ArtCentral....

"The Last Acre" On Hold 24x30 oil New Work

The show at Artcentral was also quite successful...the deadline to hang was November 16, and the show opened on the 20th.In some respects it was right down to the wire...framing materials had not arrived and we were praying daily that the molding I wanted would come in at Cherry's..I also had a painting I was working on that was taking longer than I expected (above). In the end, though, it all came together and the paintings, invitations and framing all arrived on time.
I had been working on putting all the addresses of collectors and artists on a word document...with a mailing label..that really made things easier....after the initial typing in of names and addresses...one click and there they were ready to be pressed onto invitations stamped and dropped in the mail. I highly advise keeping this up to date...don't be like me and have a mass of addresses you have to sort out after a few years of collecting them!
The opening was very well attended and pieces were sold the first night...yeah! Another piece sold the next week....and I received a lot of encouragement from fellow artists attending the show.
April Davis was my co-exhibitor....she was also a student when I was still teaching. Her fabulous ceramic work and lovely paintings helped to make this show a wonderful end to the Artcentral calendar year! Thank you, April!
There was also an auction going on at the same time...to help raise funds for a bronzing of fellow artist Bob Tommey's tiger for the Carthage High School....a painting sold through this venue also.
For those of you who don't live around here or haven't been here to Carthage or Joplin and surrounding area we have several famous artists that live in this area or who were born here...the arts in all forms are alive and well here....and there is always something going on! Below is a brief list of some of the artists and events that are most notable:
Andy Thomas
Joe Beeler
Jerry Ellis
Bob Tommey
Lowell Davis
April Davis
Jeff Legg
Doug Hall
Midwest Gathering Of The Artists
Artcentral
Spiva Center for the Arts
Red Oak II
Cherry's Gallery
The Dancers Studio
Stones Throw Dinner Theater

Coming up...commission with progression.....more sales...more new work....next event.....Christmas..
See you next time,
Theresa



Co-exhibitor April Davis with Dr. Edwards


Andy Thomas talking with Max


Arriving....


Greeting....


Dina Thomas admiring my diptych...


Host and Director of Artcentral, Sally Armstrong


The Party getting started....


Sold


sold


Sold


New work

The Blog That Almost Wasn't.....

After The Hunt Sold 24x30

I haven't fallen off the face of the planet although it may seem like it....but I did fall into Facebook and almost didn't escape. There is a lot to be said about the instant connections and updates...but it does lack a lot of the personal appeal of blogging. So here I am...back 6 months later and as usual the past months have been extremely busy and rewarding....I guess I don't know any other way to live...the busy part!
If I go back to August...that was when I was doing a lot of canning and also getting ready for the Midwest Gathering of Artists. I did up a lot of tomatoes and peppers...dried onions and herbs. Froze spinach but mostly ate it fresh. Lots of lettuce which finally bolted and not a single raspberry...the birds got them! We still did fairly well though for the most part. The trees have been trimmed so there will ne more light next year and I would like to expand the garden some.
Now on to the painting part. I took on a project that my friend and gallery owner, Cherry, prompted me to do. I was in her shop and saw some pheasants on a wreath and mentioned I would like to paint them. She wholeheartedly allowed me to use them and we ran over different items to put with it. I finally decided on some copper and onions and a piece of oriental carpet behind the hanging pheasants. Then threw in a piece of pottery and some cobalt glass and commenced to paint! Well, it was a real learning experience....how do you balance all the textures...how do you simplify the feathers....how do you get the feeling of the different textures.....what color are the shadows and how much of them.....and on and on. About 4 weeks later I had my painting...but not without much wailing and gnashing of teeth!! The end result was satisfactory....the best I could possibly do at the time....but that's the way it always is. A continual learning process....each brush mark...each value...the temperature and all the adjustments that go into painting no matter what style you have.
The final panting is at the top..... there is also a photo of the setup but of course it was painted from life...as always.
Thank you everyone who inquired to where I was at...I really appreciate the care and concern...:)
Tomorrow I will tell you about the amazing out come of this painting!
Theresa

I'm Baaaaack........

"Vecchio E Sereno" oil on panel 18x10
After a wonderful trip out of state, visiting some old friends (we partied like rock stars as the saying goes), an enjoyable and fun visit from Max's son for about three weeks, and a great 4th of July party at a fellow artists home.....the past month has flown by! It has been, as always, a whirlwind of activity and the past three days I have barely done a thing....and frankly it feels pretty good! Does anyone know why you have to come home from vacation to rest? I thought that's what vacations were for!! At any rate....it was ALL good!
The painting I began....in the last blog went to the sidelines temporarily and instead I completed a still life before I left...it is the first image on this blog. I am planning several more garlic themed pieces. Doing several paintings on one theme is not something I have done in the past but....as I have seen....most artists do this either regularly or for some time during there career. I have been painting about 8 years now...and have only done the series thing three times. Oddly enough another piece sold recently that was from a series...."Little Guys" ...a series of six little paintings based on tiny or young animals with a humorous accent....you can see them here. They are all sold now. I also plan another series of little guys.

"Hanging By A Prayer" 8x10 oil on panel
I sold the last one last week...or I should say I got the check for it. Nice surprise! I also sold the little bottle from the gallery (Cherry's) I am in and gained another new client.

