Darlene Presto Dech

a tree to climb

2011-07-05T08:05:00.003-04:00

8 x 10 oil on panel

I did not paint this from life, but I lived life in order to paint it. I watched the film Seraphine with my local artist friends, friends for whom I am ever so thankful. This painting references an image from the movie. The fascinating story of Seraphine, sad and beautiful, was told with the use of lingering, quiet moments such as this. And so, inspired by friendship and beauty, and indulging in a quiet moment, I painted.

I actually completed this a week after the previous piece, but have not had a chance to post. I am catching up on life, which is a very good, very joyous, very tiring endeavour. I have drafted and sewn costumes, provided sewing tutelage, crafted gifts, invested time with teenagers I love (mine and otherwise). I have tended my garden, which (not gonna lie) is spectacular. I've experimented with natural dying of fabric and fiber. I've made lists and diagrams of future projects. And I've been designing an addition to our home that includes room for the easel, as well as all the other supplies and works-in-progress I continue to accumulate. I know that at some point I will devote time to the study of painting. For now, it is so nice to remember all the art forms which regenerate me, all the ways I create.

Seraphine and Darlene

jubilee

2011-04-22T12:36:00.004-04:00

11x14 oil on canvas

Hello friends! I've been at rest for a year. I've been enjoying your blogs all the while. (I love Google Reader.) I haven't had the energy to leave many comments and definitely not enough energy for painting. After several years of physical and cognitive decline, and nearly constant fatigue (and much head-scratching, wrong-tree-barking, exasperation, and a long wait to see my current doctor), I have a diagnosis of adrenal fatigue. It's too soon to report more, but I look forward to living again.

The tree in the painting is a memorial tree planted near our municipal building. I was surprised to find fruit in my search for flowering trees.

And yes, it felt good to be painting.

Here's to renewal.
Happy Earth Day.
Easter blessings.
Alleluia.

inner light

2010-04-21T21:25:00.001-04:00

10x8 oil on panel

My kids have grown up with an awareness of ecology. Because environmental concerns are second nature to them, sustainability will always guide their decision making and lifestyle. They also have social awareness and a sense of fairness which could possibly lead to a career as a mild-mannered something-or-other by day, and superhero alter ego. A friend to the friendless, an ambassador of acceptance...these are superhero traits.

My kids are going to change the world, by their quiet example and their gentle influence on those around them.
Happy Earth Day.

april deluge

2010-04-17T08:45:00.002-04:00

8x6 oil on canvas panel

For this one, yellow was hard to paint, and harder to photograph. I had to sneak away to paint this, and couldn't really take pleasure in it. I am having a very busy April.

The kids and I made costumes for an anime convention, my son was confirmed at church, and I helped a student with a project. But the biggest issue this month is my father's health. He had neurosurgery to relieve pain from trigeminal neuralgia, and while the surgery seemed to be successful, he ended up having a stroke. Or something. It's not really clear. But he currently has difficulty speaking and eating. I want to be mad about it, but darn it, that man is so cheerful. I can understand his garbled speech enough to catch every joke he makes. He is such a clown, and I adore him. And my mom is a rock. She can handle anything. Mom must be the upright daffodil, and the one who looks like she needs a drink is me.

crocuses

2010-03-19T15:22:00.010-04:00

croque-monsieur, 7x5 oil on panel, sold ---- croque-madame, 7x5 oil on panel

Spring has sprung. The grass is ris'. I wonder where Miss Darlene is?
After a long hibernation, I have emerged, like the crocuses in my front yard.

My stupid thyroid conspired with my seasonal affective disorder to knock me on my can. All along, I have been watching your blogs, enjoying the view. Your blogs and Turner Classic Movies have been my salvation on days when sitting up was the best I could do. Speaking of my broken thyroid, please keep in mind that cadmium is toxic to the thyroid gland. You won't see that, or its link to breast cancer, on your paint labels. I eliminated heavy metals from my palette some time ago.

The only cobalt around is this tiny blue bottle, which previously held essential oil. It is the best vase for a little crocus. The cobalt bottle reminds me of Feist's sparkly blue jumpsuit.

winter stillness

2009-12-21T11:25:00.001-05:00

10x8 oil on canvas panel

I started this painting weeks ago, and never did return to it. The palette now has globs of unusable, but very pretty, paint. I enjoyed the mixing, and using knife and brush to layer color. The golden sweet gum leaf is the serendipitous result of removing paint. This ghost of the wrong colors better captures the real leaf, from my front yard. I really wanted to return to the painting and tighten it up. But as it is, I am forced to appreciate what I created, which is in a different tenor than my usual work. My husband likes it a lot, and I understand he has great taste.

Peace to you and yours. Happy Winter Solstice.

patient pumkins

2009-11-19T16:08:00.003-05:00

12x9 oil on canvas paper

These little guys have been sitting around for a month, waiting to pose. (There was a third, a jack-be-little, but he was jack-be-squishy by this time.) I bought them because of their interesting, spooky hats. I figured I better paint them before they rot, or I rot. I'm more than a little rusty. I don't feel like I'm quite finished, but my sore neck forces me to stop. Painting that flying-kite of a leaf, and allowing it to remain happily underdeveloped, was my favorite part.

child of a working man

2009-10-14T09:55:00.002-04:00

8x6 oil on canvas panel

Crystal Lee Sutton, the inspiration for the film and the character Norma Rae, passed away last month. Crystal Lee's obituary describes how cancer medication was delayed by her health insurance company. Don't get me started.

Bless the child of a workin' man.
She knows too soon who she is.
And bless the hands of a workin' man.
He knows his soul is his.
-- "It goes like it goes," written by Norman Gimbel

paper rose

2009-10-02T09:06:00.000-04:00

6x8 oil on paper

I had a quick opportunity, so I tried the rose again, this time on gessoed watercolor paper. It was an interesting surface, similar to board. After initially sinking in, the paint maintains a nice level of luminosity.

Paper Roses, Marie Osmond
When I was a kid, my Dad sang this to me as "pepperoni."

