Art Is Truth

Thanks to everyone who came out to see my work at the Salem Art Fair this month! I had a successful show & I’m getting ready to take work to the galleries this week.  After the frenzy of getting ready for the Fair, things have slowed down a bit here on the farm. We are back to enjoying the simple things:  Watching the critters interact

Lola keeping an eye on Speedy the Hen (& vice versa)

Adopting a homeless mama cat & her litter of 5… Please! Spay & Neuter your cats! This poor mama is just a baby herself. She’s now installed in our barn & will be off to the vet as soon as we can get these babies stable.

The poor little runt of the litter

Working in the garden! Here is the new arbor that my husband built above our gate while I was at the art fair Didn’t he do well?

This weekend I took a break to trot down to the Queen of Tarte for her barn sale. Here is what I found! And I had the perfect place for it next to our fireplace. I got so inspired, I started another sewing project… a velvet throw for the sofa. It’s already gone to good use as you can see

Antique French Wine Cask

Today it’s back to the studio… I hope you’re enjoying summer and staying relaxed & cool.

The best part of one’s life is the working part, the creative part. Believe me, I love to succeed; but the real spiritual and emotional excitement is in the doing.

-Garson Kanin

"Evening Bouquet" Watercolor & Gouache 25x35"

I’ve been working on new paintings for the Salem Art Fair and getting them framed this week. The painting above is larger than my usual work, which means it is more difficult to frame. I feel like I’ve made a breakthrough though, in that I finally figured out how to cut mat that is oversized on my mat cutter. Today I will pick up the glass, and then the whole thing can go together! This painting has taken longer than many, and gone through many versions. I took my time, though in the finishing & I’m very pleased with it. I love the creamy colors you can get with gouache!

I hope many of you will plan to come out for the art fair this weekend. Not only is it a great chance to see art & hear music in a beautiful setting, but it is a valuable fundraiser for the Salem Art Association. The art association brings such wonderful programs to the community. One way you can tell, is by the fantastic volunteers that show up each year. I’ve been doing the show for quite a few years, and made so many friendships in Salem! I’m looking forward to seeing some of you See the link above for complete information… hours, maps, etc.

I’ll leave you with a picture from yesterday morning… as I was talking to a friend on the phone, this sweet young thing pranced into the lower pasture. I barely caught it on film before it was gone

We had a lot of feverish activity in the garden over this long weekend. Our forcast calls for extreme heat this week, and the weekend was long and cool, perfect for working on the hillside in progress. I wanted to set in all my new plant purchases before the heat sets in and the sprinkler tune-up on Wednesday. Lots of hand watering, digging, rock hauling etc. Our backs are really feeling the consequences, but the hillside is taking shape! We had some help from one of my daughter’s college buddies and our sturdy tractor. The bunting above the fence was crafted by Amelia in a move to keep the deer from jumping the fence. It looks higher and adds some fun color to the garden. Hard to tell in the picture, but the triangles are made from bandannas. A friend had suggested Tibetan prayer flags, but this seemed more appropriate for the country feel of our house for now. We will see how they weather, and whether they fool the deer.

This weekend brought another excitement… our first glimpse of a new fawn in our yard, just below this project on the lawn early Saturday morning. She was so sweet, if shy. Sorry, no time for a photo… she was too fast.

Summer is in full swing here… and with it I have become highly distractible. I feel like I’m running in many different directions at top speed. This post is titled in homage to one of the books I’m currently reading: Why I Wake Early, poems by Mary Oliver.  Her work focuses on the small daily realities in such a beautiful way, and reminds me to slow downand enjoy the beauty of each moment. You can find many volumes of her poetry at your library on on the web.

Another reason I’ve been waking early is the chickens, or more precisely, the rooster. It seems we have a rooster in the flock and my godson has named him Benny. He is becoming more proficient at crowing, and recently practices throughout the day, beginning at 5 a.m. He’s taking quite a liking to his ladies too, and I’m hoping that signifies that they are reaching the stage when they may start laying. Here is a collage of some of these lovely creatures They are really fun to watch.

I’ve still been making time to paint… Here are a couple of new images.

