Color of the Year

Pantone's Color of the Year

Understandably you may not have been on the edge of your seat waiting for Pantone to announce it's Color of the Year for 2018. But announce they did this last week.  It's Ultra Violet, and this is some of what Pantone has to say about it:

Inventive and imaginative, Ultra Violet lights the way to what is yet to come.

Mark and Katie's Orchid

A dramatically provocative and thoughtful purple shade, Ultra Violet communicates originality, ingenuity, and visionary thinking that points us toward the future. Complex and contemplative, Ultra Violet suggests the mysteries of the cosmos, the intrigue of what lies ahead, and the discoveries beyond where we are now. The vast and limitless night sky is symbolic of what is possible and continues to inspire the desire to pursue a world beyond our own.

Two Beets

Nuanced and full of emotion,  Ultra Violet symbolizes experimentation and non-conformity, spurring individuals to imagine their unique mark on the world, and push boundaries through creative outlets.

Hug

You will begin to see this color pervade our lives in clothing, furnishings, everywhere in anything you can imagine.

 ,

Eggplant

I always think of this hue as one bearing a Royal nature, lush and rich, deep and mysterious. Though it is not frequently in my palette when painting here are a few images where Ultra Violet was the center of attention or added some degree of interest.

The Yin and Yang of Spring

Six Figs

Split

Guadalupe Arenas Snake Weaver

Madame Butterfly

As you live each day, take a look around and watch for Ultra Violet.  Let it inspire your ingenuity and creativity.  Turns out I put on an Ultra Violet top today and I am noticing this color everywhere even though the announcement has just been made.  It will be added to my palette as I approach my next painting.  What will you do with it?

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See Where You Are

See Where You Are

Do you know I have a book titled, See Where You Are.  It's my mantra, my belief that you should engage with your surroundings, living in the moment, observe and take it in.

Today I received an email from an artist who also blogs and she is talking about how to practice the art of seeing. Her points are on target and I couldn't say it better, so here is a link to her blog.  Check it out by clicking here  Enjoy!  And See Where You Are.

If you would like to order a copy of my book, contact me by clicking here and I will give you the details and ship one out to you. Or click on this to be taken to an order page.

See Where You Are 

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Invitational Exhibition V

The Project Advances

A picture is worth 1000 words.  You've heard that before, and it certainly is a true statement.  So here are several photos showing more progress on my piece for Women In Art:  Tell Me A Story, the invitational exhibition at La Quinta Museum which will open in January.

Adding the butterfly cut outs.  Painting in the lizard shapes.

Introducing white  pigment along the butterfly wings and along the side of the lizard shapes.

Using paper cut outs to work towards additional design elements.  Also working out the final placement of the Book of Faces.

Close up of the butterflies.

Book of Faces has been attached.

Side view of the pages in the Book of Faces.

Now that the Book of Faces has been attached to the canvas there are additional design elements to be added as well as some small correctional details.  The project advances towards completion.

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Invitational Exhibition.

What is an Invitational Exhibition?

We will start with that.  Basically, a gallery or museum contacts artists and asks them to participate in an exhibition. Typically there is a theme or purpose of some sort.  An artist is invited to show a piece or pieces of work, frequently given guide lines and restrictions.  The altar I created for Day of the Dead at the Palm Springs Art Museum was actually an invitational exhibition, because along with a few others I was asked to participate.

Day of the Dead Altar of Guadalupe Arenas, Snake Weaver.

A couple months ago I received another invitation, from the La Quinta Museum, to participate in an exhibition this winter called 'Tell Me A Story: Women In Art'. I accepted, and so while working on the altar, I was also working on various parts of what I will show in this upcoming exhibition.  

One hundred female artists have been invited to join a 4 month exhibition celebrating women in the arts.  Each of us will show a piece of art created specifically for this exhibition which runs from January 2017 - April 2017. A showcase for each artist and her story, this is also an observation of International Women's Day on March 8, and part of Women's History Month.

