July 2015 Wrap Up Post

1. Range of Light 11" x 14"-acrylic on watercolor paper-available

2. Making Connections-20" x 24" acrylic and painted papers on board-available

3. Nestled-11" x 14" acrylic on watercolor paper-available

4. As I See It-11.5" x 15.5" -acrylic and painted papers on watercolor paper-available

5. Above and Beneath-10" x 13" acrylic on watercolor paper-available

6. Release-10" x 13" acrylic and painted papers on watercolor paper-available

July has been a productive month for me and so I want to share some finished work.

1. Range of Light: I have spent some time at Lake Alpine this summer and have been busy making observations! This piece is based on some of the features of the landscape including the light, trees and clouds.

2. Making Connections: This piece is an amalgamation of my ideas about agriculture, water, and the town of nearby Linden. It's a new process for me too: using painted and cut paper to create shapes and lines. Let me know what you think!

3. Nestled: Another Lake Alpine piece inspired by the groupings of rocks that are an important part of the landscape. I took the perceived colors to the extreme to convey some of my feelings about that land.

4. As I See It: More ideas about water and agriculture. For this piece I focused on specific structures such as ladders and the Blue Diamond almond plant that is a fixture of the Linden landscape.

5. Above and Beneath: Inspired by the hot springs at Mt Lassen, a recent trip yielded many new paintings ideas.

6. Release: Our local reservoir, Lake Hogan, is connected with the Calaveras River. The reservoir not only serves a section of our area but is the water source for East Stockton and points beyond. Earlier in the summer I understand that there was a release of water to fulfill contractual obligations to water customers downstream. The dam, the water, rights, obligations, and needs are all things that drove this piece.

Current and Upcoming News:

I currently have two pieces showing at the Arts Council office in San Andreas. If you are local please stop in to have a look. Both pieces displayed go nicely together or separately. 

I will also be participating in the Artists Studio Tour  here in our area in September. The dates are September 26th and 27th. As information becomes available I will pass it along but for now, it's very simple. Just plan on picking up a map at the Arts Council in San Andreas. The map will detail all of the locations that can be visited throughout the county. It's a great opportunity to see a lot of art all at one time plus you can visit with me:)

A Tip:

Much advice is given these days to "connecting", "being present" or simply being aware. Sounds great but where do you start? I'll pass along the advice that I have given before to beginning sketchers. It's the same thing that I do when I am out and about, trying to generate creative ideas and to connect to my favorite environments to gain pleasure and inspiration. Here it is: Tune in to your six senses. It's very easy and will help to center and relax you. Concentrate on one sense at a time in any order that you like: seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, tasting and feeling. Look at your surroundings and mentally note what you see. Listen for sounds like birds, cars, wind, water, etc. Smell the breeze or even the dirt! Touch the bark of a tree and notice how smooth or rough it is. Tasting is a little harder but do what you can. And finally, what feelings are generated? Calmness? Nostalgia? Peacefulness? What memories are triggered by your current environment? You can tune in to all of your senses or just one or two. Regardless, it's a great exercise, it's free and requires no electronic device, and it will leave you feeling connected.

OK, thanks for reading these posts and supporting my art making efforts. Send me an email or leave a comment if you would like to.
Libby