Restful

Japanese garden with koi pond, originally uploaded by diahn.

Doesn't this picture look like a wonderful place to sit and meditate? It was. I didn't. It's in the Birmingham Botanical Garden's Japanese Gardens. Lovely...the cherry trees were in full bloom, along with camellias, red bud trees and the first dogwood flowers. I was here with my family and my MIL who lives nearby. What a lovely place it is - open and free to the public - beautifully maintained with paths, both paved and not. It's another one of those places that I go to and wonder why my town doesn't have one, or something like it. It's not that I don't like my town...okay...maybe I don't...but I'm confused as to it's lack of cultural activity for the everyday person (as opposed to the old money and the new money and the money money). I mean - come on - this was FREE. It was a weekday afternoon and there were scores of people there enjoying it...families and businessmen and young couples and old couples. In my town, it seems that the only activities are to shop in the giganto-upscale-PINNACLE-shopping center (it's always packed) or spend $70 per ticket to see a big name act come to town.

What is it? Is it the proximity of such a beautiful, natural, national park so near by? The lack of dedicated, passionate people to spearhead such things? The general air of unrelenting apathy there? Even I have become apathetic living there - it's rubbed off.

I know you don't care, but I'm tired and far from "home" and the only thing I miss is my DH (and my house...I like my house). I've driven around my college town for the last couple of days and noticed the improved parks and beautification activities they've undertaken - so nice. I've always like that town - it's small and quaint - a little bit country and a little bit rock and roll. But, being a good university town, there was always a free concert somewhere, or an art show or a irish drinking band or something to go watch. I drove past a local, ummm, estalishment, I was once known to frequent and the sign on above the door said, "Thick Smoke, Dim Lights, Loud Music...welcome to Egan's". It made me smile. That's just like Egan's. I'm not really into bars or thick smoke anymore - but I wanted to go in and just sit and talk to the countless interesting people I used to talk to there. I didn't think it was appropriate to take the boys in, though.

I'm traveling to the town I grew up in and it is full of casinos, now. It wasn't when I grew up there. This will probably all get worse tomorrow.

We'll just go ahead and file it under "rant", and I'm sure we'll revisit it again soon when the so-called "Dogwood ARTS Festival (or farce, depending on who you ask) kicks off...

sigh...

EDM #110 Draw Something with Flames

As a nod to the car crazy men in my household...

Watercolor crayon in the 5.5x5.5" hand*book journal. Really HATED how these worked on this paper!!

Spring is in the Air

Japanese Magnolia, originally uploaded by diahn.

I can smell it...can you?

I wandered around Fountain City today while the boys were in art class. I saw this sign and for some reason it struck me as funny. "Hair Executives" Do you go to business school for that, or to cosmetology school? I don't know if I would want to be a hair executive - seems like alot of responsibility...

These two ducks seemed to be having a little conversation about the weather...

And this one has no purpose except to say OHmiGOSH I love my new camera.

C'mon - don't you love this??

Spring spring spring...I love spring...doo doo doo doo..I love spring!

Thank you. The happy Spring dance is now over. For today.

Flying

Flying, originally uploaded by diahn.

I'm SO ready for Spring. All these nice almost warmish days are tempting me to break out a pair of shorts and sit on my deck, but then I get there and the wind is a bit too brisk for that and I have to get up and go back inside to the stale air of winter.

There's a time change this weekend. I love it when we Spring Forward. The day goes on a little longer and the neighbors start to venture out into their yards and we all become friends again after a long winter's hibernation.

I know some people like Winter, but for me it's a long, dark, cold and unpleasant time of year. I love Spring, when the first buds appear on the trees and little tender shoots burst out of the ground. I love Summer, when the sun bears down on the back of your neck and the sound of the kids running through sprinklers is sweeter than honey and the the trees and bushes put on a full show of foliage. I love Fall and the smell of campfires and the sound of football games and the bright, glaring, surreal colors of the aging leaves.

But Winter? I can do without it.

And this picture? It has absolutely nothing to do with any of it.

Things to do while waiting on your kids...

I could have spent my hour and half reading the latest steamy novel or playing solitaire on my pocket pc, but instead, I broke out the hand*book journal and sketched what was around me. I promised J I would hang out in the art center while he and D had their first art class. J was nervous and wasn't real sure about the whole thing, but he calmed down after I told him I would stay in the building the whole time. It wasn't too difficult - there was a show of watercolors from the local watercolor society, and one of the local school systems had some student work showing - it was interesting to see the differences between first grade and 8th grade work - astounding what a 13 year old kid can produce, really.

