la fleur rouge - the red flower . . .

Well slice me some cake and call me Sally!  I did not know until yesterday that the word collage is a french word that means 'to glue'.  Matisse and Picasso were both considered to be collage artists. 

This piece is watercolor on paper.  I am still just adding touches of collage to my work.  Again the bodice of the tutu is paper as are the flowers in her hair and on the side.  That little green part at the top is torn paper with the edges cut.  The fantastic artist Trudy Gomez warned me to be careful - that collage is addictive - and she was right!  When it comes to mixed media . . .

this represents the workspace of many mixed media artists.  You have your paint, pastels, markers, crayons, pencils, paper . . . and you add a touch of everything except the kitchen sink.  This happens to be the workspace of artist Benon Lutaaya.  He is definitely a 'torn paper artist'.  The artwork on the bottom shows that you can create an expressive figure without facial features. 
His expressive portraits remind me of the work of the artist Dawood Marion and the textural quality of his torn paper remind me of  the artist Lisa Graham.

a little more in the mix . . .

Remember when I told you that JanettMarie was kind enough to give me a workshop during her visit?   Well look-a-here . . . some color!  Keeping it mixed media - the bodice of the tutu is collage (the top part looks like one piece but its actually several small squares) and the leaf on the side is also a collage piece.  I won't be able to get some of the things I need such as gel medium, paper and stamps until next week - I am so looking forward to shopping (you just want to experiment with as many fun things as you can).  Until then I am trying to grow as much as I can.  And, I am looking forward to getting some mixed media tips from Lisa when she has the time.

Speaking of color, the work of Dawn McKelvy will knock your socks off (more about her later) and this video of Maria Pace-Wynters is short but packed full of color.  

school dazee #7 - and the signature of Dawood Marion . . .

Yesterday I had so much to do before I could sit down and produce a work of art . . .
I had to give Tiny a bath . . .
clean Tiny's room . . .
take Tiny for a walk . . .
fix Tiny some succulently seasoned roasted chicken with string beans, steamed rice and tomatoes roasted in barbeque sauce (don't knock it until you try it) . . .
Oh and Harvey (husband) too . . .
It was 8:30 pm before I could draw and calm my nerves at the end of the day.

this is NOT Tiny

When it comes to drawing - I'm more like the little girl drawing Princess Anna in the previous video. When it comes to dramatic, bold style, I love the artwork of artist and art instructor Dawood Marion.  As artists of course signature is important.  I actually don't like my signature.  In the drawing above I closed my eyes and signed it.  Dawood Marion - I love his artwork - and I like his style - right down to his artistic signature.

school daze #6 - uh oh myra's thinking again . . .

'ballerina resting' by myra anderson

Okay!  I have to admit that because of  the artist Lisa Graham and other fantastic mixed media artists like herself I am totally going to try my hand at total mixed media . . .

this painting is by first grader Edgar Collett - I totally wish that I had painted that . . .

this beautiful ballerina sketch is by the artist Martin Pate - I totally wish that I had sketched that . . .

this beautiful mixed media caterpillar is by the Great Artist Himself - I totally hope I never see one of these in person . . .

this is mixed media green eggs and ham - I totally do not know if I would eat these . . .

school daze #5 - love circles . . .

love circle O by myra anderson

This is how the drawing looked before I 'ka-noodled' it until I ruined it. Oh well . . . not to worry - I'm still trying to fix it and will post the end result.  In the video below I like how the little girl describes what she is doing - I love her 'artistic' terms during the drawing portion of the video . . .

diamond and elegant bow . . .

