TUBA - 2

No photo of this - but I laid in color all over the paper, using various yellows and siennas, and added some of the Daniel Smith shadow violet around the tuba.  

Rhonda Carpenter has been touting this color for some time, so I bought it but I didn't like it.  Then I attended the GCWS Carol Carter workshop last April and saw how she uses it, and now I do like it!

In this photo I've begun adding some color to the tuba. 

Each of these photos shows more addition of color to the tuba.

TUBA - 1

Sometimes a friend and I take a photo or a similar subject and we each paint our rendition of that.

She chose a tuba photo she had taken some years ago at a local fair.  The local high school marching band had just performed and the kids had laid down their instruments; this tuba caught her eye.

She has long since painted her rendition of this tuba.  I kept procrastinating.  I note that I scanned the photo into my computer in 2012!  Then, this past May (2014) I finally printed it off and began my drawing for this painting.

I decided I wanted some music to go along with the tuba, so I did an internet search and came up with this sheet music, which I then enlarged.

It's been so long since I drew this out - it has been sitting all this time underneath a pile of other semi-completed paintings, just waiting to be painted!  So, I'm not sure, but I think that I enlarged the tuba photo and put it onto the paper, then added the music around that.

AROUND THE WORLD BLOG HOP

Rhonda Carpenter invited me to be part of this Around the World Blog Hop - which appears to be a way to connect with other blogger friends.

Rhonda and I met several years ago and got to be friends through our attendance at the Greater Cincinnati Watercolor Society meetings.  Over the years we have painted together and taken some day trips.  She's funny (sometimes when she doesn't think she is!) and quirky - and I do like my friends quirky!  She is also very serious about her art work and is constantly learning and pushing herself to grow as an artist.

Over the past few years I've found it so interesting to meet people who have read my blog!  Some post comments, most do not.  But so many people say "oh, I read your blog the other day . . . ", "loved your last blog post about . . . "  And I've personally met several people directly through my blog who I would never have met otherwise.  This big old world really isn't all that big sometimes!

I've found blogging to be rewarding and challenging, and lots of fun!

I'm supposed to answer a few questions, so here goes:

1.  What am I working on?
Right now I'm working on a tuba!  Yep, that musical instrument!  Sometimes a friend and I take an object or a subject and we both paint it, putting our own slant on it.  So this was one of those joint venture paintings.

2.  How does my work differ from others of its genre?
I'm more known for my lace and patterned paintings, which I consider simple still lifes.  There are many other artists out there who do much the same, even sometimes the same topic or object.  We all learn from one another and are influenced by others, whether we acknowledge that fact or not.
However, I've been told on several occasions that people immediately know my paintings without looking at the gallery label.  I guess I'm able to put my personal spin on a subject, no matter how mundane, to create "my" look - whatever that is!!!

3.  Why do I create what I do?
Hmmmmm . . . gotta think about this for a minute.
Something will just catch my eye and I think it would make an interesting painting.  I'm distracted by bright and shiny objects!  Also colorful objects.  Also old, rusty stuff.  Also shiny cars and motorcycles . . . . (get the drift!!!!)
I've been collecting fabric, particularly that with an oriental motif, for years, and finally decided to create paintings using it as the backdrop.  I've also been collecting interesting vases and boxes and just "stuff" - if I see something that looks interesting and it's not too costly, I buy it and tuck it away somewhere, waiting for the right time to pull it out and create a still life set up.
I love history and old things, so going to an antique fair or the local tractor show give me great photo ops.  I have many photos of possible paintings gleaned from these resources.
I'm not particularly interested in landscapes or figures.  Guess I just like "stuff" instead!

4.  How does my creative process work?
I usually paint in a series, which makes it easier to decide what to paint!
I have an idea of what I want to paint, and I'll pore over my photos until something looks interesting.  Then I may crop it and move on.  After I have a few photos that look like possibilities, I may print them 4-6 on a sheet of paper and look at them more carefully.  I might possibly take some of this one and some of that one until I come up with a good composition.  Sometimes I luck out and have a really good composition right off the bat.  I do try to compose when I take the photo, but sometimes that's not really possible if I'm out in public.  When I do my set ups at home I'll take a number of photos from all angles.
Once my photo is selected I enlarge and trace - yep, I'm not a great draw-er.  And since I like doing intricate things I would spend most of my life just working to get the drawing done, and by then I wouldn't even want to work on the paintings!  I must say, though, that even with tracing, there is sometimes a LOT of drawing still to be done to refine those shapes.
Then I decide on how I'll be painting (technique) and the colors I'll use and the methods (plan).

I invited several bloggers to participate in this, but all but one said they were too busy right now but thanked me for the opportunity.  I can certainly appreciate that!  There are times I simply don't have time to do what needs to be done, let alone add something more to my plate!  Now I'll introduce a blogger who agreed to participate.  

Christiane Kingsley.  Christiane lives in Canada, Eh!!!  As I have followed her blog she has evolved from strictly watercolor to include acrylics and mixed media.  I particularly love her watercolors of statues and stone carvings.  I also like her paintings using acrylic and gel mediums.  She is definitely taking her art career to new levels.  I applaud her and wish her the best of luck!

