Be sure that when you scroll down all the posts, at the bottom of the page be sure to click on
'Older Posts" to see all the pictures and information posted since I began the blog in 2010-they would be easy to miss...Thanks, Wendy
Friday, October 11, 2013
If you visit my blog
Be sure that when you scroll down all the posts, at the bottom of the page be sure to click on
'Older Posts" to see all the pictures and information posted since I began the blog in 2010-they would be easy to miss...Thanks, Wendy
Take Time For Wine
This painting was something I did a few weeks ago just for fun, but it really turned out okay. I had so much fun painting something different, it was effortless, it just flowed. I will do it again, I learned so much just creating this. I wasn't going to use it at the exhibit on Sunday, but Judy like it better than my other option, My Blue Kitty, so here it is.
Born and raised in the Napa Valley, my link to the wine industry is a huge part of me and my life. My parents owned property off of Zinfandel Lane in St. Helena, California, and where our home and my swing set once set is now the location of a very prestigious winery, Raymond Cellars. My parents had acres and acres which were then walnut orchards, there were very few wineries then.
Prohibition was a period of nearly fourteen years of U.S. history in which the manufacture, sale, and transportation of liquor was made illegal. It led to the first and only time an Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was repealed. Grapes and vineyards were removed from 1920-1933, and farmers turned to alternative crops for their living during the mid 1950's. The intention was to reduce the consumption of alcohol by eliminating businesses that manufactured, distributed and sold it. Considered by many as a failed social and political experiment, the era changed the way many Americans view alcoholic beverages, enhancing the realization that federal government control cannot always take the place of personal responsibility.
On December 5, 1933, the 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified. The 21st Amendment repealed the 18th Amendment, making alcohol once again legal. This was the first and only time in U.S. history that an Amendment has been repealed.
Today, the Napa Valley is home to hundreds of wineries, and the 30 miles which stretch from the town of Napa to Calistoga are covered with vineyards, and of course, tourists!
I love painting anything associated with the wine industry, but so often these paintings are still life paintings with a bottle of wine, a glass and a cluster of grapes. These are nice, and I've painted them several times before, but I wanted my work to feel alive, and show the passion and love I have for the subject matter. There is a lot of emotion in pouring wine, it’s not just sitting there with grapes and fruit, it’s about the visual beauty, the smell , the taste, the aroma, the anticipation, and the color. When I worked at Christian Brothers Winery in public relations in the 1980's I encouraged visitors to the winery to 'see, swirl, smell sip and savor' every drink. We called this the 5 S's of wine drinking, but I recommended 6 S's-(swallow). That 6th "S" completed the experience.
"A
relationship is like a glass of fine wine - if you don't fill it with passion,
treat it with respect or savour the love - it will run
out."
These photos appeared in myvinespot.com, a wine appreciation blog, and was the inspiration for my painting.
Emerging Artist Showcase Announcement Sunday October 13, 2-5pm
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Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Bearded Iris
My challenge
This is definitely a work in progress.
My version of a bearded painted iris..from beginning to end.
I have discovered that I do NOT do my best work when I am tired.
This was day 1
This was day 2
Again, a pure delight to see it come to life.
This painting was done from start to finish is less than 5 hours
When learning to paint, the worst thing you can do is compare yourself to
others, fret over finished works and worry about your current level of ability.
The best thing you can do is paint frequently, experiment with different
techniques and be unafraid to make mistakes.
I really, really loved doing this one.
I believe this...
Painting, like drawing, is a skill that can be acquired through study and practice, not a magical inborn "talent" granted only to a few.
Painting #3-My Version of a Blue Kitty
Our First Class
Judy recommend doing a monochromatic value study of a cup and saucer that she borrowed from the church kitchen-this was fun!
Leonardo got it right!
The mind of the painter must resemble a mirror, which always takes on the color
of the object it reflects and is completely occupied by the images of as many
objects are in front of it.
- Leonardo da Vinci
Summer is such a busy time at our house
Actually it all begins in the early spring.
Planning the garden, getting the plants, preparing the soil, planting everything.
I only do the planning, but it only takes a few weeks before the real work begins for me.
The picking, the preparing, the utilization of the harvest.