"Antique Bottle In An Antique Frame" 4x5 oil on panel
I will be moving my studio to a larger space upstairs...we will see how that works...I keep trying to find a place where I can concentrate and still feel like part of the household flow....is it possible...or am I being unrealistic??? LOL! I have been known to be somewhat unrealistic...:)!
Lots of paintings in my head....and I am dying to get to work again on a steady basis. One in particular will require a lot of background work...but it is coming together....I shall not mention anything until I have a heck of a good start. I believe in saving my voice for the paint!
Well, folks and fellow bloggers that's it for now...Between my website, blog and Facebook....I am spreading myself way to thin. I will be cutting back on Facebook.
Glad to be back,
Theresa

Canadian Morning....for Barbara

Kitchen Morning 12x12 oil

Barbara Muir ....fantastic Canadian artist, famous Skype artist, fellow blogger, inspiring supporter and I am proud to say a friend of mine had a lovely photo posted on her blog a few months ago. I immediately fell in love with the color and light she had captured in that photo and she was kind enough to allow me to paint it. If you have not seen her work or read her blog...you better get over there right now!! I know Barbara personally....she is a delightful human being and I have never seen anyone accomplish so much in so little time....she is amazing!!! Three cheers for Barbara and a bless you for being so inspirational and generous!!
So, I am happy (hurray), once again, with my new piece.....I feel it is painterly ( lots of thick paint and brushwork) and romantic ( love the palette and sense of light)....and I feel ever closer to the message and voice I want my work to say. Thank you Barbara for everything you give in your work your blog and your generous spirit. I hope this piece is as pleasing to you....and everyone else....as it is to me!!
This coming week is crunch time...again! I must prepare for a client party for my show at Spiva on Friday....a 4 hour demo I am giving Saturday.....and a workshop I am giving on Sunday. The following week is shaping up to be equally busy. I have been so consumed with work ( trying to produce high quality work at the rate of two per week) that I have forgotten to enter two local shows...that's okay I have more awards than I have room for and am seriously trying to improve my work and keep the house and family humming....all a big job when you are trying to do it right!
Until later....the Universe rocks!!!,
Theresa

Progress.....

Just a quickie blog today! I want to thank all of the people who have signed up to follow my blog...it makes it really easy to just click on the picture and see what has been going on with all of you. I appreciate it so very much.
I am working on the 24 x 36 today...and here is what I accomplished yesterday. I really haven't settled on a title yet.
I am going to have to make some time to pickup a painting this week in Arkansas... although the lady that is holding it for me is enjoying it immensely my gallery needs to have it for a potential sale. Hope the sale goes through.....times are always a little tough this time of the year.
On other notes the workshop with Jeff is coming together really well. I also need to get my painting done for the Different Strokes blog.
Lots of light,
Theresa

At Work....

Soapstone and Roses 18x24 oil sold
First off if you like my blog add your self as a follower...I just added the widget to the right. You won't be harassed, bothered or annoyed...but I would like to see all your bright beautiful faces on my blog...and in turn I am marking those blogs that have this widget that I read!
Now onto the business of painting!!
I have been away for a little while...and yes, doing just that....painting. I am working on a semi-large piece about 24 x 36. I actually did this particular subject once before....but a few things about it annoyed me personally. First of all it was done in a format that was rather square and I believe the subject needed a longer rectangular format. Second....the original was stolen! So I am starting it in the new format.
The past few paintings and the next several are all being done for a solo show at a local art center. I need to have 11 to 20 pieces and I will also be giving a workshop during the time my show will be running. The show is at Spiva Center for the Arts....it will be my first solo show there. The workshop will be during the month of April. The show runs from March 7 to May 8. Along that note my old artist friend Jeff Legg is coming to Joplin to give a workshop at the end of January...I hope I can attend...if finances allow.
Unbelievably I drew this out the other day and after I had painted on it for a whole day....I was not satisfied with the composition. Soooo....what needed to be done? but....remove everything and start all over again...ugh! How did that happen....not thinking. I was feeling rushed and hurried and only had a small time frame to paint. For me I have to have a large block of time and no distractions. So here it is...the corrected version.
Outside of that we have attended a birthday party for a friend, Tom, complete with duck dinner prepared by mutual friend, Kim, we have done a lot of mundane house chores, I had a wonderful call from a friend, Barbara, in Cananda....who always lifts my spirits, another friend recently got married...hurray....they are so good for each other and lost three of the holiday pounds I managed to put on...I am not saying what is left but it is enough!
I also have posted a little painting, at the top of the post, that I did a while back and is rather tight....I don't know why but that happens to me with a still life on occasion ...I posted it because, well, I just really like it!
See you next time and have a creative day,
Theresa

Can you say "Paint By Number"?....

Hmmm....it took only three days to find out that I was correct..... off to a very good start only to find out that this painting began to disintegrate before my eyes the more I painted on it. Lesson learned? Do not use a canvas that has all the life sucked out of it from repeated layers of gesso....do not use reference material that does not have enough information in it...paint from life more often and most of all have a good clear picture in ones head before beginning a painting! Now remember I did mention these things in an earlier post. I just thought I could work around them! You'd think I would know these simple things by now (most times I do).....but alas...old age has set in...I have become forgetful...along with over confidant!
I include the shameful progressions here for everyone to see. On coming close to the final product....it has the peculiar resemblance of a paint by number. Thus the name of this blog. LOL!
Actually there are a few things I do like in this painting...a very few....which parts do you like if any? For me it is the transparent red oxide sketch (earlier post)....some of the shapes in the trees, some of the color and the way one tower is executed. But...wait!!! After this failure....which I chose not to hide or wipe off...I will simply take the canvas off the stretcher bars and place the old canvas in the waste bin or the burn pile....where naughty paintings and old lovers go(not Max...never Max!). Recycle the stretcher bars with a brand new canvas and begin something else that will either fail or succeed. Yesterday was a VERY successful painting to my eyes but for now you will have to wait till tomorrow to see it! One last note here.....every failed painting, every misstep with the brush, every decision in simplification or overworking, every choice of color and painterly execution or lack thereof....every mistake...is an opportunity to learn....if one chooses to see it. And as we all know...that not only applies to painting....but, indeed to the rest of life!