"New Vista" - Watercolor & Gouache 15x22

"Contented Solitude" Watercolor & Gouache, 11x15 copyright 2010

I’m deciding which new paintings will be framed, which will be entered in juried competitions, which will need more work. My next show will be the Salem Art Fair & Festival, July 16, 17 & 18, 2010. I hope to see many of you there! Mention my blog for a 10% discount My gift to you! Directions, hours and a listing of participating artists are available on their website: http://salemartfair.weebly.com/visit.html

I’m also so excited to be readying one of my paintings for shipping to the Rocky Mountain National Watermedia Exhibition. The juror this year was Judy Morris, whom I respect & admire for her beautiful watercolors. The show runs from September 11 – October 31, 2010 at the Foothills Art Center in Golden, Colorado. If you find yourself in the area, stop in & see the show. It will showcase 80 of the top watercolor entries from across the United States & beyond.

Finally, I’ve been spending lots of time in the garden. The vegetables are up and need daily weeding, and we have finally finished the gate and fence surrounding the patch. I did lots of research online until I found a gate design that I liked, and my husband built a very close replica. Here is a link to the original idea which I found on the site of Kirsch-Korff.com. They have some beautiful gates! And here is the gate we made! We still need to install the arbor above…

Now we are hard at work on the hillside below the vegetable garden. This was originally lawn, but so steep I didn’t like to take the riding mower on it. A few months ago, we had the tractor guys, Bob & John DeNino, move some of the huge boulders from our pastures to the hillside. Last week they came back (now that it is dried out finally) to do some digging.

John & Bob, hard at work

Last night my husband & I took our little tractor and moved some more rocks, digging them in by hand to make steps and a path in the terraces. We have more to do, but here it is in progress:

Almost ready for planting!

It's hard to be patient till it is done!

I have been shopping for plants and have a good stash built up, but still need more This garden is keeping me fit!

Finally I’d like to thank all the new subscribers who have signed up for email updates. I’m sorry it has been so long since my last post! I guess I need to get up earlier!

When I don’t know what to do with my painting, I reach for food. This happens quite frequently, and I think it might have started in a workshop setting. It is natural to step away from one’s painting when it needs to dry for a few minutes, or to gain a fresh perspective… and in a workshop, there is always a table laden with goodies quite handy in the back of the room!

Here at home, I have to prepare my own snacks. Often I reach for something sweet or salty… crackers or cookies… brain food! By the time I’ve munched a little bit, I feel restored enough to face the next decision in the saga of my painting. I lost quite a bit of weight last year, but if I keep this up, I’ll have to go on a diet all over again

Just for your entertainment though, I’m going to share a recipe that had been haunting my memory until just recently when my friend Ellen kindly shared her recipe for ‘Kin Kahn.’  Kin Kahn means Golden Treasure in Japanese, and these kumquats steeped in Sake are a true treasure.  Ellen shared these little yum-yums at our book club retreat a few years ago, and I couldn’t get them out of my mind.  Another friend tells me that in Argentina these are made with brandy and can be quite strong. Maybe I’ll try that next.

Kin Kahn – Golden Treasure – (I call them Drunken Kumquats)

About a dozen kumquats – prick each 2-3 times with a toothpick , cover with water and simmer 10 mins.

Drain & discard water

Mix 1 1/4 cup water, 5 tbsp. Sugar, 1/3 tsp. salt, 2 tbsp. sake  and simmer kumquats in this mixture for 30 mins. Refrigerate, letting the fruit rest in this liquid overnight.

Delicious served with toothpicks as an appetizer, or with a little pot-liquor poured over vanilla ice-cream. (twelve is only enough for one or two people in my humble opinion! You might want to double the recipe)

Next time you’re faced with a tough decision in your painting… try the ‘snack’ method. It works for me What do you do when you reach that point?

Very few people possess true artistic ability. It is therefore both unseemly and unproductive to irritate the situation by making an effort. If you have a burning, restless urge to write or paint, simply eat something sweet and the feeling will pass.   Fran Lebowitz.

June 5 will mark the two year anniversary of my blog, and this post will be my 101st post! I thought it would be nice to mark the occasion with an interview with Donna Zagotta. Donna is an accomplished artist & instructor, and she has been one teacher whose class has made a big impact on my work in the past two years. You can view more of her incredible work at her website: http://www.donnazagotta.com/ Also, while you’re there, check out her blog. It’s full of thoughtful observations about art and inspiring questions for the artist. If you ever get a chance to sign up for one of her classes, don’t hesitate! 

Many thanks, Donna, for taking the time to answer these interview questions!

