So today I was notified that a spot is open for me at the Sweetwaters Cafe in downtown Ann Arbor Michigan to show some artwork from June 1-Aug 1. I'm excited to get to do a show, but wondering what in the world do I have to put up at it.
I didn't make it into the A2 Women Artists Spring Juried Show at the Ann Arbor District Library. I only entered two pieces into the show. I thought for certain one at least, if not both, would have made it in. I guess my "Ode to Mark Rothko" oil pastel paintings were a bust for the juror. I wonder if Mark Rothko himself would have gotten into that show...probably because he is Mark Rothko.
I'm learning and playing and creating and discovering more and more about this art process. No, my work is not popular, but I'm creating it for myself as a catalog of what I thought was important at the time. I'm trying to capture moments in time and put those down on paper so I remember what was important...views of Lake Michigan and the peace visiting that spot on the world gave me...the near collapse of Wall Street and the fear it invoked and the dreams...my body--the celebration of the fat woman that I am and the embracing of it. I fear failure. (Is it okay to fear failure, but to try anyway and maybe not have my art liked because it's not from someone who is an "accomplished" artist or understood?) I feel so cold thinking about the failure of getting into that juried show.... I sent out a disc for the upcoming show at River Gallery in Chelsea...I hope I make it into that one. If not, I may question why I do art if I am not selling it. Is there really a reason to have so many canvas's lining the walls in my home if that is all they are doing?
My work is not that great, I admit. But it is mine and that must be worth something to someone. Yes it is. It is worth a lot to me.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Friday, January 1, 2010
1 a.m. Tis the creativity bewitching hour
This morning around 12:35 a.m. I created a small, 12"x12" size oil pastel of a larger work I want to do. I wanted to see--actually see-- how the colors would blend together on paper. I only have one more piece of the stonehedge paper I like to use and don't want to blow it on something that may not turn out like the image I see in my mind. It's best to do something smaller and play with it.
Instead of calling the small painting something, I put "AP" for the name. "AP" means artist proof. Even though it isn't a print it was the only thing I could think of in terms of a name. My first thought was "test" but that really didn't convey what I wanted.
Even in the course of continuing to paint oil pastels, I'm learning new things. One technique I learned tonight is once the paper is wet with turpentine I don't need to keep wetting it to try to blend in the colors. I used my fingers and a rag to blend, both of which worked well.
I don't know when I'll actually work on the larger painting because I really didn't like the results of the smaller painting. I'll give the same painting a few more tries before I start something larger. I want to feel confident that what happens on the large paper is what I want the end result to be.
Instead of calling the small painting something, I put "AP" for the name. "AP" means artist proof. Even though it isn't a print it was the only thing I could think of in terms of a name. My first thought was "test" but that really didn't convey what I wanted.
Even in the course of continuing to paint oil pastels, I'm learning new things. One technique I learned tonight is once the paper is wet with turpentine I don't need to keep wetting it to try to blend in the colors. I used my fingers and a rag to blend, both of which worked well.
I don't know when I'll actually work on the larger painting because I really didn't like the results of the smaller painting. I'll give the same painting a few more tries before I start something larger. I want to feel confident that what happens on the large paper is what I want the end result to be.
Creating Art at 1 a.m.
It isn't unusual for me to be up creating art at 1 a.m. It was part of my goals for 2010 and I wanted to get a quick start on it. After attending a singles get together, at home watching TV, I was inspired to create three charcoal drawings--two of me and one of something else. I don't remember.
New Art Year 2010
Okay, so I promised myself I wouldn't make any New Year's resolutions...but I just cannot help it. I have some thoughts about CHANGES and ACCOMPLISHMENTS I'd like to make in 2010, but these are not resolutions. Repeat, these are not resolutions.
So my accomplishment goals for this year are:
--create more varied artwork I enjoy working in oil painting and oil pastels, but it's time to branch out. I want to take some classes to learn new techniques. This will have to be discovered as I go because area art groups don't always list their offerings.
--get into a gallery I started to look into this back in October. One such gallery was in Chelsea. I looked for information about how to submit work to this gallery, but there wasn't any on the web. So I paid a visit to the owner to ask how to submit my work. He said he wasn't taking on any new artists at this time because he may not be here come the end of December. Now that it is January maybe I should pay him another visit to find out how it is going. How sad. That place was one of my favorite galleries and my work would have fit in with his eclectic theme.
