An Expressive Artist Studio

Portrat Sketches

2012-01-26T10:47:00.003-06:00

Three hour setting...each. Strathmore 200 series ivory.

Back to Art....

2012-01-26T10:05:00.010-06:00

Note: the color is off...but that is really not important....didn't take the time to correct them.

Sketch #1 - 30 minutes conté crayon compressed chalk on strathmore 200 series ivory.

Sketch #2 - 1 minute gestures on newsprint - warmups
Sketch #3, #4 - 15 minutes newsprint.

Happy New Year...

2012-01-02T15:48:00.003-06:00

What will the New Year 2012 bring .... I have many dreams of creating beautiful art and many desires of my heart to share God's Word with others. Maybe one of my earnest desires is being fulfilled this week as a class is forming. I will know Thursday if the Lord is in this. JOYFUL anticipation....

Psalms 37 ... "3 Trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) in the Lord and do good; so shall you dwell in the land and feed surely on His faithfulness, and truly you shall be fed. 4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord [roll and repose each care of your load on Him]; trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) also in Him and He will bring it to pass. 6 And He will make your uprightness and right standing with God go forth as the light, and your justice and right as [the shining sun of] the noonday." (spiritual growth, physical growth)

Psalms 127 ... " 1 EXCEPT THE LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; except the Lord keeps the city, the watchman wakes but in vain."

Is God Almighty actively involved in the affairs of mankind? I witness to all that absolutely He is . . . . but one has to have eyes to see and ears to hear.

"Faith is the SUBSTANCE of things hoped for; the EVIDENCE of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1)

Wonderful thought to know that God keeps His Promises...He cannot lie.

Thank you for what you are going to do in my life this year . . . . Amen.

Great anticipation for 2012 ...

Art is impossible during the holidays...

2011-12-14T14:16:00.003-06:00

From Thanksgiving, through Christmas, and the New Year ... very little art is possible in my life. It is just a fact during this six week period.

One thing I never neglect, however, is my connection to the Lord especially throughout these days of celebration, thankfulness and expressions of genuine love.

Therefore, until I get back to serious focus on art, I'll share my meditative thoughts here on the blog.

My meditative thoughts today.....

There is a Psalms that describes the process and results of the New Birth, Born Experience. I'd not seen this until just now. This is so awesome...think on this: Psalm 51

Process of New Birth

The Recognition

¹ HAVE MERCY upon me, O God, according to Your steadfast love; according to the multitude of Your tender mercy and loving-kindness blot out my transgressions. ²Wash me thoroughly [and repeatedly] from my iniquity and guilt and cleanse me and make me wholly pure from my sin! ³For I am conscious of my transgressions and I acknowledge them; my sin is ever before me.

The Confessions

⁴Against You, You only, have I sinned and done that which is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified in Your sentence and faultless in Your judgment. ⁵Behold, I was brought forth in [a state of] iniquity; my mother was sinful who conceived me [and I too am sinful].⁶Behold, You desire truth in the inner being; make me therefore to know wisdom in my inmost heart.

The Plea to be Released from Guilt

⁷ Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean [ceremonially]; wash me, and I shall [in reality] be whiter than snow. ⁸Make me to hear joy and gladness and be satisfied; let the bones which You have broken rejoice.⁹ Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my guilt and iniquities.

A New Heart and A New Birth of Spirit

¹⁰Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right, persevering, and steadfast spirit within me. ¹¹Cast me not away from Your presence and take not Your Holy Spirit from me.¹²Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit.

The Witness.

Proclamations Before all Human Kind

the Good News of Restoration & Revelation of Divine Wisdom.

¹³Then will I teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted and return to You.

^{Deliverance Unto Eternal Life}

¹⁴Deliver me from blood-guiltiness and death, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness (Your rightness and Your justice).

^{Praise & Adoration Breaks Forth}

¹⁵O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Your praise.

Upon the day of Thanksgiving...

2011-11-24T10:22:00.001-06:00

Thanksgiving blessings...

Truly if we have thankfulness and gratitude in our hearts that in itself brings blessings upon us.

Ungratefulness is a germ that infects the heart of some and harms relationships. With that in mind, I express my thankful for my friends who love me unconditionally and bless me with their thoughtfulness. I'm thankful for my family who support me and trust my judgment in family matters who are quick to forgive my blunders. I'm so thankful for my son and daughter and their spouses who make me so proud to be their parents. I'm thankful for a loving faithful husband that I can count on without question and trust completely. I'm so thankful for this country that gives me the freedom to express my ideas and opinions freely and gives me freedom from an oppressive government and the power represented in my single vote.

Finally, I'm thankful to our LORD for bestowing His merciful grace upon me, a sinner saved by Grace, which is a gift of undeserved and unmerited favor before Him, and for His written Words that anchor my soul through faith in His promises to his children. Promises that are for those who love Him and His Word. Thank you Lord for what you have done and what you are going to do in the future. -- In Jesus' Precious Name I Pray -- Amen

Some won't understand...others will.

2011-11-17T21:56:00.007-06:00

For many years, I have had this burning desire to teach the Word and teach what I've been privileged to learn. Yet I've been hindered and often frustrated. What I have learned over my life time from my beloved Mother who is residing in the heavlies as we speak is this that God controls my circumstances and directs my lives. She admonished me so often when I became discouraged when nothing happened, "In His timing, He will bring it about." After 30 years of waiting ... He has finally brought it about ... it has happened and it was not by my doing at all.

On December the 1st ... a group of people most I do not even know will knock on my door to enter in with me into fellowship and teaching will begin. I stand amazed ... it amazes me every time this happens for this is when the invisible God becomes visible and very real. Why must it be like this and not my doing? So that I can KNOW that it is His will and He will therefore, enable me to accomplish whatever He desires.

Lord, take my weakness and make me strong. Lead me and I will follow. Thank you for what you are going to do through my teaching and fellowship with whomever you bring to my door. I stand amazed and completely humbled to my knees in thankfulness. At last. Mom, as usual, you were exactly right and I have the full assurance of my faith.

Gestures and Notans

2011-11-17T08:02:00.005-06:00

I think I've discovered something. Go look at the side bar at right under the topic Notan ... after it is opened, scroll down to the "Notan" examples... open up and look at these.

Now look at my are gesture drawings focusing on my quickest drawings. Both of these methods are principally designed to do similar things ... namely create dynamic figures and powerful interesting compositions in paintings bringing out the central focal point and the composition's power to speak.

The gesture is designed to create a dynamic figure from the beginning as a primitive drawing that has accurate Proportion, Balance, and Movement even in the crudest sketches .... with as little as possible drawn.

On the other hand the Notan exercise is designed to find that same dynamic force in the composition ... in a landscape, portrait, or figurative genre setting .... starting with a set primitive set of black and white drawings drastically simplified. And in so doing the cards revealing another kind of dynamic power in the composition ... telling the same story in so many different ways and so many possibilities. Movement, balance, proportion is also found there. Both are designed to bring dynamic powerful paintings and figures forth. This is how it is done.

I'm beginning to understand how important this is.

This is art otherwise we are nothing more can a zerox machine.

My prayer today...

2011-11-15T10:34:00.006-06:00

It is interesting how negative people and negative critical words affect one's soul and the works of our hand. It is so easy to be sabotaged by these people. Everyday I thank the LORD that He is in control of my life and my destiny and when I remind myself of that and humble myself to His will, how truly joyful and happy I become. Therefore, I resist the critical garbage coming my way and turn to prayer for encouragement.

Father, Blow upon the embers of my heart and flame up the faith that is in me this day. Give me strength and wisdom and a forgiving attitude. Help me to be Christ-like in all I do, especially in the works of my hand. Muzzle my mouth to speak only your words. I pray for those who attack me and ask your mercy be upon them for they truly do not know what they do. If it be possible, reveal yourself to them in a profound way that will transform their thinking. Thank you LORD for this season of beauty and reflection upon your goodness toward us for it is your goodness towards mankind ...that leads us to repentance. Thank you for revealing your truth to those who have been given ears to hear and eyes to see. With thanksgiving I pray .... In Jesus Name, Amen.

When attacked for sharing the truth...weld your sword & stand!

2011-11-12T09:10:00.004-06:00

¹⁰In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides].

¹¹Put on God's whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil.

¹²For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.

¹³Therefore put on God's complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and, having done all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place].

¹⁴Stand therefore [hold your ground], having tightened the belt of truth around your loins and having put on the breastplate of integrity and of moral rectitude and right standing with God,

¹⁵And having shod your feet in preparation [to face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness produced by the good news] of the Gospel of peace.

¹⁶Lift up over all the [covering] shield of saving faith, upon which you can quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked [one].

¹⁷And take the helmet of salvation and the sword that the Spirit wields, which is the Word of God. --- Ephesians 6

Promises

2011-11-06T12:40:00.008-06:00

Psalms 92:12 "The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; To shew that the LORD [is] upright: [he is] my rock, and [there is] no unrighteousness in him."

I was at church this morning worshiping. My custom is to turn to the Psalms and read as I worship and especially during the praise singing. I opened the book randomly and this was what I read. I've been feeling my age and thinking that I have started a serious study of fine art too late in my life. I wanted to teach the Word but have been prevented. The Holy Spirit quickened my spirit and I knew the Lord was speaking to me directly from His word ... and giving me a promise for my old age. I will be fruitful. Thank you Father ... you always give me just what I need in encouragement and your promises are true.

Edit: When one walks with the Lord on a daily basis, that one's priorities are kept in their place and when the spirit is fed spiritual growth comes. I desire to be spiritually fat. I know that my relationship with the Lord directly affects all the works of my hands and everything that I do in life ... attitudes and ambitions. I desire to flourish growing a very fat soul and I shall flourish no matter what my circumstances------- ;-]

Playing with pastels...

2011-10-10T14:40:00.006-05:00

First one is overworked and am thinking I'm going to abandon it . . . but it is a beginning in pastels. I really don't know what I'm doing with pastels. My first attempts in full color.

This second one is a work in progress...flesh tones will be much better...use of more grays is helping immensely and this one is "working up" better ... let's see if I can kill it...ha ha. I need a good instructor but can't find one.

2011-10-08T15:20:00.003-05:00

I Cor. 15: ⁵⁸Therefore, my beloved brethren, be firm (steadfast), immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord [always being superior, excelling, doing more than enough in the service of the Lord], knowing and being continually aware that your labor in the Lord is not futile [it is never wasted or to no purpose].

Recent work.

2011-10-07T14:27:00.001-05:00

This last drawing is from the first figure drawing class of fall session ... at the end of two hour class. A five to ten minute sketch. I was so glad I ended with a pretty fair sketch. It is amazing how being off a week and not drawing sets you back (I was on vacation). ++ The figure at the top is an experiment on plain ole brown shipping paper heavy weight. I don't know ... I still feel I need more instruction. Playing around with pastels... Maybe I'll never really be satisfied with my drawings.

A new class...a new goal!

2011-10-05T08:29:00.007-05:00

Tonight I start a another class in figure drawing. The class is basically the same thing I've been doing for about two or three years and is my way of studying with Glen Thomas. By taking the same figure drawing classes consecutively I finally am nearing accomplishing my goals. Eventually, I plan to turn from charcoal to oil painting but I have no illusions, I'm not quite ready to do that for a good reason. I'm still not making art; I want complete control.

Although my drawings have steadily improved over these classes and the accuracy of the proportions, the balance and the motion in my gestures are correct 85 percent of the time, I'm still far from creating art.

I've accomplished a lot. In addition to these skills, my drawing overall is quite fast now. Like practicing scales on a piano, this rote discipline of drawing gestures in 60-30 seconds is creating speed. As a result, I am seeing the whole figure and large shapes and like a puzzle that fits perfectly, I learning to put it all together but do it swiftly without sacrificing the quality of line or accuracy. There is no other way than rote practice for some things.

In this fall class, other than practice, it is art that I will be after. In contour drawing, varying the pressure of my hand and releasing the line is a skill I've become proficient in resulting in a line that is quite beautiful and aesthetically pleasing. Glen has commented on and appreciated that progress.

Another goal I have is learning to do wash drawings in watercolor washes, a thing Glen is a master performing with nearly a 98% perfection on every figure.

On my own, I will be studying fabrics and folds, lighting and textures in view of beginning to clothe the figure.

I am making great progress. I'll post some recent photos soon.

Socializing in the way of artmakzing. . .

2011-09-15T14:19:00.006-05:00

Once a year, I have to do my part and make dinner for our Bunco Babes ... a social group of women who meet, eat and play bunco and such. Been working three days on this and two days on my mother's estate inventory and you wonder why I haven't posted any new work????? The week is blown .... Aaaaaaaargh. Soon this will pass and I will focus back down on art.

Edit: By the way...it was scrumptious if I don't say so myself.

Thoughts for this day for me... thinking out loud.

2011-09-11T18:48:00.003-05:00

2 Thessalonians 2:10-12

¹⁰And by unlimited seduction to evil and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing (going to perdition) because they did not welcome the Truth but refused to love it that they might be saved.¹¹Therefore God sends upon them a misleading influence, a working of error and a strong delusion to make them believe what is false, ¹²In order that all may be judged and condemned who did not believe in [who refused to adhere to, trust in, and rely on] the Truth, but [instead] took pleasure in unrighteousness.

As C. S. Lewis writes in the Great Divorce... heaven to the ungodly would be hell. They despise the truth and take pleasure in unrighteousness.

But for those who have been transformed and have a heart that loves the Lord and righteousness ... a far different experience:

BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather. --Psalm 1:1-3

Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheek; You have broken the teeth of the ungodly. -- Psalm 3:6-8

Wonderful promises. God never changes.

How sad that many delude themselves into thinking they are followers of Christ when all they are doing is giving lip service, being "religious", and the truth does not abide in them. How dark is their darkness. From their mouth come cynicism and darkness and you know...I'm not interested in crossing paths with such unless they are seeking truth...another matter indeed.

Fail...

