Art-i-ture: The Language of Art

Learning to Listen....

2012-01-30T20:13:00.000-05:00

This is a sneak peek at one of three pieces I am preparing to enter in the 89th Annual Spring Show this March at the Erie Art Museum. One of the benefits of working in mixed media on paper is the flexibility you have. Thin glazes of color dry much quicker on paper than canvas allowing me to manipulate other media and come back later to lay down thicker areas of color.

Shapes often form quick as thought and I'm discovering ways to manipulate the media to my advantage and work pace. Linseed oil can be a blessing when areas need to dry fast... or in preparing glazes. I have experimented with different methods, allowing the layers of colors and shapes to show through and expose themselves. In this way I can allow the piece to be truly intuitive, more emotionally raw. Instead of trying to manipulate the piece I learn how to listen to it. It asks questions that I am learning to answer.

"She Compartmentalized Her feelings..." (working title), 2012
Mixed Media on paper

Finding my Visual Voice

2012-01-29T10:23:00.001-05:00

I have been working more with Collagraphs lately. Reworking the prints with mixed media until I am satisfied with the image that emerges. For me the printing plate is the first step in a process of creating abstract images. The first mark is the print, my North on a map of creativity. It's about finding my visual voice and translating it from plate to print to finished work. I am carving out an image, finding my voice.

"Machine of My Intuitions", 2012
Mixed Media on Paper

Abstract Art and the General Public

2012-01-23T20:08:00.000-05:00

A lot of people look at abstract art and ask what is it supposed to be? For me it is intuitive. It is difficult to describe all the emotions and mark-making that go into a piece. Shapes take form, reform and are replaced as quickly as thought. Each piece is an extension of something that can only be expressed through imagery. It is an exploration of the marks we leave behind, and those that are left behind on us. No one passes through this life flawless or unchanged.

Her Gaiagraphy, 8" x 9", 2012
Mixed Media on Paper

A Patchwork Soul

2011-12-07T20:13:00.000-05:00

"Stitched"

The pieces you left behind

I stitched together -

a patchwork soul

The edges rough. raw.

open wounds not healed

Infected!

with the poison of your lies:

Sweet arsenic;

bitter on my tongue

I swallowed whole like candy

and was condemned

to my demise.

- E.M. Whiting

7/2010

Exposing the Architecture of My Life...

2011-11-21T14:02:00.004-05:00

Prelim "digital sketches" for new mixed media ideas. Continuing my investigation of internal and external support systems I am beginning to incorporate my image for a more autobiographical feel. Pushing myself and my art to go beyond the limits of comfort and expose the architecture of my life.

2011-11-19T15:06:00.006-05:00

Virtual Self-Portrait, 2011

Virtual Portrait - Mike, 2011

Going back to my graphic roots I returned to an exploration of digital imagery through portraiture. I am inspired by Peter Greenaway's The Pillow Book and the interplay of text on the body in a technological age.

Commission Piece...Almost finished!

2011-08-24T22:44:00.000-04:00

16" x 20" Abstract OIl Painting, Commissioned by local business, In Progress

This is the latest progress on my Abstract Painting. I think it's almost complete... I've been trying a new technique using paint thinner in a spray bottle. After it dries and I glaze over the layers I have discovered some interesting effects. It also allows me to juggle several projects at once and speeds drying time. This piece is pushing my abstract abilities while maintaining an organic theme and investigating identity.

As yet...Untitled. I welcome your thoughts and constructive criticism.

Work In Progress

2011-08-16T20:59:00.000-04:00

In Progress, 20" x 18"

New work in progress for a local business. Oil on canvas, the client requested a completely abstract, soothing piece for a spa.

It seems as though all the pieces have fallen into place. New job, new relationship, new apartment and creativity flowing nonstop. There is a feeling of renewal in my life I haven't felt in a long time, like the cleansing after the first spring rain. It feels good to be motivated again.

Caged Heart, 2011

2011-04-10T11:52:00.000-04:00

Caged Heart, 2011
Collagraph

I've started working with collagraph's again; and intuitively collage abstract, organic shapes until I am satisfied with the image. Then I print an edition and work back into my prints creating a number of artist's proofs. My exploration of the human figure lead me to the heart... It can be broken, bruised, or remarkably generous. We are terrible abusers of this powerful life-giver, a miraculous organ that keeps beating in unimaginable circumstances. Just when we think it has been pushed beyond its limits it keeps going. What defines us is not the number of beats a heart makes, but the rhythm of survival when it beats against all odds.

The Hip Bone's Connected to the...

2011-01-23T15:56:00.000-05:00


(Work in Progress) Hip, 2011 New year, fresh start. I have a fresh batch of X-ray's to work from and can't wait to finish my sketches and translate them onto canvas. My previous work focused mainly on the skull and spine; now I have hands, feet and hips to work with. Exciting things are happening in the studio... here's hoping this year yields even bigger rewards than last.

A Woman's Burden

2010-12-08T20:23:00.000-05:00

A Woman's Burden, 2010
oil on canvas

Nine months have passed since my show. It has been a busy time for me and I took a much needed break to spend with friends and family. Still working on my American Woman series based on X-rays and the human body I thought I would post this luscious little painting.

New Work Currently on Display

2010-04-27T19:20:00.003-04:00

If you're in the Pittsburgh area stop by Steel City Framing to see some of my work. These four pieces, from the Songs of the Soul Benefit, will be on consignment there and available for purchase.

The Seventh Circle, 2010

Soapdish Monoprint with oil pastel

Why is Difficult to Handle, 2010

Lithoprint with water color oil pastel

And I'm Still Standing, 16" x 20", 2010

Oil on canvas

The Expensive Delicate Ship, 16" x 20", 2010

Oil on canvas

You can see more of my work currently on display at the Schuster Art Gallery; found on the third floor of Gannon University's Nash Library.

