Tuesday, November 10, 2009

So Now What?


It has been raining here for about 1,600 weeks now. Daylight Savings time came along and stole one entire precious hour of sunlight or perhaps I should say one slightly less dark grey hour of the day. It is now solidly dark by the hour of five PM and if you make the mistake of sleeping in or worse yet, having a day job, you might mistake yourself for a Morlock. Of course they did do some pretty shabby things to those poor Eloi and the worst we did was to inflict Starbucks and Grunge fashion on the rest of the world. Don't get me wrong I am a big fan of Starbucks and have pledged my first grandchild in exchange for daily infusions, though I am a tad less enthusiastic about the whole grunge thing. I suppose under certain comparisons Morlock and Seattleite could be interchangeable. Well, at least in the rainy season anyway.
But really, it’s not our fault! You can see what we’re dealing with here. These things are bound to happen when the only daylight you see is in the snapshot you carry around in your wallet reminding you of that one glorious hour last summer just after the Fourth of July when the rain finally stopped.

Oh fine. I’ll stop whining. But it has been raining pretty darn steady for some time now and I’m feeling like a kid home from school with a slight cold. The dogs don’t want to wear the cute little outfits I made for them and hide when they see me coming. I’m not even trying with the cats after that last doctor bill. Sheesh, what an attitude. So with all this time indoors I’m starting to get a little batty and goodness knows I do not need any help in that direction.

Which brings me to the point of today’s post. Deep breath in, now let it out slowly…


It is time for me to get back to work. I have been stalling and making false starts for months now and so it appears that another approach is needed. I have got to kick myself in the behind and what better place to do that than in public? I am an artist and I haven’t seriously painted or sculpted for longer than I should have. I paint in oil, pastel, watercolor and sculpt with stainless steel mesh. Wow. I feel like I’m at a twelve step meeting and that was a lot tougher than I wanted it to be.
I have been watching a few artists who participate in the “Painting a Day” blogs hoping that it would inspire me to get back to work. Unfortunately I proved to be immune to that therapy. I did start several paintings only to get to the “hump” part and stop. I had plenty of reasons for my distraction and the garden proved a pretty handy excuse most times. Soon blogging was also a handy scapegoat. Now if I keep this up it will be the holidays as an excuse and then it’s spring tulips leading to summer and still no painting. I am ready to admit I have a problem and in that vein I am giving myself an intervention of sorts.

I am showing you a couple pieces of my work today. Then I am going to paint another painting and put it up here again, and so on. I am not a painting a day kind of artist. That just isn’t my creative cycle so there’s no need to worry about that. I am really just hoping that if I can feel that pleasant obligation to stay connected with you through this blog and that it might extend to my art which could be just the jolt I need to get back in the palette again. Did you notice that clever little twist on the old “back in the saddle again?” That’s what staying up past your bedtime and no sunlight for two weeks will do to you. You’d think with all that talent Microsoft would come up with a program called “Stupid Check.” Now there’s a world changing invention just waiting to happen.

And so to conclude this rambling little post I will leave you with this. I have no flowers and no sun and I need to find something to blog about soon. I have no idea what you real gardeners do with your blogs over the winter months. I haven’t been around long enough to find out so I kind of imagine you talking about house plants and stuff like that. I’m a little low on house plants right now so I thought maybe I could paint instead.


I should probably tell you what these pieces are before I close out.
Blue poppies are pastel on sanded paper, 22x30”
Koi are watercolor 22x30” on 300lb hot press
Red poppies are pastel on sanded paper 30x36”
The sculpture is stainless steel mesh hand formed and prized for the shadows it creates

I’m going to fix a bowl of popcorn, put in a stupid movie and forget I posted. The good thing is, I’ve ordered a sun lamp so incidents like this should be less frequent.

