Dec 31 - End of a Really Interesting Year

One of the most enjoyable things about getting to the end of a year is looking back over the events and choices I've made during the past twelve months and either laughing or crying over the results.  Call it a place to evaluate and a place to assess one's choices, it really IS a place for reflection and organization, prior to moving forward.  So it is now on this evening of the last day of 2010.

I've started a 9 x 12 acrylic of the SAME view I did a year ago, and share with you the lay-in of the large abstract structure as I plan out the lights and darks of this acrylic exercise.  I'm so impressed by the skylines of tracery tree twigs and will be doing my best to interpret those in this landscape, photographed prior to the huge snowfall.

With a couple of glasses of wine in me tonight, and company waiting downstairs, there won't be any more painting tonight.  I raise my glass in your direction instead (white merlot--a lovely blush wine) with wishes for your peace and happiness in 2011.  I plan on a few more glasses before the night is over and the new year is upon me.  Lots of laughter coming up the stairs from family and friends below, and I will join them shortly.

I went into New York City today to photograph "Diva", the installed glass from the last project finished by WoodJanssen, my friend Ron Wood's architectural art glass.  It is stunning in the lobby of 2 Lincoln Square, right across from the famous Lincoln Center, here in New York City.  It is totally impossible to show you how beautiful this installed art glass is through photography. I was completely frustrated in trying to get the colors and beauty of this art glass installation on camera!  This one will have to do... amAZING to see it in person....

And to finish out this evening's email, I thought I'd enclose an image of my nephew's home here in New Jersey, bathed in the incredible evening glow that happens with such impunity here in these northern latitudes.  Walking the dogs tonight gives me gifts beyond compare.  May your visual gifts be so easily recognizable now and in 2011. I am so grateful for all the good fortune I have been enjoying for this past year, your friendship and contact, and the joy of knowing you value these emails.

The newest DVD on the Color System is HERE
You can see my entire blog HERE.
My workshop schedule for 2011 is HERE.
Color System information can be found HERE.
If you need to email me directly, please click here.

Dec 29 - Doing the Right Thing

 Sometimes it's hard to find a gift of value to present to those we care about.  Gifts of value to ourselves, as in "worthy" to give.  What I have to offer people is not measured in monetary value, since I don't make a habit of shopping at Nordstrom's.  And sometimes there is not anything I can do or say to someone who has experienced a profound change in their life.  So it is with my nephew's wife.  She lost her mother last July, and most of you know I also lost mine during the daily paintings.  (April 4-6, 2006 in the archives). 

Knowing I was coming to New Jersey to visit, and on a more limited budget without the material gifts of the holiday, I brought my paints and my ability and a plan.  On Christmas Eve, when everyone else was in the Land of Nod, I painted this 12 x 9 acrylic image of Anne Agnew from a black and white image provided by her granddaughter.   She received it on Christmas day, and her father paid me the highest compliment by saying it was as if she was with them in the room.

Sometimes the gift must always move forward.  Enough said.

On another note, I thought you'd enjoy seeing where the three terriers spend "the rest of the story" whilst not out in the three-times-my-height snow.

Gotta love the opportunistic pups, zonked and conked out!

The newest DVD on the Color System is HERE
You can see my entire blog HERE.
My workshop schedule for 2010 is HERE.
Color System information can be found HERE.
If you need to email me directly, please click here.

Dec 28 - Skiing and the Rest of the Story

The carousel horse presented to you in his finished state, with over two-thirds of the canvas covered in fabric swatches.  I love the freshness of this way of working, adn when I return to California, I am going to "paint" more of these.  I include a detail image of the poll and mane to show you how the fabrics lend themselves to becoming the bridle on the horse.

The whole purpose in creating these fun pieces is to give the viewer some great times figuring out what is painted, and what is printed or woven.  Can you tell?

Other news... What a GREAT day skiing today!  You can see a new link to the movie coming down this east coast ski slope here.  This was a blue diamond run--I did the black runs but needed all my attention while going there.  Maybe next time I can hold the iTouch AND ski!

