Day 10 - A day in the life.

 So, something you may not realize, but, artists wear all of the hats...because there are so many different kinds of things that have to be done in order to 'Be an Artist', there are just some days that I am doing all kinds of art related things, but not necessarily finishing a painting in my studio. Yesterday was one of those days.  After breakfast and hanging out with my son and his girlfriend, I headed off to West Reading to join several of my Art Plus Gallery buds where we hung an exhibit at the fabulous West Reading Tavern..  

I should have gotten a better picture, but here is a smattering of my work that is there.. incidentally, this is an excellent show, so if you are in town, check it out!

After the tavern, there was grocery shopping (Artists have to eat too!).. Once settled in at home, groceries snug in their cubbies and fridge, I sat down at my computer and designed a few more paintings.. Yes, I do a lot of my artistic work on my computer which serves as a digital sketch pad for me.  I use Photoshop  pretty extensively because it allows me to play with composition, color etc, quickly and easily.. 

In this design, I knew I wanted the prismatic background, and a frog.. Found this guy while hunting around a royalty free image website and thought he was so cute!  What I spent most of my time doing was fussing with the fern and the ladybug.. and in one, a leaf.. I finally settled on the top left design...  Although looking at them now, I kind of like the top right better, so may change the fern in my sketch..

Next I headed up to my studio to sketch out the frog and another duck on some books that I designed a few days ago..

Lately, my dog Ember has been my constant companion and studio helper.. She is often napping in my studio while I paint or sketch and likes her blanket and sheep skin mat when it's cold out.. :)

I finished sketching the two designs and it was time to make dinner, so I headed down and started a meatloaf and baked potatoes.. fed Ms. Ember.. and contemplated what vegetable to make..

La la la... As I made the meatloaf, I also pondered if I should go back up to the studio to paint?  I could have, but would have been in my studio the rest of the night if I did... it wouldn't have been the first time I painted into the wee hours.. however, I had something else that needed doing and while the meatloaf was baking it seemed like the perfect thing to do..

Make a frame!!  An artist friend of mine asked if I could make her a custom frame for an odd sized metal sign she has.. I needed to get to it as it has been on the back burner for awhile and she asked me a few days ago "So, about that frame..??"  So I headed down to my frame shop in the basement and got to it.. I started by ripping a plank, then dadoed (not sure if that is a word) the rabbet and chopped the miters..  Here you can see me with my beloved Frog (my name for my chop saw) and a bunch of random frames I have made and just haven't finished yet..

After nailing the sides together, I ratchet clamped it to glue up over night..

And here she is all clamped up.. Once the glue dries, I'll remove the strap and give her a good sanding, after which I will apply my famous distressed black finish.. :)  It's not really famous, but it took a lot of trial and error until I finally figured out how to achieve the look I want and so, it is famous to me. :)  I'll share an image of the finished frame in a few days after the paint dries.

Frame started, I came upstairs, poured myself a glass of wine and enjoyed some meatloaf with my family.. My hubby finished off the dinner with some steamed broccoli, (if you were wondering what the vegetable was)  I thought about painting, but, it was late, so, decided a better thing to do would be to go to bed and share the real truth about a day in the life of an artist for today's post.. :) 

Today I'll paint!

Comrade: Binding the Oath

One of my latest paintings is hanging in the DoubleTree Hotel in downtown Reading.  It is a beautiful hotel and I feel pretty honored to be able to hang my work there.  I have had a few people ask me what the painting is all about, and someone (thank you Susan Scofield!) asked if I could write a blog post about it.  Here goes....  

In case you haven't seen the finished painting, here it is.  Below I explain how I got here.

First, let me explain that the Native American guy pictured in my painting is someone you too can visit if you happen to be in Berks County...I came across him while tooling around one afternoon looking for some good plein air painting spots and checking out the Conrad Weiser homestead in Wolmelsdorf.  I was admiring the historical buildings when I peeked into a clearing and there he stood. The light was so good that day, creating these heavy contrasts and showing off his planes and form quite nicely. I took a bunch of photos knowing I would paint him... According to what I could find, this statue is a rendition of Iroquois cheif Shikellamy whom Weiser befriended. If you are interested in reading more about that history, check it out here.    

Putting aside the statue for the time being, I must confess that I am a lifelong student of mystic philosophies and spirituality in general.  It is not something I share readily as I have learned it is better to keep my mouth shut in matters such as this.  But, in the happy spirit of explanation, I will admit this...  I recently have been studying sacred geometry and how it has been employed for centuries by artisans, architects and even computer programmers in designing amazing and masterful works of art and more..  It is a fascinating subject and too much for me to delve into here.  Just know, that if you google Sacred Geometry, you likely will be up the rest of the night following threads all over the place, to all parts of this amazing world we live in and maybe beyond.

A pretty well known explanation of sacred geometry is the Fibonacci Sequence: A series of numbers: 0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34 and so on.  This series and subsequent ratio is found everywhere in nature.

The Universe... Sacred geometry of course...

Sunflowers...

Humans...

