THE MERRIEST FEAST OF THE YEAR

For Mellow Yellow Monday   For Ruby Tuesday  For Alphabe

To me Christmas ia a blend of  serious and happy celebrations,
A mingling of spices and fragrances
of giving and receiving
but most of all being together with the ones you love.
Please, don't be alone on Christmas!

One of my favorite decorations (for the window) are three 
wooden marionettes.

What is your favorite Christmas ornament?

Poinsettia

pointing to reach a star

where redemption

was so humbly born

lively colored leaves

fade in the background

graciously making room

for shiny scattered gifts

in this towering tree

With eyes of dreams I gaze

which one, which one?

stretching to reach mine

sparkling reflections

with promises of a life time.

Merry Christmas to All

A FALL INTO THE SEA (rev)

For Midweek Blues
For Watery Wednesday

© A Fall into the Sea, Oil, 24 x 30, St Germain

With a wordplay on Fall as in the season, and fall as in the movement of falling.

This painting represents the movement  of a mountain falling into the sea, where John 

wrote this revelations, banned to the island of Patmos 

(a small island in the Mediterranean Sea, close to Greece).

If my jetlag is not too bad, I'll land in blogland tomorrow, bloggie friends:)

With so much water we saw on our trip to Holland, it's easier to think 

of the consequences if a mountain would fall into the sea. 

One thing is that it would raise 

the water level around the rock and dry land with houses

would be flooded immediately.
In that case, keeping my fingers crossed and sending up prayers 
that there would be minimal losses.

***

EASTER

 Three Calle Lilies, 24 x 30 inch, Oil, St.Germain

 didn't want anything detracting from from the vertical, 

so my signature is also vertical

Hopefully I've not shared this painting with you before (except as a part of the Celebrity Collection).  My original intention was to paint it  for Easter. As you may see, it is NOT a black and white painting. This pic did not go through photoshop, so several colors are blended with the "black."  If I see Calle lilies, my immediate association is Diego Rivera. He had his own outspoken style painting these flowers.
Whether you travel or stay at your own patch, I wish you a wonderful day at Easter!

NO HEAVY CAMERAS, BUT...

Please scroll all the way down for Midweek Blues, Watery Wednesday and Weekend Reflections -thank you!

Sure am glad not to have to lug heavy cameras, lenses, tripods and what have you to get my "pic" or scene, but am still lugging around a lot of stuff. 
In the coming weeks I'll show you some of the daily life decisions I take every time I paint. Most of them have to do with that I paint most of the time somewhere else than at home.

My pastel tote: 10 1/2 (long) 14 1/2 (wide) x 9 inch deep

A Flambeau product - 1/800/232-3474)

My most organized toolbox is my pastel tote. Love it: a LOT goes in there. Five bins for pastels.
Room in the side pockets for pastel pencils, a graphite and eraser and sharpener for my pencils AND a bigger battery operated one for my pastels.

 you see, it really all goes in there!

On the other side: baby wipes (why? pastel can really stick to your hands and get under the nails)  or my water bottle. It not only opens at the top, but there are zippers to open from top to bottom on the front side.Flat front and back pockets I use for more pastels and pencils. (Of course, one can use this tote for other things than pastels)

The shoulder strap that belongs to this one is kind of unhandy for me to walk with, so I use the handle. In my other hand the pastel paper, and am ready to  go!
My Midweek Blues contribution, hosted by Rebecca at http://thedustycellar.blogspot.com

Beaverdam, 12 x 18 inch, Pastel, St.Germain*

 Lucky for me I did not have " to go" for this one! When I saw this Beaver dam on Becky's (http://woodnookycreations.blogspot.com) blog, I was so taken with it, that I asked her permission to make a painting of her pic. That was somewhere in Oct. 2010. Last week I finally got around to finish it. Sorry, when I tried out the link it did not work, but it does come up when you type the URL in manually:)

Thinking about this week's Watery Wednesday and Weekend Reflections, oh joy, my pastel  painting really fits in what 2sweetnsaxy at http:// Waterywednesday.blogspot.com  (no. 128) and James at http://newtowndailyphoto.blogspot.com are asking for..


