Yet Another Experiment!

Well my little plan to get re-auctioning had a glitch, so attempting it again.  Apologies but have to include the painting from earlier this week. 

Pepper Refined
click here to bid

Somehow, I managed to paint today -- mostly to keep from frightening Mr. Huang next week!  Don't want him to think he has a clueless, crazy lady in his workshop.  So I did my best to set up multiple objects (egads, not used to that!!!), and went with a hard panel to keep from adding too many variables.  Admittedly, I'm in total denial about using actual canvases again. . . . 

After the paint-a-thon, I'm pretty happy and will photo/post it later this weekend.  Artist KR that I mentioned in an earlier post, says her new art instructor makes them report on what they have learned.  Sounds like a good idea to me, so in this painting session I learned: 

1) challenging/uncomfortable subject forces my brain to go into artist mode,

2) keep painting what you see not what you "think you see" and 

3) just paint. . . happiness is sure to follow!

Enjoy, live is joy we make one moment at a time,

Johnna

p.s. thank you for taking the time to read my posts and for your delightful and encouraging comments, much appreciated!

Regrouping

Apparently my last blog and "rough couple of weeks" caused a commotion -  it's just life's bumps in the road --- nothing at all that can't be handled.  I'm delighted that people read the blog and checked in.  How great is that?  Great friends, great community, priceless.  What a new found pleasure to me for taking the time and energy to create a blog (insiders will say, and it's true, more work than one would imagine).  

I'm still working my way back to painting (artist block I guess. . .  don't have a good explanation) but really looking forward to seeing my great friend and fellow artist (KR) in Easton MD next weekend for a workshop hosted by Qiang Huang - check out the link, his work is stunning (we signed up almost a year ago!).  Will be quite a challenge for me shifting from 6x6 hard panels to a mushy soft canvas that are more than twice my comfort size. Okay, Alice get with the program! Maybe the shift will start a new commotion.  Fingers crossed.

Meanwhile, I'm going to auction a few of my most popular, favorite available paintings.  Here is the first one.  Over 600 hits vs. the last sold painting that had 135.  I read an article recently that said one of the worst mistakes an artist can make is to keep their favorite paintings --- aargh that is a hard pill, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.  So I'm taking the leap and making these lovelies affordable and available.  

Pepper Refined
click here to bid

As always, Enjoy, live is joy we make one moment at a time,

Johnna

Flying Fish

Much to my total delight, the Cube Fish aka KalidoFish was purchased and should have landed in Tucson, AZ by now.   A former buyer, which is always a super-duper added pleasure. It has definitely lifted my artistic spirit, but still find myself struggling to get back into the groove.  It's also been a rough couple of weeks, but sparing you the details since I only want to think about the positive!  Not all that bad compared to most, but a reminder to appreciate each day and realize how wonderful life is!  

Here are the darlings flying to Tuscon. 

Enjoy, live is joy we make one moment at a time,

Johnna

Current Events

This month's art group challenge was to paint in the style of Cubism.  Not a particularly comfortable topic for me, but bolstered with the Barcelona Art Nuevo get-out-there-influence, managed to pair a favorite PaintMyPhoto pic with my newly found knowledge.  The idea is shapes / angles and uncomplicated colors.  Kinda crazy, but I really like it.  Now that the insider art group has met, I can publish it.  It's become a favorite of mine.

Cube Fish
click to bid

How's this for an interesting perspective.  You-know-who came up with the idea and called it KaleidoFish!  Love it so much I might make it into an art card.  Please comment with your vote and maybe I will really turn this into a greeting card.  

KaleidoFish! 
please comment with your vote

Photo credits go to Ruth Archer of PMP - her photo.  I was also inspired by several artists who saw this in a colorful and abstract way! 

Enjoy, live is joy we make one moment at a time,

Johnna

Geez Where Does the Time Go?

Has it really been since April that I posted???  Hard to believe, but see that it is true - er, I guess April would be the time Mr. Fab (rockin' spouse) surprised me with tickets to a birthday-of-a-lifetime trip to Spain!  Guess I don't have to mention that a birthday with a zero in it - and it's after 40 - has to be cause for commotion!  With the planning, trip in early July and now the awesome afterglow, it's just gonna have to be my excuse for the lapse.  I am seriously hoping to get back into the art / blogging program.  Fingers crossed!

Quick note about the trip to Barcelona - highly recommend, lack of Spanish is not a problem, food is amazing, art and architecture is over the top.  Epitome of Art Nuevo - Gaudi is a true phenomenon and so under known.  Barcelona is unlike any European city I have been to -- they embrace the very modern, progressive yet maintain a love of both old and new.  Big, bustling city yet quaint old quarter, endearing people, marvelous metro, stunning museums and such deep roots.  Apparently, Barcelona is the third most visited city in Europe (after London then Paris). Go travel - I've missed it for a long time.  Just go.  Nothing is better than challenging yourself with something new, daring yourself into discovery and delighting yourself with unknown wonders.  It really does "change you" in a number of ways - just GO somewhere different (on your next walk/drive take a left instead of a right and see what happens!).   I want to copywrite the phase "you just don't get it until you go, so just go!"