A CASCADE OF CLEARING

I want a space in which to place paintings in frames and evaluate them for gallery placement.  A nice-sized wall.  All the walls in the studio get full with paintings that are drying.  All the walls in the house have paintings that live on them (an ever-changing array.)  And the hall by the studio is full of newly finished work.  Where can I possibly do this?
In my office there is a bulletin board covered in thank you letters, postcards, and award ribbons.  It is surrounded by paintings made by my kids when they were small.  Do I need all this stuff?  No.  I put the postcards from friends into a box.  Put the best of the kids' goodies on a small wall by my door where I'll see them when I walk in.  Take a photo of the ribbons and throw them away.  Then pull the bulletin board off the wall.
So now I have my wall.  But the credenza is covered with project boxes and the file cabinet is piled to the ceiling.  Need to find a place to put this stuff away.  I dig into the closet.  This releases piles of stuff for goodwill.  Piles of unorganized office supplies. Stuff I couldn't use because I couldn't find it.  I put things in boxes and label it all.  It turns out to be a full day of sorting.
The next day is staging day.  I reward myself by setting up lots of paintings in my newly cleared space.

CREATIVE ENERGY

Thought shared by a friend:

When you don't have energy to do something creative in the studio, do something routine.  Cut mats, prepare canvas, and such.  Move forward.

Today I prepared canvas.  Thought about clearing a wall for pre-gallery selection and staging of paintings.

THE LIVING RIVER

This month,  I'll have a painting featured in THE LIVING RIVER juried art exhibit.

This is a benefit for the Mckenzie River Trust.
Jacobs Gallery
110 West Broadway
Eugene, OR  97401

For more information:
http://mckenzieriver.org/the-living-river-art-exhibit

SPRING TREES, FALL GROUND

 

Trees are budding out, but the ground is still full of dried grasses, bushes full of seeds saved over from last fall for the birds.  Spring is just a hint of green, more red than green.  And yet, the sun-warmed pond is alive with ducks, geese, (snakes), and tadpoles.

BOOK REVIEW: GEORGE BELLOWS by Mary Sayre Haverstock

Book Review: GEORGE BELLOWS by Mary Sayre Haverstock.

(Merrell, 2007)
This artist’s biography is the most beautifully illustrated and presented book I’ve seen in years. The color images are rich with color and look as if they represent the artist’s paintings superbly. The story of Bellows’ life is engaging. Even more interesting are the shockingly honest portraits dotted throughout the book. There are also some elegant portraits, and I kept speculating that those in particular must have been commissions, in which the sitter had to be pleased with the results.

Probably the most characteristic of Bellows’ paintings are the boxing ring paintings, straining muscles recorded in paint. It’s hard to imagine how all that action could be captured with a painter’s painstaking brushwork.

A beautiful book, with pleasurable reading and thought-provoking paintings.

GREENWAY PARK WETLANDS

March 27, 2010
Greenway Park Wetlands

I join the paint-out group (had to wrestle car from husband to get there) at the wetland area parking lot. There we all find spots to paint the budding trees across the pond. It is a beautiful day with sunshine and colorful atmosphere, and a welcome break from spring rains. This is my first outing of the year en plein air (as opposed to en plein car and en plein window.) Lots of people show up, including a bunch of pastel artists I haven’t seen in a while. I spend about two hours painting and four hours visiting. We talk equipment (obligatory), painting grounds, drying aids, and travel tips.

I also visit the other side of the lake, via a swampy path, feeling thankful for my boots. I also feel thankful for my boots as I encounter several snakes. One, a nondescript black rope, hurdles fallen logs at a breakneck slither. Another, with beautiful orange diamonds on its side, heads straight for the water, hanging out there with its nose on the surface and tail submerged. I think it is probably California Redsided Garter snake, the first link, but it could be many of these:

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.californiaherps.com/snakes/images/tsinfernalisma604.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.californiaherps.com/snakes/pages/t.s.infernalis.html&h=650&w=912&sz=295&tbnid=6b4zaF3UogkkCM:&tbnh=105&tbnw=147&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dthamnophis%2Bsirtalis%2Binfernalis&hl=en&usg=__qLJcoSCYoCJ4dv4w7EWs_WVUyvA=&ei=uaquS8r_JKW4tgOxw-Qw&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=3&ct=image&ved=0CA8Q9QEwAg

http://www.uoregon.edu/~titus/herp/sirtalis.html

http://www.wildherps.com/species/T.sirtalis.html

SUNRISE SWIRLS

Daylight Savings Time! The time when naturally late risers get one more chance to fit in a few more sunrise paintings. The sky looks very clear as I approach the boat ramp where I like to paint. But the lighter the sky gets, the more I can see a delicate, curled cloud that seems to hang over the river. A golden glow rises over the trees.


The boat ramp is busy today. It must be the start of some Salmon run. Boat trailers fill half the parking lot, and it is only 6:30. The fishermen passing by probably wonder what I’m doing, with my van door open and my easel just outside. I wish the van had an awning. But then it would almost be a camper–yech.