An Odd Mix. Some Works in Progress.

Reworking an older painting on Bristol plate paper 22X30

 Happy New Year to everyone!  I wish you all a creative and prosperous 2012.

I have in the last couple of years been in keeping with the idea of working on a painting until I like it myself and would want to keep it and look at it everyday if it was hanging on my own wall.  In fact I do actually hang them on my living room wall and live with them until I either think of something else they need, get sick of looking at it and take it back to the studio to figure out or "that nice boy I married" gets sick of looking at it and asks if I have anything new to look at.  If no one is tired of it and it sits there until there is something else to take it's place, I deem it satisfactory and don't mess with it anymore.
                                                                                          That probably seems like the logical process               now that I say it that way but what I used to do was get an idea for a painting, execute it, evaluate it for content and completeness according to the original plan and then call it finished.  If I didn't like it or think it turned out as planned I just gave up on it.  I never wanted to, for example, add acrylic to a traditional watercolor or collage to a painting of any medium unless it started out as a college project.  I would never crop a painting to make it better or add line or anything that wasn't part of the original plan.  My new attitude is if it's not working, start thinking outside the box and use whatever necessary to make it a better painting. I was very hung up on "Well it's a watercolor so I can't fix it or that is cheating."  I like Chagall's quote of "I work with whatever medium likes me at the moment" and I will add my own "I like whatever process and medium gets me to an image I am satisfied with in the end"
  I find that I am confusing people by doing what they perceive as several different styles of work but I am actually using abstraction to make my mind think differently in my figurative work.  The abstractions started out as a means to an end but I discovered that not only did they help my other work but I really like the process and the paintings  themselves and other people like them too.  I usually have up to 10 paintings in the works at the same time so to me they all seem like they relate as I go from one to the other depending on which one I have figured out what to do next on.  My methods are working for me and I am finding that I'm not that concerned if I fit into the basic "artist" mold.  By letting go of some of those restraints and rules, I am finding the fun and excitement of painting again which I had lost for a while. What's your story?

Watercolor on Coldpress paper. Abstracted realism 22X30

Mixed media on Hot press watercolor coated with gold gesso
14X18

Actually, another older painting that was unfinished
on Yes! Canvas 30X14 

Like Birthing a Baby!

I don't know if this is any better but I like it better now.  I am reminded of the saying "when you don't know how to paint, painting is so easy.... the more you know, the harder it gets!" LOL!  Okay, I paraphrased.  Your thoughts are welcome as always.  Mixed Media on Canvas 30"X40".

Wild imaginings!

This was from the same plate as the previous print.

New monotype with Chine' Collage'

Something new. My mother was an English teacher so this has some collage pieces and  other details that refer to that. That is her in the transfer image.

Slow News Month in Bahrain?

Wow, this Magazine gave me a full page and mentioned my camel paintings on the cover!

Abstract in Progress

Mixed Media on Canvas  30"X40"

This is mixed media on Canvas.  Still working on it.  

Watercolor but not

Watermedia on Watercolor Canvas 24"X30"

I worked on this painting on the 'Yes Canvas' some more.  I also added some Thai News print in a transfer method( I learned on Junky Trinkets blog) in an attempt to bring an edge and mystery  to an otherwise traditional looking painting.

Here is a close up of some of the transfer.  This was a very large transfer and I wasn't sure it was going to work out for a while there. It was a lot of work removing the paper. I think it ads some interest in the details without taking away from the overall image.  Let me know what you think.

Wasn't on my Bucket list but it's kinda fun!

Front cover of Bahrain Monthly Magazine

The page with my small mention on the right

  I don't think I ever woke up in the morning thinking "Ya know,
I really think I would like to be published in a Middle Eastern Magazine" but life is just full of surprises!
The article is very small on the right hand side with a little part of one of my Monotypes and the information about my show At World Beat Cafe here in Bahrain.
  Also in the Gulf Daily News.

Article in Gulf Daily News paper, Upper left.

You know you're not in Kansas anymore when...

 During the worst part of the demonstrations here in Bahrain, the company sent all the women and children to Dubai to wait until things settled down a bit.  So while staying in the very nice Kempinski hotel in the Mall of the Emirates (the mall that has the indoor ski slope!)  I had lots of time to shop and site see.
I was so thrilled when I wandered into a bookstore in the mall and found some art magazines!  I haven't had my mits on an American Artist magazine for months and when I got back to my room and eagerly started reading my treasured find, this is what I found!  

Definately a "Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore" moment!

Bahrain Pearl Roundabout under siege this morning!

My view of the smoke from burning tents as the Saudi Army attempts to clear the protesters from the Pearl Roundabout also known erroneously as "Pearl Square".  We pray and watch between what is going on around us and the news from Japan where our youngest son, daughter in-law and their son are living.