Once in a while you find some sort of Art that makes your heart sing. I think I have found my medium, as this is so very relaxing to me. After years of teaching hand drafting, I get to use the fun sketchy part of drawing, combine it with a little color and have a finished piece that makes me smile. Hope you find what makes you happy.
This last weekend I had the pleasure of taking a pen & ink & watercolor class with a well known artist. Pen & ink has always captured my attention, especially after writing my book “Hand Drafting for Interior Design”
“
Working on the drawings for many days, I found pleasure in the hand drawn line and taking this class I got to put to use all the drawings and techniques I shared in my book.
The group of people that came together for the class were talented, funny and made the weekend such a pleasure. But the drawing was just pure delight, and learning a new way to add a tad or splash of color to the drawings, made me want to draw, draw, draw and water color a little.
For many years I took classes with a wonderful impressionist artist and enjoyed the time and progress that I made in the class and the other artists that came to paint and learn. I live on the beach and love my morning, evening and anytime of the day view out my back window to the beach beyond. Over the years I have photographed it and shared the photos here and on Facebook.
Taking the class I wanted to paint the scene in different moods and shades and colors, as it was always changing. I painted it about three times and our teacher decided for me that I could no longer paint it in class. I went along with it because she was the pro. I left that class about three years ago due to political differences. If we disagreed with her political beliefs we were yelled at, put down and not allowed to say anything in response as it was her home (garage) where we painted.
Time has passed and I do know I learned a lot about colors and how to mix them from her and from watching fellow artists; but I also have since thought about how many times Monet painted haystacks or a cathedral at Rouen in France. No one told him he could not paint a subject he was fascinated by. Kevin McPherson, a contemporary artist produced a book called “Reflection on a Pond”, where he painted his own pond 365 days in a row.
Yesterday having passed the real estate broker’s exam, and not being in my studio other than to sew I spent the afternoon painting my interpretation of my view. I just repainted my master bedroom in gray and have the desire to do a series of paintings in black, white & gray, with maybe one accent color. Here is the first of this series. I was inspired by another painting I did earlier called Airstream, that my youngest son loved, so I gave it to him.
Now I am finally inspired to paint again for the sheer joy of it with no intention of running all over trying to sell it or put up another show. I will post on my website: www.dianakingsley.net, but that is as much as I will do going forward.
How often do you walk so quickly through life that the beautiful details surrounding you whiz by without you even noticing. It is more than “Stopping to Smell the Roses”, it is looking around to find happiness in the smallness of our being, they joy of seeing something in a different light.
Selfies have helped us to stop and enjoy the moment. Waiters in restaurants actually complain that it takes people longer to order and eat, as they are taking photos to share. As a cook that takes joy in the presentation of food, I am glad to see so many perfectly presented dishes/meals shown on restaurant reviews and on Facebook. It means that someone noticed the time and effort you took to make it look edibly delightful.
Walking outside today, I was feeling a little blue that my kitties had to find another home (one too many asthma attacks), but I stopped on my way out of my yard to enjoy the raindrops clinging to dear life on the boughs of my curly willow tree. It is a feast for eyes.
Just thought I would share it.
Once in a while nature surprises with an amazing moment. Looking out the window at the strong light, this Rainbow captured the horizon and make the world a beautiful place. This is when I feel very blessed to live where we can just look out the window and enjoy this.
Polka Dots and Stripes – Does it get any better? This just sings Spring to me. I just need a model holding Daffodils to make it official.
Imagine the sun slipping through the gray clouds with a little glimmer of gold on the roof tops.
It is fun to try different things.
When I was in the same painting class/group for twelve years, the lead painter/instructor was always telling me what I could do and what I should not do. Now that I no longer go to that painting session, I feel the freedom of feeling good about trying a lot of different things without someone trying to put a stop to my experimentation.
I realized when I left the class and walked by this persons new studio/gallery that all the paintings looked alike and that mine were mini replicas of the artists work.
At that moment in time, walking with my youngest son, who pointed out the same thing I realized I could make my own educated choices about what worked and what did not work (for me)
For an artist it is important to sell your work so you can sort of make a living, but it is also even more important to feel good about what you are doing.
In my other painting experience I was doing a lot of traveling and bringing in enlarged photos, which I shared with everyone in the group. Later I thought about it and it devalued what I was doing, for there would be four or five paintings of the same scenario, that photo I shared with the group.
Sometimes it takes doing and looking back later to realize you learned all you could from that situation and it is time to look forward.
If you look closely at this painting, there is gold leaf attached to the oil paint, and if you look even closer you will see more drawing on the clouds. I love sketching and this painting combines those two loves.
Hope you like it.
As I said earlier, I was having a great day in the studio till the power went out. I call this Green with Envy since I incorporated Gold Leaf once again in the piece.
Yesterday before we lost electricity in the storm, I was working on this painting, and thought it seemed a little dull, so had fun adding some Gold Leaf and liked the effect so much, I may do a series using that in my paintings.
Even more so than your normal human, slugs need to watch their slat intake. For us, high blood pressure, for RIP for the slug.
Think I need to re-salt the borders of my garden