My high point of 2011 was at sea level

Kayaking the smooth waters of Harriman Fiord

My Forest Ranger friends were kind enough to bring me some of the photos they had taken of me during my residency in Prince William Sound, so I've added them to my slideshow (here and at right). 

Painting through a head net is the lesser of two evils at View Point

Not sure I've looked this happy in a long time!

Since my families gather at my house for Christmas, it's a fun kind of chaos, but I have to admit I'll be happy when the holiday season is over, decorations are cleared and I can test out my latest studio insulating efforts with some good hours at the easel.

Until then, wishing my readers Happy Holidays, and lots of paint in 2012!

Visitors from the great white north

Tim and Barbara Lydon in Harriman Fiord

 

What a treat it was to get a visit this week from the two Forest Rangers, Barbara and Tim Lydon, who had let me tag along with them in Prince William Sound last August on my Alaska artist residency.  As luck would have it, Tim and Barbara have family in my area and so could swing by my home and studio during their holiday visit—though I must say it was a little disorientating to see them sitting in my living room instead of on the rocky shores of the fiords. 

Me at View Point, on the shore of Harriman Fiord

It was great to see them and couldn't have come at a better time. Just talking with them brought back my Alaska impressions, which have been sadly buried under cares and worries of day to day life. But the experience is still there, pure and protected, like the blue glow deep in the glacial ice, just waiting for me to get some real studio time in to interpret it on canvas.

Insulating myself

 

You can only insulate yourself so much against the slings and arrows of this life, but I've spent the last few weeks insulating my studio against the cold weather, which, though it's been strangely warm for November, will arrive one of these days.  This year, in addition to mounting insulation panels on the garage door I'm going to try dividing my studio in half using this sheet of heavy plastic. My theory is that it will hold the warm air on the painting-side of my studio. 

If so, I just might be able to paint all winter. 

In theory, anyway. 

Family has taken a lot of my energy lately, both good and sad. So as little time as I thought I had to paint before....well, it's less now. But hopefully things will settle into a new routine and I'll get back to my selfish self-centered life soon - can't wait!

I have managed to get some painting in though, both on my animal series and Alaska paintings. I was also asked to take on a high-school intern who wants to learn oil painting. At first I thought great! She can help me get some things done in the studio. Then I realized that any oil-painting-type-tasks I needed to do were those I wanted to do myself.  I have more blank canvases than I can fill right now, so stretching canvas is out, as is grinding paints and painting in backgrounds and angels, traditional duties of studio assistants. What I could really use is someone to help me with promoting my work, but that's not what she wants to learn. (Anyone who knows of any agent-types, I'm all ears).

She came by last week though, and I think it's going to be fun. She's talented, hardworking and smart and makes me think about how I began as a painter myself, since she's about the same age as I was when I first worked in oils (17). I'm going to teach her how to set up her palette and begin a painting, and give her some pigment samples to research. It's nice to see that there are young artists who want to learn some of the timeless techniques like oils, without approaching it "ironically".  I just might end up liking this teaching thing...

Saving the Bay

The Rip, oil/canvas, 30"x40"    Artists for Save the Bay 2011

I guess if I've been blogging so long that bloggable items can become yearly events I can afford to be lazy and repeat a 2010 entry, with just some updating for 2011. Because, after all, this Save the Bay entry was a classic...

Every year Save the Bay holds an art exhibit of work inspired by Narragansett Bay. And every year I go in search for all the waterfront paintings I've done over the summer.  Since I live on a peninsula surrounded by saltmarshes, jetties and coves filled with swans, egrets and ducks and gorgeous sunsets there are endless subjects to paint and where the heck are all those paintings I did? Oh yeah, the same place my time to paint was—hard to find.  But I love being in the show and this year I did manage to submit two one pieces and have them it accepted. 

Unfortunately for us wine&cheese freeloaders, the reception is also a fundraiser for Save the Bay and tickets to the opening are $25. a pop. I found that out last two years ago when I blithely headed to STB headquarters with friends in tow. Only after seeing the ticket booth at the door did I realize that the crowd was decidedly better dressed than the motley artists who usually gather around the cheese trays (by which I mean us). But it IS an excellent cause, so if $25. is in your budget, you can enjoy an evening of drinks, good munchies and some very engaging paintings. Not to mention a great night-time view down the bay through the expansive windows and a rare sight — people with their checkbooks out, buying art!

