Procrastination?

Lately I think I’m just a waste of human skin!

I have so many ideas for paintings running through my brain, but none are coming out onto the paper. Could this be because I don’t just sit down and paint? Instead I’ll find something else that “must be done right away”. Obviously, laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping and cooking fall under that category. But they don’t really lend themselves to anything artistic. Or could they? Hmmmm . . . and I’ve just added a few more ideas for paintings skittering around inside my otherwise empty head.

And I tend to paint slowly. Once I get my idea onto the paper, my favorite way to paint is to glaze, so that takes more time. I think I must also be getting that Adult Attention Deficit Disorder since I can’t seem to focus on any one thing for longer than a half hour.

Just to be fair to myself, I have been busy with some classes. One requires that, one day a week, I hop in the car and drive for 45 minutes, set up, teach and clean up for 3 plus hours, then another 45 minutes home. And, since there has been a bizarre wreck on the local interstate involving support pillars for the expressway having been hit by a TRAIN LOCOMOTIVE (yes, you read that correctly) which necessitates a detour, my 45 minute drive will now probably be more like an hour each way, at least. Then I have some classes at home which involve not only the time to teach, but also set up, clean up and homework.

I also was (am?) the chairperson for the Greater Cincinnati Watercolor Society current spring show, so there was much time spent on that. Then I was accepted into the Woman’s Art Club of Cincinnati juried show, which meant that I had to drive cross country (I live in Indiana, the venue was on the east side of Cincinnati) twice, once to drop off and once to pick up, because, Heaven forbid anyone should actually purchase the painting!

Hmmm . . . can I come up with any other excuses? I wish I could, but the aforementioned has no bearing on all of the other hours of all of the other days that I could be painting. So, what’s my excuse for that? Sadly, I have none, other than to say that I’m a terrible procrastinator.

Case in point – here I sit at the computer typing this drivel when I could be painting!

But maybe this counts for some sort of artistic endeavor – after all, I’m trying to communicate with other artists here, right? And at least I’m thinking about art, right? And I also have to think that reading my art magazines or looking through my art books or photographs seeking inspiration also has to count as artistic endeavor. Right? Come on, help me out here!!!

And it sure would be nice of you to leave a comment (good or bad) just so I know that someone out there is reading this stuff! Because that would give me even more excuses not to paint – I’d have to read all of those comments, right?

I’m going to really, really try to blog at least once a week – which gives me a really great reason to not paint, right?

In the meantime, here’s my first attempt at fluid acrylics, painted about 2 years ago, which has gotten quite a few kind comments. “The Jetskiier”, fluid acrylic on Arches.

Yupo Images and Health Issues!

I managed to find a couple of Yupo pictures to post here - seems like Yupo is once again the hot item. The painting on the left was done in a class and was the first thing I ever painted on Yupo; I thought it turned out well and I sort of liked the challenge of the surface.

I tried another one (on the right) on my own and it didn’t turn out too badly. However, after that I decided that Yupo just isn’t for me. Best wishes to those who want to push themselves to become adept at it’s idiosyncrasies, but after framing Yupo pictures, I have issues with it.

‘nough said – just thought I’d put these up and you can take a look if you like.

On another note, it seems like the more steps forward I take the farther behind I get!

My son got sick on Mother’s Day and then gave whatever he had to both me and my husband on Tuesday morning. Somehow I managed to get to a class, counting down the hours, then minutes, until I got back home. (I completely covered the front seat of my car with plastic bags and towels and carried a towel with me, if that gives you an idea of how I felt!). Anyway, got home and went immediately to bed (didn’t even take anything out of the car or close the garage door) to find my husband already there. So I’ve had a couple of fun days, feeling better, then worse. Today I think I’m on the mend but my husband looks a bit gray around the gills and still feels bad.

So, you may be asking “What has this got to do with art?” As mentioned, I did manage to get to one class but had to cancel the rest of my Tuesday and Wednesday classes. It just seems that as soon as I get some classes going well, along comes “Life” to mess it up!

Oh well, hope springs eternal and the sun is shining right now. I’m going outside, pet the dog, go fill up the car in preparation for tomorrow and smile. I may even get around to working on some ART later this afternoon (after yet another nap!).

Peony

This image is of a tree peony flower done in fluid acrylic on canvas. It was in the Kennedy Heights Arts Center Guild Show which came down last weekend. It sold! Yippee!

I have done a couple other peony paintings and will probably do more - I just think the flowers are so beautiful. But it seems like when they bloom we always get some severe rain and thunder storms - my imagination, or is it that they happen to bloom at the same time of year that we are prone to get bad weather?

My grandmother always told me that when the hydrangeas (she called them "snowball bushes")bloom we will have cool weather and she called it "Snowball Winter". Again, seems to me that she was right - we do seem to get cool weather then. Some time ago I attempted to paint some hydrangea blooms and failed! I'd like to try that again.

Art Events

This painting, Sunlit Pears 2, (Casein on watercolor board) - (previously featured on my blog) - was accepted into the Woman's Art Club of Cincinnati 115th Annual Juried Exhibition. I feel it is a strong painting and was thrilled when it was accepted into the show, even though it did not win an award.

They had 275 entries and only accepted 58 artworks - having seen the exhibition list, I'm in some very good company! A friend of mine had both of her paintings accepted into the show, and she also sold one! (I’m so happy for her!)

The show is the inaugural event at their new Woman's Art Club Cultural Center, 6980 Cambridge Avenue in Mariemont, OH, and is open Thursday-Sunday through May 18.

In addition, Greater Cincinnati Watercolor Society opened our annual spring show which will continue daily through June 15 at Evergreen Retirement Center, 230 W. Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH. I’m happy to report that all went well from registration to opening – since I was the Chairperson this year!

The painting below is one of the paintings in the GCWS show - Frank's Apples, watercolor on Arches, and I have received several favorable comments on it - that the apples look freshly polished, that you could reach out and grab one and give it a bite! That certainly makes me feel good about it!

If you are in the Greater Cincinnati area, hope you get a chance to stop by both of these shows!

In addition, tomorrow is our Greater Cincinnati Watercolor Society monthly meeting and we will have a nationally recognized, award winning artist - Steve Blackburn (www.learnwatercolors.com) - to present our program. Steve has a unique miskit and paint pouring technique that he has perfected and he creates some amazing paintings. I’m looking forward to seeing him again. I have attended 3 of his workshops (so that should tell you what I think of him!) He’s an amazing artist, great teacher and all around good person.

I’ll be bringing one of my students with me to the meeting. Her name is Valia and she is from Russia, having moved here in the past year with her American husband. She paints in acrylic and oils and wants to learn watercolor – she has a lot of talent! She is eager to meet new people and wants to find artistic outlets in the area so I thought it would be nice for her to come to one of our meetings, and get to see a great presentation, too!