Putting My Art into Words



-Summer Field-oil on canvas-14"x18"

      At some time all artists must do this. When entering contests, shows ect... We must use words to explain our art. The question is asked over and over again. The question comes in many forms, artist statements, artist bio, a description of our art, a brief statement about our art. However the question is asked, it is the same. The literary thinking world wants to hear it articulated. But I am a visual artist who does best with images not words. I want my paintings to be judged for their quality not the words I use to describe them.  How do I both accurately and artfully express my vision?



Featured Artist of the Week

John Singer Sargent

(1856-1925)

Portraits art, Realism, Impressionism

                 He was the most popular portrait painter of his time. However Sargent was not without criticism. Many of his paintings were controversial . I personally love Sargent's strong use of lighting and interest compositions. Both of these gave strong mood and personality to his portraits.



Portrait of Rosina(1878) by John Singer Sargent





No Time

       The last couple of weeks have been frustrating. There has been little to no time to paint. My life has been overloaded with things other than art. Cub Scout banquet, teacher conferences, Sunday school, sick kids, doctor appointments, the usual homework, meal planing, house keeping and grocery shopping. On top of that I have been helping my husband do some updates at his restaurant, picking colors and working on a sign for the building. OK so the sign is commercial art and picking paint is decorating but that is not my true passion. To top things off our dog Asti took off yesterday. I spent 4hrs frantically walking fields and driving the neighborhood looking for her. To make it worse I was accompanied by three very tired, very upset young boys(poor things). Good news is our dog came back Thank God! Bad news is the rest of March and all of April are already packed with stuff. March has St Patrick's Day, my middle boys First Reconciliation and Easter. Then in April my oldest boy's 11th birthday, my middle First Communion, and finally my youngest boy's 7th birthday all are to come. By May I may not have the energy left to create.




Advertising sign for my husband Paul's restaurant 6'6"x 3'6"

  Featured Artists of the Week
 Andy Warhol
 (1928-1987)
 Pop Art, Commercial Art

   Often controversial, he is famous for the pop art movement. Most people think of his cambells soup cans or images of Marilyn Monroe. Lesser known is that Warhol started as a commercial illustrator. The uniqueness of his work comes from his mixing of celebrity culture, expressiveness and commercial art.

commercial art by Andy Warhol

"When you think about it, department stores are kind of like museums."-Andy Warhol

The Art of multi-tasking

       My studio is in my home. This can be difficult. There are often interruptions being that I am not only an artist but also a mom. Children can not and will not always wait. Of course my children's needs are very important to me. But when deeply engrossed in a work it can be very frustrating to have to stop. Getting my mind back to the place where I can see is not always like flipping a switch.







-Apple Boys-oil on canvases-diptych each 8x10-my oldest boys-



Featured Artist of the Week

Mary Cassatt

(1844-1926)

Impressionism



   Often refusing to bend to the ideas of the Salon. You could say Cassatt was a kind of feminist to the art world of her time. Like her friend Edgar Degas her paintings were bright and did not conform to the popular taste of the times. Mary Cassatt's painting often showed the strong bonds between mother and child.

-Child in Blue by Mary Cassatt-

I Would Rather Be Painting

My palette and brushes, as you can see a waste a lot of paint.

    Lately I have been trying to paint more. Now I find that I am obsessed. It is all I can think about. What do I need to do to my current painting? Often I am running back to my studio and looking at my painting in progress. I am also constantly thinking about what painting am I starting next? I can not concentrate on anything else. I find myself rushing through my other tasks or putting them off all together. Even blogging today was hard. I had to force myself. All I want to do is create!

Featured Artist of the Week
Vincent Hoch
My oldest son
Oh to create art like a child, the wonder, the imagination, the expression, the lack of rules.


The Tall Mountain by Vincent Hoch at age 6

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up". -Pablo Picasso

Inspired by Music

     Not all my inspiration is visual. My husband Paul and I often go to concerts. We always have a good time dancing ,singing and socializing. But this is not just for fun's sake. Seeing and hearing the musicians live, you feel a connection. All creative souls have a kinship. Putting your inner thoughts and feelings out there for the whole world. Creating something that is part of you but not just for you. This is truly inspirational.

