Mid Summer Dreams

It's the middle of summer and I'm getting ready for my Montana vacation next week (yay!) Well, mentally ready I guess.

Nothing says summer like bugs sitting on daisies!

I took this photo when Jason and I visited upstate New York. I believe we were in a town called Roseboom (love that!). I took my camera out and captured a couple of images of that peaceful place. I still use a 35mm camera and it's so freakin' heavy to carry around and I'm sans lens cap right now. You'd think I'd run out and get another, but it's not that easy! I'm starting to have a difficult time finding film! But it's funny because when I do get my pictures developed and show them to some people, more than one person has told me that they miss looking at photos this way. What a difference to hold a photo or look at it on photo paper vs. someones digital camera. Now, I know some of you out there have some rockin' monitors - but do you miss just flipping through an actual stack of pictures? Or a photo album?

Boardwalk on the Marsh Trail Parker River Reservation

Newburyport MA

This is one of my favorite spots to bird watch. Lots of different species of waterfowl as well as songbirds congregate here and make a racket! I was here on the day that they finally "capped" the well in the Gulf of Mexico. And it makes me think that I should keeping a record of what these places look like to me when I am here. I mean, we can all admit that humans have continuously altered this planet we're on. And there's no way that New England looks like it did 100 years ago. (which was a farm land - stripped!) or 200 hundred years ago.

Still life with Skull, Bottles and Vegetables

Watercolor 8x10

Another still life with the skull. T and I did Wednesday night creativity last night and I thought that we should revisit the skull. I think that I need to spend more time on these paintings. I don't know if I'm thrilled with this one. Again, the bottle in back is glass, the one in front is a ceramic but could you tell the difference? My issue is texture and still trying to work with it. I think next time I'm going to do a still life with only glass. Superstar challenge. And that I can't use what we're having for dinner as the still life. Get some pizzas and make it easy.

Next week I'll be in Montana!! On a dude(ette) ranch http://www.bonanzacreekcountry.com/ woo hoo! I plan to take a ton of pictures with my heavy 35mm and bring a sketch book! I'm so excited!!!

Working hard or Hardly working?

Well, since I'm sitting in the office in Cambridge, and writing on my blog, I'm going to say that right now... I'm hardly working. In fact, I'd much rather be here:

Parker River Reservation, Plum Island, Newburyport MA

photo taken 7/15/10

I was here last Thursday ( I went out to the Dead Weather show on Wednesday and felt I needed to sleep in and go to the beach!) This has to be one of my favorite spots on the planet. With all the talk about the oil slick that's going on, I look at the beach now and think will this change in my lifetime? Should I be taking a documentary of all my favorite spots before they are wiped out by oil or the Asian Spotted Beetle or just plain human development? This particular spot is a wildlife reservation in Newburyport MA and you have to get there fairly early in order to get in as there's only so many cars to be let through the gate. It's a wonderful place to bird watch and I did get some of that in too. Unfortunately, there are the greenheads. They are the nastiest biting flies. Big and they hurt when they bite you! And the little buggers are tough! I would smack one on my shoulder as it was feasting on me, it would then fall, shake it off and fly away! Needless to say I was wearing more bug spray than sunscreen that day!

But then when I get home then I'm working hard!! People still ask me where do you find the time for all this? I tell them: "I don't have time, I MAKE the time." And it helps when I don't have a computer or cable TV to distract me.

Boylston Black and White

black watercolor 5"x7"

This is the beginning of another painting of Boylston, my friend's cat. Unfortunately Boylston passed away earlier this year. I've already done a pet portrait for my friend but he gave me a ton of reference photos so I've been doing a Boylston series if you will. I'm not sure that he or his wife is obsessed enough about this cat in order to get all the paintings that I've done, but then again, that's not why I'm doing them. Practice practice practice.

"Snackin' Duo"

Watercolor 5"x7"

This was for the winner of my gift certificate that I had donated to the Animal Rescue House http://www.rescuehouse.org out in Los Angeles. I call it "Snackin' Duo" because in the reference photo she had to hold a cookie in her hand to get the attention of both pets looking the same way. In the photo, her hands still there but of course we took that out and left their cute faces!

