Here goes:  Resolution is a latin word meaning  – untying, relaxing, solution.  Act of resolving into component parts,  state of being resolved; analysis; disintegration.  Act of converting, process of being transformed, conversion into something different, substitution;   passing of discord into concord…and finally act of solving, state of being solved, solution….firm intention, determination…… I’m in, I thought to myself.  Why had I never before investigated this definition?

Until that moment I had always equated New Years resolutions with something not quite adequate about myself that needed upgrading or revamping.  My mind had touched on the obvious projects of being more fit, losing weight, eating less wheat and sugar, drinking less wine (bet you can all relate to this list), to the more personal resolutions of working on the paintings that are piling up in the corner of my studio, finishing projects that I have started, being more diligent with my yoga practise and meditation….you get the idea.  I always related unresolved issues to lack of discipline.  It ain’t necessarily so!!

If you take a look at the parts of the definition I have highlighted you may find that resolutions have absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the lack of discipline and absolutely everything to do with allowing ourselves permission to affect change in our lives.  How awesome is that ?!!  We are allowed, by the definition alone, to untie, relax, transform and set intentions with determination.  Not one of these words reflects a negative thought.  Not one of these words reflects an inadequate part of ourselves.  Resolution is merely part of our growing process.

So, as you set your resolutions tomorrow at midnight be kind to yourself.  Try to keep your resolve/intention liberating and doable….baby steps toward your goals.

Happy New Year everyone and may 2012 bring you closer to that which you seek.

I have been contemplating this word for some time now.  I have a few, small health issues that have lead me in this direction.

I have three ‘go to’ references that, when something seems out of wack, I take from the shelf and begin my investigation…..I just can’t escape my science background   The first book I refer to is Louise Hay’s “You Can Heal Your Life”.  I do this as I am usually looking for an emotional reason for the root of my issue.  In short, Louise says that my life is lacking harmony.  My next ‘go to’ reference book is my “MUDRAS – yoga in your hands” book by Gertrud Hirschi.  I research here next,  as I tend to have very good success righting myself when using the mudras she suggests for certain conditions.  Gertrude also eludes to the fact that, at this point, I require require repose and harmony.  Finally, I bring out the ‘big guns’, a book written by a doctor James Balch and a nurse, Phyllis Balch.  This book, being decidedly more scientific in nature is one still willing to consider natural solutions.  They too, refer to my disturbed inner harmony.  Wow, I think, what do they mean by harmony?  And, if I lack it, why?

If you reread the definition of harmony above….I am not so sure that a single person walking this earth posses complete harmony.  This is certainly going to require further investigation, I think to myself.   This is what I have come up with so far.

Harmony, from where I sit now, has many faces.  Harmony rules all 5 senses (or 6 depending on where you are at).  The elusive Harmony is desired by every living thing, in this world and beyond.  Just when we feel close to her, something inherently happens and she vanishes.

As an artist, I understand the role of Harmony in a painting.  Harmony is one of the Principles of Design and is more or less present depending on the ‘emotion’ an artist wishes to convey.  Colour, line, value and the other elements of design contribute to the ‘strength’ of her presence.  In art, as in music, Harmony brings unity, peace and refuge for the eye or ear.

A good curry is the ultimate in Harmony of two of the other senses – smell and taste.  Well each of us can think of many examples of things we touch every day that are in perfect harmony, we are still left wondering how the lack of Harmony in our lives can exist.  After all, if we can think of so many examples of where Harmony exists with regard to our 5 senses, how can we, as a whole, be lacking it?

As I mentioned above, an artist employs Harmony or the lack of it, to convey emotion within a painting.  Could emotion then, be the fulcrum on which Harmony pivots?

Further investigation required….

Think of a baby…now think about this definition.  Babies and young children are basically passionately curious.  What becomes of them?

I recently read a quote by none other then Albert Einstein,  “I have no special talents, I am only passionately curious”.  What an understatement!!  Where Einstein had the edge was that he never lost his child-like curiosity.

I would say that for the most part, professional artists are passionately curious.  This is what drives us all to investigate a subject so intently that we are able to portray it with the skills of a master illusionist.  Think about it for a minute.  The materials we use to craft our illusion seem rather ubiquitous.  We might use paint and canvas, wood, stone, threads or clay but with courage and effort these everyday objects become works of art.  It is our child-like curiosity that drives us to create, drives us to see what we can get away with.

We are all born passionately curious but the dog days of school, jobs and drudgery tend to drive curiosity from most of our psyches.  We get glimpses of it now and then when asked to create or to change but as Greg Morres (author of Learn Our Heart Virtues) states,  for the most part we live with mediocrity, yearning for the passion.  No need for despair, this curiosity can be rekindled!