"Hanging Together Again" is an exhibit of Millcreek art educator. There will be an artist meet and greet reception Thursday, May 13, 4-6 pm.

Empowering Women Through Art and Music

2010-04-11T15:10:00.000-04:00

Some of my paintings and prints currently on display at Eclectic Etceteras Coffee House from April 9-23 for Songs of My Soul, A Story of Empowerment through Art and Music. Part of the proceeds from the benefit went to Boro Women's Services and 10% of the purchase price of my artwork is donated to their institution as well. Their link can be found on my site under To Empower Women if you'd like to know more.

The Expensive Delicate Ship, 16" x 20", 2010

oil on canvas

Roadmap of My Interior, 8" x 10", 2010

oil on canvas

Anne Deming Performing at Eclectic Etcetera's Benefit for Boro Women's Services:
Songs of My Soul, A Story of Empowerment Through Art and Music, 2010

The Benefit was a big success and Anne Deming's performance was stunning! A huge shout of appreciation to all those who came out and supported the cause. I was even asked to read some of my poetry and opened the evening in front of the microphone - an intimidating place - and pouring out my soul verbally as well as visually. Anne continued by singing the song she wrote about me (Haunted, it can be found on her Live album) and Lost Soul, a poem of mine she put to music.

I was touched by how many friends and family came to support me as well. You know who you are. Renee Thayer, the owner of the Coffee House, was a perfect hostess! It couldn't have been a more better evening. Without Renee's support over the years and seeing something in my work so many years ago I may not be where I am today. She was willing to display my work for the first time and has always encouraged me to keep painting. She and my mother have kept me on track. I love them both for that.

Anne Deming and I have communicated via email over the years having connected through each other's artistic mediums but the benefit was the first time we have met in person. I am constantly inspired by her music and she now owns two pieces of my art. I am so happy to have finally been able to meet such an amazing, talented and beautiful woman.

If you haven't had a chance to listen to Anne Deming's music check out her link under my Sites for the Soul. And if you're ever in Edinboro, PA stop in for a coffee at Eclectic Etcetera's and be inspired!!

American Woman_Oil on Canvas_2010

2010-03-30T17:45:00.000-04:00

American Woman (in progress)
16" x 20", Oil on Canvas, 2010

Another glimpse of work in progress. I have been inspired and enlightened working hard in the studio and cursing the limitations of 24 hours in a day. For those of you in the area I will be reading my poetry at the Benefit Show - it will be the first time my poems will have been shared with anyone but a rare few. Deeply personal they are as much a part of me as my art. I was asked once how I know a piece is finished, how I know how to do what I do...the answer is simple.

Being an artist is not what I do - it is who I AM... Every memory, every heartache, every piece of my soul is in my work. I can no more stop creating than I can stop breathing.

Two weeks until the Benefit...

2010-03-29T00:47:00.006-04:00

(work in progress), 2010
16" x 20", oil on canvas

Winter Goal Post #8
Another sneak peak at some of the work I'll be showing - paintings and prints based on my x-rays in an effort to examine internal and external support systems. Just 2 weeks away from my first big show and I am still busy, busy busy. I work best under pressure late at night while the rest of the world sleeps.

"Each mark I make signifies an event I have internalized, processed and reorganized into a rebirth of self-awareness of my own strength as an artist and a woman. The visceral approach to my work is derived from a conscious choice to capture raw emotional knowledge in a tangible state."
- excerpt from my 2010, Songs of My Soul artist's statement.

Songs of My Soul - Benefit Show

2010-02-27T16:44:00.003-05:00

Here it is. The Official poster for Songs of My Soul: A Story of Empowerment Through Art and Music, featuring myself and Anne Deming.

Opening Night: April 9, 7-10pm
Where: 118 Erie Street, Eclectic Etc. Coffee House,
Edinboro, PA
Artwork on display from April 9th - 23, 2010

I'm working hard in the studio at present to make sure everything is ready in time. This is my first big show and I know how important this is. It is an important cause, one close to my heart and I am so grateful that I am finally able to be giving back to the community and hopefully make an impact. If you're in the area please stop in for some great music, food and art:)

Back in the Studio

2010-02-25T22:31:00.001-05:00

(work in progress), 2010

Winter Goal Post #7
I'm finally back in the studio full of renewed energy and creativity. 2010 has been a year full of major changes in my life and I am grateful for all of them. This April I have the opportunity to show my work for a good cause and work with two amazing women I've admired for years. More details to come but until then here is a sneak preview of the kind of the work I'll be showing....

Primary Instinct

2010-01-06T00:44:00.000-05:00

Primary Instinct, 8 3/4 x 11", 2010

A/P, Polyester Plate Lithograph with oil pastel

Winter Goal Post #6
Inspired by an X-ray of my own skull this piece is a continuing examination into my personal history. I am fascinated with the human body and the structure beneath it. What defines our identity? Is it flesh and blood and bone... or something more? Without gender specific characteristics perceptions of identity are removed.

"I go to make art as who I am as a person. The fact that I am a woman comes into play maybe in the kinds of things I'm interested in or in the way I structure a canvas."
~ Judy Chicago

Contemplating Angels...

2009-12-31T00:52:00.000-05:00

Collagraph wing detail, 2009
Icarus Series
detailed image of a matboard matrix

I am not an angel, though I have been called one. My wings were clipped long ago by the namer and only the mortal shell remains. Sometimes when it's quiet I can still hear the rush of air over phantom wings and remember a flight that rivaled the fall of Icarus.

This memory of flight is proof enough of angels.

I am not an angel.

This is a detail of a matboard matrix from my Icarus Series. I've printed some embossings of this matrix but no collagraphs yet and will post an image as soon as I can get a good photo.