Sandra's Rose

2009-10-01T12:37:00.004-04:00

10x8 oil on canvas panel

I never planted a rose bush until a neighbor gave me a lovely Don Juan climber. It is dark and velvety, with a really nice fragrance. Come to think of it, so is my neighbor. (She's awesome. She's on my list of people I want to be like when I grow up.)

Exploring all those reds was interesting. I wanted to paint not the idea of a rose, but this rose, in this light. It is my hope that this will sharpen my perception and my paint mixing...eventually!

Garden Rose, Kris Delhorst
Rose in the Garden, Karla Bonoff

dimming datura

2009-09-24T09:10:00.004-04:00

8x6 oil on canvas panel

I chased the light, and also the flower. The Datura changed shape while I worked, sitting in the front yard in the late afternoon. I was interested in the gesture of the blooms. They are large and on the move. I'm actually a little afraid of them. I think they may try to eat me.

This plant, hallucinogenic or toxic depending on the dose, is near a brick wall. I couldn't think of how to represent brick without looking cartoonish, so I went for the color. It's a study, a reason to push paint.

Can I just say how much I appreciate my blogging pals?! I learn so much by observing their work and reflections. And I feel very supported and encouraged. Um, that makes my friends sound like a push-up bra. I guess that makes me a boob.

Dimming of the Day, Linda and Richard Thompson

not empty

2009-09-04T17:31:00.002-04:00

6x8 oil on canvas panel

I usually paint in solitude, and that suits me. But I had the opportunity to paint with friends, and I really enjoyed it. Exchanging ideas and sharing encouragement was uplifting. We will continue to paint together, then present our Paintings from the Patio at Elan Gallery, Sept. 25th.

I hadn't painted in three, count'em, three months. I returned to an old habit of scrubbing with thin paint. It's a habit which is hard to relinquish because I sometimes get happy moments of layered color that please me. Maybe I'm really a pastel or colored pencil artist, and just haven't discovered it yet.

heartfelt peony

2009-08-22T22:04:00.001-04:00

9x7 oil on canvas panel

Here is an incomplete rendering of a peony from my garden. I painted this in June, allowing myself a quick break between visits to the hospital, where my parents were playing musical beds. It was a scary time, with Mom finding out just how useful her internal defibrillator is, and Dad experiencing health troubles also. They are both doing fairly well now. Normal life has resumed, although at a slower pace.

Hopefully, I'll get back into a rhythm of painting soon. I need a jolt, maybe not a defibrillator, but perhaps a kick in the rump.

Earl Grey, hot

2009-05-07T14:28:00.003-04:00

6x6 oil on board

This felt good! I haven't painted in weeks, nor have I spent quality time with my blogging pals. There are quite a few artists online with whom I'd love to sit and have a cuppa.

I follow an embarrassingly large number of blogs. It is a celebration of people as well as the art they create. I enjoy reading about the sordid lives of the Pre-Raphaelites as much as the next person, but I am fascinated to learn what present day artists, of all levels of experience or education, are thinking and feeling when they work.

As for me, I was thinking, "boy, this old paint is gummy" and "I wonder if I put enough money in the parking meter." I painted this in an hour. I made myself walk away before I started to nit-pick or tidy up. There is something about this piece- the hues, the color washed background, the thrift store tea pot?- which feels like home. It feels like me.

Feels like Home, sung by Linda Ronstadt, written by Randy Newman.
Home, sung by Bonnie Raitt, written by Karla Bonoff

studying art and history

2009-04-13T21:10:00.001-04:00

These are studies from a few weeks ago. I hope to try again while I still have daffodils in the yard. I haven't had the chance to paint or to comment on blogs lately.

We recently spent a few days in Philadelphia. We toured some historic sites, very inspirational, and we spent a day at the art museum. No, I did not run up the steps.

The exhibit Cezanne and Beyond was well planned, with an audio tour. It was interesting to see the ways in which Cezanne's work influenced artists who followed, but I was mainly focused on him. We also viewed a healthy collection of European Art 1850-1900.

As we headed back to Pittsburgh, we took a detour to Chadds Ford, to visit the Brandywine River Museum. It was so great to see the work of Andrew Wyeth, N.C. Wyeth, oh the many Wyeths. I lingered over Andrew's work, some of which included a written statement of his thoughts. It was heartening to see a painting dated 2008.

Our next stop was Shanksville, where we paid our respects at the Flight 93 temporary memorial. I was nearly oblivious to gentle rain and cold air as I stared out over the barren, sacred field. For a moment I imagined I was in a Wyeth painting, an expanse on the cusp of color. I'm at a loss to describe everything else I felt. I still have a lump in my throat.

strawberry study 22

2009-04-07T07:28:00.003-04:00

I've been busy doing Mommy stuff lately, so I've had little time for painting or blogging. I spent a few days at the sewing machine, and from where I was working, I heard our backyard wind chimes. The chimes kept playing a series of notes from the Brothers Johnson song, Strawberry Letter 23. It reminded me that I painted these strawberries a few weeks ago, and never got around to posting, partly because they are studies to help me figure out why I can't seem to paint strawberries. If the chimes played Wipeout it would be just as appropriate, since that was the fate of 2 other studies.

garlic and onion

2009-03-25T16:48:00.004-04:00

6x8 oil on canvas panel, private collection

Most of my cooking starts with garlic and onion. I can't think of a dish that doesn't start with garlic and onion. If you come over for dinner, bring dessert, to ensure that it doesn't have garlic and onion.

Fred

2009-03-20T14:49:00.006-04:00

8x10 oil on canvas

When we enter our home, we remove our outdoor shoes. Inspired by Japanese custom, this is the first line of defense against household toxins. When I enter my studio, I change my shoes and put on an old cardigan. The fraying, paint covered sweater is more Kurt Cobain than Fred Rogers, but I often think about dear Fred when I perform this ritual.

Today is Mr. Rogers' birthday. I live pretty close to his neighborhood. He was a lovely man whom I hold in high esteem. I like him just for being him.

