What is Art?

What is Art? Who is an Artist? Click on the link (the title) to find out what a few animals have to say. This is great! I found this on the Art News Blog.

Let's Catch Up

Well, I have flunked blogging recently. While painting for an exhibit and juggling all it takes to be an artist and a business at the same time, I have not communicated very well what is going on with us. Seems like I get overloaded and in the future I must make more of a mental timeline to organize everything. Maybe in my case, a standard size paper trail might help me keep up and stop with all the post-a-notes!!! With that said, I am going to do better from this day forward. That is scary writing that right there, makes it oh so official, but it needs to improve soooo I just slapped my hand...moving right along then.

We have chosen a series about water, it started with the three, brightly, colored umbrellas with the ocean breaking behind it. We wanted to continue with a water theme in our next painting and liked a photo that explored the idea of diversity, comparison and blending and also depicts a little about our own story of three artists working alone and together to create one painting...more on this subject in another blog. Anyway, there is a simple, common thread for us and that is... we all love the ocean, lakes, whatever, we love water. The beach in our painting is in Southern California, Laguna Beach, to be exact. For anyone who has not been there, it city nestled in the hills which spills down to the edge of the coast full of creative juices from artists, galleries, Pageant of the Masters, art festivals, like the Sawdust Festival, Laguna Art Museum, fine restaurants, boutiques, surfers, beach volleyball, TV shows filmed there and many events all year round. It is a lively community and generally fun place with lots of choices. It holds a very special place in my heart since I used to live many years ago and was married there. Our water theme above comes from a very familiar place.

And yes, I promise to follow up with more paintings and would enjoy any of your comments or questions. I am encouraging everyone to sign up to receive our latest news and talk to us. Especially these days, we need a little more happiness, smiles and hope... art can do all that and more. So pass it on...

Hanging Out

This new painting has a young fan who named it...she saw it in a very clear and simple way. Maybe there is more than what is in front of the eye, could it be three different artists painting and seeing things differently? But wait, I see all kinds of colored grapes, but they are all just grapes. The vines that weave through the paintings might possibly be connecting it together in some way. I like stories that go along with paintings and gives a little peek into their internal secrets. Diversity is what makes things more interesting. You really can be creative in a collaborative setting when you honor and embrace diversity not fight it. Is it that all the grapes are hanging or hanging out together?

Personal Sanctuary

"Everyone needs a sanctuary to gather thoughts and apply personal tools. It's in a sanctuary where a sense of self is daily repaired and polished. Things begin to make sense in a sanctuary. Even for the most limited among us, a sanctuary is where progress is made and work gets done."
Robert Genn

Helen's Rose...Reach for the sky

Here is a pic of one of our latest paintings. It is a rose from California...around Napa Valley. One of the fun things we get to do after we finish a painting is name it. We have not decided on anything yet so any suggestions are welcome. I personally love this painting because I have memories that go along with it. What does it make you think of when you see it? How does it make you feel?

Surprises

Life is full of surprises! Success is what you make it and I feel the best way to be successful is to put aside your emotions and always handle things in the most professional way. We all know artists are very emotional people not to mention sometimes a little crazy but if we artists want to be successful we must put aside jealousy, anger, and self pity and concentrate on our artistic growth along with our personal growth. Harley Brown's Eternal Truths for Every Artist covers just this subject. I hope to soon post a section of our latest painting, I am very excited about this one. Seems like every new painting is my new favoite one but this one might just hold the title for a long time.

Tuscan Landscape

Here is a pic of a painting that we started last year. As with most paintings there is a story...this one is no exception. I hope you like it. The total size is 48 x 48 oil on cradled panels.