Ladies of Leisure

Nancy Feldkamp sent me a jpeg of one of her great sheep paintings so you can all enjoy it. I have the pleasure of painting often with her. Her eye for color and design sense always amazes me. In the future I hope to show you some other artist that I have the pleasure of knowing. This is watercolor done on yupo paper. They are indeed Ladies of Leisure.

The Insecurity of Artists

I just spent some time with a wonderful artist, Nancy Feldkamp. She does these wonderful painting of sheep on yupo using watercolors. It was funny to have her talk about her own insecurities about her work. She being so accomplished but I guess it's true that we all struggle with this. I love the Carl Rogers quote "We can copy others, we can live to please others, or we can discover that which is unique and precious to us, and paint that, become that. It is a task which takes a lifetime." Amen to that . I love red tulips, they seem so strong and beautiful. This piece is called Tulips. It is watercolor on rice paper then beeswax applied as a resist and then removed and mounted on watercolor paper. Lots of steps but I liked the result.

Dusk

It has been so long snce I have posted. I have been busy making art. What fun I am having and entering shows and getting in. It's always exciting to have your work recognized. Right now I'm at the Riverside Art Center in Ypsilanti Mi. with the Ann Arbor Women Artists Juried Spring Show. So much wonderful art and artists who are always willing to share their expertise with you. This piece is called Dusk. It is a Mixed Media with photo transfer and then acrylic and colored pencil.

Ladies in Waiting

I've always known I've had some gifts that I was suppose to share with the world but I never knew what they were. I thought if I could only learn more, become the best at something. I was on this constant course of self improvement. It's taken me many life lessons to stop the urgent race to fulfill my special and unique potential. I am now ready to allow myself to be ordinary me and find comfort in the being rather then in the becoming. It's what I love about art. It is all in the doing that I love. Finding new ways, methods, playing with the materials. I understand now that the biggest waste of a life is never being present in it.

This is a watercolor I did awhile ago called Ladies in Waiting. I would apply washes and then bring out the figures by just using a brush filled with water to get back to the white of the paper.

Creativity

I love this quote from Rita Mae Brown. "Creativity comes from trust. Trust your instincts. And never hope more than you work." I have been working a lot lately, doing photo transfers and then adding paint, collage even some colored pencils. I have been entering some juried shows and getting in. The latest show was called Aging with Attitude and this was my piece. It's called Nana's Love. It was hard to photograph because there is beeswax over the transfer. I hope to age with as much grace. It always helps to hold a little one. 

Journey

It's funny how titles of my work come to me. I really don't like art work that is "Untitled " followed with a number or a letter.Words are important and hold meaning to me. This painting is a watercolor pour and then I used some of the papers that I poured on to use as a collage in the piece. When I finished and put it up to enjoy and the word -journey - jumped out at me. There is a saying about it is not the destination but the journey that will bring you the joy. In my art it is all about the journey, the joy of exploring a new media and having fun with the process.It is also about balance and finding that space for some quiet time. You can't meditate fast. I am still working on finding the balance that worked for me.

Busy, busy,

I can not believe I have not posted in such a long time. I had all these good intentions of doing this at least twice a month. I have been busy getting work ready for some shows that I am in. This picture is of a piece I did back in college and just went off with my son across country. He is started a new job in California. I call her - The Lady -  She is done with crayon, colored into little squares. I was very proud of her. They say you should look at your work across time. I guess I was always interested in the dignity of faces and stories that they tell or perhaps the stories that the viewers give them.