The Painting Spectrum - The 2nd Time Is The Charm

   I worked large this week... on two 24x30 inch works that were started on 1/4" Masonite board. Actually, a more appropriate term would be, "Started, finished, started again". I thought I had these works completed, (more in my oil spill influenced series), but it was afterwards that brought on the change. Over the period of a week, I kept looking at them - and dwelling over them. It seemed the more I looked, the more I saw, and the more I didn't like. One of them, I originally entitled "Orgasm". In this painting, I did in fact see a naked woman, sexual energy, and bright colors. But the more I showed it, several of my friends were pulling other people and images out of the painting as well. I started getting a little freaked out.

At times, it's not easy being an artist, as our own imaginations can get the best of us. I also realize that one of the realities with abstracts is that different people will see different things. However, I ultimately am the one who created it and has to live with it. So, this past week, I put my big girl panties on and decided to either modify or completely paint over two paintings, including this one. I used the same technique as in previous sessions when I painted the rose as well as other works. I ended up with more of a 3-D effect and the naked lady (as well as all other personnel) disappeared. Now, I have what resembles a forest in a canyon or a waterfall in the woods, and a tidal pool. At least this is what I see...

Like the paintings before, I just show up at the canvas or board, prepared to be inspired. I work my method and creative process, so therefore I am not surprised that no two paintings look alike. From quilts, to floral works, to oil spills, the results continue to amaze me. And that's a good thing.

My husband has finished my new website (JillLangdon.com), and we have applied for showings in Tenants Harbor and Camden next summer and fall. These will be joint shows - a first for us. While I am excited about showing and my new paintings, there is always the basic nut-and-bolt work of getting more frames, advertising, marketing, receptions, and so on. Even with all this readiness, I am thrilled to show publicly what I been slaving over.

I was born to paint and someday the entire world will be seeing or using products designed with my works. And it will happen before I'm dead. Some say this is a dream or I can't be certain. However, if I don't put that affirmation out to the cosmos, it has zero chance of happening. Especially if I don't believe it. Time takes time; or as my husband always tells me, "You gotta have more patience..."

Until next time,
The Happy Abstract Painter,
Jill

                     After

                    Before

                  The 2nd work

The Painting Spectrum - To Infinity & Beyond

   This past week, though emotionally trying for me on the personal front, was highly productive on the painting front! It was a week of adding small details, justifying that certain paintings are indeed finished, and tackling in-process paintings with new ideas and concepts.

   On Monday, I applied a second coat on five different oil paintings, all from my second oil spill series. I added contrast to some, others were darkened, still others received more vibrant colors. I was fairly satisfied with the outcome on all five - enough to say "finished".

   The following day, I took a long hard look at two floral paintings, (one being a large 30x40 inch work) I had started last week and then had to put them aside, to not only let some of the paint dry, but also because I felt they were both flat... lifeless. I have a certain creative process in regards to my oil spill series - I turn the canvas upside down and then paint from right to left. I thought I would apply this same process to the smaller of the two floral paintings and see what I could come up with. I also added color, lines, and small waves to the work, very similar to the oil spill paintings I've done over the past 2-3 weeks. After a few hours, I stepped back and it seemed the painting came to life. I was blown away!

   Feeling confident, I put the first painting aside to dry some more and stepped up to the larger canvas that had a large rose in the center. It, too, got the "oil spill" treatment. The end result, however, was different than the first painting. Because of its size, distance viewing mattered a great deal. Up close, one can still see the rose, but the additional colors and lines seem a little scattered. However, from a distance of say 15 feet, the painting actually looks three dimensional. To make sure I wasn't getting delusional from all my painting, I asked a friend over to view the paintings, but mainly to see the rose. At first, she looked at it from about five feet away, then approximately 15-20 feet away. Her only comment was, "Holy crap - you're right! It's like magic! I love it!"

