Back.

We're back.

And I'm sick.

Honestly, one virus can be walking around the aisles of san airplane, and it would befriend me. That's because I'm special. Usually a pre-flight doze of Airborne takes care of that and puts an end to the flourishing friendship, but this time I was too lazy/tired/nauseous and decided to skip it.

So, while no jetlag was in stock for me, I'm imprisoned at home with a nasty cold for the last 5 days.

Portugal was charming, beautiful and unassuming, lovely people and incomprehensible language. And I absolutely fell in love with it all. I took lots and lots of photos, did quite a few sketches and came back with plenty of inspiration and a few extra kilos, as the food is so wonderful.

It might be blogged, probably some of it will show in my future paintings.

If I could come up with the ultimate photo that would represent this enchanting country, it would show a very narrow alley with steep stairs leading up to a red-roofed white washed house with blue-n-white tiles on one of its walls, where an old woman in black is looking out of a window under which a picturesque laundry line is waving in the wind, a street lamp nearby, a castle in the background as well as a cathedral, and intricate black and white mosaics on the cobbled-stoned pavement. Behind that woman, there will be a table with sardines and bachalau (cod fish) and pastries galore. near a cup of bica (the wonderfully strong Portuguese coffee) and a narrow glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. Oh, and a loquat tree. And three old men sitting on a bench.

Clearly, this photo exists in my mind only, but it's quite a good one!

For now, from underneath heaps of cups of tea and Dayquil, and until I get back to a painting and blogging state, I'll leave you with a photo I took in one of my favorite places in Portugal: the truly impressive monolithic Discoveries Monument in Belém, Lisbon.

Oh, and if the bridge on the right looks familiar, that's because it's a cousin of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco (both constrcuted by the same company).

Upcoming Show - Addendum

Some of you asked if I would post what I wrote about my pieces in the "Earth Expressions" show.

As I stated, we were asked to write a short statement that relates the artwork to the theme of the show. Many of the artists chose to skip it, which I can relate to, as I personally don't like to explain my art. I'd rather let my art speak for itself. One reason is that my art doesn't have the accent that I do when I speak English. But moreover, I think that giving a very explicit title to your work or saying too much about it, prevents the viewers from interpreting it in their own ways, which are always fascinating to follow.

Imagine 'The Mona Lisa' was titled 'The Mona Lisa smiles because she has such bad teeth'. Now, wouldn't that take away all the mystery and reduce it to be yet-another-portrait?

Still, being the highly obedient me (for the readers who know me - please do not choke on that last statement...), I decided to give it a go, and found it to be a fun experience: putting in words what I've put with my brush (or printer) on the paper.

As I said, The JohnnyB was a tremendous help (both finding tittles and what to write) - he even expanded his services to gallantly come to the rescue of a lovely maiden who was also fighting with this kind of writing. Hmm... dare I think he was also enjoying it?

Thing is, once I got into it, I became unstoppable, so the 2-sentence-only limitaton was actually an even better exercise at being succinct. Kinda like writing a haiku.

And so, there we go.

Uhm... ah... (just clearing my throat here)

(To Bill of On Painting blog, the title for this one is 100% courtesy of The JohnnyB, and I do thoroughly apologize if the following shatters your bloody vision of me killing my models...).

Title: "Dust to Dust"

"This portrait was painted with walnut ink (a natural product) on Tyvek (a manmade product that lasts forever). The more the painting materialized, it became about the fleetingness of life versus the permanency of some of our creations."

Title: "Open Spaces Blues"

"I took this photo while hiking in an overcrowded park. With all the effort put into preserving open spaces, so that everyone enjoys the same little spot, are we really protecting nature?"

The next one was tricky, as I did not want to reveal WHAT is in the photo. I have quite a few photographs where I wanted the viewer to concentrate on the shapes and textures and bits of color, plus it is so much fun to see people trying to guess what it is. So, I had to keep it very vague. Did I mention I don't like to give away too much? This, by the way, is perhpas my current favorite photo. Perhaps because I just cannot paint non-objective paintings (I always have to toss a figure in...), so taking abstract photos answers that need of mine.

Title: "Found Textures #4"

"So many times I stop in my tracks when I see yet another proof that Mother Nature is the best artist of us all. This is one in a series of photographs on textures found in nature."