2011-09-07T16:39:00.002-05:00

Well...just worked for several hours and failed miserably....ugly awful artwork .... you'll be happy it's destroyed! Maybe I'll do better tomorrow. Think maybe I'm sad today......just so you know what I'm capable of. Ugh.

Working art into busy schedule. . .

2011-08-12T10:13:00.006-05:00

Photos taken with and without flash of same art; much difference from the original which is somewhere between warm and cool light. I'm experimenting in pastels flesh tones. Interesting....I'm trying to figure out what colors and methods work that gives me luminous living flesh. I'm also continuing working with wash drawings and attempting to gain control of the water and edges in that medium.

Oh to have nothing to do but just art!!!!! How delicious that would be.

Recent...

2011-08-05T17:54:00.001-05:00

Impossible to explain...the anchor holds firm.

2011-07-24T16:25:00.009-05:00

anchor_wikipedia_image (one side of the anchor is the Promises of God to man and the other is God's Oath to man...in other words his covenant. This is what we "hope" in and put our trust in the fact that God cannot lie. This is why the Word of God is so essential to the believer and where we find strength for the storms of life.)

How truly blessed I am Lord; how satisfied and how comforted am I. What joy there is in my heart and peace . . . impossible to explain. Knowing you, Father, is an anchor to my soul in the midst of life's great storms.

Hebrews 6:¹⁷ Accordingly God also, in His desire to show more convincingly and beyond doubt to those who were to inherit the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose and plan, intervened (mediated) with an oath.¹⁸This was so that, by two unchangeable things [His promise and His oath] in which it is impossible for God ever to prove false or deceive us, we who have fled [to Him] for refuge might have mighty indwelling strength and strong encouragement to grasp and hold fast the hope appointed for us and set before [us]. ¹⁹[Now] we have this [hope] as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul [it cannot slip and it cannot break down under whoever steps out upon it -- a hope ] that reaches farther and enters into [the very certainty of the Presence] within the veil [i.e. literally reaching into the Holy of Holy's in Heaven],²⁰ Where Jesus has entered in for us [in advance], a Forerunner having become a High Priest forever after the order (with the rank) of Melchizedek [i.e. Melchizedek ... meaning an eternal High Priesthood never ending for all Eternity].

Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's working...drawing exercises.

2011-07-21T11:25:00.004-05:00

The drawing to the left was done with three crayons ... gold, green, blue. The task was to enlarge the figure and make it exceed the frame. The gold was the quick gesture, the green was refining the drawing and corrections; finally the blue was to define the negative shapes in the background and with the remaining time firm up the figure. We were given about 5 minutes.

The other drawing is a rapid contour drawing I did last night...a three minute sketch and this is designed to state the gesture - figure as quickly as possible with as little line as possible.

We also put paper over our drawing surface and drew three different poses blind...that's right. We could not see what we were drawing. The point of this exercise is to force the artist to concentrate on the the contour line of the figure, never taking our eyes off it. It was best done without lifting our charcoal pencil from the surface ... I do not have any pictures of these but I can say I was amazed how accurate my "mental drawings" are becoming. In this exercise you must think and imagine where you are on the page without using your eyes. It is very sensory.

Very good drawing night. (happy)

Something Truly Great Happened...

2011-07-14T15:26:00.002-05:00

Frankly, I can't even believe it. I EXPERIENCED something at class last night that I can not even explain. We were doing an exercise where a piece of paper is put over our drawing/hand so that we draw blind. As I was drawing something happened in my brain...I FELT where to draw. OH MY!!!!

Pentel Color Brush Pen

2011-07-05T10:33:00.010-05:00

I'm employing a new tool for figure drawing practice. Here are my early attempts.

How does one place in mid tone values with this medium...hum. Maybe I should just leave them out.

Can't make any mistakes . . . not very forgiving but not too bad so far. The next drawings are getting better and you can see that I'm beginning to figure out the brush ... the absorption of the paper is a bit tricky.

Now this drawing looks so pin up-ish (ugh)...but I'm beginning to get the feel for the brush.

Drew this pose twice...

I'm working on expressive strokes. The object of this work is to draw precisely, keeping the figure in balance, in proportion and showing movement ... what the figure is doing.

I know these look rather cartooned but that is not important right now . . . I'm learning something . . . I'm not concentrating on beautiful faces or aesthetics per se. I don't want to draw in a formulaic way . . . so I have to be careful here. This is more to help my eyes and brain see and increase the simplicity and structure of forms . . . I am understanding better the power of thin/thickness of strokes appropriately placed. I'm learning to see into the blankness of the paper first before drawing the stroke and "SEEING" where and what to drawn in my mind first and "SEEING" what to leave out. There is a place to for a heavier line and edges are still important even in high contrast drawing . . . . Seeing bigger and bigger shapes which is extremely exciting. I feel like I am gaining tools . . . physical human tools to put in my artistic tool box.

Soon I will see what this will do on canvas with a brush. Very encouraged my hard work is finally paying off. . .

These are my first effort using a Pentel® Color Brush Pen ... Sepa, black/gray, and a water brush (I haven't incorporated that yet).

Recent sketches...

2011-06-15T23:33:00.013-05:00

Random sketches...and a few class work sessions.

Here are some done with ball point pen...my favorite is a Zebra.

Watercolor study #1

2011-06-06T10:16:00.003-05:00

This is a study . . . to learn to control watercolor. In this case, the secret is controlling the water first, the color and then edges.

Blindness....slavery versus freedom

2011-06-03T17:52:00.003-05:00

⁴For the god of this world has blinded the unbelievers' minds [that they should not discern the truth], preventing them from seeing the illuminating light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ (the Messiah), Who is the Image and Likeness of God.

This is heavy on my heart today. How true. Blindness.

ADDITIONAL THOUGHT....R E L A T I O N S H I P S
¹⁴For the whole Law [concerning human relationships] is complied with in the one precept, You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself.

¹⁵But if you bite and devour one another [in partisan strife], be careful that you [and your whole fellowship] are not consumed by one another.

¹⁶But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God).

¹⁷For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the [Holy] Spirit, and the [desires of the] Spirit are opposed to the flesh (godless human nature); for these are antagonistic to each other [continually withstanding and in conflict with each other], so that you are not free but are prevented from doing what you desire to do.

Come, let us reason together. . . if one is a slave to his/her flesh, does that one really have a free will? Can there be a choice?

That is why God has to intervene. Every good work and every good deed is orchestrated by God in this world . . . ponder that. If you think you are the originator of goodness in your life, you do not give credit where credit is due and there is no recognition of man's true plight and why he must be saved from himself.

God has to step in and do for man what he cannot do for himself.

If one is born again by the Spirit, he/she will finally gain a "freed will" to choose righteousness over unrighteousness. With a new spirit, a new heart, he/she has the power to choose and the flesh is conquered and subdued.

Otherwise, if one can save himself within his own power to choose, why would you need the Holy Spirit or Christ's cross? In essence if man can save himself, he gets all the glory and can boast . . . when clearly salvation is "not of works lest any man can boast." Salvation is a gift given man by God. A gift.

Ponder that. . . a deep thought.

¹⁸But if you are guided (led) by the [Holy] Spirit, you are not subject to the Law.

¹⁹ Now the doings (practices) of the flesh are clear (obvious): they are immorality, impurity, indecency,²⁰ Idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger (ill temper), selfishness, divisions (dissensions), party spirit (factions, sects with peculiar opinions, heresies), ²¹ Envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you beforehand, just as I did previously, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

²² But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness,²³Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge] ²⁴And those who belong to Christ Jesus (the Messiah) have crucified the flesh (the godless human nature) with its passions and appetites and desires.

²⁵If we live by the [Holy] Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. [If by the Holy Spirit we have our life in God, let us go forward walking in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit.] ²⁶Let us not become vainglorious and self-conceited, competitive and challenging and provoking and irritating to one another, envying and being jealous of one another.

AMEN . . . there is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ. If you are free, you are free indeed....not unto perfection and sin-lessness but free from the slavery to sin. Freedom to choose.

Charcoal Drawing Commission

2011-05-27T17:48:00.001-05:00

This is a commission I just delivered to my client today. She was very happy with it...and that pleases me.

2011-05-19T23:22:00.013-05:00

I received this email forward entitled Two Wolves... so the picture and cut line below are not mine and I'd give credit if I could.

I was immediately struck at how this illustrates a passage in scripture wonderfully.

TWO WOLVES

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson
about a battle that goes on inside people.
He said, "My son, the battle is between
two wolves inside us all.

"One is Evil - It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow,
regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment,
inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

"The other is Good - It is joy, peace, love,
hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence,
empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then
asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee replied, "The one you feed."

Now CLICK HERE....and read this passage of scripture from the Amplified Versions

Zero in on this and ponder it.

Christ's Spirit taking up residence IN YOU. This is what is meant by being born again. So the two wolves are the flesh and the spirit. Which is in control of your body? Which one do you feed?

(There is much to say about this and if any of you do not understand this very basic concept of the Gospel, I would be happy to share more privately. The truth will set you free and when you are free, you are free indeed. If you are a prisoner of your flesh and this control has literally killed you, if you feel dead inside and do not want to live, you can be set free and come alive. When a man or woman finds spiritual understanding, and what is the purpose of living, though he were dead he shall surly live. Jesus said, "You must lose your life, to find it." I encourage you to feed your spirit; "if you seek me you shall surly fine Me" . . . and Jesus cannot lie.)

Break through....at last

2011-05-06T07:38:00.011-05:00

This wash drawing I did in class a few days ago, really got a lot of praise from fellow artists; nearly everyone thought I should frame it... I frankly don't see it (I was floored). Even my instructor said it was very good. Could it be that it was just a good likeness of the model? Any comments on the wash drawing are welcome...please tell me what it is that you like or don't like . . . I'm curious why I can't see what they see or maybe I'm right and they are wrong.

Some ink drawings recently ... I think are really some of my best work so far in figure drawing aesthetically speaking. I will post them soon in a new post.

Thanks Jon for your comment (below).
This drawing will be signed and framed.

"You've had a major break through, Patti and you have gone to another level in your drawing," instructor Glen says. At life drawing class, he pulled me aside, "I've watched you for the last two classes and I can confirm it is a real advancement, he goes on, "This is how it goes in art; you have advanced. It's unpredictable." I had noticed that Glen had stepped back and was just letting me go lately. I thought he was not wanting to pressure me because of my grief and stress when actually, he was watching to see if this was a true advancement.

Puzzling isn't it? One would think progress would halt in such circumstances since I have not been able to focus down on drawing since my mother passed away? The last few weeks has me drawing here and there and fearing my recent progress was slipping back. Instead, something great was happening.

Apparently this is how artists grow . . . in plateaus and often suddenly. One can never plan for it and it goes against logic for you work and work and struggle and don't feel you are getting any where and then all of a sudden "things click" and you see differently as you draw. Yet, I know how the subconscious mind continues to work on problems even when our conscious mind is unaware. This phenomena happened in brainstorming for ideas in my former career in graphic arts. The greatest ideas would often come a day or two after brainstorming for hours and hours. The mind works on problem solving even when we are not fully conscious of doing so.

(I will edit this post and upload some more recent sketches. Truly feeling blessed for I needed a boost right now badly . . . no time today to do it.)

Pondering this great mysterious passage...

2011-05-03T08:38:00.001-05:00

¹AND YOU [He made alive], when you were dead (slain) by [your] trespasses and sins in which at one time you walked [habitually]. You were following the course and fashion of this world [were under the sway of the tendency of this present age], following the prince of the power of the air. [You were obedient to and under the control of] the [demon] spirit that still constantly works in the sons of disobedience [the careless, the rebellious, and the unbelieving, who go against the purposes of God] among these we as well as you once lived and conducted ourselves in the passions of our flesh [our behavior governed by our corrupt and sensual nature], obeying the impulses of the flesh and the thoughts of the mind [our cravings dictated by our senses and our dark imaginings]. We were then by nature children of [God's] wrath and heirs of [His] indignation, like the rest of mankind but God--so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us, even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for] it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation) and He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One). He did this that He might clearly demonstrate through the ages to come the immeasurable (limitless, surpassing) riches of His free grace (His unmerited favor) in [His] kindness and goodness of heart toward us in Christ Jesus. For it is by free grace (God's unmerited favor toward you) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own striving], but it is the gift of God; not because of works [not the fulfillment of the Law's demands], lest any man should boast. [It is not the result of what anyone can possibly do, so no one can pride himself in it or take glory to himself.] For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]. Therefore, remember that at one time you were Gentiles (heathens) in the flesh, called Uncircumcision by those who called themselves Circumcision, [itself a mere mark] in the flesh made by human hands. [Remember] that you were at that time separated (living apart) from Christ [excluded from all part in Him], utterly estranged and outlawed from the rights of Israel as a nation, and strangers with no share in the sacred compacts of the [Messianic] promise [with no knowledge of or right in God's agreements, His covenants]. And you had no hope (no promise); you were in the world without God. But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were [so] far away, through (by, in) the blood of Christ have been brought near.
--Ephesians 2:1 (Amplified Version)

Pondering this great transform-ative Gospel which is the work of God at work in us . . . i.e. Christ being IN US. This is a mystery. It is truly a miraculous work of the Spirit of God . . . a work that is God's purpose in creating us in the first place. The first two chapter of Ephesians if taken to heart and understood will transform a person's thinking.

Returning to Art . . .

2011-04-22T09:32:00.014-05:00

Here are some recent sketches.

I'm working on giving weight to the figure, balance, proportion, and movement.

Last figure drawing class, I had a really good night and there wasn't any good reason for that because I hadn't drawn in over a week. I was just on. I truly think I was given a bit of grace and favor to encourage me a bit...I wasn't expecting to do any good at all.

Establish the work of our hands...

