Here is the piece that got left out in the cropping described in the previous post. It sat on my desk and held the wipings from my brushes for several days, and then I attacked it with intent to redeem. Now I like it!
Margaret L. Been, ©2012
Here is the piece that got left out in the cropping described in the previous post. It sat on my desk and held the wipings from my brushes for several days, and then I attacked it with intent to redeem. Now I like it!
Margaret L. Been, ©2012
Posted in Abstract Expressionism, Creative Living in a Condo, Watercolor painting, Watercolors, Way out Creativity, YUPO paper | Tagged Abstract Art, Abstract Expressionism, Creative Living in a Condo, Fun and Funky, Watercolor painting, YUPO paper | 1 Comment »
Sometimes a painting will look okay to me except for 1 corner, or 1 section, which simply refuses to cooperate or edify the whole work in any way. I have extra mats in all standard sizes, which I can move around to isolate parts of a piece. This helps me to decide what is worth saving, and what to pitch—or perhaps cut off, rinse, and re-work. (On Yupo paper, the rinsing works really well. The original white sheet is restored.)
Above, is a sample of 1 large painting (watercolor and gouache on Yupo paper) cropped into 1 medium and 2 smalls. The left over piece is on my table, with many colors mingled on it. Currently this “discard” is serving as a spare palette and a surface on which to wipe my brush when working on other paintings—but eventually the reject may become a rendering worth matting and saving.
The problem solving involved in making art (of any kind!) is a great part of the fun. It’s amazing to see what one can salvage and redeem from an apparently lost cause! Never think “failure”. When in doubt, just crop!
Margaret L. Been, ©2012
Posted in Art Therapy, Creative Living in a Condo, Don't forget to play!, Funk and Funky, Garden Paintings, Gouache, Paint what you love!, Redeeming failed watercolor paintings, Spring Paintings, The joy of experimenting with art, The joy of making a mess!, The joy of making art, The joy of sharing our art, Watercolor painting, Watercolors, Way out Creativity, YUPO paper | Tagged Art Therapy, Creative Living in a Condo, Fun and Funky, gouache, Redeeming failed watercolor paintings, The beauty of crafts, Watercolor painting, YUPO paper | 1 Comment »
Putting aside preferences involving representational vs. abstract art, there is a world of diversity concerning the question, “What should art say?”, or ”Why art?”
Throughout the ages art, like literature, has been created for many reasons, among them: to inspire; inform; entertain; to celebrate, satirize, or decry a culture; and for the promotion of countless philosophical, religious, social, political, historical, and personal agendas. The beautiful, the ugly, the wholesome, the sick, the gracious, the mean—virtually every aspect of life on this planet (and elsewhere) has been depicted on canvas or paper, through the various media of art.
Perhaps most every serious artist has a specific reason for making art, an inner drive to express his or her motivating philosophy of life. Reasons and philosophies often create controversy, and thus we have the question, “Why art?” Just as artists have divergent reasons for doing their craft, art collectors may claim as many varied reasons for hanging art on their walls.
When asked ”Why art?”, I can only answer for myself. I love beauty. I love life. I love upbeat whimsy. I love nature. I love, and worship, the Author of Creation. A love for God and His truth, a hunger for beauty, and a zest for living are the ruling passions behind anything I do—in the kitchen, in the garden, or in my studio.
Each person differs in the concept of what is beautiful. That’s why we have individuality in our clothing, as well as in our home decor. What I think is beautiful or worthwhile to hang on my walls may not appeal to someone else. But a standard of aesthetics in some form or another exists for all of us who desire to affirm life. We share a passion for life. We value beauty, and we express that value —each in our unique and personal way, to the best of our ability.
