Painting and Pastels by Marla Baggetta

Leaving Things Behind

2012-02-15T18:08:00.000-08:00

I'd meant to paint today...but I found myself wandering around my studio, cleaning up and preparing to leave and at the same time, preparing to return. Things are left undone. Things are left alone, incomplete. Never before have I felt such a deep commitment, obligation to my work. I leave, sorry that things are not finished, but excited that they'll be ready, waiting for my return, like sentinels. I locked the doors, shut the blinds, unplugged the heaters and I stood at my doorway and read the quotation that I have hanging on my door:

This is a place

where you can simply experience

and bring forth what you are and what you

might be. this is the place of creative

incubation. At first you might find that

nothing happens there.

But if you have a sacred place and use it,

something eventually will happen....Your

sacred space is where you find yourself again and again.

-Joseph Campbell

I so look forward to returning to mine. It holds me and nurtures me. Is my private space to muse and contemplate, to paint and draw, to dance, to cry or to simply be my most authentic self. I'm so grateful so have the warm loving embrace of such a space. When I return to it, I will let out a deep grateful breath and be home.

I wish for all of you a sacred space, whether you are seeking one, nurturing one, or settling deeply into one....

A Couple Things Before I Hit the Road!

2012-02-09T18:10:00.000-08:00

Just a couple thoughts before I head out on my humungous road trip:

Numero Uno; a couple tips on organizing your pastels (for my workshop peeps);

1.Try to have all the wrappers removed from your pastels. That way you can best take advantage of what each stick has to offer.

2. Next try to have them arranged roughly by hue, value and intensity. I have a section of neutrals. See the attached photo of my travel box. When going about this task, remove all the duplicates or very, very near duplicates to make room for more. I also snap my sticks in half to make more room. Snapping works better than cutting.

3. Clean them up. Hard to make good choices when you can't see what color the sticks are! I use a tupperware container filled with cornmeal to clean the really dirty ones. Also a dusting with a feather duster can work, (use a mask and do this outdoors).

Numero dos: I've decided to offer two workshops in the fall.

#1 "Just Nuts and Bolts" a one day materials workshop dealing with the "how to's" of toning paper, making your own ground, organizing your box etc., etc.

#2 "Embracing Your Slippery Stream" a two day exploration of intuitive pastel painting.

Dates TBD, but will be in November/December at my West Linn Studio. I'll make these back to back so you can come to one or both. If you're interested let me know and I'll put you on a list!

Camping on Steroids!

2012-02-05T14:59:00.000-08:00

So, we are headed to three shows in Florida, a 3-day workshop in FL, ending with a show in Scottsdale, AZ. We'll be leaving the household in good, capable hands, but for us this has been a big undertaking. By Tuesday, our full sized Sprinter van will be completely full! Friends often ask if we sleep in the vehicle or camp on our trips. I chuckle, 'cause camping is the very LAST thing I'd want to do at the end of a long day at an art festival. Doing the shows, hauling the gear and the art and setting everything up is like camping, only on steroids without also sleeping in the truck, thank you very much! I look forward to a warm hotel room and nice hot shower. I don't think it's too much of an indulgence!

Packing, packing packing...I need artwork for a total of four shows, with three separate bodies of work; figurative interiors, landscape oils (large canvases), and pastel landscapes. Also, two booth set-ups and all the ancillary equipment that goes with that and gear for one 3-day pastel workshop. Also, we need clothing for different climates across the country for about four weeks; cloths for working, for selling and for playing. Food and supplies. Books to read, computer devices, printer, and all the proper power and connection cords for said electronic devices. Good thing that truck is BIG! And I think I'm now ready!! I don't know how exactly, but I am!! I've just been working away at getting everything prepared and it's all coming together. We'll be posting pictures and stories from our trip. Hope you'll follow us and cheer us on!

The Power of 50

2012-01-30T15:18:00.000-08:00

Ok, today is my 50th birthday! I'm so happy to say that I've never felt more powerful, happy, beautiful, capable, fearless than I do today. I'm exploring new pathways and embracing "finding something before you know what you're looking for" as Jesse Reno as aptly puts it in his book. I'm honoring my intuition and manifesting my most heartfelt desires.

Thank you so much to all my friends, family, followers and acquaintances that have taught me all the lessons that have brought me here today. Most of what I am feeling today is a warm, loving hug from the world and I am most grateful!!

Life has never been better!! My art is changing and I am changing, not growing older, but newer, different. I'm finding deeper purpose and a great, powerful love of the process of making art. As I find myself going deeper, I'm also finding a greater desire to connect with other artists and a greater community of creative/ like minded folks. Finding new avenues for this is ahead of me. Also ahead will be new workshop offerings, some with a focus on creativity, some focusing on some of the mixed media techniques I'm using as well as some of my usual offerings.

Food groups are also on my table this morning; the coffee group, the chocolate group and the wine group!! I have a feeling all these are on the menu tonight!

So, thanks for being part of my celebration today, which honestly is one we should have for ourselves and with those around us that we cherish, every single day.... The dance is forever and YOU are the dance!!

Trees/Skies/Water Workshop

2012-01-25T08:14:00.000-08:00

As usual, I'm blown away by my students work; how hard they worked and how well they incorporated new ideas into their paintings and what great painters they are! It was a great three days! I forewarned that although the subjects were as the workshop was entitled, we would not be painting trees, but rather "treeness", "skyness" and "waterness"! All painting is the same. We're picking the right values, the right colors and putting them in the right spot. That and the infinitely more complex idea of making poetry while doing so!

We got a good start with trees on the first day. We spent much time discussing the approach of planning for the foliage masses and NOT painting the sky in first across the entire background, as this leads to a less than luminous result. We also talked about the character of trees; their gesture, how they are rooted, the density of their foliage, etc. Here's my yet to be completed demo:


Terracotta Colorfix

On the second day we tackled skies. I did two demos. One with a lighter touch on burgundy Colorfix paper. I chose this color with the idea that I could get the paper color to do some of the work for me by serving as a warm undertone to the sky. The other on white Wallis museum with a watercolor under-painting. I chose the paper according to the "feel" I was after. The first was more of a nuanced sky with many cloud layers and types. The clouds have subtle greys, both warm and cool, so the colorfix which lends itself to a lighter touch and seemed fitting. The second was a more bold and dramatic stormy sky which begged for a bolder approach. So this time I selected the Wallis paper, knowing it would grab the pastels, especially some Terry Ludwig darks which I intended to employ. Not wild about the composition of this one, but think I can work it out!

Burgundy Colorfix paper

Museum Wallis with watercolor under-painting

For the final day of the workshop, we were immersed in water. Get it ;-) Keep it simple was the mantra. Think, reflection, movement, transparency, but try to see it simply, then paint it simply. This day's demo, was on Colorfix paper. I used a piece of reference that was taken in the height of summer green in Wisconsin. Too much green, so I warmed it up a bit.

Leaf Green Colorfix

As usual, I emphasize the great value of mileage in becoming a better painter. I talk about how I go about managing to gain lots of mileage despite the speed of everyday life. Sometimes I succeed, others I don't. But persistence is key. Thank you class for your input per new workshop offerings for next year. I'm on it!

Jacob, Lise and Barbara working away

Wendy and Jacob discussing Wendy's piece

Me realizing I'd put those trees smack on the center line! Do as I say, not as I do!

Group photo! BE HAPPY!!

Music to Paint By

2012-01-17T18:45:00.000-08:00

I remember when I had a big pair of headphones connected to my stereo and cd player with a super long cord. Yikes, this dates me! Then came the ipod and it really changed my life. Literally! Music is incredibly important to me and integral to my painting process. I almost never paint without it. For Christmas, my family got me two extra pairs of earbuds for travel and so I wouldn't be hunting all over the studio or my luggage for a pair. Just a sign of how tied I am to my music.

I have an Iphone, an ipod, ipod dock and of course my computer to stream music from. I like my music loud and obnoxious. I listen to hard rock, alternative rock, rap and just plain junk that I wouldn't tell anyone about. Worse, than the worst "guilty pleasures" type music. I'm not quite sure why this works for me rather than lovely blues, jazz or classical. My best guess is that this "bad" stuff just washes over me and infuses me rhythm and a beat that helps me paint with energy and passion. I've had friends and students ask me to share my list, but honestly I'm just too embarrassed to share. So I'm not going to!

I like new or different music to keep me interested, so I'm always on the lookout for new stuff. A few sources I use;

Pandora Radio - you pick a song or group and it chooses related music for you. A great way to hear different stuff

ITunes - the Genius mixed are fun and itunes will also makes suggestions for you. Dangerous!

Spotify - Facebook app that is fun, but I don't like that it posts what you are currently listening to. I don't really want you to know what junk I have on!

Youtube Playlists - this is another great way to listen to music that other folks have complied. It's amazing that people have the time to do this!

Friends - I'm always asking people what they are listening to. I'd love to hear about what you're listening to, other sources you use and why you like it or like me, it just works for you to paint by.

Many Tasks

2012-01-13T16:59:00.000-08:00

More framing, a little painting, time on the computer, time on the phone made for a day with nothing too juicy going on, but it felt good to wrap up some of the small tasks I had on my plate. So while it wasn't like eating a delicious feast, I did feel nourished and a sense of accomplishment!!

I love it when I have days to dig deep into a body of work, but the truth is that many of my days require me to wear lots of hats and be able to take them on and off seamlessly. I've learned to stop and start, to have mental agility in the way I approach a day. Along with mastering the disinclination to work, there is the interruption of work and menial work that somebody has to do.

Framing is not so menial in that it requires attention to detail, patience and caution. And the right tools!! Gotta have the proper tools. The computer work takes a lot of patience too, since sometimes I'm just slogging through it, not really sure of myself, but trying this and that.

Tomorrow is set aside for Nia and painting and maybe some football.

New Pastels and Potato Leek Soup!

2012-01-12T16:25:00.000-08:00

Here are a few new figurative pastels. Each of these was done on Professional Wallis that I mounted myself onto matte board with Super 77. Works great! They have watercolor under-paintings too.

An in keeping with the cooking theme, here is my recipe for Potato Leek Soup. I adapted this recipe quite a bit from an old cookbook, so I think it's safe to call it my recipe! This might just be the best soup, I've ever made!! It doesn't look like it from my picture!!

4 tablespoons butter
2 large leeks, white part only, cleaned and thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic
3 large russet potatoes, skin on cut into 1 inch cubes
6 to7 cups vegetable broth
1 cup chopped italian parsley
1 teaspon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 1/2 cups roasted bell peppers ( from jar drained)
1 cup half and half
1 cup milk

In a medium saucepan, heat butter and saute leeks for 3 to 4 minutes until soft. Add garlic. Saute for about a minute more. Add potatoes, 4 cups of the broth, parsley, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are soft. Add peppers, half and half, milk and 2 to 3 cups more of the broth.
Cover and simmer another few minutes. Puree two or three cups of the soup and blend with the rest. Season to taste. Good hot or cold. YUMMMM!!!

Sneak Peek of Collaborative Works

2012-01-10T16:25:00.000-08:00

I've been a little stingy in sharing what I've been up to in the studio. So, here's a little iphone video of what's hanging out in my studio this week. Lot's of canvases in progress. They are large mixed media figures that I'm collaborating with my husband on. Not to worry, though, still doing pastels and oils!!

Details, Details - Framing

2012-01-08T20:23:00.000-08:00

Of all the many hats I have to wear, framing is my least favorite. Yuck!! So this year I've made the choice to streamline the process a bit and go with no mattes on my new figurative pastels. This is a huge leap for me, since I'm a devoted fan of mattes. I love the look that a clean white, 8ply matte gives a pastel. So, for many years now I've used, 8ply rag mattes and dark wood frames which have a distressed red edge. Very pricey and lovely. I have used regular glass since the volume of work that I've framed just precluded the expense of museum glass. I had my frames built, mattes cut, spacers applied and hardware attached to the number of pieces and sizes that I needed for all my shows. I did the fitting of the art myself. This allowed me to not only work right up to the show deadlines, but to make some decsions regarding cropping, signature placement etc.. I really like the more contemporary look of this framing style. But, the white mattes are a problem to transport and so were the large frames with large pieces of glass. Then once at the show, I'd be struggling to keep the work safe on site if it needed to be removed from the walls at night. I also had the issue of how to send the work off with a buyer, so I needed to bring plenty of packing material. The other issue I'm avoiding is the piece sweating from exposure to direct sun and dripping on the matte.

Wood frame and 8ply matte

foam core spacer and hinged matte

The solution right now is to use dark plein air style frames in standard sizes. This is a BIG move for me!! I found several sources for these frames. I first ordered sample frames to make sure I was going to get what I expected and that the company could deliver on time and in the quantities that I need. I ended up with Art Ready Frames in Redmond Washington. I bought some 9x12 pieces of museum glass on ebay. A lot cheaper than retail and I bought a 16 piece box of 16x20 from a local framing supplier, Framers Inventory for $335.00. Pricey, but still a bargin. The odd sizes, I'll have to have cut and bite the bullet on. I think I will come out ahead though, since I'm not using mattes and spacers. I end up spending about the same on the new frames but minus the hassle of a white matte and a nice individual shipping box/transport box for each piece. I also think that the new figure work looks appropriate in this style of frame.

Plein air style frame with clear plastic spacer and museum glass

Lastly, I spent some time updating my blog this weekend, with a slightly new look, links on the header to my website, workshops etc. Coming soon will be online registration some of the workshops!! Thanks for reading!!

Feeding, Nourishing, Trusting

2012-01-04T17:12:00.000-08:00

I took the day off from my studio and did some things to feed my soul and to feed my new work. First I danced...always a good way to start off ones day. If you are dancing you cannot perceverate on the details of your day. Your mind has to be in your body, not in twenty other places. Love that!! Then I went to my framer and picked up a personal piece that I intend to keep in my own collection. It looks lovely, btw. Afterwards, I had a quiet and solitary lunch of hardy minestrone soup at a vegan bakery next to my framer. Perfection! After lunch I feed my vision for my new work with a photo outing. I was blown away by some of the stuff I saw and can't wait to see what percolates to the top and gets into my new pieces! So exciting.

All this was feeding, nourishing and trusting. I need to feed my conscious and unconscious ideas of what form my new work will take. I have to nourish myself with what I put in. Not just burn it up. So cracking open, but not cracking up. Then trusting that I will find "it" even though I don't really know what "it" is exactly. Trusting that leaving a void behind me will open a pathway that is rich and fulfilling.

Dancing, Painting, Watching and Asking

2012-01-02T18:31:00.000-08:00

I do a dance practice called NIA which is a mixture of dance, martial arts and yoga. I've been practicing NIA for about five years now and have found fitness, agility, strength and peace of mind through this. This morning I danced and noticed, as I often do, a connection with my dance and my career as an artist.

The studio where I danced this morning has mirrors, as many of the places I dance do. I recognized a reluctance to look at myself in the mirror. I recognized a reluctance to make a gesture of asking for what I want and to look at myself in the mirror while doing so.

You can't get what you want unless you ask for it. You have to be able to look yourself in the eye and know this is what you truly want, before you think of asking it from someone else. You can't get what you want, unless you first ask for it. This doesn't mean that you're being aggressive or greedy or mean. It just means that you are honest and authentic with those you interact with.

So this year, I'm setting those BIG FAT HAIRY GOALS for myself and I'm going to ask for what I want. I'm not going to settle for the lesser goal, or the comfortable or for turning away from the mirror.

Look yourself straight in the eye and ask yourself for what you want. Tonight!

Toning Wallis Paper

2011-12-31T18:10:00.001-08:00

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

2011-12-27T19:54:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-21T23:27:00.000-08:00

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??

2011-12-20T16:54:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-11T17:55:00.001-08:00

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!!

2011-12-09T19:17:00.001-08:00

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

2011-12-08T17:58:00.001-08:00

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

2011-12-06T14:36:00.000-08:00

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???

2011-12-05T14:28:00.001-08:00

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.

Today's Work

2011-11-29T21:21:00.001-08:00

One of my artist friends posted something on Facebook yesterday that reminded me that a day in the studio is like a little dance we have with ourselves. She posted that she spent a good deal of time in the studio walking in circles then making a cup of tea. Sound familiar to anyone??

Mastering the disinclination to work. Then, getting down deep into the work.