* P.S. Since I just posted Late Bloomer on Art Notes, I'll post this one next week on there with its Notes

A PAINTING ABOUT MUSIC & ARTS

24 x 36 Oil, St. Germain  (prints any size)

 

Does one kind of art have an influence on another art form? May be, maybe not, or maybe at some times?

What do you think?

It's not common for me, but at least  this painting was influenced by the writings of Anna Roundtree and the flutist Theresa Griffith.

 In Anna 's book the author meets an angel who wears a green dress with wide sleeves in which all kinds of musical instruments  were hidden. I was right away intrigued.

It was not till I heard about Theresa Griffith that I was inspired  to paint this angel.

Since Anna describes this angel with a green dress, I went with this painting outside my usual color scheme of Ultramarine Blue and Siena.Talking about influence....

Theresa's story as well as her music are amazing. She is a flute artist who started playing the flute when she was in her forties 

After she learned to play that one flute, she went to to other flutes, and I've heard from others that she plays now more than 10 kinds of flutes! In some of her concerts she lets you choose a flute and plays on that flute for you. I heard from others that it's very stirring as well as therapeutic! 

One of my friends told me that her teenage daughter really had a tough time falling asleep. It took her a few hours. After I told my friend about Theresa's music, she came back with the report that her daughter now falls asleep before the end of the CD!

The influence of writing and music I think have helped my to portray this angel in a more intimate manner and focus more on their amazing gifts. Now I think of it, before  that,my perception of them was  them to be a more impersonal and distant being.
Whether you believe in angels or not, hope you still  enjoy the painting:)

An angel definitely belongs in the blue sky, so I'm also posting this for Midweek Blues:) hosted by Rebecca at http://the dustydellar.blogspot.com

*I use Theresa Griffith's music to wind down, or when I have to concentrate on a difficult task. Both the author Anna Rountree and the musician  show up when you look them up on Google.

KIND OF FUNNY

As some of you know I am also a Sunday painter, meaning I also paint on Sunday. 
It always bothered me when I saw a depiction of Jacob's Ladder (see footnote) , 
with sky and clouds and a ladder, but no angels!
  I may be sticking my neck out in the sense of being politically correct, but  life is too short to worry about that! My fist sketch below...

I never found a satisfactory solution for the stairs...till one day
I had  an X -design in mind for the ladder, more in the form of a loop, instead of an A-form.
I had  painted a few weeks on this complicated painting  when some other paintings came in between. 
Then someone asked me, "What happened to that big painting you did?" So, I thought it was time to finish it.


The speaker happened to speak that morning about "Jacob's Ladder." (which I didn't know till later, since I had stepped out!)
After the service was over, someone asked him, "Did you see what painting is on the easel now?" He shook his head, so he walked over to it.
He was beside himself when he saw it, "My sermon is on the painting", he called out. 

© Jacob's Ladder, 36 x 36 Oil, St.Germain

Since I've had that happen more often, I know how people are taken back, because it is a very emotional experience, as if you suddenly see yourself on TV. 
Now he saw a part of his life on a canvas. 
People invariably have an immediate reaction and they need to release it, even to strangers or passers by, "my dream is on the painting, or "I was just talking about it this week," or something of that nature.


The next evening, he was talking about his experience to some people. I happened to be there among them. He asked my neighbor, "Who painted that painting? I don't even know who painted it." My neighbor pointed at me. "What?" His mouth fell open in astonishment.
You you did that?" I nodded. 
So his introduction for the evening was about this experience that his sermon was on canvas without him knowing it, and discovered that the wife of Jacob painted "Jacob's Ladder."
Whether you are a believer or not, I thought it was kinda  funny.

* Footnote:Jacob had a dream in which he saw angels ascending and descending a ladder between heaven and earth

TREETRUNK MUSINGS IN PICS AND PASTEL

Sorry people, who have already commented to my next pre-fab posts - I will re-post them at a later time!

Painting does take some organization. Some days  I do better than others. Fortunately one cannot see it on the end result - my paintings!

