Saturday, February 28, 2009

Two in a Day


"Earth Move"

Acrylic Abstract on Canvas Panel

8" x 10"



"Beauty"

Transparent Watercolor on Arches

8" x 8"

I really never thought I would do this, but today I painted a realistic watercolor painting and an abstract. I usually go through a period where I'm doing just abstracts or just realistics. This was a surprise to me. I was really pushing to get them photographed so I could post them today, and so the watercolor was taken outside on our front porch. Well, it is snowing today and some snow blew in as I was photographing. If you look closely you'll see the snow flakes on Beauty!! No, I didn't paint those in. I did have a moment of panic though as it was getting wet, but it did dry without any spots.



Friday, February 27, 2009

Sets of Two's and Three's

"Liquid Cool"

Abstract Acrylic Set of two panels

9" x 24" (2x 9"x 12")

Sold

"Cold Night"

Abstract Acrylic Set of three panels

12" x 16" (3x 12"x 16")




"Ice Flower"

Contemporary Floral Abstract Set of three panels

9"x 36" (3x 9"x 12")


This week I got just through ordering some more large canvases. Am I crazy or what?! So, as I wait for those to arrive I decided I would get out what I had left with the small canvases and use them. These that I have posted along with Kite Flite were the productions of the week. The fun part about painting the abstracts is that I never know how there going to turn out. Even if I do start with a preconceived idea you can pretty well can count on it changing, usually a lot! I'm going to get back in there and paint a few more floral watercolors as well.

Enjoy!!


Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Kite Flite






Acrylic on canvas


16" x 19"


Kite Flite


SOLD




I am so excited about these new abstracts that are beginning to emerge!  This one was the first one that I did this week.  My husband, who is very good at and often titles works, named it "Kite Flite".  He said it reminded him of flying kites.  I loved the title and thought it was appropriate as well since spring is just around the corner.

Also, this one reminds me of my favorite childhood movie, Mary Poppins!  As the winds are changing, Mary arrives flying with her parrot umbrella to take her job as a nannie.  She totally changes the formality of this household into a fun and loving environment.   In so doing, she helps the parents of these children she's been hired to watch over understand the importance of their relationships.  In the end, as the winds are changing again, she fly's off once again with her parrot umbrella, as the family is now together having fun flying kites and singing "lets go fly a kite"!  If you've never seen this movie, it's a classic and a must see!

This also made me think about the importance of the images that we view.  I have heard said that those first images have the greatest impression on your mind and are with you for the rest of a life time.   As I was growing up we didn't have a television in our house until we moved to Missouri when I was nine years old.  I knew what a television was because I would watch when I visited my grandmother in Caracas, Venezuela or when we came to my other grandmother's house in the states in the summer time.   The first movie I remember watching was Mary Poppins.  My mother took me to the movie theater, and it soooooo stirred my imagination.  I begged her to take me again, and then again, and then again.  I think she took me about seven times.  I had the parrot umbrella and the Mary Poppins bag.  I would even stick my umbrella out the back window in the car as we were driving, because it made me think I could fly!

The other movie I saw about the same amount of times, was another Julie Andrews movie, "The Sound of Music". Another movie, about the importance of family.   I imagine it was because we didn't have a T.V. that I asked to see these so many times.  Both of these movies had such a profound effect on my mind and I believe they helped in part to shape the values that would form who I am.  

I believe that I learned to have fun in life and enjoy the journey.  Have fun and laugh a lot!  Make the best of every situation that you are in and be content.  The most important relationships are those of your family, take care to nurture and enjoy these. and... A spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down!

We hear a lot about how to take care of our bodies with diet and exercise, but I don't feel as if we hear much about taking care of our minds.  It's been said that you are what you eat, but what about what is taken into your mind in the form of images or in what is heard.  Do these not also shape who we are?

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing.  Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.  Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.       Phillipians 4:8








                          



Saturday, February 21, 2009

More Abstracts?