It's the time of year that it's cold in the studio. I knew this was coming and prepared myself, both mentally and physically for it. I get cold very easily and have Raynaud's Syndrome, which is a condition when your core temperature drops and the blood moves from your extremities to warm your core. I have to stay warm. This takes more mental energy and causes me to have a bit of hesitation to go into the studio. I have to put a separate heater on in our space. It costs more, so I have this little tug, not to turn it on. Just another thing that adds to the disinclination to work!!

But today I did master the disinclination. I was feeling a little bit under the weather, very cold and not super excited about what I had on the easel. I'm working on several bodies of work for upcoming shows, some of it I'm really into and wish I could stick with a bit longer without switching gears. But... today I decided I'd better get a few things rolling in another direction.

Here's a bit of what I did. This is one of a planned series of 6 to 8 larger pastels, approx. 24 x 30. They are all figures in various interior settings. They are all pretty complex scenes and involve a lot of drawing and planning ahead. I think they will be great when they are done... I just have my mind on some other work, so when I had some good success today, I was happy that I didn't get frustrated and anxious to do other things.

In prgoress

Detail

Closer to finish

Next one up! Watercolor under-painting

The cafe scene is not done. I still have quite a bit of work on it yet. Among other things, the sandwich board needs to be grayer and a lighter. Some areas need more drawing/detail while others need to be simplified, but overall I think it's coming together pretty well and it's interesting working with such complexity, something I haven't done in a while. I think the kitchen will be cool to work on too.

Avoiding A Method

2011-11-25T13:28:00.000-08:00

When I'm teaching, I can only tell students how I go about things and try to convey my thought process while I'm painting. This can be tricky and definitely difficult to do while demonstrating, but with practice, I've gotten better at it.

One of the things that I hear from students is, "I want to try your method" and I'm always taken a bit aback by this, since I really never have thought about the "way I paint" as being a method. In fact, if anything, I'm avoiding working routinely in a particular way and continually trying to mix it up. Otherwise, painting would become boring to me and I think that would definitely be reflected in the work. So instead of a method, I think of it as an exploration; "how can I make this work?", "what if?" What if the paper was red, what if I used charcoal under the pastel, what if I got it wet? I don't really worry about my work having a "style" as I'm pretty certain that everyone has a unique hand and my work will just naturally look like my work.

I also have students ask about why I used a lot of mixed media with pastels, what's the advantage? First and foremost, it keeps a piece from being too precious. I'm not exactly sure what it is about mixing media, but somehow I'm a lot more free and willing to experiment when I'm not going with a traditional or purest approach. Mixing media gives my work more spontaneity than straight pastel, or paint. It lends that "happy" accident component. When I use mixed media, I'm much more apt to have a "it's just a piece of paper" type of attitude towards the work.

Variation done with pastel and an oil wash

When I start, I always start with what is easiest to my eye. In some cases that could be the sky, in some cases it might be a foreground shape. I don't "always" do it a certain way. I don't want to be formulaic in the process or the result. This might be to my detriment in that it makes for a continually moving, shifting of my work. Very often clients and or students will say, "Well, you've changed your palette". And I'm thinking to myself, well YES!! Isn't that what we do??

One way to start/ a grisalle underpaintings done with nupastel on Colorfix paper

Another way to start done with airbrush acrylics on Wallis paper

I totally understand that students want to figure out how to do things and its so much easier to wrap our heads around a set of steps to get to the end result. But the real answer is that there aren't any set steps but rather foundation skills to employ. If you know value, then you can start with your middle values and work out from there or you can start with your darkest darks and lightest lights. If you have a thumbnail sketch, your drawing and composition will be sound. If you know the elements of color, you can orchestrate color to convey mood and passion in your work. This is the stuff we focus on in my workshops along with that playful, curious attitude that leads to poetry in painting. I'm always super open and excited to share by trying to tell just exactly how I go about doing any piece, but I love helping students realize that they already have their own unique voice, it's just a matter of bringing it out, making it louder, so we can hear it.

I'm currently in the process of exploring several new directions and have never found such deep satisfaction in my work or in the act of painting. After so many years it's deeply rooted in me to paint and for the first time, I feel like I'm mining my unconscious and letting intuition take over the work... I'm so invigorated by painting, I can barely sleep at night, the images are so strong. Surprises to share soon!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2011-11-23T07:54:00.001-08:00

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!! Thanks so much for following my blog!!

I'm am so, so, incredibly ,over-the-top, grateful to be an artist!!! I've made a list of what painting means to me with thanks to Thomas Buechner. He has a list in his lovely book How I Paint - Secrets of a Sunday Painter. It's a wonderful book, so check it out.

Here's my latest list of what painting means to me:

Continually challenging my intellect, my body and my spirit
Finding beauty in the ordinary
Finding a peaceful place for my mind
Having a sacred space - my studio
Having a whole bunch of artists, living and dead standing with me at my easel
Waking up with something in mind to do
Going to sleep with something in mind to do tomorrow
Getting to travel and see how beautiful our country is
Sharing with, teaching, learning from other artists
Sharing my studio with my husband, Mike
Giving me a very good reason not to clean house
Loving the art supply store and feeling more at home there than at Nordstrom, (Thank you, God)
Loving the art section of Powell's books
Just Loving

recent life drawing

summer in the studio

Coco Beach, FL

Some supplies

Please share your list!!

Marketing & Social Media for Painters

2011-11-18T18:15:00.001-08:00

I'm trying to get with it in regards to social media marketing and videos. As far as I can tell, the new paradigm in marketing is "Youtube" it, not "Google" it, so with that in mind we're having several videos produced that highlight various aspects of our work and my workshops. The process was difficult to organize at first, as I'm doing such a variety of subjects recently and exploring new directions. So, we decided to do an overall intro video, one that focuses on the workshops and one that highlights the work and my process in more depth.

After we figured this out with a bit of a hiccup; we didn't know what we wanted until we saw what we didn't want, we scripted out more precisely what I wanted to say and set the studio up to really highlight the work and the process. Lisa Baggetta came and helped with camera angle, viewpoint for the interview portion and deciding on what to wear.

Lisa suggested that I talk directly to the camera.. This was a little hard to do even though I'm pretty comfortable public speaking at my workshops, but I think a great call. It was hard to say what I wanted to say, do it with emotion and the authentic feelings I have, and try to look my best doing it!! I had a lot of help from Mike, Jamie, Brett and Lisa to lead me through. I have a new found respect for actors and newscasters.

When we got all the dialog done, I was comfortable and the rest was a snap. Jamie and Brett filmed me painting and working on a pastel. They also got audio on painting, making strokes with the pastels on sanded paper, the easel getting cranked and brushes dropping into the holders.

The final video will incorporate some video clips we took at my recent workshop and stills of artwork.
I think the final results will be great and be a super way to show the work and connect with people. Thanks to Reel Innovative for the great experience!

Drawing Studies

2011-11-16T07:52:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I hired a model to come to the studio to pose for me. This is a wonderful opportunity to get exactly what you want with no compromising on lighting, poses, length of pose. I got what I wanted! It was well worth the investment. We did some unclothed and clothed poses. I like these clothed poses because of the strong shapes. We did these after lunch and I was warmed up and letting it go a bit more than I was in the morning.

All the sketches were done just on bond paper with black and white pastel. I used a little water and a bristol brush to get the washes. I tried not to worry about the proportions too, too much and work on massing the shapes. I was primarily concerned with the gesture. I'm thinking that some of these will get re-worked in the studio.

January 20-22 2012, West Linn, Oregon.
Trees, Skies & Water, Baggetta Studio
Contact: Wendy DeHart at wjdehart@comcast.net
or call 503/550-2499. Full/wait list

May 21-25, 2012, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Bucks County Workshops
Contact: Jackie, 877/855-2276
www.buckscountyartworkshops.com

June 11&12; 2nd session June 13-15, Traverse City, Michigan
Contact: Debra Zamperla at idzamperla@gmail.com

September 17-20, 2012, Fish Creek, Wisconsin. Peninsula School of Art
Contact: Karen at 920/868-3455
www.peninsulaartschool.com

September 24-26, 2nd session September 28-30, Cape Cod, MA
Pastel Painters Society of Cape Cod
Contact: Joan at joan@joandromey.com or 781-844-5157

October 11-14, 2012, Telluride, Colorado.
Pastel en Plein and Studio.
Contact: Wendy DeHart at wjdehart@comcast.net
or call 503/550-2499.

October 19-21 2012, Bend, Oregon.
Loosen Up Pastels, Cascade Fine Art Workshops
Contact: Sue Manely at info@cascadefineartworkshops.com

How to Start

2011-11-15T19:30:00.001-08:00

Wendy and I just wrapped up our November workshop; How to Start/ How to Finish. Although it was a quick two day workshop, I felt as though much was accomplished. Our group was an energetic, skilled bunch of painters that were eager to try out new ideas. Such a joy! We even had two men!! A first for Wendy and I. Both were good sports, putting up with us ladies.

Hard at work!

Putting up with Marla's dj skills!

Blah, blah, blah!!

More, blah, blah, blah!!

Back at work!

I'm looking forward to having some of these kids back for the January workshop! We'll just get going right where we left off...

I'm pursuing the figurative work more deeply... I hired a great model to pose for me in the studio today and spent the whole day drawing. Great to be able to work one on one with a model and get exactly what you're looking for. It was well worth the time and investment... I'll post a few of the drawings tomorrow.

Upcoming workshops:

January 20-22 2012, West Linn, Oregon.
Trees, Skies & Water, Baggetta Studio
Contact: Wendy DeHart at wjdehart@comcast.net
or call 503/550-2499. Full/wait list

May 21-25, 2012, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Bucks County Workshops
Contact: Jackie, 877/855-2276
www.buckscountyartworkshops.com

June 11&12; 2nd session June 13-15, Traverse City, Michigan
Contact: Debra Zamperla at idzamperla@gmail.com

September 17-20, 2012, Fish Creek, Wisconsin. Peninsula School of Art
Contact: Karen at 920/868-3455
www.peninsulaartschool.com

September 24-26, 2nd session September 28-30, Cape Cod, MA
Pastel Painters Society of Cape Cod
Contact: Joan at joan@joandromey.com or 781-844-5157

October 7-13, 2012, Telluride, Colorado.
Pastel en Plein and Studio.
Contact: Wendy DeHart at wjdehart@comcast.net
or call 503/550-2499.

October 19-21 2012, Bend, Oregon.
Loosen Up Pastels

Additional workshops to be announced!

Wine Counrty Demo Slideshow

2011-11-07T17:53:00.000-08:00

Here's a quick slideshow of one of the demos I did while teaching a workshop in Dundee, Oregon last month. We had mixed weather, so we were inside and outside. We were able to get this demo in outdoors. It's on wallis sanded paper with a watercolor under-painting. A sweet little house and pathway with a hint of vineyard! What I loved about this demo was that I did what the teacher said; a thumbnail sketch in the same proportion as the final version!!

Thanks so much to Jude Galbraith for sharing her photos!

30 in 30, Fish Creek, WI

2011-10-30T07:10:00.000-07:00

I finished my 30 objects and shipped them to Fish Creek for the exhibition. I asked friends, family, students and acquaintances from different parts of my life to loan me an object to paint a picture of. The only perimeter I gave was that the object must fit in the palm of my hand. I painted each object on a 9x9 piece of multi-media paper in oil. I wrote about the project because while painting I was curious about our relationship with things. I thought I'd post it just in case you're interested. If not skip it and take a peek at the objects. The paintings are for sale...shameless plug!! They're 300. each unframed.

Why do we have things? Why do we possess things? How do they take on such import in our lives and become treasures to us? Do we actually need these things? We are a culture of things. A culture that runs and thrives on the deep -rooted desire to acquire and possess “things”. Is this a human need or a cultural phenomenon? It seems that much of what is ascue with society stems from the need to possess and buy things that will inevitably end up in the landfills, goodwill stores or garage sales. We buy, buy, buy... hoping to be satisfied or satiated in some way. We are driven to have the latest styles to wear, that new set of dishes or new model of car, the latest gadget. So much so, that many of us go into deep debt to have them immediately. Every minute the seemingly endless stream of media bombards us with the seduction of things. We are surrounded and sometimes overwhelmed by “things”. We accumulate stuff over our lifetimes, then eventually shed and divest ourselves of our belongings

There is a certain greediness to our need for “things. We collect things, as though, collecting will eventually fill a void. When do we have enough of something? When does collecting become hoarding? Where is that line?

Reconciling these notions about possessions with my own art making and selling became part of this project. Simply put, my works are “things” paintings, drawing, which I hope have a value to their owner, buyer, or collector. What is the value of a piece of art? What are you selling when you sell one? Beauty, emotion, enhancing ones home, to give pause and thought, perhaps even challenge ideas. Then again, I know my art is sometimes just filling a space that needs to be filled, like covering a nasty stain on a wall or going over a couch that is a matching color.

And as to the value of a thing or piece of art; how do we place a value on an object, and how do we decide what that value is? There is sentimental value, monetary value that can be simply intrinsic value of the material that a thing is made from or market value; perceived value.

Painting the 30 objects was an exploration of these questions from the variety of perspectives in my life. That of an artist trying to make a living selling art, a mother wanting to hold time for her sons, a women heading towards new adventures away from the “home” I helped build for my family. At a point in my own life that the need and desire to have more things is waning, it seemed important not to simply cast aside everything but take a careful, thoughtful look at why we have what we have and what are our connections to these things are if any. To examine my own desire for some kinds of possessions and willingness to disconnect with others.

I discovered many things about my own notions and biases about ownership and possessions and discovered how very tied we are to the things we have. How they mirror us and tell our stories for us and to us. How they tie us to generations before us and are reminders of people, events not merely objects, but imbued with emotion, time, pride, craftsmanship, beauty, memory...

I painted many objects that on first blush were unfamiliar and foreign to me, not of my own history and place. As I painted and looked carefully, I became somehow intimate with each and they conjured up my own memories. The ballet shoes were a daughters well-loved and worn slippers. Though I’d never danced ballet, I had done a paint-by-number of ballet shoes that hung in my bedroom for many years when I was a little girl. I loved that painting and my room growing up. Somehow I was connected to each of the objects even if in a very temporal sense.

So the question arises; what to keep and what to leave behind both literally and figuratively? Eventually it all will be left behind. For now I’m interested only in keeping what’s truly meaningful and can be appreciated and cherished. Figuratively, I took with me something from each of the objects. I returned them all to their owners, (if you believe that your can really own something). This was a release and relinquishment in some cases.

For myself I try to remember that things are temporal in our lives can be appreciated and cherished, but can be held in memory only, like a superb dinner or a lovely rose. Those things fleeting and elusive may be of the most value. I’ve come to the conclusion that it is my very good fortune to already be in possession of everything I need to live, to make art to be content. We have all we need already, should we care to look around.

Playing With Warm & Cool

2011-10-27T14:08:00.000-07:00

I decided to spend the day in the studio experimenting with limited palettes and warm vs. cool. I took a composition that I've been working with of a diner scene. I completed the "full color" version a week or so ago. I like it, don't love it. I'm not totally happy with the mark making and application of the pastel. I think it's a bit tight. The scene is sort of complex for me and I think I just got too involved in detail. so I wanted to try something different, looser and more interesting.
All three of these have a watercolor under-painting, sketches have a more mono-chromatic under-painting.

Original

cool version

warmer version

I like elements of both the sketches, so I'll pursue them a bit more. I think both are more dynamic and gestural than the original, especially the cool one. I really like the drips are working to "say" the reflections. What was really terrific was that the original took me the better part of two days to complete and the cool sketch about 20 minutes!! Tells you that once you have something a bit figured out you can really play and expand in that space.

It's great to have the luxury of a bit of time to dig into things deeper than just doing a "finish" and being satisfied with it. I'm planning on taking a few more of the compositions I've done recently and "re-doing" them.

* UPCOMING WORKSHOPS *

Oct 7-9, '11, Dundee, OR email - wjdehart@comcast.net- A few spots

Oct 10, '11, Dundee, OR, Critique Day - email - wjdehart@comcast.net

Nov 4-6, '11, Austin, TX – email-art@studiozanne.com

Nov 12-13, '11, West Linn, OR – email-mbaggetta@comcast.net

Jan 20-22, '12, West Linn, OR – email-mbaggetta@comcast.net

May 21-25, '12, Bucks County PA, Bucks County Art Workshops – email www.buckscountyartworkshops.com

June 11-15, Traverse City, MI - email Debra Zamperla at idzamperla@gmail.com

Sept 17-20, ’12, Fish Creek, WI, Peninsula School of Art - email www.peninsulaartschool.com

Sept , 25-28,’12, Cape Cod, MA

Oct 7-13, ’12, Telluride, CO,– email wjdehart@comcast.net

Oct 19-21, ’12 Bend, OR,– Cascade Fine Art Workshops email www.cascadefineartworkshops.com

Cleaning Pastels and Walmart!!!

