Ebb and Flow

"Name this painting!"

2012-01-27T16:03:00.000-08:00

Just finished this one. It has been on the easel since October...

I have NOT been working on it all that time.. Nov, Dec, and
beginning of Jan. were filled with other life stuff.

Any idea for a name?

This was the underpainting.. My intention was to apply transparent layers of color to attain a luminosity.. As usual I had no idea what I was doing. I think there is a methodical way to achieve what I was going for based on color theory, but I sure don't have the experience or knowledge.. yet.

Water moods : 16"x20" grid arrangements

2011-10-15T10:44:00.000-07:00

All the 16"x20" paintings I finished actually make a very interesting "large" painting.. I just threw these together, with a bit of an eye for color placement, but didin't really spend much time with it.. Just wanted to give an idea of what an arrangement could look like.. These photos were quickly shot on the floor of my studio (nice carpet, eh?)

The last one

2011-09-26T14:29:00.000-07:00

I took a "staycation" last week, surfed almost every day, enjoyed our "summer" weather, clear calm warm, and nice waves..When the waves weren't good, it was just so darn nice being in the water I just paddled around, or sat on my board..stayed out with no "have to go home and work" voice in my head.. However, I am always looking looking when I am out there. Even surfed in a red tide one day.. They should call it "burnt sienna tide" and it only was that color when the sun shone on it..

At home I stayed out of the studio, didn't think about painting .. I can feel the energy of something that wants to find it's way onto a canvas, just need to be patient about it.. Just like these past days, the waves have been good but I need to be patient and let them come to me , which they eventually do...

Ah, the things I learn from surfing....

"prussian sea" 16"x20" oil/canvas

"Prussian Sea" is the last of the 16"x20" series.. "Prussian " refers to the color of the oil paint I used..

4 more sixteen by twenty

2011-08-30T15:22:00.000-07:00

On the journey (which is stalled at the moment with one more to do) of completing a number of 16"x20" paintings.. While each stands alone, I am thinking of displaying 9 of them together in a grid pattern.. all flush against each other. Seen all together they give a great display of the many facets/faces of water.. No titles yet for this bunch..

"Pulse" 16"x20" oil/canvas

"Return II " 16"x20" oil/canvas

"All that glitters" 16"x20" oil/ canvas

"Morning Flow" 16"x20" oil/canvas

"Color of water?"

2011-07-03T22:09:00.000-07:00

Local business owner of Magnolia Gallery in Larkspur, Theresa Ryan, an amazing framer and creative person extraordinaire, has "The color of water?" series on display in her shop window.. along with my first surfboard (with a painted graphic that covered a hung ding repair) and an amazing recliner built by Matt Stoich who has a custom upholstery shop next door... all sitting on 200 pounds of sand in the window.. Thanks Theresa! Check it out if you are in Larkspur! I love seeing the 4 paintings all together.

A surf painting!

2011-06-06T10:01:00.000-07:00

Needed a break from the water surfaces, so decided to give a try at a more "traditional" surf painting.. "K.B.'s Left" is actually a first for me as the surfer is actually the focus of attention.. (Not counting the surf photos I copied in high school.) Thought it would be interesting to combine the water surface ( foreground) with a shot of someone actually surfing.. I had taken a photo of my surfing buddy, Kathy, a while back. I worked with a couple of reference photos to provide additional information of the wave, the light, and the foreground surface.. I was also trying to capture the morning light at our surf spot.. And the color of the water is rarely that color.. but as we all know, the color of water is an endless topic for me... A nice little experiment...

Both of these painting capture the feeling I have while I am out on my board. I love it that every time I surf, I am also working.. Art is life.

"K.B.'s Left" 9"x12" oil on masonite

(an earlier painting- focus on water, not the surfer)

Silver and green

2011-06-06T09:42:00.000-07:00

Moving right along. My goal is to do 8 of these 16" x 20" paintings.. Exploring different angles, colors , light. etc.. Four down, four to go...

"silver swell" 16"x20" oil on canvas

"green sea" 16"x20" oil on canvas

Longing for beginner's mind

2011-04-18T09:34:00.000-07:00

Why I haven't posted recently:

1) Finished "the color of water ?" series.. yikes! what next?

2) Excessive ukulele practice/play

3) Child #2 moved into her own place and started a new job.

4) surfing

5) distractible mind (so what else is new?)

6) what next? (again)

7) designed a tee shirt for the Berkeley Ukulele Club..by hand... THAT took a lot of time..

8) and all the other life stuff

Now that I have a LOT of water paintings and explorations under my belt I don't feel quite so much like the beginner I was when I started all this. I also feel like I am starting to repeat myself..and when I stop seeing new things, well... I lose interest and move to other things.. I know I have just scratched the surface with the water paintings.. ah, for a return to beginners mind..

"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the expert's mind there are few"- Susuki Roshi

SOOOOOOOOO.. I decided to buy eight 16"x20" canvasses and just paint as a practice.. Move quickly from one to another (yeah, right!) .. They actually look pretty cool when I hang all of the same size together.. Here are the first two.. (not including the 4 completed canvasses I already have)

"Peachy morning" oil/canvas 16"x20"

"Shallow" oil/canvas 16"x20"

The color of water series

2011-02-28T12:44:00.000-08:00

"What is the color of water?"

The one thing I know for sure is that "capturing" color on canvas is even more difficult than "capturing" movement. It's varied and changing essence is dependent on surrounding atmospheric conditions, global location and what microscopic particles are in the water itself.

If nothing else, I learned a lot about the pigment that comes out of a tube of paint and how to work with that color to change it in so many different ways... It has helped me see these minuscule changes when I am out in the water... Always something new to see..I can see how artists may spend a lifetime trying to understand what they are seeing.. I am still looking! And looking forward to starting a new exploration...

As for the color of water? I still have NO idea!

"the color of water #1 " , 24"x30", oil/canvas

"the color of water #2", 24"x30", oil/canvas

"the color of water #3", 24"x30", oil/canvas

"the color of water #4", 24"x30", oil/canvas

working

2011-01-19T09:02:00.000-08:00

I am working on a series based on the concept of the previous painting.. Plan to post them all when I finish, so stay tuned! HAve 2 more almost finished. One more blank canvas..

The obvious question...

2010-10-19T16:14:00.000-07:00

What is the color of water?

the color of water? #1 24"x30" oil on canvas

This question has been my companion since I first opened a tube of paint and attempted to paint the element I adore and spend so much time in... I know, I know, water technically is clear, and reflects it's surroundings, but still....the beginning of a more methodical exploration perhaps? Especially in relation to pigments.

Grey Morning

2010-09-16T13:36:00.000-07:00

"grey morning" 9"x12" oil on board

Ultimately I am drawn to black and white. Especially after the past little diversion of "glorious eyes"

Two more...

2010-09-03T18:14:00.000-07:00

Smaller pieces, can be rotated any way you want... these were shot with a top light and are a little bright on the top...

