Skies of (Painted) Color

Sailing In5x7 Watercolor on 90# Paper©BEDeuel  Bronson Hill Arts 2008

When we see those perfect sunny-day clouds floating above us, we see white puffs moving across the horizon, usually against a bright blue sky. As painters & photographers & poets, we also know that those clouds are never just "white". There are blues, purples, pinks, even greens mingled in the vapor canvases up there. 

Vermont Sunset
11x14 Water Soluble Oils on Gallery Stretched Canvas©BEDeuel Bronson Hill Arts 2013

Painting a sky above a landscape is generally easy to capture, largely because it is put into perspective by the foreground. The colors of sky and land intertwine & reflect, but the differences in textures also help to create necessary depth.

Once you're painting upwardly, as if you are in the clouds with your subject, gaining depth, I find, is very different to portray. There are colors & shadows to help, but keeping proportion and perspective is not so easy for me.

This is the 2nd attempt I've made to paint a specific subject. And, even though I'm generally happy with the cloud formations on both pieces as they are, they will not work for the composition I want to create. 

This is what I did with the first attempt:

Start of Balloon...

Balloon Amidst Clouds
20x16 Water Soluble Oils on
Gallery Stretched Canvas
©BEDeuel Bronson Hill Arts 2014

  













And, yes, I am very pleased with the whole piece with setting the hot air balloon against the clouds. However, if you look, you'll see that there is a lack of shadows to create a depth to the clouds. The mix of pink, blue & white definitely gives one the sense of clouds, but, the expanse of the cloud cover is limited. So, technically, this is the first "fail" to paint "in the clouds".


This is the second attempt:

Start of Mystery Blue Skies

Next Step of Mystery Blue Skies

Right now,the clouds are almost monochromatic: Prussian blue mostly, a touch of Cerulean blue, and titanium white. The base is somewhat "starred" with the colors being crosshatched. (I've discovered that I really, really like this effect. Maybe I like it too much!) The next step is to add some "shine" to it with some golden/yellow hues... after I fix the mottled clouds to the right-hand side of the canvas, that is. I like the depth of the shadows as they are, though. So one hurdle overcome since the last attempt. You can also probably tell that the 2 canvases were started from the same template photo. Hmmm....

BUT!

The clouds are too small & distant for the subject I want to paint. So it's time to rethink what subject I can do with this canvas! 

High Clouds
6x9 Watercolor on 140#
Canson Paper
©BEDeuel Bronson Hill Arts 2011

The encouraging aspect of all of this is that, each time, I see a breakthrough in executing a design. Always learning, learning, learning! Just looking back at this earlier attempt at clouds makes the point for me. I do still love this piece, but the flow of the clouds is not really there.

What discoveries have you uncovered with your artistic techniques of late? 

Ice Fog
7x5 Water Soluble Oil on Gallery Stretched Canvas
©BEDeuel Bronson Hill Arts 2011

And, yes, it is still colder than any winter in memory around here. Hopefully, not so much where you are!

Gold & White

Unending cold, unending darkness,

Fill the unending wintertime.

After the storm covers the drabness,

The sudden beauty seizes the eye.

The glorious bones of trees, old and twisted,

Rise mighty and bleach-white.

Sunlight flits through the laciness

Of twigs that crosshatched,

Cast shadows, dense and intriguing.

Flecks of gold, cast about by the sunlight,

Crash joyfully onto the snow.

Fluff and ice that entices us

With promise of more loveliness to come.

IF Return

Returning to Flutter By
Water Soluble Pencil 5x7 140# Strathmore Paper
©2012 BEDeuel/Bronson Hill Arts

It's been an odd winter and spring this year: We had tempertures around 80 degrees a couple of weeks ago and, just last night, we had about one and a half inches of snow. It is a very confusing day when you can see cherry blossoms on the trees which are surrounded by snow.

But yet, knowing that spring really is coming to stay (at least a few weeks), to return for it's annual engagement, thoughts turn to taming the garden and flowers reaching for sunny skies. And butterflies.

A most delicate and resourceful creature, beautiful from afar and, truthfully, quite homely upon close inspection. Seemingly a free-floating element in the wilds of the wind but programmed to migrate on a set course. A being of contradictions, a wonder to admire.