2011-03-29T22:23:00.004-05:00

"The days of our years are threescore years and ten (seventy years)--or even, if by reason of strength, fourscore years (eighty years); yet is their pride [in additional years] only labor and sorrow, for it is soon gone, and we fly away. Who knows the power of Your anger? [Who worthily connects this brevity of life with Your recognition of sin?] And Your wrath, who connects it with the reverent and worshipful fear that is due You? So teach us to number our days, that we may get us a heart of wisdom. Turn, O Lord [from Your fierce anger]! How long--? Revoke Your sentence and be compassionate and at ease toward Your servants. O satisfy us with Your mercy and loving-kindness in the morning [now, before we are older], that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Make us glad in proportion to the days in which You have afflicted us and to the years in which we have suffered evil. Let Your work [the signs of Your power] be revealed to Your servants, and Your [glorious] majesty to their children. And let the beauty and delightfulness and favor of the Lord our God be upon us; confirm and establish the work of our hands--yes, the work of our hands, confirm and establish it." -- Psalms 90

I hear you LORD. Thank you for your Word and the Holy Spirit to quicken me. I will go to figure drawing tomorrow night and grief will not defeat me. I will count the number of my days as precious; grief will consume them. Therefore, I will trust in you, Oh LORD, dry my tears and move forward. Grief will not defeat your purposes for my life . . . for in my weakness You are made strong. Thankfully Lord, unlike David, I am under Grace and not under Law in this age ... and all of my sins are forgiven and covered and favor resides upon my head because I belong to you.

"Sing to the Lord, O you saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. For His anger is but for a moment, but His favor is for a lifetime or in His favor is life. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." Psalm 30:3, 4
-- Amplified Version

Heartache . . .

2011-03-27T21:32:00.009-05:00

The depth of my soul is full of anguish and my body physically hurts. Heartache is physical pain . . . I had not known that and this is a new scary experience. I am dry, yet I am full of inner weeping. All desire to create art has vanished along with all ambition and motivation. Will it ever return? Will I ever feel normal?

As I worship alone today at Crossings, grasping my mother's worn Bible in my arms to my breast not knowing where it had opened . . . (I usually turn to the Psalms for comfort and guidance during praise time) . . . I am feeling overwhelmed with God's presence. I pull my arms down and my eyes fall upon the page to a one single verse "Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted." God promises are faithful and true. Thank you Lord. Amen

Absent from the Body...

2011-03-18T02:04:00.007-05:00

Obituary:
http://www.news-star.com/obituaries/x1777821685/Edith-Juanita-Carruth

Edith Carruth, my mom, entered into the presence of her Lord and her Savior this afternoon at about 4:15. In death, she finished her race the same way that she lived her life: with great courage and steady faithfulness. She told me just Tuesday ... "I can hardly wait to see the Lord. I am ready ... I'm okay with this ... the Lord is in control (meaning ... in control of my living and my dying)."

This is the full assurance of faith that the scriptures speaks of that Christians gain when they have a relationship with the living God.

We her family rejoice in this day for we agree with David when he stated ..."Precious in the sight of the LORD [is] the death of his saints. O LORD, truly I [am] thy servant; (David proclaimed) I [am] thy servant ... thou hast loosed my bonds. I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD. " (Psalms 116:15, 16).

As I am rejoicing and celebrating mother's life, of course I bear a great personal loss and sorrow of separation. The grief I feel is very different ... a deep loss ... yet knowing confidently ... that we cannot grieve as others grieve who have no hope. We shall be reunited one day soon. Therefore, my great loss is her greater gain and that comforts me now.

Mom became ill Saturday morning and was rushed to Presbyterian OU Medical Center Presbyterian Hospital in OKC. After scans and tests, lymphoma was found and the tumors were restricting the flow of brain fluid causing her symptoms. We were encouraged that they were treatable even at her age without much discomfort. So I held out a bit of hope for recovery, yet looking back, I think mom knew and didn't want to dash the bit of hope I hung on to. She was improving until Tuesday afternoon when she suddenly had a turn for the worse and was taken to ICU. A few hours later she suffered a brain hemorrhage which is a bleeding stroke leaving her left side paralyzed. She never regained consciousness. On the third day...today, she peacefully slipped into the arms of her savior. It was apparent to me, she was at peace even to the end.

Mom has had a love affair with her Lord and Savior since her twenties ... and she has borne great tragedy and grief just as she has experienced the ecstatic joy of a relationship with the living Lord ... Her love affair with the Word of God has also saturated her life and teaching. She is an anointed teacher and I have stood in amazement all of my life at the depth of her understanding as has other learned theologians.

Mom has continuously taught the Bible since she was in her twenties. She gave her heart to the Lord and a few months later, her son was struck and killed while crossing a highway that ran in front of their home. How could the Lord allow such a tragedy but it was that experience that drove this young woman into the Bible ... to find answers no preacher could give and so, a passion for the word of God began and grew and God healed her broken heart. Since that time she has devoted her life to the study of scripture and taught Bible classes.

At 91 years of age, she was teaching two adult classes right up to last week before falling ill. Teaching one class a week is one thing but she taught two different lessons weekly .... studying intensely for hours and hours each week. I've seen her study all day many times. My favorite story she tells on me was when I was a toddler. So accustomed to seeing my mother study, every time she would take a break from chores, I would go and get her bible and put it on her lap. I loved that I did that but it says how hard she studied.

She taught Bible ... always teaching verse by verse ... New Testament passage compared to Old Testament passages ... always harmonizing the Word. She taught in such away that the scriptures interpreted themselves and made perfect sense. She knew how to "rightly divide the truth."

That is a super natural calling and a devotion ... a motivation only the Lord can give ... a genuine call to ministry. She never tired of, or burned out of her ministry. She never asked anyone for anything monetarily for her ministry was truly non-profit in that sense. Yet, God richly blessed beyond measure overflowing exceedingly. Mom provided the refreshments for her class at her expense (a few volunteered occasionally); and notes were freely given. She was happy to do it. All she ever asked is that her students bring a pencil, note paper, and a Bible.

I have never sat under such teaching from any one else ... ever ... not even from learned preachers with doctorates. She was truly anointed and a chosen teacher of the Word of God ... and I feel humbled to have been her child. In our home town, I am happy to be known as Edith's daughter.

"Who can find a worthy woman? For her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband trusts in her. He shall have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. ... She opens her mouth with wisdom. Faithful instruction is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household, And doesn't eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed. Her husband also praises her: Many women do noble things, But you excel them all. Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain; But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands! Let her works praise her in the gates!" --- Proverbs 31

How sorely I will miss your guidance, Mother. How I will lack understanding because I cannot longer hear your prayers. Whose hugs will give such comfort as yours gave? Yet your love continues to abide in me as a blanket upon my shoulders .... and "I rise up and call you blessed" today for all the days of my life you have walked consistently with God. How I yearn to again join you in worship and praise.

Already, I'm receiving calls and cards from people who have been touched significantly by your ministry. (I thought I knew everything.) It is your the young women who tends your beautiful rose garden and who clears the snow from your driveway .... who tells me how much you have helped her and how your wise guidance brought meaningful changes in her life. I see the tears streaming down her face and the love in your eyes for my mother and I am stunned.

If Mom were here reading over my shoulder, she would say .... "no no no, Patti, don't write that" ....and quickly draw attention away from her and insist ... "whatever crown that the Lord may give me, I give it back to Him for it is he who has done it through me. I was only a willing vessel." How many times she said, "don't make my funeral about me." Yet, Mom it is about you and what the Lord has done through you.

Thank you Mother for teaching me to love God's word and to apply it to my life. For opening the mysteries of God's Word to my understanding. For opening my eyes and ears that I might see and hear the truth which is the way that leads to life everlasting. Thank you for living before me a standard that I could never meet. Thank you for your consistency and steady walk.

Good bye my sweet Mother for now ... I will be there with you soon.

How dark is the darkness...

2011-03-07T12:15:00.004-06:00

Blessed is the man who doesn't walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the way of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers; But his delight is in the LORD's law; On his law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree planted by the streams of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also does not wither. Whatever he does shall prosper. The wicked are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked shall perish. – Psalms 1 KJV

A more amplified translation….having the same meaning….

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with scoffers. But they delight in doing everything the LORD wants; day and night they think about his law. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season without fail. Their leaves never wither, and in all they do, they prosper. But this is not true of the wicked. They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly. For the LORD watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction. NLTranslation

Lately, I have been hearing some advice from people who have no understanding of the Lord whatsoever even though they go to a church on occasion. Why they profess Christianity, I will never know. They are being dishonest with themselves …. And are greatly deceived. It is truly challenging to listen to and tolerate.

Lately, I can’t bear the scoffing for the Holy Spirit in me is grieved and I am thinking of seriously removing myself from the presence of such people .... at least for a while. How dark is their personal darkness; how sad.

Thank you Lord for the hope that is in me and for the deep joy you have established within me.

Hinderances...

2011-02-19T23:21:00.006-06:00

Apologies to my followers. My husband slipped on black ice and broke his ankle in three places. So you know why I haven't blogged lately or been able to make progress on my art. Surgery a plate and lots of screws for the tibula, fibula and the little bone that sticks out usually ... unless it get chipped off as Jack's is ... and the ankle itself is fractured (the left foot goes the other way..it's dislocated). Lots of pain...8 weeks on crutches but boy we have fantastic surgeons thank the Lord.

Composition Notan Woman at the well

2011-02-08T08:54:00.007-06:00

2-13-11 UPDATE:
It would be so interesting and helpful if those who view this blog pick the composition that you feel is the best and strongest. I have numbered the cards (click to see number) and invite your selection and comment if you wish. I'm in the process of deciding for myself and will post the steps that follow to the final painting.

Here are some of my Notan index cards. I finally get it . . . and wonder why this was made more difficult to understand than it is. That said, what I've learned is never to take the first idea for a composition that pops into one's head. I found so many more ways to say what I want to say. The exercise exploded my imagination and I soon began placing myself mentally into my imagination. This is definitely an exercise routine that will be used in designing ... yes DESIGNING ... any future paintings.

Samaritan Woman At the Well - John 4:4

Oh NO!!!!! not Notan

2011-01-23T08:41:00.004-06:00

Always learning. I posted my Notan exercises on Cennini Form and was told to burn the book NOTAN the Dark-Light Principle of Design as a heretical book.

In fact here is the Moderator's post to me regarding this book:
"Patti, none are remotely related to notan. If that's in the book, it is among the plethora of misleading books available to sap away any possibility of artistic knowledge. It does real damage...as all bad ideas will do.

If you have a fire going, this should be used for tinder because it's so off-target that it's doing real, lasting damage. Excuse my passion but this is why I came out of my secure and profitable studio -- to teach... and not just to impart workable knowledge, but to to absolutely destroy, in no nice terms, the charlatans and hucksters who are drawn to this field and feel capable of teaching. The intent is identical to those creeps who lure children into cars.

This sort of misdirection makes me very angry. It's doing real harm. My advice to you is to never think about notan again. Just concentrate on your figure drawing and painting as you were before. The advice in that book will undo any advances you have already made.

Burn it now! You have let a pestilence into your house." -- Rob Howard, Moderator Cennini Forum

I stand corrected. Back to drawing my index cards. Frustrating for I thought these exercises would truly help me.

My apologies to my readers and followers. Live and learn. I trust Rob's judgment. -- Patti

Trying out some New Pastels....

2011-01-05T22:56:00.004-06:00

Work in Progress...trying out pastels on little Roxie foxie (Pomeranian). Still have a bit to do.

Help...

2011-01-05T21:19:00.004-06:00

I'm not sure if the contact feature is working. Have any of you submitted a contact form?

Your help would be greatly appreciated.

UPDATE: YES...the form works. Thanks for verifying that for me!!!

Patti

New Feature...contact me via email

2011-01-02T22:44:00.008-06:00

Immediately to the right do see "To Contact " link ------------->

This is a new feature on my blog and I hope it works for it occurred to me that there is no way for visitors to contact me directly. Now, if any of you would rather comment privately and directly to me, I'm offering a way to do that and remain anonymous if you wish. Fill out the contact information form and submit it. I've provided an upload if you want to create a .pdf text file, or send a jpeg ... you may attach it using the "browse".

If you wish to remain anonymous you may do so; however, any information you decide to share will be held in confidence.

Besides the contact feature, I've included a "search this blog" for your convenience and a list of my labels on the right side bar.

--- Patti

December Drawings

2011-01-01T12:35:00.012-06:00

The good the bad and the ugly . . . I've broken free from my artistic block for the moment. . .

This one is pretty good...

It is with a great deal of freedom, and oh so little time for art during this family & faith month of December, I manage to squeeze in a few drawings. I'm feeling so free and I am no longer afraid to show the world the good along with the not so good work.

Drawing is the key to all art and many artists today feel they have no need to develop this discipline ... and it is a discipline akin to practicing scales on a piano. I'm determined to keep drawing even in the most demanding month of the year.

The following are random sketches from my book that is always by my side.

This one is okay but not yet what I want ... a study of my daughter in view of her portrait in oils...

Fair accuracy .... quick drawing what is before me. a card table in the living room and a new set of pastels (I'm not quite ready to post that work) ... Ozzie, our white Schnauzer mix and our tree (unfinished)...I'm adding detail ... a quick sketch ... drawing what is before me.

Roxie & Ozzie ... I plan to sculpt them in the Winter Session of City Arts with Glen Thomas as instructor starting next week. I will photograph them tomorrow. I'm thinking something on this order posed together for they are literally inseparable ... maybe change the head positions ... a quick sketch.

Lots of watching football ... and I do love football ... sometimes the television is too prominent at times in our lives.

I enjoy drawing heavier women for them seem just as this drawing's feel almost free from the bondage of vanity.

Quick gestures from a book of figures.

Growing again hinds' feet . . .

2010-12-27T16:17:00.009-06:00

CORRECTED RE-WRITE OF THIS POST…

(I mistakenly thought David on Cennini Forum and then Jon who has posted on my blog for suggesting this book when all the time it was actually Eugene who suggested it. After reading my blog, there were so many mistakes I decided to re-write it completely.)

RE: Hinds' Feet On High Places by Hannah Hurnard

This is to EUGENE .... thank you for the suggestion to read this book!!!

