Imitation is the Greatest Compliment

There is no shortage of artists whose styles I wish I could emulate. Great works by some of the most well-known painters -- Monet, Picasso, Van Gogh -- stimulate my mind and are jaw-dropping-ly beautiful.

However, the works by two lesser-known artists 'speak' to me and leave me longing to be in the subject of their painting. The first is Edward Hopper, who is best known for his painting, "Nighthawks," and is one of my favorite painters for his works that emphasize architecture and sunlight, as evidenced by his pieces that include beach houses at Cape Cod.

The second is Jean Jack, who lived in New Mexico and later moved to Maine, and continues to do large paintings of farm houses, barns and utilitarian out-buildings. Like Hopper, Jack uses few subjects in her paintings, though the cast of characters are likely to include an enormous sky, land, a building or buildings and the sunlight. Her colors are often bright and flat.

People who see paintings by Hopper and Jack often describe them as lonely, secluded and even stark. I see them, particularly Jack's landscapes, as tranquil and comforting -- as if that giant blue sky is blanketing the farmhouse or barn.

I am now doing a large painting that is heavily influenced by Edward Hopper and, particularly, Jean Jack. The painting above is one called "Riverfarm," by Jack. When I have finished mine, I'll post that one and we can compare.

Update: I have now added my own landscape painting. It's the one on top. It's 4 ft. wide and 2 ft. tall. It's called 'Farmhouse.'

One bite, and all your dreams will come true

Up to this point I have only painted green and yellow/green apples. I'm a big fan of Granny Smith apples, so I tended to want to paint them. However, as I was packing lunch for my kids, I took a long, close look at the Gala apple I was putting in my son's bag.

Unlike the green Granny Smith apples, which are dominated by green and slight variations of yellow, the Gala had reds, oranges, pinks, yellows and flecks of green. I couldn't detect any kind of pattern to why some parts of the apple are yellow and other parts are deep orange or red. I picked one I thought was nicely shaped and warmly colored.

This is the result.

This painting has sold.

Works in Progress

I had hoped this posting would be celebrating being chosen to participate in Artsplosure, the two-day arts festival in Raleigh. However, Thursday I received a rejection email from the Arsplosure board of judges. Saturday, as if to pour salt on the wound, I received the formal letter of rejection from Raleigh.

But this is OK. I am disappointed, but not deterred. I don't expect everyone will like what and how I paint. There are many more festivals and opportunities out there. The success I have had so far has been amazing -- almost unreal.

So, I will keep working. Above, I have a painting I've named "Red Birds at Tea." I plan to make a series of these, and will tweak this version. I like it a lot, though.

In the photo of my work area you can see another painting of several red birds on a line. This is such a simple painting, but there is some story left untold with the four little birds. One is looking down and away -- perhaps at a cat? Who knows.

Continuing my fondness for painting fruit, I have taken a swing at another apple. It's not finished, but I plan to call it, "Red Apple."

One of these paintings, or a similar one, will be auctioned off at a fund raiser for a church playground. Also, I'm donating a painting to be raffled at The Business Journal's Women in Business event. Both events take place on the same day and should bring lots of positive exposure. I am looking forward to each of them.

Seven Boats

When I began "Seven Boats," my plan was to give the boats a color that would make them 'pop' against the soft, nearly monochromatic background. In the end, however, I preferred to paint the boats a blue/grey that continued the color theme of the rest of the painting.

Once again, the big, big sky is what I'm focused on here.

Healing Arts

The photo above is from the grand opening of the Moses Cone Cancer Center for which I was asked to contribute a painting. The triptych, "Always Watching Over," was placed on the main level, next to an elevator that is used to take patients to the basement or second level for treatments.

I was told by several staff members that the area picked for my painting is one of the most visible areas, and that every patient and employee will see it.

I was also told that my painting is already a favorite of many people on staff at the cancer center, and that seeing it brightens their day.

I was on hand at the event for nearly four hours, talking with visitors. It was a proud moment and I appreciate the visit from Kimberly, Josh, Tate, Grant and Brenda. And from my boss, Doug.

I was able to talk with several other artists and saw some really impressive work, particularly the butterfly sculpture on the roof of the facility. Amazing work.

The Winter of My Content

Here is a new painting I'm calling "Red Birds on White." I guess I could call it "Red Birds in Winter," so maybe this painting will have two names. As much as I like the colors I usually use, I can appreciate how the use of white emphasizes negative space. It has a very modern look to it -- like something you might see in a high-end contemporary apartment.

I've been somewhat busy lately, trying to pull together an inventory of work. I sent an application to be considered for Artsplosure, an annual two-day arts event in downtown Raleigh in late May. I won't know whether I'm accepted until late February. But I have very little time to waste. Since it's a two-day event I want to make certain I have plenty of artwork on hand (including "Red Birds on White/in Winter"), just in case I do really well.

Thanks for stopping by. Please feel free to comment.

This painting has sold.

Late Bloomer

A co-worker of mine approached me in August about doing a painting for her. "Flowers!" she said. "Bold, colorful flowers."

I thought flowers wouldn't be difficult: I've done boats, birds, a port, apples and pears. How hard could it be to paint flowers? I was so naive.

While I did have an art show and a project or two for fundraisers sprinkled in, it took me almost five months to finish this flower painting. I brought it to my co-worker and she loves it. In fact, everyone who saw it said it said I did a great job and that the flowers (I chose hydrangeas) were realistic and all of the colors were vivid and bold.

In the end, I really like it. I'm proud of how it turned out. I battled this painting and stopped working on it several times to keep myself from tossing the canvas onto the street. In the end, a simple suggestion from Kimberly saved this painting: add a vase.

I painted the vase, or pot, and eliminated a few of the low-hanging blooms. Suddenly the painting had an anchor and an object to redirect the eye from the overpowering mound of blooms.

I added texture, highlights and shadows to the vase to give it a rounded look. I was proud to put my name on it.