Thinking About What Intrigues

First Sketch ~ The Party
from a personal photograph

Many years ago I saw the above image in real life when I was taking pictures (with permission) at a birthday party I attended. The majority, being elderly, added a somber vibe to the gathering. There aren't that many 80th birthdays to attend in life. I imagine there was a lot of reflection going on about our own longevity. I was near my sixties at the time. It feels like hundred years ago. All the party goers in the sketch are now deceased. 

Uploading the images, that one particular photo (above) reminds me of Cezanne's, The Card Players (below). To my surprise, after putting watercolor to the sketch, I see my colors are similar to Cezanne's painting.  The memory holds well in my artist's brain.

The Card Players
1890 ~ 1892 Oil on canvas
Paul Cezanne 1839 ~ 1906

What is it that captures my heart in Cezanne's painting is how he puts to canvas the concentration composure of the men playing cards. Deep in thought they are. At the birthday party, those folks are deep in thought as well. It intrigues me that the card game is similar to living to a ripe old age. How we win at a game or life, chances are chances. The cake is consumed. The cards are dealt.

Eventually I will do an acrylic painting from my photograph. I imagine it will be large as there is more off frame that I might add, if  it supports the concentration focus.

If I remember right, then I've done pencil sketches from other pictures of the room. I chose the small section of that table because it best represents what I feel from Cezanne's painting. I don't experience that many connections with my image choices reminding me of an old master's artwork. What will my painting be isn't the highlight. Feeling the connection with an artwork, no matter the artist or era, is the best part.

Panorama Photos

Route 17, Addison, Vermont
Snake Mountain (center)
Green Mountains in the distance
Left Photo

Right Photo

Cropped center left
Note the cumulus cloud

Panorma View
Route 17, West Addison, Vermont

To paint from photographs, I sometimes create a panorma image. 

I crop from a point where in both pictures, there is an identifiable feature. In the photo above, the cumulus cloud with the dome is a good place. From there I can see the section that overlaps in each image.

The scale of the painting is another story. I can condense, and lose the vastness of the landscape or I can go wide vertical to capture the breath of the image.

This particular landscape is perfect for a 4 season photograph. The fields in early spring will not all be plowed. In summer, there will be corn growing there. In fall the corn will be dry and in the stages of being harvested. In winter, there will be snow on the fields and/or on the Green Mountains.  

When the pictures were taken, the ground was in the process of drying out from lots of rain. You can see on the left center where some of the fields are plowed (dark soil).

🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷

Once again it is overcast, dreary, and raining. I managed to have a sound uneventful sleep last night, and a nap this morning. I'm reducing my stress by switching my get out around people more, (a chore for sure) by going to a library no hassles just show up gathering. For exercise today, laundry. For soul fun, a few watercolor sketches of the photos above.  And for the brain, watching the Moorsea calming video from the YouTube channel, My Tranquilitee.

Have a Lovely Day!

Painting in Spring

Park at Asnieres in Spring 1887
Vincent Van Gogh 1853 ~ 1890
oil on canvas ~ wikiart.org

In the spring, what I look forward to is seeing...the first robin, the first daffodil, flowering trees, sunshine, and sandals on my feet.

For painting, as a child I loved the subject of spring the most. The joyful feeling of so many colorful flowers out of winter's white was magic to me. 

If you can get out and about, then consider taking pictures of the flowers and trees of spring. 

Paint your favorite image of spring.

Day 12 of Week 2 January 2024

Cedar Waxwing

Next in the paint watercolors from photographs will be the Cedar Waxwing With Berry. He is huddled inside the crook of a crabapple tree in the spring. The fruit winters over all shriveled like crabapple raisins. The cedar waxwings appear to love them. 

The image is more complicated than the maples leaves.  It is a nice challenge. First off, I know I will repositioned the branches.

Have a Berry Nice Weekend!

Bake a Spanakopita (Greek spinach pie)

Read about dandelions

Create a gift tote from a cereal box

Draw a pair of boots

Browse pine tree tee shirts online

Watch elephant videos

Play cards

Call a cousin

Happy Hot Tea Day!

