my tools-nice & clean!

Ahhhh…   everything starts out so nice and orderly once I arrive at the print studio.  The brushes are calling out to me!  The rags are untouched by ink or paint.

Colors begin to emerge.

While satisfying my intuition I am drawn to my color choices for the day.  Things begin to get messy.

Monotype plate in progress.

While scraping and painting I’m loosely working out the details of a design that feels right to me.  Not long ago I watched the movie Le mystere Picasso that tried to capture the creative process of his work.  It’s worth checking out as the viewer can see how Picasso had such a fearless approach to making art.  If a piece didn’t work out-he accepted it as part of the process.

Another version of the same design.

Once an initial print has been pulled I retool the design and manipulate it.  Each monotype print is unique and different.  After initially tinkering with a more muted palette I ventured towards black which is ultra-bold for me.  My goal is to create a finished piece that tells a story about color, texture, nature and the love of paint.

Little Virgil takes a bath.

My little budgie, Virgil, sings and chirps as soon as the sun comes up and lives his life with carefree abandon.  He inspires me to be joyful.  After all, all we really have right now is this very moment…

A little experiment with watercolor paints.

It’s wintertime in Florida but the temps have been in the 70s & 80s.  Just perfect for hangin’ out in the lanai and dabbling with watercolors as the egrets and ibises flit around the backyard in search of bugs and fresh water from the birdbath.  Inspired by recently seeing George Clooney’s newest movie, The Descendants, I’ve downloaded the soundtrack consisting of all Hawaiian music that really creates a tropical mood.  Today is New Years’ Eve and and warm enough to ride my bike over to the store to pick up champagne for later on.  Happy New Year!

Rooster from Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings property.

While traveling through Florida I had a chance to visit the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park.   Many moons ago I illustrated the covers for Cross Creek and Cross Creek Cookery which are both written by her and published by Simon & Schuster.  They’re classics and worth checking out if you love nature and Florida history.

After closing a rusty gate on the Cross Creek property you'll encounter this sign.

The Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings house and barn is well kept and tidy and exactly the way it was when she lived there.  This park is well worth exploring.

Along the trail at Cross Creek

At the moment I’m reading the Pulitzer Prize winning book  The Yearling and the story seems so much more tangible now that I’ve visited the site where it was actually written.  Both the book and the park will transport you to another era that was much simpler and in tune with the natural world.

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings farmhouse and barn at Cross Creek.

Marjorie’s farmhouse and property is a living museum that depicts her lifestyle during the 25 years that she lived here starting in 1928.  Every inch is painstakingly preserved with a farmhouse, barn, gardens, hiking trails and critters.

May all your Chirpmases be green...

There’s something special about celebrating the holidays in Florida.  The weather is divine, folks are out Christmas shopping in their shorts and strawberries & oranges are in season.  Holiday decorations celebrate the season being green instead of white and no shovels are allowed!  Merry Christmas everyone!

Recent monotype inspired by 'orange'.

Lately I’ve been exploring and experimenting with more intuitive and improvisational pieces in the printmaking studio.  My goal is to present the viewer with ideas that inspire their own stories that resonate within.  The challenge is figuring out the puzzle of composition, scale, color and texture.

My first figure scuplture.

For the past couple of months I participated in a figurative sculpture class taught by Dan Myers.  Since many of the masters like Degas, Gauguin, Michelangelo, Picasso, etc. all dabbled in sculpture I thought there must be something to it.  Dan was adamant about sticking to the traditional aspects of creating the figure to exacting proportions so as to learn the basics of creating a maquette.  This piece is approximately 18″ if she stood up.  It still needs to be fired and hopefully glazed.  It was very relaxing to work with clay although it can also be frustrating to get the proportions and details all in sync.  There’s an inspiring book entitled Matisse painter as sculptor that shows how the artist made the departure from realism and developed his own personal style.  I had no idea that Matisse was also a sculpture instructor-I would LOVE to have taken that class.

Currently there are two worthy exhibits that include sculpture that will have you thinking about giving this art form a whirl. They  are the Degas and the Nude and the Aphrodite and the Gods of Love-both at the MFA.

Recent acquisition of beautifully created cups by Ann Schunior.

This is my favorite time of year to visit all my favorite haunts, open studios and holiday sales in the local creative community to see what’s new.    My friend, Ann Schunior, works diligently to maintain a career as a potter.  She’s so dedicated to her craft and really puts out a great product.  Her final open studio for purchases is this Saturday.  It’s very rewarding to support local talent.  The cups I purchased above (actually one was on the ‘free’ table) remind me of fine Japanese stoneware that sells for very high prices in Japan where the culture holds their potters in high esteem-as it should be!  There’s one more cup that I left behind that’s a masterpiece (in my mind).  Ask Ann about it-maybe it’s still there…

Pottery forms and glazes have influenced my art in many ways and I’m always inspired by the craft.

my cups by Lisa Howard.

