Tag Archives: postaday

Arting for 365 Day 270: Bows and Arrows

Posted on by

5

1955 Field and Stream Magazine, ink and paint

1955 Field and Stream Magazine, ink and paint


Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

As children we climbed red dirt mountainsides, searching for pieces of the past

Remnants of the weapons used to hunt small creatures

Black, shiny, rough edged

Reminders that many roamed here long before us

Day 270 Original pg 7

Original Page

Day 270 Bows and Arrows Detail

Pg 7 Detail

Arting for 365 Day 269: Pinhole Portrait

Posted on by

2

8.5 x 11" watercolor on paper with pinholes

8.5 x 11″ watercolor on paper with pinholes

Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

Some of you may know I  have recently become a bit obsessed with creating images from pinholes. I’ve worked smaller scale, larger scale, abstract and realistic, and each time I feel pretty pleased with the result. Yesterday was the first day that left me wondering.

I decided a few days ago that I wanted to create a portrait using pinholes, so I took a stab at it. My feelings on the finished piece are mixed. I can’t say I don’t like it, but it just doesn’t seem to be hitting the nail on the head. Part of me feels like I should have gone a bit more hog wild with the pinholes. Part of me thinks I should have avoided using color (see below) – or at least not used it to help establish form. Maybe the pinhole approach naturally lends itself better to abstraction. Who knows? I guess more experimentation is the only real way to figure it out.

Day 269 Pinhole Portrait Color DetailDay 269 Pinhole Portrait

Arting for 365 Day 267: Rose Re-Worked

Posted on by

1

Approximately 14 x 14" watercolor and ink on paper

Approximately 14 x 14″ watercolor and ink on paper

Goal: Create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

My grandma had hung proudly all of the art I have given her over the years – good or not so good. Yesterday the paintings, along with some photos and other fun stuff, were laid out for all of us to peruse and take if we wanted.

It was great to see old photos and read things my grandma had kept. It was also interesting to look over work that I had completed such a long time ago. The family took most of the paintings, but I held on to one – an old water color rose that I had given Grandma. She loved roses. I didn’t keep it because I was attached to it, but because I thought it was pretty darned bad and could be greatly improved upon. I inked it up, giving it a bit more interest and energy – definitely an improvement from the original.

Day 267 Rose Re-worked detail

Arting for 365 Day 265: Gone

Posted on by

7

18 x 24" Watercolor and pinholes on paper

18 x 24″ Watercolor and pinholes on paper

Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

The other night after my grandma passed away, my sister sent me the following piece of writing and asked if I could do something with it. I absolutely loved what she wrote and was easily inspired. Because her poetry invoked very concrete images, my interpretation is rather literal. I did, however, decide I wanted to abstract that imagery. I may add some more of the brighter blues down the road, but not just yet. I love this piece – probably for more than one reason.

By: Gail Richardson

Gone

Mostly, I remember her voice.

I don’t remember what she said.

I could guess, or try to conjure up what someone else might say they remember.

I just recall the sound.

I don’t know what I would do with

Grandma’s recorded voice –

Except that it wouldn’t be

Gone.

Not “smooth” or “silky” –

Almost crackly-

But not a cackle.

A zillion sand-sized bubbles

Popping in succession

The flicking and clicking of cards shuffled

Only quicker

And soft

And pushed through a voice,

Or a laugh,

Or a sharp stinging comment.

Air and water

Shushed

Through a faucet

Only coarser

And more

Abrupt.

Words of hers,

(I can’t say which ones),

Jagging briskly over

Fine cracks in my imagination.

Silvery scribbles

Slipping

Off the margins,

And I try to reel them back

Onto pages I can keep.

Day 265: Her Voice Scribbles DetailDay 265 Water Detail

Day 265 Cards Detail

Arting for 365 Day 264: Cope

Posted on by
watercolor paper, acrylic and ink on tile

watercolor paper, acrylic and ink on tile

Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

It is a fact of life that all of us will die. There is no way around it. As many guarantees as we hope to find in life, this one is 100% and none of us want it. It affects us all and the only thing we can do is try to deal with it as best we can.

Yesterday, my means of dealing was through art. I painted for me, and for me only. The piece was for no one else to read or see. It was not pretty or well written. It was raw and I felt drained as I finished it. I’d thought that perhaps I’d make a second piece for day 264, but it wasn’t going to happen. I couldn’t muster the energy – which had me worried. I did not want to share this art.

I woke up this morning and realized the painting had helped me deal with my loss and that was all I needed it for. Now I could move on. I cut it up and turned it into this strange, dark flower. A gorgeous work? Not necessarily, but it did accomplish what I wanted – to keep the original words and images I created about my grandma dying private, while allowing me to continue to share my work.

Day 264

Arting for 365 Day 263: Happy Human Heart Pinhole Image

Posted on by

6

Day 263: Happy Human Heart

8 x 10″ paper with pinholes

This image might look familiar to some of you. I created it as a Valentines card a week or so ago. Typically I wouldn’t re-visit the exact same imagery in a new piece of art, but I felt I had sufficient reason to.

The gallery where I have my studio put out a call for entries for their Heart Art show. The theme is not one in which I would typically enter a piece, but because I am trying to be as active as possible in the shows here, I thought I’d give it a go. I chose to repeat this image for two reasons 1. I liked the humor and the fact that I was depicting a human heart. 2. I wanted to work on a pinhole image that allowed me to focus on creating form

I’m pretty happy with the result. I’m hoping the gallery goers will be too.

This piece available for purchase here

Day 263 Happy Heart Detail

Arting for 365 Day 262: Old Man and the Company of a Fairy (pg 5)

Posted on by

0

1955 Field and Stream magazine, ink and acrylic

A continuation of the re-appropriation project: 1955 Field and Stream magazine, ink and acrylic

Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

The old man sat in the garden, cloaked in thick blankets. The cool afternoon air was tempered by a beaming sun which heated his back and warmed his lungs. He liked coming to this garden. It was peaceful and secluded and gave him a chance to reflect.

There was another reason he enjoyed it here. She visited him. With her pixie hair and wings aflutter, she’d swoop down and then sit; attentively listening to his stories or to the silence. She certainly made for good company.

He’d once shared stories about his encounters with the fairy,  but soon became the wiser. Those he’d shared with had laughed and muttered something about dementia. No sense in ruining a good thing, he thought. Some secrets are best kept to oneself anyway.

Day 262 Old Man and Fairy Lower Detail Day 262 Old Man and Fairy Upper DetailPrevious pages 1955 Field and Stream Magazine. Write-ups for each can be found here, here and here.

Arting for 365 Day 261: Un-Nestled

Posted on by

8

 

Day 261 18 x 34, Pierced paper

Day 261 18 x 34, Pierced paper

Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

Composed of sticks and twigs and loose paper found blowing down a city street

The quiet nest sits empty

Not entirely purpose-less

Its intricate twines twist with confidence and beauty – an abandoned sculpture with potential beyond its delicate facade

Waiting for life to once again occupy its hearty, rounded floor

For the crane to care

About the potential of its winged kind

To fly another time

This piece is available for purchase

Day 261 Cell Details Day 2651 Nest Detail Day 261 Unnestled Egg Detail