Faye Christian Phillips

explore, imagine and dream...

2012-02-02T07:34:00.006-06:00

"Lila"

12 x 16

Author Peggy Orenstein writes that "Children are naturally driven to understand their world. They live by that incessant creativity-inspiring "why? Why does the grass grow? Why is the sky blue? Why can't I fly? and to answer these questions, they experiment, imagine and explore. Their minds are free to wander and wonder." And this remains true until they enter school. Once they become first or second graders, they begin to compare their work with that of their peers when Ms. Orenstein points out that "Suddenly there are right and wrong answers. Expressing their own tentative understanding of an idea becomes less important than figuring out what the teacher makes of it" and the rigors of school replace the why questions with "what do you want me to do and how do you want me to do it?"

If you broach this topic with adults, you will discover that almost all of us have a story to share where this truth played out in our own lives. As children we asked WHY? As adults, parents, grandparents, caregivers and teachers, we are beginning to ask other questions.

WHO will be at the forefront of discovering new paths? WHAT will future classrooms look like as we dare to imagine better solutions? WHAT innovative approaches to learning can we implement now? HOW can we honor creativity and wonder? HOW can we provide a nurturing environment that encourages experimenting, imagining and exploring, so all minds are free to wander and wonder?

yesteryear

2012-01-25T15:16:00.001-06:00

8 x 10, oil on canvas

This a still life set up featuring items of days gone by, which made me think of a Cole Porter song written in 1934, called "Anything Goes". In Mr. Porter's day, people took great pride in the clothes they wore and how they presented themselves. Fashion in the 21st century was projected by TV and movies (think Star Trek) to be Futuristic Matching Uniforms. It seems ludicrous now, but if you think about it, isn't that exactly what happened? Except, of course, designers have coined a cutting edge term for it: loungewear (not to be confused with pajamas, which look identical, but sport a considerably lower price tag)...

(just a we bit of humor for a Wednesday - beam me up Scottie)

"In olden days

a glimpse of stocking

was looked upon as something shocking,

but now, God knows,

anything goes"...

Cole Porter

"Save the clock tower!"

2012-01-18T06:07:00.004-06:00

9 x 12, oil on canvas

Every time I see these old buildings, it brings a smile to my face, because I am instantly "transported" to the 1985 "Back to the Future" movie starring Michael J. Fox - a "timeless" family classic!

"Time changes everything

except something within us

that is always surprised by change."

Thomas Hardy

the quiet light

2012-01-14T12:06:00.003-06:00

12 x 16, oil on canvas

"It is light that reveals, light that obscures, light that communicates.

It is light I "listen" to.

The light late in the day has a distinct quality, as it fades toward the darkness of evening.

After sunset there is a gentle leaving of the light,

the air begins to still, and a quiet descends.

I see magic in the quiet light of dusk.

I feel quiet, yet intense energy in the natural elements of our habitat.

A sense of magic prevails.

A sense of mystery.

It is a time for contemplation,

for listening..."

John Sexton

Life 101

2012-01-06T19:33:00.003-06:00

12 x 16, oil on canvas

"The difference between school and life?
In school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test.
In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson."
Tom Bodett

a new year

2011-12-31T11:11:00.001-06:00

10 x 10, oil on canvas

Deepak Chopra says "babies bubble in bliss." And research supports this notion with the revelation that, unlike adults, the majority of a baby's sleep is spent in a deep, dream-filled slumber known as REM or rapid eye movement. Without the "noise" of language, infants have no labels, no judgments, and are never awake all night worrying about the future or regretting the past. Instead, a baby's world is filtered through the five senses. He learns to roll over, hold his head up, advance to sitting, crawling, standing. toddling--all in a matter of a few short months! With each stage of development, he acquires a brand new perspective --not just on January 1st, but in every moment, as each new situation becomes an opportunity for growth and discovery.

Children have so much to teach us about how to live and what is important, don't they?

~Wishing YOU

the innocence of childhood

fresh, new perspectives

with a dash of bliss,

And no matter what each new day brings your way,

may you find yourself wrapped

in a blanket of courage and hope,

blessings and light~
fcp

peace on earth

2011-12-27T08:18:00.000-06:00

10 x 10, oil on canvas

as we welcome the coming new year, may we...

"have the opportunity once more

to right some wrongs,

to pray for peace,

to plant a tree,

to sing more joyful songs"

William Arthur Ward

Christmas Cheer

2011-12-23T04:44:00.000-06:00

8 x 10, oil on canvas

"LOVE is what is in the room with you at Christmas

if you stop opening presents and listen"

Bobby, age 8

comfort and joy

2011-12-18T05:52:00.005-06:00

6 x 12, oil on canvas

"He who has not Christmas in his heart

will never find it under a tree."

Roy L. Smith

Based on the above truth, wouldn't it seem logical to conclude that "he/she who has no Christmas in their heart January through November will never find it in December"? Or is it that the spirit/love/energy is just a little more "contagious" this time of year? Perhaps it is a case of "joy rising" as Oprah would say? Or yet another example of Jill Bolte Taylor's sage advice to "be accountable" for the energy we bring into each space (including the space in our hearts as well as that under the tree?)

Good Tidings

2011-12-14T06:49:00.003-06:00

10 x 10. oil on canvas

"We who walk on this particular planet are dealt one 24-hour day at a time.

It is an arbitrary span,

like the opening and closing of a flower,

a time-lapse bloom of its own.

Creative people understand this temporary blossoming

and learn to take advantage of it.

Every precious day is yet another opportunity to serve--

to carry further wonder to the world."

Robert Genn

be a geranium

2011-12-12T07:33:00.003-06:00

12 x 12, oil on canvas

I planted red, peach and hot pink geraniums in urns just before Derby Day this year (that's the first weekend of May to anyone not from KY). They were lovely all summer, and as fall approached they became much more magnificent and bountiful with the cooler weather. Still, I knew the first frost would zap them. But, slightly sheltered by the front porch, they not only survived Halloween, but Thanksgiving came and went as well. So this weekend, I said adieu and placed the last cuttings in a vase, again thinking they would quickly wilt--but no, they continue to remain beautiful and "posed" for this painting yesterday. I guess you could say they bloomed well past their season simply because they didn't "know" they couldn't. All of which begs the question...what if our children grew up in a world where no one spoke of perceived limitations and challenges? What if no one told them they were not good enough, wise enough, tall enough, talented enough...? What if we stopped telling ourselves those things?

What if we chose to be bold and joyful like the geranium, and flourish in all our seasons?

"Never limit yourself because of others' limited imagination;

never limit others because of your own limited imagination."

Mae Jemison

We Three Kings

2011-12-09T12:41:00.002-06:00

We Three Kings

5 x 7, oil on canvas

"I'll tell you
how the sun rose

a ribbon

at a time"

~Emily Dickinson~

Miss Ashlyn

2011-11-19T08:05:00.005-06:00

"Miss Ashlyn"

22 x 28, oil on canvas

This painting was a commission, painted from a photograph supplied by the owner. I have never met my subject, but I am told the blue shirt you see her lying on, is her security blanket. The cozy softness holds the scent of her beloved owner and offers comfort whenever he is away. Even though I have never formally met Ashlyn, I know her well. She is every dog I have ever loved, cherished, and adored. One look into her soulful eyes and you feel adoration, unconditional love and devotion.
Neuroscientist and author of "My Stroke of Insight", Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, recounts how a massive stroke at age 37 shut down the left side of her brain--that is the thinking, analyzing, language side that allows us to name, code, categorize, and judge our experiences, people, places and things. Once the left brain was quieted, she was left to experience the world through the right brain and the five senses: rich with images, symbols, colors, patterns and light. While recovering, she recognized this "shift" and requested that her caregivers "take responsibility" for the energy they brought into her space. She noted that there are two kinds of people--those who take energy from you, and those who bring you theirs. Wow. Shouldn't we all be taking responsibility for the energy we bring into the spaces we enter? It would require us to leave behind the baggage of worry, anxiety, anger, resentment, ego--and just Be Present. Right Now. In THIS moment....And, isn't that exactly the way dogs negotiate the world? They constantly read our energy and emotions. They bring joy, curiosity and enthusiasm into our "space" - Just look at how ecstatic they are to see us when we walk in the door, regardless of how long we have been away! Without language, they don't understand the actual words we say, but instead, they zone in on the energy behind the words: our tone of voice, and the look in our eyes. They have no clue what it feels like to be burdened by a grudge, a judgement, or hatred.

There are no woulda, coulda, shouldas--just this moment. And you can see that in their eyes.

"We have the power to choose ,

moment by moment,

who and how we want to be in the world."

Jill Bolte Taylor

(to hear her TED presentation, click here)

Happy Thanksgiving!

an open mind

2011-10-04T07:00:00.000-05:00

10 x 10, oil on canvas

"I suggest that the only books that influence us

are the books for which we are ready,

and which have gone a little farther down our particular path

than we have yet got ourselves"

E.M. Forster

Booked

2011-09-28T11:02:00.002-05:00

8 x 24

"Living is like tearing through a museum.

Not until later do you really start absorbing what you saw,

thinking about it, looking it up in a book,

and remembering -

because you can't take it in all at once"

Audry Hepburn

CleoCatra

2011-09-17T07:24:00.005-05:00

8 x 10, oil on canvas

I first met Cleo about 10 years ago. Nobody really knows how old she is, but we are fairly certain she will still be around with the roaches when Wall-E becomes a reality. Not everybody "gets" Cleo because she tends to be kind of bossy and, shall we say verbal, especially in the wee hours of night. Or, perhaps it is her Georgia drawl that makes "meow" sound like an opinionated "NOooo!" that is often misinterpreted? Either way, she and I see eye to eye, and over the years, we have developed a close relationship grounded in our many deep and meaningful discussions - like this one:

me: "hey, Cleo, these chocolate chip cookies look great! Mind if I have one?"

