Thoughts about social media from a "non joiner."

For many years I have belonged to an artist's FB page.  Today the honeymoon is over.  With all groups,  comes politics. I have spent my life running away from groups, from sorority to PTA.  I do not do well in them.  I skim read  social cues, choosing what I think important and almost always find myself in trouble with someone. I am not very consistent in anything I do, especially when it comes to understanding rules. My intensions are good, but unfortunately in groups, rules are more important than positive input, good energy, insightful discussion. One would think that in a social media forum, one could hide behind the cloak of internet space, that things would not become personal.  Nope. In fact, without context or facial expression, comments on a FB page can become that much more powerful. The writer must be oh so careful!  When words take on their own meaning outside what was intended, there is no catcher's mitt on the internet. So now I am in the position of deciding how much I need the interaction among other artists on a FB page.  Though I made many "friends" there, are they?  Yes, one must be very careful.

Shor Park in Summer, Wins Third Place in Annual Competition.

Just goes to show ya, art is subjective. When you enter a juried show, it is near impossible to guess which piece might take a ribbon.  This little CP painting, a study of my walking park, was entered as an after thought.  My other three were passed by, but this took third place! Surprised but still delighted!

Love Color!

This WIP of Thomas the cat has turned into an exploration of values and color. By taking a very simple subject, I'm able to focus on light and how color changes as it becomes shadow. I haven't completed the background yet, but will give myself some time to walk around the piece.  So far, I'm pretty pleased.

KEEP GOING!

Last year I wrote an article about my 10 steps. I created a paintng and documented the highs and lows. It is something that is consistent in my process. Knowing this makes it easier for me to commit to the more ambitious pieces as well as increases the likelihood I will finish. No matter how bad it gets I know that persistence will pay off. The results speak for themselves. Sometimes they even work. The main thing is to KEEP GOING.

Light, Shadow and Cats!

You may notice that I have been painting and drawing cats all summer. My gallery person says she likes my cats and horses the best. I have never really thought about specializing in one particular subject until recently. There are many CP artists who so consistently stick to one subject or style that they are branded. One of my heros, Ester Roi,  is a CP artist and inventor, known for giant technicolored pebbles. Her palette is so striking, that whatever she chooses to paint, be it flowers or pebbles, there's no doubt that it's hers. From a business stand point branding is good.  An artist needs to be recognized.  And with so many of us out there competing for your wall space, recognition is key. So I'm going to continue painting cats for a while.  They are fascinating creatures, with one foot in the wild and the other in our homes. They are graceful, beautiful and mysterious. I will continue also to explore light and texture and how they describe the subject.  This WIP cat is Thomas.  He lives at the veterinary clinic where I work as a vet assistant. He pretty much OWNS the place! Stay tuned to see how he develops.

Letter to the Editor

This wonderful letter is found in the current issue of JAVMA and refers to last month's issue (June 15) which featured Ears on the cover. The ears have it

I wanted to say that the artwork appearing on the cover of the June 15, 2013 issue is in my opinion one of the most beautiful pieces of art that you have ever published.  Margi Hopkin's colored pencil drawing of the cat entitled "Ears" had gorgeous detail and was stunningly realistic, likely a result of her great talent as well as her close observation of the feline form during her work as a veterinary technician.  I would love to see more of her work featured in future issues.

Michele Rosenbaum, VMD, DACVD- Webster NY

 

 

Graphite Study and decision making.

When I start a commission project, I often create a preliminary sketch. Here, my client provided several photographs, with lighting so interesting, we could not agree which was our favorite. Hence, the vertical triptych idea came to be. This drawing, though time consuming, was critical in making  compositional decisions. It also allowed practice rendering. And as much as I love the concept, the piece ended up too big for my client, who preferred to go with the central cat shown in the sketch. Good thing I didn't just jump into the project without exploring options first. Now I'm left with this 11x 28" graphite on watercolor paper, just waiting for a frame.  Should I make the investment?

Jumped through all the hoops!

I jumped through all the hoops to get Blue Crab into the mail and off to Brea CA to the 21st Annual CPSA International Exhibition.  Turns out, even with careful planning, I cut it close.  Note to self: Big difference in postage price between 3-day and Ground, which is estimated to take 6 days. As I'm paying for shipping to and from destination, any additional postage is doubled.  If my piece does not make it in the window given by the show's time table, it is disqualified. I chose cheap vs late.  Let's hope my gamble pays off.  Stay tuned and wish Blue Crab luck.