Study in Orange

Purposely left a small piece of cut canvas taped to a kappa-board on my worktable.  It called out to me. 

Cadmium Red + Yellow Ochre  Paynes Grey, my new black, white, and Buff

Ice Cream Anyone

15.5 x 15.5 "

Oils on Cut Canvas

Another underpants

 Work seems to come in spats... than a lag.. then another push.  As I write another cut-canvas awaits on the table and a few watercolor sketches also waiting to be finished or not. Too much time and not enough PUSH! So here I am instead of painting, writing!

Looking Toward New and Greener Pastures

Oils on cut canvas 21.5" x 15.5"

Collage

Decided to choose two colors of the same hue for my main color choice along with Paynes Grey, instead of black, white, and buff. The orange is an oil pastel. Felt good with this one so gave it a title influenced by Milton's Lycidas

And now the Sun had stretch'd out all the hills,

And now was dropt into the Western bay;

At last he rose, and twitch'd his Mantle blew:

To morrow to fresh Woods, and Pastures new

Hard to Decide

 Back to working on cut canvas and oils. I based this on BP#1. When I finished all the prompts, I felt it was a disaster.  Like I usually do. Thought that after a year I would have learned to accept what comes out.  Put it away because I knew I had to stop and not continue. It will continue to be a WIP until I give it a title. Did get a good review from Joan.

WIP

Oils on canvas 19.75 x 29.75"

Just a short rant. I know it is a difficult time for all, especially artists that usually have one to one workshops. But sometimes it gets to be a bit too aggressive. Not going to mention names, but I do expect that a free webinar on zoom be live and have more content than just selling.  

Sharing a Visit

This pandemic has been a difficult, trying and frustrating time, but I find it is teaching us some valuable lessons. One such lesson is, don't take things for granted.  Before the pandemic, I would make weekly visits to my daughter and grand-sons.  It's a fairly simple drive, half an hour on the major highway to Jerusalem. I took these outings for granted. Tuesday morning was art workshop day, Wednesday visit Yael. When they were much younger my weekly visits were helpful because that was the day Yael had evening classes to teach and I had to make supper, see that they took their bathes, and read before bedtime. It was a sleepover when they were still living in Aminadav, outside of Jerusalem. Since their move to Neve Shalom two years ago, the visits are easier, I can drive, and Yael usually is at home, so we enjoy a coffee together while catching up. The kids don't "need my help" but my presence is important to them. 

This changed with Covid, lockdowns and visiting restrictions.

So when I can make a visit WOW what a treat!  Noam wasn't at home because his school allows him to take part in their boarding school, two weeks at school, two weeks at home, but I had an enjoyable visit with Uri, 11, and Yael. Maybe next week Uri will start school. It was good to get out of the house in the fresh air! 

  

View from the deck

They built the house around the tree!

Zoom homeschooling

Caught Uri in the middle of his class, later went out on the deck to paint. A lesson in intuitive painting!

My creation

Gouache + oil pastel 

Uri's drawing

Uri's painting with a view of the garden

Uri's painting closeup

Gouache

Not going to take these visits "for granted."

New Work

WIP

Cut Canvas 19.75 x 27.5 "

Graphite Mark Making

WIP

Cut Canvas 19.75 x 27.5 "

First layers using prompts

colored pencil oil pastels oils

Diptych in Purples

Art is a rare pursuit where participants have to learn to ring their own bells.

Robert Genn

When working in oils I usually work one two or more pieces. This allows me not to get bored or wrapped up in one painting or in one section. Putting work aside and looking at it even after a few minutes often allows a fresh look.  Sometimes in my workshop when I take a coffee break, way across the room, and look at the work really from afar I also get a new perspective. So I worked the green diptych together with the purple one using the same color palette. Only the underlying collage pieces were different. The color palette is Azo Gold, as close as I could get, black, usually chromatic, white, and buff titanium. These were the colors given by my "bossy" instructor!

