"It's Not Something I'd Hang on My Wall"- E.A Hennig

This is a project that I am currently working on in watercolor class - Plein Air.  It has taken me many hours, and I had to sit in and amongst all the things I'm allergic to for hours at a time: plants, grass, pollen etc.  It had rained on one occasion the day prior to our painting out of doors, so I sat on a plastic garbage bag on the ground.  It's a difficult task to carry your art supplies, art board, paint case and traverse the campus, looking for the "perfect" spot - doesn't exist.  I was with a classmate ( one of the sweetest people I have met outside of Eddy and his Mom ) and told her to pick the spot, and that I'll paint anything structural just not flowers, trees shrubs!  After much indecision, she picked some Lilies, I was happy we landed.  I picked a portion of the building in front of me.  It's not a very good painting, but it was a true attempt on my part to capture the lesson ideas:  Show temperature in your painting, represent warm and cool; it can be in local color or exaggerated.  I chose to represent a more "local color" (things the way they actually appear), but my instructor felt it too boring, so I had to heighten the intensity of the blues.  Eddy's response, "It's not something I'd hang on my wall."  ( he will go down in history with this comment )-laughing now.  He is my biggest and faithful fan, but he is also as honest as they come, tough on an artist at anytime, but always accepted - after a little pouting and stewing!!!  Eddy is however my favorite critic, and I agree with him- this is not something I will hang on my wall; it will go in the pile of "projects" hidden away in a portfolio case, deep in the recesses of a closet.  But it was an honest attempt!!

This is actually just portions of the painting.  There was a lot of piping seen at the top of the painting, and then a portion of a window that had stuff in the background and then reflected stuff.  Then there was a lot of water and dirt that had washed down the facade.  Remember cool and warm exaggerated!

Really Big Apples - Painting I Class

This is the beginning underpainting for a glazing project we are doing in Painting I class.  We are working in oils.  The underpainting is done acrylic paint though. We used raw umber and white.  The darkest we were to paint is about 5 on the value scale, so pretty pale.  We were to put as much detail into the underpainting as possible.  The canvas is massive though, so it is really funny looking to see "apples" so huge! But I am pleased with the foundational underpainting.  There had to be 3 apples, one yellow, one green and one red. Hopefully the glazing goes well.  We have only one week left to do the glazing, definitely not enough time.  I will be spending as much extra time in the studio, which is funny since the "other" extra time will be painting in my watercolor class, studying art history, and writing papers for art ed. classes.  Extra or Free time - not in my vocabulary much anymore or Eddy's!!!  We have the weirdest hours, not your typical day that's for sure.

I will post the finished painting later - this is the foundation/underpainting for now...

Watercolor I - Midterm - (close-up)

I'll have a finished image later, but this is a close up of a bear I painted in for my midterm watercolor class.

This next photos is of the midterm about "mid" way through the project.  I added a lot more detail after this photo was taken, but it gives an idea of the composition.  We had to focus on texture, and we always have to work on really large paper-using all of the paper.   When the last picture is posted, you'll be able to see the difference and better use of color, balance, lifting, texture etc.  

Vanitas Painting-painting I class

We had to paint a Vanitas painting.  It deals with the idea of passing time, the frailty of life... skulls, bubbles, burned out candles.  I decided to make a contemporary stab at it.  I chose to use an old toothpaste tube, old used up toothbrush, and a bottle of nearly empty pills.  I liked the idea of the bright contemporary colors next to old world ideas and old world earth tones.

The first picture is the underpainting using black and white on a burnt sienna base, leaving the mid-tones the base color.

The second image is of the "finished" painting, for the amount of time we have between each project, this is as finished as it will get.  I like my bubbles... taught myself by reading books and looking at other paintings.  The photo warps it just a bit - kind of fish bowl looking, but it's really hard to photograph.

Sticker Phiends III Show- 04/02/10!