Cleo: "NOooo!"

me: "Ok, thanks, by the way, I'm thinking about getting my hair cut a few inches shorter. Do you think I should?"

Cleo: "NOooo!"

me: "Well, what is your opinion about these jeans? Do they make me look fat? Cleo? C-l-e-o? Hey Cleo, where did you go? come back, I have more questions..."

Cleo: "NOooooooooo!"

Summer

2011-08-28T08:31:00.005-05:00

8 x 10. oil on canvas

"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate,

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

And summer's lease hath all too short a date..."

William Shakespeare

three sheets t' th' wind

2011-08-18T11:34:00.007-05:00

9 x 12, oil on canvas

"Three sheets" be 'n an ol' seafarin' term referrin' t' th' ropes holdin' th' bottom of th' sails in place. If nay securely fastened, th' sails were likely t' thrash about like a drunken sailor - thus th' phrase came known t' be a measure o' the sailor's seaworthiness! Betcha thought sheets referred to th' sails instead a th' ropes? Nay, 'tis an educational blog we're runnin' here matey!

And since three be me favorite number o' th' day; here be nay one, nay two, but three birthday quotes fer ye ponderin' sort a sailor...

~ ~ ~

"Youth be th' gift o' nature, but age be th' work o' art"... Scallywag Garson Kanin

"Knowledge be speakin', but wisdom be listenin"... Matey Jimi Hendrix

"At twenty years o' age, th' will reigns;

at thirty, th' wit;

an' at forty, th' judgement"

...Cap'n Ben Franklin

(Yo, ho, ho...an' a bottle o' rum!)

sea of inspiration

2011-08-05T05:00:00.000-05:00

12 x 12, oil on canvas

When asked what is the driving force behind his creativity, Sir Paul McCartney responded:

"It's simple -- I really enjoy what I do.

I have quite a few passions, as you might have noticed.

It really is just when I have a minute and when a particular passion hits me.

I love to paint.

I love to write poetry.

I love to make music.

So it's not really hard work for me,

and if I have a strong urge for something,

then I just go and do it."

~What I love most about Sir Paul is that he embraces life with such gratitude, humility, grace, joy, humor and insight. He is worth an estimated $750 million, could live anywhere/buy anything; and yet - he chose to go on the road and share his music with 1.2 million of his "closest" friends this summer. He doesn't call it work because he loves what he does. He has learned to just be. BE, as in, be open to innovative ideas, be in alignment with what he is most passionate about. He says it's just that simple.

May we be as a sailboat gently floating on the sea, ever ready to hoist our own sails. And may Sir Paul's timeless words and music continue to illuminate the world, inspiring all to "just go and do" our part to spread the light~

a day well spent

2011-08-01T07:26:00.004-05:00

12 x 16, oil on canvas

"Twenty years from now

you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do

than by the things you did,

so throw off the bowlines.

Sail away from the harbor.

Catch the trade winds in your sails.

Explore.

Dream.

Discover."

Mark Twain

something blue

2011-07-28T05:00:00.000-05:00

8 x 10, oil on canvas

This Double Arch has been gently molded and shaped by the forces of nature, while the distant mountains serve as Something Blue; overlooking, sheltering and working in harmony with the surrounding gorge.

And in the same way, we are shaped by those we meet, and our hearts are sheltered by those we love. Congrats and much love to Jen and Carson.

Ever thine,

ever mine,

ever ours.

Ludwig van Beethoven

something borrowed

2011-07-22T05:00:00.001-05:00

10 x 8, oil on canvas

Trees burrow in, cheerfully sharing their bright colors of autumn amid the welcoming grey cliffs. And the unions of friendship, support, and comfort are celebrated by gifts received, as well as those extended. Something Borrowed celebrates those reciprocal bonds...

"Love

is the condition in which the happiness

of another person

is essential to your own"

Robert Heinlein

something new

2011-07-15T05:00:00.002-05:00

8 x 10, oil on canvas

a young pine tree miraculously sprouts up between the boulders...

and Something New ensures optimism for the future...

"The journey of a thousand miles

begins with a single step."

Lao Tsu

something old

2011-07-11T05:00:00.001-05:00

10 x 8, oil on canvas

Switching gears to landscapes for the next couple of weeks -

There are more than one hundred natural arches at Kentucky's Red River Gorge, and this one represents Something Old For Continuity...

Music creates order out of chaos:

for rhythm imposes unanimity upon the divergent,

melody imposes continuity upon the disjointed,

and harmony imposes compatibility upon the incongrous."

Yehudi Menuhin

seven eleven

2011-07-07T07:07:00.002-05:00

12 x 12, oil on canvas

Today is the seventh day of the seventh month, so I wanted to share an old joke:

"If Seven-Eleven is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, why do they put locks on the doors?"...

At first glance it is merely a humorous insight, but doesn't it also serve as a gentle reminder that each path we choose carries its own tempo and flow; and the only "locks" are the ones we imagine, or place there ourselves?

No? Uh...ok, sorry...maybe that was just an extra shot of caffeine talking...

"Getting started,

keeping going,

getting started again-

in art and in life,

it seems to me

this is the essential rhythm."

Seamus Heaney

young gardeners

2011-07-01T05:43:00.005-05:00

“12 x 12, oil on canvas

"How sublime to look down into the workhouse of nature,
to see her clouds, hail, snow, rain, and thunder,
all fabricated at our feet!
...

but, tho' an old man,
I am but a young gardener"
Thomas Jefferson

As our country ages, may we choose to remain "young gardeners"
planting seeds of harmony and peace with each encounter.
Happy Birthday America!

Essere Italiano

2011-06-25T01:11:00.000-05:00

12 x 12, oil on canvas

This is another study from the workshop featuring the gorgeous turquoise shade of blue that Dreama often speaks about. And no, she isn't really my cousin. And if you must know, George Clooney isn't either. But I am Italian! Actually I'm sort of Italian. Kinda. Somewhat, that is. Well uh...more or less...

"be a singer

be a lover

pick the flower now before the chance is past

Be Italian, Be Italian!

live today as if it may become your last"

Fergie ("Nine")

cousin daisy

2011-06-22T09:35:00.003-05:00

12 x 12, oil on canvas

I recently had the honor of painting for a few days with my Kentucky cousin Dreama Tolle Perry (she would tell you that "our people" hail from Italy). In addition to painting, we share a love of writing, reading Deepak and Dwayne, keeping up with our kissing cousins George and Johnny... and did I mention all things Eeeeetaly? I would recommend her workshops but because her calendar is already filling up for next year, I'll just say please save a space for me...

"We've had cloning in the south for years!

It's called cousins"

Robin Williams

perpetual mornings

2011-06-05T02:08:00.002-05:00

10 x 12, oil on canvas

"To those whom elastic and vigorous thoughts

keep pace with the sun,

the day is a perpetual morning"

Henry David Thoreau

Henry D. had me at hello. I fell madly in love with him during my 17th summer, and his timeless words still "blow my mind off" (as my favorite little muse would say).

How could I keep from falling for a guy who savored all that is magical and ethereal about summer mornings, nature, and life?

"Perpetual Mornings" that last all day? Oh, YES PLEASE! Sign me up. I'll take mine with a cup of tea, a fresh bouquet and an inspirational read. Cheers to the extra hours of daylight that have f-i-n-a-l-l-y arrived in time for new discoveries, new paths, new insights. And cheers to all the Henry D.'s who inspire us to keep pace with the sun.

the color purple

2011-06-01T02:08:00.000-05:00

9 x 12, oil on canvas

"The Infinite has written it's name on the heavens

in shining stars,

and on Earth in tender flowers."

Jean Paul Richter

the sum of all colors

2011-05-28T02:08:00.000-05:00

8 x 10 , oil on canvas

"A mentor is someone

who allows you

to see the hope inside yourself...

As you become more clear about who you really are,

you'll be better able to decide what is best for you -

the first time around"

Oprah Winfrey

plays well with others

2011-05-20T05:55:00.001-05:00

6 x 12, oil on canvas

Since reading Lucinda Rooney's book Bouquets With Personalities, I will never again see my garden flowers in quite the same way. She cleverly notes how flowers exhibit a variety of personalities both in the garden and floral arrangements, and asks us to consider that some flowers are bold and exhibit "type-A" personalities that demand center stage (birds of paradise come to mind). Meanwhile others, she explains, serve as "peacemakers" and "team players" because they support the stars with their shape, color, texture, and variety that enhances the overall harmony of the design. And still, there are a few unpredictable "troublemakers" that are difficult to control, but when used properly, offer a unique richness all their own.

And my beloved peonies? She notes that they, along with garden roses and ranunculus, embody a romantic "gentle strength" whether used alone or in a bouquet. Love that!

"When working with the distinct personalities of flowers,

try to relate even to the difficult ones with grace and candor.

Never try to force a relationship...

Flowers, like people, are wonderful to work with

once you know how to relate to and handle their individuality and purpose".

Lucinda Rooney

a place in the sun

2011-05-15T20:35:00.004-05:00

6 x 8, oil on canvas

"In every moment of our existence,

we are in that field of all possibilities where we have access to an infinity of choices.

