Many Many Layers.......

One of my favorite acrylic colors is Alarizan Crimson, so I thought I would do my next painting with that as a base. I often add many layers to my paintings to create depth, and to give it age by pulling some of the color off as I go. After doing what I thought was a good number of layers, I then started my design on top.

Oh yuck, I hated it, what was I thinking????

So, I began to add more layers, and continued pulling some of it off to keep up the aged look. (The paints are all pretty transparent so it took a lot of layers to color those BLACK squares!) At night as I would drop off to sleep, I'd be imagining this or that new design. (In between each new application change, I would have to go lie down again, so this all took a period of days.)

So, I thought - flowers!

And after spending over an hour on 3 flowers, I realized realism was not my thing (there's a shock!) and wiped off as much as I could and once again started layering and pulling. When I had it once more to a place where I could add an arrangement of some kind, I was completely blank. At night, still blank as I drifted off to sleep. Discouragement followed. What? What was waiting to go on?

Then, an inspired moment as I was looking at some Japanese rice papers - collage! On each side I put a strip. But what next? What was Asian but a little different for a long canvas? I thought about a Chinese symbol for happiness, or something similar. Yes I know it was Japanese symbols on the side, but they would be under a layer of paint.

No, I felt flat about that. But....bamboo! All right, now I was fired up, but exhausted so I had to lie down again. I realized that I could do a pretty mean abstract bamboo, and so the next morning, I took a yellow colored pencil, drew in the lines, began to add yellow paint. And then that day was over - I had to go lie down again. But the next day, I went over the yellow paint with oil pastel, yellow then green and I was so pleased! I love it when God gives me the inspiration! And here we have, Bamboo On Red!

(click to view details)

So, how many layers total? I have no idea, and I would not even try to guess!

The Latest Commissioned Piece

I mentioned a few blogs back that I was going to be doing another Pear picture, because a couple saw the first one I did:

(click to view)

and really liked it so much that they asked if they could have a similar one done. We all knew it would not be the same, because they needed to fit a specific narrow area in the kitchen. So the canvas was 10 x 30 and rather than having one pear, as originally planned, we decided on having three! I love that it has its own personality and I think they will like the way it came out:

(click to view)

This was made using acrylic paint, gel medium, oil pastels and ink.

 Long and skinny, but fits the requirements!

Click on any photo you would like to see closer!

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ART AUCTION!!

Today I'm trying something new- offering you a chance to join in an auction for an original small art piece! If this is successful, I will be doing it at regular intervals.

This is a mixed media piece done on a 8 x 10 canvas panel. Click on it to enlarge and see the details. It is signed on the front and will be also signed and dated on the back.

Here are the rules:

The starting price is $15.00

Bidding is in increments of $3.00

Bidding must be posted in the comment section below.

Winning bid must be honored!

Auction is for 3 days (noon 29 Oct - noon 1st Nov)

START BIDDING!

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Some Musings

Most of what I know as an artist, I learned through trial and error. I am mostly self taught, with some technical skills learned through workshops taken with artists I respect. These two artists, although teaching the workshop together, have very different personal styles, and yet they used the same techniques.

I find what brings me the deepest joy is collages and mixed media artwork. Yet, I have a struggle going on inside of me - is it "real art"?

If I collage a tree on a piece of work, does that lower the art value (not thinking monetary here)? If I see something another artist did, and incorporate that into something I produce, does that mean I can't think of my own ideas? Does it therefore become less?

I don't care for actually drawing, even though I have done a couple of things that show what you might call "traditional art" with recognizable objects, in fact I am working on one now, but that is not my favorite way of expressing myself. I find it limiting, like staying in the lines in a coloring book, something I'm sure many of us were chided to do when we were children. I like to be able to go where the paintbrush takes me, to mix colors together with free abandon and see joy when I finish. It's not always as good as I had hoped, but it's a step forward.

I remember the somewhat bittersweet story of Van Gogh, who was very misunderstood in his time - he did not paint like anyone else, but he was driven to let what was inside of him come out the way it needed to. He only sold one painting in his entire lifetime and he was laughed at by most other successful artists who painted in the "acceptable" way. When Renoir and other painters became what was later called Impressionists, they were shunned by society as being too rebellious, because they did not follow the school of acceptable art of his time. They were laughed at, mocked, could not get a gallery showing of their collected works and yet, they persevered.

I am not comparing myself to Van Gogh or Renoir. But I am struggling with my chosen way of expression. There are great oil paintings and there are many more cheesy oil paintings. There are collage and mixed media works which move you with color and expression and there are many more cheesy, cutsie collages and mixed media pieces.

One of the artists in the workshops I took stated early on that nothing any artist does can be called a pure original. We are influenced by what we see around us - shapes, other art work, color, nature, architecture, stains, decay, movement and passion.

My painting style has been rebuffed by people I care about - "That's not my style" and there is no interest in learning what is going on in the painting. Others, rather than showing interest, turn the conversation towards themselves, complaining about their lack of creativity,  I've learned and am still learning, I need to keep some of this to myself. If someone is interested, I'm excited to share with them, but otherwise I don't anymore.

What brought this to a climax for me was an excited comment about something I did, and the asking about where the inspiration came from. It involved another artist's piece, which had a couple of elements I liked and expressed in my own way. The disappointment and letdown upon hearing that explanation was like a knife in my side. "Oh, I thought it was original with you". I found myself suddenly defending my artwork, and that shouldn't ever happen. I should not have to argue that yes, what I did was really art, not just copying another artist. It's been festering in me ever since and I began to question everything I have been doing.

But my level headed husband, with his wisdom, reassured me that what I did was wonderful, and he envied the fact that my mind did not have to have a "model", that my feelings spilled onto the piece I was doing and that the particular piece in question was not copying and that to him it was beautiful.

I love to admire the works of others, others who express themselves in their own way. I have my own way, and I will continue to express myself and grow in it. It's a gift I was given from the greatest Creator of all time and I thank Him that He puts things in front of me to move me one more step in my passion, to climb higher on the mountain, to see how what I draw from others can be expressed anew in something I make.

I know this has been rambling, but it's been good for me to get it out. When I ask for a critique, I should expect to get one, otherwise, I shall enjoy what I do and revel in the gift God gave me. And yes, this is "real art"!

Click on the photo to see anything closer.

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Spring In His Home Town

Whew! I am tired now, I think I better take a rest after this painting!

Spring In His Home Town

This was the second canvas that I sanded down and started over. The flower on the left and the dots at the top were already layered on, so I was able to complete this painting in one day. It's a different style for me, so I am interested in your opinion! I have it for sale in my Etsy shop, BelleSouth Studio.

Now, rest!

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Added Two More Paintings To My Store!

Today I added two more of my original art works to my Etsy shop, Bellesouth Studio!

JUMP FOR JOY

 Mo-Ku-Hsien, TAOIST FAIRY 

Please visit my store by clicking on the link above; not only is there 12x12 canvas art works, there are inexpensive prints, original postcards (make great gifts!) and some items I am selling to destash my studio.

Hope to see you there!

Click on the photo to see anything closer.

Come see my latest postcards I've received on Postcards Buffet!