That's it. Now I get my act together, frame the painting (the photos are already framed, phew!), update my Bio, go help hang the show (if my Plantar Fasciitis ridden foot allows me - yeah, it still hurts but getting better, thank you for asking!), and attend the reception next Friday.

Now, what does one wear to an "Earth Expressions" themed reception?

Upcoming Show

Still not really painting, but I hope for a change soon.

One of the big shows of the year is coming up. This year it's going to be a bit different, as - in addition to the usual show and reception, we'll be having an auction, with the sales profits going to the Shelter Box Project.

And, with the judge and auctioneer being Stefan Baumann from The Grand View TV show. Should be a very interesting reception.

Anyway - as I said in the previous post, we could each submit up to 3 artworks for this show for them to be juried.

Last week we got the verdict of who got in, with how many pieces.

All my 3 pieces made it, plus this one, a photograph that I am donating for the auction:


Since the passing year was a very non-painting one for me, I entered one painting (the serious dude shown at the top of this post - sorry, there was simply no way to photograph this painting in a way that will do him justice!), with the others being photographs.

Hey - photography is art, too!


The theme of the show is Earth Expressions, and we were asked to write something that connects the piece to the theme. With a great help for The JohnnyB, some cool titles and blurbs were created.

Hanging and reception is next Friday, as well as the awards announcements.

In my pre-Plantar Fasciitis days, I have volunteered to help hang the show. Need to see if my foot will back me up on that task.

Stay tuned.

Spring. ish.

February 29.

Sky's blue.

Birds a-chirpin'.

Ants a-conniving.

Garden's a-happy.

And LumiB's macro mode rocks!!!

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Displaced

Except for the cheery snowmen, I haven't painted in over 2 weeks. There is no better cure for being down than taking a pen or a brush and letting it go on the paper, but the catch is that sometimes, when you are in such a mood, even that seemingly tiny amount of energy is too much.

So, I didn't paint.

I no longer fight it or force myself, as for me, art cannot come on demand. As simple as that.

On Monday, the plumber came to save the irrigation on our front lawn from its gloomy status. And he was one cool plumber! with incredible face, dreadlocks and a cap; when his wife joined him, with her own super-long dreadlocks and a hair band - I could not contain myself. The JohnnyB understood immediately, and gallantly went on a photo-documentary quest of "the work", trying to capture them, with little success. After all, how DO you take shots of people working on the pipes without looking like some freak?

"Why don't you ask them for permission?".

Aha! 'cause once you do, they start posing or being very self-aware of how they look and act, and the magic is gone. Since I am after the essence of people rather than what they look like, photos taken with permission are not quite painting material. It's gotta be sneaky.

As WackieM, the famous face hunter, says, "Well, accept there will be photos you'll never take, and be grateful for the ones you do get".

I gave up, and drove to Trader Joe's to get groceries. Stuck behind a long line of cars at a red light, I saw a man at the end of the block, waiting to cross the road. An old man, with a walking cane and a bag in his other hand, wearing a coat. He had a very long white beard that enjoyed a life of its own, dancing in the cold wind, and a white turban. He looked so out of place, that in my current mood of displacement, I couldn't help wondering how he is feeling, an undoubtedly traditional man, living in the midst of hi-tech.

Other people would just go on wondering and move on. Not me - I snatched LumiB (blessing the long red light), zoomed in with the 12.5X power and took a shot. Too far, damn it! He started crossing the road, getting nearer, but the light turned green, the cars started to move - - - consumed by the frustration over the plumber's face, I was determined to get this one! and so, driving with my left hand, I snapped another shot. Not having time to zoom in, his face ended up occupying only about 1% of the photo, needless to say no details of his features, hardly any notion of light and shadow on his face, except his beard and his turban, that from that distance, seem to have melted into one shape.

Not an easy call, as I am not yet a wiz in making up the details.

I let it sit for 2 days, and yesterday decided to go for it, using WackieM 3-color-lottery challenge again. This time, the dice had an interesting combination for me: Perylene Maroon (a gorgeous rich dark red color that I love), Ultramarine Violet (OK...) and Phthalo Yellow Green (an almost acidic color, that soooooooooooo doesn't go...).

