"Picture Day"

5"x 7"

acrylic on hardboard

Having kids of my own I have learned to loath picture day.  Coming across this long-ago image of a distant relative's portrait on what was probably her picture day, has helped me put my own family's picture day into a new perspective. Maybe one of my future relatives will come across a picture of my kids and create a painting to post on their blog. I guess if that were to happen, then all of the last-minute visits to the barber, and the fights about what is going to be worn or even better not going to be worn, and the late-night ironing of the only shirt my son has yet to grow out of would almost be worth the effort.

"Feather Mask"

5"x 7"

acrylic on hardboard

I have created several paintings with the same theme, a little girl in a feather mask.  As I complete the last of the paintings I thought I should share a little about what inspired them. I took a workshop at the Museum of Fine Arts.  I usually do this once a year to fill a credit requirement. As usual I put it off  until the last possible minute. But it happened to be my lucky day because not only was the workshop inspired by a painter, it was Henry Tanner a painter that I liked a lot. 

The workshop was on a Saturday, actually an entire Saturday, but I was happy to get away from the kids and do some adult stuff for a refreshing change. I didn't know just how much I needed this change. I was really glad that the workshop spotlighted Henry Tanner an artist that was a painter and a realist. I have been a fan, but I didn't know too much about him. I'd only seen copies of his work in books and on the internet.  Viewing Tanner's work made me fall in love with painting all over again. Each painting I likened to watching a magician perform a magic trick. These two dimensional paintings created decades ago possessed a kinetic energy.  You actually wanted and needed to walk around them.  Up close you could only see his loose expressive brushstrokes, but as you walked back from the painting, these wild brushstrokes would disappear forming into what appeared to be a meticulous modeling of details. It was magic plain and simple. I had the most incredible experience looking at every single painting of his this way.  First up close and then from far away. I must have looked insane, but painting had become exciting again for me. I spent hours after the workshop was complete looking at his show again at my own leisure pace.  

Tanner taught me that paintings can be interactive. I learned that it was okay to stage my subject. After all Tanner's "Mary from the Annunciation" (my favorite) wasn't something he was witnessing in real time. He affirmed that light and illumination are powerful tools for an artist. He taught me sometimes a painting is never finished, and lastly his work taught me to love painting again. 

"Aunt Tip in Pink"

8"x 10"

acrylic on hardboard

I found an old photo of my Aunt Tip that I had never seen before.  I can't really explain it, but for me it's like finding a piece of gold. I guess it's because I know that in some ways old photographs are in limited supply. I've painted an image of Aunt Tip before. Those who follow my blog will remember her in pearls, well I guess this time it's Aunt Tip in pink. Pulling this painting off was a little hit and miss at first. I even thought about, dear I say giving up on it or at least putting it down for time. I trudged on and about twelve in the morning all of my work finally paid off and develop into this lovely painting.

SOLD

"Portrait in Red and Black"

12"x 16"

acrylic on hardboard

I am always excited when I get to use red in a painting, which is one of my favorite colors. I  spent a lot of time on the background on this one.  I know your probably thinking, "what 

background?"  Well I had a background of thin transparent red fabric with light shining 

threw it. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how I was going to pull it off.  Then I 

painted over it and everything finally felt right. The background and foreground weren't 

fighting with each other anymore.  I guess I should write about what is actually in the 

painting since I just explained what isn't.  I enjoyed working with this one, it had everything I like, from the rich red and black colors to the mask itself.  I love masks and can't wait to 

paint my next masked figure. Their will always be a next masked figure. 

"Sarah"

5"x 7"

acrylic on hardboard

Sarah was my sweet mate in college. She was the first New Yorker I had the pleasure of meeting.  She was from Queens, New York and though she was just over five feet tall.  She was one tough cookie.  Sarah was the cool kid that knew her way around, needles to say we hung in different crowds most of the time.  We remained friends the entire four years of school.  This was a portrait I took of her our last year.  I was in a photography class and had to finish a roll of film, so I asked her and several other friends to pose for me.  I'm glad I did because these were some of the only images that I have of a couple of friends.  

This painting was supposed to be easy, but like I tell my students, "Just because it looks easy doesn't mean it will be." I relearn this lesson from time to time. I began this painting a little over a year ago and got everything painted in, but I wasn't pleased with the face.  Never being one to give up on anything, I picked the painting up late one night at the end of a great night of painting and was able to easily work out the problems.