"Uptown Girls", 10"x10", copyright Donna Zagotta

1. What is the best thing about being an artist who teaches? The worst thing?

Being an artist who teaches and writes compels me to identify and clarify ideas and issues that I believe are important in creating art. Secondly, having to find clear and concise ways to communicate those ideas and issues to others helps me better understand myself and my work. 

On the negative side is traveling – which these days is less fun for me than it used to be, and the time that teaching and writing take away from my painting – which is considerable. 

2. Your studio looks amazingly organized and user friendly. Do you have any tips on how to organize one’s studio?

My best advice is to have a home for everything that you bring into the studio. I learned that lesson years ago when I painted in our basement and had no organized system – just piles of stuff everywhere. There were so many times when I would be in the middle of a huge watercolor wash and would need something unexpectedly. The frantic search for it was not a very fun or pleasant experience. My goal these days is to be able to find anything and everything in my studio within a few minutes.

3. Does your environment influence your painting? How?

I am very affected by my environment. I like open spaces and a calm, relaxed, and “pretty” environment. Dust and dirt don’t bother me too much – clutter bothers me a lot! 

4. What is the best part of working in your studio?

That it’s adjacent to the rest of the rooms in the main level of our house. I paint in what used to be our living room, which is next to the kitchen, dining room, bathroom, and family room. With the kids are gone and with my very supportive husband’s blessings, I now consider the whole main level of our house as “my studio.”

5. You mention your father’s untimely death as one impetus for you to begin taking your art more seriously. Are there other events that have influenced your artwork? How?

• Teaching has greatly influenced my art, for the reasons I mentioned previously. Being invited to teach at a university in the early 1990’s really forced me to get my p’s and q’s together – literally! I always say that I learn more in my classes than anyone else.
•  Being juried into and receiving awards in the top national watercolor shows has been a great help in building confidence in myself and in my work.
• Studying art history and connecting my art to the historical art movements that appeal to me have played  very important roles in my artistic growth.    
• Paying attention to why I’m attracted to certain subjects and finding my connection to them has given me the opportunity to know myself better.  

6. If you could summarize one idea or feeling that you hope all your paintings would portray, what would it be?

 Life is beautiful!

 7. What kinds of support or inspiration do you gather from other artists? How does this influence your work?

 I have been influenced by many artists. Learning what ignites another artist’s passion shows me more about what my art can be. I have been able to bring many new ideas to my art that I don’t think would have occurred to me otherwise by studying the work I love done by other artists.

 8. When you purchase art, what types of work do you choose?  

 I really like to look at art that says as much about the artist who created it as it does about the subject that inspired it.   

9. What other interests do you have? Do they contribute or take away from your art?

I used to play the piano and the organ, and I used to  sew, crochet, and do all sorts of crafts.  When I decided to pursue watercolor seriously, I decided to give up most of my other hobby-type of activities. I wanted to focus all my energy and attention on painting. I didn’t want to be a “jack of all trades and master of none” – I wanted to master watercolor. That’s also the reason that I don’t paint in other mediums – oils, acrylics, pastels, etc. I am glad that I made that decision some 25 or so years ago, as the more I learn, the more I see there is to learn. It will take a whole lifetime just to scratch the surface of mastery.  

10. Do you foresee any changes in your work in the next few years? 

I don’t see any large changes happening. I love the direction of my current work – my hope is to make it more creative and more authentically my own.  

11. What does your art mean to you?

My art means everything to me. It has given my life a central focal point, an ever evolving passionate obsession, a place to find and express my personal voice, and new and exciting challenges to meet with every painting I begin. I am very grateful to have a grand, passionate pursuit in my life!   

I hope you are all enjoying a relaxing Memorial Day and taking time to remember family, friends and those who serve our country in the Armed Forces.

Utah Sunset

 Last week I  returned from a great trip to Utah for the Western Federation of Watercolor Societies Exhibition. My friend, and fellow past WSO President, Jayne and I had a great time viewing the terrific art and meeting old an new friends among the delegates and artists in attendance. The Utah Watercolor Society did a great job of hosting the exhibition, and really made all of us feel welcome and honored.  The above photo was taken from the deck of a beautiful home overlooking Salt Lake City where we had a wonderful welcoming dinner.

As you can see, the view was great!

 Some highlights of the trip…..

