Yearly art exhibition coming up in two weeks

It's been a while since I've updated this blog but it's time to share some exciting - at least for me - news.

As in past years, the annual condo art and artisan show and sale is coming up in two weeks. The call went out two weeks ago to artists and artisans living in our twin condo buildings, who are interested in displaying their artistic output. Last year was a bust given the cool temps and rain, which ended the show after two hours. Hopefully, this year we will have at least sunny weather since the show is outdoors in a beautiful setting near a river.

I'll be showing seven or eight paintings that were done over the year. The subjects as usual, are diverse ranging from a scene focusing on a mesa, some landscapes of which I'm particularly proud since I used palette knives, a volcano oozing lava (using palette knives) and some abstracts. I'm enjoying abstracts because they free your creativity and spirit but I still find myself drawn to landscapes.

Publicity is essential in attracting outsiders to the exhibit and we're distributing flyers to condos in the area. It goes without saying (or writing) that friends, neighbors, former neighbors, relations...anybody whose phone number I've held on to, will be notified. Although it's a bonus to be able to sell a canvas or two, inter-acting with people who drop by is a reward in itself.

Will be posting photos of the show and updating when there is news. Here are some photos of the show from a few years ago.

Of palette knives and happy results

Palette knives are a challenge but when things come together - magic!

It's not that I'm not "into" using brushes anymore but for me, palette knives offer texture and depth to a painting. Perhaps this new enchantment is a result of having figured out how to use an instrument that is a challenge to many (including me) and being satisfied with the end result. Early trial and error resulted in many a cut canvas but the challenge to master or a least produce something substantial helped me persevere. I'm still using brushes to create fine or small images like flowers or leaves or I'll combine brush strokes and palette knives for large expanses such as background.

This summer I'm hoping and planning to display my latest additions in our annual condo art exhibition. It's truly amazing the number of artists living in the two condo buildings involved in the display. I mean, what are the odds? The exhibition, which is held in an outside setting near the river, lends itself to art - when the weather is favorable. Last year and the year before, it was cool and rainy. Still, given that this winter was warmer than average, hope springs eternal.

The easel has an empty space where a painting once sat

"My painting has gone" (insert guitar twangs)
"It was really all wrong" (insert sobs)
"I knew it all along..."(take long gulps of favorite alcoholic beverage)

Once again as has been the case on previous occasions, there is an empty space on the easel. A week ago the space was filled with a canvas that showed promise. Key word here is "promise."

It was one of my larger canvases and perhaps in retrospect, this reality was an omen that things could and most likely would, go awry. One of my recent art supply purchases was thickening paste, which is used as the name implies, to thicken paint. Having experienced fulfillment in the creation of black-and-white tree paintings in the past, I attempted to repeat my success. Not a good idea.

Using the thickening paste and palette knife, a bare black tree was applied to the right side of the canvas. The tree, actually, came out really well but things deteriorated when a whole lot more trees were added. Why? Really can't provide any logical answer except that I'm big on trees. Usually, trees turn out well but these were supposed to be spruce trees, most of which looked anything like spruces. The end result was black, short, curved sticks jutting out of a thick-ish stem. There were many canvas white-outs that followed but the use of palette knives, resulted in former images showing through in which white paint couldn't or wouldn't cover.

Having to part with canvases that showed promise is never easy for an artist. The feeling is similar to having to send off plays in the hope of production, but at least there's always hope of a positive outcome. Rather than share the end result with inquisitive eyes who might spot the canvas in the trash heap, the painting was discarded after wrapping it in a thick plastic bag and placed beneath some discarded cardboard. One shares only one's successes - not failures.

Thing is - in my mind, it was a magical winter scene in white/black/silver. The tree was so real, you could feel the texture of the bark and this aspect was realized. Where it went wrong was when I added the grove. In retrospect, it could have and should have stopped at that one tree and a frozen riverlet or at least trees off in the distance. Succeeding in winter scenes  has always eluded me.

So now I'm back working on smaller canvases - at least for a while. Need some perspective. Just finished a landscape with my palette knives. The end result if really beautiful. I'm also working on another landscape. which is moving in the right direction (so far) and things look promising. Then again, a promise doesn't guarantee success. There's many a side step in creating the perfect image. Don't I know it.

It's snow joke - the winter scene is no more

Like many others before it, the winter landscape is history. Five minutes ago, we took that final trip that many artists know only too well to the trash disposal. There was an honest and concerted effort to make something with at least six re-do's but in the end, it just didn't work.

It's a larger canvas than  I'm used to working with and in the past this has been known to psych me out. Why - I really don't know! Larger canvases seem to inhibit my creative ability although I have a larger floral landscape that is hanging in the dining room. Florals are a favorite as are trees and pastoral scenes but I digress.

In the beginning it was my intention to make something entirely different than a winter scene. Living in a climate where winter lasts too long, a snow scene isn't exactly a popular image (although hockey is). Having taken a liking to using palette knives, I decided to limit my shades to white and black with touches of silver. The addition of silver paint was used to accent the mountains - I'm big on mountains - and that worked nicely and the main focus was a bare-branched black tree. Using the palette knives for the tree really gave it a 3-D effect and thinking back it should have been left that way but nooooooo. Somehow, the canvas looked bare, like it needed something more...something to give it a filled look.

The decision to paint spruce trees was not wise. I'm not good at making spruce trees and in the end, the lower part of the canvas was wall-to-wall dark grey and black spruce trees. Visually, they look like curved sticks jutting out of vertical line. After six attempts, a half of a container of white paint and the canvas surface displaying failed attempts,  it was time to cut my losses.

Rather than share my artistic boo-boo with the condo residents, I placed the canvas in a large plastic trash bag and placed it inconspicuously beneath a pile of boxes in the recycling bin. Still, all is not lost. I've already started working on a summer landscape on a smaller canvas. Big is not always better and smaller, at least for a while, anyway, seems to be a good fit. There are still two larger blank canvases of which one will be used to create an abstract painting. Maybe. If I'm lucky and the stars are aligned.

Of palette knives and cut canvases

These days I'm into using palette knives. It's strictly one of those learn-as-you-go educations. Started using the knives along with brushes when I first started painting a few years back. Although the effect is really interesting, have to admit that there have been boo-boos along the way. C'est la vie as the French so quaintly and non-chalantly phrase it. I wonder if Monet and his group experienced my latest problems.

Using palette knives is tricky and requires angling the bottom part and side to get the desired effect. While in the learning stage pressing down too hard on the blade end caused some slicing into a/some canvas(es). In the end, one was salvaged by turning it into a still life with the help of thickening paste. Actually, the painting turned out quite nice if I may say so myself - and I do.

I've continued to use them on-and-off and as mentioned in my blog, it's been a very interesting experience. I'm now working on a larger canvas that has already been "re-born" three times. Larger canvases are my nemesis in that for whatever reason, the size intimidates me causing undesirable results. I'm using shades of black, white and silver along with thickening paste. Maybe it'll work and then again maybe it will end up in "canvas heaven." Who knows - but the trip to discovery is very exciting.

Tomorrow I'll be evaluating the direction to take and hopefully not one that will result in an empty space on my display easels. Some of the leaves on the trees don't look right requiring some fixing. As my husband frequently reminds me that I never know when to leave well enough alone. He's right. I do the same thing in my writing. It's that internal inner artist sending me a message that the painting could still be improved. However, when everything does come together - it's a magical moment.