Greetings after a three month hiatus from the blogosphere (courtesy of Weebly's inconsistent blogging services). It's great to be back. Let's cross our fingers that it's for good this time. I was THIS close to transferring my existing entries on Blogger. I think the Bloggods heard me - it's a miracle!
I hope everyone is in fine spirits. The azaleas are in full bloom and the weather is behaving more like spring. I've been working on a large colored pencil piece that I hope to share with you very soon. It involves a bit of Ancient Egypt - The goddess Sekhmet to be more precise. I've always wanted to create something involving her likeness and now is the time.
Also, I wanted to congratulate CPSA DC-112 members; Holly Bedrosian, Nicole Caulfield, Debbi Friedman, Gary Ruuska & Susan Tait Porcaro on being accepted into the 17th Annual CPSA International Exhibition - 2009. It's going to be a terrific show!
Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club 2009 Members' Exhibition
March 17 - April 5 * Tuesday - Sunday, Noon - 6pm
The Broome Street Gallery (Soho)
498 Broome Street, New York, NY 10013
Awards Reception
Sunday, March 22, 1-3pm
I've decided to exhibit Premonition in this year's show. The Broome Street Gallery is a quaint little space in the midst of Soho. There's always a good turnout and the walls are continually filled with beautiful art.
Here is the Explore This! 5 Online Exhibition link.
It's online from February 1, 2009 - January 31, 2010.
A big congratulations to the award winners..and all who participated. Enjoy!
The prospectus for CPSA's 17th Annual Juried Exhibition in Atlanta, Georgia has been sitting on my desk for several weeks now. I've been eyeing it up and down. A bit gun-shy on whether or not I'll enter this year.
You see, I was accepted into last year's show and was very excited about it. I purchased a pricey Airfloat box, shipped my painting out to Seattle, WA - only for it to be disqualified on site. Then at my expense, of course, I had to arrange for its immediate return. Yeah, that stung a bit.
Turns out CPSA and I have different opinions on what constitutes an ornate frame. They prefer a more uniform and simplistic exhibition appearance. Which means no frames that are over-the-top. The funny part? I thought my framing choice was quite tame (see images 1 & 2 below)..well compared to what I usually have wrapped 'round my work (see images 3 & 4 below).
I could go on forever regarding the importance of framing and how it virtually enhances the character of a work of art. A painting and frame are like PB&J (without the salmonella). Nevertheless, rules are rules.
I guess I'd like to give this whole thing another shot. But I had other questions. Before I even dared getting back on the proverbial horse, I wanted answers. Solid proof - that if I entered a painting or two this year and with some luck did get accepted, that my piece wouldn't take a long trip to GA, hang out for 30 mins only to be examined, rejected on some loophole bylaw that I missed and sent back on its merry way home. Phew! If I were the painting, I'd slap me really hard. I needed to get more acquainted with CPSA's standards. Hence, I sent an e-mail to their National President, Kay Schmidt:
"Dear Ms. Schmidt, I'm looking forward to entering this year's CPSA 17th Annual show in Atlanta. But before I do, I have a few questions to run by you regarding my work and the drawing(s) that I'd like to submit.
#1) Aside from CP's, the finishing touches of my works are occasionally rendered in watercolor pencils. Is this acceptable?
#2) The piece is framed without matting. Is this acceptable?
#3) The piece was done on an Ampersand clay board. It was commercially manufactured by the company and purchased from an art supply store. I did not gesso/prepare the ground. Is this acceptable?
I was disqualified from last year's exhibition due to a frame that was too ornate. So you can understand why I want to be extra careful. I hope you are well and enjoying the new year."
To the point (pun intended), right? I must say that Kay Schmidt couldn't have responded any quicker. She was extremely helpful- even going as far as forwarding my query to Exhibition Director, Paula Parks. Her answer to all three questions was yes. Water-soluble colored pencils are legal for all CPSA shows; matting is not required, and you may use any manufactured 2-D surface. BTW the size limitation is 32 x 40" framed. A tad small for my taste but not bad.
So if you weren't aware of these regulations, then you've learned something new. If you did know, then why didn't you tell me? I'd like to wish all potential participants good luck! Hopefully you're wishing me the same - that is, if I decide to enter ;-)
The Colored Pencil Society of America Explore This! 5 2009 Online Exhibition.
Explore This! is an alternative exhibition designed with the intent of pushing artistic limits and encouraging experimentation. This online event gives artists the opportunity to feature works created with colored pencil coupled with mixed-media.
Just got word that my painting entitled Premonition has been accepted into this year's juried show. It's my first time in. Premonition (click on above image to enlarge) was rendered with a combo of colored pencil, acrylic, tempera and watercolor on pastel board.
The exhibition, artwork and award winners will be posted via CPSA's website on February 1, 2009. I'll post a link when it becomes available.
We all have favorite brands of painting medium that we pretty much stick with for our artistic pursuits. Like a faithful spouse, they're tried and true. We couldn't think of life without them. Then again, there are certain items from said brand which fall short, leaving us no other alternative but to turn astray. Running straight for those backdoor brands. You know the ones..that fill certain needs not met by old faithful.
For the majority of my professional creative life, I've been searching for that special product line that could suit my CP desires - while addressing my serious concerns with archival longevity. Only after exchanging ideas with other CP artists on this very subject have I realized that this holy grail of a colored pencil product line doesn't exist. I've also learned that when it comes to art goods, I am about as disloyal and capricious as they come. I'm willing to try anything new that could possibly improve my painting experience. And I'm not ashamed to say so. Why? Because I have yet to encounter one brand that can do it all. Finding a complete line of materials is like finding a Yeti. Blame it on inconsistencies in formulas... blame it on the rain. Regardless, I know that I am not alone in my thinking.