My work on portraits of basket weavers fits perfectly into the theme and female emphasis.  I would like to spend the next month of blog posts taking you through my creative process, the inspiration, what I have been doing and working on to fulfill the requirements for the exhibition.

Dat so la Lee with Five Digikup

48 x 36

Madame Butterfly

40 x 40

Dat so la Lee with Eight Digikup

24 x 24

It all started with a 300 word document.  Now that may sound like a lot of words, but when you have a lot to say it's easy to blast through 300 words.  I spent days writing, editing, asking for help from friends who write ( I am a visual artist, not a verbal artist), writing and rewriting and finally ended up with a statement that I find perfect.  It is creative, unique and explains why I am painting these women.  It begins....  This is a story about the responsibility to tell a story.  And it goes on from there.

Next blog post will contain the statement in its entirety.  I think you will find it intriguing.   I will also talk more about the struggle to write such a statement.  Until then....

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Dat so la Lee, Queen of the Washoe Basket Makers

24 x 24

Day of the Dead Altar I

Creating an Altar for Day of the Dead

When I was approached last year and asked if I would be interested in creating an altar for the Day of the Dead celebration at the Palm Springs Art Museum, I jumped in with both feet.  To begin with, this historically Mexican holiday has always intrigued me,  I could not possibly refuse to represent the Artists' Council , and the opportunity to exhibit in this beautiful museum is always greeted with open arms.   Plus the positive twist on death, honoring the deceased by celebrating their lives year after year holds tremendous appeal for me.

Example of an altar

  The inviter mentioned my Indian Women Portraits and that it might be nice to utilize one of these paintings in the altar.As it turns out, the museum is hosting an exhibition titled Grass Roots: Native American Basketry of the West that opened this month.  Actual baskets woven by Native women of the Coachella Valley are included in the exhibition, including some by Guadalupe Arenas. What a synchronous  connection!  My creative thoughts began to race and explode!

Guadalupe Arenas, Snake Weaver

48 x 48

This was perfect, a bit out of the box thinking, the kind of thing I respond to.  Breaking from the traditional Mexican altar, this altar would honor a deceased basket maker, Guadalupe Arenas,  who was a member of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, local to the Coachella Valley where Palm Springs is located.  It would bring awareness to Arenas and other women of the valley who toiled endlessly to create amazingly spectacular baskets.

Guadalupe Arenas, Snake Weaver

48 x48

I decided to approach this project like a painting, focusing on composition, color, line, texture.  Guadalupe Arenas, Snake Weaver, the painting, would be the focus of the altar. Every other element of the altar would pertain to and relate to this work of art, so I began to visualize and sketch ideas.

Proposed Altar

This altar will have traditional items such as skulls, photographs, flowers, and candles, but they will not be presented in the traditional way.  This altar will follow the palette of the painting using pink, purple, blue, green, golds. Lizard and eagle shapes will be cut out of canvas, rocks and small paintings of cactus will represent the desert, snake skins will festoon and drape to symbolize the snakes woven into baskets created by Guadalupe Arenas.  The work begins:

Cutting eagle shapes from canvas.

Using the stencils used to create the painting.

Canvas lizards.

The altar is beginning to go together in my studio and this is the first of several posts that will document the creation and assembly.  It will then be broken down and reassembled in the Palm Springs Art Museum later in October where it will remain on view into November.  Mark your calendars for the museum celebration October 30 10:00 to 4:00.

Much more work to accomplish and explain which I will do as it happens.

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Completion of the Triptych

Competed And Installed

Complete.  In Place.  In Position. In Situ.

It has been a couple weeks since my last blog post, and in that time I have spend hours at the easel, working on the third panel of this triptych. 

The rock cairn was the first design element to be painted onto the canvas.

The veins of the leaves were added next to provide segments of painted areas and to allow me to see where the light and dark tones would be added.

After the leaf color was added, the third canvas joined the other two on the wall so highlight corrections could be made.

There is a wicked light source from the right because there is a glass wall, so in these photos the painting appears dark on the left and quite light on the right.  In person this is not so.