Getting back to Weiser's Native friend.  As I began designing my image I saw that the Indian was going to require some type of sacred imagery to speak to his obvious posture of peace and strength. What is he doing anyway? He is holding a peace pipe and it appears he is paying homage to the sky... standing strong in the face of adversity?... Calling for peace?  Standing up for what he believes in?... (Btw, I was now calling Weiser's native friend Comrade as he indeed seemed friendly enough to do so..) Coming across the image pictured above, of rectangles designed in a perfect spiral, I overlayed it on a flipped image of Comrade, I was happily amazed to find that things were lining up...  (I flipped Comrade purely as a design choice...  wanting to emphasize the baroque diagonal vs the sinister.. if you care about this, you can read more about it here...)

Now what?  Something else was needed...  I know...Graffiti!  I have created a number of paintings that have included some kind of graffiti.  Another side passion of mine is admiring graffiti for what it is, other than the illegal defacement of private property - that is, abstract text which is often beautifully executed.  It is this combination of the abstract with that quality of 'you almost can read what it says, but not quite' that I love about graffiti. It is the same reason I often listen to music that has lyrics that are sung in a different language.  The words become abstracted and form sound, rhythm, shape and color, without the cumbersome meaning inevitably attached to the words.  I liked the idea of including graffiti for this reason, because really, Comrade didn't yet have a true meaning to me.  In other words, his image speaks of something I can almost grasp, but not quite... 

Jumping ahead, I will say this, I often work this way when designing a more complex painting.  I pick and choose imagery that feels right together, whether it is because of it's underlying design, inherent meaning or some other je ne sais quoi.. Below, you see I also chose to put the edited image through a sepia filter to negate any color... I was interested in a less descriptive background.. one that also spoke of something possibly spiritual, possibly further giving an indication of what our friend was doing...

The graffiti I settled on was chosen for it's acceptable abstracted quality as well as the fact that it worked well with the design.  I also opted for some birds radiating away from the apex which of course carry all kinds of symbolism... freedom, death (if they are crows...), flights of fancy, the spirit materialized, etc, etc...

So, there it was... the design I pretty much intended to paint... Another thing I should mention is that I often will paint on a black ground.  It's just something I have grown to like for the ability to see some pretty stark contrasts very quickly...

So this is how I started Comrade.  And after I blocked in the initial shapes and lines, I decided I liked the darkness afforded by the black background.  I began adding color to emphasize the spirals and radiating lines but decided to leave the bottom largely dark.  The design and patterns of light and color could also be seen as having meaning.. but I will let that up to you.

Of course now my painting needed a frame.  Yay!  Another passion of mine happens to be wood working, particularly frame making.  I knew he needed something that made a statement... something special.. Cutting to the chase, I have had the recent good fortune of both acquiring some barnwood with a lot of character (translate: very dirty, splintery and extremely cool once cleaned and sanded) and being gifted some fine framing materials by an artist friend of mine, Harry Bentz.  I decided to meld the two together... blending old with new, binding two very different materials from two very different time periods.  More layers of meaning, but exactly what it means, again, I leave this up to the viewer...

I don't spend as much time talking about my frame making, but I will say that it is an important and integral part of my art making.  I love pairing a painting with a frame that I can make custom for it. I enjoy taking raw and often difficult wood and sanding, sawing and nailing it to bend to my wishes, to create something both useful and beautiful...

And he ended up hanging here, in the DoubleTree hotel in Reading, right outside of the grand ballroom!  I love that he will be greeting all manner of folk as they make their way to a most likely splendid event.  If he gives just one person pause, to consider what the sacred symbolism, the waving Native American, the lines, the colors and even the frame.. what it all means... then I guess at the very least, we can call this Art.

Thank you for reading this. Hopefully it was an enjoyable glimpse into my process and hopefully it inspires some to visit the actual statue on the Conrad Weiser Homestead, and maybe even visit my painting in the hotel! :)

Day 26 - Frame making

Weekends are always a challenge for me to get up into my studio.  First of all, I would rather be with my family, who I don't get to see as much during the week!  And there just seems to be a lot of other things that are calling for my attention.    I just didn't make it to the studio to paint today although I sketched everything out onto the panel.  But that is as far as I got.  I did, however, start making frames today, which was a big necessity, as I need a finished one for Monday!! (nothing like last minute...) (If you haven't been here before, in addition to painting, I make ALL of my own frames.  I enjoy woodworking, and it is also kinder on my budget.)   So, that is what I am posting for today. These two frames are both 12" x 24" floater frames for two of my 30 in 30 paintings!  I just finished gluing and air nailing them together and now they are drying, clamped with my awesome frame strap clamps... Tomorrow I will be applying the finish and then putting the paintings in them!
To make up for things, I am going to try to be a super painter tomorrow and paint two pictures.  We will see how that goes.  I can't guarantee anything.,.. :)

Two 12" x 24" frames for day 11 and day 14 paintings
To see day 11's painting again, click here
To see day 14, click here

The River Clare

This is one of my paintings in the current show at Art Plus Gallery.  It is 18" x 18", and framed with a solid wood floater frame in natural finish. In case you are new to my blog, I handcraft my own frames in addition to painting the pictures! I posted about it here if you want to read a bit more about it.   It is a second love of mine (working in the wood shop), although, I don't think I'd want to do it full time...  It can be a back breaker!  Anyway, this painting was inspired by a 6" x 6" painting I did during the 30 in 30 challenge I took part in in January. I liked the little one so much, I wanted to see how it translated large.  I really like the larger version, but I must say, sizing up a small painting isn't as simple as one might think.  The qualities I loved in the small painting, such as fresh, simple brush strokes, are achieved differently on a large scale.  All in all, I am happy I sized this one up and am already planning some more!

