Blooms

 Summer, glorious in all its steamy heat and languid nights, is full upon us.  Greens in deepest shade are darkly purple, midnight blue, cooling our sun-shot eyes and bringing a moment's respite of breeze through the leafy canopies.  Salmon pinks, coral reds, butter yellows, cadmium orange with lemon and glaze of alizarin in riots of poppies, hibiscus, roses, honeysuckle, daisies, and lilies in a myriad of variety fill us with love for  this season of endless visual delights.  We breath in the perfume of summer wishing we could store it to warm ourselves come those cold November nights.  I am compelled by blooming Nature.

She Thinks In Color

 In my world of art I do a lot of things.  I paint, carve and sculpt, assemble collages from scraps of my paintings, work with mixed media, and time permitting, I like to build memory books for my family. So I am never really surprised when people come into my studio, look around and say, "Is this all you? You do so many things," with a somewhat quizzical look.

Does it all look like me, I ask?  They look again.  Well...yes. But, but there are paintings and the gourds and pots and....

And all that is true.  So what is the unifying principle?  What is it that drives my work?  By what am I compelled?

Color.  All surfaces, all materials, all combinations of media are there for just one purpose - to be brought to life in living, breathing, passionate, subtle, intense, complex color. I dream in color, and am aware of color as I breath, move, talk, eat, think.  Pulsating sunsets come on the heels of days full of colors as simple as creamy white milk on silver dusted blueberries, the many hues of ochre and grey walking across the parking lot, the shades of lemon and grapefruit yellows in the glass cylinder on the desk at the show.  Then I am mesmerized by the complexity of transparent hues that create the moving sea or air that I find in Adolfo's work.  And on it goes all day long, until I head for home while the sun turns the desert air into streams and rivers of striated cadmiums, laced in violets, tinges of lime and all there to burn into my memory for resurrection in my dreams.

So, the next time you look into an artist's studio and see a variety of medium or technique or color, ask yourself what is the thing that unifies the work?  Is it the palette, as with my work, or is it something else? Is it subject matter - landscape interpreted in many styles, perhaps, or animals in paintings and sculptures, or abstracts in many colors and materials held together by the shapes used, or is it line that is the common denominator?  So many possibilities.  Just like with color.

So much experimentation to do.  So little time.  Back to work....See you soon!

Slideshow of Setting Up the CoFA 2012 show

Syed working on the light structure for our studios

Slideshow of setting up the 2012 CoFA show! Click on this link to see the process of setting up the Celebration of Fine Art studios for this 10 week long event and experience what the artists do to bring an amazing selection of work for you to peruse, wonder at, be dazzled by and to share with your friends.  It is a daunting task and takes almost 5 full days to complete - often on opening day we wouldn't want you to open any closets for fear of what might tumble out!  But by mid week we're all at work in our studios and ready to share what we do, how we do it, and what inspires us.  This is an exciting venue, really unique in the country, and at our new location at the intersection of the Loop 101 and Hayden Rd Exit, stunningly beautiful as the sun goes down casting those AZ  colors on the McDowell Mts.

This show is a big part of our lives, spending 3 full months with almost 100 other artists, and it is inspirational and energizing, so watch for regular posts about what Syed and I are doing, what our artist friends are working on, and occasional philosophical musings.

And now, it's back to work!

A Week of CreAtive Sparx in McCall, ID This Summer!

We are all so excited to be participating in the first summer of art events at the brand new McCall Art & Commerce Center in McCall, ID!  

Classes, events, exhibits and open studio time - something for everyone!

Don't miss the Art & Wine Pairing because it's a  delectable, delightful and delicious way to tickle your tongue and your eye!

The CreAtive Sparx 20/20 Vision will let you peek into the hearts, minds and souls of some artists in a stimulating and unusual way!

Visit the exhibit in the Gallery and see sculptures, paintings, glass, pottery, jewelry...and maybe even some surprises!

Join us for this inaugural event at MACC (and if you are a member, don't forget to ask for the discount on the class fees).

Art and Sales at the Celebration of Fine Art

Congratulations to Donna Bernstein on the sale of her large diptych!




