- Published on
"Woman in Gray, Skewed" (inspired by Rufino Tamayo's "Woman in Gray") - mixed media on paper, 19" x 13". Ready to frame. Available here and at Artfinder.
This is the next piece in my self-created home study of Rufino Tamayo. The original appealed to me because of the very primitive treatment of the form, the very neutral, earthy palette and simple shapes. I love the way the form dominates the entire composition, and preserved that in my skewed version.
Again, as with "Boy in Blue, Skewed", the best parts are where watercolor and crayon peek through the chalky gesso and paint mixture. Once more, the temptation to refine, make realistic, soften was nearly impossible to resist. Nearly.
"What's useful here is not the mental press for some kind of perfection, but the heartfelt effort to see and hear what's calling from beneath the surface facts of the world." - MARK NEPO
A reminder from my unusual art muse (NEPO) that the mental press of perfection isn't the goal at all.
This is the next piece in my self-created home study of Rufino Tamayo. The original appealed to me because of the very primitive treatment of the form, the very neutral, earthy palette and simple shapes. I love the way the form dominates the entire composition, and preserved that in my skewed version.
Again, as with "Boy in Blue, Skewed", the best parts are where watercolor and crayon peek through the chalky gesso and paint mixture. Once more, the temptation to refine, make realistic, soften was nearly impossible to resist. Nearly.
"What's useful here is not the mental press for some kind of perfection, but the heartfelt effort to see and hear what's calling from beneath the surface facts of the world." - MARK NEPO
A reminder from my unusual art muse (NEPO) that the mental press of perfection isn't the goal at all.
Woman in Gray, Skewed
This daily looking at Tamayo (and by looking, I also mean sketching and exploring with paint) really reduces, narrows, hones - my eyes begin to see the simplest of shapes in a compositional setting. For those of you with a formal art education, perhaps this realization seems rudimentary. For me it is a revelation.
Nepo, in The One Life We're Given, mentions the practice of tracking whale sightings in ship logs from the 1800's. "And all processes of art are essentially ship logs, in which we track the appearance of what matters, and it surprises us with its majestic breach in to the ordinary moments of our day." These studies are my ship logs. A little aha, a majestic breach. I will keep looking.
Nepo, in The One Life We're Given, mentions the practice of tracking whale sightings in ship logs from the 1800's. "And all processes of art are essentially ship logs, in which we track the appearance of what matters, and it surprises us with its majestic breach in to the ordinary moments of our day." These studies are my ship logs. A little aha, a majestic breach. I will keep looking.
Woman in Gray, Rufino Tamayo 1931 - oil on canvas
small sketch
marks and watercolor over small sketch
- Published on
Quieting Thieves
"Quieting Thieves" - mixed media on paper, 15" x 22". Available here and at Artfinder.
One of the ten finished paintings from the Stan Kurth Freedom in Watermedia workshop, this piece surprised me. It is what happens when I am immersed in uninterrupted painting for many days, and all the annoying daily worries outside of the art are quieted.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi would call this Finding Flow. The same flow I find after a long morning of working in soil, or in the days when I could rake leaves and haul mulch. All the constant chatter monkeys in my mind are hushed, and wonderful things can happen.
Mark Nepo calls this "Quieting the Thieves" (Things That Join the Sea and Sky). We carry lists of things to do, hold them dear and give them priority.
"...it is the insidious virtue to have everything in order before we live that is the greatest thief." - MARK NEPO
One of the ten finished paintings from the Stan Kurth Freedom in Watermedia workshop, this piece surprised me. It is what happens when I am immersed in uninterrupted painting for many days, and all the annoying daily worries outside of the art are quieted.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi would call this Finding Flow. The same flow I find after a long morning of working in soil, or in the days when I could rake leaves and haul mulch. All the constant chatter monkeys in my mind are hushed, and wonderful things can happen.
Mark Nepo calls this "Quieting the Thieves" (Things That Join the Sea and Sky). We carry lists of things to do, hold them dear and give them priority.
"...it is the insidious virtue to have everything in order before we live that is the greatest thief." - MARK NEPO
I've spent a lot of my life trying to finish lists. Crossing things off gives me satisfaction. It gives me the illusion I am ever closer to the time when I can relax and really enjoy life. As if it must be done in that order. Yet these lists (and worries I touch with my thoughts each day) are the very thieves which must be quieted. The things which prevent flow.
One very good way to quiet thieves is to spend a few minutes immersed in the wisdom of someone else's words. Here's a link to a TED Talk by David Whyte (provided by the same thief-quieting spirit lady who gifted me a copy of the new book by Mark Nepo) which is sure to help push your lists to the side for a few minutes today. https://www.ted.com/talks/david_whyte_a_lyrical_bridge_between_past_present_and_future.