Different marks on paper

2010-08-18T09:58:00.000-07:00

A friend gave me a huge sheet of paper, beautiful thick yummy amazing paper, at least 10 years ago, if not more.. As a paper hoarder, I have been saving it, waiting for the right opportunity to use it..It has been rolled up in the closet, stored under the bed, and hung on the wall, accumulating all sorts of nicks, scratches, cobwebs and cat hair along the way.. And then the right image finally appeared..

About the image: I saw some Aboriginal artwork a few years ago in a magazine by a elderly woman named Gloria and was immediately attracted to the technique of white brush strokes on black and the exciting combination or form, light, and movement.. So I finally decided to just go for it and try it myself...

Because I couldn't paint it on my wall easel (not rigid enough) I ended up working on my hands and knees in my small studio, placing a piece of shelving across the paper to kneel on... Once the general image was done, I hung it on the easel and worked on bringing it to life.. It was so much fun and has opened up many new possibilities...as well as reminding me just how much I love black and white!

I have called it "Glorious eyes" -a play on "Gloria's eyes", homage to the inspiring woman who sparked this work in the first place..

"Glorious Eyes" acrylic on paper 48"x75"

Impulse post

2010-08-09T15:51:00.000-07:00

I have been in the limbo between paintings, actually it is more like purgatory or the bardo....A familiar and very unpleasant space to occupy...What do I do next??? My head is filled with all the images I want to do and because none in particular stands out, I end up doing nothing and just "wasting time" ... Hmmm , maybe the point is to do nothing and to be ok with it... I have read that this plateau, although unpleasant and dull, is often a necessary step along the way...
There are a few painting ideas, and even more not-so-serious painting projects... like painting an old surfboard top, painting on driftwood, painting a graffiti-like image on our garage door before we get a new one...then, working in my art journal, continue with "faces" sketches I have been doing to see if I have a particular style that is obvious, as I am so influenced by what is "out there"..

Updated website

2010-07-15T06:44:00.000-07:00

marywagstaff.com

A two month process, with interruptions.

2010-07-11T16:43:00.000-07:00

"Giving way to Light"

oil on canvas 48"x48" (This is the second largest canvas I have painted..The other was 48" x 60")

The process goes something like this:
1. choose photo to work from
2. grid photo and canvas and transfer as an underpainting in a wash of raw umber or something similar. This is often the most exciting part of the process as I watch the image appear on canvas. I also love the loose "drawing-like" slightly crude quality.
3. Start applying color.
4. agonize over color..do I want it to actually look realistic? This so far has been impossible, but it keeps driving me.
5. Mom visits from Maryland. Spend time with her. I paint only sporadically.
6. Daughter graduates from college, spending time at home before and after before she disappears to Papua New Guinea for the summer. Time to be with her. I paint only sporadically.
7. Life quiets down. By now I seem to have lost my momentum and can't remember what colors I used and where.. I start plugging away, but with none of the intensity of the beginning.
8. Painting too big to see properly in my small studio.
9. Take painting outdoors where I immediately see all the spots in it that need adjusting. Fix them.
10. Finished! Take photos for blog.
11. See in photos all the spots that don't work.. I am impatient.
12. Fix the spots.
13. Proclaim it is as good as it can get without ruining it. Take new photos, which NEVER depict the true color.
14. I am SO DONE!
15. Blog time

This process took place over about 2 months..I wasn't painting all the time and I try to keep track of my hours...but once the process gets interrupted, I start to loose interest or just forget to do it. (People are always asking how long it takes to paint something like this..

I am planning on updating my website as soon as I have a good day for outdoor photos and a good camera. Soon I hope!

What if?

2010-05-08T12:45:00.000-07:00

Giving Way To Light

2010-05-03T17:27:00.000-07:00

"Giving Way To Light" oil , 36"x36"

Yet another professional photography session... and I wonder why the color is always off. Will take more care for the website...

Onto the next painting! More water!!!

Taking a break to go surfing for 3 days...

2010-04-05T16:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was ready to throw a bucket of red, no, orange paint at the bottom half of this painting...Oddly enough, when I am NOT painting, the solutions seem to come to me.. or at least a way of engaging with the challenge at hand... It is not finished, but I wanted to post it anyway, am going surfing for a few days and hopefully the mind will be able to see it clearly when I return...

Below are the first two stages... somehow I thought the violet glaze would do something to the color.. but I think I put on too much paint for it to actually work.. Sure wish I knew what I was doing.. will I ever?

New surfboard.. art!

2010-02-25T14:40:00.000-08:00

Since I now have a website for my paintings, I thought I would be more relaxed about posting here..

This is my new surfboard, shaped by John Moore of Mystic Surfboards in Santa Cruz. He worked with me to produce this beautiful longboard, for how and where I surf... My input was providing the art and the design/color for what I wanted it to look like.... took me almost a year of thinking about it...as well as quite a bit of time designing and finishing the art..I am not one of those spontaneous "just draw it on the board" types. I have to plan, sketch, do life size studies.. lots of work. Needless to say it looks exactly perfect!
Not only is really fun to ride but now I can really tell if I am on the nose, or not!

When I am riding it, it looks like I am on a giant dreamsicle or 50/50 bar.. Yummy!!!

Back in the groove... I hope!

2010-02-20T14:35:00.000-08:00

Yet again I was knocked out of my "painting groove" ... Lighting installation, the holidays, the surf trip in January, various projects, other things in life, lack of energy (except for surfing) , distracted mind... lots of lame excuses... I did manage to actually finish two paintings:

(No title yet, any ideas?) 18"x36" oil on canvas

"Return" 16"x20" oil on masonite.

A big swell last weekend ( 40'+ waves for the Mavericks contest) ) washed all sorts of driftwood up on the beach..I was like a kid in a candy store! Fortunately, this is all I wanted to carry. I notice yet again that the garage door really needs painting, and hey... I'm a painter... but think I will start with painting stuff on the driftwood... when it dries out... ( setting up for "Return" photo)

My husband built a box to support my son's computer monitor, so it would be at eye level... Beautiful wood and my contribution to this birthday gift was to paint the front drawer. Originally, I was going to have some wood showing (see below) but, well, I just got carried away... Kinda hypnotic, painting all those lines. It is just a perfect resting place for this reclining Buddha... Hopefully Brock will build another one just for it.

In preparation for painting the box.. lots of experiments, acrylic on wood.. above is just one...

Launched!

2010-01-05T09:42:00.000-08:00

marywagstaff.com

COMING SOON!!!!!

2010-01-04T20:51:00.000-08:00

My son Jesse built me a website for a Xmas gift. I cried! He is so amazing and generous with his time and talent...Yeah! I will post a link on this blog as soon as it is ready.. It is being fine tuned now.

I am heading to Costa Rica for a surf vacation and when I return I am really looking forward to getting back to the studio and working! (makes coming back not so hard.. it's only hard returning to cold water.)

Ukulele Art

2009-11-28T15:44:00.000-08:00

My other addiction: ukulele.

