 |
| New Mexico Kitchen mixed media on paper available here |
I moved again, but this time it is more permanent. I feel like I have just returned from a very long long trip. It started in 2018 when Vic and I moved to Colorado. We lived there until June of last year, then moved back into our old Riverside neighborhood in Wichita, Kansas last June. They say people often return home after moving away. It turned out to be true for us. We rented a house on the river while looking for a home to purchase, and with the market being a bit fast and crazy right now, finding a Riverside home that suited us turned out to be difficult. However as luck would have it, a really wonderful modest sized midcentury home not far away turned out to be a great fit. There are windows and outdoor spaces surrounding the house and it is just wonderful. Ironically, my studio is the darkest room in the house so I have a lot of lights turned on when I am in it working. I love it though. It is a great little room to work in.
 |
| mixed media works on paper 5x7 inch available here |
Here are a few peeks at our home and until then, take care!
 |
| Portrait of a Woman Wearing Green oil on linen 8x10 inch available here |
Inspired by some old photographs, these paintings were created. Except for the last one, my goal was to keep it more contemporary with only a hint of the past. Did I succeed? I don't know. I honestly cannot judge my own art.
 |
| Portrait of a Woman in Autumn oil on linen 8x10 inch (sold) |
 |
| Portrait by Dabbs oil on linen panel 5x7 inch (sold) In portrait by Dabbs, the title was inspired by the stamp on the back of the photograph. It led me down an interesting rabbit hole and leaving the painting with a very dated feel seemed appropriate after my investigation. The stamp was the photographer's logo: Dabbs, 174 Liberty Street, Pittsburgh, PA. According to Historic Camera's website, Dabbs was a studio run by an Englishman by the name of Benjamin Lomax Horsley Dabbs from 1876-1897 until it was destroyed by fire. Dabbs did a famous portrait of Andrew Carnegie which is displayed at Pittsburgh's Carnegie Museum of Art. Dabbs was also said to be a close friend of Abraham Lincoln. Dabbs mostly photographed businessmen, doctors and lawyers. I find this kind of information so fascinating. |
I am on week two of this book. It has really kept me inspired and made me think about some new concepts regarding creativity. Her ideas can be applied to just about any kind of job, not just the arts. It is full of ideas to get your creative mind flowing. Two things she recommends throughout the course of the book is to do what she calls "morning pages" and to go on an "artist date" every week. The artist date is where you go somewhere or do something by yourself in order to get inspired. It is all about taking in. It could be a museum, or just for a drive out in the country, or in the city if you live in the country. Anything really. I have to say the artist date cheers me up while in the middle of this pandemic. It has given me something to look forward to. My first artist date was a drive in the Kansas countryside. I came home feeling relaxed and very inspired. I cannot explain why. The trick I think, is to make sure you do something you really enjoy. I love shooting photos, so I took my camera and made stops where ever I felt led.
Until next time.
♥
 |
| The Metropolitan Museum of Art during a visit in 2014 |
In 2014 I went with my sister to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and there was a wonderful Balthus exhibit taking place. You can read a little about the exhibit HERE . Part of the exhibit contained 40 drawings that Balthus did as a child of his found and lost cat named Mitsou, and depicted the story of her life with him. The drawings were displayed in chronological order and in one of them there is a sad little boy, carrying a lantern, searching for his lost beloved cat. A friend of his mother was so moved by the drawings that he published them into a book which was on display at this exhibit. No photography was allowed, but if you search online you will find a photo of the book and some of the drawings.
I left the exhibit promising my sister that my next cat would be named Mitsou, in honor of Balthus as a boy, the loss he endured, and in memory of this wonderful exhibit in New York. As luck would have it, a short time later, a friend offered me a sweet grey and white kitten and the name Mitsou fit her perfectly.
My Mitsou posed for this painting I did below, but I painted her black and white, preferring a strong black and white contrast. And now as I type this, I am wondering if the black and white choice was more of a subconscious decision. A sort of nod to Balthus' black and white drawings of his Mitsou.
 |
| A Studious Cat oil on cradled wood 9x12 inch |
 |
| The Best Kind of Day oil on cradled wood 9x12 inch |
