A Day in Ojai with Richard

Two weeks ago I spent 3 days in Ojai, California painting in pastels with Richard McKinley. What a wonderful, informative, intellectual and talented artist. He worked so hard at making the rounds, speaking, teaching, critiqueing, and painting with all of us. I also met many wonderful artists, most from the area around Ojai and Santa Barbara.

Anyway, this is a plein-air painting that I did on location while at Lake Casitas. It was a tranquil, sunny day. A good place to do compositional and value studies. I started with an underpainting in watercolor, and finished this with pastels. I will work on this more, but for now have this propped up in my studio while I ponder just what else needs to be done. I find that as I get more comfortable with my techniques, I need to think more and paint less. I could go on here ad nauseum, but will sign off as I feel this painting describes the day better than any words I could write.

Thank you Richard.

The Offering Basket- completed

This is the final version of The Offering Basket. I had an offer to buy this by a viewer, yet wanted to do something with the hard-white area in the middle. I found that a soft, sky/like background wash was a good way to both save the lights in the composition and pull this painting together.

I am thankful for people who value art enough to share their thoughts on my pieces or to even purchase a piece. What a validating and generous gesture!

An Unfinished Painting..........

Well, I decided to put both good and bad days/(weeks?) into this blog as this is reality in a studio- MY studio anyway. I have been trying to finish a painting that is to be auctioned off at a local gala in the near future. It started out as an exciting array of colors/forms and emotions (the abstract orchid from my last blog entry) but came to an abrupt stop when it came to finishing/tweaking the background. I have been in a funk/deadlock/or whatever you call it when you stand in front of your painting with your heart racing (due to deadlines and imagined faces of 100s of people standing in front of one's painting with faces of boredom as the auctioneer keeps begging for bids..........). How do you meet these deadlines without compromising your art? How does an artist appeal to buyers and still say what is in their heart? I really did not think this would be so hard.

Anyway, I have decided to leave this painting alone for now. Lesson learned. I am taking one of my other paintings (a favorite!) and placing this in the auction as I need to get started on yet another commission before the week is done. Actually, I am already planning that next painting as I type this. Ahhhhh, thank goodness for new ideas, a new day and a cup of tea.

"Happy painting!"

Khanh's Orchids

Today I finished (?) a painting that is going to be auctioned off in a week or so at the Des Moines Wine Fest Gala. It's propped in my studio at present so that tomorrow morning I can walk in and look at it with fresh eyes.

This painting was started approximately 24 hours ago as a release for my frustration. You see, my husband is president of Wine Fest this year and was walking through my studio as I painted, flipping through painting after painting for the "perfect painting" for a Wine Fest auction item. Well, this is not a comfortable scenario for me (and I think most artists!) so I told him I would "get right on that" and ushered him out of my studio door. I then pulled out a full sheet of YUPO paper, grabbed a gorgeous potted orchid & plopped it on my desk and jumped right into my fresh paint with the largest brush I could grab. Ahhhh, the right side of my brain is such a great place to go and just play...........

I love getting into the brushwork (Chinese or Asian style) of the flowers and leaves, then figuring out the design and composition as I go along. I am comfortable and stimulated by this style of painting, but it goes against what I have been taught by traditional teachers (by first doing value studies, choosing one's palette, sketches, etc). I am also finding that many of my paintings that I do in this way look similar to me. Sooooo, "is this my style or am I just in a rut?" Ooooooh! Such deep, philosophical questions..........

The Offering Basket

Well, I have finished the painting of this wonderful, elderly and quite thoughtful woman from Bali. Another lesson on 'overdoing it' with watercolor as I feel I have lost some of the freshness (or the white of the paper shining through) in her yellow robe and hands. That is SO easy to do in watercolor! I enjoy certain areas such as the free-form batik-like pattern in the top half. I like the final product of her expression also. Actually, I enjoy all of the top half! It is the bottom half that I find a bit uninteresting. Hmmmm. That may be some Freudian thought due to my own body image.......anyway....moving on for now, but you may see this thoughtful woman resurrected on a full sheet of watercolor paper, with a goal to be completed in no more than two sittings.

Off to capture some other images of Bali. What a beautiful country.

A Lesson in Bali

A painting I am working on this week. I met this woman while visiting Bali recently.
She was patiently trying to teach me to weave grass to make an offering basket. The look on her face was so peaceful, introspective and kind. I am experimenting with my own version of batiking in this painting also by applying hot wax with a tjanting (batik tool) to use as a form of resist to save some light areas of the paper. There is still wax on parts of this woman's gown. Tomorrow I will be hopefully finishing this by glazing over the gown with warm golden color and finishing her hands, face and the midsection. A fun piece so far.

In yesterday's life-drawing class there was a beautiful, full-bodied (finally!), mid-life woman posing. Well, I drew her for about an hour and then realized that I was mesmerized by the coffee cup that she had set quickly at the foot of her chair before settling into her final pose. What was with that?!? Procrastination?

I was happy with my position as the view was mostly of her back and the side of one leg. That may not sound interesting to most, but the light was quite soft, yet dramatic hitting the curves and valleys along her back and side. I find it most appealing to draw or paint someone with a fabric strategically draped. The lines, shapes and value changes in certain organic material can be as sensual as the human form. Hmmmmm, perhaps coffee cups have a sensuality also........