Bought an inexpensive ($40) Makala ukulele, sanded the finish off and painted the image that was in my mind's eye when I looked at it...Thin layers of acrylic paint, a shellac finish and it still sounds decent..Still want to have a cleaner finish, no brush marks, no blobs, but need to take the strings off and spend some time sanding and polishing...Right now I am having too much fun playing it..

Got great advice from Mike Da Silva, uke builder extraordinaire! http://www.ukemaker.com/

All I need is the patience.

Foam, foam on the Range...

2009-11-04T16:06:00.000-08:00

Sorry, I couldn't resist...

I just finished clearing out my studio to prepare for new lighting installation..(Hopefully it will help on the foggy, or rainy days and at night... ) Sawing, sheetrock, paint, and dust don't go well with all the STUFF. Once it was cleared out it was so... light! airy! spacious! clean! Maybe it's time to move the paintings on to a new home....Hmmmmm.

Meantime, I have been painting on a ukulele, which is time consuming but a nice break from the canvas...will post it when I am finished. Back east to Maryland tomorrow for a week to see my mom...

Quicksilver Blue

2009-10-27T17:19:00.000-07:00

This is not the ocean, but a small tributary of the Choptank River in Maryland. Most of my reference material comes from here in California, where most of the time it is either foggy or clear or stormy. Very rarely are there puffy white clouds in blue sky, as one sees so frequently on the East coast...at least not in the early morning when I tend to be in the water... I had been saving this photo for quite a while, but when a piece of aluminum appeared for me to paint on, I knew I had to use it.. I would like to know how to paint thin glazes so that the reflective quality of the aluminum surface somehow works with the paint.. Instead of just being covered up... This piece has a tiny bit of that quality..

Shaded Sea

2009-09-27T13:46:00.000-07:00

Once I concentrated on the final plunge, all went smoothly...

"Shaded Sea" oil on canvas (24"x30")

Take chances, make mistakes!

2009-09-05T13:03:00.000-07:00

Started out really well on this painting, thinking that I had really learned a lot in my understanding of water and form, then totally lost it as I put the final layers on.. Trying out new colors... Too much time and distractions between times at the easel...Ruined the painting. What the heck.. I went at it with a rag and Gamsol, then sanded the whole canvas.. The result looks like an ash storm.. kinda cool..

So now I am paying a bit more attention to all the varying nuances of blue in my oil tubes... Getting the color results I want continues to be a huge challenge, not yet successful..

The good news is that I am still engaged with this painting of water..As long as it continues to be a challenge, as long as I don't understand it, as long as I question what and how, I keep returning..

The painting is still on my easel and I have been doing a lot of art in the studio... but haven't touched my oils.. It is intimidating, and the weight of not knowing what to do with it is heavy. But I want to work on it at least before I start something new....

Primary or secondary experience?

2009-07-30T13:38:00.000-07:00

oil on canvas (16"x20")

I heard Squeak Carnwaith interviewed on PBS the other day and she said that one can look at all the printed and projected images one wants, but in order to truly "see" a painting, one must see it in person...I totally agree. I am relating to my frustration at not being able to accurately take a true photo of my own painting, as well as the charcoal drawings. So much is lost when one is unwilling to hire someone who knows what they are doing. Even if I could, I agree with her, there is so much of the color, surface texture, size that cannot translate otherwise. If it's just about the image, I guess that doesn't matter so much, but there are so many subtle details that contribute to the experience of viewing a painting.. Probably just me and my own personal bias.

On another topic, I really need to get a website up and running. The archives of this blog are now way too long. It worked well originally, as all I wanted to do was let people know what I was doing.. and I didn't have much... but now, scrolling back over the years is not very efficient. Hope to say, Coming soon!

Two in one

2009-07-21T20:40:00.000-07:00

Two canvases, 16"x20" each..

Studio tour

2009-07-05T17:51:00.001-07:00

While my son had his camera out, I thought it might be fun to post a video of my studio!
The space is very efficient, nice place to work! When I see large art studios, I always notice with envy the lack of clutter... but I am not complaining... I am happy to have a great space devoted to work! Lucky me!

Water therapy

2009-06-25T14:40:00.000-07:00

oil on canvas 24"x30"

"The cure for anything is salt water-sweat, tears, or the sea."
-Isak Dinesen

Morning/Mourning

2009-05-29T10:35:00.000-07:00

I stopped this painting midway when I had to go back east when my Dad passed away...finished it when I returned..
Oddly enough, I couldn't take an accurate photo of it as every photo turned blue...Only when I put it against the yellow wall with no zoom was the color accurate. Must be some setting on the camera I have yet to understand..Can't crop too close either as it is blurry...Too bad my perfectionist leanings don't extend to this blog.. otherwise the photos I take would be a lot different...Being impatient isn't very helpful either..

Old/new

2009-05-13T14:39:00.000-07:00

Avoiding "real" work, I turned to varnishing the small studies. I ended up arranging them on the floor...Lots of old pieces, but seeing them in a new way. Fun for me...

Small works, catching up....

2009-05-05T09:39:00.000-07:00

When I saw how a friend had framed this small wave, I was amazed at how good it looked....Framed like a precious jewel.. Wish I was committed enough (and wealthy to boot) to frame all of my art...

All oil on board, most 8"x10', the vertical one is 9"x12" .. When I am in between paintings or just don't feel like facing a big canvas, or need to work out some color, or idea or just get something out of my mind, this is where it goes. Occasionally, it may find it's way onto canvas.. but I feel I can experiment small and not waste precious time and/or materials... Sometimes I just have extra paint squeezed out and don't want to waste it..

Shadow

2009-03-16T14:53:00.001-07:00

(oil on canvas 12"x36")

When in doubt...

2009-03-14T18:19:00.000-07:00

Looking back over the past posts, I seem to be doing nothing but waves.. After that big painting I guess I unconsciously gravitated toward a different form.. I mean, painting water is one thing, but waves? They are mostly my experiments in color and support, so I guess a wave form is like having a home page...

Up against the wall!

2009-02-26T14:38:00.000-08:00

( "The Wall" oil on canvas, 24"x24")
When I began this painting a month ago, I thought I had a clear idea of where I wanted it to go...I wanted to somehow convey the experience of being in the water on a clear sunny glassy day, looking on as a wall of white water comes rushing at me.. Stopping it in motion for just a second to explore the reflections, the shape of the moving foam, the angle, what movement looks like when it stops...The experience is always breathtaking for me.
Well, it started out quite nicely and I was enjoying myself.. then I hit a point where the relationship started to change, and I wasn't quite sure why.... so I have been attempting to make it work for me, painting and repainting, and have finally just decided to let it go and call it finished....If I keep at it I am afraid I will really mess it up..
I have a lot of ideas as to why it "isn't quite there" (for me anyway) so hopefully they will inform me the next time I attempt something similar....This seems to be a part of my process.. Learning by mistakes...wonder what this one will teach me?

And on another note. This sweet kitty ( Tigger) is the source of the occasional cat hairs that find their way onto the paintings ....This wave is oil on aluminum....an experiment with a new surface...Very nice and smooth....Just for fun..

