Finished ? "Goddess of golden egg"

The painting stayed in the storage for almost a year, I added a fugue if goddess, hope it  has finished feeling now. What do you think?

Underpainting"Goddess of the golden egg"

Spend a long time working on this piece,but got stuck (2010) . Love the painting,but have a mixed feeling about missing a focal point. So I am pulling out the painting and we will see...

Tomatoes..tomatoes 20x20 oil,collage

So often i disagree with my little daughter. She is really, really does not behaive as an 8 years old. Sometimes I feel that she is a tiny version of Paris Hilton. Why do I have such a test in my life? (considering that I do not know how to deal with girlfriends and truly have only one female friend that can tolerate me without a grain of pity or judgment.) We argue about everything with my daughter, all kind of nonsense:) May be it is me who has to be smarter and more tolerant and allow more "drama" and stage in life...?

Interesting article from PROF ZEKI'S MUSINGS blog

Desire, sexual misconduct and deactivation of cortical areas

It must not be assumed that people who are brilliant in their work, rational in their thinking, caring in their attitude and sympathetic to others in their daily life are necessarily acting “out of character” when confronted with strong desires.

There are situations, and powerful sexual desire is almost certainly one of them, when a person is no longer in control of his or her actions. I say “almost certainly” for I have not seen the results of any experiments on this topic. But there have been papers on the cerebral activity that accompanies intense feelings of love as well as sexual activity. These have shown that, in addition to cortical areas that are active during these experiences, the two states, and especially the latter, lead to de-activation of large parts of the cortex.

Included in the de-activated areas are those which are traditionally thought to be important for judgment. Hence, this cortical de-activation may provide the reason for why we “take leave of our senses” in these conditions and sometimes behave in ways which are injurious to ourselves and others, as well as being incomprehensible and “out of character”.

One consequence is that we are less judgmental about those we love; another consequence is that we are also less judgmental about ourselves, our actions and even our future. Put more briefly, the first and highest priority is satisfy the desire.

How else to account for why great and honourable men and women have risked their future in trying to satisfy their desire, often through behaviour that is incomprehensible and “out of character”?

It is also important to note, as a reflection of brain specializations, that this lapse in judgment is not universal. One who takes "leaves of his senses" in matters of love or desire may be quite rational in judgment of mathematical or historical or scientific problems. In other words, it is not the faculty of judgment that is lost but only judgment in certain domains.

Whenever the world is mesmerized by the downfall of one man through a momentary lapse of judgment, we might do well to recall that in situations of love and desire, we may not be in control of our actions, or be in only minimal control of our actions because of the de-activation of our cortex. Consequently, we should not be too quick to pass a moral judgment.

"Good Morning, Darling" oil ,mixed media,collage.16x16 $300

Lately I feel strangely aware of life, if you know what I mean. Strong ,pulsating energy goes through my body, it is different from  excitement and at the same time it is the closest description that comes to mind. It is like i do not need glasses any more and my senses are heightened. I go through the day with a thought:" Thank you, G..d , for letting me live"

"My head is in the clouds" oil,collage 20x20 sold

A while ago i went to astrology reader. After long in-comprehensive (for me) talk about planets and charts,I just understood that my head:" is in the clouds". My mother that happened to be with me at that time looked at me with pity and said: "that's explains a lot,...your poor husband"
This painting was done so fast,it came to me spontaneously  and was executed in 2 days.Probably that fortune teller knew what she is talking about

Believing in yourself.

The is a thought that well expressed.
" Piccasso was a terrible colorist. Turner couldn’t paint human beings worth a damn. Saul Steinberg’s formal drafting skills were appalling. TS Eliot had a full-time day job. Henry Miller was a wildly uneven writer. Bob Dylan can’t sing or play guitar.

Nobody suddenly discovers anything. Things are made slowly and in pain.
Nobody can tell you if what you’re doing is good, meaningful or worthwhile. The more compelling the path, the more lonely it is."

 Nobody has it all, it is about individuality and acceptance.I think it relates to anybody who is defending there own identity. What is interesting is that we have to overcome the desire, the need to be accepted.we asking to be embraced and understood now.... while all of us knows of delayed gratification. why oh why?

Mr. John Collier notes from the book "The Art of Portrait Painting" about John Singer Sargent

Cultivate an ever-continuous power of observation. Wherever you are, be always ready to make slight notes of postures, groups and incidents. Store up in the mind without ceasing a continuous stream of observations from which to make selections later. Above all things get abroad, see the sunlight, and everything that is to be seen, the power of selection will follow. Be continually making mental notes, make them again and again, test what you remember by sketches until you have got them fixed. Do not be backward at using every device and making every experiment that ingenuity can devise, in order to attain that sense of completeness which nature so beautifully provides, always bearing in mind the limitations of the materials in which you work.

thoughts,from an article by Keith Bond

"Somewhere along the way, you get some illumination – some new information – whether from books, DVDs, a workshop, a mentor, or by some other means.  Surprisingly this new-gained knowledge actually makes things more difficult and confusing.  This new light upon the path that you had been travelling casts shadows upon what you had once understood.
As an artist you will travel through many days and nights and climb many mountains.  Some nights are darker than others.  Some bless you with a full moon.  But daylight always comes."
by Keith Bond

Work in progress.