Faustian Consequence

2009-12-30T00:56:00.002-05:00

Faustian Consequence, 11 x 11", 2009

Embossing
conte crayon, oil pastel
Matboard Matrix: Matboard, burlap, popsicle sticks, acrylic polymer

Winter Goal Post #5
This piece is rather personal for me. Delving into past experiences that since I can't forget I'm taking out on the canvas... so to speak. It's a manner of deconstructing my life into chunks I can examine, compartmentalize and deal with.

Faustian Consequence is about the repercussions someone else's actions caused my life. It is not possible to pass through a life and not mark it in some way. This was true for me and deconstructing the history of my life is becoming a major theme in my work.

As I mature as an artist and a woman it becomes important to me to support other creative women and women in general. Our place in art history so short compared to man's...

January is Women's History Month so in our honor I am posting these links:

National Museum of Women in the Arts
National Women's History Project
The Domestic Violence Awareness Project

(I'll be adding them to my sidebar so look for them in the future.)

This is me...

2009-12-27T23:55:00.000-05:00

Self-Portrait, 8 x 11", 2009
Acrylic on matboard

Winter Goal Post # 4

My first (and only second) attempt at acrylics since highschool. Not my favorite medium - I'm an oil painter at heart... the fluidity and longevity of the paint, the flexibility of oils. I may never love acrylics the way I love oils, but I am learning to appreciate them.

As you can see from my earlier posts I don't always paint portraits, I also create prints. Most of my work is figurative or based on the human figure either formally or informally. I draw on my personal history and experiences to investigate the perceptions and misconceptions of identity and the human body.

So...this is me.

Rise of Icarus

2009-12-23T16:32:00.002-05:00

Rise of Icarus, 2009
Icarus Series
2 Collagraphs
Metallic silver, turquoise, blue and white
Matboard Matrix: Matboard, burlap, rope, popsicle sticks, gauze, acrylic polymer

An abstract illustration of the Icarus myth, this is a continuation of my Icarus Series. I wanted to examine the myth further, pushing the boundaries of what we know to be true about an external support system. I created my wings out of rope, sticks and burlap, materials similar to those Daedalus might have used. Tying one wing reminds us of the warning he gave his son and the struggles we face reaching for the stars; the lack of wings emphasizes the challenges of not being satisfied with an ordinary life.

I will reach for the stars, may they burn me and strike me down lest I be ordinary. I will risk it all for a life extraordinary. ~ Erica Whiting

The More Loving One

2009-12-22T00:42:00.028-05:00

The More Loving One, 9" x 11 1/4", 2009
Icarus Series
Monoprint
watercolor and dishsoap on etching press

Icarus has always been my favorite Greek myth and one I personally relate to on a number of levels. This piece is based on drawings of my own skull and neck X-Rays taken a few years ago. Part of my Icarus Series, I entitled it after the W.H. Auden poem The More Loving One.

How should we like it were stars to burn 
With a passion for us we could not return?
If equal affection cannot be, 
Let the more loving one be me.
I imagine this must be how Icarus felt as he reached for the stars and felt them scorch his flesh as he plummeting to the earth.

Icarus was the son of Daedalus, inventor for King Minos of the island of Crete. Angry with Daedalus for helping his daughter and Theseus escape, after killing the Minotaur, King Minos imprisoned Daedalus and his son Icarus within his own creation: the Labyrinth.

Knowing their only possibility of escape was by air Daedalus fashioned two pairs of wings. Made of feathers and wax he explained to Icarus that the sea's waves would dampen the feathers by flying too low and flying too close to the sun would melt the wax that held them together. In order to survive their escape they had to fly the middle road. Icarus ignored his father's warning and flew too close to the sun, melting his wings and crashing among the waves into a sea for which he is now named.*

The More Loving One**
W. H. Auden

Looking up at the stars, I know quite well
That, for all they care, I can go to hell,
But on earth indifference is the least
We have to dread from man or beast.

How should we like it were stars to burn
With a passion for us we could not return?
If equal affection cannot be,
Let the more loving one be me.

Admirer as I think I am
Of stars that do not give a damn,
I cannot, now I see them, say
I missed one terribly all day.

Were all stars to disappear or die,
I should learn to look at an empty sky
And feel its total dark sublime,
Though this might take me a little time.

*"Icarus." Encyclopedia Mythica from Encyclopedia Mythica Online.
<http://www.pantheon.org/articles/i/icarus.html>
[Accessed December 22, 2009].            

**From Homage to Clio by W. H. Auden, published by Random House.
Copyright © 1960 W. H. Auden, renewed by The Estate of W. H. Auden.
http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15550
[Accessed December 22, 2009].

Gala Series & Winter Goal

2009-12-20T16:43:00.001-05:00

Untitled, 2009, 10" x 11 7/8"
Monoprint
watercolor, dishsoap, watercolor pencil on etching press

This is another in my Gala dishsoap monoprint series. I reworked the ghost image of this print with watercolor pencil to activate the background and intensify the texture.

It is currently untitled.

Winter Goal: I plan to post an artwork a day for the next 30 days. This is part of my New Year's resolution to create more, write more and participate more in the art and blogging communities.

It is easy to get too busy to nourish our creative selves, or feel the pressure to create rather than relish those moments of inspiration. I have been guilty of that myself and have found that I function best when I make time for my art.

Gala Reincarnated, 2009

2009-12-19T11:16:00.002-05:00

Gala Reincarnated, 2009, 9" x 11" Monoprint
watercolor, dishsoap, watercolor pencil on etching press

The ghost image from my dishsoap monoprint. I reworked the print with watercolor pencils to push the contrasts and pull out some of the texture the soap left behind.

