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If there is dark then...

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... there can be light.  I say this as a mantra now when I paint. I have recently made a point of studying the work of the American tonalist painters, from the 1880's in particular, George Inness. After visiting  and viewing his work on display at The Delaware Art Museum, I found that in returning to my studio,  I had finally found that my painting soul felt at home. I had an immediate response to the subtle shifts of light and dark that was so very present yet not stark and abrupt. There were grays that united forms yet it was a slight change of tones within the color range that created the mystery. Paraphrasing and condensing information from: What is Tonalism(12 Essential characteristics) by David Adams Cleveland: Tonalism is a  use of subtle color tones,  atmosphere, and nature painted in an emotional way. Using a 19th century approach of lost and found edges to evoke a mysterious sense of place or mood. Landscape elements are presented in a way to affect the emotion, rather th
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#WIP

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Each day I walk into my studio and some days my brush is a magic wand but sometimes it's a piece of lumber.   The important part of that sentence, the take away thought, is "each day". All the best brushes, top notch paints, stacks of sketchbooks + good intentions = nothing until I walk through that door and do something to move myself forward. Surprisingly, sometimes I find going backwards is a way forward too.  A case in point. I rework older paintings. You know, the ones that sit faced to the wall or on a shelf, even hanging in my own living room! Passing by it each day, all of the would have, could have, should haves nudge it back onto my easel. A #WIP, a work in progress, is filled with possibilities to learn, experiment and grow in my skills. I don't need to reinvent the wheel with each painting. A new idea is wonderful but if it's not working out that day I don't walk away. I look over my shoulder at that stack. Remember the past informs the present.
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Talking to myself...again!

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Sweet Solitude  12"Hx24"W, oil on canvas                       Blogs don't always seem to be the way to communicate these days, yet here I am and hopefully you are curious enough to have landed here.   I do manage a reel or two on Instagram, a story here and there, but no, I don't seem to have the wherewithal to set up a vlog. I do, however, appreciate and learn from the ones I follow mainly on youtube! I've just been rereading some of my past blogs. I started writing in 2007, oh geez, that was 15 years ago! It seems part of my painting education has been self talk while painting in my studio. Do you do that too? Often it is accompanied by dance moves that are accented by cracking knees and misinterpreted lyrics. Joyful moments because I'm doing what I love. It seems every now and  then I do more self talk than painting. When I reach that point it is a clear sign that it's time to write down these swirling nuggets of late night wisdom so that I won't
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Location: Mt Ephraim, NJ 08059, USA
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First an Amateur...

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 "Every artist was first an amateur" ...Ralph Waldo Emerson. I have had this quote taped to my computer for years. It's smudged and  torn  from my repeated touching as if it were a talisman. If ever there were a time to truly understand its meaning... it is now.  It is a time that we all need encouragement and something to believe in that depends only on ourselves. Our self reliance and resilience have been called upon in so many ways that to ignore that call to creativity would be to start at a disadvantage.  First of all to start this New Year of 2021, I am thankful having just been notified of this award : Congratulations! You are a  Judge's Pick  winner of the December 2020 DPW Monthly Contest!  "Sea Escape Series No.5" 5"H x 7"W oil on panel  SOLD Now back to the studio!
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Good Bones

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I have to laugh as I write this blog. I skipped last Sunday's check in because of a technical glitch. Today, this is my second version of this blog because my computer ate my first draft... and ooo I thought I had a good one too! The universe is clearly trying to tell me something... bringing me to this question posed by a follower. Q: What do you do with older/failed paintings? Do you throw them out ? A: When a painting has stayed in my hands too long, I know it is only a matter of time before it will be returned to my easel. I never think of a painting as a failure, only as a  work that needs time and more skill to resolve. I am not opposed to reworking a painting. As my skills have grown, my vision for my work has changed. Influenced by other artists that  I study and simply by showing up each day in my studio to paint.   That being said, it is not easy for an artist to rework a finished painting. There is a period of denial, of angst, frustration of time invested and a disappoi
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Location: New Jersey, USA
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The Gifts...

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#work in progress 12"H x 24,oils on canvas by H.Harris I'm late this morning in writing this blog. My most recent painting was just too tantalizing to leave on the easel untouched in the early morning hours. A fragment of color here & there, the wispiness in a cloud  ... it was just too tempting and the blog could wait. If you've been following my journey in my past blogs, this brings me to the fourth stage of my painting progression into other mediums... oils.  I had resisted oils for many years. I always found a reason not to use them . They were toxic, messy and took too long to dry. I'm a prolific painter and had always had a full schedule of art shows to prepare in short time frames. Oils were just too needy....but then as before, it happened ...what if?  I experienced 3 separate incidents that were gifts that changed everything about my work. First , an impromptu  visit to a tiny gallery/studio in Lambertville, NJ where I caught a glimpse of color
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The journey continues...Acrylic

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Acrylic ...that was my next  adventure. After years of establishing a following of watercolor  and mixed media I decided to take off after an idea that I had been kicking around. That "what if " question that lurks behind the " I'm bored" thought, took hold and for the next two years (remember my learning curve) I explored this medium. At first I struggled with the properties inherent to the paint. Unlike watercolor that used water as a vehicle to spread color, acrylic just stayed where I put it. No exciting explosions of colors mixing...  I had to create that .  No accidental forms that pushed my imagination... I had to create that.  WAIT...just why am I torturing myself? Is it worth starting all over again? ...but what if? So it began. Once I set aside my expectations of painting as I had before, I gave my self permission to play. I got paint on my hands, mixing globs of paint just to see how it reacted, smearing it on canvas,papers and panel
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