One Hundred and Twenty Abstracts
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From November 2019 to March 2020, I created one hundred and twenty, 6” x 6” Cold Wax and Oil paintings, including mixed media on sheets of Arches Oil Paper.
Each painting started with a line using Art Graf. I then either added home made paper, stencil, charcoal, and other mixed media, combined with Oil and Cold wax medium.
My initial intention was to become familiar with abstract design and mark making. Each sheet was a theme of color. Sometimes, I kept in sync with my original intention and sometimes, I surpisingly veered off. But all times, I found something new about myself.
I love working on Arches oil paper. It doesn’t need to be gessoed. Paint and medium can be directly applied to the paper without concern. It also allows for such wonderful marks and texture and shows off the oil paint beautifully.
Painting from the inside out causes you to repeat things that have meaning for you. I started to recognize patterns and marks that are my own.
I decided to pull my favorites from the one hundred and twenty studies and further the series by increasing the size. I am able to increase the 6” x 6” to 36” x 36” using a roll large roll of Arches Oil Paper. I have so many ideas and content, I can’t wait to get started. More on this next week.
Wish me luck!
PS I have posted some of the smaller paintings and they are also available in my portfolio if you are interested
Blake's Birthday Present
"It's Morphin' Time!"-Jason Power Ranger
I was on a mission to paint four Power Rangers for my son Blake. We had remodeled his bedroom over six months ago, leaving his walls bare for that period of time. Blake asked me numerous times to paint the power rangers for him, but to be honest with you I was so confused about what he wanted, I chose to opt out.
He specifically wanted a Red Power Ranger, a Black Power Ranger, a Green Power Ranger and a White Power Ranger. Who would think that there were so many Red Power Rangers to choose from, and Blake wanted no other than “Zeo” Red Power Ranger.
24" x 36" acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas
The same thing went for the Black Power Rangers, too numerous to mention. His choice was “Dino Thunder Black Ranger”. “Oh Lord Have Mercy On Me.” If it wasn’t for my son Blair now 32 years old, who experienced them first hand, I wouldn’t have known who was who. Here’s a little trivia. Did you know that Black Rangers are often in the core Ranger team? When the Black Power Ranger isn’t among one of the core five Rangers team, the Green Ranger takes his place.
24" x 36" acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas
Now for the White and Green Power Ranger, Blake wanted the original, since again there isn’t just one, but many to choose from. He wanted the Green and White Power Ranger played by Tommy Oliver. Another trivia, White Rangers can be male or female. The Green Ranger is usually the jokester.
24" X 36" acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas
Blake had a specific order in which the Rangers were to be painted, Red, Green, White then Black. The taskmaster quickly reminded me after I finished one to get started painting the next one as quickly as possible. Remember, I had to finish these by his Birthday. All completed in a month, each acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas, measure 24” x 36”.
24" x 36" acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas
After completing the paintings I consulted Feng Shui master Deborah Gee for their correct placement in Blake’s room. Using the Bagua map I placed the Black Power Ranger to the left of his bed as you enter the room and the Green to the right of his bed. She told me to move the Green Ranger, because the sword conflicted with the energy in the current location and will offer Blake protection when placed directly in front of the entrance of the room. The Red Ranger was then placed to the right of the bed and the White Ranger was placed opposite the wall of his bed.
There is such a good feeling when you enter the room. I feel the Rangers protection and positive energy; each one embedded with my love for Blake.
Dear Blake,
You know I would do anything for you and thank you for the journey and Happy Birthday!
Love you, Mom
2K14 CURRENT FOOTAGE 13732 SQ INCHES
*ALL ART FROM JANET VANDERHOOF’S FINE ART GALLERY, MAYBE SEEN IN JANET’S STUDIO AT MORGAN HILL, CA. YOU MAY PURCHASE BY CONTACTING MY EMAIL JVANDER51@MSN.COM OR PHONE (408) 460-7237. THANK YOU!
"Guardians of Being"
Every being is a spark of the Divine or God. Look into the eyes of the dog and sense that innermost core. ~Eckhart Tolle
I was commissioned by friends of mine to paint their dog Ollie. I felt it a privilege that they would trust me with such an intimate painting. Painting a pet is similar to painting someone’s child. I found the best way to capture the essence of Ollie" was through his eyes. Isn’t it true that the eyes are the windows of the soul?
As they talked about Ollie, I recognized their deep love for their friend. I also shared my love of my dog, Daisy, a yellow lab. I noticed instantly that our moods quickly changed to delight, smiles, and a deeper connection, relating to each other as dog lovers and owners.
Because dogs are always in the moment, they have the ability to connect us to stillness, being and awareness. Dogs are not caught up in the mind like humans. When we pet and hold our animal it connects us to that being-ness.
My dog Daisy is a love; she loves lying on my feet as I sit in my sacred place. I can tell when my son Blake pets Daisy, he feels instantly calmed, centered and peaceful. My husband walks Daisy daily, which instantly balances him, helps him get out of his mind and into a state of being.
Here is a wonderful video with the Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan and Eckart Tolle, talking about the core of goodness in dogs and how we can benefit from them.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20v_BPVRwX4[/youtube]
Do you have a pet? Do you have a story to share?
*If you are interested in commissioning me to paint your pet, please contact me either by email, jvander51@msn.com or phone (408)460-7237, thank you!
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.
The Trees of Wisdom
The Tree’s Wisdom
Finding our power within
Learning from nature
A canopy of strength
Roots tamper the earths crust
Discovering the spirit of life
Calling our name
Calling our soul
Ending our strife
This is my 21st painting of my #paint52 challenge. The painting measures 24" X 36", medium Daniel Smith Oil and Atelier Interactive Acrylic on museum wrapped canvas. No need to frame. Price $2160 plus freight.
*My tree paintings are teaching me.