Hello to the Last November Monday of 2023

Ice forming on Dead Creek
Addison, Vermont, 25 November 2023

No Ice on Windy Lake Champlain
At the Fort Frederic shoreline
Upstate New York 25 November 2023

Earth's Moon Over Vermont
Waxing Gibbous 94.29% 25 November 2023
Northern Hemisphere
Beaver Full Moon on 27th

Have a Lovely Week! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Scheduling a post means  there's no news on what's going on when you wake up, unless, of course, you can tell the future.

That said.

This morning my most unfavorite weather is sleet. Sleety slush (nice ID name) is covering everything. Thankfully, I have no errands to run today. 

I've been researching pan watercolors because they are so easy to use. Thus far, I'm staying with Winsor & Newton. Pans, maybe not. I have dry watercolor in tubes that are about the same thing. Adding up my palette of watercolor 5 ml tubes, there isn't much difference in the cost of pans versus tubes. I don't know how to figure out the volume of pigment difference. 

There was a time when I was mainly a watercolorist. I changed over years ago to acrylic because it suited the depression better.

Now that I'm lifting out of an episode of the horrid blues, I'm rethinking things in various areas of my life. 

Thankfully again, not blogging hasn't resurfaced. Art has because painting has been a real struggle.  Wardrobe is another area as I want to down size my volume of laundry. I didn't buy a beautiful sweater at a fantastic price on sale because it is chenille aka bulky lint city. There's no longer an entire wash of chenille pajamas and sweathers for me to do since I stopped buying, and tossed most of them. I also tossed old tee shirts into the rag bag. Cooking is on the list as well. When I was a stay at home married person, I daily fed my family. Sure, there were new recipes that created laughable surprises, but I cooked more good meals than bad. Frankly, that burnt pumpkin pie was rather attrative with a rustic vibe.

Today I'm filling a big soup mug with the different teas for a teast tasting. Most are repeats I forget the flavor of. The trick is to taste any of them because the 2022 covid booster took away about 90% of my sense of taste. The covid booster this year hasn't brought it back as I had hoped. However, I was able to taste tea the other day. 

I could rattle on as I hear what sounds like a plow truck. I think it is probably a sander. It is thickly slushy outside. I woke just after 4 AM EDT. Maybe a nap* is in order. 

*Nap was nice, but not long enough. ☺

Brushing By Progress

Depression is starting to lighten for me. First time I've picked up a brush in almost 2 weeks. 

Its only a watercolor study, no major details. 

I like the green pumpkin, but not in that setting for a painting.

The background is different than the photo I took.

The sunlight needs work, lots of work. I think I'll change the sunlight on the pumpkin so it doesn't look like it is cut open. 

The Thrill of Simple Things

Standing at an easel to paint is comfortable for me. A bar stool has the height for a quick rest and think as well as a place to paint without the crouching position being in a chair creates. My neck can become sore from looking up when I'm seated lower to the canvas. 

As you can see in the photo background, I'm culling books. For book lovers, culling can feel like losing a family pet. Boxing up titles doesn't work well because after a while, there are too many boxes in the closet. It is best to just get the job done. Whine all you want, that's not only acceptable, it is normal when preparing books on their journey out the door. What you don't see is those books have been there going on 3 days as I recover from knowing they will soon be in a donation bag.

Meanwhile, I am thrilled with my new-to-me bar stool for my easel area. 

Not much progress at all for the New Haven River painting.  There's been life road bumps in the recent weeks for me to deal with. I expect in the next few days for remarkable change on the canvas to post about.

P.S.

Side note here. Small order on on Walmart website. Better for me to pick up at the store than go to store to find they are out of stock. At checkout online, the total cost is too high. Did I make a mistake and add more than 1? No. My order process is correct. 

The problem is Walmart add $6.99 to my order because my total order is  being below their $35.00  minimum order amount. It is highly unlikely I will ever order online from Walmart no matter what my items total is.

Thoughts On Creativity

New brushes in the light, shiny ferrules, clean shafts, leaning like friends chatting about their weekend inspired me to create a blog banner years ago. So long ago that I don't remember when the picture was taken. Maybe 2009ish. 

In those days I sat at my dinning table (2 inch thick old pine) aka my desk, thinking, painting, crafting, blogging. I took photographs of whatever was nearby. I felt comfortably creative there.

Brush & Paint. The image for the series this fall I will post about in progress has been decided, The New Haven River in Bristol, Vermont photograph is the one I will paint from.

New Haven River in Bristol, Vermont

Both banks will extend into the woods for a large canvas. My primary focus is the relationship between hues, water and rocks. The color story flowing as the rivers flows, that connection is what I want to achieve in my painting.

