Spring is here and getting itchy . . .

Well, finally! Spring arrived at 7:44am here in New England and not a moment too soon. It's cold yet but you know that winter is over. It's definitely a "mental" thing.

Another "mini" to add to the collection:

"Farmhouse on the Ridge"
2" x 2"

This is probably the smallest of the batch -- again, it was part of a larger floral still life that just didn't cut it. So I did -- cut it, that is. I once read that Monet kicked his boot through the canvases he hated because he didn't want future generations to see them. Dramatic but very effective.

Well, I have only a few more weekends free before the garden demands my presence, so I hope to spend hours in the studio both days. Morning coffee, a walk and then to paint -- then a good book and some wine later to reward myself for persistance, if nothing else . . .

I cannot wait.

More Miniature Art

"Siena Dunes"
2.5" x 4"

These pieces were worked fairly quickly Sunday afternoon. Actually, Siena Dunes and Mauve Dunes are from a larger piece (11" x 14") with which I was not happy. By cropping, I saved those parts that appealed to me. I was definitely going for a looser, more washy feel, letting the colors ebb and flow.

"Mauve Dunes"
2.5" x 4"

"At the Shore"
2.75" x 3.5"

"At the Shore" is a bit more pink than I wanted it. I may go back in and adjust with some gouache or oil pastels to tone it down and emphasize the sands more. However, I think those hots colors evoke the sense of heat and the festive air one finds at the beach in the middle of summer!

With the custom mats I have on hand, which I ordered from Documounts (www.documounts.com) -- they did a beautiful job and reasonably priced -- I think these "mini" paintings work well.

I'm hoping to do more this weekend, perhaps get about 9 or twelve ready to post up to the online galleries. We'll see -- only so much time and the gardens are starting to call to me! Spring arrives tomorrow at 7:44am -- thank god!

Miniature Art continued . . .

"Garden Window"
3" x 4.5"
oil pastel

Another diminutive piece to add -- of course, there are others but my time to scan is a bit strapped these days! Working with these smaller pieces has made me see things a bit differently. Now when I'm looking at a large artwork, my eye tends to drift around the image seeking out, almost wrestling out sections that create their own pictorial plane.

This weekend I was painting with watermedia on heavy weight paper -- Nujabi -- which is a coarse, handmade Japanese watercolor paper, about 200 lbs. I was trying to paint a still life. After about 4 tries and 3 hours later, I gave up in total frustration.

Why? After pondering the mess I had created, I realized that I do not like still life. I don't have still life works in the house, I just do not like that static, lifeless image staring back at me. Also, the light was rigged and the flowers were "sad" to say the least. Everything seemed to be working against me.

On Sunday I sat on the deck, soaking up the sunshine after this long winter and didn't go back inside until about 4:00pm. I dragged the dining room table up to a north window, brought out the paints again and decided to paint what I like, what I continually seek when driving, etc. -- a horizon line with a distant perspective. Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote that "a healthy eye demands a horizon" and I think he was right!

Several hours later when the light had faded, I had several small(ish) pieces done, mainly in acrylics treated as watercolor. I might go back into some with oil pastels or pastels and continue working the surface. One of my favorite artists is Helen Frankenthaler -- actually she is the best -- and was re-reading about her works on paper, many of which are acrylic with oil pastel or pastel markings, which is what sparked the re-negotiation of acrylic on Sunday.

Then, oddly enough, to come back to my point about seeking out these miniscule "paintings within paintings," I took a mat with a 2" x 3.5" opening and began moving it around the picture plane. Amazing! Within the larger paintings I could find several hidden gems, some landscapes, some more abstract. So there may be one or two larger pieces I will "trash" so as to rescue the smaller pieces that lay within.

never, ever give up . . . the paint, the surface, the marks -- all will tell (eventually) . . .

Mini Art and Close Scrutiny

Substrata
oil pastel on bristol paper
2.25" x 3.5"

It's been awhile since I last posted. Going through budget hearings and waiting for cuts, etc. at work. Not a happy time for my non-profit organization, as is so with many others.

The other night I was so tired but knew I wanted desperately to work with color, something positive, something creative, but too tired to go downstairs to my studio especially as I had a fire going in the fireplace. So I reached for a box of oil pastels, a charcoal pencil, some heavyweight bristol paper and a clipboard and sat down on the couch to scribble, sketch and scratch.

I did about 3 or 4 of these "miniworks" -- they measure no more than 2.5' x 3.5" and I envision a whole wall of minis, framed in simple 8x10 black frames. I think this small scale works on several levels: their size forces one to pause, they invite close scrutiny, a sense of intimacy with the viewer.

Also, if I screw up, no great loss -- just start another one. They also allow one to react on a more visceral level, not intellectualizing too much. I'm also liking the richness and impasto-like quality of the oil pastels. They are immediate and easy to use. I have oil sticks, too, but have not really played with those yet, so must try that. I think that, mixed with Liquin, the oil sticks would be good for outdoor painting this summer, as well as the oil pastels.

If you'd like to see the others, go to my "Mini Artworks" gallery at ArtID, and I'll continue to post more as I work through this series of petite art!