2011-10-25T20:25:00.000-07:00

My friend and fellow pastelist, Jude Galbraith brought a blue feather duster to the wine country retreat workshop in Dundee, Oregon a couple weeks ago. No, she didn't want to keep the retreat clean for us. It wa s for her pastels! I was surprised and charmed.

It works like a charm to clean off your lightly used pastels. Use it outside with a mask or be real careful of wind direction. It won't clean all the sides, obviously, but if you just got things a little messy, it's perfect. If you really need to thoroughly clean them, I recommend corn meal.

The only bummer thing is that the only place I could find these feather dusters was Walmart and I hate to shop there. Every other place has microfiber dusters. But Walmart had them for 97 cents. I got three. Two for myself, and one for Wendy.

Cheap Materials

2011-10-23T15:49:00.000-07:00

I'm a big advocate of using good quality materials. They simply make your life easier. Nice paper, good pastels, quality paint all make the process go smoother. They are enjoyable to work with. Putting a mark down on Wallis paper with a Unison pastel; simply heaven!

But if spending a boat load of the green on stuff that you're not sure you're going to use on a consistent basis, keeps you procrastinating about DOING the art, then I'm an even bigger advocate of using cheap stuff. And I mean anything you have, be it cardboard and Yarka pastels. To heck with all the business about it being archival and blah, blah, blah....The important thing is to get moving and make some art. Look at the street artists that are making incredible art from nothing but sticks and stones?

We all start somewhere with whatever resources are available to us. When I started doing pastels about 15 years ago, I picked up what I had, which happened to be a set of about twelve Rembrandt pastels and some black Canson paper. Yuck! At the time, I didn't know any different and I thought it was perfectly enough. It was perfectly enough. Ignorance is bliss, I guess. It got me going. The thing is you have to be satisfied that it IS enough and move forward. If you get a niggling feeling and you are in scarcity mode, then that will hold you back too.

I often think that the prevailing views about certain kinds of art can hold us back. The "rules". Rules in my case for pastelists like you have to use archival paper, you should only use pastels that have pure pigment, you can't mix soft pastel with oil pastel, you NEVER blend. Hey, we are artists! We push boundaries and challenge conventions. Yes?? That's how we develop our own voices.

I'm just suggesting that we grab what we have, and see what happens and let go of preconceived notions about what we are "supposed" to do with pastels and with paint. We have everything we need....In art and in life.

Video & Promotion

2011-10-21T20:20:00.000-07:00

Early this week I had some video taping in the studio done by Laurel Tree Productions. Matt was super patient with me as I stumbled through the process. I think we eventually got some good tidbits that I'm sure he'll do a super job of editing.

He taped me answering questions about my inspiration, process, travel and the materials I use. It was really hard... I didn't script anything, just tried to be authentic and honest. I hope my love of painting comes through in the film. If not, we'll have to try again, as this was my main intent.

I think it's really important as an artist to share who you are with your audience. I hoping that You Tube and other social media sites will help me do this more effectively. I'm pretty anxious and excited to see what Matt does with the filming. Here are a couple still shots from his visit. Look for the finished video in upcoming posts.

The Last Night... today's work

2011-10-20T19:05:00.000-07:00

I spent the whole day in the studio. This is simply bliss for me. I can't really think of any other thing I'd rather be doing than painting.... This is acrylic and based on the pastel leaning against the monitor. Love to hear your comments... I'm in new territory here!!

The Figure and Time

2011-10-18T17:26:00.000-07:00

I've been spending some time hanging out at Hipbone Studios in Portland, drawing from the model. It's wonderful to focus so intently on this subject. I'm going back tomorrow for another session and can't wait! I've got my gear all set in my car already! Here are a couple of the drawings.

They're done on Wallis paper with a watercolor under-painting, then pastel and a little pencil line. I'm really experimenting with line and form. The figure is endlessly fascinating and difficult to capture, so I've tried to keep it simple, get the gesture and the solidity of the forms, not worry about likeness or the proportions so much. I think the proportions come with practice. The more I focus on the gesture and the form, the better everything else feels and falls into place. Practice, practice, practice.....

Being a Great Workshop Participant

2011-10-03T07:34:00.000-07:00

I’ve been both a workshop participant and an instructor. Ilove teaching and I’ve loved being a student of another artist. Taking aworkshop is a gift to yourself. Here are a few tips on how to get the most from your workshopexperience, have fun and be an active participant.

Dos and Don’ts

Do come prepared. You’ll have the best chance of takingsomething valuable away from the workshop if you have the opportunity to trymost of the approaches or techniques. You’ll be disappointed if you don’t havethe materials.

Do test-drive any new equipment. You’ll be wasting valuabletime for yourself and maybe the instructor if you are struggling with yourset-up.

Don’t decide that the materials list is just a suggestion -If you have any questions or concerns, give the instructor or school an emailor call. They might have suggestions about substitutions or perhaps you alreadyhave some materials that you’d like to use that are different from those on thelist. Just give a call and find out whether this would be acceptable.

Do be on time – It’s disruptive to the instructor and theother students if you’re trying to get set up when everyone else is ready togo. If you know you’ll be late, call ahead and let the instructor or coordinatorknow.

Do the work - Try the exercises and suggestions that theinstructor makes. You can do your own thing on your own. Do what the teachersays!!

Don’t be that person that comes with all the stuff, butdoesn’t put pastel to paper!

Don’t ask the instructor to use his/her materials. Likelythey’ve traveled far and tried to keep their materials light. They’ll make itclear if they have materials they are providing or that are to share. If youabsolutely must, ask another student if you can share something or purchasematerials if they have extra.

Don’t get frustrated – you are being given new informationthat will take some time to assimilate into your own working method.

Don’t have expectations of making a huge leap during theworkshop - More than likely the leaps will come after you’ve had a bit of timeto keep the kernels you need and leave behind those you don’t.

Do be happy - Nothing brings a group down faster than aDebbie Downer and you don’t want to be that person.

Do introduce yourself to the other students and get to knowthem - They probably have lots of information and experiences to share and muchto add to the workshop. Being part of the group dynamic will deepen theexperience for you.

Don’t be the outsider - This is a quick way to say, “I’m abetter artist than the rest of you” and make it harder for you to join inlater. Try to relax and realize everyone is in the same boat and most likely alittle nervous at the start.

Do be responsible for yourself - This means be prepared andready. If you are driving to locations, get clear directions from either theinstructor or coordinator, then be able to follow through with a GPS, if you’renot good with driving directions.

Do take care of yourself – Some workshops can be physicallyand mentally taxing. Be sure to eat, drink and don’t expect too much ofyourself.

Don’t overdo it – If you have physical limitations be sureto let the instructor and or coordinator know.

Don’t make others in the group responsible for you - If youare carpooling for instance, be on time to the agreed meeting location.Exchange cell phone numbers etc.

Do Give you instructor some idea of where you are as anartist by telling them both where you’ve come from and where you’d like to seeyourself go - Bring a few samples of your work in case your instructor asks tosee some or the appropriate moment presents itself.

Don’t haul out a whole portfolio of dozens of pieces thatlikely are unnecessary for him or her to see to get the gist of who you are asan artist - Keep it simple. Remember your instructor has many other people whoare important too.

Ask questions – Lots of questions help to energize the wholegroup. Write questions down that you think of if it’s not the right time to askor you’re not near to the instructor to ask. No question is stupid and yours isprobably something other folks want the answer to also.

Don’t repeatedly challenge answers an instructor has given -If you really need something clarified, reframe the question or ask it again whenyou are one on one with the instructor. Nobody knows everything, but likelyyour instructor is experienced in his or her area.

Don’t make it clear to the class all the things that youknow about painitng - It’s wonderful to share information and part of a workshopis the sharing of ideas and information, but don’t be the know- it –all either.

Do watch the demos – If he or she wants the demo to beoptional, they’ll make it clear. Part of doing a workshop is having the chanceto watch someone whose work you admire, paint. Remember, this is a rareopportunity and sort of a private peak into the working method of anotherartist. Watch.

Do come for the right reasons; to learn from another artistwhose work you admire, to take a workshop with a friend, to experiencesomething new or simply to take a painting vacation - It’s great to let your instructor know what your intentionsare from the get-go.

Don’t come to let all the other students know what anaccomplished artist you are even if you are. - Be humble, but honest about yourexperience

Don’t feel sorry for yourself if you are a beginner -Everyone has his or her starting place on the continuum that is making art. Ifyou are too insecure about others seeing your work, then perhaps you’re notready for a workshop, but most workshops are safe and nurturing places to putyour foot in the water.

Do be a courteous and polite neighbor - Even in a plein airsetting, you can be in close proximity to folks who you don’t know very well.Be polite and thoughtful of how you set up you gear and where. If you are indoubt, ask if you are in the way.

Don’t play your own music out loud or too loud in yourheadphones for your neighbors to hear - Everyone has different musical tastesand so may not welcome yours even if it’s classical or soft.

Do take some chances and explore the new techniquespresented – This is your chance to stretch!

Don’t have the expectation of completing a number offinished pieces for an upcoming show or completing gifts - Leave this for afteryou’ve had the chance to incorporate what you’ve learned at the workshop intoyour own working method.

Autumn Art Workshops-Nebraska National Forest

Do come with a positive attitude and an open mind. Have Fun!!

Nebraska Workshop and Recharging

2011-10-01T18:24:00.000-07:00

I just returned home from about three weeks worth of travel, between family vacation and a workshop in Nebraska. Thank you Autumn Art Workshops for the great hospitality and for sharing your lovely National Forest with me! I'll remember the enthusiastic, warm students, my walks; morning, noon and night, my morning encounter with a porcupine, (he didn't really see me), and the milky way from the top viewing platform.

We made our way home through Colorado and visited Rocky Mountain National Park in it's full fall glory. It was simply breathtaking. Mike and I were reminded of our college years when time was not so pressed and we spent days in Yosemite. Then the scenic route to Telluride, where we met with our gracious hostess for next years workshop in October. We scouted locations and looked into housing for out of town students. Mostly Mike and I stood amazed by more lovely scenery at every turn. Next was Arches National Park and Canyon Lands National Park. We thought about how lucky we were to have these treasures set aside for all humanity.

After Canyon Lands we were pretty anxious to head home, having filled our cups with beauty, quiet and warmth. We'll store it all up for the fall and winter and hold it dear as we head into our studios. And as if on queue, we were greeted by grey skies and a "soft day" in Oregon.

Look for both more figures and paintings of the western landscape in the coming months. My upcoming posts are about "Do's and Don'ts of Workshop participation and creating a work plan for studio time.

* UPCOMING WORKSHOPS *

Oct 7-9, '11, Dundee, OR email - wjdehart@comcast.net- A few spots

Oct 10, '11, Dundee, OR, Critique Day - email - wjdehart@comcast.net

Nov 4-6, '11, Austin, TX – email-art@studiozanne.com

Nov 12-13, '11, West Linn, OR – email-mbaggetta@comcast.net

Jan 20-22, '12, West Linn, OR – email-mbaggetta@comcast.net

May 21-25, '12, Bucks County PA, Bucks County Art Workshops – email www.buckscountyartworkshops.com

Sept 17-20, ’12, Fish Creek, WI, Peninsula School of Art - email www.peninsulaartschool.com

Sept , 25-28,’12, Cape Cod, MA

Oct 7-13, ’12, Telluride, CO,– email wjdehart@comcast.net

Oct 19-21, ’12 Bend, OR,– Cascade Fine Art Workshops email www.cascadefineartworkshops.com

Maui!!

2011-09-12T12:37:00.000-07:00

We're in Maui for a little R&R before my next workshop in Nebraska. Looking forward to seeing everyone in Halsey where I'll be sporting a bit of a tan!!

View from our room!!

It's lovely to feel warm and swim in the ocean every day! We're trying to savor it and save it up, as soon enough we'll be laying on the polar fleece and hunkering down in our Oregon studio!! But that will be great too!

Be sure to check out my website and my new figurative portfolio there. I'm excited about this new work. www.marlabaggettastudio.com.

On another note, artist Carol Marine had her studio and home burn down in Austin, TX. Please send her good wishes.

* UPCOMING WORKSHOPS *

Sept 18-22, '11, Halsey, NE- Autumn Art Workshops – email jshansen15@msn.com

Sept 25&26, '11, Halsey, NE- Autumn Art Workshops – email jshansen15@msn.com

Oct 7-9, '11, Dundee, OR email - wjdehart@comcast.net- A few spots

Oct 10, '11, Dundee, OR, Critique Day - email - wjdehart@comcast.net

Nov 4-6, '11, Austin, TX – email-mbaggetta@comcast.net

Nov 12-13, '11, West Linn, OR – email-mbaggetta@comcast.net

Jan 20-22, '12, West Linn, OR – email-mbaggetta@comcast.net

May 21-25, '12, Bucks County PA, Bucks County Art Workshops – email www.buckscountyartworkshops.com

Sept 17-20, ’12, Fish Creek, WI, Peninsula School of Art - email www.peninsulaartschool.com

Sept , 25-28,’12, Cape Cod, MA

Oct 7-13, ’12, Telluride, CO,– email wjdehart@comcast.net

Oct 19-21, ’12 Bend, OR,– Cascade Fine Art Workshops email www.cascadefineartworkshops.com

Back From Menucha!

2011-08-16T18:04:00.000-07:00

My week at Menucha was an especially good one. My students were a terrific bunch, many of them have studied with me several times, so we could hit the ground running! The whole bunch hit the right notes and made for a really compatabile and engaged group. For five days we worked really hard, we covered a lot of ground and had some fun.

It was a studio workshop, but weather was beautiful so many of my "kids" took advantage of the lovely 102 acres of grounds at Menucha and painted outdoors.

I worked every single evening and made some great progress on my figurative work. I feel like I'm on a little more solid ground now. I finished several pieces and set up a couple more to finish in my studio. I'm so excited about this new work! Thanks for letting me share!!

I learned a bunch from my "kids" as usual! Nathalie told me about how she's mounting the professional Wallis paper on board with "Super 77". I tried it today and it worked great. Sabina turned me on to a website that lists workshops of all kinds called "Shaw Guides". They offer free listings for instructors. It's an awesome site! I got lots of reading suggestions including "Dinner With Persephone" which I'm well into. I'm also reading "Turn" by Ann Truitt.

It was great to catch up with some of the usual Creative Arts Community campers and meet some new faces as well. It was delightful to share meals with everyone and exchange stories from the past year.

I won't be returning to Menucha, at least next year as I've already go some other plans, so I had to say goodbye for a while to some old friends and wish them happy art making!!

To my students, here's the red shoes.....A little different from my Keens!! Hope to see you soon!!

* UPCOMING WORKSHOPS *

Sept 18-22, '11, Halsey, NE- Autumn Art Workshops – email jshansen15@msn.com

Sept 25&26, '11, Halsey, NE- Autumn Art Workshops – email jshansen15@msn.com

Oct 7-9, '11, Dundee, OR email - wjdehart@comcast.net- A few spots

Oct 10, '11, Dundee, OR, Critique Day - email - wjdehart@comcast.net

Nov 4-6, '11, Austin, TX – email-mbaggetta@comcast.net

Nov 12-13, '11, West Linn, OR – email-mbaggetta@comcast.net

Jan 20-22, '12, West Linn, OR – email-mbaggetta@comcast.net

May 21-25, '12, Bucks County PA, Bucks County Art Workshops – email www.buckscountyartworkshops.com

Sept 17-20, ’12, Fish Creek, WI, Peninsula School of Art - email www.peninsulaartschool.com

Sept , 25-28,’12, Cape Cod, MA

Oct 7-13, ’12, Telluride, CO,– email wjdehart@comcast.net

Oct 19-21, ’12 Bend, OR,– Cascade Fine Art Workshops email www.cascadefineartworkshops.com

More Figures

2011-08-05T08:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had some studio time and I continued to work with the figure. I'm just feeling my way to these and trying to be patient in striking the cord that I'm after. I worked on this seated figure, "Aly". I feel it's a nice sketch and has many things about it that I like, but it's not quite as "finished" as I eventually want the figures to be. So, a nice starting place. I'm happy with the way I built it. I kept the shapes really simple and the color palette simple. I tried not to be tempted into detail.

