The Root of the Issue

In every forest, on every farm, in every orchard on earth, it's what's under the ground that creates what's above the ground. That's why placing your attention on the fruits that you have already grown is futile. You cannot change the fruits that are already hanging on the tree. You can, however, change tomorrow's fruits. But to do so, you will have to dig below the ground and strengthen the roots.

T. Harv Eker

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.

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.

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.  

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.

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.

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....

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,

CURIOUS,

Cindy p.s. all of the above illustrations are still on the easel, works-in-progress!

Different Looks Same Tree!

The more often one paints the same thing the

more one sees deep within the subject.  It is interesting

to try the same scene in different media, changing sizes and

areas of emphasis with each execution.

Find a beautifully rendered subject, whether trees, the human figure, even a vase of flowers, and the likelihood of the artist painting in that genre regularly is very high.  Practice makes perfect. Even sketching out the painting in detail on scratch paper makes me see things I might miss if I jump right into putting paint on canvas.

This is a photo I took in the mountains one fall that for some reason always appealed to me.  However, I knew that composition-wise it could be very tricky.  It's not generally pleasing to put a dark, bold column the entire length of a painting.  It would need careful balance.  But fools do rush in...

Here are three "sketches" all done in watercolor altho on different kinds of paper and in different sizes.  You can see that I left out all the foliage on the left side of the photo...I think I feared having two pillars of dark stripes on the piece.  Mostly I was playing with background colors and shapes and not at all satisfied with any of them.  I have a hard time getting a dark, dark in watercolor and can't seem to accept that.

In this version, still in water color and yet another kind of paper, I decided to abandon the idea of a dark, back lit tree and just use pen and ink for the interesting trunk surface.  I'm liking it better (10 x 8) and think the colors work here.  

But still, I decided one more go would determine whether or not I continued this study perhaps in a much larger format.  So I switched to oils.

The Best View, oil, 7 x 5, framed

available $50

By now I knew that the tree had to be lightened somewhat and balanced by other trees in the background.  I also knew that the fall colors had to be subtle to look as if they were distant.  I like this rendition much better than any of the previous ones.  It could be that I am much more proficient in oil as a medium OR it could be that by the fourth or fifth "study" I had a much better idea of how to handle the subject.

The verdict, for now anyway, is not to execute this scene in a large (24" plus) format.  But I did satisfy my desire to see if it could be done from a composition challenge.

Why are we so resistant to that word "practice?"  I think I will call it "preparation" from now on, it sounds more noble don't you think?

More from Marrakech soon, painting and painting.

Color FULLY Yours,

Cindy

Finding Inspiration

What inspires you?  Whether you paint, craft, pot, garden

or read you are constantly in front of things that have

the ability to inspire new ideas and thoughts.

If we are intentional we can often trace a "sudden" flash of inspiration

back to its original seed.....

Such as...

This photo I took in a hillside town in Umbria, Italy as the sun was going down:

I was in the courtyard of an old castle cooling my heels while waiting on friends.  I loved watching the light come through these trees and get softer and more golden by the minute.  As I noted how the limbs had grown together and gotten intertwined I began to imagine that the roots were likewise tangled up below the surface.  In reality, I thought, these trees have become one in that they support each other visually and invisibly.  The swing made me wonder about the lucky child that was playing beneath the protection of such strong support.  I took a few more photos, watched the light go nearly out and rejoined my friends.

Time passed but every now and then I would re-imagine those limbs reaching out to each other as they grew.  Much like my friends reached out to support me as I grew.

And one day I was cartooning around with pen and ink and watercolor and transformed my thoughts into a more literal drawing of what those trees meant to me.

Yes, I am certain that with more time and thought I could more proficiently depict this...but sometimes whimsy can carry its own message.  I've sold a lot of note cards with this image on it.  People always ask about it.  But the painting remains.  I'm thinking that it is waiting for the right time in the coming year to share yet another message.  Who knows?

So, the next time you are hit on the head with a "great idea" think about where it may have started...it can be a fascinating journey.

