Creativity
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November 16, 2021 – When Framing a Painting, Don’t Act Like You Have a Screw Loose (because you really might!)
There’s a lot of good reasons, despite the apparent monetary savings, most of us prefer not to frame our own paintings, photos etc. Time is one. Fear is another (and sometimes justified, lol!) The most aggavating for me though is churning happily along, literally taking for the well worn process for granted (I framed pics…
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November 10, 2021 – Following Up with Helen Frankenthaler’s “How to Be an Artist” via Alexxa Gotthardt at #Artsy
Yesterday’s reblog/review, also via Artsy, but by a different author, went into a indepth look at how the art market has been responding to Helen Frankenthaler’s work for nearly 3/4s of a century now. Along the way, I found the article’s included informational description of her creative process the most interesting to me. Artsy, it…
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November 09, 2021 – Reblog/Review : How Helen Frankenthaler’s Color-Soaked Canvases Won Over the Art Market, via Justin Kamp at #Artsy
There’s lots of reasons I like reading about artists whose lives are considered successful, in one form or another – money, fame, critical acclaim, etc. But the biggest reason I’ve found for myself, whether reading about Monet or Renoir or Berthe Morisot or a contemporary of, Helen’s – Joan Mitchell (which I recently reblog/reviewed an…
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November 07, 2021 – Oh, I Think I’m Creative Do I? So What Am I Doing With My Unused Paint End of Each Painting Session? – 1st Result : The Earth Sends Its Prayers
First thing I gotta tell you is, this came out nothing like where I thought it was going – softer, blended gradations – until I ruined it, lol! So what you see is more playful frustration than anything “polished.” But it was fun 😊 Ironic in a sense, since, as seen below, I started with…
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November 06, 2021 – Oh, I Think I’m Creative Do I? So What Am I Doing With My Unused Paint End of Each Painting Session?
Well, to answer the question straight off, what am I doing with my left over paint end of each session? Unfortunately (my excuse is it’s too small an amount) it’s usually left to dry on my plastic palettes I like for painting with acrylics (actually I use different plastic one for much of my watercolor…
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November 02, 2021 – Reblog/Review : “Low Water” by Joan Mitchell via #bofamasterpiecemoment at the Carnegie Museum of Art
This was a terrific video for me to start off with, perusing Bank of America’s series of artist profiles – Masterpiece Moment on YouTube. I get email alerts for new episodes and have finally, gladly, gotten to watching one 😊 I must admit, I chose this short “moment,” featuring Joan Mitchell, to see 1st because…
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October 31, 2021 – Happy Halloween! For the Kid in All of Us!
Though Halloween trick or treating isn’t til this evening, this handmade (with his daddy’s help) costume for Max has already been to pre-Halloween party last week, his school’s Halloween party a few days ago, and tonight, the big event!
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October 29, 2021 – Reblog : via Artnet – “Studio Visit: Painter Jo Baer on the Exercise Gear (and Chili) That Are Her Secret to Making Large-Scale Artworks at the Age of 91”
I’d saved the tweet below a few months (date shows it 1st was tweeted late last year, Nov 2020) thinking this would be an involved article with lots of interesting info on Jo’s process working with large-scale art. I was 1/2 right 😊 First, the part I got wrong was….
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October 27, 2021 – New Masking Fluid/Light Molding Paste #ArcylicAbstract Project Completed – “Angel”
Difficult to get this image close, much less “right” digitally for me, but this is very close; well, except for the texture, but hope the close-up crops below help 😊 First though, a before / after side-by-side look of my Angel looked like with my masking fluid layin hidden under my 1st paint pass through…
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October 26, 2021 – I’ve Been Reading, and It’s Triggered a Realization on My Part How Important the Surface of a Painting, My Own Paintings in Particular, Are to Me….
…tinkering with the surface of my current art work. I enjoy doing that, immensely. The surface of my work often being as important, or I should say, as interesting to me, as the image as a whole. And of course now I want to make the image as a whole, whether seen from a short…
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October 15, 2021 – 2nd Time Out Sketching with Austin’s #UrbanSketchers Group! Still a Treat! #PeasePark
Though immensely more challenging this time around for October’s outting with Austin’s Urban Sketchers chapter (heat indexes near 100 – hopefully a forerunner to an expected cool front; traffic challenges due to Austin City Limits festival), and, not particularly enamored with my resultant efforts this time around — — it was so good to talk…
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October 08, 2021 – Girl on Bicycle Study 1 v2, #Watercolor on Paper; Masking Fluid Removed, Minor Adjustments = Similar Yet Different Picture : Calling it Done!