Anyhow - I had some time to fill, so I sat down on one of the very comfy sofas and sketched what was in front of me. I neglect perspective, interiors and architectural elements on a profound scale, so it was a bit of challenge...but that's okay. I like a challenge! They're not the prettiest sketches I've ever done, but I'm keepin' it real here on American Blog...oh, oops - sorry - I'm watching Idol...got a little carried away...

Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright...

The Tiger
William Blake. 1757–1827


TIGER, tiger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?


In what distant deeps or skies 5
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare seize the fire?


And what shoulder and what art
Could twist the sinews of thy heart? 10
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand and what dread feet?


What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? What dread grasp 15
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?


When the stars threw down their spears,
And water'd heaven with their tears,
Did He smile His work to see?
Did He who made the lamb make thee? 20

Tiger, tiger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

Inspired

All this ATC work has inspired me to take few chances, play with brush strokes and color and kind of branch out a little with my acrylic paintings. This is 6"x12" canvas...

Can It Be???

I have only 2 ATC's remaining to do - 3 if you count the WITW one I'm supposed to send out before the end of the month. Wow - Cool. Almost there...

This is my dad when he was probably 20 years old. Freshly recruited into the US Air Force and stationed in Germany. Pretty handsome fellow, I think...

Here's a Fender Jazz Bass Headstock. Classic.
A Great Blue Heron and a really pink rose. What else is there to say? I just need 3 more things to paint...

Freaky Rooster...

...kind of like Funky Chicken, only different. Maybe it's Frenetic Poultry or Friendly Pullet - who's to say, anyway?

All I can say is it's 6"x12", acrylic on canvas.

Flamingo...

That flamingo ATC really appealed to me - if you follow along here, you may have noticed a serious quinacridone magenta addiction - I thought I could really overload on the flamingo! I got some new canvases the other day - on hyper-clearance. I thought they'd be nice sizes on which to experiment and play a little. This one is 6"x12". I really kind of like the small size more than I thought I would. It's large enought to get good movement, but small enough that a little paint goes a long way. I got some 12x12, too - maybe I'll try one of those soon, but I have a couple more of the long ones in mind...

I have a new project I'm about to start that I'm pretty excited about - I can't really talk about it, yet, but I don't think this part of the world has ever had anything like it (although the concept does exist elsewhere). Hee hee...are you intrigued yet? I promise I'll let you know as soon as I have clearance and a solid "go"...it may require a separate blog, though...it's a big thing...

6"x12" acrylic on canvas

3 colors plus white gesso...now living in an orange bathroom in quotidianville...

And another three

Okay -this ATC thing is a bit addictive - I recognize the symptoms of becoming obsessed, and I'm on the way - there's something about working in this tiny little format that gets me all right brained and time-lapsey. That's a good thing, I believe - but a little dangerous to everyday chores, etc.

Anyhow - I did 4 and don't like one, so I'm taking it back to the drawing board - not trashing it, yet...just re-thinking. These three, I like. At least one is going to serve as a color study for a slightly larger painting...

Five more...

EDM #104 Salt and Pepper Shakers

Finally I did an EDM item on the same week it was posted! I couldn't resist this one. I bought this salt and pepper shaker set when we moved into our new house, and they're just so cute! The tall one is salt, and the short one is pepper, and that's the only way we remember which is which...

11 down, 15 to go...

More ATCs...again - I warn you - if you are in the exchange...don't look!!

D-man at a baseall game.



A flower in the Biltmore Estate greenhouse - anyone know what the name of this flower is?????

edit: it's an Anthurium...thanks to Li in Asheville for the answer, via WetCanvas!!

My dream-car...a 1956 Chevy Nomad. I, of course, drive the ubiquitous mini-van of suburban motherhood. But this car calls out to me...maybe one day...

all are 2.5"x3.5", acrylic ink on 140lb cold press watercolor paper

Confession - I usually do 4 at a time, because my wc block is 5x7 - but one poor belly dancer painting got a bad case of jaundice and couldn't be recovered. She was promptly buried in the trash can...such is the life of some art - tragic, I know.

ATC project

I'm participating in a ATC swap over at WetCanvas. I had so much fun with the postcard exchange last year, I thought I'd go even smaller. It's quite a transition, I'll tell you. I'm used to painting on canvases that start out at 24 inches square - moving down to 2.5" x 3.5" is a little mind-blowing. But - I'm getting the hang of it. This is my latest set of cards to mail. If you happen to be participating in the swap - DON'T LOOK - I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise!!

They are all on 140 lb cold press paper, these are done with acrylic ink. Obviously I was going for a real subtle color variation... :-D

A Bad Day at the Art Museum

Oh, the ranting in my spirit today…I’m still trying to calm down. I ranted over the phone both Linda and DH, and still…it won’t quiet the storm. Sigh. Here we go.

