" The Little Artist's"

Saturday was my latest venture with the Plein Aire group, this time Marta went along. We agreed to paint at a function called "Art in the Garden" at some private homes that were having tours through their gardens. They scattered the artists at all the homes that were on the tour. Marta and I were assigned to the same home. We decided to walk the property and decide where we would paint without all our gear first. We were required to paint from 10:30 - 4:30. It was only 10 am but it was in the 80's, we knew it was going to be a long, hot day. At one point during the day the owner, showing the property, referred to us as "the little artists". We had to laugh because we knew she was referring to her assumption of our social status but we decided to claim it as our body size. Its all in your perspective, right!? I have decided that everyone has an opinion about artists, maybe because the term is over used and is too vague. I hate to even call myself artists most of the time because I think people expect someone with blue hair and tons of jewelry with only part of their brain working. I think I look too main stream to qualify, so who really qualifies as an artist? Is it an education in art, or a teaching degree, award winning recognitions or just a gift to create. This word "Artist" is used to describe painters, sculptures, people who draw, designers, quilters, hair stylists, and Michelangelo. There seems to be no true qualifications to call ourselves artists, we can just assume the title. Years ago you had to study under the masters as an apprentice for years before you could consider yourself an artist. So maybe, we are little artists, that's OK, because its a journey. We come with different skill sets and exposure but with a desire to learn and improve, so I will enjoy being little because I have the ability to grow.

Here are my two paintings I did, they are fair, not too exciting, this plein aire thing is almost as challenging as some of the people I have met lately.

More ATC's

Ok I am on a roll here!!!Such fun, I love them. Here are some more.

Great Advice!!

Wendee made a comment on my last post about working with a bigger brush for looseness. It reminded me of my conversation with one of the wives from the plein aire group, I was telling her how I was painting so tight and was really trying to loosen up. She said her husband was having the same issues and was taking classes from a famous plein aire oil painter. At one of their sessions the teacher was telling him you are just too tight, let me see you glasses. He took the glasses and said ok now let me see your brushes, and pulled out the largest one. He handed it to the man and said ok, now paint!!Since he couldn't see the details he couldn't paint them and the larger brush helped him not be so fussy! I loved that piece of wisdom, now to try it!

TATS's

Marta and I have been working on these little ATC's. She was doing them for fun, I was in a swap with WC. I don't know what it is about these little guys but they are so addicting. Maybe because they are small and fast but we have had fun. She painted me a wonderful china man, inspired by her brush she was painting with! She ended up sending it to me in the mail, I just love to get fun mail! So I thought I should reciprocate and send her some fun mail too. Even though hers was a postcard I was working on ATC's and so I painted her a statue in a garden in Italy. Another painting from my mom's photos from her vacation. Thats when it hit me! Lets share travels with each other through these trading cards. I thought it would be so fun, especially since she is going to Europe this summer for a MONTH!! Lucky her!! So here are some of my first cards plus Marta's postcard. What a fun project!

More Dos Lagos paintings

I have tried another, better but still not what I want. I find the harder I try the tighter my painting gets. AHHH and I am trying to get looser. Go figure. Anyway, I already started another one too, so I will see how that one turns out. Comments appreciated, I learn for each one. This is really a learning experience. This Saturday we have another plein aire paint day! Thank God for cameras.

Dos Lagos Plein aire day

Happy Earth Day!! Our Plein Aire group went out to paint nature and encourage Earth day. It turned out to be a pretty lack luster day for me. I couldn't really settle in on what to paint and I have decided that Plein aire is just hard!!! Its hard for me anyway, I have to figure out how to settle in on what to paint. My mind hasn't figured it out yet so it becomes very frustrating to be painting pictures that look like a first grader got ahold of my paints and then to have people stopping by to watch you! I didn't have much fun today. I am determined to figure this thing out though! I will let you know how I do, I am going to paint a few more of these photos I took and see if I can come up with something worth selling the owner. I am in the middle range and lack value and interest in all the stuff I painted. UHHH bad art day today.

More mini paintings

Hi all, I have been busy painting these little things, fun still. Two of this group are colored pencil drawings and the gerbera daisy is watercolor. I had the opportunity to go with Marta to an art store called Sterlings, wow, it was so big we didn't even get through the store before we had to leave. I was able to buy some things I had been looking for like acrylic inks but we didn't get to look at everything, so we need to plan another trip!