After blogging about my fears in the previous post, Eugene suggested I read this Christian classic; an allegory about a very fearful girl and how the Shepherd from the High Places of the mountain (the Lord) helped her gain new feet (she was crippled) like those of a hind (female deer). As you know the hind is able to leap and bound across the roughest terrain … and in this case the rough terrain is the difficulties found in this life ... leaping above difficult circumstances.

What is written in this book is what I have experience throughout my life for I have met many difficulties and disappointments. At 66 years of age, I have been trotting on my own "hinds' feet” … romping with the LORD on the mountain tops through many a difficult circumstances for many years. That is why, when a Christian grows hinds' feet it is possible to declare, “Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. " (James 1:2).

Yet those who’ve grown “hinds’ feet” are not exempt from self-deception from time to time. Seeking the Lord is what I practice on any everything that troubles me for I've learned that answers will come eventually. I had been seeking an answer to why I was so un-productive as an artist. I thought it might just be mere laziness, or that there was a lack of skill. I did not see fear. This self deception had resulted in an artistic block. How wonderful to have been nudged by the Lord to get this book. Meanwhile, in desperation, I poured out my plight in a private message to the moderator, Rob Howard on the Cennini Forum. He stunned me when he suggested that my problem was fear. He said, "You must overcome your fears" and he gave me some advice for doing that.

Then that little book came and along with it a conformation from the Lord. None of this is happening by accident. The Lord is orchestrating an answer and a solution. This is His way. I am gaining some strategies as how to battle what I recognize is my crippling fears. Fear is the opposite of faith.

For such a long time I had been blocked and I literally could not finish much art. I was overly critical of myself and set unrealistic standards. A fear of failing worked on my pride. I hurled brutal self-criticism upon my work. Nothing I did was good enough. A fear welled deep inside questioning, “Will my work ever be of any value? Will I ever be nothing more than an amateur? Will I fail?” Clearly, now I see that I was lusting after worldly success forgetting that it is the LORD God who gave all the talent I will ever possess at birth. How can I add an inch to my height; why am I worrying about talent or skill? It is not God that causes us to prosper (Det. 8) on this planet? All we are to do is be faithful .... not successful ....to do the best we can and to take advantage of every opportunity. Finally, I am free. What a heavy burden has been lifted off my shoulders.

Oh how long, LORD will I struggle and lust after the success of this world and the approval of mankind?

Scripture says, that if we will judge ourselves then we can avoid the disciplines from our Father in heaven. Those disciplines allow our problems to fester (Romans 4:2 - the Goodness of God leads man to repent ... waiting patiently and mercifully for the festering process to mature). When pain cannot be borne a minute longer, it must be lanced in order that the pussy sore can be drained completely and the wound healed. Our scares should remind us to deal with problems quickly to avoid such pain in the future ... but as with my case, deception clouds the truth.

As I'd stated before, just because one has been given "hinds'" feet (the hoofs of a deer) doesn't mean that one will never struggle again with the flesh. This is what scripture calls ... spiritual strongholds. My artistic block was the result of self-deception from false pride ... and repentance sets us free. Repentance simply means “to have a change in thinking, to agree with God and turn from that attitude.”

Proverbs 23:7 "For as he thinketh in his heart, so [is] he: ..."

The deception: I didn't want to examine my pride issue and selfish ambition for the things of this world. I still struggle with wanting man's acceptance but at last I have insight now. The opposite of pride is humility...genuine humility. What does God allow, my flesh to be humbled ... to bring me into submission ... I'm so okay with that and the pain is going away.

Consider this, if there is a blessing for being an obedient child to our earthly parents might there is scripturally speaking .... (Proverbs says to honor your mother and father "that things will go well with thee and your life will be long upon the earth) .... how much more then .... will things go well for us on this planet when we agree with our Heavenly Father and do things His way!!!!

The Proverbs speaks wisdom: "My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: For they [shall be] an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck." and ...."My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son [in whom] he delighteth."

Thank you Eugene . . . you certainly were an instrument of God's will for me ... the Lord richly bless you and reward you my friend.

---Patti

Confessions of a fearful artist...

2010-12-02T08:06:00.007-06:00

I've just discovered that I have an enemy; his name is Fear. What does fear do to an artist? In my own world, one product fear produces is a negative attitude and that is a prescription for a very big artistic block.

In my own meditation searching for a way to conquer this fear in me I had to look honestly at my ego and pride. I have such a great fear of failing; a fear that someone more knowledgeable more professional will pronounce my work as the worst sort of amateurish work. All that is ... is fear of embarrassment rising from false pride. So I am confessing.

Repentance from false pride....
Proverbs 8:13 "The fear of the LORD [is] to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate."

Lord, forgive me and deliver me from false pride and arrogancy and the love of this world and all the false success of it. Remind me daily that all that is good in me is from you. Amen

Searching scripture this morning I came across these passages where the Lord admonished his children to not fear. There are two types of fear in scripture: one good one bad. Good fear is the awesome respect for the Power and Awesomeness of our Creator i.e. the fear of God is good for man. Bad fear is the opposite of faith.

These are the admonitions of the Lord:
• To Abraham God said..... Fear not, Abram: I [am] thy shield, [and] thy exceeding great reward.... also...fear not, for I [am] with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's sake.

• To Simeon ... Peace [be] to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks:

• To Moses ... And the LORD, he [it is] that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.

• To Isaiah ...For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.

• To Israel ... Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called [thee] by thy name; thou [art] mine.

• To Jacob ... Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, [which] will help thee; Fear not...

• Jesus said to believers ...But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.

• This is the confidence we can have through faith ...In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.

Since coming to understand my enemy, the negativity has gone for when an axe is put to the root of the problem, negativity is turned to positive attitudes full of faith that I am not my own; that the Lord has a purpose for my life and it is He that is directing it. What ever ability I have was given me upon my birth and may I diligently pursue to ever be mindful that I am learning, developing and discovering these abilities. I will have failure but it is in failure that often the greatest lessons are learned; that false pride will plant fear and we are debilitated. Fear is torment.

If I succeed in anything in this life, let it be to the praise of the Lord for this is what I believe:

Ephesians 2:6
"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."

I have been saved, I am being saved daily, and I shall be saved at the end of this life; this is the walk of faith of every believer. All of the works of our hands are directed by the Lord...therefore, fear not.

Stars on my figuritive gestures!

2010-11-09T11:50:00.010-06:00

A 20 minutes drawing on newsprint with vine charcoal.

I received a star on my drawing last night from my instructor. He doesn't give them out often.

This drawing is moving toward artistic express. I was given a star for the artistic line and achieving what he has been drilling for the last five gesture classes.

I am truly at a turning point now. This is what I have been working for; not that I think for a minute I have "arrived" rather this is a break through. From this point forward Glen will be emphasizing artist expression and aesthetic beauty of the figure...and likenesses.

I'm more energized than ever. How fortunate I am.

The following drawings are 45 second gestures. My instructor says "you must learn to achieve the figure in less than a minute. It should be in proportion, the figure balanced, and it should have movement showing exactly what the figure is doing."

I got stars on these drawings.

The second figure especially. This is not about a finished drawing ... it is getting the structure solid. As you see, you have to draw quickly.

These are all good.

Here I use simple pink sidewalk chalk and have 15 seconds to first gesture the figure using the flat side of the chalk. Then I drew the figure in the remaining 45 seconds with as few lines as possible the figure ... achieving the same three criteria as stated above.

These are a total of one minute drawings. See how they read as a complete figure allowing your mind to fill in.

My instructor, Glen Thomas, says this to his student artists, "If you do not gesture first you run the risk of having to keep correcting your figure because the gesture assures that your figure will be convincing in the end because it will be balanced, in proportion, and dynamic ... that it will show exactly what the figure is doing regardless of whether the figure is still or in motion. Even a motionless figure has weight."

He is right. Now begins working on likenesses, aesthetics, and not in just getting the features correct and recognizable but in showing the real person and intent of the figure.

On Praising the Copper Teapot Update

2010-11-08T14:17:00.007-06:00

POST UPDATE: 9 Nov 2010

Well good grief....
WILL I EVER GET THROUGH WITH THIS!!!

Today, I was looking at this and realized that I have a drawing drafting problem. Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
I made some major corrections but I am philosophical. I think that all of my figurative drawing has also made me a better draftsmen for my eye accuracy is much improved. Now what I have to do is persevere and correct this ... then I'll be happy and can move on.

I truthfully can say I have learned a great deal from this little study.

Will post a finished picture to compare with the photo below when it is done.

A work still in progress.... #4 update

I'm getting close but there are still some clean up issues.

Why the Progressive movement is un-American

2010-11-06T16:34:00.006-05:00

PLEASE READ THIS. Please, I beg you.

I don't have to say a thing if the eight points in this article are read. If you want to understand what is going on in politics today, I implore you to read this article especially the eight contrasts and comparisons of what the Founders ... Jefferson and others.... of this nation believed in forming the US Constitution and how their views compares to the Progressive thinking. (A page turner.)

You will be appalled.

http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2007/07/the-progressive-movement-and-the-transformation-of-american-politics

Written by Dr. Thomas West for the Heritage Foundation. Thomas G. West is a Professor of Politics at the University of Dallas, a Director and Senior Fellow of the Claremont Institute, and author of Vindicating the Founders: Race, Sex, Class, and Justice in the Origins of America (Rowman and Littlefield, 1997).

On Praising the Copper Teapot

2010-10-29T00:02:00.011-05:00

Here is a current work in progress....
3. (A bit over saturated..doesn't look like the painting exactly.)

The pictures are little to saturated if compared to the actual painting but I checked the gray card (border) and that seems about right but my eyes do not see this image that hot.

Why...In God We Trust does not discriminate against atheists.

2010-10-28T12:41:00.007-05:00

The following is a post I made recently on face book regarding why the phrase: "One Nation Under God" and "In God We Trust" and my premise was that these statements do not infringe on the rights of any human being regardless of religious theological view, or philosophical view, nor does it infringe on atheists who say they do not hold any belief in a higher power. The matter under discussion, revolves around the concept of what do you put your faith in versus a belief system revolving around theology or philosophy. This is ultimately about natural rights of our Creator versus rights bestowed by human law.

The First Amendment's Establishment Clause does not “separate” government from faith; it separates government from theology or philosophies of life.

The phrase "separation of church and state" is not found in the language of the First Amendment and it’s Establishment Clause. Rather the clause is designed to clearly prevent establishing a national church or a theological position of a particular view of God and this includes any kind of philosophical view of life including the atheist view. These are matters of conscience and belief. All mankind have faith in something and what this rationale is that humans are born with natural rights regardless of whether a man believes life evolved or just happened, or whether life began with creation of Adam in the Garden of Eden. Man has faith in himself or the Bible, the Koran, or the writings of Budha, etc. It’s all faith.

These phrases were placed on our national monuments, in our Constitutional documents, and on our currency by men who were both Christian, Deists, Agnostic, Atheist .... namely Jefferson a Deist, and Franklin who was most likely an atheist. There were many learned non-religious men involved in the forming of our government who were agreeable to the addition of these phrases. Why?

This is about Natural Law straight out ... which these men fully understood. Let me try to explain through this post:

Consider this, America has not nor have we ever been a nation of atheists and that while the minorities are represented and have their natural rights secured along with the majority, it is the majority that rules how the Constitution will be worded. The Constitution was ratified by the votes of a majority. That said, is it’s language discriminating against the small minority of secularist, atheists, and humanists who do not hold to a religious view point?

On the contrary, it is this language “One nation under God” that guarantees every citizen of every philosophic view that their natural rights will be forever protected. Without this language, there is no guarantee.

There is a very important reason our Founding Fathers included these phrases and also amended the Constitution to clarify their position with the Establishment Clause in the First Amendment. No doubt driven language driven probably by non-Christians statement of the time. However, note that there in no specific wording "separation of church and state" in this amendment. That phrase has been added over time and has become CONVENTIONAL WISDOM which is used to declare that we are NOT one nation under God but separated from God. If you think I am wrong, prove me wrong. Go read it for yourself.

The Establishment Clause prevented any religious denomination or sect … a certain theology or philosophy … from ever being established as America's national religion or philosophical view of life, therefore, preventing the teaching of a particular brand of theology or philosophy of life. In doing so the Founders prevented the creation of any specific government church or government view point that should be a matter of personal conscience and is improvable one way or the other. No one can prove there is a God or disprove there is no god. This is brilliant. This move keeps theology of any religious stripe or a philosophy of life from being dictated and imposed upon American citizens. Rather every citizen decides these things according to their own conscience. However, that Amendment did not deny nor did they ever separate this nation from FAITH IN GOD ... or faith in a god.

Faith in God or faith in a god concerns a belief system or philosophy of life and that is why Jefferson and others wrote extensively about natural rights of men. They included resoundingly these phrases such as ... IN GOD WE TRUST, and ONE NATION UNDER GOD in our documents of governance and then engraved the motto everywhere on this our currency and coins, and continued to chisel into stone these mottos all over Washington DC into the stones of our monuments and in our anthems.

This is why. Having a simple FAITH is vastly different from being a Catholic, a Baptist, a Muslim, a Buddhist, a New Age wacko who bows down to magic rocks, or even a Satanist witch bowing down to worship the black magic of Lucifer, or atheists who bow down to themselves and worship man himself thus making himself his own god. Like the Greeks did. All of mankind has faith in something.

Very smart men...weren't they? So if it is in God you trust or if it is in a god you trust or yourself you trust in there is a guarantee extended to by your which is your natural right.

Let me explain.

For example, if your god is yourself, and you think you know all things and the meaning of life and there is no other power higher than yourself according to your conscience and that creation evolved all by itself, and you have decided mankind holds all the answers to the meaning of life, you are quite free to pursue that philosophy freely in the United States of America. Find others who believe as you do, organize and go vote for your favorite atheist or humanist candidate. Maybe you can persuade one day the majority to your way of thinking. That is your natural right.