If you and I are having a single thought of violence or hatred against anyone in the world in this moment,

we are contributing to the wounding of the world."

Deepak Chopra

dandelion princess

2011-05-09T16:23:00.007-05:00

8 x 8, oil on canvas

a sunny sailor,

strong, spirited swimmer

and sculptor of sand.

a spellbound artist

in a splashy sea of pink,

and stylishly sequined shoes.

a sincere and soulful singer

in a swirling skirt.

self-confidant and strategic,

sensitive and supportive;

a spectacular speller,

snappy sleuth

and serious scientist.

a shamelessly silly

supervisor of scout,

a sister in september.

a snugly sugarplum

and softhearted smiling star.

six going on seven.

fcp

Pomp and...

2011-05-08T05:18:00.000-05:00

Mother's Day Roses

8 x 10, oil on canvas

Happy Mothers Day to all my mother/sister/daughter/friends who make the world a better place each and every day.

And best wishes to all the hard working graduates who are moving onto brand new chapters of their lives!

And a sprinkling of humor to keep it all in perspective....

"Giving birth is little more than a set of muscular contractions granting passage of a child. Then the mother is born"...Erma Bombeck.

"Children seldom misquote you. They more often repeat word for word everything you shouldn't have said." Mae Maloo

"My mother had a great deal of trouble with me. But I think she enjoyed it." Mark Twain

~~~~~~~~~

"Commencement speeches were invented largely in the belief that outgoing college students should never be released into the world until they have been properly sedated."

Garry Trudeau

"Your families are extremely proud of you!

You can't imagine the sense of relief they are experiencing ~

This would be a most opportune time to ask for money."

Gary Bolding

"A professor is someone who talks in someone else's sleep"

W. H. Auden

Roses for Rosie!

2011-05-06T12:20:00.006-05:00

8 x 8, oil on canvas

Saturday's Kentucky Derby will feature 23 year old jockey sensation Anna "Rosie" Napravnik; only the 6th woman ever to make it to there. She says her mom, who is an avid, accomplished horsewoman in her own right, taught her everything she knows. Look for Rosie at the starting gate (in the middle of the pack in her pink and orange silks) aboard Pants on Fire.

And let's hear it for the girls!

"Every decision you make impacts your career....the sky's the limit"...Anna Napravnik

May Day! May Day!

2011-05-01T18:37:00.009-05:00

8" x 8", oil on canvas

April showers brought

mold,

mildew,

thunder,

lightening,

hail,

tornadoes

and flooding.

And yet...

the flowers outside my window

have courageously popped their heads up

in search of the Sun...

inviting,

coaxing,

cajoling,

begging us

to follow their brave example.

All In All

2011-04-14T08:00:00.005-05:00

12 x 16, oil on canvas

The grey skies of winter have lifted -amen!

The trees and flowers are putting on a show -achoo!

The studio windows have opened -again!

And the jockeys are ready to go -at last!

portrait artist

2011-03-28T11:19:00.008-05:00

I was most fortunate to have my portrait rendered this weekend by an artist simply known as A. Although this artist has never taken a drawing class, never studied color theory, and is not the least bit concerned with the "rules" that govern shapes, values, composition, line, form, and function; I can assure you that, at age five, she understands all there is to know about the creative process. Eliminating judgement and worry that her work may not be "good enough"; she intuitively understands the importance of rendering the essence of her subject.

My artist began by pointing out what she sees in me (my love of painting, the fact that my favorite red lipstick is more pink than red, how my eyes sometimes look blue/sometimes green depending on what I am wearing, and last but not least, how we both agree that the most important criteria for choosing a great skirt is whether or not it "twirls" when you walk). If you look closely at her depiction of the painting on the easel, you will see that she has drawn the two of us holding hands, and simply written "you/me" - an economy of words that say everything. The best artist for the job may not be the one with the most technical skill or years of study under her belt. She will not be focused on the shape of your lips, but on the warmth of your smile. She is the one who always "gets you" - and the one who sees and paints your spirit.

"Each second we live is a new and unique moment of the universe,

a moment that will never be again.

And what do we teach our children?

We teach them that two and two make four and that Paris is the capital of France.

When will we also teach them what they are? We should say to each of them:

Do you know what you are?

You are a marvel.

You are unique.

In all the years that have passed, there has never been another child like you.

Your legs, your arms, your clever fingers, the way you move.

You may become a Shakespeare, a Michelangelo, a Beethoven.

You have the capacity for anything. Yes, you are a marvel.

And when you grow up, can you then harm another, who is like you, a marvel?

You must work, we must all work, to make the world worthy of its children"

Pablo Picasso

a trip down memory lane

2011-03-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

"Walnut Grove" for JCP

6" x 12" oil on canvas

My sister, brother and I played among these walnut trees as children and relished the boundless magic endemic to our grandparents' home and farmland.

Just over the hill was a fragrant apple orchard - the thought of which always reminds me of this wise old Welsh Proverb:

"A seed hidden in the heart of an apple is an orchard invisible"

...and this most enchanting observation by Rabindranath Tagore- who surely knew a thing or two about magic, wonder, and the infinite charm of nature:

"The touch of an infinite mystery passes over the trivial and the familiar,

making it break out into ineffable music...

The trees,

the stars,

and the blue hills

ache with a meaning

which can never be uttered in words"

the daily round

2011-03-19T14:48:00.006-05:00

12 x 16, watercolor

"We should return home from adventures,

and perils and discoveries every day

with new experience and character."

Henry David Thoreau

Enchantment by the Sea

2011-03-02T07:28:00.004-06:00

12 x 16, oil on canvas

"There is a garden in every childhood,

an enchanted place where colors are brighter,

the air softer,

and the morning more fragrant than ever again"

Elizabeth Lawrence

all hearts day

2011-02-14T08:02:00.004-06:00

Dear Mr./Ms. Sun,

I don't want to appear selfish and ask you to "Be Mine" on this day, but please, oh please, could you just "Be Here" for awhile? I have really, really, really missed you (three reallys).

love,

your devoted fan

"Love is not selective,

just as the light of the sun is not selective..."
Eckhart Tolle

valentine to the world

2011-02-06T15:15:00.005-06:00

"If anything matters,

then everything matters,

Because you are important,

everything you do is important.

Every time you forgive,

the universe changes.

Every time you reach out

and touch a heart or a life,

the world changes.

With every kindness or service,

seen or unseen,

my purposes are accomplished,

and nothing will ever

be the same again." ~

William P. Young

the present moment

2011-01-30T18:57:00.007-06:00

6 x 8, oil on canvas

"Events in our lives happen in a sequence in time,

in their significance to ourselves they find their own order,

the continuous thread of revelation"

Eudora Welty

The King of Blues

2011-01-24T06:27:00.008-06:00

B.B. King's Blues Club, Nashville, Tennessee

8 x 16 oil on canvas

Baby, it's cold outside...more snow on the way? But the music is hot in here..."global warming" at its best. Cheers!

here's a little history - "Blues Boy" King began recording in the 1940s and is still going strong today. In the 50s he narrowly escaped a fire when performing; only to race back in and retrieve his $30 acoustic guitar. The fire started when a scuffle broke out over a woman named Lucille, so B.B. named his guitar after her (and subsequent guitars) to remind himself to never fight over a woman.

Because Bowling Green, Ky is halfway between Nashville and Louisville, and a similar distance between Chicago and New Orleans; it became a popular gathering spot for musicians like B.B., James Brown and Ray Charles in the 40s and 50s. Always willing to share his love of music, he has since played with musicians from every walk of life; even opened for The Stones in the 60s. I've written about the 10,000 hours of meaningful practice necessary to become a master..well, you can do the math for B.B. but I can tell you in his case, it all adds up to a new level of mastery called The King. In addition to his many honors and awards, he has received honorary doctorates from six universities - uh, yeah, you read that right.

Let's face it, when you have music in your soul, the thrill is never gonna be gone. Thanks, B.B.!

"Jazz is the big brother of the blues. If a guy's playing blues like we play, he's in high school. When he starts playing jazz it's like going on to college, to a school of higher learning.

The beautiful thing about learning is nobody can take it away from you."

B.B. King

nature's color wheel

2011-01-22T09:03:00.007-06:00

Glancing at the clock, I realized it was time for a jolt of caffeine, so I reluctantly put down my paint brush long enough to dash into the kitchen and grab a cup of tea...when I was stopped in my tracks. Mesmerized like someone on a LSD trip, I found myself melting into the moment studying the sunlit image created by a crystal hanging in the window...But the real story has nothing to do with a technical explanation of where rainbows come from. Doesn't even have anything to do with caffeine. It was yet another of life's little surprises not to be missed. Simple and miraculous in the same breath. A fleeting reminder to slow down, savor the moment, and share it with you. Here's hoping breathless little discoveries abound in your life today. Cheers!

"The true harvest of my life is intangible ~

a little stardust caught,

a portion of the rainbow I have clutched"

Henry David Thoreau

Paging Paulie

2011-01-19T16:08:00.004-06:00

10 x 12, oil on canvas

Paul Cezanne was born 175 years ago today. He knew he wanted to be an artist early on, but agreed to study law in order to please his domineering father. Meanwhile, another artist 10 years his senior, Camille Pissarro, became a father-figure and devoted friend. Pissarro's influence and kindness encouraged Cezanne to find his artistic voice and gather the courage to continue painting amid rejections. And, growing stronger in his convictions to face his fears and live a life of integrity, Cezanne was eventually moved to confess to his parents that he had fallen in love and fathered a child. While they may not have agreed with the career and family choices their son had made, surely they admired Cezanne's honesty, courage, integrity, and desire to live in truth. I certainly do - and so today, in his honor, I paint two of his favorite subjects, apples and oranges.

"Right now a moment of time is passing by!

We must become that moment."...Paul Cezanne

curiosity

2011-01-02T13:41:00.003-06:00

6 x 8, oil on canvas

I stare at the cardinal outside my window and he stares back. What is he thinking? What does he see? Does he sense danger, or is he just curious about who and what I am?