Loving the process......still!
Theresa

When it rains it poors.....

Inez, Max's daughter, came home night before last and.......my gosh....she had a broken wrist. The really sad thing besides the fact this will interfere with her work, life and just about everything..... is... she is a dancer. She has been dancing for a very long time about 20 years...it is part of her life...and she is very good. She was trained in classical ballet and dances three times a week and teaches occasionally also. I feel so bad for her. She had surgery yesterday and they reset the bone and added pins and a plate. It will be six to eight weeks before she is healed. She will be allowed to come home sometime today depending on her mobility and the doctor's schedule. Max and I cleaned her room and I washed all her clothes and making cinnamon rolls for her. She had great plans to go up to Kansas City and party with her friends.....she will still go....but obviously must be very careful. It is also her birthday on the 28th....not exactly the present she was looking for. We are all hoping for a quick an easy mend.....and that it won't interfere with her dancing.
Well Halloween is almost here and Max and I are invited to a Halloween Costume party....I think we may go as Deadwood....if you never saw the series....it is a hoot. I will let everyone guess who he and I will be. Some more suggestions would be helpful, too!
I have been looking at Eldon Warrens blog which is fabulous and very descriptive. He is showing the progress of a landscape painting he is working on. Please take a look!! He has some beautiful work.
Along the same lines I subscribe to Empty Easel and who do I find that writes there....Diane Mize...another fellow blogger and fabulous artist. She has a great article on edges....my trouble spot....and her entry is fabulous!
I plan to do the same as Warren soon......put up a progression of work. I will also put up the Profiles magazine article too. But for now....I am a little overwhelmed with duties. So all I have to offer is some work that was done a while ago. One is a plein air and the other a portrait. I sold the 8x10 plein air for $2000 at the Richard Schmid Auction and the 12x16 portrait could have been sold ten times over....but as of yet I want to keep it because it has some things in it that I like how I painted them. In particular the roses, the dress and the hand. Less is more....I am still struggling with that!
That's about it for today....off to make cinnamon rolls!
Love, Theresa

Frequent Flyer.......

Catching up to speed is sometimes a real challenge. I think I need to reorganize my time or at least make it more efficient. I must say I have been pretty consumed with politics and the news of late. I also believe I would be better off not indulging in so much of it. But, alas, this is a historical and unprecedented event or events in our history and just as I was in the 60's....I am very much a part of it today, wanting to know every little detail, poll, upswing and downturn. I am not going to politicize this blog...but I do have very strong feelings for one candidate and am hoping that everyone takes it upon themselves to truly look at the facts and search out all the info and please, please vote. Enough said an now back to my little microcosm!
Max's birthday was a great success! All of the kids were there for dinner except for Wyatt (who lives in Houston but did call and gave his rendition of "Happy Birthday" over the phone to his Dad)!
Dinah his oldest was there and we had a great visit. Inez his second oldest was also there and we always have a great time! Obviously from my last blog there was plenty of food to go around and everyone thoroughly loved it...I sent some food and cake to the kids grandparents and a piece of cake to the mother of one of Max's oldest friends to enjoy....and we still had leftovers!
When Max read my blog...which he does every time I post...he discovered the painting was his birthday present. He cried and I was touched by this man's obvious heartfelt emotion. Men don't cry right? Phooey...they do and it means the world to me to see how much he was touched.
So today my friends I will be packing and taking care of a few loose ends. We will be leaving first thing in the morning for our flight out of Tulsa to Phoenix. I am looking forward to our little family visit.
I believe this will be our last trip for awhile. I have two one woman shows next year and two galleries to keep filled. That means I need to settle in for the winter and paint all of the ideas I have in my head. I am very excited about many of them and some need to sit on the backburner and stew for awhile until all the flavors come together.
Today's painting is something from another visit to Arizona ( I am generally out there 4 or 5 times a year). There is a lovely little bistro in Scottsdale....or was it Chandler?.....Darn! I can't remember but this was my take on it! It was an award winner and is also sold. It is in the possession of one of the Board Members at SPIVA Center For The Arts......our local Arts Center here in Joplin, Mo.
I will be gone for about 5 days and I am not sure if I will be posting....guess I will have to wait and see!
Love, Theresa

As Luck Would Have It....