NEMESIS!

Everyone needs a nemesis.
A worthy opponent to keep them on their toes and make them strive to excel.
Someone (or something) to push them into doing better.

Here is my dog's Nemesis!

Taken with my iPhone through the dining room door, so squirrel is a bit "squirrel-y" in this photo!
Can you tell that he's holding that piece of cardboard in his "hand"!

This crazy squirrel comes to the deck all of the time and usually manages to find something to eat  at his chosen spot - the bench in front of the dining room slider.  In this case, he found a piece of cardboard left by my son.   Of course, once the dog sees him he goes crazy to be let out to catch that squirrel.  I hate to tell him, but, ain't gonna happen!

By the time I open that door the squirrel is off and running. Sometimes I give Stray a little help and take him out to the garage and open that door.  Still, the squirrel must hear either the door opening or the dog's toenails on the concrete, and he's gone - way before 60 seconds!

Sometimes the squirrel only has enough time to leap onto the maple tree adjacent to the deck and run up into the branches.  When that happens, Stray will sit at attention (I'm not sure he even blinks) for a half hour or more just watching that squirrel.

Once, and this was the funniest to me, the squirrel was running up the steps and popped his head up above the deck just as I opened the kitchen door.  I saw him, Stray did not.

As the door opened the squirrel ducked his head down, Stray took off toward the side yard, the squirrel popped his head up again and ran for the tree.  Stray must have seen him from the corner of his eye or sensed him, because he made a 180 deg. turn and took off across the deck, but, again, too late.  Squirrel was up that tree chortling at the dog!

Not sure Stray would really know what to do with him if he ever did catch him!

THE ARTIST'S MAGAZINE - 31st Annual Art Competition - FINALIST!

A while back I received an email telling me that two of the paintings I entered into the Artist's Magazine 31st Annual Art competition had been awarded Finalist!

Gotta tell you - 2 out of 6,507 entries - yep, I'm pretty happy about that.

You will find my name listed on page 53 of the December issue - Still Life/Interior Category.

And when I saw who some of the other finalists in my category were, whose names are familiar to me  - Cecile Baird, Laurie Goldstein-Warren, Chris Krupinski, Jeffrey Larson, Jacob Pfeiffer, Carrie Waller - then I REALLY was happy!  Wow, at least I'm in very good company.

I entered 4 into the competition, and the paintings accepted were my Yin Yang Mums and Oriental Roses.

F I R E !!!

As "they" say - Life is what happens when you make other plans.

Yesterday afternoon as I was peacefully painting, I got a panic call from my daughter.  Seems a brush fire had broken out, she wanted help.  She had called 9-1-1, then her husband, then us.  My husband was just coming home and I met him in the garage - he handed me something to put away and sped off, meeting my son on the driveway.  So both of them headed up to her house.  I quickly changed shoes and grabbed a jacket and took off.

When I arrived my husband and son-in-law were on hose duty, my son and daughter were going around the perimeter with a shovel and rake trying to get it under some control.  I was told by one of the firefighters to go to the road and make sure the rest of the crews pulled into the right place.

By the time it was over, 4 local fire departments had been called in.

Fortunately my daughter was home, or it could have been a total disaster.  And, fortunately, she was able to get all of their vehicles moved to safety and the fire moved away from the house, not toward it.

You just never know, life can change in the blink of an eye.

WORKSHOP - SILVER AND LACE - FINAL

Here is a photo taken at the end of the workshop.

Even after much moaning and groaning, much doubting and praying - all of the results were GREAT!

Why are we always so critical of ourselves???  Everyone can be very proud of their results - even those who hid their paintings behind the front row!!!  (Yes, you know who you are!)

I received many positive comments about the workshop.  Everyone had a good time, learned something, and hopefully gained confidence to paint another silver and lace painting on their own - I can't wait to see those results!

Here are some of the great comments I received for this workshop:

"It really was 'lots of fun and no pressure' - well, maybe a little pressure."

"This workshop was all I expected and hoped for.  It was very informative and fun.  I would recommend Deb's class to anyone"

"I enjoyed the workshop - good 'pacing' (not too fast/slow).  Loved all the positive comments and encouragement - good snacks"

"Really enjoyed the class.  Informative, instructional, enjoyable.  Liked the critique part, learned from each picture you touched."

"Great class!  Enjoyed it.  Appreciate the helpful directions and comments and positive encouragement.   A lot in 2 days!"

"Luvvved it!!!  I liked that it was fun, relaxed and a 10-hour, 2-day summary (or review) of most things we've covered in classes over weeks, in additiion to the specifics of the workshop exercise."

"So enjoyed your class.  I learned so much.  Hope to attend some of your classes.  Thank you so much."

"Great class.  Need more weekend classes."

"Thank you for bolstering my confidence.  Very nice to be in class again."

"You are a great teacher - so patient and encouraging.  Definitely will attend another workshop or class."

"Fantastic girl!!"