Happy New Year. Wishing you new adventures, ideas, and experiences to explore and be curious about!

"Learn from yesterday, live for today, and hope for tomorrow.

The important thing is to never stop questioning...

There are only two ways to live your life.

One is as though nothing is a miracle.

The other is as though everything is a miracle"

Albert Einstein

December

2010-12-26T10:54:00.005-06:00

10 x 10, oil on canvas

I enjoy catching a glimpse of the brilliant red coloring of the male Cardinals; Kentucky's state bird and a common sight outside my window. They are especially beautiful amid winter's more subdued palette.

"I heard a bird sing

in the dark of December

A magical thing

So sweet to remember

'We are nearer to Spring

Than we were in September,'

I heard a bird sing

in the dark of December.

...Oliver Herford

Winter Solstice

2010-12-21T10:52:00.005-06:00

8 x 6, oil on canvas

Today marks the Winter Solstice; a day to celebrate LIGHT as we look toward longer days and shorter nights. Enhancing the celebration will be the brilliant light of a full moon.

I have always been intrigued to imagine what life, and this night, must have been like centuries ago when there was no electricity, when the onslaught of winter meant that many would starve or freeze. It is easy to understand why this night was so important, and why people celebrated with feasts as provisions were stockpiled for the approaching famine months, and there was joy in the lighting of candles. And today, while I was still having my morning tea, there was a celebration inside the Stonehenge circle, as onlookers watched the sun set. Centuries ago, the stones there were aligned to precisely capture the setting of the sun between two of the stones in honor of this day, and the promise of future days to come.

Light... Something to celebrate every day in every way. Wishing you the joy of family and friends, a peaceful heart, and the blessings of love and light this Christmas season.

"Somewhere across the winter world tonight

You will be hearing chimes that fill the air;

Christmas extends its all-enfolding Light

Across the distance...something we can share

You will be singing, just the same as I,

these familiar songs we know so well,

And you will see these same Stars in your sky,

And wish upon that brightest one that fell.

I shall remember you and trim my tree,

One shining Star upon the topmost bough;

I will hang wreaths of faith that all may see-

Tonight I glimpse beyond the here and now.

And all the time that we must be apart

I keep a Candle in my Heart."

Mary E. Linton

peace

2010-12-18T06:32:00.001-06:00

"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world,

and behold,

everything is softer and more beautiful"

~Norman Vincent Peale~

Christmas Cheer

2010-12-10T09:59:00.002-06:00

"Red Star of Mexico"

8 x 8, oil on canvas

"Santa is very jolly because he knows where all the bad girls live"

Dennis Miller

all you need is love...

2010-12-05T06:30:00.009-06:00

I have been happily engaged in Christmas commissions only to look up and realize that it is suddenly December. Well, I can't show what is on the easel (don't want to spoil any surprises), but I do want to take a moment to share a couple of new discoveries that are on my list of favorite things.

First, Dreama Tolle Perry has issued the book above on blurb: "Let There Be Love"

in which she is both the author and illustrator!

What I LOVE most about this book is that she explains how her paintings begin with written words of focus and intention penned right onto the canvas. Once the painting is complete, some of her beautiful words can be found incorporated into the shapes and colors while others remain hidden underneath which makes for a very powerful connection to her subject, the viewer and her heart. I LOVE that.

And my favorite children's book ever is by Nancy Tillman called "Wherever You Are, My Love Will Find You". Like Dreama, Nancy is both the illustrator and the author. Wait, let me restate that...They Write As Beautifully And As Powerfully As They Paint--nothing short of astonishing! While I love all Nancy's books, this one carries its own special magic that is both timely and timeless, heart-warming and healing. In an interview once, Nancy's response to the question "What is the best gift you ever received?" was "a ladybug that my husband gave me". The moment I read that, I knew she was my new best friend. I haven't broken the news to her yet, but I assure you that is but a minor detail...And while I have never met either of these author/artists, their work reminds me of something Dr. Wayne Dyer often talks about: why we can only get orange juice from an orange (there is nothing else inside). And, he points out, if humans only have Love Inside, that is the only reaction we can ever offer to the circumstances and challenges that surround our days. So it follows that books like these happen only when the writer/illustrator is powerfully connected and aligned with the beauty and wonder of all those seemingly "insignificant ladybugs" out there.

Nancy and Dreama's books open up our eyes and hearts to what we already know, but perhaps were too busy to remember or notice. So wherever You are, my wish for you is that the love "hidden" in every moment will be revealed to you in the shapes and colors of This Day, and you will feel the ~swirl~ of~magic~and~wonder~all~around~you ~

"I wanted you more than you will ever know,

so I sent love to follow wherever you go...

you are my angel, my darling, my star...

and my love will follow you wherever you are"

...Nancy Tillman

"It is the East, and Juliet is the Sun"...

2010-11-09T19:05:00.007-06:00

Who needs to hire a model when you can paint fellow students like Juliet?...

“In study after study, of composers, basketball players, fiction writers, ice-skaters, concert pianists, chess players, master criminals, this number comes up again and again. Ten thousand hours is equivalent to roughly three hours a day, or 20 hours a week, of practice over 10 years… No one has yet found a case in which true world-class expertise was accomplished in less time. It seems that it takes the brain this long to assimilate all that it needs to know to achieve true mastery...Daniel Levitin

finding the form

2010-11-09T16:19:00.004-06:00

I find I'm obsessed with figure studies since returning from the recent workshops, so that has been the focus of my early morning sketches where, as Kim English pointed out, the goal is to "find the form" and record the gesture.

"The idea that excellence at performing a complex task requires a critical minimum level of practice surfaces again and again in studies of expertise. In fact, researchers have settled on what they believe is the magic number for true expertise: ten thousand hours"...Malcolm Gladwell

Early Morning Club

2010-11-01T11:11:00.004-05:00

A few weeks ago, artist Robert Genn wrote about the importance of scheduling creative endeavors first thing in the morning..."The minute you awaken, proceed like a zombie to your studio. Before your kettle has boiled, before you have checked your email, squeeze out and prepare your palette..."

I find that I am really drawn to those fleeting moments before the first light of day, before the phone rings and doorbell demands our attention; before the world sweeps us off our feet and hurls us in a new direction. I love that magic hour when all is quiet (including our minds) and the muses are beckoning. Glancing out at the stars or, on this particular morning, witnessing the beautiful crescent moon, we are encouraged to face the blank page without judgment. Detached from "outcome" we are free to practice "process" before our inner critic awakens.

While I may not post all my efforts, I think I would like to to "join" the Early Morning Club with the intention of sharpening my drawing skills; perhaps rendering studies in paint as well as charcoal, pastels, pencils, markers. We will see. I may make it up as I go along, because after all, waking up before dawn is easy, and I've already "mastered" the part where I am expected to proceed like a zombie... So, the way I see it, I'm already halfway there; why not crank out a few sketches, too? Come on and join our virtual "club"!

"The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you...

Don't go back to sleep, don't go back to sleep"...Rumi

8 x 16, oil on canvas

"Sunday in the Park"

I saw this very tall, lovely girl reading her book in the park, and couldn't wait to paint her. The best models are just everyday people being themselves. (click painting to enlarge)

brought to you by the number THREE...

2010-10-23T07:23:00.008-05:00

I am off on a new painting adventure this week, taking in the gorgeous fall colors and traveling south to study with master painter Kim English. The upcoming week also marks the third anniversary of my blogging/painting journey. So, to "celebrate" that milestone, I plan to embark on a new daily challenge (oh, I do love assignments)... but more about that later.

First, I want to mention three art related events of interest:

(1) The Musée d'Orsay in Paris has loaned paintings to the Frist Center for the Visual Arts until January 2011, for a delightful look at how the Impressionist movement came to be. One of my favorite paintings in all the world is on display there; Edouard Manet's portrait of his friend, and fellow artist, Berthe Morisot. It is a stunning example of the power of design and composition using dark against light with minimal brush strokes, color and values to depict the stylish young artist. (I LOVE her hat!) While Morisot's work focused on a lighter palette and more color brought on by the Impressionist's influence, Manet's painting depicts the more established style that his contemporary value painters held dear.

(2) The exhibit coincides with the American Impressionist Society show at Richland Fine Art located just down the street, so you can make it a day of art!

(3) Also, if you haven't yet heard about my blogging pals' website "Artists Helping Artists" you are in for a treat--check out Leslie Saeta and Dreama Tolle Perry's blog radio show. They interview artists each week and this week's guest was Kevin Macpherson. If you missed the original airing, you can go back and listen to the archives anytime. Always awesome info and ideas from two very creative, engaging hosts.

"There are three principal means of acquiring knowledge...observation of nature, reflection, and experimentation. Observation collects facts. Reflection combines them. Experimentation verifies the result of that combination"...Denis Diderot

American Impressionist Society week in Nashville

2010-10-12T18:34:00.012-05:00

It was a whirlwind week of events...First there were workshops featuring master artists Peggi Kroll Roberts and C.W. Mundy. It was my fourth workshop with Peggi, and while I wish I could say NOW I understand it all, I'm afraid I have many miles of canvas to go. She makes it look way too easy. Must be those magic brushes of hers!

Below is Peggi painting a demo:

She painted this little guy below, too. What amazes me most is how her figures "read" from across the room. The values are always perfect, making the paintings appear almost photo realistic from a distance, yet very abstract up close. It is pure magic!