I never fail to be moved by this clip of Fred Rogers speaking before the Senate in 1969.

welcome

2009-03-05T22:21:00.000-05:00

10x8 oil on panel

What was I thinking?! A pineapple? I gave up swearing for Lent, so this was a challenge. This was an arduous exploration of color and texture. Actually, I like the process of searching for color. I don't mind getting it wrong a few times on the way. Since I'm too lazy to make charts, I should save my palette paper, because those are my charts. I read something once that advised not mixing more than 2 or 3 colors, ever. Bullshit. (25¢ for the swear jar.) Some really luscious colors, sophisticated colors, require a more involved recipe.

Since I knew I wasn't going to achieve a certain level of realism, I had the freedom to play a little. The tiles or scales of the pineapple are colorful calligraphy. This was the first time I felt comfortable painting on a gessoed panel. The smoothness was my ally for brush strokes and luminosity.

The background of the painting is a terracotta wall in the second room of my studio, the clean room. When I moved in, I painted, installed a picture rail, and glazed a stencil pattern to look time-worn. I built a bookcase, from recycled wainscoting, to fit in an unused doorway. Welcome to my studio.

s'awright

2009-02-26T12:52:00.014-05:00

6x8 oil on canvas panel

It's been a rough couple of months, with both of my parents and both of my in-laws having health issues. I had to kick my own butt into the studio, and I enjoyed the painting time. I like this piece. For some reason it makes me think of Señor Wences.

No cadmium, folks. I cleaned up my act.

foiled again

2009-02-12T22:10:00.008-05:00

6x6 oil on board

This metallic foil is driving me crazy. I had to try it again, it's so cool, but it's driving me crazy nonetheless.

My hubby likes dark chocolate. I'll give him some kisses for Valentine's Day.

Passionate Kisses, Lucinda Williams
Like a Star, Corinne Bailey Rae
Your Love, Keb' Mo'

bittersweet

2009-02-11T19:03:00.005-05:00

5x7 oil on canvas panel

My husband has it easy, and he knows it. I never want anything for Valentine's Day. I don't need jewelry or perfume, or any junk from this week's sale flyers. All I want is his exquisite love.
And a pony.

You are the Best Thing, Ray Lamontagne

When She Believes, BenHarper
I Carry Your Heart, Michael Hedges

tango

2009-02-09T19:15:00.008-05:00

6x11 oil on canvas, sold

I have been painting for one year. It may seem as if I'm just dabbling, but I really do want to learn learn learn and to work work work. I get frustrated sometimes waiting for my skills to catch up to my aspirations. I paint cautiously, often agonizing over minutiae. I hope I get over that soon. I occasionally have moments which are more dance than dirge. That's what I look forward to. For now, I'm learning to see what's in front of me. When that comes more easily, well, I don't exactly know what comes next.

Today's exercise was a study of color. I ignored composition and brushwork to focus completely on color. After working with this sunflower last week, I wanted to more accurately convey its school bus hue. I wanted to see how much red appears in a tangerine. I wanted to be honest about the indescribable color of this grapefruit. Of course, as I painted, I started to think about edges and texture. Citrus fruit can look like a well painted ball if I don't think about texture.

I want to put my still lifes in more thoughtful settings, but I also don't want to fuss over it too much right now. I gladly accept any advice about that issue.

I can't bear to watch the Grammys, but I'm pleased that some talented folks were honored.
Robert Plant/Alison Krauss
Adele
Kings of Leon
Bruce Springsteen

long necked goose

2009-02-03T16:11:00.009-05:00

6x8 oil on canvas panel, SOLD

Hellooo baaaay- beh.

Man is this hard work. Too many petals...I'm going back to fruit.

Chantilly Lace, Big Bopper
Peggy Sue, Buddy Holly & the Crickets
Oh Donna, Ritchie Valens
American Pie, Don McLean

super sunny

2009-02-02T16:00:00.031-05:00

6x6 oil on board, SOLD

I tried a gesso board again, and I still can't get the hang of it. Canvas is like walking on sand, and panels are like walking on ice. I need some kind of hybrid. I kept sliding into previous layers, so I had very little control over my values. (I know, it sounds like a personal problem.) I guess I won't Zamboni over this.

After a crummy January, I have a renewed desire to get to the studio. And hey, my boys won the big game yesterday, so I'm feelin' pretty good.

I'm so lonesome I could cry, Terry Bradshaw

grand larceny, John Gorka

make links open in new tab/window

2009-01-15T14:36:00.010-05:00

Since I don't have a decent painting to post, I'll give you a blogging lesson to make links open in a new window. (I thank my son for teaching me!)

For blogger users, you type your posts in the 'compose' box. You make a link by highlighting a word or phrase, and click the 'link' tab in the tool bar. But this makes a link that navigates away from your blog. You want your audience to stick around a bit longer! If your readers are clever, they will right click to open links in a new tab or window. But you can easily alter your links yourself.

There is a tab for 'edit html.' Look through the text and find the area where your link is located. It will look like this:

<a href="http://emptyeasel.com/">Empty Easel</a>

Add the following code between the quotation mark and the greater than symbol.

target="_blank"

Add a space before the word target.
Now it looks like:

<a href="http://emptyeasel.com/" target="_blank">Empty Easel</a>

That's it, Fort Pitt.

painted pony

2009-01-09T20:52:00.003-05:00

7x5 oil on canvas

This was a quick play date with a pony bottle. I had limited time, which turned out to be good for me. I was forced not to fuss, and I played with some slippery transparent paint.

I keep pony bottles of Rolling Rock on hand for when I make chili. Six ounces for the pot and one for the cook. It's the perfect amount. I'm a cheap date. Rolling Rock was a western PA brew until a few years ago, in case you're questioning my taste.

I have this running gag in which I commandeer my loved one's shopping or to-do list and add "buy Dar a pony." I started doing it ages ago at my Mom's, because she always has a shopping list on the kitchen counter. On my way out, I sneak it on her list, just to let her know I was there. My husband usually has a list lying around too, of his good intentions. I add reminders for him to do nice things for me, including buying a pony.

