monday motivation - be daring

Sure, there are many artists who inspire and motivate me to create, but one artist that I just adore is the artwork of Cecil Beaton. Perhaps it was his passion for capturing society in his artwork, his photography or just his innate sense of daring style.  I have looked at this so many times and I adore the reflection of the chandelier in the mirror and all the various vignettes in this room.   What an imagination.

Who motivates you to be daring and different?

monday motivation - melting point

Last friday, we had a snow storm which caused the start of school turn from a two hour delay to a snow day.  My daughter was not cleared to return to school until monday, so we took the weekend off to spend time playing in the snow.   We built snowmen and I paid tribute to our dog with a snow dog sculpture.  I sent a photo to my son (at University) and he replied that I should think of adding snow art to my portfolio.  One thing for sure is that snow is motivating.  It does not last forever and has a melting point.

Can you think of something that requires your attention or motivation due to time constraints, budgets or limits of sorts?  I can hardly wait for the next snowfall to sculpt and build snow art.

birdies

 I awake in the morning to the sweetest chirping of the birdies outside my window.

I had a parakeet growing up.  There is always an unhappy ending with real pets.  They become a part of our lives and then the the loss or the memory stays with us as time passes.  

Somehow these works of art seem much more invincible.

How sweet would these be in a nursery or a child's room.

I found them here.

The Apartment has some wonderful works of art.

I'd love to fly off to Denmark for this opening.
I read about it in the NY Times.

winter whites

As I lifted my head from the pillow, my eyes opened and I could automatically tell that it has snowed overnight.  A fresh blanket of winter white beckoning me to wake up as if it were my morning alarm.
Have you ever noticed that after a snowfall, everything seems to take on a wintery violet hue.

As the sun rises, the golden sun is reflected in the snow and even the bark of the trees turn from gray to gold as if they were reveling in the snow and playing with one another.

One of my favorite Amerlican painters, Fairfield Porter captured these idyllic winter scenes with such grace and harmony.  I would love to collect winter landscape paintings.

First Impressions

I had the great delight to visit the Speed Museum with my Mother to view a collection of Impressionist paintings. The collection was hung on serene deep blue walls. How lovely to visit and share our thoughts on art, life, and our impressions of great artworks. On tuesday, my dear Mother celebrates her 84th birthday. I feel so fortunate to be with her. Hope each of you are off to a good start today. Leave good first impressions wherever you go!

joy

Josef Albers

Joy is many things.

Ellsworth Kelly

Have you had time to find joy?

Is it color, the lights, or the holiday decorations?

For me, I find joy in ART!

Ellsworth, you and your work have always made me merry and bright.

Fresh, modern, a bit loopy, but I love the curves.

My children say, Mom, I can paint that.

But I tell them, that they did not.

But, they could.

Maybe it is the squareness of it all.

I imagine boxes wrapped and stacked.

Hope your week is chock full of JOY!

azure escape

painting by Beverly Bader, rivertown's art tour artist

I spy blue. Nothing says summer more than that of the color azure blue or the entire range of mediterranean blues.

Azure blue takes me to the ocean.

What color takes you away?

Apparently I am not the only one who finds beauty in the blues. Read this.

Thank-you goes out to my sister Liz for sending me this article.

little squirt

This is an oil painting that I did a few years ago. I call it my "little squirt." There is something about just a little squirt of lemon that can add a certain zest to my day.

What sort of patronizing little squirt adds a bit of zest to your day?

Congrats to Laura Casey who won the "little cakes" book from The Riviera Whimsical Bakehouse.

I know Laura will enjoy baking with her little squirts, oh, I mean her adorable little ones!

(My daughter randomly selected number 29.)

brush up on

Certain phrases speak to me for example, "brush up on" which literally means

"to improve one's previously good knowledge of a skill or a particular thing."

Excuse me while I go "brush up on" some of my work. My brush is up with wet paint and a pile of work to finish with holiday deadlines to meet and no elves at my beckon call.

Promise to be back in a jiffy with lots of pretties to share.

credit for images at top and bottom image from sadie olive, middle image from artist Jeremiah Goodman

paint by number

Thank-you to Style Court for including me and my palette in your series.  I feel akin to the fine host and her bevy of palettes.  

I am contemplating a show of work with a small local gallery.

I would love to know what sorts of art you would love to see.  I am trying to focus on one subject for this show.  I want my work to be uplifting, happy and something to bring people out for an evening.  I am considering a cause, connecting to one that needs a little paint to add some funds.  

Tell me, one "subject" you would love to see in my pve design style and what is a good "number" of pieces for a show?