New Work: Essential Elements

Essential Elements
collage
image size 15" x 18" approx

A couple of weeks ago I made a practice collage using leftover bits and pieces from previously finished work. It's like working a puzzle only without having the picture on the box top as a guide. I felt there was enough of an idea in the practice collage to try and make a finished piece.

What really got me going though was the funny blue circle shape that I made. To me, it looks like an omega symbol. That got me started thinking about the line from the bible, "I am the beginning and the end...I am the alpha and the omega..." The quote isn't written verbatim and there are many instances of it appearing in biblical literature. Judaism is my chosen religion and so I thought about the essential statement of Jewish belief, the Shema. I then began thinking about proclamations (made by an angel or person), God's creatures, and the Garden of Eden (snakes and apples). I am a literal person, what can I say, and so it's easy to see what happened here. I'd point out too that in the left hand corner I finally was able to include two Hebrew letters, Aleph and Tav. They also have biblical meaning that is varied and mystical and controversial. I guess that I love stories but not controversy or arguing. I like the idea of a mash up of ideas, if that makes sense, and I like to think that my mash up approach is egalitarian in nature. And in the end I really love my little design and had a good time making it. That's all I actually care about.

So, I sure hope everyone had a good week. I am on to some other things (hopefully). Maybe another practice collage? we'll see!

Libby

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New Work: Whatever!

Whatever!
collage
approx size 15" x 18"

This piece is hard to photograph-all three colors are difficult by themselves and in combination, forget about it!

At this point it is safe to assume that these collages are fairly accidental. I haven't been setting out with a specific subject in mind. The last one didn't even have a subject! Meaning seems to unfold as I add shapes. One shape suggests another shape and pretty soon I have some sort of a little story going. The little story is often related to something that has happened recently or something that I had stored away in my data bank of a brain (such as it is these days). The results are often unexpected.

What is behind this piece? My husband says it is just random stuff from my mind and he is almost correct! Different things occur to me as I work over a period of several days. Many times these disjointed thoughts begin to come together and to suggest a larger whole. The story for this piece began with the kitchen junk drawer and was prompted by those "XYZ" letters. That drawer is often a catchall for miscellaneous items. The idea of miscellaneous items lead me to people's speech patterns. Conversations are often peppered with "filler" words which are a kind of shortcut used when people can't quite put their mental finger on what it is they want to say. And lastly, I happened to hear a Madonna song as I was driving. Something about a heart and a lock and a key. Everything sort of coalesced into this idea of unlocking things that appear to be a puzzle (such as the meaning of people's sentences sometimes). It's just random but hopefully the design itself is cohesive enough and people can ascribe their own meaning. Oh, and the secondary color scheme was selected for one reason in the beginning but came to mean something else to me. My impression is that people speak on several levels. There is the primary thing they are saying but then there is the idea of what is just underneath their words. The secondary meaning, if you will and hence my own significance of those secondary colors. Crazy but true.

The last thing to mention is that this is an experimental piece. I sanded paper and paint, over painted those letters, re sanded and added more pieces until I felt things were balanced. It's a mix of clean and rough areas which I am not sure about. The whole thing, including the colors, tests my tolerance level. Damn thing is growing on me though so it's hard to say. I don't feel like a "mixed media", let-it-fly kind of person. I am not "gritty" but I really needed to branch off from these clean shapes that can't be touched once they are down. It's a fine way of working but I know that I can add to that. I just need to be careful about what direction I head in. So, we will see.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend. Thanks for reading and commenting.
Libby

PS-I am in love! And it isn't my husband this time! If I wasn't married I'd hop on a plane to go see this guy. His work delights me (which is a phrase I almost never use) and I would like to crack open his mind to see what makes him tick. Take a look at his work and you will see why I am a smitten kitten!

New Work: Easy as 1 2 3

Easy as 1,2,3
collage on Ampersand board 12" x 16"

When trying something new, I want the results to at least have some of my sensibility. I stumbled into the area of layering for the above piece. It's a new concept for me but I think the finished results are Libby-like. And, they show me some possibilities that I have not even considered before.

I started with laying down shapes. This is a typical way to begin. Once I had a sort of under structure down, I took my acrylic pen and made all sorts of gestural and connecting lines. This is not typical! The actions produced a mild sort of panic actually but I realized that I was OK with gessoing over things. Once I did that I sort of began to warm up to those shapes and lines being covered. It suggested things!I freshened things up with some white paint, leaving some areas less painted than others. I like the subtle dimension that the painted shapes give. Then I began to add shapes just like I normally do. I was more selective though than usual, taking care not to add too many small shapes. I then took my new letter stencils and stenciled the letters A, B, and C onto the piece in just three places. (It was at this point that I began humming the Jackson Five song.) Adding the almost black circles was kind of crazy but I like it. I am a cautious and restrained sort of person and so while the above piece doesn't seem crazy, for me I took some small leaps.