When asked what I want for Christmas, my pat answer is "world peac e and an end to hunger, ... and maybe a pony." Eric took me seriously a few years ago, and we've been contributing to several charities as a new holiday tradition. But you know, I'm still waiting for the pony.

I want a horse, Linda Ronstadt
Spinning Wheel, Blood, Sweat, & Tears

holiday highlights

2009-01-07T15:26:00.013-05:00

8x10 oil on canvas panel

I took another stab at it. I wanted to show that the sage ball is matte and the copper one is shinier. And I wanted very much to represent the two parts that stood out when I took off my glasses: a positively fluorescent orange window reflection on the copper ball, and a few bright dots on the gold niblet thing. (White highlights would be a cop out, and not authentic.) They don't radiate quite as much as I wanted, but I made progress. I think I can pack up the ornaments now.

out with the old

2009-01-06T12:02:00.001-05:00

8x6 oil on canvas panel

This painting has been languishing on the easel for nearly a month. I worked on it two days in mid December, then abandoned it. It says to me, "I'm not dead yet," but I need to give it the ol' heave ho. I picked up the branch and all the needles fell off.

I didn't get what I wanted from this painting, but it will do. It kind of looks like a vintage Christmas card.

crunch time

2008-12-08T09:41:00.008-05:00

6x6 oil on board

My Christmas themed paintings will be ready around Easter. I could never be an elementary school teacher. I would fail miserably at the whole bulletin board thing. Mine would be hopelessly out of date, with the wrong seasonal border, and last years students' work.

Do you ever have that dream in which it's Christmas Eve, and you haven't purchased a single gift? It's a holiday version of the actor's nightmare I guess. Oh yeah, I have that one too.

One year, I was in the queue at a dept. store, and the cashier used the public address system to call for assistance from someone in the seasonal department. "Christmas, dial 9. Christmas, dial 9." In half a minute, the cashier decided she no longer needed assistance, so she called, "Cancel Christmas." Weren't we surprised!

I had better get a move on. I have so much to do. If I don't get something accomplished soon, we'll need to cancel Christmas.

Happy Christmas John

getting to know you

2008-11-25T17:39:00.014-05:00

8x6 oil on canvas panel

I have been tagged by Marian Fortunati and W.R. Jones.
There would seem to be a rash of tagging going round, like some bloggerly transmitted disease. Bloggorhea? It's a fun way of getting to know our cyber pals better and promoting their efforts.

To play along:
1. put a link in your posting about the artist that tagged you.
2. write 5 -7 unusual things about yourself.
3. tag 5 - 7 other bloggers and let them know.

A few mildly interesting things about me...
1. I turned a 50's cape cod into an eco-bungalow. I designed our renovation, acted as general contractor, and incorporated every environmentally-conscious system or material possible.
2. On any given day, I will be wearing something green or brown. I could hide in the forest with Robin Hood.
3. As a kid, I participated in competitive roller skating. There. Now I can never be blackmailed.
4. I played Anita in a community theater production of West Side Story.
5. I do not wear make-up.
6. I love Star Trek.
7. I pun by accident all the time. It's like some wacky variety of Tourettes.

I would like to tag the following artist-bloggers:
Jeff Mahorney inspired me to start blogging.
Gina of Dreamland Designs makes wonderful stationary and meaningful scrapbooks.
Robin Weiss is very likely full of fascinating stories.
Raymond Logan doesn't have comments, so I'm tagging to torment him.
Marie Wise paints a series of wind turbines which is awesome.
Connie Chadwell paints excellent figures with 'motion and emotion'
Suzanne Berry writes about her lovely paintings in a heartfelt and humorous way

vegetarian thanksgiving

2008-11-15T14:47:00.010-05:00

10x8 oil on board

I like Thanksgiving. I appreciate the spirit of the holiday, but if I'm honest, I really really really like Thanksgiving dinner. It is my favorite meal of the entire year. This year, however, will be my first Thanksgiving as a vegetarian. I don't think tofurkey is gonna do it for me. I can always make a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. You remember? Popcorn, jelly beans, and toast. I'll have to read the label to ensure the jelly beans are made without gelatin. To be safe, I think I'll just have vegetarian Wild Turkey.

The gesso board did not cooperate with me. I'm pleased with the bottle, but I had to give up on the apples. Every move lifted paint. It reminds me of painting melamine, which is impossible without a shellac based primer. I'll paint the bottle again later this week, but it may not be quite so full.

Paul Simon: Still Crazy, Slip Slidin' Away

civil right hand

2008-11-08T12:01:00.012-05:00

11x14 oil on canvas

I often dream up ideas or solve problems in the dawn of the day, while my head is still on the pillow and I can let stream of pre-consciousness do its thing. I've nearly convinced my family that I should not be disturbed at this time, because one of these days I'm bound to solve something major, like poverty or Middle East issues. Usually, though, it's about groceries or what color to paint the bathroom.

I woke up Wednesday, elated, my mind spinning. I composed half a letter to the president elect that I'm sure I will never finish. But I also pictured a portrait of my hand and the title. The background was not part of the original plan, but came about when I scraped my palette from a previous painting. I did not begin with a drawing, so I was happy to be able to get a likeness of my little raccoon paw right away, which only needed to be tweaked a little.

With My Own Two Hands, Ben Harper
Everyone is Good, the Roches
Beautiful City, from Godspell

ripe and ready

2008-11-06T15:24:00.002-05:00

8x10 oil on panel

This painting is my first try with a gesso panel. It's very slick. Now I know what that means. I thought I was ice-skating. You'll just have to trust me that it looks more sophisticated in person, not so garish.

I took my painting for a walk, since I often get a better photo at home than studio . I ran into an artist-neighbor-friend who always asks me if I’ve been to the galleries with my work. I insist that I’ll be studying for a while first. She said, “You’re ripe and ready, like that apple.”