The Delegates & Alternates from all Eleven Groups

Dave & Debbie Cook, New Mexico Hosts next year

Jayne & I at the exhibition reception

Salt Lake City Hall

Jamie Wyeth Exhibit - Seven Deadly Sins

Touring Temple Square

The Texas Contingent: Gale Webb, Jim-Bob Swinney, Jonesy McConnell and Bonnie's daughter Dawn

Jim-Bob and his daughter Dawn were there for the presentation of the Bonnie Swinney Memorial Award. Bonnie was the delegate from Lubbock for years, and this is the first time I’ve attended a meeting without her smiling face. She was terribly missed, but I know she was looking down on the whole thing with pride & joy.

I stayed a couple of extra days in Salt Lake with my cousin Lucy & her husband Drew. They were the perfect hosts… and it was fun to see their construction project… a new addition for kitchen and master suite! Lucy & I shared gardening ideas and I got to see first-hand the dedication that goes into her fabulous racing success. Read more about the Intermountain cup and all their biking adventures on their blog.

While in Salt Lake City, I took the opportunity to do some genaology research at the Family History Library. What a fabulous place! Unfortunately, I found answers to some questions… but they only raised other questions. I ruled out some clues that I had found, but didn’t really locate any information on my great-grandparents, who emigrated from Germany. The search continues!

Of course, the best part of any trip is coming home. While I was away, my sweet husband put together my new Greenhouse! The weekend and yesterday we spent time laying weed-block and installing raised beds. The next phase will be building the deer fence, then I can finally plant my garden!

Nice & Dry inside!

Soil for 4 raised beds = BACKACHE!

Curly, Larry & Moe Welcomed me Home

I’m ALMOST glad it’s raining today so I can spend some time getting caught up with paperwork and get into my studio! I hope you can see how rich and wonderful our soil is for the raised beds. It came from the composted manure pile near the barn…. thanks to the first owners of this home who had horses! I hope everyone has a special Memorial Day weekend planned. I will be spending it in the garden

I’m on my way to Salt Lake City for the Western Federation of Watercolor Society’s Annual Exhibition, but I wanted to share a site with you that is featuring my art and writing today! http://katherinetreffinger.blogspot.com/2010/05/ruth-armitage-art-and-meaning.html Katherine Treffinger has been compiling different responses about what art means to the artists that make it. Each response is unique and all are interesting and inspiring. Check it out! I’ll be back soon… I’m hoping the farm animals don’t grow too much while I’m away. I know my daughter will take good care of them

As promised, I’m sharing a few images that I did a couple of weeks ago in Santa Barbara. I was pretty happy with some of these paintings. It makes such a difference to be able to focus only on painting  for a whole week!

"Morning Light" 15"x22"

Try as I might, I can’t seem to get a good photograph of this painting. The colors don’t really come through. I guess I’ll need to get it professionally photographed. Trust me when I say that this is a subtle painting, but there is richer color than the photo shows.

"Evening Vista" 16"x15"

It was a busy weekend here on the farm… Our new babies are finally weaned and arrived on Saturday after we spent all morning fixing the fence. We are now the proud owners of three young kids…. Larry, Moe & Curly! Sunday was devoted to my mom… her birthday as well as Mother’s Day. We sat in the sun and ate brunch while all the kids and husbands waited on us It was a beautiful day. 

'Curly'

Larry looks like  Curly, except his ears are brown, and Moe is black with brown markings. They are so cute… and useful! Their first bites in the pasture were none other than the prolific, insidious, invasive and pervasive Himalayan blackberry! I’m so excited to get this place rid of all the noxious weeds

On Friday my sister & I took a trip up to Woodland Washington to see the Hulda Klager Lilac Garden. It was a kind of showery day, but the lilacs were gorgeous. I bought a large one and two smaller ones, one of which went to my friend Sue, who raised our goat kids.

"Glory" one of my favorite Lilacs

This particular variety has huge, softball sized flower clusters and the individual blossoms are very large and richly fragrant! I’m just sorry I couldn’t bring one of these babies home There is a waiting list for the plants! If you plan to attend next year’s lilac festival, I would recommend going early in the season when they have the most variety of plants available. I was a little disappointed that they were out of a few of my favorite types.

This year we also took time to tour the house, which is restored to period detail, just as Hulda Klager would have lived. It was a great way to escape the showers

Life here on the farm has been busy and full: fixing the fence, planting and weeding in the garden, enjoying the wildlife from our kitchen window. We’ve had abundant deer, rabbits, coyote, hummingbirds, goldfinches and this guy came strutting out one night just as we sat down to dinner.

