My friend Sara, aka Gitzen Girl experimented with Lisa-Jo aka The Gypsy Mama's challenge to write, UNEDITED, for 5 minutes. Each Friday Lisa-Jo posts a prompt and you write whatever comes up from it for ONLY 5 minutes. This challenge, just like Sara's YOU CREATE challenge struck a chord with me.
Today's prompt is Five Years Ago.
The timer is set, so here goes:
Who could have imagined that life would look so different for me. Five years ago, my parents still lived within an easy drive. I had only two young grandchildren and I was working hard at my photography business. The Professor was unemployed and I was providing the small income we got by on. And I was slogging through therapy, having discovered my misery could be changed through hard work on myself.
I now have four lovely grandchildren and a new daughter-in-law. My parents are now in the loving care of my sister, the Fashionista, a long-ish plane ride away. I now spend most days making messes in my art studio since physical challenges brought my business to a screaming halt. And the Professor is, well, now --- The Professor.
RING-G-G-G
Yikes, that was more difficult than I imagined due to my challenges with the passing of time! Hopefully, next Friday will be easier.
Thanks for dropping by.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Despite Our Plans
Today is Thursday and again time to share with Sara over at Gitzen Girl what I've created this week. Although I've been working on a number of projects, the one I'm choosing to share happened quickly and without plan. Last weekend I thought I'd prepare a canvas while I was finishing my current piece. One way I like to add depth to my backgrounds is to add some black gesso in places without thinking too much about it. Once that layer is completely dry, I repeat the process with some Golden Titanium White and some Golden Titan Buff, allowing the canvas to dry completely between color application.
That said, the first coat, the black gesso, was drying on a canvas last Saturday when the Handsome Ginger and the Model stopped by. The Handsome Ginger stopped dead in his tracks in front of the drying canvas and declared it wonderful just as it was.
I disagreed strongly, explaining the plans I yet had for it. But, as usual, his opinion won out. As he stood there gazing at it, he did allow that I could throw a "sploosh" of blue and red ("primary colors only, thank you") across it. I lobbied for a dribble of yellow (primary, of course) as well. After the Professor and his visitors left the house, I set up a "throwing station" in the studio. Ringing the space with plastic, I had a lovely time making the final mess for him...
These days I truly love making messes, and this one now hangs happily in the their home. I called it Youth because it semed so certain of itself, so definitely black and white. Delightful how our creations take on personalities of their own despite of our well laid plans, isn't it?
How have you honored your own creative gift today? Go for it, my friend. You've got something in there just crying to be born!
That said, the first coat, the black gesso, was drying on a canvas last Saturday when the Handsome Ginger and the Model stopped by. The Handsome Ginger stopped dead in his tracks in front of the drying canvas and declared it wonderful just as it was.
I disagreed strongly, explaining the plans I yet had for it. But, as usual, his opinion won out. As he stood there gazing at it, he did allow that I could throw a "sploosh" of blue and red ("primary colors only, thank you") across it. I lobbied for a dribble of yellow (primary, of course) as well. After the Professor and his visitors left the house, I set up a "throwing station" in the studio. Ringing the space with plastic, I had a lovely time making the final mess for him...
These days I truly love making messes, and this one now hangs happily in the their home. I called it Youth because it semed so certain of itself, so definitely black and white. Delightful how our creations take on personalities of their own despite of our well laid plans, isn't it?
How have you honored your own creative gift today? Go for it, my friend. You've got something in there just crying to be born!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Revisiting the Day the Music Died
At the beginning of the year, I shared a piece of art I put together from a broken guitar I found on one of my walks. It has been sitting in the studio since then, "cooking on the back burner." This week I finally decided to finish it. So after studying the background, I chose to paint the guitar its complementary color, a deep turquoise. Wish I'd taken a photo at that stage. I was so unhappy with the outcome of the color choice, however, that I left the room until I could figure out how to salvage the piece.
The Professor's response was gentle when I asked for his thoughts.
"I don't really like the color. Can't you tone it down somehow?"
How many times have I wanted to trash an entire piece? How often have I actually followed through with that desire? More times than I care to say. This time, however, the voice of wisdom ruled the day. I picked up a wide and relatively dry brush and covered the way-to-turquoise guitar with white paint. I'm thinking it's a keeper.
Go take a look at some of the other creative offerings over at Gitzen Girl.
What are you creating these days?
The Professor's response was gentle when I asked for his thoughts.
"I don't really like the color. Can't you tone it down somehow?"
How many times have I wanted to trash an entire piece? How often have I actually followed through with that desire? More times than I care to say. This time, however, the voice of wisdom ruled the day. I picked up a wide and relatively dry brush and covered the way-to-turquoise guitar with white paint. I'm thinking it's a keeper.