I picked these privet branches in my yard. Privet offers small white flowers in spring with a wonderful aroma. If you prune at the wrong time, you and the bees can’t enjoy them. In the fall, if any flowers were allowed to develop, small dark berries will form in tiny clusters. Privet leaves turn a great variety of colors. The leaves and berries are among autumn's visual pleasures that must be enjoyed up close. But don't nibble. They're toxic to humans.

rock the vote

2008-11-04T12:15:00.003-05:00

This morning my children accompanied me to the polls. An exciting bit of history is unfolding, and I wanted them to be a part of it. We've been talking about the issues at home.
I/we voted for the presidential candidate whom we believe will secure the most rights for the most people.

This Land is Your Land, Bruce Springsteen (Woodie Guthrie)
None of Us are Free (if one of us is chained), Solomon Burke w/Blind Boys
Do Right to Me baby (Do unto Others), Bob Dylan ( press 'listen' button)
Freedom Highway, Mavis Staples
Power to the People, John Lennon

no razors

2008-10-31T17:13:00.012-04:00

6x8 oil on canvas panel

I understand there was a time when kids received apples when trick-or-treating and oranges in their Christmas stockings. (And if a kid held onto the santa myth a few too many years, a stocking full of tighty whities would straighten him out.)

When I was a kid, there were only one or two older neighbors who still gave us fruit on Halloween. Kids circulated that legend about the girl who died from eating an apple that had a razor blade in it. When I sort through my kids' candy, I make a pile of my favorites, telling them "Mommy has to check these for razor blades. Eat those smarties."

werewolves of london
ghost of a texas ladies man
nail in my heart
devil may care
season of hollow soul
dagger through the heart
I know more spooky song titles.
I should have painted more this week.

mmm, cake

2008-10-28T08:00:00.003-04:00

7x5 oil on canvas

This is a premeditated painting. I had to buy supplies, bake and frost the cupcakes, reserve the cutest two for painting, and devour the rest. I reserved two in case I should lose control and eat the first model.

Knowing that my back might start hurting again, but wanting to stay in the habit of painting, my goals were brevity and levity. That may be my mantra this week.
Om. Brevity, levity.
Or maybe "mmm, cake."

Cake, mahna mahna

backfire

2008-10-23T09:00:00.005-04:00

6x8 oil on canvas panel

7x9 oil on canvas panel

This week I learned that I can't paint for crap when my back hurts (old football injury). I couldn't make good decisions. I couldn't really see what I needed to see. I used the brush like a colored pencil. Is it better to paint poorly than to not paint at all?
I painted impatiently and haphazardly. It's clear when you look at my palette; it's a mess. Next time I'll use that as a yardstick of my distress, or my ineptitude. With the pumpkins, I needed to walk away sooner. Now I have a date with an ice pack.

2008-10-09T12:07:00.004-04:00

After a break, I came back to see if I could finish this, and I found that my geranium died. I forgot I had some floral do-hickeys to preserve individual stems. It's a plastic test tube with a gasket. It's my only tip to offer other painters, and I blew it. I wish I could tell you what they're called. When I did a web search for 'single stem test tube' I came up with hits for lab-grown cheeseburgers.

I wrestled with the paint, but I did make it say 'overcast northern skylight.' That's the perfect light source, right? Since I don't do much else in the kitchen, I might as well make it a studio.

golden disappointment

2008-10-08T15:31:00.001-04:00

Look, I'm working, I swear. I couldn't be bothered to walk 7 blocks in the rain to visit my oil paints. So, I'm painting in the kitchen with an acrylic product that other people seem to love, but I don't like. I won't bad mouth it publicly, but let's just say that I get a golden feeling of disdain when I open the tubes. It's like painting with old bubble gum. I know it doesn't look bad here (the foreshortening somehow improves it), but I can't finesse it, blend it, cut into it. I really don't like it.

I bought a starter set of these paints on vacation in Aug. I had visions of immortalizing the peaceful beauty of a Minnesota lake. You will notice a dearth of paintings from that time. I was deeply disappointed. Especially because I had finally made the commitment to be 100% vegetarian. You see, the adorable Qiang Huang once suggested that the key to great painting is being vegetarian. I was all set to be great! I'm just gullible, I guess.

Jill Scott, Golden
America, Sister Golden Hair
Golden Earring, Radar Love

walk a mile

2008-09-24T15:15:00.008-04:00

8x11 gouache

We were in Cambridge, Mass. for a mental health conference. While Eric attended seminars, I explored the city. It was good for my mental health.

I only had time to duck into one art museum, Harvard's Sackler Museum. I saw Orazio Gentileschi's The Virgin with the Sleeping Christ; Rembrandt's Bust of an Old Man; The Gare Saint Lazare: Arrival of a Train and Red Boats, Argenteuil by Claude Monet; and Mother and Child from Pablo Picasso. One painting took my breath away, and that was Vincent van Gogh's Three Pairs of Shoes. I stood before it, entranced, and cried. I'm afraid I can't explain it. I was in the midst of incredible works of art, but Three Pairs of Shoes was simply beautiful and incredibly moving. Everything else seemed flat compared to this, in terms of perceived depth but also in terms of emotional depth.

I also saw Van Gogh's Self Portrait Dedicated to Paul Gauguin. I picture a passionate Kirk Douglas version of Van Gogh, feeling intense love and brotherhood, wanting to please his friend. He made a special effort to portray himself in an ascetic and reflective way. I want to learn more about Van Gogh. It saddens me that his psychiatric issues were not handled in an effective way.

We now live in an age of great progress in mental health, but many of our citizens do not receive the care they need. Managed healthcare usually places severe limitations on outpatient and inpatient psychiatric care. Employees of certain megastores do not receive mental health benefits. And after a movement to close psychiatric facilities, we see a population of chronically mentally ill persons who are homeless or incarcerated.

Review the presidential candidate's responses to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. There is a remarkable difference in attitude, urgency, knowledge and specificity.

I'm proud of the work my husband does as a therapist. He is extremely gifted, and continually educates himself to the latest research and ideas. His clients are in very good hands. I painted Eric's shoes, thinking about dear Vincent.

Don Mclean, Starry Starry Night
Dar Williams, What Do You Hear in these Sounds
Elvis, Walk a Mile in my Shoes
Kirsty MacColl, In These Shoes?