Wisconsin fine artist Jeffrey T. Larson succinctly addressed the priorities of affirming life and upholding the value of beauty when interviewed a few years ago, for American Artist magazine:
“The media makes sure we are aware of the ugliness and tragedy of our times, so I don’t think artists are obliged to thrust more of that harsh reality in front of people. I want to remind people that despite terrorism, abuse, poverty, and illness, this is a golden time in humankind’s history. I want to join other artists in helping people see the benefit of remaining hopeful, optimistic, loving, enthusiastic, and courageous. Life is too short and art is too long for us to be concerned with anything else.” Jeffrey T. Larson
Margaret L. Been, ©2012
Posted in A Passion for Life, Affirming life through art | Tagged A passion for life, Fine artist Jeffrey T. Larson, The aesthetic motive, Why art? | Leave a Comment »
I don’t draw or paint animals very well. They always seem to look like people, especially in the area of the eyes and facial expressions. Now it may be argued that dogs are practically people—at least that goes for Collies and Pembroke Welsh Corgis. But Ground Hogs are definitely not people, so I won’t try to paint them.
Meanwhile, I’ve always LOVED Ground Hog Day. In Wisconsin, the traditional “take” on the day is confusing. Whereas in some quarters 6 more weeks of winter may be considered “bad news” (for those who don’t ski), in our proverbial neck of the woods ONLY 6 more weeks is cause for a big HOORAH (provided you don’t ski). Whatever . . . .
Here is a painting of what the Ground Hog may see, not in 6 weeks but perhaps in a few months—when he does come out to inspect my garden.
Margaret L. Been, ©2012
Posted in Art Therapy, Funk and Funky, Garden Paintings, Paint what you love!, The joy of experimenting with art, The joy of making a mess!, The joy of making art, The joy of sharing our art, Uncategorized, Watercolor painting, Watercolors, Winter in Wisconsin | Tagged Art Therapy, Collies, Creative Living in a Condo, Fun and Funky, Garden Painting, Ground Hog Day, Pembroke Welsh Corgis, Waiting for Spring, Watercolor painting, Winter Survival | 1 Comment »
As a writer I’ve always been baffled by people who say they’d like to “take up writing”, but they don’t know what they would write about. One doesn’t really “take up writing”. Whether starting at an early or late age, a writer is a writer. I suppose “taking up writing” means that one has finally begun to write—but the writer was always there, whether realized or not.
Likewise, I cannot say I’ve “taken up painting”, because the painter was always lurking inside me—waiting for the courage to materialize. And as far as knowing what to write about, or what to paint, it should be obvious. Life is all around us. Inspiration is everywhere—in the scenery outside our windows, in the people we see, in the music we love, and in the books and poems we read.
Sometimes I will see, hear, or read something, and then set out to paint my impressions of that subject. But more often, I begin with colors on wet paper and the subject emerges—reminding me of something I have read, heard, or seen. The above mystic water craft sailed into view from a blur of color on YUPO® paper and immediately reminded me of Alfred Noyes’s poem “The Highwayman”—where “The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas”. Since “ghostly galleons” (either in the form of a moon or actual ships) frequently appear on YUPO paper, I named the above rendering “Ghostly Galleon I”—knowing there will undoubtedly be more of its kind.
Here is an added thought on “inspiration”. Sometimes we don’t feel “inspired” to paint, write, sculpt, bake, or whatever our art may be. Yet it is good discipline to spend some time on our calling, even when we don’t “feel” like it. At least a few moments everyday will prevent dry rot from setting in. Even if the urge to produce is not prominent at the moment, as soon as we overcome any sluggish tendancies and “go to it”, something invariably happens. The work takes over and creates itself. Some of the paintings I like best were done at times when I didn’t feel like painting—until I sprayed some water on the paper and picked up a brush!
Margaret L. Been, ©2012
Note: I am aware that real galleons do not have sails like the one pictured in this rendering. As I’ve said before, I am not into photo realism!
MLB
Posted in Art Therapy, Battling Closed Minds and Limited Imaginations, Creative Living in a Condo, Funk and Funky, Paint what you love!, Sailboat paintings, The joy of experimenting with art, The joy of making a mess!, The joy of making art, Watercolor painting, Watercolors, YUPO paper | Tagged Alfred Noyes -- The Highwayman, Art Therapy, Battling Unimaginative Minds, Creative Living in a Condo, Fun and Funky, Inspiration, Overcoming a "dry spell", Sailboat paintings, The beauty of crafts, Watercolor painting, Working even when we don't feel like it, YUPO paper | 2 Comments »
For the last two decades, Joe and I have made a pilgrimage West at least once a year—frequently in the Winter or early Spring. Our destinations were Colorado and New Mexico, and we combined our love for the West with a visit to loved ones who live near Denver.