 








And now, let me introduce a fellow artist, Mark Carroll, sculptor of metals, stone, wood, and whatever else he has in his hands!  Mark began the Celebration of Fine Art while living in Buffalo, NY, so is it any surprise that he now lives full time in AZ?  His powerful stone and metal combinations would enhance both traditional as well as contemporary surroundings.  Head to the NW corner of the tent and you will pass through Mark's studio.  His work is both inside the tent and out in the courtyard.

The Best Laid Plans

My good intentions of posting every day ran right up against the world's worst cold!  I'm upright, finally, so here is yesterday's (and Opening Day's) post - a bit late but with pics.

Here is an overview of the NW Salon's area of the Celebration of Fine Art - starting with Donna Bernstein from Idaho and in her 2nd year at CoFA and in the NW Salon.  We love Donna's zen approach to equine art - very clean and powerful, capturing the spirit of movement and grace.



And this is her husband, Lex, who built her exquisite studio look.  Lex is always ready to lend any of us a hand - maintaining his good humor throughout (not an easy task surrounded by a bunch of perfectionist and opinionated artists) - and, if you want to talk soccer - Lex is your guy.

Directly next to Donna, and always well behaved, is Emma (that would be Emma the Dog).  Deb, who is our tech woman extraordinaire and wife of Ken Newman, a most remarkable sculptor who works primarily in wood and bronze, creating important pieces of commentary on nature and man.

Our newest artist to join the NW Salon, Steve Taylor, is in his 2nd year at CoFA and we are so glad to have him in our "neighborhood" - not only does Steve paint sensitive portraiture, he and his wife, Janelle, also make the best chicken soup on the planet - I know this personally because they came to my rescue with their remedy for the cold that laid me low for a couple of days (thanks!!).

Michael Jones, our steel sculptor and encylopedia of Native American symbology, has made both the inside and outside of the tent into a studio replete with gates, totems, and wall pieces.  He and his wife and "red apron lady" (our intrepid sales force at CoFA) Karen, live in Montana in an historic cabin in the mountains.   

So, there you have a taste of 2011 Celebration of Fine Art, and tomorrow I'll post elegant jewelry with very special cut stones, by Donna Armstrong, as well as Syed's and my studio space and some of our newest work.  Hope you'll continue along this journey and forward our link, too!

Finding Meaning in Texture, Giving Texture to Meaning

This painting is one part of a group installed as a large horizontal installation (though spaced individually about 6" between each).  Because I paint from texture and color, I depend on those elements to give me the information I need to develop meaning, or theme.  Some would say image, but since my work leans to impressionism or expressionism, I discourage the sense of finality that "image" conjures for me.  "Image" comes from the click of the digital camera, the slick magazine page torn out at the dentist's office, the picture our minds make because that is our ocular-cerebral function.  I have never spoken with anyone blind from birth, but I would like to know how they describe what they "see", or "imagine" when presented with a physical object.  That may be where "image"(likeness) reverts to its origin "imagine"(to picture to one's self) and retains a floating, ephemeral quality, not needing to be crystallized (unless of course the object presented to a blind person is something like a knife which would need to retain some mental impression of possible danger). If, in fact, this is the way in which blind people see, I can "imagine" an exciting working relationship between sighted artists and blind wordsmiths co-creating visions tossed back and forth like weightless dandelion heads till, scattered, they grow into a new kind of experimental verbal/ocular garden.  For me, then, to stay in the realm of "imagine", I need to push "image" aside and find the birth of idea, theme or meaning, another way.  Another way, and by no means the only way, is via texture and/or color.

Recently I signed on for an Essay class taught by Andrea Collier, a member of my new favorite group, SheWrites.  Among a list of questions posed to each student was "what do you see as your biggest obstacle in essay writing?"  I answered that it was in not knowing where I would end up, or less vaguely put, the obstacle looked like a brick wall, behind which hid the answer, the conclusion, the "image" that an essay needed.  I can see the meadow of a general topic; I can see the path of personal experience, the atmosphere of a wider implication of the experience; what I cannot see is the clipped image, the 8 x 10 glossy of the conclusion.  So, I do not begin. 