"Eva"

5"x7" watercolor

Eva's owner was the winner of my gift certificate donated to the Friends For Tomorrow program http://www,friendsfortomorrow.org. This is a place where both physically and mentally challenged kids can have the opportunity to experience the therapeutic benefits through horseback riding. If you've ever ridden a horse, even at the walk, you know thrilling it can be! I love little Eva's face. She looks a lot like Oliver, a dog that my family had back in the late 80s.

Speaking of horses, 10 more days and I'll be dude ranchin' in Montana. Oh my, I can't wait!!!!

Hot July Tuesday

Krypto

5"x7" watercolor

So last night I met with Layla, a woman who wants to learn how do to watercolors and wants me to teach her. WOW! I've never ever done this before. So I went online and did a little research and read a blog about a woman who teaches a workshop, just so I could get an idea of what to teach first. I want to be the best teacher and help this woman to learn the steps of watercolor from A to Z. And if you are an artist, you know that the first thing that makes a great painting is all the prep that you put into it. Such as, good supplies, color knowledge and composition. Well, when I walked in and started talking to Miss Layla, she said, "What shall we draw first?" and "I want to paint JUST LIKE YOU". While that may be flattering, I don't want to be copied and told her so!

So I had her sit down with me and we worked on doing wet in wet gradations. Making that color to the white space a soft transition vs. a hard line. I did give her a little lesson in paper. Quality watercolor paper is SO important. I prefer Arches 100% cotton 140lb coldpress. This is the best on the market. She had some tablets and pads and I brought an Arches tablet just to let her feel the difference between the Arches and the others. Just a side note: she did have a pad by Strathmore that was so smooth it was a crime to call in watercolor paper. That sh*t will buckle the second you put any water on it. But I told her to save it for other projects. Can't waste it, can we?

I want to post pictures, but like a dummy didn't take any. I will next time. Thing is, Layla says she's embarrassed by wanting to learn watercolors (WTF?????) She says that she's too "old" to be learning and that she doesn't want to tell people. This just struck me as very odd. I said things like "Too old? Never!" and "Lots of people pick up new things to do when they retire! There's nothing to be embarrassed about." Because Lord knows, I'm going to be telling everyone haha!

In the mean time, I've been working on my gift certificate winners and trying to work on more stuff for my own portfolio. I haven't sent a newsletter out since *yikes* last Christmas!? that's bad! But then I don't have a whole lot to share, not even new artwork. I just feel that I'm rehashing my old pieces and I can't be doing a whole lot of marketing when I have nothing new to market. At least that's my feeling.

However, you should go over to the Canine Art Guild website http://www.canineartguild.com/gallery/ and vote for your favorite piece in the Here Kitty Kitty art show. I have 3 pieces presented but you should definitely vote for your favorite.

Speaking of kitties.............

Here's a picture of Sweet Misty, my sister's cat who had her 5 babies on Sunday night. SO CUTE! I can't wait to go and look at them! Of course J is very nervous about me going over there and made me promise that I wouldn't bring another cat home. We already have a kitty but sometimes I think she needs a buddy. Our condo is pretty small and I do fear 2 cats might make it a bit stinky.... but they're sooo cute!

Hot hot hot

Well, it's officially summer and it's pretty freakin' hot out. But you don't hear me complaining! I feel if you're complaining about the weather, well, then your life must be pretty damn good. Besides, just wait in 40 years when it'll be hot like this everyday. Are you ready to give up oil yet?

So get this: I received a call from a woman who wanted ME to give HER lessons on watercoloring! HA! I've never done this before, so talk about an adventure!! I'm in Holliston all this week playing single mom with my nephews while my sister is in the Philippines (business) so we're meeting next Monday. I'm still trying to figure out how I'm going to approach this.... stay tuned!

Remember a couple of posts ago I did a painting of Bo, the golden, whose owner had won my gift certificate? Well, if you do you'll remember how much of a time (grrr!) I was having to get those colors right.... Here's the final product:

"Bo"

5"x7" watercolor and colored pencil

Not bad, huh? Sometimes those colored pencils really come in and save my day. I do believe sometimes I use them as a crutch and should shake them but I. just. can't.