Gladys's Quiet Determination 22x22 sold
I have been away for a while....catching up on some business, house chores and a little visiting. Not to mention working on the huge painting which is just about done! The gallery in Kansas City wants six of my paintings and three of my photographs. To get everything ready for them entailed going back over some frames to address any issues they might have, replacing a liner and a completely new frame for two of the paintings. The photographs need to be printed and matted and then framed....that is still on hold to see if the raw image has enough megabytes for printing. There was also an issue as to whether two of the paintings could go or not.
During the Midwest Gathering two years ago I had a painting of an older lady in her garden. The woman I chose to paint was like a Mother to me and welcomed me and included me in every family celebration and holiday. Her name was Gladys Murray. She was the strongest woman I have ever met...not only physically but emotionally as well. She wrecked buildings for a living with her son and some hired men through a company she and her husband built. They built their home with mostly salvaged materials that still stands today is still a beautiful home on 40+ acres. She cooked for a large and extended family including hired hands regularly. She watched two children, a husband and grandson die. She always had a welcome mat, hug and cup of coffee out for anyone. She taught me many things about life and I still use her guidelines until today. I could say so much more about this amazing woman but there is not enough room tell all of the stories we shared.....She was 76 years old when she passed away. I was with her every moment of the 36 days she had to live once diagnosed with cancer. It was painful but well worth it. I had done the same with my natural mother whom I took care of until the end. I wrote a poem for her about having two mothers...one by birth and one by choice...and put it in her pocket when she was buried in her favorite pink suit. I may show it to you one day. She made the flower arrangements for her own funeral. I was and am proud to have been her friend and daughter by choice and I miss her every day. I did this painting of her and called it Gladys's Quiet Determination because of how she always appeared to me. The lady who saw it is Max's sisters best friend.....she came to the house a few months ago and expressed how that painting affected her and how much she would like to have it. I told her then as I had for some time to other people that selling the painting was not very important to me but if she wanted it I would let her buy it because of how it struck her emotionally. In other words the painting would have a loving home and appreciated for the spirit it was painted in. You can see that I get attached to certain ones for emotional reasons. She said she really loved it and that the message that came through really identified with her...I let her know the painting was hers when she decided to purchase it. Well as luck or fate would have it, this was one of the paintings that the gallery wanted.....and I had already told this woman that it wasn't going anywhere. I talked to Max's' sister about this complication and when these two friends went out to dinner this past Friday they discussed it and called me. She bought the painting that evening and I am very happy it is with someone that truly appreciates it!
The second painting that had a complication is entered in a competition and will be on exhibition for awhile before it can be delivered. Not a huge problem but I am hoping to win a prize on it. I also received an email this morning from someone who had seen a painting of mine at an art fair in Pineville last year...the painting is called "Of Saints and Sinners" and she expressed interest in it. If you have a website make sure they are up to date and list all pertinent information including how to get a hold of you!!! I have had great success with my website but I have also done a lot of work through art fairs, shows, auctions and exhibitions to get my name out there. I am still working hard at this part that many artists hate....me included!!
The Profiles magazine article came out and it is wonderful....makes me sound like I know what I am talking about!! More about that next time.
The big painting is close to being done and will also be posted at a later date....I already have ideas for a new one and am anxious to start on it.
So that is the brief update and I wish everyone of you reading a happy and creative week!
Love, Theresa
Of Saints and Sinners 20x30 oil