Happily Ms. Collier told me that I do not need to know.  I need only to begin.  We chatted about my art process and the curtain parted;  easily visible was beginning with the kernel of concept and then, in the writing, both distill and clarify with texture and color - rather like the opposite of how I paint, but viscerally acute.  I begin.

Check back for progress and for other notes on art processes and musings (voices from the Muse)http://www.whitneypeckman-painter.com

Grace

"Grace" found a new home this weekend at Common Grounds Birmingham, MI. I had just finished her the day before we left for the show, so I was fortunate to have good natural lighting to take this photograph in. I thought the texture and color was leaning towards flowers, but then I dropped the rusty red in and her cheekbone appeared! Magic! And she was there with her swept back hair and slightly tilted head, full of knowing. I love her!

Hydrangia at Alexandria

 Hydrangia - one of my favorite works on paper, sold at Alexandria Art Fair this past weekend. We lucked out with the weather, having rain Sat night and a bit Sun morning. Took a little scenic tour around Fredricksburg on Mon after staying in the very fun and new Marriot Courtyard downtown. Now it's back to work for Birmingham Common Grounds in two weeks.

The Rest of the Process

Having finished the 12 x 12 canvases pictured in an earlier post, I moved on to a quartet of larger work - each piece is 16"x32".  This shows a bit of the progress - here I am into the 3rd or 4th layer, building texture and basic composition of shapes and flow.  Of course I always prefer, when I do a work in a form meant to hang together, that the entire work sells.  But I also try to make it possible to pluck one or two pieces out so that they work as pairs or singly.

 Here the flower shapes are emerging - looking like hollyhocks, loosely interpreted.  Within the texture and color I am almost always looking for a certain mood issuing forth from memory, or as a reflection of memory.  I paint to leave as much room as possible for the viewer's memories, sparked by my work, to flood in.  When the viewer is able to find his/her own memory in the painting, the conversation is complete.

 This is the most right hand side of the quartet - very textural, very colorful.  The narrow shape of the piece keeps it from being overwhelming.  It is rich and intimate close up, soft and quiet from a distance.

This is the most left hand side of the quartet.

You can see all four pieces by clicking here.

The Process of Work in Process

There are many ways of beginning a painting.  Some do a sketch on the primed white canvas or paper.  Then they may put a wash or underpainting on to create a mood of light or dark, followed by blocking in the lights or darks.  Some go straight to the color, following the lines of their sketch.  I even knew one painter who worked directly from the top of the canvas to the bottom, on the most elaborately detailed images of fantasy that I have ever seen.  Perhaps it has to do with training.  I don't know.  But I think it may have more to do with one's personality or how the mind works.

Personally, I always begin with texture and a color wash.  I never begin with image, though often with thoughts of nature, most often of gardens (I think I miss the large gardens I had when I raised my children, and of the idyllic ones created by my son and his love in the San Juans where we spent some time this summer).  On large canvases (or board which I most often use) I use large trowels to spread texture medium, emphasizing areas with more or less texture.  I like the smooth feel of spreading the medium and the surprises that show up, created by rivulets, overlaps, creases, thin transparent spots and distinctive lines caused by the knife or trowel edge.  It is almost always in this first phase of the process that I can see what the painting is, but occasionally it takes another go after the first layer is dry.  While the medium dries, which can be a day or two, depending on thickness and humidity, I work on other pieces in other stages (but always on paintings, not gourds since the processes are very different as well as the mess I create), taking time to watch the new piece drying, becoming.  I will turn it, letting it rest on each side, lest I miss something wonderful trying to come out.  It is intuitive, I suppose.  Painting is a time of meditation for me - a time when I can more easily open myself to the flow from mind/imagination to hand.

Here are some pics of the ongoing process on one of several small pieces I am currently working on -

Updated websites

Must be fall...I updated my websites - this one and www.whitneypeckman-painter.com - and posted a picture album on my FB page - http://bit.ly/cFOj7r.  So, aren't I just feeling very proud of myself!  It's a brief moment in time to feel organized.  By this afternoon, I will be behind again.

