Toning Wallis Paper

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! I hope you all had a fun and safe celebration to usher in 2012!!

“Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”

            -Unknown

I just posted another video on Youtube that is a demo of toning Wallis sanded paper. Hope you find it helpful!!

I've Just Decided to Be Happy

My friend Wendy, who helps me with my workshops and I were together on a trip earlier this year and a memorable chat we had comes to mind frequently. She told me about a niece of hers that said  after hearing a lot of folks complain, she'd decided, "JUST DECIDED TO BE HAPPY". I think Wendy said her niece was around eight or nine years old when she told Wendy this. "Out of the mouths of babes"!!!

I'm loving this time I have in the studio, but I've got this sneaking feeling... In seven weeks, I'll be heading out to Florida for three shows and a workshop.  Moving more and more to my consciousness are the details of the trip; inventory, framing, packing and organizing for the workshop I'll be teaching. I'll need to organize materials, plan for being productive while I'm on the road and plan for staying healthy and fit. It could be a grueling trip or it could be great fun with stops in Miami, Tampa, Stuart, New Orleans then West to Scottsdale, AZ. I'm tired just thinking about the travel, setting up the booth, and hauling all the art!

This has been pushed to the back of my mind until now when it's begun to creep in. I've allowed myself a blissful time to focus deeply on the new work. I'm grateful for the studio time. I could be grouchy that now I have to focus on the more mundane tasks ahead of me. I could start taking my frustration out on my family, friends and random, people unlucky enough to cross my cranky path.

Cases of art in the house

But today, in the building mental chaos, emerged this other thought; JUST DECIDE TO BE HAPPY!! What is the alternative, BTW?? Not very pleasant. So if you've got a lot, maybe too much on your plate, join me and think about Wendy's niece!!!

Our Sprinter in Florida last year!

What to focus on!!

Pulling It In Close

The Road to Mastery

Unconscious incompetence

Conscious incompetence

Conscious competence

Unconscious competence

-anonymous

Right now I have several bodies of work in progress as you probably know if you've been following my blog for a bit. I want to pursue them, but only have so much time in a day, yes?? I'm determined and a bit sleep deprived as even when I'm not in the studio, my head is. Even when I'm supposed to be sleeping, it's a twilight sleep that allows for the images to encroach.

I'm extremely grateful for this state. I've never been so excited about my work as I am now and never felt quite as capable to pursue my bigger ideas. Now, not only do I feel capable, but I feel ready and determined. I'm not going to settle. I'm doing what I need to do to make the work. That means giving up some sleep, it means not being stopped by what I don't have or getting exactly what I need in some cases. Going the extra mile or miles. There are things in my life that I'm not willing to sacrifice, especially this time of year, so the choice is less sleep for now.

All this kind of reminds me of a silly realization I'd had in the studio a few years ago; I have my pastels on a large tray that sits atop a 2'x4' table. I had this table pushed up against one wall of the studio for years thus requiring me to take about two steps to reach from the palette to my easel. One day, for no particular reason, I walked into my studio and pulled the table right up next to the easel, so I didn't have to take those steps!! DUH!!!! Well right now, I'm pulling EVERYTHING in close and getting to the work.

I've been greatly influenced by my husbands work and have begun to collaborate with him on many pieces. His work is abstract and has multiple layers of acrylic, drawing and collage elements. I've studied his work and use of tools/ techniques and begun to apply these lessons to figurative works. I love the line that he uses and the depth that he's able to achieve in the layering. Stayed tuned for some of our collaborations!

"Right Back Where" Mike Baggetta

"Let Me Try Again" Mike Baggetta

"Stuck in the Middle" Mike Baggetta

What's in a Name??

Today I got a package in the mail. Surprise, surprise, right? It's the holiday's so maybe not sooo surprising. Well this was a kinda special package since it came from Terry Ludwig. Tucked snugly inside was my special order, but it also had my personalized selection of sticks which I choose when I was there teaching in April in Littleton Colorado.

When I choose the sticks, I wanted the set to be special. Terry has had many notable artists/instructors put together sets for him. Wonderful, yummy sets; Maggie Prices' set of greys for example. Why do people need a Marla Baggetta set? Well, sometimes people don't treat themselves right, and get miserly with themselves. We don't allow ourselves what we want, we justify only what we think we need or should have. This set is ALL about what you want! It's the darkest dark and the loviest lavender, it's about the bright lipstick red and the senuous madder. It's about some colors I shouldn't buy 'cause I might not use them, but I love them and want them!

So I have a few names for this set in mind and thought I'd put it out to my loyal followers and facebook friends what you thought. Let me know what you think!

My three ideas are:

Marla Baggetta's Guilty Pleasures Set

Marla Baggetta's Treat Yourself Set

Marla Baggetta's Special Treats Set

To order my set...soon to be named, go to www.terryludwig.com

Embracing Duality

Making art is an exercise in embracing duality; simlicity/ complexity... process/product...., personal/commercial...., yin/ yang...., nuance/boldness...., silence/speaking out. How to embrace and marry ideas that are so profoundly different? Looking at our art work as we might life...there is no light without darkness. One of the most fundamental principles of painting is simultaneous contrast; the idea that everything is relative fits with this thinking. Something is only light in value relative to what is resides next to. Something is only saturated next to something that is dull.

