Illustration Friday on Monday Afternoon

© 2011 Juliette Nelson

It has been aaages since I've contributed to IF. This week's theme is "layer".
A good handful of my paintings are layer or stack-like, aren't they.

© 2011 Juliette Nelson

This time I thought I'd share a couple of sketches from a page in my sketch book, where (yes, my sketch book is a place) I sit for hours and hours engrossed in creating and following invisible lines, colors and rhythms, rendering them visible. When I sketch, if I'm not out in the world, I like to sit at my drafting table, or on a couch, surrounded by pens, watercolors and colored pencils of all varieties. I love having them all at my finger tips, that way I can scan the array of colors and textures available and pick up the one that matches the moment :)

Make sure to check out all the amazing work on Illustration Friday!

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Continuous ...

I just found this painting in my studio and was surprised. It obviously didn't make the cut when I was choosing paintings to show off. I don't know what I didn't see in it way back then. I love it now! I wish you could see it. A scan has absolutely nothing on an original. A scan is just an idea of the actual painting; all luscious nuance of color, brushstroke, and layer, mostly gone. That said, it is nice to be able to show you a glimpse of it anyway :)

When I was about 10, I drew a picture of a flower, a big daisy-esque flower on white drawing paper, whilst visiting my grandmother. I didn't think it was very good though so I threw it away. For years and years, every time somebody commented on it, hanging, framed, in her living room, my grandmother would tell the story of how she fished it out of the lixo (lixo is Portuguese for trash)! What a sweet love lesson she taught me.

These days in my studio, no finished painting ever gets the bin treatment. If it's finished, it stays, whether I'm enamored of it at the time or not.

How do I know when a painting is "finished" or "complete"? This is something that every artist must figure out for him/herself. The moment tends to be elusive. I know it by a sound, a feeling, a sensation. I call it a Zing. I play with this Zing sometimes too, moving it around according to whatever it is that I'm investigating as a painter.

Unfinished paintings will eventually be revisited. Even if it starts out, for eg, looking like an horse, and ends up looking like a spaceship, it's the same painting. All the layers of color, shape and brushstroke, inform and transform each other continuously; the underlayers as much a part of the painting as what you see on the surface. It's certainly not like throwing a painting in the trash and starting over with a blank. It's continuous. We're continuous.

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Two More!

SavannahTree
WaterTree
I didn't intentionally set out to paint a series of trees. I paint what happens. Looking at them together though, I began to notice what they had in common. It seemed to me that they (the last 4 I've shown you and there are 4 more coming) all have a certain treeness about them. I do love trees, so it's not surprising that what's in my heart, is painted out. Then again, maybe they're not trees. The one I've titled (always subject to change) 'WaterTree' often looks like balloons to me, or seaweed, or an amoeba, or funny people or a big storm.

What do you see?

I'd love a child or writer to be drawn in by this magic and write a short story inspired by this painting.

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Two New Paintings

ReflectiveTree
SufiTree
These two are acrylic on paper 9x9". I think I'll be mounting them onto wood panel boxes. I love painting on paper. Things happen on paper that don't happen on canvas. The trade-off is that then I have to think about mounting and/or framing them.
I hope you like these :) I'm loving this series. There are more to show you soon!

Do you have a Dream Today?

MLK had a dream.
What's your dream? Everybody has a dream.
Welcome to Planet Earth. What's your dream?

Go on! Tell me what you want what you really really want. (sorry, couldn't resist:)
I thought I was well on top of 'what I want' until my beloved 14 year old friend made the above poster and gave it to me, very intentionally. To me, her direct question implied that perhaps there was more to know about 'what I want'. (Plus, do you see that underline? And that big intense question mark?)

So I've been asking more of myself. What is it really, that I'm doing here? What is it really that I want to hitch my heart to? What is it really that I want to give? What is it really that I want to receive? What is it really that I want to create? What is it really that I want to live? What is it really that I want to experience?