This is an image taken from one of my paintings, Woman at Bookstore, a woman I used to see frequently who simply struck me as stunning. One of those women who are effortlessly beautiful at any age; she wore no makeup on her olive-bronzed skin except a properly applied crimson lipstick in a shade that on anyone else would only be acceptable after seven. But on her it was fabulously elegant! It reminded me of the roaring twenties when nails were dripping with red; and lips stained the same color sipped bootleg gin in the back of speakeasies.

Only this woman is darker, more exotic... I see her sipping drinks with flowers on them with her blood red lips and her hair piled high - it is always piled high when I see her - and she is laughing a throaty laugh in a steamy tropical land in the arms of Salvidor Dali.

This is Gala Reincarnated!

New Wringer Press

2009-12-18T22:46:00.000-05:00

This little wringer press was a parting gift from my cooperating teacher on my last day of student teaching. He teaches high school art and has a Master's in printmaking; his wife is an adjunct professor of painting and they are both NPAA artists. Her work can be found here. I learned a green and clean method of litho printmaking from him and will be posting that print soon!

I'm anxious to get to work over winter break on more monoprints, collographs, embossings and possibly some linocuts. I'll be working small to accomodate the press size and plan on some multi-media artist proofs as well as some editions. There are several paintings in the works that will be posted soon as well. I've had a burst of inspiration the past few months working with my coop and the students.

Wishing you creative thoughts - Happy Holidays!

DishSoap Monoprint

2009-10-27T19:56:00.000-04:00

This monoprint method lends itself to a painterly process and allows for a series of uniquely individual prints. Unlike a true monoprint the artist has the ability to go back and rework the plate unifying each print; no image can be exactly reproduced as in block printing.

The original painting is slightly different, I have been reading Georgia O'Keefe's biography lately and can feel her influence here. The Printmaker who taught this technique to me also suggested Modigliani as did another Professor.

1. I printed out a photo of one of my paintings then traced the image onto a piece of plexiglass.

2. Flip the plexiglass over and rough up the plexiglass with a piece of steelwool

3. I mixed tube watercolor paint watered down and mixed with a little less than 50% dawn dish soap* (Enough that the paint won't crack when it dries on the surface, and enough depending on your preference of bubbles and thickness of paint coverage)

* For Step 3 you can substitute Gum Arabic

4. I painted the roughed plexiglass side using the tracing as a guide shading and highlighting as I would on a canvas.

5. I will let this dry a day or two before printing it. It can be left alone days or weeks before coming back to it.

I am excited to print the results and see what happens next!

The Space Between

2009-09-14T21:58:00.000-04:00

The Space Between (working title) 20" x 34"

Oil, plaster, gesso and aluminum screen on canvas

After two weeks I finally grabbed a little time in the studio today. Life has been busy, but I've been dreaming of this painting for weeks and needed to develop my ideas further. I am never as complete as when I have the smell of oil in my nostrils and paint on my hands!

Taking a Step Back...

2009-08-29T14:29:00.000-04:00

I glazed a few layers here to pull some of the colors together...

Next I pulled out some of the colors where I wanted them to stand out more...

Here is what has evolved so far. I need to back off for a while and contemplate the shapes that are emerging and let the layers dry before it gets muddy. I am not sure about the yellow-green shape in the lower left.

Compositionally piece is too divided in half, my eye is only traveling the line through the center and then to either side of it. Mostly I'm drawn to the right half where the colors are strongest, which may not be bad if there is something to balance out the other half...

I need to add several more layers of glazing and define some shapes taking place while pushing others back. Colors need softened in areas and defined in others. Specifically in the upper right and the left blue area, it needs more depth.

My digital camera has been invaluable. It allows me to document my process while examining my paintings from a different perspective. I can return to previous layers of a painting and discover fresh solutions.

For now I am going to enjoy the charity motorcycle ride Mr. Boyfriend and I are in - and the cookout afterwards. The weather is cool and crisp here, perfect riding weather!

Language of Art

2009-08-25T19:39:00.000-04:00

Here is my latest work in progress, more photos to follow as it continues.

Work in Progress, 20" x 34"

Oil, plaster, gesso and aluminum screen on canvas

I am trying to communicate with an intimate part of myself I've never expressed. A wise art professor once told me "You're an artist. Take it out on the canvas!" While I am struggling to express emotions through my work I am confident a breakthrough will come. I discovered old canvases that need reworking and see potential in shapes, colors and textures I never noticed before.

The more I work the more I see glimpses of potential - like discovering a new language. But like learning anything new - it doesn't happen overnight.

I just need patience....

"Untitled"

Luscious lovers’

tongues

stained indigo

with summer's

stolen kisses.

Softly

softly

falling snowflakes

still the beats –

the sounds!

of pregnant moons -

When dawn shall be

No more.

2003, E.M. Whiting (aka The Painted Lady)

Music MEME

2009-08-23T17:57:00.000-04:00

Blue-Green Music

1921, Georgia O'Keefe

Looking for tunage... is that a word?

Before I begin work in my studio (a spare room of our townhouse apartment) the first thing I do before I get out any paints or brushes is choose some tunage to listen to. I have an eclectic mix of Jazz, Pop, Country, Folk, Blues, Rock and some 80's thrown in for good measure.

I choose my music the same way I choose art - if it moves me I like it. It doesn't always have to have meaning (Sofia K.'s album is in Spanish - I can't understand a word of it) but it does have to stir my soul.

In Kandinsky's Concerning the Spiritual in Art, he suggests a direct connection between music and the soul:

"Musical sound acts directly on the soul and finds an echo there, since music is innate in man." (Kandinsky, 46)

What stirs your creative soul.... tell me. Join the MEME!

Music MEME :
1. I will post 5 CD's, sounds, or musical choices that inspire me while working in my studio. (not everyone listens to music while they work)

2. Post your interest in the comments section along with your response. (There is no limit on the number of participants.)

3. Copy and paste this MEME on your blog along with my 5 choices and 5 CD's, sounds, or musical choices of your own.

Ultimately you should only have your 5 and the 5 choices from the blog you respond to. (Unless you choose to post them all!)

