Previews: Stay Tuned for These Future Blogs

The paper mosaic at left is a depiction of the children. A reflection of where my blogs will go. I have tried to go through my mental calendar for the next 6 months and see what could possibly be happening that would be interesting to a reader. With my youngest of two children going to college (in Golden, Colorado)in the fall I anticipate many changes.
1. What is outside the studio window? What is stimulating and what is distracting?
2. The differences in working in my studio at home and working in the studio/gallery space I rent and share. It is open to the public.
3. How to talk to visitors in the open studio.
4. Preparing for the group show in early June.
5. Picking pieces to exhibit in the show.
6. Stress of producing pieces with a deadline and a high school graduation and company from out of town.
7.What to wear for painting at home, grocery shopping, and painting in gallery/studio public space. Seems silly, but I think about it everyday.
8. How I designed my year old home studio. The books I used for reference and inspiration.
9. Which artists do I get inspiration from? Where do I find reference photos of their work?
10. How I file ideas in my "morgue." When did I start that habit? How do I edit?
11. What to listen to while painting. Sounds I paint by.
12. When pets of the feline variety want to help paint.
13. How teenagers coming home for lunch change the atmosphere. How it doesn't change when they aren't here.
14.The rhythm of the day.
15. Coping as preparations are underway to take my son to college.
16. Coming home without him.
17. Strategies for being new empty nesters.
18. Lease is up in September. Is the public studio space worth the investment?
19. Incorporating my aesthetics, lots of pattern and color into landscape paintings and other realist subject matter.
20. Going through photos of trips to look for reference shots.

Pattern Becomes Lumpy After Dark Art Retreats

All of the positive comments about pattern have reinforced what I probably already knew, "Do what you want to do. Be true to you."
There is a point in every painting where I stop and wonder if I am finished. This usually happens when I have just completed an area I am very happy with. The fear of ruining what I have just achieved is watching me. This is Art's dark side. He sits in the corner and taunts me. He is filled with doubt. He is going to expose me as a fraud, I will be found out.
Then days later I remember I can paint over it if I don't like it. This stewing period brings back sanity, I shoo the dark Art out of the studio, out of the car, and away for the time being. The evaluating has ended and the action can begin again. Happy Art who brings flowers and smiles has returned and is quietly reading his favorite book in the corner of the studio.
Wow, sounds like psychosis with a capital PSY.

Posting a Profile

I have finally posted a profile. I had resisted posting one afer receiving two creepy inquiries about paintings over the Christmas holidays. This caused me to back off of the internet.
Putting a photo on my profile is most frustrating, I take truly terrible pictures so opted for the paper mosaic self portrait. IF anybody can give me pointers on taking good portraits, good self portraits they will be my new best friend. I produced a huge yearbook for an affluent elementary school for 5 years. In that time I learned to take good photos of people of all ages, but I am still, myself, most unkind to cameras. I believe a large part of who I am is in motion. I should be talking, moving, moving my hands while I talk. Hmmm so photos of me should be blurry.
I realize I should also have a photo of Art in my profile or somewhere on my blog. If you have read my profile you will understand this statement. I need to get him camera ready so we can, together, have a photo-op.
(In photo see my first best friend, my sister, Lesley on the left. On the right, my first stint as a flower girl.)

German Lumpy is Loompy

Lumpy walks across the German fields and into my painting. He is a midsize dog living in Bad Liebenstein, Germany. His name in German and in my memory is pronounced Loompy. I always find it helpful to know how to pronounce names even when I read them silently to myself. Maybe that is from years of reading aloud as a mom or librarian. Well, regardless, I am working on pieces for the June gallery show in Sanford. We need new work to exhibit. No pressure, to create and be fresh and original. So I started a painting using a photo I took of Lumpy. He is my model, since I don't want to be anatomically correct, I have taken artistic license and given him a sex change. I was going to put a quote I find hilarious on the top of the painting, I guess this becomes an illustration at that point, does it? The quote by Groucho Marx is "Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read." As you can see I tend to fill every inch of my pieces with detail. An empty space seems lacking. So here I am on the verge of filling every square inch with pattern or letters or something when an artist friend says,"that is a good painting as it is." Oh no terror in my heart, stop painting, no fill space, stop painting, no fill space with somebody else's witticisms. This artist's dilemma.