There's a really cool sticker show being held on 4/2/10 at Studio 8 in Phoenix-"Sticker Phiends".  It will have sticker art and artists from all over: stickers, posters, and canvas art will be displayed.  I entered 2 of my Zedies.  My work will probably be the cheeriest, most simple work there, but I'm looking forward to seeing my Zedie amongst the rest.  I only have one of them available for posting.  I will try and have a follow-up with the second Zedie after the show.  The images are a little dark; Eddy had to take pictures of them at night.  I finished the Zedies up 2 days before the deadline.
This is the line work first:

This is the finished image, executed in black marker and acrylic paint.  These actually take some time to do and are done in multiple layers.

This is a close up of the little Zedie - he's in a spray can costume.

This is the show information:

Recycling Boots

I went to the thrift store last weekend and found some boots that I liked.  I wanted to buy some and recycle them by painting them into my "art" boots.  I have one pair done.  The other will follow. They reflect my personality.

I just found out today!

I received an email that I was accepted into both majors at ASU!  I am planning on a double major in Art Ed. and Painting - I had to put in for portfolio reviews - both were accepted.  I am now officially out of art exploratory and listed in my major!!!!

Too Funny!

I am studying for my art history class Midterm and happened to see in the corner of my eye a familiar looking rough sketch of a painting in the pattern of the quilt on my bed... believe it or not, there is actually a reference to a painting from the American Western Art period of the 19th Century that I am currently studying," Fur Traders Descending the Missouri" painted by George Caleb Bingham in 1846.  Too Funny!

If you set the bar too high ...

I am extremely frustrated by being punished for having an "A" type work ethic when it comes to projects and assignments.  I set the bar extremely high for myself and try with all effort to meet and exceed it.  But then the instructors grade me harsher than those that just phone it in!  Should I then take the path of least resistance, step back from putting out my best work?  Should I become mediocre in a world "full" of "good enough" mentality. I don't think each time the grade scale should become more difficult based on how much more I can push the project.  It should be based on 1. were the requirements laid out met, 2. whether the work was well composed.  I think sometimes I should just do okay on my work, turn it in, don't set any expectations for the instructors and then "wow" them at the end - like suddenly I showed great improvement !   It would be better if I was a wide-eyed naive person that never picked up a brush or had an idea in her head- then they could mold me- Nah!!!  I'll keep truckin'  -  I have at least 2 more years of work ahead, I'll just have to find some kind of middle ground to relieve some of the pressure I put on myself and that the instructors have placed on me.  I have chosen to double major - Art Education and Painting. (we'll see).   I want to apply for an MFA program, but let's see if I have anything left in me once I finish out my BFA.

Revisions, revisions @!#%!!

This is a revision to my art education flyer - second page only.  

My Art Education Course at ASU

I created these educational flyers for my Art Education class.  I had to create a "visual" lesson plan - handouts for Middle School aged children on the artist Frida Kahlo and on one of her paintings.  I am pleased with the handouts.  I went to Kinko's and had them laminated as well. 

Good Bye to Someone dear to me.

My grandmother passed away this February.  It was painful to lose her.  She and I had much in common.  She is missed and will be missed.  I had to work through my art projects and school and try to keep it together.  My midterm watercolor painting has a somber tone to it, and once the grading is complete, I will post it.  It was a struggle to work through.  I almost gave up on the whole process.  But figured it would not do any honor to my grandmother's name by giving up.  I was not able to attend the funeral in CA, but my 2 sons were there for me.  I was grateful to have been blessed with two very caring and good hearted sons.  My grandma was a sweet woman that was in a great deal of pain and needed an end to come.  She truly is in peace, released from the physical bonds of a dying body.  Her spirit can now be free, and she can meet up with the love of her life, my grandfather and they can travel the rest of their time together....joyful, pain free, and at peace. They were married in the month of February, my grandfather died 20 years ago in the month of February and my grandmother just died in the month of February.  My grandma kept telling me that she would die in February, and yet each year she keep on living!  But this time her heart gave out and she died on the very last week of February.  My son was also born in the month of February and on his two year birthday to the date, Grandpa died.  We have all decided that Caleb my son needs a break from February deaths.  I hope you will check out the painting once it's posted. It will probably be up sometime after spring break.