Around the World Blog Hop

I was honored to be asked to participate in the "Around the World Blog Hop" by a multi-talented and professionally astute artist and friend, Barbara Benedetti Newton . Barbara and I grew up in the same town of Auburn, Washington and were in the same graduation class in high school. When I joined DailyPaintworks a couple of years ago, Barbara and I reunited, and she was a wonderful resource for me to ask questions and seek advice. Here is just a smidgen of her work to whet your appetite.

Growing up, I always enjoyed creating. When I was two and a half I developed Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis which limited my abilities to be active physically. My mom encouraged art as a form of expression for me, and she saw to it I had the supplies with which to do it. When I began my teaching career years later I was determined to give my students as much exposure to art as possible. I developed a curriculum of Art Appreciation activities for primary students with a co-teacher, a friend who had an interest in music. I involved the students with as many art-related activities as I could fit into our schedule. Throughout teaching I watched my primary students carefully while they painted. They were engrossed in pure wonder as they applied color, and they were filled with no trace of fear or worry as they applied big, expressive strokes and large shapes and lines. I wanted to be like that! "Oh boy!" I promised myself. "Just wait until I retire!"

What Am I working On?

Currently, I'm trying to spend more time with oils. I still love pastel painting, but I marvel at the feel of the brush being pulled through paint, the bounce of the canvas (or smoothness of the panel) as paint is applied and the look of brushstroke mark-making. More specifically, I am presently painting a small oil floral still life of roses in a vase. I have become enamored of  artists Barbara Flowers and Christine Lafuente's works of floral still lifes. I'm also trying hard to be that kid again that I mentioned above. I'm trying to schedule more time to just play with color combinations, design and limited palettes.

How Does My Work Differ From Others of Its Genre?

If by genre you mean subjects or categories, I'm very eclectic! I find something that interests me and want to paint it be it still life, animals, landscape, floral or figurative. So far, still life has been my dominant area of expression. I also tend to focus on the intimate view as opposed to a large scene with many objects.

Why Do I Create What I Do?

I've always had a creative urge in my life whether it be for art, teaching, writing, quilting, etc. I need that opportunity to express "something from Carol" mainly, I think, because it lets me know more about myself.  Presently, art-making is that expression for me. In recent years artists have taken the still life genre to a new place with informal, colorful, humorous (at times), approachable still life paintings. They have become relevant to current everyday life with their spoons and forks, fruit and veggies, ceramic animals and old trucks. I love that!!

       

 How Does My Creative Process Work?

Sometimes, selecting a subject or theme is the most difficult part for me. That may sound silly. One would think that would never be a problem with the whole world before you. Often resource material is lean if you have a particular wish to paint cows and you live in the city, or you want to paint children playing, but you live in a retirement community. But, for me, the biggest requirement is good lighting. Light is everything in painting. It's the excitement and challenge in the process.

Being inspired is the first step. Then, I do some sort of value study, mostly very informal. I prepare the surface with an underpainting or do a monochrome value study directly onto the surface. Or, I sometimes block in the big shapes in the beginning then modify each shape gradually by adding more and more detail. Thin paint first, then a heavier, thicker layer. I rarely paint alla prima. I have to admit I work too slowly for that, but two to five days to finish a painting is about average.

Now, I am passing the Blog Hop Baton to two talented and inspiring artists. They will post next Monday, November 10th. Look for them. Here are their links:

Diana Marshall  I have followed Diana for some time enjoying her beautiful work in oil. She paints in a Contemporary Realist manner and her work is exquisite! Wait till you see her grapes! Diana lives in Ireland, and paints with rich color and beautiful light. She has a real talent for composing her still life setups, and also paints animals as well as her amazingly beautiful Ireland. She's a very gifted and respected artist!
                                                                         

R H (Rhonda) Carpenter   Rhonda's blog is called "Watercolor and Words" and it continues to be an informative, inspiring blog about methods, materials and projects with watercolor. She will walk you through her processes with these materials and carefully explain do's and don't's regarding them. Recently, she worked with "pours" and had lovely work come out of that project. When I began blogging over three years ago, Rhonda was one of the first artists to welcome me to this blogging world. Thank you, Rhonda!