"Work in Progress"

The last few days have been quite eventful. So much so, that it pretty well left me in a state of near shock. I haven't slept much, painted, blogged etc., etc., So are you ready?!

Well, ... Thursday morning I went to pick up the work that has been on display at Fulnecky Law Firm for the past month. When we had first put this body of work up the secretary there had bought two pieces! which was so very sweet of her- and Thursday when we picked them up the Kristi, the lawyer there, bought three pieces!!! Yes, I was so excited- you see these are my very first sales!! Thank you at Fulnecky!

O.K. wait, that is not the end of the story- I had an appointment to take this work, which includes both abstracts and floral watercolors, plus the acrylic abstracts that I've been working on for the last few weeks to Hawthorns, a local gallery in downtown Springfield in the afternoon. I had twenty nine pieces that I took in. I expected that there might be a few out of these that they might take in. Well.....,

Ready??
They said there were enough pieces to do a show- and asked if I would like to do my own show-
That's right I was totally blown away-
I said yes!

The show won't be until June and there is still room for more pieces. The last one that I did was the largest one, (remember the big canvas that I was so scared of and saved for last) and so if I can do some more large ones done they could all go together against one wall. So, I guess I am back to more abstracts!!

And so I've been so excited, honored and humbled by this. I am feeling encouraged and hoping to settle back down and get to work, or play! perhaps both work and play. Thank you all for the absolutely wonderful comments you have been leaving me as I have started blogging this new journey. You truly have been such an encouragement!! beyond what you can imagine.

I spent an absolutely wonderful afternoon with Elsie thrift store shopping, making plans and girl chatting! Rachel is cooking supper, so no cooking for me tonight! It's been a beautiful sunny day, although we did start out with snow this morning. It's Missouri.
Stay tuned!!


Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Night Life


"Night Life"
SOLD
Contemporary Palette Knife Acrylic

36" x 48"




Well, here it is! I blogged several weeks about switching from working with the transparent realistic floral watercolors to the abstracts. I had really been resisting this, even though I was being told how well my abstracts were liked. I'm not really all that sure why it is that I've resisted doing these, but I made the switch because a local gallery called and I new they were more interested in the abstracts. I am so happy that I was more or less forced to make the switch. I have enjoyed doing these soooooooooooo much!! and it seemed to happen so naturally.

Also, I believe changing mediums and styles has inspired me with so many new ideas. I'm thinking that I would like to continue working with the realistics watercolors, but also begin to work some realistics on abstract backgrounds. I have found that I really liked working on this large canvas and painting with a palette knife only was new to me. I'm ready to do many more!!

Well, if you've been following this blog this is the last of those canvas's that I had laid out on tables, and began working myself around the studio with. This was the largest (3' x 4') and it was actually on the easel. I saved it for last, because it was the bigggest and it scared me. Funny, how those big canvas's don't seem so big to me anymore! I don't really feel as if this photo really does it justice. I really love all the colors and it looks great on our living room wall!

I now feel like I am so ready to go out and buy some more large canvas's and paint,paint, paint!! Hopefully, I'll begin to get a few sales and start spreading the joy and love around.











Monday, February 16, 2009

Purely Organic


"Purely Organic"

Watercolor Collage

Matted and framed to 19" x 23"

This is another one of those earlier pieces I did when I was just playing around with watercolors and making stencils to paint around and in. It's also another one of those that I almost gave up and would have liked to have thrown it away! It began with the background and I really struggled with trying to make something of it. It was quite the challenge.

One day I was working with it and still trying to figure out what to do, when I noticed another little watercolor painting laying close by. I picked it up and began cutting by following the contours giving me these different shapes to work with. ( I think it may have been a flower?)
Then I began placing these various pieces on the background and just playing until something began to emerge that I believed worked and pulled it all together. Another happy accident!!?

Now, to be honest with you- I really never did like it all that much until others began telling me how much they liked it. Then it was kinda like- oh really. It has been a pretty popular piece. Just never really know!! My husband named it "Purely Organic".


