What Colour's a Blackbird?

“Drawing makes you look at the world more closely. It helps you to see what you're looking at more clearly. Did you know that?"  

I said nothing. 

"What colour's a blackbird?" she said.

"Black" 

"Typical!” 

― David Almond, Skellig
 

This painting process is of a young European Blackbird.

I've learned that sometimes the pale unseen tender layers beneath the surface are the most beautiful ones. 

My 41 year old eyes needed to do the hard work to see. See what is truly there, not what my mind wanted to tell me was there. And let me say, this bird is so much much more than simply "black". 

Later today I will take on painting the background on this 22" x 30" full watercolor sheet. It's daunting at the moment but I know doing the work IS good.

So wherever your eyes are being challenged to see more clearly today, please do the work. It is good.

Art & Play

"Man is most nearly himself when he achieves the seriousness of a child at play." -Heraclitus

The past week my time in the studio has been playful and fun. I haven't been working on commission or competition pieces. It has simply been a time for painting, cutting, glue, gold leaf and mess making.

I've also learned a little more about these Glanzbilder.  I've so enjoyed placing them in these mini-paintings. They are small colorful images on paper printed originally as Chromolithographs. Historically used for decorative purposes such as in Autograph books (Poesiealbums), letters or as collectables. The illustrations tend to be romantic in nature, sometimes allegorical or oppositional in nature. The collection of these reached the height of their popularity in Germany and Austria between 1880 and 1910. The Glanzbilder used in these creations are all made in Germany. Few printers today still use original designs and the market for collecting has severely declined.

Anyway, I still think they are incredibly fun. Hope you enjoy them!

Glanzbilder and the Pulls of Nostalgia

The pulls of nostalgia are so sweet and strong.  And they hit at the most unexpected times. These gems below are Glanzbilder or Lackbilder. They are part of my childhood memories but something I had forgotten. This December I spied them in a favorite shop in Germany. It's a tiny stationary/magazine shop that feeds my German pen and paper obsession. When I saw these, I knew I had to buy them.

Glanzbilder are used in Poesiealbums. Poesiealbums are a form of autograph/friendship book. I had one as a child. It was white, with a kitten on the front cover.  Poesiealbums were shared with your friends, relatives and teachers. They then would pen a favorite line of prose, poetry or quotation with a message to you, followed by a signature. Looking back I believe this is such an art form! When I presented mine to my elementary school American friends, I think they confused it a bit with a yearbook signature.

My German friends and family approached it differently. To them it was a place to mark how beautiful a person was to you -  In a creative and literary manner, not a first person L.L.A.S note with a Ziggy drawing.  I love how this album captured my personal dichotomy of growing up in two cultures. I love them both for different reasons. (For example, I wanted BOTH a bed with a German down comforter folded in half -like the German do - but also an American rainbow canopy bed set with matching bedskirt. Sadly, I could never marry the two forms of bedding effectively.)

Back to Poesiealbums - One or two of these little Glanzbilder would be added to the page, paired with words of significance. Often the Glanzbilder have a touch of glitter. Who doesn't love a bit of sparkle?

The internet tells me that these albums originally stem from the practice of recording close friends and coat of arms in family trees during the 16th century. The 18th century saw quotations and illustrations added to these notations. By the 19th century, members of literary circles began circulating notebooks of sorts to capture the same. The more commercial forms ofPoesiealbums and Glanzbilder appeared in the 20th century. This website has a few images of Poesiealbum entries.

Because this represents such timeless treasure and charm, I wanted to create a few items featuring these fascinating Glanzbilder. So I've had a very playful and experimental week. I've made cards and a series of mini gold leaf paintings. If you are interested in seeing them in person, I'm delighted that a selection of the mini paintings and cards will be available at TThomas Arts next week.

„... und reißt mir keine Blätter raus, sonst ist es mit der Freundschaft aus ...“

Ch-ch-changes

A few changes are taking place in my world in 2017.

The main one being, I have returned to being at home.

Here are the stats: I'm 41. My 20 year wedding anniversary is approaching and my children are 18 and 17.  Here's the reality. Time isn't going backwards. It's moving and it's moving FAST!

And I felt it was time to take a pause, stop the clock, reflect, take some personal dreams off of a shelf and blow the dust off. Some may call this a mid-life crisis. I'm calling it half-time.

Charles and I have talked about this for a LONG time. And we felt this was the time. I am leaving an organization I have worked for in very good hands - with a wonderful group of people and partnerships to carry it forward.

And while I could have continued on in my role, I know that the organization is currently poised for growth and development in areas that require a new set of strengths.  In the nonprofit sector, I believe it is crucial for leaders to know themselves, their capabilities and the needs of the organization. 

I also know that for every yes one says, that is a no to something else.

So I am saying yes to a new adventure.  For the next few months this will include a little more painting and a few additional hidden projects. (more about them in the future!)

But for today, I'll simply leave you with this little halftime performance and Ohrworm of a song.

Courage

I sometimes wonder what others see when they look at something I have painted . . .

In 2016, I made a personal commitment to support as many local art competitions as I could through participation. One of those local competitions was Lynda English Studio's Miniature Competition.  And this evening the judge shared comments on the pieces she selected.

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This little mini was the delighted recipient of 2nd place!

But this is what struck my core this evening. The judge said the delicate lines within the parachute reminded her of the frailty of life.