Best wishes for your journey into 2017,

Cindy

Naked Beauty

There is something so very appealing to me about trees in the wintertime. Stripped of all the accouterments of color, leaf and blossom, they stand naked to the world showing an elegance of line and shape that can only be appreciated when they are bare.  It is as if they dare to exhibit their bones during this season and without any clothing as a distraction they bravely reveal their age, their shape and their past.  I never tire of studying them.

Of course there are evergreens and hardy pines.  This is the season in which they take the center stage and use the spotlight for all it is worth.  They are lovely, they receive the snow graciously and they become the darling of the Christmas card industry.  But I prefer the maples and oaks and all of those brave enough to winter over without flash or fanfare.

So a peek into my sketchbook this week shares some of the notes I made as I observed the naked beauty.

pencil notes made here reference how a cluster of trees seem to make their their lace-like branch tips into perfect shapes...

 I  played with ways of illustrating the shape and movement of the limbs, not trying to capture the realism but getting the feeling of movement they had, the ballet...

fascination by the shapes of the trees individually as well as en mass made me wonder if they sent out a memo as to the exact length to grow so that an elegant shape could be maintained without any pruning or cutting...

... finding symmetry as .....well as asymmetry within a single tree shape...

Finally, a rough attempt to lay out the gorgeous interplay of three branches outside my bedroom window.  I would wake to their dark shapes back lit by a pink rising sun...moving my head just the tiniest bit would change the entire pattern.  I made many pencil sketches of the limbs, this one is rather same ole same ole....but I am betting there will be a painting or two based on a final, more interesting layout.

Another view on winter trees is expressed by poet Jeffry McDaniel, "I realize there's something incredibly honest about trees in winter; they're experts at letting things go."

GraceFULLY yours,
Cindy

Day #17 - Colorful...original?

Day # 17 

Everglades Farm

5" x 7" watercolor and ink on paper

Visiting the Everglades was almost like going to a foreign country even though I am a life-long Floridian.  The scenery was extraordinarily different and the tropical fruits were amazing...many I'd never seen or eaten before.  One night we were headed back to "civilization" for dinner when we spotted this scene in the rear view mirror. Of course we pulled over and began snapping photos.  The sun setting behind this very orderly palm farm was beautiful in its linear continuity.  My left hand is now tired of small pieces and wants a bigger challenge...this might have to reappear in a much larger format.  I am already planning some changes and additions.  Day 17 of off-hand, colorful, original art feels like a bit of an accomplishment.  Thanks for sharing.

see work of other participants at www.lesliesaeta.blogspot.com

Just Around the Bend

Make me an offer...

 

 

"Just Around the Bend"

oil, 10 x 8, framed to size 14 x 12

 

This seems an appropriate piece for many reasons.  First of all, fall has always been my favorite season as it signals huge change.  Also it was always the start of a new (school) year and nature dressed up with lots of wonderful color.  Secondly, the title is apropos to this time in my life; I can sniff some changes ahead but just can't put my finger on describing them.  Like taking the curve in this painted mountain road. 

 

This will be my first (maybe last) "Make Me An Offer" sale!  Send me an offer to purchase (art@cindymichaud.com) and I'll accept the highest one.  Deadline is Tuesday, September 24.  I can't include shipping in your offer but that will run under $10 depending on where you live.  This is original oil with lots of color and texture.  It will arrive framed as you see above. I've never sold work via on-line auctions so this opportunity may never come again.  But hey, fall does that to me.

 

If you have never travelled with paints and supplies before you probably haven't even imagined what it entails.  Add the international aspect to that and you can see what I am preparing for currently.  While all liquids (includes paints) have to be packed (not carried on) they also have to have paperwork officially proving that they are not flammable to a certain temperature.  Heading to Italy in 2 weeks I am thinking I will need to buy some of the more toxic (and flammable) supplies when I get there.  And travelling light will be a challenge...it may get down to the question of hair dryer or additional canvas!  Hmmmm, haven't decided that one yet.

 

If you want more info on the piece above just send me an email...before I change my mind!

