Painting with a Point

This is a piece I did with watercolor pencil on paper. It was loads of fun to do. This particular technique is quick and it ends up looking very painterly. I dip the pencil point directly into water and then scrub the color on with the side of the wet pencil point. Doing it this way puts down a nice thick layer of color. I guess it's about as close to working with impasto strokes as you can get with a pencil point. As I'm sure you can tell this was done from a satellite image, can you tell where it is?

Carlynne

Altered Books and then some

Hi everyone. Well Kelli got us back in the blogging groove again. It had been quite some time for both of us. Since the last post there's been family gatherings, holidays, painting, meetings, a new year rung in, home remodeling, family reunion, babies birthing and thankfully lots more painting. No wonder we haven't blogged much.


What you see here is one page out of many from an altered book I'm working on. This is only my second altered book. The first one I did was for a family member. Since doing that one I was intrigued with the process so decided to make one just for the heck of it. Well that has now turned into an entire series of works based on the theme of women and body image. The book is almost done and the ideas have expanded into many canvases. Once in a while I'll post a peek at the new stuff. For now I'm going to keep working on the book and canvases for as long as the ideas keep flowing.

Peace and presence,
Carlynne

Bad Painting Days/Good Painting Days

Hi All,

Yesterday I told everyone on Facebook (and anyone else who would listen) that everything I painted on Tuesday turned out to be crap and would have to be gessoed over. I also told everyone (anyone who knows me knows that I don't keep secrets, even from strangers) that I would stick with it.

During Tuesday's painting session, I fought down moments of panic where I was briefly convinced that whatever I once had was gone forever and I would never finish a good painting again. As you likely know, this is a horrible feeling for any artist and we all have it from time to time. Some more often than others. I have kept an Anxiety Awareness Journal for several years after reading about it in one of Eric Maisel's books. It helps me to write in it about any anxiety I might be having about the artwork and it helps most when I use it at the beginning of a painting session. I hadn't felt the need to use it in over a year and yet I needed it today.

While I was writing, a couple of things occured to me. I have not really painted seriously since Christmas, oh, a little, hit or miss, here and there. But no long sessions like I usually do. Life happens you know. However, when you let things interfere with your painting sessions, creativity goes out the window. I know for sure that I need to make it a habit to set aside time and clear my mind for creativity to happen.

I need to welcome creativity back into my life and treat it like a baby that needs to be nurtured and cared for. Painting and I will have to get used to each other again, spend time together, get to know each other. Like a second honeymoon. I need to make this relationship a priority in my life and always make time for it. I think if I do that, we will both be happier.

Peace, love and creativity.
Kelli

Believe in Yourself

Hi All,

With the cost of gas and food at an all time high, how are you doing, I mean really? I know you are worried, I mean after all, it's hard to sell art in a good economy, never mind a bad one. I have some suggestions on how to handle the idea of a bad economy. Yes, I said the idea of a bad economy because the state of the economy is in part, a perception of reality. In other words, if you think it's bad, it is, if you think its good, it can be.

1. Don't read the paper or listen to the news. I know it sounds extreme, but I have been doing it for several months now, and I still manage to find out about the important things. But I don't have to hear the doom and despair stuff over and over again. When CNN first went on the air, I thought it was great, now I am not so sure. They rarely report good news and the more people hear bad news, the worse they feel, and panic is not a good motivator, in fact it can kill creativity. The bad stories get a reaction from consumers and that is what sells, therefor, the bad news will be reported over and over again by many different news media. This can actually contribute to a bad economy.

2. Stick with your plan. If you were mailing out packets to galleries, keep doing it, even if you work at Wal-Mart during the day, just so you can sleep at night, knowing the bills will get paid anyway. If you were planning to start teaching workshops or classes, do it. Our weekly classes were at an all time high attendance this summer. There will always be people who spend money on creative endeavors.

3. Keep painting. There are people who still have money even in a bad economy and if they are in the habit of buying art, they will keep doing it. If yours isn't out there, they won't even see it.

4. Believe in your work. There is a market for every type of art. I will not tell you it is easy to find yours, but you can do it. Keep going. If YOU can't be confident in your work, how do you expect others to be?

5. Believe in yourself. You have stuck with it this far, now is no time to quit.
Don't use the economy as an excuse to pack it in. You are the only one who does what you do. You are the only one who tells your story.

6. Surround yourself with positive, uplifting, people, places and things. Just a partial list: someone who thinks you are an art Goddess, your kitty who loves you unconditionally, motivational books and CD's, movies with happy endings.

I will tell you some of my uplifting things:

A vision board with copies of my favorite paintings, copies of my largest art paychecks, (including my first book royalty check), and photos of myself with favorite people. On my ipod (a gift from a good friend), I have Esteem Aid, (it's free!) and it tells me I am awesome, beautiful, etc. Every time I shake it, it says something else nice about me. (And it doesn't even know me!) When I am walking for exercise, I listen to music from my high school years. It makes me feel young and happy and energetic. A gratitude journal that I use to record what I am grateful for. Did you know that it is a proven fact that you cannot be frightened or depressed when you are being grateful? Books by Louise Hay. She makes me feel worthy and deserving and loved. And finally and most important of all, I have discovered that I can turn around a bad mood of any kind using positive affirmations. We spend a lot of time thinking and talking about what we do not want in our lives, affirmations remind you of what you do want and bring it to life.

I would say good luck, but I don't' believe it really has anything to do with luck. Keep working and keep believing.

Peace and love,
Kelli

Sneakers

Hi everyone,

I'm posting this in memory of the coolest cat in the world. We lost Sneakers this past Monday. This is an oil painting I did of him a few years back as a gift for my son. He was quite the character and he'll be missed greatly.

I've been playing with watercolor pencils quite a bit and really liking it. I've also been using regular colored pencils with heat. That's been interesting too so check back again soon. There'll be more to look at.

Peace,
Carlynne

Fun in Seattle

Hi folks,

Just thought I'd add a few photos from the Seattle trip. Although it was a working trip I did get to see the sights a little bit thanks to my wonderful cousin Frank. Here we are at one of the lookout points - you can see the Space Needle off in the distance - it's practically growing out of the top of my head. In the top photo is the Blue Angels. The CPSA convention was timed perfectly. It happened to coincide with Seattle's annual festival and the Navy tops off the last weekend with a show. We were sitting on the roof of Frank's building watching them fly. What a treat! I came away with a sense of awe and a sunburn. Of course everyone thought it was funny that a couple from Florida got sunburned in Seattle.

The locks are an interesting place. I loved this sculpture.

Oh....the flowers. They were lush and beautiful at the market. If I had seen them our first day there I would have brought some back to the hotel room. The market there is fun, of course we did see Pike's and the fish tossing too.

This is the view from the observation deck on Smith Tower. What a beautiful day!

Peace, and have a beautiful day today

Carlynne

Back from Seattle

Hi,

Once again it's been a month since I've posted anything. Wearing too many hats is what does it. Well, this month was a real treat. I went to Seattle to teach a workshop at the CPSA convention. For those of you unfamiliar that's the Colored Pencil Society of America. What a fabulous group of people and a tremendous amount of work it takes to put on a convention like this. AND what a great show! When I saw all the pieces together in one room I was blown away by the quality of work. Go to http://www.cpsa.org/ to see the award winners. After seeing the work there I was truly honored to have been included. My piece above is Earth Passage 10 and it's also an award winner at the show. If you're in the Seattle area the show is hanging until Sept. 29 at the Washington State Convention Center. You can find the details at the CPSA website.

Peace,

Carlynne