tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40878714737578126232024-03-06T04:19:14.162-05:00CindyMichaudArtrecent paintings and comments on art, art process, art appreciation and art activitiesCmichaudarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01095705340286414183noreply@blogger.comBlogger505125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087871473757812623.post-79345883666639093792019-01-25T00:30:00.000-05:002019-01-25T00:30:04.712-05:00<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-align: start;">In ancient Roman religion and myth, </span></i></div>
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<i><b style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: start;">Janus</b><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-align: start;"> is the god of beginnings, </span></i></div>
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<span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-align: start;"><i>gates... passages, and endings. He is usually depicted </i></span></div>
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<span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-align: start;"><i>as having two faces, </i></span></div>
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<span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-align: start;"><i>since he (she) looks to the future and to the past.</i></span></div>
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<span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-align: start;"><i>(this tidbit from Wikipedia)</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">I've been looking at the past a lot this month, reflecting on what I'm most proud of doing and on what I wish I had done better. Not just in 2018 but for a hunk of time, chunks of years...we do that as we get older and realize the days ahead are numbered! And just like the Roman god Janus, a part of me is also looking forward....eagerly S T R E T C H I N G into the future full of new ideas and challenges. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">But as they say "somethin's gotta give..."</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">And thus I write my last regular Friday blog. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">After more than 9 years of rarely missing a Friday, after composing and editing over 505 submissions, after searching for new and different</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> ways to make art interesting to non-artists and artists alike...well, it's time to take a break.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I think I will miss this writing effort a whole lot more than any of my readers. Deadlines held me accountable. <span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">Sharing</span> has a way of keeping one honest: in work, production, stories and mission. Reader feedback gave me raw appraisals not only of my art work but on ideas I tried to articulate. Knowing you were "out there" kept me on task!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I have </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">waivered....just as I made a "firm" decision to quit, I got a note of appreciation from a Florida reader who thanked me for giving her, a non-painter, a new understanding of art and a new way of looking at it. Then a note came from someone sharing that her painting of mine looks grand in her new home.....what was I doing cutting off all this warm and fuzzy contact?? Am I crazy?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">Maybe. But just as I had no idea what to expect when I wrote about 50 words on that first blog entry almost 10 years ago, I have no idea what this opening of possibilities will bring down the road. I just feel that I should do it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">I won't say good-bye. Unless you delete your subscription it will remain active and when, if, I do have something exciting to share I will blog about it and you will be the first to know. We just won't be having coffee together every Friday. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">If I can remember to update my webpage you can also see any new stuff there...or you can write me and I'll send you a personal update. Meanwhile....meanwhile....who knows where this will lead? I have some thoughts on the drawing board, some ideas on the project table but mostly I'm looking forward to some serious mulling. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">Now that the month named for Janus draws to a close I hope your own looking back and looking forward has provided new insights as well. Change is good. Let's jump into 2019 together making a huge splash (or a gentle ripple) and see where we come up. Stay in touch.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><b>COLOR FULLY YOURS,</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><i>Cindy</i></span></span></div>
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Cmichaudarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01095705340286414183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087871473757812623.post-56353320842519414262019-01-18T00:30:00.000-05:002019-01-18T00:30:01.282-05:00Pushing Parameters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Last week I talked about trying to push the</i></div>
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<i>personal envelope of conformity, i.e. trying to see</i></div>
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<i>the subject at hand in a new way a la Larry Moore and</i></div>
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<i>his book, <b>Fishing for Elephants</b>.</i></div>
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Last week I shared two starts to a painting of a bridge. In reality those two beginnings looked pretty much as if they would lead right down the same path when completed. So I summoned up my grit and made myself crop, slice, dice and otherwise reshape the composition at hand to produce some new compositional formats.</div>
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Here is a page in my sketch book where I drew out a very simple black and white (notan) thumbnail of the 3 different compositions:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVFidxFWpJtzJLWVsqZysi4wT6dgXkMmB13GYoRu5-KOfCmPOhhXXNhu1Q4h9OQ8smp2FynezjvqmdTVxFQk0E22kcRCc2UC8ZLfpDzz-jeSeMSOIMvQye1aachNFGtTvgKYf-HF2KEW68/s1600/IMG_1667.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVFidxFWpJtzJLWVsqZysi4wT6dgXkMmB13GYoRu5-KOfCmPOhhXXNhu1Q4h9OQ8smp2FynezjvqmdTVxFQk0E22kcRCc2UC8ZLfpDzz-jeSeMSOIMvQye1aachNFGtTvgKYf-HF2KEW68/s400/IMG_1667.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I numbered them 1-3 and you will note that each is a different support size.<br />
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Then I got busy transferring some of these designs to canvas with neutral colors in oil trying only to get 3 tones laid down.<br />
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#1</div>
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The darks always seem to photograph a lot blacker than they really are but you get the idea here of where the shadows are going. It is easy to sit and look at it at this stage and see that it is slightly unbalanced even though I want the right side to be dark. Fortunately, at this point it will be an easy fix.</div>
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#2</div>
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This is a very verticle canvas which meant the expanse of bridge would be cropped out but I think with the skinny tree in the foreground that will be ok. There is not as many deep tones in this rendition and while they move nicely I do want to connect those darks in the water to the bridge shadows.</div>
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#3</div>
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The final composition focuses on the far side of the darkened bridge but will offer some growth in the foreground. I want to move the eye from the front left to the center right and then back to a spot of light beyond the bridge. This will be a trick but I think it is very doable. I just have to remember to paint the forest and not get lost in a few prominent trees!</div>
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Each of these is taken from the same photograph but offers a slightly different perspective on the scene. I want to stay loose on my interpretation - after all, doing 5 of the same bridge should result in at least one rendering that is client-acceptable and 4 that are arty in their own way.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cheers for Experimenting,</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;"><i>Cindy</i></span></div>
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Cmichaudarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01095705340286414183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087871473757812623.post-5398166053081463342019-01-11T00:30:00.000-05:002019-01-11T00:30:01.718-05:00Two - new - Beginnings<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Background:</i></div>
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<i>I am reading, working my way through</i></div>
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<i><a href="https://www.larrymoorestudios.com/fishing-for-elephants">"Fishing for Elephants" by Larry Moore.</a></i></div>
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<i>Better, I am doing this with two fellow creatives!</i></div>
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<i>And as I force my 'stretch' gene I realize</i></div>
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<i>that I must actually experiment with some of his advice</i></div>
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<i> for it to move me forward.</i></div>
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Moore wants us, as artists in any field, to push further, go farther and be more creative than we currently are. When you get in an artist rut everything begins to look the same and every approach is similar (I guess some folks by default call this "a style.") But as he breaks down the work needed on an idea before it even goes to a canvas (or a wheel, or a music sheet...) I realize that complaining about a failed pass at something is a bit naive. Thus,</div>
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A self-assignment: complete a painting of my brother-in-law's favorite bridge. </div>
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Moore encourages defining the parameters of the problem ("Feeding the parameters", p. 94) before one even begins sketching.</div>
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Since this is a gift (not a commission piece) the "parameters" are of my own choosing: </div>
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<i> it will be in oil, 16ish high by 20-22ish wide, may be executed in any technique I choose but based on a reference photo I have, the bridge must be recognizable but strict adherance to reality is not required </i></div>
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So far I have two "starts" and to me they are rather similar:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUfzBu9Z5AE4Df8AX0bZ-9_SBbzTmoBhSKg8SKFgJmCeETSxBbGuarRiBGs0UOzFUHwM-etmnGz_ZksGLfnRpJHbQO08LVShcAUdKhhzPEaccQbSv_jfV7dDFNAGerEJb0ZsDf-GaqHYn/s1600/IMG_1603.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1286" data-original-width="1600" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUfzBu9Z5AE4Df8AX0bZ-9_SBbzTmoBhSKg8SKFgJmCeETSxBbGuarRiBGs0UOzFUHwM-etmnGz_ZksGLfnRpJHbQO08LVShcAUdKhhzPEaccQbSv_jfV7dDFNAGerEJb0ZsDf-GaqHYn/s320/IMG_1603.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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basic underpainting on white gessoed board</div>
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more monochromatic layout on indian yellow</div>
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toned canvas</div>
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Knowing me I will complete both pieces and they will look similar - as in you could tell I executed both of them. I need to divert, push the envelop, get outside the lines.....</div>
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Maybe I need to crop and fold the reference photo?</div>
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Change the parameter of the support size?</div>
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Totally go off kilter with the "local" color selection?</div>
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I think this is where Moore is pushing me...to fish for some elephants with new bait. I may not catch any but the act may have a residual affect when I return to finish these.</div>
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So, back to the pencil and paper to make notes as to specific ways I can change this up....for my creative stretching benefit. Of course I'll present my brother-in-law with a couple completed pieces to choose from, and hopefully I'll have several others that don't make it past the pencil stage.</div>
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So if I am MIA a bit you know where to find me.</div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><b>Happy Fishing,</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;"><i>Cindy</i></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><i>P.S. - I loved hearing your reactions to the "word for the year" blog. So many shared their chosen word and I promise it ran the gamut from "dwell" to "celebrate" with 'contemplate', 'bold', and 'action' in between. Remember that the word only has to resonate with you personally; sometimes I find myself drawing near to a word that years ago I would not even have considered. Happy wording.</i></span></div>
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Cmichaudarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01095705340286414183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087871473757812623.post-38931626198953180772019-01-04T00:30:00.000-05:002019-01-04T00:30:06.252-05:00New Year New Word<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(42, 47, 57); font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;"><i><span style="color: blue;">I chose the word and let the energy of that word </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(42, 47, 57); font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;"><i><span style="color: blue;">guide and shape me. I engaged with it.</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(42, 47, 57); font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;"><i><span style="color: blue;"> I took actions based on it.</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(42, 47, 57); color: #2a2f39; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;"><a href="https://yourwordoftheyear.com/">Christine Kane</a></span></div>
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CEO of Uplevel You</div>
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Readers may recall that years ago I ditched writing new years resolutions in favor of choosing one word of the year. This is not original to me, I learned it from a friend who learned it from a friend. But I have found it so much more effective than a long list of lofty goals that seem to fizzle as they are written.</div>
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The quote above is from a woman who has taken the "word of the year" science to a new level even offering a (free) download as a guide for choosing your word. <a href="https://yourwordoftheyear.com/">Check it out...here's a link. </a>And I found it in even another blog on the subject. But none of this lessens the value of choosing only one word to sum up your intentions for the next 365 days.</div>
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I've never had difficulty choosing my word....they seem to start auditioning themselves as the days get shorter and the year comes to a close. Most often they fly in and out of my head with a few of them "sticking" around for consideration. By mid December the words have self-sorted and one stands out as the winner. </div>
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Before I reveal my 2019 word let me add that some years the words are more "successful" than others, that is, they seem to resonate sincerely with my life; other years, not so much. It is not a magic wand or a guarantee of any outcome. Sometimes I am disappointed at my efforts or even my choice. But I can say that it is a much more satisfying process for a fresh approach than any other I have tried. So with that disclaimer, here we go:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqCE4rS_CiRo9kYO6HPKGC6HaZEN8gtIGz-RvsbEZ15EL5jUPtJJv_9J7yHAeVMpsStipSy44krqhfe0UWMF0hBt7rH4KRkT3FMJ8-oZy7tegza6Ads-d4dElheDNq8l2skf_kFsfdH1dj/s1600/IMG_1648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="1600" height="117" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqCE4rS_CiRo9kYO6HPKGC6HaZEN8gtIGz-RvsbEZ15EL5jUPtJJv_9J7yHAeVMpsStipSy44krqhfe0UWMF0hBt7rH4KRkT3FMJ8-oZy7tegza6Ads-d4dElheDNq8l2skf_kFsfdH1dj/s320/IMG_1648.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Yep. That's it:<b><span style="color: red;"> stretch. </span></b></div>
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And while right this minute I interpret it literally (as in these bones could use some regular stretching) and somewhat figuratively (as in I need to challenge the boundaries of my comfort zones), the real beauty is that I am not at all certain where this word will take me.</div>
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I need to look at some of the tired ways I've gotten comfortable painting and: STRETCH.</div>
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I will be confronted with a challenging decision and need to: STRETCH.</div>
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I may be afraid to try a trip to the unknown that taxes me physically and need to: STRETCH.</div>
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I shall deal with persons whose opinions I do not share and I will need to: STRETCH.</div>
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Who knows?</div>