I have been teaching regular classes for beginner/intermediate painters since the end of the summer.  I have seen my student’s fears of making ‘mistakes’ dwindle and their willingness to take chances increase.  The classes are now ‘ abuzz’ from beginning to end and the students are regularly exploring the ‘what if?’ principle, often written about by Robert Genn.  Their curiosity is definitely on the rise and they are beginning to experience the magic of the brush…..the passion found in their creative spirit.

As a whole it would be nice to see the human race reignite this part of our being….take a chance on relinquishing fears, get re-acquainted with the natural world and ask ourselves “what if?’ a whole lot more often than we do now.  Keep asking questions but above all keep curious.

I have not entered very many art competitions but every one that I have entered, save one, I have entered a painting of squash.  I just realised this today….never even thought of it before.  The funny thing is, every time I have entered a competition I have won in some category.  I wonder if this is a sign

I absolutely love squash.  I love their shapes, their variety, their colour.  I love their texture, their smell and their taste.  But most of all, I love to paint them….especially on gessoed board.  That amazingly smooth surface lends itself to the linear and textural description of the squash…pretty much any squash.

This painting to the right is called Celebrating Harvest and is one of the first paintings I entered into a juried show.  It won ‘Best In Show’ for artist not in a gallery…I was happy with that.  That was the beginning of my love affair.  Since then

A Study In Orange

I have painted a ton of squash paintings and chances are I will paint a ton more.

This little painting is a 10″ x 10″ Oil painted from a squash that I grew in my garden.  Many of the squash I paint are grown in my garden….I have a real attachment to their growth and eventual maturity.  It could be said that I baby my squash.  I have even started raising Mason bees to ensure the outcome.

This past weekend we had our vegetarian dinner club dinner at my place.  The way our club works is that the host chooses the menu, sends the recipes to the rest of the group and waits for the group to arrive on the designated night, gifts in hand.  The recipes have to be ones that no one has made before.    It is a real adventure and very satisfying on many levels.  Well, you will never guess what my theme was for this get together?…SQUASH!  Yum, not one dud recipe.  But, then why would I think there would be?  We ate squash after all.

The lowly squash has quite a history.  My friend brought a recipe book with her simply titled ‘The Squash’.  In this book is written the history, folklore and ancient recipes of the squash (and I mean ancient).

Did you know that every part of the squash is edible?…nothing goes to waste.  Did you know that ‘it has long been known for its refreshing and emollient properties, and for its use as a laxative, diuretic and sedative, as a tonic and to combat infections of the digestive tract and remedy disorders of the heart and kidneys.’  (The Squash by Arneo Nizzoli, 1996)  It has been documented for its medicinal use with acute infections such as enteritis, dysentery and typhoid fever.  It was used to fight cholera in the early 20th century and in traditional Chinese medicine  is viewed as a cleanser and anti-inflammatory, soothing coughs and bronchial asthma.  It is also said to be a potent aphrodisiac….that ought to gain some attention.  Scientists say it is because of the high concentration of potassium and magnesium that it is seen to be effective for the digestive tract.  Go figure….  This book is a gem on many levels…photography, history/trivia and of course the recipes.

All this talk of squash is making me hungry…making me want to get into my studio and pull out the cad orange!

I don’t think that I can think of a thing wherein I felt something to be truly “complete”.  Pretty much everything I can think of can or could be re-worked, tweaked, improved upon.  Things in life are simply like that.  A painting is no different.  Even when a painting is signed and hung on the wall, little niggly thoughts creep into the mind….”What if I had tried this?”  , “I wonder what would have happened if…?”   These types of questions can linger whether one is making art, playing a sport or working with your children.  In other words, living a life.

The question then arises, if nothing is actually ever complete, what is the point?  The point is the process. It is the act of doing that brings the rewards….not the end product.   How many times have you heard that one?  Too many times I would venture to say but the statement still remains relevant.

The addicting part of the making of art (yes the creation of art is very much an addiction) lies within the process.  It never ceases to amaze me the number of different ways a subject can be approached and an “almost end” can be reached.  The process or path an artist uses to paint a painting, may appear to be the same but each and every brush stroke contributes to an unique outcome.

Donald's Apples - oil on canvas - 24"x24"

This is the painting of Donald’s Apples – almost complete   I am quite happy with the outcome but will continue to see things that I might have done to improve upon the image.  I do like the ethereal nature of the piece and wanted to stop the painting process, leaving myself wondering….  This is not a bad place to end it all.

Donald's Apples

This is a critical point in the painting process….firmly establishing direction, avoiding pitfalls and educating oneself on the avoidance of bad habits….sound familiar?