    Music also helps me create in my studio. There is always music playing while I paint. The songs help me feel the piece. Connecting with the emotional side. My head stops thinking about all the other tasks I need to do. It is just me, the painting, and the music.



on-stage photo of Wilco taken 2012
Photo by Me



Featured Artist of the Week

Amedeo Modigliani

(1884-1920)

modern style all his own

   He was greatly influenced by Toulouse -Lautrec, Cezanne, African Masks, Fauvism and Symbolism. Many relate his work to cubism (that is except for himself). Ultimately he created a style all his own.

    Modigliani subjects were primarily figurative. Most of his compositions were simple and somewhat flat, with strong use of linear design. Often he painted women in relaxed and lethargic poses, with oval faces and elongated necks. Many of these characteristics can be seen in his painting below Seated Nude (1917)

Amedeo Modigiliani, Seated Nude (1917)
One of my personal favorites of his

What Direction?

    Whether I am deciding on style, subject or series. It is a tough decision. What direction am I taking my art? There is definitely a need to plan. Of course, I want my art to feel free and expressive. I want it to have a life of it's own. But, without a plan my pieces may not feel consistent. The look of unity and harmony are vital.
    So, what subject am I working on now? More important, what style am I using? More expressive, or more realistic? How loose is too loose(-Lautrec)? What feeling or emotion am I expressing? What do I want the viewer to walk away with? What am I trying to say? The questions can go on for days.
   The more questions I answer the closer my art is to being coherent. Work seems to be the key. The more painting I do the more answers seem to fall in place.



-Hot Afternoon-oil stick on watercolor paper-13 1/2x 21"-
My Husband and two oldest boys

 Featured Artist of the Week
 Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
 (1894-1901)
 Post Impressionism, Art Nouveau and Modern Art

       Influenced by Japanese prints, Toulouse-Lautrec used vivid colors, diagonals, and lines especially contours to stimulate the viewers eye. His images, whether of Parisian night life or private moments are powerful. Giving the viewer a feeling of immediacy and movement. Not usually glamorous but real images as evident is his painting below Le Moulin Rouge.

Le Moulin Rouge, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

                   








Setting Goals and Deadlines

        Last week I started telling you of my plans for this year. I have stated my blog goals. Today I would like to talk about some of my art goals. First let me say why goals and deadlines are so important. I am an independent artist. I am my own boss. If I do not set goals and deadlines the time passes and not much is accomplished. So it is crucial that I make plans.
        First goal, the number of paintings I plan on completing this year. This is most important in my mind. Because, how can I call myself an artist if I am not creating. By the end of next January I plan on completing 30 to 36 pieces. This breaks down to 2 to 4 a month.  I have to have some leeway because time to complete depends on size and complexity of the paintings. Weekly I plan on working on 2 to 3 paintings at a time.



 - Vivid - 8x10"- oil on canvis -

        Second goal, research and educate myself. There are two areas where I would like to further develop my knowledge. Photographing and making prints of my work are my main focus of research this year. I am excited to learn how to make quality prints of my work by year end.
      Third, getting my art to you, marketing. This goal relies partly on the knowledge of my second goal. Along with my originals, I plan on having prints to sell. I plan on looking into local gallerys, shops, and shows. Also, by year end I wish to have my own Etzy shop up and running.


                                   "Featured Artist of the Week"
                                             Gustav Klimt
                                             (1862-1918)
                                    Art Nouveau, Symbolism
                                    and my personal favorite

Judith and the Head of Holofemes (1901) 

     There are two reasons, I feel, Kimit's art is so captivating. One, his images stimulate the viewer optically with his use of gold and colourful patterns. Next, his images often mentally stimulate the viewer with themes of strong women, erotic images and psychological ideas which are stated through the use of symbolism. This can easily be seen in his piece above Judith and the Head of Holfemes.