#98 girl with balloons, II

Yesterday's graphite sketch that I went on to colorize, left me wanting to try again, this time without quite so much graphite.  I like the cleaner look, so will likely reattempt yesterday's drawing again.

 This one, Girl with Balloons is graphite, colored-pencil on sketch paper.  9x12

#97 Holland with Balloons

This was a sketch that I decided to colorize.  The balloon theme reminds me of a balloon moment I had when I was her age.  I had such fun with this, I think I'll revisit it later, maybe as a painting..

Recipes: Homemade Granola

I had been giving myself a hard time for not painting more often throughout the week, neglecting to realize that What I was actually doing was splitting my time between 2 passions. Painting and Cooking/Baking! Home cooking from the heart is definitely an art, and so I will begin respecting it more and posting some of my creations.

By popular demand :), here is my Granola Recipe.  I invented it myself, and a thrilled that it's successful!

My Granola.  Evelyn Glover

Preheat oven to 250

Have at the ready for last step:

1/3 C dried Blueberries

1/3 C dried Cherries

1/3 C currants

In a large bowl, mix:

3 C Rolled Oats

1   C  Chopped Pecans

1   C  Chopped Walnuts

1/2 C Sunflower Seed Kernels

2 T ground flax seed (I do mine in spice grinder)

1/4 C + 2 T of Brown Sugar

1  t  Kosher Salt

Sprinkle in lots of cinnamon. I use 2 types.

In a smaller bowl combine:

2   T Honey

1/4 C Pure Maple Syrup

1/4 C Vegetable Oil

Now, pour wet ingredients on dry, tossing with a Granny Fork to coat the dry.

It won't be a very wet mixture

Spray 2 large cookie sheets with cooking spray oil and divide the coated oat mixture, spreading it out flat on each sheet.

Bake 15 Minutes, then stir and redistribute for even browning.

Do that 5times.

After 1 hr 15 minutes you'll be done baking.

Take out of oven, sprinkle with the dried fruit from step one,

Wait for it to cool.

It's fantastic, if I don't say so myself!

Enjoy!

Evelyn 

Work #96 Holland's 25th Birthday Present

This started surrealistic, but took a turn towards the fantastic when our daughter fell in love with it.  I must admit that from the inception, it looked like something she'd love and I knew ultimately it would be hers.

Anyone who knows Holland, knows this is right up her alley!

Happy 25th, dearest daughter.

Here is a closer look:

Holland loves it, but asked me to emphasize the fairy, so I increased her glow and de-emphasized the Monarch Butterfly a little bit.

Work 94 Blasted Artichokes!

I started too thick, didn't establish contact with the table, grew sick of my subject, painted without heart.  Also, I tickled -vs- stroked with the brush. Wow!

  Behold: The Blasted Artichokes.

Work abandoned and signed  (not entirely proudly) 7/13/13 (maybe its the date?...)

Work 95 Poppies

This was a palette knife excersize in class. I like how it turned out, after all! 

Lesson learned on this one: silence my cast shadows.  I have a tendency to make them far too lively.

I just realized I didn't paint the table top.. There is time to calm the shadow.. I'll be back..

I am missing some of my needed darks, but, I think the shadow looks quieter.. Only too solid.  But that's for another day..

Okay. Time to stop!

Now I'm happier because it's more nuanced. There is play with reflected color. An element whose absence was more felt than seen.

Work 93. Floating Still Life

It's a bit of an oxymoron,that's probably why I particularly like this one!   I have been wanting to get back on the saddle but was stymied in a creative crisis.  I'm taking an art class with my mom, and was thus inspired!

Work Prov. 4:7 New Painting

And so here is the painting I call Seeking Wisdom.  I painted it for my sister on the occasion of her 50th birthday.  She has made seeking wisdom and acquiring it a way of life, and I'm blessed to have her for a sister.

I wanted to share this with you all before I parted with it.

Love, Evelyn

True confession

I've been a coward lately. I'm not proud of this, and so I figure that recognizing it is step one to getting over it.
I haven't produced art work in a few weeks after having picked up my pencils again after many months. Why?