I find I need to put much more planning into these. I've been studying the work of Dan McCaw and Kim English which is helpful. Two great figure painters. I'll take this piece with me to Menucha next week to finish in the evening one night after teaching. Yes, I'm the model! My sketch is kind of rough, but it starts to say the mood.

Ball point pen sketch

Here's my computer screen. I also printed out a small thumbnail sized copy of this photo to work from. I thought it might bother me that I was the model for the photo. It's funny how quickly you just think shapes and values/light and shade and you're not even thinking about whether it's a person. All painting is the same, they say!!

My studio monitor


Watercolor on mounted Wallis paper

I like how the watercolor under-painting starts to set up the mood of the piece. I'll go back in with a little pencil line to restate my drawing, (simply!), before I start the pastel. Boy, I'm having fun!!

* UPCOMING WORKSHOPS *

Aug 7-12, '11, Corbett, OR –Creative Arts Community - FULL w/ wait list

Sept 18-22, '11, Halsey, NE- Autumn Art Workshops – email jshansen15@msn.com

Sept 25&26, '11, Halsey, NE- Autumn Art Workshops – email jshansen15@msn.com

Oct 7-9, '11, Dundee, OR email - wjdehart@comcast.net- A few spots

Oct 10, '11, Dundee, OR, Critique Day - email - wjdehart@comcast.net

Nov 4-6, '11, Austin, TX – email-mbaggetta@comcast.net

Nov 12-13, '11, West Linn, OR – email-mbaggetta@comcast.net

Jan 20-22, '12, West Linn, OR – email-mbaggetta@comcast.net

May 21-25, '12, Bucks County PA, Bucks County Art Workshops – email www.buckscountyartworkshops.com

Sept 17-20, ’12, Fish Creek, WI, Peninsula School of Art - email www.peninsulaartschool.com

Sept , 25-28,’12, Cape Cod, MA

Oct 7-13, ’12, Telluride, CO,– email wjdehart@comcast.net

Oct 19-21, ’12 Bend, OR,– Cascade Fine Art Workshops email www.cascadefineartworkshops.com

Mind/Body Connection

2011-08-03T13:01:00.000-07:00

Mike and I at the IAPS Convention in June!

About a year and a half ago, I decided to get healthy. I was tired of my hip hurting from standing in a particular position at my easel. I always kind of lean back and put my weight on my right hip. I was tired of making choices about what activities to participate in because of this nagging pain. And, I must admit, I was tired of carrying around that last bit of weight that I'd always wished I could loose.

I'd been exercising doing a form of dance called NIA, nianow.com, but I really wasn't putting that together with a healthy diet and other lifestyle choices to get the most benefit. NIA incorporates not just fitness, but self awareness and self-healing . So, with a very conscious approach, I lost 15 pounds, changed my diet to mostly fruits and veggies. I eat small meals about six times a day and exercise to break a sweat at least three times a week. I'm now in the process of trying to eliminate things like caffeine which I find very, very hard. But I'm making progress.

I share this with you because a few people have been curious about my weight loss and how I did it. Some were concerned that it was actually ill-health which couldn't be more opposite. Mostly, I share this because I've never felt better, stronger more capable as a person and more perceptive as an artist. I truly believe in the very close connection between energy and attention/mind body.

I feel so fortunate to have found NIA. It makes me happy and makes me go back, again and again.I know it's not every ones path to fitness, but it was most certainly mine. Soooo, check it out and have fun dancing.

Pastels of Smith Bybee

2011-08-03T07:27:00.000-07:00

This is one of my most favorite places to paint. Here are a couple of pieces done of the wetlands.
Both of these were done on Colorfix paper with no under-painting; just straight pastel.

At nearly 2,000 acres, Metro’s Smith and Bybee Wetlands Natural Area is the largest protected wetlands within an American city. This beautiful natural area is one of the region’s best-kept secrets, hiding in a part of Portland surrounded by port terminals, warehouses and other commercial developments. Most visitors to the natural area are surprised to find beaver, river otter, black-tailed deer, osprey, bald eagles and Western painted turtles living only minutes from downtown Portland. Visit www.oregonmetro.gov/index.cfm/go/by.web/id=153.

* UPCOMING WORKSHOPS *

Aug 7-12, '11, Corbett, OR –Creative Arts Community - FULL w/ wait list

Sept 18-22, '11, Halsey, NE- Autumn Art Workshops – email jshansen15@msn.com

Sept 25&26, '11, Halsey, NE- Autumn Art Workshops – email jshansen15@msn.com

Oct 7-9, '11, Dundee, OR email - wjdehart@comcast.net- A few spots

Oct 10, '11, Dundee, OR, Critique Day - email - wjdehart@comcast.net

Nov 4-6, '11, Austin, TX – email-mbaggetta@comcast.net

Nov 12-13, '11, West Linn, OR – email-mbaggetta@comcast.net

Jan 20-22, '12, West Linn, OR – email-mbaggetta@comcast.net

May 21-25, '12, Bucks County PA, Bucks County Art Workshops – email www.buckscountyartworkshops.com

Sept 17-20, ’12, Fish Creek, WI, Peninsula School of Art - email www.peninsulaartschool.com

Sept , 25-28,’12, Cape Cod, MA

Oct 7-13, ’12, Telluride, CO,– email wjdehart@comcast.net

Oct 19-21, ’12 Bend, OR,– Cascade Fine Art Workshops email www.cascadefineartworkshops.com

Pastel Landscape Variation Demo

2011-07-31T15:48:00.000-07:00

We just completed this video. With the help of our son Kevin and a little trial and error! Hope you like it and share it with friends!

Alternative Shipping Method for Pastels

2011-07-28T17:39:00.000-07:00

It's quite a task to ship any framed pastel. I usually ship them with glass unless the show has specified plexi-glass. Thanks to an artist we met in Winter Park, Florida, I've found an less expensive alternative to the Airfloat boxes. This is especially good for larger pieces. Those Airfloat boxes are great, but when you get up there even a little bit in size they are pretty pricey.

So here's what I've done; First purchase a box that is approximately 4 inches all around larger than your framed piece and about six inches in width or whatever width will accommodate your piece and two, two inch pieces of the foamular. You want it to be snug in the box. Wrap the framed piece in the thinner bubble. Bunch up some bubble on each corner to give extra protection to the corners.

Go to home depot and purchase Foamular insulation material. It comes in 4'x8' sheets. Have them cut it so you can get it in your vehicle. When you have it home, you can easily cut it with a utility knife to the size you need to fit your box. You want to have two pieces that fill the box and you can slide your pastel in between. The beauty of this material is that it's rigid, will make the pastel snug in the box, protect it, yet not be a mess on the other end. When you ship a piece to a show, like a PSA show, the shipping agent does NOT want to deal with nurdles or anything messy that is hard to repack.

Make sure you put your name and the name of the show on the box for the shipping agent. Not necessary if it's going to a buyer or gallery, but if you want the box and materials back, always a good idea anyway.

I've had good sucess with this method and plan on using it for the larger pieces I have to ship. You can usually find a box company locally that has some standard art boxes that have thicker cardboard. I also try to save boxes from ready made frames or anything that comes that seems like it could work for me. This of course takes up space! Yikes! Good luck with shows and shipping. Feel free to email me for more info!

Workshops, Figures, Summer

2011-07-23T07:42:00.000-07:00

I find summer an especially hard time to settle into a routine, (fewer blog posts...sorry). My schedule is so crazy, I'm yearning for summer weather, my boys are about and still need a bit of attention and I'm more restless. Finding studio time is all the more challenging.

I just returned from teaching a two session workshop in Ann Arbor, MI to a wonderful, engaged group. We painting outside for two days and then spent three days in the studio. Students could take either or both sessions. Here are some pics. It was beautiful there, but pretty hot! I had a day off in between sessions, so I even had a day of painting for myself. Sweet!!

Plein air at Parkers Mill Park. HOT!!


3-day Studio Session

I've been anxious to get back to work in the studio. I continue to be engaged by the figure and so I'm working on several figurative pieces. Yesterday, I got a boost as I heard from the Pastel Society of America that my piece "Closing" was accepted into their annual show. I'm so pleased that this new direction is already being well received! Only 180 pieces where chosen from over 1000 entries. I can't wait to send it to NY!!


"Closing" 9x12

This piece has a watercolor under-painting with pastel on top. Let me know what you think! It's very exciting to move in yet another direction for a bit.

Loading Day/Father's Day!

2011-06-19T08:05:00.000-07:00

Today is Father's Day, but at our house it's also loading day. We'll fetch our Sprinter and start moving the art and equipment in. Here is the BASIC list we use to load in the art and equipment. It's always more stuff than this. This list does not include our luggage and extra jackets, cloths, food we want to bring, our computers and phones etc. I always tell Mike that it's camping on sterroids!!

Equipment

Canopy Tops (3)
Side panels 12)
Canopy Frames (3)
Weights (8)
Straps
S-hooks
drapery hooks
Awning Tops 4)
Banners
Banner Poles
Carpets
Umbrella
Umbrella Stand
Chairs
Step Stool
Dolly
Plastic Sheeting
Drop Cloths/tarps
Baggetta Studio signs
Bios
signs

Panels

# of panels all
Hardware Box
Support Bars
Pedestal
Print bin
Strap hangers
Drapery hooks
Shims

Tools

Clip-ties
Mallet
Tool box
Duct tape
Bungie Cords
Broom
Clips (Marla’s Studio)
Business
- Business cards
- Credit Machine
- Brochures
- Workshop Brochures
- IBooks
- Inventory books
- Bio Books
- Clip boards
- Vases
- Business card holders
- Inventory Books
- Bios
- Studio Stickers
- Scissors
- Pens
- Velcro
- Tape Gun
- Extra Tape
- Tape Measures
- Name Tag
- Calculator
- Show Binder
Art
- Plastic Bags lrg, med, sm
- Stretch wrap/corners
- Prints
- Foam Bags
- Touch-up Kit
- Boxes of Art
# Marla
# Mike
- Large Paintings-Marla
- Large Painting-Mike
- Pastels-Marla
- Lighting
  - Extension cords
  - Batteries
  - Converter
  - Light Fixtures
  - Extra Bulbs
  - Power Strip
  Personal
  - Sunscreen
  - Advil
  - Hairspray
  - Lip balm
  - Tissues
  - Cooler
  - Sunglasses
  - Sanitary Supplies
  - Lipstick
  - Deodorant
  - work shoes/clothes
  - hats
  Maintenance
  - Windex
  - Spray bottle
  - Dust rags
  - Paper towels
  - Duster
  - Towels
  Framing
  - Point Driver
  - Brown Tape
  - Hardware Box
  - Wire
  - Bumpers

Reverse Cinderella

2011-06-07T10:13:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling like Cinderella in reverse today. On Saturday I got to be princess for a day at IAPS, (more to come on that), and yesterday I spent the whole day cleaning toilets and showers!! Life will put ya in your place!!

I want to show you another object, but will write some more on it later too. Today is high school graduation for my son, so little time. This little bottle was loaned to me by a fellow painter, Christine. She is so dear and wrote a lovely, gracious note with it. This was soooo fun to paint and taught me more lessons as all these objects seem to be doing.

Dakota Art Workshops

2011-05-12T06:55:00.000-07:00

Wendy and I leave for LaConner today where we'll do a four day workshop based on my variation series. This workshop is especially juicy and rewarding to do. We'll get to the heart of doing a deep focus on a subject and repeating it; what this invitation can do for you as an artist and how it can inform all of your work. I spend time talking about and demonstrating how and why I did over a hundred pieces of the same simple composition. The demonstrations will be straight ahead pastel and mixed media demos. All will incorporate pastel as the predominant media. All will be playful explorations. I usually have a bit of either a color idea or a value set up before starting a demo piece, but I let it take me in an unexpected direction if that feels right or I'll consciously make a broad change if something isn't working or just isn't all that exciting. I learned to trust this process and trust myself as a painter. I now give myself the benefit of patience and let a piece unfold or reveal itself, teasing out the special parts without tons of judgment along the way.

Wendy and I will see friends and family, eat wonderful breakfasts at the Queen,(the B&B), maybe paint a little ourselves, weather permitting. For sure we'll take lots of photos. AND.....I get to pick up my new car on the way home. Yes, the car I don't have to share with teenage boys!!

Mostly, we'll get to meet all of the artists taking the workshop. It's always a pleasure and an honor to meet everyone and learn about what they are doing as an artist, how each person incorporates art making into their life and what it means to them. I can't wait to meet them!

On Friday evening, at 7pm, I'll be giving a short presentation at Dakota Art in Mt. Vernon. I'll be giving a power point that is a tour of my studio. I'll discuss the work space and how both my husband and I use it, how we've adapted it and enhanced it over the course of many years. I'll also answer any questions about my work, studio or the business end of art making. Please join me if you happen to be in the area on Friday evening.

Pastels and Mileage

2011-05-06T06:43:00.000-07:00

I've been in the studio working on a new grouping of pastels for my upcoming shows, the first show in Astoria, OR in June. I'm trying to balance my need to have a given number of pieces for the with a great desire to experiment with some new subjects. I've managed in some cases to kill two birds with one stone by introducing some structures in a few pieces. I'm happy with the results. However, I've also done a few figures in interiors with result that I don't feel are quite ready for prime time! It's difficult to do both; explore and produce. I hate to put it those terms and reduce my work to production. That's not quite how I think of it, but at least for me there is a reality that when I'm making a living as an artist, I have to make a certain amount of art. So, I press on trying to find that balance and I can't ever find anything bad about the act of just painting, so it all seems to work out in the end.

Here is one of the new pieces. It is are based on a trip I took to Fish Creek, Wisconsin where I taught for the Peninsula School of Art,(I'll be there next year too). I was attracted to the soft evening light. This is the cottage where I stayed while I was there. It's a very peaceful and private place and I really wanted to paint it for a long time. The piece is done on Wallis museum and it has a fluid acrylic under-painting that was done with really saturated color. I used a ton of different greens on that foreground over a very red under-painting. I relied heavily on Terry Ludwig's neutral greens and some Nupastels for the bright/saturated greens.

Reserving Judgement

2011-05-05T18:40:00.000-07:00

One of my Colorado workshop students sent a box with an object in it. I'd received it several days ago and when I got it, I was really excited to see what she had sent. Upon opening the carefully packed box, I was a bit deflated. Although the vessel she sent was a beautiful object with a lovely story attached, (more on that for the exhibition), I'll admit that my first reaction was how was I ever going to paint this lovely thing and do it justice? It's shiny, black and has an intricate floral design on it. Plus the shape is all about ellipses, one of the hardest things to draw and paint. So, of course I put off painting it. Major procrastination!! But I was finally motivated by the reality that I really wanted to get it back to Sue in good shape since it has sentimental value to her. It scared me to have it!!

So I just started. As usual it's the hardest part. I pre-mixed some blacks with burnt umber and ultramarine blue and some greys, both warm and cool. I decided to say the floral design really simply. Keep it simple, stupid, Marla!! I didn't ry to put all the design elements in and just try to say the essence of the vessel.

My husband happened to walk into my painting studio, which he doesn't do very much just as I was about 90% done. He looked at it and said "Oh, that's cool!" I said, "Yeah, I know!"

You have to start, then give yourself the benefit of the doubt. Give yourself a chance. Solid drawing, simple painting choices. Don't try to say everything. Poems, not novels. Thanks so much, Sue. I loved painting this!!!

Nicodemus

2011-05-01T06:47:00.000-07:00

My mom picked this little figurine of a robin for me to paint. It's been in our house since I was a little girl when we lived in Ohio for a year. It was on the mantle or in some other prominent place for most of my years growing up, so it's very familiar to me.

When I set it up to paint it, I decided to paint it from a little more challenging perspective just because its shape is so familiar to me. It turns out that the perspective is perfect. My mom is a very direct and straightforward person, so painting Nicodemus straight on, seemed right for her too.

This project is teaching me so much about painting! I really have to slow down and look carefully. Color mixing is one of the areas that I'm strengthening with this work. I also find that it is working my drawing skill, just to do these simple objects!

