Saturday, November 22, 2014

Koi Fish

Porcelain Sculpture
"Koi"

These fish sculptures are such fun to do.  Everyone is different as the expressions change with each one.  
Since I just pulled these out of the kiln on Wednesday night after church.  I didn't get photos because I was so tired. By the time I remembered that I didn't have any pics these 4 were the only ones left.  




I lined the fish up like they were swimming amongst the tea cups.  They looked so cute even the guys had smiles on their faces as they went by the booth.  I always strive to get an emphatic connection from the viewer with my paintings, sculpture should be no different.

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Koi- An Altered Vase

Stoneware
Altered Wheel thrown pot
4"high x 9"long


An altered stoneware pot, first thrown on the wheel, then pinched, prodded and cut to form a fish.

  The stoneware I use is very very dark, almost chocolate in color.  This effects the glaze color a bit.  So it will be interesting to see just how much brighter the orange and whites will be.

Little Piggy Banks Ready For Market

Stoneware and Porcelain
Altered pot technique
  When I paint I have the finished painting in my mind and follow it to the end.  But with altering pots it doesn't quite work that way.  When you bang it on the table, pinch, pull or cut it up the end result never quite matches the mental image in my head.  (I think that is why I'm so captivated with the pottery.)
  In saying that, these little piggies have been pitching me fits since September. The results really didn't match how I wanted them to look.  But the outcome is no less appealing to the eye and touch.  As a friend said.. "Oh, how CUTE! They are just adorable!"  And I have to agree.  :)

Sunday, October 19, 2014

Wolf

Wolf
Oil on Linen Hardboard
16x20




When I started the art journey I always wanted to paint a wolf or two.  So I had collected a few reference photos and had them in my "When I am a better painter box."  The rule being that when I pick a photo from this box it has to be painted.  Thing was that this time I had a fearfully large 16x20 canvas to put it on in front of me.
So while I finished this with some trepidation I'm almost happy with it!
Because its so much larger than the little 5x7's and 8x10's that seem to pop of the paintbrush so easily.  I'm a bit nervous about putting down brush strokes.  A small brush can explain the dramatic little details on smaller canvas, but those shapes and strokes get lost in the bigger paintings.  I'm sure there is a way to 'explain' the stroke the way I want in these larger formats.  Just have to keep at it.  Practice...

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Bluebird

Bluebird
8x10 Oil on hardboard
Finally got the painting to where I was satisfied with it.  The part of the painting that pitched me fits was a 1x1 inch square area.  It only took 4 months for me to get it how I wanted it.  ::Sigh::

But it is done!  ;)

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Great Trail Festival

Been busy potting the last month.  Here are a few examples at what I'll be taking to the
Malvern Great Trail Festival   
Aug. 23-24 and
Aug.30-31 & Sept. 1

Lots of reds with lovely blues this year to go along with my colors from last year.  Just can help adding more colors.  Its the artist in me that makes me do it.  ;)

Hope to see you at the show!  Click on the link for directions and other info!







Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Youngstown Festival of The Arts 2014

It was an awesome show!!   Just want to thank everyone who visited my booth as well as those who took treasures home with them.  Its nice know that my art is appreciated and displayed proudly.  Thanks again!!

Friday, June 27, 2014

Sunflowers

5x7 Oil on Panel


Oil on Panel.. Can't wait for the real sunflowers to come out!

Monday, June 9, 2014

Pottery for YSU Festival of The Arts


Getting ready for the Youngstown State University Festival of The Arts. 

Shown are just a couple of pieces from the first batch out of the kiln.  The wall flowers hangers are beyond cute.

I have new paintings as well.

Hope you all can make the show and see some of the pottery and paintings in person.  :)

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Southwest Villa

Southwest Villa
Oil on Canvas Hardboard
11x14

Finally finished this painting.  It was not really a struggle except for the open window which took more thought than I expected.. But focal points are everything!

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Chowdown For Hunger

  The last few months have been just a wee bit hectic.  Pottery students as well as painting students have kept me occupied.  But I found some time to setup at the Chowdown for Hunger event in Estero, Fl.
  I have not been physically painting but I have been studying it on a mental plane.   Which sometimes can be as challenging as putting a brush stroke to canvas.
  When I was first starting out on the art road I wanted to know how light works and why atmosphere effects it.  A mentor told me not to worry about it, just follow the suggested techniques/rules artists follow.  Ugh.. Not the answer I wanted to hear, because there has to be a 'reason' for the suggested rule.  So of course, me being far to inquisitive for my own good, I could not let the notion go and the hunt was on.
   After reading several texts on light waves and how atmosphere effects those waves, I realized that the eye is a factor too, on how these waves affect how humans see the world around them.  So off to find books on how the human eye works.  The time was well spent because while I only gathered a rudimentary understanding, it was all I needed to incorporate what I learned into my painting process. The work I produced showed a leap forward in how I represented light planes within my paintings. 
   Artists ask me how I was able to accomplish so much in such a short time.  They write it off as the fact that I have talent above most.  I can not emphasize just how wrong I feel their perception is!  Art is an understanding of paint and how paint is applied so that it represents objects.  So understanding the light and time spent learning how to draw with a paint brush was the key to starting to paint well.

    David Leffel, often called the artists artist, has been a wonderful find for me this winter.  I joined his website and watched some of his videos.   In the videos he mentions how painting is a study of science and how things work in life.  To which I heartily agree.
  

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Road Runner

Road Runner
5x7 Oil on Hardboard
Now... we all know how much I love birds.  This one was a little different to sit down and paint.  Love the "hair doo." 
I have been trying out a new toy.. its an oil paint medium that I really have come to love the feel of.  A few years ago I tried Lukas Med. 5 that gives the paint the same wonderful silky feel as the Maroger.  I would have still been using the stuff but the odor was just awful.

The Maroger doesn't have that,  in fact it smells wonderful and it also gives the paint an automatic varnish quality.  Though there are two drawbacks with it though.  One being the price, which is pretty high compared to other mediums.  The second is that if your using a paint with a lower pigment load you end up with more of a glaze than a layer of paint.  I did break down and purchase several tubes of M. Harding's paint to see if my suspicions were correct.  Harding's product has a higher paint pigment load and to my delight his paint did help with keeping an impasto build up.  The photo of 'Road Runner" doesn't show the depth I achieved in painting with the Maroger, but its there.

Sunday, January 12, 2014

"Awaiting High Tide" Ref-photo chosen from the dreaded "When I Am a Better Artist Box"

Awaiting High Tide
11x14 Oil on Hardboard


The ref-photo for this work was taken out of my "When I Am a Better Artist Box."   Yes I really do have one of those boxes.  It is where the reference photos which scare the heck out of me end up.   Love the ref but just don't feel accomplished enough to tackle it.

Here is how it works.  Every month or so I stick my hand in the box, mix up the photos, and without looking I pull one out.  The rule is that no matter what the ref is I 'have' to paint it.  I have found picking from the box to be as intimidating as willingly putting one's hand into a hornets nest. I guess its needless to say the box is intimidating, but also rewarding too.

I'm not keen on doing boats as they have such a weird shape to them, I was so very tempted to put the photo back in the box.  But rules are rules and it turned out much better than I thought it would.