25 comments:

  1. WOW ~ LeSan you are certainly multi-talented. I love those blue poppies and your sculpture is wonderful! I showed it to DH and he also liked it and wondered how big it is. I loved the heron sculpture that I saw somewhere too. At least I think it was herons. Your work is beautiful! I hear you about creating, and not feeling like it, getting so far, then stumped as to finishing it. Looking forward to seeing your next artwork as your creative juices start to flow onto your background.

    Have a great day ~ FlowerLady

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  2. Hi LeSan,
    You have talent oozing out of you! Amazing! I am so thrilled that you decided to share some of your pieces with us. Thanks. And I hope that soon you will be inspired to create more.
    And strange that you should mention houseplants. I just did a hugely boring post about those.

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  3. Lesan, Your art is wonderful. The Blue Poppies, especially, took my breath away (although the Red Poppies were close behind); and I love the shadow effects from the sculpture. Thank you so much for sharing these works. I can hardly wait to see more! -Jean

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  4. Your paintings are super gorgeous!A wonderful way to create with time and to blog your creations! You are a true talent. I resonate..I too am a painter & only paint when my soul is stirred..! keep creating and sharing..it is a lovely magic your possess.

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  5. Hello,

    So, you are not only a great writer, but a great painter too? Your pictures are beautiful. I especially like the blue poppies.

    I hope you enjoy your movie and do not get sunburned from your new sun lamp.

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  6. These are very good, LeSan.
    I used to paint..mostly oils. But, haven't done that in years...and yes, I have a pile of things I started, but never finished.
    Then, I made quilts for a while. Haven't done that, either, for a while.
    Maybe I should get back to one of those this winter. The quilts would be good..I have enough fabric to open my own store.
    Thanks for sharing.
    Hope the sun shines for you, soon.

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  7. I am impressed! I love the koi, but then, I am a koi keeping kind of person. I could never paint a picture like that. Gorgeous!

    I know what you are talking about, needing a swift kick to get you started. I work with stained glass, and I have not done a thing for more than 2 months. Last month, a friend gave me a whole truck load of glass- How can I not work?

    This stuff is gorgeous, too! Some really nice old glass that isn't even made anymore.

    Excuse me, I have to do something about this rain. Ahhhh, better! How are you standing all that rain?!!

    I have paints that I have not messed with in forever, canvasses that are primed but unpainted, and fabric---I used to have a vehicle with a bumper sticker that said "She who dies with the most fabric, wins"! That would be me.

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  8. Sanded paper? Yes, do spend the winter telling us about your art. You can also mine your archives of whatever, and write about whenever.

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  9. Well you've been hiding your light under a bushel haven't you?!!! I love your paintings - those red poppies are gloriously joyful, and that sculpture is fantastic .... wish my shadow looked like that!

    Talent like yours shouldn't stay hidden, so head for the easel LeSan!

    (You might even prompt me into getting my pencils out again!)

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  10. My brilliant, amazing friend. Glad you finally revealed yet another one of your talents to your faithful followers!
    I am proud to say that I have one of your amazing koi paintings hanging in my family room and it is even more stunning in person than it is here on the blog.

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  11. Your paintings and sculpture are just amazing. I'd be glad to see your paintings as often as possible this winter. I love the colors in the koi painting. Do you show them anywhere around here?
    The weather has been horrible. I'm so glad we had some sun today, but of course I was in the car most of the day so didn't get to enjoy it.
    Last winter (I chose to start a garden blog in January for some reason) I took pictures of any signs of life in my yard. When I look back at them I'm kind of embarrassed, but at the time it's all I had to get me through the long wet and gray winter.

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  12. Holy crap! More art please! That is some serious talent you just whipped out.
    And good luck with the fab query. Doing your own root canal? You totally crack me up LeSan.

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  13. Your paintings are gorgeous. Let your winter posts be them. That would get any gardener!!

