Moving Forward

Venturing ahead with the freedom and exploration of monotypes. The alter ego to my detail oriented paintings. Like stretching exercises, fast, spontaneous; they expand creativity and a world of possibilities.

Following Through

I began this piece with only the inspiration. Water, reflection, transparency. It sometimes feels as if it will never be done, but I continue to work towards its completion. All of a sudden I'll stand back and realize it doesn't need another stroke and claim it finished... at least until the next day.



Pastel on panel 16 x 20

The Gift of Teaching

I’ll admit the time invested into preparing, arranging, setting-up, gathering materials, and creating lesson plans, far outweighs the ‘class-hour’ wage one gets for doing a continuing education class, but let me say that the energy, enthusiasm, and generosity of the people that attend my classes are priceless rewards. It is also what makes me keep coming back to teaching. My last class of women at UNM this fall semester was outstanding. They contributed their voice, creativity, and an awful lot of humor to each session. I look forward to meeting up again with them in the future where we can continue on in our creative journey.

           

Michele: Map making                                            

                                                     Cathy: Mandalas             

 

Linda: Color, Shape, Form                    

                                           Debbie: Illuminated Letter.

                       

Creative Journal Arts

"In the Works"

 

I haven't touched watercolor in a long time. It once was my primary medium but then I moved on to oils. I'd use watercolor to do onsite studies but it was not until recently that I wanted to challenge myself to do a major watercolor piece. What you see here is a work in progress, well on its but not quite complete

Sweet Infinity

11 x 14

The Final Touch

Never to be taken lightly, framing the work needs careful consideration. In the case of the miniature exhibition, there were also restrictions that needed to be adhered to and guidelines to follow. A frame is the finishing touch and often is as much of the final work as the painting itself. The frame gives the work character and different frames will make different statements about it. So choose carefully, don’t rush the process. Plan ahead. Think about the qualities of the frame while planning out the work.

 

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Complete

    

Titled Celebrate, Rejoice and Revelry respectively, my miniatures are complete. Framed and delivered, these works join their standard-sized companions of the same subject. The key to doing such small work is patience and having the right tools. It’s no use fighting your materials. In addition, allow yourself enough time if a deadline is in your midst. Trying to rush through such exacting work can be a disaster. And most importantly, and I’ve struggled with this in all of my work, there needs to be a connection to what you are painting. Uninspired work produces uninspired paintings and it will show.

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The Road Ahead

        

Having come so far, there is still a long road ahead. Each of the three panels has now been blocked in with oil. Color schemes have been resolved yet small changes may be made in the final pass. (The purple ribbon in the third panel needs to be more like the bow in the second.) But none of these panels possess the contrast of highlights and shadow. If converted to grayscale, they would all be in a mid-tone range. The next pass over these panels will focus primarily on light and reflective color. Details will be refined and shapes will be defined with light and shadows. As the deadline draws near, there is little time to waste.

Creative Journal Arts