   Less than 24 hours later, one would think I would be riding high and eager to paint, but that wasn't the case. I'm unsure if it was a lack of energy, or crash-and-burn type thinking, but I just couldn't get motivated to go into the studio. I even wallowed in the thought that all my successes had come the day before and how on Earth am I going to top my large 3-D rose painting? I called it a day by early afternoon. Thursday is always my day off - my husband and soul mate has a half-day at work and we spend the afternoon together, which at this point, was very beneficial for me.

   Friday rolled around, and after taking two walks and connecting with other female artists to finally clear my head, I picked up the paintbrush again. The first painting I approached was inspired by a glass sculpture that was outside a Mexican restaurant that my husband and I dined at back in September. The glass was arranged in a circular way, that when you looked at it from above, the design looked like it go on forever into infinity. My first rendition of that inspiration was so off the mark, I abandoned the work for about a month. With great trepidation, I took that same work up, turned the canvas upside down, and "oil spilled" it from right to left.

   When I felt I was done, I moved the easel about five feet away, walk over to a comfy old sofa I have in the studio, and said, "Dear God - let me see the beauty of this painting." Then I opened my eyes. Lo and behold, I not only saw beauty in this work, but new patterns, designs, color combinations, and numerous other possibilities that just weren't there before. I was so moved by this painting, as have others, that it will grace my newest batch of business cards, my website, as well as my Facebook page.

   Speaking of websites, my new website, JillLangdon.com, is finally finished. Please check it out and bookmark it as more works will be added to the "Gallery" section and you can stay up to date with showings, classes, etc.

Until next time, I'm going to infinity and beyond,
Jill

                   Infinity copyright 2016 Jill Langdon

                   Rose copyright 2016 Jill Langdon

The Painting Spectrum; What's In A Name?

Lots of art news this week - the new website is under construction and about half done. With the help of my husband Dave, the newer and simpler website should be a reality in about a week. The other news is I will be displaying, for the first time ever, in a joint showing with Dave next summer in Tenants Harbor Maine. It will take place at the newly built Jackson Memorial Library's art gallery. When we drove down the peninsula to meet with the exhibition coordinator, I was amazed at how much space they have dedicated to art work. Some local galleries aren't even this big - label me impressed!

Then reality hit me; especially when the coordinator said, "We'll need about 25-30 pieces." At first I panicked. How on Earth am I going to put together that many pieces, framed and ready to go, within nine months? It doesn't sound like much, but the task is more daunting than most people realize, especially when my husband and I also work and we do our own framing. I breathed a little easier when I remembered I'm sharing this showing with my husband, so I'll only need 12-15 pieces, but I have to remind Dave, "Hey - don't get behind the 8-ball in framing your half of the art show!"

I was also pleased that there was room for larger works, (24x30 inches and up). I was ecstatic about this possibility until I got home - I have done several paintings in this size lately and now I can't decide which one to hang there. One of my recent works has gone through the gamut of names since it was finished about 10 days ago. At first, I named it "Orgasm". Seriously. But I realize I may have to re-title this work, even if only for this show, because the art (and titles) must be suitable for all ages. I looked at the painting closer and saw what looked like several mushrooms. However, when I turned the work upside down, it resembled one or more lilies.

That evening, my hubby Dave and I got into a discussion about art in general. When we were at the library in Tenants Harbor, there were lots of works on display. No offense to those artists, and with all due respect, but almost all the paintings could be grouped into a few categories; mainly floral, landscapes, and nautical. The library coordinator said she was looking for art that didn't fit this genre - she wanted something different... really different. She wanted diversity.

Dave and I agree that numerous artists paint representational or realistic objects and then title the work what it represents. While the art may be easily recognizable and identifiable, there is no imagination required. Abstracts however, and my series inspired by oil spills, represent what I might see, but I can inject a great deal of color, line, and movement, so not only is it pleasing and intriguing, but also thought provoking and engaging.

When it came to titles, that's where our opinions (or at least the thought process) parted ways. I was content to title my works "Oil Spill #1", then "Oil Spill #2", etc., on and on down the line. Dave commented, "...that's not very original. In my opinion, it's sort of a cop-out; like "Untitled". When I see "Untitled", I feel the artist doesn't even know what the finished work is or what it stands for. It doesn't allow the viewer to see what they are drawn to, what they might see, or what they might think it is. If you put an obvious or commanding title to an abstract, the viewer becomes less engaged." Then he suggested, "Why don't you title them, "What would title this painting?" That would be cool."