We were also treated to a seminar featuring Bill Bush, of Fredricksburg Artists' School, who spoke on The Business Side of Art. Another evening was devoted to an entertaining slide presentation and lecture by C.W.Mundy; and we were given the opportunity to hear first hand how Vasari colors are handcrafted at their NYC location, much the same way the Old Masters ground their pigments centuries ago. Also, there were painting demos by AIS President Kathy Cooper and VP Mary Garrish.

And the lovely opening night reception was hosted by Richland Fine Art where we were honored to meet AIS co-founder Charlotte Dickenson.

Below: Me and my beach painting. A few years ago, instructor Camille Przewodek discussed with our class the importance of setting goals. She suggested that we choose an artist whose work we admire and then visualize our work hanging next to theirs in a gallery. Well, I'm very happy to say that while Camille's painting is not hanging next to mine; it is however, just a few feet away. How cool is that?

....and below is my friend Marian Pascuta, whose award winning painting hangs behind us.

In addition to the juried show, there are several master artists' paintings on display, including a couple of my other favorite teachers: Kevin Macpherson and Carolyn Anderson! The exhibit will continue into the first weekend of November.

"It's not our art,

but our hearts that are on display"

...Gary Holland

Bustin' Out with ACS

2010-09-29T06:34:00.007-05:00

Specs Appeal is my entry for the American Cancer Society fundraiser for breast cancer called Bustin' Out! (how clever is that?) The "rules" were to take a padded 36-C bra and embellish every inch, inside and out. So, after some pondering, I decided that my inspiration behind the design would be the Beauty, Hope, and Courage I have witnessed shining from within the brave women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. To symbolize beauty, I sewed white sequins to the outside of the bra because the color white reflects all visible light in the spectrum, and stands for love, purity and new beginnings. I chose sequins that are iridescent, because the bra glistens, shines and transforms from white to pink, changing as light hits it from different angles. I feel that women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer experience a similar inner transformation and this iridescent quality best represents the hope that many women have so poignantly described. I am humbled to witness how some find new meaning and purpose that often brings about a newly found sense of courage and strength. And because I am most inspired by the women who seek a "silver lining" and believe that our darkest hours are, in fact,"opportunities" for reflection and growth; I sewed a soft, silver metallic fabric to the inside of the bra. My hope is that the reflective qualities of the fabric would also mirror how the love and kindness we women send out into the world each day is reflected back into our own hearts and lives.

And because humor is an important component of healing, I've included a few humorous quotes, as well as a pair of sunglasses for "specs appeal"-- a nod to the Pat McDonald song "The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades" --as we look toward a future BRIGHT with hope and healing.

"I wanted to be the first person to burn my bra, but it would have taken the fire department four days to put it out"...Dolly Parton

"The only gossip I'm interested in are things from the Weekly World News-'Women's Bra Bursts, 11 Injured'...that kind of thing"...Johnny Depp

If you would like to learn more about the upcoming auction, you may click on the Bustin' Out website above, and please visit the awesome photographer's website here: Lucas Ridley You have to see his clever arrangements of the entries that are being made into cards for the auction/ Also on facebook here.

Hugs to all the courageous women who have heard the words "you have breast cancer"--You are an inspiration to us all.

lather, rinse, repeat

2010-09-25T09:29:00.009-05:00

The universe whispered "simplify" and she replied "Oh yes! I have many photos -like this one I took in Como, Italy-

and they are all organized and arranged by date and...." Then, through an "open window" came an unexpected "gust of wind" that sent the photos swirling into a jumbled, chaotic pile. "OH... I get it!" she said "Organizing is not enough- I should also classify, identify, specify..." and she went to work doing just that.

"No, no" said the weary Universe in a sterner voice..."I said... SIMPLIFY" - and this time the rains came, turning her neighborhood into a lake.

"Oh" she sighed in a much smaller voice.

And then came the carpenters, painters, plumbers, and electricians to remodel and rebuild, and she thanked the Universe for her most valuable lesson and added:

"I get it. No...REALLY... I. GET. IT....(seriously, no reason for you to show me again)...

"You can't have everything. Where would you put it?...Steven Wright

6 x 8 oil on canvas

a 10-minute sketch using Simplified shapes and an economy of values & colors

"The essence of voluntary simplicity is living in a way that is outwardly simple and inwardly rich"...H.D.Thoreau

a little stardust

2010-09-10T19:48:00.006-05:00

Earlier this summer, I entered the above painting in The American Impressionist Society national exhibition. Every now and then, you just get a little lucky. Being accepted in the show is a double honor, because it will also be a huge privilege to have a painting hang in one of the south's premiere galleries; Richland Fine Art in Nashville, Tennessee. The exhibit doesn't open until October 7th, but AIS and Richland have made it available for early online viewing here. Congrats to one and all.

"Shoot for the moon,

and if you miss,

you'll still be among the stars"

Les Brown

The Secret Garden

2010-08-21T06:09:00.003-05:00

"My Grandmother's Hollyhocks"

10 x 10, oil on canvas

FCP (ageless and timeless, of course!)

"The Pretty Pink Tulip"

8 x 8, acrylic on canvas

ALP (age 5)
"The Red Rose"

8 x 8, acrylic on canvas

DBA (age 8)

The above paintings are part of a current exhibit accompanying the local production of Frances Hodgson Burnett's "The Secret Garden". The transformational and restorative power of the garden that the book's character Mary discovers, reminds me of how my Dad described his own childhood memories. In addition to vegetable and flower gardens, he was enthralled by the fragrant fruit orchards, with their carpets of spring blossoms that created a magic space for adventure, and afforded him a lifelong love of nature and gardening. Taking time to honor that rich connection to our world is a gift that we too can pass along to the next generation as they seek their own paths to imagination and magic. Special thanks to my young artist collaborators for allowing me to play along!

"The Secret Garden was what Mary called it when she was thinking of it. She liked the name, and she liked still more the feeling that when its beautiful old walls shut her in no one knew where she was. It seemed almost like being shut out of the world in some fairy place. The few books she had read and liked had been fairy-story books, and she had read of secret gardens in some of the stories. Sometimes people went to sleep in them for a hundred years, which she had thought must be rather stupid. She had no intention of going to sleep, and, in fact, she was becoming wider awake every day which passed..." Frances Hodgson Burnett

red bucket

2010-07-24T07:07:00.001-05:00

8 x 16, oil on canvas

I was inspired by the glow of the sand bucket for this one, and how the sunlight caught her hair.

"The sea, the great unifier, is man's only hope.

Now, as never before, the old phrase has a literal meaning:

we are all in the same boat"...

These timely words of wisdom were written years ago by one of my heroes who was was a tireless advocate for the sea. Born 100 years ago, his work and legacy lives on. To learn more, click here: Jacques Cousteau

True Blue

2010-07-16T07:07:00.000-05:00

10 x 12, oil on canvas

...Continuing to tiptoe out of my comfort zone with masculine skin tones this time around. Thanks for all the kind emails and comments about this challenge, and please know that while I can eventually come up with something that approaches looking "human"--portraits are not my thing and I am happy to leave it to the pros who are in a league unto themselves. But trying something different is the point, and reminds me of something I once heard author Marian Williamson say. She defined a miracle as stepping into a space previously unavailable to you--a brand new place that allows you to distance yourself from what you previously thought were your limits, and one that enables you to view the old (as well as the new) from an entirely unfamiliar and distinctly new perspective. And when I visualize doing that, I always get a mental image of the SkyWalk at the Grand Canyon- I have not gotten to go there yet, but I think it has to deserve miracle status- and a pretty cool visual reminder to be open to possibilities that you could never have imagined previously.

"I was going to have cosmetic surgery until I noticed that my doctor's office was full of portraits by Picasso"

...Rita Rudner

do the thing...

2010-07-03T16:44:00.000-05:00

A few years ago, I enrolled in a couple of different portrait workshops taught by master artists Dawn Whitelaw and Michael Shane Neal. And while I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of each, it was clear that portraiture just isn't my thing. Juliet said it best--when Lady Capulet inquired how she felt about her impending marriage to Paris, her reply was "it is an honor that I dream not of." That is exactly how I feel about painting portraits.

But this week I have been pondering THIS powerful quote:

So I decided to step way out of my comfort zone and do just that. In order to cross that invisible barrier, I focused on value relationships and color temperature, elements necessary for ANY subject. This "assignment" based on intention and purpose immediately dissolved any angst I previously felt about tackling such a daunting task. That, along with choosing a reference photo of a most endearing model ensured that my assignment would be anything but laborious....

12 x 16, oil on canvas

And now I am issuing this challenge to all of YOU reading this post. Think about whatever it is that you are currently avoiding, and consider Ms. Roosevelt's timeless advice to step out of YOUR comfort zone and do the thing you think you cannot do. Feel free to share your experiences--I would love to hear how you work through challenges to remove mental roadblocks. We all create our own barriers, and often hang onto them for dear life, but sometimes we just need to let...them...go.

"Well... I guess it SORT OF looks human"...(an unsolicited critique uttered by a very frank fellow student upon glimpsing my first attempt at portrait painting) Ouch... but hey, if we already knew how to paint, we wouldn't need teachers and workshops, right?

Happy 4th...

summer break

2010-06-28T06:16:00.000-05:00

8 x 10, oil on canvas

My focus in this painting was to capture all those wonderful colors in the shadows and still keep light and shadow families separate and distinct--a super duper fun challenge with all the light reflecting up from the water and white ground plane.

"Raising teenagers is like trying to nail Jello to a tree" (anonymous)

beach stroll

2010-06-19T14:41:00.003-05:00

12 x 16

oil on canvas

