Love, Hope, Faith

Love, Hope Faith, Mixed Media on Watercolor paper, 7.5"x7.5", $250

Love, Hope, Faith

This is a painting I did last year. I wasn't painting much, but I did go to a workshop and this piece came from that. The title comes from the words I wrote on the painting - you can just see them along the bottom edge. This was actually part of a much bigger painting (an exercise in using reds) that really didn't work as a whole but provided me with this painting and several good "starts" for later work. I have been reluctant to use a lot of red in a painting - whenever I start in that direction, I hear "If you can't make it good, make it big; if you can't make it big, make it red." in my head. This painting was an effort to get past that mental roadblock.

As we continue to avoid congregating in groups and traveling about, I am exploring concepts, symbols, and personal expression as I seek to grow artistically. I am working to integrate abstraction and representational elements, as a way to make emotional connections with my art.

Note: This painting is currently for sale at ArtHound in Essex Jct., VT. Contact John Churchman at john@arthoundgalleryvt.com to purchase or to inquire about my other paintings.

Symbols of Love and Loss

Love and Loss, Charcoal on Paper, 24"x18"

Symbols of Love and Loss

With all of the emotional and societal chaos around us, it can be hard to find a mentally quiet space to think. I have been making an effort to do just that in my studio, using this time to explore concepts and feelings and how to portray them in my art.

In this drawing, I explore the intersection of love and loss, something that all of us are confronted with sooner or later. Clearly the symbol of love is the rose. Even though it is a cliche, the rose really speaks to me - I love the shapes, the velvet petals, the heavenly scent. My father used to raise roses in his garden outside of Atlanta when I was a child. Mom always stopped to smell rose blossoms wherever she found them. And, in spite of the harsh Vermont winters, I have somehow managed to keep a collection of roses growing in my gardens over the years.

As for loss, many of you will recognize the black border as a symbol of loss. Growing up, the child of immigrants, I can remember my parents receiving thick envelopes with the tell-tale black or gray border (or in later years, sometimes a lilac one) sent via ship mail from the old country. Each envelope contained the news of someone's death - an uncle or aunt, a parent, an old friend. The thickness of the letter foretold family news, a story of someone's passing. And the letter came by ship to purposely delay its arrival until after the funeral - no one wanted my parents to feel obliged to use meager savings to go to a funeral.

I hope all of you are safe and healthy as we navigate the upheavals associated with of this pandemic.

Fruit on a Shelf

Fruit on a Shelf, Charcoal on Paper, 24"x18"

Fruit on a Shelf

In this drawing, I wanted to play with the idea of different planes. Each plane has fruit sitting on it. The trick here was to create movement, a visual path, and interesting shapes and values. I was working from memory with regard to the various fruits, so not all of them sit on their shelf as they should or adhere to the rules of perspective. But that's what sketching is all about - exploring ideas and figuring out how to make them work. I actually like this - the repeated criss-cross areas connect the various planes while the assortment of fruits make for interesting shapes. I could make a bunch of different paintings using this underlying concept while varying the colors, sizes and varieties of fruit as well as changing up the division of space. Lots of potential!

Most of these drawings take about an hour to do. I try to work relatively quickly to nail down the concept without over-thinking it. I can always come back to an idea and refine it.

Radishes and Scallions - Spring is Coming

Radishes and Scallions, Charcoal on Paper, 24"x18"

Ready For Spring

Winter is long here in Vermont. The snow was finally gone on Sunday, but we got a new dump Monday night. I am ready for Spring. This is a drawing of radishes and green tail onions (scallions), two of the earliest vegies in the garden. I had hoped to plant the first seeds this week but I will now have to wait for the snow to go - maybe next week. As with the other drawings I have been posting, most of this is from memory. I am working with an idea, some simple shapes, and values.

As an aside, I picked my first daffodils a few days ago - that is really early here. Also, The buds on the maple trees are also starting to open. If you look really closely at a maple when it blooms, you will discover that those little bumps are actually red, green and yellow bells and are interesting and really attractive. And, the pussy willows are finally showing their silver-white fuzzy blooms. So Spring is definitely on the way and none too soon.