In my view, people who do that have just made for themselves their own idol... namely man … themselves. That is who they have faith in. Man will have faith in something. Some have faith in science, education, philosophy and so on; other have faith in the what the Bible says or some other sacred text. Yet, no person has the right to impose his brand of philosophy or religious view on another. There is the problem.

The Founding Fathers understood this concept.

Mankind is flawed. This also is a recognized fact. The Bible tells Christian believers and the Jew this truth; history also records this truth to the atheists and secularists. Can anyone say there is a perfect man without flaws? Can you honestly say mankind has improved the human character and over come his flaws? Power, wealth, envy, and covetousness corrupts and men resist it yet few overcome these temptations especially in governance. Would you agree?

THEREFORE, it was essential to get the nation to agree that there are certain natural rights that are given by our Creator that are inalienable. That means a right that no man can take away from another other man; further, no man can endow or give another person that right. It is these "inalienable rights that only God" can give or take away. Man is born with certain rights that only God has the authority to give or deny it to humans. God has that authority because he created all of us in His own image...they are Natural Rights.

Now this is an important principle for a group of people to agree upon because it guarantees human beings in America that they have an uncontested RIGHT TO LIFE, an uncontested RIGHT TO LIBERTY i.e. personal freedom, and AN uncontested RIGHT TO PURSUIT HAPPINESS....but that is UNDER GOD not under man or a government. Agreeing to these Natural Rights is the guarantee because it rests outside of man or government authority. Your rights can never be revoked by government or any man.

In this way all citizens are given a guarantee of these rights under our laws which are then fully enumerated in our Constitution, accepted by a majority of God fearing and non-god fearing individuals. All laws are judged against the Bill of Rights and that is why the Supreme Court Justices are so important...that is their job....they don't create law, they judge it but these natural rights stand.

Right now Obama Care demands that you buy something. Your personal liberty is now in jeopardy ... and that is the uproar. Simple. The government has no right to force you to buy something.

Now, on this subject, if you think differently, you, in my opinion, are not a student of the writings of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and the original founding documents.

Do you think they ever envisioned a monster of a proletariat government that is now in place? They knew that states rights were essential for dispersing power and de-centralizing it .... and so the Federalist Papers were written to clarify that and they also knew that there had to be a way to fix any problem they might not have foreseen with the Amendment processes but they divided the power to do so among the three judicial branches to make it extremely difficult and cumbersome to change anything and as any student of civics knows, this Constitution has held without further need of Amendment all these years except ... as the Fathers saw on women's rights and slavery issues.

It is brilliant thinking ... and it has worked pretty well for 200 years. It still reflects the majority position of this nation for over 95% of the population profess to be Judeo-Christian or other faiths and sects leaving a tiny few atheists who declare, in my view to be their own god ..... who say they have no faith in anything but themselves.

Atheist view is a silly notion in my view....but then I'm a Christian...I would think that.

THEN FROM THE OPPOSITIONS WHO WROTE:

I am a student of American history and government. The founders -- in religious terms at least -- were as diverse a group as our leaders today and perhaps as diverse as we ourselves.

Among them, were John Adams and Thomas Jefferson (author of the Declaration) who were deists and not Christians, George Washington whom I believe was Christian as were many of his peers, Ben Franklin who was either agnostic or atheist, and Thomas Paine who was an avowed atheist. Our nation is strong so long as we realize it is made up of all of us working together as one.

Historically and philosophically, it is of a movement that grew out of the European Enlightenment which came up with the novel idea that people should rule themselves and that nobody should be able to dictate their private belief or unbelief.

MY ANSWER: Ha, ha, ha. ....David ... did you not read all of the rationale I posted (ABOVE)? Yes, you are exactly right and my friend ... I think you are making my point nicely .... ( Maybe I lack clarity....ha.)

The fact that Jefferson and Franklin and many others at that time...back then supported "In God We Trust" and "One Nation Under God" language is significant ... and the mention of "Our Creator" and so forth apparently satisfied their views .... making my point precisely. They did not see that including those phrases to be any sort of a threat to their own atheistic or deist views at all. Ever wonder why?

Study "Natural Rights."

I hope all those who agree with my post will cast their votes for a return to common sense governance November 2nd .... all those who hold to America's core beliefs as found in the Constitution and Bill of Rights as well as the Federalist Papers, strengthening State's Rights and holding to the wonderful ideas of governance of our Founding Fathers.

So it is "In God I Trust" in my heart ... as I go to the polls and vote in a few days. Character is everything...we'll see if we still have knowledgeable people left in this nation. Move the power back to the center.

On Hope.

2010-10-19T12:32:00.004-05:00

Hope what you please; but remember, that hope without truth at the bottom of it, is an anchor without a holdfast. A groundless hope is a mere delusion. -- Charles Spurgeon

"So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he interposed with an oath, so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible that God should prove false, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest for ever after the order of Melchiz'edek." --Hebrews 6:17

The anchor will hold through the greatest storms of life......awesome truth.

Keeping Me Honest....

2010-10-13T16:08:00.005-05:00

I was accused of being honest on my blog. I try to be but I'll say, I struggle with my ego just like very one else but I KNOW that for me to grow as an artist I have to realistically look at myself as the amateur that I am. That doesn't mean I will stay here but I have to work hard to humble myself and listen to critiques that I always want to be defensive over. That is why I listen to artists that I have absolute confidence in with the greatest care. It is easy to "wow" the general public; it is another thing to "wow" a colleague.

"Lord, help me always to be in this position, that I might give you all of the glory for anything I accomplish and take none for myself. Help me to stay motivated and to truly say I have done my best." Amen

KEYS...when evaluating a painting by Rick McClure

2010-10-12T12:38:00.005-05:00

I. Is There Enough Contrast

Ask yourself, "is there enough..."

• Contrast in Values - for a form to have dimension there has to be at least a light, medium and dark value.

• Contrast in Colors - Is there a range in color?

• Contrast in Temperatures - warm and cool contrasts

• Contrasts in Intensity - bright intensity of color to neutral color

• Contrast in Edges - sharp and soft edges

• Contrast in Simple and Complex busy areas contrasted to calm areas

• Contrast in brush strokes - using different brush sizes and shape

• Contrast in Repetition -- is there variety

Four Planes of Light - Are their values correct?

1. Value of Light of the Sky Plane

2. Value of Light of the Horizontal Plane or Ground
Where is the horizon? Is there more ground or more sky? Do not place the horizon near the middle of the painting. Ask, is the painting scene a mostly sky painting or mostly ground painting.

3. Value of Light of Sloping Planes (example: hill side)

4. Value of Light of Vertical Planes

III. Value Integrity of Masses

• Shadow Masses....are shadows all below a medium 5 Value?

•Light Masses .... are lights above a medium 5 Value?

IV. Focal Area -- is this the place of highest contrast elements on the painting? Are the other areas subordinate to the focal point? Are you viewing the scene and painting it as your eye sees rather than as the camera sees? Meaning, the camera puts everything in sharp focus, your eyes do not. Notice that you focus on an object and everything else is blurred in your peripheral vision. That is how you paint a scene and thus draw your viewer to your focal area.

V. Harmony -- is there color and a key?

These are the suggested check list items to consider for working through a painting to evaluate where the problems are and how to correct them.

Off To Paint Landscapes at Quartz Mountain...

2010-10-07T17:52:00.011-05:00

UPDATE: Here is a little color study, a sketch which is one of two I did at Quartz Mountain yesterday (Oct 10th).

I was sitting in the sand on a sandy beach with the mountain in the distance. This image is very difficult to show on-line because up close the sketch is nothing....but the further back from it....it comes together. Therefore, the smaller image "reads".

I determined to follow exactly Rick McClure's instructions from his demo on my first sketch but never got up from my chair before the easel to view it from a distance. I just plugged along for the 2 hour session blocking in and working as fast as I could and never viewed this from any distance.

To my surprise, the instructor came up behind me and announced that he wanted to include my sketch in his critique session which was scheduled at the end of the day.

I thought nothing about except he wanted to maybe show how the work needed to be improved which is fine with me. He presented it at the end of the critiquing session ... about 9 other sketches with mine being presented toward the end.

Rick's method of critique was very instructive, asking the group, "what is good about this sketch and also how could it be improved" .... going from painting to painting. It was instructive. I didn't feel anxious about mine but prepared myself for possible constructive negativity.

Then he presented mine and said, "this is really a good painting and there is so much right about it and the brush work can't be taught it is just something you innately have ...." asking the 20 artists attending, what was right about it. I was shocked and started feeling really a bit embarrassed because I had not expected this. The artists gave some wonderful positive feedback. Then Rick said, "there in nothing wrong with it at this stage .... a few minor things." I was truly stunned.

Am I a landscape artist? That is the journey I'm on to find out by taking these workshops. Could it be I have some natural ability in this direction I never knew I had?

The looseness required in painting fast under the gun in plein air painting was good discipline. A brevity of strokes that often is missing from studio painting is interesting in itself.

The day was a bit warm at 84° and hardly a breeze, and sand wanting to create some havoc with my gear and walking, all in all this was a melodious spot but I dreaded lugging the gear back and forth, setting up and tearing down and stowing ... but oddly enough it did not take away the harmony of my day. It was a pleasant experience except when I had a tumble from the a step at the top of a ramp landing into unstable sand .... and fell into a rather large bolder with my hands full of gear. Oddly enough as I began to fall thinking, "wow I'm going to be badly hurt" and surprised I did not hurt anywhere (except my pride) with just a little bruise on my forearm appearing a few hours later. I'm fine and feel I had a few angels present. :O}.....

Being outdoors was surprisingly refreshing and I found myself reminiscing about my childhood; a time when I was out doors every single day playing as a kid that I rarely thinking of but should for I had a happy childhood. Maybe I will blog about that more or even paint a series on those days. Hum...is that inspiriation.

Good feeling.

**********************************************
ORIGINAL POST:
For the next two days I'll be on location outside painting with a good artist friend.

This time, I think having worked on the little sketches (see previous posts), I feel more confident and in control especially of my palette. The trees are just beginning to turn golden fall colors and it is cool and lovely even chilly in the morning.

My friend and I will paint on our own the first day and be in the workshop the next day.
I'll update when I get back.

Roses Update

2010-10-04T23:02:00.003-05:00

Final finishes for sculpture pieces.

2010-10-04T17:41:00.012-05:00

These are sculptures I am putting some finishes on. The portrait head is the base coat of bronze (over ceramic bisque) and have not put the patina on a blueish patina...to come.

The skull is a copper patina (greenish patina).

I'm liking the effect. What do you think?

Reactive Paint Finishes for Sculpture

2010-10-03T16:53:00.008-05:00

This is the first light application of reactive solution on the bronze base layer. You can see the patina beginning to form. Some of it I can rub off but if I want to stop the reaction I can seal it however, it probably will change the color a bit.

This is the iron base test tile turning from two light coats of reactive solution. It will continue to rust ... changing to a shade of dark orange-rust. I like this a lot.

This is the first base coat of copper. I have not applied the reactive solution yet because i need to apply a second copper coat that needs to dry. Tomorrow, I will start the process to add a green-ish blue patina.

These may be used on clay pots for the garden....and sealed for outdoor use or even placed in a fountain (a bit more work to seal it). Way cool.

The Delicate Matter of Artistic Temperament

2010-10-03T09:13:00.004-05:00

Rob Howard moderator of the Cennini Forum on-line, made some interesting observations on artistic temperament, painting content, and observations of my temperament at this moment. Those comments have caused me to pause and reflect and realize this personal climb toward the ledge of a professional has become a scary ride.

COMMENT #1 – On Content

Rob wrote regarding focal point and interest in a discuss sparked by my two landscape sketches previously posted:

The problem with most paintings is that they are a fait accompli, a completely contained universe that allows few questions and even less discovery. The artist presents everything with few mysteries and expects the viewers to be like good little children at table, and eat everything set before them (meanwhile ruining the experience by grumbling about being not appreciated for slaving over a hot easel all day).

(The following alludes to a suggestion of what to add to paintings to create more interest...an alligator hiding in the water for example.)

What the hiding alligator would do is give the viewer something to discover on their own. It would never be mentioned in the title. Once they discover it, they'll call everyone over and will be so delighted that they'll speak about it outside of the gallery..."you've just got to see that picture of Elegiac Park...tell me what you see." That's intriguing stuff and that brings in people to see it.

I once had a studio on the roof of the Bradford Hotel in Boston. It was previously the kitchen, all tiled and with twenty-four foot skylight ceilings. It was a great place to grow plants...some of which became the size of trees. I made a series of snipers painted on Foamcor®, cut them out and positioned them in "the jungle." It was a never-ending source of delight to visitors to suddenly see some grinning Japanese soldier in a tree, taking a bead on them. They'd act as if getting shot or have running gun battles with the cardboard cut-outs, that's how easily people can become involved and become unleashed.

There was a real lesson there and that lesson is...hide the alligator. In other words, put something in the painting that delights and surprises. Just going out and painting what's there is no different, in intent, than snapping a photo. And you don't want to end up over at ARC, do you?

COMMENT #2 – On method.

There were several other artists who were commenting but I’m only posting Rob’s advice for brevity’s sake. DHT member suggested that I get 25 or 30 hardboard panels and paint on and move on until I start getting the feel for an approach.

Rob wrote responding this suggestion: That's good advice for Patti (David) now that she's at this critical stage.

Patti, make life easy and just concentrate on painting. Call up Max at 706-227-4427 or go to www.realgesso.com and have him bundle up a bunch of panels. If you haven't worked on real rabbitskin glue gesso, you're in for a treat, but his oil primed linen panels are delightful. Ask him to toss in an ABS panel too. ABS is an ultra permanent plastic sheet they mount to hardboard and, for my money, it may feel better than gesso (of course real gesso feels soooo much better than acrylic primer.

One of the things I learned a while ago was to buy supports in quantity. In that way I know there's one waiting for when the mood strikes and i don't end up painting on junk and regretting it later.