I’m sensing a strong pattern right now in any of my work with masking fluid involved – ie, nice image with my paint overlay over the masking fluid, and a differing yet pleasing picture emerges. I continue to be concerned though, because I’m liking my painting overlays incrementally more each time.
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October 06, 2021 – Abstract Study 1 Turns Out to be A Nice Pattern for Gifts @FineArtAmerica!
Though, as per my recent blog post, of how I “messed up” this small 9×12 watercolor on paper, I also realized, after seeing it propped up in my art room, half crumpled, that the design itself was decent! So I digitally cleaned it up and uploaded it onto Fine Art America, where I’d sometimes lament…
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October 05, 2021 – Girl on Bicycle Study 1, #Watercolor on Paper; 1st Paint Lay-in Over Masking Fluid
In contrast to my prev post – describing a disaster with an abstract study on paper 😯 – I hope to shorten this one quite a bit – taking wife to dr appt then groceries then returning home before Austin City Limits’ festival kicks off and we won’t have a place to park near our…
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October 04, 2021 -Accidentally Wrecking One of My Painting Efforts (Abstract Study 1) Helped Focus Me
Actually, I accidentally wrecked it, mostly because I surged forward wanting to do too much too quickly with too much paint & masking fluid, on paper – and – not enough patience to have thought this out 😏 In my own defense, some of those “too much’s” I didn’t realize were too much! 😊 Like….
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October 01, 2021 – Sunflower in Dappled Light Study 1, #Watercolor on Paper – 4th Rendition; Lessons on the Evolution of This Painting Study
Sunflower in Dappled Light Study 1 turned out to belie itself in one important regard – it shoulda been a larger canvas work. Where it did shine, for me, creatively, is the dazzling combination of styles I managed to squeeze out of me and onto paper to try and get the expression I wanted for…
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September 30, 2021 – Reblog : A Visual Problem-solver or Just Getting It Right? (Andrew Wyeth’s Brown Swiss) via Dianne Mize
This is, it turns out, a reblog of a reblog, lol! First posted by Dianne Mize about this time last year (Sept 2020), she’s kindly reposted, and I’m very glad she did! I’ve recently been “experimenting” with light molding paste, acrylics, watercolors, line art, figure art, and even masking fluid. Again. As I have over…
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September 29, 2021 – Sunflower in Dappled Light Study 1, #Watercolor on Paper – 3rd Rendition; Wanna Finish, But Can’t, Not Yet….
My 3rd rendition of Sunflower in Dappled Light Study 1 has veered away from me like a giddy 2 year old confident mommy or daddy is nearby and can go explore the world with a glee and squeal – then tripped on a pebble the size of a finger tip, crashed to the ground, and…
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September 28, 2021 – Sunflower in Dappled Light Study 1, #Watercolor on Paper – Removed Masking Fluid, Debating if Finished
Though my 2nd rendition – masking fluid removed from the sunflower and it’s surrounding abstract color space – is much more to my liking, it’s also obvious to me – as per the comparison images below, that I could have done more. Should have applied much more masking fluid…I’d gotten too timid I think, after…
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September 27, 2021 – Sunflower in Dappled Light Study 1, #Watercolor on Paper; 1st Paint Lay-in Over Masking Fluid
A 9×12 on 140lb x watercolor paper, like my previous (and 1st study subject) – Walking in Dappled Light Study 1 (1st rendition), Sunflower in Dappled Light Study 1 also seems quite lacking in dapple-ness, lol! (see comparison images below)
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September 25, 2021 – Walking in Dappled Light Study 1, #Watercolor on Paper, Completed
Not much difference between the previous post’s study version and the completed version above. As you can tell, from the 2nd duo sets of contrasts below, all I did was soften the upper slanting line separating red and white on the lady’s back. But for me, it….