I allowed myself to get shut down by criticism. I was experimenting with a new style and shared it while in a tentative, thus vulnerable state. One or two people gave me feed back I didn't like and I allowed myself to become deflated by it.

It wasn't until recently, when my dear artistic nephew and I were discussing the progression of Realism>Impressionism>Expressionism>Fauvism> Abstract art, that I realized just how cowardly I was being.

I love the impressionists for breaking away from the rigid Salon system in Paris who could only appreciate realism as "real" art. To the end, Mary Cassatt refused a cash prize equivalent to a Life Achievement Award, because she didn't care to encourage the arrogance of professional critics whom all the Impressionists deemed as less qualified than the artist. The Impressionists put out their new work, and were almost instantly and universally despised. But, did they allow these metaphorically thrown tomatoes deter them? No. They redoubled their determination to create the needed revolution. I admire them. Granted, they had each other... There is a lot to be said about having a supportive tribe.

I doubly love the expressionists, who broke even further from the Salon system, and even from their innovative friends. Daring to produce less beautiful work, they opted to express themselves with bolder strokes, color choices to emote more feeling. It's deeply satisfying to see their work because it's emotional. Creative. In fact, I was brought to tears when I saw Vincent Van Gogh's disturbingly beautiful Starry Night Over the Rhone at the Musée d'Orsay. He made me cry! Real tears. It wasn't so much his subject matter. It was the FEELING in it. I felt his pain, poor tortured soul. That painting is a symphony, and artistic, expressionistic triumph. I LOVE it. (The poster's and prints of this painting do not make me cry.)

I remember my first break into expressionism. What a JOY! Painting became more fun, the more expressive I allowed it to be. The more license I took, the more fun I had. So fun! I got to use colors I felt rather than saw with only my eyes. Eschewing realism even further than the impressionists, the expressionists brought tremendous feeling to their work.

But for some artists, even Expressionism was too confining. The were the Fauvists! (Did I just hear golden trumpets blast?). Henri Matisse is one of my artistic heroes. I LOVE his courageous work. It's SO fun!! The colors are quixotic, the lines are thick. He took all sorts of liberties. I can only imagine the nausea of the Salon judges his work would have evoked. But, I GET it. I really do. I have arrived at that sort of clean, bold, lined, robust expression by doing a painting of one of my a paintings. That other gIant step away from the original subject makes even more room for imagination. I can picture the flowers, his gold fish. Orange. I simply love his happy work.

Finally, someone somewhere said, "Hell with it! I don't want to be confined by a subject at all. I'm just going to paint!" Yes, you guessed it. Abstract art was born. Abstract artists will sometimes use just what they want from a subject, and move on to use whatever they please from wherever they please. There are no confines. Media, canvas, objects, glue, paint smeared across the work..there were no rules about anything... This was JAZZ.

My point in this jaunt through history is that these people were COURAGEOUS! I can't imagine them cowering because someone wrinkled their nose at their work.

I'm ashamed. These are my heroes, and yet this is how I've behaved?

My recent jaunt through history with my nephew was like a square slap.

Evelyn. Don't be such a chicken! These artists would never have produced the work they did if they were cowardly. Don't let the critics stifle you. Let them have their opinion. Enjoy the dissonance of a little dissension!

So. Critics and fans be blessed! I am going to soldier on, remember my heroes and Thank God, honestly that you've taken the time to consider my work and respond to it however you will. It evoked something from you, even if only a "Yuck!".
Critics, thank you. You truly just helped me develop a thicker skin.

I know nobody set out to hurt me. My response was my response. Friends, continue to be honest. I don't feel so alone now that I've considered my predecessors. I may or may not ever reach their heights, but I will enjoy their company as I handle both the positive and the negative input.

I love you all. Especially those who read this through to the end!

Work 91 was just too fun!!

I truly enjoyed playing with this work. It changed often with my whim and ultimately became something quintessentially me! Some of these 'littles' need to be amplified, but for now, I will continue designing future paintings. Cheers!