- Email me a link to your post so I can update and list everyone's responses! My email can be found on my profile.

Here are my 5 (in no particular order):
1. The Peter Malick Group Feat. Norah Jones, New York City

2. Billie Holiday, Billie's Best

3. Anne Deming, Mulligan

4. Sofia Koutsovitis, Ojala

5. Sounds and smells of a good, violent thunderstorm...

Kandinsky, Wasily. Concerning the Spiritual in Art: and painting in particular. New York: George Wittenborn

Textures Shapes and Colors:

I seldom listen to music when I work. When I do, its usually mellow and I don't change the CD for days. Right now its an instrumental compilation from Windham Hills. I think it's called Harvest.

Inspiration Strikes at Lowes!

2009-08-22T09:08:00.000-04:00

Last night I tried something new... Bought patching plaster and aluminum screening to use in my painting. I tried the plaster and wire over one canvas to create texture and build up the surface; I haven't added any color to this one yet.

The second piece was a still wet canvas (remember her? check the sidebar). Started to cover the entire surface with plaster but the mix of wet plaster and wet oil paint created some interesting shapes and surfaces. I left some areas plaster free.

Next I started to add the aluminum screening and decided against it for a few reasons - although after I peeled it off the plaster it left some interesting textural marks. So I laid it back down and tried making more marks on purpose.

I hung the first stage of this second piece on the wall to contemplate and let dry.

I can already see shapes emerging as I come back to it... a breast....a dark blue vein... I like the figurative quality of the abstract forms....

We'll see what happens next!

A shout of thanks to the gentleman at Lowes in the Adam Ant Tee for his advice on plaster and chicken wire.... he must have thought I was nuts!

Making Progress

2009-08-13T16:31:00.000-04:00

Nude Series (Seated Red), ca 1917: watercolor on paper, 12 x 8 inches

Georgia O'Keefe in New Mexico (on YouTube)

It's in the mid to upper 80's here, with humidity so heavy you could soak it up with a sponge; and I've stubbornly refused to turn on the air conditioner. It's greener for the environment and saves a little green in my wallet. The cats have been lounging in every open window or sprawled spread eagle with their fur blowing in the breeze. Taking a cue from them I figure if they can survive wearing fur in 85 degree heat - I can manage without air conditioning...

Tonight I thought of Georgia O'Keefe in a windswept New Mexican desert. Shriveled and cracked like the earth she loved so much she thrived there like a cactus rose.

After nearly three hours I almost salvage my self-portrait (keep your fingers crossed). The face is not nearly so alizarin crimson though there is still hair and background to work out. There is a balance of shading - chiaroscuro is much more evident, and the brush strokes are much more fluid.

I had promised some readers I would post pictures of my progress but sadly my digital is on the fritz (sigh) so pics will have to wait until at least tomorrow. Instead I will leave you with this lush watercolor of Georgia's since she was on my mind tonight. Breathtaking!

Paint me Frustrated

2009-08-13T00:03:00.000-04:00

Finally after months of coursework and student jobs I have some free time to myself. Three weeks with nothing to do!

Determined to focus on my art I gathered my paints and brushes, turned up Peter Malick on the iBook (I am a Mac), and prepared to work. I had a reasonably good start to a self-portrait that had been interrupted weeks ago - by life - and which I was attempting to finish.

Needless to say I was deeply frustrated when after a couple hours I had completely ruined my first good painting in a long while. (Mister Boyfriend informed me my self-portrait now looks like Segourney Weaver.) Having completed a course in Creativity in Psychology of the Arts I studied the Productivity Theory: the more you produce, the more creative you will be... (Sawyer, 69)

So far things are not going well.

But they will...

Sawyer, R. Keith. Explaining Creativity. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 2006

Friday Night Flix N Food

2009-02-06T08:33:00.000-05:00

What's on the menu: The Red Violin and take out!

Since this film is such an eclectic array of cultural tastes deciding on just one dish was near impossible. Instead choose your favorite takeout venue from the list of countries below, curl up and enjoy. No cooking involved - my gift to you!

A hauntingly beautiful account of how music can transform the soul and reach across boundaries of time and culture, this exquisite tale of passion has been on my mind of late. It's been a while since I've watched the film, but it's story stays with you like a melody you can't quite stop humming.

Inspired by the Stradivarius Red Mendelssohn The Red Violin is a fictitious account of the violin's origin spanning 300 years, 5 countries and several owners. Unfolding at Duval's auction house, where Charles Morritz has been sent to appraise the violin, he begins to suspect it could be the famed last violin of Nicolo Bussetti.

Told in 5 languages (Italian, German, French, Mandarin and English) The Red Violin's music is a siren song of passion, betrayal, sacrifice and loss. Let it play for you - fall for the melody that's survived centuries and would not be silenced.

This film always brings to mind Man Ray's famous photo Le Violon d'Ingres (a french idiom for "hobby")

Next week: The Sleeping Dictionary

Gumball Obama

2009-01-25T22:23:00.000-05:00

How do you inspire community involvement and celebrate a historical presidential inauguration? By commemorating the event with a portrait of the President Elect created entirely out of GUMBALLS!

Franz Spohn, a professor of Printmaking at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, was "unofficially commissioned" by Ripley's Believe It or Not to create the portrait of the president. A digital design is used to map out where each gumball is to be placed; then the portrait is created using gumballs in plastic tubes as points of color.

Spohn views his gumball art as a way to bring the community together:

"The mural process is a great metaphor for the community working together to realize a goal." Spohn said. "The individual gumballs don't look like much by themselves, but they are transformed through community effort from being more or less items of little value or consequence to a beautiful and awe-inspiring image." (Ripley's Newsroom)

The mural was completed by over 100 volunteers and the artist on January 19th at the King Kennedy Community Center, (Ravenna, OH) as part of Martin Luther King Day. It is currently on display at Kent State University until February when it will be exhibited at one of Ripley's Believe It or Not Museums.

