Farm Daze - A painting a day

This painting is from a memory in my childhood. As a child I would spend the summer months living on our family vineyard. It was a carefree time in my life with lots of time to roam and explore, yes and even climb trees. We had a row of large Eucalyptus trees at one end of the vineyard, I loved the smell of those trees.

Sorry for such a dark photo I had to get this shot as the sun was going down and I rather not use a flash because the colors seem washed out.
If interested, this painting is for sale: write to shantmarie@aol.com for more information

Now : for my art advice of the week.

Try to step out of your confort zone. Challenge yourself and take a chance.

So many artists have problems breaking thru creative blocks or slumps in creativity. These periods or down times lead to moments of self doubt and negativity. Like all artists, even after all these years of painting and teaching, I can have moments where I question my own decisions about my painting. If you've been looking at my blog you'll see that I've learned to paint from a variety of folks. All of these teachers have different styles and choose different subject matter. I learn their technique then I cherry picked the various techniques from all these artists and have tried to develop my own unique voice. I feel I have yet to find that voice and will be searching for a while. I came across these comments the other day written by artist Beth Deuble. I think they are worth repeating. They may help you get up off the sofa and back in the studio.

The five principles to consider when your in a slump.

1. Make it your own. While even Matisse and Picasso challenged each other for years by painting similar subject matter; this helped each artist develop their inner vision, their own method/technique/style, or easier said, their own way of interpretation. Experiment. Take risks. Try something new each time. Find your own way.

2. Everything matters. Some people can feel overwhelmed by this way of thinking. It can be an avalanche of thoughts and considerations - overkill. Everything can become commonplace when one cannot separate the wheat from the chaff. Be your own critic. Sort out what exactly you want to express then everything you express will matter. Whether others will make the connection is an altogether different subject.

3. Surprise and delight. This one is tricky. Find out why you paint. Painting is a great release of energy. That energy could be as simple as feeling great on a particular day. When my long-time companion dog died, I painted to release the grief, plus honor the spirit of my relationship with my dog. Was it a delight? No, but worth doing. I paint because it is worth doing.

4. Embrace resistance. This one begs the question, how? My answer is: get on with it. Mental motivation coupled with passion will equal action. Talk to yourself. Let your feelings about what is going on rise to the surface, then take action. Prepare your workspace. Lay out your paints and tools. Once I do this, I then look at the surface on which I will be painting and let things happen. Get yourself mentally prepared and then let all your feelings guide you to "do your thing."

5. Leave your mark. Ego can get in the way of the creative process. I think most people paint and create first and foremost as a matter of self-expression. Sharing your work with friends or selling your art can be a good thing, but it should not be the impetus for being creative. What is your motive?

After Arleta - A painting a day

This painting is a copy of a painting by Arleta Pech. I painted it as a study for glass and candel light. Earlier this year I took a class with her and she taught me a lot about reflections and light. I have painted several of her paintings (with her permission) as a learning tool. You may purchase this piece for $100.00. shantmarie@aol.com

It rained for about 14 hours here on Friday and then the sun came out yesterday. It was a cool breezy day, but just warm enough to get me outside to rake leaves and clean up the yard. Some of the tall canna lillies and the banana trees were burned by a recent frost, so I cut them down and stacked the large leaves in a pile. I thought of Hawaii and how they roast pigs in those leaves.

We still have lots of color in the landscape but the gray rainey day and the rust of the fall colors gave me more of an impression of winter. There I was walking the dogs near the end of the day, with the sun just starting to go down and the temperature dropping. I looked up at a rather desolate scene of trees and scrub. The lake was still except a light breeze to break up the reflective water.

This painting is for sale for $100.00 US dollars and you must email me at shantmarie@aol.com if interested. It is a half sheet of watercolor paper which is 15 by 22 inches.

Poppies Poppies Everywhere - A painting a day

lots and lots of poppies, this is a snail eye view.

SOLD

Pit Bull pups need love too - A Painting a day

I didn't have a lot of time today but I thought I would put this painting of my daughter's dog up for everyone to see. Her name is Cali and she is a pit bull. She is well manered and I just love her white and gray fur. I had to paint her portrait.
This painting is not for sale.

Stuff that happens List of ten - Art and the artists

Sometimes I find unusual things on the internet and I like to read them. I don't know if these are true or not but they are interesting.

