Preparation begins

What? you say - Why is she posting such BORING pictures of empty walls?   Well, this is what my house looks like these days, as I prepare entries for the Michigan Water Color Society annual exhibition. It's been announced that this year's juror is Pat Dews, and the entries must be postmarked by February 11.

Recently my strongest tool for assessing a painting is familiarity.  I used to follow some artists' suggestion of hiding away a painting, then pulling it out to see it with new eyes.  Instead, I've been putting them, unsigned & unphotographed, into mats and frames, and hanging them where I see them often.  This has worked well for me, in that I'm finding out clearly which paintings can hold my interest, and not annoy me with small flaws.  Some fail both these tests, and eventually come out of the frames for corrections and sometimes complete reworkings. Others pass. The passing paintings get signed and  - currently - are stacking up for a trip to the incomparable Eric Law for photographing.

Once I get the results back from him, I'll look at the images to decide which ones are worthy of entering in the MWCS annual.
The down side you see here. Some very sadly empty walls for a while.

The Sum of the Parts

How does it go? The whole is greater than the sum of the parts?  That phrase occurred to me this morning when I looked back over my shoulder at the wall of my studio where I tape and clip things I’m working on.

This  view made me think that maybe mats and frames are NOT my friends as I thought they were. Several of these have made it briefly into frames and onto living room walls (this is how I decide if they are done  … or, sometimes, how I decide I don’t really like them at all).   A couple  may be done (whether I’ve signed them or not doesn’t count).    One of them has achieved ‘reject’ status.  And there are always fragments up on the wall from paintings that failed and got cropped and still failed – this process at least  seems to generate lovely long strips of colors and patterns that I can’t abandon.

But all pasted up together on this one wall, I like all of them. A  generous overload  of pattern and flower and all the things I love putting into paintings.   I don’t know if there’s anything for me to learn from this: I don’t think I should be collage-ing them all together into one gigantic frame.  I just liked the way they all looked, crammed together this way, and they made me smile.

Ordinary Times are Here Again

Ordinary Times are Here Again

The calendar is CLEAR again

Time for painting, never fear, again!

Ordinary  Times are Here Again

No, I don’t bid the holidays a sad farewell.  Tomorrow, New Years Day, I will gladly move forward into the New Year by pulling down and packing away Christmas clutter, and restoring our home to peaceful simplicity. 

And, already this week, I’ve made a good start on beginning what I have realized is my favorite season: Painting Season.

 It starts after the holiday season, and seems to come to an end when gardening season and then the concurrent cottage season both begin.  These run until late fall (with a slight easing in gardening midsummer, which is compensated for by cottage season) when, amazingly enough, holiday season again takes over.

Each season has its own upsides and downsides.  I am just learning to accept that they seem to drive me instead of me them.

To celebrate the start of Painting Season,  I’ve already started a BUNCH of paintings at once.  I’ve drawn several designs from my floral sources onto half-sheets,  then stretched them onto boards.  Many of my watercolor friends eschew stretching, and I sort of feel the need to apologize to them.  No, I DON’T think it’s necessary  or important – for your paintings.  But I really do like to start my paintings this way for myself.   Even the process seems to get me into the painting mood.

And what’s more important than that? Especially as the Season Begins!

Our Town 2012

Last week was a fine week for this artist.   The Birmingham Community House held its annual fundraiser, "Our Town" (no, not the play, as my sister assumed).  Perhaps 100 artists and twice that many works of art are represented, and well heeled Birminghamers come to the opening night for wine, wonderful refreshments, and art.  Artists whose work is accepted into the show are invited, at no cost, and it makes for a great party, especially as generally one knows quite a few other artists with whom to meet and greet.  I saw friends and fellow SOBs  Diane O'Neil and Barbara Markham, and quite a few others.

Best of all BOTH paintings that I entered in the show sold. One, Momentary Revelation, is shown at the left.  The other, Fleur de Tulip, is shown here.

Needless to say, I was a happy camper, even though both of these paintings were favorites, with important locations in my home. Now I have to get busy and paint more with this kind of impact!

All pictures few words

Back from a vacation week with a head cold. Hope it's kosher to post some pix without many words. Here are some original notecards I spent time on while on vacation, to try to get started again after a long long hiatus from artwork. They'll be nice to have on hand when I need a card in a hurry! 

Perhaps more words  later  this week after our monthly SOB/CEO meeting: it's been requested that we talk about CONTENT.  Maybe some interesting discussion will ensue?  No content to speak of here  . . .. sorry.

The Sisters of the Brush have a Brush with Fame!!

Lots going on for the Sisters of the Brush this fall, most of it THIS WEEK!  

First, please check out this wonderful article in the Observer/Eccentric newspaper from Sunday (I bought enough paper copies for the SOBs, and then some . . . ). Click HERE.

Second, we open at Lawrence Street Gallery . . . TONIGHT!  We certainly hope you will be there to see our work and meet us.  We are also hoping to sell one of Mary McCarthy Anderson's paintings (see at right: "Forbidden Passage") to support the scholarship fund established in her name. If you've always wanted to own an original MMA watercolor, come tonight!  For more information about the gallery, and directions, click HERE. 

The picture at  left shows the Sisters of the Brush assembling the limited number of card sets (one from each artist) that will be available for sale at the gallery: look for the display stand near the front door. Get yours fast, these are bound to go quickly!

Third, Friday night is the opening reception for the BSWP's annual exhibit, this year entitled "Crossing the Lines". The art is awesome and the refreshments are world-famous.  And I even have a painting in the show! 

Personal Definitions

I live by making my own personal definitions.  I think a life skill of mine has been acceptance, and defining what I need accordingly is the corollary.    As I have endeavored to become an artist over my lifetime,  I have redefined for myself what an artist is.   After all, don't we all have our personal definitions of what constitutes (or qualifies as) art?  I certainly do, and my definition is very narrow-minded,  for the bleeding-heart-liberal that I am about most other things.   But that's not my subject today.
            I've also defined and redefined success over the years. I've found it is the sure way to achieve success - you should try it!  Once, success in art would have been many sales.  Later, I decided, many awards. Not having achieved either of these, I've had to redefine . . . again.   These days, I'm measuring my success in Wall Hours or Wall Days.  This is a measure whose formula I have yet to perfect and apply, but has something to do with getting my artwork out of the house and hung up on someone else's wall.  In Wall Days, I've had an excellent year, probably my personal best.  Starting last fall with Florabundance (with Pat McGraw) at the Birmingham Unitarian Church,  I've had more work in more places for more days then any other 12 month period.  Success!!!
               This month my redefinition involves creativity.  No, I still have not managed to start any new paintings.  I've spent most of my summer days since returning from our cottage preparing to show work.  I've worked and reworked old paintings, photographed and rephotographed same, then framed and re-framed too.  All to achieve more of those Wall Days.   But, still, I am deciding that this too feels creative.  Mind you, I've had enough now, and am ready to start  stretching some paper and spraying down my pallette. But, this work is part of being an artist too. At least, per my (new) definition!
           The painting shown above (poorly photographed by me, I should have taken it to Eric Law!) is one that I had decided was a failure, and had consigned it to the scrap heap.  Generally, these eventually get gessoed over with white gesso and reused for cat paintings. In this case, I decided to rework instead.  This is one of the paintings that is now at Lawrence St Gallery - obviously I decided to define it as successful!  Come see it in person and tell me what you think!