My focus in this painting was to capture the luminous quality of early light when the sea takes on the color and value of the sky. The clouds had rolled in and everything looked hazy except for this lady who stood out brilliantly against the neutral background. I love how her hair was illuminated by the warm light.

"A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight,

and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world"...Oscar Wilde

The Magic Hour

2010-06-11T07:13:00.006-05:00

10 x 12, oil on canvas

I've been a "sunset junkie" since I was in high school. That "magic hour" when the sun slowly sinks into the west and creates those wonderful orange and peachy pink skin-tones. It is Simply THE Best and there is nothing I relish more. I just don't think we can witness this light without our cares and thoughts fading away and being replaced with the feeling that everything is as it should be in this moment. The trick then is to breathe in that magic, and take it with you wherever you go...and then you can "paint it" into your day when the vacation is over. It really is That Magic. And it is available just about every day in even the most remote locations...

"I don't know what you could say about a day when you have witnessed four beautiful sunsets"...Astronaut John Glenn

Homer's Sirens

2010-06-05T06:47:00.005-05:00

8 x 10, oil on canvas

These girls were The Perfect Models on the beach. And no, actually I'm not referring to the fact that they were fashionable, gorgeous and had absolutely no cellulite. They were Perfect because:

a) they stayed relatively still long enough for me to sketch them

b) their varied poses make a wonderful composition

c) and I was especially smitten by how the shadows connected and formed an interesting dark and light pattern

....all of which reminds me of a question... Another artist told me she was snapping photos of her son on the beach when a stranger approached and demanded to know if her children had been included in any of the photos taken. The artist explained that she would be happy to delete any that the stranger's children may have accidentally been a part of--and continued on her way, only to discover that the stranger had begun following her and announcing to other strangers that the artist was photographing everyone's children! Which begs the question...Should artists be required to interrupt The Perfect Models to seek permission to photograph and paint them, or should we go into stealth mode and do it unsuspectingly? In an age of cellphones in every pocket and cameras on every building, aren't we all being photographed all the time anyway? My experience has been that when I have asked permission, the "models" say yes, but then they are ALWAYS self-conscious and no longer strike a natural pose, which defeats the whole purpose.

"First you will come to the Sirens who enchant all who come near them. If any one warily draws in too close and hears the singing of the Sirens, his wife and children will never welcome him home again, for they sit in a green field and warble him to death with the sweetness of their song...therefore pass these Sirens by, and stop your men's ears with wax that none of them may hear..." Homer's Odyssey, 800 B.C.

ode to clean water

2010-05-31T06:14:00.004-05:00

8 x 8,

oil on canvas

May has been a lesson in appreciating clean water. The month began with flood waters that engulfed our front yard and ultimately the lower level of our home. I quickly learned the meanings of water classifications 2 and 3 (potentially contaminated with microbes) which translates to hours of trashing anything and everything deemed "porous": carpet, hardwood floors, bookshelves, walls up to four feet, as well as furniture, toys, games, and yes, even a few paintings. A few days later, while this part of the country continued to dried out, I left for the Charlotte workshop, followed by a family trip to the Gulf of Mexico... a vacation we had planned weeks before. And we were lucky. The beaches were not yet closed, the days were crisp and clear, and yet heavy with the impending dread of what was to come. So on this day when we honor our veterans and celebrate the beginning of summer, my heart goes out to all the lovely people (and wildlife) of the Gulf shores whose lives (and livelihoods) have been, or will be affected by this environmental nightmare.

"A lake is the landscape's most beautiful and expressive feature.

It is earth's eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature."

~Henry David Thoreau

Peggi and Ray Roberts

2010-05-30T07:07:00.005-05:00

"Figure Study/Kathryn" (my 400th blog post!)

6 x 12, oil on canvas

I had the honor of painting with Peggi Kroll Roberts

and her husband Ray Roberts this month. This was my third opportunity to paint with Peggi, and as I have said before, she is one of my favorite people on the planet. Not only is she an excellent teacher, but no one could be more kind, gracious and humble. I was especially delighted to meet Ray and have the good fortune to paint with both of them this time around. (to see their work, click on their names above)

My friend, artist Anne Neilson organized the workshop in lovely Charlotte, NC. If you have never been to Charlotte, let me just say it is one of the most charming and enchanting cities ever.

And I just had to include the photo below of Ray's palette because it serves as an excellent example of proficient paint quality and texture, and reminds me of a brilliant concept Camille Przewodek first revealed when I studied with her a few years back. I have never forgotten it because it was a huge "Aha!"moment for me, and a point I have struggled to incorporate into my painting process ever since. She disclosed that when offering a critique to her students, she studies their palettes more than their paintings, because the palettes reveal infinitely more about the level of understanding attained so far--or, in most cases, everything the students have not yet grasped! And once you see what she is talking about, you realize that It Is So True! For example, if we are in the habit of mixing separate little piles of color (and values) all over the palette, it will translate to poor value and color relationships in the painting. In contrast, look at how masterfully Ray's palette illustrates the importance of juxtaposing similar values, allowing him to easily compare and tweak the temperature of the paint. As Ray pointed out, if you get the relationships correct on the palette first, they will hold together and read correctly in the painting later. And we just can't get these thick, luscious brushstrokes and blends of color if we lay out tiny little blobs of paint on the palette to begin with (another mistake beginners often make).

Peggi emphasized this point further with a favorite quote, often repeated by her mentor, artist John Asaro:

"Value does all the work but color gets all the glory!"

Cecelia Beaux

2010-05-23T07:07:00.005-05:00

12 x 16 (after Cecelia Beaux's painting of her portrait of Henry Sturgis Drinker, titled "A Man With a Cat")

oil on canvas

Another artist born during the same era (1855) as Robert Henri was Cecelia Beaux. She was a master painter of portraits, and what I love most about her work is how she painted the various nuances of white. My drawing of her work is a little wobbly, but I did manage to observe and mix many shades of white for this one.

A renowned artist during her lifetime, Miss Beaux was also a contemporary of William Merritt Chase who enthusiastically declared "Miss Beaux is not only the greatest woman painter of modern times, but the best that has ever lived."

Robert Henri

2010-05-15T07:07:00.006-05:00

6 x 8,

oil on canvas (after Henri's painting on the cover of "The Art Spirit")

Robert (Cozad) Henri is one of my favorite painters of all time. Born in 1865, he painted and taught many subjects during his long career, but it is his portraits of children that really shine. I know of no other artist more adept at depicting the personality, character, and sense of wonder inherit in childhood. I was especially drawn to the ruddy cheeks, curly locks and watery eyes in this one.

"What we need is more sense of the wonder of life,

and less of the business of making a picture"

...Robert Henri

Longchamp Racetrack 1911

2010-05-09T07:07:00.002-05:00

24 x 30,

oil on canvas

In an era when many of the latest fashions were first introduced at the racetracks just outside of Paris, these were the styles coveted by women one hundred years ago. Now, I know what you are thinking--how uncomfortable the women must have been wearing ensembles like these, especially strolling on uneven turf in unpredictable weather....but (sigh) if you discover a time machine, please let me know. I will be first in line to go back to that time. Just viewing the designers attention to detail up close would be worth the trip alone.

After all, by the year 1911, Coco Chanel's Rue Cambon shop had been open for a whole year already. And she was only twenty seven years old.

"Fashion is architecture: it is a matter of proportions"...Coco Chanel

Happy Mother's Day! This painting, along with Ky Derby Bling is part of a Celebration of Women Show at the Gallery at 916.

Kentucky Derby Bling

2010-05-01T07:10:00.006-05:00

12 x 16

oil on canvas

Today a hat won't help much. With torrential rains expected, a large tarp will be the order of the day at Churchill Downs, which I'm sorry to say also makes it tough for the horses.

Writer Tom Pedulla says that most jockeys don't even see their horses until it is time for their race to begin, but Derby winner Calvin Borel goes out early every morning to visit the horses and "learn their nuances". Calvin explains "I get on all my horses and work them. Every horse is not the same--every horse has a different key to him. You've got to get to them in the morning and find the key". Having dropped out of school after the eighth grade, he is proof that school is only one aspect of receiving an education. I find his genuine love of horses and dedication to excellence most inspiring.

Project Fayway

2010-04-27T14:40:00.006-05:00

Party Dress

8 x 16, oil on canvas

Sometimes you just can't predict where your next inspiration will come from. That is certainly true for this painting. After stepping into a restaurant powder room and seeing fabulous fashion illustration posters, I was so inspired to sketch out a design of my own. Now, normally I only paint what I can study, that is, what is actually in front of me-- so nothing could have been more foreign that stepping up to the easel with no plan and no reference. But it didn't take long before I got totally lost in the process, and "forgot" that it was out of my comfort zone. Because oil paint is so forgiving, I easily gave my "model" a purse, a boa, sleeves, a necklace, a hat, and ten other hairstyles...only to scrape them all off, design and re-design until I settled on this dress in one of my favorite colors. I don't expect Project Runway to call anytime soon, but this was tons of fun. Can't wait to try another pose...maybe a ballgown next time, or perhaps a....

"Today must not be a souvenir of yesterday, and so the struggle is everlasting.

Who am I today? What do I see today?

How shall I use what I know, and how shall I avoid being a victim of what I know?

Life is not repetition....

If you work from memory, you are most likely to put in your real feeling"

...Robert Henri

(Isn't that just the best quote? Henri must have been the ultimate art instructor.)

bliss

2010-04-20T17:21:00.002-05:00

10 x 20, oil on canvas

