On my easel right now

Step one
Step two
Step three
I've strayed away from talking about my art and what is on my easel right now. I'm working on three 30X30 inch canvases and have been taking pictures right along. I was going to be very organized and photograph each step for each one. Didn't happen. So I'll pick one and post some photos of it's progress. It isn't done yet but when it is I'll post the final photo.

Art from the sky

There are a variety of web sites that feature photos taken from space and I especially liked the one pictured above. I found it here.

It is a photo of the Ganges River Delta.

Other sites to visit:

NASA

Cloud Appreciation Society

Earth as art

Chanel Pavilion

I found information about this traveling art pavilion today on Edward Winkleman's blog. It sounded like an interesting idea whether it's timing was appropriate or not so I did a Google search and what follows it what I found out.

First it was an idea of Karl Lagerfeld and you can read about it here.

Now the designer's web site.

Then go to a flickr site for on the building site photos.

Another opinion at the erratica blog site.

Some time in the future it will be in Los Angeles area which is the only west coast location to see it.

So that's how I've been spending my time this morning. Cruising the web and reading interesting blogs. What fun.

Joan Mitchell

I "found" the Abstract Expressionists just a few years ago and can't think how I missed them. Everyone knew about Jackson Pollock but he was only the tip of the ice berg in my opinion.

A few years ago I read a book about Joan Mitchell titled "Joan Mitchell". It is a lovely book full of her paintings and story of her life and career. Why I am drawn to her paintings is a mystery to me. I even tried to duplicate one of what I thought was one of her more simple paintings. What a waste of time! It is so much more difficult than I ever imagined. Which isn't at all unusual when you consider the subject. 

Shortly after reading the book I went to the Portland Art Museum to see the current show which I've forgotten the title of now. People in the local area often loan their paintings to the museum for various time periods so if you go you will see things you didn't expect to see. As I was walking through a hallway on the the way to the museum shop I saw two large paintings on the wall and stopped to look at them because they were so beautiful. Well, they were two paintings by Joan Mitchell, very large, about 8 by 10 feet. Seeing the same painting from a book and on the wall, in real life front of you, is a transcendent experience to say the least. I stood there for a long time and just vibrated internally. I imagine that from the outside I looked normal. Inside I was jumping up and down and yelling. I'll never forget the experience.

Here is a recent short article about her from the the New Yorker magazine.

What's your definition of style?

I talked about the Advanced Style blog October 9th. While there earlier today I found several other bloggers who had commented on one of the photos and clicked through to their blogs. Here are some more blogs that generally relate to style in all it's wonderful variety: Liz Blair and Little Molly Cake.

And who knew the girl from Portland Oregon would win last night on Project Runway? Find her web site here. Read Tim Gunn's post too.

My definition of style? I have no style but do enjoy seeing other examples of style whether good, bad or over the top. 

I'm leaving for the beach for a few days and will be back with some updates on three paintings I've started.

Open Acrylics

I received the Golden "Just Paint" newsletter last week featuring interviews with various artists about their experiences testing the new Open paints. Also included were three small packets of the paint to test. The colors were titanium white, phthalo blue (green shade) and alizarin crimson hue. I haven't tried them yet but wanted do a brief review of what the artist in the newsletter reported. 

The first artist paints with oils and said the new open paint felt greasier and he liked the idea of doing a stain painting with the new paint. 

The second artist uses oil and acrylic and felt the paint was much easier to move around. It didn't drag like traditional acrylics but he felt the darker colors, using medium, seemed to get cloudy. He said he was impressed with the quality using just water to thin the paint. He also said Open paint doesn't create an edge and it's not a bit like regular acrylic.

The third artist works with oil paints and she was amazed at the ability to blend for as long as she could. She also suggests that sable brushes work much better than bristle brushes. 

The fourth artist who uses gouache, pastels, oils and acrylics suggests using the new Open paints in a thin manner and when ready for thicker paint to use the traditional acrylic. He says the thick application could take months to dry.

There are also special mediums and thinners to use with the new paints. I'm wondering how acrylic glazing liquid, which I use, is similar or different with the new Open paints. After reading the newsletter I had several questions and will send an email to Golden next week. 

Advanced Style

I've found a wonderful new blog I want to recommend: Advanced Style.  Advanced Style was created by a young man who must spend a lot of time on the streets of New York. He stops elders and asks to take their pictures for his style blog. His friends also send him pictures to use on the blog. It helps if they look "rad", his term for good style. I love checking in now and then because he adds pictures often. Click on the picture and get a full screen view.

It makes my day to see the elders taking the time and effort to dress for their forays out into the city. I also enjoy seeing the gritty city backgrounds and knowing this is where the elders function and live.