On the Surface

In order to get something kick-started I've begun preparing some papers ready for their first layers of pastel.

The bag of pumice is nowhere to be found, so the combination used today is a mixture of clear gesso and inexpensive acrylic paints. I used a paint knife to stir the glop together, and then took a clean small sponge to apply the paint to paper.

The smaller sheet is from a full-sized piece of Rives BFK printing paper. I really like the weight of this paper for drawing and painting, as well as an occassional side-track into actual printing.

Color mix is red, blue, and orange, in two layers.

The glare is from a light sitting on the kitchen floor. I work where ever seems best!

I also prepared two large "mystery" paper sheets. Hubby Todd found this tough black paper at a garage sale. I have no idea as to it's manufacturer, however it is light, yet tough. And takes this paint  and gesso mixture well. 

The tooth produced is excellent for cross-hatching - especially with Nupastels. So I might be starting to get excited about working again. Baby steps and tiny scritches.

Dare to slap some paint on something - it might brighten your day!

Fare-thee-well,

Sue

Challenge - Five Happy Bears

The "100 Happy Bears" Personal Challenge is chuggin' along.

Yesterday's production numbered seventeen! Playing catch up from a pretty much zombie Monday after two day art fair in Duluth, Minnesota. Doing it alone, on a cold, wet, windy weekend finally took a tole. I'd not expected to "crash" - goodbye, beautiful Monday. I missed most of you.

This is not one of yesterday's seventeen. I do not even remember the date it was maybe considered finished. (It might not be finished.) Although a gardener, I am not usually  a person to put flower petals of things. But fake flowers on faux bruins seems to be working on the Happy Front. So - 

(copyright Sue Rowe 2017)

This acrylic-on-canvas piece has had many dances with the paintbrush. I don't know if there are metaphorical layers, but there ARE layers of unseen colors and shapes. The white-ish bear was NOT white many brush strokes ago. Artists have to make odd decisions, but they do have to decide to decide.

I do not know these bears. But they appear to be Happy.
And that's all that counts this month.

Fare-thee-well,
Sue

You Never Know

Last week we took a short road trip up to Duluth, Minnesota. Official reason was to take art to two galleries. Unofficial reason was to see the Sun. We accomplished both - and more.

Here is one piece now on exhibit at Art Dock Gallery - down in the Canal park area. I'd decided to play a little. Not take shapes so seriously. You thought that was my usual way with things? Well, it depends. Because of the "ten thousand hours" of drawing and painting - yes, I can draw and paint "bears." But I live always with trying not to make them copies of themselves. This is not so easy. Real bear have specific features that I want to depict, and yet I want each piece of art to be a portrait of a singular bruin. And I do not want the work to appear labored. So this little acrylic painting came out in a series of steps: background, bear - in several steps, the moon/ball, and the foreground.

I've never been one for using spattering as a technique. This time I gave myself permission to spatter away! Goof off. Play!  Thanks, old toothbrush, you did the job. Spattering is a technique of loading the toothbrush with some very liquid paint and using one's thumb to scrape the bristles - thus freeing specks and spots of paint to fly through the air and land where they will. You can plan where to put the color - but brush and fingers rule.

No, I don't "know" what the white specks are depicting. They might be snow. They might be stars. They ARE tiny bits of white paint. 

And I don't know what the shapes are beneath the bear. I only know that I was using my forefinger to blot some shapes and I liked what happened. There are three or four colors in the shapes. I can still feel the fun I was having bopping my finger from paint to canvas.

And I had no thoughts about final shape and color of this bear. I like working with a limited number of colors, and I love "gesture." I tried to use minimal marks. As each area was worked on I had to decide whether to stop or go on. Yes, the claws asked to be added - haha. No, I don't know why. (Claws are fun to paint or draw.)

This painting is done. It's story is up to each viewer. I hope the story is a happy one.

Fare-thee-well,
Sue

www.suerowe.com
Facebook Page: Sue-Rowe-Studios

Keep Posting.

PLAN FOR FEBRUARY: Make 25 Hearts

It isn't that I forget to post.

I think about typing throughout the day.