I was not happy with the way the composition of the painting was going…the placement of the apples in relation to the branches of the tree.  The branches were bothering me and were competing with the apples for the viewers attention.  A change was necessary, so I decided to pick up a pencil and draw over what I had painted.  I almost never do this but  sometimes tough measures are required.

The ‘middle’ can be frustrating and require flexibility in ones desired outcome if fulfilling ones vision becomes challenging.  It is at this point in the painting process that an artist shows what they are made of.  As Bob Genn so apply put it, it is the time of “confident brushing and rational strategy”.

On the other hand, the ‘middle’ is where all the brilliance lies.  This is where insight into the subject is so helpful.  If one has an emotional and intellectual connection to what they are painting the outcome can be magical.  All one needs is to show up and be open to the infinite possibilities.

This is a pretty lousy photograph but it does show the development of the composition.  I think I am almost ready to begin developing the apples, leaves and the negative spaces.

The negative spaces, those ‘empty’ spaces between objects are the most fun to paint.  I love to see how creative I can get with these spaces and try to develop them in support of the ‘main character’ or centre of interest.

“One Man Band” TDN

Although we as artists are influenced by other artists, the world around us and our interests, ultimately it is the vision and skill that we posses that leads us to a satisfying end to the whole process.

Coming soon….”Almost The End”…

TDN is a relatively cheesy group from the 60s that wrote tunes to remind us about living, about life.  For some strange reason, sometimes I need to listen to their tunes just to remind me of the process of life….go figure.

I have been thinking about this blog post for some time now.  I have been realising that the process of building a painting is frightfully similar to the process involved in building a life.  As I write about one of the many methods for building a painting, I invite you to relate the process to the building of a life….perhaps your own life.

IN THE BEGINNING

Infinite Possibilities - the blank slate so to speak

“Easy To Be Hard” TDN.

Yep, a blank slate can be formidable.  For some, it is down right intimidating.  Some have coined the phrase “White Paper/Canvas Fright” just to describe their trepidation.  Others however, look at this blank space and their thoughts begin to whirl with all of the possibilities.  This can be equally intimidating I do believe.

For myself, each painting starts with an inclination…an inspiration…a desire.  Depending on this inclination or desire, I will either go outside to “discover” a painting or will look through photographs until something hits the ‘right’ chord.  I rarely ‘wing’ it.   Once I have found the subject I wish to paint, I will consider the best medium for the job and the best support for that medium. The support is chosen for suitability.

Now, the fun begins!

“Sure As I’m Sittin Here” TDN

There, in front of you, sits a support on which you will make your mark…sometimes brilliantly, sometimes with mediocrity and sometimes with downright blundering.  No matter, it can always be fixed!

This support has been prepared…primed and is now ready for the ground/under painting.  The under painting is suitable for all media and can be either cool or warm in nature, can be either subtle or bold…..your choice.  An under painting adds to the harmony of your work.

“Never Been To Spain” TDN

There are an infinite number of ways to approach this primed support.  Some artists are very calculated in their approach while others are ruled by their intuition.  Most working artists believe in having a plan but there are some that take their plan seriously while others are willing to go with the flow.  A thumbnail sketch is almost always part of this initial plan.  The thumbnail helps to set the composition and values in the artist’s mind.  Some artists paint directly from their desired thumbnail, never looking at a reference – ie. photograph.

“The Family Of Man”  TDN

If I had to divide artists into two categories (glad I don’t have to), I would say half are shy and reserved and the other half are bold and determined.  Luckily no artist is ‘married’ to their category and can change any time they see fit.

Because of these different approaches the first brush strokes the artist makes can be quite unique.  Some paintings are started by drawing in the subject, others by painting in the dark shapes and developing the painting by creating positive and negative shapes.

The beginning of 'Donald's Apples' - in oil

The painting to the right shows what I mean.  This is the beginning of a painting of apples in a tree.  The photograph was taken by a friend of mine and is therefore emotionally more detached from me but I love the photo so decided to paint it.  My under painting is mostly cool in nature and low key.

Donald's Apples - a couple of layers in

Here, I am trying to set the composition and deciding if I like the composition of the photograph.  As it turns out, I did change a few things which you will see in my next post.  Sometimes even the perfection of Nature can have perceived flaws….this comes from not being able to look at the ‘whole’, as in the whole tree.  Time to adjust to fit circumstance.

That is it for “The Beginning”.  Stay tuned for “The Middle”….

Recently, two major Vancouver art galleries closed their doors.  These galleries were not small businesses but major, world-famous affairs.   Chris’s article , which you can read online by searching Chris Tyrell Opus Newsletter, is an opinion letter on the disappearance of exhibition venues for artists of all stripes and the consequences of this….galleries, it seems, may be going the way of the dinosaurs in many locals.