It all begins with strawberries and doesn't end until late October when the last of the vegetables are harvested.
This all relates to painting because the garden takes top priority.
But my daughter, Shawna and I took a painting class during the summer.
I didn't think I would have time for the classes, much less painting, but just like the rapid passing of the seasons, the class came and went, and the class definitely rekindled my passion for painting.
Judy Meyler, a fabulous lady and extremely talented artist was our teacher, and it was a wonderful experience for both of us. Here are some photos to show her unbelievable talent:
Such talent, her work captures every detail.
Some of Judy's beautiful florals-I especially admire these
And one of my personal favorites-Pretty Kitty
My Little Chickadees
This was painted during the winter of 2012.
It was cold and snow was predicted, so it suited my mood.
I see dozens of things I would do over if I ever painted it again, but I love these little birds.
I spent so much of my focus and time painting the trees in the background that it overshadowed the chickadees. Next time I'll do it different.
The black capped chickadee is almost universally considered “cute” thanks to its oversized round
head, tiny body, and curiosity about everything, including humans. The
chickadee’s black cap and bib; white cheeks; gray back, wings, and tail; and
whitish underside with buffy sides are distinctive. Its habit of investigating
people and everything else in its home territory, and quickness to discover bird
feeders, make it one of the first birds most people learn. I will paint them again-soon.
It's been 2 years~
I would rather paint than almost anything else in the world, so why has it been so long since my last post?
The answer is simple..life gets first priority.
That's it.
And the problem with painting is that the more you do it the better you get. As with most things in life, practice makes perfect. And everytime these interruptions happen, I almost feel like I'm a newbie again. Yes in time and with patience it comes back, but I definitely digress.
At this rate I will always be an 'emerging artist'. Painting scenes from my life and memory, I slowly uncover forms, shadows and
relationships not initially remembered. The unsettling air in the paint begins
to contradict the nameable world of flowers, bowls and coffee cups. The
paintings’ apparent delight quietly unravels into colored aberration, illusions
into brushed marks, and despite the passage of time, I literally move into each new canvas and loose track of the hours and time.
This was completed in 2012. This photo doesn't show it, but it is a huge painting which hangs in the dining room, 36" by 48". It resinates from my childhood memories from the Napa Valley.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
I almost forgot this one...
This painting was on of my early projects, and I actually thought I had posted it to either the web page or the blog, but apparently I didn't. Here it is. It is called Peony.
This painting and one other are on display at Sadie's of Stokesdale(formerly Sadie Scarecrow's Herbal Garden). Stop by and take a peek at the 'all new' Sadie's!
This was so much fun to paint. It was pure joy, and I hope you can see that in the painting. I find complete relaxation when I paint....
This may not make sense, but....
This is my 'Echinacea Butterfly' halfway done...
This is my completed 'Echinacea Butterfly' finished...Yes, the canvas is an oval, and that shows in the completed photograph. I have painted the edges so that a frame is not necessary.
Suze Orman says, quite accurately, that women are more relational than men. A woman cannot do well with anything in her life, unless she has a relationship with it. While Suze is talking about women and money, I think this idea is important. How many things do you have in your life, and how many of these things do you see in terms of relationship?
For me, one of these things is my artwork. I have never considered that I have a relationship with it, nor have I felt that having a relationship with my art is important. I have always considered my art to be an extension of myself, the "self" within. When I post my work online I often feel vulnerable, as though I have exposed something that should be kept covered up and private. It feels as though I am baring my soul for the world to see. Perhaps that is true, but there are other forces at work here too.
If you were to ask me if I had a relationship with my art, I'd have thought for a moment and felt, in a vague way, that it was a relationship of sorts, but a contentious one.
Sometimes unexpectedly when working in my attic on a painting I experience something unexplanable when working on a painting-this happened with my current piece of work. I realized, quite suddenly, that this is more than an extension of the self. I suddenly understood that I have to build a relationship with this activity. I have to love it unconditionally, appreciate it, build on it, trust it, believe in it, nurture it, as I would any important relationship in my life. Then, and only then, am going to be able to relate to it as intimately.
The brass tacks of painting will never be the same for me. I have a profoundly intimate relationship with something of beauty and delicate substance, if I chose to honor it with my love. And I do.
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