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Since I like to have the word visible first thing when I awaken I stretched to make it unusual:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsGjyVOk3_J29GoXu7pciHmPwvMvvECwN5dKSJ9k4qANYSSHdEQAyUWQCCuntAfebKo-wdQSE7AfLEpnkMkuuKVVzWE_aISnSdM8r7ycdWGhlDSoEVIaCKGvITiTOpx7yyRYjFcaIaz0rA/s1600/IMG_1607.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsGjyVOk3_J29GoXu7pciHmPwvMvvECwN5dKSJ9k4qANYSSHdEQAyUWQCCuntAfebKo-wdQSE7AfLEpnkMkuuKVVzWE_aISnSdM8r7ycdWGhlDSoEVIaCKGvITiTOpx7yyRYjFcaIaz0rA/s320/IMG_1607.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>just an old board, time to paint it</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8G0_uPaY6tzMuV2C63YyfX_zLALZujNNMGMzC0pXmB2FOQQJHoblNvffbIHPWwJlxfvrbahyphenhyphencgRGk5wmyu-RtN39raRVOjXKEsD956RhcrrQc3fYO9_-fX4FcERfNAbnNOJigZXQFb-Fc/s1600/IMG_1606.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1113" data-original-width="1600" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8G0_uPaY6tzMuV2C63YyfX_zLALZujNNMGMzC0pXmB2FOQQJHoblNvffbIHPWwJlxfvrbahyphenhyphencgRGk5wmyu-RtN39raRVOjXKEsD956RhcrrQc3fYO9_-fX4FcERfNAbnNOJigZXQFb-Fc/s320/IMG_1606.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>I made myself use up things I had laying around -</i></div>
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<i>stretching to make the sign</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ-_eHqE4Ze_aoesLmXUjs62ITgskp6uGxCye1Zj3Fd-zm7zGzB5NuX8Q8_gHkPPCUVHf_GO9LxfA-Ekloxi7ffPBLgbJP6q9KFtWVvO4Tkxp3_eWEwE26DcCToJUhjy2amyQu4ZpWUDGS/s1600/IMG_1650.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1249" data-original-width="1600" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ-_eHqE4Ze_aoesLmXUjs62ITgskp6uGxCye1Zj3Fd-zm7zGzB5NuX8Q8_gHkPPCUVHf_GO9LxfA-Ekloxi7ffPBLgbJP6q9KFtWVvO4Tkxp3_eWEwE26DcCToJUhjy2amyQu4ZpWUDGS/s320/IMG_1650.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>hung over my door frame so it is the first</i></div>
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<i>thought I see when my eyes open...</i></div>
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My husband's ritual is to tattoo his word on the inside of his arm so it is at the ready but I really like my method. Put yours wherever you will see it several times a day. Share it with others or not. I love finding out what friends have chosen and why...and don't assume you understand the "why" of someone else's words. We've had a great time discussing the meaningS and applicationS of a variety of words...it just has to resonate with the choser.</div>
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So HAPPY NEW YEAR! </div>
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Let me know if you do this and share your word if you choose. Best wishes in your own stretch for 2019.</div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><b>FONDLY IN COLOR,</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><i>Cindy</i></span></div>
Cmichaudarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01095705340286414183noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087871473757812623.post-2904607941051869872018-12-28T00:30:00.000-05:002018-12-28T00:30:06.837-05:00Stepping Out...Mangroves<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>I'm convinced that just about any kind of healing takes energy.</i></div>
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<i>Recovery, physical or psychological, will use up</i></div>
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<i>every ounce of energy you can give it and recognizing that there</i></div>
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<i>I haven't felt too creative lately...not in the "bam!</i></div>
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<i>thats a great new idea" way. So I'm easing back into the studio</i></div>
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<i>being kind to myself, making it easy...</i></div>
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I've painted from this photo of mangrove roots previously. I'm always amused at how each root looks like a leg that's stepping out of the pack to find new space. I had sketched this out on a black canvas in chalk pre-surgery. It was the perfect place to begin my ease back into painting.</div>
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Acrylic was good for short painting sessions and it also would encourage me to play with the underpainting colors. So I sat for a spell and roughed it out.</div>
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Later I went back and gave it some more attention, again using acrylic paints.</div>
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It's got a long way to go but I like what is down so far so my next pass will be in oil. I have made some notes here about edges, barnacles, colors and so on....but nothing that can't be corrected or fixed with oil paint. The challenge will be to leave plenty of the "fun" color showing and not to get too tied up in fine details. I'll share as it progresses.</div>
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And speaking of challenges, two great articles came to my attention this week. Both were about not taking ourselves too seriously in all pursuits. It is so hard these days to divorce the work ethic from our play time and not turn everything we do into a contest for perfection. </div>
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The first is from (now deceased) painter Robert Genn who always had wise advice to share. <a href="http://painterskeys.com/enfant-terrible/">Read how he admires his friend's efforts to paint here.</a> And the second, <i><b>In Praise of Mediocrity</b></i>, is from the NY Times and is a perfect new years read for a new attitude in 2019. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/29/opinion/sunday/in-praise-of-mediocrity.html?fallback=0&recId=1EOWvoVI6fSwnlEdQbI5aNOHVGN&locked=0&geoContinent=NA&geoRegion=NJ&recAlloc=story-geo&geoCountry=US&blockId=signature-journalism-vi&imp_id=718120094&action=click&module=editorsPicks&pgtype=Article&region=Footer">Check it out here.</a></div>
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Thanks to friends who shared them with me, I think they are well worth your time and attention.</div>
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I recently learned about an Appalachian Mountian custom I wish we could still practice. During the week between Dec. 25 and Jan. 1 folks would move the furniture off to the side and dance every night...a different homestead each evening. They brought their instruments, their pot luck and their energy to stave off the cold and dark and to celebrate together. It was called "breaking up Christmas" and there are several fiddle tunes appropriate to such. Who wants to start?</div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>Wishing you a Color Filled New Year,</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;"><i>Cindy</i></span></div>
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Cmichaudarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01095705340286414183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087871473757812623.post-82301999102476615042018-12-21T03:00:00.000-05:002018-12-21T16:45:27.991-05:00Life in the Slow Lane <div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Today marks the winter solstice, the shortest day of our year.</i></div>
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<i>Tomorrow there is a full moon, a symbol that</i></div>
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<i>never ceases to make me pause and ponder</i></div>
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<i>the wonders around us.</i></div>
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<i>It is time to slow way down, take our cues from nature...</i></div>
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No doubt you have guessed this blog is a long way from being about an art technique. Except that it can be, you decide.</div>
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All my life I have moved at breakneck speed: so much to do and learn and so little time in one life. I could multitask, work with both hands and get in and out of a meeting in record time. This speed translated to other parts of my life like rapid fire speech, a desire not to "waste" time and a heightened impatience with those that didn't run the same track. Shame on me.</div>
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Lately I have been moving in the slow lane. Forced there by elective surgery, I am anticipating more of the same. It takes forever to get out of the car and cross the lot to the mall entrance. I can't get to the doorbell (or the phone) rapidly and I have lots of time to sit idle in strange places since my schedule is not always in my hands. And I find that pain causes one to be very cranky. So?</div>
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So the view is completely different here. Totally different.</div>
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Slow movers have time to catch the eye of strangers who smile and nod in kindness. I've had pleasant exchanges with folks in line who were apologizing for holding me up (holding ME up?) and I've come to admire those other slow moving folks who are at least making the effort to get out and about. God love them.</div>
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I've had time to sit and watch the snow...really watch it and to wonder how the trees feel and where the birds are and to see those heros who come out in the worst of times ready to plow the roads. When I can push the cranky aside I try to appreciate the forced slow down and embrace the lessons I should/could be gleaning from this experience.</div>
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So art? Yes, it has made me think a lot about slowing down the art...taking more time to decide what to paint, why to paint it and then not to be in such a hurry to execute. I'm not a production center, my next meal thankfully does not depend on my next sale. Moving slowly has revealed new nuggets of pleasure, maybe painting slowly will deliver its own surprises. We will see.</div>
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Enjoy your solstice. The light will be longer tomorrow, just a little more each day until we can hardly remember this cocoon-like darkness.<br />
Embrace your holiday traditions, share the joy....but as an experiment, even if just for a day (or a week) move on over to the slow lane. Intentionally walk slowly. Turn off the blinkers and move at a different pace. You may be as surprised as I am.</div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>Merry Christmas,</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;"><i>Cindy</i></span></div>
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Cmichaudarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01095705340286414183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087871473757812623.post-71834036437738693432018-12-14T00:30:00.000-05:002018-12-14T00:30:00.379-05:00December Challenge<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;"><i>December’s challenge: </i></span></div>
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<span class="" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "helvetica neue"; text-align: start;"><i>Step outside your comfort zone and </i></span></div>
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<span class="" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "helvetica neue"; text-align: start;"><i>use various media together or </i></span></div>
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<span class="" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "helvetica neue"; text-align: start;"><i>use a medium you don’t normally use.</i></span></div>
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<span class="" style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 14px;"><i>I can’t wait to see what you do!</i></span></div>
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<span class="" style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 14px;"><i>Pieces of 8</i></span></div>
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<span class="" style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 14px;">I used to meet weekly with a painting gang that had all kinds of ways to stimulate and inspire us. Lately they have had monthly challenges and everyone posts their results on <a href="https://piecesof8art.blogspot.com/">the blog.</a> As an "emeritus" member of the Pieces of 8, I occassionally join in.</span></div>
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<span class="" style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 14px;">My challenge (in addition to the assignment above) was that I was mostly housebound recovering from my knee surgery. Nevertheless I found a way to use what was laying around.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEWbye3JznX0TtqoGEbuZuWd2yVKO7o4SRI-WTFZczcbtyQQdf8Jx3PmGr0x2Vxhna-161kjtarzKLiHq91BHHVvBWcvCCQVBuwJSAovUtNsITQzaczf59dX7DFUaNeSw1b84mO4BYs-Nf/s1600/IMG_1588.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEWbye3JznX0TtqoGEbuZuWd2yVKO7o4SRI-WTFZczcbtyQQdf8Jx3PmGr0x2Vxhna-161kjtarzKLiHq91BHHVvBWcvCCQVBuwJSAovUtNsITQzaczf59dX7DFUaNeSw1b84mO4BYs-Nf/s320/IMG_1588.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span class="" style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 14px;">The two photos above show the results of my "Forest Floor" cards, steam printed on watercolor paper using leaves gathered in the High Country. They are beautiful but invariably there are some pages that are real "duds" and just don't print well enough to sell.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDFhuxMgxbRZXEo4Lo-dyy6F3lAOcIuJM0GJLwA46-mcCMKwMNHfMF5eoXZ71L35DmxFl2aMfftiIpuRQuoIFgYYFzQGTdMaPiyG2ALXrz6ZITatOLmtxXfE0lXenoKEdeIW123-tzSogN/s1600/IMG_1595.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1175" data-original-width="1600" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDFhuxMgxbRZXEo4Lo-dyy6F3lAOcIuJM0GJLwA46-mcCMKwMNHfMF5eoXZ71L35DmxFl2aMfftiIpuRQuoIFgYYFzQGTdMaPiyG2ALXrz6ZITatOLmtxXfE0lXenoKEdeIW123-tzSogN/s320/IMG_1595.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="" style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 14px;">See what I mean?</span></div>
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<span class="" style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 14px;">But I happened to have some of my homemade ink on hand (no brushes so I used q-tips) as well as a </span></div>
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<span class="" style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 14px;">couple of colored sharpie-like pens.</span></div>
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I set to work "enhancing the colorations of the leaves by using the acorn grey ink, the tumeric yellow, the hibiscus magenta (which sometimes turned bluish) and the brown ink made from tea.</div>
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<span class="" style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 14px;">The leaves were definitely more pronounced but not as interesting as I wanted them to be. So I dug out my colored pens and set to work doodling tiny scratches, dots and squiggle lines to emphasize eye flow and certain details. This part was the most fun as I got lost in the mediative feel of making tiny marks and trying to blend colored dots as done in pointillism. Once I got over the idea of natures colors and felt free to use what I had, I found it hard to quit!</span></div>
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<span class="" style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 14px;">Ta da! Calling them done. I think I was outside my comfort zone the minute I took up the colored pens and I certainly used a brand new (to me) medium with the homemade inks from my kitchen. Challenge completed. To see what everyone else did y<a href="https://piecesof8art.blogspot.com/b/post-preview?token=APq4FmCUsw70IiW6fCPLXKTpjxYOT6wRRpMV2k0ccDS-ggFz4-WabBrIXgXBUYfgwHq54_flX8nG2G69dnI8zCeTsk-rxs_Dr0od5sRXOnlH575CiWgqen6guRpeEst46kz3-lOSmG2F&postId=7371704452354856738&type=POST">ou can check this post</a> at the end of the month.</span></div>
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<span class="" style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 14px;">I need to think about what I learned and how it might apply to future work. I definitely want to play with the inks more (and make a for-real blue ink). These were good learning pages and were definitely a good distraction from all things medical. </span></div>
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<span class="" style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 14px;">Have you challenged yourself lately? Moved out of your comfort zone or tried a new product, ingredient, a foreign method or even different radio channel? Reporting on these prompts makes me more likely to follow through on them so feel free to share with me your latest experiment. I promise to be impressed!</span></div>
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<span class="" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: large;"><b>EXPERIMENTALLY YOURS,</b></span></div>
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<span class="" style="color: blue; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: x-large;"><i>Cindy</i></span></div>
