MY CREATIVE PROCESS

Exploring new ideas is what I enjoy most about the creative process of painting or doing a collage or assemblage. 

I am fascinated by the forms, colors and shapes flowers become at the end of their life cycle.  I see this end stage as a metamorphosis into a new and beautiful abstract form with a new variety of shapes and colors.  From my painting perspective I now see movement in the petals and leaves,  It is this new abstractness and movement that I try to convey in my paintings.

Another subject that has become part of my work are the many variety of birds that come to our bird feeders.  I work mostly in oils and have discovered using oils with cold wax medium.  Working with this medium creates more abstractness which allows me to interpret the landscape in a transitional abstract stage that the birds or flowers might have inhabit or grow.

HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MARBLES? ( Two Stellar Jays)

For some reason my photo lately of my art have appeared dark when I go to post them.  Another oil painting with assemblage parts.  I have painted these two birds before because it always look like she is harping on him about something. I feel like this one tells a story;  she is mad at him because he gambled their money on real estate investments without her knowledge.

Speaking of harping, once again it has been a frustrating social media day for me.  Pictures I have tried to post via Instgram have appeared sideways.  Guess I could Google how to rotate them but after a while I just want to call it quits and try another day.  And as always problems with the blog and I realize I am just not young enough to figure it all out.

Oil and Assemblage, Stellar Jays, shadow box frames, 12"x12"

SAFETY IN NUMBERS (Canadian Geese)

I have been a collector of things/stuff for many years and during that time many items have found their way in to Assemblages.  I can forget the about the collection for a while then one day I open the space where I put them and ideas start to come together.  I never know the direction one will take which is the fun part of finding where a piece should go; sort of like putting a puzzle together.

We have many, many Canadian Geese near us and they are always in a group with most of them feeding and one or two are on watch duty for danger while the rest are feeding.

Always safety in numbers...

Oil and Assemblage, shadow box frame, 12"x12"

CROW LIVES MATTER!

Came across some gun targets for shooting crows and that upset me.  Any one who reads my blog knows that I am a crow lover so I decided to create a piece of art with my feelings about the subject. Oil and assemblage, shadow box frame, size 12"x12"

THE GAMES WE ALL PLAY

As usual it's been awhile since I have posted any new art.  I just have so many issues with my blog that I don't look forward to trying to post an image.  I think my new years resolution this year will be to create a website rather than the blog.

I have started another series with the birds; trying to incorporate some assemblage  items into some of them. 

This one has Domino parts and Bingo pieces in it.  Sort telling a story about the games we play figuratively.  Size is 12"x12" framed in a shadow box frame.

 

Another Show with my birds (http://salemart.org/programs/bush-barn-art-center/)

 

 

WON BEST OF SHOW at the BUSH BARN ART CENTER!

 I feel I am on a roll with posting, somehow I can still post pictures to my blog.  Not really sure why the miracle happened , but it did, so I'm taking advantage of this time while it's still working. and I don't have to scream at the computer to "give me a break and why can't I figure out the problem!!!"

Also I feel very fortunate that I will have some of my painting showing at the Bush Barn Art Center in Salem Oregon for the month of July and August. From July 10th to Aug. 29th   http://salemart.org/programs/bush-barn-art-center.  The center is a wonderful space for artist to show;  so if you have the time stop in to see really outstanding work by artists of the Pacific Northwest.
My friend Wendy Dehart will also be showing at the Bush Center,
http://wendydehart.com/. for the two months show.

The show will be on at the same time the Salem Arts Festival is happening, July 19th -21st.   http://salemart.org/art-fair/.  This is a premier arts festival with over 200 regional and local artists and craftspeople.

Additionally two artist friends will have booths at the Salem Arts Festival, Susan Borger a very talented fiber artist, http://susanbmade.blogspot.com/ and her painter husband Dennis Anderson, http://adennis8.wix.com/paint-site3,

Small Bird Painting Show

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

The above paintings are a small sampling of a show of my 8"x8" paintings of birds that will be at the Red Magnolia Salon for the month of July and August.  The salon is located in the Alberta Arts District of Portland; located at 5011 NE 13th Ave. Portland Oregon.  http://www.redmagnoliasalon.com/, stop in and say hello to Maggie the beautiful and charming owner of the salon.  All of the pieces have some sort of collage element on the bottom and most are painted in Oils with a few done in acrylics.