Tomorrow the Plein Aire group I joined at the Art museum has been asked to come a paint at a big Earth Day function at a fancy outdoor venue. I am excited and nervous, the owner wants the people to be able to watch the artists paint, he has agreed to purchase one painting from each artist, so there was a good turn out! Its a bit cold here and rainy, but I hope all goes well tomorrow. Will post some pictures later.

More of the same

More of my little paintings, I guess these are collectable, who would of known! I got two more in the mail, they are really great. I had one artist send it along with a certificate of authenticity! So much fun.

New ATC's

Ok these are my latest pieces, I have done 10 so far, it is a blast, and so fast. I have shipped all over the world, some of the closer addresses have received them and now I can post some pictures. I think the whole experience has been great, its kind of like having a artist penpal!!

Mini paintings

I joined an ATC group in Wet Canvas, they create these small works of art and mail them all over the world. I just got my first 3 in the mail, they are fun and fast and I am enjoying working on something so small (2 1/2" x 3 1/2")that I can complete in one sitting! It will be such fun to recieve them from Thailand, Australia, England etc. I can't wait to get my first one. It also is good in the fact that it keeps me drawing and painting just about everyday. Here are my first 3, two are watercolors and one is colored pencils.

Easter

Easter turned out to be a wonderful day. It started out somewhat iffy but ended ok. Everyone came over for dinner and we played games and hunted for our dyed eggs. The backyard is still all torn up due to the construction but next year we should be all set up. I took a ton of pictures that I hope to get a few paintings out of. It is so easy to get caught up in the silliness of the bunny thing and forget the real reason for our celebration, the Resurrection! Happy Resurrection Day!

Our Free Fresco Demo Adventure!!

Today was such a beautiful day, Marta and I had to decide which to do, go with the Plein Aire group to the desert or go to the free fresco demo we had signed up for. It was at an art store in San Clemente, right next to the beach. We voted for the demo and left this morning at around 9 so we made the 11 oclock class with time to spare. The instructor was Russian and was very accomplished in his trade, was on the board of decorative arts and judged products and shows on faux marbles etc. He worked in NY and now has a studio in LA. His work has been on TV with Diane Sawyer etc. I know this free demo was to drum up students for the school but I couldn't help wanting to get all my questions answered here, for free! He struggled a bit with his english so much of the time he searched for the appropriate word to use. He was a bit on the scattered side, I am sure there is so much information in his head he doesn't know how to compress it for these short demos, so he rambled alot. I struggled to follow his english and his thoughts and it became exhausting by the end of the day. He thought he had all day and they ended up telling him he only had till two thirty at two. He had spent so much time talking he had pushed his actual fresco application and painting till the very end to keep us hooked. All I wanted was for him to hurry up and paint something. We behaved ourselves, but by two we were weak from a lack of food or drink and Marta, who was coming down with a cold, was fading fast. Although I found parts of the demo interesting and just learning about the complexity involved in doing frescos was amazing but I think I can speak for both of us when I say that we are cured from the need to persue this line of artwork. I can appreciate all the masters did to create them while I use my premixed paints in a tube on store bought paper, canvas,wallboard or any other premade surface. I do love the end result, but I think I would like a way to faux the result instead. We got some lunch at the El Adobe Mexican Resturant down by the Mission and ate outside, it was really a great adventure today.

Life Drawing Class

As I have mentioned before, I wanted to get more involved with our local Art museum so a friend and I have joined the plein aire group and we are taking a watercolor class on Thursdays for a few hours. It has been an interesting experience, some really good, others questionable. But I must say that it has felt so good to get out with other artists and just see what everyone is doing and get inspired and excited about art again. One the third Thursday of the month they have a life drawing class. Marta was going so I invited myself to tag along. Wow, it has been sooooo long since I did any life drawing. It turned out to be a wonderful night, great people, great art, music and the museum is so beautiful itself. It is an old brick building with so much character it just draws you inside. Here are a few of my very quick sketches. The model started out only giving us 2 minutes per pose, then went to 5 and so on, I found my best sketches were the ones that I only had a few minutes to do.