I get to go free this year since I have work in the show (I can't make the opening this year, it's my last glass casting class, unfortunately on both counts), but everyone can visit (minus wine&cheese and entry fee) from Nov. 18-Dec. 27, Mon. to Fri. 8:30 – 4:30 at the Save the Bay center. 

Opening Reception: Thursday, November 17, 2011
5:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Save The Bay Center, Providence  Directions.
$25 includes drinks and hors d'oeuvres
Purchase tickets now.
The exhibit runs November 17 - December 27 and showcases Bay-themed painting, photography, sculpture and jewelry from artists across Rhode Island and Massachusetts. 50% of the proceeds benefit Save The Bay programs. More info.

On exhibit

Supermoon, 20x24, oil/canvas, 2011

I'm dropping off this painting tonight for its first foray out into the big, big world as part of the exhibition
VICINITY: RISD Rhode Island Alumni Group exhibition
November 10 to December 15, 2011
The opening reception is Thursday, Nov. 10^th, 7pm at 42 Rice Street Providence (directions)

I'm looking forward to seeing the venue,  Keeseh Studios, when I drop the painting off. From what I can gather on their website it seems to be like a Steelyard for the woodworking set. Here's their mission statement:

Keeseh Studio is a woodworking facility that serves as a resource for Rhode Island’s creative community. The communal woodshop provides machinery, tools and workspace for local artists and designers to rent using a membership system. As such, they have access to a wealth of capabilities and resources as well as the company of artists with whom to share ideas and gain critique. Keeseh also offers woodworking classes and services. The Studio welcomes a wide range of people — from those who have no experience and are looking to learn, to professionals wishing to engage with like-minded individuals.

Our mission is to:
-encourage the growth of woodworking as a design and craft.
-make woodworking accessible to everyone.
-educate and develop skills that will allow creative individuals to express themselves and their ideas through woodworking.
-connect local artists and designers in order to promote the exchange of information and knowledge.
-support the growth of Providence’s creative community.

Alas, I won't be able to attend the opening, since I'll be in my glass casting class at the aforementioned Steelyard (a Keeseh Studios for metal heads). Rats.

Growing up by looking back

I know it's been a long time since I posted to this blog, but since my last post my whole perspective on life has shifted. My dad's good heart finally gave out and he passed on to the next level last week. I am very thankful to have known and learned from him for 81 years, and to have spent so much time with him in the last few months. I'm also thankful that he went peacefully without pain, in his sleep, with my sister sleeping on the couch in his room, and more family in the house. He did not die alone, and his spirit did not entirely leave this earth, because it lives on in us. Safe travels Dad.

Now I have to make the transition from being reabsorbed into family and memories, to looking forward. I have managed to do some art work in the last few months, but not much. One more painting from my creature series completed (below)...

 

...and some experiments in glass-casting from my glass-casting class at the Steelyard. I've had the idea to layer transparency/glass onto some of my paintings for a long time, but never knew how to get or make the glass I envisioned, so I made do with using polyester casting resin, embedding natural objects into resin to frame this series and casting slabs of resin to layer over this series. But plastic is plastic, and I worried about yellowing, so I was happy to find the class at the Steelyard, which opened in 2001 as a way for artists to work with heavy duty industrial materials, like steel, glass and iron.

I have an idea about casting some iceberg/glacier like slabs to use with my Alaska paintings. How? I'm not sure yet, which is sort of why I took the class, just to see what I can do with the idea.

These are some of my first experiments in casting a 3 dimensional object. I chose some shells, used clay to fill in any undercuts and covered them with plaster to make a mold. After the plaster dried I carefully pried out the shell and filled it with little pillow shaped nuggets of glass and put the mold in the kiln, for a days' long firing and cooling. They came out even better than I had hoped!

I've missed this blog, so have some pent-up posting in my system...I'll be back soon!