Today's topic: You most unusual (or "crazy") idea (as it pertains to painting)...describe!
Celeste: Some of my more unusual ideas: I painted a painting of Dave on glass. I painted a coat that I felt sentimental about (before I got rid of it). I was troubled about a news item that had to do with the death of a beloved dog. I couldn't stop thinking about it, so I painted the dog and I made a gift of it to the dog's owner (who was a complete stranger). I am also showing a recent charcoal drawing of Dave.
Loretta: The most unusual thing I ever did was to pick up a brush and think I can do this! I can paint! Years ago I did paint Bird of Paradise flowers inside my linen closet! It may still be there!
Susan: I recently painted this painting of this person (Susan turns the painting around to reveal that it is Tim)! I submitted it to an important show and it got in! (Applause)! I competed in a plein air event in Toledo Oregon a few years ago. I loved the look of the steam that came from the Toledo Mill. My painting of the Mill won! (I think part of the reason I won was that it was a very unusual subject).
Stephanie: I have always changed flesh tones into different colors! It is more interesting to me if people are purple or orange or whatever! I had an idea once. I had taken a photo of a woman who was painting a mural. I wanted to expand on the photo and make it into something unusual..(something that included things from my imagination). I haven't done it yet, but I just might in the future. This is a painting I painted after seeing "Body Worlds". I also brought a Tim painting and a Mountain painting.
Geri: When I was young, like 6 years old, I had this great idea with a friend. We went door to door collecting money for the Red Cross (in exchange for our artwork). We collected a very small amount of money but our parents disapproved of this venture and we were made to return the money! This was traumatizing! Years later I had a therapist who pointed out that we could have donated the money to the Red Cross instead of giving it back. Doh! (It's an unusual memory)! Also, once my husband and I happened to be in a location where there was going to be a wedding. We helped with the decorations...by drawing on the tables. It was sweet that we made a artistic contribution to a wedding! I am showing new paintings. I'm calling this one "Escargot" and this is a work in progress, "Father Bob" (Laughter)!
Mike: I got an invitation to join in a show. I was going to send off a disgruntled complaint to the organizer, because the show requires a support (which I thought was excluding watercolorists)! After discussing it however, I learned that there is a workaround! Now I have accepted the invitation! This is all unusual! (Laughter)!
Thomas: In 1985 a friend and I decided to paint a nocturne. This is so long ago the term "nocturne" wasn't the term yet. We were just going to "go paint outside at night"! We chose the Internet Cafe to paint because they left their lights on all night. As the time approached Midnight I realized...hey it is Halloween! There was a big party nearby. We heard this car "reving" and it was coming straight at us. I thought, "this can't be good". It was so pitch black I just heard a big metal clang and then I discovered a huge wrench on the pavement right next to me! Someone threw a huge wrench at me! (I kept it for years). That whole experience was "crazy". This was the first time I discovered, by the way, that the light you paint under influences your colors. (I was very surprised when I saw the painting inside). I have just returned from a trip to Mexico. I wanted to determine how light I could travel. I painted these and used a limited palette.
Tracie: I was a teacher at an elementary school. I considered it like my"lab" because youngsters are very willing to do brave and "crazy" things. I convinced them (though it didn't require much "convincing") to be my models for transparent life-size sculptures. We would wrap students in tape while they posed in dynamic positions (like skating, skateboarding, skiing etc). We used super cheap transparent tape that I got at the Dollar store and we'd just wrap people like mummies and then I'd cut them out. They came out beautiful and looked like ice scuptures. I had a friend who owned a Gallery and they had a show with all the student work. (I'll show you photos on my phone). Also, I can recommend if you want to loosen up to paint large with black and white house paint! I did this and found it to be the way to go (to have fun and to do something "unusual").
Raphael: Well, I produced psychedelic posters during the 60s, so most of my work would be considered "out there" and different. I do remember that I enjoyed doing psyche-doodles with a pen I would draw randomly and the pen would tell me what to do! (Laughter)! It was like Zen-tangle if you are familiar with that. I am showing an 8x8 landscape.