About the Museum: Located in the historic Mission Inn district of downtown Riverside, the Riverside Art Museum is housed in a former YWCA facility designed by Hearst Castle architect Julia Morgan. Built in 1929, the building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. A History Wall located in the Museum's lobby gives visitors a brief overview of Morgan's career and the transition of the YWCA into the exhibiting Museum it now is.

http://www.riversideartmuseum.org/index.htm

Skittles

I did another watercolor of another one of my daughters cats. I used only 4 colors on a limited palette. I don't know how that works really, what colors are best together etc. I need alot more practice for that I guess. I am going to try and do a few others, I really don't like the paper I am using but its on a block and its a good size so I will try and use it up. I seems to grap the paint and likes to "ball up" when you apply multiple layers. Its not good.

I'm digging, I only have a week

I actually started this before the alleged watercolor class so I don't know if it counts. I have seen some paintings that I love, other artists work and decided to play a bit, try some new things. I have decided that I love color, I always knew that but I am now saying it out loud! For me personally, much of the story is told with color, its what makes my heart sing. I thought I would paint my daughters cat, I may do her several times, differently, for fun. Here is my first attempt, I actually added some oil pastels, just a bit to see how the watercolor reacted with them. Some of the colors did well while others I didn't care for, its all an experiment anyway. I think it looks a bit like an oil or acrylic painting. I really had fun doing it, and I am pleased with the way it turned out too! It is supposed to be stylized version of her cat, not a illustration, how did I do? What does this painting tell you about me that I haven't told you here? Anything?

People who rub us the wrong way, do they sharpen us?

I was invited to attend an open studio class for watercolor today at the museum. I was very excited since I haven't really been able to do any classes since I took a watercolor class when my kids were in elementary school. The class consisted mainly of older women who were working on varies projects, one in oil, one in acrylic and 3 of them were working in watercolor. My girlfriend Marta told me to bring some work so the teacher could get a feel of where I was artistically. The teacher said she was going to save me for last since it would take longer. When I put up all of my small study pieces, which are posted here usually, she began to say that I had the technique down and what was I hoping to do now. I told her I would like to become looser in my style and not feel like I had to stick every detail into each piece. She said that art has to talk to you, that you have to feel something about the piece. That the viewer should know something about the artist by her paintings in order to want to buy it for their home. I think I agree with that, but what makes you or I feel something will be as different as each of us are. She said that she felt I was a good painter, had the techniques down but didn't show anything of myself in my paintings. She said I was an "illustrator", able to reproduce an image but that my paintings were kind of boring. She went on to make some other comments, all said nicely but the words still hit hard. Here I sat in front of all these women, who were now hugging their own paintings, being called on the carpet. I told her I was ready to make the next step in my art and she said you have to dig inside and figure out who you are and then say it. I think she believes that your subject matter reflects who you are and that each painting we do should have some deep physiological meaning. I tend to believe that if I am a good artist I should be able to make something ordinary and boring beautiful based on colors and shading etc. That everything doesn't have a deep seeded thought process just a good outcome. Anyway, needless to say it was a hard day but it was thought provoking. I have been thinking and thinking, chewing over all the things she said that continue to run through my mind. How do I show myself in my paintings? How do I tell a story with my art? Do I just reproduce images to spare myself rejection. Does every painting have to say something or can I just paint an orange to paint an orange? Is my mural business side reflecting on my personal art side? How do I take my art to that next level, is it going to be a painful, personal, soul searching journey? Interesting concepts, makes me think about how complex we really are. I paid for four classes, I will go and do the assignments and "dig deep" as she said, to find a voice ( I only have a week). I told her maybe I need therapy instead? As I sat that last hour I just had my paint brush out and started to just doodle paint to kill the time. I wasn't following a picture or a model just from my head. She asked what that meant to me and where was I going to take it? That my assignment was to take and paint something that reflects me? I would love to hear comments on this, do your paintings all say something about you? Do they carry deep meaning or do you paint what you see. When you are depressed do your paintings become dark? Do you think that maybe that is what separates the painters from the artists? Why did illustrator sound like a bad word?