The small image is the view from the top of the top lift at Camelback Mountain.  Beautiful weather and not too many people!  Such fun driving with my 14 and 16-year old gran-nephew and niece and their mother up and back--not far, and the roads were clear and dry, contrary to the news from NYC boroughs being not so good--roads there are still not plowed. 

And since I figured out how to make this work, I thought I'd share the video of Camelback skiing.  From coast to coast this year, snow in California and Pennsylvania!



The newest DVD on the Color System is HERE
You can see my entire blog HERE.
My workshop schedule for 2010 is HERE.
Color System information can be found HERE.
If you need to email me directly, please click here.

Dec 27 - Three Feet and Shoveling

 The carousel horse is continuing with more paint and fabric swatches covering the background.  I love the surprises that happen when I pick a swatch for one reason, put it down, and then realize there was more going on than I anticipated.  Look behind the pole to see the floral patterned dark blue creating a texture of colors I wouldn't/couldn't think to paint in there.  Enhancements like that are an added gift to the process.

Again, the process is to cut fabric and using the matte medium (or gloss, or the gels from Golden or Liquitex), to paint the canvas with a healthy amount.  Then stick the fabric down and paint over it with paint-stained medium or  leave it to dry clear.

And wow, the word blizzard has been revitalized in my vocabulary again.  It SNOWED last night!  Oh yeah!  The first image is me in the back yard, surrounded by anxious small dogs while I shovel down to some grass for them.  My left hand is showing you just how DEEP the show actually is.  Why am I shoveling in the back yard? I'm making a pot-spot for those short-legged pups to go. They showed no interest in chasing anything into the wall of snow three times their height.  I shoveled around the house to the front, with the trio of bark-barks following me.  I told 'em, "We're the Donner Party and no worries, we'll make it to the front without eating anyone." 

Last night at midnight I took the trio out before bed, and Sparky, being an inexperienced California dog, rushes down the front steps, off the last one and... disappears!!  A  black nose poking up out of the snow is all we saw.  He couldn't even touch the ground, and floundered and swam back to the steps.  Learning experience.

This morning I helped my nephew and his son clear the driveway so eventually a car can go out.  Sparky is below my feet, now clear on the concept of firm ground, but still not happy about cold and wet. 

Hope you're all staying warm and dry.

The newest DVD on the Color System is HERE
You can see my entire blog HERE.
My workshop schedule for 2011 is HERE.
Color System information can be found HERE.
If you need to email me directly, please click here.

Dec 26 - Let it Snow! Blizzard and Fabricritter!

The blizzard of New Jersey is blowing great gobs of light snow, thickly layering the wonderful neighborhood of Ridgewood.   I have enjoyed the beauty and cold weather of this trip, taking the three dogs out for "walkies" before the storm moved in.  It's amazing how it has changed completely from the image of the creek (below) on my morning walk to the early evening image further down.  With three dogs behind me waiting, expectations of me shoveling a place for the them to get out and do their "thing" this evening, it was quite a difference.  It is still coming down, and my last shoveling moved over a foot of snow off the patio.  I just looked and all that was for naught, as the cleared place for short legs has completely been obliterated.

I love snow.  Always have.  Since I don't have the regular schedule of working five days a week, I can enjoy it for what it is, and even get out and DO stuff in it with my good health.

Now let's look at the Carousel Horse.  I've started to add the fabric swatches, choosing values and colors to fill the spaces behind the central horse.  I've used matt medium (acrylic "glue") to hold down the fabric, and it works GREAT!  It's a lot like making a crazy quilt, but without all the stitching.

Where did these fabrics come from?  My aunt was a quilter, and when she passed, she left a 16 x 20 room with floor to ceiling bolts of cotton quilting cloth.  Amazing.  I took what I loved, and then added a lot of upholstery fabric swatches to the supplies.  I still have several boxes of fabric swatches and "fat quarters" from my aunt's inventory.

Brrr... stay warm!!

The newest DVD on the Color System is HERE.
You can see my entire blog HERE.
My workshop schedule for 2011 is HERE.
Color System information can be found HERE.
If you need to email me directly, please click here.