Rosie Revisited

Share the Struggle

I had a wonderful painting instructor whose pithy 

comments still come me.

"Let them see the struggle,"

she urged, whenever I got a tad tight and hung up on

photorealistic details.  "It is far more interesting to view."

Her comment played loud and clear to me this week as I worked on my "Rosie" painting below.  A friend had posed for the redeux and I was feeling uptight about making it look exactly like Monique.  A tall order for a non-portrait artist.  But as "Rosie" revealed herself on canvas I began to like the sketchy-ness of it, the moving lines, the odd colors.  When people dropped by the studio they always paid their respects to Rosie aka Monique with a variety of interesting observations and stories. 

early stages

I began to relax into it remembering (top secret here) that she was being painted on top of a painting that I was retiring...an effort to remind myself that it was all play here, no huge investment other than learning energy.

So I am laying down the brush on her for now.

It may be finished unfinished.

But sharing the struggle is significant.

"Unfinished Business"

oil, 24 x 18, available unframed

A lot of folks I know are mulling over their own unfinished business and it occurs to me that too often we try to hide the struggle, to appear as if there are not hurdles and obstacles and setbacks along the way.  Let's share the struggle, it may prove much easier.  At the very least, as my instructor promised, it will be a lot more interesting.

Color Fully Yours,

Cindy

Saints Among Us

I've always been fascinated by saints.  The stories, the histories, the miracles and the art...not to mention the icons, the relics, the lore and, did I mention, the art.  So without any special saint to call my own I decided to claim several, canonize them, paint them, light a candle for them and then share them.

This dozen admirable women are truly saints you will want to meet.  Some you may already know: Saint Jane of the Generous, Saint Amy of the Adventurous and Saint Kathy of the Courts. 

Others, Saint Sharon of the Survivors, Saint Christabel of the Been-to-Hells, and Saint Wilda of the Wise are saints you will admire and strive to emulate.  They all have miracles to share and they all have walked in our shoes.



If you know art you might detect a bit of Modigliani's influence in the style of portrait.  I love his portrayal of women and found it very freeing to paint from the heart instead of a photograph.  While several of my saints don't recognize their image as fully as others do, to me each portrayal is painted from a careful inventory of memory and imagination.  The book explains the deliberate choice of icons, colors and backgrounds chosen to further each story.

My saints will be hanging at the ArtWorks show in Eau Gallie, Nov. 23 and 24 along with my other work.  But you may order the book on-line by going here.
It's priced at $12.99 which makes it a very affordable gift to share with others.  Get yourself one but don't forget to order a few to share.

Today modern heroes are in short supply, they all seem to be falling off their pedestals rather quickly.  But real saints never put themselves on a pedestal and never held themselves up for example. None of these women ever thought of herself as a saint but each gave me permission to share her story.  If you've been needing a modern day miracle-worker to relate to you will enjoy "Sainted & Painted: Stories of the Not Wholly Holy."

ARTfully yours,
Cindy