The bigger news though for me is the way I started the piece. It is just in my nature to want to have some sort of a guide. A drawing of some sort is best but the danger in that, for me anyway, is being too rigid in sticking to that drawing ;too literal. I used one of my line/gesture sketches to start this piece. It helped me to lay down some initial big shapes. The drawing was just a guide and it took away that feeling of walking on a tightrope without any sort of a net or pole for balance. I don't know what other people think but I don't believe that art making should induce fear and loathing in one when one walks into the studio. Those aren't good feelings. Whatever one has to do to eliminate that is OK with me.

I sure hope everyone is having a good week. Thanks for visiting and commenting.

Libby

Libby Fife Fine Art

New Work: When We Were Kids

When We Were Kids
collage/acrylic painted papers on wc paper
image size approx 15 x 18

It seems like most of my posts lately have been of the whiny nature so this post is just about (mostly) the goofy things that inspired this piece.

I grew up in the East Bay here in CA in a town called San Leandro. Many of my clearest memories center around the town, my childhood, and my parents. These days I can't remember sometimes what I had for lunch but I can remember what the inside of my grammar school looked like. One of my more distinct memories is of picking up pieces of green glass while on the playground at school. I can still see the thick shards of glass in my hand as they sparkled in the sunlight. Those glass pieces got me started on the idea of making a piece that generally referenced that playground. In my mind and in my sketchbook I drew images of the playground and the school: tire swings, monkey bars, the rubber mats on the ground meant to break your fall, the hallways of the school which were green, and the black and white floors. I realized as I was writing that I have a fair amount of memories of physical objects if not many memories of specific events. Funny how that stuff works.

As I put the piece together, I began to see that a specific idea wasn't going to work. Having a narrow focus of the subject seemed to kill the possibilities. I eventually expanded my thoughts to encompass more memories. At one point, towards the end, I abandoned all pretense of there being a subject and simply started to add a few shapes. That broke through the block and I got to a little story that I started to tell myself. It involved sparklers, the Bay, tires swings, and those shards of glass. Not a cohesive narrative but just sort of a stroll down memory lane. The title is meant to be general enough so that anyone might see something and be able to relate. Oh, and I should add that the green figure in the middle is based on a statue in a neighborhood park near my home. The statue is a monument to the Portuguese immigrant. San Leandro is noted for it's Portuguese population. 

OK, enough of all that. Hope everyone has had a good and creative week. Thanks for reading and commenting.

Libby

New Work: Stop Making Sense

Stop Making Sense
collage/painted papers on wc paper
image size 15" x 18" approx

Alternate view

The title of this piece comes from two things. The first is a movie from the 80's that featured the band, The Talking Heads. For the record, I have never seen this movie nor was I ever a big Talking Heads fan. The second thing is the quirkiness of the English language. It is filled with phrases, idioms, strange rules, and irregularities. Is it any wonder that people from other countries sometimes have a difficult time learning it? I picked the title sort of at random because it described the things that I was thinking about while I was working. I was considering those times when things in the world cease to be understandable in an expected way. Right becomes wrong, up becomes down, etc. What happens when a portion of someone's known world comes to a grinding halt because they can't make sense of things? What happens then? And I am showing both the right side up and upside down view of the piece. You can decide.

I have been going through a creative block lately. It's too tedious to get in to but I did make some observations while working this piece. Here they are:

* It's difficult (for me) to structure something in a way that doesn't seem like a landscape. Logic and order, which I find in traditional landscape work, make sense to me. But, I also recognize things that seem quirky or slightly off kilter. Both ends of the spectrum are appealing. It's especially great when something follows a kind of order and logic but is still kind of off somehow. I like that.

* Words and images are the two things that help me to think. I make associations with both of them and this seems to be coming out in these collages. Colors conjure up emotions and certain objects and symbols carry some basic meanings for me. Those symbols can be fluid too and don't necessarily have to have a fixed interpretation. 

* These collages are turning out to be a visual response to some things that I think about or have learned. It's different than writing about something. Being forced to come up with images to represent thoughts or feelings is the ultimate form of editing!

* Organization of objects on the picture plane is difficult. I find this necessary to think about though when putting these collages together. To overlap or not overlap is a conscious choice.