• 1/3 of Taiwanese funeral processions include a stripper.
• Women who are romance novel readers are reported to make love 74% more often with their partners than women who do not read romance novels.
• Halle Berry’s stunt double, in the movie “Catwoman”, is a man.
• If you shake a can of mixed nuts, the larger ones will rise to the top.
• In many countries, urine was used as a detergent for washing.
• You can’t create a folder called ‘con’ in Microsoft Windows!
• By the age of 60, most people have lost 50% of their taste buds.
• Buttermilk does not contain any butter.
• Dragonflies have six legs but cannot walk!
• In 1998, Sony accidently sold 700,000 camcorders that had the technology to see through people’s clothes.

I may not put up a painting today, so I'll put this up for now and maybe an inspiration will come my way.

Chinese Crested - A Painting A Day

This pretty little girl should be wearing a rinestone collar.

Email me for buying / questions shantmarie@aol.com

A ballerina A Painting a day

I’d like to say that every painting turns out just as I planned. But this isn’t always the case. I struggled with this painting.

There is something that just didn’t make it from vision to paper. This doesn’t mean its not a good painting, it just means it turned out differently then planned. I am going to study this painting and see if there is something that needs adjustment. Usually after a day or so I can spot anything that needs correction.

Painting a painting every day doesn’t always give you the time to let a painting sit. Frequently a painting needs to sit aside and be brought out later. This times allows the artist, time to get a little distance from the piece, then do a little editing. Much like a copy editor before press time.

Corn flowers - A painting a day

This painting is one of those fast sketch like paintings I paint to warm up. Sometimes they turn out to be great little paintings in their own right. The size is 8 inches by 10 inches. fits in a standard 11 by 14 mat and frame. For my special of the week, it’s for sale for $25.00. Email me if interested.

shantmarie@aol.com

SOLD

Silver, Lace and Roses - a painting a Day

Koiliedescope- A painting a day

I took this painting to the frame shop this morning. I’m entering it into a local art league juried show in November. Lets hope it gets in. I had several more ideas to incorporate, but decided to leave it alone. Sometimes less is more. I hope the composition is strong enough to entice the Juror.
It’s being frame in a 2 inch Mahogany wood frame and measures 18″ by 24 inches. I ‘m no word smith so my husband names these larger pieces for me. He is doing the Koi series names which are Koi nundrum, Koiillision, Koiincidence you get the idea. Speak up if you can think of another one.
Speaking of Juried shows…
Tomorrow’s going to be a busy day for me. I am the Chairperson for another art group. I will not have an entry in this show as I’m there with the juror to help with the process of putting this show together. It’s always difficult because I would love it, if all the art entered could be displayed. Of course this can’t happen & only a certain number of pieces will fit into the space. My guess is about 70larger pieces. I will have the sad task of calling artists with the news that their work has been declined.
I try to be positive, but how do you tell someone their work wasn’t selected.? If anyone has any comments or advice, perhaps some words to say to let an artists know his/ her work was not selected. I would love to hear from you. How has this worked for you? I can use all the help I can get. I can’t even say the word “rejected” to any artist.
I know the feeling when my work gets declined (see, I didn’t say rejected) for a show. I open the mail and there it is, the dreaded rejection slip. I used to throw them out, but now they are part of the process and I proudly display them on my bulletin board, I must have at least a dozen. My dear friends will always support me and tell me their crazy blabla bla, but it’s tough. Sometimes I think I shouldn’t enter these shows but to be honest, I get in more than not and I do feel very special when my work is being displayed along side of other aritst’s work whom I admire.

The Final Days - A Painting a day

The morning fog was lifting and I could see this Angel Trumpet's Vine trying despartely to push forward one last bloom before the evening frost.

Shrine in the Mist A painting a day

http://wildacres.org/

I placed the link to Wild Acres for those of you who may be interested in this place. Besides groups they have a residency program. You can even apply on-line.
The food is home cooked and good, they will do Kosher, vegan, and other restricted diet foods if needed but usually everyone eats family style at large round tables in a dinning hall. Its the atmosphere I love and that can't be described.

The Feeling of total freedom to work without interruption. The support of others and a beautiful location all make it a great place to create. I don't think they have Air conditioning so if you have problems with heat don't go in summer. Also if your cell phone is permanently attached to your ear, you may have some anxiety issues. There is no phone ( well there is and old black desk phone hidden in a closet which is a collect call phone ). some of us had to try our cell phones. I finally made one call. I walked around the place looking for a signal. I felt like those nuts in one of those cell phone commercials. "can you hear me now?" Finally, I found one spot ( one bar out of four) I had to climb up to the second level, stand out on the edge of this deck, hold my phone away from my body, use the speaker and Voila I was talking. No problem well not if youdon't mind hanging over the edge of a rail, while looking down at a fifty foot drop.

