Great artists

I’ve already posted my views about abstract art. Little did I know then that I’d get to know a great abstract painter. Her name is Judy Wilder. She paints in more than abstract and it’s all beautiful work. My favorite piece is posted here. Her work has such color and emotion to it. She is a true abstract painter. Definately get over and check out her work.

Another artist I’ve heard about but don’t know is S.L. Peterson. I came across her website through Twitter. Her oil paintings are beautiful and so realistic.

Strange that I go from abstract to realism in one post, but I do try to stay open to all sorts of art. Yes, art is very subjective and it doesn’t have to be for everyone. It reminds us that we are still unique individuals with out own tastes. That’s the beauty of art.

Learning more about painting

It’s true that writers write and painters paint. It’s how one grows when one practices a craft. There’s always going to be the wanna-be’s out there that say they write or paint, but the proof is in the pudding so to speak. Sometimes it’s hard to stand before a blank canvas and start to throw paint at it. Other times, you get into a painting and realize something is wrong with it but you can’t quite put your finger on it. Same with a manuscript. It’s then that it’s best to go and get an outside opinion.

That’s what I’ve had to do with my latest painting. I took it and showed it to my best friend and one of my collectors. Both agreed that it seemed like the painting needed a V8 as it seemed a bit crooked. Strange but as I worked on fixing the crooked issue, I realized that it had a negative space issue. Now, once you’ve figured out what the issue is, it’s still not always guarenteed that you can fix it. I look at the painting and I can still tell that there’s a negative space issue. Do I think I’m good enough to fix it? I’m not certain. It’s paralyzing, this feeling. Can I give this painting what it needs? Am I bold enough to make sweeping strokes if I need to? Do I dare flush the bottom part of this canvas and start again? Maybe I just need a renewed outside opinion.

Work in process photos are out at Facebook. Why don’t you head on over there and take a look? Let me know what you think.

Wow!

I just found out that a moderator of one of the groups on 48 Days listed a discussion about artists she enjoys and I was listed as one of those artists. I’m enjoying watching my audience grow. It’s a great thing to see.

I’m currently uploading another picture of my painting I’m working on to Facebook. Be sure to check it out. Once the painting is finished, these pictures will come off for the next work in process piece.

Work in Process

Hi everyone.

I’ve posted a Work in Process album on my Facebook page. While I’m trying things out to see how they work, I think this is where I’m going to post my paintings that are in the works. It just makes sense since I can have video feeds there as well and someday I hope I can afford a digital recorder for making videos. I’d really like to start to get that together this year.

I invite you to check out that page on Facebook and become a fan. Thank you for all your support!

Facebook

I’ve recently set up a page on Facebook where I can also display my art. I invite you to come and be a fan of my page and of my art. Just click the Facebook link on the right and you’ll be taken right there.

I should add that I’m still learning my way around Facebook, but it’s been interesting. Right now, there’s more photography in the photo album than there is on my other websites. Some of it has never been posted anywhere. And this is the first time out for a lot of it.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Impulse shopping

Yes, I made an impulse purchase today. I was wondering around the store looking for a bag of ice melt since there’s an inch or two on my lawn – it’s so high it goes up the little step-up on my porch and nearly all the way to my front door. That’s when I saw it. A little bonsai tree.

I bought a bonsai tree once when I was coming back from L.A. I think it got stressed on the trip because it didn’t live much after I got it home. Poor thing.

So, I’m trying it again. My oldest son was so scared I’d drop it. “Carry it with both hands,” he said. Like I would drop it! Geez, it’s not like I ever dropped him. Well, okay, there was this once… (Just kidding!)

I’ve been told that some of my trees on my ACEO’s look like bonsai trees. True. I’ve always liked bonsai. Maybe that’s what draws me into Japanese art too. There’s a serenity to Japanese art. I’ve got a poster of Katsushika Hokusai’s woodblock painting of Mt. Fuji hanging in my room. Just looking at it brings me a great sense of peace and I’m glad that it’s the last thing I see at night and the first thing I see in the morning. It helps to remind me that it’s the same peace I want to bring to my audience. I hope it’s what I achieve. What do you think?

Telling the World!

Wow! I just found out that my painting Fantasy Path has been featured as a Piece of the Day on Boundless Gallery’s website. I was in looking at my stats and discovered this. I didn’t even know. Had no clue at all. It’s a beautiful painting – entrancing. Did you know that you can get the Fantasy Path picture on a poster (see Artist Rising) or on a journal cover or cup (see Cafe Press). Don’t you deserve more beauty in your life? Of course you do.

What a Monday!

Okay, it’s been a day. I won’t go into all of it, but it’s been a Monday oh so totally.

Woke up to a couple inches of snow, not that it was unexpected. But today, everyone and their dog decided to drop their kids off at school. Traffic was backed up a whole block. I couldn’t get the boys any closer to school than I usually do unless I wanted to be stuck in traffic for at least half an hour.