Again, this was painted on Wallis museum paper with oils.

Objects and Life

2011-04-27T17:17:00.000-07:00

So, I painted two more things for my 30 series. I'm not going to get all 30 done in 30 days with my schedule what it is. But then, I knew that going in. I asked my husband to pick something for me to paint.... He chose an object that couldn't be more different from my doll, more masculine, more heavy and MALE!!! It's a print-making brayer. The thing weighs a ton for it's size.It was fun to paint it. The drawing had to be carefully done and the dark roller was a challenge to get right.

As I was setting up to paint the brayer, I glanced out on my deck to take in some rare sunshine and I noticed a little bird lying near the door. Sometimes they stun themselves and lay still, but sadly this little guy was gone. I thought about it for a bit, then decided that I needed to paint him and put him in the series. He came as part of spring to my studio door and the least I could do was study and paint him. I'd never done that before and it was really kind of amazing to paint him/her. That little critter was alive and flittering about the yard. So delicate and small.

Wow, I'm learning so much as a painter already! I'm so excited about what it might feel like at the end of the project!

Taking My Own Advice

2011-04-14T14:30:00.000-07:00

Wendy and I had a wonderful, exciting week in Denver. My workshop peeps were the absolute best. What a warm, receptive and hard working group! I think they got what they came for. Wendy and I left feeling we'd gotten more than we'd put in.... Thanks to all of you!! I hope we get to see you down the road at another workshop or a pastel event of some kind.

Traveling home was a bit hairy, the usual flight delays and plane changes and to add to the fun, I was a bit impaired getting around, having stumbled and aggregated an old injury. Wendy had to rescue me from the escalator once! Once home, I was of course hoping to hit the ground running with some work that I'd set up in the studio. I'd done five underpaintings in preparation for getting right back in the swing. I just didn't have my head in the game.... so I took the day off and what did I do?? I shopped!! Not what you think.

Art supplies, a new small carry-on bag and a back-pack sized Heilman box to travel with from now on. This was an is a big concession on my part. I really want all my pastels with me for plein air and workshops. Wendy convinced me that I don't really use all the pastels and that I will eventually be happy with the smaller version. It arrived today and I've begun to populate it with pastels from the larger box, (something I wasn't going to do). As I was doing this, I realized that I needed to take the same advice I give students. Get rid of duplicates, and near duplicates, make the sizes of the sticks more uniform, clean them up and make a few choices to pare it down. It really wasn't that hard. I'm thrilled that the box fits in a computer bag that I already had and BONUS.....my computer fits in there too. So now, I can get my computer, pastels and person items in the computer bag. This serves as my one personal item while traveling. I now have a very reasonable carry-on, 21 inches high, that will be for my cloths. This goes in the overhead bins. Then I will have one larger checked bag, for workshop materials which worked great this last trip. Yippeee!!!

So today was the day to get back in the studio and actually do some painting. Again, I decided to take my own advice and start with something familiar and small. You guessed it....Variations!!! Here they are. Mike especially likes the lavender one. I do too. After these, I really made some headway on a couple other things. Looking good so far.

Fluid acrylic under-painting on Wallis sanded paper

30 Minutes, 30 Days, 30 Objects, 30 People

2011-04-05T15:34:00.000-07:00

I started a new project today. Starting is always the hardest, but most rewarding thing I do as an artist. You have to start new a lot when you are an artist. Today I started something pretty different and with great potential to change me as an artist and as a person. I'm beginning a collection of pieces that will eventually be part of a show in October/November in Fish Creek Wisconsin at the Peninsula School of Art. My work will be hung with several other artists work.

I knew I wanted this body of work to be a departure for me, a place to grow and stretch. I knew I'd like to try still life. But how to make each small piece have more connection to people and place? So after a lot of procrastination and my usual beating around the bush, I decided to have other people decide for me. I'm borrowing the objects from friends, acquaintances, fellow artists and basically anyone who will give or send me something. Got a small item for me to paint? Send it along. Write a couple lines about it and or yourself. Preferably something small enough to fit in the palm of your hand.

I painted the first object which I chose for myself. It's a little porcelain doll that my mom bought for me a year or so ago. It's got my birthstone in the flower she's holding. This doll is sooo not me, but at the same time it is. My mom bought this because I'd had the same exact one as a little girl and it was stolen from my apartment in college along with a lot of other keepsake items. Mom made it a mission hunting for this little thing in every antique or collectible shop she'd go in ever since it was taken. Of course, I didn't really need it replaced. Not really. Sometimes stuff is more than just stuff. As it is with this thing. It's kinda like my mom's devotion to me and to taking care of me and making sure I'm whole in her mind. It's not about being a princess, but I'm pretty sure she must think I act like one sometimes!

I painted her on Wallis sanded pastel paper that was toned yellow ochre. I painted her in oil. I did a loose drawing in pencil first, then dove in. I was really unsure of the pinks at first and had a hard time "seeing" the color in the shadow while still getting the values right, which was what was sooooo great!! I loved having a hard time. It was terrific to be pushed. I did most of her in about 30 minutes and did a little touch up on edges after a break.

So next I'll have my friends and family pitch in and hopefully blog followers and fellow artists!! Got a small item for me to paint? Send it along. Write a couple lines about it and or yourself. Preferably something small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. Send you it to 1321 Stonehaven Dr., West Linn, OR 97068. Be sure to send it in a way that I can easily return it to you. Make sure it's something small, something meaningful, yet interesting to paint.

Can it change my life in 30 days?? We'll see.

Sunshine, Near & Far

2011-03-28T17:23:00.000-07:00

Keith warming up at the Rose Garden!

Our planned trips to Scottsdale AZ, and Orlando FL, got a lot more complicated,(in a good way), when our sons' Varsity Basketball team made the final eight in the Oregon State Championships. They were guarranteed three games playing in the Rose Garden where our NBA team, the Portland Trail Blazers play. This of course was extremely exciting and the perfect way for our son to end his high school basketball career. So plans were rearranged, plane tickets purchased, family flew in and somehow, we were able to attend the first of the three games and still get to Scottsdale in time to set up the show. We kept track of the second game while we were setting up the show in Arizona via texts from other parents. I let out a whoop when we heard that they won the second game and our son had a great game. We had fun sharing our parental pride with other artists and celebrated both the game our safe travels to the show.

Not Working Too Hard!!

The show was wonderful in every respect. Lovely patrons that supported us and the show, good artist neighbors, wonderful weather, and last but not least an award!

Pretty Booth!!

I went home between shows and sent Mike off on the road with trepidation. He had the longest trip he's ever made in the Sprinter ahead of him. Orlando is a long way from Scottsdale and much longer from home. But, he's a road warrior and I know very careful, so I filled the cupboards and the frig with food for my spring-breaking man children and then caught the long flights to Orlando to meet back up with Mike. Luckily, all went very smoothly and by the next morning we were in Winter Park setting up just one single booth. It was a snap even though we had to dolly in the equipment and art. The Sprinter was parked right by the railroad tracks! So fun to see the train go so nearby. Security people did a great job of making sure all was safe.

The Sprinter next to the train!

After set-up! Whew!!

The show was terrific. What a fun and engaged crowd! We had fun getting to know a whole new group of artists we'd never met and catching up with a few that we don't see but infrequently. Sale were terrific there too and I won another award!!

Space Center

Mike and I took a rare day off for some tourism and visited the Kennedy Space Center on Monday. After we made our way to Cocoa Beach for dinner before heading back to Orlando area.

Cocoa Beach sunset

I had a 6:00am flight to catch on Tuesday, so we decided to stay the night right by the airport. Good move 'cause the night went quick!!

Road Warrior!!

I was home by 11:30am Pacific time. Mike took another 4 days make it home!!

Delving In/keeping Off The Edges

2011-03-15T16:58:00.000-07:00

My wonderful NIA instructor Britt, talked about her desire to stop living on the fringes of her life by delving more deeply. I can only speak for myself in that I know this feeling, that I've only just touched the boundaries of what is possible, just skirted the edges. So how to you live up to that personal power that is within each of us?

I had a conversation with a man today at the Phoenix airport. I could tell this person was keenly aware of his own power and had a core value system in place on just how to yield that power with grace and compassion. He was also confident, but at the same time humble with it. So refreshing. I'm going to buy the book, Mark!!

I had met another person at the Scottsdale Arts Festival. She is a teacher of young children for whom English is a second language and are very poor. Her kids can't read and write, but they can draw. For them art is more than just a creative outlet, it is a crucial means of communication. I expressed to this teacher that I had often questioned the importance of my work and whether it really made a difference to people. She so very kindly reminded me that my presence at a show such as the Scottsdale Arts Festival adds to the legitimacy of all of the arts and it's importance to society.

Mike and I had dinner with friends from college who are also both artists. Mary and Jeff have been married as long as Mike and I have and are an example of a couple delving deep into their power as individuals and as a couple. Living the life of an artist has it's up and downs, but clearly mostly ups.

I found myself connecting more closely with people on this trip. So apt, since my one of my intentions is to do more figurative works.

A couple people have asked if I would offer classes in this genre and the answer is an resounding "YES".
It will be a while as I find my groove and then process that so it makes sense both for myself and students.

Thank you to everyone that came out to visit me at the Scottsdale Arts Festival. It was a beautiful show in a great town that Mike and I always enjoy. I'll be back next year for sure since I won best in drawing. I'm invited back!!


26wx36H pastel on colorfix

This piece was one I completed right before I left for Scottsdale. It depicts a stand of trees that have since been cut down. Very sad for me since I drive by frequently. I'm glad I painted it again!

Expanding

2011-03-04T14:42:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I received my new Pastel Journal. My piece "In the Studio" received an honorable mention in the still life category. I knew about this several months ago, but it was thrilling all the same to see it published in the Top 100 edition this year.

I'm going to embark on a new direction over the course of the next few months by exploring the still life and figurative genres a bit more. Don't get me wrong, I'm completely enamored of the landscape and not in the least bit bored with it. It's just time to do some digging around in another yard!

I'll be spending some time blogging about what it's all about for me. The first thing I think about it, is a closer connection with people. This is pretty attractive and compelling for me. Obviously, painting the figure requires a very intimate connection with your subject, but I think still life can also have some interesting explorations in terms of acquiring the objects which for the most part will be man-made and second hand.

I'm excited to see what's next....

Varsity Basketball and Art

2011-02-27T09:19:00.000-08:00

My youngest son is just finishing up his senior varsity season of basketball. He's a good player and made the commitment to basketball, giving up baseball his freshman year. This is bittersweet for all of us; we've watched him play and grow over the years, went to all his games, watched him do his laundry and tried to help him manage practice and school work, but not help too much. Mostly we've seen a little kid from second grade hucking up the basketball in the front yard hoop grow into a man of 6' 3" who can really play the game of basketball at a high level. Not very many kids get to play varsity basketball for three years.

I've learned from him. Making a physical and mental commitment over such a long period of time is huge. Making art is this same long term endeavor. You don't just become an artist in a year or two. It takes time and growth and depth of character. It takes meaningful practice, both mental and physical. Mostly it takes staying the course. Mileage, Mileage, Mileage. Gosh I wish it wasn't true, but it is......

Selling: Getting Ready

2011-02-13T19:11:00.000-08:00

Ok, I'm about two and a half weeks from heading out on my trip to the Scottsdale Arts Festival, then a new show in Winterpark, Florida. Mike will drive, I will fly! Family will hold the fort.

So, I feel great about all the work I have for both shows; lots of new pastels and oils. The studio is all a flurry in the process of framing some smaller works and taking larger pieces to my framer for fitting. I decided this time to have Todd at Framing Resource fit a bunch of work so I could keep painting oils until the last minute possible. I took several pieces to Pixel Point Artistry to have shot for possible giclees later in the season. The oils are drying and getting black edging. I'm signing them, although I need to go to the art supply store to buy a smaller brush to sign the oils. I sign them in red with a mark that is not my legal signature, but looks better. It's more "designed". The pastels are getting their coat of spray; very light and at the end. I'm signing each of those with a sharp grey Carb Othello pastel pencil.

Lots of time is being spent on the computer getting all the work photographed and in inventory. I recently bought "eartist" which seems to be really great. It's a filemaker based program which I was already familiar with. Each piece will have a label on the back and a show label. We will have our computers with us and a printer in case we need to print more or make a change.

All the equipment needs organizing since this is the first set of booth shows for the season. This is a little frustrating since at the end of the season in September of 2010, we didn't do a good job of carefully organizing the gear. We just threw it in the garage and the Sprinter. I get why we did that, but regret it all the same! I have a comprehensive check list of all the equipment, from the booth and canopy, right down to the sunscreen and the Advil.

Next is making sure all the paperwork and tax forms are in place for both states that we'll be doing business in. Just like an athelete, we have to file sales tax forms in each state we do business. Scottsdale has both a city and state fee. Bummer. I don't so much mind the fee as the paperwork involved. Hard to keep track of it all.

Sending out an email notice to collectors and students is another item on the agenda. This is really important and almost takes precedence over a mailed card these days. We are working on an email that highlights a drawing to win a framed pastel later in the year. We're hoping contacts will encourage friends to sign up, to spread the word about my work.

Scottsdale 2010

Then we have to decide on a booth layout. Scottsdale is not too hard as we have the same great space as last year, but we do want to change it up a bit since I have a better variety of work. We actually have a foam core model of the booth panels that we set up. (Thanks to Mike). I wouldn't do this, but admit that it helps. We have Propanels which are light weight and easy to set up, but everyone has them, so our booth looks kind of like everybody's!! We do a few things to make it a little different.


Mike's Genius!!

All the work will be loaded into the Sprinter on the 6th of March. This is always fun if the weather cooperates. Not so much if it doesn't since the truck doesn't fit in the garage!! Most of the work will be loaded into the crates we have. Larger works will be slotted into a space behind the cab. Lots of consideration goes into the loading, so nothing gets damaged in transit from the movement of the truck. The pastels are especially tricky. The oils need a certain kind of care so the edges don't get scuffed.

Last years load in que! I have no house!

Last but not least are the wardrobe considerations. After all, this is the first show of the season, a warm
locale, a city with lots of great opportunity to dine and step out and I get to shed my painting cloths for a change. I'll need cloths for the set-up, cloths for selling and cloths for going out with Mike. I won't have time to shop, but I think I've got it handled already!! Most important are the shoes....and the boots.....Ha,ha!!

Not what I wear in the studio!!

A Strong Finish!

2011-02-11T15:43:00.000-08:00

My week was filled with a diversity of tasks, from painting,(very nice), to inventory management,(ok), to errands like going to the framer,(so,so). I felt like I'd gotten off to a slow start this week. I had a few nagging things to get past; a lingering cold and my son's lost wallet, grrrrrrr!!!!

So today, when I was able to put aside the weeks machinations and moments when life got in the way of life, I was truly happy and just a little proud of myself. Not especially because of the results of the painting, but because I was able to put my head into it fully. This is my usual challenge.

This oil painting is based on a pastel composition that I did a couple years ago. I've intended to do an oil painting from it for quite some time. I like the color palette and the softness of the foreground. I'm paying particular attention to my edges in my newest oil paintings. I think this is paying off. Although this piece is not quite finished, I think it has some of the ethereal quality that I liked in the original pastel.

I first do a thin wash of oils in really saturated color. I let this sit overnight.

I premix some colors that I know I'll need

Almost done. I'll do some final tweaking and "design" some of the shapes so they are more elegant.

Inventory Page

2011-02-05T17:13:00.000-08:00

A couple of my blogger friends asked to see a better view of the inventory page. I tape in the images. It's a little down and dirty, but I like it as it's a quick visual of the pieces not just a number or title that is hard for me to remember. I enter each piece in a database program in addition to entering them into this book, so there is redundancy there.

I made the form in Quark and had the pages made into two sided copies, then I had the resulting book spiral bound at a copy center. It was about $15.00. A very worthwhile investment of time and money! Now I have one made every year or so, when I need one. Oh, each book has several blank pages in the back for notes, title ideas or whatever I might need them for. This is more of a ready reference that is not comprehensive in that it doesn't have purchasers info, framing cost and a few other details that I try to keep track of on each piece.

The Price and the Value of Artwork

2011-02-03T08:36:00.000-08:00

It's always a difficult thing to put a price on your art. But if you want to sell it, you gotta put a price on it. So how do you go about getting "fair market value" for your work and what does that have to do with your art? I've found pricing to be a very difficult part of my job. As I've developed a sales history over the years, it's gotten easier. Still separating the business and the emotion of producing art has been essential for me.