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Cmichaudarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01095705340286414183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087871473757812623.post-57063710421163156722018-12-07T00:30:00.000-05:002018-12-07T00:30:08.216-05:00Festina lente<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">Festina lente</b><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;"> is a classical adage and oxymoron </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">meaning "make haste slowly" </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">(sometimes rendered in English as "more haste, less speed").</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;"><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festina_lente">see more in Wikipedia</a></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">This phrase was the word I selected last January to be my mantra, goal, musing etc for the coming 365 days. Little did I know how apropos it </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">would be! </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">We gave up writing new year's resolutions a while back as each year they seemed more and more familiar and each year we had to admit little thought was given them past the writing. So we elected to chose a word to live by. Then we discovered we tended to forget the word so my husband started tattooing them on his forearm and I took the less drastic step of painting them and hanging where I would see the word first thing every morning.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">This was to be a reminder to me to "stop and smell the roses," to slow down and savor the path even if it felt slower than the way I usually moved. I had come to a point in my art that I needed to work more intentionally, taking time to stop, analyze and think before making the next move. By moving slowly I would more likely hasten/see a better outcome. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">But I felt it was important to try and make haste slowy in other ways as well. How many times have I rushed to judgement with only a portion of the facts at hand? How often did I miss an interesting mushroom as I was logging miles on a hike not wonders? And please stop me if I rush through a visit, a meal or a phone conversation with someone just so I can get to the next one. It was definitely time to slow the pace and thus improve the progress.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">This morning before climbing out of bed I looked up as I always do for my word reminder. And as I sighed loudly I knew that it was especially applicable now that I was rehabbing from knee replacement surgery. There is no way to rush the process of healing, no way to condense the needed therapy into one or two sessions. It is slow, painful but steady progress. And I have to remind myself that the choice to<b> s l o w w a y d o w n </b>and have the surgery was made in an effort to be able to make haste painlessly down the road. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">So what does this have to do with art? A lot. If you get frustrated: slow down. Counter intuitive I know. Breath deeply and look closely. Slow. Slow. Slow....is the path to positive forward movement.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">And...why not let a piece of art become your trigger for a change? A certain painting might remind you to savor the outdoors, a special mug may be the mediative catalyst of your morning, music might bring on a moment of escape or relaxation. Just as I use my artistic version of a word you might find the reminder in a small mosaic or piece of jewelry.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">Sometimes its hard to give up a word that has served me well, but since it is a painting all I have to do is move it over and hang the shiney new one in the place of honor - it works!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">Just another way that "art" can serve our lives. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">Hoping that this month will see you making haste slowly as you savor the sights, sounds, and smells of the holiday. Back to the studio soon!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><b>SLOWLY YOURS,</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><i>Cindy</i></span></span></div>
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Cmichaudarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01095705340286414183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087871473757812623.post-723167724845284762018-11-30T00:30:00.000-05:002018-11-30T00:30:02.057-05:00The Root of the Issue<div style="background-color: white; background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; color: #333333; line-height: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a class="title" data-author="T. Harv Eker" href="https://www.azquotes.com/quote/572257?ref=roots" id="title_quote_link_572257" style="background-position: 0px 0px; color: #333333; display: block; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 1em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>In every forest, on every farm, in every orchard on earth,</i></span></a><a class="title" data-author="T. Harv Eker" href="https://www.azquotes.com/quote/572257?ref=roots" id="title_quote_link_572257" style="background-position: 0px 0px; color: #333333; display: block; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 1em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i> it's what's under the ground that creates what's above the ground. </i></span></a><a class="title" data-author="T. Harv Eker" href="https://www.azquotes.com/quote/572257?ref=roots" id="title_quote_link_572257" style="background-position: 0px 0px; color: #333333; display: block; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 1em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>That's why placing your attention on the fruits that you have already grown is futile. </i></span></a><a class="title" data-author="T. Harv Eker" href="https://www.azquotes.com/quote/572257?ref=roots" id="title_quote_link_572257" style="background-position: 0px 0px; color: #333333; display: block; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 1em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>You cannot change the fruits that are already hanging on the tree. </i></span></a><a class="title" data-author="T. Harv Eker" href="https://www.azquotes.com/quote/572257?ref=roots" id="title_quote_link_572257" style="background-position: 0px 0px; color: #333333; display: block; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 1em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>You can, however, change tomorrow's fruits. </i></span></a><a class="title" data-author="T. Harv Eker" href="https://www.azquotes.com/quote/572257?ref=roots" id="title_quote_link_572257" style="background-position: 0px 0px; color: #333333; display: block; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 1em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>But to do so, you will have to dig below the ground and strengthen the roots.</i></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.azquotes.com/author/4412-T_Harv_Eker" style="background-position: 0px 0px; color: #a94c1c; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>T. Harv Eker</i></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Mr. Eker is not a farmer, not a history prof or even a philosopher...he is a financial wealth motivational speaker. I probably don't embrace his agenda for fattening my bank account but I do think he has a point here about roots. I'll explain.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTjPEqIWIq62jhQXYpdljy1LzUUPFvEIU27IhQBQiRxaxC0o0gZpl8pu0Ip2i0-ikR7y2lxQGLZl9ZWy8n4ZN9LdqZR0Wr2XGDkWAteW9GVI8cKDHNq15pzJ8gS9MiN6EewQMLg-21-U3z/s1600/IMG_1471.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="528" data-original-width="1600" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTjPEqIWIq62jhQXYpdljy1LzUUPFvEIU27IhQBQiRxaxC0o0gZpl8pu0Ip2i0-ikR7y2lxQGLZl9ZWy8n4ZN9LdqZR0Wr2XGDkWAteW9GVI8cKDHNq15pzJ8gS9MiN6EewQMLg-21-U3z/s640/IMG_1471.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Lately I've been obsessed with "roots." In every aspect of the word, in every application of the nuance, the symbolism and the literalness...in short, the word just keeps percolating in my tired little brain over and over again. I must have hundreds of photos of roots. Everything I have read, fiction and non, over the past year somehow circles back to a theme involving roots.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">What does this mean? I'm not sure. But the obsession has, of course, crept into my painting and I've decided to ride it as far as it takes me. Does anyone really want a painting of roots in their living room? I don't know and for the moment I can't care...I need to paint these fascinating twists and turns and see where they take me. It could be a private project or a fabulous show...no idea. </span> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6vsfJc4j7U54vxHQRTh9Fz3PcCNkUfwWefoQR6Bf0cl0CzpMz47t3obIU6WnxGFbJ5rWb-_dzeEvQCWcvSXi9L-qotOqrQRnTp5JDJd-MqvRnGTgEJjNDWbt9dMVwJXJCOjfZC0Ip4yAv/s1600/IMG_1516.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6vsfJc4j7U54vxHQRTh9Fz3PcCNkUfwWefoQR6Bf0cl0CzpMz47t3obIU6WnxGFbJ5rWb-_dzeEvQCWcvSXi9L-qotOqrQRnTp5JDJd-MqvRnGTgEJjNDWbt9dMVwJXJCOjfZC0Ip4yAv/s400/IMG_1516.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">These magnificent formations all become anthropomorphic as I paint them. They are also an excellent exercise in transforming a 2D surface into a 3D visual, it takes a certain skill to make those limbs come out at the viewer or dive back into the ground.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPOG1GETgTRE_LtzzL-p1rDu0k93qO2dW8DAKf_ChxCKPgOcF9UBkOvDv91uqHKY61uJ0GvVtqNds5eYSPwzxtjzSecnxg3avXjNi0LAOgmNITQWfklv8jA8rbUGY-wDwamt4RncPQKhnO/s1600/IMG_0004.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="1015" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPOG1GETgTRE_LtzzL-p1rDu0k93qO2dW8DAKf_ChxCKPgOcF9UBkOvDv91uqHKY61uJ0GvVtqNds5eYSPwzxtjzSecnxg3avXjNi0LAOgmNITQWfklv8jA8rbUGY-wDwamt4RncPQKhnO/s320/IMG_0004.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Even my sketches relate to the idea that roots have something to tell us...uptight, snarled root balls don't survive, meandering, exploring ones that graft onto others thrive. hmmm.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia9WlkK0vSOKFth5gQsubrpt9GTxPJSBF9H6CvgU1xiI3qhm0iBkDh5Vf-rma5SkI23xC8CWygsV7UnAyQH2RgGkuq20hfdv4_3JY6iJJfakuCZLVCQpd_YVXdtzlFU3s2-D9-ZObO96Dc/s1600/IMG_1513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1262" data-original-width="1600" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia9WlkK0vSOKFth5gQsubrpt9GTxPJSBF9H6CvgU1xiI3qhm0iBkDh5Vf-rma5SkI23xC8CWygsV7UnAyQH2RgGkuq20hfdv4_3JY6iJJfakuCZLVCQpd_YVXdtzlFU3s2-D9-ZObO96Dc/s320/IMG_1513.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">In the midst of hardened places you often find hope, there is a lone fern (to be) nestled amongst these (work in progress) roots. And, and....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">And who knows where this will lead or if next week it all comes to a screaching halt. So bear with me as I dig beneath the surface and see what needs attention. Or share with me and perhaps I'll discover just why this is grabbing me so. As always,</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>CURIOUS,</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><i style="font-size: xx-large;">Cindy</i> p.s. all of the above illustrations are still on the easel, works-in-progress!</span></span></div>
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Cmichaudarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01095705340286414183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087871473757812623.post-53318052653572847902018-11-23T00:30:00.000-05:002018-11-23T00:30:04.543-05:00Making Ink<div style="text-align: center;">
"<i>Fingers are an incredibly calibrated tool </i></div>
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<i>for understanding our environment....</i></div>
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<i>Stained hands are the reward and mark</i></div>
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<i>of a color pioneer."</i></div>
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<i>p. 64</i></div>
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Wouldn't you just automatically fall in love with the person who wrote that? I did. A virtual ardor.</div>
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After I read<a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/10/20/658452752/an-urban-ink-forager-explains-how-to-paint-with-all-the-colors-of-the-alley"> this article on Jason Logan</a>, artist, forager, father, ink maker, I had to know more. So I ordered <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Make-Ink-Foragers-Natural-Inkmaking/dp/1419732439">his book, <b>Make Ink, </b></a>posthaste. Not only was I <u>not</u> disappointed, I was inspired! Swoon.</div>
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The book is gorgeous. The kind of paper you want to stroke and caress; the photos are large, provocative and beautifully shot. Even the cover of the book begs me to pet it. It was a good read even if I had decided that the recipes were beyond me. But of course I didn't, I gave it a go. Of course.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0tOmdGV_woTQmbvSHPa5FeRiSfVp4JDxbCKUuJQy9drSAcsHY30CHfIgXHHCrhZ4lzGCZf2_jWqsG96vcQ8UF4fks-R-1Y8uJG4MtZ5nF0IywPIVafDfWPvsfA7Fjc8HqbLyD4JLJdAoO/s1600/IMG_1533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0tOmdGV_woTQmbvSHPa5FeRiSfVp4JDxbCKUuJQy9drSAcsHY30CHfIgXHHCrhZ4lzGCZf2_jWqsG96vcQ8UF4fks-R-1Y8uJG4MtZ5nF0IywPIVafDfWPvsfA7Fjc8HqbLyD4JLJdAoO/s320/IMG_1533.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Because part of Logans "conversion" to natural ink making was due to the realization that his illustration supplies were potentially toxic for his children, his ingredients are often found in the kitchen. I did hit the art store for gum arabic (a binder to paper):</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijTA_NrAG8Pi56_R130ZFAMAKDORJwj5sPeSG1HfTK0RUdkYw5SafyUCnVV-4nWlRxN4091fcZTXI2y-H2DDTAojwwcK8M-UWgg5Uuh5C0O9bdMjEAKTQgmqHxNlVXQ_9By8e4n_it_wM9/s1600/IMG_1541.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="927" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijTA_NrAG8Pi56_R130ZFAMAKDORJwj5sPeSG1HfTK0RUdkYw5SafyUCnVV-4nWlRxN4091fcZTXI2y-H2DDTAojwwcK8M-UWgg5Uuh5C0O9bdMjEAKTQgmqHxNlVXQ_9By8e4n_it_wM9/s320/IMG_1541.jpg" width="185" /></a></div>
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and the pharmacy for rubbing alcohol (90%). </div>
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My husband believes I am a trash collector....I prefer the title "forager." This skill comes in handy for ink making. I assembled my acorn caps, tea leaves, turmeric, copper bits, rusty nails...see? what fun!</div>
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And what my spouse lacks in imagination he more than makes up for in patience as even though most of this magic is safe to conduct in the kitchen, it doesn't always smell as delightful as one could hope...and it does seem to take over any flat surface. But I heard no complaints.</div>
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Boil and bubble, toil and trouble... Logan says (on p. 24) that "ink making is easiest when you are patient and remain open to everything." (describes me, right?) And (p. 45) "If the process seems slow and moves only a drip at a time, you are doing your job right." Gotta love it. </div>
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All in. I'll spare you the details but it was everything he predicted ...and more.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw6jUKzMUJOmo_8bPziAf4ynrh2aym7d1X9DNBBVx7pG2rhWG99VpH4zy5vxereOr4ctKNJGDd5N4oKn80UcLszfXviP97R8vmHFYRqUB87d6Ui5CB_q4CZP_dL2SuLcbo8L0383RTDL5c/s1600/IMG_1544.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1061" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw6jUKzMUJOmo_8bPziAf4ynrh2aym7d1X9DNBBVx7pG2rhWG99VpH4zy5vxereOr4ctKNJGDd5N4oKn80UcLszfXviP97R8vmHFYRqUB87d6Ui5CB_q4CZP_dL2SuLcbo8L0383RTDL5c/s320/IMG_1544.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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(<i>forgive my camera shadows...long story)</i></div>
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As he suggests, I became a "citizen-scientist" and recorded my progress hour by hour. Above strips are from acorn caps and iron (a silver grey brown, light) top, and the bottom strips are from darjeeling tea (a warm, soft brown).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4CTGHZ6G0STPfjiQYf0nWkvRcG-78PfdYDNrpxjzzwv5ZSXnbbcJa-UsOB2O_czarwFUWHZrM7qynMRUX4zz0tAVQV6xiDNtgpW3J_AwWrptyseBJNjDxbZTWComxrK3uBg4P1Vtw2ib4/s1600/IMG_1545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1443" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4CTGHZ6G0STPfjiQYf0nWkvRcG-78PfdYDNrpxjzzwv5ZSXnbbcJa-UsOB2O_czarwFUWHZrM7qynMRUX4zz0tAVQV6xiDNtgpW3J_AwWrptyseBJNjDxbZTWComxrK3uBg4P1Vtw2ib4/s320/IMG_1545.jpg" width="288" /></a></div>
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Tumeric became an alcohol ink as opposed to a water based ink. I know I will love using this one.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxVVJB641G9Poi9Qw-08tTrazMRQgW56fkoUESiN6h-O-ZH0jIRVfnp_MuYauhDWgfLGLDPZRGpONn7SucMpvvM97LpjeaNIObEIEfZ21Hm0BG7YbTpXYPi9oICOZQXcYPgbZjE1jp8gEc/s1600/IMG_1546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1410" data-original-width="1600" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxVVJB641G9Poi9Qw-08tTrazMRQgW56fkoUESiN6h-O-ZH0jIRVfnp_MuYauhDWgfLGLDPZRGpONn7SucMpvvM97LpjeaNIObEIEfZ21Hm0BG7YbTpXYPi9oICOZQXcYPgbZjE1jp8gEc/s320/IMG_1546.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And a bundle of hibiscus flower brought back from Mexico (sold as tea) became a deep alizarin crimson color.</div>
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I'm hooked. On the porch I have a jar of copper becoming a blue ink and from the freezer I'm tempted to get out the bags of marigold flowers I have foraged and see what they offer.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIFudgB5dir8cdoLEJdu5qs9w0WS9PMiVsQyXs29YFU133t93NUn2mCEBJdIcO5FOoHymX3TfZFVOC7Z1zd8XVz_MhQ9Gup3Yyc1NtQBjFSgfs2LPGxERUgPxjzlCs3DF49JyxHfnAbPoT/s1600/IMG_1539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIFudgB5dir8cdoLEJdu5qs9w0WS9PMiVsQyXs29YFU133t93NUn2mCEBJdIcO5FOoHymX3TfZFVOC7Z1zd8XVz_MhQ9Gup3Yyc1NtQBjFSgfs2LPGxERUgPxjzlCs3DF49JyxHfnAbPoT/s320/IMG_1539.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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As usual I have my cart before the horse as I have no idea how or where to use these colors. Some may be fugitive or there may be fixatives needed. I don't really use ink in drawing but I can paint with them <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/04/arts/live-drawing-facebook-feelings-jason-logan.html">(see his live painting demo here</a>) as he did for the NY Times.</div>
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You may imagine this artist/father as living on a secluded farm growing all his natural his ingredients; the surprise is that Logan forages in the city where he lives in Canada. Drywall, weeds, cigarettes, and even peeling paint get gathered and processed in his goal of color exploration. It makes me want to order beakers and test tubes and sweet little ink jars. Sigh.</div>