A few pencil sketches, splashes of color, and I will be ready to begin the first session this week.

Here's the thing about creativity.

I believe anyone can be an artist that wants to be, and, puts in the work. There is no such thing as, "I can't draw." You can. You just haven't gone the distance with drawing. 

Composition can also be learned. Even people with natural talent have to sketch, plan, practice. Creating the art is the key to being an artist. How talented you are is another story. As long as you reach a level you like, then that, I believe, is good enough. 

There is always talent at the top, those with a natural ability to create artwork that wows the majority of us. 

However, at the top doesn't mean the artist belongs there. Popularity, especially from trusted art critic voices, has a strong say in who are the artist at the top, collectible, worth investing money into buying their art. I've seen online extraordinary artists, mega talented, that aren't in the news, big sellers, at the top of the high end art community network.

Who is versus What is.

Think Mona Lisa (1503). I've seen just as good if not better smiles on many portraits, old and new. Yet, she is one of the most famous paintings in the world, and, I believe, always will be. She deserves it. But, what about the others? Well, that's the art World, and, there's only one Leonardo da Vinci. 

Ever read about a lawyer, doctor or other professional with a well paying career give it all up to become an artist? If you haven't, then you haven't been reading about the artists. 

They have an edge because they have, I believe, the money to change careers, a following from the get-go, a good resume, and, many have talent and/or develop their talent.

If I had a nice well stocked studio space, there is no guarentee I would paint more than I do because depression doesn't work like that. I have over a dozen unfinished canvases and creative projects. I do the best I'm able with what I have. Trying is doing.

You can do the same if you want to be an artist.

More Considerations & Autumn Photographs

Mount Abraham Western Side circa 2019

A composite using other photographs of the area is a consideration. 

It is a beautiful part of the drive up to Lincoln Gap, in Lincoln,. Vermont. 

A popular leaf peeping route, part of the Long Trail crosses the road.

Mount Abraham Western Side in Lincoln, Vermont

The watercolor is from the photo of the 

New Haven River in Lincoln, Vermont 

with Mount Abe in the background.

I might try the scene as a larger watercolor.

These two photographs will create a wider view of the area. 

The boulder scene is to the left off frame from the picture of the 

New Haven River (below).

New Haven River, Bristol, Vermont

Vermont Woods In Fall 2015

Addison, Vermont circa 2019

Cornstalks & Green Pumpkin at Middlebury Garden Center

Robert Frost Interpretative Trail 2021

Route 125, near Robert Frost Picnic Area circa 2020

 I am leaning towards painting from the photograph of the New Haven River in Bristol, Vermont. The challenge of the water and rocks scrambles my brain in a healthy way as an artistic challenge I can gain from.

Surprising to me is the photo of the cornstalks and green pumpkin. I think a watercolor is developing in my mind for that one.

The trees border the parking lot at the Robert Frost Interpretative trail. When I sat there looking out, I felt huddled with them as if chatting over a run of sap. On one visit, there were crows flying and landing on a broken tree trunk. A watercolor of the scene is on my to paint list.

As a rule, there is a lot of pre-painting thought that happens before the first brush stroke. It is the most difficult part of painting for me. I suspect other artist feel the same way. For the 2nd year doing an in progress painting on this blog, I'm finding it is the most challening artwork I've had all year. Well, other than pushing myself to paint.

Landscape Selection

Past Peak Field

The New Haven River in Bristol

The New Have River in Lincoln

Route 125 in Autumn

In the event I don't take a spectacular photograph of foliage this season for the painting in progress series, I've chosen the above pictures as the  possibility scenes.

The past peak field is a landscape that will take up more time than the mixing of hues. The balance of light and shadows is the biggest challenge. Althought the colors have a strong impact on my senses, maybe there's too much burnt sienna. It is one of the landscapes that tells the artist its story as the paint is applied.

The New Haven River in Bristol is the most challenging in respect to the water and rocks balancing with the foliage colors.

The New Haven River in Lincoln is a scene I want more photographs of. The mountain in blue is too meh for me. I like the idea of a watercolor more than an acrylic painting.

The Route 125 scene is a treasure It might not be quite enough for an in progress series. The Middlebury River, by the way, is to the right off frame down a steep embankment. A good photograph of the river near that section is dangerous as the embankment is not stable enough to attempt even with a rope, help and at a turn off area.  