'girl and an elegant bow' by myra anderson

 

'Time won't stop the dancer' by Lisa Graham

'red chair in a blue room' by myra anderson

Yes I'm on a 'chair-cation' but am I also on a 'bow-cation'?  In this sketch I wanted to accomplish two things . . . a.  I wanted to draw from the chin down and two I wanted to see if I could make the top part of the dress look a little like satin (too lazy to do the whole dress at this time).  Done and done.  Speaking of chairs I am currently working on 'another blue chair in a green room'.  I have been thinking about a philosophical viewpoint for 'a blue chair in a green room'.  Maybe Lisa can help me.  Look at her fabulous chair and the wonderful artistic viewpoint in this beautiful collage work.  And just so you know - somewhere inside of me there is also a red chair - in a blue room.

jmarie and an elegant chair . . .

This is a practice sketch for one of my chair paintings.  When I saw the photo below by the artist Raphael Soyer it made me want to continue my exploration of painting in black and white (although this painting was done in color).  I love the patterns and textures of the garments as they look here in black and white. 

As shown in this little sketch I would like to paint patterns and textures.  This painting by Soyer would definitely be one of my  'green box'  paintings (I wish I had painted that).

janettmarie and lisa g.

Right now Harvey and I are looking at apartments.  One place was very nice but as I mentioned to the fantastic artist janettmarie 'after so many years I am no longer a fan of the brown sofa, beige wall, beige carpet club'.  There is nothing wrong with this color combination - but when I saw this color scheme at a possible new location I began to envision jm's beautiful, colorful cups of coffee adding wonderful colors and textures to my coffee color world!  Ahhhhh so refreshing . . . I want three cups of coffee right now!!!!  next part 2 - how she encouraged me . . .

also

I did another of my classical music pastel paintings
(will post soon)

also wonderful and refreshing to paint to

lisa g's 'baby' playing the piano!

back to school - one PAGE at a time . . .

Do you think about personal growth as an artist?  Do you think about how you will - as they say - take it up a notch or kick it up to the next level?  I went back to school - so to speak - got out a good old-fashioned note book.  I've never drawn a ballerina with an ink pen and then 'painted' it with pastels. . .okay so let's do that!  I need to work on capturing skin tones - so let's do that!  That was fun . . . now what about those cupcakes?  When are you going to paint one that looks good enough to eat?  Hey!  I'm working on it!!

page railsback

Speaking of yummy and delicious what a beautiful and inspiring work of art by Page.  I think her use of green inspired my use of green.  What beautiful color and textural qualities.  What about those fire red dots! Artistic genius.  Makes me want to paint!

today - 'cupcake love' . . . next - 'an elegant cupcake' . . .

'cupcake love'

8x8 acrylic on canvas panel

myra anderson

Sometimes I wish that I could go back and once again paint with the 'freeness?' 'fearlessness?' that you see in children's artwork.  These lovely ladies are from Janettmarie's art class 'Cookies and Canvas'.  What a fun name.  I wish I could be in this class.  Anyway, I found their wonderful artwork inspiring so finally I did decide to revisit some of my artwork as a child.  Here I added my figurative artwork to this cupcake painting.  I was seventeen when I drew this one.   I wish I could have painted a more elegant cupcake here but I am looking forward to painting this composition and theme again.

For my next cupcake painting I was asked to paint an 'elegant' cupcake.  I think that I have finally achieved that.  Will post soon.

cupcake love

when you can't concentrate . . .

and you can't sleep at night . . .

and with just the name whispered

you are filled with delight . . .

when you find yourself buying

extra toppings and whipped cremes . . .

you call that 'cupcake love'

ps c'mon Bonnie - paint a cupcake!

the second cupcake that I have ever painted . . .

serait ce bon gout avec le cafe de la janettmarie #2?

otherwise know as

would this taste good with the coffee of janettmarie #2?

Until she begs me to stop harassing her, I am having fun with this series of  'janettmarie cupcake' paintings.  As you can see, I am by no means the master of cupcake art.   Once, I went to lunch with my sister and someone asked 'why she still looked elegant'  while I had food on the floor, in my nostrils, on my clothes and in my hair.  'You ate while she dined', my other sister said.  Debbie Miller certainly represents 'fine dining' in cupcake art.

fine dining of debbie miller

fine dining of janettmarie

and now, from the files of 'one cup of coffee too many'

what is brown

if I am not brown? . . .

what is cream

if I am not cream? . . .

what is cup

if I am not in a cup? . . .

what is coffee?

