The third installment of my new portrait series. Not sure if she’s done yet. Needs another charm necklace or two, I think!
80’s ladies No. 3
art blog
Puddle Jumpers
Because getting dressed up for the party isn’t nearly as fun as getting silly after it. All that nervous energy has to go somewhere.
Green Girls
Not sisters, but not not sisters.
Work in Progress
Paint, repaint, recolor, revise…lots of work for this little piece, but worth it to get as close as possible to what I see in my mind.
Gardenias
Like night flowers and moon gardens, sometimes what is special and unique is already there, just doing what its meant to do for those who are meant to see it. In other words, maybe there really are no late bloomers, just those who shine in different ways.
Little Houses
A good thing about hoarding up art supplies for so many years is that by now I usually have what I need without having to out and buy new things. I’ve been experimenting more with my lesser-used pastels, and how to combine them with gouache to create a certain look. It’s a very messy process and still not quite right, to my eyes. But getting there.
Little Church
Joyful and triumphant
Every year, from the time I was about eight until eleven or 12, our church would produce a live nativity scene. Community members of all ages were instructed to stand like statues for a few freezing cold hours over a weekend while cars from as far away as Lufkin and Nacogdoches slowly drove through the parking lot. No chewing gum or tobacco; no chit-chat; no silly dances, waving or hollering at cars we recognized, nothing. Just stand there.
The first year was contained to the walkway between the church sanctuary and fellowship hall; subsequent productions had shepherd fields out among the trees. The set was constructed from wood scraps covered with moss and other scavenged greenery.
The costumes were old sheets and ripped up cotton fabric; there were sneaker logos shining under robes; at least one king sported a repurposed Burger King crown. Fountain drink cups were barely hidden, as was the inevitable appearance of neighborhood dog. We never stood like statues when there was gum to chew, chit-chat to share and silly dances to perform. The best part of the evening was going inside for a hard-earned hot cocoa when it all got to be too much.
But “joyful and triumphant” are guiding words for the season, and that has never been lost on us.
*I talk a little more about the annual Christmas nativity and other traditions in my 2021 holiday podcast. Yes, I realize it’s now 2022 and almost 2023. The podcast has been down, but not out. Can’t say for sure when I will have a new episode, but it’s still cooking. Just on a back burner for now.
Recent Paintings
I’ve continued my Pine Curtain Project pieces with the folk/narrative art pivot, and as I do so, starting with a blank canvas rather than a photo or historical context, I am seeing more of a personal artistic style emerge.
I gravitate toward juxtaposition of bright and cool colors, which give the paintings kind of a whimsical, otherworldly glow effect. I also create some figures in more detail than others, which places my “characters” within a greater community. I also make sure there’s a little dog with a curly tail somewhere in there, representing my childhood dog Tater (1980-1997) who was always in the mix and lived long enough to bear witness to many life and community milestones.
With everything else going on and general life happenings, I usually do about one of these a month. So far, they have coincided with seasons or events, but that is more by inspiration than by design.
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