Plaster bowls

 Saturday glorious Saturday! 

 It's already a gorgeous day outside.  

The windows are wide open in my studio.  

Thought I would show you a couple of bowls I'm working on.

Hand built plaster bowl (8.5 " across) with a layer of encaustic medium on top.

Next a layer of amber shellac that was set on fire.

It's been drying for a week, now it's ready for the next step.

Another plaster bowl (13.5" across) that I intentionally smashed,

going for the relic look.

It also has a layer of encaustic medium and a layer of shellac that was burned.

F-i-r-e  g-o-o-d.

It dried for a week, then I rubbed Pan pastel all over it.

 The dried shellac acts as a resist,

while the thicker areas of shellac are still a bit tacky.

Turquoise and amber are beautiful together.

This is ready for a layer of encaustic medium.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Like vs Gotta Have

WIP-Mixed Media 16 x 16 on canvas

An "in flux" painting--a warm up.

I've taken a longer hiatus than anticipated,

but that's for another post...

~~~

This week I had a commission fall through.

Nope, I didn't have a contract or a deposit.

My bad.

But I realized something significant.

The person didn't love it.

While they liked it, they didn't love it.

big. difference.

Quite a number of years ago when I did a lot of art fairs,

there were several different types of people that wandered into my booth.

The "breeze in-breeze out" no eye contact-barely replied to my hello,

the "why is this so expensive?, I could get this at JCPenney's-framed for $30",

the person who would engage in conversation about my work,

the gem of all gems, the drunk person asking for a discount,(buh-bye now)

then out of the blue....

the person who sees your work from across the way, 

marches in, takes it off the wall and proclaims-

"I have to have this!"

If you truly love something, make a connection with it,

you'll make it happen-you'll buy it.

The reason I make art isn't just to sell art.

Absolutely, sales are fantastic, 

but the reason I make art is because even though I question myself all-the-time,

I have something to say.

When someone connects with that, 

it affirms why I make art.

I sold my Dad's house, the couple that bought it, 

looked at it, fell in love with it and wrote an offer on the spot.

That's the same reaction I desire for my art.

Someone makes a connection-be it emotional, spiritual--whatever

and. buys. it.

In the future,

Contract-Deposit.

The long and winding road

8x6 oil and cold wax on a plank

~~~

Since the time my mother passed away, I've had urges to go visit places. 

To the place where I grew up, to where my grandmother grew up.

I'm not really sure why.

I drove out to the place where I grew up, with my childhood friend

that I recently reconnected with on fb--after years of not seeing each other

or knew where each other were.  Thank you fb!

Anyway, we drove to the "small town".  

 The winding road we lived on was the same...

the curves, the hills, the twists, the turns. 

But the surroundings changed.

I don't know what it was that I was looking for exactly,

or what I was expecting to find.

Did I expect to see myself as a girl jumping rope,

swimming in the river, riding my bike, or climbing trees?

The roads used to be gravel-sprayed with oil on top.

I remember having to scrub my feet before I went to bed

because I refused to wear shoes.

Some of the roads were just gravel, there used to be one road

 that was a set of tire tracks with a ribbon of grass in between.

There were little rickety abandoned buildings--all gone now.

All the roads are paved, 

most of the summer cottages are now big year round houses.

A part of me felt sad because there was nothing for me to hang on to.

The beach where the neighborhood kids hung out was gone.

My favorite climbing tree gone, in fact the woods where we used to play-gone.

Everything changed.

What they say is true, you can't go back.

When you search for some tangible part of your past, it's not there.

Someone bought the old rickety shack or the summer cottage and tore it down.

I realized that sometimes you have to let go of what you left behind,

to make room for someone else's dreams.

I have closure now.  Maybe that's what I was after all along.

MAM-Art is good for the soul

I took myself on an artists date to the Milwaukee Art Museum.

It had been a long time since stepping through those doors

and taking in all that amazing work that lies within.

The first piece you encounter is a sarcophagus,

waxed in yellow ochre, red (ocher too?), turquoise,black and white.

Decorated with designs and hieroglyphics and gold.

Surely it was made for someone important.

~~~

Oh my, Cy Twombly

Standing before this giant canvas, taking in the underlying scribblings

painted in uneven brush strokes, paint thinned that ran down the canvas. 

This life size girl is made of plaster. (I love me some plaster.)

She is at once creepy and fantastic.

Part of an installation with a door, fluorescent light and venetian blinds.
by George Segal

Robert Motherwell--What more can you say?

Striking!

Anslem Kiefer's oil on canvas.  Gorgeous.  Highly textured areas

some not so much, canvas peeking through.  Brilliant use of darks and lights.