Today I did well. I took enough pics. This close up of my paintings site (next to Sentinel Bridge at Yosemite National Park) -all the details -the bend in the path, the reflections of the leaves on the path, the background, with the blue SKY HOLES as we call them among paintersfor Midweek Blues, hosted by Rebecca   (scroll down to  end of post for all three memes this week!)
and photo of my whole painting site  where you can also see the river for Watery Wednesday, hosted by 2sweetnsaxy( below), and  the Tree reflections in the sand for Weekend Reflections, hosted by James . Thank you all three!

http//newtowndailyphoto.blogspot.com - click here

 This is the the whole view of my painting site that day.
 In front on the right, you see my palette with brushes

But not all days, I have my ducks in a row, like this! The pic below was taken  during a hike in the Big Bear mountains. When I came home I saw that this was a perfect shot for a painting. Alas, I took only one pic. 
On my next hike there, I couldn't find it anywhere. The first time I saw this tree it was half cut off, so may be they took it out completely.  I just had started working with pastel and with a plein air painting (in any medium) I like to at least start with the outdoor scene in front of me.

Then for some years the pic got "lost" in one of my sketchbooks.  When I finally found it, it struck me again how much this  scene depicted Fall so well. I thought I'd give it a try.

The second hurdle appeared  digitizing the photo and printing it on my small printer, next to the computer...

The colors of the print were off and some parts even too dark to make out any details. 
I didn't want to give up yet, so I asked hubby to make a print on our large professional printer for large glicee prints, etc.
Wow, much better -now I could see the details of this photo!

Yet, in my first painting session I wished I was not able to see any details!!! 
Those tangled branches and twigs took much time.
Felt a little like when you learn to read,  you put your finger underneath the word, so you won't lose your place:)
Kitty Wallis paper feels like sandpaper, which means that it is able to hold many layers of pastel.

I feel like I'm getting a grip on it  -phew what a relief. It's shaping up now. Still need to do the upper and left part...
Am saving the brightest colors for last, so I have a minimum chance of smudges on the very dark and very light colors.
Some feel that the first impression of my pastel work is that one of a photo. But when you come closer that impression soon fades. My work is too blurry to fit the description of "photographic."

Tree trunk in Fall, 15 x 11 1/2, Pastel, St Germain 

on Kitty Wallis Paper

 This weathered and cut off tree trunk has been an image  that has been  in my mind for a long time. I got even fonder of this scene as the painting was progressing. So jazzed that after a few years  I reach  the finish line of displaying the tree in pastel.

Very much like with people. The longer you know them, the more the imperfections seem to fade. The folds, warts and "cut off" state all add character!

Another unfinished project done!              What unfinished projects do you have?

A DIFFERENT LION KING

Not long ago I met Davy Liu on one of my Wednesday (very early) business meetings. 
You may not recognize his name, but you will know the films! He worked for Disney Animation on Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Mulan, and the Lion King. Also worked for Warner Brothers animation and of George Lucas on Star Wars. 

He started working on  his own animation films, when he realized that "most of the kids knew more about the Lion King than "the King of Kings." He left Disney for that reason and came out with "The Giant Leaf" (animal's perspective of Noah's Ark), Fire Fish  (the fish' view on the Red Sea), the animal's perspective of The Cross in Jordan's Guest, and the lions's perspective of the book of Daniel in The Royal Feast. These picture books can already be purchased in  major bookstores. (if you like to know more, visit www.Thegiantleaf.com).

 A few weeks later, I planned to paint for a Sunday audience, and had in mind on painting on something  I had already started on in the past. I took two canvases with me.
Since 1997 I have not touched the acrylic medium. But last year a painter gave me samples of the Golden Acrylics. This type of acrylic is very compatible with water colors because of their transparency. When this Spring some bigger paintings were sold I bought a bunch of colors of the Golden series.
Back to that Sunday...I chose the Golden Acrylics on the canvas with the outline of the Lion and the Lamb. Whoa, my eyes popped open wide, because of the brilliance of these colors.
It was like they were giving off light!

The Lion and the Lamb, 24 x 30 Acrylic, St.Germain

Very unlike my usual style with muted oil colors...but I had started and didn't want to go back! Okay, so it looks like a children's painting...but they need paintings too! Also, felt okay about it because I had just met Davy Liu.
Afterward I and hubby went out for lunch with a couple where she is from the UK and he is from South Africa. She told me that I just had painted the opening line of her book about animals. I was stunned.
One of the first lines goes on to say that an animal remarked  that the lion "had such majestic paws."
Isn't it remarkable how  some things come together like this?