I decided to use the Tyvek paper that I got from WackieM 2 weeks ago. Yes - Tyvek, as in what is used for mail envelopes, water intrusion barriers on houses and coveralls for workers. Yes, you can paint on it! Hated it to bits in the first 5 minutes, as it behaves very differently than traditional watercolor paper, but as I got used to it, I was in love! Not only does this paper has an incredible feathery texture that adds interest, it is also very forgiving, as you can lift paint and go back to almost white (or a ghost hue of the lifted color).

OK then... what do we have here: an indecipherable face, a non-trivial color combination, and a new kind of paper. Is it wise to tackle all these at the same time? Of course not, but - as The JohnnyB would be more than happy to assure you: logic was never part of the deal.

FoodieP emailed me, "Be it sooner or later I’ll be eager to see your post of the bearded man". Ok then, here are my first 2 attempts. Both done with the same set of colors mentioned above, plus black to achieve darks, on Tyvek paper. Click to enlarge.

Studies for "Displaced", Watercolor on Tyvek, 9" x 6"

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My Main Man, Sam

As you can see from the accumulating art-related posts, I am celebrating my new relative freedom from organizing and preparing for annual events and rehearsing speeches and solving crises and attending to last-minute issues.

Some people may do that by enjoying a nice glass of wine or a cold mug of beer. Some will go on a shopping spree. I am doing what I have missed the most during all these weeks (months, even!) - tidying up my studio, delving into my art supplies, and using them.

Following my decision to stop using other people's images as a reference, I have started to browse through the vast treasure of the long forgotten photos I took on my own; each and every one of them tells a story, invoking a memory from another place and time.

And so, I'd like to introduce you to Sam.

We met Sam on the little island of 'Atiu, in the Cook Islands. A fascinating island, composed of bush and petrified coral, with its own culture and lifestyle. As opposed to the neighboring islands, 'Atiu's stormy shores prevent it from being a turquoise haven for laid-back swimming and snorkeling vacation, no fancy resorts or restaurants. Obviously, it does not get that much traffic; during the 2 days we spent there, the number of tourists on the island was a record: all 13 of us!

Such a tiny island, with so much to do! During our short time there, we visited the 'Atiu Fibre Arts Studio (and brought home 3 stunning works of fiber art), went on a traumatic hike to see birds that live in a cave (why traumatic? 'cause walking on that petrified coral was like walking on many, many knife blades), enjoyed a tour to a coffee plantation, danced with the local kids at an island night, and - went to a tumunu ceremony hosted by Sam and The Boys. In a small hut, hidden in the bush, we were offered beer brewed from oranges left to ferment in a big wooden barrel made of a coconut trunk. We all sat in a circle, and one wrinkled man, whom we shall call the barrel keeper, was dipping a coconut shell in the barrel and handing it to each of us. The coconut shell circled around once or twice (very few of us went for a third round - needless to say, The JohnnyB being one of them), the beer was warm, with a faint taste of oranges, and very strong. To the horrified dainty ones amongst you - yes, there was a lot of double-dipping going on.

While the others were enjoying the dizzying beer and listening to the music played by "the boys", I was ogling the leader of the gang, named Sam. He sat there, introvert, watching it all with the indifferent eyes of a man who has seen far more interesting views than a bunch of tourists at a paid ceremony. He looked tired. And sick. And sad. And so vulnerable. He made me want to cry. He had a face that was just asking to be commemorated - one of those faces that grant an award to the lucky National Geographic photographer who gets the perfect shot.

Being the touristy event that it was, everyone took photos of each other, the hut, the scenery, the beer - and I snatched a close-up of Sam. An amazing photo. So amazing, it is a huge challenge to paint, and quite intimidating to capture with my brush. There is not much I can do to improve it, and it's so precious I'm scared to mess it. Alex Powers, in his book "Painting People with Watercolor" (a serious candidate to be the best book about portrait painting), says "When a subject for a painting is extremely exciting... it inhibits changes and consequently curbs creativity."

Yup - I am now facing exactly this.

And yet, how can I resist?

Our visit to 'Atiu was 4 years ago - and Sam's photo kept haunting me all that time, waiting for me to get good enough to dare painting him.

Well, I don't know if I have reached that desired state of being, or whether I ever will. But - yesterday I made the first attempt.

