As per my previous blog posting, Myrna Wacknov has awarded my blog with the Arte y Pico Award; thank you!  Myrna Wacknov’s blog (http://myrnawacknov.blogspot.com/) is wonderful and I recommend reading it on a regular basis.   

Arte y Pico is a blog from Uruguay whose blogger has come up with this award, (http://arteypico.blogspot.com/).  It’s a wonderful idea to pass this award from blog to blog.  To quote from the Arte y Pico blog:  “What is the meaning of the expression? Basically, and ironically, it translates into a wonderful phrase in Mexico, “lo maximo.” LOL! It will never find its counterpart in English, but if it HAD to, it would be something like, Wow. The Best Art. Over the top."

The rules:

Pick FIVE blogs that you consider deserve this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and also for contributing to the blogging community, no matter what language.

Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.

Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award itself.

Award-winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of “Arte y Pico” blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award which is here: Arte y Pico.

Here are the first two of the five blogs I’ve chosen.  Enjoy!

Lauren Everett Finn, (http://artworkandartplaylaureneverettfinn.blogspot.com/)  I met Lauren on the “Wet Canvas” watermedia forum.  Her “Blue Welsh Corgie” and her aerial series caught my eye.  Lauren’s recent posting of “Orange Roof at Night” is stunning.  Lauren is from Michigan.

Randy Carboni, (http://randycarboni.blogspot.com/).  I found Randy Carboni’s blog through the “Wet Canvas” watermedia forum too.  Recent postings include a wonderful series of pen and ink with watercolor washes.  He also has a mind for cartoons; very cool in my book.  Randy is from Connecticut.

I will be announcing the additional winners later this week.

Tags: Arte Y Pico Award // 1 Comment »

I am honored to receive the "Pico Y Arte" award for this blog.  I was given this award by fine artist Ms. Myrna Wacknov, (see blog link on blogroll).  Myrna Wacknov’s blog is wonderful and I’m a regular visitor.  I am honored, humbled, and stunned.  Thank you!  I’m unable to adequately state how surprised and pleased I was to see the honor on Myrna Wacknov’s blog page. 

 "Arte y Pico" is a blog from Uruguay whose blogger has come up with this award, (http://arteypico.blogspot.com/).  Quoting her blog, she says:  "What is the meaning of the expression: And basically, ironically, it translates into a wonderful phrase in Mexico, “lo maximo.” LOL! It will never find its counterpart in English, but if it HAD to, it would be something like, Wow. The Best Art. Over the top."  Speaking of "The Best Art.  Over the Top", please visit the blogs for Myrna and Arte y Pico if you haven’t already; they’re great!

As a recipient of the award, I am honored with the duty of awarding five other blogs.  I plan to announce the awardees soon!  Thank you.

Tags: Arte Y Pico Award // Add Comment »

I just couldn’t give up on this design yet.  So, I decided to paint over some of the design with an opaque blue hue acrylic.  I like the mixture of transparent watercolor and opaque acrylic. The figure of "Torsten on Bass" is still flat and part of the patterns of shapes.  However, I think I improved the design.  This is a case of "it’s not working, so why don’t I try something I’ve been meaning to try".  I think that sometimes its great to jump in and experiment; its fun and I learn.  Thanks for looking!

Tags: Acrylics, Rock and Roll Project, Watercolors // 2 Comments »

This is my first color study of Design 8 “Torsten on Bass”.  My intent was to have a colorful version with a Pop Art feel to it.  Well, this is definitely colorful.  However, as my husband Robert says: “It’s too busy”.  I may work on it still, but I think it will always be too busy.  And, as the cliché goes: too much color is no color at all; my addition: just a headache.  The figure is lost and I am having trouble re-asserting a sense of design unity.

But, ideas don’t always work out the first time.  I need to try ideas out and see where they go.  My plan is do re-work the design.  I feel it needs to be simplified and refined; I need to assert a main idea.  For the color scheme, I think I will still use blue and orange as the main theme, but perhaps focus on intensity, much as the first “Torsten on Bass”.  Have small, carefully chosen shapes that are full intensity and then mute the adjacent shapes.  We’ll see.

I believe even a “failed” painting isn’t a failure at all.  It’s an opportunity to stretch and grow.  With that, I think I’ll go re-work that design!

Tags: Composition, Rock and Roll Project, Watercolors // 3 Comments »

I’ve been doing some cooking the last few days, more than usual.  This is last Friday’s lunch-to-be.  As I was getting ready to roast some poblano peppers for chili rellenos, I thought I do a quick gesture drawing to see what happens.  I hope one day to have fun turning it into a painting.

This year I’ve read books about Odelon Redon, Georges Braque, Pierre Bonnard and Juan Miro.  Though each of these modern masters has a different style in painting, they each share the attribute of doggedly pursuing their own vision.  This is an attribute I admire and have been thinking about over the last few days. [Read more →]

Tags: Books and Workshops, Drawing, Life in General, Miscellaneous Thoughts // Add Comment »