After all the craziness with the Rhode Island Flower and Garden Show, I have been getting some rest and cleaning up the studio. Right now it looks like a bomb went off in there! As soon as I get everything back on track, I'll be posting about the latest Art Heart, which I was working on during the Flower Show.
Be back soon! -Lisa
Mar 3, 2011
Feb 22, 2011
Lauren's Art Heart
So the past few weeks have been busy with Olivia's Heart Fund! We are all preparing the preview of the Art Hearts for the Rhode Island Flower Show this Thursday. While a lot of those plans were going on, I had this latest Art Heart in limbo, as I kept debating which ideas to use in the design. First let me tell you a little about Lauren's story.
Lauren's parents were happy to welcome their second daughter into the world, and were not expecting any complications. The first sign they had that there was a problem was eight hours later, when she was taken to the NICU as a precaution, because she hadn't been eating. It was at this point that the doctors discovered Lauren had a congenital heart defect, which was a shock to her parents. In fact her condition, Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, is very difficult to detect during pregnancy.
With few options, Lauren was brought to Boston for her first surgery at only three days old. She would eventually need two additional surgeries and several cautheterizations for her condition. Though she has faced some difficulties during those procedures, she has since recovered and is doing well.
In my emails with Lauren's father, he helped me to learn more about his daughter. She is a dancer and singer, and loves the beach and nature. I did some research, looking for the right imagery for Lauren's heart. Initially, what resonated with me was the starfish - I thought with Lauren's love of performance arts, perhaps the star would best represent her. After further study, I found out that the starfish is the fisherman's symbol for protection from the Virgin Mary (Stalla Maris = star of the sea). It represents salvation during trying times, a celestial symbol of infinite love, as well as guidance, healing and regeneration. Perfect!
So Lauren's heart was different than the previous ones in that I wanted to add some texture for the sand and the star. After starting with a sketch, I dropped in some background color, and then using my heart template as a mask, I spattered it with several hues of watercolor.
Once the sand was done, I added three stones on the beach - one for each of Lauren's surgeries. I filled in the surrounding heart area with a wash of watercolor in orange (Lauren's favorite color).
Next, I layered more color and texture over the starfish to give it more dimension. I added some shading around the star as if it cast a shadow on the sand.
After the watercolor was complete, I needed to brighten and add detail to the seafoam. This I painted with acrylic, drawing in all the bubbles and froth, adding a few spots of bubbles over the sand.
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| Lauren 10"x10" mixed-media |
So the past few weeks have been busy with Olivia's Heart Fund! We are all preparing the preview of the Art Hearts for the Rhode Island Flower Show this Thursday. While a lot of those plans were going on, I had this latest Art Heart in limbo, as I kept debating which ideas to use in the design. First let me tell you a little about Lauren's story.
Lauren's parents were happy to welcome their second daughter into the world, and were not expecting any complications. The first sign they had that there was a problem was eight hours later, when she was taken to the NICU as a precaution, because she hadn't been eating. It was at this point that the doctors discovered Lauren had a congenital heart defect, which was a shock to her parents. In fact her condition, Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, is very difficult to detect during pregnancy.
With few options, Lauren was brought to Boston for her first surgery at only three days old. She would eventually need two additional surgeries and several cautheterizations for her condition. Though she has faced some difficulties during those procedures, she has since recovered and is doing well.
In my emails with Lauren's father, he helped me to learn more about his daughter. She is a dancer and singer, and loves the beach and nature. I did some research, looking for the right imagery for Lauren's heart. Initially, what resonated with me was the starfish - I thought with Lauren's love of performance arts, perhaps the star would best represent her. After further study, I found out that the starfish is the fisherman's symbol for protection from the Virgin Mary (Stalla Maris = star of the sea). It represents salvation during trying times, a celestial symbol of infinite love, as well as guidance, healing and regeneration. Perfect!
