Finished pieces

Evolution of Herstory Acrylic and Latex on Cotton, 6ftx8ft 2006-07
While this painting was "done" by the show opening dat I still can not say that I think it is really complete.





The day finally arrived when I could say, "Ok, they're done.... well sort of. Getting a date for exhibiting my paintings and Photography forced me to finish what I started. I have found in life that things get done faster when there is a dead line. The following are images of my studio now with the paintings in their resting places. Here they will stay now that the exhibition is closed until one fine day when someone decides they just have to be a collertor of great contemporary art. That is, someone other than me.


Going down the stars to the studio one would find Some og my photography and painting.

The painting on the far right was not created by me. Rather it was created by a former studnet of mine, Jared Crane. Don't be afraid of the tree lady in teh corner. Even with her belt of bullets, she's practically harmless. My son has lent me Michaelangelo for inspiration and guidance in my creative journies. The painting on the close left is "Dancing Through Life" and nect to it is "Trinatys Myth"

Looking from the sitting area into my painting studio. When I'm not painting in this space I am setting up the portable studio and photographing.

The purpose of the cabinet for the computer was so I could close it up when not in use. It never seems to get closed.

Evolution of Herstory

Evolution of Herstory

The painting has finaly made it to exhibition at Ty & Co Espresso. More input on it later no time now. IT will be on display from 11/10 -11/18 2006

Parts and Pieces

This painting is developing a life of its own. Figures are emerging and faces are coming out of hiding.

If eyes are the portal to the soul then that explains why eyes are so difficult to paint. It is intentional that there is, and only will be, one set of eyes looking out from this painting at the viewer. All otheres are looking up, down or off somewhere else. Every being here is reaching, stretching, searching for something. What is that something?
I am drawn to the energy of the red, orange and Crimson. It is not an angy red, or a bleeding red. It is a hot, energy filled fire that burns in all of us. It is the burn of the search. The quest to stretch oneself to find the boundaries and to reach out of the safety net that is the box that binds us.

Torture of the Title

After working on a painting for a while there comes a point when a title will help direct the completion. The Problem then is realizing a title that will not adversly effect or direct the evolution of the artwork, yet will capture the essance of its meaning.

A Title can ruin an artwork, but so can the lack of one. WE all need direction. The title I give serves my direction. What about the viewer's direction? What's to say that my direction is the only direction. IF we all are individuals with different backgrounds and experiences, then we all bring somthing different to we encounter. It is only with expressing the individual interpretations of any experience that we truely understand our own.

I'm thinking of calling the above paintings "life"

I can not decide on this one. I think it still needs more paint befor it has earned a title.

Versions and Variations

Variations on a theme. That is what theses paintings are about. The theme? Evolution. Not evolution like the world and the begining of man, but evolution of mind and spirit. AS I work on these paintings I often get to spots I do not know what do do with yet. I refer back to my knowledge of design and try to see what would enhance the over all design, and then balance that out with the underling idea that everything evolves into something more. NOt nessacarily bettor or worse, just different. With every artwork there are sections that could be developed further and even stand on their own as a work of art.
Technology has made it possible to crop and explore vaiations of any image. So when I get stuck on a paintings I will turn my attention to my photography, or search other artist's works for inpiration for my own work. So here is a photographic images I have been playing with.

Abstract painting in action: Balancing Act

Abstract painting in action: Balancing Act

Balancing Act

I kept wondering what was going to be in the circle. Then last night after staring at it minlessly it came to me. So the eye ball is now emerging. While it still has a ways to go, I now have a direction and pupose for that part of the painting. The more I look at this painting, the more the words balance and balancing act come to mind. Sounds like I have a title emerging. Paintings are like children. Sometimes you just have to stand back and see how it develops.

The gifts you were born with were not granted to you arbitrarily. While you may never discover what impact your light has had on others, you can be certain that when you embrace your talents and share them with others, you will spread illumination in the world.

Comparing this image to the one from today, I difinitly like the incorporation of the eye. The new green added to the lower right side needs to be lighter, but it'l get there.

The people in the bottom of the big painting (still no title yet) are taking shape. Two hopefull women adding their support to the flying souls.

Happy Days

Making progress. Today I worked on solidifying the upper right of the paingting. The center face is starting to take shape. I envision a female face looing out at the viewer from the distant center of the light vortex. Much work is still to be done. I feel the two women of the bottom right reaching up to support the figures in there quest to float up and out. A sence of hope emerging from beneath the whirlwind of energy.

Survival

Survival seems to have such a negative conotation in my mind. YEt survival is just what it is... Staying alive or perpetuation a life force. No one said it was a good or bad thing. A fun or boring thing. A soft or loud,light or heavy, rough or smooth. So I guess it is up to each of us to decide that on our own. MMMMM

"Fighting for survival" We have all heard this. Ever heard laughing for survival? Painting for survival, Playing for survival?

In a way, I think this painting is about survival. All of these figures are emerging from, or stepping into, one thing or another. One strand or another, One path or a nother. No one total individual. All connected with lots of layers. Kinda like Shrek.

Connecting for Creating

No one can opperate in a vaccume. Looking at art, talking about art, sharing the processes, all are essential in creating it. No pictures today. After great discussions and thinking and looking, and painting and .... I'm too tired to photograph it. Just excited to see what ideas tomorrow morning brings. Must make time for sleep.

Birth of a trio

In various stages of development, these three paintings are the beginning of a new series. Still no tiltes yet. I envision this to be more than just these three paintings. It is my "Plan" to combine these with some other 2D and 3D mixed media and photography to create a full show. Of course, all the senses must be involved. The inclusion of good music, good writing or conversation, great smells and delightful dishes and you have the makings of a grand exhibition.

