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

Love for Carmine and Turquoise

 With a few new cut canvas pieces from my friend Traudi. Back to oils and prompts!

Hidden Face. Adorned with happy flowers!

Oils on Cut Canvas

10.5" x 15" 

Traveling. Through Floating Galaxies and Stars

Oils on Cut Canvas

10.5" x 15" 

In Middle of the Night

Intuition comes very close to clairvoyance; it appears to be the extrasensory perception of reality. (Alexis Carrel)

Our weekly workshops have started, masks and all. So great to meet with my artist friends. We are so fortunate to have a huge space for our meetings and having a relatively small group. I hope it won't be cut short with this second wave, which is totally out of control here!

Took a cut canvas, my prompts, and oils. Great to work in oils again. This is what Joan calls the underpants. That is no editing after the prompts! As usual, I took it home and placed against my chest of drawers, guess I must have flipped 180. Looking at it fresh this morning I saw that my friend Jen had crept into my painting in the middle of the night!

A Secret Visit in the Middle of the Night

17.5 " x 25"

Oils on Cut Canvas

Detail

Tread Lightly on the Stones

“ The only difference between stumbling blocks and stepping stones is the way you use them.” American

Treading Softly on the Stones

WIP

20" x 20" FSC Organic paper 350gm

Acrylics and Mixed Media

Bossypants#4 on toned canvas

Lost My Way in Storyland

“We are, as a species, addicted to story. Even when the body goes to sleep, the mind stays up all night, telling itself stories.” - Jonathan Gottschall, The Storytelling Animal

I Seem to Be Lost in Storyland

WIP

20" x 20"  FSC Eco Paper 350 gm

Acrylics and Mixed Media 

Start 

I thought that this would develop into an abstract floral but using the prompts of Bossypants #1 it went into another direction. Used a limited palette of Chrome Green and a vibrant orange, a magenta colored ink intense pencil, oil pastel forgot which color, and graphite pencil and crayon.  This will sit for a while till I decide what story or stories I wish to tell. 

Purple Skies

“The sky is already purple; the first few stars have appeared, suddenly, as if someone had thrown a handful of silver across the edge of the world.”
― Alice Hoffman, Here on Earth

Color mixing never ceases to surprise me.  Just the choice of what 2 colors to use in my intuitive process is exciting. Today I chose a fairly dark Magenta and a bright turquoise! This along with a watercolor pencil, oil pastel ( most often randomly chosen), and graphite pencil or crayon make up my limited palette combined with black, white, and titanium buff!  So what a surprise when I combined the two colors and got a really bright purple! There is such a wide variety in a limited palette and a wide variety when using a set of prompts.

Found Myself Gazing at the Purple Skies

20" x 20" FSC Organic paper 350gm 

Acrylics and Mixed Media

May lighten the bottom section to create more contrast. Thoughts?

Saturday

Posted Instagram
Now to blog
Feed cats
Pool
Bourakitos
Brunch at Yael's

My last post  Days Follow Days posted the WIP which I have maybe resolved or not! I feel it may need more simplification.  I have two new starts!

I wandered through this Hidden City

20" x 20"

Heavy FSC Organic Paper 350 gm

Start WIP

added some graphite lines

Start WIP

Palette Mono-print

Have since added buff titanium shapes

( new favorite color) 

from another palette

My starts sit on my table and sometimes I just turn them around, and add marks sort of on the go!

Days Follow Days

Days follow days
today is Thrusday how
do I know..
appointment for Lily 
at the eye vet clinic

My last post, Early Tuesday Morning, was actually on Monday. Who noticed, who cared? Days melt into days.... tomorrow is Friday.... Saturday Brunch at Yael. Special occasions, like weekly shopping, vet appointment, an occasional family gathering, break up the routine of chores, meals, Lily, the pool, and time for creativity and blogging. Lily's appointment has given me the time to do some blogging. Decided not to try to break up my morning into too many small bits.
Lately, when I finish a session of painting I use the leftover paint for a new start! Sometimes using the brayer and sometimes just mono-printing the paper palette or sometimes both.

New start

20" x 20"

Heavy Organic Paper

WIP  from start

20" x 20"

Heavy Organic Paper

New Start 

Finally got it up

Have done some editing but not just there yet.