My big news, in case you haven't heard me say so somewhere else, is that Syed and I are going to be grandparents in April!  My son and his lady are expecting, and we are ridiculously happy!  So, no question about whether or not we'll be headed to the San Juans next summer (notice the good timing?  Baby B-P will be 3 months old and surely sleeping through the night).

I am sorry to lose my great "guest blogger" -  she did such a great job, but back to school and life as a normal American kid...no more roti jala, nasi goreng, kari ayam, teh o'...just burgers now.  We had a wonderful time with her (our 13 year old granddaughter).  She was an extraordinary traveler, ate everything with enthusiasm, helped in the kitchen, carried her own gear, tolerated being stared at, and noticed her surroundings.  Hope she'll go with us again!

I have six 12" x 12" canvases with paint almost dry waiting for the next phase - it's a series on autumn for the Alexandria show in two weeks.  Back to work!

Follow my Blog

I just added this gadget to the right so you can follow my Blog.  I'd love to have you comment on these thoughts and ramblings, and to know I am reaching you out there in the ethers!  Thanks!

The painting process

People are always asking where I get my ideas.  When they are asking about the paintings, the answer is that the "idea" evolves out of the process of painting.  Because I always begin with laying down texture and color, I clear my head of specific imagery and just follow what the textural forms offer up.  Sometimes this is a quick give, and sometimes I feel like I was in second grade and the school trickster offers me something but when I reach for it, he yanks it back with a big guffaw.  Then, it's patience and persistence because the painting never works for me if I try to force it.  Case in point:  a week ago, I began a large canvas to see how I felt about painting directly on unstretched canvas instead of masonite, my usual substrate.  I always work flat, so no problem, I thought, laying the 45" x 72" out on my work table.  Gessoed it a few times - didn't want the canvas to buckle - and then got out my palette knives and texture paste, a little pigment, and got to work.  First day or two, things seemed to be going ok.  Second day, third day, heading downhill slowly.  First it was too much texture, then it was not enough.  Color was working ok - nothing exciting.  Fourth day I thought I saw something.....hmmmm....think I'll go with that...Birds of Paradise by a wall.  I like deep greens and maybe the Birds showed up because I'm getting ready to go to Malaysia....sure, let's go with this.

Mistake.  Got the Birds in there and hated them.  Nothing was right - composition was boring, color was harsh, texture didn't make sense.....damn!  Where did that thing go that I thought I saw?  Out the back door, no question.  Time for the sander.  After losing most of the Birds I let it sit overnight, toying with the idea of cutting the canvas in half.  But, once I looked at small parts, I had some really nice things happening - here's some pics...

Once I changed the shapes of the texture I could see round leaves.  Hints of the Birds bright orange peeked through, despite the gesso, so I grabbed them.

Nasturtiums Gone Wild is finished.  I varnished it tonight.

Just goes to show you, life can be easier if you learn to go with the flow.  Forcing things never works in the end.

I'm off to the kitchen - we have just picked sweet corn and more peaches from the Farmer's Market today!

Add caption

Little pieces of Nasturtiums Gone Wild....

The Set up...

Always on the lookout for good back exercises while watching the weather reports for thunderstorms and tornados, or listening for that funny noise under the hood of the van...oh! the life of the vagabond gypsy artists in the summer!  This is Syed unloading at Hilton Head a couple of weekends ago - gotta hurry, other artists waiting to pull in!  Makes setting up for the Celebration look pretty good!

This is a small piece (12"x12"), one of 5 that could be hung in a series or singly - Dunes.  Crossing the bridge to Hilton Head, the marsh grasses appear and disappear with the tides.  Morning and evening light paints them rosy or apricot, sometimes pale yellow.  White clouds billow in bright blue and lilac skies.  The views are soulful and full of resting places.  The traffic is hideous.  The good with the bad.  Balance, and all that.

