Reaching for a compromise....

No name yet...trying to meld my 'village' characters into a more sophisticated style and it is taking me on quite a journey!  Getting there, but slowly, partly because the holiday season seems to have endless distractions.  But all is great and life/art evolves as it is suppose to.  For all of you -I wish a prosperous and content New Year...Thanks for journeying with me this year.....di

Family and commitment...

"We are the Village"

This is for a group of special friends and they are truly
'the village that raises the child'.  They are bonded together by their sisterhood, morals, and commitment to their families.

I really enjoyed painting this for them and am in awe of their inner strength and love for each other.

Faces

Hidden Secrets

Winter Maidens

I seem to be doing a lot of faces lately so I think I will do a couple animal paintings next to break up the flow.  Faces have always been something I am drawn to, for whatever reason and I suspect I will always return to them.  Enjoy....di

Three Faces

This was a class exercise and I really love it!  Yes, it is a bit strange, etc, but I love losing the forms, and the texturing of the paint.  I am currently doing another one just to see what happens and how I can incorporate it into my current work.  Wish me luck.....art has it own path of discovery...di

I LOVE to PAINT....

As a painter, I LOVE TO PAINT.  I love the color, texture, visual feel, and every little thing about painting.

This piece was last week's class from LFI2018, where we were to paint a portrait in the style of Lucien Freud.  Of course mine is not near what his work represents BUT I really loved doing a more realistic approach than I usually do.

It is always fun to experiment and get outside of a series that you are working on.

So I am sharing with you ...a passion....

Dance with the chairs....

Life is Magical

Have been prolific lately...I think it is because I was off visiting for almost two weeks with family and when I returned I just had a lot of creative energy to let out.  That is my theory anyway.

This piece is 30x30, acrylic on canvas and I am calling it, "Life is Magical".  I use to use a lot of chairs in my work.  For me, they symbolized that the ordinary can be extraordinary.  Many times, I have use chairs to express the whimsy and magic in our imaginations/spirits.

So anyway...here is my newest piece. Dance with the chairs! Enjoy....

"The Night Circus"

Sometimes you have a favorite painting and this is one of those times.  Perhaps it is because of my love affair with deep blue...maybe because I love a simple, pure image.  I do not know why but I do love this piece.  I am calling it, "Night Circus", because it reminds me of a book I once read.  The circus in the book was only black and white but still, I find the magic of that circus in this painting.

 

Frames Gifted to Me....Yay

"Diaspora"

 A good friend of mine, just gifted me with about 40 frames. She just started me on a new goal!  It is my intention to fill those frames in the upcoming year.  Some of the frames are standard sizes and some are oddball dimensions.  These two works are on paper (because I can trim the paper to fit) and will both go into gold frames.  This project is the type I like.  I have a bit of a challenge.

These two pieces are fairly large for a paper image.  The both measure 26"L x 22"H. They are acrylic and are slated for a small showing in December/January.

To be honest, I am not sure where I was going with them ...but I do like them both. :-)

"Where Do We Go From Here?"

"Sunday"

"Sunday"

This I am calling "Sunday"..it is one of those pieces that  I am not quite sure of yet but I am pretty sure that it is done.  It is fairly large, 36"x 36" and is acrylic.

My small polka dot horse is 'photo bombing' as he is my symbol for unconditional love.  The little girl in the green dress is quite in love with him! If there is anything we should treasure, especially on Sunday, it is unconditional love.  IMHO

This piece has a real folk art feel to it.  Who knew??? I see a bit of Gauguin and who knows who else in it. Maybe ME!

Enjoy...

Newest in "Village Series"

"Remembering and Waiting"

Could not decide if she was remembering or waiting.  So in order to not decide, I elected to use both in the title.  What is she waiting for?  What is she remembering?  What are we all  remembering and waiting for?   Great questions, and it is up to you, the viewer to decide.  Not me though-- I have my own theories.

This is 18x24, acrylic on paper.... enjoy!

Having fun with COLOR!!!!

Hats

Sultry

Good thing that I am not afraid of color!  What fun pieces to do.  For the top one I got to dig out my ancient oil pastels and go to town.  I am definitely going to do more of these.

I have a Renoir challenge coming up and I think I am going to do a contemporary party scene somewhat in the styles of these two pieces.  A big piece!  Now all I have to do is find a party to go to and take pictures.  In my small little town that may be a challenge...hmmmm, must throw party myself- great a picture of a bunch of old people!  Squash that idea...

