The Gifts...

-
#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 like no other that fired my imagination and sent me in pursuit of its illusive light.

Second, a casual conversation with artist, Michelle Soslau. The subject of our discussion was painting  in acrylic versus oils. Her thoughts on acrylic absorbing light and oils reflecting it was one of those "but of course, ah-ha moments!"  that clarified my need to head in a different direction.

Third, was simply serendipitous, when my friend, Jude Decker, gave me a gift of water mixable oils as I was about to move to a new home. I was hooked ...my learning curve of two years was now not a time of frustration but a welcome time to playfully explore my skills . As each painting comes off my easel I am feeling more and more excited about the changes that I see happening. Water mixable oils eliminated my excuses of toxicity, and was an easy clean up. I did, however, need to learn patience in handling the drying times of dealing with oils. With this change of medium I was able to bring together my drawing studies, my need to show textures was achieved in my layered brush strokes and palette knife work. My search for light in paint is getting there. I had been content for some time with watermedia work whether it was watercolors, mixed media or acrylic but you never know what influences will affect your work ...just be open to them and then go for it!

 I deeply appreciate my art collectors that have followed me and supported all of these risky moves as I have grown to become the artist that I am.

helenharrispaintings.com


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

#WIP

-
Image
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. ...
Read more

Talking to myself...again!

-
Image
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...
Read more