* In a review of my past work, (and in an effort to break the creative block), I realized that it's hard for me to set out to make a piece about something specific. It's also a problem to have nothing in mind at all when I start. The best starting point seems to be some sort of a prompt: a shape, a vague idea, maybe a word or a color. From there, once I get going, I can build a story. The developing story line helps me to add shapes and to finish the piece. 

OK, hope everyone is doing well and being productive in their own special way:) Thanks for reading and commenting.
Libby

New Work: Something's Got to Give + The Mouse Mobile

The title for the piece references some art things that I am currently struggling with. I haven't sorted them all out yet but when I do it's certain that I will write about the results. 

In the meantime, let me tell you about the mouse. Last Monday I drove my car with no issues. Tuesday I was at home and Wednesday when I got in the car there was a big stink. I drove to the Bay Area where my two aunts and cousin told me that the smell was that of a dead mouse somewhere in my car. I then drove home with the dead mouse. Couldn't find the damn thing and so on Thursday I made arrangements to have the car dash taken apart. Rich got home that night and looked behind the cabin filter. Sure enough, there was the mouse. Little bugger built himself a nest and then died in it. Rich was able to extract him with the shop vac. On Saturday I cleaned the carpets in the car, cleaned the seats and wiped the surfaces with rubbing alcohol. We then bought a scent bomb for the car, activated it and now the mouse smell is gone. The car does have a distinctly spicy "new car" scent which is rather powerful. Not bad like the dead rodent but strong in its own way. 

The whole thing left me discombobulated. Top it off with my art angst and honestly, that's about it for me!

Hope everyone's week is off to a good start. Thanks for reading and commenting.
Libby

New Work: Road Work; Thoughts on editing

Road Work
image size 11" x 14" collage on board

"That didn't exactly fly onto the paper!"

Libby Fife (feel free to use this one as much as you like!)

Editing: 
The above piece was finished (several times!) on Tuesday. There is this sense of balance that I am after and I seem to know it when I see it. It took a while to get there however and one of the things I struggled with was editing. Editing is a problem for many and I am no exception. While working, I did remember this little gem from Stephen King's book, On Writing: A Memoir of The Craft. When he first started submitting his stories for consideration, he was given some advice by an editor who rejected his story. When editing your work, take the finished draft and subtract about 10% of the total amount of words written. I took this to mean that it isn't just a matter of removing words but of writing with precision and cleanliness. Have you been concise in your choices? I don't think that making art is any different. Have you used all of your tools (composition devices) properly and in a judicious manner? Can less be more? And to that end do you remember what it is that you were trying to say? Is it clear? Good advice I think for all of us.

Some Progress!
This is the sixth piece I have made now in which I did not start with any kind of sketch/planned drawing. This is progress for me! These six pieces all started with some sort of a large shape that I already had or that I took from my sketchbook. For this particular piece I knew that I wanted to lay down a sort of geometric framework on which to build more organic shapes and smaller detailed areas. I had the idea that I wanted some loose sections but that I didn't want those sections to seem like sections, if that makes sense. I ended up removing some pieces that I had added, discovering that too many little details can break up the larger whole in a negative way. 

Inspiration: 
This piece was inspired by something really random. I was sitting in my car on the highway the other day. There was road construction and I was lined up with everyone else to go through the traffic stop. I looked over at the Cal Trans truck and noticed the sides. They had these kind of square recessed insets. I thought to myself that the design was sort of fancy for a truck. The whole thing started a train of thought about road construction and before I knew it I was making a piece inspired by that truck.

Hope everyone's week is off to a good start. Thanks for reading and commenting.
Libby

April 2016 Wrap Up Post

Lyle and Shirley Throw a Party
11" x 14" collage/painted papers

Left Field
11" x 14" Collage/Painted papers
(not available)

What it Takes
20" x 24" collage/painted papers

Meander
14" x 18" collage/painted papers

This last month I celebrated my 46th birthday. I am happy to say that I am still here and even happier to say that I have some artwork to share! Here goes!

New Work:

Lyle and Shirley Throw a Party: This piece started out with just one large shape. As I started to add shapes I began to think about a book I had as a child called Lyle and The Birthday Party. Things morphed from there and I hope that the resulting collage gives a sort of playful and festive feeling.

Left Field: April is not only my birthday month but is the start of baseball season. While I am not a big watcher of the game, my husband certainly is. Baseball, at the beginning of the season, always makes me think of green fields, crisp white uniforms, and balls rotating through the air! Inspiration certainly comes from many places.

What it Takes: All things agricultural continue to be of interest to me. For this piece I considered some of the machinery that is associated with water used for irrigation of crops. I also wanted to include some very simple images of buildings and fields. I hope the resulting piece both references agricultural elements and reads as a fun design.