I thought about his concept for a few minutes, but logistically that wouldn't work. I have to catalog all my paintings in my computer and one of the requirements of the show is to title all works to be able to identify it. I thought we would be breaking the customs of the art community. Dave quipped, "Isn't that what art is all about? Breaking rules; pushing limits? Dare to be different?"

What do you say? To title or not to title?

Until next time,
Jill

The Painting Spectrum - Bold Streaks; Inspired By Oil Spills

I have found my freedom. I am no longer constrained to what is considered making "pretty pictures". The latest series of paintings I've been working on over the past two weeks are an exposure of my soul - the good, the bad, and the ugly... raw emotion. I run the gamut.

Happiness is bright or pastel colors for me. When I'm playing or after I've spent time with any of my grandchildren, I'm usually in a good mood for quite some time afterwards. However, some colors can speak the opposite. Black, for example. To me, this represents loss or grief. In a few of my paintings I either created or work on this week, it showed this as a good friend of mine moved to Louisiana. While it may sound pessimistic, I doubt I'll ever see her again as she is not in the best of health. I miss her already.

One of my works, a painting inspired by glass jars in the shape of an infinity design flopped. What I envisioned in my head, I wasn't able to produce on canvas. It was a learning experience! With another painting, I envisioned seed pods. That turned to including embryo's as symbols of new life. Just as a caterpillar spins its cocoon, so am I creating anew.

For years, a website utilizing my first and last name was not a reality; another user somewhere out in the great Internet void had that domain. It is now available and I grabbed it! Hopefully as early as next week (beginning of October), my new website, JillLangdon.com will be live. "Pretty pictures" are not on the menu. The real me is emerging and with and with that metamorphosis are my experiments with oil spills. Brave, bold, and courageous colors. They speak from the heart to the heart. The paintings evoke raw emotions in the viewing of them.

Not to get deeply spiritual, but there have been many times in my life when it was only God and I. Awe inspiring to say the least. I feel that God joins me while I'm painting and takes over with His small voice directing me what to do next. Maybe it's the same for you. Maybe there's some inner spirit that's greater than yourself that leads you as well. Maybe you think I'm nuts - that's okay.

Expressing myself is my greatest pursuit. The goal for me is to find the beauty within each painting - even the ones (works or subject matter) I consider ugly. However, what I might consider ugly, another person may consider it s bold streak of genius with a color combination.

I've been asking guests who visit my studio, as well as friends and family which paintings from my new series they like. At times, I've been astonished by their responses. I will admit, like many artists, I don't give myself enough credit. I can be overly critical of myself as well as my work.

Onward with my process: Two more large canvases were prepared this weekend ready to be explored upon over the coming week. What will become of them? I'll let you know next week...

I'll close this post with some quotes from Johann Wolfgang von Geothe;
 - "Whatever you can do or dream, you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it."
 -  "Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do."
 - "As soon as we trust ourselves, we will know how to live."

I'm working on that last one, as the jury seems out on that statement.
Until next time,
Jill

The Painting Spectrum - Process And Progress; Week One

Monday, September 12, 2016; this was it - starting a series of oil paintings inspired by man-made oil spills, big and small. The first painting I begin working on has a Gesso foundation on the canvas and a rough sketch - and I've already titled it. There are times when I truly wonder why I name my paintings, sometimes giving them titles that seem to have almost nothing to do with the series I'm working on. Maybe I do this as part of my creative process. By the way, this first painting is entitled "Sundance".

I laid the foundation coat of colors on this work and within a few hours had to put it aside so the oil would start to dry. I began my next painting already entitled "Waterfall". I struggled to find the color I was after. It's moments like these where I wish oil paint came in bright fluorescent colors like Hot Pink. Brilliant Red mixed with pure white did not produce the pink I was after.

