Weekend Inspiration: Raven Roxanne

 *photo by Kristen Blanton of Hello America

 *Photo by Paige French

 *Photo by Paige French

I am inspired by the super talented Raven Roxannes'"Nest" series.

The composition, the colors, not to mention the treatment of the paint, are such a visual treat.  I've been following her on Instagram for a while, and am always inspired by her images.
Raven was gracious enough to  answer a few questions I had.

1. I just love your "Nest" series.  How did it come about?

The ‘Nest’ series came along organically due to what is going on in my life.  I am engaged and we just bought our first house.  Understandably the idea of ‘nesting’ is very present in my life right now.   "There is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.”  Vincent van Gogh - This quote embodies what my ‘nest' are about.

 

2. Where do you typically find inspiration?  And what artist are inspiring you right now?

I find inspiration in my surrounding humans, clothing, nature, my dog 'Willie Boy’, Charleston, water, light, yoga and my love.  I am inspired by my friends Teil Duncan, Lulie Wallace, all my fellow redux artist, Becca Barnet and so many more….  It helps to have so many wonderfully creative friends.  I am also loving Hense, Michelle Armas, Andrew Hem, Conrad Roset, etc.   

3. What's the studio tool you can't live without?

 Gesso… Some times you have to say f**k it and paint it white. 
 *****

How true is that?! Wouldn't it be fun to have a studio next door to her, so you could stop by and have a glass of wine?  Thank you Raven for sharing your work.  If you would like to see it up close and personal and you're in the Charleston area check out her show at Billy Reid. (On the corner of King and Queen streets) 
If your not in that neck of the woods, she'll have the paintings available on her website as well.

Have a great weekend!

Sunday in the Studio

 A few new "Whispers"

"Cairn" 20X36" oil on canvas

Ahhh.  A Sunday morning with a hot cup of coffee and some studio time is a rarity and AWESOME!! Have I mentioned how much I love my Aunt and Mom who make moments like that possible?!

The kids and I spent the weekend with them since Hubby was working all weekend. So I got some rare weekend painting time. I'm still in this frenetic creative state and there just seems like there is not enough time to get it all out. I feel like the ideas are going to disappear before I can realize them. I was in the zone yesterday but had to break it up to feed kids and put them down for naps. How do Artist Moms do it?  I am thankful for every moment I get, that's for sure. 

Now back to playing with kiddos, feeding everyone, and attempting to keep things running smoothly on the home front.  I'll find some time to sketch and catch up on the paperwork of being an artist too. 

Oh, and hopefully get to jump on this webinar tonight. Wish me luck!!

Time Flies

 Whisper Series TL to BR "Bloom", "Cocoon","Cluster", "Whisper", "Become", and "Stones" 4x6" encaustic on panel

"

 Whisper Series "Rest" 4x6" oil on encaustic

 Whisper Series "Build" 4x6" encaustic on panel

 Whisper Series "Flight" 4x6" encaustic on panel

This series started as a way to work out small ideas and compositions.  I think of them as little moments of thought.  The newest three have changed with a new palette, a little bolder. The 4x6" size is fun to hold in your hand, which the tactile quality of encaustic makes you want to do anyway.  I've envisioned them hung together, but able to stand on their own as well.  The panel is cradled, so the depth would make it easy to just stand up on a bookshelf or mantel as well as hung on a wall. I'll have some pictures of them in interiors soon. 

I spent the first part of my studio day cleaning up, and unearthed a few items I've been look for!  Isn't that the best?  I'm coming close to finishing up a large oil painting too, but It's fighting me.  Lucky for me I may get a few extra hours this weekend to work it out.  

Loose ends

So much going on here! Why not add in trying to keep up with my blog again Ha! 

We have bought a house and are currently trying to get it move in ready, painting, cleaning, shopping, painting, and packing. Did I mention painting? Whew. Oh, and we're expecting baby #2 in 6 weeks.  I'll try to give you more info about what we're doing at our new home to make it more us in another post. 