Back To The Vacation...Day Three

Well it's been awhile since I talked about our vacation. Everyone knows how life can just get in the way sometimes...not always a bad thing either! As you can see from the last post, I started an extremely large painting....50x40! Many people were amazed at how fast I "finished" it....sorry darlings....I am NOT finished! On closer inspection you can see that the hands are not done, the sheets need to be finished in one or two areas, some thin glazing here and there and the dogs finished off a bit....just a bit though. I like the semi-unfinished work...to me it leaves an immediacy and spontaneity that a completely covered canvas does not have....unless it is a small piece done in one sitting. Upon looking closely at many paintings from some of the current and past masters that I thoroughly(seen in the list to the right) enjoy one can see transparent shadows, thin glazes and dry brushing that allow the canvas to show through. Then there are levels of thicker paint juxtaposed with the thin and medium layers that are so expressive I can hardly stand to look at the magnificent brushwork and color without weeping. Sargent, Zorn, and Schmid were and are masters at this as well as the names listed to the right. So to sum it up the painting is close to finished but for me now comes the hard part. I must think long and hard how the next stroke will add or detract from the painting...is the temperature and value reading correctly.....is it the right shape and where does it begin and where does it end. I have gotten past some of these issues....but, dang it, so much of it eludes me. All I can say to myself is this...more miles on the brush...paint what you see and not what you know.....and keep experimenting....you can always wipe it off until you get it right. I do a lot of that sometimes. When I was still teaching one thing I often said was....Paint the picture in your head first....that is why the first three days went so fast on such a large painting....but alas I neglected painting some of the details....so physician heal thyself...! A final word on showing this painting..I have full consent of Max to show this image...we view it as a good painting with a good composition and it means something special to both of us...irregardless of who it is I paint. It was not meant to attract viewers or bloggers...I have plenty of work to post that is better than this one or worse. I just want to make things clear in case some are put off by subject matter and this is NOT directed at anyone. Okay? 'Nough said...:)
Second day of our vacation! When we awoke I immediately started thinking...the party for the Schmid Auction was tonight I kept thinking what would it be like? Who would we meet? We drove up two Fort Collins where we had our reservations....checked in and got ready for the party....Bellevue is about 45 Minutes away. We were there early enough that we decided to drive up there and make sure we found the place. That was definitely the smart think to do!!
Stove Prairie Ranch is and astounding citadel of Morgan horses and cattle nestled in the Rocky Mountains, Rist Valley . You have to see this astonshing land to appreciate it! The ranch is huge and anyone can drive through it as long as they stay on the road. Several other ranches and homes are built on this prairie...all of them charming! We drove up the Rist Canyon road and stopped to take pictures of the Old Flowers house and the Bellevue store. Once past the Auction site we started to wonder if we were lost....I looked at our print out of the directions and it said to keep going until Old Flowers Road. Onward! We drove through the beautiful rockies and remembered that distinct light and air from my years in Utah....I thought how much I missed it and the simple living off the land life I had while I lived there. Then I remembered the work....the milking ....the feeding.....the tilling and toiling....the butchering...and all of the 1oo's of daily chores that consumed my life before painting seriously. Naw!!...I don't miss it that much!!! I am quite happy where I am in my life right this very moment....it is the right place at the right time!
We reached th top of what seemed to be a hill and over and down we went...12% grade....from my truckdriving days I remembered that this was not your average 6% to 7%( although I have seen 17%).....and I could see it was long way down.....I can't imagine it with snowpack and/or ice! Down we went at the bottom of the hill was Old Flowers Road....we drove through this stately an well planned ranch and were completely amazed at the size of it. There were many barns and out buildings....horse shelters....what seemed to be two guest homes...many more buildings....a huge covered arena with patio where they were setting things up for the party that night...and capping it all off an amazingly large house sitting up on a hill looking over the estate...everything made from wood and natural rock...stunning!!! I took many pictures some are on the slide show at the top of this page.
It was finally time to attend the party. We drove up to the first stop where my name was checked on the guest list and then we were waved ahead when it was okay. The there was a second stop...where my name was checked once again....very secure...gate crashers beware! On up to an open prairie where we were assigned parking. On to the party. We came up to a huge covered arena and walked through massive wooden carved doorway......Wow!! We were greeted by a third group checking invitations and I was given an artist name tag and Max was given a guest tag. Horse stables lined each side of the center walkway....a charming tack room, off to one side, decorated in Mission style oak and Arts and Crafts accessories. It was immaculate, the horses were gorgeous and by there friendliness and contentment one could see they were handled often and well. After visiting with the horses (which everyone did! How could anyone resist?) we came into the arena. Huge wooden beams were decorated with tiny white icicle lights....The fine sand was wetted and tamped down for the party...tables were arranged and decorated beautifully through the entire center and the whole seating area was roped off. A bar was set up in two opposing corners and the some of the food and barbeque where set up outside. We stopped and got a cocktail for me and a beer for Max and wandered out to the patio (name tag in place) where the quests were mingling. We didn't know anyone there personally but as the evening went on many interesting people came up to us and we visited and chatted amiably including Richard himself who asked me to find his "lovely wife Nancy"and send her over to him. Mr. Schmid is not only a genius of an artist but is equally well versed in many subjects...is always learning something new and a true gentleman and loving husband with a very wry sense of humor. I have very high regard for him not just as an artist but as a human being.
We were called to dinner and filled our plates and found a table. The guests greeted us and we began a wonderful conversation. Max struck up a conversation with the man sitting next to him...Tom Sutherland. Now this is amazing....he turned out to be THE Tom Sutherland who was kidnapped and held hostage in Beirut for 2354 days. We met his wife who was equally charming! Everyone at the table was gregarious and we all had a wonderful time with great food. We were called to attention that the ceremonies and introductions were to begin...and also that a special event was planned for us. Thanks were given to all who planned, participated and attended the event. Wes Rutt who pretty much is the glue of the auction was introduced. He is a great guy and remembers every artist at the auction. He works very hard to make sure the event comes off well.
After the introductions we were told that we were going to be shown there top pick horses and new colt....which is why the seating area was roped off. They stunning animals were turned out and put through there paces around the ring by their trainer Kathy! I have had a little experience with horses and these were beauties with perfectly arched necks and real high steppers....certainly to be reckoned with in the championships the owner planned to enter. We visited some more got a bite of dessert and decided it was time to go home. Big day tomorrow and we were both tired but very happy.
I will end now as I sometimes I spend a long time writing too many words. I need to get back to work and Max has taken on the job of repairing and painting the window sills and trim of this 100 and something year old home. You know he always thinks he may not get these repairs right...but he always takes his time and thinks things through before making a move....something I admire as I am rather impulsive often to my detriment! Just another reason we are good for each other.
Until tomorrow, Theresa

Filled Up and Overflowing.....

I"m baaaack! I have missed a week of blogging...My brain has hatched several new ideas....Gone through the photos of our vacation....and I have had my entire mind consumed with my new painting (yes, Lori you hit the nail on the head)
To clean up some old issues I received the Brilliante Weblog Award one more time....and I will use fellow blogger David Lobenbergs' style of delivering this award. I am suppose to pass this award onto 5 other blogs that I highly admire (and I know that this award is suppose to circulate), but I humbly submit my "Fav. Links" on the right...more than 5 for sure, but they are all fantastic, and I just can't bring myself to edit. Sorry. Straight from the horses mouth!
The painting I started three days ago took a day of thought to paint it in my head first. When I had the image secured in my head I sketched it out on a 50x40 canvas. THE biggest canvas ever, to date, that I have painted on! The painting is from a photo Max took of me around my 60th birthday and it turned out so well I just had to paint it. It is not for sale unless, of course, you have around $30,000....lol!
In the first picture is the sketch and a wash of transparent oxide red with a touch of ultramarine blue to cool it down some. I work from dark to light blocking in the shadows first then the middle values. Highlights are wiped out of the paint with thinner. The next image is the work I did on the second day....mostly the bedclothes and trying to keep the shapes simple and the shadows thin. The third day I started the body and added more washes to the background. Worked on the sheets a little more and just about finished Okra Winfrey one of our cats.
This is a quick blog....there should be some new slide shows on here also.
Back to painting,
Theresa