Massachusetts State House

2008-09-23T11:03:00.003-04:00

8x8 gouache

I was in Boston last week. On our way to the Freedom Trail, Eric and I unexpectedly found ourselves in the midst of a cannabis reform rally at Boston Common. We made our way through the crowd, sat on the grass, I mean lawn, and I made a quick sketch of the State Building. I could only suggest the blazing brilliance of the golden dome. I'll take another stab at it sometime. I was too timid to attempt to paint live, moving targets. It's too bad, because it was great people watching. We walked the trail, then enjoyed some wicked good chowda.

study break

2008-09-16T20:04:00.014-04:00

7x5 gouache

I bought some gouache, hoping to make magic like Erik Tiemens. He makes it look so easy. I tried it a few times, like earlier this week when I wanted to recreate a spectacular night sky. Ugh, it was awful. You won't be seeing that one. Part of the problem is I can't work well from memory/imagination.

Today I tried again, with a proper model. Just a quick study during a power outage. It was really fun. I liked varying the amount of water, playing with blending and dry brush. In my enthusiasm, I missed some proportions, but I'm ok with that. As I look at it now, my husband's French press reminds me of Chilly Willy.

overripe

2008-09-10T23:36:00.003-04:00

5x7 oil on loose canvas

This painting kicked my ass. It should have been simple, but it made me work. I painted it last week, and it was flat. I came back today and reworked it. I could only take it so far,then it was that time of day when I race my kids home from school.
I see now that a sharp edge is pulling me to that right-most pear, who is practically mooning us for attention. I would rather focus on the left one, so demure and lovely. I'm finished, though. The pears are in the composter.

onion family

2008-09-01T20:16:00.004-04:00

6 1/2 X 12 oil on loose canvas

I thank my son for the title of the painting. I left room for cropping changes, planning for a long skinny piece, but I don't know any more. Any suggestions about alternative cropping/chopping are welcome.

How do you prevent the tears when you're chopping?

Johnny Cash, Cry Cry Cry
Lucinda Williams, World without Tears
Roy Orbison & k. d. lang, Crying
Richard Thompson, Tear Stained Letter

The Lady of Shallot

2008-08-27T18:02:00.003-04:00

6x8 oil on canvas panel

When I met my husband, he had three art posters: Edvard Munch's The Scream, Bouguereau's La Bohemienne, and Waterhouse's The Lady of Shalott.

The Scream was always a cheeky image to hang in Eric's office. He is a psychologist.

La Bohemienne hangs in our room. Eric feels that it resembles me, including the forlorn expression. But I swear, I have prettier feet.

I think we lost the Waterhouse, so I endeavored to paint a replacement today. I should have left the shallots on their little styrofoam boat from the grocer.

Cheese and Onions, the Rutles (Beatles parody)
The Lady of Shalott, Loreena McKennitt.
Onions Make Me Cry, Rolf (the Muppet Show)

Treetops

2008-07-27T21:30:00.003-04:00

Pennsylvania is very pretty, any time of year. Hillsides lush with forests have not completely given way to urban sprawl. Well, there was that W-mart debacle. Lee Scott decided to build where he wasn't welcome. Neither the townspeople nor the hillside would support him. He left us with a landslide and a renewed determination to support locally owned business.

As I painted this morning, I noticed the trees across the Ohio were muted compared to the trees closer to me, and the sky was a bleached ombre. I realize this composition may be problematic as it isn't grounded, but I wanted to explore those shades of green, so I let it be.

I painted the feathery deciduous tree several times. I missed church because of it. I tried to make it worshipful. I did mention the Lord a few times.

Above the Treetops, by Pat Metheny.
Let it Be, the Beatles.

hazy lake

2008-07-20T20:57:00.005-04:00

We took a family trip to the park so I could finish this. I was happy with what the first effort taught me, but I was curious, so I continued.

I stopped at this point, even though discrepancies remained. It's really just a warm-up after all. And I was warm, I tell you. My umbrella wouldn't stay put, and nobody was willing to hold it for me. Imagine that.

Fear is giving way to enjoyment. I struggle to know a good subject when I see one. I'm not sure what amount of detail to strive for. I don't know how my landscapes will evolve. But I enjoy playing with color, so this is becoming fun.

On the way to the park, I listened to Dusty Springfield. Her craft and her stage persona triumphed over insecurities. She was expressive, versatile (an understatement), and very brave. Ah, if I could paint like Dusty sang...

hot and hazy

2008-07-18T16:12:00.008-04:00

I picked the hottest time of day, on the hottest day, to go play outside. I was running errands near a county park, and I brought along my paints. I spent an hour looking at Nature. Glorious! I decided to become a photographer because there is no way I can paint this stuff. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring the camera, so I became a painter again. All the views that would allow me to sit in shade were just too intimidating. I picked a nice, sweltering, sunlit spot, donned my cowboy hat, and started.

I wish my fella was with me. He's like a puppy at the park. He runs and plays and I have to clean up after him. Really, I just wish he was there to shade me or fan me or tell me I'm cute in my cowboy hat.

I painted for about 45 minutes when I decided that all this perspiration might not mix well with oil paint. I hate leaving at this stage, but I can't take the heat. I might go back tomorrow and hope for the same hazy conditions. Tomorrow I'll take a parasol, or a man-servant, and I can try to figure out what color the water is. Yes, that's a lake.

I heard Louis Prima on the way home. I bet that could make me paint a little faster. I did some research on this park, and apparently the lake is shrinking and the aquatic ecosystem is out of balance. I better paint it before the lake turns into a meadow.

plein air sickness

2008-07-15T11:35:00.012-04:00

I've spent the past week pacing around my yard looking for something to paint. There is plenty of source material, but I'm terrified. I'm terrified of all the foliage, the complicated images, infinite or infinitesimal views, and the changing light. How do you do it? How do you find an image and decide what portion of it, and what amount of detail, to use? I am truly stuck.