While we expect to guess about the day-to-day nature of weather, maybe we should be a little more amazed by the complexity of the seemingly simple things in life like, well, butterflies!

IF Yield

Never Yield
6x6 Watercolor on Smooth Bristol
©2012 BEDeuel/Bronson Hill Arts

With the winds of March upon us, particularly here on the Hill, the vision of mightily fighting the gusts came to mind.

A damaged, broken umbrella has lost its purpose, while a swept-back coat offers little, if any, protection against the force she faces.

Yet, she still moves into the wind, determined to get to her destination.

From this point, I could launch a parable describing how this scene represents so many days in our lives. But, there really isn't any need, is there?

We can all see ourselves pushing to overcome the many hindrances that life throws at us.

And, thus the title: Never Yield.

Have a great and, however you might measure it, success-filled week!

IF Intention: The Gift

The Gift
Permanent Marker 6x6 Smooth Bristol
©2012 BEDeuel/Bronson Hill Arts

I'm sure we've all had an occasion in our lives when it's been hard to gracefully accept a heartfelt, but awkward, gift.

The first time, that I can clearly recall, was when I was a kid. My great-aunt was part of the family and had taken to hand-feeding a sickly cat who had taken residence outside our house. The cat, named Tigger, regained her health (and went on to live a very long life) thanks to Aunt Marie's efforts. You might guess how Tigger repaid her based on the illustration for IF posted here. Yep: dead critters left at the front door. There were a lot of screams on a lot of early mornings. Aunt Marie thought she could avoid the gifts by going out through the garage door, but Tigger caught on quickly and started to deposit her presents of gratitude at that door. The morning screams continued for quite a while.

Another time, in more recent years, was that first well-intentioned, but, decidedly, unromantic gift from the hubby, at-that-time boyfriend. I learned then (but still forget frequently) he actually does listen to me when I mention something I might like to get. Like a convertible vacuum cleaner. For my birthday. Yes, very awkward, indeed.

Most of the time, we manage to gather our wits enough to react, perhaps belatedly,but with as much grace as we can. However, the gift-giver knows, no matter how rapidly we may recover. 

I don't know about you, but I find that when that happens, I feel so awful for not being grateful, that I start to see the gift in a different light. It becomes all the more precious for the thought and love put into it, from the giver to the recipient, even if it doesn't meet the expectation initially.

When a daughter needed a vacuum cleaner for her school residence, she asked if she could take that convertible one with her. Oddly enough, it was hard to part with it. I think you may know why now.

IF Popular

Uh-Oh: Popular
Permanent Marker on 6x6 120# Smooth Bristol
©2012 BEDeuel/Bronson Hill Arts

I had the pleasure of gathering with the girlfriends for lunch today. One of the ladies related her latest adventure with her new-ish-ly adopted cats, 2 beautiful torties, and her beta fish. Yep, the kitties are fascinated with the fish and have been very creative in trying to "catch" a meal. Thus, the inspiration for this very quick sketch for Illustration Friday.

I know all of us can emphasize with this fish: feeling like the outside world is encroaching on our own private nook. What options do we have except to watch helplessly? It can be overwhelming and, sometimes, frightening.

Sometimes all we can do is what this little goldfish is doing: looking the threat in the eye and holding his head up, perhaps, preparing to go head-to-head with the imminent danger. Or, perhaps, getting ready to dive deeper into safety.

Whatever defenses we have to stave off personal disasters, the ability to rally, quietly or defiantly, is amazing. We do get through the crises to face another day. There is no right way or wrong way to muddle our way through these inevitable aspects of life. The only way is the way that works for us as individuals.

So, next time you feel like you're trapped in a goldfish bowl, trust your instincts. You'll be okay.

IF Hibernate



Hi-BRRR-Nate
4x6 Water Soluble Pencil on 140# Coldpress Paper
©2011 BEDeuel

With the topic at Illustration Friday being "Hibernation" this week, it was too easy to think of cold and lots of protection in which to hide from it. And with the thought of cold, as well as the arrival this week of actual cold weather, it was bound to make me realize something:

It's official: the shortest summer (that I can remember) is over.

In some ways, it's good. In other ways, it's not.

Let me start with the "not" list.