Early and often.

Then a block of hours goes by.

And another.

And another.

And then I wake up.

And, SURPRISE!

It's Tomorrow.

And again no typings.

THIS IS NOT THE PLAN.

but it is The Fact.

Today typing is happening.

And here is a report.

Stuff has been made.

Really.

Much stuff.

Over twenty five Hearts started.

The starts of three more tiny books.

More painting on the tiny plastic spotted horse.

Soup.

More.
Starts.

Several drawings that might become Real Art.

And more.

Really.

Here is a tiny bit of evidence:

A Playing with Paper and Paint.

That will go away soon.

Out into the universe.

As will these words.

Now.

Back to making.

Fare-thee-well,

Sue

100 Days - 100 Dreams: 14

I So Often Forget to Dream

Maybe because I like my life - mostly?
Maybe because I've done many of the things I dreamed of doing?
Maybe because I'm afraid to head down new scary paths?

Does it matter?

To me the world remains a confusing bunch of doings. Just when I think I know the direction something will take it ZIGS, ZAGS, or disappears. Leaves one almost content to simply survive.

But because we are fortunate enough to live in a land where simply surviving should be almost taken for granted I think we should strive a wee tad more. I am a bad person as far as taking my own advice. "So it goes."

New adventure, bear-wise!!! 

I might get gutty enough to dream of doing 100 of these little 2" x 2" canvases. Or maybe some done on 2" x 2" papers or other supports. Five have been offered for sale. These five have been purchased! Thank you, Customers! 

The ones shown here are all done in acrylics. There is a small crew started in oils. I have many art supplies. Enough for thousands of "bearlets" - as one fan calls them. And as each is an individual this allows me to play with color and form in as many ways as there are people... I mean bears. 

Here my husband and I had been talking about working BIGGER, and then these happened! I am happy with these happening. I can pretend that I'm a jeweler again. I think of these small paintings as jewels. Small bits of color that might make one feel a feeling. Pieces big enough to display separately. Pieces small enough to make up a variety of groups. Bigger - you are going to have to wait.

Maybe I CAN dream again. About at least one hundred individuals. That's a bunch of bears with a whole bunch of dreams. These seven are a start.

But now... I have to go think about Sheep. No, not about dreaming, though... I sort of dream that these sheep will get accepted into the Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Show. This is a big fuzzy DREAM, I guess.

I blither, therefore I am.

Fare-thee-well,
Sue

www.suerowe.com
Facebook Page: Sue-Rowe-Studios

Shows coming up: 
On Wait List for Grand Marais - check FB Page for current status.
July 15: Stockholm, WI
Late July: Ely Blueberry Fest

Subtle Changes

Ruts can be comfortable. Created  little by little or in a burst, they, never the less, provide paths to travel or in which to rest. I know my ruts and you know yours.

But sometimes the longer we stay in our rut the deeper it gets, till one day it's become so deep that we can't see over the sides. New day. Same rut. Decision time. Decision time. Time to have a chat with the brain, and for me, also the right hand. Is this rut leading in the direction we want to go? do we dare climb out and head into a whole different world? Is it O.K. to make it to the least deep part and simply veer off toward a slightly new adventure

I was comfortable with the bear-moon-words format. Especially in pastels. Bear facing toward moon. Symmetrical. Solid. Serene. Vary the colors. Vary the background.  Some "better" than others, but most sell. Life is good. But art is starting to become lovely cliche. I've never wanted the bears to become cliches. They have always been meant to be individuals, each living it's own life, on a different night, looking at the same moon, but each in it's own way...

This piece started out with the same format, but I wasn't happy with the image and couldn't figure out why.... This bear wasn't an individual. It was a shape painted in the middle of a picture. Life was not good.

Time for daring to change the direction of the rut - just a bit. Acrylic paint on board is slightly more forgiving than pastel on paper. The many starts, stops, wipings-out, adding ins are not evident, but eventually they added up to a piece that I can consider finished. I like the slight twist of head and body. I like the asymmetric shape. It's somehow a tad more alive. This bear might be done sitting pretty soon. It might be deciding right now to head in a new direction.