How to blog 101

I have signed up for a class on creative, scintillating, exhilerating blogging. I need some pointers and direction and here, to the rescue, the artbizcoach, Alyson Stanfield, http://artbizblog.com and creative nomad,Cynthia Morris, http://journeyjuju.com. Sound like the perfect teachers to me.
Who am I trying to direct my blog to? I would love for my friends and family to tune in and see what is going on in the creative part of my brain. Potential collectors, galleries and customers for illustration (possibly in publishing or art directors)are an audience I am trying to reach too. Living near or far isn't an issue to me with the technology available. A gallery on the other side of the world would be an interesting challenge for shipping, but doable. Creating a dialogue with or receiving comments from these readers would be interesting and help fill the silence when I post things.
So many people have little time to surf the net so I would like to offer a good short read and a visual to go with it for the readers in a hurry. I really enjoy writing so would like to add an asterisk and something creative for anybody with a cup of coffee or glass of wine and some "down" time. A daily painting could be part of this too. The first blogs I did were based on the journal pieces I was working on.
I think that is the answer to blogging 101, question 1, part 1 and part 2. Sure helps to think this through and put it down in writing.

It has been a long time

It has been such a long time...I have since moved into a space at Gallery on First in Sanford, FL. http://www.galleryonfirst.com A place to work and show the work. People come through to see the art in the main gallery, Jeanine Taylor Folk Art, then find themselves wandering the perimeter to see the studios and working artists. Seems like a win win. I am sharing the space with Dan Tashlin, a very talented realist painter. Who is also a very nice man. The other artists are very supportive and have made me feel very welcome. Their families have even stopped in Studio 3 to say hello and introduce themselves.
I have done some new work being in this energy filled place. And somehow I have found myself back with the fat ladies on the beach. I am doing small paint sketches and working toward some larger pieces for the opening on June 6 where we all show our new work that has been hidden from the public during its creation.

Self publishing

Anybody know anything about this? In my research I see there are lots of places that can help you print your books, get an ISBN number, get a copyright, distribute through Amazon and send your books to you in a week. AS W said, now you have to sell them. He always has a way of seeing through the fog and getting to the point. I have wispy cloud filled dreams of sitting before a crowd of adoring children with Melvin on their lips, chanting for more of his adventures. Hmmm seems very similar to the dreams I had of being a librarian.
If you want to comment please write me at my email address printed on the right side of the column. Click on it and it will take you directly to my email.

Moleskin live feed

That is a bizarre title and if somebody hasn't been following this story-line they would be sure this is a hunting/ animal torture site. The opening of the moleskin journal/Sketchbook project in Atlanta was Friday night. There was a live feed set up so you could watch. For an hour or more I couldn't get on so felt like I hadn't been invited to a party that I had planned and decorated for. Finally able to access it. People walking like marionettes with that computer thing that happens to us all when we are being broadcast digitally. A conversation flowing from all over the country as participants watched from there computer vantage points. We all wanted to be there or make a connection with another part of the techno audience. Having your book picked up and showed to the camera was the highpoint for some of the viewers. My pinky/red journal was not one of them, but there were over a thousand to look at. Sorry I can't go to DC this Tuesday to see them at the Contemporary Arts Museum. That would be a blast.A huge thank you to the men who have put this together and will escort them around the east coast and midwest....

Spring has sprung

The accountant and crook journal pages were created on the gray gesso as a background. Pictures from the Wall Street Journal of Bernie were used for the crook. Sudoku as well as a copyright free drawing were part of the accountant page. The lumber jack is a composite of paper patterns and copyright free face. The trees are cut paper with marker drawn tree rings, all on top of more colored paper. The fine white paper is too thin for the kind of thing I like to do. An extra layer either through gesso or paint or actual sheets of paper was a necessity.
I used scrapbook adhesive tabs to apply paper to French door windows that separate the studio from the rest of the house. It was so simple and blocks the view for night lights. As the huge plants that provide a screen die back the view to the street becomes more clear.
Melvin is definitely back on the drafting table.