~~~

German Expressionism

Oskar Kokoschka

I enjoy this portrait, layer upon layer-underlying colors show through.

Georges Braque-Seated Nude.

I could look at this painting for hours.

I love these colors--green next to pink, green on top of lavender

Calm areas, bright areas, repetition of diagonal lines.....love.

Alberto Giacometti-Still life with 2 plaster heads.

Double take.....

Would you look at that line work?  Swoon-absolutely a favorite.

~~~

I went around a corner and there were 2 Diebenkorns....double swoon!

Richard Diebenkorn---Ocean Park 68 (I think)

I love how he divides his space and his amazing use of color.

A close-up of Serge Poliakoff's "Flowers"

Scrumptious texture!

Gabriele Munter

Black outlined forms filled in with rich color.

I was delighted to see how many artists painted on cardboard.

oil on cardboard, gouache on cardboard, acrylic on cardboard.

If it's good enough for the likes of Gabriele Munter....

well what can you say about that?

This was painted in 1909!

~~~

Took myself out to lunch at the Cafe Calatrava.

Was seated at the prow of the restaurant--great table!

As I ate North African Hummus with kalamata olives, feta, cukes and tomatoes

along with a glass of Sav blanc,

there was an air show going on!

Planes doing stunts!

Hitting thrusters (?) and making a lot of sound!

....as the Denis Sullivan sailed by......

The day was what I really needed.

I felt my spirits were lifted and left there totally inspired.

I did go back to the Bradley wing to look at all the expressionists again-

couldn't help myself.

Thank you Mrs. Harry Lynde (Peg) Bradley (1894-1978) for being a visionary.  

She had 600 paintings in her collection....can you imagine?

She started collecting art in the 60's and donated the lot to the 

Milwaukee Art Museum in 1970 along with a million dollars to build a wing.

Milwaukee is so fortunate to have such an awesome art museum.

And the Bries Soliel ain't too shabby neither.

Have a wonderful, creative weekend!

Thanks for stopping by.


p.s.  What I can't figure out is why some oil paintings were framed under glass.
Anyone know why?

Plaster bowls

Plaster bowl 8.5"

plaster, encaustic, acrylic

Paster bowl 8.5"

Plaster, tar, encaustic

Plaster Bowl 8.5"

Plaster, soot, encaustic, acrylic

~~~

Getting in some good studio time,

despite the fact that I have been to 3 out of 6

dental appointments.

Don't really feel like doing much after that.

I carry tension in my jaw...it's caused a few problems :(

Working on bowls this week.

There is something mesmerizing about forming the plaster,

getting my hands into it and shaping it.

Then applying layers of encaustic.

Plaster and encaustic and wonderful partners.

~~~~~

...Do you love this world?

Do you cherish your humble and silky life? ....

excerpt from Peonies by Mary Oliver

Thanks for stopping by, have a wonderful weekend!

Middle of July already?!

3 wips--a triptych each on 12 x 12 cradled panels

cold wax and oil

Can't tell you how many layers of paint are on these.

Bizaar combinations that felt right at the time.

See them peaking through?

Found an excellent paint scraper at home depot,

I like it because you can push and pull it,

It plows through many layers at once with little effort.

Not sure where they will go next......

....but enjoying where they are now.....

Detail of a 24 x 16 wip

orange, several reds, the white you see is marble dust & cold wax

Love its translucency

Lots of potential for marble dust.

Hand built plaster bowl 14" 

yes, another wip.....

Indian red is sooo rich isn't it?  More marble dust and cold wax.

Scratching through to the plaster.

Though this looks like a woodcut, it's actually carved plaster on board.

For Stephanie & Judy's class

Continuing on with my bowl series--2d & 3d

Finally finished something!

 July 1st, I saw one bleeding heart on the bush in my yard.

Only one.  

How odd for any to be blooming at this time.

I felt like it was just for me,

my heart is aching from the loss of my mother.

~~~~~

My aunt Karen drove 2 1/2 hours just to take me out for a belated birthday lunch.

We went to Watt's Tea Room.

It was just delightful.

Oogled the beautiful china and crystal in their store.

Strolled a bit downtown.

Just lovely.

She's the best!

~~~

Thanks for stopping by!

Goodbye Mama

June 12, 1926 - June 10, 2011

I miss you Mama.