All because of a few subtle changes.

 Dare to make a few yourself today??

This bruin, and many more, will be heading to the Spring Green, WI Art Fair this weekend.

Time to quit sitting in comfortable couch "rut," talk myself into ignoring "loudly" chiming head, and get on with the packing. The garden is starting to look like a garden, but... ahem, for gardens, fields, and art fairs alike: WE DON"T NEED THE COMING RAIN.

Craving some Summer sunshine -
Fare-thee-well,
Sue

Clean Hard Fast: 4

 Yes, head is still clanging - along to Mozart piano music this dark morning.

CLEAN: not the work desk or kitchen table.
HARD: to believe our outdoor art fair season is over. It went out well, with a lovely, nippy, sunny weekend in Red Wing, MN. I learned that when a man says "I LIKE that bear" it means "I want to BUY that bear." Two different gentlemen at different times of day on Saturday. Thank you, gentlemen. I hope you enjoy your new bruins. Oh, and got to give away two of the Junk Drawer Journals made earlier this year to two new art fair friends who immediately put them to note-taking use!
FAST: how early mornings went DARK. It's 7:05 A.M. - time for tea, egg, bacon, and garden greens. But greens will have to be gathered blindly or by flashlight. Sigh. I still vote for five A.M. daylight - all year round.

A bit over a month ago it felt time to play with new techniques - thus the playing with acrylic paints that happened to be on hand and goofing off with papers - just to see. Here is one result:

Acrylic paint on 7" x 5" paper

I'd started doing mono-prints, but ended up cutting stencils out of scrap backing boards. Yay, for not tossing scraps. The four-inch wide boards can be cut into pieces for three bears. Yes, the designs are limited in size, but forcing oneself to work within limits IS a good challenge.

Papers, were, once again, scraps. But good scraps - either printing or heavy-weight water-color papers.

Paints ranged from garage-sale "craft" stuff to  new good goodies that I had to go BUY once I started loving the results. Especially exciting were the metallics in with or over the original layers.

The acrylic bears have now graduated to being painted on small wooden boards, and folks and I are happy with the results. I even "craft" stenciled two bears onto a canvas tote. It sold at the Red Wing Art Festival, though I wouldn't have minded using it myself. Have a small stack at these tote bags (25 cents each at a summer estate sale) so more of that doing will get done. We'll see how tough the board paper stencils are and how long they last.

Well, typing has taken long enough that a bit of yard is visible. Greens, here we come?

Web-site is down at moment - argh, but Facebook Page: Sue-Rowe-Studios is alive and fun.

We are attempting a too-long-in-the-doing vacation soon. And yesterday while working a shift at American Gothic Antiques I learned, at long last, of Kansas City's Oklahoma Joe's BBQ, so new eating plans for KC! We always ate at Gates.Time for a new chowing adventure. Great Art and Great Meats await! Now to carve out a chunk of time. Carve out a bit of time today for creating happiness, joy, and perhaps a piece of art or two. A crow is cawing "You CAN do IT!"

On to the day's Grand Adventures!

Fare-thee-well,

Sue

Clean, Hard, Fast: 3

CLEAN: Two-square feet of work desk. This will have to be good enough for today. It IS nice to see the antique maple top under the clear Plexiglass. I wonder what got accomplished by others who have owned this old, useful piece of wood-working. What goodies were stored in those four small drawers? Who dusted the shelves?  Enough pondering. On to Hard.

HARD: to believe how "loud" the old noggin is today. Even with pills and music - well, she's a hard-chiming rascal. Must remember that so many have things so much worse, but boy, would an hour of "peace" be appreciated. Not deafness, but what I used to know as "quiet." There is NEVER any quiet. Oh well. I can still hear. Hoorah for Hearing!

FAST: How the many bugs, insects, birds, squirrels are making use of garden. We have two old wooden chairs set in a sunny corner of the place, and once in a while I sneak off to sit and watch our personal version of "Nature." Today a dragonfly lit upon some basil. Flies are chowing on the rotting tomatoes. Bees are still sucking at the sunflowers. A lucky look up in to the blue sky and wazaah! and yup, a bald eagle glided high above the picnicking crew down below.