Flicker and abstract landscape....Another Flew the Coop

SOLD

Last weekend was the Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts and I had entered this painting in the show and happy to say he has flown the coop, (my art studio) and found a new home.

FIVE CHICKADEES title"Five Amigos"

SOLD

 

I felt I couldn't give up on my blog, so I have spent several hours trying different fixes.  Something worked, just not sure what!  I did some updates to Internet Explorer and Windows, perhaps that helped; really won't know until I try and post another photo. I'll try posting again this weekend, keeping my fingers crossed the issue is gone.

 

This piece isn't large, just 18" long by 6 1/2" wide.  Done in oils and the back ground colors were inspired by one of my favorite artists; Raimonds Straprans.

 

NO LONGER CAN POST A PHOTO

I have reached my limit with this BLOG, I can no longer post a picture to it without going through many frustrating attempts.  Clear the cookies, cashe, etc. compatible view and on and on I try.  Just so not worth my time, of which I could be painting!  Why have you made it so difficult GOOGLE??? So many error codes.  I'm not computer savvy enough to try and spend more time messing up what I like on my computer.   That's my rant for today....

MAKE A WISH....

 Make a Wish, Oil, 24"x24"

 

Once again a long time between posts. I have spent the winter taking classes with Jennifer Diehl, http://www.jenniferdiehl.com/.  The first class was a color workshop that was so educational. I have painted for years and studied color theory many many moons ago in collage, but this class really made me put into practice what I was learning.  She has been teaching at the Brush and Palette for the past several years and I decided to do two back to back 8 weeks courses. 

I feel so extremely fortunate that she has been teaching in my area where I live because she is so knowledgeable and an outstanding teacher.  She started studying with Henry Stinson from the age of ten to eighteen.  After that even as good as she was as an artist knew there were four more areas she felt she needed to better her art.  So from there she found the four artist she felt could help in those areas.  I so admire an artist who even though she is an internationally known artist still will take workshops from other artist whom she feels she can learn from.  The bottom line is we can always become better at what we do by seeking the answer to what will improve us.

As I have stated before in my posts I am attracted to flowers in various stages, from full bloom to the beauty of when the bloom is done.  I think Dandelions have so many interesting forms and colors after the yellow bloom is done and the seeds go sailing off to become  a pest in our lawns and landscapes.

New and Old Assemblages

  New One Title: Past Generation"

 

  Old One (private collection)

 

 

  New One Title:"3 Directions" (SOLD)

I have been in a sort of a painting funk and decided to step away for a bit.  I have had two very old empty wooden cashiers drawers hanging around in my studio for ages and decided it might be a good time to work on something different.  I have created assemblages in the past and have a odd collection of items that really needed a home.  I can't remember where I bought the vintage photos, perhaps at a garage sale or flea market.

The second assemblage is owned by my son Michael.  He was visiting us in Portland a few years ago and while he was here usually like to visit antique and junk stores. He is also a collector of things and will occasionally bring me an oddity such as a dolls head or the lady sitting crossed legged in the second piece.  The old frame I used was something I lugged back on a plane after visiting him in LA.  That one also has bits of broken green glass I will often pick up off the street when perhaps a car has a broken window. That one also has jewelry included.

The last piece is another wooden cash drawer filled with odds and ends that I have stored away for just such a  purpose... to re-purpose into something new. I had fun with the three small compartments at the bottom of the piece; that was all about layering various items to get what I wanted.

I should have posted that three of my assemblages are showing at the SideSteet Gallery for the months of April and May.  Rita Larson and Michael Pratt of "Pratt and Larson Tile" are the wonderful owners who support the arts and arstists with their funky and charming gallery and I am always proud to be a part of the shows they put on. 

