Art Show Openings are Fun!

Last Friday night BayArts in Bay Village, Ohio hosted the opening to their Faculty Exhibit.  My sister and daughters (shown here) along with other friends came to see the show.  The exhibit featured works in a variety of media from faculty who've taught there over the years.  Although I haven't taught a class yet, I will be this summer; it was great to be included with this wonderful bunch of artists.  We had a great time!

Continuing the story of the commission painting, the buyer wasn't interested in the painting for all the reasons that I knew in the back of my mind.  She felt that something was lost in the transtlation from small to large.  She loves my work, but this wasn't it for her. 
About halfway through painting it, I had considered starting over.  But I pushed through, kinda started getting "it", but never to my satisfaction.  When I brought it to the gallery and I was looking at it, I could see plain as day that I wasn't happy with it.  For the sake of integrity, I'm glad it went this way.  I love the diptych, which I'll try to sell.  The other.....GESSO and a new life!

A Few Pics from the Land of Ice and Snow

The snow has been spectacular in its volume and beauty.

Exquisite!!!

Sandhill Cranes

 Last night I dreamed of five Sandhill Cranes ascending from a field as I drove by with my family. The kids were little.

When I woke from the dream, I was reminded of the first time I saw Sandhill Cranes while birdwatching near Lake Erie in 1998.  Two cranes were riding the thermals and wheeling in circles with several Turkey Vultures.  In 1998, my children were small and the time I had for art was piecemeal.  Collaging and monoprinting were my media of choice at the time.  Collaging more so due to the ease with which I could start and stop working on a piece. 

 The collage featured above was inspired by my first Sandhill Crane sighting.  It is titled Grus Canadensis Dance.  (grus canadensis is the latin name for sandhill cranes)  Cranes have a courtship ritual which involves an elaborate dance which includes head bobbing, bowing and leaping. I'd love to see that!

Woo Hoo! The commission is done!

Commission Painting

42 x 36

                                                        Diptych version of Commission Piece

                                                                             42 x 36

Finally!  The top painting is the commission painting I've been wrestling with for the last few months.  I'm fairly satisfied.  I'll send the image to the gallery owner, she can show it to the buyer.  After that, who knows, either she likes it or not. The background trees are more purple than blue.  I made some value adjustments in the sky and in the background trees.

I love the diptych, which I'll send along with the other.  Again the blues are more purple.  The center horizontal line is a vivid pinkish orange--melon.  It is bolder line than the photo depicts.

On a weather note, it has been snowing all day and night.  Snowing to beat the band!  I measured at 11:00  and there were 13 inches on the ground.  5 hours later, I'm guessing 18 inches or so. 

Audubon Christmas Bird Count

8 am

 coffee

an angel

winged greeting

lone trees windblown drifted

amish country barns shocks of hay

some birds seen

Bald Eagle

Pileated Woodpecker

Belted Kingfisher

Red Tailed Hawk

Red Shouldered Hawk

Bluebirds

24 species total

Lots of laughs, oatmeal cookies, muffins, slippery roads, pork roast dinner when I got home!

Dream Chapel

Last week I dreamed of the shape of a church or a chapel against a dark sky with a  light glowing foreground.  The chapel shape literally seemed to glow and shimmer against the sky. 

I like to think of this shape as a Sanctuary.  Which according to Dictionary.com is among many definitions; a sacred or holy place, a place of refuge, asylum.

I'm reading Sue Monk Kidd's new book, Traveling with Pomegranates.  Sue Monk Kidd is one of my favorite writers and I'm so happy to be immersed in her new book which is co-written with her daughter Ann Kidd Taylor. What I like about her writing/thinking is through her various quests to gain understanding about areas like the Feminine Divine or The Black Madonna is the honor she gives symbols in her life.  Whether they be from dreams or  'chance' encounters.

I've been thinking about the chapel image from my dream.  The word Sanctuary is meaningful.  What shall I place in  this holy, sacred Sanctuary?    Why have a Sanctuary?

To have a place of refuge, not a place to hide, but a place of serenity.  A place to lay out ideas, joys, sorrows, dreams, laughter, troubles.

Happy New Year!

Painting from a Dream

About a week ago, I dreamed of a landscape somewhat like this.  It had a mauve sky, and a dark green treeline.  I don't recall the foreground so I improvised.

(In real life this painting's sky is more of a mauve, the camera doesn't relay the color accurately.)

oil on panel 8 x 16