Blood Oranges

Well I managed to find a few minutes to paint today! I love when I can steal away and paint. I have several fruits and vegetables that I have been dying to paint but haven't yet. Due to the threat of rot I decided to paint the ones I thought may not survive another few days first, then I will try to get to the rest. I found asparagus and want to paint it too, maybe tomorrow.

These blood oranges were given to me by another artist friend and she has already managed to paint them beautifully, I was so jealous. They are called blood oranges because when you cut them their juice looks red like blood and they stain also. Not as sweet as a regular navel orange but still very good. I love the blushed skin that resembles an orange that is bruised with red. Here is my version, thank you Marta for sharing from your tree.

Painting Day!

I had a wonderful opportunity to go with a friend and paint with the Plein Aire group we joined at the museum. I had a wonderful time just meeting other artists and visiting with Marta. I wasn't too thrilled with my work today, I don't know what it is. I just hate those days that nothing gels and I feel so untalented. I think a big challenge when you paint plein aire is deciding on subject matter and getting a composition that works. I will post my painting tommorrow I am sharing a few photos now! They turned out much better. The house where we painted had some livestock and a huge racoon that was napping in a big pine tree shading the horse corral. The house sat on the foothills and offered a great vista view of Riverside. I hope to be able to go out with them more often, I love painting outside!

I forgot to post my Valentines Day photos

I have always loved to gather everyone together at Valentines Day. When the kids were little we would have a big dinner and decorate the table and give each other Valentines. As they got older, we started getting gifts and reminding each other that no matter what we were going through we loved each other. The kids grew up and our family has now grown to include son and daughter in laws and grandkids. I still do the big dinner, gifts and remind each one how much I love them. I know it sounds mushy and goofy but its more important now, since Jenn was so critically injured to make sure I say it loudly. Randy and I often try to do something special together too but it is often on an off day. Saturday night, before Valentines Day, our church had a dinner dance, we went and invited friends, one of my daughters and her husband and took Jennifer. She wanted so much to dance so we put on her leg and wheeled her over to the dance floor where we stood her up and Randy danced 3 dances with her. She loved it and after he was finished he was completely drenched from keeping her standing for all three songs! The night of Valentines I made dinner and had the rest of our family over, I am posting pictures of the dance and the table at dinner. I hope your Valentines dinner was as great as ours, don't forget to take the time to love them.

Some Pictures for those who would like to paint with me

Hi everyone, I have loved hearing from everyone, wow, I really appreciate the comments. I am playing again tonight with some looser paintings, I thought I would post some pictures so you can all join me for "Magnolia February". Sorry the backgrounds arent great but these are blooming up against my house. Hope you guys get some sunshine soon where its so cold, I don't know how you all do it!

Randy Magnolia's are blooming

I just love magnolia's, I have several varieties and right now the "Randy" magnolias are just starting to bloom. They are a unreal color of pink and fushia, they almost seem to glow. Their stem growth and blooms have such an Asian feel to them, simple lines that burst forth in pure color. I want to paint several versions and I want try and loosen up with a much wetter style. I have this habit of starting out loose and tightening up!LOL I will post more, I hope to get comments on the different methods I use, I will post some pictures too just in case someone wants to join me. Maybe I should call it Magnolia February, its funny because I bought these two magnolia's just because they were called "Randy" and that is my husbands name, with his birthday on the 27th it only seems appropriate we dedicate the month to his magnolia's.

A new avenue

I have wanted to join the Riverside Art Museum and get more involved with artists in my area for so long. I recently found out that there was a plein aire group that meets there and is very involved with the museum and has shows etc, so I joined. I am so excited, not only to paint and visit with local artist but to see more of the city and surrounding areas where I live. It looks like it is going to open some new doors and hopefully it will be something I can do more often. I had been driving to either San diego or LA to meet up with other artist, now they are in my own backyard.

Randy took me to one of the first meetings and they were having a local painter give a watercolor demo, right up my alley, it was great, we loved it. They also served wine and finger foods. I can't wait to see whats next!

Life gets in the way!