What am I charging for:

1. The time I spend thinking up the idea, percolating it, ruminating on it, procrastinating around it
2 Going to the art supply store to buy the stuff
3. Experimenting with the stuff
4. Finally making the thing and this includes all the years experience in what came before this piece
5. Framing it
6. Marketing it, taking it to a gallery or festival or selling it online (a huge chunk of time)
7. Shipping it
8. Sending a thank you note.

How do you come up with a formula to charge for these tasks? Well very simply, I've decided to charge a set rate per square inch. I have a price per square inch for oils, one for framed pastels and one for unframed pastels. By doing this I'm not tempted to charge more for a piece that I'm especially partial to. I think this is a bad idea, since you are in effect devaluing the other work by setting a higher price for particular pieces. It's helpful to have this standard pricing to refer to when a client or gallery asks. I deviate from the formula occasionally for special projects only such as the "100 Variations" which I've set at slightly lower pricing because there are just so dang many of them!

This standard pricing is set at a particular rate based on a past history of sales and demand for my work. If I'm selling like hotcakes at a particular pricing rate, then it's time to move it up a little. If not, then I consider making a move down if necessary.

Setting this rate is a tricky thing as I'm putting a number on my time. More than that, I'm putting a number on all the hours behind an easel or drawing board that I've ever spent. Is my time worth more or less than the plumber or the doctor?? What is the price of beauty and creativity? Hard questions that start to go to questions about what we value. Probably better for another post!

So, I like to keep the pricing transparent for buyers, so they know I'm not just setting an arbitrary price for a piece. I let them know how I formulate the price and have it clearly marked. I also have an inventory book, that lists each work with pricing and other info. I had this book made at a copy center for $15. It was worth it!!

I keep my prices the same in galleries and at outdoor festivals or studio shows. By doing this, I'm not competing with myself. I make less money this way through my galleries, but if they are doing their job, and they trust me, it always works out in the end. When I have work at a gallery, they are doing all the selling and footwork, so I'm happy for them to have their percentage. When I'm doing all of the footwork at a festival, I think I'm entitled to make a bit more.

I think of the price and the value as being kind of separate ideas. The price is what I can reasonably sell the work for. The value of it may be something much, much different.

Cultivating Change

2011-01-30T16:37:00.000-08:00

I'm back in the studio working on several large oil canvases. I'm starting with very vibrant, chromatic under-paintings similar to using watercolor or fluid acrylics. I have lots of energy despite a nasty cold. Go figure!

While painting this morning I was thinking about my working method and how it has shifted, evolved, changed over time. I think that change has served the work. Even little things like using better paint, a variety of kinds of brushes, different surfaces has all pushed the work. I think we all have these ideas about the how the work should be done and with what tools, but cultivating a capacity for change is important, maybe even essential to success as an artist.

I used to think that you could only use bristol brushes with oil. Now I use all kinds of brushes; whatever does the job including house brushes and synthetic brushes. I also had the idea that since I was doing large canvases, that using less expensive large tubes of paint would be more economical, when in reality good paint has more chroma and goes further. I've also decided to wear gloves while working in both oil and pastel. I have done this only sporadically. So always questioning my methods and working habits to see if I can knock on another door is a good thing.

I'm enjoying mixing paint and using brushes after spending the last two months exclusively on pastel.

On an entirely different note, today my mom brought me a Smart Wool undershirt that is kind of like an UnderArmor. It's thin and lightweight; perfect for keeping warm in the studio. What a thoughtful gift!! My mom is the greatest! She knows I'm always struggling to keep warm while I'm working this time of year. Thanks Mom!!!

New York, NY

2011-01-23T15:57:00.000-08:00

I just spent three nights in NYC. Although the weather was somewhat challenging, I was able to get in a trip to the Met and a trip to Spainerman gallery, http://www.spanierman.com/In-the-Tonalist-Mood/top to see the show "In the Tonalist Mood" which was a priority for me thanks to Loriann Signori,http://loriannsignori.blogspot.com/. I was in love with the Twatchman winter scene! It was lovely to see this painting after having taught my Loosen-up workshop where one of the exercises is to paint using all tints. Twatchmans work was a masterful example of just that. They had many wonderful pieces in the show including a piece by Charles Warren Eaton “The Edge of the Pines”. This is a piece that I’ve seen reproduced and is of course much more lovely in person. Birge Harrison’s “Sunset From Quebec” was another spectacular piece. There were several nocturnal pieces that were great to see. On the internet, the gallery list 61 works, but not all were hung while I was there, so a few disappointments. It looked like a fairly important Inness was not available when I went. Should have asked, but I was too timid. The gallery itself was beautiful and had a modern room that had quite a few pieces that I wished Mike had been with me to enjoy.

I also went to Bemelman’s Bar http://www.thecarlyle.com/gallery.cfm which is a classic piano bar in the Carlyle Hotel. This place could not have been more beautiful or romantic. Again missing Mike. The walls are decorated with murals from the Madeline childrens books. You wouldn’t think that would be so terrific for a bar at first, but with the amber lighting the effect was simply haunting.

This was only my second trip to NYC and a short one at that, but you can feel the energy and the history of the city. It’s oozing with that. I hope to get back there next time with Mike to really take in the gallery scene.

It's always inspiring to get out of ones narrow world once in a while, but although I had fun, I'm pleased to be back in the studio. Taking in the experience and beauty of NYC and keeping that energy in my studio work is what I hope to do. I'd begun several pieces before I'd left, so I'm anxious to get back to them and see what comes to the top.

On my return I was immediately reminded of the beauty in my own backyard!! How great is this shot of this deer? Part of a family of deer that resides in the small greenbelt in our suburban neighborhood.

So, delight in what's near and far!!

Sweetness and a Red Stool

2011-01-12T19:15:00.000-08:00

I've been spending quite a bit of time on the computer over the past few days and find I'm in a deficit mode. Working on the computer just lacks the sweetness of being in the studio. Again, my dance class gives me the inspiration for this posting. Thanks Britt!!

How do you find the sweetness in your life? What is that to you? Whether it be a delicious meal, the warmth of a cozy fire shared with a loved one, or a good book. For me, these are the meaningful and rich moments that make my life sweet. When you think of sweetness, what do you think of? My work is one of the things that feels sweet to me. I think of joy and inspiration. I think of work well done and the satisfaction of in delving into painting. Getting messy, seeing the color and smelling the paint. This is sweet to me.

It's sweet to me that the tools and objects that surround me in the studio, are soooo familiar; like home. I have a simple wooden stool in my studio that I've had since I was six years old. It's been painted pink, yellow, black, white, blue and now red. It is worn with use and marked with paint and ink. It is essential to the sweetness in my studio. It needs to be there. Although it's just an object, it can't be replaced. It has marked time and accompanied me to every home and studio space I've ever worked in. When I sit on it, I am humbled by my good fortune. So sweet! Some of you have sat on this stool and seen it many of the colors. I'm grateful for that too!

So tomorrow, I have the WHOLE DAY to PAINT!!! I'll spend a lot of time standing in front of my lovely easel working on a piece that is a canopy of yellow trees. This under-painting was done with airbrush acrylics on Wallis sanded paper. I will also spend some time on my stool and it will be sweet. I will be thinking of my fellow artist and blogger, Loriann and thinking healing thoughts all day. Please join me in sending positive, sweetness her way!!!!

Thumbnails & Studio Habits

2011-01-06T19:33:00.000-08:00

My new article is now out in Pastel Journal! This article extols the benefits of thumbnail sketches. I'm totally in love with them! I do them all the time; in my studio, on the couch at night, in an airplane or at the airport when I'm traveling. You can pour all your ideas out in a sketchbook. It is so cathartic! I love it when I've filled a page. It shows many variations of an idea quickly. I can easily see the best solution at a quick glance of the page. Besides, they are beautiful when I've filled a page. I feel so accomplished to have done it. It's just like a great workout at the gym; like I've broken a great sweat!!

Honestly, I treasure my sketchbook more than my finished pieces, which is very funny, since by themselves each thumbnail is not precious at all. It's the collection over time that makes a sketchbook precious. They are as much journals as they are working tools. I've scanned my sketchbooks into my computer because I'm paranoid about loosing one. I travel with them and would absolutely HATE to loose one. My husband who is a fine draftsman/artist lost a sketchbook filled with urban scenes done with watercolor and ink. We both still ache a bit over that loss occasionally. If you find it, please send it along!! Note to self; put address in all sketchbooks.

Sketchbooks, viewfinders, value scale!

Thumbnails in ballpoint

I love to do paintings from a tiny black and white thumbnail and put aside any other reference that might have contributed initially. This mode of working gives me an incredible amount of freedom with just enough of a structure to get me going. As I said in the article, I've built a playground for myself by doing a thumbnail. I don't work this way all the time, but opening the sketchbook and choosing a thumbnail and going for it is pretty liberating.

I rely on a thumbnail and often a color study when I'm painting plein aire. I really think it's pretty overwhelming to paint outdoors and so easy to get outside oneself, literally. I need the thumbnail to help me with my drawing and the scale of the elements. Besides, I love to tape the thumbnail into my sketchbook and make a little notation about my experience painting that day. Back again to the journal aspect!

I'm totally hooked on using a ballpoint pen to do my thumbnails. A ballpoint can get really, really dark. Darker than any pencil lead. And you can achieve the whole value scale by varying the pressure you use. The most wonderful thing is that you can always find one anywhere you go! I do prefer the black ones over the blue ones, though.

Check out the article when you have a chance. Here is a link to the Pastel Journal site. It has some examples in addition to what appears in the article. Nice!

I'm posting some thumbnail/minis on my website and ebay store over the next couple of months while the article is out. I usually keep most of these for reference and just because I like them in my studio, but I thought it would be fun to share.... Check them out. I'll have them up within a day or two.

Finding My Diva

2011-01-05T17:13:00.000-08:00

Today when I went to my dance class, (NIA), we danced to a routine called "Diva". I thought it was fitting for the day since I was in a particularly sassy mood. Flirting with my feminine side was a great reminder of all the roles I have and how to tap into them. I like the idea of practicing this, just like practicing piano or yoga. Kriszti compared it to putting on a different shirt. Practicing gets you ready for the times that a particular role is demanded of you or needed from you, whether that be the diva, the mother, the teacher, the caretaker.... you name it.

I also like to think of my work in this way. I have many different working modes and moods. Some people might call them "styles" but there is a common thread coursing through all of them. That thread is me. Some pieces may be more quiet where others, more bold and gestural. If every piece was the same in it's mood and process, I'd be bored stiff. Variety, it turns out, is the spice of life.....

I did all of these pieces last year. Each has a different quality and as I think about doing each of them I can actually remember what it felt like while I painted them; how I was feeling when I put down those marks. Tapping into that is powerful stuff... Happy Painting Everyone. I hope the New year is off to a great start for you!!

Seeds to Plant

2011-01-01T15:13:00.000-08:00

"Summer Solitude" 15x15 on Wallis w/watercolor under-painting

With the New Year here, I'm thinking ahead about what seeds to plant for the year, what to leave behind and what to be grateful for.

I'm so grateful to be an artist and that each day I'm fortunate to do something creative and try to bring forth beauty and occasionally, peace. As a teacher, I help others do the same. What could be better than helping folks tap into their creative energies? When people are painting, they are getting at the best in themselves, so I'm honored to be a small part of that for a few people. I've been incredibly blessed with continued good health this year and so I try to work toward this every day with a mind toward healthy food, dance and moderation in all indulgences. I'm grateful that I have people. People who love me and wait for my returns. Not everyone is lucky in this way.

I'm planting the seeds for a less stressful year, having a bit more confidence in myself as an artist by way of reflecting on past work and accomplishments. I want to make the most of the resources and skills that I already have rather than trying to reinvent myself this year. The actionable piece of this is putting together a comprehensive marketing plan for the entire year instead of doing it haphazardly. I'm pretty good at the marketing piece, but how would it feel to actually plan ahead? A novel thought!! The other part of this is concentrating on the work. No amount of savvy marketing will sell an inferior product, so it always comes back to the work. What enchants me will likely enchant my viewer....

I'm very ready to leave a few things behind, like my copyright lawsuit,(more on that next year). Even though I won, it was a huge drain of resources, both financial and physical energy. Protecting your work, it turns out, is quite the full time job. I'm also ready to leave behind a bit of my grueling schedule and opting for a lighter schedule closer to home in some cases even if it's not as profitable. Last year I found myself in a few airports too many. Concentrating on a more local market also makes sense from an environmental perspective; less travel, less shipping etc. I've already streamlined my schedule a bit with the goal of making more time behind the easel.

Happy New Year and Happy Painting!!!

Winter Without White

2010-12-19T12:48:00.000-08:00

I decided to get into the spirit of the holiday by painting a snow scene. I must admit first of all, that I've painted something very similar to this several years back, but I'm very fond of the reference and the other piece has always been a favorite of mine. So, this was just for my own satisfaction. I thoroughly enjoyed painting this scene again. It felt like coming home, so perfect for this time of year.

I painted this on Art Spectrum/Colorfix paper. The paper color was Elephant. I stuck with the reference pretty much, but wanted to keep the key of the piece pretty dark, even though it's a snow scene. By doing this, I knew I could accomplish the sparkling light spilling between the trees and keep the sense of mystery and wonder that attracted me to it in the first place. I like how the suggestion of a structure is hidden underneath the red branches. That's cool. The reference photo has more flat lighting, which I don't think is as dramatic, so I wanted to play up the drama a bit.

It was interesting just how dark I had to keep the foreground value in order to achieve this affect. I was surprised myself. Here are swatches of the foreground value and the lightest light, (the pinkish swatch), that I used in the middle ground and a swatch of white which I never used, just for comparison. The sky was a tan and a light yellow, so no white was used at all.

I hope you enjoy the piece and it helps gets you in the holiday spirit!!

Website Restored!!

2010-12-10T18:34:00.000-08:00

Yippee!! My website was restored yesterday! I didn't have to populate the images myself as I first thought I might have to do. I do have to spend some time and organize it a bit, but basically everything is there. All of this has made me think about how important a good website is to an artist, so I put a list together of what is important to me in a website and another list detailing how a website is integral to an artists' business.

1. An attractive site that lets the work be the star - I like sights that don't have too much going on like a lot of flash stuff. Sites that don't compete with the work and display each piece large enough. I want to be able to customize my site so it doesn't look too much like every other artists' site out there.

2. Easy to navigate - the site has to be self explanatory and easy to access all the content.

3. Portfolio groupings - I like to be able to put my work into categories and be able to change the categories when I develop new bodies of work. I don't want to pay admin charges to say add a "Still Life" portfolio. This is especially important if you work in a couple media or "styles".

4. Content - I want to be able to put lots of content on my site, so if people want, they can spend a lot of time there and look around. So again, this means that on the admin side, I need to have the ability to add or subtract pages. This is also important if I want to do a special event or promotion. I also want the site to be able to grow with me. For instance, I'm planning on doing some videos next year and want to be able to post these easily on my site.

5. Capture emails of visitors - having a guest book is really important. If people have visited once, they are more likely to visit again and bookmark your page.

6. Make a statement about who you are as an artist. This sort of encompasses all of the above, but I think different kinds of artists and art need different kinds of websites.

What impact does my website have on my business??

1. First and foremost, my site gives me credibility. Almost every business these days, has a website. You need one, if you are in business. I have so many clients that see me at a show in the evening, go home, look me up on the web then come back the next day and make a purchase. They need the reassurance that I'm "somebody".

2. Galleries,designers and architects can view a breadth of work quickly. This is huge and has led to large projects.

3. Direct sales. I don't sell too much right off my site, but patrons familiar with my work, sometimes see new work posted and will contact me for sales. I try very hard to make sure that each piece has it's gallery location listed, so patrons know how to proceed in making a purchase.

4. Workshops - students can see my workshop listings and download supply lists right off my site. This is a great thing for potential students and students that have registered for a class.

5. My website works in conjunction with other online tools, like this blog, email newsletters, social networking, snail mail marketing, shows and events. It all ties together.

Basically, I can't overstate the importance of a good website. Having mine down for an entire week was a potential loss of art sales and workshop registrations. It was a source of anxiety for me, but fortunately I wasn't in the middle a a show or promotion!