I decided that previous work was too gentle, really wanted to add some personality.The family is from ukrainian descent and i thought about making colors stronger adding a little bit folklore. Also it felt to me that image of the tree was too heavy for a yong girl and changed it to birches.

"The thicker you paint, the more color flows."John Singer Sargent

Work in progress

I had to work on commission portrait of a little girl. Her name is Anya or Annyshka, she is 3 years old. The problem or I should say challenge is that i never saw her. So i tried to gather as much as i could about Anya from her Grandma. This is my first attempt. Her family really loves flowers and spend a lots of time outdoors. As i been told that she is an old soul,i implemented a symbol of wisdom,The tree on the bacground.

Old painting ,revisited

Remember my very first post ? I sold that painting. Lesson : it is good to revisit old work, you do not feel emotional attachment and you get the large picture .

How do I know?

I paint every day (almost), I can not imagine my life without it, I successfully sell my art and still do not know what makes someone an Artist. What should separate one from a passionate amateur to professional. Is it $$$ ? Well that would be not right. Would it be the definition of making living by it? But it is again about money. Is it how many hours you spend working at it? But one can spend countless hours (providing financial and social independence ) , It still does not always cut it. Is it a good luck magic ? I probably agree that you can do everything but without Luck or Star or Patron :)) Is it a quality of art? It is also a very subjective opinion in the modern world.

First Follower,thank you Gwen.

Wow,wow,wow!!!!! I have got my first follower. Gwen Bell ,thank you so much i do not know were i will end up with my journey but you always will be the First Follower. It is so wonderful when fellow artist is kind enough to give a shoulder. It takes a big heart.

my recycling

I love to shop but not for clothes, for little "chachkas". Home Sense store is my heaven,once I saw a framed painting on clearance. It was all scratched and obviously ready to be thrown out.I bought it and use for my own project.

  This way I Found out that when you get cheap canvas that already framed it kills 3 goals.

1 . Art is framed.

2. Framed canvas is cheaper than new canvas at art supply store.

3. I hope it is like recycling, buy on clearance and reuse .

Final result "The Union" 30x30 oil and collage on framed canvas

 

as you see i added a mask, felt that every Union have an element of mystery. Is it not what is the Marriage about? it is quite unpredictable.

painting in progress, "union" 30x30,oil,collage

My latest painting.It is  not my usual pallet but that is why i love to work on commissions. I found that being restricted in some sense with environment and knowing surroundings helps me to be organized and more precise. It is done on framed canvas that i found on clearance in some Home and Garden store. that is my way of recycling.

Well, rejection #2.

 This time is much easier, at least there were not rude. I wonder how many I will go through before finding a perfect match. It is like looking for a love relationships. Getting exited, putting a make up,styling your hair, gathering courage and thinking what you will talk about. Than pooh, nothing, ziptik, zero ,no, big NO. Does it really matter why? But you go home feeling miserable and thinking b..i..g.. picture. Why it is never working out, notice the "never" here. What is wrong with me ? the best solution is to avoid generalizations. It is all about your own very personal style. I guess the main Question is how commercial do you want to be. What is the most important place in art for you,just you. Probably it comes down to : can you afford to be you ?It comes with a great price, either material, financial or personal .

Transcript

MAD
485 MADISON AVENUE · NEW YORK N. Y. 10022 · PLAZA 2-7685

Dear Contributor:-

Sorry, but we've got bad news!

You've been rejected!

Don't take this personally though. All of us feel rejected at one time or another. At least, that's what our group therapist tells us here at MAD. He says we shouldn't worry about it.

So that should be your attitude: "What-Me worry?"

Besides - although you've been rejected, things could have been a lot worse. Your material might have been ACCEPTED!

Then where would you be?

MAD-ly

(Signed, 'Al Feldstein')

Al Feldstein
Editor

P.S. Our group therapist also mentioned that many people are so rejected by a rejection that they don't try again. And we wouldn't want THAT! We really WOULD like you to keep sending us your article ideas and scripts. . .so we can keep sending you these idiotic rejection slips!

growing pain of an artist. Rejection #1 and lesson

 I never sold through galleries. I really do not know how to approach them , totally luck the business site. I am new to commercial site of art. So it is probably the few  years in my life that was selling my paintings to somebody I know. And of course kids portraits that I do on commissions. 

So 6 month ago I decided to put a web site together (actually my husband forced :) me to). And i started to paint even more,getting out of my comfort zone. I have got  advise on approaching a certain gallery with referral from a very prominent curator of museum. I send an email to the owner of the Gallery and got... a very rude brush off. 

Oh boy, for over a month I am not able to paint, jumping from one website to another to see what is out there ,what sells,how to sell,what technique is necessary for me to improve, being lost , not being able to implement new things but also loosing my own way, being afraid to make mistakes, always thinking if my painting will receive approval. Probably it is not the longest block but the most damaging in my life. In one week I went through the roof from BIG expectation to feeling of falling down like a sandwich. Always face down. 

And than few days ago I realised that I did not get commercial, but I also lost the joy in my life. Something that helped me function , just me . In reality it is  No matter if I am selling or not. And I do not have right to take away that feeling of being myself.  The true feeling of freedom, where limitation is only your skills level . But it is only you who has control over it. It is so wonderful to play and love and be mad when you want to . Forget the others opinion and judgement .Just paint.To be free, that is the lesson.

P.S. also I still would love to be accepted.:)) Oh that mercantile part of us....