OK , so it is isolated. No TVs or Computers. Its only open during the warm weather months because the road is gravel for a mile or so, the last leg up to the lodge. Good thing I have four wheel drive, but you didn't need it. In two weeks it will close for winter, I guess they get some snow.

Last weekend there were five groups, there was a choir, a teacher's group, some potters, a religious group and another art group all there at the same time. All I can say is I didn't know singers were so thirsty. Every night I stayed up late and could hear them all around the BIG fireplace. Later I went up to find a very happy group.

The choir sang a short song before every meal which was very special.

If your used to four star accommodations this isn't for you, but if you love the outdoors, good food, in a relaxed atmosphere, one that allows you the needed time to concentrate on your art, you will love it.
You don't have to be with any of the groups that go up to Wild Acres you just have to contact them and ask to be added to their roster and pay the group rate. The fees are more than reasonable.

I have decided to help with the arangements for our group next year. I just hope I can wait.

Winter light House

This little light house was painted rather quickly after some creative license was taken.

This light house doesn't exist. Only in my imagination does this light house actually guide the fishermen into the safety of its harbor,

I envisioned myself to be sitting on the grassy hill across from this inlet and decided what it would look like and how it should be painted.

Abstract Art Collage in Blue - a painting a day

I completed this painting over the weekend. It is made from hand painted tissue paper, gessoed paper which was painted with watercolor and ink, a photo transfer and some nylon mesh. This is mounted on Mat Board.

Native Cowboy A painting a day

This Old cowboy was painted in the traditonal watercolor method of direct painting in layers or glazes. The background was painted all in at one time withou layers or glazes.

Abstarct in Blue - A painting a Day- Shanti Marie

Every once in a while I love to just allow the paint to tell me what it wants. This painting wanted to be blue.

Roses and Mer - A painting a day

I love the look of small porcelain jars and roses.

Flower wet and wild - a painting a day

Pink toe shoes - Art for a painting a day

Every young girl wants some pink ballet slippers or toe shoes. They are the epitome of femininity.

Now on with my article for today....Regardless of what you think of this man or his work, I think he is correct about committing to work (in my case painting) when there seems to be little reward.

Charles Bukowski, Selected Letters, Volume 4: 1987 - 1994, edited by Seamus Cooney; published in 2005 by Virgin Books, Ltd, ISBN 0 7535 0933 4
(The last of his published letters - he died in March 1994.)

About the need for solitude:
To me a closed door is one of the most beautiful things on earth. Their door or mine. . . . Every time the phone rings here, I feel invaded, a chill runs through me and it's mixed with anger and I don't anger often.
About continuing to work, when there seems to be little reward:
The long haul is the killer and few come out the other side of the wall. . . . By this, I don't mean we should take our work as a serious or holy thing, but more as just the best thing to do, that there is to do. So why not do it?
About the value of the work:
Well, the war's out there, the bomb's out there, everything's out there and there isn't much we can do. One big flash can solve it. If not, the national debt can just about destroy the economy. Nowadays nations fall apart over night. I really have to almost laugh when I look back at those who called themselves the lost generation. All those poor idiots were moaning about were ants in the picnic basket. There's time yet, but for what? Minor adjustments. The major ones have gone by us. I feel strangely like I did when I sat on that same barstool for 5 years cadging drinks. We can only make slight moves within the the fix. But never to quit within this darkness. We are still here. The slightest dent against impossibility is the miracle. That is why as these keys bite against this paper, I even feel good. Joy is not gone even in the face of reality. A good poem, like a good drink, is still worth something, like a cat walking across the floor toward you, both of you feeling and knowing the shining of yes.
About dabblers in the Arts:
I believe what we have to fear is the feeling of the general public toward poetry and/or art. They have no idea what it is but they have the thought that anybody can do it if they feel like it doing it. In fact many of them already label themselves as Artists. They may even have attended classes. They are piddlers in the field and most of the field are piddlers. These won't lay down any blood to get their work done, they won't gamble with madness, starvation in their need to get the work done. They don't feel it that way. They want fame and name but they won't give up their comforts and their securities.
About the necessity of work:
I'm glad writing came along for me and that I've had some late luck. But I would have kept going, no matter. It's all stuck inside of me and has to keep coming out. . . . I don't see how people can do anything at all without writing or painting or something of the like, some excessive splash against the darkness. It's just too damned dumb to to sit and take it straight like most of them do.
About achieving financial success from the work:
The whole matter that has occurred is beyond miracle. Still, I don't have to tell you it isn't the money, never was. Because we wrote it for ourselves, for the joy and madness of it. Great then and all right then. And if there's a fall back, a cut back, fine. We'll accept that too. What we want to do is keep going as we have since the beginning until sickness, accident, senility, death or whatever the hell, stops us.
About maturity and creativity:
Age needn't be a detriment: see Cervantes. Maybe it's the luck of doing it for so long but I feel the words just grip at the page better. When I sit down I get a power glow and it just emanates. Yet, I am aware that everything can vanish overnight, I can become a common old fart weakly tickling at the word.
About working when nothing else is left:
Leukemia in remission, feeling better very day. The doc has warned me though, relapses do occur . . . Popped out some poems last night but I will save you from them, no real piss-biters in the batch. Sometimes I just like to write to stay loose. In fact, that's the way I work it most of the time and when a good poem just happens to arrive along with the others, I think, hey, what the hell, look at this!

