Let Go

30 Paintings in 30 Days, hosted by fabulous artist Leslie Saeta.

Day One:  "Let Go"

I feel good about this piece, even though I went in a completely different direction with it. I meant to do something funny or uplifting but it turned out looking a bit sad or depressing.

I named it "Let Go" because that's what I have been doing all year. Letting go of stuff, lots of stuff. It's my birth father walking there. I don't know if he's still alive. Even if, it's unlikely that I would meet him. That's okay. I'm good now.

"Let Go"
Cut-up book pages and clippings from storybooks, colored pencils, acrylics, ink; on canvas panel, "16 x "12.

Illusions

My sample

Illusion is no longer possible, because the real is no longer possible. (Jean Boudrillard) 

- Let's think about this for a minute.

Okay then. 

Mona's, inspired by her pet pleco

The summer was long and short at the same time. We started out with severe actions of home improvement because we were expecting company from Germany for a stay of three weeks - my mother-in-law and one of our nephews. 

The initial idea was to move a few pieces of furniture from one room to another, just to make our house more presentable and more practical. But then this harmless little idea turned loose and all of a sudden we found ourselves going through every closet and every drawer, throwing out things with no mercy. The daily harvest was quite impressive.

Jacob's piece

All this house business took away so much time which I would have liked to have used for teaching summer art camps to make some income. But, oh well, when our company finally arrived everything looked splendid and new and spacious. So it was worth it. 

We had a beautiful visit. My husband was able to spend a lot of time with his mother, and our kids were happy to have their cousin around. We did plenty of sightseeing, dived into anything that this little town and the region have to offer.


To my delight I was able to schedule at least one art camp after all, and it even filled up immediately. Twelve students between 8 and 14 in my cosy little studio. It took place at the end of the summer break when my nephew was still here to join in the fun. 

The theme was "Illusions." It was dealing with various aspects of what "illusions" can be. The first projects focused on perspective, on ways of how to make objects look 3-dimensional, and how to create the illusion of movement. 

The last project was less about technique but more about imagination: I asked the campers to create a human face that is composed of both positive and negative spaces. They came up with some fabulous illusions, for real. Just showing a few of them.

 

Dinglehopping

So my daughter Mona had a small part in the junior production of the local community theater again. After last year's magical Lion King experience, there was no doubt that she would try out for this year's Little Mermaid. I didn't watch her audition because I had a Plein Air painting competition during that time. But my friend, who took her to the stage said that she did quite well. Mona said, auditioning felt different this time. She said she was nervous, because she really really wanted to get in. And she did get in.

And I got a part, too. I was asked to make a nautical figure head for the main set piece, a ship front. So I built one from masking paper and cellulose, nearly life-size. She looked like Bob Marley first, mainly because I always place the eyes too high even though I know what the correct position is. Something in me makes me do that every time I sculpt a face. Even after I had corrected Marley's eyes she didn't take on a mermaidish image, and especially not Ariel's. I'm glad and honored
that everyone seemed to love Marley, the Mermaid.

Mona danced in the Under the Sea fish ensemble, and later she was a frog during the Kiss the Girl scene. Of course I was proud. My baby, up there.

Timeless

Paul Klee is one of my very favorite artists, and whenever I have a chance, I make his works and his philosophy part of my teachings. I do that for many reasons. One is certainly that Klee's art per se is simply fantastic and unique, his works are experimental and diverse yet his artistic styles are quite recognizable. I have found that kids of all ages respond very well to his art. They love to discuss his works and are able to relate to his innovative ways of expressing thoughts and emotions.

I love the lines Klee is famous for - literally and figuratively. "A dot is a line that went for a walk," said the Master of Lines. No cuteness intended and intuitively plausible.

I love Klee particularly because of his playfulness. That's another reason for a Klee lesson. The faces, they say everything. Or not? What do they say.

When my daughter Mona and I went to Germany last Spring to see our family, we also had the chance to visit the large collection of international modern art at "K20" in Duesseldorf where about 100 pieces of Klee's work are permanently exhibited. Mona said later that she felt that Pollock's and Warhol's paintings were screaming, while Klee's pieces were whispering. And it had nothing to do with size, she said.

Newly inspired by Klee's fabulous art, I planned to do something Klee-related for all classrooms as the final  projects of this school year. So the lower elementary students did line drawings, the upper el students made their own versions of Castle and Sun, using oil pastels on record album covers. And the middle schoolers each selected a Klee painting to translate it into a 3-D object. I was so excited by their ability to make a connection with a certain piece.

