iTS ALL ABOUT FOCUS

February 17, 2010

    I’m really on a theme these days – not only on my blog but in life too. I have concentrated completely on the word focus – initially to complete the English Collection, as I have come to call it, then on the esoteric subject of harnessing my creative (right) and analytical (left) brain into one cohesive entity, then on my future major goals as an artist and, finally, in focusing on my relationships and non-art related goals.  

 After a little more than a month, I have completed 16 paintings to form my English Collection, but I don’t want to bore you. Instead, today I will post only those finished or changed in some way since my last blog plus a few new ones too. You can review them all on my Wet Paint page by clicking here. The plan, affectionately called the Big P, is to put them into a collection and print them as a book, so if you want one, let me know very soon. Right now I have no idea what the price will be.

 

England # 6, Snow Predicted 11 x 14 Oil	England # 10, From the Top of the Ridge – Isle of Wight 12 x 16 Oil
England # 11, Headlights in the Fog  8 x 10 Oil	England # 12, Christmas Wishes 8 x 16 Oil
England #13, Afternoon Stroll 9 x 12 Oil	England #14, Life on the Farm 18 x 24 Oil
England #15, Stone Wall Sunset  11 x 14 Oil	England # 16, Cold But Sunny 9 x 12 Oil

 I did jump around in time a bit, and #13 and #14 will get need attention, but satisfaction is mine in the task! I’ve learned a lot – not only about painting, but also about myself. Now all this useful and revealing information must be put to use more or less immediately lest I forget! Next on my agenda (besides entering shows, looking for galleries to represent my work, having Open Studio Nights, writing blogs and e-newsletters and traveling quite a bit) will be to begin a new “Theme”. “Theme” sounds better than collection, though I will keep the “English Collection” name intact. 

    I long to paint water again – heavenly western water – water the giver of life - the water I know and love – and so, the new theme will be Large Montana Water. The name may change as I may find it hard to keep to the “large” or “Montana” focus. Check out my blog in about 2 weeks where I plan on posting the first of maybe 5-10 paintings.

    Thanks to those of you who attended my February Second Friday Studio Walk! I loved your comments and questions as I demonstrated and thank you for your interest and support. Oh, and by the way, the painting I demonstrated at the Studio Walk was England #16 – Cold but Sunny. Hard to believe this is near London – it looks more like our East coast to me!

 

Wade in the Water 18 x 24 Oil

   I am thrilled to share with you the news that one of my paintings was juried into the Salon International 2010 hosted by International Museum of Contemporary Masters of Fine Art and held at the Greenhouse Gallery in San Antonio, TX on April 9 and 10, 2010. Y’all come on down for the opening! 

    Have you noticed the conflict yet? This great honor has required me to cancel my April 9^th Second Friday Studio Walk.  I will be attending the Salon International instead! When my plein air schedule for spring and summer develops I’ll plan another Friday Studio Walk. It would be sweet to have one in the summer – perhaps even set up to paint in the garden. In the mean time, here is the latest invitation:

 SECOND FRIDAY STUDIO WALKS

March 12

4:00 pm to 9:00 pm

At my studio in Castle Pines Village, Colorado

Email or call for directions.

   Thanks again to my faithful readers for allowing me this dialog. Please sign up for my Email Newsletter. The next one will be published this week.

 Ciao!

 Ginger

 

THE RESULTS OF FOCUS

 February 3, 2010

Wade in the Water  18 x 24 Oil

Available through Salon International 2010

   First let me share with you my good news that one of my paintings was juried into Salon International 2010 to be held at the Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art in San Antonio, TX in April. I am honored and very excited.

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   The subject of focus continues. I have taken my own advice, finally, and am happy to report that concentrated, focused effort using both sides of my brain actually creates results. Tell me what you think….. Here are the first 4 (you saw in the last blog) and the next 8 paintings of England all done in about 3 weeks. If I had chosen to paint larger paintings it would have taken longer and you can gather that some of these are really just sketches. 

 

England # 1, New Forest 8 x 10 Oil	England # 2, Winter Solstice Sun 9 x 12 Oil
England # 3, Beach Huts 12 x 16 Oil	England # 4, Customs Buildings 9 x 12 Oil
England # 5, Clouds to the North 12 x 9 Oil	England # 6, Snow in the Forecast 11 x 14 Oil
England # 7, Tangled Boats; Low Tide 16 x 20 Oil	England # 8, Marsh on the Solent 9 x 12 Oil
England # 9, Cotswold Christmas 11 x 14 Oil	England # 10, From the Top of the Ridge – Isle of Wight 12 x 16 Oil
England # 11, Headlights in the Fog  8 x 10 Oil	England # 12, Christmas Wishes 8 x 16 Oil

 All of this took a lot of hours in the studio and I will probably re-work some of them and others are simply playful sketches.  A sharp critique will and has been ongoing and I know there is room for growth. Nevertheless, I have succeeded in the steps I set out to accomplish my goal.  Not only have I found that when focusing on one subject (England this time) I didn’t get bored, once I really got started, and I began to feel more in tune with my subject the longer I painted. Initially I got antsy and jumped to another painting, but almost immediately I felt the urge to complete the English painting goal and I never looked back. You probably won’t notice, but I did jump ahead in time in the sequence. In reality we visited the Isle of Wight before we headed to the Cotswolds for Christmas. Did that constitute a lack of focus or just a desire to allow some freedom in this quest? I really can’t always follow the rules, you know, but you probably already guessed that.

    I usually jump around from one geographic location to another and from a broad and grand view to a more intimate one. Will I continue to focus on a single subject for a collection of paintings? Will my dedication to one geographic location for a series of paintings bring me eventually to boredom? Will the results of this focused effort help me grow and learn and get better as an artist? 

  I know one thing for sure: it really is all about FOCUS. “The art of focus is elusive and difficult to maintain.” True.

    I’ve many more mistakes to make. Let’s hope they aren’t repeated mistakes! And I have many more steps to accomplish in order to reach my ultimate goal.  Life is a problem to be solved, a journey of understanding and growth; so enjoy every human moment of it. 

 Before I forget: YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS ARE INVITED TO MY:

SECOND FRIDAY STUDIO WALKS

February 12, March 12 and April 9

4:00 pm to 9:00 pm

At my studio in Castle Pines Village, Colorado

Email or call for directions.

    Thanks to you, my faithful readers for allowing me to carry on writing from the heart. Hang out on my web site for a while and return often as I always have new paintings to share. Please sign up for my Email Newsletter. The next one will be published in a couple of weeks.

 Ciao!

 Ginger