Have you ever had so much to do or so much you want to do that you can't get started because you can't get focused, well thats me. I have so many things that I really want to do I am finding it harder and harder to settle in on one and do something. I was asked to design a T-shirt for the Outdoor Adventures group at Casa Colina where Jennifer has her rehab. I have posted pictures from our week long adventure in Long Beach, well this year my design might be their T-shirt. Here is what I have done so far, it is only one design and I a few others I need to get drawn up to present to them. For some reason I could not upload the picture with the text so here is only the artwork. I love this program and how it empowers the participants. Everyone leaves feeling as though they can do anything, for a week they finally feel like a normal person. I am so deeply touched every year by this great effort by everyone involved to enrich a group of disabled people.

New Baby for the New Year

As you can tell from all of my posts lately, I have been a frustrated artist. With all the commotion and with the holidays I didn't find much time to draw or paint. I have had a few days before I have to start the craziness of undecorating. I hate undecorating although I do love the feel of the house back to normal and a bit less cluttery. I received tons of Christmas cards this year, due to the fact that I sent so many out! I am a true believer that if you don't send them you don't get them. I received lots of picture cards and some of new babies that were born close to Christmas. I took the opportunity to do another exercise but I think this one is not as loose as it should be. I still think the baby turned out ok although doesn't look exactly like him, don't all babies look alike? I was supposed to do a wet on wet letting all the colors mix on the paper, I cheated and fell back into controlling everything. I will try again with some of the other pictures I received this year. I think I will stick this in a frame and send it to the new mom as a welcome to baby Dylan.

WC tutorial

Hi all, I found a wonderful tutorial on portraits that I was just dying to try. It was a looser style than I am used too and within the tutorial there are several assignments to try. I choose one that was one color and one brush. You had to study your picture and then simplify and then simplify again, until you got the essence of the person with minimal brush strokes. Then you had to select one brush to do the entire picture in, it was great. It was a challenge and a great study. I loved it, I chose a picture of my grandson who is such a cutie anyway. The picture turned out good I think, I will do the other assignments soon. It is a great tutorial and I hope to continue to improve my watercolor skills and become a bit looser in my painting style. I really perfer a looser look verses the picture perfect look. I think for me, I appreciate leaving a bit to the imagination instead of painting every detail for them. Just my thoughts which is not to discredit realism at all.

Happy New Year!

I just got back from Las Vegas, we went for a few days inbetween the holidays. It was very busy which surprised us since it usually is a bit quiet before the New Years celebration. We had a great time but I am glad to be home. I took a WC challenge to work on in the room, here it is. I am anxious to start some new projects that I have been thinking about. Tonight I think we will spend it writing some goals for the new year, as a couple, personally, for the businesses, and helping Jennifer document some of her goals in her recovery. Then I want to sit in a nice hot bath and just soak in the New Year. I am looking forward to the quiet time. I hope all of you have the New Year your heart desires.

Merry Christmas!!!

I have been busy, as we all have with Christmas just around the corner. Jennifer was in for 8 hours of tests and it was grueling. I am so glad that is over, now we just have to wait for the results. Then yesterday my grandson slipped into a diabetic coma due to having the flu and not holding down food so his blood sugar was elevated to dangerous levels. Wow, it has been an "e" ticket ride this Christmas. He is doing better now but is still in ICU. Hopefully he will be home for Christmas morning and all the presents. Before all the fun started I managed to get out my Christmas Cards and I sent out this Christmas postcard for one exchange, then my quilt guild had a block exchange and I made a gingerbread block to exchange. I wanted to offer it to all my quilting friends out there, if you would like me to email you the pattern for the gingerbread block just send me your email and I will send it too you as my gift. I will ask the girl who got it to send me a photo, I forgot to take a picture before giving it away. It is a very simple design but turned out cute, I sewed rick-rack around the edges and did big giant buttons for his eyes. Enjoy

My brothers dogs

I did this watercolor of my brothers dogs, I am so unhappy with it, it lacks something and I can't seem to put my finger on it, I might do it over again and see if I can't do a better job. I think it might be my colors or my technique or the background, but there is something that is off. I love when I hit and I hate when I miss so I always try and turn it into a learning process, my continual state of learning. The pug's name is Charlie and the French bulldog's name is Winston. Winston is only a year and he was full of energy the few days they stayed with us over Thanksgiving. Jennifer loves dogs so much and she loved the time she got to spend with them. Her and my brother went on a few walks together with all the dogs. Although Pee Wee is so small she played fine with the "boys" and let them know when she was done! It always takes a women to get those men in line.