Cheerful and Colorful Paintings

Cheerful and Colorful Paintings in Oil, Acrylic, Mixed Media and Collage
nancystandlee@sbcglobal.net

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

"Journey" ~ Metals and Mixed Media Abstract ~ Contemporary Daily Paintings by Nancy Standlee

"Journey"
12" x 12" Acrylic Contemporary Abstract

Metallic and Mixed Media Textured on Canvas


I began this in the Tony Saladino workshop on Saturday and I've finished it this week; however, it has the Carol Nelson influence from the previous Denver workshop. I textured the canvas with modeling paste and used various paints with a metallic finish and glazes. I added a touch of gold leaf around the center of interest but it's very difficult to get a good photo of shiny metals. I am really liking working with all of this texture. I'm wondering if anyone else out there likes this abstract look?

Home Depot:
I had a 3:30 cataract eye surgery follow up visit yesterday and then spent the rest of the afternoon in the Home Depot off I-30, Road to 6 Flags. What a bunch of nice folks. Maybe I'm partial because a store south of here employed my grandson! But someone in this store was always showing up to walk me around helping me find "art stuff" that Carol had mentioned or I just thought I might use. When I asked one young man where a trowel was he had to call someone else and I really think it was because of HOW I say trowel instead of WHERE it was. Next question from him was how do you want to use it. In fact that is always the next question from any of the employees and I'd always say "In an art way not in a building supply way. You see I went to Denver for an art workshop with Carol Nelson and I want to try some of the things I learned." By this time of Q and A we'd become friends and nearly shared/exchanged grandchildren, boyfriend, girlfriend photos. I came away with $100 worth of art supplies from the garden shop to the far hinterlands of the store (not really intending to) by walking up and down the aisles and thinking like Carol Nelson??

Canvas by Canvas in the International Artist magazine April/May 2010
Click on the photo to enlarge
Here's the Canvas by Canvas gang in front of the Cowboy Stadium and we're reading the International Artist April/May edition. It has Carol Carter's work on the cover and we are on page 30. Look close. They were having a promo of sending in a photo of artists reading the magazine in front of a local landmark. We were also having a cold blustery day and our hair was all over the place. Note our heart shaped sunglasses. That was my idea but we couldn't find any grown up ones and Maryann and Karen found us some kiddy birthday ones. Thanks Dennis Hevia for taking the photo and click on his name to see his great photography website.

Get your art specialty on the Map:

Robert Burridge alerted friends and artists on Facebook about an opportunity to showcase your art and get your studio "on the map". Go to The Arts Map and add your information and then you can save your favorite pages. Jonathan Talbot is one of the founders. I'm familiar with his collage work and have one of his books. Do it and then let me know so I can see your page.

By the way I found (with a cute young girl's help) and bought the trowel at Home Depot and it is the biggest, sturdiest palette knife in my studio. It was not on Carol's list but I thought it looked intimidating. Can you imagine at your next art workshop walking in and setting up, reaching in and pulling out a 4" trowel and a 4" house brush and asking your neighbors "What time to we start?" Also, I hope I don't embarrass my grandson but I need to go to his store and talk to the manager because I don't want him EVER using that great big saw on the wall to cut anyone MDF board. It's OK for Matt to be nice to little old ladies but "no sawing allowed".

Several have asked how my eye surgery went and both eyes have had the cataract surgery but are still healing and the doctor won't release me for another 3 weeks to have an official eye exam to see if and what kind of glasses I might need. Now I'm wearing a pair of dollar store cheaters when I read. I am seeing better each day and in fact, I'm found SOS written in the dust on my bedroom mirror. I don't know who, what or when wrote that hateful message but now I see it although not seeing well enough to remedy the situation!
Please visit my web site and comment on my blog:

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

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

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


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

Contact: NancyStandlee@sbcglobal.net

6 comments:

Connie Michael said...

What an entertaining and informative post, Nancy. I like your painting, and I'm glad you're getting back in the groove and posting every day. Your fans really enjoy it!

Nancy Standlee said...

Thanks, Conners and glad you like the painting.

Carol Nelson said...

I'm glad your vision is improving enough to see hateful messages written in the dust - I almost blurted out my coffee on that one.
You GO GIRL! I can't believe how productive you are. That was a fine account of shopping HD for art supplies.
I love your latest piece. I can see you're applying many of the techniques we talked about in the workshop. Paint on!

Nancy Standlee said...

I was channeling Carol Nelson all during my HD experience - picking up the item and turning it in all directions thinking about its use.

Nick said...

wow now that's some serious texture!! You do so much different stuff and all those workshops, it's incredible. But I'm wondering...which is the real Nancy Standlee???! All of them?

Nancy Standlee said...

OK, Nick, you've found me out. At 74, I'm still searching for the real Nancy and maybe it is a big mixture of all of them. I try something, get bored and move on very easily. This sounds like a good artist magazine article. One thing is constant - I love learning and I like my journal. Maybe I shouldn't use bored because I'm never bored maybe I see something new I haven't tried.