Faces from below

NO TITLE yet but more faces are begining to emerge from the back ground swirl. As I see things I sketch them in chalk to see if that mass really wants to evolve. I thought I saw and arm and sketched it with chalk, but I don't know if I like it. This painting is getting hotter with only a few cool colours popping through to half separate images. Some viewers have asked if the figures were falling or emerging. I think a bit of both.








In the bottom three faces are begining to come forth. All women, all with questioning expressions. What are they questioning? What are they searching for? What are they reaching for? I don'y knoe yet. Guess maybe we'll figure it out when the painting is all done. True exploration and beauty in creation takes time. I am taking my time. Remeber... It's about the process!

Meet Fred

Fred

Well, I call him Fred. This little toad has decided to keep me company each night when I am painting. He sits and just watches as I enter and exit the exterior studio doors. Every once in a while he hops over in sight of the painting, but mostly, he sits by the door. My first fan.

More Figures Emerge

Today's painting was back on the smaller canvas. (I say canvas as a universal surface event's this is actually a Burgundy sheet that was attacked by diluted bleach for the starting point) I had previously sketched in some figures I had seen appear. Now in order to make them grow I realized I needed to work in the negative space around them. IN doing so so an eye, upper arm and torso came to life. While there is still much work to be done, nine figures are evident. Not all are shown fully. There was/is a choice being made here. One does not always have to give all the details to understand or recognize the point. AS an artist I feel I must put out enough information to realize my own objective for my artwork to be successful. In doing that it is still in the forefront of my mind to only make suggestions while ultimately, leaving the viewer to derive their own conclusion as to the purpose and meaning in any particular artwork.

From Sheet to Frame

The sheet has finaly made it to stretcher strips. In the begining I just needed a surface to fling paint at and release some energy. As images began to emerge I quickly realized the sheet was becoming a painting with a life of its own. So off to the hardware store it was to gather the supplies I would need.

Now, picture this... Me, accadent prone and just plain clumsy, opperating power saws to make this frame. Nope, not me. My ever so loving husband and our very own Bob the Builder friend constructed the frame according to my instructions. Now, that's delegation. My talents rest in the conceptual zone, not the power saws.

I have never painted backwards like this. When I say backwards, I mean, Painting the canvas before it was stretched. Stretching partially painted canvas (in this case a sheet) can be a bit of a challenge.

About a million staples and a blister later I have a 6ft x 8ft painting in progress.
The painting has taken on a different life now that it is stretched. I see more things popping out and more possibilites for better design. This is a fun one.

Parts and Pieces

There are many different parts to this painting. Her 3 figures are begining to emerge. A strong woman reaching out, A timid woman stretching and a woman in surender.






From the bottom come the hands. Various hands in different grasping states will continue to grow from the base of this composition.

Slow Process

Figures have to evolve from the background. I have the unique oppertunity to help them emerge. To break free from the background. As each figure comes into focus I am left to wonder what is it that is coming into sight? Who are these people and what is their purpose. What kind of energy is waking up here? It make me want to continue to paint. Even when it's 2 am and I know I must sleep if I am going to be worth a damn tomorrow. When I can't paint, pastels so as not to forget the position and color when I can get back to paint. Then again....that figure may not get painted. That figure may always remain in sketch. Often, it is what I see in the negative space that allows for something to emerge. By working from the outside in, in some areas, one is not forced to "draw the form with line". Rather one gets to mold the figure into exhistance.

Life molds us into exhistance. From the outside in, we are shaped and colored. So which is more influential.... nature or nurture?

The process of creating a complete artwork is, for me, rather long. Anything rushed usually is unsatisfactory, and therefore a waste of time. I do not have time to waste. I have way to many paths to explore.

In creating this series of paintings, I am focusing on the process of creating rather than what is the purpose of the final product and will it bring money in. If I can complete this all to my own high standards, then I will think about what to do with it. Now is not the time. Now, I must sleep.

The Process of Painting

Another day, another figue becomes more alive. What started out as just a need to put color on canvas; to just emerse myself in the process, has evolved into a massive, multi layered artwork. It is still evolving. Each time I begin to paint I discover something new to focus on. Who knows when I'll be done. It's about the process. Eventually I till actually stretch the piece onto a permanent frame.

Images Emerge

What was once a bed sheet, is now turning into a painting. I first stretched the sheet and randomly applied diluted bleach. After allowing the bleach time to works it's magic, I cut the out a section that had interesting bleach designs. From there I streatched on a canvas strips and began to allow the images to emerge.

The Process

Knowing that I wanted to create more than one painting

I started with the colored sheet. I then attacked the sheet with a brush and diluted bleack. With nothing particular in mind I used full body movements to splatter and brush the diluted bleach onto the sheet. I only

allowed myself the length of one Mozart movement to apply the bleach. While I could not see

the emediate effects of the bleach, it was the act of appling it that was liberating. I know it would be some time befor the effects of the bleach would show. With that in mind, I continued to the next paiting process.... the warm up for the big painting.

Painting Materials

When I stopped painting to take a look at what I was actually creating I stepped back and looked and everthing around me. One of the best things about summer is the ability to get outside to paint. On the ground I set my pallet and brushes down and grabbed my camera. It seemed that teh painting was not the only artwork I was creating that day.

getting started

In the begining there was a sheet and an energy that had to be expressed. A bed sheet that had no bed and a cabinent full of paint that had been neglected for way to long. No preconcieved idea. NO preliminary drawing. NO plan. Just a feeling. The need for movement in my search for silence. AS the day progressed more color was added and images began to emerge from the mass of color. My 4 year old daughter came out to "help" me and began a painting of her own.