WIP
Each panel 6" x 18"
Oils on cut canvas
Collage
Digitally Framed

Collage Start

WIP

Still unseparated

Diptych Greens

Had some strips of long narrow cut canvas and decided to make a Diptych. Taped them with a border on cardboard in order to work with them together. Started with collaging with some colored blobs from my stack of acrylic palette papers that I save, I use regular sandwich paper.  Then started working  with prompts in oils

WIP

18" x 6"

Oils on cutcanvas

Collage

Digital Frame

Collage Start

Still Taped WIP

Reuven suggested that I keep it as one so I separated them in PS and added a frame to see how they would look. Thoughts

Art-itude VI Oils on Canvas

 " Studio Ghosts: When you're in the studio painting, there are a lot of people in there with you. Your teachers, friends, paintings from history, critics...and one by one, if you're really painting, they walk out. and if you're really painting, you walk out." Audrey Flack Art and Soul

That is how I feel sometimes, mostly after I have been working. I look and ask who did that?
However not with this piece!

WIP

Oils on cut canvas

19.5" x 27"

First marks Oil Pastels

Not a happy camper with this piece. I think I'll start all over again. I have been staring at it all week and somehow escapes me. Maybe I will let Cookie have a free hand!

Have No Idea How I Got There

Maybe it's a good idea to come back to a painting and look at it with a different eye. How did this come about? Not my usual palette although I am trying to implement some brights in my work.

Seems I Am on a Magical Ride

19.5" x 13.5"

Oils Cold Wax Oil Sticks

cut canvas

Here We Go Round

Always wanted a pony
Then a small camel

Daddy Buy Me That Spotted Pony

Oils ColdWax Oil Sticks

16" x 20.5"

Cut Canvas

Persevere

I have been reading a lot about picking a word for the year, that will help you through the year on any journey life seems to take you. However, picking this word has much to do with my art practice, not my art but the practice. There is a big difference.

How did I get to my word? It was pretty difficult at first, my mind seemed to be blank. I am never really clever with words. The first word that came to mind was PUSH. I really think I have to push myself more. Not curl up in a cacoon, play solitaire, or feel sorry for myself. After listening to a TED talk about struggle more words seemed to pop into my consciousness.

STRUGGLE
PERSEVERANCE
THRIVE
PROCESS
PERSEVERE

I decided on PERSEVERE. It sort of combines perseverance and struggle, and the outcome will be that in that process I will thrive! All comes together in that one word.

You all may know, or not, that I am sort of obsessed with tutorials and online classes. This past year I took part in PHYSAS 2019. What I found was that this is not really for me. There were some really great classes and great teachers and lots of new techniques but I felt sort of overwhelmed and that many times it was too much and instead of moving forward I was sometimes at a standstill. I have to decide where I want to move forward.

So I decided to make a big jump. Since I realize that in the perceivable future I can't take any  1 to1 workshops the next best thing is an online workshop, not a class, but a real workshop. I decided to take Joan Fullerton's online workshop. I have always admired her work and process. She combines abstract, landscapes, some realism, and design. She calls it a class but for ME it will be a year-long workshop. As I said a BIG JUMP! 

Also, since I work in oils and cold wax I signed up for Jeanne Oliver's new course called Underneath
I just couldn't resist! Now the blinders are on! These will keep me very busy!

I have been busy with some pieces but feel they are still in WIP form. Each seems to need something. I have been experimenting in using Topaz Studio 2 and photoshop to tweak and find some solutions. Really great fun.

WIP I

19.5 x 19.5 "

Oil Cold wax  Oils sticks

cut canvas

WIP II

19.5 x 19.5 "

Oil Cold wax  Oils sticks

cut canvas

Tweaked in photoshop  

WIP I

19.5 x 19.5 "

Oil Cold wax  Oils sticks

cut canvas

WIP II

19.5 x 19.5 "

Oil Cold wax  Oils sticks

cut canvas

Tweaked in photoshop 

Haven't done the actual tweaks, appreciate any suggestions and feedback!