The process of making art might be a practice akin to yoga, in that it needs to be cultivated and exercised on a regular routine. For myself, I need to be able to get deep into my work even if I have only 20 minutes in which to work. At the same time, I need to be ok with the thought that I may need to procrastinate and percolate ideas. That I might need that day to go on a hike, or go shopping or clean house. I'm a huge advocate of mileage. Make art. Do it with whatever you have on hand. Do it as much as humanly possible and with passion but sometimes that just doesn't work. It just doesn't reside in you that particular day or time.

Being a working artist means that you are embracing the idea that you are making art then you are going to sell it as a product. These thoughts are not always in concert with one another. First of all, if you start with the idea that you are producing a product, is it art? Maybe. Maybe not. For me, the process guides the way to the end result, which is sometimes a piece worthy to bring to the public in some form or another with the thought that I will sell it. I try to approach my time in the studio as an exploration, rather than production with the idea that something may percolate to the top but maybe not. I try to be o.k. with that. Uncertainty is certain. Change is certain.

As a working artist I'm embracing technology and traditional art making tools and materials. High tech, low tech. Being able to bounce between these worlds and enjoy both is essential for my day to day routine. Approaching the unfamiliar with curiosity and a little bravery is part of this for me and not letting the little doubts about my skills or knowledge stop me from trying something, be that a new social networking thing like twitter or a less familiar tool in painting. Being grateful and curious leads me in the right direction. Not knowing what the end result will be and being o.k. with that. Just like life!

Embracing the idea of making art in the this world, not an idealized one. I can make meaningful art and make cookies. I can do math and do art. I can take on many roles and preserve the integrity of each. Everything is available to me.


Happy Painting!!!

Something Awful Happened!!

Something really awful happened at my house today!! I cleaned it!! Yikes. Whatever happened to me?? What crazy, insane, nuts thing came over me?? Instead of using my time to paint, I felt compelled to clean. Now there are plenty of times when I clean, knowing full well that this is a procrastination technique that is just another funny but sometimes necessary part of the creative process. I can live with that one. But today was shear compulsion and getting sucked into the holiday frenzy. Something I've been blissfully unaware of until TODAY!! I'm having company this weekend. BTW, this company could care less about my floors being clean, the piano being dusted or the rugs being vacuumed.They would much rather see my newest work.


I have lots of paintings waiting for me and I'm excited about finishing them. I have a sneaking suspicion that these paintings are more important than a clean kitchen floor. They are calling to me...The floor not so much!! All the fun holiday festivities can proceed with a dirty floor and a layer of dust. We will enjoy them just as much and the paintings can be finished. So please stop me before I clean anything else!!!

Still awaiting finish!!

Being Kind to Yourself

We beat ourselves up most of the time. If only we viewed ourselves like we view our own friends, we'd be better off. Quieting our voice of judgment and giving ourselves credit for what is working in our work and building on that. We are quick to find what is "wrong" and then discount the whole. We are fast at niggling away at those areas in our work and in life that aren't perfect. Well, perfection is a state of balance that to me, simply does not exist... Be nice to yourself, be slow to find error and quick to find the good. Be as patient with yourself as you would be to a good friend. You are your own best friend. Then, remember to paint, paint some more and then after that, paint!!!

I love you!!

What Andrew Taught Me

I never met Andrew Loomis. Never talked to him either, but he was one of the most influential men in my life. He wrote the book Creative Illustration. His book was given to me by my art teacher Mrs. Payne, when I was about 10 years old. Stamped inside is my maiden name, documenting just how long I've had it and reminding me of how it came to me. The book is amazing and contains text and pictures that I still refer to. I see dozens of lessons on color theory and composition reproduced by other artists in their own books that are just like those in Loomis' book. It seems like he had a lot of influence on a lot of artists. Just another example of an artist standing behind us as we paint and teach. So lovely.This book is a boundless treasure.

I really use this book. When I was young, I poured over it and used every page, either by drawing or painting copies of the plates. As an art teacher, I use his examples of composition, color and perspective. I used this book like no other in my library, so much so, that I'd worn the binding and the pages were slipping out. My dear mom, the librarian to the core, took it to a lady in Hillsboro, Oregon who repaired it for me. My mom told her that I wasn't as concerned with it's original condition as I was wanting to be able to continue to use the book. She did I wonderful job, so now it's sturdy and I can leaf through it again as I have all these many years.

Thank you Mr. Loomis. Thank you Mrs. Payne.  Thank Mom.

I've seen a 1966 edition of this book on Amazon starting at about $200. Mine is a 1947 edition, but I image that the content is exactly the same. Here's a link to Amazon. I think it's a great investment!
http://www.amazon.com/CREATIVE-ILLUSTRATION-ANDREW-LOOMIS/dp/B000KGD43O/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323191416&sr=1-1

What Am I Not Working On???

Today I'm working with chaos. Asking myself, "What am I not working on right now?". I have several bodies of work under way that have completely different focuses and directions. I want to do it. I have to do it. I really don't have any choice in the matter as I'm driven by the work to the point where sleep is a difficult proposition. I cannot quiet my mind. But.....

YOU CAN'T BE WIMPY OUT THERE!!! So I'm not wimping out today. I want to get what I came into the studio for...no matter what!!! No matter if the microwave broke, the windows are leaking or the son is not studying for finals!! I'm not going to worry about whether my new work will sell or fit with past or future work, or what "people" will say when they see it. I'm just painting. Just painting. And it's quite delicious.

Here's a peek at some, not all the mess currently occupying the studio. You don't get to see all of it!! It's too crazy!

Miles Davis said, "When I write music, I don't ask people to tell me what they want to hear. They don't really know what moves them until it moves them." So I'm trying things unfamiliar and new to me.