This is a departure in style for me; a commission where my "assignment" was all about color and emotion. And did I mention fun?

"Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls"

...Joseph Campbell

skin tones...

2010-04-11T13:01:00.005-05:00

I received a few questions about the last post and thought the answers would be of interest to others...if you don't paint, however, this will be boring, so I apologize in advance...

The mid-tone grey paper palette I mentioned is called Grey Matters and is sold at Amazon as well as many art stores.

As for questions about skin tone-- The shadow color was made from burnt sienna, (with just a touch of ultramarine blue and white). The clean peachy color in the last portrait was a Stephen Early suggestion, using cadmium green pale + scarlett cadmium + white. Some other great skin tone combos to try are Carolyn Anderson's use of "a purple" (like dioxazine) + yellow ochre and white. Another is viridian green and cad orange, plus a tiny amount of cadmium red light and white.

Also, Kim English sometimes uses purple and orange to make a beautiful rich brown that can be tweaked warmer or cooler for a great skin tone in shadow or light (with white). And then it is also fun to experiment with any combination of reds and yellows + white; warm and cool reds (like cad red light and alizarin) plus warm and cool yellows (like cad yellow med., cad yellow pale or lemon yellow)--And sometimes a pinker version is best, so I go with permanent rose or quinacridone, plus a yellow. And in all these examples, you can always add in a little modifier like green if the color is too warm...And there are lots of others, plus you can get lovely skin tones using a simple limited palette of red, yellow and blue. The key is to observe the model and paint what you see, but sometimes trying new combinations like the ones above make it easier to "find" what you see. At least that is true in my case...But, having said all that, seeing and capturing the overall skin tone is One Thing--then there is the ability to capture the nuances of color within the lights and shadows-- now THAT is truly something I know very little about, but am thrilled to learn. The absolute best example of what I am talking about is Robin Frey's figures and portraits--take a look at this stunning portrait to see what I mean-(as well as the other extraordinary examples on his website).

Now THAT is the best kind of chi!

"Colors are brighter when the mind is open"...Adriana Alarcon

figure workshop

2010-04-10T07:07:00.001-05:00

I recently had the honor of participating in a 5-day figure-painting class with Studio Incamminati instructor Stephen Early. As you can see in my studies below, the workshop began as our model assumed quick poses. The object was to quickly capture the gesture before she moved onto the next pose.

We completed dozens of these, wiped them down, and kept going. Gradually we were given slightly longer poses, but still our focus was in seeing the form as outlined by shadow and light, avoiding detail. This is such a fun exercise, and just never gets old as each pose presents all new challenges in observing and drawing.
Next we moved onto portraits using the same principals. Notice we toned our canvases with a cool medium grey background that works so well against the warmer tone of the burnt sienna paint. The medium tone is a tremendous help in determining the relative value of lights and darks, but (in my opinion) only if your palette is toned the same medium grey as your canvas. Otherwise, if you use a white palette or a very dark wooden one, you will find that you are constantly adjusting the values on your canvas because they will be darker or lighter than they appeared on your palette (which is very frustrating)! I usually use the grey palette that came with my Soltek easel, but if you are looking for a larger mixing surface, the wooden palettes from Turtlewood are pretty awesome. I bought the one Dawn Whitelaw uses that is toned in the middle grey (a slightly greenish grey that beautifully compliments skin tones). And for anyone who prefers paper palettes, they now come in medium grey as well--who knew?

And finally we moved to color, working with bright backgrounds so we could study how those brights affect skin tones. Notice, in the bottom painting how much blue is in the shadow on her neck and on her forehead. It was interesting to see that more often than not, the colors in the model's skin appeared complimentary to those in the background. For instance, when we used a purple background, her skin appeared more yellow (sorry I have no photo to show this but I wiped that one down). Anyway, in this study, I could have gone with even more intense color in the shadows, but I'm still learning. Fun stuff, that is for sure. I do not feel it is okay to post other artist's work without their permission--but if you want to see much better examples of what I am trying to explain here, take a look at the studies posted on the school's website, as well as Stephen's work by clicking on the links at the top of the page.

"If you find yourself with a weakness, attack it...

don't develop a technique that avoids your weaknesses"

...Nelson Shanks, founder of Studio Incamminati

Edgar Degas

2010-04-03T04:03:00.000-05:00

"Dancers, after Degas"

18 x 24, oil on canvas
"Sketching with Degas"

8 x 10, oil on canvas

"Dancers II, after Degas"

16 x 20, oil on canvas

If you have studied Degas or seen his work in museums, you already know that he was not a particularly affable sort of fellow, (and it really pains me to write this) but, in fact, most of the time, he was regarded as downright rude, crude, insensitive, sarcastic, and often intentionally unkind...and those were his "good days" when other artists still tolerated him! In 1874, he sometimes went to the Cafe' Guerbois to meet with Monet, Sisley, Pissarro, Renoir and Cezanne; all of whom banned together to create the first Impressionist exhibit...except it wasn't okay to actually call Degas an Impressionist. Still a studio painter, he chided the others for painting in plein air, "If I were in the government I would have a brigade of policemen assigned to keeping an eye on people who paint landscapes outdoors. Oh, I wouldn't want anyone killed. I'd be satisfied with just a little buckshot to begin with." Ouch. And even though he is said to have had a special bond and friendship with artist Mary Cassatt, he revealed another side when he said "I don't admit that a woman draws that well!"...It may come as no surprise that he chose to never marry and by the time he died at age 83, he had successfully alienated himself from most everyone he had ever met. He began losing his eyesight years before he lost his will to work and eventually became completely blind in one eye; a time when he sought solace in creating sculpture. Degas was known for verbalizing his disdain for art critics and dealers, and scared away many would-be clients with his temper, often slamming the door in their faces. By the time he died, only a very small percentage of his work had been sold, while the vast majority had been hoarded away in his dusty studio. "I frequently lock myself in my studio. I do not often see the people I love and in the end I shall suffer for it--painting is one's private life...the moods of sadness that come over anyone who takes up art...these dismal moods have very little compensation."

While most artists in the 1880s depicted the affluent Parisians in a posed, decorous manner, Degas was drawn to ordinary moments or activities where the viewer feels she is "looking through a keyhole." He found it far more interesting to study the gestures of dancers when they were relaxed, stretching, or waiting to go onstage; moments that for him, revealed a more honest look at who they were. Because most were "scrawny girls" from poor backgrounds who more often than not, joined the ballet only because their families pushed them into it, he often referred to them as "street rats". And because he was not thrilled to be known as "the painter of dancers", he was quick to point out that his real interest was in depicting the drapery and backgrounds, as opposed to the dancers themselves. As for his bathers-series, he was not always kind to his models and remarked that he sometimes painted them in ugly, contorted positions because after all, "women are ugly"...(Doesn't that sound like someone who is tired of answering questions and knows that if he shocks you with his answer, you will go away and leave him be?) What I like most about the bathers is that he transforms them into interesting shapes on the canvas, often juxtaposing them with an abstract background of color; and because their faces are often not revealed, they retain a certain mystery...to me, they are simply beautiful, peaceful images. It is interesting to note that whether his work was praised or ridiculed, he found both equally stressful, and often said he preferred having nothing written about his work at all. He worked in oil, watercolor, pastel, pencil, photography and etching.

When I study (really study) his work I can see no rats, and certainly not an ugly woman in sight--each one is more beautiful than the next. Perhaps he put all the love, kindness and good humor he had into his work and simply had none left over. I'm no shrink, but I think it is possible that he feared attention as much as he wanted it. And if you think about it, artists who exhibit their work or simply choose to paint in public locations automatically open themselves up to all sorts of bizarre comments. What other vocation can you name where total strangers feel compelled to offer opinions and criticisms? Can you imagine looking over your dentist's shoulder and critiquing how she fills a tooth, or walking up to construction workers and questioning how they are pouring the concrete? It is a weird and wacky thing being an artist, and perhaps Degas was more sensitive to it than most of us.

So what were his influences, and what inspired him most?

I can tell you first and foremost that he loved drawing from a very early age and became a superb draftsman, "Drawing is the artist's most direct and spontaneous expression, a species of writing: it reveals, better than does painting, his true personality."

He adored Japanese Prints, an art form that introduced him to the idea of cropping figures in a bold new way, as well as painting from an all new perspective (as you see in my studies of his work above). This was a discovery that allowed him to choose daring compositions where the viewer is positioned above, below or right in the middle of a group of figures--he exhausted all possibilities, and it is this willingness to go against the grain and discover a whole new language in art that I love most about his work. Another influence from the Japanese prints involved incorporating a zigzag compositional pattern (as seen in the Absinthe Drinker). He also experimented with the effects of different light sources; analyzing the effects of artificial light as no one had done before. This is evident in the bather series where he boldly layered pastel colors in the background--and looking at them, I can't help but feel his discoveries must have been a never ending source of delight for him, " Work a great deal with evening effects, a lamp, a candle, etc. The tantalizing thing is not always to who the source of light, but the effect of light."