I is coffee!
(the name of this poem is
'full of myself'
by coffee)

janettmarie and 'venez et etre petite ma rose' . . .

'venez et etre petite ma rose' otherwise known as

'come and be petite my rose'

sketch for painting by myra anderson

I was mentioning to my 'good for the heart art buddy' janettmarie that I was going to try something a little different for the next few paintings.  My last ballerina looked a little too stiff - so I drew this one on regular notebook paper and will transfer it to the canvas to see if I can turn this more loose sketch into a more loose painting.  (I usually draw directly on the canvas.)  I just 'scratched around with a pen' until I drew a basic image that I liked.  I have another ballerina painting for comparison . . .so we will see.

I have to say that JM's current series of coffee cups has been the inspiration behind my 'coffee ladies'.  I started a new canvas today -inspired by this beautiful floral cup!  And now . . . a poem . . .

ahhhh . . .
coffee in a floral cup . . .
janettmarie says it's the stuff . . .
it will make you feel awake-y . . .
don't drink too much -
you might feel shaky . . .
then you can go on your way . . .
painting - and doing good to others
throughout the day . . .
thank you janettmarie for your wonderful advice!

coffee, blue chair, 'my' modigliana and JM's coffee chair . . .

sorry about removing that painting - the fact that it looks so much better in person was driving me nuts!  must fix this situation!  but here's the 'poem' . . .

ahhhh coffee . . .

the elixir of life . . .

some drink it because it makes them feel stronger . . .

some drink it to stay awake longer . . .

me?

I drink it because with ten teaspoons of sugar -

it's hot AND sweet!

Also:  this is an actual coffee chair.  When JM finds out where to buy it - she will buy one for me.

super duper two-fer . . .

he's super duper: As you know I have been working hard to teach myself how to draw faces. I'm improving with the side views - face from the front is the next face frontier. When I saw this painting by Kevin Wueste I was inspired to bring my drawings up to the next level by adding shades of grey and white pastel.

what's the two-fer: As you also know I have also been working on a personal style series (more to come). Please click the title of this post for the two-fer. Come on . . . you know you want to . . .

JanettMarie - colorful and expressive #1 . . .

As I have said many times before, the apple paintings (and all of her other paintings) of JanettMarie are very beautiful and expressive. Question to self: As I try to improve my skills in figurative painting how can I add this same excitement of color and brushwork? Huh Myra? How?

http://janettmarie.blogspot.com/

Lisa Daria . . . so cute . . . so modest

Lisa Daria is so modest that I had to do what I do with all of my favorite artists - be nosy - and root all around her web site. Look what I found! It's wonderful, her art looks so beautiful and Lisa looks so cute!

http://www.patriotledger.com/features/x884193631/Hull-artist-creates-a-painting-a-day-for-art-s-sake#slideshow

Qiang Huang

And the award goes to Lisa Daria and JanettMarie

I would like to thank Tammy and Claire for giving me this 'Sunshine Award'. Had they not given it to me - I would have given it to them. I give this award first of all to JanettMarie (see previous post) and to Lisa Daria and her dog 'puppy'. (I don't know his name). What beautiful works they have. They make me go 'ohhhhhhhh!' 'ahhhhhhhhh!' 'oooooooooo!'

Puppy is soooooo cute!

Rough Cut Of My Latest 'Video' - Van Gogh's Women of the Field

Disclaimer: Compared to my other videos I wanted to do something just a little - and I do mean a little controversial. While this video is 100 percent quirky and fun, it contains one small viewpoint (a happy one) at the end that is held - not by the multitude - but by the many. So please enjoy the music and the artwork of Vincent Van Gogh.

If you do not think the music fits with Van Gogh I was having a hard time finding music that sounds like a thunder storm. I'm still looking.

carol marine daily painting video