When we're home at EastSquare Artworks

Wonder what an old bakery-factory-turned-studio/gallery/home looks like?  Well, here's a portion, complete with original tile floors (though we did paint them grey - the red was just too distracting) and large butter colored wall tiles, steel posts and beams, industrial sprinker system and aesthetically questionable heating system.  But a little sheet rock separating the garage on one side and the handicapped ramp on the other, plus masonry nails for the tile wall, makes a fine gallery space.  Where I am standing with the camera in hand is a temporary wall which divides the gallery space from Syed's glass studio, a shipping area, and
a perpetually messy storage area.                            

The space has held great events since we've been here - a blues and jazz concert, PechaKucha Nights, political meetings, gallery openings, art classes, and a temporary roller rink and bike trail for the granddaughters.  Versatility!  

If you are coming through NC we hope you'll stop by and ring the bell.  If we aren't on the road doing a show, we'd love to open the door for you.

I've added some paintings to www.whitneypeckman-painter.com - let me know what you think.

Birmingham, MI and a beautiful weekend!

"Hibiscus" found a home quickly!  I had just finished it the day before we left for Birmingham and felt quite good about it.  I have been thinking quite a bit about language and nature and the points at which they intersect and diverge.  When work is process driven, I find that much evolves that one doesn't anticipate.  This comes as much of my work does, through the process of layering/removing/layering, and so on.  In those layers are thoughts and pieces floating.  The implied "window" may be the looking through to that which my mind knew or remembered, or wished to see again. 

The couple who purchased this piece spent quite a while in quiet contemplation and conversation with each other.  They each liked some different aspect.  When they decided to take Hibiscus home, it felt good to me - it felt as if they worked together to make a decision each would be happy with and that they were happy with one another. 

I hope you all will find my new website dedicated to my paintings - www.whitneypeckman-painter.com.  It's a softly grey and cool day here in NC - one to take in to my cells to revisit once the real southern summer is upon us.

"All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware." Martin Buber

Can you begin your journey knowing that the destination has not been revealed to you?

Can you know that the destination will be revealed once you arrive?

Will you recognize the destination?

If you, the traveler, is unaware of a secret destination, who is the traveler?

If the destination is secret, can you be the traveler?

Can you travel without a destination?  Which way does the water flow, the sands shift, the light shine?

And what will you miss if you fear the secret, the destination, the journey?

Rivers and rocks

I've been thinking about rivers.  We have an artist, Steven Stavost, at the Celebration of Fine Art, who paints beautifully precise rocks in water, such as you would see in a still eddy in the river.  The rocks are so real that they look photographic.  Amazing painting.  What I noticed is that the rocks are worn smooth by the assumed river, that they have jostled around, bumping the sharp edges off each other, finally settling into a stable group, and the river moves around them.

Sometimes Syed and I get away for a day in NC and go up towards the mountains, stopping along a river we have a fondness for.  Fast moving water, lots of rocks, swift currents that can drag a swimmer a long way from where they waded into the cold water.  Along the shore there are places where the rocks have been deposited by the river, forming a calm and safe place for soft conversations, perhaps a cat nap.

And the river flows on, carrying some with it, depositing others at the edge, until, I suppose, each rock and pebble finds a place.

In Steven's paintings I don't see the moving river.  I only see the beautiful rocks, a harmony of distinctive individuals.

Good night, NW Salon.

Transmitting thought by sensing color

I was thinking today about "feeling" transmitted by artwork, in particular, through painting.  What does that mean - "feeling" through artwork?  Mine? Yours?  Or is it the transmission of something intangible between us - the artist and the viewer?  Working on this piece, I was deep in thought about coming through dark times by tapping into "feeling" - literally the physical awareness - of the moment.  As the texture and darks developed, I "felt" the need for the sensation of light, bright and opening - whence came the yellows.  Stepping into that physical space of brightness brought forth the reds/oranges.  The delicate balance of sensing the awareness within and trapping it in color both frustrates and feeds me.  Such is the dilemma of painting unencumbered by specific images.  For other well articulated "feelings" about painting check out http://bit.ly/bXtiWw

If you want to see this piece, come to the Celebration of Fine Art - it's the last week!  Time evaporates!