Then, I had to pick the boys up right before school got out for an appointment. I was waiting for my oldest and when he showed up, I was irritated and ranting at him for taking so long as we left the school. I walked right in front of the buses lined up for students and out to where cars were coming in and slipped on the ice. My son tried to step around me, but slid himself. He worked very hard to not fall on top of me.  In the process, so I would learn a bit later, he ripped his shoe in half during the fall. Ripped the bottom right off. And the other shoe had a smaller tear in it. I couldn’t believe the shoes just blew out like that.

Then I get home and start reading the news and see that the Twitter accounts were hacked in the same weekend that I signed up for the account. That is so my luck!

But, I count my blessings. If this is the extent of the drama in my life, then I am very fortunate. There’s so much going on in the world. I know that people are all wanting to know about the death of John Travolta’s son and read about the details of Madonna’s divorce. In my own town, I know of a woman who just walked out on her husband and kids. In another family, there was a girl (the same age as my youngest son) that died of hypothermia on Christmas day when her father let her and her brother out of their stranded car to walk home to their mother. The brother who barely survived the incident shares many classes with my son. Today was the first day back at school after the holidays. I asked my son if the brother was there and he wasn’t, which I thought was good. I couldn’t imagine being that mother waiting for school to get out knowing that one of her children was coming home while the other would never walk through the door again. Yet the whole world (according to a news statement I heard this morning) was going to be mourning the loss of Jett Travolta. No, sorry. While I am sorry that the Travolta’s lost a child, I feel less sympathy for Jett knowing that he lived a life of privilage than I have for an underprivelaged child who died in the snow long before she should have because of an intoxicated stupid moment on the part of her father – the person who should loved and protected her the most. Appreciate the people around you because you never know when they will be taken from this life. I very much believe in John Edwards’ saying of “Appreciate, communicate, and validate.” Sorry, I have probably ranted on about this longer than I should have, but it’s been nagging at me for a week, even before I knew much my children knew the little girl and her brother, but my heart goes out to this family. It makes me wonder why people can spend so much time caring about the Brad – Angelina – Jen triangle when we have so many lives around us that are not so far removed and that we should be caring about.

Don’t even get me started on most of the brain rot they call good television!

Okay, next time: more art, less depression! Just wanted to let you all know that I do stick my head up out of the sand sometimes!

Twitter

I have to admit that when I signed up for Twitter, I wasn’t sure about it, wasn’t sure if I’d like it. I mean, really, how interesting is my life and what I do. However, I’ve already met some really interesting people and it’s been awesome interacting with them, getting insights into their lives. It’s how you really get to know people.

On to other things. Yesterday I went to Barnes & Noble and was reading an art magazine. There was a comic of a blank canvas on a palette. At first I didn’t really focus on it, but when I did, I saw this artist cowering in a darkened corner.  If you’ve read my previous post regarding hypergraphia, then you know that I never understood what it meant for a writer to have writer’s block when looking at  a blank page. That never happened to me. I always had words just waiting to get out. However, since I’ve taken up painting, I understand about artist block and fearing the blank canvas. I can see now why so many people paint their canvases any color but white before they start. To me though, it’s merely a canvas of another color then and still just as blank. And, after I’ve started splashing on paint I get to a point where I absolutely hate it. I know that if I feel like I should just paint the canvas all white again and start over that I’ve got a gem on my hands. If I don’t have that moment of fear where I feel like I’ve wasted a bunch of time and paint, then I’m not pushing the painting hard enough. It’s that moment of worry that gives me the courage to go on. The sign that tells me my intuition is on track. I very much believe it’s true that if the dream or the goal gives you no fear, then the goal isn’t big enough. That poor cowering artist in the comic, if he’d only realize that his fear means he’s on the right path, then he might have the courage to begin his masterpiece.

While roaming around the Internet…

I’ve been hard at work on the Internet the last few days. Let me tell you a little bit. As you saw in the last post, I set a coupon up at Boundless Gallery. Don’t forget to get on over there and take advantage of it. It’s a great time to buy some of my early works – the greatest opportunity for art collectors.

I’ve also started a Twitter account, so you can follow me in real time when I’m working. It’ll be the first place that I announce a new painting has been posted (at least at this point). Speaking of which, I hope to get a new painting listed later today. Maybe two.

I also found what looks to be a cool website for self-taught artists called how-to-draw-and-paint. While I haven’t had much of a chance to look around, it looks like they have lots of tutorials on, well, everthing their name says. I wanted to make a comment on a Bob Ross vs. Jerry Yarnell discussion so I had to sign up for an account. Since I’ve done both I figured I was someone who could compare the two. In the end, I enjoy Bob Ross’ style — you can spot a Bob Ross painter from 10 miles away, but Jerry Yarnell is much more my style. I hope I can take another class from Jerry this year. Anyway, if you’re a selt-taught artist, you might want to head on over there and check them out. Oh, they critique each others works too.

And lastly, don’t forget to head on over to my websites and check out the new showcase design.