Completed.  In Place.  In Position.  In Situ.

This painting was powerful when it was just one canvas, but now that it is this size with splitting, balancing rocks and swirling leaves, it is commanding.  I was a little concerned the residents would find sleeping under this a bit daunting, however I am assured the nights are peaceful and restful.  It must be the cairns, the balance inferred by the harmonious stacking of the rocks, cradled by the leaves.

Time to take a little break from the studio.  Time to gather inspiration, do some sketching, work towards something new.

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Adding to an Older Painting.

The Newest Canvas on the Easel.

A very blank canvas.

I am working on two new canvases that will turn this painting, Split, into a triptych.  

Split

48 x 60

I will post the progression on my Artist's Facebook Page as well as here on the blog.  I am thinking it will be more of a challenge that it seems for several reasons.  This was painted a few years ago, before I kept details regarding the pigments used so there is a bit of guess work going on.  I am not even sure I still have some of them.  My brush work style has changed a little bit, but I will attempt to emulate what is going on in Split.

Beginning the under painting.

I invite you to follow along.

Under painting progresses.

This should be interesting.

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Guadalupe Arenas VI

Studio Work Continues.

While in my studio, whether or not it is painting or some other task, I frequently have time to let my mind wander.This happens especially when my work is something like painting on the lizards and eagles being added to this portrait of Guadalupe Arenas.

lizard shapes added to the portrait of Guadalupe Arenas

As I was painting these creatures my mind wandered to a recent studio visit and the conversation which took place. The visitor asked great questions about the canvas on the easel and a few other paintings in the studio.  Clearly she was interested and appreciative.

'

eagles added to the portrait of Guadalupe Arenas

My thoughts moved on to a recent article I had read about talking to an artist at a festival or in their studio.  We are moving into the Art Festival time of year, so this article in a fellow bloggers post may be of interest.  Artists love to talk about their work.  As you carry on a dialogue with an artist you will learn things about their work you may not see at first.  I encourage you to take a look at this:  How to talk to an artist

basket shape added to the portrait of Guadalupe Arenas

The details of lizards, eagles and a basket shape were added to the painting this past week.  Work continues.

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Guadalupe Arenas

The Beginning Of A New Portrait

Welcome to 2016, a new year, and the beginning of a new portrait.  This painting is inspired by a chance meeting with a woman who owns two baskets woven by Guadalupe Arenas, and having the opportunity to see several baskets woven by this woman who lived and worked in the Coachella Valley during the late 1800's into the 1900's.  Her work is respected, revered, valued.  It is a wonder to see the intricate, tight, carefully crafted baskets she created which are rich with careful design.

Guadalupe Arenas Snake and Eagle Basket 

Guadalupe Arenas Snake Basket

After being invited into the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum to conduct research, I was able to come up with three photographs of Guadalupe Arenas which became the inspiration for the face on the canvas.

Guadalupe Arenas

Guadalupe Arenas

Guadalupe Arenas

These three photos seem to be from different time periods, so the challenge is to meld them into one representational, stylized face.  Having already selected my palette, it was a matter of layering on color, shadow, and some definition before moving on to other areas of the canvas.  This face is not complete, but it is a beginning.

Desiring to create a similar composition to my last painting, 'Madame Butterfly' (seen hanging on the wall in the photo above), I sketched onto the canvas with thin pigment various elements Guadalupe Arenas used in her baskets.

It is not my desire to recreate her designs exactly but to use her snakes, eagles and lizards, with my own interpretation.

With these portraits I want to bring focus and attention to the women who lived in harsh conditions creating beautiful vessels under the tutelage of their mothers. Baskets which were originally utilitarian became collector items during the early 20th century disappearing into private collections. Guadalupe Arenas was one of these basket weavers whose baskets are highly valued today. 

 This last photo shows some of the under and back ground painting that has been applied to the canvas.  Work on the portrait continues daily.  Welcome to 2016 and this new portrait.

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