One very good way to quiet thieves is to spend a few minutes immersed in the wisdom of someone else's words. Here's a link to a TED Talk by David Whyte (provided by the same thief-quieting spirit lady who gifted me a copy of the new book by Mark Nepo) which is sure to help push your lists to the side for a few minutes today. https://www.ted.com/talks/david_whyte_a_lyrical_bridge_between_past_present_and_future.
- Published on
"Oddfellows" - mixed media on 300 lb watercolor paper, 15" x 22". Ready to frame. Available here and at Artfinder.
It was recently National Dog Week (Day? Month?) and there were so many heartwarming pics of our four-legged friends, present and past, filling up the internet...for a bit, there was nothing but warm-hearted love in cyberspace. There are a lot of dog angels out in the ether watching over me, so it was no surprise when this odd pairing appeared in the paint. Plus, I often find myself noticing the interesting combinations of humans and their pets, and smiling at some of the seemingly mis-matched pairs who make each other's lives a happier, more loving experience. I mean, a giant would want a dog, right? Or maybe a cat?
This is another piece from the Freedom in Watermedia workshop with Stan Kurth. And yet another example of walking away without fiddling with things too much.
It was recently National Dog Week (Day? Month?) and there were so many heartwarming pics of our four-legged friends, present and past, filling up the internet...for a bit, there was nothing but warm-hearted love in cyberspace. There are a lot of dog angels out in the ether watching over me, so it was no surprise when this odd pairing appeared in the paint. Plus, I often find myself noticing the interesting combinations of humans and their pets, and smiling at some of the seemingly mis-matched pairs who make each other's lives a happier, more loving experience. I mean, a giant would want a dog, right? Or maybe a cat?
This is another piece from the Freedom in Watermedia workshop with Stan Kurth. And yet another example of walking away without fiddling with things too much.
Oddfellows
"I am Wonder Mike and I'd like to say hello!"
In timing that only the universe could conspire to make happen, please give a hearty reader welcome to the newest malarkey staff member, Wonder Mike! All eight pounds of him fell into my lap (literally!) at the Oregon Human Society. His resume was spotty, but I think he will make up for his lack of skills with his social charm and spunkiness.
If you're wondering about the origins of his name, check out the song that inspired it:
If you're wondering about the origins of his name, check out the song that inspired it:
- Published on
"Boy in Blue, Skewed" (inspired by Rufino Tamayo's Boy in Blue) - mixed media on paper, 19" x 13". Ready to frame. Available here and at Artfinder.
School in in session here in the studio, as I continue my home-grown study of Rufino Tamayo and the processes learned in the Stan Kurth workshop.
What do we do when we skew? Capture the essence, the gist and the general, without focusing on the specifics We pay homage but slant the piece in another direction. I love Tamayo's simple shapes, earthy, rough colors and scratchy textures. In my version, the watercolor and "library of elements" (Stan Kurth) underneath peek through and provide a pop of intrigue and texture. The two "windows" on the top right add depth to an otherwise flat piece.
Resisting the impulse to refine, clarify and de-ambiguate (I made that up) was really, really hard, but I walked away. Art is not for the wimpy.
School in in session here in the studio, as I continue my home-grown study of Rufino Tamayo and the processes learned in the Stan Kurth workshop.
What do we do when we skew? Capture the essence, the gist and the general, without focusing on the specifics We pay homage but slant the piece in another direction. I love Tamayo's simple shapes, earthy, rough colors and scratchy textures. In my version, the watercolor and "library of elements" (Stan Kurth) underneath peek through and provide a pop of intrigue and texture. The two "windows" on the top right add depth to an otherwise flat piece.
Resisting the impulse to refine, clarify and de-ambiguate (I made that up) was really, really hard, but I walked away. Art is not for the wimpy.
Boy in Blue, Skewed
For those who enjoy the process pics, below is the sequence preceding the final piece, including Tamayo's original.
Boy in Blue, Rufino Tamayo 1928 Oil on Canvas
sketchbook
small sketch, adding crayon, pencil and watercolor with gesso
Readers!! You might have noticed a name change on this website. JenWalls.com is now officially JenJovan.com! But never fear -the old domain name will redirect you here, so you will never miss a blog post or an update. New name but the same malarkey and shenanigans!
- Published on
"The Bare Bones of Grace" - mixed media on 300 lb watercolor paper, 15" x 22". Ready to frame. Available here and at Artfinder.