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  14. FLOWERLADY~ Thank you so much and especially because you have seen some of my work already. I appreciate that you took the time to make this lovely comment. You are so supportive and it is such a blessing to me.
    The sculpture here is 21” and the heron that you mentioned I can’t recall exactly right now but I think he was something like 2-3’. Now that I live in farm country I should probably start painting some barns and stuff. heheh

    ROSEY POLLEN~ Thank you so much Rose. For some reason I was a nervous wreck about posting my work on the blog. I don’t know why. I show my work all over. Well I guess there’s no accounting for crazy is there? Oh and by the way, your post was not boring at all. I was inspired by your geranium. I need to get me one of them. heheh

    JEANSGARDEN~ Jean thank you so much for that. Those blue poppies were my favorite for a long time and I was sorry I sold them. It started out as the ugliest painting in the world because of all the contrasting colors in the under painting so when it was completed it was all the more sweet to me. I am very glad that you liked them!

    KIKI~ Thank you Kiki. It’s always so nice to meet a fellow painter. Do you paint often and what medium do you prefer? I hope that you find your soul stirred frequently. We need more art in the world.

    AZPLANTLADY~ Yes I am keeping a safe distance from the sun lamp. LOL I am actually an artist first the whole blog/writing thing is out of left field. But I thank you profusely for the compliment! I was hoping you guys would like the poppy paintings. I figured that many of you are gardeners so it seemed like a sensible choice.

    PATCHWORK~ I haven’t put much time into painting oils. I was pretty busy with the other mediums and oil was just off on the side once in awhile. I would really like to spend more time with it. I bet we would all love to see some of your quilts sometime. I have done a few quilts but I don’t think I have the patience it takes. They are a big project to do but they are wonderful pieces of artwork rich with history when they are handmade.

    JANIE~ I had no idea you were a Koi kind of gal. Don’t laugh but… the Koi paintings are one of my best sellers and I had never seen one in real life before and don’t have any pictures of them. I only just now goldfish for my pond. I know. I have issues.
    I admire you working with glass. I did a few windows but never really had the patience for the precision it requires. I love glass though. I have used it in some of my sculptures and that was fun. You sound like you need to get your behind into some creating time. You remind me of myself. A little creative ADD issues. LOL

    ELEPHANTS EYE~ Thank you so much for the encouragement! The sanded paper is Kitty Wallis pastel paper and it is the best thing ever invented for pastels. I love this stuff. The surface is like a fine grade sandpaper so it holds the pastel excellently but unlike most papers you can take a fire hose to it and it will still hold its grit. I usually do an oil pastel under painting using turpentine to thin and the paper holds up beautifully. As you can see I am a big fan of it. heheh

    NUTTY GNOME~ Nutty I have been hiding my light under a rock and gravel. LOL Thank you very much and I am so glad that you like the paintings! I also wish my shadow looked like that. I like to think that it did once and I haven’t given up hope for a return. Let’s just say, reality is no friend of mine.
    Prompt you? Yes, Yes, Yes, get the pencils out!!!

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  15. MIMI~ You are always such a steadfast supporter and I can’t tell you how much that means to me. I can always count on you to encourage me when I am feeling down and to kick me in the butt when I am sitting down. Thank you thank you! I look forward to painting you a bright sunny poppy painting for you whenever you are ready. You do know don’t you that you got one of my all time favorite koi paintings? No one even got to see it before you snatched it up. LOL Love you!

    CATHERINE~ You totally cracked me up when you said you started a garden blog in January. HERE of all places! And then you were taking pictures of anything that looked like it might be green. Too funny. Now I know you understand my kind of crazy. LOL
    I do show my work here and up until the last two years I was doing a ton of art shows all over here and Oregon. Gunner Nordstrom in Bellevue, Serendipity Fine Art in LaConner and Cole Gallery in Edmonds carry my work. I used to have several other galleries but the economy has forced some to close. Very sad. Of course I have all but abandoned them while I did this insane garden thing. Bad artist, no latte’.

