Tantivy

A story About A Painting. I really do want to be serious about painting and learn to use my colored pencils in ways that are professional. But part of learning is just doing and doing and doing and with each doing you learn a little more. Here is what I learned recently. I wanted to draw/paint (what is it when you put down pigment with colored pencil?) some bunnies that are actually green, rough, tabletop sculptures of mine. So I did. One was eating a carrot. Where did the carrot come from? Why from the Martha Stewart garden behind them. Oh, so I added the garden. It was barely done when Mr. MacGregor came to check things out. He has grown a nice beard since last time I saw him. I am not sure about his plans for the pitchfork, though. I hope he doesn't plan to go after the bunnies. Well, he seemed to be in a good mood. Suddenly,I heard a noise. Here came Farmer John D. in his tractor. I really have no idea what he is doing there - the garden doesn't look large enough to ne...

When you begin to go some place and you have no idea of how to get there or where it is and there is no GPS. Sound scary? That is painting!! I began a new painting in a different mode, where there is nothing to follow, no rules to lean on, and nothing to say "you have arrived at your destination". Of course that is always what it is like in many ways, but this was really a leap into the void for me. I used oil paint and cold wax medium, which I have used before on other paintings, I started by covering the paper on the wall with colors - mostly reds but with some others, I did some scraping, some more layering, some thinking and then some more of all of the previous steps, more thinking, more thinking, a stroke here or there, etc. I think that I have arrived at my destination, but who knows. When I look at it, though, it feels complete. So here t is: I have also finished the 3'x5' piece that I have been fiddling with for so long. I did some work in the top right a...

Ok, so it turns out that when you can't get to sleep, getting up and writing a blogpost is not the best idea. I apologize and I will try to do better in the future. I am waiting to hear from the bank about what I will need to become the person on the checking account and then I am going to the studio to try to get some work done before it is time to leave for the meeting. I love the night time, but some things are better done during the day and blog-writing seems to be one of them. Best to all, and sleep well tonight!

When will it end? All this killing, this greed, this name-calling and shaming and denigrating. I am sick every day when I look at the news. At the same time, I can't seem to stop looking. It is making me depressed and making it hard to function. I had cut back on my serotonin re-uptake inhibitor(Lexapro) but have had to go back to the full dose. More information than you really wanted. Sorry, but it is what is on my spinning mind. There were few days in the studio this week, although there was an exhibition opening that included one small and one large work that was well-attended. One of my sister's pieces was the first sale and there were two others, not mine, but there is always a chance. Tomorrow night is the Civic Arts League meeting and there is a better than even chance that I will be elected treasurer. Well, actually it is all but certain as there seems to be no other candidate. It won't be a hard job and I like the other officers. some of the meetings, however, ...

Painting is a lot like other things. It changes as you change. I keep trying other things but keep coming back to non-objective paintings. I have to wonder if that is because realism is beyond my reach, but I really don't want realism so I don't think that is it. I think that what I want is a modern, contemporary impressionism.and so far that has eluded me. That doesn't mean that I don't search for it, chase it, study it, etc. it just means that I don't have it yet. so much to learn, and who knows how much time in which to learn it! Meanwhile, today I just started applying leftover paint to a 12"x9" panel. Trying to work smaller and playing around just to see what happens. Her is how it works. One can begin with an idea in mind and work toward that idea or one can just begin. I have begun. What is on the panel now might become the base of a new painting, it might be scraped away, it might be covered it might be scribbled on. The first moves are play a...

Well, I submitted five paintings and one was accepted. I certainly hope that it sells. Another show, put-on by the Civic Arts League , of which I will almost certainly become the treasurer, is also going up and I have two paintings in it. It is a smaller show and might not have as many viewers, but every viewer is a possibility! There are other shows coming up. It has been a difficult week. Dean had trouble with his meds and I had to call the EMTs. He is fine now, but the weather is taking its toll on everyone as I am sure you know. I went out to cut the grass and came in almost sick because I had fiddled around with the battery for the mower much longer than I thought and it was about 11:00 when I got started. Thank goodness we have very little grass and I just gave up on the backyard. It was only about 90 but so was the humidity. I love the south, I really do, but some days are just not meant for 76-year-olds to be out working in the yard and it is best to remember that! I am w...