BEING SPRAYED ON - Thursday

Today we were running around in circles! 
Around 10:30 we came to the waterfall Bridal Veil Falls (pic above). The closer we came to the spot I had checked out the day before to paint, the harder the wind began to blow. This caused the spray of the waterfall to come in the direction where I would paint.
It's not just a few drops, but  like a light rain. Next year I'll have a rain poncho with me too, like I saw some others wearing ! I prayed that the wind would turn and the weather would warm up. Maybe you're surprised that a scientific person with a doctorate would pray for such things, but I know it works.
The pic above one can only take from the other side of the valley to see this waterfall without getting soaking wet.

  That straight part of stone on the left is the road!

First we went to the road where the cars drive, to take pics we never could take. This was the first time we saw  the water of Bridal Veil Falls come to the road!
Then we went to a place where I had seen a tree with an huge overhanging branch and made a value sketch and the beginning of a watercolor.
Three pm we went back to the third bridge at Bridal Veil Falls, because I knew that the wind had turned! Yay! It was still pretty cool when painting close to the water, but nothing compared to this morning.

I look pretty serious there, painting while sitting on my camping stool, but it's my utmost-concentration-face. At least my canvas and brushes were not as damp from the spray (oil paint does not do so well on a damp canvas, LOL) 

I choose this scene because the sun behind the trees gives on a hint of a stone wall behind there. One can only see this when the sun is shining on it after 3 pm. Earlier in the day, it looks like a totally different scene when the rocks behind the tree are in the shade. So, the painter needs several days to paint at a certain time to finish a painting.

This is the right part of the scene I'm painting.  Why, oh why, did I choose such a complicated scene to paint??

The "little somethin" today is if you see my partner in crime  sitting somewhere in this pic (above) reading? 

© 16 x 20, Oil, At the Third Bridge of Bridal Veil Falls, St.Germain 

I call it my 18th century painting, with all these details. Never painted so long on a smaller painting (smile)! I'm pretty satisfied, and  had it as my header for this blog for a few weeks. For now I'll leave it this way. Haven't decided yet whether I'll blur some of these details later.
What do you think?

A LITTLE BOY'S LUNCH

Some time ago I was at a business/market place conference in Laguna Niguel, located next to Laguna Beach in California where the main street is full of art galleries. 
Had signed up to paint for the introductions of the businesses that were present. 
Expected at least ten other painters to show up, but surprisingly there was only one other painter. 
I painted not necessarily to make a sale, but more to show my work, and get my name out.
Since the recession is not over yet (not REALLY, last time I checked), I wanted to paint something encouraging. An image that would take people's minds off numbers crunching and negative predictions.

painting in process

In the painting it is the end of the day. That is why the faces of the friends of Jesus who were discussing the problem "where to get dinner in the middle of nowhere", were lighted by sunset. Their solution was to send the 5000 people away.
Somehow this ten year old boy must have heard about the problem.

We ran into a couple in the store while doing groceries. They invited us for lunch. She had once seen the painted flowers of my Celebrity Collection. Over lunch she asked what I was doing at the moment. I told her about this painting. She became very intrigued. Afterward, when we were on the way to the car, big rain drops started falling. But hubby was determined to show her  this painting which was in the car trunk. It was not much further developed than the sketch above.  She told him that she wanted to see it when it was done. 

© Little Boy's Lunch, 24 x 30 Oil, St.Germain

Do you know why she was so intrigued? She knew this story. 
This ten year old boy wanted to participate in the solution of the problem. In my imagination he tapped his finger on the back of one of the friends of the speaker, and gave what he had. His lunch was five loaves of bread and two fishes. 
Simple solution, isn't it?  You give what you have!
That is the focal point of this painting. As you may notice, everything else in the painting is sketchy and toned down.   His lunch multiplied, because ALL the people ate from it, and there was food left afterward.