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I could order these inks from <a href="http://www.jasonslogan.com/thetorontoinkcompany/#/wildinks/">Logans website</a> or have him make me a custom blend as others do. But I really enjoy the making and experimenting part of the equation and, <a href="https://designobserver.com/feature/the-ink-revolution-of-jason-s-logan/39870">as discussed in this article about his work, </a> there is a sense of satisfaction in knowing where the product came from and what is in it. </div>
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Now to finding out how I will use these beautiful colors...</div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><b>FORAGING ALWAYS,</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;"><i>Cindy </i></span></div>
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p.s. - Hoping that however you celebrated Thanksgiving you were able to take time to be grateful for what is important in your life. I am brimming over with thanks for each of you who read and respond to my weekly passion of writing on the artistic pleasures of life. I have gained much from your sharing.</div>
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Cmichaudarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01095705340286414183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087871473757812623.post-27763480034498065142018-11-16T00:30:00.000-05:002018-11-16T00:30:08.606-05:00Science, Art or Magic?<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>There is a great attempt to explain the similarities</i></div>
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<i>and differences between art and science in this 2016</i></div>
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<i><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2016/03/16/why-art-and-science-are-more-closely-related-than-you-think/#12e9cc8769f1">article which appeared in Forbes.</a></i></div>
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<i>But couldn't we </i><i>just accept as fact </i></div>
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<i>that certain things are best explained by</i></div>
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<i> MAGIC?</i></div>
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Last fall I played with eco-dying and enjoyed making prints on paper from the leaves I collected on my hikes. I turned these sheets into covers for notecards and happily sold every one that I made. But there was a fair amount of "slippage," those attempts that failed, misprinted, didn't make color or for some reasons became a page that fell short of artistic use.</div>
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So this year I decided to dive deep into scientific research conducting various experiments and recording my findings. So out of my nature! But let's eliminate the misprints, ok?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPhgJfL4Use9LSZsxDo9I814wenYSDs3dTJgc598bhTLZ3TqN7lDyYH9bMIMRa2GEoaSdfYBm_m8BEXw2UgCYYcFRShn2opRdW_nL3xYjHdF_JUBgtTDGnIoYsNpuJ8srMP0j_s6WNhuLL/s1600/IMG_1521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPhgJfL4Use9LSZsxDo9I814wenYSDs3dTJgc598bhTLZ3TqN7lDyYH9bMIMRa2GEoaSdfYBm_m8BEXw2UgCYYcFRShn2opRdW_nL3xYjHdF_JUBgtTDGnIoYsNpuJ8srMP0j_s6WNhuLL/s320/IMG_1521.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I set up 3 different mordants (the liquid soak that prepares the fibers to accept the color) labeling them and giving each test paper the same amount of soak time.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0B38vHFNWhSo8-VjCHvbS_6uda7M7KYsLcgw-pDWnVIMTd4UgNrGwz9fw2ftfkrQFcNTcoQuAhMftF6Z7eyi62m1KVIkRnBXpanbzHfn-ycZOVKHpvzr34tn_qRG-lrOhdAyhnvRpc2h0/s1600/IMG_1522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0B38vHFNWhSo8-VjCHvbS_6uda7M7KYsLcgw-pDWnVIMTd4UgNrGwz9fw2ftfkrQFcNTcoQuAhMftF6Z7eyi62m1KVIkRnBXpanbzHfn-ycZOVKHpvzr34tn_qRG-lrOhdAyhnvRpc2h0/s320/IMG_1522.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I divided my leaves by types and included a few I'd never tried. (Not all botanticals will leave a visible print with this steaming method.) Oak was always a challenge but I decided to include it in my attempts.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEialH4oS0JrNeYZt30NhPYAj7bW2lJhZcQ8HULyhX-9YBdzOnaDfOJLPAhkngsWO1eiwR36tCIK5zY44LMMLLWx4fIxhq-zLmSJJG3ixUMil-rqo6GMVshQK6b0Pg159FSGg8kEXh7NJn2n/s1600/IMG_1523.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEialH4oS0JrNeYZt30NhPYAj7bW2lJhZcQ8HULyhX-9YBdzOnaDfOJLPAhkngsWO1eiwR36tCIK5zY44LMMLLWx4fIxhq-zLmSJJG3ixUMil-rqo6GMVshQK6b0Pg159FSGg8kEXh7NJn2n/s320/IMG_1523.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Three different mordants, 2 kinds of cotton paper, several leaf types (pressed previously), a steaming pot outside and I was in business, er, science lab mode. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHwd2O5gMJXtVzyhg8lAxZ3cWHe2QwTICO5ddanzFHhLsbjM2c0AOh4SZN8T40BABuXShYhvQGbO8e76LDTF3XOikL3OPMcxevBPeu9DkP1mAv6JVMu-6HCacIHi9MDQUSrEaTSSU9R-1u/s1600/IMG_1528.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHwd2O5gMJXtVzyhg8lAxZ3cWHe2QwTICO5ddanzFHhLsbjM2c0AOh4SZN8T40BABuXShYhvQGbO8e76LDTF3XOikL3OPMcxevBPeu9DkP1mAv6JVMu-6HCacIHi9MDQUSrEaTSSU9R-1u/s320/IMG_1528.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Wow! Look at that oak, that geranium, that batista and those maples...on a roll: sumac, sassafras and beech. Dump the vinegar soak, eliminate the ammonia...I was ready to rock the next day with 100% success. Papers prepped I went to bed exhausted but smiling for the success to come.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmfiO0OwbcmZ39eDn2XFb2AqlXLuqErKyG6g9tQ-bT-TnMo8DE9axbW7YjWbN2MaJOsbPcRawA3vFXo2jaTJhqVkQMeJrMq49oat2BzUg346531M542fAzZpRR904SCnTZ2CGFGwjawRLl/s1600/IMG_1537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmfiO0OwbcmZ39eDn2XFb2AqlXLuqErKyG6g9tQ-bT-TnMo8DE9axbW7YjWbN2MaJOsbPcRawA3vFXo2jaTJhqVkQMeJrMq49oat2BzUg346531M542fAzZpRR904SCnTZ2CGFGwjawRLl/s320/IMG_1537.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I was rewarded, above.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZKz6DLQZd9obcdkDMtQDYuQT_Vf5j6t7mZWJ_5PH1SMysMl6Xz2PZoPRZK-gZYIyy6wm5ijL-1H2J812WaZSgP1v_FM9amzQovfLkf7Rd6Jy6r4kUDmsEGCSQntlG3p1JSK-Bs20YlPtd/s1600/IMG_1538.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1276" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZKz6DLQZd9obcdkDMtQDYuQT_Vf5j6t7mZWJ_5PH1SMysMl6Xz2PZoPRZK-gZYIyy6wm5ijL-1H2J812WaZSgP1v_FM9amzQovfLkf7Rd6Jy6r4kUDmsEGCSQntlG3p1JSK-Bs20YlPtd/s320/IMG_1538.jpg" width="255" /></a></div>
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I was disappointed, above.</div>
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I was confounded, above.</div>
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None of these are ghost prints, the print bleeding through the paper or the mark left by the "top" of the leaf (best prints come from "ground side down" on the paper). And not an oak to be seen. Whaaaa?</div>
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So I made adjustments in pressure (the vise or stones or blocks that hold the bundles tightly together). I varied the timing of the "cool." I stood on one foot and I sang out loud. Everything STILL came out in about the same ratio of great : good : blah. </div>
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My conclusion? MAGIC.</div>
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I did not record where I found each leaf, the soil conditions it grew in, the altitude it lived in...in my heart I know that these are all contributing factors to whatever hides deep within the tannins et al that leave the mark I covet. I'm not that into research. And frankly I like the fact that there is a part of this that I cannot control, it makes opening the steamed bundles quite exciting. Some phenonmena can be explained and some things are best left to magic. </div>
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I rest my case.</div>
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;"><b>MAGICALLY IN AWE,</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;">Cindy</span></div>
Cmichaudarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01095705340286414183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087871473757812623.post-86265057116714919682018-11-09T00:30:00.000-05:002018-11-09T00:30:15.307-05:00Trade Secrets, part 2<br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><i>I wish I could figure out how to activate the comments section </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><i>of this blog without making folks “join” anything. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><i>The response to <a href="http://cindymichaudart.blogspot.com/2018/11/trade-secrets.html">my question last week</a> about which secrets you share, </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><i>and which you protect, was informative and thoughtful...</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><i>and definitely the most I’ve ever received on one post. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><i>I’ll try to hit some highlights:</i></span></div>
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<br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">In general artists replied that they are a sharing group: they recognize that <b>sharing</b> leads to an exchange of information that is <b>mutually beneficial</b> in the long run. Self confident artists have no desire to exactly copy some one else’s work and good teachers realize that the signature of their own work has taken years to develop and can’t really be duplicated. (That said, I do know that there are<a href="https://www.wired.com/2014/04/china-art-reproduction-susetta-bozzi/"> “copy factories” in China where artists are paid to replicate</a> perfectly the works of well known, translate to very expensive, artists in an attempt to cash in. Not a lot of us fall in that category.)</span><br />
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by <a href="mailto:art@cindymichaud.com">Cindy Michaud Art</a></div>
<br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">There was definitely a parting of the ways when an artist considered their work more of a “product” than a one-off design. For instance, after my buddy who makes candles perfected a method to guarantee a longer than common burn time (having invested hours of time and loads of money in the testing) she was reluctant, understandably, to broadcast the formula. Meanwhile she was happy to share ingredient sources, label methods etc with fellow “competitors.” But the “sets it apart” factor was her distinction and she shouldn’t feel guilty about not sharing it.</span><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Ditto, for a specific pattern that can be duplicated....I’ve read stories of several ETSY craftsmen who worked hard to make a niche product only to find the exact same thing (again, mass produced in China) for sale in Target the next year. Sad. But a fact of life.</span><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">One reader opined that wood turners were not a very sharing group, I cannot attest to experience there; another recalled a family story about an excellent baker who happily shared recipes but always left out a crucial ingredient....thus protecting her status as “the best.” Or totally ruining it, you chose!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsMOB7epXCXUUJ6ubAfiHYhd9R6YmmLCR4d25S2PFxThzJ7WHe2PXhBUMbmNc8ILV15ug3vKFw2nPYFzQKWCvYBhdC-_IKzpFSqjJwlBhZZCT7skZCxZCSNj8DOVeqxdBmeFGWGDQPz2Lt/s1600/IMG_1032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="710" data-original-width="1600" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsMOB7epXCXUUJ6ubAfiHYhd9R6YmmLCR4d25S2PFxThzJ7WHe2PXhBUMbmNc8ILV15ug3vKFw2nPYFzQKWCvYBhdC-_IKzpFSqjJwlBhZZCT7skZCxZCSNj8DOVeqxdBmeFGWGDQPz2Lt/s320/IMG_1032.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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by <a href="http://weatheredandworn.design/">Weathered and Worn</a></div>
<br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">So, as usual, there are two sides to every issue. Austin Kleon’s original question asked us to think about this, personally, from both sides (what is shared, what is not) and evaluate the outcome of each. Perhaps my presentation was a bit more judgmental in tone.</span><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">The internet has changed the art game on so many levels. Just as it makes it easy to research technique it also risks passing off unreliable methods or incomplete formulas. While many craftsmen depend on the WWW to sell their products, it also exposes them to being copied and undersold. Several experts in the art business even believe that the internet is responsible for many independently owned galleries closing their doors, seen as the “middle man” their services are needed less and less. </span><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">So where does this discussion bring us? At the risk of putting words in anyone’s mouth I will verbalize my own thoughts: I believe artists and craftsmen need to have a sharing attitude, they need to trade thoughts, ideas, formulas and techniques. It creates energy, it generates new ideas, it becomes a network of support and mutual admiration. It is give and take. <a href="https://www.creativelive.com/blog/austin-kleon-stop-keeping-creative-process/">Here is a new-ish clip of Kleon at SBSW in an interview repeating his "share philosophy."</a> Go all four minutes, he uses b-b-q as an example!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp08BRNSuUqpm7aI7wOvwIbgH2AZJY17x_3FTjJxxGk4a5ynjUeTVkE8oxxjx2fF-uPpiBUUwx8PUPo-8s_92e8NMv4d2o3FzLiJ84emjBb2PWVgxeaJZl3XgmtYFwdrZsfe5atDVbw5mL/s1600/IMG_1061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="727" data-original-width="1600" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp08BRNSuUqpm7aI7wOvwIbgH2AZJY17x_3FTjJxxGk4a5ynjUeTVkE8oxxjx2fF-uPpiBUUwx8PUPo-8s_92e8NMv4d2o3FzLiJ84emjBb2PWVgxeaJZl3XgmtYFwdrZsfe5atDVbw5mL/s320/IMG_1061.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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pottery by AmyH</div>
<br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">HOWEVER, I also believe that everyone of us needs to recognize the existence of proprietary information...I can respect that. If you have spent years developing your signature color (glaze, paint, finish etc) and you only smile when I ask how you mixed that, I need to understand that it is "back to the drawing board" for me...to find my own special, secret ingredient. If it’s already on the internet, well, why not strike up a conversation and make a new friend? Let's not be rude in our artist conversations.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>Here's to sharing art: philosophies, ideas and yes, a few secrets! </b></span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><i>Cindy</i></span><br />
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<br /><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" />Cmichaudarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01095705340286414183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087871473757812623.post-73081307415164563362018-11-02T00:30:00.000-04:002018-11-02T00:30:01.882-04:00Trade Secrets<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"What are the secrets of your trade?</i></div>
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<i>What would you lose by sharing them with others?</i></div>
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<i>What would you gain?</i></div>
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<i>(</i>work page from <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Steal-Like-Artist-Journal-Kleptomaniacs/dp/0761185682">The Steal Like an Artist Journal,</a></div>
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by Austin Kleon)</div>
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I love doing the exercises in Kleon's wonderful journal which he refers to as "<i>a notebook for creative kleptomaniacs." </i>But the question above really spoke to me due to an experience I had yesterday in a booth at a local country fair. I was so taken aback that I even discussed it with my husband.</div>
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I noted a tent display featuring printed leaves that appeared to be similar to what I have done to produce notecards (in fact this is prime gathering time of flora for future steamings) so I went in to have a closer look. She had lovely things, mostly single leaf prints on paper, matted, framed and identified as to tree species. Cousins to what I do but not exactly the same. I was very admiring as I noticed that she had a lovely black color on a few that I never seem to get. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU0VVmWc5yyr0x4folrEAx7aswzzy4FCabKgB83SJZiQypCy0CzejlonmPnNXUjP-MvTb5Hw2EVUaDK2GGCkcd2gx3CWS1v0IrFRmxuooItan7bR-8Vk4imvGMpXNI0Sb-qu4Dabbdy65r/s1600/IMG_5823.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU0VVmWc5yyr0x4folrEAx7aswzzy4FCabKgB83SJZiQypCy0CzejlonmPnNXUjP-MvTb5Hw2EVUaDK2GGCkcd2gx3CWS1v0IrFRmxuooItan7bR-8Vk4imvGMpXNI0Sb-qu4Dabbdy65r/s320/IMG_5823.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>in process, some leaves still on paper </i></div>
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So I posed a question:</div>
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"Do you treat these leaves with..."</div>
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She interrupted me explaining that the leaves are all natural and that what I see is the print she gets.</div>
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"Yes," I said. "I do this same process but I never get that cool black. Do you dip the leaf..."</div>
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....and before I could say "iron bath" she abruptly turned and walked away leaving me chatting to myself.</div>
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Why? I saw no other customer. I don't think anything I said was an insult. All I could assume was that she was not into sharing 'trade secrets.' </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLUwkqZ11MQiYltklAaavHgYnD5VJQNhJ2yM_SoLht3duCGVBMw-FzJkemJlBO5rwApgUheHwSliJqowZSvHoCPdI2FRfwCx05yqd9ovCgYaEr4Uqf7o3VALTK3Hfi6P6AWTYVP-kFQzYq/s1600/IMG_5824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1297" data-original-width="1600" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLUwkqZ11MQiYltklAaavHgYnD5VJQNhJ2yM_SoLht3duCGVBMw-FzJkemJlBO5rwApgUheHwSliJqowZSvHoCPdI2FRfwCx05yqd9ovCgYaEr4Uqf7o3VALTK3Hfi6P6AWTYVP-kFQzYq/s320/IMG_5824.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>leaf prints before drying</i></div>
