Friday September 30, 2011

Still Life/with grid 11"x11" gouache on paper

So much for simple. I continue on the path, searching for something I have never seen before. Something new with still life.

Today I would like to tell you a little something about who I am. I am an artist who has studied at art school, museum school, and college. I have been working for about 50 years. I have been represented by numerous galleries. My work has been awarded all over the country. I work regularly, everyday you will find me in the studio, working. I am a painter, and have tried every medium.

Recently I have been involved with Still Life. I am asking myself the question, can still life be distinctive? I have been trying to simplify, but I think it has made a jump, and I just have to continue and see where it leads.

As an artist, and a viewer of art. I want to say what I do not like. For me, a person who simply copies photographs is not an artist but is an illustrator and there is a difference between an artist and an illustrator. The camera abstracts in a certain way, and all works copied from a photograph have this abstraction and for me it is boring. Not all photography is art. For photography to be art, it must raise above the ordinary, as with any craft. Perhaps this is not an easy concept to understand. But there is a difference between art and craft. All art has to have some craft in it, but craft can have no art at all. As I said, this is simply my opinion.

Tuesday September 27, 2011

Still Life Revisited/ Three Plums gouache on w/c paper 11"x11"



Still Life Revisited gouache/acrylic on w/c paper 11"x11"

I continue to try to simplify the compositions and simplify the color. I am looking for something, and am not sure what...

Saturday September 24, 2011

Still Life Revisited/ High Key gouache on paper 11"x11"

Monday September 19, 2011 Still Life Revisited

Still Life Revisited/ Olla and Orchids gouache on w/c paper 11"x11"

Sunday September 18, 2011 Still Life Revisited

Still Life Revisited/Drip Glaze Pitcher gouache on w/c paper 11"x11"

Saturday September 17, 2011 Still Life Revisited

Still Life Revisited/Black Bowl Reflecting 11"x11" gouache on w/c paper

Thursday September 15, 2011 Still Life Revisited

Still Life Revisited/Two Pots 11"x11" gouache on paper



Still Life Revisited/ Sun Rise/ Sun Set 11"x11" gouache on paper

I continue with the Still Life Revisited Series. Two Mexican pots, and a striped piece inspired by a weaving. Each line of color could be thought of as a horizon line and it could be seen as sun rise and sun set. These could be sacred visual symbols.

Monday September 12, 2011 Seeking the Essence

This is where I begin. I set up a still life in the studio, with pottery, Mexican sarapes and flowers. I draw from the still life set up. Then I paint.


This would be a painting from a still life set-up. It is from this point I begin to find the essence of the still life.



Still Life Revisited/New Mexico Garden (night) 11" x 11" gouache on w/c paper



Still Life Revisited/ Mexican Sarape (night) II 11"x 11" gouache on w/c paper

I continue to try find the essence of the still life. Still Life Revisited/ New Mexico Garden(night) is stark, actually looks "still" to me. It is based on early Mexico pottery and in the second piece, Still Life Revisited/ Mexican Sarape (Night) I have removed the pottery from on top of the sarape, and just painted the essence of the sarape, and for me it also captures the idea of the "stillness" of still life.

*Note: The images did not come from the still life set up, but another. I just wanted to share my process. The steps I go through to find the essence or final image.

Friday September 9, 2011 Still Life Revisited

I am reposting the first still life image. When I originally drew the image I had planned to paint it without the smaller interior shapes. I wanted only flat shapes in flat colors. But as often happens, I got intrigued with the shapes within the shapes, and just couldn't let them go. But I followed my original idea and painted the composition again. You will notice I am not putting objects on the woven blankets as before, but instead, used the woven Mexican blanket as a source for a painting. The two pieces could be hung together? These works are 11"x11" and are gouache on paper. (I do not know why the striped painting appears smaller? But they are all the same.)

Monday Labor Day September 5, 2011 Still Life/Vinegar Bottle

Still Life/Vinegar Bottle Image 11"x 11" on 30"x22" (full sheet of w/c paper) gouache

I continue to investigate the possibility of still life, with Still Life/Vinegar Bottle. I set up the still life, and did some drawings. I found the vinegar bottle, could create such an interesting shape, this is the composition I "had" to paint. I continue to work with flat pattern and flat color.

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Saw the Tree of Life, yesterday, over all, I would have to recommend it. An amazing movie, seemed to be an impressionist movie, visually and audibly. Perhaps the ending was too literal for me, but overall a wonderful movie, with good editing, could be a great movie.

Saturday September 3, 2011 Studio Visits

Still Life/ Influence of Place/ Chalk Bull and Pot 16"x16" encaustic

Yesterday, my local dealer was doing some studio visits, and asked me to come along. I was just a "fly on the wall" and I want to try to share the experience with you. Give you an idea of how it is on the other side. Both of the artists we visited had been recommended to the gallery. So first off, I want to remind you if there is an artist you like, recommend them to the gallery that represents you.

We made appointments. And we went out to "see." I had looked at the website of the first artist. And to tell the truth, I wasn't sure. But when we got there. The artist had so many works. She worked in series, and had many pieces in each series. So works I had seen on the internet, might not have really grabbed me, there were other works from the series that I liked better in person. There is nothing like seeing the actual work. And we have to remember, that seeing the work on the computer is a reproduction and not the actual work. We are not looking at "art," just a reproduction.

While I made comments about pieces I really responded to, my Dealer made her selection. And in the end, selected several works for the next show at the gallery. There were other works she liked, but she stayed on track and made notes of other series she might like to have at a later date.

We both were a little on overload, and stopped at the gallery for a cold drink before we went to the next studio visit.

In this case I "knew" the work we were going to see, and though my Dealer had only seen photos of the work and had expressed some reservations. But again, when she saw the actual work, she was completely "swept away." She "got it." And that is one reason I am sharing this, it is the importance of the "experience of seeing the actual work." And to see it, in the space where the artist creates. It really makes a difference. And again there was agreement, the artist would deliver work to the gallery in the coming days.

Thursday September 1, 2011

Orchids ink, watercolor, graphite on w/c paper 22"x30"

This week has seen me drawing orchids. This is a second start.