Saturday, February 14, 2009

Everlasting Love


"Everlasting Love"

Watercolor Collage

Framed and matted to 19" x 23"


I really debated about posting this one for Valentine's Day because of the dripping red paint symbolic of blood, but it really is about love, a love so great that it surpasses all of our understanding.

A Father's love that provides a refuge, a shelter, a friendship, that gives life, that is sacrificial, pure, patient, merciful, compassionate and forgiving. A love that provides a complete covering through the blood of a lamb by way of God's doorpost, the Cross of Jesus Christ.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Have a blessed weekend!!
Elizabeth



Thursday, February 12, 2009

Lily


"Lily"

Mixed Media

Matted and framed to 24" x 30"

This is another one of those paintings that has many layers and layers. The layers are mostly transparent and made up of various materials. It was mostly done with watercolors, but then at one point it just wasn't working so I gessoed over an area and worked with some acrylics, and lastly oil pastels were used. This is one of those pieces in which I am reminded in how all things can come together and work in creating something beautiful. Like the way God can take all things, no matter what they might be, and use them to bring goodness. Lily has been matted and framed with an off white matt and frame.




Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Ninth Hour

Watercolor Collage

"Ninth Hour"

Matted and framed to 19" x 23"

This is another one of those pieces I did during an earlier period when I was first starting to play around with the watercolors. It began with a watercolor landscape painting in which I had became frustrated with and tore into these many pieces. Yes, I really hate to admit I did that! Anyway, after having torn this painting I began to put it back together. Imagine that! I kinda liked the look so just continued to play with arranging and gluing the pieces down. I love the colors in this one!

Monday, February 9, 2009

Autumn Dusk


"Autumn Dusk"

Acrylic on a gallery wrap canvas

24" x 30"

Sold


I am presently working on a very large abstract. Sometimes these happen rather quickly and sometimes it takes a lot of time until one is fully resolved. I thought I would go ahead and post many of the first abstracts I did a few years ago. Some of these were done in watercolors, some in acrylics and then some are collages.

This painting was one of those that took a long time. There are many different paintings(layers) underneath it. I mean I spent a lot of time trying to resolve it, thinking that perhaps it just wouldn't happen and then one day within a two hour session it all came together. Wow!!

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Vibrant


"Vibrant"


SOLD

Acrylic on gallery wrap canvas

24" x 30"




"Rose of Sharon"

5" x 7" matted and framed to 12" x13"

Mixed Media


and the answer is..... The Sydney Opera House! Many of you guessed the landmark that Ocean Opera was titled after. Well, I got done with Ocean Opera and I was staring at the next canvas. This one already had this golden under painting on it that I had put on last summer, with another idea in mind, and then I left it to work on watercolors. As I got ready to begin this one, the night before I had absolutely no idea what it would be, but I did know that it would happen.

I had brought home the smaller framed painting from the Bellwether Gallery, and had hung it on
the wall in our living room. The next morning as I was eating breakfast I glanced up and noticed the background color on this little one was almost exactly the color I already had on the canvas downstairs! There it was! I would reproduce it on to the larger canvas. It absolutely amazes me how God provides. Along with some of my abstracts, this had been one of the paintings that Hawthornes last fall had liked, only they preferred larger pieces. I have an appointment to take in abstracts at the end of this month, and so I've been concentrating more on these abstracts. It still amazes me! The canvas was ready, I had just picked up the piece it was to become the day before, and then I just happened to glance at it as I was eating. Hope they like it!

There it is on our wall! I had to check it out and see how it looked. The little painting came about last fall as I was working on another abstract for several hours and listening to Secret Garden. I was a little frustrated with what was going on and picked up a small piece of watercolor paper and Rose of Sharaon just happened. Enjoy!

