Lots to say.. .few words

Yes, I know. I owe you pictures of the show from Kuma.
And pictures of my recent paintings.
And maybe just a few words to let you know that I'm still alive.

Well, how about one out of three?

I have so many pictures on my camera. But, I haven't actually had the energy to connect the cable to the camera and the computer lately.

I had ankle surgery 10 days ago. I'm tired. I feel useless and frustrated. I can't even get myself a glass of water without spilling it all over the kitchen. Chris has been wonderful, but it's hard to be so dependent on someone. So I'm following some good advice and choosing what's most important.

Right now that's painting, being with Chris and showing up for work (gotta keep that health insurance). I'll be back here though. Be patient.

Work on Display at Kuma Coffee

My work is on display for the Grand Opening of Kuma Coffee this month. Their grand opening is tomorrow, October 13. My work will be on display through mid-November. They're located at 4110 Stone Way in Wallingford, here in Seattle. If you're in the area, stop by, pick up a good cup of coffee and look at my work.

I'll post pictures here later in the week.

Mirror

Mirror
Originally uploaded by jolieguillebeau

I solved a problem with this painting today. I was really happy with the vertical composition, but it felt a little flat to me. I decided to create space by making the frame in to a mirror, rather than the painting I had intended. So far, I'm happy, but there's still more work to do.

I can't wait to see this.

http://www.whodoesshethinksheis.net

Art, Truth, Child-play

"When we can play with the unself-conscious concentration of a child, this is: art, prayer, love." -- Madeleine L'Engle

The story of Marla has fascinated me for awhile. Here is a child in a crazy situation, created by the adults around her. I don't care about the controversy, but I wonder (and worry) about this little girl.

However, I had never considered this story from this angle before. It makes me think about my own work a little differently.

Letting Go.

I learned something really important this week. It's about Painting and Life. Hopefully I can explain it without confusion.

For the first two years I painted, I struggled with building a good foundation to my painting. I was so intimidated by the act of painting that I never really bothered to set my paintings up well, I just tried to get the canvas covered. I felt twitchy until all the white space was filled in with color. That meant that I just slapped things down without worrying about angles or measurements or composition. Sometimes I got lucky and it worked. Other times, well-- let's just say I have a large collection of wonky looking canvases hiding in the hall closet. It took me a while to get comfortable with the idea of empty space while I worked out the potential problems of each piece.

But, at some point I realized the importance of setting things up well. I realized that if I got the angle right on the first try, then I wouldn't spend hours repainting in frustration. And since we were running out of space in the hall closet, I started planning and drawing things in a little more carefully before I threw the paint on the canvas. Instantly, I saw my work move up a level. More paintings were successful, fewer were banished to a dark room.

Things went along nicely for awhile. But I was still dissatisfied. Other people liked my work, and I wasn't hiding it anymore, but it still fell short somehow. Again, sometimes I'd get lucky, but overall I still felt like it wasn't quite finished--even though I'd planned well and followed all the rules. (Don't ask me what the rules are, I haven't really figured that out yet. I just know when it's right.) My work looked fine, but I wanted it to look like this, or this, or even this. (Have I mentioned my lack of patience already?)

So this week, I figured something out. Painting is like life. I need to plan well and give myself as much information as possible in the early stages of a project. But once I've committed to the right direction then I have to let go of the original plan. See, once I started planning and drawing in detail, I found it hard to move past the drawing. For example, if I got the angle right on Mr. Potato Head's arm, then I would paint all around it, but I'd be afraid to really paint it, because I might lose the part that's working. The problem with this is that it makes for nice drawings, but only mediocre paintings.

See, paintings are all about edges. This is something I've known in my head for awhile-- the eye perceives things and takes in information based almost completely on edges. It's how you can tell the difference between a golf ball and a ping-pong ball. Or a tennis ball and a lemon. But knowing it in my head and knowing it in my paintbrush are two different things. I wasn't happy with my painting because I was afraid of losing the drawing, so I ignored the edges.I might as well have been using a coloring book.

I was holding on to the original plan so tightly, that I couldn't move past it.

