Inheritance -skf

D. W. Field

Hello fellow lovers of the creative life.

 The top picture is a photo I took at D W Field in Brockton just before sunset. It was a hazy day so the light was soft and pink. All of the creatures were settling down for the night and just a few crickets and katydids were performing the soundtrack for this serene moment. For a brief eternity,while my husband hurried to the car, I took in the beauty of that place at that time. I was mindful that it would never return and from the second I took the picture it was now a memory. And so I painted this fragile experience which is the bottom picture.It is an interpretation that hovers between real and abstract. I am handing this moment to my granddaughter for her first birthday. I hope the painting will communicate my feelings about nurturing what you find deeply sublime as often as you are able. And so as it hangs on the wall of her nursery I hope that she will  pause for a moment to reflect. My intention is for it to be a quiet companion as she is growing up, from my mind to hers with love.

Beware -az

'Beware' is my state mind right now after a couple of 'off' weeks.  Despite this being one of my older works, it continues to amuse me because of the 'beware' and then there is all these happy colors, creatures, and flowers, which defies the logic of caution. 

I am hoping that this week will be less 'off'. 

az

But is it art? -az

I considered whether or not to talk about my recent studio update because I did not consider it art in the traditional sense. However, when I shot an email to Karin telling of my latest decorating adventures, she said 'Blog it'.

 I used to have a studio out of my house, but life became busy and going to the studio was no longer practical. Not to mention, I was so pressured to do art when I got there that all inspiration left me the minute I unlocked the door. I did have a small home studio which consisted of my grandmother's dining room table and my favorite pottery lamp.

When I closed up shop at my away studio, all that stuff needed a new home. Naturally, disorganization prevailed in my home studio until I could not stand it anymore. As you can see, it was messy, bland, and rather white.

To start, I cleared out my book case that was full of random stuff make way for art supplies and sketch books. I relegated some art supplies to the spare bed room, garage, and under beds and bureaus. The pictures on the wall got hung elsewhere. I refinished my heavily abused grandmother's table by using Restore-A-Finish and coated it with beeswax which produced beautiful results. For protection, I had glass cut for both my table and my big plastic drawers. For storage and for my clamp-on lights, I had a hutch custom made for grandmother's mahogany table which I stained an obnoxious cherry blossom color.  They call it cherry but it looks like purple to me.

The hutch after & plexi-glass shelf



One of the weirdest but useful  things I have is what I call a plexi-glass shelf. It sits on top the custom shelf. It is just a piece of plexi-glass shaped like the letter 'c' but it helps to keep everything from falling off the shelf. Sarah and I found it in a sign maker's trash.                                                                                                                                                                                                        I spray painted and stenciled my multiple mini drawers, my faded photo boxes, and my two bulletin boards. The greyhound stencil is my own creation. Fern  and leaf stencils created by Mother Nature. The circle/bulls eye stencil is from a plastic olive jar. 

Below is a chalkboard that I chose to spray paint, stencil, and wire to use as an inspiration board. 

Below, I had very large 'salt pigs' made for my markers which I love. They are made by

Lindsey Epstein (www.crystallinehorse.com).  They are held on a very lazy large Susan for accessibility.  Spread through out my space is many handmade pottery pieces that I made, bought, thrifted, was given, or found. The bird was made by Sarah. The blue coil pot is of my own making many decades ago. 

Here is my studio space now. There is more to do but it is so much better. 

*az*

sea horse -kes

the fishy drawing journey takes a left turn at abuquerque...
for those of you just tuning in see the 'catch of the day' posting for an explanation.

i've imposed few rules.
1   make 365 drawings while thinking of fish
2   one day at a time
3   alternate drawing between the left hand one day and the right the next day

an observation after 26 days at this:
the left hand is not 100% controllable. it's free-er to express the conversation it wants to have with the paper than the right.

enjoy today's blog post image (day 16) by my left hand. it wasn't interested in drawing koi that day...instead it made an embryonic seahorse and mermaid growing within a protective oyster shell. i found that this drawing makes me very happy, like when i look at Marc Chagall. just to imagine he might help from the other side is time well spent. day 16 is by far my favorite to date.

More talk of hands - az

The below is a continuation of last week. I love the picture below in spite of the proportions being a bit off but I like the pose of the hands. I added some fun by drawing a big poofy dress and butterfly wings.

Journal page 7x10"

On to the next picture which is just pure silliness (and hands).  As a kid, I would draw, abandon my art, and  then come back. In my absence, my father would think it was funny to draw on my drawings.  One day, he drew a spider with a beanie and seven legs in my art journal. Needless to say, much squawking prevailed but I kept the drawing. The twelve-year-old Picasso in me was offended but the daughter in me was amused. If I am feeling sentimental, this seven legged 'beanied' creature will pop up.

My father's collaborative attempt.

Journal spread, 14x10"


*az*