I wrote back this: Good grief, Rob...what critical stage???? I'm just stuck. Seems like I'll never become productive.

Rob is answering both Phyllis and me, making a point of where both of us are as artists. Phyllis was taking from a local artist that Rob and others thought not to be very good but obviously Phyllis admired this artist's work. Phyllis is a better artist...he is saying.

Obviously, we are looking at the same pictures with very different eyes.

In preparation for Burns Night and haggis eating, I was compelled to remember and recite various of the bard's poems and this one bears on the discussion. Rrrr rrrrr rrrr (that's me gettin' my proper burr sounding like a lawnmower....) “Oh wad some power the giftie gie us To see oursel's as others see us! It wad monie a blunder free us, And foolish notion”

Basically, the eternal truth that Burns touches upon is that we don't have a clear vision of who we are and what we can do.

Perhaps you have not really looked at the most recent pastels you have done (Phyllis). The compositions (you did) of both the clouds through the trees and the path are vastly beyond what (the artists you admire) McCombs is showing in her works. Her compositions are weak to the point of being nonexistent and the biggest failing is the picture lack "bones." That is to say, even in a landscape there should be a feeling of structure and weight, just as when painting a figure. I'm sure you've seen paintings of people where they look almost like inflated skins...no bones are evident. That's because the artist failed to observe past the surface. There's no weight, no underlying structure. (However) That is clearly the case with McCombs. If she concentrated on the rudiments of painting and drawing with the same degree of attention and energy she puts into making evocative titles, her pictures would be better. But they are clearly nowhere near the depth and solidity you have been showing in your recent work.

To be quite blunt, I think this recent advance has left you somewhat frightened. You're not holding onto the old tricks that always worked and you've let go to take some chances (this goes for you too, Patti). This has left the two of you searching for something to hold onto. In Patti's case it's the mistake of trying to rework pictures which are fine as they are. In your case it's clinging to what you perceive as a known quantity...a workshop teacher.

You're both wrong in the way you're going about dealing with this insecure feeling and (this is most important) you're both absolutely dead right in what you did that got you to this scary place. You've been so busy climbing to this summit that you don't know what to do now that you've got there...and worse, you're getting vertigo and feel the need to hold onto something.

Don't worry. The feeling will pass. In your place I'd save the workshop money and go out and get an expensive pair of shoes instead. It will be better spent...and good shoes make you feel confident, don't they?

I don't know what they've been putting in the water on Oklahoma but whatever it is, bottle it up and send some to the rest of us. Please...the both of you...trust what it is that is bringing you to this point. Do not lose it with overthinking it. Trust yourselves and learn to live with being scared at these new successes. I think they'll be coming more frequently.

About Rob Howard.... a successful professional illustrator and portraitist residing North of Boston in the little town of Haverville, at the age of 71 provides his great intellect, sarcasm and wit and insight to the professional artists subscribing to the Cennini Forum. ( If you want professional guidance as an artist, you should look into joining the forum.)

Rob, a typical master of the arts and pro, delivers straight from the hip no BS critiques that are truly constructive and often pulling no punches, are invaluable to my own growth and therefore I have come to rely Cennini for straight answers to my art quarries on over the past four years. He has never let me down.

Rob simply knows what he is talking about especially in the knowledge of materials and techniques, composition, and aesthetics. A man who has acquired exquisite taste.

We have not always agreed about Christianity and have had a fist fight or two but I have grown to appreciate the value of his artistic direction in art and I think our battles were those out of friendship and concern, at least I hope he views it that way. I'm sure he has never had a Christian challenge him and his catholic faith. (That is another story.)

In four years...I'm feeling maybe I'm getting somewhere. There are other excellent comments but for brevity sake, I'll end this post.

On finishes....

2010-10-01T21:12:00.007-05:00

This is a great tool...your finger that is.

I've been working on finishes for my sculpture pieces that are created from stoneware clay, fired to bisque. I can't afford $1000 each to have them bronzed. Therefore, it is necessary to put a suitable finish on my portrait bust and bas relief plaques...and a skull/muscle head study.

What a chore it is to figure this out. I tried shoe polish but I didn't like the finish (it could have been how I prep-ed and applied the polish).

Undaunted, I asked the experts on finishes on the Cennini Forum and the following is the finish recipe I'm following and their advice. One is a porcelain finish; the other will be a faux metal finish using reactive paint.

On the porcelain glazed finish, unfortunately, I'm having problems with brush strokes...I don't want them. I've had to sand and take off the finish; starting all over.

Why do I use my finger for a tool instead of a brush or a sponge-brush because I cannot get the latex to lay down smooth and any brush strokes or sponge texture takes away from the piece. Thinking outside the box after adding Flortrol® and it didn't help...I just used my finger and painted; it worked nicely. Smooooooth.

This is the skull/muscle sculpted head that I seemed not to have a problem with and so I'm about two or three sets from finishing this.

This is the porcelain like finish using special warm and cool glazes (AquaCreme®/latex glazes) alternating.

Why not just put a firing glaze on the unfired clay and fire it on, you ask? Because I want more depth, more of an artistic look...at least that is what I am trying for. Not there yet....but getting there.

Reactive Paint: Faux Metal Finish
Bronze, Iron, Copper Patina Tests

Here are three test tiles I am completing in view of finishing my portrait head. These are the first base coats. I'll put the second coats on in the morning and then applie the chemicals that will turn them to an aged bronze, the copper to a blue-greenish patina and finally the iron to rust. Then I will have to decide which will be best for my piece. I'm thinking the bronze or the iron.

Two little oil sketches....6x9

2010-09-28T01:50:00.010-05:00

OCT 3rd UPDATE: Often, clarity comes the next day. Funny how easily we are tricked into discouragement and tempted to feel defeated. On the Cennini Forum, the moderator, whom I've grown to trust in matters of art and artistic development made some observations that have in my view helped my psychologically. Rob suggested that as artists grow up the plateaus of learning, we are met on a precipice of fear. I will post a new blog and talk about artist temperament.

OCT 2nd UPDATE: Discouragement is not always bad, it makes one think and if your wise, face reality.

I'm painting over these sketches today and probably the roses too .... going to forgetaboutit and start all over with something else or a new approach entirely. Nothing lost here.

I did learn that I have not developed as much as I thought. It takes some effort to admit what every artist fears and be honest with yourself. I'd rather know it. That is me. I've always said, "This world doesn't need any more mediocrity in art and especially painting .... I don't want to add to or spend my time producing it." Maybe, I'll go to sculpting ... maybe there is some natural ability there I should explore...but for some reason...I love paint and I love drawing figures. I'm glad to know how trained artist see my work. So often you can't get honesty.

SEPT 30 UPDATE CENNINI: I'm getting some great responses on the forum.....this is what I wanted but it is a bit daunting to get honest critiques...and find out the truth from my friends and colleagues...I've made more mistakes than I thought.

ORIGINALLY POSTED:

These are two little sketches from a landscape workshop at Will Rogers Park...Next workshop is at Quartz Mountain....hope the trees are turning....Oct 9th.

Figuring it out...need to literally smell the roses for a while.

2010-09-24T21:24:00.008-05:00

Sometimes it is important to get away....to think.

It pays to ask and to read a lot.

Okay now I think I am getting an idea of where to go with my next painting of the roses. The secret to getting the luminous petals and range of red is via layers of glazes. I read the whole book on Painting Techniques of the Masters by Cooke (Rob Suggested on Cennini Forum), and also realized what is missing is some composition which means MORE THINKING on my part.

Ya don't just stick it in front the easel, ponder it 30 minutes, and paint it and ever hope to create quality art.

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Also....there has to be some issues with texture .... as well as chroma but I am thinking I need to look at a different red. Pyrillo Red (for the roses below previous post) from Studio Products which is a concentrated pigment and NO FILLERS.

Also, I have been studying GREEN in foliage on this trip...the texture and variety.

I cannot wait to get home and solidify what I was thinking.

Roses in Progress...difficult.

2010-09-13T07:48:00.011-05:00

Progress report...
I think this is just not working......but I am determined to finish every piece of art I start. These roses are just not right nor are they artistic....aaaaaaaaargh!!!

After some thought, I decided to add some other items to the piece: the wedding cup, rose pedal and the oriental carved screen in the background (barely visible and not finished on the right of course).

I am not finished with the roses!!! I'm glazing and neutralizing and working on edges. It's far from being finished but I thought I would upload the process...for the heck of it.

When it is finished I'll repaint this and loose the vase...and try painting roses again. Next time, I think I will do a griselle (FR: greza•y) and then apply glazes. I am not doing the beautiful rose any justice.

(This was difficult to photograph so I tilted the picture forward to reduce the glare.)

Below is an earlier version.....and previous comments.

Nearing completion. This is a painting of one bouquet of 38 long stemmed roses given to me on our anniversary. I've been getting one rose for every year of marriage for 38 years. Never in those years did I ever paint my bouquet successfully although I tried once or twice but was met with failure. How difficult to capture the true beauty of a simple rose without it coming off amateurish.

This painting is getting close but I'm not there yet.

John Ruskin, the great art critic said about successful art ... "all art is praise." Does the art do justice in praise of the rose but that is really quite a challenge. My painting is symbolic of my husband's feelings for our relationship and the beauty of our long union.

I'm having difficult with the red highlights. Red chroma/hue goes pink or orange when I try to raise it's value to a highlight. I've taken down and neutralized the shadows and then grayed down. Red is difficult very difficult.

The other part of this is not making art sentimental. Ways to go. I'm not sure this says anything.

Please comment ... what do you think? It seems a bit contrived at this point.

I'll work today and post at the end the progress. ( This photo is from yesterday.)

Not happy.....yet.

Finally ...off to the kiln.

2010-09-02T22:42:00.005-05:00

Finished!

Long Time Ago...

2010-08-30T17:14:00.004-05:00

My college roommate and fellow art student at Baylor sent me a picture of myself when I was about 23 years old. That day I was pulling etchings, lithos, linos, and woodcut prints in the printmaking shop at the art department.

How I wish I had had the faith at that young age to choose fine art as a career path .... instead of graphic arts...how different my life would have been.

I'm finally following my heart. I should pursue printmaking...I loved it.

August 2010 - Drawings

2010-08-13T23:05:00.011-05:00

This series of drawings are 5 minute sketches. I'm pretty happy to get the whole figure and it be in proportion but better yet the right gesture that is in balance.

Progress....at last. These are loose and quick and I really think they are some of the most expressive work I have done in a while.

These in color are 20 minute conté compressed charcoal sketches.

Sculpture come to life.

2010-08-05T09:49:00.008-05:00

This is a bas relief about 10 x 13 inches, stoneware, with one firing that is almost finished. I need to put on a final finish on but I'm pretty pleased with this one in the over-all feel.

Two more bas reliefs are in progress besides this one although I had a bit of a disaster with one when it was accidentally pushed off the shelf by another artist while in storage. Unfortunately the plastic bag came open that was keeping it moist allowing it to dry out. Unfortunately it buckled and did not dry flat. Last night, I re-hydrated it but cracks appeared.

Today, the cracks will be repaired and hopefully the work finished...keeping my fingers crossed. This is a nice series and I have learned a great deal working from 2 dimension into 3 dimension. This is very much like drawing since the gesture is drawn at first.

Other sculptures are nearing completion also. This is still a work in progress...nearing completion...

This work is from a one day portrait workshop created from a live model. I'm planning on a session with Glen, my instructor at his private sculpture studio on Sunday. I need to hollow the head out before firing.

I doubt if anyone would be interested in buying this piece but it will be a good example of my portrait work.

I've been invited to join the Sculpture Society of Oklahoma. I think I will.

Is the Bible irrelavant today?

2010-07-27T21:54:00.014-05:00

Do you think the Bible is not read today? A whole lot of people think that exactly and even some people who call themselves of the Christian faith.

Is the Bible irrelevant in this modern world? Then please explain the following to me. The Bible Society of the United Kingdom calculates that the number of Bibles printed between 1816 (since the printing press started printing Bibles) and 1975 was

2,458,000,000
printed copies of the Bible.

By 1992 the estimated number rose to nearly six billion.

That's 6 Billion Bibles printed by 1992.

Furthermore, worldwide sales of the Bible number more than a staggering 100 million each year, far outpacing any other book in history. For a book that some say is not read or relevant....hum.

That's 100 million Bibles printed and distributed each year worldwide

Without a doubt, the Bible is the best selling book of all time. With the world's population nearing 6 billion, what does this mean?

It is estimated that for every living person on Earth, there is approximately one Bible. No doubt Bibles have an uneven distribution world-wide. Few Bibles are available to the massive populations found in Asian nations, the Middle-East, ir Russia for obvious reasons.

Therefore, this is an over abundance in free countries in the Western World to the point that there maybe more Bibles than people in some countries...such as in the United States.

As a matter of fact, in America the average expenditure for Bibles each year is currently...

$425 million.

Isn't that interesting?

Could this love and fascination with this book be the reason this nation has developed to be the greatest civilization the planet has ever known?

"Why is the Bible so popular world-wide?"

... maybe one should investigate this collection of 66 books....but I caution anyone this is not a casual read and no one can understand this Word until the Father....who is the author .... is asked with sincerity that what is read be revealed personally to you. When you eyes are opened, you will receive faith to believe. There is no other way to find out why this book continues to out sell every book on the planet.

"Ask and it will be opened unto you, seek and you shall find"... Jesus said ... what do you suppose he meant?

To find the truth, you have to ask and seek.

"I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them
out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. --- this is Jesus final recorded prayer before his death. (John 17)

I encourage anyone who wants to find the answer "why?" to start here....read this prayer and ask for understanding...even if you have doubts and you have no faith of your own. This is where everyone starts. You will be given faith to believe as you seek.

Here is found the power of the Gospel.

Just ask why?

Thy Word hath quickened me...

2010-07-10T14:24:00.007-05:00

After sparing with unbelievers . . . . .who have forsaken your Word, Father….then comes a "word" from You via the Holy Spirit through your Word comforting me. You have written your word upon the fleshy tablets of my heart in such a way that my desires are being conformed to your desires.

