Za Vue Workshop

I just signed up for Za Vue's workshop which will take place at the end of May.  Lord knows I need it.  I've painted with Za a couple of times at Studio-30 and she was so helpful and knowledgable.  Im really looking forward to the workshop.

Oil 10 x 8

Still struggling with color and values.  And aren't these the two things most important in painting?  If you can get these two things down right, I believe that you're half way there! Oh yeah, and then you can work on line, shape, contrast, balance, rhythm...oh my.  I'm getting a headache!

The other day I opened the egg carton to make some breakfast and what did I see but this frightened fellow screaming at the top of his little lungs.  And what was he shouting?

My lovely daughter has struck again.  And you know, I didn't have the will to hurt him so with lid closed he returned to the fridge.....maybe later when I get hungrier.

Back to Work

The world has been spinning around me at a fantastic pace for quite a while now.  As this spinning begins to subside, I look around and see that many things have been neglected.  Blogging is one of them.  I have failed to write about the wonderful and artistically rich area in which I now live.

Here are a few of the drawings from open studios over the past few months.  I like Hipbone Studio and I also like Oregon Society of Artists.  Working in a studio with a live model rules!!  It is a special time.

Blue Scarf

Oil 15 X 11

Last night, I had the pleasure and honor to paint with a great group of artists at Studio 30 in Portland.  They all had such a professional demeanor and they made me feel so welcome I was overcome.  If you have a chance to visit this studio you will not be disappointed.

Hello Oregon

Well, it seems that I have begun a new life in the beautiful state of Oregon.  The arduous task of selling the house in Michigan and relocating took it's toll on me.  I found a few great places that have live models.  Hopefully I will find many more locations with opportunities to draw and paint.  I feel so out of it now because I have devoted so little time to my art as of late.  Time to dive back into the thick of things and hopefully stay focused.

I just love quick sketches.

I had so much trouble getting the model's face right.

Yup...... a bad day for drawing the head!

Pre-Dawn Thoughts

Cobie ready for his run
He scouts the area for possible targets

The sun has not yet shown his face.  With hands folded on my chest, I am lying here in the cool darkness of morning.  Thoughts run through my mind and I wonder what it is that I would be doing if I could do anything that I wanted.  I think about other people; the famous ones who have thousands of photo flashes illuminating their faces.  Are they happy?  What do they do when they are not on exhibit before the masses?  If camera flashes are a measure of one’s existence, then it appears to be a very hollow existence. 

But the question again returns: with what would I like to fill my life?  This is what I have been pondering of late and it seems that I have narrowed it down to two general categories.  One is in the area of play; the freedom to be able and to have the means and time to do whatever I want, when I want to do it.  But how do you define play?  I think I just did, at least for me: “freedom to be able and to have the means and time to do whatever I want, when I want to do it”. 

But wouldn’t this be likened to just killing time?  If there is no purpose connected to the act of playing, what good does it do?  Yes there must also be a purpose thrown into this mix. This brings me to the second general category of what I would like to fill my life with: helping others.  Helping others makes me feel useful.  It brings me pleasure when others around me are happy and smiling. 

There are many ways to help others.  You can help financially, physically lending a hand with some chore or even just a smile or an encouraging word.  Producing goods that people can purchase to save them time or to bring them enjoyment is also a way of helping.  As I see it, the problem for me is to find a way to play that also helps others in some way.  Whatever I endeavor to do must be financially sustainable.  I need to make enough money playing, so that I can help others.  This in turn, supplies the motivation and desire to play some more. 

For me, just sipping a pina colada on the beach under an umbrella doesn’t make it.  The journey on the way to the beach that tired me out in the first place is what makes the umbrella and the drink so satisfying.  Without the sweat of achievement, the reward is empty.  Like ying complements yang, so does effort complement reward.  

Now that I’ve pretty much laid out the objective, it’s time to devise a plan.  I must formulate a way to make play profitable.  But how can I do it?  Answering this question will take me to the next plateau in my journey.  