In mild desperation, I went rummaging through an old suitcase that was filled with paint and other art supplies. Much to my joy, I found a half-used tube of Cadmium Red Rose. I mixed that paint with my white and came close to a hot pink as I was going to get. I'm satisfied with the bright color even if it isn't screaming fluorescent. A friend of mine asked, "Why don't you just use an acrylic?" Oil paint lasts longer than acrylics... way longer. Hence one reason why the tubes of paint are expensive. Plus the textures and look are different.

On Tuesday, I began "Jewels", only to have created what looked like the face of an alien in a left-hand side circle (another friends description, not mine - although I totally agreed with her). This painting was inspired by a small oil puddle mixing with water on asphalt with the sun hitting it. The blue oil drops on the faded tar that was in my painting stood out like eyes. It was not only distracting, but also disturbing. I let that painting dry for two days.

By mid-week, I went back to working on "Waterfall". I felt like I needed some additional inspiration, so on went the classical music and I "conducted" the painting. My technique was to commence with all the yellows first, as well as the other lighter shades of color, and then have the darker shades be the outlines of shapes, forms, and lines.

On Thursday, I painted "Tapestry". Have you ever experienced working on multiple paintings and some just seem to flow or come together better and/or faster? With this work, it seemed as if I was weaving it together, not stitch by stitch, but color by color.

Friday - time to wrap things up. This was officially touch-up day. On "Sundance", I blended in oil purple to take away some of the pink. I know - after all that searching for the right color, I blended some of it away. Next, I worked the inner circles to have a more oiled feel to them - as if they were flowing from one color to the next.
With the "Jewels" painting, I added black over the asphalt portions of the painting and those so-called "eyes" my friend pointed out, disappeared. The finished painting has a more peaceful look. I did the same procedure to "Waterfall" and gave it a purple glaze over where the asphalt would've been.
Lastly, on "Tapestry", I outlined in dark green some areas that were still bare and lacking color.

Looking back, I had a great week! I'm pleased so far with the paintings as well as the process. We'll see how week #2 goes. I also hope you enjoy these new creations.

The "well-oiled" painter,
Jill

"Jewels"

"Waterfall"

"Tapestry"

"Sundance"

The Painting Spectrum - Oil Paint Spills

For those of you who clicked on this blog post hoping to find an easy cleanup for when you topple over a vast amount of oil paint while painting an art work; sorry to disappoint. We're going to dig a little deeper today. I'm reading a book entitled, "The Happiness of Present - Finding The Quest That Will Bring Purpose To Your Life", by Chris Guillebeau, and I have decided to venture on a quest with my painting journey.

In the past, I've painted realism of flowers, oceans, driftwood, sea shells, animals, sunrises, sunsets, as well as landscapes. I've also abstracted these very same themes. My other abstract works have also contained words, have had paint dripped and splattered onto the canvas, and contained psychedelic lines. All these paintings I've done have increased my drawing and painting skills as well as a sense of design.

Uniting my passion of bright colors and oil paint, I have come to a unique focal point with my work. After having been in a dry spell for the past two months and at times felt like I was dying because I could not create if my life depended on it, I have turned a corner and feel alive like a phoenix rising out of the ashes.

I managed to produce enough sales over the summer to clear out a large portion of my older inventory. Any canvases that were not sold have been glazed over with multiple layers of gesso. Another goal was reached that has also been long awaited; art lovers have become more alerted to my work. So - what does all this have to do with "oil paint spills"?

I live very close to the ocean - the large body of salt water as well as its creatures are very dear to me. Remember the BP (British Petroleum) oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that occurred just over six years ago? Their enormous oil rig caught fire and sank causing the largest environmental disaster in US history. Thanks to the fact that it took 87 days to cap the spill, and all the BP corporate BS, it took massive coordinated efforts from the federal government, the EPA, the Coast Guard, BP itself, and tens of thousands of volunteers, to help with the eventual cleanup that no one was truly prepared for. Even three years later, 4.6 million pounds of "oiled material" was removed from the Louisiana coastline.