Another of the pieces from the Stan Kurth workshop. This piece was whispering and nudging me all this week, but I just wasn't certain what it was saying until Mark Nepo interpreted for me (Nepo is good at that, it seems. I wonder if Nepo knows he is also an art interpreter?)
"There's a rhythm to grace as we move through the years. In the first half of life, we're called to take things in. In the second half of life, we're called to empty out." - MARK NEPO
I'm in the emptying out half of life - letting go, letting the tide soften me. There is a temptation to try to hold the tide back. Build dams; watch them fail. Catch the tide in pots and buckets; watch them overflow. Letting go is better.
The figures in this piece are strong. Regal, even. It is a group of three, yet it is also two and one. Two and one is different than three, yet both have strength and story.
Another of the pieces from the Stan Kurth workshop. This piece was whispering and nudging me all this week, but I just wasn't certain what it was saying until Mark Nepo interpreted for me (Nepo is good at that, it seems. I wonder if Nepo knows he is also an art interpreter?)
"There's a rhythm to grace as we move through the years. In the first half of life, we're called to take things in. In the second half of life, we're called to empty out." - MARK NEPO
I'm in the emptying out half of life - letting go, letting the tide soften me. There is a temptation to try to hold the tide back. Build dams; watch them fail. Catch the tide in pots and buckets; watch them overflow. Letting go is better.
The figures in this piece are strong. Regal, even. It is a group of three, yet it is also two and one. Two and one is different than three, yet both have strength and story.
The Bare Bones of Grace
When humbled into the open, often against our will, our bones can rattle like wind chimes, making beautiful and haunting music, though it aches to do so. - MARK NEPO
The emptying half of life makes my bones rattle. But it also leaves me softened, lighter, clattering in the breeze and tumbling in the tide, content to land where the wind and waves take me. It delights me to see the paint manifest these stories in ways words cannot.
The emptying half of life makes my bones rattle. But it also leaves me softened, lighter, clattering in the breeze and tumbling in the tide, content to land where the wind and waves take me. It delights me to see the paint manifest these stories in ways words cannot.
- Published on
"Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid" - mixed media on 300 lb watercolor paper, 15" x 22". Ready to frame. Available here and at Artfinder.
Ambiguity can be a lovely thing. In art, it is "the cure for hokey" (Stan Kurth). In life, it allows a little wiggle room for interpretation. Things unsaid cannot be misinterpreted or misused. Think of ambiguity as the anti-Twitter. Using no characters at all won't get you on the news. :)
But this post is about art - and this painting is filled with things unsaid. Even from a process perspective - this was just in the early stages when it declared itself DONE.
Ambiguity can be a lovely thing. In art, it is "the cure for hokey" (Stan Kurth). In life, it allows a little wiggle room for interpretation. Things unsaid cannot be misinterpreted or misused. Think of ambiguity as the anti-Twitter. Using no characters at all won't get you on the news. :)
But this post is about art - and this painting is filled with things unsaid. Even from a process perspective - this was just in the early stages when it declared itself DONE.
first steps: semi random marks on paper with an initial watercolor glaze
Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid
And this is exactly where the pause becomes important (in life and in art). Once I added the additional layer of watercolor glazing, I stepped away from this for a day. By pausing for 24 hours, I was able to see (with help from the Grand Master himself) this piece was done - even though there were more steps in the process. If I had continued to paint and fiddle and try to clarify the piece, it would have become less ambiguous, less impactful and probably a chicken - can you see the chicken next to the keyboard in the first steps photo?
Despite the intensity of this piece, it is only watercolor over the random marks (oil pastel, charcoal, colored pencil, regular pencil). Not a drop of acrylic or gesso, which would have been next in the process. Yet it packs a wallop, and has a lot to say without saying exactly anything at all. Which is perhaps the point of abstraction.
In life, a pause before speaking, acting or reacting allows the brain and heart to have a little meeting and maybe sort out what matters most. As I contemplate the variety of tattoos available in the world, I wonder if perhaps a pause button would be an effective symbol to get inked onto some very visible part of my body (like maybe my forehead?) so I won't forget how important it is to WAIT JUST A GOSH DARN MINUTE before slapping on more paint or speaking my thoughts out loud? Let's stop a moment and think about that.
Despite the intensity of this piece, it is only watercolor over the random marks (oil pastel, charcoal, colored pencil, regular pencil). Not a drop of acrylic or gesso, which would have been next in the process. Yet it packs a wallop, and has a lot to say without saying exactly anything at all. Which is perhaps the point of abstraction.
