Burning the midnight oil

Occassionally I go on these painting binges

when it’s working it go with it . Sometimes I can’t sleep and I go to the studio and paint out what frustrating me and then go wash up . (Pastel is a messy business and I’m filthy when I’m done ) and then I’m ready for sleep . Lately I’ve been putting music on. I’ve been listening to Chopin Noctunes ,ironic in a away . You would think it would make me sleepy.

The top Pastel is one of my textured pastels and one I have been wanting to do for along time . I visited Cape Cod last year for a National Juried Show at the Cultural Center for The Pastel Society of Cape Cod . I didn’t win anything but it was a a phenomanal reception and I got to meet so many people ! Especially Jeanne Rosier Smith who’ve I’ve been dying to meet ! And of course our Judge Jacob Aguiar who did a great job judging !

I took a trip up the Cape to the top ,stopping at Truro and then to Race Point Beach . I took as many photos as I could and of course had to swim ! Then I sat on the beach and wrote the colors I saw as I didn’t bring any art supplies and did some pen sketches . 

It’s been a long time since I’ve looked at the photos . But after watching Jeanne Rosier Smiths videos and using her select Terry Ludwig and Girault Shore pastels it was time for some summer . Our winter here in upstate NY has been terrible. I had alittle fun with my tree and snow series but after awhile the weather just gets too much . I’ve been having a grand time with these beaches. Starting tentative with the blue wave I got bolder using my style I use in the texture paintings and trying to bring it to paper .

After doing the series of small pastels from my Atic window of my tree line and watching the scenery change with the weather I decided to a large painting as a culmination of the series Corner of My World . March has graced us with a large snowfall and it is snowing again today promising another large snowfall so I could continue on my large painting. Believe it or not although it it very dark there are shadows . If you stare out too long the snow glare actually hurts your eyes . I was almost considering my sunglasses even though it is dark and there is no snow . I showed the painting to a friend and she said it was a pretty painting . I thought about that for awhile . Not only have I not really painted snow scenes before , I’m not known for painting pretty paintings . My paintings are usually rough ,dramatic surrounding ocean scenes with dark rounds and alittle on the dark side and slightly moody. They are always beautiful to me and I have won awards and sold paintings . But that word bothered me . I looked outside . It was dark the ravine behind the trees was dark and moody ,the trees were heavy with wet snow . This is where my heart and my head conflict . I really looked at my subject . Is it really any different than rocks and water . There has to be drama in this scene for the viewer and myself . So I looked ,listened to my heart and head and I think I am finished now . It’s a good question . For myself and other artists . Sometimes we look at a painting and ooh and ah and say it’s so beautiful . It’s so well done . But to paint a pretty painting. That is not me . I have to have drama and passion in my painting.

February painting series

In February I started a painting series . I didn’t know it would become a series . I was getting a painting from my studio upstairs where I do my pastels and I was struck by the light on the trees . I have a line of trees in my backyard planted by my Grandfather in the 1950-60’s when it was popular to plant what I believe to be called Soldier pines in upstate NY . There is even an Avenue of the Pines in Saratoga . I was suffering from a fall on the ice getting out of the car and had my leg in a mobilizer and using crutches but somehow dragged myself up for six paintings watching the landscape change as the weather changed . They were all painted looking out the window down at the pines . I am a huge Andrew Wyeth fan and last year I fell in love with Christina Baker Kline’s book A Piece of the World about Christina Olsen and Andrew and Betsy Wyeth . The main focus was on Christina who artists and art lovers will know from Christina’s World . It always seems there is a story behind my art . There is something happening in my life ,something challenging me . I paint from my heart but sometimes things come out of my head too . That is why I called this series A Corner of My World . I have painted in my garden before but there was no feeling or meaning behind it. This was truly inspired by getting up those stairs . Then icing and resting after looking at the photos of the paintings after . Lovely what we can do with technology. luckily I don’t have to have surgery after X-rays and mri the knee showed extreme trauma . It’s back to physical therapy and at home ice, heat ,rest , elevate . I’m finding a new passion in writing as well as being an artist . I hope people will enjoy what I write .