I hope you are all able to stay safe and healthy, and also get a little space and time to create and to experience Spring unfold.

Travel and Interconnectedness

International Travel, Charcoal on Paper, 24"x18"

Traveling the World

I have begun sorting my parents' things, especially photos and documents. One of the things I found last week was a pile of passports - 65 years worth for each parent. Most of them had international stamps from border crossings made visiting family or moving or just vacationing. The earliest passports were from their country of birth. Later, after becoming U.S. citizens, they got American passports. Through all of those years, there were dozens of countries visited.

This drawing was based on the idea of travel and international connections. I used the booklets and the variety of Customs stamps to create a visual collage. 

Seeds and the Cycle of Life

Seeds, Charcoal on Paper, 24"x18"

Seeds and the Cycle of Life

I have long been fascinated by seeds and seed pods. I love the shapes of the pods and the fact that they remain after the flowers have died and the leaves have fallen. I have a large vase in my studio that contains stems of seed pods from my gardens and walks along the road and through the woods. There are milkweed, tulip, poppy, day lily, and Siberian iris pods as well as lotus (obviously purchased), and road-side weeds. I composed this drawing on the fly, adding shapes as the spirit moved me. This is another really busy, active composition that I hope will offer a basis for up-coming paintings.

In addition to the basic beauty of seeds and seed pods, I am interested in their symbolism in the cycle of life. They appear as the flower dies, but contain the source of new life in their seeds. So they bridge the old generation and the new. The pods are frequently resilient, weathering storms and pests to protect the seeds until they are ready to emerge and begin a new cycle.

Art in the Time of Coronavirus

Time, Charcoal on Paper, 24"x18"

Art in the Time of Coronavirus

Like many of you, we have been encouraged to stay home. So I am using some of that time to focus on my art, spending valuable time in the studio. Since there is no commercial pressure right now, I am taking this time to think about themes, personal symbols, new techniques, etc. Since I am also coming off two years of personal (family) up-heaval, this seems an especially apt time to think about my artistic direction and personal expression.

Since my art has been on hiatus for a while, I thought I would start with loose charcoal sketches to create visual interpretations of broad concepts. This piece is about time. I like clocks and watches, as well as the time elements associated with the sun, moon and stars (our celestial time keepers.) Losing my parents has forced me to acknowledge the passage of time and my elevation to the elder generation.

My goal is to use this drawing (as well as others to come) as a jumping off point for some similarly-themed paintings. I have a rough value sketch here, as well as some ideas for division of space.  I plan to use the techniques I have learned in various workshops over the last five years, including abstraction and mixed media techniques to create my own unique take on a variety of topics.

When Is It Finished?

WIP - Untitled, Acrylic on Canvas, 10"x8"

When Is It Finished?

I started this painting using my usual self-developed, non-approved method. When I got to this point in the process, I was taken with the feeling I get from it. So I stopped. It's probably finished. Unless it isn't, but I don't know that yet. Does this ever happen to you?

Open Studio - Today! 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Today is the second day of Open Studio Weekend here in Vermont. If you are in the area, please stop by! I am set up at Theresa Somerset's Precision Studio in Essex Junction. Come and see what we have been working on - Theresa has loads of exotic eggs decorated in the most amazing ways; I have lots of new paintings created using a variety of fun techniques and materials.

Portrait of Mom

Mom, Acrylic on Canvas, 10"x8"

Loose and Vibrant!

I have a natural tendency to go tight when I paint. So when I decided to experiment with portraits, I put in a lot of time figuring out how to do it in a painterly fashion (don't you just love that expression?). To that end, I violate pretty much every rule of portrait painting there is, but it works for me. This painting is from an old photo of my Mom.

Open Studio Weekend - May 25 and 26, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Today's the day! Today and tomorrow, I will be at Theresa Somerset's studio in Essex Junction. I have lots of paintings and some works in progress on display so you can see what I have been up to. Theresa has all of her egg art (Pysanky) on display. If you have some time and are in the area, please stop by - we would love to see you!

