tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547439638831126042024-03-05T16:36:05.550-08:00Creative JourneyWatercolor, Collage, Mixed Media, Pastel and Acrylic paintings, and thoughts on the journey by Miki WillaMiki Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903615512823465964noreply@blogger.comBlogger245125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454743963883112604.post-43685850781445315032023-06-03T16:48:00.001-07:002023-06-03T16:53:22.393-07:00Beginning Abstract<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIoLfsX6wXSmRPWU611d7KaxEc41IDa4HnqS-Kl3KmtL69P8APv7_E1x47Mp6SowCm-8TrzCWzDWcm5Z4nf7OGxsqrvnPLzCl2dU8Q5cvhELyrs42Yhd7AcYc6pX-5LDKUhJemz7l-xJ8Dv12nhjH4-igSpnnLT2DLgSS40KmExWnVzXjlcIalfOWS/s2706/3DD931B9-6848-418F-98D0-B8D736A94016.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1897" data-original-width="2706" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIoLfsX6wXSmRPWU611d7KaxEc41IDa4HnqS-Kl3KmtL69P8APv7_E1x47Mp6SowCm-8TrzCWzDWcm5Z4nf7OGxsqrvnPLzCl2dU8Q5cvhELyrs42Yhd7AcYc6pX-5LDKUhJemz7l-xJ8Dv12nhjH4-igSpnnLT2DLgSS40KmExWnVzXjlcIalfOWS/s320/3DD931B9-6848-418F-98D0-B8D736A94016.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> Emerging Iris</div><div style="text-align: center;">12” x 16” watercolor</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The Sisters challenge this week was abstract painting. I started out with a photo I took of three irises and some daisies in our yard. I started trying to sketch them in abstract. I was not very good at it. Eventually I got to a point where they started to remind me of Dali’s melting clocks. From there, I took off. We have a cow skull in our yard (from a cow who died of old age in the desert) who we call Art. I wanted to include him in a very realistic manner. If you look at some of Dali’s work, he often include realistic objects that just make you scratch your head. I also liked the straight lines of the fence, so I stuck some of those in. As I continued sketching, it looked to me like my irises were going from semi realistic, in front, to almost surreal, on the left, to completely bizarre. The distant right side iris seems to have dripped completely into a puddle with a frog sitting on a lili pad in the middle. I decided that worked. Somehow, I wanted to acknowledge the lovely daisies that seem to be taking over parts of our yard. I think the tubular things that come out of and go back into the ground must have come from a recent rereading of Frank Herbert’s <i>Dune. </i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;">Those are some of the ramblings that went through my mind as I was doing this painting. I have no idea what I will do next week. I wonder if I can abstract a barn.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p>Miki Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903615512823465964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454743963883112604.post-60466557961596872102023-05-31T14:17:00.000-07:002023-05-31T14:17:26.298-07:00Summer Cabins<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtLCDKawPWTgCublQA3kFgKY0OTScaSzXn48Aa-EUI8uhAauFVx1zFaZ_Ldrods64RZoEUuQY6FLH-C4NWqufLsPs3-7tY4_Hac-WkeZHhpIUZR9egJFNvoYYtIYSUtFL_uFIFBB1BsQALOwos8V34quX4mYCdbm0ykxR9diyErZRmn1QaVLStW9bn/s3520/1D57E748-45FA-4107-84B5-D0E849F5D6AC.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3520" data-original-width="2544" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtLCDKawPWTgCublQA3kFgKY0OTScaSzXn48Aa-EUI8uhAauFVx1zFaZ_Ldrods64RZoEUuQY6FLH-C4NWqufLsPs3-7tY4_Hac-WkeZHhpIUZR9egJFNvoYYtIYSUtFL_uFIFBB1BsQALOwos8V34quX4mYCdbm0ykxR9diyErZRmn1QaVLStW9bn/s320/1D57E748-45FA-4107-84B5-D0E849F5D6AC.jpeg" width="231" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Summer Cabins</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">9” x 12” watercolor</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Julie Pryne sent me this wonderful photo of some summer cabins from her trip to Sweden. I loved the log structures with the metal roofs. I used several different techniques in getting the textures of the logs, decreasing the details as the cabins moved into the distance. The biggest problem here is my difficulty with trees.