The days are short. The temperature is very fickle, making it difficult to decide how much to wear at any given minute. The gardens and trees are fading. And, the worst, winter is coming up fast and furious. Indoor confinement and difficult travel lay ahead.

The good?

The shorter days make it easier to settle in earlier in the day. It feels good to put on some clothing that is soft and comfy, instead of trying to strip down to the bare basics without being arrested. Once the gardens are done, the workload is cut in half with only the house needing to be tended. The trees will turn gorgeous with vibrant colors to fill the heart with wonder and an urgency to appreciate the quick passing of time.

Winter, though, how can that be good? Unless you're a skier, snowmobiler, or general winter-sports fanatic, what fun is winter?

The fun is the excuse to use the fireplace and snuggle with whatever pleases you, be it a fuzzy blanket, a loving pet, or your best friend and lover. The fun is making sinfully indulgent comfort foods and drinking hot chocolate on a daily basis. The fun is watching the first flakes land and change the world before your eyes. The fun is knowing that there will be another spring in which to enjoy so many other pleasures of living.

With the change of the seasons coming around again, make some fun with it. Take a moment to realize it can all be good.

Here's hoping it is and will be all good for you!

A Long Week in a Short Summer

A common theme seems to be occupying my thoughts lately: Things we cannot control in our worlds and the anxiety it can cause.

The predominant problem in that arena is the havoc that Irene is creating along the east coast. I have friends who have been evacuated and are in a worrisome state over their homes and possessions, things that represent their lives. They're understandably concerned about the damage that will have to be dealt with once the storm has passed.

No matter how often anyone can say to them that there is no point  in fretting about possible problems that may or may not come to be, they will be fretting. There's no turning it off no matter how hard they try.

After these monumental events, the small worries pale dramatically. The hassles of vacation that diminish the fun of vacations. The frustrations of too much rain and too much heat in too short a time that stunts the growth of the gardens. The difficulties of finding the time to do the things that bring pleasure to your life.

These are minor problems that really are not worth the worry we put into them.

Wish that were true of the worries the people living through this storm have.

But, while we can't do a thing about the effects that Irene will have on our material world, we can pray for the safety of those enduring it.

And, we do.

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Just some reminders that no matter how badly things seem to be, there is still beauty in the simplest things:

 

 

Enjoy everything!

An Accomplishment

This Friday, July 8th, the Genesee Valley Council on the Arts is opening it's Member Exhibit. And, it's my first "show" since college, 30-odd years ago.

Obviously being a member's exhibit, it's not juried. But, it's a first step. For me, it was the accomplishment of starting the works, learning about framing (& both pieces do look so much better framed), and just following through.

I've always been held back by an unfortunate case of anxiety. The fear of failure has stopped me in my tracks more times than I could ever recall.

I used to constantly get choked up about whether anyone would like what I did or if it was good enough. Would people just laugh at me behind my back? Or, worse, to my face? Stage fright and anxiety attacks were not a rare occurance.


Ice Fog
5x7 Water Soluble Paint on Canvas
©BEDeuel 2011

 A good part of my life has been spent almost paralyzed by this condition. And, that includes pursuing the idea of showing my work. A lot of times, it even prevented me from finishing an artpiece. What if I didn't know how to finish it? Wouldn't it just be easier to stop and say that I ran out of time to finish it?

Now, I won't lie: I'm still concerned about what people think. I have to be concerned if I'm to function in the real world. I have to perform in my job and work with clients as well as other workers. But, I've been doing the job so long that it's second nature that comes so easily, I don't have the need to overthink it and panic. Some details and procedures may still trip me up, but those setbacks pass quickly.

The opportunity to show a couple of pieces along with a variety of other artists is wonderful. I get to see the differences in both the works and the reactions that people may have to the works. I am prepared that my pieces may not generate any interest. But, it's the first step to seeing where I may need to aim the next time with my work.

I'll try to do a few more non-juried presentations, but, the goal is to try to be accepted into a juried exhibition. The goal is to overcome the fear of rejection and failure.

I have to say "thank you" to all of you who have been so encouraging and supportive over these last several months. I'm not sure I would've screwed up the needed courage to do this otherwise.


