I had an epiphany about my painting...and then about my life

I realized the other day, while I was working on a new painting, that my best work, the work that has the most depth, is usually accomplished by painting a new painting on top of an old one.  Why is that?  because what inevitably ends up happening is that I leave parts of the old painting visible in the new painting.  It is almost unrecognizable in the sense that the intention of the old painting is usually completely covered up--but small details, layers of color or shape, are woven in.  In doing this, the painting takes on more layers, more detail and usually a sense of freedom or etheriality.  The weaving of layers is an essential accident of my best work.

When I realized this I had two thoughts almost simultaneously--the first thought was I need to start doing this intentionally.  I decided to start creating "underpaintings" as a part of my process.  Many artists do this, at least with color washes--they paint a solid color or color wash onto their canvas before they begin a painting.  This way, when they paint, they are responding to a unified color throughout the work (instead of the stark white of a blank canvas).  My under painting idea is similar, but rather than wash the whole canvas in one color, i create  a very quick abstract image with multiple shapes and sections, and fill them in with paint or collage.  In doing this, essentially, I"m setting the stage for color play and shape integration by creating pieces that may or may not be woven into my final painting.

This is an underpainting--quick shapes and colors filling the canvas

My second insight was far more personal:  I have moved many times over the past few years.  I find it most striking when thinking in terms of my children and their lives.  My 12 year old son has lived in 8 homes during his life.  That is 5 states and 2 countries.  Considering I lived in the same state for my entire childhood until I graduated college, this moving around thing has been a surprising twist to my life that I could not have even imagined when I was a kid (I had never been on an airplane until I was 11 or 12--my son did his first cross Atlantic flight/move when he was 9 weeks old).

Moving around a lot has added shape and color to my life in ways that I'm not sure I can even explain or fully understand. And while many of the moves have been positive, there have also been challenges.  I certainly did not expect to move from Pennsylvania to Michigan with my boys last year only to move again this year to Maryland.  And while new is exciting, and we might like to think of our life as one big adventure, I am frankly over the adventure.  I would love to settle down, find a home, build a life and let my roots grow deep.

But back to the layers:  I realized, each time I move, each time I become part of a new community, I grow.  I create, or uncover, a piece of myself--and, like my paintings, I realized that as I move on, I become my best self by layering and weaving those pieces together.  SO while the moving has had its challenges, I also know that I am becoming the person I am supposed to be--growing, layering and learning as a result.

Dreaming of Home  36"x48" Mixed Media on Board

This painting, measuring 36" x 48" is the result of painting on top of an existing painting.  It is called "Dreaming of Home"--with each home representing a state or country I have lived in with my family: Michigan, New York, Israel, New Jersey, Pennsylvania,Michigan again and Maryland.

A Year of LIving Creatively

Its been over a year since I made the commitment to making art everyday.   It has been incredibly empowering and has lead to some exciting developments.

One of the best things that has happened is that in a very real way, creating art has lead to more creating of art.  I think this is true of any practice--doing more has lead me to be more motivated and more inspired to do even more.  It is pretty cyclical that way.  And so, the more I create, the more I create.   

It has also been true that the more I create and put out into the social media universe, the more jobs and commissions I have received.  Last week I shipped out 9 (9!!!) paintings to new homes, and I have 5 more in progress that I am hoping to finish and ship out by the end of January.  I'm also working on a new book (details coming soon!) that I am very excited about.

Here are some simple principles that have helped me in my practice of making art every day.  

1.  Making art everyday does not mean finishing a piece of art every day.  It can be anything from doodling/drawing while relaxing at the end of the day to adding a layer or details to a piece of art.  most of my art takes many layers--I almost never finish a piece in one sitting.  so I am not looking towards completion--only working on the process.  