Cindy

 

 

 



Muscle Memory

I recently began thinking about the role of muscle memory in painting. Muscle memory plays a large part in the execution of a painting; knowing that the touch or feel of the brush to canvas is correct for instance.  But it also plays a huge role in how we view what is on the canvas.  Several conversations this month led me to think about this. 

I am thinking about that huge, powerful muscle we call the brain.  It is trained in so many ways we take for granted that to think about it as a muscle is often hard.  When we first begin to paint, or learn to view a painting, the muscle in our brain is not trained to see. We tend to want to replicate every detail onto the canvas.  So many art teachers find themselves cautioning students not to obsess about the detail of the flea on the tail of the dog....when students haven't even mastered painting the dog.  But our untrained brain wants to tell everyone that there is a dog, he has a tail and on that tail with a zillion million little hairs of fur sits a flea about this size and color.  As the student progresses and becomes more confident in their execution they don't feel the need to point out that flea, trusting instead that something else in the work will lead the viewer to that conclusion.  An excellent example of brain muscle memory is when we spot a yield sign in the distance.  Just by shape or color we know what it will say and mean even before we are close enough to read the word on it.

I confess to wanting to provide way too much information.  Sometimes I do not trust myself to convey the gist without detail or, worse yet, I don't trust the viewer to see what I hope he sees.

 Here is a piece of a painting I am currently working on.  Do you know what it is?  Does your brain muscle fill in the details that you cannot see and give you the entire picture?  And why is it important that you see what I see?  I'm not sure.  These are things I must ponder now.  Do I have to tell you where I am for the integrity of the painting or is it ok if you think this is rushing water seen through the holes in dock planking?

Here is more of the piece.  I still think that perhaps I have shortchanged the viewer by providing too much information.  The less detail I give you about where exactly this path is, the more likely your memory will be jogged and finish filling in the details for you.  Then you will know where this is; it will be where you want it to be, NOT a poor representation of a place I was, or a place neither of us recognize but feel that we ought to.  Does this make any sense?

Forgive me if it does not.  But at this juncture I am struggling with the issue, never mind the execution, of exactly how much information (detail) I want to provide the viewer.  Enough to help him enjoy the view but not so much that he notes the flea has too many legs on it to be a credible representation.  This painting has a long way yet to go...at least in mental exercise...before complete.

As you enjoy art this week try to be conscience of what role your brain muscle plays while looking.  Does it rush to fill in the details of what you don't see?  Does it jump to a pleasant memory?  Does it wander down the path imagining what might be around the next bend?  I think the artist has a tough job harnessing the muscle memory of others...but I also think that is an important part of our work.

Cindy

Comfort on the Easel

 

Every now and then I begin to fall in love with a particular painting I am doing and a funny thing happens: I lose all perspective.  Because something about the scene affects me deeply the critical eye vanishes and I just enjoy the creation process.  This would be good except that it does not make it easy to finish the piece as one becomes relunctant to take the baby out into the world for possible judgement...and frankly, since the affair is between the artist and the art, one is rather hesitant to share it anyway.

 

This is what happened on this large piece I call "Comfort."  I just had such a good time with it that it took way longer than usual; don't know whether I was stalling as I did not know how to evaluate the piece or if perhaps I was afraid of finishing it and ending the pleasure.  No telling.  And no excuses for the many rough spots it no doubt contains but are invisible to this "mother's eye.""  It's still on the easel as I try to decide if it is really ready for the frame.

 

Comfort   36 x 24 on board

Mixed media: graphite & acrylic

 

I know these trees: they reside in western NC and I visit them on a hike that my husband and I take often....you can walk right by them on the way up and even miss them watching your feet on the trail down.  But I usually take time to pause and visit and think about all the many ways I receive, and hopefully give, comfort.  It amazes me that these huge trees are living, for the most part, on rocks and stone...somehow surviving, even thriving.  That reassuring pat or gentle touch seems to say "we're in this together, we can manage."  And I could go on about the sun spots peeking through the leaves and I could get very melodramatic and thoughtful....see? I told you I had lost all sense of reason!