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| using the heart template to mask the spatter area |
So Lauren's heart was different than the previous ones in that I wanted to add some texture for the sand and the star. After starting with a sketch, I dropped in some background color, and then using my heart template as a mask, I spattered it with several hues of watercolor.
 |
| the background color wash |
Once the sand was done, I added three stones on the beach - one for each of Lauren's surgeries. I filled in the surrounding heart area with a wash of watercolor in orange (Lauren's favorite color).
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| lots of texture on the starfish |
Next, I layered more color and texture over the starfish to give it more dimension. I added some shading around the star as if it cast a shadow on the sand.
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| the whitest whites for the seafoam |
After the watercolor was complete, I needed to brighten and add detail to the seafoam. This I painted with acrylic, drawing in all the bubbles and froth, adding a few spots of bubbles over the sand.
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| last step - blending the pastel edge |
The last step was to add pastel all around the heart, blending some yellow to add radiance. I luckily was able to finish this Art Heart just in time to be included with the others that will be on display at the RI Flower show (more details about that here) February 24th-27th 2011. I like that Lauren's Art Heart is a big different with a warm color palette and the details in the dancing seafoam. She is unique!
This is the eighth piece in my series of Art Hearts for Olivia's Heart Fund. If you'd like to read more about the project please check out the Art Hearts page on my blog. If you feel inspired to make a donation to the charity please click here or on the button below to visit the charity's site. If you'd like to see this piece, or the other seven Art Hearts so far, please consider visiting the RI Flower Show this week. I'll be looking forward to it!
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| the completed Art Heart |
This is the eighth piece in my series of Art Hearts for Olivia's Heart Fund. If you'd like to read more about the project please check out the Art Hearts page on my blog. If you feel inspired to make a donation to the charity please click here or on the button below to visit the charity's site. If you'd like to see this piece, or the other seven Art Hearts so far, please consider visiting the RI Flower Show this week. I'll be looking forward to it!
Feb 21, 2011
Art Hearts preview at the Rhode Island Flower Show!
So the past couple of weeks have been very busy, preparing for the Rhode Island Flower Show . My Art Hearts for Olivia's Heart Fund will be displayed in the flower area, as the theme is "Gardening with Heart", and the American Heart Association, as well as other heart charities will be represented. So yay! For OHF and also for me, because I am super excited to have the art out where so many people can see it. Thanks to the awesome volunteers at OHF, we now have framing for the first eight paintings. Kim was able to locate Crestar Framing in east greenwich who very kindly donated their services.
We also have been getting promotional material together for the event. Erin has created postcards for the project, and I designed the banner you see pictured above, as well as a dvd slideshow for the booth that OHF will have on the fifth floor of the convention center. Since the fifth floor has a childrens area, jessica had a great idea-to create coloring pages with hearts for the kids to work with. I made an outline version of several of the Art Hearts. Things are shaping up for next week!
If you are coming to the Flower Show, here are the dates and times:
Show Dates
- Thursday, February 24, 2011, from 10:00AM to 8:00PM
- Friday, February 25, 2011, from 10:00AM to 9:00PM
- Saturday, February 26, 2011, from 10:00AM to 9:00PM
- Sunday, February 27, 2011, from 10:00AM to 6:00P
These are the Art Hearts that will be showing there, in the garden area:
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I will be at the Flower Show each day at some point, and would love to chat with anyone interested in the Art Hearts or Olivia's Heart Fund. I hope you can make it!
-Lisa
Feb 11, 2011
Fun-a-Day Providence show!
So tonight is the night! All of the work that the artists have put into their projects will be shown at the WBMA in Providence tonight and tomorrow night. If you are in the neighborhood, please stop by and check out the work and chat with the artists. I'll be in attendance tomorrow for the closing night, partying with my creative peeps! I took some photos last night when I went down to hang my work. The crew was working hard to get everything ready.
More information about the show is on the Fun-a-Day Providence blog, and here's a Facebook invite for those of you who'd like to RSVP.
Feb 9, 2011
Fun-a-Day paintings wrap-up
Well, the Fun-a-Day Providence project is complete! I haven't had much time to post much lately, as the entire beginning of February we were buried in snow up here in Douglas. I've been shoveling my brains out for the last week. But more on that later.
