Landscape 1 ~ Robert Burridge Workshop ~ The Pine Cone Scammer" by Texas Daily Painter Nancy Standlee

"Landscape #1"
Acrylic contemporary landscape
5" x 7" on paper (1 of 8)

I worked on these warm ups in acrylic on paper in the Robert Burridge workshop in February. I did a series of 8 so get ready for some very similar paintings. Bob encourages his classes to do warm ups before a painting session and to work in a series.

The Pine Cone/Gumball Scammer

This morning, Thursday, February 25, 2010, I opened up the front door to pick up the Fort Worth Star Telegram and half expected to find some money on this little table to the right. Sometime ago I retrieved the table from a neighbors garbage pickup and it's a repository of stuff when getting in or out the door. On it I found this 7" pine cone and one little gumball instead of the twenty and five one dollar bills I was hoping for. Why? Why would I expect money to be thrown at my front door? Well, I threw some out in that direction last night to an excellent little actor scam artist and I'm dubbing this little hustler the "Pine Cone Scammer".
The doorbell rang and first I thought it was on the TV and it wouldn't be the first time I've answered my door from a TV show chime. Patricia Heaton was screaming from "The Middle" and I was screaming at the locked door, "Who is it? Who is it?" I finally heard enough that it was my neighbor two doors down. "I've locked myself out of the house and my keys are locked in my car and AAA are on their way." When I slowly opened the door I saw an out of breath, animated teen or young man (I didn't recognize him) and he was saying..I'm so and so's son and I just live down the street, blah, blah, and I need $23. and a few cents.. I don't remember the amount of the cents or the name of the people he was a son to. He was so sorry to bother me came out of his little chiseler mouth several times and he acted like he was so in trouble and I bit and I gave him a twenty and 5 one dollar bills and he promised to return with my money within minutes once he got unlocked. Are you all getting suspicious yet? Not until I finished watching my TiVo of Lost and no more doorbells did I begin to question why the doorbell didn't ring and my loan was still not paid.
I still had hopes for the little gouger and his fraudulent ways this morning when I picked up my newspaper. I thought maybe it was late last night and he didn't want to disturb me and left the money on the table and that's when I saw the pine cone and the gumball on the table. I didn't put it there and I don't have a pine tree or a gumball tree. There are some down the street and I wonder if on his walk up the street he picked them up and once he got some cash just placed them on my table. Today after several calls to neighbors and advice from them I felt this one was worth sharing, "Just call out I don't keep cash in the house." On thinking this over, I should have asked What is our house number? Then when he answered just make up a name like Oh, Susan and I are great friends... then if he went along then you'd know he was a fake.. All good scenarios but my little reptile brain wasn't thinking about anything but someone's "boy" was locked out of the house in the cold.
I called the police department today to make a report about my bad judgment on the human condition and the lady I talked to said, "Oh, are they doing that again.?" Seems it went on last year for awhile and then stopped. She was asking for a description and I had to admit I had cataract surgery last week on my right eye and I had been out most of the day trying to get some reading glasses for the new good eye and the old, soon to be operated on, old eye and I wasn't seeing too clearly. I could tell he had close cropped dark hair, Caucasian, and thin young male. Getting some new glasses after surgery doesn't guarantee detection of failure in the human animal. Will I give a dirty, hungry looking person a few bucks at the gas station or in front of IHop, or at the intersection..? Probably I'll still do that but if you're somebody's "boy" and ring my doorbell expect me to take your photo and be thumb-printed before I hand over any of my teacher retirement from now on. I'm not trading anymore dollar bills for pine cones.

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BLOG.............Nancy Standlee Art Blog

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WEB SITE ........Canvas By Canvas

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Daily Painters of Texas

Daily Abstract Painters Gallery

Daily Painters Marketplace


ARLINGTON TEXAS ~ ARTIST NANCY STANDLEE ~ DAILY PAINTER ~
CONTEMPORARY ~ WATERCOLOR ~ ACRYLIC ~ COLLAGE ~ GOUACHE
ABSTRACT ~ EXPRESSIONIST ~ ART FOR SALE ~ FIGURATIVE

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"That's What I Like About You" ~ Contemporary Figurative Painting by Texas Daily Painter Nancy Standlee

"That's What I Like About You"
12" x 12" Acrylic on canvas with some newsprint collage

This is another of the works I painted at Dena's Ranch at the Robert Burridge workshop and see previous posts for more details. Now Bob did advise us on titles and said call it something that would help identify the painting, example "The Red Landscape". I will never be able to locate this one with a title like this but it seemed appropriate at the time. Titles are never easy but this seemed to fit in with my couples series of friends and lovers. I was experimenting with some print backgrounds and I like the subtle print collage element.

