Coffee And Paint Drips Blog - Page 68 of 79

Done and Ready for What’s Next

I’m finally finished with this painting of my son and his bagpipe. I can’t do another thing to it or it will be a mess. Thanks to a suggestion from a lovely commenter, the paper might need to be rougher or stronger if I’m going to rework areas or use a lot of water. I learned a few things about my materials and myself, how I paint, what I like to paint, and maybe how to fight with resistance. It’s a process.

Resistance was beating me with this painting. I will look at this in the future and remember how hard it was to go to the studio to work on it with all the action. Boy did I want to just skip it and move on to something else! I weakened and found myself working on an area, giving up the resistance battle. I guess that’s how it is. One day you’re playing, having fun and the next it’s a chore to paint. Something clicked and whatever it was helped me get back. Was it the reading material, the doodling tasks, the morning pages, or was it just my head being ready to try again?

John’s Laouto 11×14 Watercolor
©2001 Dora Sislian Themelis

As I have said in past posts, I was primarily an oil painter. I think I used watercolors the way they should be used in this work I painted quite a few years ago. This was done after the miserable watercolor class I took. Can you see the difference?

The other thing about these two paintings is that the bagpipe was painted using a photograph of the scene and this was painted from life in one sitting. I think the life painting has a freer, more spontaneous watery quality. When I started using watercolors, I had just ended a bout with resistance. Since I was new at it, I had motivation in my corner and kept painting.

The bagpipe work is dramatic because of the lighting and paint application, but maybe a bit too detailed for my comfort.

As I move on it may be time to get the oil paints out and revisit painting on canvas. I’ve been using watercolors as if they were oil paints by applying them the same as I would the oils. Maybe it’s not a great idea. Maybe it’s just how I work. I’m not so sure.

Watercolor paints are just so easy to get out, use and clean up afterward that they’re very inviting. The transparency of the medium is what artists like, but did I work with them the way they’re meant to be? Does it matter? Comments, questions, criticisms?

Anyway, that’s my own critique. Thanks for listening to me rant. I’m done and I’m moving on.

Photos for Friday

1. Spring Azaleas in the Garden

2. Upstate Steeple

3. Garden Gate

Some spring time watercolors to enjoy with the beautiful weather we’re having, after that nasty winter. Bye-bye winter! Enjoy the weekend!

Thursday Thought

“Obliviousness strikes one in three Americans..and most don’t even know it.”
~The Onion News

The Din of the Light Bulb Moment

In reading the latest of The Artist’s Way books, Walking in This World by Julia Cameron, I had a light bulb moment. Yes, that weird feeling when suddenly things seem very clear. I could feel a “pop” go off in my head. I looked up and around me with a start. You know the feeling when things seem to come together and make perfect sense? That sometimes happens slowly, like a gradual awakening, the fog slowly lifting and you say to yourself, “Yeah, I see. I get it.” No, that’s not what happened to me. I had a rush, boom, clang, got hit on the head moment. Ouch!

Before you think I lost my mind, I should explain. As I’ve been stuck in resistance lately and I had put off the latest Artist’s Way course book, I decided it was time to re-direct, take a U-turn and pick up where I left off. I’ve been very good about writing the morning pages, not so good at keeping up with artist’s dates, but here and there doing small things to stay in the loop: looking at old work, fussing with that bagpipe work, knitting on socks, ordering yarn. Yesterday I picked up the course book and started reading again.

Chapter 3 is about discovering a sense of adventure to gain a greater feeling of freedom and open mindedness. One of the tasks was called Draw Yourself to Scale. Interesting, I thought. The task involves sketching. Nice and easy, right? To paraphrase: “Sketch each moment and enter adventure..The coffee mug, the doctor’s office..Don’t need to sketch well. The adventure of life rushes past us in a blur. Velocity is the culprit. Velocity and pressure. A sketchbook freezes time and is a form of meditation to focus on every moment.” And here I was thinking I had to sketch myself.

CLICK! The light bulb over my head popped really loud!

A couple of months ago I bought a teeny sketchpad and filled my old rapidograph with ink. I don’t like to carry a large handbag for the weight of it, but okay, the one I have right now can fit a few things. So there’s the sketchbook and pen, handy and ready. When I had some time, and no knitting with me, I’d pop out my things and doodle. Most of the time I forgot I had them with me in my bag.

POP! Light bulb! I have doodled waiting at the doctor’s office! CLICK! I drew a little girl in my teeny book after allergy shots in the waiting room! SNAP! I pulled out the little book last week at a coffee salon and sketched the live musicians while my company sipped their coffee! I’m in the loop after all! Where I thought I was out of the game, I really wasn’t. Maybe I was coasting along the whole time? If I hadn’t read this chapter I may have continued thinking I was still in resistance mode. Talk about synchronicity! Things were just falling into place of their own accord. Could it be I just wasn’t really paying attention to myself?