So to help you cool down, here's a picture I took last February in Epson NH. I love winter. :)

Happy Fathers Day

Okay so first, HOW CUTE IS THIS PICTURE? haha! This pair's owner won my gift certificate through the Rescue House auction out in California. This is the photo we agreed to use, but I will omit the snack hand and try to bring their heads a little closer together. But I just had to show you....


So yes, I know Father's day was about 10 days ago, but I was too busy with my life to get it together to make my dad's card until this past week. So I made a little book of all the ways you can say Happy Fathers Day accompanied by a cute illustration. My dad has always said he likes my cartoony drawings best, so that's usually what I'll do.

First we went to Mexico and saw the Chihuahua family:

Dia de Padre Feliz!

then we went to Russia

My keyboard doesn't have the keys to type Happy Father's day in Russian so I'll just spell it out:

Askdjf;alkjsd F;askukawern Fopiuyqweknrpiofu

Then we went to Germany and what says Happy Father's Day more than sausages and beer???

Glucklicher Vatertag!

And then we went to France!! (I don't really like how "dad's" face came out but anyway)
Jour de Peres Heureux!

So there you go. Now back to the studio to work on the portrait of the snack masters!

Reality Check

So I think that I've always been pretty green, I re-use my water bottle at the gym, I bring my own bags to the grocers and we do recycle EVERYTHING. I'm also one of those people who believes if it works, like my cell phone or my TV, why toss it? Sure I'd love to have a iPhone or a jazzy LCD (and it would save so much room) but why fill the landfills? But then I took a quiz on NDRC's Simple Steps website (http://www.simplesteps.org) and I'm addicted to oil! We all are!

The Exxon spill that happened in Alaska, I was a senior in high school, and yes I was upset, but I still kept cruising to the beach with my friends. Unfortunately, if it's out of sight, it's out of mind. I see what's happening now in the Gulf of Mexico and I weep every time I see another image on the TV screen. The reality is we really don't know the damage yet, and things won't ever be back to normal. How could this have happened? We can sit and blame and blame and blame but it's not going to solve the problem of our addiction to oil. I remember my dad once telling me, "Chris, you can't be guilty for being a human." And I replied, "Maybe so, but I'm guilty of being an American." And you know, the Celtics lost the NBA Finals last night. All of Boston was super gloomy because of it and I'm thinking, "Really? This is the first thing on your mind?"

What can I do? I'm just me, painting kitties and puppies and listening to my music and trying to enjoy myself while I'm here. What can I do? I feel so small. What can I do? I took public transportation to work today. What can I do? I shut my computer off when I leave work and cut the light switches off that everyone leaves on. What can I do? *sigh*

I bought some Tshirts from Threadless (http://www.threadless.com) before and then saw this one:

so I had to get it. Anything to support the big ass clean up that we should all be involved in. Then I read about this woman who is running a blog of sketches to raise money for the clean up. The art work is only $10 a piece and all proceeds go to the clean up. I'm thinking of doing something similar. I know I have pictures of pelicans somewhere from my visits to South Carolina..... Anyway if you want to visit her site and donate go here: http://ripplesketches.blogspot.com . I've contacted Kelly myself and asked how my own art can be helpful. (And have donated to the cause directly).

And here's a beautiful before and after shot of a pelican. If you've ever dealt with a wild critter, you can only imagine how hard it must have been to clean this bird!

So then I read something that @charmfx had wrote on Twitter and it really hit home with me. It was: "When disaster strikes, when times are uncooperative, those are opportunities for creativity to remind all of us who we are."

Dutchess

8x10" watercolor

Dutchess' owner won my gift certificate that I had donated for the Gifford Cat Shelter. She loves her kitty so much, that she put the gc for a 5x7" painting towards a larger 8x10" painting. What a pretty kitty :)

As Obama said, "The time for change is now!" Please please please, when you leave the room, shut the lights off. When you ask for another drink at the bar, tell your server you'd be fine with using the same glass. My fear is that the oil drilling will become more dangerous, more expensive and make us behind the times with the rest of the world. If we don't change our ways, then we all suffer.