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What a shame. I'd have been delighted to share with her how to get the fabulous sumac print seen above (she only showed maples) and I would have had fun telling her about a few failures I experienced as well (thus saving her a similar waste of precious time). Was she afraid of competition? Silly, I think, as in a quick glance around the fair and I saw many, many potters and a ton of painters all seemingly offering slightly different work. Did she believe she had more to lose by chatting with me than to gain?</div>
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A pity.</div>
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In galloping through so many different art fields I have found that those who share (i.e. those with the self confidence to answer questions and trade techniques) are truly the most accomplished. Is this because their own attitude promotes the exchange of ideas that enables growth for both parties? Perhaps so. Or is it that their kindness in sharing makes people want to do business with them. Of course.</div>
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Art is not rocket-science, it is not a proprietary algorhythm which unlocks the secrets to the universe. Art always bears the signature of its maker even when the same techniques are used. Anyone who accomplishes anything creative stands on the shoulders of those who came before them. It is my experience that those who fail to share will have karma to answer to. <br />
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But how do you feel about this topic? I may be all wrong...do you share your trade secrets: formulas, recipes, techniques or methods? why or why not?</div>
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I'll get off my soapbox!</div>
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<b><span style="color: #e69138; font-size: large;">HAPPY TO SHARE,</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><i>Cindy</i></span></div>
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p.s. Where did I spend my money? Funny, but it was with the women who were showing some cool hats and were tickled when I asked a question about the process. They were happily explainging how they made them as they proceded to cash in...ch-ching! </div>
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Cmichaudarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01095705340286414183noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087871473757812623.post-53736285192016514962018-10-26T00:30:00.000-04:002018-10-26T00:30:09.466-04:00Changing the Mood<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The connections between color and mood</i></div>
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<i>have long been a subject of debate and</i></div>
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<i>scientific study. Since I love color I</i></div>
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<i>enjoy these studies and am always game to do a little</i></div>
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<i>experimenting on my own.</i></div>
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Taking the same photo reference I have used in a couple of paintings earlier I decided to see how I could convey a different feeling using composition and color. These were not going to be large, finished studies but quick draws to see what I could make happen in a crude sort of way.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_QoEnzOMyhV360h1lRA9Va811KuggJyWs8y8U8VA_jcoyPNw5utC_-f94QDgAy4IGqLZ5d5m9ZWRr9rDXdOV69gq93Q4uIAvHoy5l0ZtPbF2bQOKuui0Wn_nsKEFuLSjKgDRdnOsq0V0w/s1600/IMG_1950.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="505" data-original-width="1031" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_QoEnzOMyhV360h1lRA9Va811KuggJyWs8y8U8VA_jcoyPNw5utC_-f94QDgAy4IGqLZ5d5m9ZWRr9rDXdOV69gq93Q4uIAvHoy5l0ZtPbF2bQOKuui0Wn_nsKEFuLSjKgDRdnOsq0V0w/s320/IMG_1950.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here is the barn, alone and on the hill. Another sketch below moves the barn:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJP5xBOFK3mtCsdTM2kh5fnbW28J0q9V6ZH4U70Oix0B2NqHyU9vL2VzVFPsBc3wm7W-VDwk_6qD52d93XwWLkzU6wXu30EFrrijzyy1B9cEoL91I2M9OvvwLQDDdC9aEoCVxTWxFR10Vz/s1600/IMG_1949.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="1039" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJP5xBOFK3mtCsdTM2kh5fnbW28J0q9V6ZH4U70Oix0B2NqHyU9vL2VzVFPsBc3wm7W-VDwk_6qD52d93XwWLkzU6wXu30EFrrijzyy1B9cEoL91I2M9OvvwLQDDdC9aEoCVxTWxFR10Vz/s320/IMG_1949.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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And yet another adds a path:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKd2J7YnOw2DLDy2YGyTRq5630FT0rOe1SxWi-rvx7g8myuk9yyx4YDcZWhEmPVpBrBzRbgysclXKrjweJoWbarhmJEAyeKVRyR1DGQ2vAvxqwIq3CEGORYbDG5Hqnn97kBQwmq6Sfm44v/s1600/IMG_1343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="1026" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKd2J7YnOw2DLDy2YGyTRq5630FT0rOe1SxWi-rvx7g8myuk9yyx4YDcZWhEmPVpBrBzRbgysclXKrjweJoWbarhmJEAyeKVRyR1DGQ2vAvxqwIq3CEGORYbDG5Hqnn97kBQwmq6Sfm44v/s320/IMG_1343.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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So these 3 sketches changed the composition and, I thought, already altered the mood of the scene.</div>
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On smallish canvases I started with acrylic paints to get something laid in quickly. These are photographed together but I actually painted them one at a time so as not to confuse my own sense of where they were attempting to go.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI8mQwsITKjDk7Qq4WSEkupG8g-XRt4VkFCWjFA4nA95VpZbJFFyPo0i5Z-fsyaNxn81M1OguVYaotFRA3w3dzRHJu1x-z7WhhsFXEb5d9gALxahOKf0I5UR7uFtCgbXW_RIBTK_p_pTiJ/s1600/IMG_1356.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI8mQwsITKjDk7Qq4WSEkupG8g-XRt4VkFCWjFA4nA95VpZbJFFyPo0i5Z-fsyaNxn81M1OguVYaotFRA3w3dzRHJu1x-z7WhhsFXEb5d9gALxahOKf0I5UR7uFtCgbXW_RIBTK_p_pTiJ/s400/IMG_1356.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Already you can see color differentials; upper R - light, maybe springish, sunshine, below - sense of soltitude but not sad due to blue skies and some foreground energy, lower L - darker, maybe stormy and a road which by-passes the far away barn.</div>
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Obviously I did not push the color beyond realism, some folks would get a big nothing from a purple barn in an orange field (besides, I've been there...!) I wanted to see what I could do with local color (i.e. the color as seen in nature).</div>
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I did a little bit more work on these canvas in oil, making more changes as I worked. You be the judge as to how they affect you in ascertaining a certain mood (I think of the barn having its own feelings as does the environment; you may also think about how the scene affects your own mood.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsc1pmgXRCRHWCOvkSSkuKevqbpqonnLCmDTIsajIgXhB8timm-28lvA_dxueIg_QFGlKQf-51W1daZJV13Svp9Qmu26iHoasqPD1yEiY2PX7nkpS0KaVzv27LmkSKvOqm_2lLsf_hAsW3/s1600/IMG_1374.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1276" data-original-width="1600" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsc1pmgXRCRHWCOvkSSkuKevqbpqonnLCmDTIsajIgXhB8timm-28lvA_dxueIg_QFGlKQf-51W1daZJV13Svp9Qmu26iHoasqPD1yEiY2PX7nkpS0KaVzv27LmkSKvOqm_2lLsf_hAsW3/s320/IMG_1374.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Above I darkened up the baby blue skies...did a storm threaten?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEvWWHw3T749lOG4_DzacVNxf_H7YGMO2tlx-XNHV7qSXu6lEGRILxKriXBdDIZPwn_mP2Td8ur2kwvJmj8SGubBCNQFsUwn1z3DImT1CBoK8z2JwBXwWdS4xZWgsADe95hPiHdXxncpVr/s1600/IMG_1375.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1292" data-original-width="1600" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEvWWHw3T749lOG4_DzacVNxf_H7YGMO2tlx-XNHV7qSXu6lEGRILxKriXBdDIZPwn_mP2Td8ur2kwvJmj8SGubBCNQFsUwn1z3DImT1CBoK8z2JwBXwWdS4xZWgsADe95hPiHdXxncpVr/s320/IMG_1375.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here I implied a season by using flower colors, sunshine and cloud shadows on the grass, is the barn still important to the composition?</div>
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In the final iteration I worked on a pathway that leads away from the barn and darkened any detail it would have if it were lighter in color. </div>
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All of these are a long way from a finished version, they are crude and very raw, but I enjoyed the exercise of manipulating a photograph and playing artist in creating a different feeling from the same ingredients. Since I have answered some of my own questions there is no need to complete them...I'll file under "study" and move on.</div>
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Look at the art you surround yourself with: are there variations in the moods and colors or do you tend to one direction? There is no right or wrong answer....it's simply a thought. What I might hang for "healing" would not be what I would choose for "action." Just another aspect to creating a well planned piece of art.</div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;"><b>Colorful wishes,</b></span></div>
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Cmichaudarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01095705340286414183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087871473757812623.post-2199738993764196012018-10-19T00:30:00.000-04:002018-10-19T00:30:10.493-04:00Marshland Magic<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">“I have an immoderate passion for water.... but especially for marshes, </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">teeming with all that mysterious life of the creatures that haunt them. </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">A marsh is a whole world within a world, a different world, </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">with a life of its own, with its own permanent denizens,</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"> its passing visitors, its voices, its sounds, its own strange mystery.” </span><br style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">― </span><span class="authorOrTitle" style="color: #333333; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;">Guy de Maupassant, </span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"></span><span id="quote_book_link_2724366" style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><a class="authorOrTitle" href="https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/2429241" style="color: #333333; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">The House of Madame Tellier and Other Stories</a></span></i></div>
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<i>I</i>, too, love the marshes. It's an acquired taste (for often they are home to mosquitos) but the changing shapes, the tides, the life they support...all of this has fascinated me over the years. Painting a marsh is pure pleasure.</div>
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We found this marshland along the shores of a beach in Louisiana...(and yes, it was home to many giant mosquitos who all bit promptly and in masse at 5:35 pm). In the daylight and with a slight breeze we enjoyed the walk around and thru them towards the ocean shoreline. I knew then that I would paint it one day. Above is how I started.</div>
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The dune fence was intriguing as it was a direct sightline into the scene. The challenge would be for it to take you to the tallest grasses but then to have the eye float over the zig zags of land until it reached the fatherest point where the land touches the sky (and the ocean beyond). Color and texture would have to do some heavy work.</div>
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Above is a detail of the farthest point on the horizon line...I messed with that patch of darker grass until my knees gave out and my eyes blurred. It could not be unrealistically dark but just enough to make your eye head that way. Notice all of the texture on the canvas. While people assume marshes are rather still and silent there is a lot happening beneath the surface water...and ripples do appear when the tides change or the winds pick up.</div>
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<i>Marshland Magic</i></div>
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<i>20 x 24, oil, framed and available</i></div>
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Finished. The grasses are really prominent and give a rather harsh feeling to the landscape...although if you have walked close to "saw grass" you will know exactly how it got that name. I think it might be interesting to try a similar scene with softer, more muted banks, perhaps during sunset when everything appears hazy and more gentle. It's fascinating how color and texture can change the entire mood of a painting. </div>
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I am hoping our eastern Carolina marshes were not totally devastated during the hurricanes...it is a lot to ask of them to completely filter all of the nasty run off headed their way in such quantities. The teeming bottom feeders will certainly take a hit and who knows how that will affect the sealife? Sigh. Mother Nature gives and she takes. </div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>Now, back to the studio.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><i>Cindy</i></span></div>
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Cmichaudarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01095705340286414183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087871473757812623.post-19967700571363911332018-10-12T00:30:00.000-04:002018-10-12T00:30:03.660-04:00Heavenly Bodies & the Catholic Imagination<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>If there was one exhibit that has caused me to</i></div>
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<i>look at a piece of art and seek evidence of its earliest influences,</i></div>
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<i>it was <b><a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/metmedia/video/collections/ci/heavenly-bodies-installation-timelapse">"Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and</a></b></i></div>
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<i><b><a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/metmedia/video/collections/ci/heavenly-bodies-installation-timelapse">the Catholic Imagination;</a></b>" a mind-bending</i></div>
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<i>display of clothing, old and new, inspired and informed by </i></div>
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The Costume Institute within the Met opened its spring 2018 show featuring every imaginable type of fashion/costume/clothing design with any hint of Catholic influence in a magnificent display not only in the New York City museum proper but in its northern gallery <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cloisters">"The Cloisters."</a></div>
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To get the impact of seeing these garmets in the surroundings so appropriate to them <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWMGrPIas9Y">watch this video</a> narrated by Andrew Bolton, the show's curator. Bolton had long been thinking about an exhibition encompassing the world's 5 major religions but found that the Catholic input was weighing down the balance, enough so that he decided on a show focusing solely on that influence.</div>
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Our jaws hung open as we toured the Clostiers which was the most amazing and appropriate setting for many of the clothes. Although the collection included pieces by such recognized designers as Valentino, Gaultier, Channel, Dolce & Gabanna, Dior, Alexander McQueen and Versace they were designed over the course of many years and for many different purposes (shows, street wear, cocktail dresses, movies, etc.). </div>
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We saw clothing based upon choir robes, monks attire, priestly vestaments, nuns habits and stained glass as well as biblical stories and elecestastical paintings. </div>
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<i>the shawl worn on the shoulder</i></div>
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<i>a stained glass design...photo shows reflections of the cloisters gardens</i></div>
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The "provocative nature of the untouchable" was explored in a series of designs inspired by the history of the nuns habits. The main building of the Met had appropriately placed the exhibit pieces in areas that held permanent displays based on the church and its relics. Did I say relics? Ah yes, even jewelry was included, much of which was based on relics and symbols of the religion. Rings, crosses, hats, headpieces....</div>
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<i>evening gown with Adam & Eve story beaded on the skirt</i></div>
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<i>the garden of delights?!</i></div>
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<i>a halter style top beaded and</i></div>
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<i>bejeweled with saintly influences</i></div>
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Interestingly the church with a capital C cooperated with the Institute's plans as quite a number of papal robes and mitres were on loan from the Vatican. We could not photograph these but they were astounding to me (in a negative way) for the amount of precious stones, jewels and hours and hours of tedious hand sewing they represented. Many were gifts from foreign dignataries but still....</div>
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For a fascinating backstory, in better words than mine, check out this article in <a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/metropolitan-museum-of-art-heavenly-bodies-fashion-and-the-catholic-imagination">Vogue Magazine</a>. </div>