Patience
I don't like to dwell on physical limitations, aches, pains, certainly not anything to do with aging, but last week, Monday, February 15, I had cataract surgery on my right eye and I have not been a patient with patience. No pain just annoyed as heck that I can't see well and after crying at the post op visit the following day, my doctor explained the cornea has been cut, it's swollen, be patient so I will until the next surgery in March for the left. Then after both eyes have healed I'll be fitted for new glasses and I'll have no need for patience. One of the problems as I see it is you have a new lens in the eye with the old prescription glasses and nothing is working. I went to the dollar store yesterday and got a pair of high magnification reading glasses and I can see my computer screen and read a little better. Didn't Betty Davis say, "Getting old is not for sissies." (I chose to go with the single lens and use glasses for astigmatism as I didn't want to deal with a possible double adjustment - for those who may have a question after having this done.)

YouTube and Myrna
For some time now I've been wanting to put a short video on YouTube with a painting demo of my own and one for Canvas by Canvas, the collaborative art group I belong to. My friend, Myra, has a fantastic demo with her new mini camcorder and now I've purchased a similar one (because of her). It's still in the box and I will read the directions when I can READ again. I'll be sure and post the results. I've seen so many eye charts this past week, I think I know what the next background for a collage figurative painting might be and that might make a good YouTube debut.

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BLOG.............Nancy Standlee Art Blog

WEB SITE ........Nancy Standlee

WEB SITE ........Canvas By Canvas

Other blogs where I post:

Daily Painters of Texas

Daily Abstract Painters Gallery

Daily Painters Marketplace


TEXAS CONTEMPORARY ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONIST FINE ART DAILY PAINTER
NANCY STANDLEE ARLINGTON, TEXAS ART FOR SALE

Contact: NancyStandlee@sbcglobal.net

"Hearts to You" and Valentine Heart Healthy by Daily Painter Nancy Standlee

"Hearts to You"
12" x 12" acrylic on canvas

Bob Burridge had us painting hearts at the end of the workshop. (See previous posts for more about this workshop at Dena's Ranch.)His example is at the end of the post. These were fun and it was another way we learned more about negative painting.

This is one of Connie's foundation paintings on paper that she gave me (we traded paintings) and I used a gold paint around the edges and there is a camera glare at the bottom. I may go back in and glaze the gold with some red. I gave Connie a 5 x 7 landscape that I will post later. You might be interested in checking out some of Jim Dine's hearts. Jim likes to use common images that have personal meaning to him. Click HERE. These two are Bob's examples abovethat got us interested in painting hearts. Click HERE for the hearts on his website.
Painting day is over and it's time for the chips and dips. One night I did fix a black bean salsa that was heart healthy and delicious. I'm in the process of making some changes in my diet.

Healthy Hearts
I've been doing some reading and study about a better way to eat with a plant powered diet. I'm not promising I'll never eat another personal pan pizza but I have been doing some serious study about some alternatives. Check some of these books out from your library. I think you will find them enlightening. I graduated college with a BS in Home Economics in 1959 and this is far different from what we were taught and in turn taught our students.

"Eat to Live" Joel Furhman (I've had this book a long time but not much follow through until now) and the two volume set "Eat for Health"

"Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease" by Caldwell B. Esselstyn

"The China Study" by T. Colin Campbell

"The Engine 2 Diet" by Rip Esselstyn (son of Caldwell B. and a Texas firefighter in Austin, TX)

(If you're a fan of Dr. Oz, Rip was on his show tonight discussing how to change your food lifestyle with small steps. He has a great website that breaks the 28 day plan down into weeks. Some recipes are included.

Click HERE to be taken to his website.

There is a good article here by Jane Brody about Michael Pollan's book, Food Rules.

Have some fun times painting some hearts and take care of your heart. Heart disease is the leading cause of death and join me in making a few food changes in taking care of our "valentines". Have a Happy Valentines Day.