"My Journey, My Way"

My Journey, My Way

This is a bit different than the usual but it was a class challenge.  I really like it.  Having the softness of an impressionistic style creates a somewhat unreal atmosphere that I like.

It is 30x36 I think, so it is a good size piece.  Think I want to hang it in my house for a while...now, to find a place, therein lies the problem...hey, there are worse problems...lol
di

The Gift of Life

The is just a 'thankful piece', rejoicing in being on this planet, with it's resources, and living our roles in this lifetime.  Somewhat sweet but I like it.

Separated Families

"With Regrets"

One would have to be very hard-hearted to not feel for the families that have been separated from their children during this immigration fiasco.  What a mess!  I know there are many sides to all issues but I can not help but empathize with the mothers and fathers that do not know where their children are.  I try not to be political but sometimes it just seeps out from my heart.

A Pat on the Back!!!

BEST OF SHOW!  This was specifically done for a themed show at the Athens Living Heritage Museum.  The show's theme was 'Rural Life Reflections", and I was awarded best of show and felt very honored.  The title of the piece is, "Rural America 2018".

Of course, this is my painting style but the genre was definitely not.  It is good to step outside of my own box and stretch a little.  Won a little cash, a ribbon, and all is good.

Meanwhile, going to the art store today and will get some new larger canvases...back to work...Blessings

All About the Accessories

"It is All About the Accessories"

This is a little more graphic in style than I usually do. This week, I was challenged to apply Egon Schiele's techniques to my own work.  His work is masterfully done but I have to say I am not wild about his subject matter.  He definitely had some issues.  He has a drawing style so I tried to incorporate his line work, angular elongated  forms, and some of his style brushwork to my own work.

The exercise was fun and I pushed myself.  Maybe baby steps but I am heading in the right direction. Learning and growing because after all...if you stop growing you start dying...and I DO NOT want that!  This will be part of my "urban girls" series...of which I have two now...(not sure that even qualifies for a series, oh well,)...

Afloat

This piece is in reference to Chagall's dreamlike paintings. It is titled, "Afloat", and is 11 x 14 inches, acrylic on paper.

 My work is narrative for the most part.  To me, there is an intrigue to narrative art...instead of just being an object to view, narrative art is an invitation to stop and create your own story.  Each viewer can relate to a piece in their own way.

Loving to read, I think I carried that over to my artwork.  A good story has  many plot twists and many possible endings.  Yes, my works can be 'weird' ...but weird makes you ponder.  I like that!

This piece is layered with potential meaning....hmmmm

"I See"

Newest piece that I am titling, "I See".

No wisdom or wit today...got to get to work...

☺☺☺

Glimpse into my day....

 I am packaging pieces to take to galleries and stores today.  I really enjoy this part because they look so crisp and pretty.  Each piece has to be photographed (for prints), backed, and wrapped.

These particular artworks are all 18"x 24" done on paper.  Love working on paper (special heavy duty kind) because the pieces are easier to store and show.  However, framing for shows is more expensive than canvas so that is definitely a negative.

Okay, back to work for me....smile!

Two small works...

"Searching for Wisdom"

"Where do we go from Here?"

I finished up these two smaller paintings (12"x 12") this past week and I am liking them....The first is pretty standard in my series of searching/trying to be better 'enlightened' beings.  I like the open cranium, in that to me, it represents the processing of information and dissimulation of knowledge.

The second piece is a response to the chaos in the world today.  The second one pretty much summarizes the way I feel at the moment...pretty helpless.  Again it is an artistic response to the world today (in my stylized imagery sort of way).

So...enough soul baring...have a great day and honor the present....di

"Not Adele"

Have had company--yes it is summer 'vacation' time--and love having them, but I do not have as much time in my studio.  So, I paint when I can. I am trying to catch up on some challenges from some classes (the ones I especially want to do) and this is a response to Klimt.  I LOVE Klimt.  He is so obsessive.  His abstractions of the figures into the background is amazing.  Unfortunately, I did not capture that in my painting--next time I promise--but she is pretty.

The name of the piece is, "Not Adele", because Adele is one of Klimt's favorite models (love) that he painted many times over.

Now, I have to go and remake beds....I think I am one of the few people who 'cherish' winter...

"Fissures"

Sometimes, I like to flatter myself and say that I use, 'simple forms for complex thoughts'.  This is actually a political piece!  I feel helpless as I watch what is going on in the world today and in my 'head' (a dangerous place), I see the wise ones watching as we destroy ourselves and misplace our ideologies.  Just writing this makes me sad.

