The season is certainly proving to be an interesting one for observing change.  The mild weather, with a few bouts of snow, has created a situation in which the view of the pond changes daily.  This painting is done from a photo taken January 17th.  Here is what I wrote about that day:

1-17-12

I took an extended walk today. We had a few more inches of snow this morning, putting a fresh blanket over the park. Despite the snow, the temperature was agreeable. Again I was memorized by the quiet, desolate feeling just after a snow storm. However, I was not completely alone. There was a set of recent tracks, one dog and one human (I am guessing female by the shoe size). I found myself following the tracks inadvertently for most of my walk. I studied the straight pacing of the human in contrast to the meandering path of a dog. Tracks became one of the themes of this walk. I also observed squirrel tracks darting from tree to tree. Finally, later in the walk, I came across a set of human tracks that were oddly positioned. It was as if the person were incredibly pigeon toed. The feet faced away from each other to a great degree and the spacing indicated large wide steps. I tried mimicking this pattern for a while in my own tracks. I could in fact imitate them but found it curious why they existed in the first place. It certainly was not a comfortable way to walk.

By taking a longer walk today I had time to notice other minute details. For example, I was enchanted by the crackling music of ice and snow in the tree branches when a wind whipped through. The was almost a melody to it. Also, when the winds picked up I saw whirlwinds of snow lift of the ground and dance. There was a magical animation today, or maybe I am just in a fantastical mood. And yes, there was the pond, there as always. I feel like I am really just beginning to know it. The same is true for my paintings.

In regards to the pond paintings, I feel the past month is all that really counts. I imagine I will feel the same way two months from now about the paintings I am to make. In any case I feel like I have a long ways to go in achieving what I mean to achieve. I still sense that there is something I am not seeing or doing, a limitation I am placing on myself that is stifling this project. I can only hope that through repeatability and introspection I can resolve it.

I have not written anything recently, well nothing I have shared anyway.  It has been a busy couple of weeks.  I have some classes running, a new commission project, and two shows coming up.  Also, the Pond Project continues on, though I am a bit behind.  I have been self employed for 2.5 months and things are going more smoothly than I expected.  I enjoy the new challenges a full time artist life presents.

Last week was Milwaukee’s Gallery Night and Day. I held an Open Studio for Gallery night.  A snow storm is to blame for a slower evening, but still not too bad.  I appreciate those who made it out, and for those that could not I totally understand.  It was ugly out!  On Gallery Day I took some time to hop around downtown.  I was able to check out the Marshall Building, Tory Folliard Gallery, and the DeLind Gallery (I have two pieces on display at the DeLind Gallery right now for Winter, a group show).  During my gallery hopping I was really drawn to Jeff Darrow’s small oil paintings, on display at the Elaine Erickson Gallery.  There was lots of good stuff to see throughout the city.  I wish I could have made it to more shows.

Photo Credit: Anthony Sell

Journal excerpt 12/26/11

Image: Pond Study 18, pastel on paper, 7″ x 11″

The holidays have come and gone, but yet we wait for a significant snowfall. What dusting was received last week is now long gone. The pond has become bare and boring. I find myself waiting for something to happen- anything. The browns, grays, and dirty blues of this quiet winter are now mundane to me. A brilliant white snowfall would surely make the scene come alive again. So I have resorted to seeking out new visions.

The most obvious solution was to paint the park at night. I will confess upfront that I used a bit of photo trickery for this one. I took a nighttime picture, which as you would expect was pretty colorless. I took this picture a few weeks ago, and have already written about the quiet cold and silence of the evening. Now I will reflect on the art making process I undertook. Using Photoshop, I exaggerated the saturation and contrast a bit until the underlying blues and yellows of darkness revealed themselves. The streetlights made the sky glow softly yellow, and the silhouettes of trees become deep pthalos of blue and green. Sticking with this somewhat limited palette, I rendered the image twice. First in pastel and then in oil. I allowed myself a bit more color diversity in the pastel, pulling purples and reds out of the blackness. With the oil painting, as with most of them, the colors simplify. This is in part due to the size of the mark (a large painting knife edge) and to the process of mixing. I am aware of the ways in which medium contribute to the result and I find it informative to use both mediums in approaching an image. I have been exercising this processes for most of my works lately. The pastel drawings become a preliminary color study, though stand alone as works themselves. I wonder what if anything would change if I did the oil painting first and the pastel second? In any case, as I wait for snow I think I will attempt to capture more of the dramatic moments. I feel a little dirty about using Photoshop, but do not think I am sacrificing the intention. I want to make interesting paintings, and sometimes the truth of an image is boring. The artist’s job is to walk the line between adding interest while maintaining a connection to actual experience that is real enough for people to still care. I suppose novelists walk this same line in many ways.