The sunflowers are being felled by the black squirrels.... Mixed emotions. Mixed emotions. And once they decide a stalk or head is coming down - it's coming down. That we should have such Focus and Keep at that task till it's Accomplished. There are yet quite a few upright beauties, and it's a Simple Pleasure to photograph them.

We will miss the brilliant colors of plants and skies in the Grey Months a-coming. Not that snow isn't brilliant and the winter skies can be, too. I guess it's the sense of Life and Growing and the Possibility of Green that seems missing from November till whenever Spring might decide to happen.

For now I'll appreciate even the "Autumn" colors of  maturing sunflowers and other garden goodies past their peeks.

These colors are actually inspiring new bears. Woo hoo! Time to get the acrylic browns, yellows, purples, blues, and their shiny metallic friends out to play. I appreciate folks' kind words pertaining to the new stuff. Playing with mono-prints has opened new paths for the bruins and us. And sometimes it's good to start down a new path. Just don't forget your way back! You can view some on our Facebook Page at Sue-Rowe-Studios.

Time to put in an hour at Work-Fun," put on some excellent tunes, ignore the loud personal cymbals, and make some jazzy bears!

The Roycrofters Creed from John Ruskin:

"A belief in working with the head, hand and heart and mixing enough play with the work so that every task is pleasurable and makes for health and happiness."

On to the trying!
Our next art festival is Sept. 14 -15. The Edina (MN)Fall into the Arts Festival at Centennial Lakes. We are "downstairs" this year. Booth 154 - on the north end of the north end. Come walk the path, enjoy the water, and those great wooden swinging chairs, but don't forget to visit the excellent artists "upstairs."

Fare-thee-well,
Sue

Another Start - Another Finish

May is here, and green is happening. No leaves on trees yet, but where is are buds there is hope...

Where there are boring paintings there might be hope.

Hunting through some stacks I came across this semi-finished acrylic painting done on an 18" x 24" canvas. I don't do much work on canvas, and this piece was O.K., but not good enough. Plus, I needed a challenge to finish off my Sue Rowe Studios Facebook Page "30 Bear Challenge." Bye bye, Bear...

Out came the sand-paper. Off came the paint.

On to seeing who next will show up. Time to PLAY WITH MORE COLOR. I have nothing to lose. And after a few days, paint tubes, brushes and fingers (and consultations with daughter and husband) this is who appeared:

His name is Mr. Smirker. Folks seem to like him. He feels at home on his canvas, and is waiting patiently for varnish and frame. I'm glad to have given the canvas a second chance, and I hope that this guy will liven up an art fair or gallery.

Give something or someone in your home or studio that second chance? Mr. Smirker would say "Yes!"

Shepard's Harvest/Llama Magic is coming up Mother's Day weekend, at the Washington County Fairground, outside Lake Elmo, MN. Admission is free. Come see all the wonderful fiber work, demonstrations, and  wide variety of animals - of which many will be the fluffy or shown llamas and alpacas. We will have a booth in the Llama Magic barn. Come by and say "hi!"

Spring does seem to be actually coming. Our baby tomato, basil, and marigold plants are very excited!

On to the next "30" Challenge. And Spring.....

Fare-thee-well,

Sue

No Excuses and Goofing Off - 1

This morning I grabbed a piece of white mat-board, three tubes of acrylic paint, and my newest toy - a flat-ended wooden coffee stir stick. There are no excuses if you want to make something.

Working wet on wet is fun. Now I see things I'd have done differently, but was working fast and having fun.

All in all - not a terrible result.

Colors used: Cadmium Yellow Medium, Alizarin Crimson, Titanium White

Go find some paints, pens, or pencils that you haven't touched in a while. Use what paper or canvas is at hand. Work quickly. This is goofing off and having fun. We have to remind ourselves that we deserve a bit of fun every now and then.

On to it!
Summer is leaving at an awesome clip. The robin splashing in the birdbath will be gone in a bit. Go splash something while the splashing is good!

Fare-thee-well,
Sue

Summer Color

Summer Greetings on the Last Day of July - sigh.