Presently there are two areas that I enjoy working in (ouch did I say work). Not including eating breakfast, one is writing and the other painting or drawing.  My immediate goal is to write and paint or draw every day until they become second nature to me; until they become as natural as, dare I say it, eating breakfast.  This goal might be realized or it may lead to new and different goals.  And this is all right.  It doesn’t matter how I get down the road to the beach.  With the proper amount of sweat and effort, that umbrella and pina colada will be mighty refreshing.  

Tell the Story

It is ironic that while a visual artist is in the business of producing images he or she is endeavoring to grasp something that is quite elusive: something that dwells in an invisible world.  The portrayal of emotions, ideas and desires is the necessary target; the painted image is merely the vehicle to express this invisible idea. 

Isn’t it interesting how autos are depicted in television commercials; radiantly happy individuals racing up winding picturesque mountain roads with the wind blowing through their hair.  You won’t see them stuck in traffic on a sweltering summer day or thumping down a road of pot-holes after the spring thaw. 

They’re not selling the car but rather they’re selling a romantic vision of you enjoying what the car might possibly be able to offer.  And people ultimately buy, not the car but the vision.

In a like manner, viewers are not captivated by the paint on a canvas.  They are captivated by what it represents to them.  The painting could be a financial investment, a status symbol or a good color match for the décor of a room.  It could be reminiscent of a familiar place or person.

This is perhaps why it has been so difficult for me as an artist to find subjects to paint, why I agonize over the composition or why I go for extended periods without painting anything.  I search for some subject that will resonate within me.  But, I now believe that this approach is flawed. 

Everything in this world has a story to tell, for all things are unique and beautiful in their own right.  It becomes my job to search out what that message is and to convey it to the best of my ability.  Hopefully, even with my limited ability I will be able to grasp a glimmer of its story. 

C.M. with drum and beater

You see, I am merely a storyteller and colored pigments are my words.  My ultimate goal therefore is to tell a story in a way that will move the viewer; it is in essence that I improve and become the best storyteller that I can be.

MC visited us again last week and graced us with stories and smiles.  He sported his kilt and played the drum.  By the way, MC is an artist himself.  He makes a nifty little aid which helps you judge values (the Value Viewer).  This is a link to his site.

Ah - The Good Old Summertime

Where does the time go?  Summer arrived and ushered in a slew of distractions.  Distractions are always present in one form or another but sometimes it seems that they team up for a concentrated assault. 

I have been suffering a dry spell as of late.  It is tough to stir up enthusiasm and dive into a project.   The blog goes without a post.  Production is near a standstill.  I envy those dedicated souls who can work through any obstacles and paint every day in spite of them. 

But I won’t give up.  Sooner or later I’ll pry distractions’ nasty fingers from my throat and find myself painting with passion once more. 

The other day I found myself in front of a live model; finally a break in the lull!  Is the worm turning?  Will things now be getting back to normal?  What a joy it was to be back at the easel.  The drawing flowed effortlessly.  It was one of those happy times when you watch in amassment as the drawings appear on their own right in front of you.

I suppose it is similar to how golfers relate to their sport.  They speak of the disheartening anguish they feel hitting 19 sub-par shots in a row.  Then, that 20^th shot rockets perfectly off the club head and lands in the middle of the fairway.  The euphoria they feel will carry them through the upcoming pitfalls until that next perfect shot. 

Oil on board  4" X 5"

Will drawing always be an emotional roller coaster for me like it is for the golfers or will practice eventually bring me to a point where I am virtually always in charge?  I have my doubts.  I think real life points toward the roller coaster scenario. 

A friend once wrote me “but for great sadness there can be no great joy.”  If we carry this idea to art we could say “but for great failures there can be no great success.”  Yes I’m sure that in one way or another, in the long term, it will be a great ride.  Tighten your seat belt and hang on; the coaster is rolling!