I've decided that I'm going to move beyond my quest in looking for Mr. GoodBrand and brazenly delve into a variety of many different art materials. Those exceptional tools that get the job done. Hey, you know the ol' saying about eggs and baskets. The bonus is that I'll share what I've learned; all of my preferred individual colors and art supply experiences, with you on this blog.
So...feel free to absorb, inquire and bounce back some of your favorite things as well. Brain-picking is fun.
'Untitled'. Colored pencil on textured clay board, 36 x 24". Click image below to enlarge.
Happy New Year! Here's to 2009. May this be a happy and healthy year for all.
I realized that I never posted photos of the painting process from the subject of my last blog. You know, the one about the textured clay board from Hades? If you aren't up to speed, then by all means, click here.
Sorry for the unprofessional photos but I usually chronicle each drawing phase with the camera on my cell phone. It's easier -less disruptive than dealing with a bulky digital cam. In image #6 below, you can get a visual of what I was up against - CP dust piling all over the bottom of my drawing table and floor due to the porousness of the board.
I was extremely elated to finish this one up and am quite satisfied with the results. One of my resolutions for '09 is to NEVER EVER use textured clay board...again.
I'm currently working on a composition for a future project which will most likely get underway on Monday.
I'm currently working on a piece that has been giving me grief - big time. I would liken this painting experience to a parent dealing with their temperamental tween child. Yes - that much grief.
I wanted to experiment on a sanded support (gessoed hardboard) that had more texture than pastel board - my surface of choice, so I purchased three Ampersand Textured Claybord panels in two different sizes. Can you guess which size I worked on first? Largest wins the prize. I know...I know...a wise choice.
For starters, five different types of colored pencil went into this drawing, with each brand laying down either too waxy or too powdery. The textured claybord EATS up pencils due to excessive grittiness. It's difficult to get into all those nooks and crannies with even the sharpest of pencils. Don't get me wrong - I'm sure this surface would be a terrific base for pastels or impasto painting. But colored pencils? Fail.
I resorted to numerous washes of Zest-it which I don't use very often. The solvent helped to balance and fill out the roughness to a certain degree. FYI: Derwent Coloursoft pencils responded best. Still, something was missing (a chiminea and lighter fluid, perhaps?) - the ability to blend in my usual manner. And Prismacolor Colorless Blenders were unable to properly perform on such coarse texture combined with numerous CP layers and heavy solvent applications. The color broke up immediately.
So there I was staring blankly in front of my drawing board, visions of bonfires dancing in my head when divine intervention/dumb luck led me to a drawer full of unused Lyra Rembrandt Splender Colorless Blenders. I bought them years ago. In just a few pencil strokes I could see and feel a major difference in the overall drawing process. Like buttah, the blender seamlessly- almost magically worked over all of the previous instabilities of mismatched mediums. Knock on wood - I'm near completion and things are going along quite smoothly (photos to follow soon). This tween of a painting is finally behaving! Can't wait to varnish and be done with it already. I love Lyra Splender and intend on using it a lot more in the future.
Almost makes we want to try my hand at the two smaller textured panels - almost. I foresee an exchange in the near future.
P.S. I Googled Lyra Rembrandt Splender Colorless Blender. Here are four quick facts on this product:
1) They're made in Germany - Ich liebe Deutschland!
2) Dick Blick sells them in open stock, which I find highly appealing.
3) They're similar to oil based pencils but are drier and not chalky (so true).
4) Artist and CPSA member Liesl Huddleston has a write-up filled with more info on Splender. Check it out here.
This small article was taken from fellow artist, Robert Genn's website - The Painter's Keys. I wrote it in response to his July 28th 2006 newsletter entitled Timed Creativity. My opinion on the subject of cameras still holds true. So here it is:
"The digital wave has helped amplify creativity. I rarely leave home without my Panasonic Lumix. For myself, the most appealing element on the camera is the burst feature. Taking numerous shots of any given inspiration opens up a plethora of inventive options. I love returning home from a day trip, uploading the memory card into the computer and finding "happy accidents" on the monitor. It's a treat to discover perfect compositions made fully by nature. A streak of light that falls perfectly between groups of trees, or clouds that are intensely lined by the radiant sun. Snapping pictures of mountains from the car can cast uncanny illusions, as if they are in motion. Even rain can make an exquisite symphony of shapes on screen. Cameras are undeniably an expansion on the artist's vision and should be used for the sake of image reference...without guilt."
Scrib·ble(skrbl) v. scrib·bled, scrib·bling, scrib·bles
1. To write hurriedly without heed to legibility or style.
2. To write or draw in a hurried careless way.
Can you make out the primitive scrawling in the above images? My eldest niece lovingly refers to my writing style as hieroglyphics. Sometimes even yours truly can barely make sense of things. Proof positive of why I'll never be a calligrapher.
But artistic inspiration usually comes from out of the blue - by way of dreams, imagery, nature etc. - you name it and I can conjure up a creative thought. So I have to act quickly, journaling as many ideas on to paper in the form of symbols (not unlike automatic writing) before they fade into oblivion. Every single concept is recorded, tossed into a huge folder and saved for future reference. Eventually these scribbled drawings become valuable tools in the early stages of composing.
Allow me to share two pieces of great advice from the book How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day, by Michael J. Gelb. "Give even the most absurd ideas their due" and "write everything down on paper. The weakest ink lasts longer than the strongest memory."
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