For now I am finding maybe a few hour a week for studio time. I have 3 pet portraits that I haven't been able to get to. So, before I pack up the studio I needed to finish them. (I also have hopes to maybe get a few encaustic works done too.)

Here is the progress so far! 

Check out the guy in the middle. I was a little worried when that was the only reference picture I had to work with, but I really love it now. 

Ok, back to packing and maybe a little (studio) painting if I'm lucky! 

*if this post appears awkward I'm attempting to post from my phone so having trouble tweaking it for viewing. 

Critique Anyone?

"Atmosphere" (?) encaustic on birch panel 12" x 24"

So, after an evening pondering whether or not the above painting was finished I read fellow blogger Megan Woodard Johnson's  post "Venturing off My Beaten Path", and was reminded of how common it was for us artist to ask that question.  As a student at a fine arts college, I couldn't wait for the day when I could stop talking about my work.  The ad nauseam "crits" sometimes seemed, for some, to be about creative spinning more than the actual creating of art.

Since those long ago and far away days, I've realized there needs to be a happy medium.  While the act of creating requires a significant time alone for most of us, there is still a need for a certain amount of artistic community.  I find this lacking the most while I stand in my studio asking myself "Is it finished?", "Is something missing?", "Would you add something?"  

I often think about the graduate studios at said fine arts college, and loved the perfect combination of being walled off yet peeking next door for a conversation or an opinion.  When I daydream about one day doing a residency I think this is the environment I would search for. (In perhaps a tropical climate, or one with amazing vistas and to-die-for pasta.) But, I digress.  My point is this: in such a lovely and supportive community full of talented and inspirational peeps, would a critique post be possible?  Once a week, or bi-weekly, you could send me some images of a work in progress, and I could post them with one of mine and we could give each other some constructive criticism.

Let me know if anyone out there is interested.  And I would love some feedback about the work above, if you're so inclined. And please, no need to be an artist to comment!  Sometimes the best feedback I've gotten is from those persons that just appreciate art.
Thanks!

Time Heals

"Ascension" 16"x 20" encaustic on birch panel

This finished work has been years in the making.  I first mentioned it in this post.  I had started the painting below in 2004 after my Dad passed away.  I just couldn't get it to a place that I liked.

"Flight" acrylic on canvas 38" x 48" (painted over)

I ended up painting over it. I just couldn't seem to get across all the complexity that I had wanted. It seemed too elementary to me. So I thought I'd try again in encaustic.  My usual palette doesn't always turn out the way I would like.  I am still learning the medium.  But now that I've made it more subtle and quiet I think it says more.  At least to me.  I may at some point revisit the image in oils. But for now I'm satisfied.

Murphy

Here's a peek at the newest dog portrait. I had wanted to document the process to share, but got carried away! So here it is at the middle stage, red under painting, shadows, background and a few highlights. Isn't he just the cutest?! I'll be sure to post the finished piece soon.

Weekend Inspiration

“Untitled # 0621”
Mixed Media  20”X 20”

“Untitled # 0582”
Mixed Media  20”X 20”

“Untitled # 0211”
Mixed Media  20”X 20”

“Nocturne in blue IV”
Mixed Media on Canvas 48”X 64”

I have forever been fascinated by beautifully subtle (and not so subtle), sensitive and abstract works.  I found this amazing artist Ivo Stoyanov through one of my favorite bloggers.  I feel like the linear marks carry a message or I can just get lost in the technique and gestures of the strokes. His work is complex, yet very approachable.  I just love it! Check out his website here.

Somethin's Cooking

(I'm sure Hubby wishes it was dinner.) 

I have been getting 45 minutes a day in the studio/garage this week. (not counting heating things up and blowing fuses). It's been amazing. There is lots of stuff cooking! I'm trying out new techniques combining oil and encaustic. My two worlds colliding. There are some new collage materials in the works too. So much fun! I can't wait to share some new work!! 