"As a man thinketh, so is he" - Proverbs 23:7

Okay...I wasn't back Monday...but better late than never as they say! It has been one heck of a weekend. Attending The Midwest Gathering For Artists is always fun, profitable and tiring in a good way! The event kicked off with midday meeting and drawing for numbers. The numbers represent the order in which the artists work is auctioned off....I picked number 24...ugh...way down the line among 31 pieces! That means, for me, lots of anticipation until my turn. I have related to you how these events are for me and Friday was no different! We then had a brief meeting and introduction of new and returning artists. Well, Lo and Behold I could not believe my eyes! My old teacher, Barbara Courtney, was among the returning artists. There was a last minute cancellation and they called her up. I was so very happy to see her there!! She is a great artist, mentor, teacher and art Mom and is extremely deserving of all this ! She is the one who set me on the right path when I started painting 7 years ago and I owe her much. Most of all, I am in debt for her great confidence in what I was capable of doing in the art world. I hope I never prove her wrong! I will always look forward to growing and do not believe that I will ever "arrive"....which I believe is death to the artists soul, creativity and continued growth towards excellence. After much hugs and kisses since many of these artists I only get to see once a year because of their living distances we adjourned and had a wonderful lunch, set up our auction pieces( one for the first auction and one for the second) chose the artist that we thought was the best and went home to prepare for the evening.
I went home and did the rest of my painting tags and took a brief nap! I had bought a lovely creamy beige confection of embroidered lace and ties and ribbons....very girlie and when I saw it I had to have it....Max said buy it you are worth it! I don't ask for much...but I do like a new piece of clothing every once in a while. Most of the money goes into the house except for the occasional book...I should say books!...art supplies and frames!
We arrived on time to a huge crowd...always good to see...a beautiful arrangement of hors d'oeuvres and wine ( provided by Max's cousins husband Jim)...all of which we enjoyed as we greeted buyers, friends, artists and clients. We sat with Cherry and her squeeze Joe...and had an absolute blast!! Cherry is the owner of Cherry's Gallery and sure knows her stuff! She has great eye for art and a real business head besides being a real sweetheart....Joe is a hoot and he and Max talked about cooking up some fish boil confection that actually sounds delicious. We watched as once piece after another was auctioned off some with great success dollar wise others with not so much success...nerve wracking!! My turn...I started to get very tense that my piece would go for a pittance like some of the others at $300 to $600.....friends to the rescue....Max, Cherry and Joe soothed my nerves.
Now...here is the crazy thing! I have been reading a book Called "The Secret" ....it contains a belief system that I have always practiced or at least tried to. Others have written about it and you have all heard of it. The first time I read this concept was in...yes...the Bible....the second time was a little book by James Allen which is a free online book...at least it was. I have tried off and on to keep this thinking in my mind....but not always successfully. This type of thinking is to positively create images of whatever in your life you want to happen. When I started this thinking on a stronger level...... I was given a house to live in when I suddenly found I didn't have one anymore (another amazing story)...Max came into my life (which is a tale in itself and WILL be recounted at one point!) Then I kind of relaxed and went into a lax posture concerning art concentrating mostly on this house and moving. A few months ago I started the thinking again and have been applying it to my self confidence and my art.
I am here to tell you.....this works!!!! I now have a much better self image and art....well it has taken off like the proverbial gangbusters!!I sold a small piece for starters. Then I sold two pieces to my local hospital for a highly respectable sum. The Richard Schmid Auction netted me exactly what I wanted and a personal introduction by Richard himself(it seems he only introduces the artists with paintings he likes). I received a cold call from a new gallery in Kansas City that would like to represent me. I pay my doctor with prints for services and had some framing done for the same. We are having electrical work done in our old house for a painting (it was once gas lights and rather difficult to rewire) I have been asked to judge a show for this weekend. A newspaper item in the Joplin Globe and 4 State Arts( they wanted to use 3 of my pieces as the pictures for the MGA ad), a Profiles Magazine article and a Carthage Press ad. The MGA first auction piece went for the price I asked the second piece which was a print went for decent amount. I sold a small painting and some cards during the weekend and got home to find a confirmation letter from the gallery in Kansas City! I will be hanging with the likes of Pino and Dan Gerhartz!!! It DOES NOT get any better than that!!! I can hardly believe it!! I can only hope and pray and positively think..:) that one day I will achieve their artistic level. I also received an invitation to paint outdoors with Todd Williams another fantastic artist!
Now, if you have not explored this type of thinking I urge you to start and watch the changes in your life!
Here is a female singer (for you Lori) that has a beautiful sound, her name is Pieta Brown and she is one of my favorites to paint by. Here are a few more...Cat Power, Lucinda Williams, The Felice Brothers, The Avett Brothers, The Be Good Tanyas and just about all Classical(great for improving your intelligence ratio, creativity and imaging.
See you tomorrow...hopefully with a slide show! I am judging a show tonight and giving the awards on Saturday.
Thinking Positively, Theresa

Day two!!

As we awoke Friday morning, the anticipation of the Schmid Auction loomed ever closer. It was coming at me like a big train...not knowing if I was going to jump out of the way in time or