In life, a pause before speaking, acting or reacting allows the brain and heart to have a little meeting and maybe sort out what matters most. As I contemplate the variety of tattoos available in the world, I wonder if perhaps a pause button would be an effective symbol to get inked onto some very visible part of my body (like maybe my forehead?) so I won't forget how important it is to WAIT JUST A GOSH DARN MINUTE before slapping on more paint or speaking my thoughts out loud? Let's stop a moment and think about that.
- Published on
"Fault Line" - mixed media on 300 lb watercolor paper, 15 x 15. Ready to frame. Available here and at Artfinder.
I'm back in the studio this week after a marathon of painting during Stan Kurth's Freedom In Watermedia workshop. Four days, ten paintings and a tool box full of ideas and inspiration.
Today's piece is one completed early in the course, and was a lesson in cropping. It originally finished as a larger painting (15 x 22), but using a smaller mat to "audition" sections of the larger piece uncovered this square, which is a better composition than the full painting.
Cropping is a strategy used by many artists (including this one), but I've been away from painting on paper for a while, and this piece is a good example of why paper is more flexible than board. No saw needed to reduce this one to a better size. :)
I'm back in the studio this week after a marathon of painting during Stan Kurth's Freedom In Watermedia workshop. Four days, ten paintings and a tool box full of ideas and inspiration.
Today's piece is one completed early in the course, and was a lesson in cropping. It originally finished as a larger painting (15 x 22), but using a smaller mat to "audition" sections of the larger piece uncovered this square, which is a better composition than the full painting.
Cropping is a strategy used by many artists (including this one), but I've been away from painting on paper for a while, and this piece is a good example of why paper is more flexible than board. No saw needed to reduce this one to a better size. :)
Fault Line
You'd think a girl would need a long rest after workshop week, but Kurth's sketchbooks prompted me to begin a daily sketch practice - small studies in squares to locate shapes, color combinations and compositions which become muscle memory in the brain. I'm beginning with a study of Rufino Tamayo's works. First the characters and shapes, then the colors.
Kurth reminded us of how important it is to constantly, consistently study the works of other artists. My inner nerd would be in school forever if she could, so this gives me a reason to pull out the art books and create my own study program. I hope I am a nice teacher. Maybe I should bring myself an apple?
I'm really excited to get my copy of The Life He Remembers Began in Costa Rica: A Collection of Found Poems by Savannah Stoner. It is EXTRA special to be the cover art creator for this incredible collection (big smiles!), as the work inside is not just good, it is good, like deep in your bones good. Grab yourself a copy, take a selfie with the book and tag Savannah on facebook. It will make her day and help spread some good storytelling in the world. We can't get enough of that, right?
- Published on
"Cultivating Wonder" - mixed media on aquabord, 16" c 20". Ready to frame, or can be leaded agains a wall upon a shelf. Available here and at Artfinder.
The final installment of a three part exploration of abstracted landscape. In this version, the small shapes have been simplified and merged into blocks of color and texture. Vertical forms simplified, no longer trees, but maybe just whispering "tree-like" in a very soft voice. The waterfalls have vanished, replaced by the suggestion of movement.
The hardest part of the final piece was resisting details, erasing obvious forms, allowing the paint to move and become something unplanned.
The final installment of a three part exploration of abstracted landscape. In this version, the small shapes have been simplified and merged into blocks of color and texture. Vertical forms simplified, no longer trees, but maybe just whispering "tree-like" in a very soft voice. The waterfalls have vanished, replaced by the suggestion of movement.
The hardest part of the final piece was resisting details, erasing obvious forms, allowing the paint to move and become something unplanned.
Cultivating Wonder
watercolor sketch
Abstraction is a form of surrender without losing your voice. Surrendering to the paint, the shapes, the textures. Surrendering control and forced outcomes. Surrendering realism. It is like squinting your eyes at a scene - blurred shapes and colors, details lost but implied. And doing that while still keeping true to your own esthetic. And it never fails to create a sense of wonder in me when it all comes together and whispers (or screams!) that it is finished.
I'll be joining the AMAZING Stan Kurth for a four day abstract workshop next week (my second time learning from the grand master of abstraction) so the blog will have a little vacation while I push around some paint and throw my hands up in surrender. I'll be posting pics on facebook and instagram if you want to follow along with the workshop and see what secrets Kurth is sharing with us.
Tumbling Down (sold)
- Published on
Denouement
"Denouement" mixed media on repurposed wood, 25" x 10" x .75". Ready to hang . Available here and at Artfinder.
The climax of a chain of events, when something is decided or made clear - perhaps an ending, and maybe not the one you imagined...something that has you gazing at the moon, studying the heavens and contemplating the mysteries of events - a denouement.