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September 23, 2021 – Walking in Dappled Light Study 1, #Watercolor on Paper, Masking Fluid Removed
There’s a lot I like about how this looks with the masking fluid gone (removed prev night and slept on the shock of seeing the changes, lol!) – which doesn’t mean though I’m not looking at what to try to improve how I feel about this work 😊 Initially, 1st impression, I was determined to…
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September 22, 2021 – Walking in Dappled Light Study 1, #Watercolor on Paper; 1st Paint Lay-in with Masking Fluid
At 9×12 on 140lb x watercolor paper, I was able to use my brushes fairly effectively where I wanted them, and applied some Turner masking fluid (with a thin palette knife) “fairly” easy. And yes, some foot proportions are off a bit, lol, and her back blouse almost looks like it’s the front, but all…
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September 20, 2021 – Dappled Light, “Figures in a Landscape Study” Still Not Done, But, Already a Learning Tool For Me!
“Learning Tool for Me” is part of my blog title today simply ’cause I’ve looking at this post as specifically geared to get me where I wanna go – keeping in mind my destination is a generalized abstraction of image / feeling / and intuitive aspiration (hopefully including figurative work) & it’s reached a point…
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September 19, 2021 – Dappled Light, “Figures in a Landscape Study” Continued
Just a quick post updating yesterday’s release showing what I’ve changed/added on to a watercolor on paper I’d 1st posted about on Sept 7th…A bigger factor in today’s image update is the addition of more “white”.
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September 18, 2021 – Dapple Light, My Creative Conundrum and Caldron
My regular readers know I’ve been more and more attracted to the idea of being able to paint dappled light, consciously, and hopefully, eventually more spontaneously. I titled my post to include both “conundrum” – which I kept misspelling til I looked it up 😊 – and “caldron” – which I keep feeling my creative…
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September 16, 2021 – Reblog(s) : Graham McQuade, Benchmarks 1 & 2 (Acrylic Painting) #figureart
This necessarily (on my part) a short post due to some time constraints, although I should add, Graham’s posts will be a quick read. They’re short, tight with information. What will take a little time, if you notice the time 😊 is….
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September 13, 2021 – Something New For Me! Sketching with Austin’s #UrbanSketchers Group! What a Treat!
While I think my 1st sketch of the morning (below) was a bit sparse I really like the colors; and while my 2nd sketch (top, header image) was a bit busy even for me, it seems to have more….
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September 12, 2021 – Reblog/Review : Website, Claude Monet (Paintings, Biography, and Quotes)
There is SO much good information, and beautiful images, on this site ( claude-monet.com ) it’s almost an embarrassment of riches! Meaning I can’t believe, despite my half-century+ enchantment with impressionism, esp Monet & Renoir) I never came across it before! In fact, I’m still coming across new material; not to mention the staggering review…
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September 02, 2021 – Reblog, “Bob Ross and the Joy of Living Artfully” via Adam Zucker’s Netflix Review
Reblog – …despite the semblance that I’ve went ahead and quoted most all his article here, these are actually grounding outtakes; the “minor spoilers” Adam referenced in the 1st quote above are the bulk and meat of his article, as he addresses the value of Ross’ work and life to our own today —
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August 29, 2021 – Reblog, via Francisco Bravo Cabrera : “JaZzArt” Phase II (the Yellow Period begins…)
Reblog – Saturdays Artists Series, Part 1: Johannes Vermeer, “A Brief Look…” (photo montage video) – via Francisco Bravo Cabrera
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August 16, 2021 – Commiserating With Myself After My Mom’s Passing
I’ve had a string of strange stranded-like days since my mom’s burial. Along with a variety of naps from 5 minutes to an hour, I’ve walked more slowly, studying the shadows and dappled light along the paths of the greenbelt nearby. I’ve woken feeling a clarity about….
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July 10, 2021 – Reblog : Monet, Morisot, Renoir and the birth of Impressionism, via Christie’s (circa Valentines 2017)
Though over over 4 years old, and the auction I assume more than well over, the article itself I thought was very nice! Interesting observations, basic and to the point! Plus great visuals – for all 3 featured impressionists : Monet, Morisot and Renoir…Timeless artists all 3, it matters little the date of this article…
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July 02, 2021 – Setting Up a Working Art Room, 1st Time Since Our Move, ie, 2+ Months!
Had hoped to put up another art reblog, I posted a couple really good ones recently I think, but also wanted to paint but couldn’t ’cause I’d have to taken over too much of the kitchen table for too long, lol!…Though I basically only moved a “lot” of boxes around, not really resolving my space…
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July 01, 2021 – Reblog/Review : Water and Dappled Light (Oils) via Painting Coach, Chris Fornataro, on YouTube
Someone new to my reblog series of posts, Chris Fornataro, the Paint Coach, on You Tube, presents a short oil painting tutorial/demo on creating dappled light 😊
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June 30, 2021 – Reblog/Review : Dappled Shade via Dianne Mize
Those following my blog know I’ve been focused on understanding and hopefully recreating the effects of dappled light, at least more consciously 😊 , in my art, and Dianne Mize’s short YouTube Quick Tip tutorial is perfect for me!