Meander: When I was a kid the color combination of pink and green was very popular. I decided to use those colors for this piece. I hope that the more organic dark pink shapes blend well with the more geometric rectangles and circles.

Collage and Process:

It's good when people are looking out for you! My artist friend Julie Ford Oliver suggested to me that I clarify the type of artwork that I make. Many people may not realize that these pieces are cut paper collages and not traditional paintings. This link here to the work of Henri Matisse provides a great explanation of the materials and the process.

For my work, I start with hand painted papers. I use artist grade acrylic paint to paint sheets of construction paper. Colors are selected to create a feeling that I have about my subject matter. I try for a range of light and dark hues and for colors that are bright and for colors that are a little more subdued. Very often I have no idea how things will turn out! I next begin to cut out my shapes using small, sharp scissors. Using scissors to cut the shapes helps me to get a very "clean" edge which is something that I find incredibly appealing. I then use artist grade glue to apply the paper to the board. The whole process is akin to using a brush to apply paint to a canvas. It's really just like painting. 

The resulting pieces can be considered as collages. Per my friend's great suggestion, I have updated my website to more strongly emphasize the term "collage" in my work. I have also changed the labels for this blog and have updated the language here as well. Thank you Julie!

***artist grade materials are those that are considered to be archival, of the highest quality and consistency, and are recommended for use by professional artists (my definition). I try to make quality work both with my materials and with my presentation. 

New Class:
Lastly I'd like to mention that I will be teaching a new class at ACME Art in Mokelumne Hill, May 13th and 20th. This is an outdoor sketch class designed to help intermediate sketchers get back into the swing of things if they have taken a break from sketching. I have some suggestions for how to add writing to your sketches as well as some basic tips on composition. Please join me for a fun morning if you can by signing up with ACME directly on the link given above.

Thank you to everyone for reading and commenting. I appreciate the continued support. Here is to a great new month!

Libby

New Work: Title Suggestion?

What It Takes
20" x 24" collage on board

New Work:

After arriving back home from vacation, I couldn't wait to get started on some new ideas. After a pile of laundry and sending the husband back to work, I got into the studio. I had a hard time starting though. I then recalled something I had seen earlier on. A while back I watched a video clip about Jon Imber, the late painter. At one point he is outside painting and facing a blank canvas. He is looking at the ocean and he says, "OK now, let's start with a yellow kayak." Or something to that effect. He just needed to get something down to get started and I wholeheartedly understand that idea. So that is just what I did. I got my yellow kayak onto the paper!

The above piece is something I really like. I chose colors that for me are representative of farming: blue for water, green for crops, and brown (red-orange) for dirt. I used the idea of a barn being red (local color) and I made the sun yellow. Why not? I have to laugh also because my little symbolic shapes are just so me. Diatomaceous filters (those are the shapes in the lower left corner)? There is a piece of equipment that tills the field and I included these cement towers that have something to do with irrigation. I see them in many of the fields that I pass by. And of course, I included an above ground pump. I hope it reads as a good design because I am afraid it is like the child that only a mother could love!

In Other News:

Over vacation, I received a rejection email from a show that I had entered. This is nearly it for me. I pay for all of my own art supplies and other art related things. I am not sure that I need to spend money to understand that my art doesn't fit in with the rest of the pieces selected for the show. (I get that all of the pieces need to fit together somehow.) And I am not sure that I want to help fund the show that I won't be in. And I don't buy that I paid for someone's time. Forget it and I am not just being bitter but trying to be practical and reasonable. I'd like the most bang for my buck is all I am saying. OK, all done.

OK, I am open to discussion on the title of the above piece. Any better suggestions?

Thanks for reading and commenting,

Libby

Vacation Photos: Hoover Dam, Zion Park and Snow Canyon Park, Utah

Lake Mead

Powerhouse Floor design

Hoover Dam

Colorado River exiting Hoover Dam

Intake Tower

On the way out of Nevada towards southern Utah

Zion National Park/Virgin River

Snow Canyon State Park-Pinyon Trail

Rich and I have been on vacation this week so there is no new artwork. However, I thought I could share some of the photos that I took instead.

We visited Hoover Dam in Nevada and then drove on to southern Utah (St. George area) to hike at Zion National Park. I had read so much about the dam, the Colorado River and all things connected that I wanted to see those things in person. 