I’m getting ready for my daughter to move home this week. She’s the first one done with classes so she’ll get a jump on the job market and get to bond with the livestock here Also, I’m excited to be traveling to Salt Lake City on Thursday for the Western Federation of Watercolor Societies’ Annual Exhibition. I’m looking forward to seeing the show, which will include paintings from each of the eleven different watercolor groups that comprise the Federation. It’s also a great opportunity to network between the groups, sharing ideas and brainstorming about how the societies are organized and function. While I’m there I’ll get to visit my cousin Lucy & her husband Drew, and do a little research on my family tree! It’s getting harder and harder to leave home though, as the weather gets nicer & nicer!

"Spring Song" 15"x11"

I can’t believe time has gotten away from me for so long. It’s been three weeks since I posted! I’m torn  between trying to catch up in one long post, or dividing this post into shorter, topic specific posts. I guess that would probably be the best way.

The past three weeks have been spent: Painting at a workshop with Skip Lawrence in Santa Barbara, babysitting my 3-yr. old godson for 3 days, visiting my oldest daughter at OSU, spending some down time with a doozy of a cold, and working in  the garden. Spring has sprung and I’m so happy to be getting things accomplished!

I loved every minute of painting in Santa Barbara last month. Some of my paintings were successful and others weren’t, and that is a good thing. I think that if all of them were successful, I wouldn’t have been pushing myself. It was great to have a whole week to just focus on painting and nothing else. It is amazing what that can do for your creativity and confidence.

I wonder when people see my work at a show or gallery if they realize that its always a struggle to make time to paint. I wonder if they realize that Pollyanna doesn’t always sit in the room with me saying how wonderful each work is. Doubts creep in, rejections are recalled, the laundry needs to be done, the weeds are sprouting, the darned phone starts to ring just as you pick up a brush.

One of the women in our class invited the whole group to her beautiful home in Montecito for a potluck dinner on Thursday night. One of the highlights for me (aside from the stunning views and gorgeous art collection) was visiting her studio. I love to see where artists work. I wish I had snapped some photos of the actual space (but it was full of artists!) One thing I did bring home as a souvenir though, was a list she had taped to her easel.

NOTES TO MYSELF ON STARTING A PAINTING

(RICHARD DIEBENKORN) 

-ATTEMPT WHAT IS NOT CERTAIN – CERTAINTY MAY OR MAY NOT COME LATER. IT MAY BE A VALUABLE DELUSION. 

-THE PRETTY, INITIAL POSITION WHICH FALLS SHORT OF COMPLETENESS IS NOT TO BE VALUED – EXCEPT AS STIMULUS FOR FURTHER MOVES. 

-DO SEARCH, BUT IN ORDER TO FIND OTHER THAN WHAT IS SEARCHED FOR. 

-USE AND RESPOND TO THE INITIAL FRESH QUALITIES BUT CONSIDER THEM ABSOLUTELY EXPENDABLE. 

-DON’T ‘DISCOVER’ A SUBJECT – OF ANY KIND. 

-SOMEHOW, DON’T BE BORED – BUT IF YOU MUST, USE IT IN ACTION. USE ITS DESTRUCTIVE POTENTIAL. 

-MISTAKES CAN’T BE ERASED BUT THEY MOVE YOUR FROM YOUR PRESENT POSITION. 

-KEEP THINKING ABOUT POLLYANNA. 

-TOLERATE CHAOS. 

-BE CAREFUL ONLY IN A PERVERSE WAY.

I giggle to think of the illustrious Richard Diebenkorn trying to channel Pollyanna while painting. Reminding himself to keep a positive attitude… let it flow. I think there are enough grains of wisdom in that quote to expand into several posts.

In our class, there was one woman who had never picked up a paintbrush before. She is a successful physician and signed up in the hope of learning to paint before taking an extended trip around the world. She had admired the work of another artist who studied with Skip and recommended him as a teacher. 

As experienced artists know, it takes much more than a week to learn to paint. But her enthusiasm and naivety allowed her to create something quite wonderful on the first day. On subsequent days, her critical mind got in the way and she was less successful. It was an interesting phenomenon to watch… Pollyanna was helping her on the first day! Once you’ve been painting for quite a while, it’s harder to get Pollyanna to stick around to watch but if you could tie her up in the studio, telling you things like wow! great job! that’s beautiful!, etc. it just might help.

The sun is shining & I’ve GOT to get out in the garden! Next post I’ll share some of the work I did in class. I’m quite pleased with some of them. Do you paint near Pollyanna? I’d be interested to hear your perspective.