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am trying to move away from painting tree symbols to painting realistic looking trees. I need to find more tree painting tutorials. I looked at a few today on YouTube, and one was very helpful for painting pine trees. That would have been good for this painting. I think I will start using the backs of older paintings, that I don’t like, to practice trees for awhile. Since most of my paintings have trees, they could only improve if I practiced trees more.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Miki Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903615512823465964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454743963883112604.post-88994540839985821462023-05-27T10:16:00.000-07:002023-05-27T10:16:29.633-07:00Hand Made<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUn52Zm7MV7ZIgERoaKMJp1JIpQ3eZh5RJCb2PTGW4Teomrnsr6fsUhAS1M3u1l1LdYDCfr5LdukFEXcAhqhgQWIcmVBj73bxByb5nWZC4i37ailj5cMZexBn2-uqa9rEiTa6Tc7-sb2ctLkRv_fV-Cy3lbKv_3ADhyqay45A71yH27DmlIDeJjDZM/s2475/B0B2E090-C34F-402F-BAC8-5B7AA00CB14C.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2475" data-original-width="1754" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUn52Zm7MV7ZIgERoaKMJp1JIpQ3eZh5RJCb2PTGW4Teomrnsr6fsUhAS1M3u1l1LdYDCfr5LdukFEXcAhqhgQWIcmVBj73bxByb5nWZC4i37ailj5cMZexBn2-uqa9rEiTa6Tc7-sb2ctLkRv_fV-Cy3lbKv_3ADhyqay45A71yH27DmlIDeJjDZM/s320/B0B2E090-C34F-402F-BAC8-5B7AA00CB14C.jpeg" width="227" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hand Made</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">12” x 9” watercolor</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Yesterday, I painted another still life. This time, I included several things from my studio that have been hand made. The straw doll is something I got at an art and craft fair in Redmond, WA, many years ago. The stand holding the brushes was hand made from a length of bamboo. It is from Japan. The brushes in the stand are handmade hake brushes. They are great for water washes. The wood block stamps are handmade in Indonesia, I think. I got them at Artistic Artifacts in Alexandria, VA. The books are hand made. The two on the bottom are still empty. I made those. The standing book, that does not close because I have been filling it with small art, was a gift from the maker, Sally-Jo. It was fun to do a painting highlighting these special pieces.<p></p><p>I am feeling a need to clean out my studio space. The floor is dusty, as is every other flat surface. That is a Spokane condition. I also need to start weeding out all the stuff I don’t use anymore. Of course, the minute I get rid of it, I will need it. At least I can start with the dust. I don’t foresee a need for it.</p>Miki Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903615512823465964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454743963883112604.post-66781665007343644782023-05-26T09:17:00.004-07:002023-05-26T09:17:39.695-07:00Painting Clouds<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAM9e7_UNLu_iQ2kJXPZ7OAhgJKPEsgr8ajDidhjQ5pghguJc7oigdBVnrCtCfSqdu_SDUi4flNbMnJGIP3B3GvO41QWLf9UFXAlr2oHQQp5sDujtDBn9FwkHYDeqgjzMWPBqa-pHQyslY3iHtAddZTqKEBbDTL28bAB7cgKHhaJnXTfGPlT595E0u/s2670/B96E8793-9678-4449-B740-F30FED63D9A8.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1991" data-original-width="2670" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAM9e7_UNLu_iQ2kJXPZ7OAhgJKPEsgr8ajDidhjQ5pghguJc7oigdBVnrCtCfSqdu_SDUi4flNbMnJGIP3B3GvO41QWLf9UFXAlr2oHQQp5sDujtDBn9FwkHYDeqgjzMWPBqa-pHQyslY3iHtAddZTqKEBbDTL28bAB7cgKHhaJnXTfGPlT595E0u/s320/B96E8793-9678-4449-B740-F30FED63D9A8.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Cloud Study I</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">9” x 12” watercolor</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ZP6781WBxIOck_gkGdY1ChFOy_l8BgzGLuyD9Z5i40bdzKzrQ2mJebTT2uQu4M84NIyodJlVVYDUm4K0EJ37IW3OkRyGKn89wT2NiauBRknzavVoyMTsXhRVSeGxmOaBaLUlImjWxwFoZFvbfVY5UqQc3yoUrKpVyUQjqToCN8aUwPxnNhvIVFzM/s2048/AE6BC97F-D148-4412-BAA5-CEE2A31AC281.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ZP6781WBxIOck_gkGdY1ChFOy_l8BgzGLuyD9Z5i40bdzKzrQ2mJebTT2uQu4M84NIyodJlVVYDUm4K0EJ37IW3OkRyGKn89wT2NiauBRknzavVoyMTsXhRVSeGxmOaBaLUlImjWxwFoZFvbfVY5UqQc3yoUrKpVyUQjqToCN8aUwPxnNhvIVFzM/s320/AE6BC97F-D148-4412-BAA5-CEE2A31AC281.