Well 2 out of 3.. can't upload another image. Hope Blogger will get there site working! The new format has much to be worked on, so back to Legacy which today is also not so well. Maybe my connection.... will give them the benefit of the doubt!

Early Tuesday Morning

The blinding sun from my window
The cool air without AC
The sound of building site across the street
Boker boker tov!

This has been on my table since the middle of July.  Sometimes I would add a mark or two, turn it around but never really got to me. I seem to be great at making messes. Too much going on. I need to focus, clean up, simplify. I really love minimalistic art but it seems to avoid me.

I was really in a bad spot, my angry, frustrating really bad personality was taking hold. Sometimes she just overcomes me where I freeze.  But I also felt some compulsion to resolve the issue. That was my problem solver coming to the surface. Maybe this is a good mix.

New Vistas

20" x 20"

Acrylic and Mixed Media

350 gm organic paper

Note: Bought some new paper through the printer's where my daughter works. Light cream and dark brown. Seems this paper is made from organic material and is FSC ecological certified. It is quite strong 350 gm and has a slight texture. Haven't yet tried it with oils

See Saw Margery Daw

The work becomes important when the meanings contained are greater than what the artist had in mind when he or she created the work. Ambuity helps the work transcend itself. Audrey Flack Art  & Soul

That's the general feeling nowadays! Up and down. Media makes it more confusing! Trying to keep busy and not let my thoughts run away. This week flew!

One of the most difficult parts of creating for me is after the first starts is how to continue! Especially now with my new journey into more intuitive painting love just picking up the paint and following the prompts... and then I just freeze... total blackout!

Well took myself in hand! Added paint, oil pastels, even some white charcoal! Not the best of photos!

Dreaming of New Lands

Acrylic and Mixed Media

19.5" x 19.5"

Cartridge Paper

Brayed color start on cartridge paper

Acrylic 19.5" x 19.5"

After the prompts

The Underpants

Should I have just left well enough alone?

Art-itude IX Castles in the Sky

 " 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

Re-posting this quote. Yesterday we discussed in feedback something on that line. I said that sometimes I don't know who is doing the painting, and he replied that's a great state to be.

Great day at my workshop yesterday. Finished a piece, at least till I decide to fuss some more. Separated diptychs, Reuven agreed that divided and with a small mat they are best and made a new start. So grateful to be able to have this workshop. Meeting my artist friends and working together.  We may continue in July!

I Want to Fly to the Castles in the Sky

Mixed Media

Acrylics Oils Oil Pastels Graphite Pencil

20" x 20"

Light cardboard

Don't know what came over me the other day! I was in the middle of an art-itude and was cleaning my palette of some dark grey with water and decided to pour it over like a milky wash. I didn't like the drips so with my roller went over the whole mess. Desaster! It was like something took over kept going with oil pastels, smudged with oil, and graphite pencil. Finally, put it aside.

Took it to workshop and discussed it with Reuven, who usually doesn't like to make suggestions referred me to an Israeli Painter by the name of Moshe Kupferman who uses flat painted areas to contrast busy sections

Art-itude II

Heat wave

Hard to concentrate

Want to slip in cool water

When will the pool open!

Poet, I am not, an artist maybe

WIP

19.75" x 13.75"

240 gm cartridge paper

Acrylics  Oil Pastels Graphite pencils charcoal

Art-itude II Used Ozo yellow light. There is a strong presence of muted yellow, large circle shapes, and a sort of pathway on the left. Not too happy with the circle on the bottom left section, keep seeing a face and that disturbs me. I like the flower-like presence at the top left and thought to echo that over the face.

Running out of my favorite brown heavy cardboard-like paper so I bought 3 sheets of 240gm cartridge paper. Most of our papers come in huge sheets called giliyon which is about 1000cm x 700 cm. 

Cut on in quarters.. 4 pieces  50 x 35 cm and the other 2 in 50 cm squares for this project. +  8 small sheets

20 x 25 cm.. Not bad for 6 shekels... $1.70

Reason to Continue

"consider the desire to make progress reason enough to continue"

A small quote from Sara Genn's biweekly newsletter that I so enjoy reading. Each week I receive 1  from the archive of her late father's Robert Genn newsletters and one of her own.

