Life After Death
7x7
acrylic on canvas
sold
Have a great long week-end! And once again, thanks to all of you who have been leaving comments.
Showing posts with label fungus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fungus. Show all posts
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Up Early and Posting!
I could not sleep and as I lay in bed this morning all I could do was think about my blog! Seemed like a good reason to get up and start writing. I'm probably thinking about it because my brother-in-law and his family are arriving today from Edmonton and I likely won't get a chance to post anything for a couple of days. We are all very excited because we haven't seen their little guy for ages. He is twenty-one months and my boys can't wait to play with him.
This little painting I am showing you today was done after the large fungus you saw in the post on August 27. Ever since I did that one I have been interested in these parasitic treasures you can find in the forest. Some of them are spectacular. I don't know much about them, but from what I can tell they grow on sick, dying or dead trees. This one was growing inside a rotting tree stump that I found while walking through the forest and I am calling it "Life After Death". It is acrylic on canvas and is 7x7". I don't know if it will make it into the show or not. It is painted in a tighter fashion than say my reflections, but at the same time I don't think it is "anal". This particular one was sort of flat, yet had this undulating surface at the same time and the colours were spectacular! I had the little fungus to the left looking a bit like a derby for awhile. After a few tips from my instructor at the art camp, hopefully it blends in more and no longer looks quite so hat-like!
Have a great long week-end! And once again, thanks to all of you who have been leaving comments.
Have a great long week-end! And once again, thanks to all of you who have been leaving comments.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Just Keep Swimming
As I mentioned in my blog the other day, I finally told a few of my girlfriends about this new journey I have begun. Well, the next morning emailed the link (how crazy is that? I have a link!) to my immediate family. My two sisters were so excited for me. So were my parents, but they didn't quite understand what a blog was about. One of my sisters embraced this idea so enthusiastically that she immediately forwarded the link to a few people she thought might enjoy it. Later, when we spoke on the phone, she felt a bit sheepish and hoped I didn't mind that she had done that. At first I felt this pang of fear and drop in my self confidence (which actually didn't have far to fall because it is relatively low already) because one of the people she emailed is an old childhood friend of the family ( Hi Trev), but then I took a deep breathe and realized that in the end, this is what I want for this journey. I don't want to put myself out there just a little bit... I want to put myself out there full on; no holding back. And when things get a bit scary or intimidating I am going to follow some wise advice that a funny little fish once said... "Just keep swimming".
This same sister, who is one of the smartest, kindest, wittiest, prettiest, people I know, and by far the most generous, said that finding out about my blog inspired her to start a journey of her own. She has been thinking about making some changes for awhile and I guess this gave her motivation to get started. I am soooo proud of her because change is scary and it is hard, but sometimes it is what you have to do in order to get where you want to be.
This painting (acrylic on canvas, 7x7) was done at the workshop I attended this summer and will also be part of the show. It is a little fungus that I had been looking as I ate my meals in the veranda off the dining hall. It was tucked right in the crook between two birch trees that were sort of growing out of each other. The entire time I was working on it I couldn't get over the feel of the paint. The air was incredibly humid and the paint acted much more like oil than acrylic. I had so much fun; I felt like I was playing. Because of the climate I had no choice but to paint differently than I usually do. My mind kept repeating a quote that the instructor had brought up in an earlier discussion. It somehow gave me permission to play and experiment; to not think I always have to paint in the way I have become accustomed.
And now that I have begun this blogging adventure, I think it will become my way to discover all of my multitudes.
This same sister, who is one of the smartest, kindest, wittiest, prettiest, people I know, and by far the most generous, said that finding out about my blog inspired her to start a journey of her own. She has been thinking about making some changes for awhile and I guess this gave her motivation to get started. I am soooo proud of her because change is scary and it is hard, but sometimes it is what you have to do in order to get where you want to be.