--Sell Art This one is ongoing and a given.
So my accomplishment goals for this year are:
--create more varied artwork I enjoy working in oil painting and oil pastels, but it's time to branch out. I want to take some classes to learn new techniques. This will have to be discovered as I go because area art groups don't always list their offerings.
--get into a gallery I started to look into this back in October. One such gallery was in Chelsea. I looked for information about how to submit work to this gallery, but there wasn't any on the web. So I paid a visit to the owner to ask how to submit my work. He said he wasn't taking on any new artists at this time because he may not be here come the end of December. Now that it is January maybe I should pay him another visit to find out how it is going. How sad. That place was one of my favorite galleries and my work would have fit in with his eclectic theme.
--Sell Art This one is ongoing and a given.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Art New Year's Resolution
I don't usually make a New Year's Resolution because they are made to be broken. If I'm going to make changes, I start early like when I decide to make the change. I do not wait until January.
With that said, now that January and the New Year is a mere few hours away, I've been thinking about what I accomplished this year in the art field. I had my first solo art show at Baker College in Jackson Michigan, I entered a juried Ann Arbor Women Artists Association Spring show at the Ann Arbor District Library. One piece was chosen for the show. I continued to paint in spurts sometimes creating up to three works in one day. This year, I have been productive, or so I felt. So then if I were to make a New Years art resolution what would it be?
I want to have my work shown in a gallery this year and I want to sell a piece to someone other than family, not that I don't appreciate their fervor for and support of whatever measure of talent or interest in art I've been given, but when some stranger buys a piece of my art that will be the seal of approval I need to know it is worth continuing.
Then again, VanGough only sold one painting in his lifetime. The buyer was his brother Theo--family. How discouraging that must have been for him. My mother bought one of my photographs--a 20x30" size black and white picture of a Kentucky Tobacco farm. Even though she said it reminded her of one of the barns near where she grew up...mom doesn't count because she's my mother. My brother, Mitch, on the other hand, has excellent taste in art. He bought two oil pastel pieces--pomegrante and Apple #2. I gave him "The Three Sisters" oil painting I did. I didn't really like that painting, but he loved it. It was a landscape--plenty of green and brown grass, a stream and three little white dots at the top of the hill hidden among grass and bushes--the three homes of the three sisters. For him, it stirred an emotional response--three old women living close to each other sharing the land--something like that. For me, it was too bland--a failure of a painting. I'm glad he found an emotional treasure and story in the work.
With that said, now that January and the New Year is a mere few hours away, I've been thinking about what I accomplished this year in the art field. I had my first solo art show at Baker College in Jackson Michigan, I entered a juried Ann Arbor Women Artists Association Spring show at the Ann Arbor District Library. One piece was chosen for the show. I continued to paint in spurts sometimes creating up to three works in one day. This year, I have been productive, or so I felt. So then if I were to make a New Years art resolution what would it be?
I want to have my work shown in a gallery this year and I want to sell a piece to someone other than family, not that I don't appreciate their fervor for and support of whatever measure of talent or interest in art I've been given, but when some stranger buys a piece of my art that will be the seal of approval I need to know it is worth continuing.
Then again, VanGough only sold one painting in his lifetime. The buyer was his brother Theo--family. How discouraging that must have been for him. My mother bought one of my photographs--a 20x30" size black and white picture of a Kentucky Tobacco farm. Even though she said it reminded her of one of the barns near where she grew up...mom doesn't count because she's my mother. My brother, Mitch, on the other hand, has excellent taste in art. He bought two oil pastel pieces--pomegrante and Apple #2. I gave him "The Three Sisters" oil painting I did. I didn't really like that painting, but he loved it. It was a landscape--plenty of green and brown grass, a stream and three little white dots at the top of the hill hidden among grass and bushes--the three homes of the three sisters. For him, it stirred an emotional response--three old women living close to each other sharing the land--something like that. For me, it was too bland--a failure of a painting. I'm glad he found an emotional treasure and story in the work.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
3 oil pastels today
I've been feeling like my creativity has been on the fritz lately. I haven't felt like creating any art, but I wanted to have created. I don't know if that makes sense or not, but I hope it does. Usually I create art while standing, which can be quite a strain of late. So, I rolled the bedside table into the livingroom. The table serves as an oil pastel supply holder. Popping on the TV I flipped through a variety of brain numbing shows until I came to a show that had artwork in the background.