P.S. The above piece is a variation on an image I have been working on in the years since my Father passed away.  It always seems to become trite, and not at all what I am going for.  Yet, I keep trying!  So I set out to scrape it back off and use the panel for another image.  (I did the same to the oil paint version too.)  But, now that I have a lot of it scraped down, I may end up toying with it a little more before scrapping it all together.  Wish me luck!

Shedder?

I had a conversation with a musician friend of mine this past week.  I was talking about how I feel like I am the opposite of a hoarder.  He said that I must be a "Shedder". I like that term, I think.  

Whilst preparing for our move I am making room by going through storage at my Mom's house.  I have an over abundance of artwork there.  Pretty much everything from high school till now.  I got rid of most of my high school work (there are slides of them for prosperity).  I also went through a lot of stuff from collage, color theory, charcoal assignments.  I did pull out a few things to save, and some of the work I still rather like.  My senior thesis work won we me the only grant I have received thus far! Although in complete disclosure I have been lax in applying the last 3 years.  But maybe there is something in revisiting these images.  In excavating these layers of my artist journey it feels good to see how far I've come and reminds me of threads or ideas that may be worth re-trying now with more experience.  

I don't feel too terribly sad as I cleaned out.  The extra space made it easier to organize my inventory.  In doing so I discovered I have quiet enough work to enter some shows. But here is a farewell to some works; 

and there was this work on paper that I would love to re-visit.

 It has even made me thing more about working on paper, until I think of the framing expense!


Well here I go moving forward and shedding all the way!

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Whoohoo a new artwork!

I feel much better! I would love to be back to an art marking routine. I know I shouldn't get too carried away, as I look at my calendar it seems the next guaranteed studio day is two weeks from now.  But I don't care I am so happy that I got to be there for almost a whole day.


The top piece is a new encaustic, not sure if it needs something else.  It's a bit of a departure for me, I usually don't work so minimally.  I utilized the birch panel background instead of fulling covering it. I may revisit it.

I also realized while in the studio I am a but rusty and not sure what I want to accomplish outside of the work that I am finishing up.  I really need to be in my sketch book more, especially now when studio time is scarce.  I want to be fully prepared to hit the ground running when I can.



So here is the almost completed birdhouse.  Sorry the pictures aren't great.  It's rainy and I had to take the pictures inside. I am planning on adding a clear gloss coat to it, and maybe adding a few more 'jewels'. (I don't want it to look bedazzeled though.)  

And last but not least, the Anguilla house.  I worked it until the paint was too wet to continue.  I feel like it doesn't look much different than the last post, but it will come together fast once I get all of this underpainting done.  And there will be some trees and flowers.

Rest of the week is work, and maybe finally getting some things accomplished around the house.  And sketching, lots and lots of sketching.

Kitchen table art and one sock.

I finished a few more postcards, need to get them ready to mail.  I am still not super proud of them, they seem kinda off.  I'll finished the rest tomorrow to be sent around the world.  I think this snow has some how effected my creativity.  Or maybe I can at least blame it!  I did play around with this acrylic painting on paper.  A variation on a theme of "drop" paintings that I have been working on for a while.  Perhaps I should make some smaller versions of this, for my postcards.  

I also finished knitting my first ever sock yesterday.  Since the only other thing I have ever knitted were scarfs, I am fairly proud.  Apparently cabin fever is good for knitting!  When I finish the other sock, I'll post my warm tootsies.  

Now I think, if I am lucky there is a path plowed in the park, and I am going to get out and run.  (That always helps with being creative and sane.) The sun is out for now, and some snow is melting.  Hopefully we'll escape the next storm headed our way!  

 

Comission Update and other good news

I am so excited to say that I delivered my commission piece "Red Vessel" today and it was well received.  I hated to disappoint my client and am so happy that they liked it.  It was certainly a work in progress, and I feel a weight off my shoulders knowing that it will soon be in a great new home, snugly over the fireplace.  

