Steps-Built to last

Steps-Ancient Steps

When this prompt came to me, I thought I would be illustrating process; taking certain steps toward a goal, perhaps. I didn't really think I would render so literally. I have found, though, an interest in these stone steps that I've been drawing. They hold mystery and stories. Steps always lead somewhere. Even ancient, abandoned steps, when climbed will give you a new perspective.

Steps-Made of stone 2

Steps-Made of stone

Soft pastel on textured paper

Nest-Same window, different day

Nest-View from my nest at dusk

Nest-A Bird's Eye View From Inside

Nest-Breaking Out

Nest-Examples

Details-The calendar says it's spring

Details-Imagine

I painted this background and sat back to watch how it changed as it dried. I want to add details, but I'm still waiting on them to appear.

Details-Minimal

Sat down to doodle with watercolor. Started with the background - just enjoying the colors moving around with the water. This really looks more interesting online than it is. But it was relaxing.

Details-Too many

Sometimes the day seems too full of details. When making marks on paper as self-expression, these feelings may play out as scribbles, sweeping strokes, coloring in, or other simple, soothing methods. Using oil pastels, like crayons, feels primal and satisfying. Doing this picture was transforming.

Details-A process

I painted a background with watercolor on paper. Let it dry. Then I saw some shapes emerge and followed my impulse and painted what I saw. I also used oil pastels to contrast the details.

Details- Itsy bitsy sushi

Details-Enlargement

Impulse - Tangerines

Our structure today, in mindfulness class had to do with impulse. I did a number of pieces but didn't finish this one except for making a background. I had an impulse after dinner to continue by painting the bowl of tangerines.

Playtime

Applied labels and stickers to cardboard

Applied ink

Peeled off all the stickers

Applied oil pastel and scratched it with
the brush handle.

The Blues

The blues in this piece refers to my mood. Have been feeling somewhat stuck this week. I decided to play around with some stickers and tape. I applied various shapes to the paper. Then I did a wash with Chinese ink. I then removed the maskings and used watercolor to fill in the white areas. I did some imprinting with paper towel for more texture.

Ink and watercolor

The Blues

Watercolor and oil pastel

Metamorphosis-Spring

"After the first three months of treatment, there was a shift. New medicine, and the first signs of spring, changed my perspective."- from The Artful Warrior 

Metamorphosis-Sugar Blues

Metamorphosis in Blue-Blue Moon

Boundary-Drawing from life

Drawing from life or a photo requires using different muscles than when I draw something abstract. There's a constant tension to looking back and forth from the subject to the paper, and the coordination between eye and hand. I'm always assessing the spaces between the lines as well as the shapes and the tones.

Boundary-enough with this weather already!

Boundary-Staying within the lines

Folding paper into compartments to be colored in feels very mindless and soothing. Just what I need today. Looking to transform feeling yucky.

Boundary-Saying 'No'

Boundary/barrier

barrier /boundary

Gratitude-A lovely story

There is a story -- probably urban legend, but full of truth nonetheless -- concerning the famous violinist Itzhak Perlman. One evening, Perlman was in New York to give a concert. As a child he had been stricken with polio and so getting on stage is no small feat for him. He wears braces on both legs and walks with two crutches. Perlman labors across the stage slowly, until he reaches the chair in which he seats himself to play.

As soon as he appeared on stage that night, the audience applauded and then waited respectfully as he made his way slowly across the stage to his chair. He took his seat, signaled to the conductor to begin, and began to play.

No sooner had he finished the first few bars than one of the strings on his violin snapped with a report like gunshot. At that point Perlman was close enough to the beginning of the piece that it would have been reasonable to have brought the concert to a halt while he replaced the string, to begin again. But that's not what he did. He waited a moment and then signaled the conductor to pick up just where they had left off.

Perlman now had only three strings with which to play his soloist part. He was able to find some of the missing notes on adjoining strings, but where that wasn't possible, he had to rearrange the music on the spot in his head so that it all still held together.

He played with passion and artistry, spontaneously rearranging the symphony right through to the end. When he finally rested his bow, the audience sat for a moment in stunned silence. And then they rose to their feet and cheered wildly. They knew they had been witness to an extraordinary display of human skill and ingenuity.

Perlman raised his bow to signal for quiet. "You know," he said, "it is the artist's task to make beautiful music with what you have left."

We have to wonder, was he speaking of his violin strings or his crippled body? And is it true only for artists? We are all lacking something and so we are challenged to answer the question: Do we have the attitude of making something of beauty out of what we have, incomplete as it may be?

Gratitude-Process-Thanks Deb

I'm very grateful for our Mindfulness Group led by friend and teacher, Deb.
I've learned much about 'process art'; marks on paper as inquiry, exploring options and experimentation. I've adopted these practices for much of my work outside of class as well. Here's a recent sample.

I arranged strips of tape on paper, 

painted the page with watercolor, then  removed the tape.

Filled in the white spaces with w/c and oil pastel layers.

Added and scraped away more oil pastel.

Gratitude-It's just a cold...

Watercolor and oil pastel

Gratitude

Exciting-Softness

In our group this week, Deb's prompt was 'softness'. I enjoyed exploring this word/concept.

Exciting-Part of the Process

I really wanted to paint something the minute I came home this afternoon. When I entered the studio, however, I was greeted by wreckage from the week. I realized I had to tidy first so I took all the stuff within arm's reach and tossed it in a pile to sort. Then I reprioritized my stuff and made new places for it. Some of it went to the trash. I feel so good, and I know I'll really feel good when I reach for something and it's there.

During

After

After

Exciting-In Living Color

It's so black, white and gray outside. I wanted to play with some color to give me a lift.
This is new paper especially for acylic paint. It's 256 lb. and it has a very coarse texture to hold the paint. I tore pieces of tape and did a design on the paper. The I painted the background with black Chinese ink. I removed the tape, painted the white places with Golden Liquid Acrylics then layered oil pastels. Sometimes I scratched thru several layers with a brush handle. Fun.

Acrylic, ink and oil pastel

Exciting-Lebanese Rice Dish

One of the few things I miss about living in New York is the amazing array of wonderful ethnic foods. You could get any kind of take out, or buy the ingredients to cook it yourself. There was a Lebanese butcher across the street who also sold prepared foods. It was one of our favorite places. They made a  dish called moudadara. I've been having a hankering for it, so today I made some. It's basically lentils, rice and sautéed onions.  I'm very excited! It's delish!

Moudadara

Exciting-great news!

Since 2009 I got tests and saw an oncologist or surgeon every 3 months, locally and in Boston.
My latest blood work and cat scan were good and for the first time, my doctor in Boston told me I don't have to make the trip out to see her. Yay!

I'm so excited!

Excitement-Drawing Life

My Millie