an artistic drought

I haven't created much the last few weeks. Inspiration seems to have eluded me. I have visited galleries, gone to open studios...spent hours on Pinterest taking me down the rabbit hole but still nothing. How does one resolve that? For me..it was time. I kept looking at images then went for a nice six mile run this morning and it was cold but the sun was coming out and images popped into my mind and I knew today was the day. Today I would create something. It may not be great but it would be something. 
Here are Deconstructed Landscapes I & II. Simple digital creations with color contrasted and coming together. I may work on them more - not sure yet but they will still be set up as fine art works on Artist Rising and Imagekind soon enough. 
For now - enjoy. 

Moon flowers

The moon doesn't have flowers - well at least the one that circles the Earth...but if it were I imagine that would look something like this. These two pieces...10x10 acrylic on wood panel... were created by first layering blues and greens with hints of orange that were heavily watered down and the allowed to dry with no brush strokes. So what ended up was something that reminded me of what the Earth looks like when viewed from outer space...the calm swirling ocean waters in deep blues and greens. Then I added the background in white which is actually the foreground and drew soft floral shapes - so that the negative space is actually the subject. Then I scanned them...added gel medium to protect the color and make it all pop and now they are ready for framing. These are set up as fine art prints on Imagekind & Artist Rising.

on white...

I enjoy painting images with bright white backgrounds. The subject should pop out and make statement and the background in crisp white makes the piece modern enough without it getting sterile. The loose style of this mixed media painting brings together a traditional subject rendered in an abstract way and placed on a minimalist background which allows it to blend with any interior space. 
I began with a multi-colored splash of color then painted the white over it - doing the painting in reverse order so that the background is actually the foreground. Once complete I added loose outlines in pastel to define the final piece. I added gel medium as a final touch which not only protects the surface but gives the overall painting depth and texture. With subjects like this I have to let go and not over-think it. If I do it will lose its freestyle personality and look contrived. Don't want that!

16x16 on wood panel - and off to get framed and ready for sale. 

Black and White

No matter how much I add color to my work (see previous posts) there is something about black and white that continually draws me in. I'm not sure what it is but I do know that I love the simplicity, the pop of opposites and contrasts..the efforts to make something that lacks color still stand out. In this piece White Flower I used a random piece of wood laying about in the garage as a surface. I've been staring at this blank substrate for a couple of months and had to wait and listen and pay attention for when the moment was right I could add a creation to this humble piece of wood. And here you have it...acrylic on wood. My typical smallish size...5"x 8"...it just works for me. On the other hand - this piece would be pretty amazing as an oversize as well.
Because I scanned it at very high res I was able to set it up for posters much larger than its original size. They can be found here, here & here.
Thanks for visiting.

Living in an aqua world

My favorite color for the week - aqua. And then I was thinking that aqua should be with some other calm soothing colors like orange (always a favorite), soft green and soft yellow. Pop flowers should explode from the page and something new takes shape. So this week I pulled together a new palette and came up with these. Set up as fine art prints here and here. What do you think? Kinda fun? Maybe?

landscapes....and horizons

Landscapes aren't going anywhere - we always have horizons...colors come and go but the root of a landscape remains. The images below are not new - I created them a few years ago but I still think they have a timeless quality- and they still sell.  I think it's a good idea for artists to bring back pieces that have a certain staying power so here they are...landscapes with staying power. Each one is available on my Imagekind store - just follow this link to the Landscape section. Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend.

 

taking a walk

Yesterday hubby and & I and a group of friends walked across the new eastern span of the Bay Bridge. All told it was 6.78 miles - but whose counting? The weather was perfect...the spot is beautiful...the views extraordinary. The only thing that was missing was a coffee truck.

 If you get a chance - please do this walk - you will not be disappointed. Our group all agreed that the new bridge is a thing of beauty and juxtaposed with the still standing former bridge -  the differences are striking. One is a hulking pile of steel and one is soaring into the sky on white cables. 

Take photos - awesome photos. 

and....look in the water - who knows - you may spot an otter going for a swim. We did....