I liked the colors of one of the pieces, which gave me an idea for a work of my own. I sketched it out in pencil and then colored it in with oil pastels. This work in turn gave me yet another idea for something else and about a half hour later I had another work.
Finally, I had another work in mind and drew it out in oil pastels, thus creating three works in oil pastels.
One of the wonderful things about oil pastels is that they are very fast. I draw a lot of satisfaction by creating works fast and finishing fast. I love working with oil paints, but hate how long it takes for an oil painting to dry.
Last week I created a tiny--2"x2"--oil painting of a model green apple. I thought about giving this small painting to my sister, Thea, but after a week of sitting on the easel, it was still wet. I left my thumbprint on the edge when I picked it up to examine it. I guess now is the time to start those small oil paintings for 2010 Christmas gifts. I don't believe in speeding the drying of oils since I have no idea how reliable the results will be nor how archival.
I liked the colors of one of the pieces, which gave me an idea for a work of my own. I sketched it out in pencil and then colored it in with oil pastels. This work in turn gave me yet another idea for something else and about a half hour later I had another work.
Finally, I had another work in mind and drew it out in oil pastels, thus creating three works in oil pastels.
One of the wonderful things about oil pastels is that they are very fast. I draw a lot of satisfaction by creating works fast and finishing fast. I love working with oil paints, but hate how long it takes for an oil painting to dry.
Last week I created a tiny--2"x2"--oil painting of a model green apple. I thought about giving this small painting to my sister, Thea, but after a week of sitting on the easel, it was still wet. I left my thumbprint on the edge when I picked it up to examine it. I guess now is the time to start those small oil paintings for 2010 Christmas gifts. I don't believe in speeding the drying of oils since I have no idea how reliable the results will be nor how archival.
Thoughts about creating oil pastels
I need something to motivate me to paint and create more than I currently do. I've enjoyed creating a variety of oil pastel paintings and plan to continue painting, but my paper supply and money is low. Perhaps the solution is to cut the remaining stash of paper into quarters and make smaller paintings.
I like creating larger paintings--around 22" x 28" sizes, which is the full size of the sheets of paper I use. In the process of creating oil pastel paintings, I've tried a variety of papers. Stonehedge is the one that produces the best paintings. Its smooth texture and sturdy structure are perfect for this type of work.
Blending by hand and with fingers is a pleasure over the smooth surface. I work the colors in with a bit of odorless turpentine.
I like creating larger paintings--around 22" x 28" sizes, which is the full size of the sheets of paper I use. In the process of creating oil pastel paintings, I've tried a variety of papers. Stonehedge is the one that produces the best paintings. Its smooth texture and sturdy structure are perfect for this type of work.
Blending by hand and with fingers is a pleasure over the smooth surface. I work the colors in with a bit of odorless turpentine.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
How to get blog followers
It has been months since I opened my first blog on blog spot. How do I get followers of my blog? If anyone has any suggestions, I would appreciate knowing. Thank you.
Santa description
This was from a Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators contest
We were to write a description of Santa Claus we had never read.
This is what I came up with.
Greta Picklesimer
Jackson, MI
member since 1999
HONORABLE MENTION
Warrant for arrest...
Alias: Kris Kringle or Santa Claus
Description: elderly man, rotund, white hair and beard, chuckles for no apparent reason.
Details of crimes: breaking and entering usually through chimneys, profuse littering under the guise of leaving toys for children, also theft of food including (but not limited to) cookies and milk or cocoa from said families.
Additional notes: person in question uses a flying sleigh as a get away vehicle pulled by reindeer, approach with extreme caution.
Greta Picklesimer enjoys writing for children and reading as well as other pursuits that either are not interesting enough to mention or have nothing to do with writing.
We were to write a description of Santa Claus we had never read.
This is what I came up with.
Greta Picklesimer
Jackson, MI
member since 1999
HONORABLE MENTION
Warrant for arrest...
Alias: Kris Kringle or Santa Claus
Description: elderly man, rotund, white hair and beard, chuckles for no apparent reason.
Details of crimes: breaking and entering usually through chimneys, profuse littering under the guise of leaving toys for children, also theft of food including (but not limited to) cookies and milk or cocoa from said families.
Additional notes: person in question uses a flying sleigh as a get away vehicle pulled by reindeer, approach with extreme caution.
Greta Picklesimer enjoys writing for children and reading as well as other pursuits that either are not interesting enough to mention or have nothing to do with writing.
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