A Dream For the Queen
What is it about Elephants that I love, that I feel a natural bond to? Could it be their ability to be socially complex, their well known intelligence, their ability to have deep family ties, their special individual relationships with humans, their strong unique personalities, the impact that the mother has on the family, their affection for their own, in which they take care of their injured families and grieve over their dead. Yes, I believe we can relate to all of these human qualities.
I was first introduced to “Return to the Forest” a documentary filmed by Patricia Sims and "Zo" Michael Clark , depicting the efforts to protect and return the elephant to the wild on the consciously aware blog site LAAH. The film will premier August 12, 2012, on the first World Elephant Day.
Inspired by this wonderful event and promise of hope for these wonderful Pachyderms, I felt a need to paint “A Dream For The Queen”, which is also featured on LAAH. This is the 32nd painting of my #paint52 challenge, measures 8” X 8”, Atelier Acrylic on vellum, price $175.00 (SOLD). All proceeds will be donated to the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation, in celebration of “World Elephant Day”, August 12, 2012.
*All art from Janet Vanderhoof’s Fine Art Gallery, maybe seen in Janet’s studio at Morgan Hill, CA. You may purchase through contacting my email jvander51@msn.com or phone (408) 460-7237. Thank you!
The Shift
These are questions that seem to come up for me as an artist, constantly. Artists do you have questions that come up for you regularly? What questions do you have? Would love to hear them.
Artists do you paint for yourself or paint for your audience?
If you paint something that sells, do you tend to repeat yourself and paint another version hoping it will sell again?
Do you bounce around painting a variety of styles or do you stick with one subject matter and pallet?
Do you take risks?
Do you experiment with different mediums?
Do you feel you are connected to your voice?
Is your artwork recognizable?
Do you have fun when you create?
When did you start acknowledging you were an artist?
*This is my 28th painting of my paint52 challenge. Painting measures 24" X 48", Oil on wrapped linen canvas. Price $2880.
"What I know for Sure" #paint52
The late Gene Siskel would ask, “What do you know for sure?” in his guest celebrities interviews, which inspired Oprah to write a monthly column “What I know for sure”, finding it a great way for her to take stock of her life. This is “What I know for Sure” now celebrating my halfway point, twenty-six paintings, towards my #paint52 challenge.
Mr. Oil is my first love, but I am becoming great friends with Ms. Acrylic.
Painting gives me energy.
I realize that fear in the studio is a good thing.
Inspiration shows up when doing the creating.
Show up!
When in production mode, I become less attached to the painting. Now I say “Next”.
Quantity produces Quality.
Resistance is the enemy.
I’m not so bad with color; in fact it may be my gift.
My art and my spirit are connected.
Good things happen when you stretch yourself.
Your art needs to be seen.
Honor yourself and honor your commitment.
I’m going to complete 52 paintings this year.
*"Submersed In Color", twenty-sixth painting of #paint52 challenge, mesures 8-1/2" X 8-1/2", Atelier Interactive Acrylic on vellum, price $150. SOLD
Do You See What I See?
My color theory teacher and I were both looking out the window gazing at the tree limbs? It was the first time that I experienced the idea of Color Seeing, which was originally introduced by Hawthorne at the “Cape Cod School of Art”. Hawthorne was a contemporary of Monet and took his color seeing a step further. As my teacher and I were both looking at the same tree, he discovered a bluish note, but I thought it was more reddish. He said he noticed that I tended to see colors much warmer then him.
Does each person see color differently? Could this be a result of acuity, age or even drugs? I heard that Van Gogh had lead poisoning, which caused him to see halos around objects, as well as the digitalis that he took for Epilepsy caused a yellow aura and yellow spots in his vision. Could this be a result of his “Yellow Period”?
Did Renoir’s myopic vision in his later years cause him to produce brighter colors, primarily reds and oranges, with thicker and sketchier strokes?
Monet’s cataracts caused yellowing and darkening of the lense of his eye, thus influenced his painting to be muddied and blurred. There was an interesting paper written by Michael F. Marmor, MD, Stanford University Medical Center, Department of Ophthalmology, “Ophthalmology and Art: Simulation of Monet’s Cataracts and Degas’ Retinal Disease", that gives you the visuals of what he suspects were the recreated vision of both these artists.
Food for thought, that we as artists are not only affected by style preference, and eye hand coordination, but extremely affected by our vision and how we see the world.
*This is my twenty-fifth painting of my paint 52 challenge, measures 30" X 30" Atelier Acrylic and Oil on Museum wrapped canvas (no need for framing), price $2250 SOLD. Thank you so much for following my journey.
It's All In The Details
Have you ever noticed a painting within a painting in your creations, or other artist’s creations? They can be quite inspiring. In fact, my teacher has taken many of his paintings that don’t work, and chops them up to find little masterpieces.
Many times my Internet viewers have told me my art shows so much better in person. One reason for this observation is everyone’s computer will experience different color; some are warmer, cooler brighter or duller, but another reason it is you perceive the painting as a whole not as its parts. It is difficult to see the fine nuances of texture, elevation, stroke and layers of color on the Internet.
If you find me in a gallery, you will see my face very close to the art. I love to become the fly on the wall, discover all the secrets, the genius of other artists. This can only be found by being very close as well as the unity discovered when standing afar.
The images above are details of my painting “Day of the Eucalyptus”. “Day of the Eucalyptus” is my twenty-fourth painting of my #paint52 challenge, measures 15” X 15”, Atelier Interactive Acrylic and oil on vellum, price $525.
Thank you again for taking the time to visit my blog and leave your wonderful comments.