Another Day. Another Bear.

Here is one challenge an artist comes upon early and often: How to work within a theme without becoming repetitive and boring.

Having sold a one of my favorite original "Sunlight/Moonlight" pieces at The Edina Art Fair it feels like the time to tackle a new one. So out comes the Masonsite already prepped and waiting for pastels.
Maybe some day I'll tackle one in acrylic or oil, but not today.

First lesson - While working with lots of black pastel DO NOT wear a lovely pink top. Pink and black are a fine color combination - but not a great way to color clothing. I switched to a black Dick Blick tee shirt and continued on.

This piece will be the first "Sunlight/Moonlight" to be fully 24' x 18". More room to work, different scale to be considered. What colors moon? What colors bear? What colors background and foreground? What colors lettering? I'm still working on using up tiny pieces of color, but first it's time to lay down the black. (Wear dark clothing, remember?) The prepped board is done in a reddy-orange so we'll see if any of that warmth will remain in finished piece. Onward!

Here's the piece so far:

I'm liking the moon. Realistic? No, but that's O.K. Daughter, Tara, likes the blue ring surrounding it. That was fun to scribble. The bruin's got some volume. Lots of work left to do. And am experimenting with different fixatives. So far, so good.

Hoping to finish this beast by the end of the day so we can offer it for sale at the Spring Green Art Fair June 29 - 30. Crossing fingers. Trying to work in larger color fields - a bit more abstract than previous work. Knocking wood. Head is pounding, but if Frida Kahlo could paint her masterpieces under great pain I can finish a bear to comparatively much less suffering. 

On completely different note - it Rained so hard yesterday that the soil dropped away from a large pot of marigolds - leaving the little beauties completely bare-rooted. Replanted them this morning and wished them recovery from the deluge.

Wishing us all recovery from whatever not-good situation we are dealing with. Sure are a bunch around. May you find a bit of time today to sit, relax, or even play! The "Back To School" displays are going up. Argh. Appreciate these last few days of June. 

And come visit us at an art fair in July:

July 6: Shell Lake, WI

July 13- 14: Grand Marais, MN

July 20: Stockholm, WI

July 26 - 28: Ely Blueberry Festival - Ely, MN

Fare-thee-well,

Sue

Wow.

Wow. Summer is speeding by. There aren't enough exclamation points to end the previous sentence.

But the cold wet never-ending Spring has given now to hot wet we'll-see-how-it-goes Summer. Storms tip the tomato and sunflowers over and we go tip them back. Have staked up a number of them - what a concept.

Will be doing the Spring Green, Wisconsin Art Festival on June 29 and 30th. Sad to miss Duluth, MN's Park Point Festival, but the bears said "We want to see new sights, and we know that there's Great Pie in Spring Green." Who's to argue with a bear? Especially when pie is involved. So we will see how the truck's worth of art stuff packs into a Chrystler Town and country mini-van. A vehicle with an automatic transmission! And doors for access! Yes, we've come to van-land way late, but our hearts belong to pick-up trucks, at least big chunks of hearts. But our hearts are beginning to come around to better gas mileage and a tad more comfort. And lots more cup-holders!

As several of the larger originals have gone to new homes in past weeks it's time to see what new bears and themes come out of the studio. It's a battle over doing cousins of favorites and and or trying to create totally new creations. Plus, refilling card racks and magnet trays. And maybe making a new sign.    And business cards. And attacking a really large basket of freshly washed/bleached laundry goodies. Oh, the joy of matching up many almost the same but not all the same white socks!

So, on to the tasks/joys of the day.

We do so wish we could send much of our rain to Colorado, but a recent report stated that Minnesota's watershed is still depleted from recent droughts. Sigh.

Wishing, too, for ONE whole art fair weekend without one day of RAIN.

Time to stop wishing and start doing. Good thing we can wish and do at the same time!

Time to tea, considering options, and on to the art supplies!

Will post line of upcoming art fairs here and on my Sue Rowe Studios Facebook Page. Yes, there are other Sue Rowe Studio FB Pages. Try some words like: bears, Stillwater, MN, artist, to hunt up our crew. Didn't know it would turn into an adventure - sorry for inconvenience, but Thanks for showing up!

Fare-thee-well,
Sue

You Have to Start Somewhere

Greetings on a RARE Sunny morning in late May Minnesota.

Playing a bit of Glenn Gould's "Goldberg Variations" by Mr. J. S. Bach to set the mood. On to the typing:

Playing with using up small chips of pastel on a painting that will mount to 14" x 11". Working on velour mat board, going for an abstract semi-retro feel. Here goes!

Fun to play with large simple shapes. Large fields of color. Some days it's time to say "To Heck with that blasted detail stuff." Not every day, but some days. This is one of those days. I'm hoping for many more in the near future. The idea came from a recent sketch during "normal" goofing off in sketchbook time. Sometimes certain ink or pencil shapes yell out for becoming finished pieces. Whew.

Am running late for mandatory tasks. Will update progress SOON.

Today? Finish something, start something, try something new, hold a door open for a stranger, hold the brain shut to a fear.

Fare-thee-well,
Sue

Edina Art Fair: Last Day in May & June 1 & 2. We'll be in Booth # 348 onFrance Ave. - near Caribou Coffee. Closest cross street: 49 1/2. Come visit. These two probably won't be coming along, but there will hundreds of their fellow furred ones to consider. Toodle-loo!

Inspiration?