Sharman: Last summer I participated in a plein air event. I was new to everything and we did a nocturne. We had our headlamps, we had our beer. (Laughter)! This was in South Dakota and we were in an isolated place. I found it to be really, really eerie! It was strange and cold. Then, we had to also (inexplicably) deal with an onlooker (out in the middle of nowhere). He wanted to know what we were doing. "Painting" we said, "Really, we're painting". The response: "Yarite" (Laughter)!
Steven: Crazy ideas are my stock and trade. Almost all my ideas are crazy ideas. At least 70%, probably more. (Laughter!) If it is supposed to be unusual...it would make more sense for me to tell you one of my sane ideas. (Laughter)! My parents had a place in Florida. I had a large piece in storage with them but they were moving, so I had to decide what to do. I wound up breaking it all up and stuffing it in a large suitcase. Then when I got it here I "re-assembled" it in a new way and....I included the suitcase! (Laughter)! I will show you photos/a video on my phone.
Leslie: In the 70s I did mixed media. In college I really got into it. We did our work in this big Quonset hut. There was always sawdust on the floor and I'd put it into my collages. I used a lot of old fabric too. When I think back on those pieces, I know they wouldn't be very archival. Maybe they would last 30 years, but probably not beyond! That type of work was fun while it lasted, but now I've devoted myself to painting. I am glad Susan is here because I painted a portrait of her son...and I recently added more paint to it and here it is.
Greg: I can't think of a specific "crazy" idea, though I have had lots of them. I used to write down ideas that would come to me in a lightening-strike type of way. (If I didn't write them down right away, I'd lose them). Without my list...I don't know what they were (Laughter)!
Serena: I am a "safe and secure" type person, but I taught high school, so I had to come up with engaging projects for young people. I remembered a project I did with my professor and I resurrected the same project to do with my students. The project was called "Found Art" and the students were charged with finding something beautiful (to them) in the world, bring it back to class and explain what made it so special (to them). During that time I myself found a piece of metal that I thought was unusual and beautiful. I still have it! I had a recent show and I sold three pieces. I was glad this one did not sell, because I have a special affection for it.
Tom Kane: When I was very young (in my 20s) I came upon a poem on the sidewalk that was left inside a circle. People put money inside the circle as a show for their appreciation. The thing was, it was not that good of a poem! (Laughter)! I remembered that and found a patron who gave me enough money for chalk. I told him that I would share proceeds with him, but he commissioned a portrait instead. I did sidewalk art and people would put change on the art, just in the same way they did for the poem. I made enough money to survive. One of the worst things that ever happened to me it that a street washer washed away something I had worked very hard on. I am showing recent paintings. I liked a photo that Celeste took of this painting, it was somewhat brighter than the painting, so I brought it up to match the photo! In this painting of trees, I changed the leaves to be completely different than how I painted it originally. I like to look at a color in nature and exaggerate it in my painting.
Bonny: My whole life is a "crazy idea" (Laughter)! My idea to join the Military and become an illustrator was pretty crazy. Crazy defines my whole life. I swore I would not do it again, but I signed up to be a census taker..so I am currently having to do everything in "increments" to fulfill all my responsibilities. I have managed to get out these cards of my botanical drawings. I am also showing a special piece (two rabbits). I call it: "Your tan line is showing" (Laughter)!
Dana: When I started painting I painted in acrylics. I had a teacher say to me: "This hard edged painting is about the best hard edged painting I've ever seen, but if you went into Burgerville, that's what you'd see". (Collective groan!) Well, I understood what they meant. I then thought about airbrush, but I never followed through. I "quit" for a time and now I do watercolor!
Jim: I am getting ready for plein air. I am prepping canvases in my studio. The craziest thing I ever did was to pick up a brush! After Viet Nam, Marriage, Career, Family on and on...well to pick up a brush after 40 years, that is pretty audacious. I painted this recent painting (that my wife wanted me to do).
Pam: In college I was involved in the Drama department. Then I had the realization that people in Drama are weird! (Laughter)! I switched to visual arts...but then I realized the people were no different than the Drama people! (Laughter)! You know how if you are an art student you do life drawings. I kept all my drawings in the attic and my children referred to them as "Mom's Porn Stash"! (Laughter)! That's as weird as it gets! (Laughter)! I did ultimately get rid of them.