Someone told me this week to let go of the drawing. And I realized-- I'd gotten the drawing right the first time, so if I lost it, I could probably get it back. I also realized, that if I didn't paint over the drawing, I'd never have a good painting.

So while I'm still a long way from Chardin, I think my work is about to move to a new level again. Because I'm letting go. And maybe one day, we'll have room for coats in our hall closet.

Another way to find me.

I've just posted some high quality photos of some of my pieces on Imagekind. It's a service that lets you order custom prints of my work. Since some people have requested that I repaint paintings they really like, I've thought of creating prints for awhile, but I was hesitant to make a large order of one or another. So this way, prints are available. I'll probably keep them as limited editions, meaning I'll remove them from the site once I've sold more than one hundred (ha!), but that's not really a problem I anticipate having anytime soon.

Hey! Look!

It's me! Did you forget me? I hope not.

I know I last posted 4 weeks ago, but there's a good reason, I promise!(Really!)

Ok, first good excuse-- no, I mean REASON. Chris took the camera with him. Then when he brought it back, it wouldn't zoom. or unzoom. It wouldn't cooperate at all. And I was tired of whining about it, so I decided not to post until I actually did something about the camera situation. This called for immediate action, so I stopped eating. Well, I stopped eating out. Normally, everyday that I work, I go to Piroshkis on Madison. Dmitri knows me well enough that when I walk in the door, he puts a Spinach Mushroom and Cheese Piroshki in the oven for me. It costs $4.86. I give him a five and put the 15 cents in the tip jar.

So, I started packing my lunch. That saved $20 each week. That, plus a couple of sales on etsy gave me enough money to buy a camera on sale at Target today.

So without further ado: pictures of everything I've been working on for the last month.



See no evil. You've seen this one already.



Hear no evil. You saw the beginning of this, but he's progressed nicely since then.




Speak no evil. Started two weeks ago. Finished? Not yet, but soon.

Don't worry, more to come! I have a camera now.

Internet Ramblings

Just for fun, a bit of me in mosaic form.

I've seen this on a couple of other blogs recently, and I was bored, so...

Here´s how you do it...

Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr search, using only the first page, choose your favorite image, copy and paste each of the URL’s into the mosaic maker (3 columns, 4 rows).

The questions:
1. What is your first name? (Jolie)
2. What is your favorite food? (ice cream)
3. What high school did you attend? (Hazel Green)
4. What is your favorite color? (Orange)
5. Who is your celebrity crush? (Nelson Mandela-- he counts doesn't he?)
6. Favorite drink? (Green tea with mint)
7. Dream vacation? (Antartica)
8. Favorite dessert? (Chocolate Mousse)
9. What do you want to be when you grow up? (Painter)
10.What do you love most in life? (Enthusiasm)
11. One word to describe you. (Sensitive)
12. Your Flickr name. (jolieguillebeau)

Here are the links to the photos in my mosaic above:

1. Angelina Jolie’s recent trip to a camp housing Darfur refugees in Chad, 2. Flickr meltdown, 3. Untitled, 4. Hold me close, under the sunset, 5. Mandela and the others, 6. Green mint tea, 7. Standing Still, 8. three is not a crowd, 9. Eden Park Artist, 10. Our Children Teach Us What Life Is All About, 11. sensitive space, 12. jolieguillebeau

Painting update

Chris and the camera are in Pakistan at the moment, but I managed to get these pictures just before he left.



This is the blank canvas that you saw last week. I've pretty much finished this one. My idea was a key, but no door. Kind of a "Here's the answer, what's the question?" thought. I found these keys at the Frye museum store, and I thought they were pretty.


As you can see, I've started the second in the Mr. Potato Head series. This one is "Hear no evil." I'm still early in, so I haven't thought as much about the ideas behind this painting. The small square painting gives me an idea of the finished product, while I started the larger painting with a value sketch.


The lines around the painting help me with placement and proportions. I have little pieces of plexiglass with these lines scratched into them, so that I can look at my setup in the same way. It helps with composition and drawing, in ways I never really expected. I also like the idea that I'm using a system that some of my favorite artists implemented as well.

A new painting...