Many of you know that we’re a home-schooling family, at least in part. My sons go to a cooperative school, which means they go to a traditional school 3 days a week and I home school them the other two days. So, Tuesdays and Fridays are generally educational and adventurous, as we have the luxury to add in whatever extra activities we please. I found out that our local museum of art now has free admission all day Tuesday (it used to be free on Tuesday evenings only), so I thought we would have an art appreciation field trip today.

We walked in the doors and signed in at the table, where the helpful docents sat, eagerly anticipating the arrival of the next browsers. They informed us of upcoming events and invited us to look at the website to stay on top of new exhibits, etc. The boys walked off to look at a large aluminum sculpture, while I picked up some info and then we made our way into the first exhibit hall, where there were lovely furniture and lighting pieces designed by Stephen Burks. We’re a modern furniture kind of family, so I was eager to see this “art as furniture-furniture as art” exhibit…but I tell you we didn’t even get into the doorway before one docent stepped in front of us and proceeded to tell us everything about the works before we even walked in the room.

Now – I should explain that I’m a hunter and gatherer of information – I love to peruse the displays and glean information for myself…to form opinions and hypotheses and decisions regarding what I am observing, and I’m trying to infuse that into my children. I strongly believe that the nuggets of knowledge that we mine for ourselves are the jewels of intelligence and logical thought. That’s not to say that others don’t have information that we might need – but I prefer to try and sort through it myself, FIRST, and ask questions that might develop later.

Now that you know my philosophy of education, I’ll continue…After she had blown all the surprises in that room, we still meandered through and I tried to educate, but it really was a bust, I’ll tell you. As we wandered back out into the lobby, the boys spotted a large abstract oil painting on the wall and were drawn to it – it was lovely, really – but there again…before I could even swing around enough to see the whole thing (it was probably 8 feet square) here comes Ms. Know-It-All Docent to tell us everything about it again. Aaaarrggghhh. I’ll tell you – I don’t even remember the name of the painting because she told it to me. Had I investigated it myself, I’d remember…I’m sure.

One more room exists downstairs. Yes – it’s a tiny little museum, but we’ll cover that in another rant. This one is reserved for artists who are having their very first solo exhibit in a museum, and it looked interesting. The artist is Seonna Hong. She’s an animator, and the paintings were all on wood, but done with cel paint – the stuff they use on the animation cels for cartoons. They were interesting and it was very apparent that they had a lot to say to us. We had escaped the eyes of Ms. Docent, so I had great hopes that things were looking up. However – no sooner had we walked in and started to gaze at the works…in she comes. She told us the whole story of this woman’s life in art and what her art was saying before we could say boo. It was only saved by the fact that someone else walked in and she had someone to focus on other than us.

Now – you may be asking – why didn’t I ask her to leave us alone? Well, I try to treat people with the respect I think they all deserve, and I did make it very clear (at least it was clear to me) that we were not looking for all that information. I smiled at her and said “thank you” and moved deliberately away from her at least 3 times. C’mon…get a clue! I don’t have anything else to say about it…except this – if you act as a docent in an art museum…or any museum for that matter…greet people, let them know you are available to help, and then fade quietly into the background so they can be alone with their own thoughts. Thank you. Have a nice day.



We did manage to sketch one lone item upstairs away from the docent’s eyes…a blown-glass trophy “head”. I did mine in my little 5x5” hand*book journal with a 6B Derwent graphitone and added a little water when we got home. The boys worked in Ebony pencil in a composition journal. You can find their work over in Abderian Adventures - the link is in the sidebar. It may take a day or two to pry them out of their hot little hands to scan, so check back often!

Fly, Baby, Fly

Have you ever wondered what you would do if you woke up one morning as a bird?



Would you be irritated that your plans would all have to change, or would you seize the opportunity to take off in flight?



Would you stay near familiar territory or wing your way across fields and farms, mountains and valleys, across land and sea?



Would you be sure to make it home in time for bed, hoping to wake up with skin instead of feathers, or would you stay out all night, swooping and diving..never knowing if you would wake up man or bird?



I think I'd fly...

24x24" acrylic on canvas

Guards at the Gates

Took an overnight trip to Asheville, NC to visit the Biltmore estate. We've lived 90 minutes away for almost 8 years, and decided it was time to finally go, even though it's winter and the gardens weren't in bloom. The "house" is simply astounding - if you ever have a chance to go, you should. Just the artwork contained within is amazing - John Singer Sargent portraits, "The Waltz," by Anders Zorn, a couple of small Rembrandts, and innumerable etchings and drawings. Lovely, lovely, lovely.