 

 

OK. Enough of that, there's another easel in my studio demanding some critical evaluation and scientific analsysis....I hope you have a current favorite piece in your life, some art you enjoy just because you do.

 





Details Can Be Abstract

For some time now I have been painting trees: their trunks, their bark, their shape and their leaves.  I love the body language of trees and I also love how the repetition of certain details becomes abstract when seen apart from the whole of the tree.  Slowly I am beginning to paint other things but I have a few more to share from this particular series.

"Sweetgum"

graphite and acrylic on cradeled board

16 x 20

 

The sweetgum tree intrigues me mainly because of the fascinating little seed pods it puts out which are miserable to step on in bare feet.  Nevertheless I continue to gather these odd little balls since I find them very interesting.  I think I painted this entire piece just so I could showcase the tiny little sample hidden in the "treasure box" tucked onto the lower left hand of the painting.  The trunk of the tree is one of those repetitious details that is almost abstract when zeroed in on alone.  I also find the dark and light patterns of leaves on a full grown tree rather abstract in nature when squinted at.

Anyway, this is my interpretation of a Sweetgum Tree, it's leaves, pods, bark and overall shape.

 

"Sweetgum" detail

box open

 

And here is what the box opens to reveal.  You just can't improve on the design of Mother Nature, can you?  Framing this piece will be a real challenge as I just see everything competing with the art...oh well, who said the artistic challenges end when you sign your name?  I'll have some fun with it.  And if you think of a better title for the piece, please, please share....some days they are so elusive!



EMPTY NESTERS

Empty Nesters

18" x 24"  mixed media

I probably don't need to say much about this piece, the title pretty much explains it all.

The original photo from which this was done was taken by Lynne Townsend

of Todd, N.C.  Lynne does beautiful photography and when I saw this

shot I asked if I could paint it.  She graciously said yes.

Maybe as an empty nester myself I read way too much into this scene but I thoroughly enjoyed

working on my interpretation of it.

"Empty Nesters" is a mixed media piece done in graphite and acrylic washes on a gessoed

wooden board and then framed with a black wooden floater.

Ready to hang!

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The Tangled Webs We Weave....

"Oh what a tangled web we weave..."

how many of us know the rest of the quote?

In naming my newest piece in the Tree Series this sentence came to mind as

I carefully worked on the tiniest of the branches which entertwined

one with the other.

When I asked for my husband's input on title suggestions a version

of this quote came to his mind as well.

So I officially named the piece:

"Tangled Webs Are Woven"

It signalss to me that (intentionally or not) our lives are

so caught up in the lives of those around us that we tend to

get woven into their concerns and needs and sometimes it is hard to know

exactly where one branch starts and another picks up.

But as I wrote the title I figured I'd better double check on the quote that inspired it.

And it was not Mr. Shakespeare!

The entire quote goes:

"Oh the tangled webs we weave

When first we practice to deceive."

and it is attributed to

Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832)

I'm not sure these trees had any intention of practicing deception but I am going

to stick with the title as it captures the many thoughts I had while working on it.

Here's hoping that the branches of your life are all tangled up with

ones that add joy and meaning to your life.

Tangled Webs Are Woven

12 x 16, acrylic and graphite on board, colored pencil

framed in a black floater

Resting...

My tree series proceeds and sometimes I wonder if I see more into

these paintings than is possible?  No worries, I'm certain that

anyone who has ever hiked, or even taken a very long walk can relate to this one:

Honestly, this tree is for real!  We discovered it on a hike and I could not

resist.  Doesn't it look like it sat down and lost the energy

to get back up and move along?  I could feel the pain.

So I could not resist taking numerous photos and

filing them away to paint.

This was sketched out in graphite (a fancy way of saying pencil).  Then

I put watered-down acrylic washes on top, then back to graphite and then

more washes and back and forth until I got it where it is.

I've also spent plenty of time trying to image just how that tree got there

and grew (against all odds) so well in that spot...but mostly I just imagine pulling out

my water bottle and sharing a drink and a chat before I move on

along the trail.