Now, shut the computer off and go for a bike ride. It's beautiful out.

the Mass MoCA and other artists... they fuel the fire

Last weekend was a full one for sure. Lightning bugs, a close call with a porcupine, shots of Don Julio and contemporary art. What else could a girl ask for on her birthday?

Saturday, whilst J & J went fishing, R,B & myself went to the Mass MoCA http://massmoca.org/. The MoCA is in the (not so lovely but getting better) town of North Adams MA. A stone's throw from both the NY & VT borders. The building itself used to be a huge factory for Sprague Electric that, unfortunately, did a lot environmental damage when they were there. But NOW it's a funky, Eco-friendly HUGE roomed building with some permanent collection but mostly rotating shows. Hence the reason why I have to go at least once a year. Big installation pieces, huge paintings and sometimes you're in awe, other times you say to yourself "What the hell were they thinking?" and I'll admit there have been times when I just don't get it. Anyway let's talk about what I saw:

Dante's Inferno (Black Cloud)

Petah Coyne

Untitled 1903 (Buddah Boy)

Petah Coyne

Detail of Untitled 1103 (Daphne)

Petah Coyne

These are just 3 of the pieces that they had from Petah Coyne's exhibit "Everything That Rises Must Converge". I wiki'd Ms. Coyne and found that she is an American Artist born in Oklahoma and now lives in NYC and has "forever changed the muscular practices of sculpture with new interest in nature, painstaking craftsmanship, domestic references and psychological metaphor".- (from the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art.) And hell, they're not kidding. She uses horse hair, wax, acrylic paint, human hair and taxidermy pieces (and other things ... too long to list) as her medium. Just looking at these pieces, some as big as 7 feet across - some bigger - you can see the attention to detail, the research of light, the beauty of nature, the darkness of death... it's all there. So awesome.

We also saw some BIG installation pieces one which took up 2 galleries on 2 floors. The artist's name is Wade Kavanaugh and his website is http://www.stripedcanary.com/index.html. I wasn't able to get his pictures on here, but go to his website and you will know what I mean when I say I was impressed! His exhibit was part of a group show called "Material World". The MoCA asked 7 artists to come in and take advantage of the huge rooms and beautiful natural light that the building has to offer. Mr. Kavanaugh's piece was walking through a paper forest of trees. Some toppled over, some you could see yourself under reading a book. And as I looked closer to the piece, or a piece of the piece if you will, you could see more nature, flowers and other images in the paper. Like trying to find images in a cloud.

What I really appreciate about art like this is that it's LIGHT that is the subject and they are all using different mediums to capture it, alter it, project it. Really, if you are in New England this summer (or anytime really) go to the MOCA!!! I can't say enough about it.

It's also Friday and I love Fridays on Twitter because it's also #FF (follow Friday) and I get to find all these new artists. One I'd like to mention is Sebastian Chillemi. http://sebastiananibalchillemi.blogspot.com/

"Vendido"

Sebastian Chillemi

I've only looked at his blog and paintings and they're so great! Of course, it's in Spanish and I haven't hit the "translate bar" so I can't say much about it but I suggest you pay him a visit.

So all this talk about art, looking at other people's creations.... well, it just fuels my fire to get going on what I want to do. Which ideally is to quit this office job and do art. But, alas, that is a very difficult jump for me so I'll just continue to create as much as I can.

"Corgi in Black and White" 2006

5 x 7" watercolor

So I think rather than go to Wachusett bird watching tomorrow I may just stay home and do some work. I really have been neglecting my Creative Every Day challenge and living more like Creative Every Other Week, which is not good. Shayden's portrait is done and will be sent out tomorrow as well as my gift certificate donation to @kittenrescue and my application for Arts in the Park in Charlestown, MA. I have yet to do a show this year, which means that I'm enjoying my time off but feel that I should be doing them because isn't that what I bought the minivan for? Oh and I have a question for you.... I am calling myself a watercolor artist, yet some of my pieces are watercolor and colored pencil. Most are 90% watercolor and some are less. So should I be calling myself a mixed media artist?? Whenever I hear mixed media, all I think of is collages and all sorts of mediums thrown into the mix. What do you think?