Colorado

What a wonderful weekend being in the great west in Colorado. The mountains in the distance covered in snow so incredibly majestic. The mountains close-up spirited with streams and rocks and boulders. Could there be any more of a contrast than being in Florida and being in Colorado? I was refreshed and filled up by the beauty and family (can't wait for M to join us there) time away from the technology that intrudes daily/hourly.
SO there was time to think about the next mission. Carrying on with the grey gesso and white patterns. Using more realistic still lives and subjects to work off of. Also Melvin is back on the drafting table. Beginning to paint and repaint his pages. A suggestion by B to bring him out and maybe add a doll to his publishing future. Must check into self publishing the fact that he has to overcome a problem or social ill is the feedback I have received from the professionals. I know as a parent and librarian for elementary children that there is a place for a nice story in every child's life. A comfort not a conflict is like a little prayer. More on Mel later.

The rubber rat

The white rubber rat is sitting on the printer, next to the rubber tarantula, looking at me. He is waiting for me to get creative. The project journal is done so what next? I have posted a calendar to get the upcoming competitions in front of me. Rather than a stack of entry information and forms that I only see the top of, I figured the words on the wall will get through to me. A show in Maitland is coming up. Must send CD of photos and see if I can borrow a tent if I am accepted. Melvin needs another scanning to take as a gift to a little cousin.

It is done

The journal has been shipped to Project Sketchbook in Atlanta. If it sells I won't see it again, if not it will be back. The list of cities it is scheduled to visit has grown and other artists are posting some of their work. Hopefully I can catch up with it in Washington DC.
So back to the easel and on with a new piece...

flambeaux

I received another light from my friend in North Carolina yesterday. we were childhood friends in New Orleans, an incredibly creative, curious person who figures out how to do anything. It is the way her mind works. (She is even one of the moleskin pages, glass blower.) This new light changes colors. I moved it around to the studio window so we could watch it as we relaxed on the patio, then moved it back to the pool so I could see it from the house. I love it, it is very magical.
Thank you P.

Moleskin Journal continues

more journal pages...

The pink grapefruit

The box of grapefruit arrived yesterday. While my dad was alive he sent a big box of pink grapefruit from Harlingen, Texas to us for Christmas. Regardless of where we lived it would arrive in time for us to munch on throughout the holiday. The last few years things have been different without him. Not only do I miss him terribly everyday, especially when I want to tell him about M.'s professional success and W.'s college acceptances, but also the little symbols of his generosity in the fruitcake delivered from Texas, the tamales delivered from Texas, the ham delivered from Texas, and of course the pink grapefruit. Delivered from Texas. After a wait, through Christmas, we went ahead and ordered our own pink grapefruit. We have citrus trees in our yard. We have nurtured them to the point where we get baskets of giant Meyer lemons, early limes, red blood oranges, and those little yellow things that look prettier than they taste. But nothing is as good as the pink grapefruit from Texas, especially the pink grapefruit from my dad from Texas.

Wild things

On my walk with MC Hammer this morning I actually saw a crawfish walking down the street. Growing up in New Orleans that wasn't too rare because our backyard had several tunnels growing out of the ground, but I have never seen one here in Florida. It is a very minor sighting compared to the neighbor's bear and 13 foot Burmese Python. Yes, things in Florida can eat you, and don't forget sharks and alligators.
So to work on the sketchbook, only 7 pages to go. More postings of previous pages...
Happy Birthday Mia.

In the beginning ...there was a blog.

Starting a blog and finishing the moleskin journal to be sent to the Sketchbook Project at the Art House in Atlanta. It must be postmarked the 15th so the last pages are being gessoed to give the delicate paper some weight and to give me the ability to use ink and not have it bleed through.

The theme for the journals is "People I Know." I have gone with people I know of, professions and types of people. As soon as I can I will download some samples. Actually as soon as I figure it out. Meanwhile updates are in order for the website at http://www.bethcrewsrommelart.com/