Boy, that was some light bulb.

Thanks But I Need to Get Off the Computer, NOW

Surprised is not the word, when I checked here the other day and saw that a fellow facebook “friend”, fan, and Etsy shop seller thought enough of my creativity to send me this Sunshine Blog Award. Michele is the purveyor of a shop called By Your Side. Many of us creative types have a shop at Etsy with original art, hand crafts, vintage items, etc.

Getting exposure is not an easy task, but most everyone is involved in the internet in some way, whether it’s facebook, twitter, blogs and the like. Lately, on facebook artisans have been linking to each other’s business and fan pages in the hopes of more exposure to more people with similar interests and the possibility of sales of the various items. SEO, or Search Engine Optimization is the focus. Many of the artisans, but not all, are people at home with children, finding the time in their day to connect with others about their craft, maybe help with the family’s finances. I’ve come in contact with some lovely people of all kinds. Michele was nice enough to pass on this blog award, and in accepting it I now must pass it on to twelve other bloggers, link to their blog, let them know about the link with a comment, and finally share a thank you to the blogger bestowing the award. A daunting task! I’m not the most adept at computer stuff, so it will take a little work and possibly more time than I can spend on it.

It’s fun and all, but I’m trying to get myself motivated for painting and creative pursuits rather than get stuck on the computer trying to figure out how to link to this and that. Could take a fair amount of time that I would prefer to use otherwise. Bad enough I’m in a bit of resistance and now I might be blocked again because I feel bad not to reciprocate. It’s like those chain letters you get in the mail that say, “If you don’t send out 12 copies of this letter something bad will happen in 24 hours! Do not break the chain!” Oh when I see those things I throw them right in the trash. There’s no way I’m falling for that one. Have you ever received the ones that say something about holy prayers being said as the chain letter went out to all the selected people and if you break the chain Holy hellfire will erupt? No, not going there either. Dump that one even faster!

So now a lovely person has added my blog to this award. I’m really grateful, but now instead of getting on this computer, checking email, having my say here and there about art, now I’ve got a job. I’m sorry to say it, but it really becomes a job and I was hoping my job would be to PAINT!

I’m not sure I can do all the linking that’s been asked of me, but I’m happy to link Michele and her facebook fan page. Have some fun, look around at her page and some of the other wonderful creatives there. If I’m free I might try to link up a few more people, but hopefully they’re not like me and feel like this is the chain letter from hell.

Today is the Ides of March, I’ll Paint Tomorrow

“A soothsayer bids you beware the Ides of March” ~ Brutus to Caesar, Act I, Scene II from Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

We arsty types always enjoyed acknowledging the fact that today, March 15th, is the Ides of March. Thoroughly enjoyed pointing it out. I don’t know why, but anyone I knew who was an artist made a big thing about the Ides. So there it is, I’m continuing the tradition. I used to tell this to my sons every year, very cryptically, “Beware the Ides of March.” They’d look at me as if I had two heads. Was it me? I don’t know.

That said, let’s get on with it.

This weekend was horrible, crazy, scary weather. Saturday saw a nor’easter that seems to be historic now that it’s over. Sunday wasn’t great either with rain, thunder, lightening and flooding in areas. I burrowed in my cave, so to speak. I spent Sunday photographing some new jewelry I made, a couple of older paintings, and dug up my color charts. Looking through my work gave me ideas and motivation. It’s good to dig out old stuff every now and then.

I had put the bagpipe painting on my easel to look at it whenever I came into the studio. I like to do that with works in progress. It gives me a feel for where I need to go with a piece. The light in the studio may be out for good now, but I ignored it, turned on my desk light and did a little work on the painting.

Each work teaches you something new. With this painting I learned that the style I’m used to working with in oils may not be the right way to work in watercolors or I need a more durable surface. Painting as with oils, I kept adding to certain areas with color. Maybe it’s the paint, but I think the paper is wearing on those areas and making little balls of something. Maybe watercolor is not meant for much reworking? Am I using too much water? The paper is Lanaquarelle 140lb cold press and usually fine to work with, but would Arches paper do the same thing? Answers come with doing so I’m just going to keep working.

Overall, I’m painting, and I like the mood of this piece. Maybe I should have worked this in oils? It’s possible I will paint it again. I have another photograph with a different position I could try in the future. The chiarasciuro, darks and lights, is what I really like and it may be worth another go in another medium. For now this just needs a little tweaking for me to say I’m done.

Not touching this painting today, though. It’s the Ides of March and important things are better left until another day.