RED CYCLAMEN

This has been a super frustrating post. The picture came in rotated and it has taken me close to a half an hour to get it right side up, nor can I figure out how to get rid of the ridges crossing the picture...UGH!  Couldn't begin to explain how I finally rotated it.  Think I will try and take a new picture and see what happens with that one if I get time.  Speaking of time, this sure has been a time waster!

I was leaving a store the other day and saw a table full of beautiful Cyclamen; looking at them made me feel like getting away from the birds and the cold wax process and go back to painting flowers for awhile and to play with shadows.

Oil on Canvas,  size 16x20, cost $350.

Crows in the rain Title" We Should Have Stayed Home"

Another cold wax piece.  I was definitely affected by our recent stormy weather.  We have had some very gloomy rainy days with along with some very strong winds.   I always see the poor birds out there in the elements which I guess gave me the inspiration to capture them and how they might feel about being in the rain.

Size 24"x24" on panel.

RAVEN, Phone Pictures ( Alert Bay, British Columbia)

I did this painting as a gift for two very special people in my life who took me on a sailing  journey of a life time through the wilderness of British Columbia this past August.  One of the trips we took was to a small village called Alert Bay. Through out the whole trip I was on the look out for Ravens to photograph.  Alert Bay has a marvelous museum that show cases the art of  Canada's First Nation People that I felt for me was one of the high lights of the trip. Alert bay was the only place I saw a Raven and was able to photograph the big fellow; so the painting represents my feelings for the area. The Raven, the buttons worn by the First Nation Peoples ceremonial clothes and the water in the bay.  I also incorporated the word "Gilakas'La, which means welcome or thank you in their native language.

 

AUDUBON WILD ARTS FESTIVAL

  "Now I Know my ABCs"

 

For the past five years I have done a small 6"x6" painting for the Portland Audubon Society's annual fund raiser.  They ask about 200 artist to paint on a 6"x6" canvas and then they are sold at $40 a piece, although I think they went up to $45. this year. This is my entry for this year. The event is Saturday and Sunday November 22nd and 23rd. More information can be had at www.wildartsfestival.org.  The show is wonderful with many outstanding artists, authors and craftsmen. The handlers always bring in fabulous birds that are being rehabbed and give a talk about why they have the bird in their care.

Cold WAX and Oil Painting of a Flicker

 "FLICKER"

 

This beautiful fellow comes to our bird feeders along with his mate from time to time. He is one of the larger woodpeckers that come to our feeders. The abstracted landscape part was done in oil and cold wax and the Flicker painted in oils.  The piece is 24"x24"

COLD WAX PAINTINGS

 Golden days of fall

 "Colors of Fall"

 

Once again I have been lax in posting.  The two pieces above were done over the spring but I never felt like posting them.  I guess my problem is I really am not too sure where I am heading with the cold wax and oil paintings. I have been incorporating either botanical or birds with the abstract element representing an abstracted landscape, question I ask myself is should I continue along those lines or give up and move on.  The first one is titled "Golden days of Fall" 12"x12" and the second one is "Colors of Fall" 12"x12".  Fall here in the Portland area has been glorious with all the beautiful colors of golds and reds.



Birds and Abstracts

  Marigold 24"x24"

  Seeing Beyond 24"x24"(SOLD)

 

I have been trying my hand at doing cold wax with my oils, working in a series.  In older posts I talked about doing the flowers along with an abstract landscape.  Several of the newer pieces I will be showing at the Tualatin Art Splash are from a series using birds along with an abstract element, ( see previous post) These are larger pieces 24"x24".  Looking forward to the show and hope to see you there.

New Birds for the Tualatin Art Splash

  (SOLD)

The birds and I will be at the Tualatin Art Splash Friday, Saturday and Sunday, July 18th,19th 20th.  It's a wonderful event for the whole family, besides a great variety of artists there are events  planned for every hour including a concert Friday and Saturday nights by outstanding musician.
Check out the list of times for the various events.  All the art is under a huge tent by the lake.
http://www.tualatinoregon.gov/recreation/artsplash