January 7am

2009-01-19T15:28:00.001-08:00

(oil 8"x10")
I recently discovered a gel medium (used to mix with paint to make it flow and dry faster, among other things) called Neo Meglip by Gamlin. It is supposedly a modern mix of a medium used by the old Masters, which allowed for glazing and luminous colors. In it's original form it is quite toxic, a no-no in this day and age..But not this new version!
This small oil was my first attempt at using the medium and I loved it.. Will continue to see what it allows me to do! There are layers and layers of paint... and although it may not show on the screen, the surface of the painting has a nice luminosity...Sorry its a bit soft, but I was shooting in low light (as usual) ..

I love foam!

2008-12-10T12:53:00.000-08:00

Charcoal on paper

Greenie

2008-12-01T12:03:00.000-08:00

(oil on board 8"x10")
This small painting is for a woman I surf with who was interested in one of my earliest "board-in-the-water" paintings. Instead of the generic white board, the stylistic ocean (limitations of using acrylics), and my lack of experience at the time, I offered to do a "portrait of her favorite board,"Greenie". It was fun to see the difference..

Water, with interruptions. (YES! It's finished!)

2008-12-01T11:47:00.000-08:00

The final challenge.. naming the painting. (oil, 48"x60")
A frequent question is, "How long did it take?" Since I have worked on this for almost three months, but not consistently, it seemed only fitting to use "Water, with interruptions" as a title.. It addresses the "how long?" question as well as describing what is actually going on IN the painting itself. Especially since I usually paint calmer, water. I was inspired by a book I am reading now, "Death with interruptions" by Jose Saramago.

N.F.Y.*

2008-11-02T16:57:00.000-08:00

* Not Finished Yet

This baby is BIG! I can't even take a decent photo of it because the light in the room is different top from bottom.. Things one doesn't normally notice. If I had floor to ceiling windows, maybe the color would be uniform.. or some kind of consistent light..

So close and yet so far away...

2008-10-26T14:37:00.000-07:00

Getting close.. but not there.. SO many little adjustments to make...It seems critical to have space to step back and look at this painting..however my studio doesn't allow for that.. Hence, the photo.. I see things I haven't seen before, like the drastic color change in the bottom third of the painting... I wonder if it is really there, or if it is caused by the lighting in the studio (height of windows, etc.) I see that color change a lot, usually caused by shade.. but it wasn't intentional here.. And is this what I was hoping the painting would look like? A balance between a bit of drama and a soothing effect? I'm not sure. I probably need to leave it alone and return after a week or so... But my goal is to finish it before I go back East on Nov 6... Plenty of time, it seems..

Diving right in!

2008-09-13T13:27:00.000-07:00

Above is the second layer of paint, where I try to define the wave forms, a step up from the underpainting below. Now the fun begins as I immerse myself in the water, the light, the color, the motion and the forms... I have a faint idea of where I'm headed but hopefully the painting will take on a life of it's own and all I have to do is be open to it.. Just like surfing!

Painting water

2008-08-30T13:45:00.001-07:00

Funny, when people ask me what I paint I say "water", and they usually say, "watercolor?"

Color search

2008-08-28T19:38:00.000-07:00

I have to commit to color when I start painting the big canvas...at least that is what I am telling myself. These were three specific studies done with different color palettes... The top two look like the same color, but are obtained by different mixes.. top is paynes grey, windsor blue... middle is indigo, cadmium yellow pale hue, bottom is ultramarine blue and olive...all have white as part of the mix (duh) Basically i wanted to avoid using the tubed indigo and tried to mix the same color with something else.. think i am close enough. Middle study comes close to the color i want.. bottom is too grey.. Fun figuring out the mixes..
(all are 8x10 on board.)

Wall easel

2008-08-28T16:57:00.000-07:00

One of the challenges in painting large is finding the room in my studio..I bought a 48"x60" canvas, only to find I couldn't hang it on the wall (the nails kept falling out) or put it on my cheapo easel. So my husband built me a wall easel.. If he had his way it would have been much more complex. Pulley system, whatever, but I just wanted a simple system so i could hang a canvas and move it around easily. here is the result. The nails are removeable and can be moved up and down the supports. It works perfectly and I love it..

So no more excuses, I had get started. I have to say, this size is a bit daunting, but I managed to complete the underpainting today..probably 16 hours of work, more or less. It will dry quickly in this hot weather we are having, and then I can launch into the real stuff! I'm excited..

Backwash

2008-08-10T18:29:00.001-07:00

Oil on canvas 30"x40"

Incoming

2008-06-18T13:08:00.000-07:00

(oil, 15"x30")
Boy, did I enjoy doing this painting. I just launched into it, no establishing the image before I started to apply the color. (although I did use a photo for reference) The wave just appeared on it's own, pulling itself out of the paint strokes. I think I am finally beginning to see the results of all my experimentation, teaching myself how to paint, how to use oils... (not to mention all the time I spend in the water looking, looking, looking. )
I'm off to Bali for a few weeks, so no painting for a while...

Magnolia Gallery

2008-05-08T16:22:00.000-07:00

Theresa Ryan, framer and creative person extraordinaire, offered to hang some of my paintings in the front window of her framing gallery... If you local readers are passing by downtown Larkspur, Magnolia Ave, check it out!

Very interesting glasss reflections..and yes, that is 200 pounds of sand on the floor..

Waiting

2008-05-06T11:10:00.000-07:00

18"x36" oil on canvas

I'm either plagued or blessed with being a perfectionist. Especially when it comes to painting. So why don't I have the patience to get a really good photo of a painting? I just want to post it and move on to the next thing...Maybe it's because I feel limited with my camera...and am also not willing to take the time to set up a photo shoot.. In the past, I used a 35mm camera and shot photos at night with Kevlar lights and film. That always worked cause I took the time and knew what would work.. If it was important to me to have a perfect photo for some other purpose other than the blog, I would take the time or find the means to do it.. But a blog just seems so... casual.. and that is what I like about it.
For those readers who don't know, if you click on the photo it will enlarge..

Another sitting surfer

2008-04-23T16:28:00.000-07:00

I've always been attracted to the image of a surfer sitting, waiting for waves. Usually this happens when I am also waiting, and have more time to turn my attention to observation mode, instead of just being on the lookout for the next wave. This particular day was beautifully calm and clear...and I was able to walk out in the water afterwards with my camera without fear of getting it wet.
This is a study ( 8"x10") for a larger painting. I didn't know if I had enough visual info to be able to paint the girl, as a black wetsuit just looks black in a photo (no shadows or highlights) .. so tried it on a small scale. I sure wish I knew more about color, and painting..

More aqua, less talk

2008-04-18T13:50:00.000-07:00

8"x10" oil study

Surrounded

2008-04-16T09:02:00.001-07:00

Walking into an art supply store is like walking into the proverbial candyshop.. Desire rules supreme.. I made a vow not to buy any new canvases until I use the ones I have...And most of them are quite small.. great for studies, experimenting, learning. But they always end up looking like 'pictures" to me...

