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.
Judy recommend doing a monochromatic value study of a cup and saucer that she borrowed from the church kitchen-this was fun!
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
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 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.
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 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 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.
Okay, I choose the good news first.
Sadie's is officially open for business.
All new paint, inside and out, a whole new look, a young energetic new owner, her name is Crystal, and hour by hour, step by step, and day by day she is making it better.
The bad news is that this is going to be a long process.
I was there for two days this week, and the previous owner, whose name I won't mention, not only took thousands of dollars of inventory home, but she kept many of my original formulas for the best selling products that I developed over a period of 10 years. The Bankruptcy court ordered her to return the binders and all of the formulas, but she took out most of the best selling products.
A photo I took in 2007 of our handmade lotion bars.
The trees, the hills, the birds, the butterflies, the delicate flower, the sunsets, the sunrise, the fleeting moments. The mere idea of capturing that beauty on canvas will always be a thrill to me.
"Nature is painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty." John Ruskin
The day began far too early for this old woman, 4am, and by 2pm I felt like a truck had run over me, but it was a wonderful beautiful day. Thanks to everyone who took time to say hello, and especially to everyone who took my business card. Your comments and purchases were just the shot in the arm I needed to reaffirm that I am on the right course. Thanks to everyone, and God Bless You!
Many thanks also to my friend, Lura Marshall, who shared the booth with me and had an opportunity to show and sell her gorgeous baskets, truly works of art!
I began this painting in 2006, and it has been gathering dust since then. It needed something. After dusting it off, I worked on it for hours yesterday, and I am happier with it. Not joyful, but happier. I'm not sure where to go with it now, but I am sure that by the time my show is over I will know...
Courage is being scared to death--but saddling up anyway. (John Wayne)
This has been a fun painting, but it was much more labor intensive than I thought it would be. It's been a learning experience too, but I'm not finished yet. I will post the completed work tomorrow. I need about 2 more hours to get it where I want it to be. In the event that you have never heard of a diptych before, this is the definition.
A diptych is a photograph that uses two different or identical images side by side to form one single artistic statement. The two images can literally be in contact with each other, or separated by a border or frame.
HERE IS THE FINISHED PAINTING:
This painting was completed in the mid 1990's...before Sadie's. I was painting daily then, and I had grown to this point. Then, over 15 years of diversion as a soap maker, and I've regressed, so I don't call myself an artist yet. I am an Emerging Artist. I'm getting there, but it's a long journey.
I don't know if it shows with my completed painting, but I really enjoyed painting this. I love the colors, the geese, the composition. Each painting has such a big part of your all wrapped up in paint and canvas....
THIS WAS SOLD AT THE FARMERS MARKET SHOW,BUT IF YOU LOVE IT AND WOULD LIKE ONE PLEASE LET ME KNOW, I WILL RECREATE IT FOR YOU.
Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow." (Theodore Roosevelt)
Over 20 years ago I had completed a very difficult landscape painting. I was very happy with it until a friend who was a well known artist took once glance and said, "It's okay, but you are afraid of color".
Who, me, afraid of color!?!
The words etched into my brain. She changed my style. Without formal training or really know what I am doing I have jumped into my paints. I wish I could ask her if I am still afraid of color........
Be Bold. It's just canvas, just paint. If it doesn't work for you, paint over it and start again. Don't be afraid that you are wasting supplies. Every failure teaches something, if only what not to do. (Tiko Kerr)
Facts on Roosters-People born in the Year of Rooster share specific characteristics that are common to all other Roosters. To say that someone is a Rooster is simply a shorthand way of describing that individual's personality.Resilience :: Courage Passion :: Protectiveness Patriotism :: Conceit Industriousness :: Bluntness Rudeness :: Impatience Aggression Bossiness
This colorful personality filled bird is a charming rooster painting, skillfully created with striking colors, will make it a pleasure to own, and he pairs up beautifully with Mr. Rooster (see next blog entry). What a handsome pair they are.
A COUPLE FROM WILMINGTON PURCHASED MY 'COURAGEOUS ROOSTER', BUT IF YOU LOVE THIS PAINTING AND WOULD LIKE FOR ME TO PAINT IT AGAIN PLEASE CONTACT ME AT SadiesArtGifts@aol.com.
That is my theme today. It is Wednesday, and my first art show is Saturday, albeit it a very small show, it is my FIRST!!!!!
"Courage always starts out by feeling like fear. Fear is an invitation for us to respond with belief in ourselves." (John Paul)
This quote really doesn't make me feel any better, "The first prerogative of an artist in any medium is to make a fool of himself." (Pauline Kael)
There is a part of me, deep down, that was hoping that this outside show would be rained out. It would have been easier. The weather is forecasted to be beautiful, so I am swallowing my fear and praying for courage.
One quote that struck me as being exceptionally true was the statement by Matisse that "creativity takes courage". It takes courage to be an artist - to create a piece of art that will inevitably be judged by others. It takes courage to suggest that a painting can be an impression of a scene, rather than a perfect reproduction of the scene. It takes courage to create entirely new forms of painting as Pollock and Johns and others did. These artists have the courage of their vision to create their art. We in business need to learn from their example. We need to have the courage of creativity. Many people think that courage is the ability to face some terrible threat, such as a solider in wartime. Simple courage is much more basic than that - the ability to create an idea that differs from the status quo, or to follow a passion, even in the face of possible skepticism from your friends and colleagues.
“To create one’s own world in any of the arts takes courage.”
---Georgia O’Keefe