This year, the trip is not happening—but never mind. My paintbrush travels to the High Rockies of Colorado, to the adobe houses of Taos and Santa Fe, NM, and to those fascinating Cliff Dwellings on the Four Corners. Just as I never tired of traveling West, I will always love reading about the West via documentaries, histories, and Louis L’Amour novels. And likewise, I probably will never tire of painting the West.
My favorites of L’Amour’s novels are those mysterious tales of lost canyons, valleys, and ancient cities in the regions surrounding the Cliff Dwellings. My mind paints as I read, and eventually the paint materializes on paper. Hence the above pair—Lost Valley of the Ancients I & II.
The paintings are propped on another passion of mine—my piano. A collection of Scott Joplin rags peeks over the painting on your right as you view the photo. Playing a Joplin rag never fails to make me smile! Such mellow music, with soul!
To the left of Scott Joplin, sits my venerable book of classics by Mozart, Schubert, Chopin, Beethoven, etc., which are infinitely satisfying to play. (That’s why they are classics!) The book was my mother’s, and it dates to the late 1920s or early 30s. Not only did she gift me with her love for music, and of course the music lessons, but she left me the actual music books to enjoy. My fingers don’t flow as effortlessly across the keys as hers did, but with practise I can play. Mom would be pleased!
Meanwhile, with books, paints, and a piano I really don’t need a “vacation”! It’s all here, at home!
Margaret L. Been, ©2012
Posted in Art Therapy, Creative Living in a Condo, Funk and Funky, Music Therapy, My piano, Paint what you love!, Reading, Southwestern Art, The American West, The deep cold days, The joy of experimenting with art, The joy of making a mess!, The joy of making art, The joy of sharing our art, Watercolor painting, Watercolors, Way out Creativity, Winter in Wisconsin, Winter Survival, YUPO paper | Tagged Beethoven, Chopin, Cliff Dwellings of the Four Corners, Creative Living in a Condo, Fun and Funky, Louis L'Amour, Mozart, Paintings of the Southwest, Schubert, Scott Joplin, Watercolor painting, YUPO paper | 4 Comments »
If you consult GOOGLE with this question, “Should YUPO® paper be preserved with a fixative spray?” you will find different opinions. Since YUPO® is a glasslike surface, it is not absorbent. Therefore, watercolor paint can be removed from the surface, WITH WATER. Once the painting is dry, a firm application of water can disturb the paint.
Last week I met a woman who had recently tried painting on YUPO for the first time. She was absolutely incensed, because after her YUPO® painting had dried she dabbed at it with a wet finger and the paint lifted on that spot. I tried to explain that there is no rationale for poking a picture with a wet finger, but she refused to consider my point. She countered, “What about rain?”
Again, I tried to reason that no one in their right mind would leave their paintings out in the rain, and anyway the moment a painting is thoroughly dry it gets matted, adhered to a backing board, and protected from the elements in a clear plastic sleeve—the size of the mat—until time to frame the picture.* This was something completely out of my friend’s realm of experience, so she decided to declare war on YUPO® paper.
Some time ago, I did consult GOOGLE on the question of to fix or not to fix when painting on this slippery synthetic surface. On various online forums, most watercolor hobbyists claim that they do use a fixative, or if they don’t go that route they simply use the YUPO® medium for experimenting and playing rather than actually creating a painting. Since the paint may be removed from YUPO® an infinite number of times, you could spend a lifetime painting on one sheet of it—if you were not serious about making and sharing art.
