More........

Scaling Eggs 12x24 oil

As I said earlier....it has been a busy several months. After the MGA and all the thank you cards and house stuff.....it was time to get ready for my next event. A two woman show at the local art center here in Carthage. Myself and artist April Davis were to put on a show for November 20, 2009. Not a problem...except most everything I had painted in 2009 had sold.....so I was again panicky. Yikes ....I need more work...new work! So what does any artist do...back to the easel and start painting.
The still life paintings had been doing so well that I decided to do a few more....or at least try. Max's Dad had an old egg scale hanging around the house that I had taken a real liking to. It had a pleasing abstract form.....there were some fallen leaves out side the back door, rich in color, deep crimsons and warm ochers! I had visualized the setup for some time. But alas life intervenes, again....it is all good and enjoyable...I just needed to organize my time!
We had some visitors here for part of October....this was a fantastic surprise. Old friends from when I lived in Hawaii were here in the mainland and we got in touch through one of my children and planned a visit. Doug and Luana drove here and spent two weeks...we had a wonderful time!! A little Hobby Lobby shopping (material for the still life, a tube or two of paint and a frame on sale that was pretty nice) checking out some furniture and several trips eating out! Some drinks and hors d' oeuvres at our house and there travel trailer. Lots of catching up....lots of fun and good conversation. In between I worked on paintings to a small degree...and planned Max's and my costume for an upcoming Halloween Party! Medusa and Slingblade.
Everything worked out even though I got a little anxious about deadlines. I managed to complete three new paintings and cut another large one into a diptych, plus a few framed prints for the upstairs gallery at Artcentral. It was all going to be okay...thank goodness!
Here are a few pics from the good times and a few new paintings.
I will continue my update and pictures tomorrow,
Deck the halls with boughs of holly,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Tis the season to be jolly,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Theresa...:)


Midnight On Clinton Street 8x10 Oil






De La Mer 18x18 Sold oil






Me( Medusa) and Max (Slingblade) and a friend ( The Cisco Kid)...Halloween 2009




Me, Max, Jim and Linda (our host)

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

Jefferson Memorial Times Three....

Jefferson Memorial 5x7 oil












After viewing all the DSFDF images..I figured I better get hopping...so I did. Let me start by saying I would not have painted this if I was looking for something inspiring to paint......but....(and as I like to say the truth always comes after a but) this really put the test to me for several reasons and I really enjoyed doing it.
Here are a few reasons this was a good exercise. First the very reason that I would not have painted it is the best reason.....it makes me work past the basis of painting only what I know or "inspires me". Second, I never.....absolutely never paint on a small canvas like this. The smallest I have ever used was an 8x10...I may have painted on a 6x8 somewhere in the past...but never a 5x7. Well, guess what?...I liked it....I liked it a lot! I started painting and about an hour later I had a little painting!! That's pretty cool stuff in my book! Third, after reading the article on Karin Jurick in American Artist Magazine....I thought..hmmmm....black canvas, eh? She uses black latex paint to cover the canvas and I did the same...acrylic tube paint actually. So a black canvas is what I decided to paint on....again something I never, ever do! And, well, you have probably guessed it....I liked that too! It is probably something I won't do all the time....but it did make me think differently. Everything you see on the canvas that looks black is the black canvas. The rest are shapes and marks to denote the light areas in the photo. So there you have it...my DSFDF challenge this time around.

The photo we used to paint the challenge
There is something really familiar about this image... aside from the fact that it is a very famous monument. As many of you know I live in a very old house....Victorian era...old wood, old floors...... and old wallpaper, layers of it from turn of the century to maybe 1960 something! Every night while I lay in bed reading or watching a movie....there is a faint, ghostlike pattern repeated over and over the walls of the master bedroom. The colors are cool grays and pink, white and a little green. I see this pattern and on first impression wonder what in the world would possess someone to paper their room with this design. I think about the little pattern that repeats itself over and over and sometimes it makes me a little dizzy. Other times it reminds me of the Fifties and makes me think of vacation trips by car as a child on Route 66 or some other infamous highway. It also reminds me that Spring always comes....and things are born anew every year. I lay awake dreaming of a thrifty woman, in a little day number with matching hat, cat eye glasses, shopping on a budget that is tight and looking through paper swatch books of wall paper laid out like family albums. I go through the steps with her...measuring and calculating.....checking how much she can spend, what colors to use and will anyone else like it. Finally I understand...she wants a nice home...she is trying to dress things up a bit, while sticking to the hard line allowance and there at the bottom of the bin or at the back of the book is something she likes....and she can afford it. Perhaps she has the same feelings I do when I look at this design....maybe it's as simple as what she can afford......but then.... maybe....she just liked Washington D.C......

Wallpaper (Portrait of me at four years old)





















A snippet of wallpaper from our home

















I kind of like it actually or maybe I HAVE to like it because I
just can't afford anything else right now?...:)
Until next time,
Theresa

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

Marian Days and more...

A Single Pear 8x10 Sold

Yesterday was the first day of Marian Days here in Carthage, Missouri. It is a wonderful religious festival honoring the Virgin Mary for the Vietnamese Catholics who come from all over the country to participate. Max and I went down yesterday evening to eat some Vietnamese food...he loves Pho and my favorite is Bun. When we met about a year ago, finally, (our meeting was originally over two years ago but I was not looking for anyone at the time...more on that unique story another time!!) one of the things we had in common was our familiarity with Vietnamese food and culture.

While I lived in Hawaii(15 years) I knew many Vietnamese people and when living in Salt Lake City, Utah I rented my basement apartment to a Vietnamese family, Tran and Hoa Nguyen. They were so nice to me and she taught me to cook many Vietnamese dishes. When Hoa became pregnant she requested I be there to help her give birth, having five children myself this was no problem for me. The wonderful part about this story is the reason why she wanted me there...it seems there is a custom that the first person the baby sees will take on the smile and personality of the individual...she cared about me that much to honor me in that way! Quite a privilige I say!!!

Besides indulging ourselves last evening on Bun, Pho, Nem Nyum (meatball on a stick spelling??) and a health drink made of seaweed, gelatin, cherries, and many other ingredients we delighted on Vietnamese iced coffee, which is a staple here at our house.
The day started off with me unpacking paintings and frames and beginning to set up my office....seems I need to get this done since I cannot find a lot of paperwork I need for some upcoming shows. I have already set up my studio and done several paintings since I have been living here in Carthage and gratefully have sold a very large piece to McCune Brooks Hospital here in Carthage! Thank you, Cherry, for your support and encouragement and for working so hard for me!

S. H. contacted me yesterday, also, about putting a painting in one of the banks here and distributing posters for the upcoming Midwest Gathering of Artists. Spiva Center for the Arts in Joplin, MO. also contacted me about doing a workshop again this fall. They wanted me to do one this summer but with moving and so many other things coming up I just couldn't do it.
Max who had surgery two weeks ago is feeling so much better and is able to get around more as evidenced by our outing last evening and doing some work in our garden. I have, of course been taking care of him and everything else around here...we have 5 animals and a fairly large house and the aforementioned garden!!

Well that's it for now...here are a few picks of Marian days and some of my work. The paintings are plein air or done in a day. I will also post studio work from time to time. You can always visit my main website too!
Love, Theresa