These are two gems that I picked up at Local Pottery.  Lisa made a pilgrimage to Japan this year and you can definitely see the influence in her new pieces.  Visit her studio sale-definintely worth the trip!

Tomorrow I’m psyched to go on my ‘Annual Holiday Stomp’!  Here’s my agenda-starting with the SOWA Holiday Market-they have free parking at 540 and 500 Harrison Ave. Boston.  Then on to Cambridge for the Cambridge Adult Ed. Holly Fair and the Harvard Square Holiday Fair.  Lunch at  Cafe of India and hot chocolate at L.A. Burdick.  Finish off the day by visiting the Cambridge Artists’ Cooperative.  Shop Creatively-Shop Local!

Thanksgiving Farmers Market

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and so is the official launch of American Illustration 30.  This is an annual competition for contemporary illustrators.  This year my Thanksgiving Farmers Market piece was chosen to be included on their website along with some of my other illustrations that have previously been acknowledged.  Mayor Michael Bloomberg has declared the second week in November Illustration Week in New York.  There’s plenty of activities scheduled for those interested in the inner workings of the illustration business.

Recent figure sketch

It’s been awhile since I worked with a model but I joined in a recent session with other local artists.  To warm up I scribbled this figure and thought nothing of it and put it away for a few days.  After returning to it I find that it really captured the essence of the model and her pose.  Working quickly seems to reveal a freshness that is lost sometimes in projects that are time consuming and over-thought.

Naples Rock Garden-Monotype

Inspired by a rock garden at the Naples Botanical Gardens in Naples FL.  This is a monotype that I recently worked on in the printmaking studio.  The final outcome is very loose and textural with lots of texture and earthy colors that takes it to a much different place than I originally had in mind.  Letting go and experimenting has been a valuable tool in in the never ending search for personal expression.

Ingemanson-detail from Naples Rock Garden Monotype.

This detail shows the use of paints and inks which reveal a tactile quality to the monotype.  Finding that place between abstract and realism are the types of imagery that are intriguing.  Fauvism is one of my favorite periods in art.

Coastal Printmakers presents Singular Impressions an annual exhibit and sale of fine hand-made prints.  The exhibit is being held at the James Library in Norwell, MA from October 7th thru November 1st, 2011.  The Reception is Friday, October 7th, 2011 from 6 to 8 pm.  Library hours are Tuesdays thru Fridays 1 to 5 and Saturdays from 10 to 1.  Stop by to see my monotype entitled 5 Women.  Monotypes are one of kind and each one is a unique piece of artwork.  It’s essentially a painting created on plexiglass that is printed on paper by “pulling” it through a press which transfers the image onto paper.

Sketch of Women from the Americas

This week I’ve been indulging myself in pursuing inspiration that motivates me to create new art and explore techniques.  Every Wednesday evening from 6 to 9 pm at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston they hold Drawing in the Galleries.  This week it was in the new Art of the Americas wing which has some of my favorite Pre-Colombian pottery and artifacts.  Here’s my sketch of women that were simply irresistible.

This is a detail from one of my newest monotypes.

It was great to get back into the printmaking studio this past Monday.  This is a detail from a piece that I worked on from memories of Steinhatchee, FL.  The first print that was pulled was more realistic but I kept working until I felt I captured more of the essence of the place by making it abstract.

painting detail

This past week I made it a point to work on florals as I came across a couple of bouquets just by chance.  This is a detail of a 22″ x 30″ painting that was created so quickly and spontaneously.  I had watched the movie Vincent and Theo over the weekend and was inspired by Van Gogh’s love of paint and color.

The vase of dahlias next to the completed canvas.

Here are the dahlias that I found at a roadside farm stand in East Matunuck, Rhode Island.  This is a beautiful area with lots of farms and beaches.  If you’re in the area stop at East Matunuck Oyster Bar for incredibly fresh local seafood prepared thoughtfully.

A small little floral study.

This little painting was an attempt on my behalf to create a watercolor-like piece with acrylic paints.  This bouquet was handpicked by a friend in Wellfleet, MA who has the most gorgeous garden right on Gull Pond.  Saturday night is Gallery Night in Wellfleet.

Oh Happy Day USA-Boys!

This a new piece that I created over the summer for boys.

Logo design for the Truro Conservation Trust.

This is a logo that I whipped up this past week for the Truro Conservation Trust which is a non-profit organization in Truro, MA.  It’s one of my favorite locations in the whole wide world as there’s plenty of open space due to the efforts of this group and the Cape Cod National Seashore.  Most folks vacation here in the summer months but it’s breathtaking any month of the year.