Choosing the perfect pumpkin - a painting a day

Its raining here, not exactly snowing but when I was at the church yesterday (picking up posters). I saw they were selling pumpkins out on the lawn. The site of the children made me remember how much fun it is to hunt for the perfect pumpkin.

Patience - A Painting a Day

I can’t tell you why I paint doors, but I do. This door has a broken number. Maybe its because as a child, I lived in so many places and had so different doors. I do know that as a child we lived in a hotel for a brief period and I think some of those memories keep seeping thru. My memories are rather vague because I was very young but my older brother says it was a fleabag hotel. Maybe this is what the door looked like. The model for this dog was my black Lab, Sam.

Angel's Trumpets - All dogs go to Heaven

I Feel Red, Artists Aren't Always Blue - A painting a day

I spent most of the day looking for my friend’s dog. Dixie is an 80 lb Rottweiler who is afraid of loud noises and cars. She is big but she isn’t scary. She has an old stuffed toy she carries around in her mouth and is a BIG baby if you don’t pet her before her roommate "Wylie" the chihuahua. My friend, Karen, who took her to the park, said she bolted after something, an animal, she thinks it may have been a deer. This park is near a major Hwy and we are worried she may get hit by a car. We did everything we could think of, made posters went around to all the businesses, talked to more than 75 people. We found out that three people saw her, but did’nt attempt to pick her up or catch her because they were afraid of her. We also went to the animal control shelter and to various sites all to no avail. Its dark now, she has been missing for more than 12 hours, and we hope someone has picked her up. There was a dead deer on the side of the road right near where she came up missing.
“I feel red, artists aren’t always blue” is my response to this. I’m not mad, I’m not sad, I’m anxious, and worried.

Red Roses for you- A painting A day

Red Roses are a lot of fun because you get to use so many shades of Red. This little 6" by 9" painting took quite a while to paint because of all of the glazes.

My Amy -and my favorite model -A young girl sleeps

This is a larger (16 by 20 ) painting, & it isn't for sale. Its a painting of my daughter.

Big White- A painting a Day

This painting is a small six by nine inch painting .
I think in watercolor, every floral artist finds themselve painting Irises. This flower is well loved by gardeners because of their beauty and their strength.

A Wonderful Day -A Painting A Day- Take it Home Tuesday

This painting is for sale !! I mean BIG sale. It is available for a price of $100.00 U.S. dollars .This is at least 1/3 off of the regular price. I am doing this only to see how the "pay pal" system works. Size is Appox.12" by 15" and can be shipped anywhere for $8.50 US dollars.
Act quickly, you may get an original Shanti Marie for a fraction of the regular price. This could be A Wonderful Day for you!

Every Tuesday I'll try to put up a painting at a special reduced price.
I accept pay pal. email me at paintingaday@aol.com

Big Sky Farm - A Painting A Day

Growing up on a farm/vineyard in California gave me an appreciation for farm life. The small pleasures of space and time. I found this little farm sitting back off the main road with a fence that needs mending, it reminds me of times gone by. This painting is 5" by 7" done in watercolors on 100 % rag cotton paper.

Autumn Daze - A painting a Day

Since I live near Lake Wylie (SC, USA) you’lll see that I’m inspired by the natural beauty that I see on a daily basis. This piece is a larger painting (It’s sunday, I get to paint all day) and the
approx size is: 12 by 15.

I love to paint with large flat brushes and it's almost impossible on the post card paintings. Believe me I’ve tried. Every once in a while I have to go back to “my style of painting” .

The last days of Summer- A painting

This painting was inspired by my garden which is in a state of transistion. The size is 8 by 12 inches.