You Are In for a Big Surprise

Giving lots of thoughts to Jen's post on extra-ordinary! We all get into the day to day living pattern without much thought, just ordinary stuff. Feed the cats, and Bella the chicken. Make porridge, do the laundry... all done without much thought. Mundane, boring... but the ordinary can be extra.

Friday

An early trip to the bakery for Shabbat Chala, pitots and borakas!
No traffic, lots of parking space, and the smell of fresh baked goods  EXTRA!

Feeding the cats and Bella... Lady begging for some hugs and petting... EXTRA!
The cool air  EXTRA! Even the smell of freshly laundered clothes  EXTRA!

Coming home from Natanya after a condolence visit,(shiva) Waze took us home on a road near the sea.  Glimpses of the sea between the buildings EXTRA.

I am certainly going to try to look for the EXTRA more!

Tuesday  workshop always EXTRA

This painting was done over another rather unsuccessful painting below.  I had added another blue layer which made it worse. At first, I just wanted to sort veil it with light gray tones but it sort of had a will of its own and all sort figures began appearing.

When You Go Into the Forest

Oils and Cold Wax

Cut Canvas

24" x 19"

It's time for play

We all love to play. We are all told that it's OK to play at art. Have fun, play! It's like a mantra. But sometimes I find art hard and sometimes there are difficult choices. At times these choices are so difficult that we don't make them and leave the piece unfinished. This year taking PYHAS 2019 has somehow released the stresses and frustrations, I am not making masterpieces but learning new things, just exercises! It's all in the mind! So now a few play pieces that are on my table.

I have lots of odd pieces of cut canvas, thanks to my artist friend Traudi. She works HUGE and sometimes cuts off side pieces from canvas roll which she gifts me. She doesn't share her work on social media or on a blog or website but this morning she sent me her wolf. It is from Norse Mythology.

The sound of a cat's footfall that binds the wolf Fenrir.

59 x 43.5

© Traudi Bernstein

Maybe I can convince her to post on Instagram!

Most start their lives with leftover paint.

WIP

12 x 8.5 "

Oils and Cold Wax 

Cut Canvas

This started as a mess of paint from cleaning brushes knives and palette

A Journey with Nasa's Galaxies and Stars

8 x 9.5 "

Oils Cold Wax Stencils Oil Sticks

Hoot Hoot Hoot

Look who peeked out on one of my small-works using acrylics and neocolor I crayons. My soul mate hooty the Owl! Love using up small pieces of cut canvas, and leftover paints!

I've Come a Calling

8.5 x 9 "

Cut Canvas Acrylics and Crayons

Just a Touch of This or That

8.75 x 9.25 "

Cut Canvas Acrylics and Crayons

Available Here

The sound of Falling Water

8.75 x 8.75 "

Cut Canvas Acrylics and Crayons

Available Here

A Rush of Red Cascade

8.75 x 9 "

Cut Canvas Acrylics and Crayons

Available Here

Small and Bright

Week 8 on PYHAS was all about landscapes. A lesson with Sherry Woodward.  A lesson in acrylics, layering, color-mixing, and abstraction. PHYAS2019 has my mind in a whirl! Sometimes I don't remember what I posted and where I learned what. It's a rollercoaster ride! But FUN! So here are a few that were put aside. One I did post you can find here.

I did deviate from the lesson and tweaked with my favorite neocolor I wax crayons!

All Paths Lead to the Monastery

8.5 x 9 " 

Acrylics on cut canvas with Caran d'Ache wax crayons

Available At Artfinder

In the Dark the City Lights Glow

8.5 x 9 " 

Acrylics on cut canvas with Caran d'Ache wax crayons

Available at Artfinder

Let's Go Downtown

8.5 x 9 " 

Acrylics on cut canvas with Caran d'Ache wax crayons

Available at Artfinder

Two Little Boys and Hope For the Future

My weekly trip to Jerusalem has changed this year and I now travel to Neve Shalom where my daughter has moved into their new home. Uri,10, just got this very complicated board game of Dragons & Dungeons which is not for my head, invited his friend Walid from across the street to play with him. Just two young kids playing on the floor together. No big deal! Well, I think it's a BIG deal because Walid is Arabic and Uri is Jewish! One small step for more understanding and a better future!