P.S. We will also have lots of work for sale! Theresa accepts cash, checks and credit; I accept cash and checks.

Chain Link Fence

Chain Link Fence, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 7"x5"

Little Abstractions

I love making little abstract pieces. It's amazing how much can fit on a 5"x7" piece of paper. This one reminded me of an urban environment (for a country girl, an awful lot of my abstracts take on a city vibe.) The great thing about little pieces is that you can try something new without the commitment of time and money (materials) that a large piece requires. Thus, if it doesn't work out, you can just go on to the next one and try again. It's a great way to stretch.

Open Studio Weekend - May 25 and 26, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Tomorrow is the day! Please join me and Theresa Somerset at her studio in Essex Junction, VT.  We will have loads of new work to show you.  Theresa has been working on some amazing techniques and has the eggs to prove it. I have been working on new painting techniques and subject matter, including abstraction, portraiture, and still life.

Mischievous

Mischievous, Acrylic on Mat Board, 10"x7"

Portraits!

I have been exploring the joys of portraiture for the last couple of years. I am especially interested in integrating looseness and abstraction into my portraits as a way to express the individuality and the personality of the person. This painting is of one of my long-departed aunts. She had a great sense of humor and could be counted on to do something completely unconventional and fun whenever she had a chance.

Open Studio Weekend - May 25 and 25, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

If you are in our area this weekend, please stop by! I will be the guest artist at Theresa Somerset's Precision Studio (www.precisionartstudio.com) in Essex Junction, VT. 

Green Pear

Green Pear, Acrylic on Gessoboard, 6"x6"

Disappearing Images

One of things I like to experiment with is the boundary at which one does or does not have enough information to figure out what one is looking at. In this painting, the shadowed side of the pear disappears into the background while the lit side gives us the information that tells us what is going on. Because this pear does not have as many of the curves that a Bartlett pear would have, I needed a stem to provide the extra clue. It was a small thing, but in this case, necessary.

Open Studio Weekend - May 25 and 26, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Stop in to see Theresa Somerset and I at her Precision Studio in Essex Junction, VT this weekend. Theresa will have all her eggs on display while I will be showing my recent paintings. Both of us will have work for sale - she accepts cash, checks, and credit; I accept just cash and checks. 

North Carolina Woman

North Carolina Woman, Acrylic and Collage on Watercolor Paper, 9"x10"

Collage and Portraiture

I created this painting in a class with Jean Pederson a year ago. I started with a collage, then added paint to create the portrait. As part of the class, we made the collage papers that we used in the paintings, made collages to paint onto, did life-drawing for the subject, and then combined all of those steps into a portrait.

Open Studio Weekend - May 25 and 26, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

I will be a guest artist at Theresa Somerset's Precision Studio in Essex Junction, VT this weekend. If you are in the area, please stop by. We will each have lots of work out for everyone to enjoy. Theresa will be showing and explaining her wonderful egg art (Pysanky) and I will be there with lots of paintings and examples of the areas I am currently exploring .

Three Oranges

Three Oranges, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 10" x 9"

Working with Painting Knives

I did this painting a while ago but it is still one of my favorites. It was painted entirely with painting knives. It took me a while to get the hang of painting this way, but I discovered that I really like to do so. Plus I really like the look of the texture and the thick, rich colors. 

Open Studio Weekend - May 25 and 26, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Just a reminder - I will be a guest at Theresa Somerset's Precision Studio in Essex Junction, VT this weekend. Check out her website www.precisionartstudio.com. She will be showing her gorgeous egg art and the myriad techniques she used to create them.

I will be showing my abstracts, portraits, and knife paintings along with some of the techniques and subject areas I am currently exploring. Many of my paintings will be for sale - I will be accepting cash and checks.

Golden Textures

Golden Textures, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 22"x22"

More Wild and Crazy Textures

This is another painting created during Joan Fullerton's workshop. Using the same palette as the last piece, I added paste and stamping to create some raised areas that were then painted to create additional texture.  In this painting you can clearly see the variety of mark making that we engaged in - we used hard brayers, pencils, oil pastels, plastic cards, stencils, the cut off ends of paper towels rolls, and sticks from outdoors.

