LYLAS 6 ~ "Maggie" ~ Nick's DVD

Lylas 6 "Maggie"
12" x 9" Acrylic on Gallery
Wrapped Canvas
SOLD
This Lylas is named after Canvas by Canvas artist, Margie Whittington.
She has a blog and a web site where she showcases her murals. Probably every CBC member has taken a class from her at the Upstairs Gallery - sometime or the other. Margie posted on her blog her angel attempt Whimsical Angels ah la Nancy.
This one if for you, Margie.
Today I received a very long awaited email from Creative Catalyst stating that the Nicholas Simmons DVD was available for preorder. You can watch a short Flash demo of a painting in progress. I ordered a copy and I am signed up for his workshop at Artists' Showplace, in Dallas, TX., June 9-13, 2008.
Today I found a site by way of Amazon. Don't you love it when they send you an email and say well, you bought this book and we think you'd like this one, Watercolor Sketching, by Brenda Swenson. Well, you know for sure that I did. Brenda Swenson has a great web site and has some great watercolors on her site. She has a short truck demo here. She has painted Pasadena and it has reminded me of another of my favorite Pasadena painters, Joseph Stoddard.
I've tried taking a workshop with him but it was canceled. I have two of his books, Redlands Sketchbook and Pasadena Sketchbook, and love looking at his paintings or sketches. Here is his submission for the Moleskin site and I see that he will have a fall book coming out , publisher Walter Foster, Watercolor Made Easy, Expressive Color.
Another great book for my library of art instruction books and dvds. Now to settle down and take the time to read and study in between painting with my Lylas.

LYLAS 4 ~ "Maginty" ~ J. M. W. Turner Exhibit ~ DMA ~ Angel Painting

LYLAS 4
SOLD
LYLAS 4 "Maginty" Acrylic
9" x 12" Gallery Wrapped Canvas, 3/4" profile black (depth)
This is the fourth in the Lylas series. See this post to read how the paintings came to be.

Now to the DMA

J. M. W. Turner "The Angel Standing in the Sun" 1846
was painted in his 70's and it shows where the light of the sun dissolves the boundary of Heaven and earth and an angel appears causing a bridge between Heaven and earth.
The Turner exhibit closes at the Dallas Museum of Art May 18 and it was very busy when I attended Thursday, April 17. I recommend you make the trip and get the audio guide. I'm an artist without an art history degree and much of my Turner education came from this visit. From this brief day of information, I think Turner would have been an art blogger with a web site promoting his art. I'm an art blogger and I think I know one when I see one. He embraced the technology at the time and was a canny business man. While other artists would wait until their painting was hung to put on the final varnish, Turner opted to do some actual painting on his, in other words a short free demo and then varnish causing more hype. Usually his paintings included some descriptive statement with a few lines of poetry and sometimes the poetry was written by him. Sounds like a blogger to me.
Turner, at times, used watercolor like oil and oil like watercolor. On several paintings the oil was used so thinly the texture of the weave of the canvas was visible. The exhibit is a dazzle to the eyes with approximately 140 works and there are over 20 stations discussed with the audio guide. It is the largest and most comprehensive retrospective ever held in the U.S. of J. M. W. Turner's works in oils and watercolors (1775-1851). One word, LIGHT, has always been associated with his work and it is prominent in his depiction of seascapes, mythology, religious themes, imagination and historical events.
The one above, The Angel Standing in the Sun, spoke to me as I'm been painting some angel type figures and up close you could only view one wing.
Here are some links of this particular angel piece and gives more insight and explanation of the work. Eat a hearty breakfast before going as you will want to linger and read the additional information posted by the paintings or you can take a museum lunch break and go back in the afternoon but please go. If you have time, the Wikipedia article would give a little additional information before attending.

Another view of the painting.

Art Notes.

The TATE.