Silhouette in Field
6x8 Acrylic Paint on Canvas Panel
©BEDeuel 2010

I'm so excited to be starting on the path of this newest journey!

Enjoy your holiday weekend and any journeys you decide to take now or in the future!

Pieces of the Pie

For years, I’ve struggled with a major issue in regards to my artwork. I’ve always had problems with composition. The other day, I had the good fortune to (re)encounter a man who is a trained and accomplished artist while I was at work. He spent some time with me, evaluating some of my pieces, giving me some solid and remarkably pertinent information that addressed that exact issue (even without my mentioning that this was a known weakness).

One painting he looked at and pointed out that the image looked exactly like I was painting the subject, instead of creating an image. And he was right. And I knew that. I had actually been taught that principle decades ago. To create art, you need to break out the components: the negative space around the subject, the bits of color that lie within the general color, the shapes of parts of the subject, etc.



High Clouds
©2011 BEDeuel
9x6 Watercolor

 The whole is never just a whole.

The whole consists of so many elements of line, color, shape, shadow, movement, that to try to create anything without breaking down those elements is impossible.
While thinking about all of this, I realized how much this principle applies to so many aspects of life.

In high school, I was not even close to being a “cool” kid. I was the definitive “loser” in social circles. But that observation has come in hindsight, because, I did belong to a group of people. And it was a fun group that shared a lot of life and love. We were all different from each other, too. Some brainiacs, a lot of musicians, actors, shy kids, and just-plain-kinda-weird kids. All pieces that came together as a wonderful whole.

Even now, I can say, with pride and gratitude, that I have several true friends, who can mingle beautifully as a group. Yet, each of us has a unique bond between each other that is different from any other bond amongst us. Each friend is my best friend, because each friend completes my world in their own way. They are all equal parts of the whole which is my world.



Wild Flowers
©2011 BEDeuel
4x6 Water Soluble Pencils

Marriage is not just about love. It’s about commitment, family acquired, family spawned, paying bills, creating a home, problems and joys. Yet, there is a single, whole word, marriage, that describes all these bits of an such an important relationship.


The elements of work, home, friends and family are all parts of day-to-day living and the most difficult elements to coordinate to create a balanced whole. Often one of these parts starts to crowd out the other aspects of the whole that is one‘s life. It can take time and effort to reconstruct a well-composed picture again.

When this happens, which it does quite a lot, I want to try to remember the lesson I re-learned this week: Break out the pieces and construct your image (or life) from the pieces. If all you see is a whole, you’ll be overwhelmed and everything can become muddled.

I think it will work very well!
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 Hmmm....

Hardy Determination

It's the fourth of May and it was 46 degrees and raining. There is a certain sogginess of spirit seeping through our collective soul. We've seen, perhaps, a day and a half of sunshine in weeks. We're drenched, physically and emotionally.

Unlike plants, our growth and expression, though, is not dependent on factors such as sunshine and warmth. If that were so, our minds and talents would lay dormant a great deal of the time. Yet, we are drowning in desire for a true spring to save us, while the plants have pushed forward in spite of the adversity presented by the weather.



Hya Cynth!



The Neighbors Say "Hy!", too

Stretching Before Our Tulips Pucker to
Kiss the Sky...

Royal Carpet Laid Out for Spring's Arrival

Myrtle's creeping up to visit you



Peonies Poking Purple Past the Pope's Peons



Coral's Bells Are Ringing!

And the Only Basket of Gold We've Found So Far...
But We Always Keep Searching!

Dance of the Daffodils

Bowing with Grace Into the Wind

Triplets



Grounded Grapes





Spring Peeping Over the Horizon



A Sneak Peek Up Close

Enough said.

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To those who've watched their worlds and more blow away, please hold onto the hope for tomorrow.

Keep searching for the gold.

IF Stir: Hope

Spring Stirrings
Permanent Marker on Smooth Bristol

When the Illustration Friday word arrived, my mind flew to an e-mail I'd received from Joan about a month ago.

I'd been kvetching about the long, long, looonngg, winter we've been having. Between the media hype about 2012 and all the other horrible weather around the country, even the world ( as sadly evidenced in Japan yesterday), I'd gotten very dramatic and written to her that it was beginning to feel like the "end of days".