The last three paintings for the project were small numerals, and relatively simple paintings. At this point, I've been comparing the new numbers to the rest of the grid as I pick out their color, so that I can relate squares to each other in a harmonious pattern.
This week, I started to wrap up the project, preparing a panel to mount all of the small paintings. I cut some scrap wood to size (14" square), and sanded the edges.
Once the panel was prepped, I used acrylic medium to seal the wood and bind the paintings to the surface. Some of the paintings have pastel on the surface, so I had to be careful to not smudge them. It was also important to keep the acrylic medium from bleeding around the edges of the numbers so that the encaustic medium would fuse to the surface later.
To seal the surface I added a mixture of melted beeswax and resin (the encaustic medium) which I melted and applied with a brush. I dabbed the wax on so as not to smudge the pastels, and then heated the surface with a heat lamp to smooth the surface and bind it to the paper underneath. This darkens the underlying artwork, but also makes the colors look rich and saturated. I like the fact that now you can touch the surface of the final piece instead of mounting it behind glass.
I'll be hanging the artwork on Thursday for the Fun-a-Day Providence show this weekend. I'm looking forward to all the creative work that will be on display! If you are interested in checking out the show, it runs Friday, February 11th from 7-11pm and Saturday the 12th from 5-10pm at the West Broadway Neighborhood Association, 1560 Westminster Street Providence, RI.
Enjoy!
-Lisa
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| Days 29, 30 and 31 are complete! |
The last three paintings for the project were small numerals, and relatively simple paintings. At this point, I've been comparing the new numbers to the rest of the grid as I pick out their color, so that I can relate squares to each other in a harmonious pattern.
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| The wood panel is prepped and ready for the paintings. |
This week, I started to wrap up the project, preparing a panel to mount all of the small paintings. I cut some scrap wood to size (14" square), and sanded the edges.
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| All the paintings line up on the grid correctly! |
Once the panel was prepped, I used acrylic medium to seal the wood and bind the paintings to the surface. Some of the paintings have pastel on the surface, so I had to be careful to not smudge them. It was also important to keep the acrylic medium from bleeding around the edges of the numbers so that the encaustic medium would fuse to the surface later.
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| The completed artwork - Thirty-one Days, 14"x14" mixed media |
To seal the surface I added a mixture of melted beeswax and resin (the encaustic medium) which I melted and applied with a brush. I dabbed the wax on so as not to smudge the pastels, and then heated the surface with a heat lamp to smooth the surface and bind it to the paper underneath. This darkens the underlying artwork, but also makes the colors look rich and saturated. I like the fact that now you can touch the surface of the final piece instead of mounting it behind glass.
I'll be hanging the artwork on Thursday for the Fun-a-Day Providence show this weekend. I'm looking forward to all the creative work that will be on display! If you are interested in checking out the show, it runs Friday, February 11th from 7-11pm and Saturday the 12th from 5-10pm at the West Broadway Neighborhood Association, 1560 Westminster Street Providence, RI.
Enjoy!
-Lisa
Jan 28, 2011
Fun-a-Day paintings from the last week
My Fun-a-Day paintings for the Providence exhibit are still coming along - only three more days to go! Here's my progress over the last week.
Day 22 - Twenty-two is another important number for me, and so it was the larger format painting in this series. Twenty-two is the date of my husband's birthday. As I looked at the grid so far and the other large pieces, I thought that this one could use a warm, bright color. So this one I made a yellow, thinking of my husband's influence in my life. My husband is one of those people who are always looking for something to be engaged in - he gets excited about ideas and learning, and he throws himself into hobbies and experiments with a passion. He reminds me to have a sense of humor, and to enjoy our lives. He truly does burn brightly like the sun.
Day 23 - Here is another large format number, the last one in the series, and was chosen for that format because of the positioning in the grid. Twenty-three isn't a significant number for me, so I was able to add whatever imagery came to mind. We've been having lots of snow out here in Massachusetts, and whenever I look out my bathroom window I see a group of white birch trees by the house and the landscape of our yard beyond them. It's a really nice view, with lots of privacy, and I want to make some larger paintings based on that view of the birch. But for now, I put down on paper my impression of the birches in the cold twilight.