The painting took long to finish. It was one of those paintings that everyone who saw it, had something (good) to say about it. Hubby brought it to the couple, and without thinking, she said that she wanted it, and bought it on the spot.  
I kinda gasped upon hearing that.

BOOK OF THE MEETIN' OF TWO GREAT ONES - 3rd day of Travel Log

 Where has my beach gone?? This is where we were sitting for the views of this post

Suddenly I was rudely woken up by the demanding pecking of a wood pecker. Hubby had been awake for some time, but did not have his two hearing aids in...but he heard the pecking!! What? Was someone knocking? So, he opened the door, but no one was in sight.

This is the mountain to the left of Bridal Veil that is in my painting below

After breakfast we saw that it was too late to go to Happy Isles, because of travel time. I would start painting too late in the day. Whenever we go urban camping, we do make our own meals. Yes, the little town 45 min. away has some restaurants, but the meals  would not be as nutritious, and lacking of the flavor I like, when I have to pay more for food.

Instead we went to the bookstore in the valley. But not before we bought our daily ice cream cone (we made that our unhealthy tradition when the kids were still going with us). I finally bought a book I had my eyes on for three years. Since I'm not getting younger I told myself that I should enjoy things more. I have only one life to live! Which book? It is about the meeting of Virginia O'Keefe's and Anselm Adams' minds. A real treasure for any artist to have this, because so much of both of their work is in this book (and therefore pricey).

O"Keefe is  known for her giant flowers, and paintings of New Mexico, in a more abstract style. It is said that the flowers are reminiscent of genitalia.  I don't think so! Well...let me back up a bit...with perception it's like this: if one perceives the genitalia in the flowers, that is  probably what the viewer's mind is probably on, isn't it? 
Anselm Adams is a much celebrated photographer whose photos of Yosemite are mostly black and white.

There is much more water at the waterfall ( Bridal Veil Falls) this year...and much more spray

After the bookstore, we still had some time to go to another spot. so we went back to where we could see the mountain ridge of the Bridal Veil Falls  as well as the waterfall itself (Pic on top). The first time we gasped when we saw that half of "our" beach was flooded, and the other half was covered with driftwood, and more things washed ashore. I continued on my oil painting I had started on our Explorer Day. I managed to practically "finish" it at home in time for this post.

© Mountain Ridge of Bridal Veil Falls, 12 x 16 Oil, St. Germain

A little on the abstract side, which was fun to do. Still some finishing touches. Although I like to put some more color where the spray of the watercolor is for the sake of art, 

in reality it was actually was that white! As you can see, I did not paint the tree

in between the mountain and the waterfall.

Many of you might prefer a representational approach to painting (which means as you see literally with your eyes), but seen from an artist standpoint, I think the more I lean to an abstract style, the more artistic my work becomes 

( you don't hurt my feelings if you don't share my own opinion on this!  ).

DANCE OF LIFE

By the time I received my doctorate I had painted enough watercolors and acrylics to hold my first solo show. This became the star piece. People were most intrigued by this painting. You can tell it's a very different style than I'm painting now.  
Closer to the abstract. Focused more on the meaning and significance of the subject than the actual result. Boy, I need to get back to that and dig deeper within myself! I did not paint in oil yet.

©  Dance of Life, Watercolor, St.Germain

Just for the sake of repetition: when I came to the USA in the second half of the eighties, watercolors were in Holland my home country considered as a preparation for an oil painting. Watercolor hardly had a right back then as a separate painting medium. Fortunately things have changed by now. For me to do this  was a definite turn in my view of art.

They are dancing in a cave on the rocks. I thought that it looks interesting in black and white, also because it focuses on the movement, more than on the colors.
Tell me, which one you like better, the black and white, or the colored version...(on ART NOTES - click on top gadget of right side bar)
The crystals in the ceiling part of the cave are obtained by sprinkling Epson salt on the watercolor, before it dries up. 
The rocks are painted in the form of a sea creature. It symbolizes change through the generations. Each generation is dancing their own dance. 
When you hop over to ART NOTES you'll see all of it with the real colors.
TWO dances are going on...do you see it?


*NOTE: today I'm leaving for a weekend with 2 of my kids and their families up North...so I'll be back on Tuesday to answer your comments!
Have an enjoyable  Memorial weekend, bloggie friends!