Photography also proved to be a source of inspiration, and he often experimented with using the camera as a means to study cropping for his canvases. And while many artists worked their compositions around three figures, he is known for his innovative works involving two-figure compositions.

And then there was Italy. He was charmed from the first time he visited at age 20, and continued to be awed by the art he discovered there in his many subsequent trips, " The air we see in paintings of the old masters is never the air we breathe....The secret is to follow the advice the masters give you in their works while doing something different from them."

I think the same could be said of Degas, the master, as he inspires us all to see with new eyes, and always be open to trying new things.

"I felt so insufficiently equipped, so unprepared, so weak, and at the same time it seemed to me that my reflections on art were correct. I quarreled with all the world and with myself"...Edgar Degas

"a playful search for beauty"

2010-03-27T06:13:00.012-05:00

Ever wonder who is the coolest artist on the planet? Well, look no further. It is a woman who has proven for over seven decades that inspiration is absolutely everywhere...or at least, it is wherever she is in any given moment. She has worked all over the world designing pottery, rugs, furniture, tableware, vases, candlesticks, glassware, ornaments, watches, and silkscreens...just to name a few. And today, at the age of 103 she continues to design. For me, both she and her work are, and always will be timeless. Her name is Eva Zeisel, and even though I have never actually met her, I have had many intimate conversations with her heart and soul through her enchanting work.

Born in Budapest in 1906, she had an intense interest in seeing the world at a time when women simply did not travel alone. This desire lead to a bizarre twist of fate while in Moscow, when, not yet 30, she was accused of planning an assassination attempt against Stalin (yes, you read that correctly) which lead to an 18-month prison sentence, 12 of which were in solitary confinement... a "defining moment" as Dr. Phil would say. Recognizing that dwelling on happy memories would only bring her pain, she forced herself to think of nothing sentimental, nothing from her past. And, because thinking of the future meant realizing the possibility of never leaving the prison alive, she chose to live in present moment only. She kept her body toned by exercising in her little cell, and spent her days imagining creative designs to keep mentally fit. Her hours were filled with sketching, designing, refining and meticulously hand-stitching designs--all in her mind's eye. Like Nelson Mandella, her body was imprisoned but never her mind and spirit. Decades later, she explains that she wouldn't change a thing about that harrowing experience because it taught her to see and savor every moment since.

I fell in love with Ms. Zeisel's designs long before I knew about her life's circumstances. Most of her tableware was created before I was born--she was even honored with an exhibit of her work at the MoMA! And some designs from that era can still be found today on ebay or antique stores. And while all-white dinnerware is commonly available from every design company today, Ms. Zeisel was the first to create such a service in this country. Thankfully some of those sets from the 1940s and 50s have been revived at Crate and Barrel

and Bloomingdales, making them available to new generations of fans--again, proving that her designs are timeless and always fresh.

So what inspires her? Well, first, let me tell you what does not. She cautions todays' artists about Post-Modernist thinking that demands we be an individual, be spontaneous, be original, be unique, always strive to invent something new...ideas she calls "negative impulses" as they prohibit our ability to develop a relationship with our designs because our focus moves away from (rather than toward) our search for beauty. She taught at Pratt for 15 years, and challenged her students with assignments that taught them to stay in touch with the original feeling and motivation behind the design. For example, they were instructed to incorporate "describing words" like soulful, rhythmic, dull, earthy, happy, sinuous, etc into their work. This clarity of communication can be seen in examples of her own work like the lidded casserole dishes depicting birds, apples and ducks. It is easy to see how she incorporated lines, patterns and relationships observed in nature into functional design, all the while honoring the obvious joy she felt in creating these whimsical creations.

In the delightful book above, "Eva Zeisel On Design" (cover photo above by Fred Conrad) she narrates her ideas on design in both images and words. She points out how we are inspired by nature's repetitions and patterns, and shows how a slice of red cabbage contains the same designs found in the lines of Art Nouveau. (oh my, she is right!) Also, we see that many of her vases and bottles are patterned after the human form, based on the harmony found in negative and positive shapes. She calls her Town and Country salt and pepper shakers "portraits" of a family, patterned after her own family and when you look at them, you can't help but realize that this sensibility of form is what sets her work apart. It is a treat to discover that when she designs a bowl, she is mindful of creating a design that feels complete on its own, as opposed to one that feels empty. That is a concept I have never before considered, but it all goes back to her ability to really see and feel what is in front of her. Like ET pointed out in the previous post--she goes beyond the basic "rules" of design like line, shape, form, and value and presents us with the "spirit" or essence of the object. The photo above illustrates her process of creating as she begins by sketching and cutting her designs out of paper (you can see a finished version of her stunning tables at DWR) She reveals "Everything I do is a direct creation of my hands, whether it is made in wood, plaster, or clay...My designs are meant to attract the hand as well as the eye" This has never been more true than now when her eyesight is poor and she relies on an assistant to help translate the designs in her head to solid form that she can feel and refine with her hands. What an incredibly inspiring woman she is. You may also be interested in seeing her delightful interview on TED, visiting her website here, or reading this book or a recent interview with writer Lisa Kogan.

(above--my studio wet-brush holder. Knowing nothing about pottery, this is my foray into kneading, glazing and firing... and sharing Ms. Zeisel's love of curvilinear designs. My inspiration (and "describing words") were movement, waves, rhythm... Can you tell?

"...things speak to us, they tell us where we are. They talk to us through their shapes, contours, color, weight, temperature, surface, sound, and most clearly their associations...They fit in or clash with our surroundings. They speak to us in many national dialects. They speak of faraway places and things of old, of modern life and cultures long dead. They inspire. they sooth and bathe a home with grace, and provide intangible pleasures and joy. This is the magic of the language of design"...Eva Zeisel

Truth and Simplicity

2010-03-19T07:40:00.004-05:00

"Truth and Simplicity"

12 x 16, oil on canvas

On this last official day of winter, I am sending you a little sunshine I discovered in a tube of paint...

My inspiration is of course Vincent Van Gogh, and I've searched his life story to learn what he found most inspiring. To begin with, the color yellow was a reoccurring theme--he said "A sun, a light, which for want of a better word I must call pale sulphur--yellow, pale lemon, gold. How beautiful yellow is". Another inspiration was Japanese art, and if you have visited Monet's home, you know that both these were huge inspirations to him as well. From what I can gather, Van Gogh was especially smitten with the fact that the Japanese integrated art into their daily lives, celebrating beauty in a way that made art indispensable. He offers this heartfelt explanation "...one's sight changes. You see things with an eye more Japanese, you feel color differently." Van Gogh was enthralled with Provence where he lived in the "Yellow House" and painted yellow fields, a place where artist Paul Gauguin came to visit and paint with him for a couple of months. From Gauguin, he learned the importance of working from memory (I wish someone would help me learn that) and for a short time, he experimented with outlining his shapes as the Symbolist's did. Early on, he was more a tonalist painter at a time when the Impressionists were beginning to be popular, was enthralled by Rembrant's work, saying that what he loved most about the old master's work was that he "dashed off a thing from the first stroke and did not retouch it so very much." Van Gogh was slow to discover color, but when he did, he made it his own. Also, the invention of the camera brought a whole new way of composing a scene, inspiring Van Gogh (as well as the Impressionists) to experiment with cropping painted images.

Before he discovered a life of painting, his first vocation of choice was preaching, but he was so overzealous about living like Christ, denouncing possessions, and choosing extreme poverty that he was asked to leave the church. Years later, this zeal and humility became a theme in much of his work, as evidenced in his choice of subject matter in the paintings of his chair and the bowl of potatoes (above). He linked subjects like potatoes to poverty, and referred to the working class peasants as "the righteous poor", idealizing and romanticizing them in many of his paintings. Also, I learned that he often copied the work of artist Jean-Francois Millet. Van Gogh was mostly a self-taught artist, so this helped him to understand Millet's technique as well as subject matter, the humble working class. Vincent felt more at home in the "seedier" parts of town, often living and working alongside the peasants who inspired him. Sewing, weaving, farming, mining...these were the peasant labors he romanticized as spiritual tasks, noting that this humble class of people were "closest to God." Honoring the dignity of their hard lives and work in his own work, he explains "I have tried to emphasize that those people, eating their potatoes in the lamplight, have dug the earth with those very hands they put in the dish, and so it speaks of manual labor, and how they have honestly earned their food." A humble man who valued truth and simplicity in his subjects as well as in his own life.

Explaining how great artists learn to go beyond what most of us see to convey the true essence of their subjects, Eckhart Tolle explains: "Van Gogh didn't say: 'That's just an old chair.' He looked, and looked, and looked. He sensed the Beingness of the chair. Then he sat in front of the canvas and took up the brush."

You wash, I'll dry...

2010-03-13T15:42:00.005-06:00

"You Wash, I'll Dry"

8 x 16, oil

I love painting reflective surfaces such as the silverware. The colors and values are arranged in such an abstract manner that the thinking side of the brain gets bored ~ allowing the intuitive side to simply react to color and value without overanalyzing it. Pure fun.

"Before enlightenment,

chop wood, carry water

...After enlightenment

chop wood carry water"... (an old zen saying)