Re-posting "Experimentation"

Thought this one was worth posting again.

"Katie"

11X14

oil

I have, in fact, been painting this week. Sometimes I have a painting job to do – a commission, or a request for more lighthouses, landscapes or…whatever, from a gallery. But sometimes when I’ve finished a piece, I have leftover paints on my palette. And since I don’t want to waste perfectly good paint…I will experiment. It’s one of my favorite things to do, in my artistic life. Sometimes.

The only drawback is that, as in any form of experimentation, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes I like the experiment enough to incorporate it into my painting style. When the experiment takes a wrong turn, then I question my own worth as a human being.

Maybe that’s a slight exaggeration. But experimenting brings both agony and ecstasy. Are any of you old enough to remember that intro to the “Wonderful World of Sports” (or some such overblown title)? Remember when the announcer got to “the agony of defeat”, and that poor skier went flying uncontrollably off the ski jump and into the crowd? That poor guy. I wonder if his name was Hans.

Anyway…occasionally I have an experiment that goes wrong, and for the rest of the day (or week) I feel like poor Hans. Why did I ever think I could be a painter? I could be an accountant sitting at my desk like a regular person…with a regular paycheck. But who am I kidding? I hate numbers and math way too much to be an accountant. 

Hans had to ski…I have to paint. Fortunately, last weeks’ adventures in experimentation went okay. I don’t know that I’ve made any kind of mind-boggling breakthroughs, but every experiment has value. Even the ones that go awry. At least you can incorporate it into your artistic toolbox under the title “never, ever do this again”.

And even more fortunately for me, unlike the pitiable Hans, a mishap in the art studio seldom results in broken bones. And I seldom have to do math.

I wonder whatever happened to Hans. Now that’s all I’ll be able to think about for the rest of the afternoon. Sometimes it’s hard to be me.

 enjoy!

Challenges

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"Sophisticated Lady"

14X11

oil

 

As the title of this post implies...I've had a few challenges of late. I won't go into great detail for those of you who have already heard (to the point of retching) about my woes.

 

Around the end of May, I fell and broke my right shoulder. Yes...I'm right-handed. I won't say much about the particulars of this calamity, since it involves stupidity on my part. In the midst of this, it was discovered that I had a mass in my lung. Scary.

 

I'll skip over the long, drawn-out saga that followed and just cut to the chase and let you know that I'm fine. It is a nodule caused by a fungus. A very old fungus it would seem, since there's calcium in it. Everything on me is old.

 

Even the condensed version is tedious. But at least it's informative. Boring. But informative.

 

So...challenges. The up side to trials is that it's nice when they're over. I'm back to normal - for the most part. Normal for me, that is. I'm sure you all have your opinions as to the degree to which I am normal.

I have a portrait demo coming up on Sunday. Always a challenge...attempting to do a decent portrait in an hour and a half or two. While an audience watches. Which reminds me. Maybe I should prepare for that.

Somewhere in the Middle

 

"Yellow Bird"

 

 



I know...such a clever title. But in my defense, it's hard to come up with clever titles for birds you've never actually met. I cannot claim intimate knowledge of this little guy...but I think he's cute.

This is one of several recent small paintings I did as gifts. My fellow artists will understand when I say that I learned a long time ago to be cautious in giving my art away. Choose your recipients very carefully. This brings me to my topic. My fellow artists will totally relate. My non-artist readers...well, I hope it gives you insight. Or whatever.

The first time I did the "Celebration of Fine Art" in Scottsdale, I was somewhat naïve about selling my own art. Actually...I was completely naïve. I had no idea how to price my work. There are about 100 artists who participate each year at the "Celebration", so the first thing I did was walk around the tent and check out other artists' prices.

Holy crap...I have seriously under-valued my work in the past. That was my first thought. Followed by Holy crap...these artists think very highly of themselves. But I figured out quickly that these other artists were experienced enough to understand the psychology of buyers. If one artist's work is substantially lower than another's, the buyer wonders why. Sometimes - especially in the realm of art, in which most people don't have a great knowledge of art and not nearly enough confidence in their own taste - buyers just assume that a lower price is an indication of inferior work.

I know. It's crazy. And you may be an exception to that. But it's generally true. So I did the logical thing. I priced myself somewhere in the middle. That would describe a surprisingly substantial apportionment of my life. Somewhere in the middle. Size?...somewhere in the middle. Intelligence? somewhere in the middle, I suspect. The middle is okay. And at the end of the day...it doesn't really define one's true value, does it?

Uh, oh...I think I just veered slightly off-topic. Typical. Ability to stay on task?...somewhere in the middle. But then, there has to be a connection between the way we value ourselves and the way we value our work. Maybe I'm not so off-topic after all.

So much for philosophy 101. Never look to an artist for philosophical reasoning...

 

 

 



"Mom's Kitchen"
 

 

No...you're not imagining things. I have a new post. I am going to bring you all up to date on the goings-on in my life. And in doing so, hopefully you will understand why I haven't been posting.

 

My mom passed away in December. No...it was not a shock. She was almost 96. She had a very good run. Though the last two years were somewhat nightmare-ish. Anyone who has dealt with a parent/loved one with dementia/Alzheimer's will understand that statement.

It wasn't the death I was unprepared for. It was the aftermath. Deeds. Wills. Division of land. The paying of taxes on said land for the past year. But really...even that is not so monumental. The real challenge has been going through the household belongings and memorabilia of a 95-year-old who lived in the same place for over 70 years, along with memorabilia given to her from almost everyone she ever met. It would appear that she never threw away a card of any kind. Or a photo. Letter. Stamp...one of the items I've come across is my long-deceased uncle's wallet and driver's license. I guess she thought that she might have need of it at some point.

I've also found some meaningful things, though I remind myself that I would be no worse off for not knowing of these meaningful mementos. For example, I found a $500 Confederate bill in mint condition, along with a $50 Confederate bill which was in awful condition. I had them appraised and found that the $500 bill was just a copy, and the other was in such bad shape that it was also worthless. So...if I just threw everything onto a big pile and burned it, I would probably be able to save myself a lot of anguish.

I've had some other things on my plate, but I don't think you really want to hear about it. The aforementioned organization of all my mom's worldly goods (which hopefully will lead to an eventual estate sale) is far from over. Anyone got a match? Lighter?

So...you're reasonably up to speed. I will try to get back to my usual routine of posting. Yes...I have been painting here and there. The painting above is an oldie. It is indeed my mom's kitchen window.
And a representation of yet another life well-lived.