Art and Flowers

I am posting this photo not for the clear shot/great iPhone image but to get back in the game here.

This evening I went to a pretty cool art event.
It is hard to explain, but it was about flowers imitating art and art imitating flowers. Get it? I didn't either until I saw for myself. This photo is from a demonstration I attended in which the artist was representing the flower arrangement in a pastel painting. It was just one part of an interesting evening.

As the year ends

After the apple painting, I became involved in other things I enjoy more than art. Music especially. The upbeat and melodic cantata our group practiced and performed at the Lincoln Center was exhilarating. My head became filled with the singing of my part but also the rest, the solos and once in NYC, the strings. That was followed by an outstanding four nights of Christmas at First Baptist, performing on a stage filled with singers giving their best, and a big orchestra that would rival any. I took joy in being near the bassoon and the French horn. Then I had to get in all the other requisite music of the season. It all resulted in music overcoming thoughts of art in my brain! Now I am trying to get back in the art groove. I have to! In 2017 I am president of our art association. So not only must I produce at least a little art, I must also be responsible to about three hundred people.
Leaving what is behind, I (and all of us) go into the new year.

self imposed assignment

To be good at anything, we need to practice, practice, practice. Some people love to paint. I have met many such people since I have been in Wilmington! Occasionally I enjoy painting, but mostly I have enjoyed the luxury of retirement. I rarely paint and therefore I am not practicing or getting better. To fix the problem, I have given myself an assignment of painting fruits and vegetables A to Z using any medium. What a struggle this simple apple oil painting was! The main thing however is that I did it. I probably need to touch it up some, but basically I am sick of it so I am considering it (almost) finished. I will post others as I do them. I guess a banana is next.

A Friesian Cow

a big one

Since the seahorse in the previous post sold, I was inspired to do another, more ambitious one.
I wanted to make it cuter and more whimsical, but this is what I came up with. The main thing was that I had a blast doing it in my studio late in the evening when no one else was there. Listening to music, singing and dancing, spreading the paint around. Now that's living!

Look what made it to the Arboretum show.

New art

I completed four watercolor batik sea creatures, matted and wrapped them, and took them to Studio 15 today. This is a good medium for me, because there is no way to make it perfect, and it always has elements of surprise.

Catching up

Gee. It is past time to catch up on art stuff!

It is way too hot to spend much time in Studio 15. No AC there! Whew...

And I really haven't created anything that is finished and beautiful lately. 

But I am involved in art every day. Being on the board of the art assoc means I have to do a lot of communicating, and I like that. I am glad to be a small part of keeping the "club" running and letting people have opportunities to do arty things.
I also have photos hanging in a welcome center here, and some will soon hang in a gallery in Whiteville. 

My friend Elena is a glass artist. She started with mosaics and now does all kinds of complicated glass art. Today she showed my how to cut glass. Then I spread some acrylic paint on two small square panels. Tomorrow I plan to lay some of the cut glass on them and pour resin over all. I saw this in Florida while I was there in May. After watching how to use it on YouTube, I ordered the special epoxy after I came home. I tried it - messy - and the end product was cool.
Maybe they will turn out blogworthy.