A gumball mural of Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King were also created January 16th at the King Kennedy Community Center and will also be on loan until February. It will also be exhibited at one of Ripley's Believe It or Not Museums.

What a sweet way to bring people together!

Franz Spohn at the King Kennedy Center placing the last tube of Gumballs

Kent State University

Friday Night Flix N Food

2009-01-23T21:55:00.000-05:00

What's on the Menu: Spy Games and Honey Glazed Chicken Stir-Fry

"Poor is the pupil who does not surpass his master" - Leonardo da Vinci

As the daughter of a pilot I have been a fan of military movies since my father sat me down to watch Patton and The Blue Max.

But that's another post...

CIA operative Nathan Muir (Redford) is preparing to retire when he learns that his protege, Tom Bishop (Pitt), has been arrested and sentenced for death in China. Muir struggles against the clock to save Bishop's life playing a cat and mouse game with the Agency; he has only 24 hours to run his own Spy Game, gather intel and free Bishop.

What does one serve during a spy film where an operative has been arrested in China near the end of the cold war...

Honey-Glazed Chicken Stir-Fry*

*recipe adapted slightly from the 12th edition Better Homes and Gardens New CookBook

(serves 2)

2 boneless chicken breasts cooked

2 Tbsp Honey

2 Tbsp Red wine vinegar

2 Tbsp OJ

4 Tsp soy sauce

1 1/2 Tsp Cornstarch

2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Chopped veggies - variety of your favorite.

I like onions, red peppers, water chestnuts and carrots

2 cups cooked white rice

1. cut chicken into strips

2. mix honey, vinegar, OJ, soy sauce and cornstarch. Set aside.

3. Pour oil in large saute pan on medium heat

4. Add vegetables to pan, stir for 3-4 minutes or until tender.

5. Add cooked chicken and sauce stir and heat until thickened.

6. Serve over rice.

Nathan Muir: I take it you didn't get to be a marksman putting food on your mama's table.

Tom Bishop: No, sir. We had a Safeway back home.

Nathan Muir: Where'd you learn to shoot?

Tom Bishop: Boy scouts, sir.

Nathan Muir: What, are you kidding me?

Tom Bishop: No, sir.

MEME: The First Five

2009-01-21T16:55:00.000-05:00

In the essence of postmodernism and the idea of deconstructing the artist as an elevated genius isolated from society here is a MEME engaging the blogging community to get involved and connect with other creative bloggers. It is this networking that has sparked renewed interest in many a blogger's creativity.

Jean over at Artit (and one of my new favorite artists) has posted a MEME she responded to at Varietist Muse. She put a bit of her own spin on the idea and I am going to alter the idea slightly further.

MEME:

The first FIVE people who respond to this post will get something made by me. My choice, for you. BUT with some input from you...

This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

1. What I create will be just for you

2. I cannot guarantee you will like what I create (though I can hope!)

3. You will receive your item sometime before the end of the year

4. You will have no idea what the item is going to be but you will be allowed to add a creative suggestion in your original response to this post.

5. You will have no clue what the item is going to be

The catch is you have to repost this meme and make and send out five surprises of your own.

Be involved. Be creative. Be rewarded!

Bird Talk

2009-01-20T19:39:00.000-05:00

Wheat Field with Crows, 1890

Vincent Van Gogh, oil on canvas

50.5 x 103 cm

Amsterdam: Van Gogh Museum

But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only,

That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.

Nothing further then he uttered; not a feather than he fluttered -

Till I scarcely more than muttered 'Other friends have flown before -

On the morrow he will leave me, as my Hopes have flown before.'

Then the bird said, 'Nevermore.'

January 19th was the 200th anniversary of the birth of Edgar Allan Poe. In the spirit of hope and progress of inauguration* I thought it only appropriate to juxtapose Poe's infamous poem "The Raven" with Van Gogh's Wheat Field with Crow's.

The "placid bust" of Pallas Athena, goddess of wisdom, implies the narrator is a scholar. Conflicting emotions between wanting to remember and wanting to forget plague the narrator just as the three paths in Van Gogh's Wheat Fields with Crows symbolize conflicting directions. Are the paths meant to symbolize past present and future? the artist's life? or other symbolic interpretations unknown? Breaking with the past is often marked with a mix of excitement and regret. Do we take the path hoping for a better future - or stay stagnant and unchanging.

It has been speculated Poe drew upon references of the raven in folklore. In many cases the raven was a messenger, portending omens. It has been questioned whether the crows in Van Gogh's Wheat Fields with Crows are flying towards the viewer portending doom or flying away from the viewer implying relief or hope. Since this answer can never be resolved some critics believe this is a non-issue. I feel it must be an issue since the way we view art and the way the artist views his own work are as important as the work itself.

Perhaps the birds know more than they're telling - but I leave it up to the viewer to divine your own omens as we look forward to a better brighter future.

Edgar Allan Poe

Excerpt from: The Raven

info from wikipedia

info from www.vgallery.com/painting

*Link to Life at Willow Manor for etymology on the word inauguration

Marie-Therese Walter: The Painted Lady

2009-01-15T16:05:00.001-05:00

Marie-Therese Walter, 1937

Pablo Picasso, oil on canvas

I came across an article today in the October 2008 issue of Art & Antiques titled Exhibitions: The Painted Lady, By: Sheila Gibson Stoodley. Intrigued I discovered Picasso's most notable muse Marie-Therese Walter (how ever did I miss her?) Picasso discovered her when she was 17 and she became his model, muse, mistress and mother of their daughter, Maya.