Funny, I always think of how in art school, to create "sofa art" was to sell out.  I love the fact that a lot of my work finds it's way above fireplaces or sofas, and into the heart of someone's home.  It seems fitting since my work uses the house imagery a lot.

"Prodigal House" (below)  has also been sold.  All in all a very good art day!

(34" x 18" oil on canvas)

The Baker Artist Awards

 (11" x 14" oil on canvas)

I am competing again this year in The Baker Artist Awards.  There are two awards one is the Mary Sawyers Baker which is the big kitty, and the Baltimore Choice award.  The Baltimore Choice allows people to vote for their favorite artist on the site.  The top 5 most popular win.  (It feels a bit like high school, but I think my self-esteem can handle it...I hope :-)  If you like my work, please go to http://www.bakerartistawards.org/nomination/view/heatherkirtland and vote for me!!

It's also a great site to see all the super talented artist working Baltimore.  I had fun checking everyone's work out.

Family Christmas and current commision

Well, I finally spent some time in the studio yesterday, mostly tweaking this current commission.  I am happier with it than I have been.  So..keeping my fingers crossed that the client feels the same!!

Here is the original, a piece that I did 12 years ago!! It's a 12x12"

 

The clients wanted it a bit more muted and soft, a less acidy underpainting

.

Here is the commission which is a 26x26"

I am excited to deliver it, and hope that they will be happy.  That is always such a stressful moment.  Usually I do commission from scratch, the duplication  process is completely different.

Yesterday was also my family's Christmas.  It was a fabulous night!  A yummy meal cooked by my brother and a good time with family. 

  

  

  

 

Commissions

I had some fun commission's this year.  Here are two. The first was an oil painting for friends that really liked this view of two bridges.  It was neat, to go and take pictures of them  to see their vision and then do an interpretation that was totally my own.  Very cool.

The next, was something different...I got to decorate and expectant friends bassinet.  She wanted images from "Goodnight Moon".

Art Shows 2009

Here are some pics from two of this years exhibit.....

This was a great space at Volt restaurant in Frederick, Maryland

www.artiqueunderground.com

This next picture is from a show in August at James Pierce Gallery

Happy to be back

"Collection"  oil on canvas 36" x 36"  (Sold)

I have been away from blogging for a while.  Although, I have been quite busy in my studio.  I hope to post some of what has been going on with me since I last wrote.....  3 years ago!!!  I have begun to work with encaustic, which has really been fun and influential in my oil paintings.  I have been very fortunate to continue showing.  This year has been a good one.  I've found loving homes for some of my favorite pieces (like "Collection") and added "wife" to my resume.  

Since my studio space is at the moment in an unheated garage, brrrrr, I don't get much done in the winter.  So one of my goals for this year, is to work on some drawings or pastels when I can't make it to my studio.  At the moment I am finishing a commission, that has been pretty challenging.  It's a project where I am replicating an older smaller piece in a larger size.  I am hoping I hit the mark this past week, once it's dry I'll post it.

For today I spent some time, or more like ALL day, reading other blogs and being totally inspired.  And it's great to see such a community out there balancing their artistic lives.  So here I am.  Take a look at what I've been up to. 

"Drops (red)"  encaustic on panel 11" x 14" (sold)

 "Perched" encaustic on panel 11" x 14"

This piece had been in my sketch book for a long time, I just couldn't figure out how to make it come to life.  It finally found it's place in my encaustic work.  I really like how it turned out.  I think I want to play with this imagery some more.

Work at boheme cafe

I hung my work at boheme cafe today! "With Love" is finally finished and displayed prominently in the window. It will be up through the beginning of September. If your downtown, please stop by to check it out, and grab some breakfast or lunch! The food is yummy and the produce they use is locally grown. The cafe is located at 400 E. Pratt St. (across from the aquarium). Check them out at www.bohemecafe.com.