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Now back to my opening thought: almost all of the designers represented in this exhibit grew up Catholic, some still very devout, others not so much. They were not (except in one or two instances) designing for this specific show so their past wormed its way into their art long before someone decided to curate it as such. Is it because fashion designers are primarily Spanish, French and Italian (and therefore Catholic)? Is it because Catholicism has always employed all of the senses in its various expressions of worship? Does that faith provide a more fertile ground for young imaginations to flourish? Or do all of us exhibit, in some way, the early upbringing we had, the early and dramatic experiences we lived through and the first major institutions that shaped our young lives?</div>
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Catholic or not, can I find evidence in an aritist's body of work of what his major, life shaping influences were? It is a very interesting thought and it must be there: latent or obvious. Unless an artist is an avowed "copier" or an uninterested production marketeer, his or her work should have a trace of all the influences in their life but most especially those of the hugely impressionable years: childhood. </div>
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So think on that the next time you stand before a piece of art and you do not know the artist: can you detect what experiences may have influenced either the painting subject or the style of his work?</div>
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This was a fascinating exhibit on many levels.</div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><b>SEARCHING STILL,</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;"><i>Cindy </i></span></div>
Cmichaudarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01095705340286414183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087871473757812623.post-46026820876913444342018-10-05T00:30:00.000-04:002018-10-05T00:30:03.162-04:00Landscape Re-Visit<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>One of the things I observed in studying</i></div>
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<i>Georgia O'Keefe was that she often painted the</i></div>
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<i>same landscape scene over and over again</i></div>
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<i>searching for new ways to present it.</i></div>
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<i>I find this a fascinating way to closely examine the elements.</i></div>
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So I've decided to re-visit some of the photo references I've used in past work and perhaps look at them slightly differently...at least in size and color if not a different representation all together.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWzbP2oopFP5dvmAkUz420j5dJTZUuBS11-vOjB-4Nj83fKUtFVK1oVQAbuHdvw1AcucfD-zVmZ_tdkeSXrmqr7wRP8ysAVSDcNb12-OMEh6pc3H6lZgPvK4qC0CZHo9Ff16bd2yJLWh0t/s1600/IMG_5392.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1583" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWzbP2oopFP5dvmAkUz420j5dJTZUuBS11-vOjB-4Nj83fKUtFVK1oVQAbuHdvw1AcucfD-zVmZ_tdkeSXrmqr7wRP8ysAVSDcNb12-OMEh6pc3H6lZgPvK4qC0CZHo9Ff16bd2yJLWh0t/s320/IMG_5392.jpg" width="316" /></a></div>
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My Father's World, tobacco barn</div>
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24 x 24, oil on cradled board</div>
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I love this lonely barn sitting atop a sloping hill with not much else around it. There is a bit of an implied path up to the opening so maybe it is still used for some work. It feels friendly and welcoming of visitors. This kind of scenery makes me start writing mental stories about all that the place has seen and experienced. My husband chose it to hang in a small condo we have. </div>
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But a revisit on a larger canvas started out differently:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRgewL9RjVPtfe8zfm5IlWCMvOdjWIDoL3jGSJS6BLHcfywdXvYqHgj8Di7hwjVM7TCcgiowNJpWjLbL4H_QpdpzrTMTziPZvx9TyZFUGUfLEM4FmOiMR9fELTlLFIIPholkDK86QS-z_/s1600/IMG_1082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1279" data-original-width="1600" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRgewL9RjVPtfe8zfm5IlWCMvOdjWIDoL3jGSJS6BLHcfywdXvYqHgj8Di7hwjVM7TCcgiowNJpWjLbL4H_QpdpzrTMTziPZvx9TyZFUGUfLEM4FmOiMR9fELTlLFIIPholkDK86QS-z_/s400/IMG_1082.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Note that it is no longer a square shape and that it appears even lonlier as there are no trees planned. It feels "closed off" as you cannot see sky through the main door. And there is more emphasis on the drop off of the hill in the lower R corner.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZRMjz40T1UtkFSxAhpAkN5yJgxmoAaW4I5v0bckInraHHgw2xPuiEy0l0tL0SMcNP9wJbAto0zdpiNTxGt917VremOxuxjKlQtOwtup7FvyZyGt85LIWMvn2sT4k1E4jaTWPuVXDXdGHF/s1600/IMG_1120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1284" data-original-width="1600" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZRMjz40T1UtkFSxAhpAkN5yJgxmoAaW4I5v0bckInraHHgw2xPuiEy0l0tL0SMcNP9wJbAto0zdpiNTxGt917VremOxuxjKlQtOwtup7FvyZyGt85LIWMvn2sT4k1E4jaTWPuVXDXdGHF/s320/IMG_1120.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Somehow I cannot get away from that red foreground! I was actually trying to go from yellow around the color wheel through orange on its way to red....ahhh, but the painter loves reds apparently.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9d4lNovs9kRh6q1beCHT4mcp7ELioeIpnnmtirCLZctzdRE6w_QCr6wpLweMuXumG35hgfs_3g3T0kYlQdaMi4VGCHBK56bN-efEDWReJLmsom2GgMojWe-sKgqeSSr27IT_iQeHIR9Tv/s1600/IMG_1339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9d4lNovs9kRh6q1beCHT4mcp7ELioeIpnnmtirCLZctzdRE6w_QCr6wpLweMuXumG35hgfs_3g3T0kYlQdaMi4VGCHBK56bN-efEDWReJLmsom2GgMojWe-sKgqeSSr27IT_iQeHIR9Tv/s320/IMG_1339.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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There is some amazing depth of texture in this piece which the former lacked. And the colors are not blended but more abrupt in their changes. And there is no worn path leading up to the open door while the sky is darker and less cheerful. It feels sealed up and not welcoming to wanderers.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHjhzd9B28slpBp7BP-FR17Snilmgsb2PoulJE3078HmFdkuJQGoBHgTI599Y6Pc34oPqyeXI_ynLvC5Yo5oMuULj3CaqcfivSlM2Si9U3Xp_-eqscibds6oTxJiahTS8KtMgIdZR3DGaJ/s1600/IMG_1337.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1215" data-original-width="1600" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHjhzd9B28slpBp7BP-FR17Snilmgsb2PoulJE3078HmFdkuJQGoBHgTI599Y6Pc34oPqyeXI_ynLvC5Yo5oMuULj3CaqcfivSlM2Si9U3Xp_-eqscibds6oTxJiahTS8KtMgIdZR3DGaJ/s400/IMG_1337.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i> 24 x 30, oil on canvas, untitled</i></div>
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And...it is done! Not a long way from the first version but changed enough to capture a different feeling. Somehow the reds to yellows seem so vibrant that this barn feels proud, not lonely or abandoned. Still standing with dignity (which could be a title?) </div>
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I think my assignment now could be to do it all in blues and grays attempting to get a totally different mood...perhaps one of sorrow or loneliness, a feeling of abandonment and disrepair, aging?</div>
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Let's see where that might go. Hope there are some folks interested in buying barns with personality!! Stand by...and thank you Ms. O'keefe for this exercise in studying the landscape.</div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>REVEALING THE RED,</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-size: x-large;"><i>Cindy</i></span></div>
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Cmichaudarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01095705340286414183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087871473757812623.post-67985832325971256682018-09-28T00:30:00.000-04:002018-09-28T00:30:04.955-04:00O'Keefe Pilgrimage Complete<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"Pilgrimage" is both a noun and a verb:</i></div>
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<i>a journey, esp. a long one, made to some sacred place or shrine,</i></div>
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<i>a long search made for exalted or sentimental reasons;</i></div>
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<i>a quest.</i></div>
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When I set out almost a year ago on my "Georgia O'Keefe Pilgrimage" I had few expectations other than attempting to track as much of her art as possible and to learn as much as I could about her life. Timing and a travel-loving husband made many exhibits accessible and, naturally, I gained much in unexpected ways (subjects for another blog!) After visits to five cities, many exhibits, numerous movies and several books, I am reporting on my final stop on the tour: the New York Botanical Gardens.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjPPsXdT8le1Hm5GukTb_Dbfgds4gYMSFzkCCmSn9AvTtzRAsJswl9tJNTYXtm9tUTM1Tide4iWVRQwz5PMkH_WLTWWE855U8wdu2z5TIFIP36UdLHEdQGLOWkQUmi6Oyh3SyDhgoZgUzJ/s1600/IMG_1307.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjPPsXdT8le1Hm5GukTb_Dbfgds4gYMSFzkCCmSn9AvTtzRAsJswl9tJNTYXtm9tUTM1Tide4iWVRQwz5PMkH_WLTWWE855U8wdu2z5TIFIP36UdLHEdQGLOWkQUmi6Oyh3SyDhgoZgUzJ/s320/IMG_1307.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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At the height of her popularity O'Keefe accepted an offer by the Hawaiian Pineapple Company (Dole) to spend 9 weeks at their expense in Hawaii. The caveat was that they would have two paintings they could use for advertising. A coup for them except that Ms O'Keefe was her usual stubborn self and refused to stay where they had contracted and also refused to be told what to paint (pineapples, duh!). Taking a commercial assignment was seen by her husband Steiglitz as demeaning but she saw an opportunity to see a new part of the world. And see it she did.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvccAt0i0L9mtWabP2yb_u4DqhXHR8cZSGqFm6YciIg6VVY2v-dFDn43sR5fcJysJ7dW0S8MwcD89nKjHlOhnFeJTp8EUZe9yfvXRxvS3TucGJsYf6-tE9BsmHi4wt63VTX4no4U9FAOvl/s1600/IMG_1310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1197" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvccAt0i0L9mtWabP2yb_u4DqhXHR8cZSGqFm6YciIg6VVY2v-dFDn43sR5fcJysJ7dW0S8MwcD89nKjHlOhnFeJTp8EUZe9yfvXRxvS3TucGJsYf6-tE9BsmHi4wt63VTX4no4U9FAOvl/s320/IMG_1310.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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Flowers already spoke to her and in this new tropical climate she just could not get enough of all the gorgeous exotic varieties.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCFhJGNiOKPjOt29mTS4Wu1ddyJLeR_aK8BxqtDWYzfaD_SNnK_lhWIbrIimRhaGDiGO3MC73RbT6yYxnKOqoh36ID8DH7Kv5FXet7aVma_x676CuorjQ6qsbLh5ETBEGlDVrEFjyVY10I/s1600/IMG_1311.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="578" data-original-width="1600" height="115" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCFhJGNiOKPjOt29mTS4Wu1ddyJLeR_aK8BxqtDWYzfaD_SNnK_lhWIbrIimRhaGDiGO3MC73RbT6yYxnKOqoh36ID8DH7Kv5FXet7aVma_x676CuorjQ6qsbLh5ETBEGlDVrEFjyVY10I/s320/IMG_1311.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The scenery was unlike any other she had ever seen. Here are four paintings she made of the same waterfall...a common exercise when she was intrigued by the landscape. All four are now in separate collections but it is easy to see the similarities in them as she explored the subject.</div>
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After living with the field hands, traveling the islands and walking miles on the black beaches O'keefe had completed 20 paintings. She offered the Pineapple Company one of a heliconia and one of a papaya tree. They were, to put it mildly, furious and both parties to the contract felt miserable.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4fSH1rEwglHaEbshWfaJ4Oz3xQps_jaO4NegdKP93StoaTu-4wDlaMIwsyKyAi1G6m-KRpV_xOEN4KYobfS31Be2uEmvm0ddNwowanSb4kB5XmiFh5YwGkcj114VDfiKRwZMbIxpMdsoU/s1600/IMG_1308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1466" data-original-width="1600" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4fSH1rEwglHaEbshWfaJ4Oz3xQps_jaO4NegdKP93StoaTu-4wDlaMIwsyKyAi1G6m-KRpV_xOEN4KYobfS31Be2uEmvm0ddNwowanSb4kB5XmiFh5YwGkcj114VDfiKRwZMbIxpMdsoU/s320/IMG_1308.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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By the time she got back to New York she had decided to start a pineapple piece working from her memory when one arrived on her doorstep shipped by the Hawaiian Pineapple Company. She finished her painting and they ended up using both in their advertising. See below.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfc5EqcW9k83LOCOYSHxltCWB5EkwGne4ruFck1z8CKgBTrgc_3iFThyGiqLwiJdHEiZ4YKvvFex9yzACkVyqsyrMFsSYR0O71kGDd7PaeNFX2BeJ3Ofjm1XfnTGIbTLtSmEddaY8rroJt/s1600/IMG_1312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfc5EqcW9k83LOCOYSHxltCWB5EkwGne4ruFck1z8CKgBTrgc_3iFThyGiqLwiJdHEiZ4YKvvFex9yzACkVyqsyrMFsSYR0O71kGDd7PaeNFX2BeJ3Ofjm1XfnTGIbTLtSmEddaY8rroJt/s320/IMG_1312.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Once again Ms O'Keefe's star is shining brightly so the NYBG seized upon the idea of a gallery show of her work done in Hawaii while highlighting the plants in their conservatory which inspired and informed her work. It was brilliant and a lovely marriage of the environment and her art. It was another link in my study to understand her work and her motivation.</div>
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Even though it took 9 arduous days of trains and steam ships to reach Hawaii, Georgia returned after Stieglitz died. It opened her world to new possibilities through travel and was the beginning of many exotic excursions she took world wide. </div>
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Now that this pilgrimage has come to a close I hope to dive deep into thinking about what I have gained, not just in knowledge about her but in ways to apply the most intriguing aspects of her work (in my opinion) to my own. More on this to come I promise.</div>
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From an exhibit of her clothing to spending time where she lived, from an NYC exhibit to a piece in Bentonville, AR this has been a compelling search for work done by an extraordinary woman. While she had an uncanny (and ahead of her time) understanding of "branding" and personal presentation, she never succumbed to letting her own art conform to popular trends. She exhibited an amazing personal strength in light of the many obstacles she had to work her way around in becoming who she knew she was. </div>
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I'm almost sorry to see my list get all checked off...but not sorry to have made this fascinating journey.</div>
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-size: large;"><b>MORE TO SHARE,</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-large;"><i>Cindy</i></span></div>
Cmichaudarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01095705340286414183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087871473757812623.post-23951463549389212552018-09-21T00:30:00.000-04:002018-09-21T00:30:02.932-04:00Cone Flower Truth or Dare<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Sometimes artists will paint from the same reference</i></div>
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<i>photo over and over again. Perhaps a few know</i></div>
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<i>they have a winner for sale but others, like me,</i></div>
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<i>want to see just how differently they</i></div>
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And so it goes with these pinky-purple cone flowers...something I find very difficult to render. I'm still deciding if the outcome of the latest was a win or a loss but I can say honestly that I took the dare not to stick totally to the truth!</div>
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This is a basic rendering of the lights and darks and I tried to make a few notes as to where my blossoms were to end up. I think I was using up the tail end of a day's left over paint so I knew I had a long way to go from here.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcF-Cd9FOoOgAs5TLWwTkmAqPX6tcMFcE37B3iAZ4qn1VzhgyVKoy2KGBFjiugyQ34VQLcwYU2MuQGaA99xK2rs9Epggt5QJmpvDsp0H2ewFXvcczOQIDjdis4F0H2N6HL8Dn06LqnVAHB/s1600/IMG_1053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcF-Cd9FOoOgAs5TLWwTkmAqPX6tcMFcE37B3iAZ4qn1VzhgyVKoy2KGBFjiugyQ34VQLcwYU2MuQGaA99xK2rs9Epggt5QJmpvDsp0H2ewFXvcczOQIDjdis4F0H2N6HL8Dn06LqnVAHB/s320/IMG_1053.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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A little more definition of a rock and a much better flow of color in the background.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmiVBflU_piGmVw0OXFXhj6sLcxLTykg-aUjsrb8gvLz0GxAqr15INwkkPDb1HNGjY7X7IabTfRE8bFLg6T7f3E77rvj144USINEFjR1MMFxkk68snMBqiijFCbUTNPDTvkJqcyrC0Kh1v/s1600/IMG_1100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmiVBflU_piGmVw0OXFXhj6sLcxLTykg-aUjsrb8gvLz0GxAqr15INwkkPDb1HNGjY7X7IabTfRE8bFLg6T7f3E77rvj144USINEFjR1MMFxkk68snMBqiijFCbUTNPDTvkJqcyrC0Kh1v/s320/IMG_1100.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Now this is when I am so tempted to quit: drab, drab, drab. I like the little yellow-green leaf near the bottom right hand corner....that's all. But "tests" should be pushed until they are beyond salvage and the optimist in me thought I could maybe, just maybe keep on.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO5PHjZh9-rFiwwETI8EpqXG-J8vK_kX971-J-UN41Ln6jvj7xuoDw8-Ic7DxDmBYYvtWMC53toRd404QjFnB0Ia90ZK1O5ZR9xFPvQUxo9BK-SHCPMePL4KoNBCMeqKPRoHA5DCvOtj_L/s1600/IMG_1279.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO5PHjZh9-rFiwwETI8EpqXG-J8vK_kX971-J-UN41Ln6jvj7xuoDw8-Ic7DxDmBYYvtWMC53toRd404QjFnB0Ia90ZK1O5ZR9xFPvQUxo9BK-SHCPMePL4KoNBCMeqKPRoHA5DCvOtj_L/s320/IMG_1279.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Here is a detail of one flower...not too much to brag about but definitely an improvement from above.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4HO76PXZT1Gd6FNzKLpOHl1NjEMXyN69s5mbefAM18n-rfggMAK5F1wcO4_YKAU4e3OlTjrdAyUlEpDUhg0F-Kk-JT-DBKuuGUNkXfERWO9zVvjI5dYSYE5OD-TqQxu-2jDBbY0-vN80/s1600/IMG_1275.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1168" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4HO76PXZT1Gd6FNzKLpOHl1NjEMXyN69s5mbefAM18n-rfggMAK5F1wcO4_YKAU4e3OlTjrdAyUlEpDUhg0F-Kk-JT-DBKuuGUNkXfERWO9zVvjI5dYSYE5OD-TqQxu-2jDBbY0-vN80/s320/IMG_1275.jpg" width="233" /></a></div>