I can hardly believe that it has been two years since I have posted on this blog site. In the meanwhile I have tried and given up on a website. I am just not willing to maintain a website even if it would mean selling more paintings. Am I lazy? Perhaps, but time is short an I have much to do and I get, at this age, to pick and choose. So I am choosing to restart this blog and write weekly or twice each week. If you are kind enough to read it, thank you. If you are kind enough to comment I will love you and if you have criticisms I promise to take them under consideration. So today I am waiting to hear from the Creative Arts Guild in Dalton GA, just south of Chattanooga, if they have accepted any of my paintings for their upcoming show. Last year I submitted several and two of them sold. That was such a thrill for me. Okay, My sister-in-law bought one of them but the other was bought by a stranger. Woohoo! I have submitted five this year and should hear today if any have been accepte...

Actually we have been home for a week. The end of the vacation was spent in ambulances (Dean) and hospitals (both of us) in packing up the condo(Alex,Sarie and I) and flying home (Alex and Sarie). Jenny and Drew had to leave the first Friday and Sara and Greg had to leave Tuesday. Dean and I took three days to get home and all is well. He suffered a strange bleed and a huge hematoma but is now off Plavix and should not have any problems. They still want us to watch out for headaches in case a clot breaks loose. AND, our a/c is not functioning. I finally did another little painting of shell fragments. 5"x7", oil on board. I hope that you like it. I am still thinking about changing to a different blog platform and setting up a website from which I can sell paintings. It is a lot to do and so a big decision. Right now I am moving into the studio above the new garage and that is taking lots of time and not just a little muscle - in fact I will have to get some help from someo...

The internet here is very slow. Very. It has made me realize how fast ours is and how impatient I am with a few minutes (seconds?) delay! So here is a painting of some shell fragments from the bay. I think that they have a certain beauty - maybe because I identify with old these days! I have to stop painting because I have no good way to bring home wet paintings and they dry very slowly in this humidity. So, until I get back home, take care! All is well, XOXOXO, Caroline

Here is last night's sunset from the causeway as photographed by Sara and today's waves photographed by me. This might not look rough to many of you, but the water at Sanibel is most often more like a big bath tub. Surfers will dismiss this, but it was really windy for a while around noon. I am not getting much painting done but I have touched up a few older things, done a little shopping and enjoyed the family, so all is well. XOXOXO, Caroline

This painting of the pines was also done from one of Mary's photos. Dean thinks that I should include it in the submissions to the Creative arts Guild.Painting it reminded me of summers when we waled under the pines and that hot smell of pine pitch and crushed needles. Pine needles can be very slippery on a slope and can be a little sticky and prickly. We don't have so many pines here in town and I miss them a little. We have mostly maples and across the street a big poplar that shed twigs and blooms in our yard. Trees are such marvelous things and they are cut down every day with very little thought given to what they do for us and how much we need them. Sermon over. Go hug a tree today! All will be well, XOXOXO, Caroline

These last two are from Mary's photos again, this time at high tide. I am going to submit six paintings to the show that I have entered the last two years and can't decide whether to do the four of the marsh plus two not yet painted or the lettuce onion, etc. I have four of those and could add two more there - maybe asparagus or fruit or some such. Any suggestions as to which ones to submit? The paintings which are selected for the exhibit will be available for sale. I also have to price them; they need to be affordable but not "cheap" which might indicate that they are not worth much to me or anyone else. Any suggestions will be welcome and carefully considered. All is well and all will be well, XOXOXO, Caroline

I went to Columbia, SC for a workshop at the end of last week and had a wonderful time - once we got there. We left on Thursday about noon so I could be there at 6:30 for the wine and cheese and beginning. Having made the trip several times we decided to go through Atlanta as we usually do. Unfortunately, Friday's rush hour began about 10:00 AM Thursday morning and it took us two hours to get through Atlanta. Then we ran into more parking lot pace in SC, so instead of being early I skidded in about an hour late. Once begun, though, the workshop was fun and I learned new things and spent time with nice people. Additionally, there is a lovely art supply store and a good restaurant right across the street from our class space. Can't be beat! I will be working in still life for the most part but I did some landscapes from Mary's photos during the weekend. I have one more to do and it is the most difficult of the bunch as far as I am concerned. Here are the finished ones. ...