LYLAS 3 ~ "Karen" ~ Gringo Revolution ~ Young at Heart ~ Young Heart Attack

LYLAS 3
SOLD
LYLAS 3 "Karen" Acrylic
9" x 12" Gallery Wrapped Canvas, 3/4" profile black (depth)
This is the third in the Lylas series. See this post to read how the paintings came to be.
I came in late last Wednesday from the SWS meeting and I TiVoed the news and it ran into Nightline and I'm so glad as I saw this "older group" "Young at Heart" who sing rock and roll hits and they have a documentary movie that opened in some cities that day. It showed them at rehearsal and singing at a prison and doing a show. The fellow shown in this video had a singing partner that had died a few weeks before so he does a solo and the leader said that was a big problem dealing with the death of fellow performers. About 70 have died that have participated. The show left a big message to find something you love doing in your later years. I have watched Fred Knittle singing Coldplay's "Fix You". I'd never heard of Coldplay before but I sure enjoy Fred's rendition and I've watched it several times since. For a real treat please watch it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2u6k-99qcCE Look how many times this you tube clip has been viewed!! What an upper and they have others to watch such as "Staying Alive". I want to be sure and catch the movie.
Watch Coldplay sing their version if you can spare the time. I love this song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBEYyHGbwto&feature=related
Maryann, a Canvas by Canvas member, has a daughter Jenn who has a rock band "Young Heart Attack". I think it would be so cool if they could play together some time - the "Young Heart Attack" and the "Young at Heart". Jenn's group has just returned from an engagement in London and Spain.

My son, Eric (Harpoon), plays the harmonica in a band, Ray Diffee and the Gringo Revolution, and they won a battle of the bands (approximately 20 bands) contest over the weekend. Eric has a My Space with more about the band and slide shows. He is a self taught harmonica player and years ago worked as a P.I. and in lonely stretches of time would practice on the harmonica.
I have another son, Brad, who just had a 50th birthday and we celebrated with a cruise on the Granbury Riverboat. Brad got to spend a few days with me in Sam Miguel at the Mel Stabin workshop. It was a new experience being in a different city and traveling together and we're ready to have a repeat performance.
Here are some photos with Eric, my daughter, Dana, and Brad from the Birthday Cruise.


MY CHILDREN



THE BLUES BROTHERS

All kinds of music and all kinds of painting styles "But If you never try, you'll never know just what you're worth." Coldplay "Fix You"
Here is a great review of the movie:

Scrooge Yourself ~ Star Watch Angel ~ Acrylic Painting

$110.00
22 x 10 1/2 " Acrylic on 140 lb. watercolor paper, unframed

This was painted earlier in the year but she looked a little Christmasy to me so I decided to post this angel since most of my week has been filled with doctor appointments after our very busy Holiday Magic weekend. I love to write down people's conversations that I overhear and now with cell phones it is so easy. A cowboy looking older gentlemen sat down with a seat between us in one physician's office yesterday. He looked nice in his cowboy boots and Stetson and he was bored and began calling his friends. I could deduct the conversation from the other end when the cowboy answered "Oh, I'm here in the doctor's waiting room. My appointment is not until 10:30 (it was about 9:45 a.m. my appointment time) BUT I'd rather be two hours early than one minute late." I liked the way he turned a phrase so I grabbed my paper and pencil and wrote it down. I'd rather be two hours early than one minute late. I think that's pretty good advice but it doesn't happen very often on the Doctor's watch. He was called in at 10:15 but I wasn't too much later.
I'd taken my new book by Charles Sovek "The Basics: 36 Ways to Pickup a Brush and Start Painting Pictures" and he stated draw, draw, draw and he suggested a Pilot fine point pen. I drew a few patients but would always get caught looking at someone so I went back to reading. I noticed the muffled voices of people talking and a myriad of cell phone tones and songs playing around the room. Our cell phones and our bottled water have really changed the way we behave. We can't leave home without either one.
On my previous post I mentioned how much fun I've had with the Elf Yourself greeting and you can check out my special Christmas greeting. I love all the emails about the singing reindeer and crazy snowmen being attacked by hairdryers. Now I've found one for the Bah! Humbugs! if you like to play the grouch. You can turn yourself into a crotchety old curmudgeon at this site. I choose to be a happy little elf but be my guest and click HERE if you prefer the humbugs!
On the way to Dallas today for another appointment, I heard Mary Did You Know by Kenny Rogers and Wynonna Judd. I always feel like Christmas is near after hearing that song and it's one of my favorites. Bad news and good news for tomorrow. They forgot to tell me I needed to be fasting for blood work so that portion of the tests will have to be done later and I'll try again tomorrow. Good news in Texas that's it's supposed to be 80 degrees and sunny and I can listen to these stations that are playing continuous Christmas music. I talked with my brother today and we were laughing about it snowing in Midland on Thanksgiving and he said they hadn't so much as had a good frost or a freeze when they had their snow. In Texas the weather is a little like the box of chocolates "You never know what you're going to get". As for me, I'd love spend the winter with 80 degree days and maybe find more time to paint. However, I'm trying to get better organized in my house so I can start the New Year with being able find my stuff. I find that something is always lost around here and I'm forever looking for something. I hope it 's not related to age but just that I have an abundance of art supplies to keep track of with not enough room for proper storage.
May you enjoy this holiday season and find all your lost items.