I am not ashamed, Lord, of the Gospel found in your Word for which you have illuminated me by the Holy Spirit. You are the God of all ages excelling all knowledge and wisdom. Unlike the world's sciences and human wisdom, You never change and are the same since the foundations of this world were lain and time began. Your Word and message never changes.

Thank you for illuminating the Truth to those who are given eyes to see and ears to hear. Thank you for redeeming us and giving us courage to be a witness. Whether it is unto seed planting or until judgment...One a frangrance unto life the other unto a stench of death. Amen, so be it. (II Cor. 2:14)

Psalm 119:41

Let thy mercies come also unto me, O LORD, [even] thy salvation, according to thy word. So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me: for I trust in thy word. And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth; for I have hoped in thy judgments. So shall I keep thy law continually for ever and ever. And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts. I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed. And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved. My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in thy statutes. Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope. This [is] my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me. The proud have had me greatly in derision: [yet] have I not declined from thy law. I remembered thy judgments of old, O LORD; and have comforted myself.

II Cor 3:3

[Forasmuch as ye are] manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

Awesome. Only the Lord can save and illuminate man and comfort the heart....how powerful and great is your Word that quickens those who believe.

I am greatly encouraged and blessed. Amen and amen.

Brenden Marries Heath

2010-07-06T22:02:00.003-05:00

It is finally over ... and they are almost to Jamaica Montego Bay, first port of call for the Conquest. They will stop for one day at the Cayman Islands and then on to Cozumel Mexico ... home Sunday.

I'll post more pictures when I can. Now I can return to art and my life again.
(My feet still hurt....but my heart is glowing.)

Apology...

2010-06-10T12:53:00.004-05:00

To those who follow my blog, I apologize for neglecting to post much. I love to write and express myself and expound about my opinions and beliefs.

Lately, I've been working intensely on wedding plans as my beautiful daughter prepares to begin a new life with her chosen love, Heath.

I've tried to maintain my art and regular life but all the intensity of this planning and the many roadblocks that keep being piled in front has had an adverse affect on me and my work; there is a reason for no new posts or new artwork.

After July 3rd, I will return to art full blast to art and hopefully writing. Please bear with me until then but please please feel free to read my past posts that are archived....and comment if you want.

I'll be checking every day.

Winter Sculpture Session

2010-06-04T00:25:00.006-05:00

The sculpture below is my first representational female torso. In the past at college, I sculpted abstract forms but never realism. The figure was taken from a living model...a wonderful and experienced model. This class was a real learning experience and I can see that it is helping my life drawing greatly.

This piece is unfired clay at this point. I'll post the finished piece soon.

I wanted a more dynamic pose but did not have control of it since this was a class project. Often I take people literally and so when my instructor focused on accuracy, I feared to exaggerate....but then my instructor wants me to to exaggerate on the next piece. I feel a little bound up.

Gesture, gestures, gestures ... the key to life drawing.

A Page Turner

2010-03-02T13:27:00.012-06:00

Modern Art & the Death of a Culture
by H. R. Rookmaaker

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0891077995/ref=ord_cart_shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=AHNEEZ9CVAP3Q&v=glance

Walking through the front gallery of our local art center on the way to life drawing studios, a recent exhibit of contemporary art by local artists intrigued me for each stroll through left a different impression.

The first impression, I thought "this is really top flight work and well done. I'm so proud."

Second time through, my impression began to turn negative. I began to say, oh, that looks like this great artist of the past, or that great one. Where are the new images? This is not original. Creative yes; original no. I'd seen all this stuff before in one exhibit or another or from history. The art began to look dated to me. There is simply nothing new.

Third time through, I thought, this is really feeling empty and meaningless. These artists really seem to me to have nothing to say. Now, I am feeling very negative. My inner voice shouted, "Stop it! You can't do that. You have to LOVE this stuff. What is wrong with you?"

In my view, this art work is very well crafted. Crafted in that it was professionally produced and thought out. I've seen no art in New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art any better constructed and that is saying something. It's professional.

However, I came to a truthful conclusion, the art here is simply projecting the pursuit of "ugly." Images of distorted figures ill-drawn to hide the inability to draw. You can be an artist but you don't have to draw. Well that is true. BUT, you have to have something to say.

The questions arose in me: "Is this real." "Is this truthful?" Contemporary masters, I've read have been searching for "the real." Most of the greats.

These movements in art of the 19th and 20th Century were no doubt a reaction to Impressionism, Romanticism, Classical and Religious art, and the "junk" produced in the ateliers and studios of the time but it still baffles me for to me it is praising the ugliest and darkest images of this realm of reality. It is certainly "real" and a lot of it is disgusting but is that for me? What is happening?

I have studied for literally years (with little success) in understanding though I have applied myself with great earnest. The "real" in life does have its balance. Reality is BOTH ugly and beautiful.

Representational art has always been a passion, especially in my idealist youth, for I have searched for beauty in living. For years, I thought maybe I was just not very smart to comprehend all this lofty arty stuff and could not grasp these deep deep concepts.

Bull crap. (An appropriate intellectual educated response.)

At last, I have found an author who puts this all in context and having lived through the sixties and seventies, being in a relationship with God Almighty, I see what has happened.

Culture has lost it's soul and is spirit-less. Art is reflecting that. Our culture is dying and some (and I say SOME) very good contemporary art is reflecting that death. The death of the pursuit of beauty. Rookmaaker has it right.

At last I have some understanding. How short changed I have been in my art education. No wonder the philosophy of art intrigued me but confounded me at the same time.

John Ruskin, the great art critic, made a very profound statement that has never left me in my journey to art knowledge. He wrote, "All art is praise." That is a very profound statement. I almost want to write the word "Selah" (meaning pause and meditate on this.) Ruskin was a very devout Christian and intellectual and he sung the praises of the great landscape and seascape master, J. M. Turner. If you look at Turner's greatest works (late) you see great abstract powerful shapes especially in his seascapes. He was painting for his time declaring the power and majesty of God's creation, the beauty, and glory of it; he discovered abstraction as a way to tell that to us pounding his images into the surface of his paint. This was his expressive voice. He made his sun blinding with brilliance by applying his intellect, and so his suns glow brightly.

Then the wheels came off. Man turned from God when he proclaimed that "God was dead" and so it is reflected in society's art.

This book by Rookmaaker has truly inspired me to produce art for my age and with a spiritual voice of my age. I have no desire to create "realism" as a camera would, and I want to give voice to my ideas that the viewer can relate to. I am in pursuit of the "real" beauty of our time; the praise of our age. For God is indeed not dead. I want to voice the "real" ugly of our time but from the standards of a spiritual person. I desire to experience true inspiration...a noble pursuit.

There is an honest voice and an independent voice developing in me. Yes, I am finding my artistic voice.

Workshop Study

2010-01-31T20:48:00.002-06:00

Oil Painting in progress....this is an update on the work that is in progress from the Wimmer workshop. It's coming along.

Meet Mike

2010-01-19T08:42:00.013-06:00

Slideshow http://s260.photobucket.com/albums/ii3/padurrett/?action=view&current=7782b4dc.pbw

Meet Oklahoman, Mike Wimmer...what a talented and successful artist!
It was a productive and informative two day portrait workshop. For the first time in a workshop, I actually got my painting blocked in with the underpainting. Using a very limited palette, the ground work was laid.

The second day, I worked mainly on the face and had there been more time, I would have built up the values in layers. I was a little disappointed that Mike did not get to my easel to instruct me personally. It could be that the class was just to large to do that but it did seem that he spent most of his time on the other side of the room.

Anyhow, he is a charming man with a very pleasing way and great broad smile that is infectious. His ideas are clever and I can tell he is very intelligent.

The only thing is that I worry that he is using Liquin which the artists I know have had problems with. It peels sometimes and in lots of discussion on the Cennini Forum about plastics and how they break down with age, I fear Mike will one day have a whole lot of ruined paintings. That would be tragic.

Another thing I could not agree with him on is his fear of turpentine. Yet, mineral spirits has just as much toxicity. Expensive triple distilled turpentine is VERY expensive and does not have as strong an odor as hardware store cheap turpentine and every studio should have adequate ventilation ... period. Mike didn't seem to have a problem with fixative spray and that is far more dangerous to the lungs than turpentine's fumes. Everyone knows that turpentine is used drop by drop as an additive to oil paint that causes a chemical reaction whereby the paint will dry from the inside out not the other way round and thereby lessening the possibility of a skin to form. Turpentine is NOT used to clean brushes; mineral spirits is for that.

As Rob Howard, moderator on the Cennini Forum says, some artists have drunk the cool-aid on this matter from the environmental wackos and this fear is not based in reason.

In the studio an artist must....

develop good, safe habits working in a well ventilated studio
NEVER ever put brush handles in their mouths ... whether using turpentine or mineral spirits and especially when painting with cadmium paint colors
always properly washes their hands before leaving the studio...always
NEVER eat anything at the easel
NEVER allow children in the studio
always uses PAINTER'S SAFETY SOAP in the final hand wash which is designed to react to the toxic chemicals and release them from the pores of skin.

Painter's Safety Soap® along with the greatest brush cleaner ever made ... Ugly Dog® Brush Soap may be purchased at Studio Products, a professional boutique paint manufacturer. www.studioproducts.com. Ugly Dog...I would never be without it!

ALSO, I learned that to put a protective finish on a painting, you must use a special fine quality varnish and on top of that a thin coat of wax that may be polished to a absolutely gorgeous sheen which is museum quality. The wax may be removed as the painting ages and gets dirty ... back to the varnish and then a new coat of wax applied. THAT is how you do it.

Anyhow, this only shows how valuable my training was at the Cennini Boot camps, especially the Technical Boot Camp.

The other issue is just a preference. I was taught to paint the eyes last while Mike paints them first...just a preference and not as critical. I don't know whether it was just time for me to go to another plateau of learning or if it was Mike's simple presentation and method but I've improved and felt like I knew exactly what I was doing. It was just a great workshop and I am so proud that a native son has done so well as an artist.

One other thing. Mike is a Christian and it is evident in his the portraits of his children. He placed them in heroic fairy tales and Bible stories ... painting them throughout their childhood. How clever.

Mike Wimmer Portrait Workshop

2010-01-09T12:36:00.006-06:00

The Portrait Workshop is coming up thank the Lord!!! I am praying that I will get something out of this two day event at the Cowboy Hall of Fame Museum. I'm still planning a portrait of my daughter in her wedding gown a challenge to my skill and creativity. Subject matter so trite, how can it be fresh and interesting and say something about the bride?

www.mikewimmer.com

I will blog about this and my continuing Life Drawing Class with Glen Thomas at City Arts studios.

Since September when my daughter got engaged and with the demanding Christmas and New Years activities, I've been unable to sketch or paint except for some Tuesday nights at the City Arts Life Drawing sessions.

It seems impossible.

I just can't get into anything serious with all of these distractions. Sometimes I think if earning a living as an artist would demand studio time and be beneficiary stress. Now I am in tax season and it falls on me to do all of the grunt work in Quicken and Excel files.

Sometimes I feel like running away to some far away place to work. Will I ever become productive and what is holding me back? Maybe it is the inferiority complex I have about my work. I'm pretty ordinary and "ordinary" has never inspired nor motivated me.

Seeing BIG Shapes...

2009-11-11T14:45:00.002-06:00

It's happening. I am seeing big shapes finally and this is affecting my drawing. I cannot wait to begin painting again. Hopefully soon.

Family duties and distractions are killing me but the wisdom of taking classes is helping me. As I contemplate this, I have a sense of excitement that I am actually moving forward even in the midst of all these demands on my time.

Who will loose me from this "flesh."

2009-11-08T17:54:00.004-06:00

Well it happened ... once again ... I shot off my big fat mouth ... and offended a fellow artist on this blog. (I didn't think anyone reads the darn thing...honestly...sometimes I just want to blow off steam by writing and griping and expressing my own frustrations. That, however, is no excuse.)

All I can say is I am sorry and ... I wish I could take back my comments. (I deleted the post.) I let my own frustration and short comings as an artist cloud my judgment. I really do not know this very nice artist at all and I feel really .... reeeally bad that I probably offended him.

Maybe he will return to this site and read this.

I admit ... I don't like to take criticism sometimes ... even though I say that is how we all learn. That day, I was tired of being always the student and felt insulted (although he didn't mean to insult me) I guess. He must have thought my work was unworthy or he wouldn't have criticized it.) Or maybe it was a control thing....that I didn't like.

Who will loose me from this flesh?

Should I email this very nice fellow and apologize? Or, should I just let it go? Any comments?

October Gesture & Slow Contours Drawings

2009-10-29T22:52:00.009-05:00

One minutes gestures....

Contours, negative space within frame...

Slow, blind, contour drawing 20 minutes....drawing contours very slow without looking at paper.

The Fair Is Cramping My Art Progress

2009-09-07T14:53:00.001-05:00

The Arts Center is closed down for the September due to the Oklahoma State Fair so .... I will be taking the month off from Life Drawing.

A bit rusty....

2009-08-19T14:36:00.005-05:00

EDIT: ha ha....not the model, me. I'm a bit rusty.

Not bad for one who hasn't done any art in three weeks.

Nakedness vs Nudeness

2009-08-12T10:37:00.012-05:00

Some might ask me, "Why do you, a Christian, choose to draw and paint nudes?" That is a really great question and I would like to address this since I am not ashamed of my nude drawings.

Note: According to some Adam and Eve were not really naked but clothed with the Glory of God which is the Shekina Glory ... a brightness that covered their nakedness which they lost when they sinned. Jesus was glorified when he was transfigured with the same brightness. Regardless, it was their innocence that they lost and I think this is still germane to the thoughts regarding nakedness.

Genesis 2:25 -- And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Genesis 3:7 -- And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they [were] naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where [art] thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I [was] naked; and I hid myself. And he said, Who told thee that thou [wast] naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

There is a difference, in my view, between "unashamed nudity" versus "shameful nakedness." The difference is in the presence of innocence (a good conscience) versus the consciousness of lust that leads to shamefulness . . . i.e. the knowledge that discerns good from evil.