After a series of panic attacks, I finally jumped in, mainly so I would have a post in which to beg for guidance. This morning, with determination, I painted the hydrangea. I haven't dared to paint her up close in a still life, so I thought I should give her a chance in her natural environment. I zoomed in on a lower quadrant of the shrub to prevent myself from hyperventilating.

grapes in the bay

2008-07-08T08:57:00.005-04:00

7x9 oil on canvas panel

I brought my paints home, to increase the chances of using them. I would like to venture outdoors, but I only got as far as the bay window. According to my classical art education at onpainting, this actually qualifies as plein air. I sat cross-legged on the window seat, with the plate of grapes tempting me, and perched my panel on my lap. Easel shmeasel. I haven't used one since early April. I should be hit on the hand with a mahl stick.

Listen to the plein air that I breathe, performed by the Mavericks.

marbled paper

2008-07-03T12:30:00.011-04:00

I saw a marbling demonstration around 20 years ago, and became enchanted with the process. Manipulating the paint as it floats on a gelatinous liquid is a meditative activity, with immediate, breathtaking results. I researched technique and materials, which was no easy task. Marbling is one of those centuries old, family industries in which the artisan takes the information to his grave.

I taught myself to marble, and had pleasant results on both paper and silk. I put it aside when my babies were born. It is time to marble again. I found a studio space this past winter, and I've been gathering my supplies. Meanwhile, I started painting! I always have to have my hands into something.

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend a marbling workshop, a good jump start. The pieces pictured above are some of the 9x12 papers I produced.

Speaking of gelatinous liquid, we drove over the Cuyahoga River on our road trip to the workshop. We also made a pilgrimage to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I was in heaven! My kids indulged me when I made them listen to rock's early influences, like Bessie Smith and Robert Johnson. They didn't mind looking at every speck of Beatles memorabilia either, but I think they enjoyed the punk and glamrock displays the most.

Draw Tippy

2008-06-26T18:12:00.007-04:00

OK, I haven't painted in a while, but I did manage to do this very difficult sketch. Do you think I should go into wildlife illustration?
Or portraiture?
When I was 7, I thought I was the shit because I could draw Tippy. He is sporting his dy-no-mite hat and turtleneck. Is it cannibalism for a turtle to wear a turtleneck?

The Turtles rocked out with Happy Together when I was a baby. Another Turtle hit, Elenore, was written as a joke. The Rutles, however, were completely serious.

prodigy progeny

2008-06-12T22:00:00.004-04:00

Gabby's 18x24 acrylic on canvas panel, $2000

The studio is tooo hot. In Feb. it was toooo cold. I can only paint when it's juuust right. Ideally, I would be painting in a passive-solar straw bale studio with low-e windows. I'd try a cave, but I think the lighting wouldn't be good.

Since I don't have a painting of my own today, here is an acrylic done by my little goldie locks. Always seen with a sketchbook in her (graphite-smudged) hand, this was her first painting, which she did in school, at age 13. The reference photo was her work as well. She is really something. I am proud of the way she got those values right and restrained the use of detail. She painted what she saw, and she sees really well!

added: I forgot the music again. Hmm, sweltering heat. Let's listen to Janis Joplin and Mungo Jerry.

trafalgar lions

2008-06-09T21:04:00.008-04:00

Here's my little lion. I had an 8x10 board with a pencil sketch on it that I was terrified to paint. It sat in the corner for 2 months. It's actually a good reference, since there isn't enough detail for me to get hung up on. I can concentrate on values.

My angel still needs his halo of hair highlights, and I think I can push the darks further. But I'm happy. Very happy.

I had two false starts today (trying to re-work old stuff, a big mistake) and I felt a little lost. An encouraging message from Dianne Mize was just what I needed to persevere.

Hmm, how about the Mamas and the Papas for Dianne. Sometimes I have felt displaced in time, a hippy born 20 years late.

lonesome strawberry

2008-06-05T17:00:00.003-04:00

This is the best 2 inches of a piece I did a few weeks ago. The strawberries grew fuzz waiting for me to finish. I should just paint things that are already dead.

I almost forgot the playlist. What will become of my new hobby now that school's out?

Bouquet de Fleury

2008-06-04T19:09:00.012-04:00

Jesu Mario Lemieux, I am symbolically silly. My time was up before I had a chance to inscribe the cup with it's owner's name...Stan, of course. I'm mad that I couldn't finish. I hate having to explain my jokes.

Anyway, please enjoy today's playlist:
Warren Zevon Hit Somebody, Kathleen Edwards Hockey Skates, and Lyle Lovett Penguins.
Go Pens!

peony afterlife

2008-06-02T21:10:00.015-04:00

8x11 oil on canvas

It's no use beating a dead flower. Another 2-session, paintus interruptus. Darn flower died on me. I had to use a stunt double, but he wouldn't pose properly for me. I offered him immortality, but I think he suspected that both he and the painting would end up in the trash. But if I compost him, at least he has a chance at reincarnation. No wait, peonies are proud. He'd hate to be a carnation.

I listened to some boys with guitars... Michael Hedges, Will Ackerman, John Gorka, and Jeff DeSantis

li'l vase

2008-05-23T18:27:00.012-04:00

8x10 oil on canvas panel

I did not intend to revisit this set up. I cut an iris from the garden for this session. But my frugal/ecological self insisted that I use the paint that was already on my palette. In these two recent pieces, I replaced cadmium yellow with non-toxic yellow PY151. I'm pleased with it.

This is not a bad piece, but it doesn't move me like the previous one does. My real job, Motherhood, prevented me from working from beginning to end in one sitting, which I think is part of the problem. Also, the photoshop fairy has not left anything on the doorstep yet, so it took me a while to get a decent image. Enough complaining. It's not good for creativity. I should make lemonade.

I painted with the girls on piano... Nellie McKay, Regina Spektor, and A Fine Frenzy.

lemon and lily

2008-05-19T15:34:00.010-04:00

7x9 oil on canvas panel, private collection

I planned on painting anemone, but the blooms are just past their prime. I walked past the bleeding heart, apologizing to it that I'm not ready to do it justice. Then I picked some lily of the valley, which smells wonderful. The flowers are so small, I only need to suggest their shape.