Tim: Yeah...The hat, the jacket ecetera! (reference to the clothing Tim was wearing that he painted on). Maybe things can be more...and maybe you can be more! I sketched this with a copper penny. I am also showing this painting that I did on a hike and another I painted at the top of Powell Butte.
Wendy: I have nothing to say. If anyone wants to loan me any "ideas" I'll take one. (Laughter)!
Annie: When I am illustrating I'll often remind myself that "Indecision is the key to flexibility". I am showing illustrations that I did for a book about a bedtime story. The story involves a tarantula and references how they don't see well. It also involves a bat who does see well. In order to get a random look to the tarantulas web I cooked spaghetti and photocopied it, using it as a reference for the illustrations. This final illustration describes when "everyone can see".
Chris: My Mother painted on everything. I decided to paint a "rug" onto the porch. It was meant to celebrate the birth of my first grandchild. On Halloween when children came onto the porch...that was my reward, because they were so wowed by it. They would exclaim: "wha.....???? wow!!!"
Jeanie: I switched from sculpture to painting. During college I transformed a ladies room at the school into a "tropical paradise". I covered the walls with tissue and brown paper. That was unusual!
Yong: When I was young I had crazy ideas. But then, if you marry she has to get into the crazy idea too. When we get older, we can get a little less adventuresome...but I had this idea to drive the perimeter of the US! That was 4 years ago...and we did it! Now I have an idea to go with the family to Alaska! I might get some opposition. I like to look at things with fresh eyes..where everything is new. It is important to push our limits. We seek repetition, but "crazy" ideas help us! I brought a painting of something that is my "routine". I love to paint water.
Announcements:
(Thanks to Yves Le Meitour / Silva Food Cart for the special baked goods today...so nice of you)!
Thanks Tim Young for the donation of your Clay/sculpting tools
Leslie Elder at Mittleman Jewish Community Center until today Feb 28
This Saturday at Blicks in the Pearl Susan Kuznitsky demo 2pm 1115 NW Glisan
Bonny Wagoner Solo Show New Seasons Progress Location
Celebration of Creativity Jeanie Bates, Joanne Kollman and others March 5-8 https://celebrationofcreativity.com/
Pacific NW Plein Air (at Maryhill Museum) submit via online juried shows (Deadline March 15)
https://www.onlinejuriedshows.com/Default.aspx?OJSID=43182&fbclid=IwAR3xZeT75GZNU3IR-dAVT31zlNGfBunEQZPKPSGwSTuIl0vV7GPUDr92Jrk
https://pacificnwpa.com/
Oregon Society of Artists Joanne Kollman, figure classes Friday am and pm
+ Saturday Energize your painting classes
https://public.osartists.org/public/adultclasses
Oregon Society of Artists Susan Kuznitsky classes Saturdays and Thursdays
https://public.osartists.org/public/adultclasses
Susan Kuznitsky 11-1 Sunday March 22 Demo at Artist and Craftsman 2906 N Lombard
Thomas Kitts Techniques of Sargent DVD
https://streamlineartvideo.com/products/thomas-jefferson-kitts-sargent-techniques-of-a-master?_pos=1&_sid=28248fa33&_ss=r
Email Za Vue about her weekly classes studioza@me.com
Michael Lindstrom, Solo Show, Feb and March Art on the Boulevard http://www.artontheboulevard.org/
Pittock Mansion Mt. Hood Exhibit begins Feb 1 and runs through July http://pittockmansion.org/events/
The Hiatus Drawing Club https://www.facebook.com/groups/333152383542909/
Our Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/groups/222304114527014/ (put news about you and or announcements of your own directly on our page)
Plein air event website: https://www.paintouts.com
Next art discussion meeting: Thursday March 5, 9am*, Table topic: Spring ! Spring is on the horizon...what are you doing to prepare for Spring (as it pertains to painting)? ie: Spring cleaning in the studio/Painting the flowering trees/buying new equipment, etc (you get the idea)! Bonus points for bringing in a Spring painting, (but not required)!
(*Try your best to be early or on time and thank you for supporting the food cart).
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