June 2021

This month I decided to focus on fundamentals. I buy panels in bulk so that I can practice specific tasks at a minimal expense. When a panel costs less than $2, there’s no pressure to deliver a perfect result. I can practice and if it’s terrible I’m not too torn up about it. I use these panels for plein air, practicing reflections, but to be quite honest, they are actually pretty good for just about anything. I love the surface, too. It’s smooth enough without being too slippery, like some oil primed surfaces.   

Anyway, I set up a little still life in our kitchen and painted 5 of these silver julep cups with fruit. I need to take photos of the others, but the orange slice is probably my favorite of the 5. One was a total dud, by the way, so you won’t be seeing that one :)

I’ve also gone back to doing more daily drawings in my sketchbook. 

I read an article in New Yorker magazine about Cezanne, as there is currently a Cezanne drawing exhibit up at MoMA (that I would give anything to see!!!). There were several passages I found particularly interesting: 

“Cezanne was fearless of error. you see that in his figure drawings from sculpture. If a contour isn’t quite right, he doesn’t correct it (the one drawing tool that he seems never to have employed is the eraser): he multiplies it, with lines on top of lines. (There’s accuracy in there somewhere.)”

“Cezanne drew nearly every day, rehearsing the timeless purpose - and the impossibility - of pictorial art: to reduce three dimensions into two.”

“Apples stay delicious while acquiring the density of cannonballs.”

So … as you can see in the photo above, I set up a little still life in the sunroom and I’ve been drawing it. No erasers allowed! It’s a great exercise and fun. You can expect to see an oil painting of this set up very soon.

I believe that plein air painting falls under the category of fundamental, so I continue to meet with my group on Thursdays. Setting up my easel in the middle of Peachtree Creek is easily one of my favorite moments from this month.

And, last but not least, figure drawing from life is most certainly a fundamental aspect of artistic development. I joined the Saturday group at Atlanta Artists Center yesterday and although I definitely felt rusty, I was beginning to really enjoy it. There were about a dozen of us in the studio in the back, drawing/painting a beautiful nude model, classical music playing, everyone’s in the zone and all of a sudden, *crash* *boom* *bam*.

I was stunned when I opened the door and saw a brick column in someone’s windshield. Miraculously, the driver was not hurt, not even a scratch. I am friends with the Saturday facilitator/moderator and a former AAC board member, so I jumped in to help. I have a feeling there will be a complete “do over” for this project because I saw all kinds of cracks and splintering, but we’ll see. Never a dull moment :)

EXHIBITIONS

I have three paintings up at Atlanta Artists Center in the Farm to Table exhibition, which is on view from June 29 thru September 2. If you are in the Atlanta area, I hope you’ll go by and see the show. I’m always excited when I submit three and all three are accepted!

I also participated in MINT Gallery’s annual postcard pin up show, which is one of my favorite events. My art is not nearly edgy enough for MINT, but my little gouache studies fit right in at the postcard pin up show. It costs nothing to enter, it’s open to everyone (!) and you can decide how much of a percentage of the sales you’d like to keep. I donated everything to MINT because I love what they do, their staff is great, the art is always unique and interesting, and I love supporting the Atlanta art community. Hopefully one or two sold at last night’s event. Fingers crossed!

Here are the paintings I worked on in June. As always, some are finished, some are in progress and the abstract is just getting underway. 

CALDER PICASSO

We attended the High Museum member preview of the Calder Picasso exhibit on June 25th. I’ve never really been that drawn to Calder mobiles — I like them just don’t love them. But I really enjoyed seeing some of Calder’s sculptures and wire figures. It was also so exciting to get up close to so many of Picasso’s works. You can look at a painting in a book, but seeing one in person is completely different. 

Seeing art in person allows you to see more of an underpainting and study the unique marks of an artist. Look at the painting below. Do you see the tiny little face? It’s those little surprises that get me so fired up about painting. 

The smudges and spontaneity are mesmerizing to me. I used to think that painting had to be perfect, but it’s the imperfections that make it truly special.

READING

I finished “The Doctors Blackwell” and loved it! And not just because we share the same name. I was bowled over by the chutzpah and determination of Elizabeth and Emily Blackwell in their pursuit of medical advancements. During the mid-late 1800s, the medical field was all men. Even women said they didn’t trust women to treat them. And here’s the crazy part … sometimes treatment of female medical issues involved insane contraptions, not to mention leeches. Elizabeth Blackwell treated women who were poor and rejected by society, and she treated them with dignity. She spearheaded the movement for hygiene (hooray!) and of course, she paved the way for future generations of female medical professionals. Excellent book. 

Now, I’m nearly finished with “Sons and Soldiers,” the story of the Camp Ritchie boys. WOW. What an incredible book. Absolutely riveting story of young Jewish boys who escaped the Nazis, joined the Army, became US citizens, then went to war using their German language skills as interrogators and interceptors to help win the war and put an end to Hitler’s despicable regime. True American heroes! LOVE this book.

And lastly, I’m starting Harold Speed’s book, “The Practice & Science of Drawing.” More to come on that as I dive in.

COMING UP

I’m working on finishing some paintings that have been lingering around. They are 75-80% complete and I just need to buck up and finish them. I’m submitting work for consideration in an upcoming show (more info soon on that) and of course, more work on fundamentals. 

OTIS and JUJU

Our longtime, faithful cat sitter has found a new job, so we are a bit sad. We met our new sitter this week and she’s definitely a cat person, so we are hopeful she will do well with our boys. Otis has been especially clingy lately. He’s also my alarm clock and quite frankly, the greatest, cutest, sweetest little alarm clock on the planet. When your day starts with Otis snuggles, you know it’s going to be a good day.

Onward we march towards July! Only 70 more days until Labor Day :) Have a great month. See you back here in a few weeks. xoxo