The River Clare, 18" x 18", oil on canvas, framed
Available through Art Plus Gallery
Please call 610-375-9122 for details

A few more frames I am making this week

Here are a few shots of some different frames I am making this week including the Gloria frames in the background, some 1 1/2 " canvas floaters in the middle (also for Gloria), and some panel floaters that will go on my 30 in 30 paintings..... (one is going to Australia...I am so excited I could pee myself..) (o.k. you didn't need to know that...)   I am also designing a frame to go around prints of the 100th anniversary of Reiffton Fire Company painting which I will post about in a few days.  A friend of mine purchased one and I will also be including one of these in the Holiday Show at Art Plus Gallery which opens November 14th... So much going on this time of year.. my head is spinning sometimes!

Anyway, I really like the 1 1/2" canvas floater that I designed for Gloria... I tested an older painting of mine in it earlier today and think I will be making some of these for myself!

Pear and Lemon, 6"x6", oil on canvas in 1 1/2" canvas floater frame, nfs

And so the framing begins

Frame making has begun!   It is sometimes a challenge for me to transition from painting mode to frame making mode, though the different ways of thinking required for each are both a big part of who I am.  I have always been a hands on, more physical kind of gal (hence the table saws, router tables and chop saws...) but also have a deep creative streak (of course... my painting). But switching back and forth between the two modes sometimes feels like trying to slow down and turn around a freight train going full speed down the tracks...  At least that is how things are going this time around.  I know there are other artists out there that paint and make their own frames or easels so I am not the only one switching brains like this.   Anyway.... just an observation I though I'd share.  So here are some of the frames I am making for an artist friend of mine, Gloria Urban.  I like the design she asked me to create for her, just a simple 1 1/4" wide frame with a 1/16" bead around the outside edge, so I am naming this frame.... the Gloria!  I'll have to let her know... :)  I am also starting a commission this week and will post some pics of how that is going soon.

6 frames sanded, glued, nailed and clamped while drying.

Making frames

I made a short slide show of my process for making frames.  The frames pictured were created over a period of about 4 days. The slide show does not tell the whole story of just how much work (elbow grease and sweat!) goes into making a frame, but hopefully you will get the basic idea!

3 Silos in Berks county

When I go about 5 miles North East of my home in St. Lawrence, there is just some of the most beautiful, beautiful scenery around...  Open farm land, interesting barns and outbuildings that abstract themselves into the landscape.  This painting came from a picture I took when my family went to Dorney park (of all places...) a few weekends ago.  The silos, the red roofs, yellow whatever kind of plants they are in the foreground.... It all comes together into what I think is an intriguing composition.  I think more farms are in my future.  (Actually, I know more are since there is one on my easel right this moment waiting to be finished!)  As a first attempt at painting a landscape with a semi-complex array of buildings, I am pleased.  Hope you are too!  The painting is oil on panel, which presented a new dilemma.  How to frame...

Consequently, I have also been busy designing a new style of frame for these larger panels.  My original floater frames didn't seem quite right for this type of surface.  So, below is a picture of the painting in the frame I designed.  Let me tell you, framing is an art form in itself and poses its own set of challenges.  I'll have to write a post about this some time!  The frame isn't fancy or anything, but, let me just say this, building it involved a table and a miter saw, a router, four sessions of sanding, staining and a final rub down with finishing wax.  You'd never know just looking at it!!!

3 Silos, 14" x 16", oil on panel

  

Getting ready for Art Plus opening on July 11th

I am currently busy, busy getting all of my ducks in a row for the opening where I am the featured new artist so I will be displaying as many paintings as I can!  My latest endeavor is making frames for all of my paintings.  Luckily I have some MAD wood working skills (not really... just mediocre) but enough to get by... Here are some of the steps taken to complete my frames.  I make a type of frame called a floating frame where the picture appears to 'float' in the frame.  Mainly because they are relatively easy to make.  Just time consuming.  And lots and lots and lots of sanding!!!

My chop saw named Frog for cutting the corner angles.  (Sitting on top of the table saw I use to rip the wood first)

The scary air compressor.  I finally got over my fear of this thing.  Had to.

My beloved air nailer. This is why I had to get over my fear of the air compressor.  It makes frame making much easier!

Love this clamp.  Worth every penny!  If you need to make a frame, get this!

Stain (also known as big fat mess)

Frames drying in the sun

If you want to learn how to make a float frame, here is a link to a youtube video that gives a great description of how to make one...  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2aPROSgHaA