The first couple of shots show some highlights of the dam. I am very fearful of heights and so the image of the dam is taken from a distance out on the observation deck. Hoover Dam was constructed during the thirties and opened to the public in 1936. At the time, its construction was considered to be a modern marvel. It still is a great wonder and when you see it, it's impossible to take in the enormity of what the dam really does. I am showing a picture of a portion of Lake Mead which is the reservoir created by the dam. The other picture shows a bit of the Colorado River. The Colorado River is enormous and its drainage basin covers seven US states and two Mexican states. The dam provides electrical power for a number of huge areas. The structure is also meant to provide flood control, water for drinking and irrigation and recreation. All I could think about when I saw everything was how on Earth could anyone imagine building such a structure? The goal was to harness and tame the Colorado River, providing much needed resources for a burgeoning and out of control population growth. The whole thing is very difficult to take in. I enjoyed the tour though quite a bit. During the tour you are forced through a series of points in order to get to the final destination which is the top of the dam. (You walk or drive across it, honestly.) The whole process is very ordered and it wasn't lost on me that it is similar to what happens to the water of the river. It too is forced through some well regulated points in order to arrive at its various destinations. Truly something.

After the dam we drove on to Utah, passing out of Nevada and spending a few brief minutes in Arizona before arriving in St. George, Utah. Much of Nevada is just a vast expanse of flat land surrounded by distant mesas and pointy mountains. That route we took leads through the Virgin River Gorge which is spectacular. The Virgin River flows to Lake Mead and has suffered from the drought, much like the rest of the west, and its flow is greatly diminished. 

Southern Utah is beautiful and the landscape could not have been more different than what I am used to seeing. We have red dirt here of course but not like Utah. The mountains here are completely different: mesas, craggy peaks and rounded, lave flow like forms are all very common. The formations are all different colors too due to the different strata of rocks and other materials deposited over the course of time. We went to Zion Park to go hiking. I have never been in a river canyon before quite like this one. It's long and narrow and you get a real sense of this when you are either up high or down on the canyon floor. The Virgin River flows here too and I was able to put my hand into the water to feel just how cold it really is. 

After Zion we went to Snow Canyon State Park. It's part of a larger park system. This section was very accessible and couldn't have been more different from Zion. Lots of lava flows, black and red rock formations, and huge cliffs that were creamy beige and golden yellow in color. It is Spring time now and so there was quite a bit of greenery.  Of the two parks I enjoyed this one the most I think. Very quiet and we were alone much of the time. 

Prior to the trip, a few people were nice enough to wonder aloud to me about how this trip might influence my art. Truthfully, I don't really know. You would think that the influence would come via color usage or direct imagery. Those things are possible but I won't know for awhile I guess. For now, the memories and photos are enough to enjoy.

Hope everyone has had a good week. Thanks for reading and commenting.
Libby

New Work: Left Field

Left Field
11" x 14" painted collage

The thing I like best about painting is also the thing that is the hardest for me to tolerate: uncertainty. Uncertainty brings surprises. Surprises can be good or bad. It's this not knowing which will show up, the good or bad, that creates a kind of tension. The tension is physical for the painter as well as descriptive of what happens on the paper or canvas. Being in this state though is where some really wonderful things can happen. Things that make you say, "Gee I would have never thought to do that but look how well it works!" It's this sort of stuff, this tension between knowing and not knowing, that keeps me motivated when painting; this unexpectedness that results in something new and wonderful. 

It's hard to remember this though when starting a new piece. It is for me at least. I tend to come up empty in the confidence department and have to remind myself that in the past, I have done some work that makes me happy. It's a fair bet I can do it again. I also have to accept that I might fail and that failing is just fine too. It's only paper and paint and some time. I don't want to not try. I have the luxury of time and materials right? Why wouldn't I apply that?

The above piece was started with the vaguest of ideas. I have a piece of china that is the same pattern as my mom's china: 

This pattern is called Blue Danube by Royal Doulton. I have always liked it a lot and remember my mom using it during the holidays. The blue and white is so crisp. I originally wanted to combine that crispness of contrast with a kind of totem structure made up of different shapes. Building something and being able to balance the structure visually is of interest to me. I started in with a few shapes and quickly abandoned my idea! I felt I wanted additional colors and to try an allover kind of design instead. Once I headed in that direction I started to be happier. For a long while though I didn't have any ideas in my mind about the piece itself. Telling myself a little story about the shapes while I work is always helpful. It wasn't until about halfway through that I began to see baseball related images. Seeing those images and ideas helped me to keep going and to finish. 

Now, the piece isn't really about anything specific, I admit that. But to me, there is a freshness to things that somehow is tied to the beginning of baseball season. (I don't even watch baseball but Rich does. I like to think I can appreciate the history and lore of the game, however.) The guys play 162 games, give or take, so to me that is an endurance sport. By the end of the summer I can't imagine how they aren't worn out and worn down. Come Spring though, it's a different matter. Spring means renewal and beginnings and a fresh way of seeing things. The colors in this last piece remind me of that so that is my story and I am sticking to it!