This was her response:

"Yes, hopefully the end of days will end, and spring will push through. Of course it will. In February I always imagine that the green things are there, under the frozen surface, and they are yawning and stretching and shaking hands with each other and getting out their to-do lists. Making earth tea and inviting each other over and discussing all their plans for the Great Emergence. So much to do, so much to do. Polish those rhizomes, trim those brown bits, sharpen the tips. In just a few weeks, it'll be time to reach up and push through. All those bleary-eyed, saggy-souled winter survivors are waiting."

I've held this wonderful image in my heart for the last few weeks. It's a comforting scene of renewal and survival of the flowers, the trees, the people.

I wish I could share this vision with all the people of Japan. Thank you for letting me share it with you.

Organization: Mission Impossible/Giveaway

When Mike and I were working together, we always prided ourselves on how the systems in our store were organized to facilitate as good a flow as possible. We pushed the staff constantly to document details and to prioritize every action taken in the office. Creating a well-oiled machine was the goal.



Ice Fog #1
Water Soluble Oils on Wrapped Canvas

And, while the store runs fairly smoothly, considering the volume of work and customers, it never has become that well-oiled machine we strove to make. Not everyone is naturally inclined to being organized and it is not a trait that can be forced upon an individual. 

String of Spring
Watercolor Pencil on
Strathmore 120#

The sad part of this is that I am not an organized person. Not naturally. Despite decades of trying to become instinctively tidy and timely, it just won’t come. Things are stuffed in drawers, never to be found again. I’m chronically 5-15 minutes late. Projects are never ending. I get so many things going at the same time that everything becomes jumbled and nothing is ever really finished.

I’ve done the list-thing, over and over again, to no avail. I’ve scribbled them and lost them. I’ve started pocket calendars repeatedly and promptly ignored them. I’ve created grids with weekly outlines that get buried under all the other papers I generate. As for the dry-erase board, the last entry I have on it is from before Thanksgiving. Of 2008.

The problem I’ve always had with lists and schedules is that they only work as long as nothing happens that disrupts them. You know: kids, parents, pets, illness, weather, etc. And while the spouse may be unbelievably supportive of your many endeavors, it’s impossible to determine, in advance, how much time you’ll need or want with him/her.

And disruption is not the only challenge. There is also the tendency to underestimate the amount of time any particular project may take. Something that might take your teenager 15 minutes on the computer will probably take you 2 hours. If you’re lucky. I’ve been cleaning my basement for the last 3 winters. I keep finding more things that need to be tossed, repackaged, donated, and cleaned. And we’ve only been in this house 7 years!

At this point in my life, though, I’m not sweating it anymore. It’ll get done when it gets done. I may not be any better organized than I’ve ever been, but I’ve gotten much better at prioritizing.


Ice Fog #2

When I was growing up, our house always had to be immaculate. Now, I tend to think my house is a disaster, but I’ve realized, when apologizing to service people for the mess, it’s really not that bad. There’s no vermin (with the exception of an occasional field mouse), there are clean dishes and linens, and the health department hasn’t shut me down. And, in the recent past, I hold onto this thought my mother expressed: “I wish we had spent less time cleaning and more time playing.”

String of Spring Detail

I’ll still make lists. I have to, otherwise, I’d spend most of my days scratching my head and muttering to myself, “What the heck was I doing/looking for/coming in here for?”

But the key element to what I need to get done, above and beyond the basics, is easy: Is it something I and my family and friends going to enjoy?

It’s no contest between lunch with the girlfriends and finishing organizing the basement. Or dusting the house versus dinner with my parents and husband. And definitely no conflict between spending time with the kids or staying late at work.

I like this new form of organization much better. It’s a much more natural system for me.

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Unfortunately, once again, the response to the giveaway has fallen flat. I do thank Carol & Joan for their wonderful responses. Right now, it's between these 2 lovely ladies.

In the hopes of gaining more responses, the giveaway for the Gift Tag for a Great Day will be continued through Monday, March 7th.

For those without your own blog, you can email me at bronsonhillarts@gmail.com or become a follower and leave a comment to participate.

And, even if you're not interested in the Gift Tag, it'd be nice to hear some uplifting messages about the good things in your life! So, show us that you're a fellow fan of life and join us on the Hill!