Last but not least

Here a a small one - I usually don't paint small but obviously did this time....called Protect Our Earth - oil on canvas - 18 x 12 inches....

A Work In Progress

This is an oil on canvas that I am currently working on...First Stage The name is Elephants III

The Very Latest

Here is another mixed media - on board - 48 x 40 inches - called Tree of Life III

Time for Another Painting I Guess

Just browsing through the sites and realized I haven't posted here for soooooo long. So thought I would load up another painting for your perusal....here goes...this one is mixed media on canvas 36 x 40 inches called Higher Self II

Enjoy!

Not new but not seen very often...

Hi everyone:

Here is a piece that I painted a while back. It was an interesting mind set with this one. It is part of the Womens Room Series. It is about the internal sabatour, I developed this idea while reading the book "Women Who Run With Wolves", ( I loved the book, by the way).

"We see the door, however camoflaged it is,
we see the keys between the door
and our selves
while our interal sabatour holds us in our victim role."

We really don't fight to get loose because our captors hypnotic spell puts us to sleep. I have spent many years like that, not knowing of course. Waking up is the hard part......or so it has been for me.

This painting is a difficult one, I realize, but I feel it is important. I myself have used it as a visual tag that helps me to identify when I go to that sabatour place again. By the way it's oil on wood panel approx. 28X30 inches.

Regards, Shirley

www.dickieart.com
www.wow-webdesign.com

Another Day that's stuck in process...

Well, this day is going pretty slowwwwww. I have a lot of work to catchup on and no energy. Just to perk up, I am publishing an image that though old helps me realize why I get worn out. I am a multi level task manager. That is, I work on several projects at once. I find this helpful because it allows me to enter each task fresh and I don't allow myself to get bogged down in process.....the only part that doesn't work about this is that I sometimes crash for a day here and there. I guess this is the day. The painting is called "Coffee Time". It's an acrylic on board approx 28 inches x 30. Want to see more....visit my website at www.dickieart.com.

Hot off the press......

Hey. Here is my blue dog, not exactly a still life but probably as close as I will ever get to one. So much for plans. The thing is my plans don't really work out because what my head tells me to paint is quite different from what my heart tells me to paint. I try to live with it! lol

I have a red dog series already started, the problem is that as I paint them they get sold. So I can never really hang on to them for longer that 3 or 4 days. The series is painted in acrylic on a small canvas usually about 12 inches by 10 inches so the price is very reasonable, usually less that 75.00 (which is cheap for me since most of my larger paintings sell at about 20 times that amount.

I really like doing this particular type of work because of the texture and animated quality of the work. Very very fun. Thanks and bye bye.

Getting ready to paint....

I am getting ready to paint. That is; I am preparing my canvas, stretching and gessoing. doing all of the right things. Organizing my paints. What will I use, oils? acrylics? I think oil this time.

It has been quite some time since I painted with oil. It is the most favourite of mine. Because it takes so long to dry and can be messy and smelly, I have turned to acrylics. With acrylics I find the colours aren't as vibrant but the medium certainly has its positives.

I don't do, or haven't done still life. But will start a series of still life paintings in oil. The series, as I like to do them, have a common theme, palette and approach. I usually do about 25 for a complete series or atlease end up with 25 good quality paintings. (That may mean I do about 30) The palette starts with one set of colours and morphs into other colours as I paint them. So what might start out as a study in greens, browns, and ochres could morph into pinks browns and ochres. The overall coherence is kept in place while one of the base colours is changed. This holds the series together and shows a consistancy and cohesiveness through out the entire collection.

I plan to submit each piece as it is finished. So here gooooooooooes.........

See my work at www.dickieart.com

Creating art - always the quest for something new...

Hey, Happy New Year everyone.

My brain never stops, even when I am sleeping I am creating. I am especially affected by the visual world and see almost everything in a picture rather than a word format. I am thinking about my plans for 2007. I try to formulate a plan for the year, which I usually accomplish. this is much like list making. Once the list is in place it is almost impossible not to follow it.

So I make a list of what I want to do. On the list are things that are within my capabilities, so doing them is just a choice rather that a pressure. This list covers, relationships, work, self actualization and all of the items fit with or mirror my own ethical beliefs and standards. I also like to prioritize the list and I try to be as specific as I can. I will talk more about this as this blog progresses.

This process directly affects the quality of my art making. My creative work gets stretched by stepping closer to who I am as a person and an artist. What I produce as art is about experiencing the present in real time. Then I create a space, mentally and physically, in which it is safe to explore my non verbal realm.

So I haven't painted today, but am readying for the process. This is a gestation period if you will. I have decided to talk about this because I think it is important to know how artists and creative people feel about what they do.