A failed attempt, in my humble opinion. And yet, just like when making crepes, the first one is always sacrificed, as it comes out burnt, overworked and soggy. Once I got the first rendering of Sam out of my system, I was free to get more creative and daring.

This second one was done 'just for fun' on bristol paper, with the Elegant Writer and some layers of light watercolor washes. I think it managed to capture the expression.

My third attempt was done following WackieM's weekly drawing challenge: a shape drawing. An excruciatingly hard thing for the line painter that I am.

Still, as the word challenge is blurted into the air, the Aries in me starts galloping towards the gauntlet...




...and now I am seriously considering converting to shapes.

A Thousand Words - And Then Some #13...

I'm back from the insanely-busy state of being, just raising my head above the water to get a quick gulp of air, so I can dive back in and on to the next thing!

Our Annual Show Reception took place on Sunday. A gorgeous, sunny day, which I dreaded, as I was supposed to hold a speech to the nation (well, to the part of the nation that came to the reception).

Like, on the stage!

- - - With a microphone!!

- - - - - - - - - - - In English!!!

So many people told me I did very well, and that I did not look nervous at all.

Well, that's why they invented cameras... The JohnnyB commemorated the event with LumiB, using the continuous/burst mode.

These photos are from right after I was done, and handed off to LambieL. They were taken within a time frame of 10 seconds or so... Can you hear the roar of relief?

After that, came the award announcement, which was pure fun.

And the First Place Award (out of 100 incredible paintings!) went to

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WackieM!!!!!

previous 1000 Words... ...next 1000 words

The Hanging At Town Square

(Originally published on September 15, 2007).

This weekend is the Annual Show of an art organization I belong to, the one that exhibits all visual art media in its shows.

A group of five of us showed up at a cruely early hour on Friday morning. LimaB, FergieJ, NightieR, MembieK and yours truly. Interestingly enough, we are all very active members on my main art society (the one of which I'm president). We greeted each other with yawns, bracing ourselves towards the next several hours.

(It might worth mentioning that as soon as I arrived, I had to run back home... I promised LimaB that I will photograph the award winning artworks, and - as I was beyond tired the whole week, with our floors being installed, I forgot to bring LumiB with me).

For those of you who do not bear the scars caused by the corners of metal frames; whose hands never collected splinters from wooden frames and fingers did not get pinched by stretched wires; you without sore muscles and aching feet from carrying paintings around for hours; if you have never found yourselves sitting down on the floor and bursting into a hysterical laughter that verges on insane despair, sorrounded by dozens of unmatching paintings. For you, I should mention that hanging a show is a major undertaking.

It starts off as one big chaos, mission impossible. It then proceeds towards more chaos, characterized by countless iterations and trial-and-error. Everything needs to work together, color-wise and style-wise. Naturally, it has a lot to do with personal taste, and when 5 different artists are involved - you can imagine the clash of opinions.

All of the above is true for hanging any show. When it comes to an exhibition that involves different media, the challenge gets much, much bigger. We had over 100 artworks to hang: watercolors, photographs, oils, acrylics, collages, even one framed sculpture, with a wide spectrum of styles.

'Daunting' was an understatement for this task!

Gradually, you get exhausted from carrying framed paintings back and forth all over the place, hanging and removing and relocating and hanging again. You become snappy, and you lose any remnant of patience you ever had in you. From time to time, you stop and make a solemn oath that you will never, ever, volunteer to do that again.

And, since everyone gets into their most edgy state-of-being, it is crucial to have a good hanging team. This is not the place for touchy souls to get offended and retreat to pout.

We started in a slow pace, working non-stop for a couple of hours. After successfully reaching the fed-up stage, we made a short coffee break, and reluctantly crawled back to work, admiring the areas that started to work together, and approaching the problematic ones with refreshed energy.

At some point things started falling into place, some sections actually making sense. Eventually, even the most impossible areas got resolved. Pretty much like creating a painting - a very complicated one. Then came that glorious moment when we looked at the show as a whole - and the sense of achievement was so extreme, that we knew we'll be there to do it next time. It looked so damn good - and WE did it!

Once we were done, dead tired and sweaty, I still had to put on my other cap and run to do some errands for "my" art organization. Had to pay HaffeyM for the workshop, and go to the hotel where he stayed to pay his bill. On the way back, I grabbed some finger-food from Trader Joe's for the reception. It was 4:30pm when I finally got home, and the reception was to start at 7pm. I managed to catnap for 15 minutes, took a long shower, put on some artsy outfit, and tried my best to look refreshed and rosy-cheeked for the event.