Go take a look at some of the other creative offerings over at Gitzen Girl.
What are you creating these days?
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Joyfully Sharing Life
I recently had the honor of being commissioned to create a piece of art for a local church. This piece was very late in being delivered due to illness and other life hiccups. However, I finally got it delivered last week and was extremely pleased with the final project. My challenge was to create an image representing a portion of their mission statement: "...a grace motivated community of believers, joyfully sharing life under the Lordship of Jesus Christ..."
I began by creating texture with gesso and painting it in the warm colors requested.
What followed was photographing and sorting through hundreds of images of figures. Once a figure was actually chosen for the painting, it was then traced onto paper previously painted in a collection of colors analogous to those on the background. These tracings were cut out with a knife and placed on the background for the "audition" process. What I discovered after days of cutting figures, was only the figures in the red family actually worked. I then went over the "rejects" with various shades of red acrylic paint blends. Once dried, the figures again were placed onto the canvas in various combinations. This was their final placement.
At this point, the Professor declared the painting finished. The individual figures were placed in such a way as to suggest community is created from individuals facing in the same direction and painted in a similar hue. The similar faith in Jesus of the individuals was shown by the similar but unique shades of red. The community of believers was set on a background of golden light to represent the Light of the world. Unfortunately, my gut was not as certain as the Professor in its completion. I decided to let it sit and "cook"for one last night.
The final part of the piece came that night, as it often happens. I woke in the morning to the idea of placing a cross with some red foil onto the canvas. While waiting for the coffee to brew, I scrabbled around a darkened studio and found a scrap of painted paper from which I tore the shape of a cross. Laying the torn paper onto the canvas, I grabbed my coffee and left for the morning. Later, upon my return home, I added the foil to the center of the cross. Just like that the painting was finished.
I rarely plan the final outcome of a piece. I often do not understand the choices I make during the process until the piece is completed. I seem to follow an inner "knowing in my knower," as my friend, Dave, called it. Each piece is for me an act of faith requiring a trust in an un-bodied Voice that is full of surprises. Now, the fact that the figures all had to face the same direction, that of the Cross, makes sense. That each figure had to be painted a shade of the red echoing the red foil on the Cross, points to the the way followers of Christ are changed and colored by the sacrifice made there.
This was my belated Thursday project for Sara over at Gitzen Girl. What are YOU creating this week?
I began by creating texture with gesso and painting it in the warm colors requested.
What followed was photographing and sorting through hundreds of images of figures. Once a figure was actually chosen for the painting, it was then traced onto paper previously painted in a collection of colors analogous to those on the background. These tracings were cut out with a knife and placed on the background for the "audition" process. What I discovered after days of cutting figures, was only the figures in the red family actually worked. I then went over the "rejects" with various shades of red acrylic paint blends. Once dried, the figures again were placed onto the canvas in various combinations. This was their final placement.
At this point, the Professor declared the painting finished. The individual figures were placed in such a way as to suggest community is created from individuals facing in the same direction and painted in a similar hue. The similar faith in Jesus of the individuals was shown by the similar but unique shades of red. The community of believers was set on a background of golden light to represent the Light of the world. Unfortunately, my gut was not as certain as the Professor in its completion. I decided to let it sit and "cook"for one last night.
The final part of the piece came that night, as it often happens. I woke in the morning to the idea of placing a cross with some red foil onto the canvas. While waiting for the coffee to brew, I scrabbled around a darkened studio and found a scrap of painted paper from which I tore the shape of a cross. Laying the torn paper onto the canvas, I grabbed my coffee and left for the morning. Later, upon my return home, I added the foil to the center of the cross. Just like that the painting was finished.
I rarely plan the final outcome of a piece. I often do not understand the choices I make during the process until the piece is completed. I seem to follow an inner "knowing in my knower," as my friend, Dave, called it. Each piece is for me an act of faith requiring a trust in an un-bodied Voice that is full of surprises. Now, the fact that the figures all had to face the same direction, that of the Cross, makes sense. That each figure had to be painted a shade of the red echoing the red foil on the Cross, points to the the way followers of Christ are changed and colored by the sacrifice made there.
This was my belated Thursday project for Sara over at Gitzen Girl. What are YOU creating this week?
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Humble Pie
Should both your personal physician and your insurance company send you notice that you are at risk should you contract the flu this season, get the shot! I thought they didn't know what they were talking about. Wrong! Again. So, next year, I promise to get the shot and protect myself from the loss of creativity illness slaps me with. And the sickly taste of humble pie.
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