My heart stopped.

What she didn't know (and what I couldn't tell her because I would have cried!) - is that this is actually a painting of my father, painted from the image at the right. He died when I was 8 years old.

At that age the frailty of life became a reality to me. And just today my heart has been aching for a friend who is facing the same. It doesn't matter what age you are . . . they will always be Daddy.

And so to me courage means many things. It means those that serve fearlessly with bravery. But it also means those that continue to take one small step at a time. Or those that take a leap of faith and jump. 

Courage means my mother who chose to stay in the United States to raise her three girls, - rather then return to her country of Germany because she felt it would be best for us to grow up here. It also means my grandmother - who as my sister points out is the original steel magnolia. If you know her, you know this is true. 

But it also mean living a life well. I'd like to say living without fear. But honestly, fear has become paralyzing real to me at times - especially as I have had children. (Case in point: my 18 year old self on a plane verses my now self on a plane. Two completely different beings.)

And I know God has not given us a spirit of fear. But it does like to sit on our doorsteps. 

Then this captures my heart and I have to agree.

My sister gave this to my oldest boy when he turned 16. A photo of our dad in his glory days.

So here's to courage! And the beauty of life.

A special thank you to Kim Brauss for her kind words this evening. Kim, you saw exactly what my heart painted into that little piece. Thank you to Lynda and Jackie for supporting local artists this evening, both young and old!

Eyelets and Lace

Commissioned as a special birthday gift for their father, this set of two small paintings was completed over the past two months. And I LOVE them!

Here's why:

1. The girls did not coordinate their outfits. They were photographed at different times and yet, somehow despite living miles apart, they complimented one another in their choices! One in black with eyelets in the fabric, the other in a pale white lace.

2. They are grownups! I'm mostly asked to paint children. But I think it says something when women are as treasured in their adult years as when they are young through a portrait.

3. The bit of a Mona Lisa smile in Rachel. And the kindness seen in Kaitlin's eyes. Both girls have beautiful smiles and it was difficult to choose which expression I wanted to capture in the portraits. (I seriously have at least five more for each of them that I wanted to paint!)

They are incredibly intelligent young ladies.  I am pretty sure these two will each be leaders in their own right, if they are not already.

4. Watercolor meets lace. The lace detailing took some time to paint.  For watercolorists, it entailed so much of that backward, saving the whites thinking - that very thing that is such a challenge but also one of those things that is most endearing to us.

5. The hair! So many lights and darks to capture in such beautiful tones! All these details were delightful!

6. Painting a set of sisters. My own are very important to me. I hoped that a hint of their own person was present but also in a way that showed how the two can compliment one another.

Unique yet still sharing much.

Thank you so much to this family for allowing me to be part of creating such a meaningful gift. It was an honor and a privilege!

"A sister is both your mirror - and your opposite." ~ Elizabeth Fishel

Rachel
5 inches by 5 inches
watercolor
 

Kaitlin
5 inches by 5 inches
watercolor

Daughter of Man

A little nod to Art History today.

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Daughter of Man
watercolor
8" x 10"

This painting is of a selfie my sister took. It is painted in watercolor on Arches 140lb paper. The minute I saw the image, I knew I wanted to paint it. I loved the hair, the negative spaces and the whites I saw but mostly . . .

The Son of Man by René Magritte

It IMMEDIATELY made me think of the painting, The Son of Man by René Magritte.

About his painting, -which is a self-portrait - Magritte said:  "Everything we see hides another thing, we always want to see what is hidden by what we see. There is an interest in that which is hidden and which the visible does not show us. This interest can take the form of a quite intense feeling, a sort of conflict, one might say, between the visible that is hidden and the visible that is present."

And what strikes me most is THIS statement of his, "Everything we see hides another thing, . . ." 

And that says volumes to me in 2016 on the social media footprints we leave and the lives we lead.

The Twelve Days

Last holiday season, I committed to creating something on each of the Twelve Days of Christmas.

I worked in paper collage, which is not my normal. But I loved it.

I cut several old watercolors and rearranged, glued, snipped and glued some more. I felt 7 years old again! It was sheer play. The old was re-purposed into something new, one could say.

On each of the Twelve Days of Christmas, a new collage was created. Each day I reflected on the season at hand.

And how it is symbolically portrayed in culture. . As I put together the traditional nativity scene, I thought much about poverty. And then also about the refugee crisis.

Fleeing and the need for shelter. What is it like to live in a war torn country, while we are surrounded by gifts and comfort? How can I even begin to understand?

The rose is a nod to the German hymn Es ist ein Ros' Entsprungen. On that day I thought of my mother and the fun German Christmas traditions she instilled in our home.

They say a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. The collage above had me thinking of first steps on long roads as new year's resolution season was underway. Mine was to increase my time painting. My productivity did increase but not as much as I had hoped. My inventory is still much lower than I'd like for it to be. And the ideas continue to come faster than I have time to execute them...

Anyway, I've been sorting through the collages this week. I'm actually making a postcard set out of them. I used to collect postcards when I was younger. I had shoe boxes full of them. I loved all the travels they depicted. The thoughtfulness of those who took time out of their vacation to send a note home impressed me.  I wanted to capture this 12 Day Series in that format.

The printed cards have not yet arrived, but I'll post more about where you can find the sets soon.

Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to creating another Twelve Day Series this year. I have ideas already at work for the theme!