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June 06, 2021 – Reblog : The Impressionist Art of Seeing and Being Seen (Berthe Morisot in England; via the New York Times; by Jason Farago)
Seldom have I enjoyed an art critique post, visually or intellectually, as much as I enjoyed this visually detailed, historically grounded narrative into “some” of what the Impressionist movement was about, even if not apparent at the time – ie, much like our own times will need some reflection and commentary to become more fully…
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May 08, 2021 – Random (sorta) Pic of the Day, My New Art Room Taking Shape : Stirring Up Thoughts and Feelings
Another of my idea-searches for something at least relatively easy for me to post when I’d rather be painting, eating, sleeping, walking, or other random unrelated surprise opportunities the day might bring 😊
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May 07, 2021 – Reblog/Review : Luminosity in Watercolor via Dianne Mize
As usual, what’s especially nice about Dianne Mize’s relatively short Quick Tip YouTube videos, is not only the amount of information she relays to us, but how she relays it, generously giving examples both on her palette and her painting paper of what she’s discussing – in this case, creating a sense of luminosity with…
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April 28, 2021 – Reblog : A Painting 30 Years in the Making, via American Watercolor by Kelly Kane
“…the content in the two sturdy paragraphs are dense with interesting anecdotes and information, and, the image is simply sumptuous.”
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April 17, 2021 – Reblog/Review : Keeping Colors Crisp and Clean via Dianne Mize
“…though I’ve almost finally finished Lady in Paris 1889 and even got a 1/2 decent photo pic of it this morning, I’ve since added a few more touches – actually applying some of the 4 common sense tips in today’s newsletter tip from Dianne Mize.”
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April 03, 2021 – Reblog/Review : Quick Tip 315 #Watercolor Glazing via Dianne Mize
“…not only does she explain drying times, how to lightly and evenly rewet to paint again each time (after a layer has dried), but takes the colors on the paper from their (near) opposites to the golden yellows in the photo beside her in-progress watercolor.”
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February 10, 2021 – Reblog, Dr Mirkin’s “Can You Exercise Too Much?”
Dr Mirkin, “You recover by going at a slow pace for as long as it takes for your muscles to feel fresh again. There is no advantage to time-limiting your recoveries.”
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February 09, 2021 – Excuse My Mess, I’m Sprucing Up Posts While “Trying” My Hand at Aging Gracefully, ie, I Need to Rest a Bit
Okay, I’m finally gonna admit, I’ve been trying to do too much 😊
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February 05, 2021 – New Excerpt Series Starting Soon, The Old American Artist, with Commentary
Looking back at older work, like my 80s acrylics or 2000s water soluble oils, can be lots of things : sobering 😂 and, when I spot patterns of motifs or preferences in my work, very helpful for me, enabling me to see enduring patterns of interests. The same, it turns out, even with its own…
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January 30, 2021 – Painting My First Watercolor Painting on Paper Printed with My Own Original Pen and Ink Sketch
“There is so much potential in this line of art creativity for me, emotionally and creatively, I felt I really needed to get all this out. If for nothing else, to remind myself later on ☺️ ”
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January 29, 2021 – New Upload to Fine Art America, My First Watercolor Painting on Paper with My Own Printed Pen and Ink, Floating Butterfly 1
“my newest image, Floating Butterfly 1, Pen and Ink with Watercolor”
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January 28, 2021 – Yesterday’s Horizontal Art Mess Looks a Lot Better Vertical, Even if Still Not Good Enough
“I’ve been experimenting how to print some of my original pen and ink line drawings onto paper and then paint on them. I was clearly not happy with my 1st painting effort on laser paper yesterday, and then, right before bed, I took another look at the piece, laid it casually down with a sigh,…
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January 27, 2021 – Rushing Creativity Late in the Day When Tired Results in a Learnable Mess, lol!
“I won’t deny it. I don’t really like my painting. But I do see somethings I like — ”


















