I am in love with this painting. It came along really easily... once I stopped pacing the floor, wondering who I'm kidding!
I need better editing software to more accurately present my work, as there are usually subtleties that don't read properly. The lemon is really a bit lighter, and there is better dimension.
It's funny that I should paint in such a subtle manner. I am anything but subtle.

A lily of the valley playlist includes both Queen and George Jones.
I only know one other person who would appreciate that.

saintly fruit

2008-05-08T17:39:00.009-04:00

8x10 oil on canvas panel

This arrangement was serendipity-do-da. I placed the fruit on the table to remember to take it home, and I loved the play of light, bleaching out the table cloth and leaving halos on the apples.

Let's see, I had Keb' Mo' and Kris Delmhorst with me this time.
I promise, I'm finally going to eat these apples.

left out

2008-05-04T14:48:00.015-04:00

6x8 oil on canvas panel
I spent as much time getting an acceptable photo as I did painting.
Today I listened to Lucinda Williams, Ben Harper, and Jennifer Warnes.

solvent-free painting

2008-05-03T16:36:00.008-04:00

I use M. Graham oil paints. These are formulated with walnut oil. I don’t use any solvents. I clean my brushes with walnut oil.

I’m trying to replace toxic pigments with alternatives. Thorough information about the toxicity of oil paint, mediums, and solvents is not easy to find. I don't hear enough artists talking about it. Stefan Thompson has some useful links.

I clean our home with food grade substances. I use a reel mower and I garden organically. I occasionally hang the laundry. I walk for transportation. I use low- or zero-VOC house paint. I installed cork and bamboo floors in our home (my proudest achievement second only to giving birth). I chose cementicious siding and a metal roof, each of which has a gazillion year life span. I’m trying to find a hamster-powered automobile. We keep looking for ways to make our home and our lifestyle have the smallest, cleanest footprint.

I never considered oil painting before because I assumed it was too toxic; toxic for the manufacturer, for the artist, and for the land and water.

Now that I’m hooked, of course, I need to find a way to follow sustainable principles. Please share your solutions. What alternative supports have you tried? What colors have you substituted for the lovely cadmiums? Have you stopped buying frames that are made in China? How many trees have I felled with all the paper toweling I've used?! (None, it's seventh generation.)

New Mother Love

2008-05-01T16:48:00.010-04:00

9x12 oil on canvas
This is a piece I did a few months ago, just to see what the experience would be like. I hope to do figurative work in the future.

I can't paint today. I viewed Invisible Children with my family last night. I'm still processing what I saw. I know art has a place, and it needn't be esoteric or elitist. But I feel self-indulgent picking up a brush today.

The mother in the painting is in love with her newborn, whom she has fed at her breast. My job today is to find a way to feed and nurture children.

heavy traffic

2008-04-30T15:44:00.006-04:00

How d'ya like them apples, Jeff? I gave myself a time limit, hid my number 2 flats until the very end, and grooved to Martin Sexton. I see an area on the golden delicious that I would fiddle with if I hadn't walked away.

yield

2008-04-28T17:26:00.009-04:00

12x7 oil on canvas

I had some fun in the produce aisle.
Michael Nyman's score from "The Piano" was my soundtrack today.

queen of light

2008-04-25T15:30:00.015-04:00

6x10 oil on canvas, collected

detail

Twelve varieties of tulips are making a spectacular display in the front yard. This one, Queen of Night, is one of my favorites. (It looks wonderful paired with Creme Upstar, which looks like a delicious peony.) I enjoyed studying this dark bloom. Some of the petals soak up the light and others transmit it.
I suppose I should have listened to The Magic Flute today, but instead of Mozart, I had Cheap Trick!
addendum: a lovely bird sang to me the Queen's aria this afternoon.

yellow tulip

2008-04-21T15:45:00.012-04:00

6x8 oil on canvas panel, collected

Another beauty from my garden.
Today I kept company with Raul Malo, Dar Williams, and Warren Zevon.

orange emperor

2008-04-18T14:49:00.015-04:00

6x8 oil on canvas panel, collected

This tulip is from my garden. My family is wondering if I will keep painting during prime gardening season. Will I have paint or dirt under my fingernails?
I enjoyed painting today. Elvis Costello, Emmylou Harris and Roy Orbison kept me company.

lilies

2008-04-16T17:30:00.018-04:00

The lily on red was the baby lily in the yellow painting. My studio smells wonderful. I'm not happy with these, but I try to take a lesson away from each session. First, plan my schedule around the bloomin' flowers. Then, stop being so stingy with paint. Be more decisive; don't overwork. Use the force.

leaf

2008-04-15T08:58:00.007-04:00

8x8 oil on canvas panel

leaves of three

2008-04-10T15:27:00.007-04:00

9x12 oil on canvas panel

I compulsively collect leaves. Any book in our house is likely to have leaves pressed in it. I have a shoebox full of leaves that I gathered for another project. It turned out to be handy still life material. Unlike fresh fruit and flowers, my leaves will last if I don't return to the painting for a few days.

Who's the Pearest...?

2008-04-08T15:36:00.008-04:00

8x8 oil on canvas panel

Doesn't one of the pears seem to be a bit narcissistic?

The pear doesn't fall too far...

2008-04-05T18:59:00.013-04:00

My son and I used the same photo reference. He made a very nice watercolor. This was from my first week of playing with oils. I had not yet considered complement-mixing, brush size, edges or, well, anything really. I painted purely on instinct, just concentrating on painting what I see.

first fall

2008-04-03T16:58:00.012-04:00

9x12 oil on canvas panel

still struggling to photograph. this reads so much better in real life.

Margaret's bowl

2008-04-03T16:56:00.010-04:00

9x12 oil on canvas panel

Green Tea

2008-04-02T17:52:00.009-04:00

8x10 oil on canvas

This is probably my 15th painting. I am miserly with paint, so the table color makes use of paint mixed for a previous piece.

Pair

2008-04-02T17:36:00.012-04:00

8x10 oil on canvas

This is my 10^th painting. The background is a quick scumble because my family was getting ready to watch Star Wars, episode 2! I went back the next day, and decided it was finished.