But I am serious. And I love my YUPO®. So I took the comments of casual hobbyists with the proverbial grain of salt, and went to websites featuring the QUEEN OF YUPO®, professional artist Taylor Ikin. Taylor does not like to use a fixative spray, and will only do so when the painting is going to be handled by an outside framer—to deflect the possibility of carelessness in the process of framing. When a picture is to be framed by someone else, Taylor Ikin sprays only around the edges of the painting. Like me, if she doesn’t frame immediately she instead secures her matted painting in that indispensable product, a clear plastic sleeve—where it can safely remain forever, or until transferred to a frame.
According to Taylor, the work done on YUPO® is as safe as any other watercolor painting. Without a direct and firm application of water, the paint will not run or diffuse, even in humid Florida where she lives. (Taylor Ikin has YUPO paintings in her bathrooms in Florida!)
And quite categorically, you would not leave a painting on 140# rag paper out in the rain either—just as you wouldn’t go dabbing at the picture on rag paper with wet hands. In weighing these thoughts, it dawned on me that pastel art is far more fragile than anything we can do with watercolors—either on a rag or synthetic surface. Pastel dust will flake off inside the frame. Pastel artists go to great lengths to blow (sometimes by machine) the surplus dust off their works before framing them.
No serious pastel artist ever wants to use a fixative on the top layer of chalk (although they sometimes spray between layers so that they can continue building color without creating mud) because spraying the final layer would most definitely dull or darken the colors. So gallery owners simply have to cope with the potential glitch of pastel dust in their hangings—far more of an issue than the virtually non-existent threat of water getting into a framed watercolor painting on YUPO® paper.
Nonetheless, being a bit overly conscientious, I typed up a little statement to include with every YUPO® painting that I sell or present as a gift—saying that because this archival, environmentally friendly surface is non-porous it will not absorb the paint the way traditional watercolor papers do. In the blurb, I included these words: “It may be assumed that you will not be driving a truck over your painting, touching it with wet fingers, or pouring hot chocolate on it. Therefore the painting will last behind glass for many generations, even centuries. Matted with a standard size mat and backing, this work of art may be safely kept in its protective envelope until you transfer it to a ready-made frame under glass.”
I hope that disclaimer will ward off even the most inveterate painting-pokers with wet fingers.
Margaret L. Been, ©2012
*I buy standard size mats and backings with plastic sleeves that fit each size. These are economical, and I cannot imagine doing art any other way. People can look at my paintings and safely handle them because of the protective sleeves. In preparation for a show which I hope to present someday, I am framing paintings that I intend to hang in the show.
Posted in Creative Living in a Condo, The joy of making art, The joy of sharing our art, Watercolor painting, Watercolors, YUPO paper | Tagged Creative Living in a Condo, Fixatives for paintings, Taylor Ikin, Watercolor painting, YUPO paper | 2 Comments »
When I’m feeling peppy, I delight in venturing into uncharted territory. That’s when the abstract shapes and surprising textures appear. Yet there are days, and more likely evenings, when I’m weary. Yet I still want to paint.
At weary moments, I persist in making art while celebrating beloved and familiar shapes and themes—those subjects where I can hardly miss, such as still lifes or trees. Yet I’m constantly aware of trying to avoid clichés, overworked aspects of a piece which could potentially add up to ho-hum art. My goal is to make every painting unique and different from any others I’ve done.
One way to prevent sameness in renderings is to vary color chords. Tonight I decided to use black gouche—something I’ve never tried before. I was instantly transported by the richness of black, and probably overdid it in the above painting titled “Dried Bounty”.
Oh well, if I don’t overdo the black gouache in the next still life I won’t make a cliché of it!
Margaret L. Been, ©2012
P. S. Recently I ventured into new territory by selling a painting. For a few days after that, I wasn’t aware of using my legs. I floated!
Posted in Art Therapy, Battling Closed Minds and Limited Imaginations, Still Life Paintings, The joy of experimenting with art, The joy of making a mess!, The joy of making art, Watercolor painting, Watercolors, YUPO paper | Tagged Art Therapy, Battling Unimaginative Minds, Creating variety in art, Fun and Funky, Still Life Paintings, Watercolor painting, YUPO paper | 1 Comment »