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BLOG.............Nancy Standlee Art Blog

WEB SITE ........Nancy Standlee

WEB SITE ........Canvas By Canvas

Other blogs where I post:

Daily Painters of Texas

Daily Abstract Painters Gallery

Daily Painters Marketplace


TEXAS CONTEMPORARY ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONIST FINE ART DAILY PAINTER
NANCY STANDLEE ARLINGTON, TEXAS ART FOR SALE

Contact: NancyStandlee@sbcglobal.net

Robert Burridge Workshop ~ Floral Acrylic Negative Painting by Texas Daily Painter Nancy Standlee

"To Dena with Love"
12" x 12" acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas

Dena is the owner of the Wenmohs Ranch where the Robert Burridge workshop was held February 1 - 5. I painted this acrylic floral with some of the same negative techniques that was used with the tree painting in the previous post. You make a mess on the paper or canvas with brushes, Viva paper towels or fingers and then find and paint around the floral shape with the negative painting technique. To explain negative shape painting Bob related the story that one day the Pope came to visit Michelangelo in his studio while he was sculpting his "David", marveled at the work and asked, "How do you know what to cut away?". Michelangelo's answer, "It's simple. I just remove everything that doesn't look like David." The class attempted to remove everything that didn't look like a tree or a flower in our attempts. I scratched and drew into the wet paint and later stenciled on some letters after it was dry.

City Girls and Cow Patties
Dena's cows blocked the road on Friday and didn't want us to leave. Mooing to us they called, "Stay and play. We like artists". Connie exited the vehicle to take photos until one of them sneezed. She did wonder if they had been eating elephants from the size of some of the meadow muffins. Cheryl, a city girl, went out for a jog first day early but was back within minutes and when questioned she said, "Those cow patties freaked me out." Do you realize Texas does have a cookie recipe that's called "Texas Cow Patties". I'm not making that cookie recipe.

The tin barn where we paint. There was a door at the end so we didn't have to lift up the big doors. Bob told us to keep our tables neat. "Don't have anything on the table that doesn't serve you." Hard to do. He used a big plastic 4 mil sheet for his palette and naturally I had to photograph it on Friday when he attached it to the door.

Bob's Palette.

The front porch of the Bunkhouse.

Roscoe loved to stand by the fire. So did I.

Dean Quixote

http://www.deanquixote.com/art/index.htm
Click on that top photograph.
Yes that's our Bob and he painted all the abstracts for this movie, Dean Quixote. Do you have a copy of this movie? We'd love to see Bob's paintings.

Click here for the YouTube Trailer: http://www.deanquixote.com/home.htm

Quote from Bob: "Decide what you want and make it happen."

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BLOG.............Nancy Standlee Art Blog

WEB SITE ........Nancy Standlee

WEB SITE ........Canvas By Canvas

Other blogs where I post:

Daily Painters of Texas

Daily Abstract Painters Gallery

Daily Painters Marketplace


TEXAS CONTEMPORARY ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONIST FINE ART DAILY PAINTER
NANCY STANDLEE ARLINGTON, TEXAS ART FOR SALE

Contact: NancyStandlee@sbcglobal.net

Robert Burridge Workshop ~ Wenmohs Ranch ~ Burridge Tree by Texas Daily Painter Nancy Standlee

"The Burridge Tree"
12" x 12" acrylic gallery wrap canvas

I'll have to fess up. This tree is only about one half mine. If you know me or read the blog, I just don't "do trees" but that was one of my intentions for this Robert Burridge workshop - Paint a Burridge tree as I've tried many times. I made the "mess" on the canvas (can use gessoed paper) and then went into panic mode when it came to the negative painting. Bob graciously took over and I now have a Burridge tree that I'm sooo proud of. Because it is hard for me to see some of the limbs I've found it beneficial to use blackboard chalk to find them before just jumping in with the negative painting.

Bob and my tree before the shadows on the ground.

Bob showing other examples of his negative painted trees. More of his trees can be found on his web site under landscapes and he paints them huge. In Kate and Bob's ArtsyFartsy News specific example of the tree can be found in the September 2009 Newsletter. See the Villa Fattoria Bacio, I was there several years ago with a Ted Nuttall workshop but I didn't paint trees.


Bob and Nancy. I have on my "artist signature" apron and keeping score with the number of workshops taken by making black diagonal slash marks. Yes, this one was number 7.


Connie, my Canvas by Canvas, collaborative painter and friend with our ranch hostess, Dena.