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<i>Cone Flowers, 12 x 16, oil</i></div>
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Done. At least done for me. Agony in the home stretch and almost wish I had quit sooner and used my time elsewhere. But that's not the point, is it? </div>
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7;">Here's a bonus note:</span></b> take some time, zoom in and find some small spots you do like in this painting: a certain petal, a color contrast, a splash of texture....just look carefully and state a couple of things that you like. There. You have just widened your ability in appreciating art...a very useful technique at a gallery or a museum. You don't have to like it en toto....but try to find something that intrigues you and you will begin to define your own taste. </div>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><b>TAKING THE DARE,</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-large;"><i>Cindy</i></span></div>
Cmichaudarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01095705340286414183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087871473757812623.post-58451926013698312052018-09-14T00:30:00.000-04:002018-09-14T00:30:03.499-04:00Step by Step...a Heron<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Sometimes you know exactly what</i></div>
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<i>you want a painting to look like when done;</i></div>
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<i>sometimes you just go with the flow</i></div>
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<i>and see what happens...</i></div>
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And while the subject of this painting (or the object) was to be a white and grey heron slightly off center, I was much more interested in seeing how the surrounding foliage and foreground waters were going to take shape. Here's the step by step, over the course of several days and one vacation!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiJ9wCYrypXyuWerYhw7J0XVH4xRAZmOivgRgk25vUjqN92PfLxCBP0vO-Ks1-GZxV3p5qFeJcb2hpc5pEOtlUUliSYDeiu3NPbXpcYq6IHl4gyavm5ZPLhFo6bU7lw-nyghwhXVrRjZlh/s1600/IMG_1045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiJ9wCYrypXyuWerYhw7J0XVH4xRAZmOivgRgk25vUjqN92PfLxCBP0vO-Ks1-GZxV3p5qFeJcb2hpc5pEOtlUUliSYDeiu3NPbXpcYq6IHl4gyavm5ZPLhFo6bU7lw-nyghwhXVrRjZlh/s400/IMG_1045.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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blocking out the lights & darks</div>
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establishing some texture & motion</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5EGd1oTRV93t2VTWKfDyxujf1XMZJbjOPn8-Vyu_qd7O32aX7bT3bwTHHNM-xpYed-mVpEa2JUrEFaqkgmPZf5OnGMS5jVkHRNf96d3LBfdMi360gDH3Ae2R3gZ7-QRzb1WguOkCrISan/s1600/IMG_1054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5EGd1oTRV93t2VTWKfDyxujf1XMZJbjOPn8-Vyu_qd7O32aX7bT3bwTHHNM-xpYed-mVpEa2JUrEFaqkgmPZf5OnGMS5jVkHRNf96d3LBfdMi360gDH3Ae2R3gZ7-QRzb1WguOkCrISan/s400/IMG_1054.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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playing with the colors</div>
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stating the direction of energies</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1NaU7gB4yBTMIX_0XwYWon4MIQiLmwTdWRu6drc14O6StLwATKzUs8jeT4iWuMMqrXFEQBRbvedGNoX4Wnb4DjjRgzvCSZQhMUhKjbXTu5f3gPoJ4t7roOOLs5urapYVekf17JZxnLpo/s1600/IMG_1277.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1198" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1NaU7gB4yBTMIX_0XwYWon4MIQiLmwTdWRu6drc14O6StLwATKzUs8jeT4iWuMMqrXFEQBRbvedGNoX4Wnb4DjjRgzvCSZQhMUhKjbXTu5f3gPoJ4t7roOOLs5urapYVekf17JZxnLpo/s400/IMG_1277.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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pushing the "hole" back further </div>
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placing the bird</div>
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establishing the patterns of reflections</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQwBKB1VAHPlScda2KhwVKEsSnpfXAGVQV4b9eZ9RKfFFxE_wclto4Sj3qeAuQt9YFy7JKwsuPobcVp-SxWpsuL5g-goqkyXVgNd33g-0ZmEi_1jSSd39p0mNNZ5YChH6WdQQCey-4doD/s1600/IMG_1278.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1300" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQwBKB1VAHPlScda2KhwVKEsSnpfXAGVQV4b9eZ9RKfFFxE_wclto4Sj3qeAuQt9YFy7JKwsuPobcVp-SxWpsuL5g-goqkyXVgNd33g-0ZmEi_1jSSd39p0mNNZ5YChH6WdQQCey-4doD/s640/IMG_1278.jpg" width="518" /></a></div>
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<b>Sacred Space,</b> 16 x 12, </div>
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oil on canvas</div>
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finished</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6fr77olqutPnjHnI-0G6LbaNC_noOJPbtYz0decgHN9Uw-AEvGlNIO_mOC6CNNRI9wgsaYqAjGhH3CTBuSQeTgQjfH_UijromaoHwxH_Niuy7-flxNpUpWVDZPqb-aUn3IYCG10qy9Gn/s1600/IMG_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6fr77olqutPnjHnI-0G6LbaNC_noOJPbtYz0decgHN9Uw-AEvGlNIO_mOC6CNNRI9wgsaYqAjGhH3CTBuSQeTgQjfH_UijromaoHwxH_Niuy7-flxNpUpWVDZPqb-aUn3IYCG10qy9Gn/s320/IMG_1280.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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detail of texture and color</div>
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This is a rather large "test tile" for me as I usually try to do experiments on an 8 x 10 canvas. However I am finding that with a large, flat brush it is much easier to work on a larger size support...there is much more real estate to play with and for me that means more color gradations which is what the experiment is all about. (Now what will I do with all those 8 x 10's I have stacked up and ready to go? hmmmmm)</div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79; font-size: large;"><b>SPLASHING AROUND,</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: x-large;"><i>Cindy</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">p.s. </span>I am making too many experiments to frame them all. Someday I will get the best ones loaded up onto my website for purchase "as is." Meanwhile if you find one that rings your chimes let me know; the "test tiles" are an inexpensive way to enjoy original art. <span style="color: blue;">email: art@cindymichaud.com</span></div>
Cmichaudarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01095705340286414183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087871473757812623.post-22322086655641926152018-09-07T00:30:00.000-04:002018-09-07T00:30:08.055-04:00Life is "Riveting"...Revisit Rosie<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>I titled it "Unfinished Business"</i></div>
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<i>when I<a href="http://cindymichaudart.blogspot.com/2016/12/rosie-revisited.html"> first posted a portrait </a>I had done of my </i></div>
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<i>building friend Mo. Little did I know how </i></div>
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<i><b>unfinished</b> the </i><i>story really was...</i></div>
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Off on another Habitat for Humanity build, this time to Goldendale, WA, I was looking forward to seeing my friend Mo who had appropriately posed for this photo when we built in James Island, SC.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBD_ZQtZze90xqJRT5hTvDVGQwLPbw7iwoUeUGnhqJJrhshcim_rgvWgaMF-WHVDFfR7l6A0suCtfzZru06Ii-bM_5B_5F-r2DibFQCsbMfHmjPfWbCQ22ZrFtYh_n_x0QVFNq_7dDf5K2/s1600/IMG_1160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBD_ZQtZze90xqJRT5hTvDVGQwLPbw7iwoUeUGnhqJJrhshcim_rgvWgaMF-WHVDFfR7l6A0suCtfzZru06Ii-bM_5B_5F-r2DibFQCsbMfHmjPfWbCQ22ZrFtYh_n_x0QVFNq_7dDf5K2/s320/IMG_1160.JPG" width="180" /></a></div>
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Our gang loves the "Rosie the Riveter" theme and uses it informally when we build. This photo went into a calendar we made and then I painted from my photo:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfcrkwOdgbrVdEINMI7ltKdszX9NBXjJj9CTKaZiYPjtCCSqaKudEOA5UFIWcu_9IKLqOtKNDU36LXAPQAbOEeuhvOxYIhAAylfuWjTfi24k_crYXBEPCO4jLij5mrijnaFmXasc3Ebnft/s1600/IMG_1273.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1174" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfcrkwOdgbrVdEINMI7ltKdszX9NBXjJj9CTKaZiYPjtCCSqaKudEOA5UFIWcu_9IKLqOtKNDU36LXAPQAbOEeuhvOxYIhAAylfuWjTfi24k_crYXBEPCO4jLij5mrijnaFmXasc3Ebnft/s400/IMG_1273.jpg" width="292" /></a></div>
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<i>Unfinished Business, 24 x 18</i></div>
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<i>oil on canvas</i></div>
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But apparently that was not the end of the story! Life (and art) has a way of circling back when you least expect it.</div>
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We were tickled when The Dalles Habitat affiliate gifted us with blue tee shirts featuring Rosie on the back and our build date - they even made poka-dot neck coolers we used as hair ties. So of course we were happy to oblige one day when they asked us to wear the ensemble for a "photo op" promoting the build. What we did not expect was this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHN1UW7WOj65bAViHurCtNlunPmPqdmsG-DWwC03Vd-V_LE1AzHeqPdyuWRpeixcKVMpsjRnGYsy49k8qqftcda3AfEc86ZvQfhxKBHKHUiuEaJBjhZr6dFzkIJx7NnCTwMpGI8jGQT12x/s1600/IMG_1135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHN1UW7WOj65bAViHurCtNlunPmPqdmsG-DWwC03Vd-V_LE1AzHeqPdyuWRpeixcKVMpsjRnGYsy49k8qqftcda3AfEc86ZvQfhxKBHKHUiuEaJBjhZr6dFzkIJx7NnCTwMpGI8jGQT12x/s400/IMG_1135.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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The opportunity to meet and spend time with the REAL Rosie, Ada Wyn Parker, seen above with our enthusiastic team.</div>
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Ada is 95 years old and every inch the fashion maven she was in her day. For a long history lesson on how she and her sister Naomi were eventually identified by a researcher as the inspiration for the iconic poster "We can do it" <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/22/obituaries/naomi-parker-fraley-the-real-rosie-the-riveter-dies-at-96.html">read this NYTimes story.</a> There is so much interesting information about how the poster came to be (for in-house use at Westinghouse to discourage absenteeism or striking by newly hired women) and the many other representational (even Norman Rockwell) uses it spawned. </div>
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Ada was adorable...and inspiring. She shared that she was the first female, several days after her 18th birthday to be hired at the Naval Air Station in Alameda, CA. Her sister Naomi, two years older, was uninterested until she realized that making a whopping 65 cents an hour entitled Ada to buy new clothes....she immediately headed down to apply. <a href="http://www.thedalleschronicle.com/news/2018/may/25/riveting-adventure/">More here.</a></div>
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Women did not own work clothes and were having accidents with long hair, high heels and skirts, so when told to tie up their hair the Parker sisters shunned the plain white head scarves and brought in their own for a little more panache...thus the inspiration for the now well recognized red and white dotted bandana. Ada retired after 7 years of repairing planes that had seen combat while her sister went on to waitress for many years following. Naomi passed away several years ago but Ada is newly enthused about doing her part to inspire women today to leave their comfort zone.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCRDM5BbvV0aEYSbR9E6qLsK1TK-GxDbobgKcZ9j2JoZHrh2-8Hm_r5JvUXwV6KfL1w25VnYkP6eieNbrEthk28PvXCfUC-v9osWzCk4WUopTd6RLJAaOuHcfhSLIRw_wMWY0Yuif6XcOo/s1600/IMG_1174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCRDM5BbvV0aEYSbR9E6qLsK1TK-GxDbobgKcZ9j2JoZHrh2-8Hm_r5JvUXwV6KfL1w25VnYkP6eieNbrEthk28PvXCfUC-v9osWzCk4WUopTd6RLJAaOuHcfhSLIRw_wMWY0Yuif6XcOo/s320/IMG_1174.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Ada, aka "Rosie," stopped by our build site to drive a symbolic nail into the header over our front door, signing her name and best wishes for the new family.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyrKuW-ZnaKNEWyJiQ5BmK1Kqkzrgr4QqwV61E2HmXSyGZmKw9AAJ4scSHUJ85h8cICepU4uqm2ty5ysql5u_x_jmOwAf65Dfz9zZfukOVN_02jH-4hN_8xrJadNHm_gzLdmhW27QFsXCg/s1600/IMG_1177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="778" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyrKuW-ZnaKNEWyJiQ5BmK1Kqkzrgr4QqwV61E2HmXSyGZmKw9AAJ4scSHUJ85h8cICepU4uqm2ty5ysql5u_x_jmOwAf65Dfz9zZfukOVN_02jH-4hN_8xrJadNHm_gzLdmhW27QFsXCg/s320/IMG_1177.JPG" width="155" /></a></div>
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As Mo and I helped her back up I realized that I don't need to wait to age 95 to encourage younger women on their path...I should get going on that mission right now. And I loved that this intimate experience with an icon: the history, the poster, the women behind the war effort, the strides made since then and the miles yet to be covered - became so alive and real to me because of a "chance encounter." Chance? Maybe, maybe not.....the power of art still amazes me.</div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>COLOFULLY RIVETED,</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;"><i>Cindy</i></span></div>
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Cmichaudarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01095705340286414183noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087871473757812623.post-82598557520814413542018-08-24T00:30:00.000-04:002018-08-24T00:30:01.378-04:00Not So Fast At the Finish<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>I'm trying hard to practice a fast, energetic start.</i></div>
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<i>The kind where bravery and confidence just</i></div>
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<i>the subject at hand. BUT such</i></div>
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<i>a beginning requires a careful, thoughtful finish, </i></div>
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<i>a very critical eye </i><i>and a lot of patience. </i></div>
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<i>As I said: I'm trying!</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNGo0xUJiRJlrJxjksED7whiS1rSuhdlxZc3xXMQvP8gbFmBWbVDyFt56kMx32O7g_Y6VcHbAk-G9QSFx0trctQcepF7C59Xnzhwhjc9aKn1_D_dB9xzHGK6f9jOpPFHqcMU2sHeAt_oPT/s1600/IMG_1081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1286" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNGo0xUJiRJlrJxjksED7whiS1rSuhdlxZc3xXMQvP8gbFmBWbVDyFt56kMx32O7g_Y6VcHbAk-G9QSFx0trctQcepF7C59Xnzhwhjc9aKn1_D_dB9xzHGK6f9jOpPFHqcMU2sHeAt_oPT/s320/IMG_1081.jpg" width="257" /></a></div>
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<i>30" x 24" oil on canvas</i></div>
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I was fairly certain this piece was finished. But how does one know? Perhaps I was tired of it.</div>
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It's hard to tell but when you are left with a "something's not right" feeling it's best to stop work and take a loooong break.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7YGo7VCPmf7TOd6P1dVMQXJNHlF67-kOLxuqwbjPobV60cG9LHoNIpJGVpleqv7mVC0oRNVFmRuWaqWP6JXU_0wrLgkIRm-gxPlpT2FjOQ5dRVcsjdLRYHBsi3P48eG_GuFLSJbM8reHp/s1600/IMG_1040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1270" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7YGo7VCPmf7TOd6P1dVMQXJNHlF67-kOLxuqwbjPobV60cG9LHoNIpJGVpleqv7mVC0oRNVFmRuWaqWP6JXU_0wrLgkIRm-gxPlpT2FjOQ5dRVcsjdLRYHBsi3P48eG_GuFLSJbM8reHp/s320/IMG_1040.jpg" width="254" /></a></div>
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Staring at it at this stage I made a specific list of "to-do's" needed. The scene was fairly believable and after some lightening (see first illustration) and color enhancement, I was just plain stumped. But again....that gut feeling....</div>
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I had to be away from the studio for about four days so put it out of my mind...or so I thought. Apparently my subconscience was working overtime as one night I woke right up with a possible solution: lighten up the foreground trees. I could hardly wait to get back to the easel and experiment.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg69ybc0fZA7s6CSD0itQ3qwwJ-Df7wG8VKI1-l5BH25tQdsns1nCptjUw5pzXsICc1trYKVMEb8HgLnzuOAADCUTb88aih7O9YmpYEfk5PR1HHgvWp5cokAUaLKYFAuRNKl2yXYtWco_S_/s1600/IMG_1115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1272" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg69ybc0fZA7s6CSD0itQ3qwwJ-Df7wG8VKI1-l5BH25tQdsns1nCptjUw5pzXsICc1trYKVMEb8HgLnzuOAADCUTb88aih7O9YmpYEfk5PR1HHgvWp5cokAUaLKYFAuRNKl2yXYtWco_S_/s400/IMG_1115.jpg" width="317" /></a></div>
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<i>"Lay Me Down Like a River Tonight"</i></div>
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<i>S</i>ubtle, very subtle. The rationale that came to me slowly is that when we view a scene from life that is back lit we still see plenty of colors in the foreground. They are darker than the directly lit areas but it is the camera that forces those objects to appear almost black. It just didn't "read" properly in my mind. While I had wet paint I cranked up some of the colorations in the lightest areas, organized a few limbs and did some pruning. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB5mmCEKU1y7DCcuO3iPLWMLLB4mEO5E3UD9Cml5HoTBNPYvSRmQvbGzoMzJ8N1GLzH_XGPGULB6jvT_gqtaL2JXPcHwh3vq_ubAMI6Txul8_b6uCQmWmUxg9MTTJB10rjF8ei_yZ2Tr8Q/s1600/IMG_1116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB5mmCEKU1y7DCcuO3iPLWMLLB4mEO5E3UD9Cml5HoTBNPYvSRmQvbGzoMzJ8N1GLzH_XGPGULB6jvT_gqtaL2JXPcHwh3vq_ubAMI6Txul8_b6uCQmWmUxg9MTTJB10rjF8ei_yZ2Tr8Q/s320/IMG_1116.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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<i>detail close up showing texture and color</i></div>