Inspiration? Ya gotta get it where ya find it. Just here in the kitchen one could draw or paint:

* Candle with calm flame
* Young tomato plants eager to become adults
* Dirty sneakers (remember Van Gogh's boot paintings/)
* Creamer full of white apple blossoms
* Various "still-lifes" of Stuff on Counters

Last week we vended at Llama Magic - an event held annually at the Washington County Fairgrounds just outside Lake Elmo, MN. The barns held many booths of wondrous wooly things - roving, fleeces, yarns, finished products, and ANIMALS. The building we were in held Alpacas and Llamas. So I "shot" llamas and alpacas. for Future Inspiration.

We can play with Attitude. We can play with Shapes. We can play with Contrasts. We can play with Textures.

Not this morning. But as Grandma Bessie would say - "Soon. Soon."

Take your camera with you  - even on mundane travels. Something close by or far away might just be the thing to capture  and get the pens or paints busy. I will probably never sketch this week's filling-station sign stating gas is $4.39.9 a gallon, but the image is there if I need to draw in despair.

Time to go learn of the healing power of art at the Hudson Hospital - their facility is filled art - on purpose. Hoorah!


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

How Many Times Can A Person Start Over?

Happy May Day? It's been raining and /or snowing off and on all day, but not right now. More in forecast. Yippee yi oh.

To play in Spring dirt I have been making newspaper pots and transplanting the baby basils in potting soil. It's TIME to play in dirt. Earlier this week we had two Beautiful Days. We shoveled the empty sunflower seeds from under the bird/squirrel feeders, we swept the patio. We raked the flower garden.... Brave green things are attempting Spring. but Spring keeps back-tracking. Like me and writing. Darned back-tracking....

One Bear left in the Sue Rowe Studios Facebook Page "30 Bear Challenge." I think he is finished. I keep asking husband and daughter for advice and they give it. He will be posted tomorrow. Then it will be on to the next "30" Challenge. for some reason "30" is a good number for me to work with. It's short  enough to see the end but long enough to appear as a solid block of work. I give thanks for 30 Things at least once a day. Often they are repeats but I make the attempt to bring a wide variety of thoughts into the list. Almost always on is "I'm thankful that i can still hear." The head is "loud" tonight, whether from weather or possible gluten intolerance (Yes, I made oatmeal chocolate chips cookies recently (double batch, with butter). Still no answers.

Anyway, it's time to get back to the challenge of writing. NO EXCUSES!

So, on to a fresh cup of boring herbal tea and seeing who gets voted off of "Survivor." Surviving is good. On to our possibly record breaking may snowfall and continuing the starting over.

Play in dirt, or with dough, or with crayons this week!??!

Festivals and art fairs start for us in two weeks. Come visit!

Fare-thee-well,
Sue

Yet Another Start

ABeen away, now we're back. No excuses. On to the the day.

A recent bear from my 30 Bear Challenge on Facebook. Scraps of soft pastel on scrap of velour matboard. Finished image would mat to 7" x 5."

Progressions: 1)

No thoughts except "bear" and "highlights," and "fit image to mat." This is a scary time. But one must keep going.

2) Keep going. Keep going.

I have large hands. Fingers don't like working with bits, chips, and small pieces of pastel. "Tough," I tell them, "It's our mission to use these tiny colors to possibly create some new beauty." "We NEED more BEAUTY," I tell fingers. (This is a lie. I simply want to use up more bits of pastel.) Time to break out of the blue and see what happens. Come on, little pastels, you can do it!

3) A bruin is appearing. I want it to be Joyful. Lift those arms skyward! Pick up those feet! Fingers, grab that lovely intense light blue! And more yellow! Make tentative marks within the bold ones! (Sadly, I'm quite good at making tentative marks. Be brave enough to go for Bold!)

"Why is that line of bright green dots there?," you ask. For Fun! And perhaps - a bit a Stability.  And a wish for Spring in this white white Upper Midwest. And because I love that color.

4) Keep making marks, keep making decisions. Blend some parts. Keep other spots untouched. This is the time of Tiny Miracles. Don't go too fast. (I almost always go too fast.) Let the image form. More decisions. More marks. Good thing that pastel on velour mat-board is quite forgiving and one can re-work areas deemed in need of such. (Recalling pen-and-ink horrors... I shall not elaborate...)

At this point I have no "good" reasons for placing colors, other then feel for composition and an unbalanced balance. Six colors used so far. Is that enough? For this piece, probably. But one must keep options open. It's fun to work with abstract shapes after most often drawing blue "lakes" and green "trees." It's scary to dare to play. But fun to have fun. This bear is making me happy. This piece might be a 'successful" piece. I try not to care. I'm one who likes succeeding, darn it. But the end seems to be near - that's a whole other problem....

5) I keep fitting the matting over the image. Choosing the final cropping. At this size an eighth of an inch can make a big difference. And I know that the finished piece will be used in cards and a variety of reproductions. An 10 x 8 reproduction crop differently than a 6 x 4 image for a greeting card. Now we're starting to leave the Fun and return to Business. Sigh. Keep adding high-lights! Stay with the Joy!  You can do it. You can do it! A few more marks, a couple more blends. One more look overall. And, ta da!, let's consider this bruin done. 

Now it's time to relax and enjoy the results. This piece came quite easily - whatever THAT means. One is not often so lucky. And there are so many small bits of pastel left...

But we'll leave them for another day.

Hoping this piece inspires YOU to pick up something and make your own marks. 

Time to get back to transplanting zinnias and tomatoes and starting to plant the beloved Sweet Basil.

Fare-thee-well,

Sue