Monday, June 22, 2009

Turning another page...






It's Monday. A day to start digging in again. Friday I delivered my three canvases for the commission job in Schererville...so now I turn another page and start on another commission piece. The client had already an idea of what she wanted with colors and all which made it much easier. I really enjoyed doing that last piece, and the client was just as nice as anyone could be. It was a pleasure.

I have so many loose ends I need to tie. I have to, because I still have all these ideas in my brain that I want to execute!

I feel so blessed that I love what I do and that it is such a part of me. My art, I could do anywhere and at any time. For those that have no driving force in their life or interests; I just can't imagine.

Need to run so I can start on those loose ends!



Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Quote of the Day


"With me, it's much more a matter of just accepting whatever happens, accepting all these elements from the outside and then trying to work with them in a sort of free collaboration. That's what makes painting an adventure, which is what it is for me."
~ Robert Rauschenberg
(1925-2008)



This painting I did quite awhile back. It actually hung in the governors residence for awhile and I won an award with it.

It's called "Robs Birthday". This is my younger son when he was in high school. The billiard balls show his birthday with the eight ball and the blue two ball representing his birth-year of 1982...etc.etc.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Bamboo tablet and Corel X program


I wanted to mention that for Mothers Day I was given the Corel X and the Wacom Bamboo Tablet and am going crazy wanting to just spend days (if I could) just playing with the program. It is AWESOME!!! Yes, I'm sure most of you have had this for quite some time but it's new for me and the program starting out can be frustrating...but I am determined and love it.

Not just for digital art, but I can do sketches on the program and play with colors to see about possible paintings, etc. You can do pastel, oils, acrylics, etc, etc, with a variety of brushes and tools. It's cool!!!


I still know virtually nothing about the program but did do one project with a photograph which didn't consist of the fun painting process I hope to get into.

The photo above is Andrew Jones, a Corel Painter Master...the self portrait he did is done with the Corel Painter program.

OLD TOWN ARTS FAIR





My most favorite art fair in Chicago is the Old Town Art Fair and this year not even the rain kept us from our yearly visual stimulation. When we arrived, there were very few people due to the rain which was wonderful...but then the sun came out and so did the people. I over heard one of the artist state that he felt that people were walking around looking as though they were walking through a zoo. I could imagine it would seem that way. We went through the whole show and then walked down Wells Street to the "Adobe" Mexican restaurant that we love for a beer and appetizers. I bought some earrings that were "Fun" and it was a good day!
Across the street was the yearly Wells Festival but it doesn't have as many nationally known artists as the Old Town Art Fair has. Anyway...Saturday was hopping in Chicago! (and my feet held out reasonably well!!)

Some of my favorite things at the show were pastel drawings by Jody DePew McLeane from Eagle River, Wisconsin; dolls of porcelain by Cathy Rose of Orlando, Fl.,paintings by Christine Brenner of Halifax, Vermont, little songbirds made from wood and antique jewelry by Jim and Tori Mullan of Pompano Beach, Fl. and saw an interesting technique by Suzy Scarborough of Columbia, SC.. I've posted their calling cards.


Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Art Quotes





From the living fountain of instinct flows everything that is
creative; hence the unconscious is not merely conditioned by
history, but is the very source of the creative impulse.
::: Carl Jung :::


I'm still working on this commissioned piece. I'll post a picture when I'm done.
Not much new.  I'm going to figure drawing with Gerri my friend tonight.  I've missed going.  This will be my first time back since surgery.
I've signed up for a figure painting class in Chicago at the River East.  I look forward to that as well. It runs from July 29 through all of August.
Lots of positive things happening my way!

The picture is from St. Lucia...we were there awhile back.  It's a beautiful place!  I have to post a picture..because I'm so visual that I can't read an enjoy unless I have something new to look at.   Enjoy!

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

QUOTE of the Day


"And it began to dawn on me that all these men were very stubbornly looking at the world their own way and that fancy word style had to do with a strong-minded guy deciding this is how he wanted to look at the world."
~ George Segal
(1924-2000)

A house I liked in Amsterdam...

Monday, June 1, 2009

What's Up???



Some may think I dropped off the planet...or just disappeared...well neither. I am just now able to walk around without crutches and will be able to stand long enough to start working again...Thank the Lord as I am so incredibly thirsty for some creative endeavor!!!

I actually have several assignments right out the gate. I have been commissioned to do 3- 30x40 canvases for an Interior Designer AND a logo for a company called "Milk Money". The company handles the software that allows Universities to give credit to the students for spending on necessities. I know I didn't explain that quite right. I actually did the drawings awhile back but now they are ready to "GO" with it. Now I will have to refine what I had done which will be challenging since I have a different computer and the images didn't transfer over, but I think I can handle it.

We've also had lot's of company, but now I have to get SERIOUS!

My brother in Boston is starting up his own company and also is in need of a logo. His company will be IQ Associates and the company will perform Information Quality assurance testing and validation for corporate data warehouses, business intelligence and predictive model validation.

And, I have a canvas for my brother in Boulder that needs to be done. On some much needed downtime I hope to start another small painting of the woman sitting at the Chicago Jazz fest with a flowery hat sitting on her suitcases under her pink parasol. Doesn't sound interesting, but I love the color and how odd to see this older woman sitting on her suitcases in the the middle of a jazz fest!!!

The one picture is of Ron's sister Cheri, my daughter Shannon, me in the wheel chair and Makenzie at the Art Institutes. We tried to go to the new Modern Wing, but it was way too crowded so wound up in the main section instead.
The other photo is of a new vase I bought in an Antique Store in Michigan that was made in Italy. I have this old piano shawl and was trying to come up with a still life study to work on. I have always loved the colors in this photo!
Shannon is the one with short hair, then Cheri Ron's sister from Maryland.....