Now... that I have depressed everyone and no one will like this painting anymore, I guess I should stop writing....BUT,  I do think it is a good piece of artwork because true art (IMHO) must reflect our lives and the times!! ...di

Getting Ready....

 The weeks before a show involve a lot of detail work!  There are labels to submit, prices to assign, wrapping, and sorting.  The biggest job is selecting the work that will be in each show.  The work should be cohesive (a body) and of course you want your best work out there.  Sometimes there is a frantic effort to finish what you are sure will be your best piece ever or in my case this time...an effort to have enough 'smalls' so that anyone can afford an original piece of my art.

Everything is in order...I think, I have everything done except the more smalls the better.  Working on those everyday.  These particular small pieces (4x6") sell at a show for $30 and are original, painted, mixed media pieces.  They are actually fun to do because the imagination can go crazy.  There is more time in them than I am monetarily rewarded for but oh wellllll'....

The show is at Broadway Studios and Gallery, Knoxville, TN for the month of June.  The opening happens to be June 1...which is my birthday, so that is kind of fun.  There are not too many places I would rather be on my birthday other that at a gallery sharing my artwork!

Catching a Fallen Star....

This was inspired by several artists I have been studying lately, but I think mainly by Sharon Harkness-Dobler, who gave the LFI2018 lesson this week.  She has a folksy style with strong colors and little reverence for proportion! I love her style.  She is on instagram and I always love seeing what she comes up with.

This is a small piece on paper, 9x12 and worked up fairly quickly.  I love the piece's quirkiness and hope you do also.

Have a good one...Di

What makes a painting real? (in my world!)

I call this a 'real' painting.  "What makes it real?", you ask. .... I will explain.  Always creating, usually daily, I do not always work on something that will go in a show or that I plan to exhibit.  My balance, as a creative, is found in play and challenges.  So therefore, I do 'real' paintings and 'play' paintings.  This painting is a 'real' painting and is part of a series about how the perception of reality is subjective and that there are so many unseen factors in life.  This belongs to my current 'body of work'.

Now, are 'real' paintings better than 'fun' paintings.  Absolutely not.  All my paintings are created to the best of my ability but I do think you hear my innermost voice strongest in the paintings for exhibit.  They are more thought out and have more of a story.  'Fun' or 'Real', they are both art and hopefully interesting and thought provoking.   So now you know....... :-)

PS this painting will be showing at Broadway Studios and Gallery, Knoxville, TN...with a body of work the month of June...opening June 1

Sometimes....

Sometimes...you paint something, somewhat intuitively, and you just love it.  It has faults, it has irregularities, but there is something in its essence that speaks to you.  This is one of those paintings for me!

I am calling it, "Over Coffee", and to me she is just absorbed in listening and understanding.  Yes, she looks like she REALLY needs some caffeine..but I find her engaged and engaging visually.

This one is 18" 24" and I used acrylic, inks, graphite, and pastels.

Not even Dry Yet!

Had to post this one as I am in love with it. I am in love with most of  my paintings when I finish them (kind of like a new boyfriend)!  Later, I will probably find something that needs to be fixed and I will fix it.

This is a result of an assignment about Frida Kahlo--yes, you are right, the is not Frida--and she is suppose to have flowers in her hair, never have been good at following directions.  I use the class as a springboard for ideas and new painting techniques.  This technique is quite a bit busier than I usually do-but I like it.
This is 18 x 24 acrylic on paper....took awhile, so tomorrow is catch up day with the chores...yuck

Having so much fun!

Just having a lot of fun making 4" x 6" pieces of original art for a guild 'pop up show'!  Because they are small and take less time than a large piece they can just be done for exploration without concern as to how they relate to the rest of my work.  As you can see, there are multiple styles and mediums used.  I think I will just do these forever...and ever, and ever (should be a chorus to a song).  We were encouraged to do 10 and I am at about 20 now....so I will just pick out the 10 I like most and the others will sell eventually...and I HAVE HAD A GREAT TIME doing them...Enjoy...

Soft Pastels

This is a 'class project' of a mixed media piece utilizing  mainly soft pastels!     I haven't used my pastels in easily 20 years but I found them, claimed them and had a lot of fun with them.    I am calling this work- The Church Ladies.  From the pictures, you can see that we started out gluing down the basic shapes and working from there.  Pastels can be soft and gentle or wild and emotive.  We were encouraged to be wild and emotive.  Leaving marks raw and exposed is something I love, love, love, to do!  This is not one of my 'series' pieces, but I had fun working on it.  It was a great exercise.