Here are a couple new pieces that I just posted to my "working" website. These pieces were all done on Wallis Sanded Pastel Paper. The two with water both had a watercolor under-painting.

Foliolink Saga

2010-12-08T20:49:00.001-08:00

This post is a follow-up to my earlier post. Well, I was able to activate my site, with very little assistance from the Foliolink folks I might say. But now, I have to populate my whole site with all my images. This is such a tedious task. I won't be painting tomorrow after all. I'll be doing the work that they should have done for me, and so will my husband, Mike. He has a large presentation hitting the desk of a corporate client tomorrow. Yikes!! He has no choice but to manually populate his site :-((

Foliolink and the Lack of Customer Service

2010-12-08T17:28:00.000-08:00

So my website has been down since last Wednesday. They didn't notify us, we had to find out ourselves and then they were not transparent about just how severe and deep the problem ran. They promised to populate our sites with images which were all completely lost, by Tuesday, (yesterday) and have our sites live again. No go. They have apologized for the "inconvenience" this may have caused. They have not offered any kind of compensation or reduction in our fees for the time the sites have been down, nor do they seem to understand the potential loss of business. They say they are working 24/7 on this. We've made nice calls and sent understanding emails. We've made more pointed calls and sent some not so understanding emails. At this point, I have little confidence that they will actually get my site live again by the end of the week, much less with all my images intact. I'm considering jumping ship to another site manager, but keep hoping they will actually get it up and running. I'd need to invest so much time in moving to another site. Just unsure of how to proceed. I'm super frustrated!!!!!! I know there are many problems in the world much more pressing, but if little prayers can be answered, I'm praying for my website : ) Then maybe I can sleep at night again! Here's what you get when you go to my website now:

This website is undergoing repair. Please try back again later.

Back to painting tomorrow, website or not. I'm not going to let it get me. I've got several large pieces in the works that are starting to shape up pretty well. Also received some of my shopping spree pastels today from Terry Ludwig. Thanks, Terry!

Cookies & Website Blues

2010-12-05T20:52:00.000-08:00

Well, what do ya do on a weekend that your website is down and ya can't do a thing about it? Bake cookies, I guess!!! That's what I did. My foliolink site continues to be on the down low. Bummer!!! Just glad that I didn't have a studio show planed or an online event. I tried to get into the studio, but decided to bake instead. If I wasn't an artist, I'd be a baker. I love baking. Today I baked cookies with my mom, but I also love baking bread and things that rise. I love kneading and watching the dough rise. When you get that right, nothing is better, well almost nothing. Think good thoughts for the foliolink techs!!!

Website Woes

2010-12-03T17:54:00.000-08:00

My website is down. Foliolink had their server crash. Apparently they lost almost all the images of the artists/photographers that use their sites. Wow, what a nightmare!! Luckily I don't have a show or an article coming out, so it's not too, too bad. Please check back Tuesday or Wednesday. They said they would populate our sites with the images they recover by then. Right now it's just a "check back" message.

Makes you think though. We hosted our sites with a small company for about 15 years and never had this happen, then decided to go with someone bigger, thinking it might be more secure. Go figure. Now I'm thinking of posting images on a site like shutterbug, just to have a backup. Oh, the digital world!!

Cross your fingers for me.....Also, go Ducks!!

Careful, Thoughtful Mileage

2010-12-02T15:37:00.000-08:00

All my students know that I'm big on mileage. You have to paint a lot to be good at it as in most things in life. Yes, you can have a knack for it, but there's no real substitute for doing it. But putting in mileage doesn't have to mean that you dive in willy nilly and just put product down on a surface. And it doesn't mean that you paint just anything. I think that your mileage has to be very thoughtful and even careful at times. Being a really good painter means orchestrating your painting; having a focal point, directing your viewer there. This takes a combination of nuance and then hitting some passages hard and with authority. It means choosing your subject matter carefully, making sure it's something that enchants you. If it enchants you, likely your viewer will be too.

I'm working on a piece today that requires patience and nuance. This piece is all about the gesture of the trees and their relationship to one another, how they are dancing together. So a lot comes down to drawing. What is is front, what is behind, which branches are lost and found? How does the light dance between the trees? What are all the spaces between? I changed the shape of the tree trunks and the branches a bit from the reference to get the gesture that I wanted. There are several relationships going on here within the painting. The main tree shape,(lighter in value) and it's relationship to the background woods and then the darker branches reaching in from right side.

I feel like my work that is really good is the work that has both nuance and some guts. This is what makes painting endlessly interesting to me... This yin and yang. This could be said about just about any endeavor in life, I guess... Still working on this one. Like it, don't love it.

Finding the "Flow"

2010-11-30T18:15:00.000-08:00

What is that? What is the "flow"?? When you are no place but in the moment of creating?? And just how do you find it? Not just once in a while, but on a very regular basis. I had a friend ask me today what was it like. At the time, I don't think I gave an articulate answer. I don't think I'd rather be doing ANYTHING else than painting when I'm in that moment. I'm very hungry for these spaces and wish I could find them every day; two or three times a day if I could. I'm my most perfect self when I'm painting. They are moments of self discovery, humility, lucidity, pain, passion, wonder....

How do I get there? I put myself in a position to receive it as frequently as I can. I paint a lot. I stand there and try to make magic, but more often than not, I take what comes, hope it's good. I try receive it.

Here are a couple pieces that I think have a little magic....

So more on how I try to get to that space. I try to be an open slate. I step up to my easel with my experience and knowledge, but I try to be a open and sort of naive soul. Being a women helps with this!! I listen to music that I know will wash over me an not take my attention,(not too interesting), but will stir my being. I try very hard not to think about the laundry or the dishes, or that I need to pay that 38.00 dollar bill online. I try to put aside the machinations of my mind. Those things that I obsess about, like my health,(I do this), or my childrens' health. I keep my studio as warm as I want it, and try not to worry about the bill that's coming in December. Damn those rates. I need not to be physically uncomfortable. Then I let myself be moved by each drip of paint and each stroke of color as they are intoxicating. So I follow this....to find my flow.....I try to find this once or twice or three times a day. Some people pursue this. We are called artists. I'm glad to follow this........ Follow along?? Ha, Ha......

Bits and Pieces

2010-11-29T21:09:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd share a few tidbits from my holiday week, since I just got a few moments here and there to do art in between eating. We had Thanksgiving dinner three times. I was in the kitchen more than the studio, needless to say!

I did receive a couple of new art books from Amazon. I bought Richard Mckinleys' new book Pastel Pointers. It's such a terrific book! It's well organized and designed beautifully, but simply. The book has so much useful information; practical information for pastelists like how to organize your equipment for travel. It also has stunning examples of Richards work. This book is not a surprise, as I wouldn't expect less from Richard!

I also bought Mitchell Albalas' Landscape Painting. This is another great book with a wealth of information. I like that he's included several other artists' work in this book; artist such as Russel Chatam and Mark Bohne are included. I haven't read through it completely, but it's well written and a pleasure to look through.

I contacted Terry Ludwig and he gave his permission for me to post a couple of his color charts on my blog, so you can see what I'm planning on getting when I go shopping with my gift certificate.


Intensive Darks II


Warm Greens

The other great part of the holiday was selling the Variations online in my ebay store. I sold a total of six of them. It was great fun to do and a portion of sales will go to the Oregon Food Bank. This is a nice way to be able to give back during this season. Thank you to everyone who purchased!

Lastly I just wanted to let all my "followers" and "subscribers" know how very grateful I am for your thoughtful comments and for just reading and looking!

Inside My Studio

2010-11-23T16:46:00.000-08:00

Right now, my studio is in a fairly organized state. Come January, I'm sure it will be quite different.

My main easel has foam core board clipped to a rigid board that gives me a softer working surface for the pastels. I have a "trap" that runs the width of the easel to catch the pastel dust. This is lined with foil, so when it fills, I simply roll up the foil and dispose of the dust. I don't save it to make pastels with, although I might at some point. I have some old carpet remenants on the floor to save my pastels from breakage, should I drop any while working.

To my right is my palette which I have arranged by hue, value and intensity. This is how Richard Mckinley sets up his palette. I really love his method. Mine is not perfect and is always a work in progress. It needs constant maintenance. I try to keep this as organized and as clean as possible. Lately, I try to wipe them off and return all the pieces to their spots as I'm working or at least when I've completed a piece. I made the tray myself. It's lined with foam to help keep the pastels cleaner. I can set a lid on this tray and put my other glass palette on top when I'm not using the pastels. Slick!

Next to my easel is computer/monitor. This used to be my desktop computer before I got my laptop. The monitor is covered with a piece of acetate to help keep it clean and the keyboard has a skin on it. Still gets dusty. Underneath are essentials like barrier cream, tissues, gloves, scissors. Stuff I use all the time. The next shelf has printed photos that I'm working with or thinking of working with. The bottom shelf of this unit, has my sketchbooks and binders with more photo reference. Also a binder with many of my pieces. I keep this as handy reference in solving problems that may arise when I'm working. I try not to have to solve problems more than once, maybe twice!! Three times!

I pin work directly on the drywall of the walls. I have work that is finished and I want to see together with other pieces in order to build a body of work for a show. I put up unfinished work that I see a kernel of something in and sometimes just I just want to look at something.

Under the table to the left of the main easel, I have my plein air gear at the ready, just in case. Backpack, french easel and the large Heilman Box. Also a smaller box by Willow Wisp Farms that I take to life drawing.The pastels in the boxes are set up just like my studio palette. That way, when I go to paint outside, I'm super familiar with the palette.

The cart holds one of my glass oil palettes and oil paint. This cart works out great. I just roll it aside when I'm working in just pastel as I am right now. I love, love the view out the doors to my deck. Today it had a lovely dusting of snow and ice! The red stool, I've had since I was six years old!

My "office" is in a large walk-in closet. It's perfect because I can set my laptop in there without worrying about it getting pastel dust on it. I keep all my workshop paperwork, my back-stock of pastels, paper and show info in this space. I like it! I also have a desk upstairs in the house, but I don't use it as much. Like the closet!

Right behind the main easel is a second easel that I use for oil painting when things are really cranking and I need another space to work. I've considered other easels, but like the Sante Fe II just fine and they are reasonable in price. Then there's my space heater, which I was grateful for today since it was about 18 degrees this morning!

This is my private studio. It's only about 350 square feet. A lot happens in that space. I could move out into a larger space, but I feel really safe and comfortable in this room, so I stay. I also share an open space with Mike. It has a large room that I use for my studio workshops, a printing press, a room that houses fax, copier and banks of flat files and a separate framing/shipping room. Hope you enjoyed a little peak into my studio! Happy Thanksgiving!!

Dancing, Painting, Eating

2010-11-22T18:15:00.000-08:00

Just about the most perfect day. I went to my dance class, NIA in the morning despite the threat of icy roads. Wasn't bad at all. Dancing was fun and challenging. I can't get enough. Thanks, Kriszti!. Home and into a hot shower to shake off the cold drive home. Down into the studio next to my space heater.

I finished off one of the pieces I'd started Friday and started three more under-paintings. I'm totally on a binge of doing under-paintings!! Wendy, I'm doing one of those snow scenes 'cause I was so taken with yours. Hope you don't mind!!

I went upstairs to start dinner. Yummmm!! I made a Moroccan chicken with apricots and almonds. It's so delicious that it's the second time I've made it in a month. Not too difficult and is a one pan dinner. Pretty spicy and aromatic.

After I made dinner, back to the studio to start my night scene for my series. I like the mystery of this one.

The very best part of the day was the music... I'd spent some time over the weekend updating my playlists. I listened to J.J. Cale, Johnny Lee Hooker and a little Joe Cocker/You Can Leave Your Hat On..... The best.

I hope you all have exciting Thanksgiving plans ahead!!

Shopping for Pastels

2010-11-21T09:53:00.000-08:00

My painting "In the Studio" won the Ludwig Pastels Award at the Northwest Pastel Society 24th International Open Exhibition! This award came with a fabulous gift certificate for Terry Ludwig Pastels. I just can't wait to go shopping! I haven't decided whether to spend it all at once or parse it out over time. I'm for sure getting a set of the greys, some more darks a set of the warm greens as well. I'll still have some to spend after that, so I may wait until I'm there in April to teach a workshop and pick from open stock. Very fun!!

I also received a box of 100 Sennelier Pastels from the Pastel Society of America for Variation #6. They are so lovely in the box. I just hate to break it up to put them on my palette.These pastels are so soft, it is difficult to remove the wrappers and integrate them into my working set. Eventually this will happen, but for now I think I will relish the beauty of the full and pristine set! The colors are luscious.

Here's what juror/judge of the NWPS show Duane Wakeham said about my piece;

"Another example of solid accurate drawing presented in a painterly technique with wonderful soft turning edges. Deep rich intense colors that reappear in soft muted variations throughout the painting, including along the narrow band of the table top that runs the full width of the painting. And who can help but take delight in the way in which color is used and form is suggested in the depiction of the single paint tube. A wonderful statement about still life painting - objects that we associate the the category combined with the materials seen in front of shapes that might well be paintings."

I was sent his written comments along with my gift certificate. It was lovely to read his remarks. I was especially pleased about his mentioning the drawing. I wish I could have attended the reception for the show! I heard it was great, but so was the workshop at my studio. You can't be everywhere, I guess.

Bravery & Painting

2010-11-18T16:18:00.000-08:00

I have to say, that what I do for a living takes a certain amount of courage. Every day, I step up to a blank piece of paper or canvas and make something from nothing. Not for the faint of heart. So if you are someone that attempts to do this even as a hobby, pat yourself soundly on the back.

Yesterday, I'd done some work that I was very pleased with, so after dinner I went back into the studio and did three watercolor under-paintings, all of which I was pretty pleased with. So, I went to bed, pretty pleased with myself, thinking about how well I did and wasn't I so good. Ha, ha...

This morning, I didn't have a blank piece of paper, but what I did have were expectations of doing something good. Expectations can be dangerous things! I started in with the pastel on top of my favorite watercolor. It was just terrible! The pastel was heavy and garish. I wish I'd taken a photo of it. I hated it. Went upstairs, had lunch and pouted a bit. Had more coffee, pouted some more. Went back down and decided what to do. I don't do it very often. Most of the time when a piece isn't working, I will either set it aside or abandon it altogether in the round file. But, I really loved that under-painting and wanted it back, so I wiped and brushed and erased the pastel and got back to the watercolor. Tried again. Decided to go with a color idea closer to the reference and to take my time.

I'm glad I made this effort and now feel on more solid footing to move forward with the other under-paintings. This piece is on Wallis Museum and is 15x15. The reference was taken in Wisconsin. Sorry, the watercolor isn't on the correct white balance. The working piece is roughly cropped.

Makin a Little Sunshine

2010-11-17T17:12:00.000-08:00

I have to admit that it was a pretty gloomy day here in Portland today! The wind was blowing, it was wet and dark. I was planning on going to life drawing this afternoon, but opted to hunker down in my studio and make a bit of my own sunshine. Good thing too, 'cause my doc says I need the vitamin "D"!

Here's what I did and a couple of the reference photos I was using. The reference shots were taken in Wisconsin. Today, I was really working off the idea of the variations and inventing the color and mood of each scene rather than sticking faithfully to the reference. All three of these were done with a very loose abstract watercolor under-painting on Wallis Museum. I used a wide variety of brands of pastel. I like how these turned out. They have some atmosphere and some attitude. I was listening to Weezer, All American Rejects, and a little Mazzy Star.

Variations Poster

2010-11-11T14:52:00.000-08:00

Ok, today a little shameless self-promotion. A poster featuring sixteen of the Variations from my 100 Variation series is now available, signed if you like. It's 11wx19h. I'm offering them for just $10.00 and hope you'll enjoy it enough to want to sign up for a workshop! Just email me if you'd like one at mbaggetta@comcast.net. I think it turned out nicely.

30 Nights

2010-11-10T17:59:00.000-08:00

I started a new series of daily paintings. I'm doing a painting each night for 30 nights. Thirty nights will bring me to December 10th. A special night. Each piece will be 10x10 inches, just like my variation series. They can be any subject I want, but mostly focusing on the waning light which gets earlier and earlier this time of year. This is a fascinating phenomenon to me and brings with it so many visceral feelings. Lots to paint!!