My daughter's home is just below that Dome in the image from the site., facing the Trappist Monastery!

I certainly have been lacking at blogging of late.  PYHAS has kept me busy weekly. Some I have posted my Instagram account.

Last week we had fun with abstract landscapes and scratching tools and the use of alcohol! Didn't succeed with the alcohol. Will try again.

The Silence is Broken with the Sounds of Bells

8.5 x 9 " 

Acrylics on cut canvas with Caran d'Ache wax crayons

Can be purchased at Artfinder

Superstitions

We all have superstitions, use them, even though we know logically that they don't do anything good or bad. It's all in the mind.  Knock on wood, pst pst pst, hamsa hamsa, see a pin pick it up and many more.

This was the concept for this months workshop challenge. It wasn't until I started PYHAS 2019, week 2 that I got some idea of what I was going to do.  Week 2 with Yvonne Morell and I had my inspiration! Loved the process and then more ideas came.

What Will Be Will Be

16.5 x 23 "

Acrylics on cut canvas

Who Can Resist my Sweet Cat

11.5 x 16.5 "

Acrylic on Paper

Collage

Selene Will be Watching Over You

12 x 15 "

Acrylic on Cut Canvas

 I Don't Give a Hoot Hoot Hoot

12 x 15 "

Acrylic on Cut Canvas

Black cats, owls, and eclipses all have superstitions attached to them. I love black cats, the owl is my soul animal, and I have no fear of eclipses or red moons! But I still pick up any pins that I come across!  Hamsa Hamsa!

Lost and Found and Other News

Lily was lost! Or I should say taken and then dumped! Luckily there are "good" people around. One took her in and had a chip reader come and read her chip. She was quite far from our town on the other side of a very busy main road #461( Road to Tel Aviv) which she would NEVER cross on her own.

Finished the course and awaiting a new one end of August with Pauline. Didn't get much work done that last week. Combining background with the figure is tricky and not in my comfort zone. Have a few more figures in the process and may go back in this one.

WIP

Conte + Neocolor Crayons I

13.75 x 19.75 "

Gessoed Paper

Started this figure on cut canvas for the workshop but this month we are having structured lessons so working at home.  First 3 stages... going slow! Oils and cold wax + palette knife!

WIP I

20 x28 "

Cut Canvas Wrapped on cardboard

II

III

Have to lighten this!

On Top of the World

Thorong Phedi, Nepal, part of the Annapurna Circuit. My grandson Uri at the pass! 

Flying High On Top of the World

27 x 19.5"

Dark Blue Matte Board

Oils and Cold Wax

Collage

Finished piece.First draft. Added collage pieces and lots of scratch marks!  Enlarged the photo of Uri in black and white and sort of blended him in. Had to add a bits of the flags with collage pieces as well. 

Reference

Hidden Blocks and Dolls II

Remember Hidden Blocks and Dolls?  Brought it to class today to tweak. Decided to listen to Reuven and not touch it.

Hiding Among the Blocks

19.5 x 16.5"

Cut Canvas taped to cardboard

Oils  Cold Wax

Collage

One of the best parts of our workshop is toward the end when Reuven walks us through the various works in progress. So much is learned during these sessions. One such lesson was to listen to him when he says to stop. He explained that sometimes we reach a point that we don't recognize or understand, we still feel is not complete. That is when we want to satisfy what WE feel and usually not in the interest of the painting. I am so glad that I didn't tweak my painting and started something new!

Recently I saw Jen Walls new cover image on FB at reminded me of the Annapurna Circuit that my daughter and family did last month. She said she worked from photos "inspired by photos from my brother-in-law's trips there". Decided to use one of my grandson at the same spot as my trigger. The Thorong La Pass, Thanks Jen for the inspiration. 

WIP

27 x 19.5"

Dark Blue Matte Board

Oils and Cold Wax

PS Have already scratched into this and pasted a collage piece!