I love the word...denouement...the way it rolls off the tongue, just the right proportion of vowels and consonants,, a lovely smooth french word which, if said emphatically, almost sounds like what I imagine the French for "damn girl! really?" would sound like, which is a totally appropriate response to a surprise ending.
The word was part of my upbringing, but only in the musical sense. Italicized in classical sheet music, following a crescendo, perhaps, or an adagio. Denouement. But since the music was practiced again and again until it could be played from memory, there was no real surprise to the ending.
This wistful lady painted herself. Or at least used my hands to make sure she came into existence. She chose her dress and the color of her hair. She told me a super moon was required. She chose this piece of wood, which is heavy and weathered and speaks of ancient cupboards or wardrobes. The black circles at the top of the painting are holes in the wood, likely once anchoring knobs or handles or hinges, now black holes of a more cosmic nature.
I am waiting for her to whisper her secrets to me - surely she has the answers I seek? But in the mean time, I clearly hear her saying "damn girl! really?" to any and all of us contemplative moon-gazers.
The climax of a chain of events, when something is decided or made clear - perhaps an ending, and maybe not the one you imagined...something that has you gazing at the moon, studying the heavens and contemplating the mysteries of events - a denouement.
I love the word...denouement...the way it rolls off the tongue, just the right proportion of vowels and consonants,, a lovely smooth french word which, if said emphatically, almost sounds like what I imagine the French for "damn girl! really?" would sound like, which is a totally appropriate response to a surprise ending.
The word was part of my upbringing, but only in the musical sense. Italicized in classical sheet music, following a crescendo, perhaps, or an adagio. Denouement. But since the music was practiced again and again until it could be played from memory, there was no real surprise to the ending.
This wistful lady painted herself. Or at least used my hands to make sure she came into existence. She chose her dress and the color of her hair. She told me a super moon was required. She chose this piece of wood, which is heavy and weathered and speaks of ancient cupboards or wardrobes. The black circles at the top of the painting are holes in the wood, likely once anchoring knobs or handles or hinges, now black holes of a more cosmic nature.
I am waiting for her to whisper her secrets to me - surely she has the answers I seek? But in the mean time, I clearly hear her saying "damn girl! really?" to any and all of us contemplative moon-gazers.
- Published on
"Inviolable Wholeness" - mixed media on canvas paper, 16" x 20". Available here and at Artfinder.
I can't show you what I've been working on ....a surprise commission for a special couple, a book cover, a portrait. A busy beehive of secret works, one of which had me humming and singing with glee. The very best kind of commission!
And so I give you a sweet repeat today - this piece has been in the archives since 2017. She received a little freshening and a new name. A rebirthing of sorts. She's been tucked away long enough that I was delighted to see her - wondering how I did that as I looked at her little nuances and glyphs. Artists, you know how it is. We can't appreciate our own work until the passage of time and new perspective changes our viewing eyes.
So it was not surprise when this week's chapter in Mark Nepo's The One Life We're Given brought new meaning to this painting:
I can't show you what I've been working on ....a surprise commission for a special couple, a book cover, a portrait. A busy beehive of secret works, one of which had me humming and singing with glee. The very best kind of commission!
And so I give you a sweet repeat today - this piece has been in the archives since 2017. She received a little freshening and a new name. A rebirthing of sorts. She's been tucked away long enough that I was delighted to see her - wondering how I did that as I looked at her little nuances and glyphs. Artists, you know how it is. We can't appreciate our own work until the passage of time and new perspective changes our viewing eyes.
So it was not surprise when this week's chapter in Mark Nepo's The One Life We're Given brought new meaning to this painting:
Inviolable Wholeness
In its inviolable wholeness, life lives us, it composes us. This is something far different than the old cliche "Turn your life into a work of art"; we are works of art --but we are not the artist. - Lou Andreas-Salome
Nepo expands on this quote: What feels unbearable is how life carves us into a work of art that is never finished. When in difficult experiences, we fear they will never end. When in wonderful experiences, we fear they will end. But there is no arrival, only inhabiting the journey,..
If this moment were a science fiction multiverse time-bending movie, the camera would pull away to reveal the artist painting the painting while life carves the artist. Now maybe that's a lot to contemplate on a Tuesday, but I think that just means more coffee is required
Nepo expands on this quote: What feels unbearable is how life carves us into a work of art that is never finished. When in difficult experiences, we fear they will never end. When in wonderful experiences, we fear they will end. But there is no arrival, only inhabiting the journey,..
If this moment were a science fiction multiverse time-bending movie, the camera would pull away to reveal the artist painting the painting while life carves the artist. Now maybe that's a lot to contemplate on a Tuesday, but I think that just means more coffee is required