"Home and Spirit"

So...it appears that I am on a bit of a roll right now. This piece would probably be considered a 'sister' piece to the work in my last post.  It is the same size, 30 x40" and acrylic also.  The imagery of homes and spirit figures are shared, as well as the pathways.  The colors I would definitely call jewel tones and the approach is the same as far as brushwork and under painting. This roll has to slow down as I need some smaller pieces that I can sell easier for an upcoming show in June.

Painting large is so gratifying that is hard to go back and do smaller pieces.  But if I must, I must......

Taking the rest of the day off from painting and tending to the business side of the 'coin'....

Enjoy.....di

Loving the colors in this one!

"Families"

I am always drawn to intense, saturated colors, and this piece is no exception!  This piece is in respect to all the animal kingdom and their 'families'.  The father image on the left is revering the small offspring of the bird in the right corner.  Home and family is definitely a cornerstone in my work.  I think this may live in my house for a while....well, until another one takes its place  It is a strong piece.  This is acrylic and is 30"x40".

Painting the Feminine--apparently new phase!

Friends

Dreams

So, apparently I am painting from my 'feminine side' lately which is probably not a horrible thing but I have a fear that I might get stuck in this phase.  However, who knows how long it takes ideas to play out and an artist needs to 'go with their flow'.

Really enjoying using the strong, whimsical colors, and playful imagery.  Do not ask me what the images mean because I am not quite sure!  Maybe in retrospect (10 years from now) I will be able to identify where my head was at.

For now I am just enjoying the fun of seeing where my intuition takes me and hopefully the paintings carry you to a playful place. For now...Flowing on....

a departure.....

This week I have departed (temporarily) from what I have been working on for this year and have gone to the other side!  OH NO!  The pretty side....seriously I am not sure how to handle this.  I always like a beauty in the colors, and peacefulness in the subject matter but I do not usually do pretty faces, etc.

However after saying that, I do love the colors in this piece and find it wellll, 'pretty'.....mmmmm

Painting the Feminine Lately....

These are perhaps a bit sentimental but I do love them.  The upper piece is called "Home" and the lower piece is called "Lead Me".  They of course reflect the spirit and its connection to our lives and our meaning.

I use textures and marks to build up the background and then acrylic glazes, ink washes, fluid acrylic  and full body acrylic paints are applied on the surface .

It feels awkward to speak of my own work but all in all, I can tell you that I am happy with these.  Smiley face--☺☺☺

Productive week....

 Cleaning out my studio two weeks ago and found 3 gallery wrapped 12" x 12" canvases  Decided to do a little grouping for fun and ended up with these three!  Not really a grouping more like a mini series, but I decided for some insane reason to challenge myself to do all three this week.  Somehow, I think that I will move a little slower this week.  Saying that is a lie but it makes me feel good.  Have three large canvases that are calling my name.  We shall see.... ENJOY...di

An Attempt!

Soooo....had an assignment to do a piece reflecting Mary Cassatt...that in itself was intimidating!  Do not particularly like Cassatt, respect yes, adore no, and I knew I was in for a ride.  I could have done a vaguely interpretive, contemporary piece about mother and child... BUT I knew that because I really did not want to do a sweet, romantic, idealized, somewhat realistic piece, that meant I needed to attempt to do one.

I reviewed Cassatt's work and felt that the work was about a 'snapshot' of idyllic family time/life. So now I had to go get an appropriate 'sweet' photo! ARGH... BUT in the middle of the night (of course) I realized that I had many, many, photos in my photo albums (who would have thought!).  There came to mind a sweet picture of two of my granddaughters at the top of a flight of stairs when they had dug out some ballerina costumes and were ready to put on a show for us! Perfect!!!!

Now I do not profess to be a master at this type of work.  I do not profess to have mastered impressionistic brushwork.  But I do think it is cute and most of all---I conquered my fear and I did it.

Usually my posts are short and sweet but I guess angst takes longer....Sorry!

Abstraction....

Having fun with a bit of abstracting....... this is why I take classes online because I am always learning about new products, approaches, and being stretched to try new things.  I think the bottom painting is the better attempt at abstracting.  When you are a literal thinker it is hard to lose all form!!