Friday, October 28, 2011

Old Acrylic Painting

I was going back through some of my older paintings earlier and found an acrylic painting of this little puppy.  I don't remember when it was done although I know it was for practice with acrylic paints.  As I look at it here, the yellow background looks almost neon but it's not that bright in real life!

This painting was done on a sheet of canvas - one of those that comes in a pad and can be used for just about any medium.  I think the next painting will be on a gessoed hardboard panel or on a stretched canvas.  It will probably be the hardboard panel as I've never cared much for the "give" of even a tightly stretched canvas.

Anyway, I have done a few paintings in acrylic and would like to do more of them.  The temperature here today has plummeted with rain and wind to make it feel even colder so staying in to do more practicing sounds really good to me!

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Double Exposure Photography and Art Exhibit

This past Friday evening was our local Third Friday Art Walk which featured the Camera Club's Double Exposure Exhibit.

The Chatham County (NC) Camera Club posted some of their member's photographs and local artists were asked to paint, sculpt or otherwise interpret the photos in their medium of choice.  Then last Friday the art was exhibited alongside the original photograph.  It was fun to be a part of this exhibit but even more fun to see the exhibit!

The best part was that my sister and brother in law were here from Colorado and attended the exhibit with my husband and I.  We had a good weekend just visiting and since my sister is a professional photographer, I think she enjoyed the exhibit.  We also drove around just looking for interesting photo ops.

All in all, we had a great weekend.



Wednesday, October 19, 2011

The Artist's List

I realize that it's been a while since I've updated my blog and I do apologize.  Life gets so crazy sometimes and real life has to take precedence over cyber life.  One of those real life concerns is my little Maltese who's been a bit under the weather recently.

Plus, I've been doing a lot of thinking lately.  I seem to do that in the fall of the year since it's my least favorite season.  I get very introspective and start to hunker down for the winter I know will be coming soon.

One thing I've been thinking about is my art and where I want to go with it.  I received the following in my email a few days ago and have been thinking about what it says:

I give you my list of 10 Things Artists Should Be Thankful For. Print this out, fold it up and put in your wallet. Send it to your artist friends. Read it whenever you feel all your work is for nothing and you are thinking maybe you should just stop making art and grow up. Post it in your studio when you are wondering what the heck you are going to do with all this work? But, most of all…believe it. Remember, it is impossible to feel thankful and be depressed at the same time.

1. I am thankful that I am not one of the majority of people in this world that wakes up every morning, goes to a job they hate, just to come home and do it all over again.

2. I am thankful that when I am away from my studio, my ideas come with me, they keep me company everywhere I go.

3. I am thankful for this passion that gives me so much joy (and angst) but mostly joy.

4. I am thankful that when I have left this earth, I will leave something meaningful behind.

5. I am thankful that I have a mind that can not sleep, I will never be bored.

6. I am thankful that there is a part of my life that nobody can control, except me.

7. I am thankful that no one in the world can ever take this gift from me.

8. I am thankful that I am brave, it takes courage to pursue my gift.

9. I am thankful that I am never satisfied, it forces me to move forward and grow.

10. I am thankful I discovered this list! Pass it on.


Do you see the sentence I've highlighted in red?  Why is it out of all the positive points in this, does this particular sentence jump out at me?  I do look around my studio and wonder what to do with all my art.  I also look at point #4 and remember a recent trip to the Goodwill store that I took with my daughter.  As she looked at normally expensive name brand purses, I looked at the bin with all the frames and artwork.  I was aghast at seeing really lovely original artwork being sold for a dollar or so.

Is this the "meaningful legacy" we're leaving behind?

I hope you all are cheered and encouraged with the above - I am and then again, I'm not.