I don't know if I've mentioned this yet, but I love my new studio. It's quiet and cool on warm days. It's private and most of all-- it's mine! Having my own studio was one of the dreams I wrote down a few years ago as a Mondo Beyondo dream. And now, it's real. Wow.

And though I miss my studio mates, I must admit-- I'm getting so much done. Last Tuesday, I ran some errands, then painted for awhile, then took a break for lunch and wrote in my journal before I settled back in around 2:00 for an afternoon of painting. I figured I'd paint until around 5pm, then run to the grocery store and go home and play with the cat. I picked up my brush and... just a few minutes later, realized it was 6:15. I had been painting for four hours! I thought it was only 30 minutes.

So this is what I started today:

I know, it's a blank canvas, but not really. I worked for awhile to get the light to move across the background. You'll see why later in the week.



Here's what I'm looking at (though the color is wrong and it's a little out of focus):

See no evil

My newest painting.


Mr. Potato Head. This is the first of a series. I'm going to paint him next without ears, and then again without a mouth. I'm really having fun with this. It evokes a lot of questions. Is he blind by choice? He seems pretty happy without his eyes. Or does he appear to be trying to find them with his hands waving around searching? How did he lose them in the first place?

Someone suggested that I title this "The Bush Administration," and that brings up a whole new set of questions. Is Mr. Potato Head a symbol or our president, or does he represent the American people looking the other way?

I also like the idea of "Our Fearless Leader." It's less political, and open to a wider interpretation. And the idea of "the blind leading the blind" is something that everyone can relate to.

Regardless of the title, it's a painting that opened several doors in my head. I have lots of ideas for new paintings to keep me busy for awhile. Stay tuned...

Welcome.

Come visit anytime-- I'm at the corner of 49th and Aurora in Suite 322. (Call first to make sure I'm there.)

When you come, this is what you'll see at my new studio as you walk in the door:



This is the view from the other side of the room, looking at the wall behind the easel.



And this is my view most of the time.



Yep, that's Mr. Potato Head. It's the first of a series. He deserves his own post, so you'll have to wait for more of an explanation later in the week.

Oh, and the quote from the last post (no guesses?) is from the Liberian National Anthem. The correct words are, "though new her name, green be her fame and mighty be her powers..."

Libby wants me to stop singing now.

Meet Libby.

"Though new her name, grey be her fame...**

Also known as Liberia, Libby is our new roommate. Her job is mostly to keep me company while Chris is away, and to distract Chris from his computer when he's home. So far, she's done pretty well on both counts.

We adopted her last week from a local animal rescue shelter. She was a bit timid for the first few days, but she's quickly found her stride. Last night I came home to find her perched on top of the tall bathroom cabinet. She's playful, but gentle and she loves to lay on my lap and purr as I type.



This picture above shows her color more accurately, but the picture below demonstrates her personality. Obviously, it took a while to get a decent picture.



**Brownie points for anyone who can tell me what I'm referencing in the quote. I'll reveal the answer in the next post, but you can leave your guesses in the comments.

Finale.

It's my final week here at Gage. Next week, I'll move out of this studio and begin to work independently at my very own studio. My little space here will get a bit bigger. I'll have my own key, my own door and my own window. While I'll miss my little community here at Gage, I'm looking forward to working on my own terms. Playing music as I paint. Listening to NPR. Painting without unsolicited critiques. Enjoying quiet when I want it.

My new space is small, with a limited view. I won't have a computer there, so I'll have to make time at home for email and blogging. I won't have a fridge or a freezer like we have here, so I'll have to plan lunches a little more carefully. But I will have North Light and privacy. I will have independence. I will have the freedom to figure out how to be a painter on my own. I will also have a 10 minute walk from my house, rather than a 40 minute bus ride. I will have more opportunities to meet friends for lunch, or walk for ice cream at my new favorite neighborhood place.

I can't wait.

Meanwhile, I'm going to paint. And I'm going to pack. There's a lot of stuff in this small space...

Settling in again.

I'm back. Did you miss me?

I had a lovely visit with family, saw really beautiful scenery, and manned a support team for a marathon at sea. Once again, Chris's determination and drive made life crazy-wonderful for a couple of days. I'm always impressed with him and his fierce ambition. Who else would imagine running 262 laps around a jogging track on a cruise ship? I love that man.