2. Finding my best time to work:  I am at my most creative and motivated in the late morning, so I do my best work then.  I find that if I get started around 9 or 10 in the morning, after getting the kids off to school, attending to emails and more mundane tasks, then by 10 I am ready to get painting.  If I hit my stride, I can work for a few hours before stopping to do other non art related work.  In doing art everyday I have learned that I have a pattern, and if I wait too long to begin, nothing real or productive will get done (unless I am on a deadline, in which case I push myself and end up creating on fumes--sometimes this pushes me to create my best work, other times it just feels desperate).

3. Having supplies at the ready: I know which supplies I use the most, and generally have them available when I get started.  This includes the paint colors I use the most, the brushes, canvases, cups for water (really--you have no idea how annoying it is to be ready to paint and not be able to find a container for water), and a clear working space.  I do like a good art supply run, but running out to the store instead of using that time to create is not so productive.  

Here are some of the pieces I have created this year:  

I have benefitted so much from creating art every day.  I can't wait to see what will happen next!

The Evolution of a Painting

The Evolution of a Painting

As a creative person and a problem solver, I am often surprised by the notion that a problem may have only one right answer or way of doing things (this is probably why I was such a hopeless math student). I know that when I work, problems arise, and problem solving is an essential part of my creative process. This is true in my school, it is true in my home, and it is certainly true with my art creation.

 I like to document my creative process when I can (when I remember), because it is a tangible reminder when presented with a final piece, that this was not the only possible final piece or outcome. This piece (any piece) represents the outcome of a series of choices, each dependant upon the one before.

I don't always remember to take pictures of my art as it develops, but I did take a few for my most recent piece that I'd like to share with you.

My Process: 

 I start with a blank canvas.  In this case, the canvas is 3 feet by four feet.  I usually begin with sketches on paper, but they always change when I bring them to the canvas.  In this case, based on the conversation with my client, I knew I was creating a tablescape, and that the theme would be Shabbat.  I started with my layout, knowing that I would be layering Shabbat images in and around the big central vase. on the rounded table.

I added the shapes and images as they related to the table and vase, and adjusted sizes as needed.  At this point I set up my paint palette, deciding on warm, vibrant colors and bright blues.  I block out the color and fill my canvas fairly quickly.  This is only the first stage and I don't worry so much about muddy or flat colors.  I am mostly looking to make decisions about object placement, color and shape.  I'm looking to see what my main colors will be, and  I change some colors based on their proximity to each other and the overall design.  

Later, I adjust the colors, and add highlights.  When I am almost finished, I outline the whole piece--usually with a mix of dioxane purple and ultramarine blue, and continue to adjust colors as I go. By doing my outline at this stage, I can clearly see where I need to continue to deepen or adjust my colors.  sometimes I find my shapes are not working, and I change them.   Here I changed the background and deepened the shadows, and added color highlights.  

Communicating with my client...

By now, I know there is still more to do, but I am happy enough to send a picture of the painting to my client to hear what she has to say.  Incidentally, at this stage, I am very nervous to hear her response.  This is a large painting and the color palette might be a bit too much for her.  I don't know her personally, and am relying on phone calls and digital communications to ensure that she gets what she wants.  

She writes back that she is thrilled--loves the bright colors and joyful shapes.  Whew! what I relief.  She suggests a change to the top of the wine bottle, which I will happily make, while I brighten up certain spots and add  a few more small details.  

And Finally...

I added a few more details than I anticipated.  This piece has certainly taken on a life of its own.  It has a lot of vibrant color and shape that I am very excited about.  Here are some close ups:  

 And here (below) is the final! I shipped it out last week and was holding my breath to hear what my client thinks. It is very nerve wracking to send out a commissioned piece, because they are such a leap of faith, both for the client and for me.  (imagine spending a lot of money on something that doesn't even exist yet, based only on  faith and prior works---It is an honor for me whenever someone does it, and I get nervous each time wondering if I am up to the task).

 She called me as soon as it arrived to tell me that she loves it!  She got a little teary telling me what it meant to her, and I got VERY teary hearing her emotional response.  I am so grateful to be able to share this painting with her.