"The Ladies Garden Club"

8" x 10"

acrylic on hardboard

I usually get really intimidated when I have to paint more than one person in a single scene. I am becoming better at this though, it's something I can't keep dancing around so I am meeting this challenge head on. I had a relative that I always thought of as very classy and worldly. She and her husband did things I could only dream of as a little girl growing up in a trailer park.  Things like going on vacations, traveling to California to visit relatives, and going on cruises. They were also members of several popular clubs and organizations. One such club was the Ladies Garden Club.  They took turns hosting the garden club at their houses monthly. I think this is one of the images from the ladies garden club, or at least that's what was on the back of the photograph. I guess I would consider myself an anti club person, but I was quite happy to find out that I received the dishes that she used when hosting her garden club members. She used these dishes on rare occasions. I use them as part of our everyday dishes. I'm just not that formal of a person, but I am very sentimental.   I think she would get a kick out of knowing that I painted this lovely painting of several of her garden club members. While she was living she was an admirer of my artwork and I always appreciated her for that.
SOLD

"Bobby"

8"x10"

acrylic on hardboard

I love looking at old photographs.  When I came across this one recently I knew I had to paint it. This is my aunt Bobby.  I always thought my aunt's real name was Bobby, because that's what everyone called her. It wasn't until adulthood that I even questioned it. Bobby is a male's name after all.  I think I was addressing formal invitations (probably to my wedding) when it dawned on me that her real name was Barbara and not Bobby.  Some of my relatives have horrible nick names, so she got off easy. I have had several nicknames throughout y own life.  Sister, was one and pretty common I am finding out. Tutau, was one I hated the most and put an end to right before I entered kindergarten.  But the one that has stuck and outlasted them all is Lisa. My immediate family calls me Lisa and I respond as naturally to it as my real name Felicia. I don't think about it at all, I just answer to it when a familiar voice calls it. Weird, I can't find the logic in it.  

"Back Light"

8"x 10"

acrylic on hardboard

I'm still enjoying my masks.  It took me awhile to post this one.  I finished painting it some time ago.  A friend described it as intimate and moody.  It sounds good to me.    

 

"Feather Dancer"

8"x 10"

acrylic on hardboard

 I was so proud of myself after I completed this painting.  I was able to recreate the left hand hitting light just right, making that entire area glow.  I had seen so many painters get it right with little or no effort, but I had never been bold or skilled enough to paint what I was seeing instead of what I thought I was seeing. When I finished I left the painting out so I could admire it every time I passed it on the table.  A few days later my brother stopped by and began admiring several paintings I also had out in various stages of completion.  He even commented on how nice my work was, then he holds one up and says, "When are you gonna finish this one?" I looked up to see him holding this painting. 

"That one is already finished," I replied. 

He goes on to say, "Your NOT going to paint the hand?"

"What, that's the best part!" I explain to him.

"I don't get it....your really not going to paint the hand in?" He finished a little bewildered.  

As you can see I still didn't paint the hand in.  I guess I'll let the comments page decide if I made the right decision.

"Clever Boy"

12"x 16"

acrylic on hardboard

This was the painting in which I finally became comfortable with painting soft edges. It seems so simple to do, but after a lifetime of coloring inside the lines it's hard to do the opposite   I originally had an elaborate background on this painting.  I even painted it all, before I painted over it. I quickly realized that even though I spent a lot of time panting the details, in the end it was just too distracting.  I have always had a problem with editing, so this was big for me.

$200

Queen of the Feathers

12"x 16"

acrylic on hardboard

We pulled out some old Halloween costumes.  I loved the way the dress caught the light from the window behind us.  The feather mask was one of those things that spoke to me when I was out shopping for something else.  I wasn't prepared to make the purchase, but I thought about it for a couple of days and found myself walking right back into the store and sealing the deal.  The best thing was, everything was marked half off.  I didn't have to feel so guilty about the frivolous purchase.  What a difference a few days make! In my own defense  I think this mask has been put to good use already with this painting, or at least that's the line I used on my husband.  I pushed myself with this painting and I got to use a lot of bright color.

$200

"Wearing It"

8"x 10"

acrylic on hardboard

I was visiting my parents' church and noticed many of the men were wearing hats like this one.  Fashion, like most things recycles itself. I didn't realize how iconic this particular hat was for me until I began painting this image.  I kept thinking of photographs of the men marching during the civil rights movement and the always popular original "Twilight Zone", which had men wearing theses hats.  I can't tell you how any nights I stayed up way to late just to catch an episode of the show.  I purchased a costume version and had a lot of fun photographing people wearing it.  This was one of my volunteers.