I want way more July, and even some bits of May and June back.

Here we are not hurting for water. 

I almost feel guilty typing this.

The sunflowers tower.

The basils and tomatoes grow wherever the pumpkins allow them space.

And every so often I allow some time to play with art supplies.

This guy's name is "Big Bob."

He is pretty much an acrylic finger painting.

On a thick wooden board.

The owners of Ely, Minnesota's Mostly Moose and More shop bought him during 

the Ely Blueberry Festival.

He's probably had his fill of almost everything.

Eat or nap? Eat or nap?

Anyway.....

Here, we are back to dealing with tomatoes. 

No time to nap.

Volunteer tomatoes gone really wild!

Yes, almost too much of a really good thing.

Like the garage-sale supply of paints and drawing implements.

So a bit of early morning harvest, and then back to making art.

Art  fair season is in full swing - 

and we are happy, busy, and tired almost all the time.

We appreciate our many customers!

The stories, suggestions, new ideas.

THE LAUGHS!!

But now it's back to making "product."

If the tomato plants can do it, well, so can we.

Produce something today!

On to it - 

And Best of Luck to all hard-working Olympians. 

May your mistakes be minute, and may you be judged and timed fairly.

Fare-thee-well,

Sue

Playing with Paint

Sometimes it's fun to head into the semi-unknown. Here we have some lovely Masonite boards starting to be covered in acrylic paint. Working in a series helps  the possibility of having at least one successful piece come from all this paint spreading. I wanted to stay with the bear theme, yet play with shapes and emotions. On to it!

With so many works in progress I am not focusing too long on each panel yet. Just pulling paint tubes and experimenting. We'll see if the cute stay cute and/or the concerned stay concerned. I'm also going to try and use only the paints and modeling compounds we have on hand. There are parts of each character I already like. Once the bears have personalities they want to have both back-story and some kind of future. That's the fun and responsibility of being an artist. Creating something that might deserve to stay in existence. (Yes, there are bears in the basement on which judgement keeps being put off. That's the not-fun part of being an artist.)

So, we will return to these five soon and see what happens. Dare to fling some paint yourself!

Fare-thee-well,
Sue

Attempting the Pinnacle for Fun

Attempting. Yup. Sometimes we know what we're doing well enough that it's time to go out on a limb or scale a different peak or dance a new dance. Even if we really don't want to do the deed. Why? Because, maybe, eventually, what we don't know how to do NOW will someday be what we are expert in, or at least we will be able to appreciate those who ARE the experts.

And, woo hoo, just trying might be Fun. What a concept. Goofing Off Theme again.

We have treated some smaller, various-sized pieces of Masonsite board and every now & then I say goodbye to the pastel pieces and hello to the various tubes of acrylic paints we tend to pick up here & there. Ya can't leave a reasonably-priced art supply item at the yard or estate sale. No, it must be rescued & introduced to like creatures stored for future use. Then, if it is a tube of something, it will dry out & get tossed (sad) or be used (happy). We like happy art supplies better. (I'm listening to Mozart right now & kinda wish I was slapping paint on something instead of typing about slapping paint on something).

Anyway, so the piece pictured is a start of something. I have no idea what. I have fear of both dancing and pinnacles so it's fitting that I should attempt a bear dancing confidently on a pinnacle - right? Problem now is - what to do next? Fear is creeping back into the decision-making. Argh. I like the form and attitude, but now what? Be brave, little bear-painter. It's acrylic paint - you can have do-overs. Do not stop with this attempt as you are suggesting to others to goof off. GOOF OFF! The beast can not fall off the mountain - it's a flat surface. The bear is in no danger. But there must be Change involved. Yup, our old friend, Change. And Chance. Oh oh. Change and Chance. And old tubes of color to play with a relatively new bear. And this is for Fun. Fear versus Fun. The bear doesn't care. The peak doesn't care. So back to that pile of paints and on to the mountain.

On to the daring. Dare to play a bit today?

"A healthy manner of play is necessary to a healthy manner of work." - Ruskin

On to the goofing off on the pinnacle of your choice!

- Sue