By the way, Klee's prolific work was called "degenerate" by Hitler, the prosaic painter who wanted to become a professional artist but did not because he just didn't have the talent. The professors at the Vienna art academy told Hitler to go to an architectural school instead and "give up pure art as hopeless." Hitler's style, they found, in which he drew human figures "represented a profound uninterest in people."


Here is another good quote: "The more horrifying the world becomes, the more art becomes abstract." Timeless.

(pictures of my students' work 2018)

Yes, Sheila!

"It's Not Too Late" (1st Prize in Mixed Media category)

Haven't posted in a while. What happened to the sort-of promise to post daily, I wonder. It was a promise foremost to myself. Because blogging helps me reflect things, and I need reflection, I need to think about things to identify my feelings about them, and writing helps me doing that. Yeah, I have been busy. Sure have been. But then, I'm busy all the time, it's no excuse really. So maybe I didn't want to reflect things for a while. I guess, I took a vacation from the deep-thinking because some things are sometimes just too difficult and heavy to think about these days.

Mona's piece "Gems and Jewels" won Best of Show

In the middle of all this business I received the sweetest postcard a few weeks ago. It came from my blogger artist friend, Sheila, reminding me to keep sharing my art. Thank you so much for doing that! Thank you for choosing the old-fashioned way of sending me a handwritten note, and thank you for your encouragement and kindness, Sheila! I appreciate it all very much.

So, here it goes! I haven't produced much this year. But still, this year has been a very successful one for me nevertheless: In February, I had three pieces in a local juried small works exhibit and sold them right away (see last post).

In March, I had a fabulous third round of my original fundraising art project "ART ON 45" for which I asked (local) artists to make a piece of art on or with a 45rpm record. This time it was to support a regional organization that helps victims of domestic violence. The auction event was beautiful and very successful. Many people came to enjoy and support the event, and these people were very diverse in every way.  I loved it. It makes me so happy that the project and the event have

"Ndebele House" box, 3rd prize for Mona

been so well-received.

And in April I participated in a Plein Air Competition. That is something I don't feel I am particularly good at but I love the challenge. I didn't win a prize but my piece was compatible, it felt good to see that mine actually didn't look out of place in company of all the stunning professional works on the wall. And I sold it too!

Jacob's "Before It Happened"  (2nd prize)

May was an especially busy month for me because I spent a lot of extra time at the Montessori School to help students getting their (Paul Klee inspired) projects finished before they would leave for the summer.

And now we are having June, the month of the annual "Peach Festival" here in town where you can do lots of peachy things. In this context, the local arts council holds a juried art show every year, where all people, no matter what age or skill level, can enter their works. Last year I won an Honorary Mention for my sculpture "Undo" in the 3-D category, and I was quite thrilled about it.

This year I submitted two pieces and won 1st prize for "It's Not Too Late" in the Mixed Media category. And my kids both won, too! Jacob (11) got 2rd prize for his relief piece "Before It Happened", and Mona (9) won 3rd prize for her "Ndebele House" box and Best of Show/Youth for her watercolor and ink drawing "Gems and Jewels." Isn't that something.

That was nice!

"Night and Day" - "Change the Story" - "Knock Knock"

I recently submitted three pieces to a small works exhibit here in town and all three got accepted. It was a nice opportunity to show my work and meet people that may be interested in what I do. The motto of the exhibit was #50 @ $50", therefore fifty small pieces of art were for sale for only $ 50 each.

Naturally, I hoped to sell my three pieces. Not really for the money but because I wanted to see if my work is in demand and is able to compete with other artists' work. And, yes! All my three pieces were sold only five minutes after opening of the show. I am so thrilled!

On top of that, I was lucky to get three fantastic originals that I just love: One of them I gave to my dear husband for Valentine's Day (Liz Zanca's "Conversation"). Then there is this exquisite little painting by Julie Crews, "Behind the Bus."

And, of course, the wacky denture installation by Mashall Smith - titled "Hi, Mr Wilson" - was a no-brainer.

Hey Peace

Peas, peach, peace - oh whatever.

I started this little peace piece last week and intended to submit it to an exhibit of small works. I had it all thought out in my head but something didn't look right when I was finished. So I put it on hold for a few days and submitted something else.

It's alright now, I think.

"Hey Peace"
Acrylics, watercolor, ink, storybook clippings, yellowed edges of book pages, on canvas panel, 8" x 8"