Hope everyone is having a good week. Thanks for reading and commenting.
Libby

New Work: Lyle and Shirley Throw a Party

Lyle and Shirley Throw a Party
image size 11" x 14"; painted papers on art board

As a kid I can remember reading storybooks. I inherited quite a few from my brother who is six years older than me. Many of the books pre date my birth year of 1970. The illustrations are dated now of course but the images and the words are still irresistibly charming in their simplicity. There is a real innocence about some of these books that I find to be wonderfully soothing even now. Many years ago my mom collected up what was left of the books and gave them to me. They sit on a shelf in my studio and believe it or not, I look at them fairly often. I find the stories to still be calming and familiar after all of this time. Over the years I have added to the collection with fresh books picked up at library sales or books that I have purchased new.  I find the illustrations to be refreshing and actually helpful in my art practice. 

The piece above wasn't initially inspired by anything. I started with the larger blue green piece on the right hand side. It was already cut into a sort of shape so I simply cleaned it up and trimmed it down to fit the space. That piece prompted other shapes and colors. Several of the shapes had been cut previously as experiments. I decided that now was the time to use them and in they went. Before I knew it, I had a little story going in my head about Lyle. Lyle is the main character in a book from my childhood. The book is titled Lyle and The Birthday Party and was written by Bernard Waber.  It's a lovely little story and as I was working this piece the blue green shape made me think of Lyle (who is a crocodile). I imagined him with one of my favorite contemporary artists, Shirley Jaffe. Together, Lyle and Shirley decide to throw a party. I also experimented with some new acrylic pens by Montana. I made some doodlings on the painted paper and used that for some of the pieces. I didn't really care for writing on the white space though. Give me time I guess.

OK, hope everyone is having a good weekend. Thanks for reading and commenting.

Libby

PS-Here is the Lyle story line in a nutshell: Lyle is a crocodile who lives with a family. The little boy of the family has a birthday party and Lyle, normally a fun and generous sort of crocodile, becomes jealous. His jealousy upsets him so much that he becomes ill. Once at the hospital (for humans), Lyle redeems himself by helping the other patients. He feels better and when he gets home, the parents have arranged a surprise birthday party just for him. 

New Work: Meander

Meander
14" x 18" Mixed Media

Everything old is new again. This should be the theme of this post. When I was a kid, in the 80's I guess, my mom painted my bedroom pink. We picked out green carpeting to go with everything. Just doing a little research now, I see that those colors were popular during that time, both the neon version and the pastel version. I discarded the color pink some time ago after a stint of working at Baskin and Robbins left me somewhat traumatized! (Our uniforms were a pink polo shirt and brown pants.) Recently though, the color has started to appeal to me again. Go figure!

I say everything old is new again for several reasons. First, those curly bits of bright pink algae are very Matisse right? They are also very quilty! Meander style quilting is one of the most common ways to finish a quilt. Before I stopped with that hobby, I was pretty proficient at overall meander quilting. My hands make those motions naturally because I am a doodler. I used to doodle in school, in meetings at work and certainly while on the phone. So, doodling is what I had in mind when I drew those hot pink shapes. I really wanted to see if more organic shapes could merge and blend with more geometric shapes. Rich didn't care for the colors or the combination of shapes. I am pretty pleased though.

The piece though was difficult for me to put together. I had no plan when I started other than the colors. I had an idea stuck in my head that stymied my progress. Once I abandoned the idea, things started to flow. I learned (again) that contrast is not always about going darker. Sometimes a lighter value is better. Sometimes you need something more chromatic. Sometimes both things are needed. I also learned again about gathering shapes and values to make a larger statement as well as leaving white space to rest the eye upon. I got some good practice too with removing shapes that were already glued down and had dried. It's a little nerve wracking but you deal, do it and keep going. And lastly, I am beginning to see that color itself-pure and simple-is a design element. I hadn't really grasped this before but I found it to be very true for this piece. Sometimes things take awhile to click!

OK, hope the weekend is off to a good start for everyone. I am excited because I have an upcoming trip to UC Davis planned. I love going there-so much learning and earnestness of purpose. It's a very cutting edge sort of place too and I am looking forward to some good people watching as well. 

Thanks for reading and commenting.

