Paint Chip Challenge

Low Moon 20″x 16″ watercolor on paper by Katie Turner

Sassy Lilac #4003-9B

There are two weeks left to view the CNY Art Guild Liverpool Library Show.  “Paint Chip Challenge” will hang until the end of July 2017.  For hours and location click here: www.lpl.org

This challenge was an interesting project and it was fun to see what each artist came up with.  The color was given to me by the show organizer.  It is not a color I would have chosen.  I primarily work with transparent watercolors. This particular color required me to use Chinese white to make it opaque.   After painting several different paintings using this color, I settled on entering the picture above into the show.  It was done on watercolor paper using wet into wet techniques and a palette knife to scratch in some of the texture.

Having parameters can make painting more of a challenge but some rules also fuel creativity.  I enjoyed this challenge and would definitely participate in another one.  I highly recommend a challenge like this for healthy art exercise.

Traveling Watercolor Kits

 

When I prepare my travel art bag, I’m always struggling with the desire to bring every art supply from my studio.  By trial and error I’ve figured out what my bare necessities are.  The picture above shows my two favorite traveling watercolor kits.  The white one is made by Sakura Color Products Corporation and it’s called a “Koi Watercolors Pocket Field Sketch Box”.  It has a removable mixing tray, 24 colors, a nice space for brushes or pens and it even has a pop-out thumb hole on the bottom making it very easy to hold.  My second traveling watercolor set is by Lukas and originally came with tubes of watercolor paint.  Those tubes of paint have been used and now I use the plastic tray to squeeze my own favorite colors into.  Underneath the tray there is room for more brushes or a few paper towels or a small tube of paint.  I have a small blue handle brush on the side of the plastic tray, as you can see in the photo.  The lid makes a great spot for mixing colors.

My favorite sketchbooks have heavier watercolor paper inside but sometimes I just use regular light weight sketchbooks to paint or sketch.  It’s nice if the sketchbook has a heavy cover and a rubber-band to hold it closed.  It will be less likely to fall apart from wear and tear if it’s bound.  I usually throw a pencil and pen into my bag for sketching and a Sakura Aqua-brush.  I also use Pentel Arts brand Aquash water brushes.  The water brushes have a refillable water chamber which makes it possible for me to pull out the brush and immediately start painting.

Making art every day is important for me and bringing supplies along makes it possible.  Travel doesn’t mean I have to give up painting – I can just bring the studio with me.   Painting while traveling is a great way to remember the event and it always makes me smile.

 

Pentagon Art Exhibit

U.S. Soldiers on Patrol in Iraq

Creating and viewing art can have a great impact on soldiers who have suffered PTSD and traumatic brain injury.  Terri Moon Cronk of DoD News wrote an article about Wounded Warriors’ Therapeutic Art.  Link: http://warriorcare.dodlive.mil/2017/04/13/pentagon-exhibit-showcases-wounded-warriors-therapeutic-art/  Not only is creating art great for the wounded warriors, it’s also a great way of educating the public.  A new exhibit opened on April 12, 2017 at the Pentagon which features 40 pieces of artwork created by service members.  The exhibit will be up for a year and you can view some of the art here: http://warriorcare.dodlive.mil/carecoordination/masp/pentagonexhibit/

What a great impact art can have on others.  I hope to see a lot more of these events in the future.

Pierre Bonnard’s Little Studio

Quiet Walk (2017) Watercolor on Terraskin by Katie Turner

Whether an artist has a large or small studio, he or she must find it comfortable enough to create.  I don’t think it matters very much if the space is tiny, messy, shared or cavernous, empty and lonely.  What does matter is if it works for you as a creator.  Some artists need more light or better organization but if that can’t be changed immediately, can creating still happen?  I say, “Of course!”

I read about Pierre Bonnard (1867-1947) the French painter and printmaker, one of the later Post-Impressionists and Les Nabis painters.  He was famous for his use of color and interesting use of perspective.  He was not a mystic but drew his art from his memory.

Bonnard had a small cramped studio in which he pinned his canvases to the wall and painted on them unstretched.  He chose this unconventional way, stating that it gave him options to alter the size. He also would paint various combinations of colors by painting them directly onto the plaster walls of the room.  He built extra cupboards for storage and kept his home relatively sparse.

After all, it’s great if you have the perfect space but even if you don’t right now, set aside the excuse, be inspired by Bonnard and get busy with creating.

To read more about Bonnard click here: Wikipedia Pierre Bonnard UK Art Discover artists: Pierre Bonnard

To see more of my artwork click here: www.KTArtStudio.com

 

Dining Room in the Country (1913) Oil on canvas by Pierre Bonnard.

“Draw your pleasure, paint your pleasure, and express your pleasure strongly.”

~ Pierre Bonnard

Installation Inspiration

Photo collage by Rachel Turner based on the art of Vanessa German.  Link to Rachel Turner’s Flickr here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/94351890@N03/

 

A recent visit to Everson Museum of Art was full of inspiration for my daughter and I.  Vanessa German had an installation titled “de.structive dis.tillation” that had many interesting sculptures, photos and even small paintings.  My daughter used some of her photographs from our visit to produce the photo collage above.  Another blogger wrote about Vanessa German which you can read here: via be the rage and be the light — Monica Aissa Martinez  If you get a chance to visit the Everson Museum in Syracuse, New York, the exhibit will be up until May 7th.  The link for Everson is here  https://www.everson.org/explore/current-exhibitions.

 

Lakeside Statewide Art Reception

For those who are local to Central New York, please join me on Saturday, March 18th from 6-8 p.m. for the Lakeside Statewide Juried Art Show Reception.  Information below.

March 18-April 23, 2017

The Lakeside Statewide Juried Exhibit by the Art Association of Oswego will be open March 18-April 23, 2017.  Reception will be Saturday, March 18th, from 6-8 p.m. at the Oswego Civic Arts Center, East Fourth Street (in the former Fort Ontario Quartermaster’s Building, directly across from historic Fort Ontario).  For more information, go to www.oswegoarts.org

Swapping For Inspiration

Smash Art Journal

Mail Art Wrapping

I know swapping sounds like “shopping”, but it’s not.  This is less expensive and more fun.  For fun, I began swapping art with a couple of artistic friends in other states.  Receiving artwork from friends in the mail has been just as exciting as sending things back to them.  One of these friends sent me some collage pieces and a mini scrap journal you can see in the picture above.  She calls them “Smash” journals because they include whatever comes in the mail or whatever paper she comes across during her week.  They are filled with common everyday items, such as advertisements, tags and junk mail, but then she took it one step further and added gesso, acrylic paint, stamps and collage on various pages.  She kept with a yellow and purple theme and did a great job.  The second photo is a collage sheet she used to wrap up the journal for shipping.  Doing creative swaps can add new ideas for your own art.  If you are looking to join a swap you will find some in yahoo groups.  Other places you may find artists willing to swap would include your own local art guild, church or local college or university.  Swapping can inspire you creatively, give it a try.