In privacy humans return to innocent nakedness, do they not? For example, there is innocence in the simple act of bathing. There is innocence between a husband and wife who love each other privately. In childhood, there is no shame of nakedness until the child's soul awakens to discern good from evil. Childish modesty and shyness does not have to be taught.

It is possible to depict that innocence nudity in a painting. It is that image that strips a person of time; it is a person exposed with great honesty. The famous sculpture of David by Michelangelo. it is innocent, honest, and a dynamic portrayal of a man created of God for a purpose; a supreme creation.

An artist like myself is in search of an image of the human body that depicts this sense of innocence and in so doing depict the beauty of God's creative process and that will never bring a sense of shame to the viewer.

Note: The nude model is so important in the creation of art. I have drawings that frankly were anything but an innocent depiction mainly because of the model's inability to detach herself from the class. A model new to posing nude recently, I found, had this difficulty and her poses became suggestive. I've also had that happened with clothed models. I found that most of the poses were worthless as art and had to be discarded. So there are times when in class I have no control over the pose or the model, I could not get a good drawing. Other times, of course, I fail to draw well. It's difficult and that is why I keep drawing.

Vacation Blues.

2009-08-05T23:26:00.004-05:00

It is impossible to do any serious art while on vacation with your family. It is maddening. To many interruptions and confusion. : - <

Watercolor - Figure with Golden Dredlocks

2009-07-22T10:12:00.005-05:00

I am fairly happy with this watercolor drawing.

July Life Drawing

2009-07-15T19:50:00.005-05:00

A quick gesture on toned paper.

Two twenty minute sessions.

About 40 minutes of drawing. I though it
looked better and less contrasty than the
digital version shows.

I HATE HOUSEWORK!!!!!!!!!!

2009-06-17T15:27:00.009-05:00

I AM DETERMINED TO GET MY HOUSE IN ORDER .... so there is no time for art. (I hate that and it frustrates me greatly. Is that why there are so few notable women artists of the past?)

Therefore, cleaning and tossing like a mad woman.....it is beginning to feel really good.

I've done so much lately .... that the other night, I had a dream .... I was living in this enormous house with all these rooms full of closets and cubbies and storage areas everywhere .... so I sorted and organized ALL NIGHT .... At one point, I had gathered all of the shoe shine stuff...little cans of cordovon, boot black, hospital/baby shoe white, brushes, rags, buffers all loaded up in my arms and I was happily marching to the spot to tuck this stuff all away in one neat spot when ....I woke up. Normally, this would be a nightmare of great enormity for me (I detest housework and never considered myself a "suzie homemaker") .... but ..... for once in my whole life I had a place for everything and everything going into place nicely...in my dreams.
Addendum: It is amazing how much duplication I am finding all over my house. You know, you go out and buy a bunch of "stuff" and then you tuck "this stuff" away ..... and when you need "this stuff" you can't find it. So you go out and buy more of "this stuff".....and it gets stowed somewhere else and so "this stuff" is scattered all over the house with all "this other stuff."

have a lot of "this stuff" if any one wants it.....

For example...every winter, and the first ice storm is coming, we go out and buy winter "stuff" ... new gloves, wool socks, ice scrapers, cans of de-icer, and cat litter (to get traction. And then ...it freezes for about six hours. Result: I have 8 pairs of gloves, 8 pairs of wool socks, 4 ice scrapers, 3 cans of half used de-icers, and two bags of cat litter ---we have no cats .... just two dogs. OR ..... I have found three staple pullers, three phone extension cords, four staplers (one doesn't work), six spools of white thread and three spools of black thread, 8 scissors, four bottle openers, four half boxes of plastic spoons, 1 box plastic knives and no forks....all different colors ...... and ......... 7 bottles of expired sun block (yes it does expire). I found a box of birthday, mother's day, father's day, valentine, sympathy cards .... that I couldn't find to give to the person I had intended ..... Not only does not it fit now, they look like they were designed 20 years ago. WHY DO I KEEP THIS STUFF? SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!

When this is done by vacation time, and I get back from Taos NM from two weeks R&R, I will hire maid service and escape to my studio!!!! I will go without food and clothing to have someone else clean up this house regularly. Meaning I would rather go naked and starve that clean a toilet....if you get my drift. (Is that why I am fixated on nudes....just kidding:O)

More Life Drawing....

2009-06-14T17:09:00.006-05:00

What the heck am I going to do with all these nudes no one wants?

Yet, that is what I have to do to learn the structure of the body. Here are the latest. With all the distractions at home, there is no way that I would get into painting. So I am thankful for the life drawing session each week. I can't wait until summer is over. TOO MUCH DERN WORK FOR ME. TOO MUCH DISTRACTIONS.

Life Drawing Class - Session I

2009-06-04T09:15:00.005-05:00

This is the second time that I have taken this life drawing class with Glenn Thomas at the City Arts Studio. I can tell that my gestures are getting much much better. This is the last exercise of the session last night. The model (who was fantastic) struck three poses that she held for about three minutes. Our task was to draw the figures in an inter-related way quickly. The model went in a round robin way, for about 20 minutes changing every few minutes. I was stunned that she was able to remember the pose. It was koowel.

Life Drawing Every Tuesday Night.

2009-05-07T14:42:00.006-05:00

This drawing "Floating Nude in Contemplation" ... is one of my better ones, so I signed it.

I can't image anyone wanting to frame this nude study but...hey who knows. The Tuesday night drawing sessions are giving me the practice I need. I am seriously thinking of drawing on newsprint in the future ... my frugal nature .... although I love the feel and warm pale cream color of Strathmore 400 series drawing paper. It's expensive though and seems a waste of beautiful paper if the drawing is never framed and thrown in a drawer.

I do love the paper though rather extravagant for practice. Maybe next time I will just draw only the face.

April Life Drawing

2009-05-02T22:45:00.011-05:00

In spite of it all...
I managed to get to life drawing and these are the result. It has been a distracting few months but I had to have a couple of hours to get my mind off of the traumatic experiences of the day. It didn't work but I'm glad I forced myself to go.

These two were 20 minutes.

It began with a family crisis that went from business, to medical, to bereavement, and silence. I can see my feelings in my drawings.

Now this drawing is really out of proportion. I posted because it reminds me to check things out. For instance the knee to foot is too short. Though the model had a broad face...it way too exaggerated in width. Oh...if only I'd lengthened the legs a bit.

Conté Crayon on Strathmore 400 series cream.

What now? I still have many duties sabotaging my need and desire to get back to work in the studio. I yearn to be away to work in solitude but that is not possible. The grief of the loss of my sister, recent angry exchanges over the authority of the Bible with a person I care about deeply, family business matters and a feeling of being pulled in directions away from my artistic goals that I set and failed to meet...all have given me not so good a feeling and I am fighting discouragement.

The experience of being with Diane when she took her last breath is still in my constant memory. It was a moment of great faith and honor but the memory hovers with me day and night.

Then there is the anger of a person I was led to witness to, and the sadness I still feel for him lingers yet I know that I was used of the Lord greatly. The scripture rings comfort in my ears ... "Blessed are ye, when [men] shall revile you, and persecute [you], and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great [is] your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." -- Matt 5:11-12 This is what is meant by the saying..."taking up your cross." I have done that many times over my lifetime but it is still a cross and difficult. Yet, I am compelled for the love of the Lord and His Word.

How perfect and beautiful is the Word of God and how great is the slander coming against His Word today ... mostly done in ignorance; often done in human arrogance. "But thou, O LORD, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision (contemptuous ridicule)." Psalms 59:8

Then there are financial matters, lawyers, accounting ... mostly things that really do not benefit me but duties to the family. Yet, I remind myself that I am a servant and that this is a season.

Art will have its time.

On a Personal Level...

2009-03-28T23:02:00.006-05:00

My beloved sister, Diane went to be with the Lord at 8:30 AM this Saturday morning. I was alone with her through the night and at her moment of passing; it was a precious time.

It is said that if you are not ready for death you are not ready to live.

There are two scriptures that comforted me greatly.

II Cor. 2:5 "For while we are still in this tent, we sigh with anxiety; not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always of good courage; we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. We are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. "

Psalms 116:15 "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints." (Who is a saint? .... Phil 4:24 "Salute every saint in Christ Jesus, the brethren which are with me greet you."

(Thank for all the kind words of great encouragement. This is the reason I have not updated my post in a while.)

Patti

Life Drawing Class - is over...

2009-03-13T18:27:00.007-05:00

Wash drawings...

After two months, I'm feeling really good about what I have learned in this class. Things are beginning to click but I have no illusions, I have miles to go. I plan to take this class again and really get these concepts down. Many thank yous to Glenn Thomas whose great teaching ability helped me to progress.

Unique Images

2009-03-10T23:12:00.002-05:00

These are albino deer. Isn't this a handsome image?

Crisis kills creativity...

2009-03-05T20:24:00.003-06:00

When a crisis comes it causes every thing in your life to come to a screeching halt. The focus turns to the life threatening moment at hand and all energy moves toward its resolution.

That is what has happened to me. After Christmas and the New Year, for me it has been one family crisis after another.

I tried hard to overcome all of this and return to Life Drawing Class. Last night, the fatigue just swallowed me. I could not think. This experience only proves that an artist has to be able to fully concentrate to accomplish anything. I simply could not get the cobwebs out of my brain to do anything at the easel.

Good things come from crisis but I'm finding art is not one of them. Maybe next week.

Life Drawing

2009-02-28T22:01:00.009-06:00

On this session, I did not like the pose of the model so I chose to draw the upper portion of her torso. Conte Crayon

In class the assignment was to do a wash drawing with contour defining the body with as few strokes as possible.

This Conte crayon (below) sketch was a long session.

Life Drawing Class

2009-02-17T08:56:00.010-06:00

Out of my artist funk...finally beginning to draw fast and effectively. It's been a long few weeks. This one is 20 minutes and it has the gesture and captures the pose and model fairly well.

Earlier the class did fast 1-3 minute gesture (below) drawings. I am seeing how important this is to get right. It is difficult and frustrating to do. This one the instructor liked very much. He let me know that he thought I was "getting it" and so I felt like a little kid getting patted on the head. Embarrassing good feeling.

This was a drawing exercise (below) from last week is designed to make the student "see" the nuances of the shapes in the human figure. It forces the artist to look at the model instead of focusing on the drawing. We were to draw for 20 seconds at a time focusing the eye on the model and drawing the shapes slowly . . . before looking back at the drawing for orientation. this is VERY slow drawing . . . a 20 minute drawing.

Illustration Lesson from Rob Howard - Cennini Forum

2009-02-10T15:59:00.011-06:00

These are the preliminary rough sketches following the original formal assignment is below.

Create an illustration for a book cover.
DATE......02 February 2009
P.O. 277-009A
RATE ...$2800 plus model and costume fees
DUE DATE [Sketch]...09 Feb 09 [Finish]...13 Feb 09
TITLE: Deadly Love by Caroline Steele.
SYNOPSIS: set in an urban setting, Lucy is unaware that danger stalks her. A serial killer is on the loose and she is his next target. But her attentions are elsewhere since she met Charles. After only two weeks, the normally sceptical Lucy has been swept up in a love affair she's little too perfect.
This Hitchcockian thriller moves at a breath-taking pace with unexpected twists at every turn as a mysterious McGuffin falls into her lap, driving the story forward to it's final surprise ending.
Terms: 30 days from acceptance and billing. Supply copies of model and costume fees.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Rob said: "Pretty standard fare and deadline. The fee is from 30 years ago and, sadly, has not risen that much over the years. This is a paperback cover (measure one out and use those proportions). Leave room for the title but don't put it in.

Think of a paperback cover as a miniature poster that will be displayed on shelves next to other miniature posters. Your layout and color have to make it stand out from the pack.

Naturally, your characters will be beautiful, the settings will add to the tone and the cover will promise more than the book can deliver. In short, it's a potboiler and you have to make it stand out from hundreds of other potboilers. There's nothing wrong with making it classy and upscale. Just make it dynamic.

You can submit initial ideas before the 9th, but the final, accepted sketch must be on the art director's desk by the 9th. Finished art due on Friday the 13th.

HINT: do your thinking in pencil. Once the idea is done, then you can begin posing models and looking for photo reference. Do not start with photo reference and try to fit an idea around it."

***
This is the sketch he thought was the best.

Rob's critique: "Patti, I'm pleased at this, your first attempt at these assignments and you've kicked it off to a good start. The bottom middle is the one I'd choose for my basis. Your use of contrast has been excellent, conveying the violence of the mood. This definitely has the violence and i suspect that, using the same contrasts and layout, you could show a tender embrace and soft look and have it convey the impending violence. That would cover all of the bases. Keeping it to three tones is definitely the way to go here."

I will follow through and do a color comp and make some modifications for the title and author.

February Life Drawing

2009-02-05T09:27:00.004-06:00

Learning something new is hard to do but this will correct some bad habits and help me achieve the correct gesture no matter what. These are very quick drawings and not my best work but it shows how I'm progressing

Not Okay...Okay.

2009-01-29T16:48:00.001-06:00

Joy comes in the morning...okay. I'm okay.

DOWN....

2009-01-28T22:26:00.001-06:00

Bad night at life drawing. I couldn't do anything. Couldn't concentrate. I tell myself it happens...tomorrow will be better. I know it will but I feel pretty bad at the moment.

AAAaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrgh.

Life Drawing Classes

2009-01-28T12:06:00.014-06:00

Glenn Thomas, instructor for Oklahoma City Arts
1 to 3 minute gestures . . .

Personal . . . a photo from my son.

2009-01-24T16:37:00.008-06:00

This is for those who know my son Darren with his golden retriever Piper (duck in mouth)....he sent me this great picture from his iphone in Texas ... says "A Fun Morning". An Eagle Scout ... Darren was introduced to more outdoor interests than he will ever have time for.