To progress, now that's a good question...  where am I going and why? I find no real answers in myself except that I enjoy doing what I am doing in my creative journey so I continue. How, well as Sara says " The first order of business is applying paint"

In my intuitive creative journey, I hope to find some answers about myself.  Meanwhile, I will continue to progress.  

WIP

Acrylics on paper

13.75" x 9.75"  

This painting started with a group of prompts that I found on Joan Fullerton's page.  The two colors, most of her BossyPants prompts deal with 2 colors + white , black, and sometimes Titan Buff, I chose were Hansa Yellow and Chrome Green. All neutrals came from those colors. Bottom layers may have graphite pencil, watercolor pencils, oil pastels, charcoal, etc, of my choosing. My paints are just regular paints, nothing fancy... can't afford Golden.

Feel this came out pretty strong so I am going to let it sit before I decide how to move it forward or not as the case may be, 

Suffering Child Day 19

Day 19  30 in 30

Mixed media on watercolor paper. Continuation of the main theme of "jail" from a previous post.

I was haunted by a photo I saw in an album of l'oeil de la photographie of Ghetto images from early 1940's. Printed one of a young girl and tore it into several collage pieces, Added some color with Derwent inktense pencils and neocolor I crayons,  Decided to add a bit of hope in the form of flower and bird transfers. Will be using some of the wire fence scraps for another image. 

Oh The Cry of the Suffering Chidren

9 x 7"

Sketchpad Watercolor Paper

Acrylics  Crayons  Collage Inktense Pencils 

Photo Transfers

First Layer

Help Me Find the Stairwell Day 18

Day 18  30 in 30

Mixed media on watercolor paper. Continuation of the main theme of "jail" from a previous post.

Have to Find the Stairwell

9 x 7"

Sketchpad Watercolor Paper

Acrylics  Crayons  Stencil  collage Inktense Pencils

I Fell Down the Rabbit Hole Day 17

Day 17  30 in 30

Mixed media on watercolor paper. Continuation of the main theme of "jail" from a previous post.

Sometimes our mental "jails" can be pleasant, although lonely! I am having fun with these small doodles. They seem to take on a life of there own and I am just the tool!

Seems I Fell Down the Rabbit Hole

7 x 9"

Sketchpad Watercolor Paper

Acrylics  Crayons  Stencil  collage Inktense Pencils

WIP

Sometimes I like to photograph my work. Seems I can observe it better and see what it wants or needs,

Figure on the Wall Day 16

Day 16  30 in 30

Mixed media on watercolor paper. Continuation of the main theme of "jail" from a previous post.

This started out as a figure sketch on an acrylic background. Didn't like it so veiled her and did more brayer work. She was determined to appear, so I let her stay. Added collage pieces, but still a bit on the kitsch side. Our workshop mentor, Reuven,  says there is a place for kitsch in art so can't argue with that!

My Offering for the Wall

7 x 9"

Sketchpad Watercolor Paper

Acrylics  Crayons  Stencil  collage

Who Is In the Orchard Day 15

Day 15  30 in 30

Mixed media on watercolor paper. Continuation of the main theme of "jail" from a previous post.

My Sketchbook

Gift from my artist friend Traudi

Bought at Ikea!

Watercolor paper middle sheet light pink plain paper

Found Myself Trapped in the Orchard

Soil-inspired expertise

9 x 7"

Sketchpad PinkPaper

Acrylics  Crayons  Stencil  collage

Animal Guides Day 14

Day 14  30 in 30

Mixed media on watercolor paper. Continuation of the main theme of "jail" from a previous post.

Nothing beats the understanding of animals. They sort of crept in when I wasn't looking to act as my guide and keep me company.

Animals Will be My Salvation

9 x 7"

Sketchpad Watercolor Paper

Acrylics  Crayons  Stencil  Ink Intense Watercolor Pencils

Faces Behind the Wall Day 13

Day 13  30 in 30

Mixed media on watercolor paper. Continuation of the main theme of "jail" from a previous post.

The Face Behind the Wall

9 x 7"

Sketchpad Watercolor Paper

Acrylics Crayons Pencil Stencil