This most resent piece is based on a photo of the Humboldt Park lily pond taken about a month ago.  This was actually the second time I painted from this photo.  This piece began as a demonstration piece for my intro to oil painting class.  The painting is larger (11″ x 14″).  Also, you will notice that the technique is slightly different.  I used a brush!  I have been using only painting knives in my other pieces, but since this was a painting demonstration I incorporated brushwork,  Going forward I would like to incorporate brushwork a little more into my Chromascape pieces.  While I would like to remain primarily a knife painter, I see no reason not to use a brush for contrast of mark, detail, or finishing touches.  I had a lot of fun with this painting and am happy with the way it turned out!

This is a drawing, a chalk pastel, and an oil painting done over the last two weeks.  All reference the same photo    The original photo was taken a few months ago, obviously before fall was in full swing.    The image is titled The Yellow Line after the thick band of sunlight that breaks free of the treeline and runs at an angle across the picture plane.  To me the sunlight is the focal point of this image.  I have drawn and painted this image several times, here are just three examples.  As with the pond series, there is a benefit to focusing on one image or scene for an extended period of time.  This allows the painting process to become more sophisticated and refined with each attempt.  This is also of course why artist do studies to be more familiar with the subject.  However, I have never been comfortable with the word study and consider each of these to be individual works of art.

Yes, I do commissions.  If you are interested in having your favorite picture or scene captured as one of my paintings please contact me. Perhaps you are interested in a landscape but are just not seeing the colors you want in my inventory.  Or you would like a portrait done of a friend or family member.  Below is some simple pricing, but all prices are negotiable based on your specific needs.   All commissions require a 50% deposit of the agreed upon final fee.  This deposit is non refundable.  However I will work on sketches and concepts until you are fully satisfied.   I will email you progress photos every step of the way.  Balance is due when the piece is completed to your liking.  Please note that pricing does not include frame.  I would be happy to help you select a frame that works for your piece!

Watercolor, Pastel,or Graphite on paper:

5″ x 7″   $100

7″ x 11″  $200

11″ x 14″  $300

18″ x 24″ $500

Oil or Acrylic on canvas or panel:

5″ x 7″   $250

7″ x 11″   $350

11″ x 14″  $500

18″ x 24″ $800

Today I did number 14 in  my Pond Study Series.  You can see the dulling of colors, which is a departure from my usual palette.  The lone willow tree just right of the center is holding onto its foliage, as is the adjacent pine.  The other side of the pond grows more and more bare.  Strangely, the sky seems perpetually grayer than usual.  I purposefully limited my palette in composing this painting.  I used only ultramarine blue, cadmium yellow, burnt umber, and titanium white.  I think this limitation forced me to stay within a certain range of tone throughout the piece.  I want to continue with this practice in having painting related goals for future pond studies.  I continue to learn not only about observation of a subject matter but also about paint manipulation.  I am allowed risks and experiments through the repetition.  I would suggest this kind of project for any artist.  This should be done periodically through any artists career as an opportunity for growth and discovery.  For future pond study pieces I will limit palette, mark making, and time of execution.  It is a strange feeling, that I am somehow becoming connected to this scene.  I am seeing my own personal transformations through the land’s seasonal phases.

Special thanks to my sweet husband, Ben Lloyd, for all his support!

I am currently reading Annie Dillard’s Pilgrim at Tinker Creek.  It is an interesting choice for me.  Dillard describes seasons and experiences visiting a local creek.  She eloquently writes about birds, insects, plants, and the endless drama of wildlife.  Through this lens she writes a beautiful account of existence.  The work is poetic and artful in and of itself.  Through this lens of experience she tackles science, philosophy, and theology.  I certainly find myself disagreeing with her often, especially in matters of theology.  However, her investigation is worth the journey.  The attempt to analyze and question the universe through everyday experience is a noble one, and perhaps I feel it parallels my own journey.

In a particular passage, Dillard is asking why it is beautiful.  She writes, “Beauty is something objectively performed.   Beauty itself is a language to which we have no key.  It is the mute cipher.”

I could argue quiet the opposite that beauty it completely internal, something that psychologists and behaviorist- even human evolutionists- have the charge to solve.  I would argue that if there is a key it is in our brains.  None the less, it is an interesting discussion and Dillard’s work gives me the opportunity to enter the dialogue.  She asks the questions.