I guess that is why I am attracted to larger sizes. I feel like I want to recreate the experience of being in or close to the ocean..The stillness or movement, the vastness, the color and form.. It never seems big enough. However, practicality takes over. My studio can only accomodate a certain size.. already it is difficult to stand back and look at the painting without some serious maneuvering. Painting larger also takes a whole new set of technical skills and supplies..as well as time.

When I am on my board, waiting for waves, I am constantly trying to figure out what color the water is.. Last week, on a particularly beautiful still morning, with LONG waits between tiny sets, I was shutting one eye and then the other, looking at the water around my surfboard, when I noticed that each eye saw the water as a different color.. The left eye saw more green/teal and the right eye saw more brown/green... Which was correct? No matter how I turned, it was always the same.. Could it be the angle of the early morning sun? Different eyes? Since I spend so much time trying to figure out just what color it is I am looking at, this discovery was quite a surprise.

The images below are small studies (8"x10" on board) done mostly from memory.. A mini test for myself. Have I learned anything? I think one thing I love about painting water is it's constantly changing nature.. impossible to hold onto.

Ripples

2008-04-08T14:35:00.000-07:00

While patiently waiting for the right image to appear on a new canvas, I continue to have a foam drawing always in process.. Just finished this one.. I can't say "ripple" without thinking of a wine from the 60's? Or, "Ripple in still water" from the Dead? Anyway.....

Meanwhile I have been playing with some quick oil "sketches" on small (8x10) boards. As I always work from photos, I am trying to keep the reference at a minimum, relying on what I am learning from all this painting of water.. . It is really scary, and I feel like I am going someplace without a roadmap..or rather, I have been relying too much on the roadmap and now I need to trust my ability to get there on my own... At risk, of course, is perceived failure.. or getting lost..Often, it's when I learn the most. Will post them when they dry..

Taking a break

2008-03-27T15:43:00.001-07:00

Ah, the purgatory between paintings.. Finished one, not sure what to do next. It's not that I lack ideas, it's just that I can't settle on one.. This is the story of my life, and the challenge of living with a distractable mind.. When I do sit down and start to explore something, the mind will dismiss it for a number of reasons.. It's too hard, I don't have the technical skills to pull it off, it's really not as interesting as I thought, and on and on. Meanwhile I feel like I am wasting time...because I am not "producing" What I always forget is that this period is work too... So I am trying to relax and not make it a problem..easier said than done. Like anything else, it will run it's course.. And it is spring..trees are blooming, the air is warmer, and the days are getting longer.. Yeah!

In the meantime, I am posting this image of lunch bags. When i was exploring what i wanted to do after the years of pastel still life(s) I decided to draw a paper bag a day.. or whenever I was able to work in the studio. I loved doing it.. And I love how all the bags are different and how they all work together.. Plus it reminded me of all the lunches we had packed for our kids over the years before college.. Now I can't even find a bag in the house.. Things change..

Still moving water

2008-03-15T11:06:00.000-07:00

Still moving water
STILL! moving water
Still, moving water
Still moving, water

oil 36"x48"
Somehow, it looks very different on the wall, lighting perhaps? Surrounding wall color? I think the teal blue of the blog background emphasizes the green in the waves... too much, actually...

Plum Blossoms

2008-03-01T11:11:00.000-08:00

I love walking into the studio this time of year. It seems like the plum trees in the backyard all exploded in blossom overnight.. On the painting scene, I have "quit" this painting so many times.. Working large, trying to put together all I have learned with the past color experiments.. I feel like I bit off more than I can chew.. Somedays I think I am "getting somewhere" and others I just want to toss it! Being interrupted ( by life's other obligations) is a big issue.. Will post it.. when and IF I finish it..

The underpainting is gone!

2008-01-10T15:14:00.000-08:00

oil 16"x20"

What a challenge.. Foam is so amazing! Especially when the camera stops it's trajectory. There are all sorts of funny and interesting shapes that emerge, yet they all seem to belong to a similar "family". It often reminds me of shaving cream, of whipped cream, whipped egg whites, or even melted snow. All seem have the common theme of a mixture of air and water/liquid.. The natural world is amazing.

And here I am still attempting to make sense of it, trying to understand and see clearly something that cannot stand still. The camera a a great tool..It allows me to see more clearly...combined with hours of observation.

With each painting, I feel "obligated" to name it.. This naming has always been really challenging for me, and I often wonder, "what's the point?" Other than distinguishing one painting from another, I am content with "Foam 1" and "Foam 2" but after 20 paintings/drawings, even I get lost. I often want to find some sort of metaphor to use in the name, but then it gets too cute. If the painting went deeper than mere observation/exploration and a love of beauty , maybe it would be different. Sometimes the paintings name themselves...
Guess I will just have to wait!

Underpainting

2007-12-13T16:39:00.000-08:00

An artist friend casually mentioned that maybe it was time for me to move away from the calm glassy images I have been working with for so long. Not that I am in any way finished exploring the subject, but I decided to branch out. I had been entertaining the idea of painting wave spray/foam in oil for a while, but frankly, it is a daunting project. As I finished my recent foam drawing, I felt almost warmed up. After I picked an image that I liked, I then proceeded to find all sorts of distractions to keep me from taking that first step. but here it is.. The underpainting for the foam painting. Up until today, I have been putting off painting over it, I actually liked the looseness and drawing-like quality of the paint. ( hmmm, maybe I should be paying attention to something here) But alas, it will be lost and I may totally ruin the whole thing. So here's a photo before it changes..

Gratitude

2007-11-23T12:53:00.000-08:00

I am grateful to be surrounded by beauty, for the everchanging surfaces of the water, for a mind that finds delight and interest in the impermanence of it all, and for the ability to become engaged in seeking to understand water through the medium of painting as well as the means to share it with others..

oil 12"x36"

Incoming

2007-11-16T22:16:00.000-08:00

The newest of the "foam" series.

Together again

2007-10-26T20:50:00.001-07:00

Just to see for myself the difference between two colors and a full palette(!) I painted the piece on the left as a continuation of the "breakthrough" painting.. They are meant to go together.. I also wanted to see the 4 paintings together again, as two of them found a new home.. Am slowly working more studio time into my day.. (each painting is 16"x20")

IMG_3252.JPG

Breakthrough

2007-10-03T13:19:00.001-07:00

I am finally getting close to whatever color it is I see in the water with this study.. Thanks to a tube of cerulean blue that I received for my birthday in June..If you look in the archives, you may be able to see how far this painting is from the previous studies..especially July 2006...

The new paint helped, as well as a year(!) of experimenting...but as valuable is the time I sit in the water, looking, looking, looking.. and then trying to remember what it is that I saw when I am in front of a blank canvas..