It was a wild week here. Sunday a week ago we had to move everything to the middle of the rooms so that new windows could be installed. That was done on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. As the old windows, never opened since we have been here because they were painted shut inside and out, were removed soot flew all over the house. I thought that we had gotten rid of it all over the last few years, but there was some in the window innards. We now have windows with double panes that open and close and can be washed from the inside. We hated to take out the old ones with their wavy glass and BB holes, but the time had come to let common sense rule and being able to clean them is really nice. Besides being painted shut the old ones had rusty screens in places and permanent storm windows which provided a dirt trap between window and storm, not reachable by any but spiders. After moving furniture back and cleaning up there was work done in the garage and then a huge and I mean huge storm ...

For post number 301 you get two for the price of one. I tried painting this little pitcher with a vine in it two ways - once with the pallet knife and once with the brush. Quite different in feel I think, and I am not sure which I like better. Do you prefer one to the other? Sorry that one of these is there twice. I can't seem to get rid of it. Between having taken some allergy medicine and feeling like a zombie today and having all the furniture in the middle of the room so that the workers could get to the windows to replace them, I didn't do much today. I tried to play Words with Friends but kept going to sleep and hitting myself in the face with the iPad! BUT my nose did not run! All is well, XOXOXO, Caroline

This is my three hundredth post! I can scarcely believe it. But instead of something new and exciting I have another old painting that I have scrubbed down and reworked. This was painted first in acrylic and I had to work hard to get enough of it off to paint over it. It still might not make sense to you because you don't know what it is. That is the inside of a large (soup bowl size) cup with three plums in front go it. The plums really were dark purple (and quite tasty) and the cup is a deep, vibrant yellow inside. I worked hard on this but I still have much to learn to get the shapes right and the colors placed so that the proper depth is there. I should probably not show it but you already know that I am a student and I am sure that you won't judge too harshly. On another front today I had a lovely FaceTime call from dear friends in Atlanta. They had gotten together and we couldn't get there. These are the ones who have been together during the time that our children...

Here is a picture of the grands that I painted, didn't like, reworked and now like. I am reworking several things since I have learned more and with the oils. I find the oils much more responsive to what I wa nt to do and I am so glad that I took the class that started me on them.I will be reworking a few other older paintings and doing some new ones also in the next few days.

I didn't know about the real Pacific floating garbage island. or whatever it is really called. I pictured since I first heard of it, a large conglomeration of plastic bottles, ropes, fishing line and other trash caught up together in a floating pile. Today I did a little research and found out that it is actually tiny particles of photo-degraded plastic forming a kind of soup - not visible from space and hard to define on the surface. Of course tiny particles are much more dangerous due to their appearance being so like plankton and their composition containing all sorts of the plastic we are warned not to use because they are dangerous to our health. The fish didn't get that notice however and eat those PCBs , passing them long to us by way of larger fish. While I was in my unaware state, and taking the acrylics classes that I did, we were given an assignment which called for making some large shapes and following up on that For some reason (obstinacy? trying to be differen...

My neighbor was going out of town after a hard rain had knocked to the ground her peony that had bloomed. Since they are to be gone a week I asked her if I could have the blossom to paint and she agreed. I made several attempts, the last being maybe the best but looking more camellia than peony I think. The one with the Easter egg was the first the second was the more coral one and the third the camellia. The actual peony is large and lush and gorgeous! I am putting off shopping for a dress to wear to my niece's wedding. I just don't enjoy shopping lie I once did although I do need some new clothes. Part of it is that I have to go to Chattanooga, but truth be known it is no farther away than the mall I went to when I lived in Atlanta. Weird. Drew's spring concert is next Sunday. Next year he will be in high school - my baby grandson who is 6'tall and weighs more that his grandfather and is a love. Time. I have read a little about it recently, but in my experie...

Have you ever seen a bird's nest up close and personal? I have two of them - one that Vicki found in her driveway and one that robins built on my porch last year. (They built a new one there this year) I don't know what kind of bird built the one we found but it has treasures in it - green mesh, shiny ribbon, purple ribbon. The robin's nest is neater but just grass and twigs. The robin that nested outside our window a few years ago used a tuft of our dog's hair. It was Jackson's hair- blonde and unmistakeable. I decided that for my fifth 20 minute painting I would try one of the marble eggs in one of the bird's nests. Of course being the size of a hen's egg, and a large one at that, it filled the whole nest which probably would have held three or four bird's eggs. I think that I might either work more on this one or paint it again. As for reading, I am taking a break from Margaret Atwood in favor of Mary Kay Andrews who is much lighter and funny.s. ...