There are some pretty awesome gargoyles on the facade, as well as two great lions guarding the front door. Ahhh...how I love simple, understated elegance...

Life, The Universe, and Everything

Or, at least my universe...

The kids went back to school today, freeing me up for some much needed quiet reflection time. I spent the morning buying towels, some art supplies at Jerry's and groceries, but most importantly, I had some time to tool about our scruffy little city and try to find some direction for the year.


I made it down to the landing, right along the river, and watched as the mist rose, birds chuckled and the sun slowly came up over the tree tops. I stood between two bridges, which seemed rather perfect at the time. I feel like I am standing, poised for a change, ready to cross into the next phase of my life and my art. Whew. I need to have more alone-time, apparently.




So, here are what I have determined to be my goals for the year, at least in the beginning.

1. Hang some artwork in a gallery or art space, other than my own home...or the home of my mother.
2. Continue to draw from life, concentrating on the figure.
3. Further refine my "voice". Take stock in the things that inspire me, to which I find myself drawn, and combine them in a way that is distinctly me.
4. Write a coherent and succinct artist statement. That's actually one of the early goals - it will be done by the 17th, as per my accountability agreement with Linda.

Okay. That's it. Happy New Year. Go outside and find some inspiration. Now..I mean it - get up and go.

Reflecting on a year...

Linda and I met today to start our new year the right way - with good coffee, sketches and laughter. We were also reflecting on our art goals of 2006 and considering the new ones for 2007. So - I thought I'd bring the discussion here and see how it looked.

At the beginning of 2006, I made 6 goals for myself (which you can see in the archives over there on the sidebar). They were:

1. Draw from life more.
2. Banish the perfection monster.
3. Participate in one class or workshop.
4. Draw in public and answer the question, "Are you an artist?" with "yes."
5. Develop a series. Build a little depth in something.
6. Have a lot of fun.

How'd I do? Well. I have drawn from life more, but I still use my own photographs for reference. I've drawn from other people's photos, and have enjoyed it, but I feel the most comfortable about using my own photographs for references. Drawing from life has definitely increased not only my ability, but my confidence in my ability. I still find that I am more tense when drawing from life - more worried about making a mistake. Linda suggested I go back to the roots, and spend some time with a large newsprint pad and some charcoal - to loosen up, play and have fun, and I think she's quite right. When I go to spend my Christmas money this week, I'll pick up a pad and charcoal. This is one that I can say I've done, but haven't achieved all that I know I can. It will go back on the list. Ultimately, I'd love to find a figure drawing group to get involved in.

Perfection monster? Well - I'd say he's much diminished this year. I've found myself less worried about my work being "good enough" for whatever imaginary critic (myself, generally) I've conjured up in my head, and more consumed with the moment and enjoying it. Have I conquered it? Probably not, but I've certainly chained it up a bit and tamed it. This, I imagine, will be in my goals list until I'm not longer able to make goals lists.

I never took an actual class or workshop this year, unfortunately, but I did go to a couple of great half-day seminars with Linda. One was with Golden acrylics, and it was fabulous - I learned more about how acrylics behave in those few hours than in months of practice with them. The other was a silkscreen seminar, which I enjoyed and would like to try sometime, but that's a medium for another time in my life, I think. So - that was a half-completed goal. Not too bad, I guess.

Drawing in public has become old hat at this point. I got "busted" twice today and never flinched. Of course, that's why the lady in my sketch looks like she has 3 moustaches...yikes.



I worked on a series of hands this year, that I enjoyed a great deal, and a series of portraits, as well. I find myself drawn to the human face and figure and want to continue in that vein. I also seem to be drawn to roosters. Go figure.

And lastly, I wanted to have a lot of fun in my art this year, and I certainly have. I met a great friend through art, and I'm excited to have another year of encouragement and accountability with her (thanks, Linda!!). We have way more fun together than two grown women ought have, and she indulges my need to fill in the gaps with random Monty Python songs and references. Not just everyone will do that, you know. (Finland, Finland, Finland...the country where I most want to be...) I've gessoed over hideous paintings with reckless abandon and spread paint around like there was no tomorrow. I've collaged and mosaic-ed and drawn and dribbled and had a ball. Is there anything better in the world? I think not.

In February, I did have the idea that I would start a series of color sketchbooks, after seeing Laura's from 2005. February and March went really well, but I got so fond of orange, in March, that I couldn't go any farther. I realized after a while that I didn't have a real reason for doing it, and I quit. I don't consider this a missed goal, but rather a revision of a plan. That's my story, anyway.

Tomorrow I hope to post a plan for 2007. Linda and I will be checking in on each other, on the 17th of each month, to keep us on track for the year. You can read more about it at her blog. (And check out our 5 year plan).