be completely run over by my ever building anxiety. I cannot explain why I get such an overwhelming resistance to social functions but I do know I would rather be painting or spending time with my family and friends. Well, I do know the reason....and it has something to do with that big house (Back further in the blog) I lived in while growing up. We had a lot of parties and there were very often Hollywood luminaries, political and social stars and plain old good folk and family! But unfortunately there was also a lot of phoniness and snobbery and way too much accent on what one has or how one looks. Please don't get me wrong...there were many advantages, happy times, love and I had an excellent education in a private school and because of that I can, if needed, socialize with every level of personality. It does seem like such a long time ago and I am not even the same person or in similar situations. I am a very simple person in a lot of ways. I like honesty, faithfulness, kindness, genuineness and good laughs. That is why I live here in the Ozarks and not where I grew up. But I do digress....I was told their was another mystery about me because of that big house....and I wanted to give the delightful blogger a little more information. There is a lot more, some good, some bad and I have been told often I should write a book.....I just never thought anyone would be interested in my life or views. Soooooo........
We hit the road and drove to Manitou Springs where Max had made reservations for us. We arrived at one of the most adorable and hospitable motels I have ever seen. This place was charming and the Europeans who ran it equally delightful! It was styled in the 1950's when much car vacationing was going on....remember those trips to National Parks or Grandmas' and Grandpas'? I do...Are we there yet??? It had THE most comfortable bed I have ever slept on in a motel. Warm honey 100% knotty pine paneled the rooms. The doors had a hand hewn look and the numbers to each apartment were carved in a wood plaque and hung above the door. Great flagstone slabs made up the stairs and walkways and reminded me of the old fashioned swimming pools from my childhood home. The bathroom was completely new but older styled fixtures had been chosen to compliment the decor. And there were flowers EVERYWHERE!! Tucked in here and there among the rocks that lined the river flowing behind the building, large planters of them set out among the BBQs and umbrellaed tables for guests and box planters built out of that same flagstone that lined the entire front of the motel. We delivered our bags and went out to drive around. We visited the Garden of the Gods, where we saw a couple of rock climbers, man and woman...the woman was stuck and hollering to the man on top but he told her he done a harder one yesterday and that this was really pretty easy. There were a few tense moments while watched hoping she didn't fall...we had sweaty palms watching this. She seemed to maneuver herself out of the trouble spot..but I was glad I didn't know him! Miramont Castle which was built by a wealthy priest(wealthy priest?) and stopped and had dinner at The Stagecoach Inn which was an old stage stop and where a woman writer spent her summers years ago penning novels . As we sat over dinner which we ate outside by what I thought was the same river we saw at the motel, Max told me he picked that motel because he knew I liked old things. He could not have done a better job and interestingly enough said motel was built in the year of my birth...1948!!! Everything was about what I wanted to do....and I felt very fortunate indeed to know him. That was our second day....Richard Schmid tomorrow...the auction....yikes! I slept well and really did not want to leave this place...some towns just feel really comfortable and the Park Row Lodge was for sale! Hmmmm.....! No, I didn't buy it....but we had a little fantasy of it for awhile.
Enjoy the links and the photos, which are mine. I am building a slide show for you to view but here are few photos to get you started. Today is going to be a little hectic. The Midwest Gathering is tomorrow and I need to get some bios and business cards printed plus I have a chiropractor appointment and a hairdresser appointment. Max picked up my prints yesterday and as always Webb City Digital has done a magnificent job! They look stunning if I do say so myself! Until tomorrow, Theresa

Just a House?

1157 Main-The Historic Hill Home
Saturday I finished my painting for the MGA Auction. The painting had to be something from Jasper County. I painted three things from this area...this is the one I settled on. For the past 8 to 10 years I have been coming to Carthage to attend different art shows and art fairs and I have always been deeply impressed by the historic homes here. There are several different styles from the late 1800's to the early and mid-1900's. From austere and imposing mansions to layered tiers of gingerbread looking just short of an overly decorated cake. I love them all. I think about the lives that might have gone on in each one and the generations of care and love dwelling in each one. My mind pictures women attired in flowing dresses cutting flowers from their garden to display in the grand entry halls. Children racing up and down the stairs hands gliding along the silky smooth wooden banisters. Daily tasks of washing and housekeeping and cooking in the large spacious kitchens. Parties held to commemorate a birthday, baptism or graduation. Victorian Christmases and large gatherings of family and friends at Thanksgiving.
The streets are lined here with maple trees, lush and green in the hot summer and turning red and fiery in the fall. There is even a festival in the honor of the trees. Things have not changed much since those early days in Carthage. Their is still a feeling of quiet continuity and history..... a feeling of community pride and planning. No city, town or berg is perfect. Yet in so very many ways this town is. I feel very comfortable here...always have since I first read about Carthage 17 years ago.
I was looking for a place to live in the Midwest. I wanted to live in Carthage but couldn't at the time and settled on Kansas. My family has Midwest roots on my Dad's Scotch-Irish side,haling from Illinois and Missouri via Kentucky and North Carolina, my Mother's side is straight from Italy with a bit of Russian thrown in. (Yes I have also done my genealogy!!) There was a continual draw to come back here after growing up in California and living in Hawaii, Utah and Oregon. I can honestly say I have been very happy here in so many ways...largely because of the generosity and friendliness of the people and the quiet laid back lifestyle. I enjoy a good city trip...but after growing up in Beverly Hills, California...I crave the peaceful honesty I find here!
But I digress...as usual...and to finish up the story about the painting....it is a home that to me embodies the past present and future of this area. At any given moment one can drive by that house and see children playing, kittens in numbers on the front porch (Max said he saw two and I counted three but Max said he then saw six and that was just so he would not be out done..teehee). There are always flowers in bloom and people on the porch...it is a home and not just a house. That's why I painted it!!! Later I will show pictures of our little Victorian....not grand...but very homey indeed! I am also including a picture of the home I grew up in for most of my younger years.
One last note.....I am like everyone else...overwhelmed by the Olympics and the closing ceremonies....to some it up...it does instill hope and a promise for mankind....if we only play fair, do our personal best and choose the right thing!
And I am off to go start getting stuff ready for our vacation!
Living happily,
Theresa
The Home I Grew Up In

Alls Well That Ends Well....No Pun Intended!!