Friday Photos

Hillside at Agriolivadi Beach, Patmos Island, Greece

on location

Agriolivadi Beach, Patmos Island, Greece

on location

Hillside church Santorini, Greece

from photographs

Hillside church at Santorini, Greece close-up

In the frenzy of travel, I sometimes remember to bring drawing materials for the times I see a scene and want to capture it as art, rather than as a photograph. Those times are few. Many years ago I did bring pen and sketchbook on our visit to family in Greece. Luckily, I packed these items for our beach day and drew some pretty scenery from life, which I prefer over photos.

The blue sky, azure beaches and non-stop sun was therapy for body, mind and soul. When can I return?

Thought for Thursday

“I’m not happy, I’m cheerful. There’s a difference. A happy woman is one who has no cares at all; a cheerful woman is one who has cares but doesn’t let them get her down.”

~Beverly Sills, opera star

Could it be Spring?

This is the last of the snow in front of my house. I’m keeping my fingers crossed and asking the Universe to please melt it quick and send any to someplace else, not here, please. Look, I know this is New York, and we’re supposed to have four seasons, winter among them, but come on! This winter has been ridiculous with snowfall after snowfall. I can be a bit of a hermit, but after a while cabin fever does set in on the best of us cave lovers. And I love my cave. Tell me to stay home and I’m loving it. A blizzard? Great day to stay in and bake, cook up something hot and good. The electricity is going to go out? Break out the candles and play Scrabble! We huddle in the candlelight and tell each other stories with the fireplace lit. No problem for me.

Unless…it’s every other day. Then I can’t do anything. Stuck. The choice to venture out or stay in is the thing. If one day is a disaster, but the next you can get out and do your thing, it’s fine. If that continues day in and day out you can get a little crazy.

Springtime in New York is beautiful weather, when we have a spring time. Some years we have two days of spring-like weather and then Boom! the summer hits. You won’t hear me complaining. Summer is real good, even better, in my opinion. Bring on the heat and the humidity, I’m ready! The hotter the better. I’m not comfortable until the weather is in the 90’s and I’m dripping. Good excuse to visit the beach or be out in my garden. The colors of the flowers in spring and summer are at their best. I try to fill my garden with the brightest, deepest colors I can find. And I need fragrance. Strongly scented roses, spicy butterfly blush, hyacinth and daffodils, and others I can’t remember. I just need to smell the fresh air mingled with flowers. Even freshly cut grass is an amazing aroma. Yeah, I like the warmer days.

I just can’t wait for spring and summer. Bring it!

When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Go…

Wrapped up in the latest B.S. going around and my own resistance, what does one do? Well, I do a couple of things. I can’t really say which one is the go-to perfect thing for me to do when I’m frustrated. People would think, “Oh you’re an artist so you’ll go paint or draw something.” No, I don’t go there when I’m annoyed. Wish I did, but that’s not it.

Some people go shopping. My shopping wouldn’t make a dent anywhere. Sometimes I go shopping and walk around the store with the things I’ve chosen and by the time I’m ready to check out I’m already done with the items I was holding. No sale!

Dancing is a feel good thing for me, but I feel stupid dancing alone in my house. Gardening is another good thing to do, but here in New York there’s no gardening going on right now. Nope, not with all the half melting snow still around.

From what I’ve been reading lately on resistance, it’s good to do something mundane, repetitive, or ordinary. The Artist’s Way said to do your mending! Who has mending today? Nobody mends socks anymore. You pop a toe hole and toss the socks in the trash these days. Or maybe now with the huge recession people will think twice about throwing clothes away when they pop a hole. I mended socks until I could no longer mend them. So there.

Want to know what I did? I ordered yarn! Yup. In the heat of the moment I went online and ordered yarn. Enough to make a kind of big thing. I’m not saying what kind of thing in case anyone’s looking over here! And…I knit! I took out every half knit thing I had this week and checked them over. Then I started knitting. Those half done socks from a couple of weeks ago? Done. The other pair of baby socks? Done. The new order has not arrived yet, but I can’t wait to get my hands on it! Yeah, yarn gets my juices going!

Painting is hard. Knitting is easy! Ordering yarn is even easier! I’m licking my lips just thinking about the mailman coming with my yarn order. And the color is delicious. Come to think of it, it’s the colors that really get me. Yarn colors can be amazing! Just go visit a yarn shop and see all the colors and textures. Some yarns are real eye candy. Heaven can be found in a yarn shop. OK, most yarn shop proprietors are the meanest, nastiest, snobbiest people on earth. Oh yes they are and the shop nearest my house is a testament to that. Yarn is not cheap by any means and they have the nerve to be nasty! So I snub them and order on line. It’s great. The only draw back is that you can’t see it all or touch it. It’s fine and less expensive, sometimes free shipping, no tax. Wonderful not to deal with crazy people. I’ve had enough of dopey, crazy people for the moment.

The other thing I like to do to escape is read. What am I reading NOW you ask? Take a look below and let out a nice laugh, go ahead, I laughed too!