During the class, it was interesting to see how each of us divided our spaces, something that seemed to be instinctual for most of us and that differed by personality. My paintings all developed some kind of rectangular grid system; each painting was divided into boxes of various sizes. Other artists in the class had more organic, rounded areas, or didn't divide up their space at all.

Open Studio Weekend - May 25 and 26

Join me at Theresa Somerset's Precision Studio in Essex Junction, VT for Open Studio Weekend. I will have all of my latest work, including some works from my latest workshops. Plus, you get to see all of Theresa's gorgeous egg art - truly amazing! You can check out some of her work on her website: www.precisionartstudio.com.

Teal and Gold

Teal and Gold, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 22"x22"

Wild and Crazy Textures

This painting was done in Joan Fullerton's class in April. It is fairly large (22"x22") and uses a whole bunch of Joan's paint application techniques, many of which have wonderful names like the "Dangling Sleeve". (The dangling sleeve is a method that imitates the effects of inadvertently dragging your sleeve through an area of wet paint without the inconvenience of ruining your shirt.)

One of the ways she helped us get wonderful, all-over patterns and interest, was to turn the paper 90 degrees after each individual step. In that way, you would see the painting differently with each step, perhaps freeing you up to try something in an area that might otherwise get neglected. In this painting, I used only two colors plus black and white which helped keep everything unified.

Oom Daan

Oom Daan, Acrylic and Collage on Watercolor Paper, 10" x 9"

Collage and Portraiture

I started this painting while in a workshop with Jean Pederson last year. I started with a collage. Then I painted the portrait into the collage, using whatever elements worked and painting out the ones that did not. I then added more collage elements followed by still more paint. This painting still needs a little bit of work, mostly around the mouth and chin. In this painting, the collage papers are handmade - I used acid-free sketchbook paper and acrylic paint.

Open Studio Weekend - May 25 and 26

Open Studio Weekend is coming up fast! I will be a guest at Theresa Somerset's Precision Studio in Essex Junction, VT. Come see her gorgeous egg art and check out my latest artistic explorations while you are there.

Emerging

Emerging (Work in progress), Acrylic and Collage on Watercolor Paper, 22"x15"

Portraits and Abstracts - Oh My!

This is a sneak peek of a direction I want to explore further. I made this painting during my Joan Fullerton Workshop last month and I am really excited about it. It is not ready for prime time - I have some work to do around the mouth and lower face - but overall, I love the interplay of abstract elements with the features of the woman. I used a bunch of different techniques to get the colors and patterns. Loads of fun!

Open Studio Weekend - May 25 and 26

I will be bringing my new explorations to Open Studio Weekend. It is a great opportunity to see work in progress and share new directions and inspirations. If you have a chance to stop by, please do! I will be set up at Theresa Somerset's studio in Essex Junction, VT. You will get to see Theresa's gorgeous egg art as well. Check out her website, too - www.precisionartstudio.com.

Interplay of Red and Gold

Interplay of Red and Gold, Acrylic and Collage on Watercolor Paper, 8"x8"

More Playing with Materials

This is the third in a trio of small paintings that I made at the Joan Fullerton workshop in April. In this painting, I used much thicker passages of the dominant colors against the warm background wash. Most of the color and textural elements from the other two paintings make an appearance here as well.

Open Studio Weekend - May 25 and 26

Just a quick reminder that Open Studio Weekend is on Saturday and Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend. I will be a guest at Theresa Somerset's studio in Essex Junction, VT. If you are in town that weekend, I encourage you to stop by and see what we have been working on.

Window Screen

Window Screen, Acrylic and Collage on Watercolor Paper, 8"x8"

Playing with Materials

This painting is the second of three small abstracts that were painted at the same time using a common palette and materials. In this group of paintings, the dominant color is an Indian Yellow. I used Alizarin Crimson, White, Black, and Cadmium Red for the rest of the work. Then I added a turquoise oil pastel, a bit of Iridescent Copper and some collage elements for added punch.

Some of the techniques I used here are stamping, graded washes, collage, scribbling, and the "dangling sleeve."