A Winters Evening 30x24

Yesterday was a busy day!! Thank goodness I have Max to help drive me around while I do some of the things I really do not like to do in regards to my art....the business side! We started out by dropping off a new painting at my gallery that Cherry has framed beautifully. Then on to the bank where I was asked to display a painting, some handouts, business cards and my bio in regards to the upcoming Midwest Gathering of Artists. Then over to Sandy Higgins house to pick up invitations for my clients and posters and handouts to put up around town. I finally delivered about 20 posters to the businesses in town and met some great people along the way. Max said I was a "good little soldier" about getting this done....I occasionally have an aversion to interacting with people that I don't know. I like people...a lot...but I get pretty nervous. It was good practice and it all went fine. Even a few prospective clients! I know it's silly to be that way....but I "soldiered" through. LOL! After we got that done...we were in dire need of groceries, etc. so onto the supermarket and finish up that chore. After we got everything put away...we remembered we had a dinner invitation with some friends. Sooooo....a comb through the hair, a dash of lipstick and changed my top and off we went!

It was a delightful evening...a few drinks and some pretty good pizza...talk of politics, books and just generally catching up. Susie has brand new baby canaries.....not an easy thing to raise. The are cute in a rather ugly way...ha! Little hairless bodies...great big yawning mouths waiting for food...wobbly....but really adorable! She has done a great job getting them that far and she also has some juveniles from hatching's also!! One guest was someone Max worked with many, many years ago...TV repair...with tubes....imagine that!! We had a real nice time...and then....went home...lights out immediately....boy was I tired!
It seems there are a few people who need to have done what Max had done the other day. As the doctor said their is no reason for people to have colon cancer with these regular examinations. Some have mentioned they need to "git 'er done"!! Here is a brief description, that hopefully will ward off any fear that some of you have about this. Although the preliminaries of cleansing the system are a bit uncomfortable....no food, only clear liquids, drinking Phospha-Soda to help clear the intestines....it is a small discomfort that lasts about 4 to 5 hours. Nothing more to eat or drink after midnight. The next day you go to the outpatient surgery...you are given something to relax you...sedated with Versed (which causes you to forget most of what happened that day...for instance Max was relating to the attendant that they are now powering the Hallmark Card Company in Kansas City with recycled natural gas....pumped in from who knows where!!! not true...but this is what happens with that kind of short term sedative. LMAO!!).....you are examined with a camera scope and polyps found at the time are removed. In Max's case two were found and removed. The problem is when they are not removed....that is when they become cancerous. You will also find out if you have the beginnings of diverticulosis..(diverticulitis is when you already have the infection) something that does happen with age and a low fiber diet. He was 100% back to normal the next morning and their are no after effects...except that you are pretty hungry after the anesthesia wears off. You will also need someone to drive you around that day and are cautioned not to make any decisions or sign any papers. He has been eating much better since he met me...my Mother was a Jack LaLanne fan and health fanatic. I myself did not get to have sugar until I was 6 years old and we ate mostly whole foods. (Not even Wonder Bread!!) I have since made up for the sugar thing...but I try to keep it in moderation! I had mine done a while back and everything was fine. But, alas, I am about due to go again! So if this is something you have been putting off...I encourage you to git 'er done!! It really isn't that bad considering the consequences!
The painting I have posted today is a studio painting...the one that I am exhibiting at the bank...and one I have been asked to sell several times....but I like it...and do not know if I will sell it. I have a few like that. Well I am off to another busy day!
Best to everyone and git 'er done!!!
Theresa

A Brand New Day 24x30

Okay...it is officially crazy here today! Running around getting stuff done ( yikes my hair)! Need to pickup a painting at my gallery.... get to the chiropractor...dogs need out....animals need fed...making coffee...answer the phone...print some stuff out for the article that I will be interviewed for today...pick veggies from the garden....on and on...Paint today?....maybe this evening....drats!
A few studio pieces today and that's about all I have time for except for two poems sent to me by two separate people by the same poet, Kim Addonizio....indulge yourself in her work....it's fabulous!!!


What do Women Want?
Sent to me by fellow artist Lori De Lozier

I want a red dress.
The Golden Hour 24x30 I want it flimsy and cheap,
I want it too tight, I want to wear it
until someone tears it off me. I want it sleeveless and backless,
this dress, so no one has to guess
what's underneath. I want to walk down
the street past Thrifty's and the hardware store
with all those keys glittering in the window,
past Mr. and Mrs. Wong selling day-old
donuts in their café, past the Guerra brothers
slinging pigs from the truck and onto the dolly,
hoisting the slick snouts over their shoulders.
I want to walk like I'm the only
woman on earth and I can have my pick.
I want that red dress bad.
I want it to confirm
your worst fears about me,
to show you
how little I care about you or anything except what
I want. When I find it, I'll pull that garment
from its hanger like I'm choosing a body
to carry me into this world, through
the birth-cries and the love-cries too,
and I'll wear it like bones, like skin,
it'll be the goddamned
dress they bury me in.
(by Kim Addonizio)

"What the Dead Fear"
Sent to me by fellow artist Marilyn York

On winter nights, the dead

see their photographs slipped

from the windows of wallets,

their letters stuffed in a box

and the clothes for Goodwill.

No one remembers their jokes,

their nervous habits, their dread

of enclosed places.

In these nightmares, the dead feel

the soft nub of the eraser

lightening their bones. They wake up

in a panic, go for a glass of milk

and see the moon, the fresh snow,

the stripped trees.

Maybe they fix a turkey sandwich,

or watch the patterns on the TV.

It's all a dream anyway.

In a few months

they'll turn the clocks ahead,

and when they sleep they'll know the living

are grieving for them, unbearably lonely

and indifferent to beauty. On these nights

the dead feel better. They rise

in the morning, and when the cut

flowers are laid before their names

they smile like shy brides. Thank you,

thank you, they say. You shouldn't have,

they say, but very softly, so it sounds

like the wind, like nothing human.

(by Kim Addonizio)

Fabulously frenzied....
Theresa