Shabbat Dinner Table with Flowers...For Yvonne

Dolls Dolls and More Dolls!

These past few weeks I have been making dolls non-stop.  I don't want to do anything else!  I'm having so much fun imagining different characters and then figuring out how to make them a reality.   At each step I find that I discover a new technique (usually by accident) and I love that I never know what is going to happen next.  

At first I thought I wanted to simply make hand painted dolls like these:

But then, I started thinking about fabric and yarn, and decided to play with some more traditional doll making supplies.  My next dolls were still handpainted, but added more fiber elements.  

These are some of the next dolls that I made: 

Each time I made a doll I learned something new, and I think that is the most exciting part of it for me.  Making these dolls is such a departure from the paintings that I have gotten so comfortable with.  And so, while I will probably always paint--I've worked too hard for too long to stop painting now--- I am so excited to find something new to learn.  I find the 3 dimensionality satisfying as well--I love that when I am done I have something to hold--a new character who didn't exist before.  I'm also motivated by the surprise of it all--the fact that before this summer I had no idea how to sew and these dolls were not even something I could imagine---is so exciting and keeps me wanting more.

Plus, I think they like hanging out together, don't you?

  

The Student Becomes the Teacher

For my whole life as an artist (basically my whole life), I have created two dimensional work--I draw, I paint, I collage.  Two years ago, when I started teaching in Omanut (ART) at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires, I quickly realized that flat drawing and painting has limited appeal amongst campers.  Some were totally into it, but most wanted something a bit more dynamic.  I struggled to find projects that were
more "crafty"---more 3-dimensional.  I found a few--and I'll talk in another post about some of them,  but today, I want to talk about my own work, and a project that started at camp that has become an obsession for me in my professional art making life.

Soft Hand Painted Sculptures!

It started when my mom gave me a sewing machine this summer, about a week before I left to work at camp.  I have never sewn before but I knew I wanted to do something arty---NOT PRACTICAL---with it.  I've been thinking alot about making dolls, and thought the new sewing machine would be a great way to play with the idea.  My mom showed me the basics, but I left for camp still not really knowing what to do with my new machine.

My new sewing machine, in its temporary home on my painting table.  

I decided the best way to play with the idea was to give my campers projects where we all had to learn together.  SO, I had two groups work with the idea of soft sculpture.  One group of fifth graders took on the project of creating monsters/creatures out of fabric.

The steps:

1. They designed simple monster/creature patterns on paper.
2. I showed them how to create their creature out of one basic shape ( a circle, a heart, whatever they wanted). We would add details with additional fabric, feathers, googly eyes, etc. later.
2. They pinned their pattern to two pieces of fabric (the front and back of their creature) and cut out the fabric.
3. I taught them to use our camp sewing machines---though one student preferred to do the project by hand.
4.They sewed the outline of their shapes, leaving a 2-inch opening for turning the shape inside out (to hide the stitches) and stuffing.
5. They turned their shapes inside out, stuffed them, and hand sewed the opening closed.
6. They used  additional fabric, buttons, feathers and googly eyes to decorate both sides of their creatures. We used a glue gun to attach the details.

I think they did a great job, don't you?

Which brings me to my new passion---hand painted soft sculptures.  When I saw the brilliant work my students did with such simple materials, I realized this was something that I wanted to do too!  I've been playing with my new sewing machine and having a great time making soft sculptures, dolls, and monsters.  Thanks to Camp Ramah and my amazing campers for the inspiration! And of course, thanks to my mom for the sewing machine!

This is the first doll  I made while at camp---I loved painting her with acrylics and detailing her with fabric puffy paint, ribbon and a purple gem stone.  

When I got home, I continued making art dolls.  Here are two projects that I made---Two Sided Flip Dolls.  (Each doll is actually two dolls---one on each side).  

Two Sided Flip Doll (Side A)

Two Sided Flip Doll (Side B)

Front Side Green/Orange Monster

Back Side Green/Orange Monster