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For the record there is no black per se on this piece. I mix the darkest areas (as opposed to using the color black) so they are more interesting...but again, sometimes in a reproduced photo on a blog, the darks read black.</div>
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Whew boy....this is not to say that I might not find something that needs correcting next week. A fresh eye is the best way to spot what's needed after spending such intensive time on one piece. In fact, I recently added a little glitz to the painting I shared last week before popping it in a frame. </div>
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So when people ask how long it takes to make a painting, do they really want to hear about those hours spent in self-critique or the nights my asleep-brain grapples with a problem? Probably not.</div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>Slow and Easy,</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><i>Cindy</i></span></div>
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p.s. This week I am in Oregon working on a new form of art: house construction! A gang of fun ladies is spending the week on a<a href="https://www.habitat.org/"> Habitat for Humanity Build </a>learning all kinds of new skills. My husband comes out to join me at week's end and we are headed to explore the wild coast of Oregon. So I won't be sending an art update next Friday...it feels odd as I love the discipline of not missing a week. But let's change it up. Enjoy your weekend and I'll be back soon with, hopefully, some new thoughts.</div>
Cmichaudarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01095705340286414183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087871473757812623.post-14536300894400675102018-08-17T16:12:00.000-04:002018-08-17T16:12:00.554-04:00That Easy, Peaceful Feeling<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Some scenes you never tire of. Such is the</i></div>
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<i>path in the reference photo I used below. I have painted</i></div>
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<i>it numerous times. I have had several students</i></div>
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<i>take it on. It's never the same and the story always</i></div>
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<i>unfolds slightly differently.</i></div>
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I think I took the photo on a hike out west but I wouldn't swear to it. It's one of those personal yet generic photos of a path in the mountains. It offers foreground, middle ground, background and sky. There's a rhythm to the path and it's my go-to when I need to visit a familiar place while painting.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7FBGOwGch-6XXwjdydG9krj2Lc-AiXImOjPV4Zct_ax538EP7F4ocZZKHBp0uWYNh2xgxLQqu7LKAd_zPbZqAj_h8Cxwvug0CQVJCWDiBl7azJ5OhyphenhyphenfncBoJoycn0g2KYdX6sUPiXNUQH/s1600/IMG_1043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7FBGOwGch-6XXwjdydG9krj2Lc-AiXImOjPV4Zct_ax538EP7F4ocZZKHBp0uWYNh2xgxLQqu7LKAd_zPbZqAj_h8Cxwvug0CQVJCWDiBl7azJ5OhyphenhyphenfncBoJoycn0g2KYdX6sUPiXNUQH/s400/IMG_1043.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I started this in oil using a lot of medium to build up some texture. You can easily see the wide brush strokes left from the first layer of paint.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPVgurPt-IN-n3wWq_0_D9Ijb1syca5R4i7NQ9vcm2i6z08yeOY-tV8GnNZrshHhmQx-KG9AJR4cD9Hv6UYisj1zuGDkecxmj_rC5IEHcZr0W3v-9MLeSg-qQyUVvpP4mMoiVx6yTg2tPC/s1600/IMG_1052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPVgurPt-IN-n3wWq_0_D9Ijb1syca5R4i7NQ9vcm2i6z08yeOY-tV8GnNZrshHhmQx-KG9AJR4cD9Hv6UYisj1zuGDkecxmj_rC5IEHcZr0W3v-9MLeSg-qQyUVvpP4mMoiVx6yTg2tPC/s320/IMG_1052.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I enjoy starting several pieces at a time so that I don't overwork them and have something to do while the first ones dry.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-gfqIIINCffU6J2oBGrE7fWVuxMu_8YpLfncKikOzui1pxNGDjgXckiJqLSWg3ZJKFfHI80rUhnCUmDi9T1VEkd7XbFCx-asjjVv5GK2Bw227WeX3TYnCfAUrR8tHMebjNB70Q_WTEBFn/s1600/IMG_1055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-gfqIIINCffU6J2oBGrE7fWVuxMu_8YpLfncKikOzui1pxNGDjgXckiJqLSWg3ZJKFfHI80rUhnCUmDi9T1VEkd7XbFCx-asjjVv5GK2Bw227WeX3TYnCfAUrR8tHMebjNB70Q_WTEBFn/s320/IMG_1055.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I refined my colors a bit using the texture of the first layer and adding more where I could. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizJdmpqHaMlEao5VxNtKcYQdgXasB_XOE9B4WPPrtR8Zp_115V4Tyrf_I68h-jmLWAbwGH2WRvnkb5Xcywe3cXni8o-1HNj4V1zNyW36vtbK1afNjVFr6nVJkRXn7NxpkRvuGfkN8yYNmc/s1600/IMG_1101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1191" data-original-width="1600" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizJdmpqHaMlEao5VxNtKcYQdgXasB_XOE9B4WPPrtR8Zp_115V4Tyrf_I68h-jmLWAbwGH2WRvnkb5Xcywe3cXni8o-1HNj4V1zNyW36vtbK1afNjVFr6nVJkRXn7NxpkRvuGfkN8yYNmc/s400/IMG_1101.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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And slowly I tightened things up, softened some edges and planted the flowers. By this stage I was meandering slowly down the path thinking it might take a downward slant just around the bend. I was looking forward to seeing if the flowers would blanket a meadow below or if more rocks might show up so I could sit on them and breath a bit. Sometimes painting is a bit like watching the travel channel, you can visit wherever you wish without leaving home. Doesn't that mountain air smell good?</div>
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"That Easy, Peaceful Feeling"</div>
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oil, 12 x 16, unframed</div>
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on canvas</div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><b>Hiking the Easy Way,</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;"><i>Cindy</i></span></div>
Cmichaudarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01095705340286414183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087871473757812623.post-26832973636239597532018-08-10T00:30:00.000-04:002018-08-10T00:30:12.188-04:00Real Magic<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"The most beautiful experience we can have is the</i></div>
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<i>mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all</i></div>
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<i>true science. Whoever does not know it, who can </i></div>
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<i>no longer pause to wonder</i></div>
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<i>or stand rapt in awe,</i></div>
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<i>is as good as dead."</i></div>
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<i><b>Albert Einstein</b></i></div>
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I admit to an insatiable curiosity. I love to find out how things are done...not that I intend to do all of them, but I love learning about the twists and turns it takes to master a variety of skills. EXCEPT, except...when I don't. Magic is a wondrous thing and too much curiosity can kill the cat (as they say). <a href="https://bloomsbury.com/us/here-is-real-magic-9781632864246/">Read <b>Here is Real Magic</b> by Nate Staniforth</a> and you will understand when I say that some things are best not understood: leaving some explanations as "magic" is rapturous and exciting feeling. Can't we all use a bit of magic in our lives?</div>
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That is exactly how I feel about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigo_dye">indigo dying.</a> You fold and clamp or sew and pull and then dip and oxidize and then dip again....and, and...unfold, rinse: MAGIC! You know from my past <a href="http://cindymichaudart.blogspot.com/2018/01/o-glory-shibori.html">blogs on shibori </a>that the entire process has amused and delighted me every step of the way. What I do not want to know is the why...or the how....or the because. When I get too scientific the fun flies out the window.</div>
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So why do I rant now? Probably rationalization or self-defense. </div>
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My intrepid dyeing buddy, Barbara, and I took off for the <a href="https://localcloth.wildapricot.org/">Asheville Local Cloth </a>Indigo interest group this week where we would share a "community dye vat" and trade ideas with fellow dyers. Before leaving we took time to fold and clamp and, in Barbara's case, sew and pull, our designs.</div>
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The group was delightful but I admit to an impatient itching to get to the pot....talk was fine but I was like a kid wanting to unwrap the presents. The community dye vat is huge:</div>
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The leader would take buckets from this massive container and add a mixture to it and then warm it (for animal proteins, i.e. wool and silk) and leave another cool (for cellulose, i.e. cotton and bamboo). <br />
Then it would stabilize, get pH tested and yadda, yadda...yawn. This is where my mind drifted as others took copious notes. <br />
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The pH test (above) and the wait for a green tint and the production of a "bloom" on the top of mixture had me dancing side to side. Oh yes, I do admire the patience and the knowledge of those who knew what was really happening chemically, I do, I do....but I was ready for magic.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVwsin1qZGueEZQtmb58jbqPw0w9zqY2WDmIHn0ivVWy3cuQot7dlgwVI_Jo3CeyOI48B2t9aHoK9ieiHUoPzLQY5fgF_to4ZaT-P9Z6lxGMVoipqfyhksb7NZVNj0yOiI8hfDZexgZcOk/s1600/IMG_1038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVwsin1qZGueEZQtmb58jbqPw0w9zqY2WDmIHn0ivVWy3cuQot7dlgwVI_Jo3CeyOI48B2t9aHoK9ieiHUoPzLQY5fgF_to4ZaT-P9Z6lxGMVoipqfyhksb7NZVNj0yOiI8hfDZexgZcOk/s320/IMG_1038.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Finally we could slowly, slowly lower our fabrics into the correct pot, set the timer, hold the floaters down and wait....The excitement was fever pitch. Timers rang and gloved hands extracted wads of fabric (without bubbles, and no drips) from the pot. We squeezed out the dye and watched as green fabric oxidized into blue and ran them into the alley to drip further. </div>
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We could double (even triple) dip and repeat the process all the while taking notes (not me I confess) on how long the dips must be, how to neutralize with vinegar, which fabrics needed further...blah, blah...blah. I kept checking my dripping wads unable to contain myself.</div>
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Finally we could open, rinse and neutralize. And the magic revealed itself. At least it was magic to me. Kudos to the souls who continued making notes and comparing test pieces. God love them. </div>
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<i>discussing a particular sewing and pulling technique</i></div>
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I was ready to see the result and not give a care how it happened:</div>
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<i>MAGIC!!</i></div>
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Now, do not misread here: I am not dissing those who want, need, search and study to know more. I admire them. It's just that there are some things that need to be just enjoyed and not understood and this, for me, is one of them. Cool, no?</div>
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and my buddy Barbara? She is well on her way to understanding the alchemy of dye and I salute her pursuit and pledge my support in every way. I will call her when I need to know if it is vinegar or salt I need to add and I won't bother her to understand why.</div>
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<i>Barbara's gorgeous work</i></div>
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And before I forget let me share with you the results of a previous<a href="http://adventurequilter.com/?s=Cindy+Michaud+coat&submit=Search"> magical dye day here</a>. My friend <a href="https://adventurequilter.com/">Ellen Lindner, a renowned textile artist</a> paid me a visit and was kind enough to share my project in her blog. Enjoy.</div>
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I hope there is something in your world that is magical, something that you choose not to understand for the simple reason that it would spoil the excitement or the surprise of whatever happens. Sometimes we have to protect our "magical moments" - the world of google and its endless explanations can be helpful - but don't let it rob you of the magic.</div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>Magically Ignorant,</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Cindy</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">p.s. For those deep divers who wonder how a green plant gets harvested and made into a magic blue dye check out <a href="https://blog.ellistextiles.com/2018/07/26/indigo-harvest-in-okinawa/">this blog by Catherine Ellis.</a> (lots of links today! hope you enjoy them all.)</span></div>
Cmichaudarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01095705340286414183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4087871473757812623.post-69953442333793257562018-08-03T00:30:00.000-04:002018-08-03T00:30:16.483-04:00Working Towards a Crescendo...<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"The last thing you paint is </i></div>
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<i>the first thing people</i></div>
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<i> <a href="http://www.andybraitman.com/about/"> Andy Braitman </a> </i></div>
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I'm certain I have quoted Andy before; I never get tired of his nuggets of wisdom. And once again my mind is reeling, full of Andy-isms and new ideas and just-realized a-ha moments when things start (only start) to click into place. It takes a while to recover from a Braitman workshop, he is an energetic painter and an enthusiastic teacher. He leaves us all gasping for air and begging for more!</div>
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This past week was my annual dose of Andy, his July workshop at <a href="http://www.carltongallery.com/">Carlton Gallery</a> here in the High Country. I'll let the process of one of my experiments speak for itself. Our theme this year was "prismatic progression." And it will take a while for me to fully digest it and be able to actually show you what it is. Meanwhile....</div>
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I start with a very small value study - a lot will change between here and finished but it helps to have a roadmap starting out. When complete, the painting may only have a vague similarity to my inspiration photo. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7zPCgFv8rgSYLk4yexe8nkmCmalOBAwSOWSw_-7KBZ29cy7WWtZY29SCe-0_GIPUSsLgoLNpC9aRhC2doHzJ3-3IWRm1qKe20g-ziUg9toiKeEZPTg5NYLJXOTG8GEfRXRvDTgwYXmARa/s1600/IMG_1017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7zPCgFv8rgSYLk4yexe8nkmCmalOBAwSOWSw_-7KBZ29cy7WWtZY29SCe-0_GIPUSsLgoLNpC9aRhC2doHzJ3-3IWRm1qKe20g-ziUg9toiKeEZPTg5NYLJXOTG8GEfRXRvDTgwYXmARa/s320/IMG_1017.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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This is 24 x 20 and the point of this first pass was to put down the values, contours and leave plenty of texture to work against later on. Andy uses a lot of mixed medium at this stage so the large flat bristle brushes can smoosh out a rough surface. Now, I will confess that I got my wrist slapped (gently) for the magenta trees in the middle ground. NOT because they are magenta but because they are almost identical blobs of same size shapes dancing across the break. Fixable I was assured.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMc82ZziLwivCk94kFEgM_5yEvlPXWkks3bswfDb348qpO44nvpEpIXmgMHdjOKxRgfRPHJTVUVzbCJPkwGALiLQDHwm3droZu1XFSHi4feFB-5nUvLJjTiQUA1mDLF0y131NR-7nGV6tN/s1600/IMG_1020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMc82ZziLwivCk94kFEgM_5yEvlPXWkks3bswfDb348qpO44nvpEpIXmgMHdjOKxRgfRPHJTVUVzbCJPkwGALiLQDHwm3droZu1XFSHi4feFB-5nUvLJjTiQUA1mDLF0y131NR-7nGV6tN/s320/IMG_1020.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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With the first day's work dry I could move in to add more color keeping in mind that the value study is a guide to tone. This photo was made outside so the colors were captured beautifully. Notice that i have moved the horizon line in from where the not an sketch had it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Y-yWxYM8fXrS_tG7XlceQm9hPhRbkbILkUnmUCslQF-UWi4r-66SnGuLjeRwmpF5h1fFC8u7NgegsQxGcAsqxRo2AY4maI_B13VQYm7qO1Q4EF5kADREE0kMBuAppJLh7SKj9j6Qtxn2/s1600/IMG_1029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1369" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Y-yWxYM8fXrS_tG7XlceQm9hPhRbkbILkUnmUCslQF-UWi4r-66SnGuLjeRwmpF5h1fFC8u7NgegsQxGcAsqxRo2AY4maI_B13VQYm7qO1Q4EF5kADREE0kMBuAppJLh7SKj9j6Qtxn2/s320/IMG_1029.jpg" width="273" /></a></div>
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My apologies for the poor photo above, with little light on it the colors feel washed out. But that is always a good check (a black and white photo) to see if the darks are still holding their own and if transitions in value are believable. I often sit and eat my lunch staring at the piece in this stage. The final applications of paint are much more calculated now and slowly applied.</div>
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Calling it finished. I'm certain you feel better with the magenta somewhat submerged...but it is still evident in places and I think it ties the composition up rather neatly. Exhausting. Too much thinking.</div>
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Practice will make it come much more intuitively. </div>
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It's going to need a name....something better than "River of Angst."</div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"><b>Magentfully yours,</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: x-large;"><i>Cindy</i></span></div>
Cmichaudarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01095705340286414183noreply@blogger.com0