Painting, but not THAT kind

2007-09-09T17:47:00.000-07:00

Ah, I am SO longing to get back in the studio and start a new painting.. As usual, the activities of the summer, mostly people-oriented, while I have welcomed them with open arms, have not allowed me to continue that important mental continuity it takes to keep me fresh, involved, and on track.. My artists mind works best when my life is uncomplicated... Unfortunately, I'm not one of those artists who can just go work when ever I feel like it.. I need certain conditions so my mind isn't constantly drawn to other life issues.
However, since the end of last month, I have been in the process of painting a condo that my son will be moving into.. an amazing lot of work and not yet finished... so I am counting the days..it is nice to paint for the first day, then a couple of weeks later you wonder if it will ever be finished.. And why isn't he helping? He works all day....
Luckily, I have a drawing in progress. SO when I return to the studio, I won't be totally spinning my wheels... Hope to post a new piece soon!!!

Playing with old images

2007-08-02T13:26:00.000-07:00

Um, just thought I'd add a new/old image since I just returned from a week on the right coast and haven't returned to the studio yet.. Many thanks for those of you (Carol, Pat, Sheila) who took the time to visit this blog.. That's what it is about for me, sharing with friends.. This is just two different pieces of art, put together.. the things one can do with a computer! Probably approx 3'x6'.. It's so hard getting started again after a break.. especially if I'm already working on something...OOOP! Off I go!

Middle Ground

2007-07-21T10:16:00.001-07:00

My work has been following me around. This new charcoal drawing has accompanied me on many trips.. I clip it to some foam core, throw my materials in a bag and whenever the moment presents itself, it is there to work on.. I have worked on it in Inverness and while scanning about 4000 slides (in progress) these past few weeks.. I can pick it up and just do a bit at a time. One of the things I like so much about drawing is the ease and portability of the materials. It was really fun to get back to this series. I really love the images...as well as the black and white..

And at the same time, I finally completed another water painting.. I had a hard time with the photo, hence the easel shot..In the painting process, the hardest part for me is when the painting is almost finished, but I see all sorts of areas that need working on just a bit more..It could go on forever... Minor stuff, but important to me.. ah the perils of a perfectionist.. I can just never get it right... which is good in a way because it motivates me to keep trying.. hopefully on the next painting.. Here I discovered that Gamlin Payne's grey is bluer than the same color from Windsor Newton.. Which works well for me.

oil 30"x40"

Self Portrait

2007-06-17T10:02:00.001-07:00

Well, not exactly, but a portrait of a beloved object in my life.. My Mystic board, sitting in the water on a calm day, in between waves.. waiting...As for the painting, I painted over a previous unsuccessful canvas.. Used some previously unfamilar colors. Still working with a limited palette..And, after all, it is all about the water..which, by the way, has a lot of transparent green in the dark areas.. this is overly blue.. and a bit dark..
A couple of issues at work here..
1) This is my third try at a photo.. Since I glazed some of the colors, the canvas is shiny in some spots.. so any light bounces back..in compensation, I took the photo in an area with indirect light, which was really too dark, hence, the slight out of focus look. Not to mention , of course, the ever evasive color matching.
2) Impatient, lazy or does perfection no longer matter? If I spent a bit more time "getting it right" I could probably get a lot closer to the original. But, since this is only a blog (ie. not a portfolio or sales site) does it matter that much to me? Uh, yes and no.. Today it doesn't matter.
3) Working title was "mystic(k)" John Moore, a local shaper, made the board, a Mystic. But it is my stick.. yeah, I know, kinda dumb.. Whatd'ya think?

A beautiful Shame

2007-05-14T15:15:00.000-07:00

Beautiful glassy calm mercurial light filled water. In the distance I see a dazzling luminous green object floating in the water..I paddle closer and pick it up.. The contradictory image of the moment stays with me. At home, as I am working on , yes, yet another color study, the bottle finds it's way into the piece. I am reminded of the plastic bag blowing in the wind, from the film, "American Beauty" I guess this is my version. (8"x10")

Traces

2007-05-09T14:09:00.000-07:00

Not a good day to write so I will just post "Traces" (12"x36") and keep my mouth shut, for now anyway..

Let go and ....flow

2007-05-01T12:19:00.000-07:00

There should be a way that I can write "flow" in the way that I am feeling it now.. I can say it, but somehow, "floooooooow" just doesn't do it..
I am in the third day of working on a new painting.. It is long and horizontal and is meant to be a view from water level, that is, I am in the water, looking out over the seascape from sea level, not above.. Picture a camera half in and half out.. I have had this idea in my head for ages, but have never been able to get the right perspective with a camera (not having a water housing for my digital camera) .. I ended up looking at a surf film shot that way and did some sketches to start me off..
First I just went for it, blocked in the areas of dark and light, just using payne's grey and white.. Yesterday after "working" in the water, (in between the meager waves) that is, really being observant of color, light, etc, I returned home and painted a second time, establishing the sky reflected in the surface.
When I saw it this morning , it was all wrong...Instead of doing some essential errands (like buying food for my family) and my morning exercise, I started to just paint... 3 1/2 hours later, I dragged myself away to write this and to eat something.. And also, walk away from the piece. When I left, it was really coming together.. so amazing.. I hope it looks as good when I return..
I find myself starting to rely less and less on photographic reference, and accuracy, and just going for it. And it usually happens when I make a mistake or just give up on something.. um, I think it's called "letting go."
I sure do enjoy the feeling of flow when it happens... and to think it's possible to live our lives flowing over, around and through the obstacles that we encounter on the way.. mostly of our own making.

Surface Matter(s)

2007-04-17T08:47:00.000-07:00

After staring at this on my studio wall for almost 2 months, it is "done"..
It was a fun process working with this image, covering the canvas, working on it right side up, upside down, sideways, a small area at a time, everything at once.. Always learning. The challenge was making it work (for me) .. Noticing how the image is realistic and abstract at the same time..
One of the things I love about painting water is that it is such a fluid process..(no pun intended) Observation, painting, decisions.. Flow. Something mysterious is at work here. if I knew what it was I would write about it.

"Surface Matter(s)" oil, 4'x3'

In the studio

Sneak peek

2007-04-01T15:00:00.000-07:00

A large canvas is quite an undertaking, and I am painting a water surface that is not so familiar to me. Turns out if the surf is down and/or the weather is stormy, I spend more time painting.. Even lost myself a few days, which is rare for me.. It feels near completion, but that could change in an instant...looks like next week will bring some waves (at last!) so I better get back to work...stay tuned...

Up to three colors + white!!

2007-02-23T17:08:00.000-08:00

I don't know what it is about glassy water.. the calming effect, the light, the motion, the mercurial element. (quicksilver!) What I do know is that I want to keep painting it...This painting started out as an experiment, months ago, in glazing (layering thin glazes of paint, intended to create a luminous quality ) but since I had no idea what I was doing, I just now painted over it.. It's oil, 8"x10". Ultramarine blue, cadmium yellow, cadmium red, and white...

Finally got one of those "miscellaneous" ideas out of my head and onto a board (9"x12")...(probably because I got out of the studio and onto a board.. hehe) .. it's one of those beautifully lit Bolinas mornings, off shore wind, perfect conditions, with a nice swell, but closing out on the sandbar at low tide... darn! From a photo by Jesse Wagstaff..
I find that as much as I love waves, I am much more attracted to what "makes" a wave...water, form, light, color and movement/energy....I'm not particularly interested in painting the perfect waves, although I dream of them all the time and love seeing photos.. however, I do need to do a wave or a surf scene every once in a while just to get it out of my system.. voici!