The October 2008 New York Times Art & Design section, reviewed an exhibition of Picasso's paintings of Marie-Therese, completed in or around 1932, exhibited at the Acquavella*. The article is titled Picasso in Lust and Ambition By: Holland Cotter.

Is it coincidence that Marie-Therese and I are both "The Painted Lady"? Perhaps it is mere happenstance that she died the year I was born just four years after Picasso's death... or maybe I am The Painted Lady reborn: both artist and model, masculine and feminine, viewer and viewed as one.

*Link to the exhibition page for Marie-Therese exhibit at Acquavella

Interview

2009-01-10T15:53:00.000-05:00

Recently Willow, from Life at Willow Manor, was interviewed and invited other bloggers to join in. I just couldn't resist being interviewed by one of my favorite bloggers. Below are the five questions she asked me and my answers.

If you get a chance - pop on over to Willow's site - she never disappoints!

Willow: You have a wonderful portrait of Elnora on your sidebar. Tell us why she is your hero.

The Painted Lady: Elnora was my grandmother on my mother's side, she lived to be 91. The portrait is of her when she was in her thirties - referenced from an old black and white photograph. For a woman born in the 1900's she was surprisingly open-minded and never criticized me for any of the poor decisions I made as a rebellious teenager. She taught me to bake and cook and instilled in me a keen sense of the importance of family without ever really trying. My grandmother never let me forget how much she loved me - unconditionally - or how important it was to treat others with respect; and she wasn't afraid to occasionally "slap some sense into me" when/if I needed it. She let me be myself - being "different" was not only okay it was encouraged. Between her and my mother they let me flourish creatively. But my mother is for another post:)

W: Your artistic style is fabulous. What is your favorite medium?

TPL: Thank you. (I'm blushing) I would have to say oil paints, although I love photography. It's amazing what you can do with an inexpensive digital camera and photoshop. In my painting I love to experiment with movement, color and gesture using large bold brush strokes. I like to be able to see the paint on the canvas - thick and heavy almost like a living thing. Photography would probably be my next choice - I've been techno-lusting after a digital SLR for a few years now... someday (sigh). While painting is my medium of choice I love to experiment with oil pastels and drawing, write poetry and have a terrible addiction to the food network.

W: Who is your favorite artist and why?

TPL: Tough question. I'm always finding new artists to fall in love with... But the artist I relate to most is Camille Claudel, sculptress and lover of Auguste Rodin. Her work is so poignant raw emotion is visible in every line of her sculptures. She was passionate for her work in a time when it was not acceptable for women to be artists; her affair with Rodin, while self-destructive, was alive with creative influence. Much of what we know about her is suspect but the mystery cannot detract from the evidence of creation she left behind - stunningly beautiful pieces full of vitality, passion and sensuality from a woman who refused to give up her art.

W: Other than your loved ones, what is your most treasured possession?

TPL: The ring my grandmother left me. It's a simple, elegant gold band with an smooth oval bloodstone. She always wore it on her right hand ring finger and it fits my right hand finger perfectly. I never take it off.

W: What is your greatest accomplishment?

TPL: Right now I would have to say going back to graduate school. I'm completing my undergraduate courses for certification to teach art and then moving on to the graduate courses - probably in Art Therapy. It's something I've wanted to do for some time and after a few years working, freelancing, and just trying to find myself I think I've finally figured out what I want to do with my life. That AHA! moment some people have in their 20's, 30's or not till their 80's (a lady never reveals her age) The amount of direction I have at this point of my life astounds me - it's a little overwhelming. Sometimes I think "How did I get here? Who is this girl?" but most of the time I'm so focused and happy in my new found determination that I simply buckle myself in and enjoy the ride. Life is a wonderful thing.

If you want to be interviewed by me here are the instructions (courtesy of Willow):

1. Leave me a comment saying "Interview Me"

2. I will respond by emailing you five questions.* (I get to pick the questions)

3. You will update your blog with the answers to questions.

4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post

5. When others comment asking to be interviewed you will ask them five questions

*please give me a day or two to respond and please email me when you post your answers so I can add your blog link to my post:)

Cawfee Tawk

2009-01-09T18:07:00.000-05:00

I saw this on Jeane's blog over at Artit - sharing your coffee cup - so thought I'd join in the fun. This is one of my favorite mugs bought at the Art Institute of Chicago on my Birthday trip a few years ago. Mister Boyfriend flew me to see Rene Marie live in concert - an absolute MUST SEE if you ever get a chance. I have most of her CD's but nothing compares to the vitality of her live performance. The journal is my multicultural research journal open to one of my favorite new artists: Nacera Guerin, an Algerin born artist raised in France. I love her bold use of color and gestural brush strokes.

From Left to Right the images are:

"The Girl"

"Relax"

"Self-Portrait in Blue"

Writing on the Body

2009-01-03T13:30:00.000-05:00

"I like the smell of paper - all kinds. It reminds me of the scent of skin." - Nagiko

The Pillow Book, 1996

Peter Greenaway's The Pillow Book is a stunning array of visual collage, language and breaking down gender stereotypes. Flesh becomes paper as Nagiko is first the page then pen as she asserts her strong personality through the masculine art of calligraphy. Writing on men places them in the role of nature in an exquisite symbolism of paper=flesh=language.

What are books? The Pillow Book questions our definitions and stretches the boundaries of what books are. In the film who writes on whom changes the meaning just as much as how they write and what they write.

We are all pillow books contained within flesh and blood and bone. Memories of our life imprinted on our skin. The curve of my back remembers arching against a lover and the instep of my foot warms under summers of my youth. I am the novel of my own history, keeping internal account of each day that passes.

Writing on the body, making the internal external, is essential to de-mystifying the "other" and erasing gender lines. If Post-Modern identity is defined by society perceptions, gender is created and defined by words assigned by society. Just by naming a thing does that make it so? Or can we redefine ourselves and own our own identity regardless of gender...

