Everything in Between

Talk about learning some things late in life or just plain the Hard way. Well, that's me, sure enough. What I have learned though is this, we all get the same 24 hours a day. What we do in the time allotted is between our Creator and Us.

Butterfly Magic!

These little butterfly paintings have been a quite different from my usual art form and style. My husband actually took pictures of these butterflies in our own backyard on the butterfly bush. His name is James True and you can view his photo images at: www.flickr.com/photos/trueview So these are a collaborative work of art, husband and me.
Lot's of depth going on that I have worked on producing. Back ground, middle ground and fore ground. I must say, I have enjoyed the challenge too. Each of these paintings were painted in the company of my friend Lyn. I am just sure that her energy in the room had a great affect on my, albeit temporary, ability to stay focused long enough to give them any depth.
This one is still up on the easel. If you really want to see what butterfly I am modeling this one from then go to James Trues Flickr acct. mentioned above, and try to pick it out!

Tribute to the once pristine beaches of the Gulf

I'm kind of in a dilemma, I'm just so damn sorry we're all in the spot that we're in with the condition of the Gulf Of Mexico's waters and beaches. Whenever I find myself blocked and can't paint, I always revert to painting the ocean. For me and countless others, maybe even you, the ocean has always brought me solace. You know it just like I know it, the sound of the waves moving over and over again Crash, Smooth, Pull, crash, smooth , pull..... Rhythmically soothing to that primal soul.
Well, I could paint some oil on the beach, maybe even some booms or an oil well out in the distance. I talked to a friend of mine about that. I just didn't want to make a political statement out of what is so powerful and beautiful a force this gift of the ocean is.
Here's the problem. I don't know what to name this painting. I am just to overwrought with so many different thoughts about it.
You name it.
Please post your thoughts. If you don't have, or can't remember your google code, then just sign in a new one. :)


Okay, not too many folks responded by blog comment, But many by email and Face Book.
This one,

Mbele Baharini, in Swahili would mean the ocean before !
And, a couple for "Solace" :

comfort in sorrow, misfortune, or trouble; alleviation of distress or discomfort.

omfort
Your vote?

SHE HAS A NAME AND A STORY!

I spoke with lots of folks about this, apparently, little girl. She has brought out emotions of all ranges of the spectrum. I like this comment the most:
"I think her name is Freedom and she doesn't need hair. Her body is moving free and she has escaped all that has held her down. The joy on her face says it all, I see no fear, pain or hurt. Just the joy of freedom."
I won't say whose comment this was but I will tell you that we have dealt personally with Childhood Cancer in our own very close family. Our little one fought hard for two and a half years with leukemia and WON.
So, Freedom is her name, she is a little girl, and she will stay bald.
Yea!
Happy Fourth of July!

New on the easel

Been working on a new kind of series lately, of pieces that make you just "feel" them. This painting is obviously still in the construction phases yet, but I wanted to share the early stages with you. It is an oil painting and I roughed in the little girl or boy, then laid a background down. The little girl/boy will hopefully be done no later than this Sunday, but if it takes longer, that's okay too.
It needs some more refinement yet but the essence of this child is there. She will have long curls cascading down her back, or he will have a pony tail, when finished.
I know what I "feel" when I look at this child, Freedom, and describable joy. I'd like to know what it makes you feel. What should his/ her name be? What name shall we give the painting?

Interpretive Art, first stage

My friend Michele Lee and I are thinking about teaching a class soon at 16 Main, studios and gallery. The basis of this class would be to exercise the right brain and pull out your creative energies. To do this, the first step in the process will be to stain water color paper with either watercolor paint or food color. Either one works great. I won't go into too much detail, but just try and push you over into creativity. So, the first step after staining the paper, is to find the picture. You can facilitate this by using Matts of various sizes to help see the images in a framed setting. In this first one, I see humming bird descending into a flower.
In this one I see blue birds

And finally in this one I see gladiolas.
The next step in the process is Michele's gig. To teach the students to then, paint the picture, fill in the background and bring the details to life. For this phase she will teach in acrylics. By the close of class, the students should have a completed painting.
I told you what I see in the images, but I am very curious to hear about what you see!

Jazz Art Competition

Gonna be a Jazz Art Competition in town to be judge by Face Book viewers.
I thought I'd enter this Billie Holiday painting, "The Jazz Singer".
She's done in black and white and all shades in between. I don't know what got into me when I painted her. I did 3 different poses of her, stretching through different times in her life. I was like, "Mesmerized" by her raw talent and beauty. Fabulous artist with a bumpy history, just like the rest of us.
This one is done in oil and measures 16"x16", 1 1/2 gallery wrap with black on the sides.