Last year the subject is the Middlebury River in Ripton, Vermont. I'm thinking maybe this year the New Haven River is the best choice. I do need more photographs to decide.

Post Hiatus

The Middlebury River
Acrylic on canvas 2022
M.Flannery

Post hiatus (hi ay tus). Projects are lined up along with canvases. I feel refreshed. I am especially pleased the comments to my political post are positive. 

Art. Remember the painting series posted last year for the artwork in the photograph above? Well, I will be starting another series from a different photo as yet to be taken. Once again, the series is for an impressionism landscape. 

Internet. In my travels, checking this blog's name on Google, I learned a website that promoted blogs for free, (send in email and URL), has changed to a free plus paid service. It is good to have a plan to promote your blog if you are in business or want to increase traffic to your website for advertising income. That is beyond my small blog world, but other's might consider such a plan.

I believe it is a good idea to Google  your name as well as your blog's name on a regular basis. You never know what might be out there. 

Cereal. Instead of sugary snacks, I treated myself to a box of Special K Blueberry cereal. Breaking up the monotony of oatmeal feels great. Besides, I sometimes like to have cereal for dinner. 

October. Starting this month felt to me like walking into a twilight zone. October 7 actual date. My brain date, September 30th. It is a good thing I had to grocery shop or else I would have missed the oranges of the distant mountains. The trees nearby are just beginning to turn color. When they are at peak foliage, the mountains are past peak foliage.

Over the long weekend, on Route 7, Saturday morning I saw long lines of vehicles traveling south where the foliage and mountains are poplar drives. There was also a quilt show in Middlebury that day. My mask and I stayed home.

Shots. The senior flu shot, done deal, I got it. Arm was sore going in from wrestling with an Ocean Spray juice bottle. (Even after cutting the plastic connectors to the cap, I struggled to get the bottle open.) My arm is tender two hours after the shot. When I lift my arm, I feel the injection site. No redness or swelling. An ice bag later will help keep it that way.

Please read the CDC, and other sources about covid, flu, RSV shots and decide for yourself to get injected.

Remember, being healthy decreases the burden on the health care system as well as your income.

Style, Attitude & the Me of It

Dry Cosmos on the Stem
Watercolor study

 

Cosmos Drying
Digital photograph

The composition will include cosmos that are in bloom as well as buds in a blurry background.

Acrylic in progress

This summer has been one of abundant dull light for painting indoors.

Speaking of dull.

My wardrobe is Earthy colors, nothing real bright other than white. The other day I bought a pair of Cynthia Rowley long flowing viscose wide leg boho print pants. Think 1960-70s hippie era. Even the tie waist strings have wood beads at the ends. 

The photograph is taken at the hem area. 

Here's the thing. I have yet to try them on. They will fit, and be super comfortable. My issue is my attitude towards them. Although the do represent Me, I feel timid about wearing them for what they represent. Being a baby boomer, there's the hippie era episode in my history, high school, college. Actually, we were called freaks as in think comedian George Carlin. 

But that was then. I left all that behind in 1971.

I am here in the now. I don't mind looking like an old lady. I even like elastic waist pants. It took years, but I wear them all the time now. I only have a beer every summer to pay homage to my flower child era skills. I still use language I used as a teenager, edited to fit the person I'm talking to. 

What happened? Why the lack of embracing a part of my history that was as exciting as it was tragic? I remember the glow in my soul of being a writer, experiencing life to write about.

The answer that sticks out is the Attitude from judgmental folks labeling a person of any age, who wears certain clothes as getting high, ultra liberal with a stash of protest signs magically fitting into their pockets like Hermionie's bag in Harry Potter films. Seriously, you dress like that, many people will label you. 

Point being, I all on my own, on purpose, as well meaning as it is, has fit myself into a style that is not Me. 

So now I'm wondering what I'll look like when I decide to be Me.

I suspect there will be careful editing of my style because I've already searched online for temporary tattoos.

This will be fun.

Pallette Knife Funny

Palette Knife

Painting yesterday afternoon, I took out a small glob of white from the jar. I rested the palette knife across the edge of the (chipped) dinner plate I use to mix paint. As I'm turning to my left to put the jar away, my right arm hits the palette knife handle, flipping it in the air. I clean up the paint on the floor noticing there doesn't seem to be the quantity I took out of the jar, but I didn't see any more paint anywhere...

because the palette knife flipped the glob of paint onto the back of my neck where I didn't see it until an hour or so later. 