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T22:46:00.000-05:00

Twas the night before Christmas...

I love the anticipation - I'm six years old again waiting for Santa. Memories flooding into the present - unexpected gifts of those no longer with us and times gone by.

One of my favorite author's Jeanette Winterson wrote the short story The Lion, the Unicorn, and Me, a fabulously creative twist on the Nativity story. Perfect reading for Christmas Eve.

I shall bring new and delicious thoughts to ponder after the holiday!

Merry Christmas and good tidings to all.

Twilight

2008-12-22T18:36:00.000-05:00

Clenched Soul

We have lost even this twilight.

No one saw us this evening hand in hand

while the blue night dropped on the world.

I have seen from my window

the fiesta of sunset in the distant mountain tops.

Sometimes a piece of sun

burned like a coin in my hand.

I remembered you with my soul clenched

in that sadness of mine that you know.

Where were you then?

Who else was there?

Saying what?

Why will the whole of love come on me suddenly

when I am sad and feel you are far away?

The book fell that always closed at twilight

and my blue sweater rolled like a hurt dog at my feet.

Always, always you recede through the evenings

toward the twilight erasing statues.

Pablo Neruda

photo by The Painted Lady

Tammy Garcia

2008-12-19T01:46:00.001-05:00

Olivia, 2003

8 3/4 x 6 3/4"

Tammy Garcia's piece, Olivia, is at once striking and sensuous. I am immediately reminded of something alive and in motion. The upper right curves out almost like a breast then dips in and down swaying out into another curve almost like a hip;the left side curves outward like the arch of a spine as though she is ready to strike. The shapes of the pot's curves are echoed with similar shapes and curves in the woman's hair and her dress and breasts.

The figure of a woman dominates the pot; her left arm is lifted with her fist pointed toward herself. Is she defending someone or something? Perhaps she is protecting her way of life or her community. Her chin is lifted, tilted back almost defiantly as though daring the viewer to approach her while her right arm is leaning back to support her weight. Possibly this represents the support the Pueblo women provide to their community both economically and emotionally.

Humans and gods are a traditional theme in Pueblo pottery, knowing Pueblo are secretive about their traditions it is difficult to ascertain whether this figure portrays a woman or goddess. She could be lifting her arm is support or defiance, although with her fist pointer towards herself and not palm outward she does not appear to be warding off an attack.

The shape is different from traditional Pueblo pottery, it's asymmetrical as opposed to perfectly shaped. I think the asymmetry is more suited to a woman's figure, more natural and realistic. Using indigenous materials could also be part of the statement of a natural woman versus a fabricated "plastic" woman. By naming the work Olivia it makes it more personal rather than an anonymous piece of art. This could extend to the Pueblo culture as well. Garcia is giving the women of her culture a face and a name. By naming them she is giving them power, hence the right arm uplifted; by providing them power she is providing pride in their culture.

Combining traditional cultural artistic practices while experimenting ensures the old ways are passed down while providing a future for the next generation. The shape of the vase is the shape of the future while the method of creation is built of generations of knowledge, thus the left arm supports the weight of the future it hopes to change and the past it has already carried. The base provides firm support while the uncertain lines indicate unlimited possibilities for the future.

- excerpt from: Multicultural Paper on Tammy Garcia by The Painted Lady (EMW)

My Favorite Things

2008-12-16T14:37:00.000-05:00

I am an old soul. I should have grown up in the thirties listening to phonographs wearing stockings with seams up the back. No one left the house without a hat. Women clicked down the street in high heels wearing gloves and matching purses.

I am a paradox.

I want the elegance of the past with the privileges of the present. The world wasn't simpler, but I do think it was prettier. Perhaps it was my grandmother's influence. She kept good china for special occasions, polished her silver at regular intervals and used real cream in her coffee. Her hair was always styled, her face powdered and she wore Chantilly and Channel No. 5.

She was a lady.

While I wistfully reflect on the past I am aware I would not be welcome. My tattoos, sharp tongue and independent nature would be sorely out of place; I may not be able to go back but the present has its perks.

In the spirit of the Christmas Season and my Grandmother - a list of my favorite things:

The soothing scratch of old black and white films

Dirty Sapphire Martinis (three olives please!)

Browsing through bookstores for inspiration

The scent of Hyacinth (it reminds me of home)

Watching classic movies on rainy afternoons

The glow of Christmas trees trimmed in red and green

The scent of the first Spring rain

Big steaming mugs of fresh brewed coffee

Stains of oil paint under my nails

These are a few of my favorite things.

Novel Nostalgia

2008-12-15T00:34:00.000-05:00

The snow is falling. I've got three glorious olives swimming in a dirty Sapphire martini and Billie Holiday warbling "April in Paris" on the phonograph. I can't think of a more perfect evening to curl up next to the fire with a little nosh and a great book.

I love the Internet but I'm not talking about hypertext or web zines. There's an intimacy between reader and author that can only exist with the physical presence of book in hand. The relationship between a novel and its reader should be like that of two people getting to know each other. A courtship if you will. I don't want to love chastely from afar (who wants to make love to a computer?) I want to feel the pages beneath my fingers, running my hands along the text until the tips are stained with other people's brilliance. Books should become old friends: they should be revisited from time to time.

Currently I'm revisiting Toni Morrison's Jazz, one of my favorites. The pages are dog-eared and worn with scrawled notes in the margin - clearly we've had long discussions. It opens up to me at certain places I have lingered, like arms outstretched after a long absence. "You have been gone a long time," it says. "Welcome home."

There is a wonderful quote at the beginning of this novel: "I have lived a long time, maybe too much in my own mind." (Pg 9, Morrison, Jazz) Perhaps I haves as well, and so I am connecting with the world to share my passion for the arts and literature.

It is time to begin.