My latest quest is to raise awareness of how our own oil consumption (as well as other countries) effects the planet. I'm bringing forth two basic concepts; the beauty of color and how this wild color looks on dirt, water, and other natural surfaces, ie; "spills". My inspiration or "oil spills" have come from numerous places. For example, a vehicle leaking oil onto wet pavement or a heavily photo-shopped digital picture of land and water.

Now that I have canvases to paint on and more room to paint, my goal is to create as many "oil spills" as it takes to raise 4.6 million dollars for environmental protection in the event of another oil spill. Each painting is 16"x20" in size and will sell for $1250 dollars. I realize that this goal will be impossible to reach
overnight or even in the next decade. However, I have given myself a goal of 30 years to accomplish this. That's approximately 100 paintings a year. Given my history, this is entirely doable. I've been averaging between 75-80 a year - and this has been accomplished while taking extensive time off for travel and previous health reasons. Will I reach my goal? I don't know - one day at a time. The joy is in the journey, not the destination.

I have begun numerous paintings already. Each work begins with a rough sketch with burnt umber. The work featured today is entitled "Sundance". You will see why in a few days to a week when it is finished. Until then, paint on!

Jill

The Painting Specrum - Why Beauty Matters

When I logged into my blog account this morning, I was stunned that it has been almost six months since my last post. I could use summer as an excuse, but since the summer weather didn't really start until mid to late May, that leaves about a two month gap in my excuse. I could use the reasons of teaching a painting class, or having displays - but my friends who know me, know that wouldn't fly either. There would still be gaps unaccounted for. However, if I dig deep within myself, I have been on a soul-searching mission in regards to my art. Not just what I paint - but my creative process and where that actually comes from and where my art is going from here.

Did I ever tell you that I love the town I live in? Like many other towns and small cities, it's not perfect. However, not only does it border the ocean, have incredible late spring, summer, and early fall weather, but a good number of people take pride in our towns appearance. For example, numerous people take pride in their homes. It's not solely because we live in a financially affluent area, (even though many of us are not wealthy), but many homes are old sea-captains estates, accented with lush bushes and prolific flower gardens. Many of these homes are located on the side-streets where I take my daily walk.

When I say something is "beautiful", what I'm describing is a quality of the world that God has infused into all creation and what humans do with that creation. The three characteristics usually given in descriptions of beauty are:
 - Unity or Harmony
 - Particularity
 - Awakening of Desire

For example, take a beautiful latte espresso - work with me on this one and read on. First, all parts are well unified: the bean variety, the ground, water temperature, milk, the timing to make the beverage, the foam, and the loving care with which the espresso was made and served. The harmony of the latte-ness if you will. Secondly, the espresso is exactly what it needs to be. We love it for what it is - it's not a cappuccino, or a macchiato. Lastly, the beverage provokes the latte lover pure joyous outbursts. The latte awoke in us a desire for another one, perhaps tomorrow.

Beauty stirs an ache of longing in our hearts. A longing for a sense of order in our lives; a sense of my unique place in the cosmos, and a sense of being caught up in something larger and greater than myself. The power of beauty lies in the extent that we find something beautiful - whether it be a chocolate bar or a huge European cathedral. Beauty invites us to desire an experience of order over the forces of alienation and loneliness.

Likewise, to the extent we experience particularity, it invites us to long for the God of our understanding through our works of culture-making. Daily reminders are needed because the dissolving, homogenizing forces in our lives are powerful. Overly hectic schedules, broken and/or strained relationships, acts of self-sabotage, and other such realities rob us of the sense that each good thing in this world is a gift from God.

I am rededicating myself to beauty. We have the abilities within us to see beauty - and to make beauty shine - from all sorts of things, even broken ones. We just have to refocus our energies. Dreams, goals, and aspirations are important and worthwhile. However, they cannot be the number one or sole focus of our life. We need to look inside as well as outside of ourselves. I can only hope that my paintings and other art works God inspires me to create show love through them.

Until next time,
Jill