Awards, Journal, Shows
December 10, 2016
After a short break from painting this summer, I needed a simple, fun goal to get me back into the swing of things this fall. I felt the need to put paint to paper, but did not have the energy or inspiration to think of a subject, to make those important foundational drawings, and create a successful composition.
So I gathered a big supply of watercolor paper, loaded my palette with pure hues, and began playing. I reached for the colors that attracted me and I made marks with my favorite brushes. It was pure play.
Once finished with the “painting” I had the desire to cut it into smaller pieces and rearrange those pieces to make a more interesting composition. Once I was pleased with the new arrangement, I glued the pieces down on another piece of watercolor paper. The following photos show the “before” and “after” results of this process.
This is a fun and liberating mode of creating, and I plan to show these deconstructed abstracts in my upcoming solo show in February 2017 at Village Gallery of Arts, 12505 NW Cornell Road, Suite 14, Portland, OR 97229.
Journal, Lessons Learned, Shows
Last October I had my first art show. It was at New Seasons Market, and the space was large enough for ten 16 x 20 inch framed paintings. This October, I will be showing there again. I took inventory of my paintings this summer and found myself at a loss for what to hang there this fall. I recalled last year’s show and the factors that made it a success:
The ten paintings were all in a similar style (textured abstracts).
They had a similar subject matter (landscapes).
And they shared a palette of mostly warm colors.
Here is the display of last year’s “wax paper landscapes” at New Seasons Market.
I was very pleased with the appearance of this group of paintings, not realizing that it would set the standard for all of my future shows!
Last month, I found myself sorting through my paintings with this October’s New Seasons show in mind. I certainly have a larger body of work now (I have painted close to 100 more paintings since last October), but it was a challenge to find ten pieces that looked really great together, in my eyes. I’ve been taking classes and workshops and learning so many new things, and my painting portfolio represents all of these teaching influences. I have loose paintings, tight paintings, abstracts, florals, paintings in black and white, paintings with lines, paintings with shapes, and numerous color charts I’ve made. I have groupings of three, four, even five paintings that look good together, but a cohesive collection of ten paintings was proving to be a challenge.
I thought about those characteristics of last year’s show: similar style, similar subject, and mostly warm palette. I thought about the orange walls of the cafe area these paintings will be up against. And I thought about the food that people would be buying and eating in the space these paintings would occupy.
With as much ambition as I could muster on a hot July day, I decided I would paint ten still-life paintings of food for the upcoming show. Today I have finished number 8, and I am pleased with what I have learned.
I’ve learned the effectiveness of a limited palette.
I’ve learned that it’s ok to paint from a photo. In fact, for some of these paintings I actually enlarged my reference photo and traced it onto the watercolor paper.
I have learned that individually these paintings tell a small story, but together, in their grocery store setting, they will tell an even larger story.
And I’ve gained the satisfaction of meeting a challenge I created for myself, and sticking to it without changing my mind. As a painter who is always experimenting, it took discipline and focus to complete this self-imposed summer assignment.
All ten food still-lifes will be on display during the month of October at New Seasons Market, Orenco Station. I hope to see you there!
New Seasons Market – Orenco Station
1453 NE 61st Avenue
Hillsboro, OR 97124