    TERRYLYNN ~ you had me laughing out loud with this one. That was such a hoot to read. Thank you so very much! Glad you liked the query. I know you just had a lot of success with yours. You Go Girl!

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  16. Love your paintings! Keep them coming! As for the rain, you are an American - make lemonade from it!

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  17. Hi again, what a lovely thing to say!yes the world needs art. yes I paint very often..weekly, sometimes alittle bit every day. I paint mostly in acrylic, but I do love watercolor and oils too and pastels etc. I hope you post more of your art .. I will be sure to visit, it is nice to have know a kindred artist. I hope to have a blog up soon with my paintings, but I still must learn how to photograph my art properly to post etc! I am a newbie in that regard! Again..Beautiful art..keep creating..it is magical and enchanting...and very inspiring. PS: i love your music tracks..

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  18. Lesan,
    My first visit here. I do nature photography and specialize in butterflies. Not one of my photographs even remotely compares to the talent and artistry I see in your work. Creativity flows out of you naturally.

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  19. LeSan,
    Your work is gorgeous, and you write beautifully.

    The "right side" of your brain must so heavy that you require a neck brace. If you tell me that are also a math wizard and have a mechanical engineering degree I am going to GIVE UP right now.

    I draw stick people, and even they are unrecognizable.

    Lovely work!

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  20. KIKI~ I am very glad to hear that you are painting. It can be so easy sometimes to put aside the things we love and so hard to pick them back up again. I have never really tried acrylics. One day I should though because they seem to have a lot to offer in terms of vibrancy and clean up. I hope that you let me know when you start your painting blog. I would love to visit. I want to thank you for your kind words and your generous support. Comments like yours enrich me so much!
    (I am very glad you like the music.)

    RANDY~ How wonderful to have you stop by and to take the time to leave a comment on your first visit. You are very nice to compliment my photos and my artwork. I thank you most sincerely for that. I think you have some very nice shots on your blog. I would like to get a macro lens for shots like you take. The praying mantis shot was pretty cool and I liked so much that you were able to show the shadow of such a small creature.

    HIGHLY IRRITABLE~ Ok, now I know I am in love with you. Heheh. No, no neck brace but I do walk with a bit of a rightward list. I do have a BS in quantum mechanics and a WTF in astro physics. LOL
    You are my hero. You are actually working on a degree in literature. I would probably go postal if I tried to do what you are doing.
    Thank you so much for the compliment!

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  21. Hi LeSan,
    I see I have gotten behind here. It's past my bedtime, so I'll have to come back because your other posts have caught my eye. I love your art! It's not a gift I have, so I'm always in awe when I see paintings like yours.

    I'm thinking the rain is a blessing to you so that you can get your body healed. Oh, my, a pumpkin seed is what caused the bleeding and all? How scary! I've eaten them whole before.

    Love the dueling banjos!

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  22. Thanks for sharing your art here! The poppy painting are beautiful. I really like the mesh sculpture. i would imagine it was difficult, but maybe exciting to work with. The shadows are quite beautiful. It looks like you are skilled at many different mediums!

    I laughed out loud about the no flowers and no sun! :) Love the dueling banjos!

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  23. SUE~ Glad you stopped by! Yes do be careful with those seeds. They did not cause the bleeding but caused caused another internal injury instead. I am pleased that you enjoyed these paintings. I hope you rest up. I know how busy you are. Take care. :-)

    WENDY ~ Thank you very much for the kind comments about my art. The mesh is difficult to work with because it is incredibly hard and the edges are razor sharp. I get a whole body work out when I am sculpting these.
    I shouldn't complain about the rain...but I do. heheh. Glad you enjoyed the banjos. It seemed the only choice for this particular post. LOL

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  24. Wow. Is there anything you can't do? Not only can you write poetry but you're also a gifted painter (and an amazing gardener). Thank you for sharing.

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  25. ANGELA~ Thank you so much for that kind compliment! I really am humbled to a lack of words. Thank you.

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