Unpredictable stock markets, rising unemployment and expensive commercial real estate are contributing to this trend but as Chris points out in his article, so too are direct sales festivals, charity art auctions and “vanity galleries”.  He also points out that government cutbacks, on all levels, are hitting the arts community hard, further compounding the problem.  Do check out his article so that you can read his thoughts on the direct consequence to the creative spirit.

Musee D'Orsay, Paris

I personally love visiting galleries.  I love the up close and personal viewing of major works of art.  I love the atmosphere, the intimacy and the emotional experience.  If galleries do go the way of the dinosaur the most accessible public venue for viewing original works might well be the graffiti on the sides of buildings in the dark alleys of our major cities.

I do realize that the chances of publicly funded galleries, such as the Orsay or the National Gallery, disappearing is highly unlikely but local galleries might not be so lucky.  Local galleries fill a void that is necessary for cultural pursuit and for those of us that are unable to fly say, to Paris.

Willing participants, Musee D'Orsay, Paris

If gallery representation is to become obsolete then one is left with what?

I personally find it challenging to ‘direct sale’ my own work.  It is very time consuming.  It makes it difficult to make time to paint.  Besides painting, an artist must now be  at least marginally competent at using the computer, must be a photographer, printer, book-keeper, marketing expert, a distributor, shipper, teacher (and student), historian, writer and somewhat versed in the law.  Whew, that is more than anyone counted on.  Gone are the days of the Impressionists where the painting day passed out in a field or beside a brook, in a garden or on a city street, painting until the light was spent….. after which a good time was had by all in the local establishment:)  In our time frame, many of us are trying to make a living through the ‘direct sales and art actions’ as Chris describes and it is becoming increasingly more difficult to do so.

It remains to be seen how these new trends might affect the free reign of the creative spirit and the development of the ‘new kids on the block’.  Only time will tell.

View From Our Roof Top

As I have said before, there really isn’t a place quite like the south of France.

This picture is the view from the roof top of our little hotel, Hotel Dianna.  The St. Jeannet peaks can be seen rising above the valley floor that holds in it’s arms the lovely little winery of the same name.

The days are so hot that mist surrounds any land of even the most modest elevation and the Mediterranean Sea appears to be steaming as it is baked by the sun.  From our little roof top we can see  the walled Roman village of Vence and beyond that the Sea.  This is the most perfect place for a painting trip, for soooooo many reasons.

The lovely thing about a painting trip is that you are immersed in a community, experiencing first hand the art, food and culture of the area in which you do your work.  And, to top it all off, you get to hang out with other artists.  What could be better than that.  For a couple of hundred years or more,  France has lured painters to hang out together and to paint their experience.

Wine Curing - St. Jeannet Winery

The thing about the south is that although you may be surrounded by  millions of people and almost as many cars, you do not get the sense that the “locals” are in a rush, stressed, have deadlines or are over-worked.  If they are, they are not about to show that side of their lives.  As soon as you land on the ground you are pulled into their life style…. a life style full of music, good food and wine, friendship and yes, art.  Art is everywhere!!  You cannot walk 10 meters without experiencing a piece of art.  You’ll either be walking on it, sitting on it, eating it, drinking it, wearing it or just plain looking at it.  The only rush you will be experiencing is the rush to paint as many of the things you are experiencing as possible before you have to leave…..your senses are in overload.

There is sculpture

Markets

Flowers

and

People

…..

Having a camera to record ones experiences is marvelous.  It helps to jog the memory and gives plenty of material to work from once back in your own studio.  However, nothing is quite like painting right there… on the spot.

For all of you would-be travellers, make your next stop the south of France.  You will not be disappointed.

Nice Open Market - France

Nice Market

Hot and Spicy

Nice From Above

As you can see, I don’t really know how to insert images into my post   What I do know though, is that  this place is irresistible to artists.

These pictures come from the over 40,000 pictures taken by my husband.  Yes, you read that correctly, 40K.  I have a life time of material to paint from but can’t resist painting on location!

In this previously unfamiliar place, we found adventure, colour, heat, friends, possibilities….each other.  I don’t believe that there is another place quite like the south of France.  Yes, there are beautiful places, warm places, friendly places but this place adds history, class and  the divine, to the mix.  It is mostly indescribable.

I am off to paint in this glorious spot.  I am searching for more interesting backgrounds and more loosely painted paintings.  I am also in search of friends, good wine, good food and adventure.  I promise

Gourdon - France

to keep a good journal and will write about my wonderful experiences upon my return.  Until then!