I had a lovely email today from a women. She was kind and humorous. From two short emails, I could tell I would like her very much. In her email she mentioned my variation series and she said that she was amazed that I could do 100 good things when she felt she couldn't even do one. Well, in thirty days, I might get a couple nice things, but I know I will also get some losers. That's part of it. The idea for me is to have a "go to". Something that I can fall into each day that has structure and depth. That's it. The "good" comes from the doing of it.

Each of these pieces were done in less than 15 minutes. Just sketches. They are both straight pastel. The sky piece on Richerdson pastel board and the other on Wallis sanded pastel paper that I've toned with raw siena.

New Works Posted Yesterday

2010-11-09T07:41:00.000-08:00

One of you fabulous readers, and I mean that very sincerely, suggested I embellish yesterday's post with some details about the pieces I posted. Thanks. I always get a little nervous about what readers would want to hear from me; how much and what?? This post refers to yesterdays post of six pieces.

The first three pieces were all done on Wallis sanded pastel paper and each has a watercolor under-painting. They are all 15x15. These were all based on some photos I took while I was teaching in Fish Creek, WI in June. Everything was this stunning, soft emerald green. The woods were deep and secret. I love that!! I really want to paint from these for quite a while. It is a sensual place, with a special beauty. Each of these pieces has a good amount of layering of the pastel, especially in the foregrounds. I used many brands of pastel to get the layering I wanted, but relied heavily on Terry Ludwigs and Unison. The scratchy marks are made with Nupastels. These pieces took about half a day each to bring to the finish level as you see them. I may pluck them off my wall to make a few more moves, but I would say they are very, very close to being "done".

The last three are were all done on leaf green Colorfix paper by Art Spectrum. They are are all 11x11. They were also done from photos. I took the photos I based these on just the other day when we had one of our spectacular Oregon afternoons. My very wise and spontaneous husband, suggested a drive to one of our favorite parks with the camera. We went to a spot that I like to go and paint. The light was perfect. These three pieces are more sketch-like and were all done yesterday afternoon. Fast! Not a ton of layering and no under-painting. I also used Terry Ludwigs and Unison for these. There is one more piece like these that I didn't have the chance to post. I Finished too late. I'll try to get that one up too!

Today I will stay on this track by starting a larger piece similar to the first two. It will be a vertical piece that tries to capture the gesture of the tree shapes and the mystery of the woods. I also will be working on a large oil that is a commission. I'll start that by putting down some initial layers of bright, but thin color.

Happy Painting!!!

Battles Won & Lost

2010-11-08T16:17:00.000-08:00

Some days, painting is like breathing, you just do it and it comes. Some days it is a struggle and a constant battle the whole way. Then, there are those days in between. The paintings I like best are either the ones that paint themselves or the very hard fought ones. The other kind, usually go it the round file. They just don't have the same fire. Today was a good day. Battles won, battles lost. All good.

Plein air Rig

2010-11-01T16:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I spent some time organizing my plein air gear, thinking I won't be using it nearly as much now that fall is really setting in here in Oregon. I don't mind too much, as I really enjoy my time in the studio too. I like that hunkering down, nesting that inevitably happens.

Before I really put plein air aside for a bit, I worked on a photo of my pastel rig. I also have it posted as a PDF on my website on the workshops page. Here's the photo and a list of what usually bring. All the items fit in the backpack, so all I have to carry is the french easel and the pastel box. The foam core boards fit on the front of the easel, so I don't have to carry that either. Honestly, though, I don't hike in too, too far with this set-up. If I really want to go lean, I have a smaller box, made by Willow Wisp Farms that fits on a tripod, but I always miss my colors!!

full french easel w/ drawer fully extended to accommodate the pastel box
large Heilman pastel box with pastels organized by value/hue/intensity
backpack with the following items (4-27)
watercolor palette
small water container
bristle brushes
pencils
exacto knife
pencil sharpener
washcloth
paper towels
piece of plastic drop cloth
small sketch book
viewfinder
water to drink and for watercolors
3 bungie cords
small camera
phone
sunscreen
bug spray
tissues
hand warmers
gloves with fingers cut off
small spray containers of alcohol and water
small container of gamsol
ipod
tape
2 pieces of foam core with paper sandwiched between and glassine layers on top of each sheet of paper.

Maybe some of you will get to paint outdoors more than I will in the next couple months! Happy painting!!

Wine Country Retreat

2010-10-29T14:55:00.000-07:00

I was looking through my photos this morning and came across shots from the Wine Country Mentoring Retreat Wendy and I just did in Dundee, Oregon. We were fortunate with weather, our hostess was generous, students engaged and good cooks too! This year was a bit of an experiment. It was a very small group and we all roomed together and made meals together. Next year we'll open it up to a larger group with the option to stay at a B&B up the road a bit. We'll host a meet & greet and one dinner. After that, students will be on their own for meals. If students stay at the main retreat building, (Maresh), there is a beautiful full kitchen for our use.

The workshop itself will be a bit more formal in content and structure than we did this year. But critiques will still be in the evening with a glass of wine!! Very nice.

We've already booked the retreat for October 7-9, 2011. Sign up early!!

Drawing for Painting

2010-10-28T17:56:00.000-07:00

I went to a life drawing studio yesterday and spent a blissful three hours drawing. It really reminded me of the importance of drawing in painting. If you don't do too much drawing, maybe try to make a little time for it.

Some artists maintain that you don't really need to know how to draw in order to be a good painter. I really disagree with this. I think you can kind of get by depending on your style of painting, but your painting will be much more confident and strong, if you have a good drawing foundation.

The landscape has so much about it that is reminiscent of the figure. Rolling hills are like a human body; knowing how to show how one form meets another, what is in front and what is behind, what happens in those small spaces? Mark making to not just explain value, hue, intensity and texture, but also to describe the topography of the landscape. This is all about drawing. HUGE!!!

So what can a painter do to strengthen their drawing skills. Well, though it's really been said so much, keeping a sketch book is key. I keep two kinds of sketch books; one is just thumbnails which I create from photos, imagination, and on site while plein air painting, the other sketchbook is life sketches of people and places. I also attempt to sketch from the TV occasionally. It's really hard!!

I also try to keep my life drawing skills sharp by going to drop-in sessions in a couple local studios. This is hard, but really rewarding work. If you can draw the figure, you can draw anything. The demands of the foreshortened figure challenge your perception, forcing you to get proportion and perspective correct. Architecture becomes simple if you can master the figure.

Here are a few of my favorite books on drawing:

Dynamic Figure Drawing by Burne Hogarth

Drawing the Human Head by Burne Hogarth

Drawing the Head and Figure by Jack Hamm

A Foundation for Expressive Drawing by E.J. Tomasch (out of print)

Creative Illustration by Andrew Loomis (out of print)

The model, Chris, was pretty hard to draw because he was really thin, yet muscular. I had a hard time getting his gesture down, but liked the drawings better today than when I did them yesterday. These were done at Hipbone Studio in Portland. Jeff offers lots of opportunities for drop-in sessions. He has some long term pose sessions too. It's a nice studio, well lite, clean and comfortable. Only $10.00 for three hours of drawing. A pretty good deal, I think. I brought my small pastel box with me and did one drawing on Wallis paper that I toned with yellow ochre and one on Colorfix paper. Happy drawing and painting!!

Seduced

2010-10-24T19:54:00.000-07:00

All day, I've been trying to work on my website and organize my office, but alas.... I've been seduced by the color, texture and loveliness of my pastels.. Just painting.....Hope you are too!!!

Finding A Groove

2010-10-22T11:12:00.000-07:00

So, now I'm back in the studio for a good long stretch. I have blank walls, blank sheets of beautiful paper and empty canvas to delve into. How to start and not just start, but start with purpose and intention. I have pages and pages of thumbnails for ideas,(more on those later!), and beautiful photos of all the verdant and magical places I had the good fortune to visit this year.

So now I'll try to pull these ideas together to create several bodies of work, that will be the foundation for my shows next year.

I have a white board at the entry to my painting studio that helps keep me on track. Having intention being the phrase that I always go back to. A teacher of mine, Britt, asked recently what we are truly longing for? Searching for the answer to this goes hand in hand with having intention.

And then, "Did you kill it today", meaning did I go full out towards that intention/longing?? Did I give it my all?? This will be a challenge of almost monumental proportions, ha, ha!! Especially with the holidays coming up. We will see and I'll try to share my progress with you.

Gee Wiz!!! Lots of Prizes!!

2010-10-20T14:46:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a pretty good month or so.... I won the Savoire Faire award at the Pastel Society of America for my Variation #6, I received an honorable mention for "In the Studio" in the Pastel Journal, Pastel 100 still life catagory and I received third place in the IAPS web show for my piece "Green & Blue". WOW!!! Don't mean to gloat or anything like that.... Thanks for all this support and validation. It truly is tremendous!!!

Time for Teaching and Time for Painting

2010-10-06T17:34:00.000-07:00

I've always maintained that I want to be a painter, not a painting teacher. I think this comes from my distaste for that saying that those who can "do" and those who can't "teach". I don't think this is always true and probably not a fair statement because I've been very fortunate to have had more than a few instructors who "could". Lately, however, I've found myself in the position of having to make some hard choices about my time. I love, love teaching. It's social and makes me walk my talk and informs my work in unexpected ways.

I've traveled away from my studio and home this year and seen some beautiful amazing places, met some very wonderful people and had my breath taken away by student work. Not a bad way to spend ones times. I feel so fortunate to be able to help students either rekindle a creative inclination or expand on their already burning desire to be creatively productive. It's been wonderful in ways I can't begin to count.

After this week teaching in Bend, Oregon, I'll settle back in the studio for a bit and hopefully get my own creative juices flowing. I have many ideas for new work. I'm especially inspired by the scenery in Wisconsin. The verdant woods and open fields, seem like a perfect playground for my work. I'm anxious to try out some oil pastel as well as oils and soft pastel.

So, I'll put my 2011 schedule together thoughtfully and mindful of what my intentions are. Teaching will be an important part of the mix.

Painting vs. Producing

2010-08-30T16:29:00.000-07:00

This is the time of year I can't wait for. I've almost completed my schedule of shows and festivals. I have a few teaching commitments, but that's more fun than work. So, shortly I will be able to settle into the studio for an extended period and paint. I won't feel like I have to "produce" anything in particular, so I will have space in both my mind and in the studio to experiment a little and play. I'll take some of the year's work and carry it forward into next. Some, I'll leave behind. It will be a time for letting the good stuff percolate to the top and inform past working methods.

Moving into this period of the year, I want to have a bit of a plan in mind for what I want to accomplish over the fall and winter months in the studio, so it's a good time to start accumulating ideas. I don't really lack for the ideas, just the time to put them into play. It's more a problem of organizing my butterflies.

I know for sure that I will be playing a lot more with mixed media. I also want to try some oil pastels which is something I haven't really delved into at all. I also want to make sure that I find another daily painting composition, so I can experience anew what I did with my 100 variation series. This time it might be in oil at least as a base.

I'm also wanting to include more man-made structures in new works. I think they add another layer and an intrigue to pieces. I'd also love to do some more still life. Fall and winter is a good time to think about that.

I've posted a piece which I sold at Art in the High Desert this weekend to lovely repeat client. Thanks, Barbara. Enjoy!!

Understanding Blue

Giving Paintings a Title

2010-08-24T12:03:00.000-07:00

I used to think giving pieces a title was a waste of time and pretty excruciating at that. I've since come around. Now it's an important part of finishing a piece. It gives a piece more presence and sometimes more meaning both to me, viewers and hopefully, ultimately the buyer.

I came around after I'd had a couple experiences with the titles. The first was at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival in Denver, CO. A man and his daughter came into my booth and clearly were taken by a particular piece. At that time, I didn't have the titles on the tags, just pricing and media. The titles were on the backs of the paintings only, because as I said, I didn't give much weight to the whole idea. Well, this gentleman asked me if I would hold the piece until the end of the day. He said he definitely wanted it, but didn't have the time at the moment to complete the purchase. I was a bit reluctant, but believed him to be sincere, so I held it. Sure enough, at the end of the day he returned with his daughter. He thanked me for holding it and went on to explain that it had been a trying day. His mother was in the hospital and was dying. I asked him why he had made the effort to return for the painting on such a day and he responded by telling me how much comfort and peace my painting would give him and his family. I was very moved and touched by this reaction to my work. I began to wrap the piece up and start the paper work for the sale and then noticed the title of the painting; "A Tender Day". Need I say more?

The next experience was at Art in the Pearl in Portland. By then I was putting the titles on the tags. I had a piece entitled "A Second Chance". Well, an attractive women about my age loved it and explained that part of the draw of the piece was the title. She had just gone through a nasty divorce and was putting her life back together. This would be her first art purchase as a newly single women and it would give her strength. Wow!

So, now I view naming pieces with a lot more respect and understand that the titles can be a very meaningful part of each piece. The titles make them complete, and finished. One of the things I do to help me come up with appropriate and evocative titles is to keep word lists. When I'm reading and come across words that I think will connect with my work, I jot them down in the back of my inventory book, which is where I first give each piece it's name. I try to connect the words with the place or the feelings I had while creating the works. Sometimes I'll mine song titles to help with ideas because they are usually not your every day kind of words and lots of times they contain words that connect with the visual world really well.

The Distance of Purple

I've come to enjoy this part of making paintings and work on it quite a bit, so that the title is a part of the piece, not just an afterthought.

Recovering From Menucha!

2010-08-19T07:37:00.000-07:00

I spent a whole glorious week teaching plein air pastels in the Columbia Gorge of Oregon. It was pretty hot and the property was over a hundred acres. I had thirteen wonderful students to keep up with. It was so much fun. My friend Molly was also teaching there, so it was especially good to be there. During the week, I had my group really focus on the preparation and planning of their pieces. We did lots of value and color thumbnails. This was difficult for some at first, but before long, I had them hooked.

I very much enjoyed all my students and secretly wished for one more day since by the end, they were really turning out some wonderful stuff. When I returned home, I realized that probably wouldn't have been a great idea. I was wiped!!

Now I turn my energies to Art in the High Desert,( Bend, OR, Aug. 27-29)and Art in the Pearl,(Portland, OR, Sept.4-6). Bend is a wonderful venue for an outdoor festival and Art in the Pearl is such an appreciative crowd, so both will be fun.

Painting and Pastels by Marla Baggetta

Leaving Things Behind

A Couple Things Before I Hit the Road!

Camping on Steroids!

The Power of 50

Trees/Skies/Water Workshop

Music to Paint By

Many Tasks

New Pastels and Potato Leek Soup!

Sneak Peek of Collaborative Works

Details, Details - Framing

Feeding, Nourishing, Trusting

Dancing, Painting, Watching and Asking

Toning Wallis Paper

“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.”

I've Just Decided to Be Happy

Pulling It In Close

What's in a Name??

Embracing Duality

Something Awful Happened!!

Being Kind to Yourself

What Andrew Taught Me

What Am I Not Working On???

Today's Work

Avoiding A Method

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Marketing & Social Media for Painters

Drawing Studies

How to Start

Wine Counrty Demo Slideshow

30 in 30, Fish Creek, WI

Playing With Warm & Cool

Cleaning Pastels and Walmart!!!

Cheap Materials

Video & Promotion

The Last Night... today's work

The Figure and Time

Being a Great Workshop Participant

Nebraska Workshop and Recharging

Maui!!

Back From Menucha!

More Figures

Mind/Body Connection

Pastels of Smith Bybee

Pastel Landscape Variation Demo

Alternative Shipping Method for Pastels

Workshops, Figures, Summer

Loading Day/Father's Day!

Reverse Cinderella

Dakota Art Workshops

Pastels and Mileage

Reserving Judgement

Nicodemus

Objects and Life

Taking My Own Advice

30 Minutes, 30 Days, 30 Objects, 30 People

Sunshine, Near & Far

Delving In/keeping Off The Edges

Expanding

Varsity Basketball and Art

Selling: Getting Ready

A Strong Finish!

Inventory Page

The Price and the Value of Artwork

Cultivating Change

New York, NY

Sweetness and a Red Stool

Thumbnails & Studio Habits

Finding My Diva

Seeds to Plant

Winter Without White

Website Restored!!

Foliolink Saga

Foliolink and the Lack of Customer Service

Cookies & Website Blues

Website Woes

Careful, Thoughtful Mileage

Finding the "Flow"

Bits and Pieces

Inside My Studio

“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.”