It was funny to see the hanging group again, all red-eyed like me. The JohnnyB even took a break from devouring the mini-samosas that were served at the reception, in order to announce to FergieJ that the fact w'all still speak to each other means we really are a good team!

Based on past experience, I had pretty much zero expectations for those I invited to attend. The only one who shows up on such occasions is DaskieM, but as her parents are visiting, I figured she won't be able to make it.

"So, why do you keep sending invitations to the others?", you wonder.
Hmm, good question. Excellent, even. I dunno, but I still do it. Call it incurable optimism.

Looking at the silver lining, the beauty in having no expectations is that you can really enjoy the moment. I hung out with The JohnnyB, mingled with the crowd, and was thrilled to meet friends from my main art society. VallieM was there, exhibiting 3 of her breathtaking paintings, and had two friends visit her, HallieH and PrevieJ, whom I adopted as my guests as well. I believe in sharing.

There I was, listening to the speeches by the mayor of the town (oh yes!) and the head of the local Rotary (whom I have almost kicked out of the exhibit hall that very morning, reprimanding him that we are hanging the show and no spectators are allowed... LimaB rushed to his rescue, and I used all my charm to apologize profusely... well, how was I to know?).

I glanced back for a second, and - - - among the many faces, I see the grin of TexieD! He came with his better 95%, and also dragged MistyP and MistyA with him, as well as their lovely daughter, MistyN.

It felt superbly great that they came; hard to explain or describe. They all live about 40 minutes drive, which made their appearance even more special. Apparently, The JohnnyB had a hunch they will show up, as TexieD mentioned the reception to him at work, but he decided to keep it to himself, so in case they do come, it'll be a surprise. And a wonderful surprise it was!!

The talking ended, and then - finally - came the awards ceremony.

I am excited to share with y'all that I got my very first ribbon!!

A nice, yellow ribbon, given to me (yes, with a cheque) as the 3rd place award in the Photography category, for this photo. I took it in Sydney, Australia. Of all the incredible places we've been to during the two months we spent in that fascinating continent three years ago, this alley (whose name is "Nurses Walk") is one of the more memorable locations for me. It was right opposite our hotel in Sydney, and to me, it was the gateway to Australia, as going down these stairs was our way to get to the main street that led to the Opera House and all the other wonders. The judge's commented that 'the descending stairs into the vacant darkness make me think of empty memories' (whaddayamean empty?!??), and that 'it's a poetic photograph'.

Y'know, The JohnnyB kept complaining about me taking so many photographs during that trip (OK, 11,000 might be a bit much, but hey - we saw so many things!!!). And yet - voila! at least one of these photos is now justified, eh?.

In addition, I received the Creative Catalyst Productions award (a company that makes the best art videos and DVDs) for my Global Warming watercolor. This is the second time I am getting an award on a painting done as part of a "Beyond The Obvious" 20-paintings series. Hmm... can it be that MikeyB was right, after all?

Funny thing, awards. I admit I had hopes for the photograph, but I thought that if any of my works would win anything, it would be my self-portrait collage. I guess we always feel this way whenever we do something new and want it to be recognized.
Still, having two artworks out of the three I have entered getting awards - you can imagine I did not need wine to be intoxicated that evening.

After some blinding moments in front of the flashing cameras (Ah, sweet fame...) and some chats with visitors and the other artists, I was dragged out by the very hungry The JohnnyB and TexieD, who have had it. There is only so much art one can handle, I suppose.

"We want to have dinner with an award winning artist", they tried to excuse their chanting bellies.

We went to a fabulous dinner at Gochi, a Japanese Fusion Tapas place, which offered exquisite service and some creative fun dishes. If they only used salt, it would have been even better.

Still, it was a perfect evening, spend with true friends.

Around 11pm, as we were hugging our goodbyes, MistyP did not seem to overcome his devastation that I insisted on paying for dinner.

"But I wanted to do it", he protested. "How can I pay you back now?".

"Ah, buy one of my paintings", I joyfully suggested.

He didn't even blink. "I'll buy your dinner next time!".