Libby

March 2016 Wrap Up Post

1. On The Edge
12" x 16" Mixed Media-paint and paper

2. All For One and One For All
24" x 30" Mixed Media-paint and paper

3. Can You Hear Me Now?
11" x 14" Mixed Media-paper and paint

4. Puzzled
11" x 14" Mixed Media-paper and paint

5. At The Gate
11" x 14" Mixed Media-paper and paint

6. Heart's Desire
11" x 14" Mixed Media-Paper and Paint

March is almost over and Spring is definitely here. Our hillsides are dotted with poppies and lupine and other wildflowers. The sun has been out and the weather has been quite beautiful. As we head towards April, I'd like to share the paintings that I have made this month.

New Work: 

1. On The Edge: This piece started as a small paper sketch. I used some new to me color combinations and couldn't be happier with the outcome. In my mind as I was making the piece, I pictured people taking the plunge, making decisions and leaps of faith.

2. All For One and One For All: I have been reading quite a bit about water scarcity and water insecurity. These topics drove me to create this simple piece in which I thought about our society's mutual interdependence both with each other and on water, such a precious resource.

3. Can You Hear Me Now?: The news about our political process makes me cringe. With the upcoming election, I gave some thought to how we relate to each other and how it is apparently OK to engage in name calling and finger pointing on a national stage. My piece was made in response to those ideas.

4. Puzzled: We are all children at heart I hope! I loved puzzles as a kid and apparently still do. Bright colors and fun stripes and shapes were selected to make something that I hope is complex and joyful, just like a puzzle.

5. At The Gate: This started as a study and morphed into a completed painting. I was inspired by a gate painted purple that I see on my drive through the local town of Linden. You never know when an idea for a painting might strike!

6. Heart's Desire: I have been doing a lot of little paper sketches this month. This piece is based on one of those sketches. Believe it or not, that little orange shape was inspired by the containers at Lake Hogan which hold the life vests! To me, their shapes look like people with raised arms and little feet. Crazy but it's the truth!

What's The Story?:

Recently I attended a seminar in Sacramento. The topic was on managing drought in our state. All of the participants were issued tags that stated our names as well as our company affiliations. The man sitting next to me saw that I am an artist and asked me how the seminar (and water in general) relates to my work. I had a hard time answering him at first. I've thought about it since and want to share two things that I learned. The first thing is that when someone shows an interest in something that you are doing, it's a good idea to be able to articulate a meaningful response. This is true regardless of your chosen hobby. The second thing is this: the question provided me with some much needed insight. It's not that the topic of water shows up as a direct translation in my work. In other words, it's not like I was inspired by a reservoir or desalination plant and then painted a direct representation of those things. It's more like my interest provides the fuel for the work. Think of it as putting gas in your car. You need the input to get some output. So, the next time someone asks you why you like to cook or golf or play chess, make sure you have a good answer (the person is interested after all) and make sure you have some clarity on your own response. It really helps!

April is my favorite month and I am looking forward to some fun things this year. I hope everyone will enjoy some beautiful Spring weather. Thanks for reading and following along. 

Libby

New Work: Heart's Desire and Some Thoughts

Heart's Desire
Image size 11" x 14" approx
painted acrylic papers on mixed media board

It's not you, it's me.

Has anyone ever heard this before? 

One of the things about being self taught is that you sometimes (OK, all the time) don't know what it is that you will learn next. This week I gained some insight into one of the ways that I respond to new information and new creative input. I'd like to share what I found out because maybe if you are like me, a confirmed introvert, you might benefit. Or maybe you already know and can commiserate. Or perhaps just writing about it is helpful for me.

I have been following along with Nicholas Wilton's ArtToLife's videos. He has covered three topics: design, value and color. The information has been good and I have enjoyed hearing him talk. However, when I finished listening to the third video, I started to feel a curious kind of resistance. A wariness even. It was a feeling of needing to protect myself somehow. From a psychological standpoint I suspect that it is fairly common for people to engage in "measurement." We constantly self assess based on what others are doing or saying. When I finished the videos I thought that maybe I didn't want to hear any more. In fact, I didn't want to get any more instruction. I just wanted to nurture my own ideas, whatever they are, and to continue to push myself along without someone telling me how to do that. 

It's a little nuts right? Who doesn't want outside information that is beneficial? You need input and learning to grow right? But how much? And from whom? At what point do you turn that off, turn away from the outside influences, and look inward for the answers? At what point do you count on yourself, your own vision and your own ideas about how to do things? Confidence may be the key point here. Do you have enough of it to march forward on your own, regardless of the outcome?  And that's what I discovered this week, that it could be time to stop looking for answers outside myself. (Hence the expression above, "It's not you, it's me.") Maybe I already know enough to continue to move forward. I did sit down to write about my ideas, what I know, and to make a list. It's a good list. I have ideas. I know stuff. Not enough but enough to keep going if I want to.