Living dangerously

2007-02-19T10:53:00.000-08:00

Cruising on the momentum of having a pallette full of unused paint as well as a gessoed and sanded board, I just went at the surface unprepared and uninformed..usually I spend a lot of time preparing for an image I intend to paint, studying photos, systematically drawing and then transferring an image...but here I just laid down the paint with no awareness of control...It was a lot of fun actually and although it is the preferred technique for many painters, I have never felt comfortable doing it.. Feels too risky I guess, what if I fail?
I actually am quite fond of this little (8"x10") study, and think I am going to tackle the 36"x48" canvas in my studio for something along the same lines..

Refining an image

2007-02-19T10:09:00.000-08:00

I knew something had been bugging me about the image below, and in my "desperation" to paint, I decided to risk ruining it and trust my instinct.. I knew it wasn't quite right before, but was tired of working on it and also couldn't see what it needed..What happened is that I ended up making more of a value variation from top to bottom and softening the harsh dark shadows in the water... Maybe it doesn't make that much of a difference to the viewer, but to me, I just couldn't rest until it felt "right" to me.. So I will let it rest now..The good thing is that it got me back painting again...

Before

After.. new and improved

Pin ball machine mind

2007-02-12T10:37:00.000-08:00

Well, it seems that yet again I have fallen out of the groove of painting... and it is always so hard to get back in.. I have SO many ideas of images I am attracted to, but no one stands out...So I pop around from one to another. It seems to drain the energy right out of me.. I finally gave up last week and went to the movies.. Then a weekend of avoidance... today I am still avoiding the studio.. I get in the all too famiiar trap of wanting to do something "good" and that leaves me little room to make mistakes and experiment.. So I end up paralyzed and dissatisfied...I know I will eventually let go...
On another note, if you want to see what knocked me off track, here is a link.. I'm the one with a dark shirt and light blue board shorts...(not with long braids) .. marywagstaff.com/surfvideo
So I'm going up to the studio and see if I can get something going..oops, it's noon, maybe after lunch...

Wow, it's not THAT blue!

2007-01-17T08:28:00.000-08:00

It seems that all I ever do these days are what I prefer to call "experiments" Maybe that lets me off the hook when they don't turn out exactly as I envision them.. Maybe all painting is experimental.. that is maybe until one has some sense of control about what one is doing and the results are consistent with the vision.. just pondering..
8x10 oil (???)
I really dislike naming paintings/studies..
On another note, I now have plans do a website, at the encouragement of Jesse.. I plan to put past work on it, and just link it to this blog.. The blog will be a "as I do them and how I feel about them" site while the web will have all my work in one place .. easy to view (you don't have to go through the archives) ..

Be patient, things change!

2007-01-13T11:55:00.000-08:00

A very busy mind accompanied me when I returned to the studio for an "uninterrupted" day of work this week.. I had so many ideas and images running through my head, it was impossible to settle on any one. Either they weren't interesting enough or required too much research. No one idea stood out.. Even when I randomly selected one, I would immediately reject it.. I felt frantic! Ah, the challenges of being a perfectionist...Enough with this restless crazy mind!

After a frantic, unsatisying day of spinning my wheels, I saw that I would just have to wait until it calmed down a bit, which required letting go of any ideas of what I should be doing..

By the next day, it had calmed down and it became obvious what to do.... duh.

Some surfers paddle around all over the place, frantically chasing waves, hoping they will be in the right spot at the right time.. often chasing something that isn't even there.. .. Others sit patiently and wait in one spot, knowing a wave will come to them.. Both are fine, and I do both.. but from experience, I am learning that the calm, patient, focused approach pays off in the end. For me anyway..Yet another life lesson from surfing..

"Patience" 8x10 oil

Old/new-ish

2007-01-12T11:59:00.000-08:00

In a burst of energy, I took photos of older pieces , all not related to water.. And of course the fun of playing with the edit feature of Picasa produced some interesting results.. Here's just one..this is large, 3'x6'... the Buddha face is charcoal and gouache on paper, the water, oil on canvas. Oh well just for fun.
Odd, yesterday's post isn't here.. must have done something weird..or nothing at all...later...

Indigo + titanium white

2006-12-07T15:14:00.000-08:00

Well, after the normal life interruptions, I think I may have finished another painting... What I am not showing is the unsuccessful one I attempted in between where I used more than one color... ...So, this time, thinking simplification may mean "success," I tried Indigo ( a Sennelier brand color that I am in love with) and white.. a false step up from black and white..
Writing this, I realize that as much as I love color, I am also very attracted to the modeling of light and dark on "smooth" water and all the variations in between. So this is just another attempt at understanding how that looks.. It still evades me..

If you write down a sentence and you don't like it, but that's what you wanted to say, you say it again in another way. Once you start doing it and you find how difficult it is, you get interested. You have it, then you loose it again, and then you get it again. You have to change to stay the same.
-Williem de Kooning

Limited palette

Finished 36"x36" (largest painting I have ever done)

In the studio

Impossible color matching

2006-10-18T11:59:00.000-07:00

Finally completing "Glassy Paddle Out", the next challenge was to photograph it for the blog.. Yikes! Considering I spent so much time working with oils to come close to the color I see in my mind, I was now faced with yet another, unexpected (and unwanted) challenge..how lighting conditions affect the color in the digital photo.. This is as close as I could come, but thought I'd include a side by side view of the computer screen and the original. The blue on-screen version is ok, but not what I wanted. If nothing else, it shows the size of the painting...and one can only guess at which color is the closest..
The past three paintings I have done in color have been such a learning process.. mainly learning how much I don't know.. B & W is comfortable, simple and I am still looking at form and light.. Color just adds an extra element.. The question is, is it necessary for what I am trying to say? Maybe I will stick to black and white for a few more years... or not..

more charcoal

2006-10-13T12:40:00.000-07:00

Until I get it together to take more photos, thought I would post more from the foam series...Here are another 3 pieces..

Shades of grey

2006-09-14T15:48:00.000-07:00

Finished and hanging on the wall.. This piece is 30"x24".
All I can think of now is going even bigger! That's a lot of canvas to cover!

Re: the state of "glassy paddle out" .. I am ready to abandon it..but maybe not just yet... The two challenges I face are 1) color!!! or lack of..and 2) the incredible amount of detail in the water...if I take out too much, it loses something.. I can eliminate some, but there seems to be a delicate balance I have yet to understand..

This past week the waves have been good, the water glassy, the sky foggy,
so the light has been amazing. I wish I had a photographic memory.. the color in the water is so hard to put a finger on.. grey? yellow grey? blue grey? blue? green shadows? grey shadows? brown? And to try to capture just a bit of the feeling of being in that amazing environment.. Guess that is why I keep trying.