$140

"Sunday Best"

5"x7"

If you've spent anytime going to church, you have stood for a photograph similar to this painting.  I loved the white gloves they glow off of the page.
SOLD

"The American Dream"

6"x10"

acrylic on hardboard

This painting was inspired by a family photograph that was almost thrown away.  My father rescued an entire box of photos discarded in the garage of his parents home.  The home was sold not a week later. I am known in my family as the historian or as one of my books would call the Keeper, which is the keeper of family history.  One day while visiting my parents my mother mentioned that she had some old photos for me. "I love old photographs!" 

In this painting I only recognized one gentlemen.  We called him cudd'n (cousin) J.T.  He is the shortest in the painting.  His wife was as tall as an Amazon. He lived to be one hundred years old, so I can safely assume that all the other gentlemen in the painting have passed.  They are standing in front of a series of houses in what we call 6th Ward.  In Houston whenever you hear "The Wards" you usually assume that it is an older area.  It was so neat to see that "The Wards" were once new and part of the American dream, as was ownership of a fancy new car that you can see in the background.  It also reminded me that we are still in pursuit of the American dream and for most of us it means the same thing that it meant over forty years ago. 

SOLD

"Heart Fingers"

8"x10

acrylic on hardboard

I actually started and completed a smaller various of this painting.  This larger painting sat around haunting me until I finally committed to finishing it.  For better or worst I am one of those people that have to finish what they start.  This time it took me months as I painted off and on, but it's finished.  I can finally say, I'm glad I didn't just gesso over it when it wasn't working out.

$140

"The Polka Dot Girl"

5"x7"

acrylic on hardboard

I was playing around with lighting on this portrait.  I think it comes across well in the background and the bow. 

$100

"La Grange"

6"x6"

acrylic on hardboard

My siblings and I spent most of our summer in La Grange, Texas.  My grandmother lived there and many of my cousins.  My grandmother's house was up the hill and most of my cousins lived down the hill.  It wasn't much of a hill at all, unless you were trying to ride your bike up it.  Then it really felt like a hill. We spent many hours walking up this dirt road to various relatives homes. When we got bikes we road them up and down this road and even further out as we explored dirt roads we'd never seen before.  I was always amazed at how the road would curve and disappear into the distance.  I guess that was the artist in me.

$100

"Ears"

5"x7"

acrylic on hardboard

I am fascinated with the way light passes through things, like ears when a portrait is back lit. I actually don't know which way to present this painting vertical or horizontal, so I went with horizontal since that was the way the scanner picked it up.  The painting looks just as great vertical.
SOLD

"Fairy Blues"

5"x7"

acrylic on hardboard

I wanted to play around with a portrait from a less traditional point of view.  In the background are the pine trees we lost from the drought last summer. The painting kinda reminds me of winter. 

$100

Blue Fairy

5"x7"

acrylic on hardboard

This is the fairy in blue. I was playing with movement from brush strokes since the figure had none.  This is one of the few paintings that I have ever created that gave me little if any problems.  From start to finish I was in what I call "The Zone".

$100

" I Heart You Girl"

5"x7"

acrylic on hardboard

I worked really hard at getting the lighting to show in just the right way so you could see the heart at first glance.  Ever since I finished the first I heart you painting, which was a male, I knew I would eventually paint the female version. So here she is.
SOLD

"Girl Behind the Mask"

5"x7"

acrylic on hardboard

I am still playing around with masks and pattern.  I've had this mask for awhile now.  I was always going to make something out of it, I guess I did.... a painting. 

$100

"The Joker & Three Bells"

5"x7"

acrylic on hardboard

In this painting I get to use my favorite color, red.  I have been playing around with lighting and decided to back light the figure, which seemed appropriate since the portrait seems staged.  I painted most of the sequence during a long conversation with my mother in law. (Who says I  can't multitask?) I had a teacher in high school that was passionate about pattern.  I guess this piece would make her proud.
SOLD

"Making Their Mark"

5"x7"

acrylic on hardboard

I played around with the colors on this one.  I thought I should try something different, I didn't push but I did add a little purple to my palette.

$100

"Making Her Mark"

5x7

acrylic on hardboard

This is a great painting but all I can think about writing about is bricks.  I was so intimidated by the brick wall behind the little girl.  Brick walls are one of those things that you have to handle in a subtle way or that's all you will notice.  I am so proud of myself.  I even pulled off the texture which was almost by accident.  Now I'll talk about the little girl in the painting.  I wanted to make her glow, so I added a very bright highlight to her left shoulder as you can tell, but I am beginning to play around with making my edges softer.  I haven't been able to totally let go of my need to have sharp edges yet, but I'm gonna keep on trying. 

$100