16 x 12, framed with a black floater

available: BUY HERE





Why I like to do "series"

People often ask me how I choose what to paint.  To be honest there are about a 1000 legitimate answers to this question and I get so excited by so many wonderful things (colors, shadows, people, techniques, new media, different sizes and so on) that I often find myself bouncing all over the map trying dribs and drabs of many things.  It's like a wonderful buffet tasting where you never feel like you really ate.

Enter the "series."  I choose to paint in series as it keeps me focused on at least one aspect during several passes.  A series can be a group of 5 pieces (or more) or it may be the entire body of work done over a specific period of time.  It can be linked together by subject, media, size, color, title, or...? 

The object (for me) is to keep one thing consistent and work within that parameter hoping to gain some expertise in execution and greater depth in understanding.  I recently finished about 16 pieces on the subject of stones.  Subject matter was my only link to all of the pieces as I played with different sizes, media and techniques.  I varied the composition from realistic to fantasy.  Get the idea?  This method does not engage some folks but it is very helpful for me.  When I come across a composition now that contains a stone, I am giddy with confidence and ready to tackle it.

This does not mean that I am not "allowed" to paint anything else.  I'll never give up my "play time" doing little experiments or not accept the challenges of a group show etc.  It just gives me an outline from which to continue to learn.  It also results in a body of work that is cohesive enough for an interesting show.

I'm explaining all this as I previously mentioned that you would be seeing a lot of trees coming up.  For several years I have collected trees, photos, notes and locations, that had very human qualities to them.  I am loving every aspect of culling the photos, planning the compositions and centering in on the feelings I think these trees are expressing or experiencing.  I hope some of them appeal to you but if not I know I will enjoy the journey.

Also be on the outlook for "Places." These will be smaller pastels of places I have travelled and enjoyed...little icons of the world, or maybe just scenes that tend to capture the mood of the place.
I will be selling these on my website for only $100.00 and that includes the frame, glass and mat!  Such a deal....they will make great gifts by the way.

That's it!  Back to the studio.

Seeking Support

I like experiments and this one grew naturally out of my study of rocks and the graphite and acrylic techniques I used to paint them.  The photo on my easel is one I took while visiting a garden center that has lots of natural areas of native growth.

I wanted to simplify the composition and concentrate on the detail of the bamboo.

The title?  Well, when you work for a long time on something you begin making up

stories in your head about the personalities of your subject matter...

regardless of whether they are inanimate or not.

I eventually realized that the two bamboo on the right were a "couple," or

at least wanted to be, and they were asking, pleading. "seeking the support"

of the family on the left...no political puns intended!

See the spokesperson on the left...leaning in to make his (!)

point very clear?  What happens next?

(Sorry about the wonky photo....I must have been leaning

too far in one direction...)

not on etsy yet...contact me if interested

The Thinking Tree

click HERE to purchase

THE THINKING TREE

9" high x 6" wide x 3/4" deep

graphite on board, needs no additional framing

Sometimes the exactness of detail work is paradoxically relaxing.

A friend and I headed to the park for a relaxing day outdoors and after our picnic retreated

to our lawn chairs to mellow out.  This is what kept my hands occupied as I listened

to the children playing in the creek, looked for the songbirds and wondered what

great stories this tree had to tell.

If you are curious about where the name of the painting came from just click through above

and read the description where it is posted for sale on the etsy store site.

A Road Not Travelled

A road not travelled is always an

intrigue to me and this one in the snow carried an extra air of mystery because everything

was so, so quiet in the early morning as the sun came up.  I like paintings that take

you somewhere, even when I am not certain exactly where it is going...I like to imagine what might be around the curve, what might surprise me or comfort me.  Rounding the curve in this painting is like the sun coming up: it is a blank slate and a new beginning.  This is a 6 x 9 pastel on paper but it is matted in white to fit a standard  9 x 12 frame of your choice.  Yes, I'm still painting snow...more to come! 

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