Days 24 through 28 were back to the smaller format, with simple two inch square paintings. Several of them are painted using metallic inks. I'm thinking I should get my MDF board measured and cut soon so that I can start mounting the numbers to it. It's going to be interesting to see all the other artists' work in February. :-)
Enjoy!
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| Day 22 - bright shining like the sun! |
Day 22 - Twenty-two is another important number for me, and so it was the larger format painting in this series. Twenty-two is the date of my husband's birthday. As I looked at the grid so far and the other large pieces, I thought that this one could use a warm, bright color. So this one I made a yellow, thinking of my husband's influence in my life. My husband is one of those people who are always looking for something to be engaged in - he gets excited about ideas and learning, and he throws himself into hobbies and experiments with a passion. He reminds me to have a sense of humor, and to enjoy our lives. He truly does burn brightly like the sun.
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| Day 23 - winter birch trees |
Day 23 - Here is another large format number, the last one in the series, and was chosen for that format because of the positioning in the grid. Twenty-three isn't a significant number for me, so I was able to add whatever imagery came to mind. We've been having lots of snow out here in Massachusetts, and whenever I look out my bathroom window I see a group of white birch trees by the house and the landscape of our yard beyond them. It's a really nice view, with lots of privacy, and I want to make some larger paintings based on that view of the birch. But for now, I put down on paper my impression of the birches in the cold twilight.
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| back to the little paintings |
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| more little paintings |
Days 24 through 28 were back to the smaller format, with simple two inch square paintings. Several of them are painted using metallic inks. I'm thinking I should get my MDF board measured and cut soon so that I can start mounting the numbers to it. It's going to be interesting to see all the other artists' work in February. :-)
Enjoy!
Jan 23, 2011
Transformation (in Grey) - commissioned painting
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| Transformation in Grey 11"x14" acrylic |
Just finished this baby last night. I had showed the original version of Transformation to a friend, who requested a similar painting in black and white with the yellow butterfly. The original painting was an exercise for my art group in which we created a concept for the phrase "what if?". At the time I thought, "what if I were a tree?", hence the painting. But I also was still exploring the butterfly/chrysalis analogy and transforming myself and my life into one that I wanted. Note that while the figures in each painting are stylized (and idealized), they have hips and belly - because I appreciate that, being a curvy girl myself. Anywhoo...
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| Original painting, Transformation 11"x14" acrylic |
For this new version, I used Adobe Photoshop Elements to paint up a digital version first. Once everything was designed and approved, I projected the sketch onto a canvas and outlined the main elements in pencil.
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| Tree branches being painted |
Since the background colors were already painted in, I added the tree nymph next. Maybe the right term for her would be dryad. Either way, she's the spirit of growth and transformation in this piece. I drybrushed some shading into the trunk to add form, but didn't want to get too bogged down in that until more of the overall painting was complete. Back to that later.
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| Adding leaves |
Next, I added all the leaves and corrected some of the branch shapes. You can see some of the penciled-in sketch in the image above, where the butterfly would go after the grey paint is complete.
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| Cleaning up around the roots, and adding the chrysalis |
The roots area is next - I cleaned up the edges there and then added the chrysalis in grey with a bit of color on top. While this is meant to have color, to connect the chrysalis (contemplation) to butterfly (transformation), I kept this softer and more subtle.
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| Our dryad in the trunk of the tree |
Now that most of the painting is done, I went back to polish up the central figure. Most of the details in her form are drybrushed light over dark. I also added a glow about her as in the original piece.
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| The butterfly really pops with the golden yellow |
The last element I painted was the butterfly. As you can see, with the soft shades of grey in the rest of the painting, it really stands out.
I hope you enjoyed seeing the process behind this painting. It's a bit different than my landscapes for sure! But most of my narrative work is loaded with symbolism and tends to be illustrative. I've got more paintings in the works, with another one for a customer and also for the Heart Art project coming soon.
Enjoy!
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