So OK the first day was really cold, then it started raining! I had on so many layers I felt like a mountain man. Thanks, Elizabeth for sharing this photo. On the left is Terry and I met her at my very first Burridge workshop at Dena's and sweet girl remembered I was collecting rusty stuff and brought me a little plastic bag of rusty tin. When I use it in a painting I will surely post the results. Now go try a "Burridge Tree". I know I plan to make a few more starts and will try to finish the next one all by myself but thanks, Bob, for all your help on this one.

Please visit my website and comment on my blog.
Find me on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

BLOG.............Nancy Standlee Art Blog

WEB SITE ........Nancy Standlee

WEB SITE ........Canvas By Canvas

Other blogs where I post:

Daily Painters of Texas

Daily Abstract Painters Gallery

Daily Painters Marketplace


TEXAS CONTEMPORARY ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONIST FINE ART DAILY PAINTER
NANCY STANDLEE ARLINGTON, TEXAS ART FOR SALE

Contact: NancyStandlee@sbcglobal.net

Robert Burridge Workshop ~ Wenmohs Ranch ~ Acrylic Painting

"Connie and Nancy Visit Bobland"
11" x 14" Acrylic on canvas

I'm in the red boots. Does this look like us? Are you kidding? But we felt like this while in Bobland.

You don't think we look like our painted images? Well, check this out. Here we are in real life arriving at "Bobland" or Dena Wenohs Ranch Sunday afternoon for the Robert Burridge "Create Today with Wild Abandon : We Don't Need No Stinkin' Brushes" Workshop February 1-5, 2010. Whoo-Hoo and we had way too much fun. No I don't have red hair but I did have on a red hat and we couldn't have put a Popsicle stick in that car after we got our gear in there.

Bob Burridge and you might describe him as "highly energized"

Bob and "His People" - 24 total

The Bunkhouse where some stayed. Connie and I stayed here. Others stayed at Dena's house or in local motels in Marble Falls.

This was my 7th time to be in a Robert Burridge workshop and this one was special because one of my Canvas by Canvas peeps, Connie, went with me. We painted in the workshop barn which had a tin roof, (great sound effects when it rained for two days), we had a short propane outage, a few plumbing incidents, and a big water pump mishap but did we care? Heck no. We were having way too much fun to be bothered with a little mud, a little water and a little cool weather. Would I spend nearly a week preparing, loading, driving 4-5 hours to take another one tomorrow? You betcha. I tell Bob "There is no place I'd rather be on a Monday morning than at a Robert Burridge workshop." You see lots of old friends, meet some cool new ones, learn a whole bunch from Bob's sharing ways. He gives many demos, lectures, floor shows, a little slapstick, and shares all of his secrets. He begins new work, brings and paints some in progress, and even helps us finish some of ours. Bob says about painting, "Quit complaining. We all want to be better." So that is why we come together, to socialize, to paint and try to get better. Start thinking about your intentions in your art work. How do you know when you've arrived if you don't know where you're going? - a Bobism.

Why do I take so many of his workshops? Sometimes I just don't get it the first time and it's never the same old tired exercises or canned lecture you find in some workshops. Each time he's in a different new place with ideas and paintings and in his words he's there "to kick us in the butt" to get us motivated and that he does.

Bob is big on "Intentions" - Why am I here? What do I hope to get out of the workshop? What is this painting about? My intention for the above painting was I wanted to paint from an experience, use some graphic elements, and paint something I haven't done before. I used an old telephone book for the base and collaged some pages, placed a gold wash over them and painted the figures and stenciled some letters over all.

Subscribe to (click on this link) Bob's ArtsyFartsy Newsletter.
Top left is a place to click to sign up and register. You will receive an email and you need to respond to it and then add Bob and Kate's email address to your address book or the newsletter could end up in the spam folder. You can read archived copies that contain wonderful information about materials and techniques.

I'll post other paintings from the workshop in the coming weeks so please check back for a visit. I love to have you stop by.

Please visit my website and comment on my blog.
Find me on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

BLOG.............Nancy Standlee Art Blog

WEB SITE ........Nancy Standlee

WEB SITE ........Canvas By Canvas

Other blogs where I post:

Daily Painters of Texas

Daily Abstract Painters Gallery

Daily Painters Marketplace


TEXAS CONTEMPORARY ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONIST FINE ART DAILY PAINTER
NANCY STANDLEE ARLINGTON, TEXAS ART FOR SALE

Contact: NancyStandlee@sbcglobal.net