I ask. I listen. I let all those answers go. And ask again ... what is it that I really want? As I relax, I sink more deeply beneath each layer. As I do, listening becomes ever more still and scintillating. As I approach the heart of my truth, a melding happens ... wanting begins to dissolve as I become what I am.

Try it. Hitch the heart of your being to what you want, to what you are. In time, it will speak through you into physical expression.

Okay ... too much already? Let's just take it from the top ...

Now the question is put to you.
Delve as deeply into the ocean as you'd like.
Now is the time.
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Ela-Phantasic!

When I saw this, I almost dropped everything to rethink art, creativity, self and the universe! But then I realized, 'Oh, right, they're probably trained. Like most art students!' Still, we knew they had good memories, but who knew elephants could have such amazing eye/trunk coordination, 2D spacial dexterity and grace. Watch her go over a brush stroke to make the line darker. Ela-Phantasic!

Zings!

Meet 4 of many new additions to my PORTFOLIO.

Paluma
Ah, porque me encanta la pintura ... Ah, what is it about painting. It's all I wanna do these days. One thing is that I never know what's going to happen. Who knew 'not knowing' (and then seeing the results) would be so satisfying. At first I do feel a tinge of wondering if ANYTHING worthwhile will be created. To keep those tinges at bay, I don't stare at blank paper or canvas.

Deki
At the end of a painting session I may have some paint leftover or sometimes I put out a bit more than will stay wet in this Colorado climate so, before it dries or before washing up, I paint as many blank pieces of paper or canvas as I can with whatever color I happen to have on hand. This means that before I even start painting next time, I've already started!

Jeshka
I rarely give my mind a chance to ask 'What are you going to do now? What are you going to paint?'... I just put color to canvas. Usually a shape happens. And then the dance begins. One form and/or color informing/transforming another. It's Fabulous Fun Problem Solving! I do work on several, perhaps 4 or 5, pieces at a time and I go back and forth between them so as not to get too 'worried' about where any of them are 'going'.

Monique
I don't stop until something about them zings. That's (one of) what it is about painting. Hope you enjoy my recently updated PORTFOLIO.

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El Fascinante

In the last couple of weeks, I met 3 people whose 2nd name is JOY. I've also been messin' about with some paintings, painting out negative shapes to create tree-like forms. This particular painting of a tree looked strange perhaps, but a tree to me none-the-less ... until a couple of days later when I happened to catch a glimpse of it and noticed it was a man with a pointy nose wearing a hat and a long robe like dress with a band around his waist! And he was doing some sort of magical entertaining! I was astounded. I couldn't have created him if I'd tried! Within a short time of that painting I found out that an acquaintance friend of mine is also a 'Fire Dancer'. Then, I happened upon a new friend whose band is named 'Juggler' and on his site he has lots of fabulous clown and circus themed art. Then I was invited by another friend to join her for dinner at her house. As it turns out, she's a professional clown, jester and magician! Elf too, I think. Yes, I was wondering what it all meant! In any case, Friday morning came along and I was excited to find out what IF's new theme was for the week. Wouldn't you know it was ... JUGGLER. I just had to smile and laugh. So here's my juggler-themed-contribution.PS. Even my tea bag this morning had something to say!

Cloudcroft

Oh Southern New Mexico, so rainy, so cloudy, so woodsy 'n wet. "New Mexico?"
Yes! If you drive four hours in the scorching desert south of Albuquerque and climb a sandy dry mountain speckled with low 'bobble' bushes, then way at the top, you'll come to a little place named Cloudcroft! Not long ago, I packed the car up with canvas, paper, tubs of paint, water buckets & my bike, of course (which I never got to ride because I was in CLOUDcroft where it RAINS every afternoon). I spent a week there studying


with successful, generous and superby inspiring artist, Robert Burridge. Since I've been back ... all I want to do is paint! That just says it ALL about a teacher, doesn't it! A couple of nights ago I didn't even want to go to sleep because that meant too many hours before I could paint again! Lil Ms Artist has been revived! If you visit his site, consider signing up for his Artsy Fartsy Newsletter, 'tis fab!