All this isn't to say that people can't benefit from instruction from outside sources such as Nicholas Wilton. The man is generous with his information, is encouraging growth, and is fostering an atmosphere of sharing and support among fellow artists. But, I think it is OK to question stuff like this and to try and find out what you really need. What you need might be one thing or a variety of things. Only you can decide that right? The need may not be another workshop or video or blog post. I am not advocating one thing or the other. I am only sharing what I learned and suggesting that the ideas are worth some thought.

And with all of that said, do you think I am going to stop looking at the artwork of others? No way! But I won't be looking in order to learn what to do next. Just for enjoyment and to add to my aesthetic sensibility. Check out this guy. He goes by the name of Hense. I feel like he may be a kindred spirit; a shape making, color loving kind of guy!

OK, if you have an  opinion let me know. And I promise that the next post won't be so lengthy or "thinkey."
Libby

New Piece! Sort Of:) Purple Gate Study

The other day it occurred to me that at the rate that I work it's going to take me awhile to gain a lot of insight into my artwork. There is nothing wrong with a gradual unfolding of course and everything comes in due time. However, if you only sketch once in awhile, for example, it may take quite a bit of time to gain proficiency. 

The little sketches with paper that I have been making are one thing I have been doing to try and learn. To step things up though, I started working without a drawing and without much of a plan, save for a color idea and a particular design challenge. I knew that I wanted to reference a purple wrought iron gate that I see on my drive to Linden down the road. I also had the larger aqua piece and so I started with that first. I tried working with three colors. I worked with painted papers from previous projects and tried to assemble enough of a value range. I worked on my ideas regarding proportion, trying to deal with shapes and colors, starting with larger shapes first and working down to details. I also wanted to focus on using both parts of the cut out, both the positive as well as the negative shapes. As I worked the piece, I adjusted the value differences, their locations and tried to balance everything as I went along. I had the most difficulty with the "D" shape in the middle. The original color and value I selected was a dark  orange-yellow brown. The contrast of that value against the white was zippy but it proved to be too zippy in the end.  ("Zippy" is a painterly technical term for way too much of something! You want some zippiness but not too much zippiness.) 

The next challenge for me is going to continue to be working with larger pieces first. I also want to work on the overall orientation of the pieces. I like a sort of rounded feeling to things so we will see what happens:)

OK, enough for now. Back to work! Thanks for reading and commenting.
Libby

New Work: Puzzled + Product Review

Puzzled
11" x 14" approx
painted acrylic paper on multi media board

The piece above started as a really small experiment. I mentioned in my last post about creativity happening in both small and big steps or leaps. The above is a small step. What I wanted to do was to get away from having a very detailed drawing already on my paper. I wondered if I could just start with a few larger shapes and work my way down to smaller shapes and then to details. No drawing involved and no particular plan. I added pieces via a question and answer kind of format. Something like this:

"OK, now I am going to start with this big cut out red circle shape and see what happens. Now, turn the board in one direction and add that yellow shape. It's longer, smaller and more rectangular and lighter in value. OK, now turn the board and try to extend the painting in another direction-add this orange shape. It's a similar version of that red shape only smaller and going in another direction." It goes on and on like this until I am finished. There are lots of statements such as, "No, that's not right. That shape is the same size as that other shape and much too chromatic. Try a different size and different shape, maybe a pale de saturated green instead." I just keep turning the piece and try to sort out each move and counter move. A new thing I am learning about is visual weight through color, size and shape. I am also learning about balancing shapes next to each other, on top of each other and within the entire piece. There is just a lot so I thought I would describe a little of it.

Other Stuff:

I am testing out something that I just bought at Dick Blick. It's called a Multimedia Artboard. Supposedly it is for all mediums and it is about the thickness of mat board. It actually feels like mat board. In any case, I taped it down to my painting board with contractor's tape, gessoed it, and then applied a layer of white paint. I added the painted papers with glue to that and then applied a final varnish. The board doesn't appear to warp any more than heavy wc paper (I use Strathmore 400 series cold press paper) which is to say that it does warp a bit. When I removed the tape it didn't pull the paper at all. The board was pretty inexpensive and came in a variety of sizes. Certainly not so expensive that it couldn't be tested for fun.

Does everyone know about the art of Nicholas Wilton? The link to his site is here. He is offering a series of free short videos that are really quite fun and helpful. He offers up some basic info on his Art2Life principles. Take a look if you can; he is an engaging man, an experienced teacher and I like his art. That is my testimonial!

OK, happy Monday to everyone. Thanks for reading and commenting.

Libby