Derain, Matisse, de Vlaminck and Me

I've found my tribe. Back in the early 1900's, a group of artists began to paint landscapes and portraits non-realistically in abstracted colors. The recent advent of the camera brought capturing realism into the hands of the non-artist. This new group of painters broke with the traditions of the past and did not try to imitate reality. And for the wild color and distortion in their work, they were call "Wild Beasts," or Fauvists. Click here to find examples of their glorious work.  Fauvism

I've often said that if I wanted an image exactly replicated I would photograph it, and that seems to be the premise of the Fauvism movement. So, as a dedicated Creative Explorer, I've decided on exploring Fauvism in my current work.

 

This image taken by my niece, Bekah, was the inspiration for my first study of the Fauve style.

This is what I've got so far...

Loving the colors. And the figure in the foreground. What do you think? I probably could have gotten farther outside the box with the colors.

And I share this adventure as a reminder that your tribe is out there, too. Embrace your personal style. Dare to be who you have been created to be. As my nephew recently said, "You only get one ride on this rock." Go ahead. Lose the fear. Take a risk. Have some fun.

Because you are loved. Bunches.

Holiday Festival Season is Nearly Upon Us

After last year's holiday season, the Professor and I decided to limit this year's participation. "Why?" you may be asking. We worked hard to create hand-made journals for months in preparation. And we did not break even. Not even close.

This is not an uncommon fate for the artists you see at these festivals. They pay a fee (sometimes substantial) to just be showing you their creations. Then they often pay a percentage of the sale price (can be as much as 40%) to the organization hosting the event. In order to make even a small wage, prices may appear high to the regular chain, big-box store. Most of these talented artists do not make a livable wage, so they keep a day job to support their passion. When you purchase an item at a local craft festival, not only are you supporting the artist who created the unique item, but you are keeping your funds in the pockets that reside in your area. It is a win for the artist and the community.

And that rant is yours free of charge!

Anyway, I said all that to explain my absence in the local Holiday Festivals this year. We have chosen instead to open our shared studio and provide an extremely low cost venue for other artists to share their creations. We're excited to try this idea out. If it works, we could do it more often.

So if you're around Bellingham either Friday, November 4 or Friday, December 2, plan to come downtown and see what these talented artists have for you. (If you're elsewhere, check out your local artists. They will have wonderful offerings for you, I'm certain.)

Oh, and I'll have a few things available as well. Sure would love to see you. And you, of course, know why. Because I love you. Bunches.

Meet Bekah

After much planning, procrastination and prayer on my part, I have asked a very talented  woman to join my team and keep my online presence in order. Bekah Willis  is a gifted writer who knows the ins and outs of cyberspace. She has fearlessly visited all my online sites and corralled them all into one place. She suggested that perhaps it would be easier for people to find me if I were to use my name instead of the anonymous  "Meanderings Northwest." She's kind of smart that way.

As a disorganized, Creative Explorer, I feel successful if I occasionally post images of studio progress. Never mind that my store (s) and gallery have not had a new posting in ages. My Etsy store listings expired months (years?) ago, never to be renewed. Keeping up with that kind of business is not something I enjoy. I  simply prefer getting my hands into the paint.

Bekah is the solution to this problem. She will be able to keep my store and gallery online up to date. She will motivate me to communicate with you more regularly. She has already taken a mishmash of sites and streamlined their presentation. She is truly a gift. I did go in and tweak some things (don't shoot me, Bekah), but she has the final say. I am so grateful for her willingness to apply her gifts and talents to my work. Once she gets me shipshape, she will be looking for other creative souls to organize.

Bekah is currently located in Florida with her husband, expecting their first son, Peyton, in the fall.

Joy in the Water

The benefits of sharing studio space are numerous:  encouragement, accountability, instruction, inspiration and critique, to name a few. I have the privilege of sharing space with six other artists. We are a diverse group including painters in a variety of mediums, those who collage, recycle artists and even one fiber artist complete with antique 4x4 loom. Our studio schedules do not always coincide, but we all usually come together the first Friday of every month between 6pm-9pm for the monthly Downtown Bellingham Art Walk. Next Friday, August 7, is the August Art Walk.

Many of you know I have been recently working on creating women. Next Friday, many of those pieces will be available for viewing for the first time. The last few ladies in this process have become a series I've entitled the Gaudy Ladies, due to their vibrant primary colors. Most of my ladies have simply been faces, but one of my studio mates challenged me to create a full scale Gaudy Lady on a 5' x 2.5' (really BIG) canvas I had stashed away. After resisting for longer than I care to admit, I began the work I have currently titled "Song of Joy"this week.

It began with collage, using sacred sheet music from my grandmother.

After that I added a sheer coat of yellow as an under painting. I then added my lady.

I particularly like her hair at this point. Everything else is up for grabs...
Next came the flowers I knew she needed.

Yesterday I began the work on the background.

I expect to get her finished this weekend and have her hanging for Friday's Art Walk. Come out and see how she ends up.

This is not something I would have tackled before my association with my studio mates. My fear of failure would have kept me from even trying. In fact, I must regularly tell my Inner Critic (I.C.) that this is simply an experiment... That it doesn't have to be perfect... Or the best... Or sell! I simply must continue doing the work.

So far my I.C. has been held at bay even though he is rarely silent. Perhaps I will surpass his ugly expectations one more time.

Please don't let your nasty, negative, nit-picking Inner Critic keep you from even sticking your toe in the water of your dreams. Thank him (or her!) for his opinion, but you are choosing to risk all those terrible things just this once. That you want to see for yourself what will happen.

And you can even tell him that Jenny thinks he may be over-reacting, the water of your dreams is truly magical and worth ricking a little splash.

I think your dreams are yours for the making. I think that is why they were given to you. Go for it!

Because I love you. Bunches.