Nestled
7x7
acrylic on canvas
This painting (acrylic on canvas, 7x7) was done at the workshop I attended this summer and will also be part of the show. It is a little fungus that I had been looking as I ate my meals in the veranda off the dining hall. It was tucked right in the crook between two birch trees that were sort of growing out of each other. The entire time I was working on it I couldn't get over the feel of the paint. The air was incredibly humid and the paint acted much more like oil than acrylic. I had so much fun; I felt like I was playing. Because of the climate I had no choice but to paint differently than I usually do. My mind kept repeating a quote that the instructor had brought up in an earlier discussion. It somehow gave me permission to play and experiment; to not think I always have to paint in the way I have become accustomed.
"Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes."
-Walt Whitman And now that I have begun this blogging adventure, I think it will become my way to discover all of my multitudes.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Galleries and Playgrounds- A Good Day
After a morning of being domestic (laundry, dishes, tidying) I spontaneously decided there was no time like the present to pack the kids in the van with a mittful of candy, a DVD in the player and head out on a little road trip. I had been wanting to get out to Rosthern, a town a 1/2 hour away, to check out a group show that some friends have right now at the Station Arts Centre. They call their group "Men Who Paint" and they are really terrific landscape artists. It was great fun to see their work all framed up and looking so official. Of course I saw a few pieces I would like to add to my fledgling art collection, but I didn't commit to anything.
The kids had been so good for me so I took them to a nearby playground at a Regional Valley Park and they had a blast. There was even a zip-line! Sammy really wanted to try, but had to build up his courage. He finally did it and thought it was so awesome he proceeded to do it 3 more times! Little Tommy decided not to and that was fine by me because I wasn't sure he could hold on the whole way.
It dawned on me while at the gallery today that I still have loads to do for my upcoming show. Since the theme of the day was " there is no time like the present", I went to the studio after supper, put my head down and got working on the tasks associated with painting. All that finishing work that is necessary, but not creative. I signed and varnished 14 paintings and packed them up to bring home so that I can hopefully get some decent photos taken over the weekend. Once that is done I have to make arrangements for framing. And I still have come up with names and pricing. There are still 3 paintings at the studio which may or may not be finished. My show is running from November 1- December 17, so time is ticking and I need to get all of these things sorted out. The paintings will all be landscape images from the Boreal forest in Northern Saskatchewan. The following painting is likely going to be part of the show (I think I need to retake this photo- there seems to be a glare on the top right corner).
This one is 24x30" and is acrylic on canvas. This was the most spectacular fungus; there were actually five layers growing with the largest being the size of a dinner plate. My friend Steve took me to see it and it was like receiving a wonderful gift. As long as there is nature I will never be bored.
I am already beginning to think I may need to start a second blog! One that is more directly about my art; one with smaller entries and more images. Hmmm... must think some more.
The kids had been so good for me so I took them to a nearby playground at a Regional Valley Park and they had a blast. There was even a zip-line! Sammy really wanted to try, but had to build up his courage. He finally did it and thought it was so awesome he proceeded to do it 3 more times! Little Tommy decided not to and that was fine by me because I wasn't sure he could hold on the whole way.
It dawned on me while at the gallery today that I still have loads to do for my upcoming show. Since the theme of the day was " there is no time like the present", I went to the studio after supper, put my head down and got working on the tasks associated with painting. All that finishing work that is necessary, but not creative. I signed and varnished 14 paintings and packed them up to bring home so that I can hopefully get some decent photos taken over the weekend. Once that is done I have to make arrangements for framing. And I still have come up with names and pricing. There are still 3 paintings at the studio which may or may not be finished. My show is running from November 1- December 17, so time is ticking and I need to get all of these things sorted out. The paintings will all be landscape images from the Boreal forest in Northern Saskatchewan. The following painting is likely going to be part of the show (I think I need to retake this photo- there seems to be a glare on the top right corner).
The Gift
24x30"
acrylic on canvas
sold
This one is 24x30" and is acrylic on canvas. This was the most spectacular fungus; there were actually five layers growing with the largest being the size of a dinner plate. My friend Steve took me to see it and it was like receiving a wonderful gift. As long as there is nature I will never be bored.
I am already beginning to think I may need to start a second blog! One that is more directly about my art; one with smaller entries and more images. Hmmm... must think some more.
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