SOUTH AFRICAN BIRD

This was the first critter I ever painted. Blogging has given me more access to interesting and very detailed pictures of nature and animals. Since I didn't trumpet it on my blog, I did not have the pressure to succeed. Actually it went very well. 

I started doing the background with watercolor - on cream colored  pastel paper, which feels like sand paper. Pastel has surprisingly as much durability as oil! The bird itself, even though this one has many details on the feathers, was easier than I would have thought.. Dikkop is seen in South Africa and is about the size of a chicken.

 shadow of the bird

The real challenge was to put it in an environment  that would be a background not competing with the bird, but interesting enough that it would not turn into a boring scene. You would not believe what a shadow can add to the scene. 

 © midway in the process of Dikkop, Pastel, St.Germain

When I don't know what I'm getting into, I like to develop both the background and the main subject at the same time. I cross-hatch one layer of color on top of the other, every time increasing the intensity of the color. That is actually how one is "supposed" to do it. 
But who says?
I like to wander and meander and see the world from my own perspective, but no Jose, not the first time! Then I play by the rules. 

©  Dikkop, Pastel, St.Germain
Spotted dikkop - Burhinus capensis

Since Joan from South African Photographs gave me the go ahead to use her pic last year from "Dikkop" (the common name of this bird) I thought the background showing in her pic was  perfect in complementary colors. 
If you look closely (click to enlarge) you see the cross hatch movement of the pastel I also used on the street and shadow and bricks. After the bird was done I gave it a light sweep with spray, and also after the whole painting was finished. 
Since most birds are much smaller and quick in their movements, I don't think I'll be painting them "plein air" soon! .

FEATHERY FLOWER

Are these feathers arranged in a circle?

Or are these feathers in a flower arrangement? 

No, but that is what it made me think of first. 

The bracts with the "fur" certainly could give one that idea.

This is a Protea, also known as bearded sugarbush. The national flower for the Republic of South Africa. Also, Australia has adopted the variety Telopea as the floral emblem of New South Wales.
In painting this flower I stayed closer to what I saw, since I have never seen this flower in reality.

© 24 x 24 Oil, St. Germain

I was so taken by the feathery appearance, that I did not want to wait till I would go to Hawaii. That is another place where the Protea is sold.
This flower grows in a variety of soils and can stand from 32 degrees Fahrenheit up to near 80 degree weather. This flower certainly  catches whiffs of my dreams!


~~~

WATERCOLOR OF THE.....RUMBA?

 Fire Chasers, 18 x 24 Watercolor, St. Germain

This was what I painted during the art event. A fantasy picture, mingled with reality. If you enlarge the pic you can see that I sketched a figure in between the two. I'm still considering the advantages and disadvantages in adding the poet whose pieces of paper are flying everywhere. 
For me, this  evening (Part II) was like a fire being built. Not a fire of destruction but a fire of freedom of burning away all the stress and irrelevant things in our life that so easily creeps in and sticks on us like glue.
A newbie myself I only knew a handful of people, so I tried to be very discreet with taking pics, as everyone was intensely engaged! 

At some moments I felt it would be intrusive to keep the camera clicking (even though I used a setting without flash). On one of these moments a dancer picked up someone's quilt that was laying on a chair, draped it around her shoulders and started dancing with it. 
This is what the watercolor (still in process) is about. I have no Native American blood in me, as well as the blond Caucasian dancer who's also a film maker, but I would say that this was definitely a war dance!

These percussionists were very intent on following each other in their rhythms

This man's instrument sounds like a chime when he hits it with a stick. 

Then prolongs the sound when he makes this surrounding motion (sorry, I don't know how else to explain it). 

This artist is painting a large abstract of "the Crown of Thorns."

Aft the end of the evening this artist told that "she had not done this in years." From what I could see, she seemed highly skilled in drawing her late uncle whom she had a photo of on her computer. She drew him with a very large fossil that he loved so much.

Next to the watercolor above, I also started an oil (24 x 24) called Passion -which I will post sometime in the future. I was intensely engaged, and I enjoyed this event thoroughly.  
For the poem of Fire Chasers click on top text in right side bar named ART NOTES