Now I'm settling back in to life. And I'm reminded of how much I like my life. I like my house and my husband. I like my studio and the act of painting (even if I'm not always happy with the product). I like my job at the museum. I like knitting on the bus and the simple familiarity of crazy people on the route 49. I like that I have friends who are excited to see me and I like my rainy, grey-sky city. I like life in Seattle. And I like that we're staying here another year.

Vacation

Just a quick post to say why I'm not posting...

Chris and I went to Portland for a few days and returned last night. It was lovely. Today guests arrive for a family vacation, so I'll be back here sometime after the 15th.

I'll have lots to update you on then.

Thoughts at the Makeup Counter.

Last week I took a rare trip to the makeup counter at Macy's. I went because there was a special and I needed a couple of small things. As often happens (maybe because I'm a sucker), I ended up sitting in a chair while a young woman wearing lots of eyeshadow touched my face.

Now back in my teaching days, I needed a second job for awhile, so I used to work at one of these counters and I remember how this works. The girl with lots of eyeshadow needs to present herself as the expert and to do that she needs to make me feel insecure about my face or my skin or my eyes--whatever will help her sell me something to cover up or enhance or accentuate my features. Those are words the eyeshadowed girls use a lot.

So, anyway, I'm in the chair and the eyeshadowed girl is scrutinizing my face. After a pause, she asks, "So how old are you, dear?"

I smile (I know what's coming.) and say proudly, "31."

"Oh? Really? Hmm..." Delicate pause. "Well, let me show you one of our new products that will help you get rid of those circles under your eyes and get you back to looking more your age."

"Circles?" I think, "I didn't notice any circles this morning--hmm. Maybe I do need to put a little more effort into my appearance. Did I even look in the mirror this morning when I left? I wonder what the rest of me looks like."

I sat there in that chair and began to feel more and more insecure. I decided it was time to change the subject. "So," I asked, "what do you do when you're not at Macy's?"

"Well, I have a three year old little boy and he takes a lot of my time. When I'm not here then mostly I'm doing his laundry." She laughs with a tired smile.

I sense that she wants to change the subject, so I ask how long she's worked at Macy's.

"Oh, on and off-- about a year." Ok, let's change the subject again. So I ask if she had enjoyed the long weekend.

"Well, my boyfriend and I got in a fight, but then later we grilled out with his family, so... no I guess not."

Ouch. A little too much information. She realizes this and changes the subject, but thankfully not to my dark under eye circles. "So, what about you? What do you do?"

"Well, I'm an artist..."

In a effort to steer the conversation away from my facial flaws, I describe my life for her. I talk about my art, our travel, living overseas-- anything but makeup. And as I talk I realize, my life is really good. I look at her perfect makeup and I contrast my life with hers and decide that even with my under eye circles, I'd rather be me.

Finally, she steps back and hands me a mirror. "Now, doesn't that look nice," she says. "What do you think of that concealer? Should I put that in your bag, too?"

"No thanks, I don't need it."

Words fail.

So beautiful.

I know, I know...

I'm behind on posting. But I've been painting. See?



A whole new painting to look at. This is a collection of souvenirs from Chris's adventures recently. There's a painted tile from Tunisia, a terracotta box from somewhere (maybe Syria?), a small carved figurine from Easter Island and a bottle filled with sand from Jordan. The blue bowl is from the far off distant land of Anthropologie, but I wanted something blue-green and round, sort of as a symbol of the world. And looking inside the paper bag was my idea of exploring new places from a different angle. Also, it was pretty. Here's a view of my set-up.



I haven't yet painted the red handles and they're an important part of the composition. I still have a lot to do before that though. The color inside the bag is really important. I want it to glow, so that your eye is really drawn in to the bag. I'm trying to get everything else nailed down nicely before I really work on the bag.

Several people lately have told me that they can see how much progress I'm making. I've been doubtful, but I can see changes in my approach with this painting. I'm much more deliberate about things when I have a problem now. It's exciting to finally push past a plateau.



Also, you have no idea how satisfying it is that I can't see the difference between my painting and the wall in the top photo. I worked so very very hard to get that wall color right!