Tomorrow night is First Friday Art Walk for downtown Springfield, and the grand opening for RedVelvetArt. We were there this morning helping to hang some prints on clipboards. It is all so beautiful and amazing. They were taped this morning and will be on tonights news. Looks like we are going to have some nice weather as well, and this will help bring everybody out.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Ocean Opera


Image size: 12"x 24"

Acrylic

"Ocean Opera"



SOLD




I don't feel as if I have a lot of words to write today. This is the painting that I finished today.
Several weeks ago I blogged on how I started these by laying all these canvases out across tables in my studio. My goal was to get away from the realistic flowers for a bit, and paint the abstracts that I really had stopped doing. Well, this one is that last of all those canvases that were laid on the table. I have two left, and they are big. The biggest one has been on an easel with an undercoat since last summer, and the other is leaning up against the wall. These two scare me.

My husband titled this one. He said it reminded him of a landmark down under. Can you guess it??





Monday, February 2, 2009

Connections


Today I took and hung this work at the Bellwether Gallery here in Springfield, Missouri to be a part of Friday's Art Walk. The Bellwether is a gallery in downtown that was opened by Second Baptist Church as a ministry to promote the arts, encourage artist, in the downtown area and for the community.

The very first show I was in was with the Bellwether. It began with a juried art show called "Connections" sponsored by this church. At the time I had just begun to play around with creating these pieces using stencils. I would take and cut out a shape from watercolor paper, then I would lay the shape(S) down on watercolor paper, paint around them, then move them around, turn them over, etc.,
Many times I would work on two of them at a time, while one was drying I could work on the other. Plus, it kinda helped to get away from it a bit to see it differently again, and know what to do next. I worked intuitively, with no rules. It was all fun. The challenged was then to make it work. Later, it got to where the stencils themselves were glued in and became a part of the design. A collage This one that is posted is one of those. I have thought about doing a workshop with this technique, just because it would be alot of fun, but not sure if any one would be interested in it.

Then I heard about this art show they were having, and I thought no way. A friend encouraged me to enter a couple of pieces. I didn't place but I was chosen to be in the show. With it being a juried show I felt quite honored. The next year the same thing. I still felt very honored. This time when I went to pick up my work, I stopped to talk to this lady who was working there "Ginny" and she was thanking me for having shared my work. I responded with I really wish there was a way that I could tell the story of how these came about. She asked me about it, and loved it. She later asked me if I had more works that I could show, and I was able to place twenty pieces in a show along with couple of other artist. My first show! I was so excited! Anyway after this Ginny asked if I would be willing to provide a piece for each month. So, many of these pieces had some pretty neat biblical accounts that went with them.
The one that I am showing this month (it's the one I posted) I'm really pretty excited about. This piece had been done around that time as well, in the same matter, but I never really liked it, and so it had been tossed into the throw away pile to possibly be used later in a collage. Well, several years have gone by and one afternoon (I have a disabled student that I work with on Tuesday afternoons that loves abstracts), Christa pulled this one out and said "I love it", and so I thought o.k we'll do something with it. I took it to the framers and dropped it off along with some other work that I needed done, but then forgot about it. Several months later, I was thinking about what I was going to take to the Bellwether and had gone to pick up some other work, and when I saw this one I looked at it, and perhaps I was given different eyes, but I thought oh how beautiful. I saw the crosses in and I knew it was the piece for the Bellwether.

But yet, I didn't have a message for it. I got to thinking about it and realized that how it came to be was the message. It is titled "Throw Away"- and the message that will go along side it talks about how when we or others can feel rejected, ashamed, not good enough etc., thrown away so to speak, God with his great love for us, and through the holiness of Christ can make something beautiful of that which is tossed aside as not being worthy in man's eyes.

This was a part of the beginning of re-connecting with creating art. I went through a time in my early years of thinking that as a Christian it was not a good thing to be involved in art. That was some crazy thinking! Having been created in His image, and God being the master artist creator, gave us a sliver of that desire to create. We were made to create for His glory.

Recently, I met an incredible artist that has really inspired me and so I would like to share this one with you. If your interested check out this site http://lauriepace.blogspot.com- "A Texas Contemporary Fine Artist" I do believe that you will be inspired as well!!