of February!!!

I love new beginnings and I guess I need to sit down and prioritize so I can scratch off the things I want to get accomplished.

--polish off my web sites
--finish my unfinished paintings
--draw for the sake of drawing more often
--keep experimenting
--take some courses in Chicago to get pumped up
--Do more gallery hopping
--Go to the cabin in Colorado for painting and check out Georgia O'Keefes old ranch.

18 Artists will be having a show April 3rd through May 1st at the Cornerstone Gallery in Whiting, Indiana. I have to admit I have not even been there yet. I'm not sure if I've even been to Whiting, Indiana before! I plan to enter my abstract leaves that my trip to Italy inspired.

I am excited that we just juried in Lyn Olson into our group. He is an amazing pioneer of cement sculpture and just an amazing, interesting person. He's done sculptures at public sites around the country and has written books on his works.

Enough rambling....good luck putting your list of new beginnings together and sticking to it! It's like working out at the gym after new years...at first the gym is full of ambitious people who after the 3rd month totally disappear into smoke!