Step into Liquid

2006-08-31T21:16:00.000-07:00

Thought this painting was finished until I took some photos of it..Saw some spots that need some work, so back to the easel! As for the foot, I was fooling around with the camera, trying to give it a sense of scale.. will post the finished piece later.

I am having a heck of a time trying to mix the colors I want to finish painting "glassy paddle out" Today I got discouraged and wiped off all the paint I laid over the b&w image..a few day's worth.. Luckily, the image is still there. Maybe when I return from our backpack trip, a week without ocean or paint, just mountains, my eyes will be able to see things differently..

Pastel from the Past

2006-08-12T15:27:00.000-07:00

This is for those of you who don't know my past work . Yes, it is pastel.. I actually think it was the very last still life I did before I packed all my pastels away in 2002.. I just sold it and Jesse took a digital photo for my records.. Much easier than the laborious professional film set up I have done in the past..
I have been entertaining the idea of documenting all the old work on a web site.. just for a record more than anything else..
Other news.. I was in the process of ruining "glassy paddle out" by painting layers of color on top of the black and white, until I decided to put it aside before it is completely gone.. ...I may return to it later, sometimes mistakes take unexpected turns.. In the meantime, I started on a larger water b&w.. So much fun...

Take a deep breath

2006-08-05T12:46:00.000-07:00

"Glassy paddle out" OK, another experiment... this is the "first" stage. The so-called underpainting..I rather like it in black and white, so I really need to let go of any attachment to the painting and go ahead into the unknown. I plan to apply thin glazes of color (yyyaaaahhhh!!) and see if i can make it come alive.. Because of the water being so glassy/edgy there is less blending, less of the soft edges that I am also attracted to and create a completely different feeling for me...yet another challenge.. I am sitting with the notion that I might completely "ruin" it which is the reason for me posting it before I finish it..
There are many layers of painting on this panel, the same wave in many different forms.. kept trying to "get it right" but never completely did.. color issues again... This reminded me of the great little lefts at Bolinas when the groin sandbar was working (sigh!) ...Anyway, a friend saw it and loved it, so it will now be at her house...
Out of focus photo of the wave above. There is something I am really attracted to about this image..what a contrast to the crisp b&w.. Probably the two sides of my brain jockeying for control...

More Foam...

2006-08-02T20:59:00.000-07:00

Thought I would post a few more of the foam drawings since I haven't posted in a while...I did a series of 14 of these, so will gradually put them up for view.. a few at a time..

All together now!

2006-07-20T10:27:00.000-07:00

All those experiments add up, a big painting! In the order I painted the pieces, starting top left, clockwise, 2nd, 3rd, 1st, 4th..

B&W

2006-07-20T10:15:00.000-07:00

In the continuing quest to learn how to use oils, I decided to remove all color and just use black and white.. I am much more at ease, probably because mixing the colors I see is so difficult (but is it necessary?) and also because of my experience with drawing B&W..I actually like this quite a bit, for me it is the most successful at portraying the "glassiness" of water that I am SO in love with...I am wondering what might happen if I lay a color glaze over the black and white and use it (the b & w) as an underpainting. The truth is, I really like this the way it is, so I will have to continue with the experiment..

Flow

2006-07-07T15:03:00.000-07:00

Move your cursor over the photo and see what happens!

From the looks of the date on the last entry, the flow has been in a LONG ebb..Just lots of other stuff going on.. But I did manage to see the EBB & FLOW show.. I was in good company, but the Sausalito Bay Model as a gallery space isn't the best.. Lots of space, but too big or something...
Now I have two new framed pieces of art on my walls.. my own...

Ebb and Flow

2006-05-11T14:59:00.000-07:00

Show
I did get 2 pieces juried into the Sausalito Arts Comission show..(see April 13 post.. guess which one did they NOT pick?) The reception is June 3, 1pm-4pm. Show is 23 may-25 june. It's at the Bay Model in Sausalito. Coincidentally, the name of the show is Ebb & Flow.

However, I was really disappointed to find that a couple of my favorite artists, who also do beach/ocean/tidepool images were somhow overlooked... Makes me wonder what the show will be like if they weren't selected, as I still feel like I am in such an experimental/exploring phase in my art...Maybe they got selected because they were drawings? I aspire to draw/paint/ work with the same level of expertise that they have acheived and feel I have such a long way to go....

Happy now?

2006-05-03T15:50:00.000-07:00

Morning Glass

2006-05-01T20:55:00.000-07:00

OK. Yet another experiment. This time I tried working with an image that I love.. the clear glassy mornings out in the water at Bolinas, surfing with friends. I love being in the water and spending the time waiting for waves surrounded by breathtaking beauty..It is an amazing experience.
I realized the other day that I am actually beginning to be more at ease with the paint. It helps to limit my palette (3 colors+ white) and have more surface to practice blending, etc. ( I did a small study of this image first) As with everything else in my life, it's all about practice! I am learning as I go..I may not know much, but I know more now than when I started.
And as to the photo and the feet.. I have yet to find the best way to take a photo where all the edges are parallel.. or the best environment.. indoor? outdoor? True that I can control the photo with my camera on a tripod, but it's too much work, plus I would never post anything if I did it that way.. So, toes, doormat, what the heck...You can always click on the photo and zoom in if you want...

first experiments with oils

2006-04-26T10:21:00.000-07:00

OBOB's

2006-04-26T09:52:00.000-07:00

The "more about that later" is now..
I started surfing in 9/04 with some women friends.. Since the youngest of us was 50, we dubbed ourselves the OBOB's (old broads on boards) I still surf 2x a week or more if I can..

Since I love being in the water so much, with the constant changes of light, color, waves, wind etc.. and spend so much of the time with my jaw dropped at the breathtaking beauty, it seemed only natural that it become an inspiration for my art.. I attempted some acrylics, but was frustrated with the fast drying time and colors..When I FINALLY got myself to try oils ( I had been thinking about it for YEARS) it was pretty obvious that it was the right medium.. So, I am teaching myself how to paint..slow, frustrating, but I realized today that I know more than I did when I started... The images I love the most are those of glassy water..Understanding what happens to light on water (not an easy task 'cause it's always moving) ..

image from the past

2006-04-24T09:22:00.000-07:00

Until I can post the painting that I am working on now, if I ever finish it, here's a charcoal drawing from a couple of years ago.. In my "Buddha Image period", I was interested in the similar shape/ proportions of the faces.. and was also interested in the idea that we all embody the characteristics of the Buddha, in this case, Kwan Yin..and my daughter, Laurel..I though it would be cool to continue with a series of juxtaposed faces, just never got around to it.. probably on a back burner somewhere, with all the other "maybes"

Comedy cup

2006-04-16T20:27:00.000-07:00

Went with some friends to live comedy night at Throckmorton in Mill Valley, Mark Pitta and friends.. The first guy was so bad i decided i would draw to amuse myself, and the only thing available was my cup.....as the evening went on, the comedians got progressively better...but i kept on drawing....When we left the theatre, it was raining (as usual) and the cup got wet, creating some interesting effects.. esp on the guy in the middle... ended up being a nice evening.. some pretty good laughs...