It was a mess! Thankfully, not all of the about teaspoon of paint dried in my hair or on my neck. My pony tail got unstuck without much pulling. Clean up was easy.

I laugh well.

Salubrity Summer
Mixed Media, Ink & Acrylic 14"x18" drawing

I was working on my abstract ink and acrylic drawing from March 2023. It was too flat with very little depth and colors that were trying to get away from each other.  There's more to paint now that I focus on the story the drawing it trying to tell.

Salubrity Summer from March 2023

July 2023, Week 28, Day 196

After all the rain we've had in New England, I expect in the news will be reports of mosquito activity. Already, not a day goes by without reading a headline about a diseases ticks and mosquitoes carry. 

It is a serious issue.

Be Safe. 

Use bug repellant, long pants and when you can, a mosquito net hat. 

Alas, I have high hopes that August will be a summery summer month.

After watching on YouTube the UK art series for Portrait Artists of the Year, and Landscape Artists of the Year, my enthusiasm is on the rise. 

The contestants are given 4 hours to complete their artwork of a model or place. If I give myself an hour, then I might be encouraged to finish paintings.  

Torenia

I'm still writing poems, but no new poetry blog as yet. When I have a good name, I search the Internet as well as the domain name availability. Using the name of a poem for the blog name is the what I am going with.

Meanwhile, today is dust, vacuum, wash floors, shred papers, and laundry. 

Have a spectacular weekend!

Make something out of cardboard

Pack a sandwich lunch 

Have lunch outdoors

Read about celery

Sing to a flower

Draw a set of stairs

Day dream about a beach cottage

Study local wind currents

The Forger's Masterclass - Ep. 03 - Vincent Van Gogh

This series is seriously good.

Thoughts On Being

Walden Pond 2004
Digital photo, M. Flannery

Nineteen years ago feels like last year to me. I'm not sure if that is a perk of aging or a personal flaw to have the past feel so close. The photograph is in my To Paint folder. I did begin a small acrylic many years ago. It is stored with the other small unfinished paintings. That is a flaw others have as well, not finishing paintings and/or taking years to complete them. (That doesn't make me feel less lonely though.)

Analyzing why I do or don't create when I know that doing so is a part of my soul, I believe, is a waste of time because after decades wondering about it, nothing for me changes. I was slow back then as I am today. 

Energy arrives in waves and bursts of inspiration, the apparitions of what I could be. 

I think if I paint more, then that will be the part of what I need to be.

 

Painting At the End of the Day

In progress acrylic, Lake Champlain

Greens are not easy to mix. The video (previous post) helps my mind settle in. 

Painting by light bulb isn't ideal. Tomorrow daylight will be better for the next phase of painting. I didn't feel like watching live stream tonight. So I sat down to paint instead.

(Not diggin' the tree on the right.)

It is late. Early dinner, I now feel hungry. A light snack and reading before my day goes into slumber mode.

How To Paint Atmospheric Perspective

Good Youtube video

Not In Progress

The Middlebury River in October
M. Flannery 2022
31" x 24" acrylic on stretched canvas

 This painting is finished and signed. 

In a fews days or longer, I might change the right bank, add fallen branches, weeds, and/or more sand. It is 5 AM EDT. I am not keen on that, but daylight will tell.

~~~~~~~~

Daylight

Painting's daylight photo at 11 AM

The right bank needs no additional paint. It is funny how it is place of deepest shadows that can only be seen well in the brighter light. The distant trees, though, could use some trunks. 

In Progress: Nearing the Finish

The reflections and river bank are the zones I painted the most this session. I also added more branches, and smudged the water.

I didn't expect to be so eager to finish a painting. Usually near the finish, I will try to stare it done. 

My 5th grade teacher told my mother that I am a good artist, but I don't know when to stop. I think I am learning it is good to know when a painting is complete.

I am sure there are folks out there that see finished before I do because the computer screen blends the details. I can add more thin branches and plants along the banks.

For now, I am going to rest the painting until tomorrow afternoon. I will tweak it some. Then, I will sign my 31 inch X 24 inch acrylic painting, 

"The Middlebury River in October."