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Photo for study</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Taken in May, 2023</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Five Mile Prairie</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>I love beautiful cloudy skies. We have been having wonderful formations lately, so I decided to learn to paint them. The trick, I was told, was to get soft and hard edges. Of course, you have to know where to place both. Next time, I will work on getting better grays. <p></p><p>Today is Sisters, and I will be working on another still life. Stay tuned.</p>Miki Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903615512823465964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454743963883112604.post-67742671560562206272023-05-24T20:35:00.000-07:002023-05-24T20:35:22.022-07:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha4eQ4IhMC3FKiCN6iI8Pqi4AhMWvcHUc3MmNvamQ79dbUqkfjEV6WlGICUJnbHwDXZGM8F49P0KsqtJaBnQ7T7kkZhy8vL2oYnFEatZlhuuafh6EKRN8E08o9FYjW4SfTMWTaQhaayM1j4PQxsxNh1eq1jJqEEvhVQKijuI5ipMO5GRnirgEKVj0i/s2581/EDAE9348-950C-4650-B28F-958CC6CFC00A.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1915" data-original-width="2581" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha4eQ4IhMC3FKiCN6iI8Pqi4AhMWvcHUc3MmNvamQ79dbUqkfjEV6WlGICUJnbHwDXZGM8F49P0KsqtJaBnQ7T7kkZhy8vL2oYnFEatZlhuuafh6EKRN8E08o9FYjW4SfTMWTaQhaayM1j4PQxsxNh1eq1jJqEEvhVQKijuI5ipMO5GRnirgEKVj0i/s320/EDAE9348-950C-4650-B28F-958CC6CFC00A.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> Deception Pass Bridge</div><div style="text-align: center;">9” x 12” watercolor</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Back in 2008, I painted this in pastels (see the blog post from 6/20/2008). I sold it a few years ago. I realized lately that I missed the painting. When I found a stack of photos I used to do several pastel paintings, I found the original I took on location. I decided to try it again in watercolor.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Deception Pass Bridge connects the mainland to Whidbey Island at the northern end of the island. It is a beautiful structure, and a well known destination in northwest Washington. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">There are many differences in my pastel and watercolor paintings. There is more detail in the trees in the pastel. The bridge is very similar, except that in the watercolor, I used a liquid mask to keep the color away from the structure. With pastels, I was able to put the lighter elements on top of the darker background. Learning to keep lighter places in a dark background is much more of a challenge with watercolor.</div><p></p>Miki Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903615512823465964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454743963883112604.post-24072998942564818572023-05-23T21:34:00.000-07:002023-05-23T21:34:47.786-07:00Painting memories<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5I-Vt5iiKetr9zG1Egk2Hn8Q4-eJ7iHyY_wtmrBh6XzePrDN_7hr312w8YMy92eupQqfGtoxEY58LpRNxhjg79B8RDcnNlGxYFvtuQmFHLMeIP5N03VU7g4cze2qY0Ew2kdbleDUXEQytIDznn3wwm8V60_yuD-KsY5gs-Xsjy94nxQ0I8qxLlr8/s3350/C07BD12B-1291-4316-AB82-0FA222C383AD.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3350" data-original-width="2367" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5I-Vt5iiKetr9zG1Egk2Hn8Q4-eJ7iHyY_wtmrBh6XzePrDN_7hr312w8YMy92eupQqfGtoxEY58LpRNxhjg79B8RDcnNlGxYFvtuQmFHLMeIP5N03VU7g4cze2qY0Ew2kdbleDUXEQytIDznn3wwm8V60_yuD-KsY5gs-Xsjy94nxQ0I8qxLlr8/s320/C07BD12B-1291-4316-AB82-0FA222C383AD.jpeg" width="226" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Still Life with Quilt</div><div style="text-align: center;">9” x 12” watercolor</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> In Sisters, my painting group, we are doing still lives for two weeks. I did this one last Friday. We were supposed to use items that had meaning to us. I chose the quilt background because it is one my sister made a gave to me. We bought the fabric at Uwajimia, and took classes at the In The Beginning quilting store near where I lived at the time. It brings back a good memory.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The vase in front is from Korea. It reminds me of living there when I was in my early twenties. It was a great adventure. I have also made collage pieces based on my time there.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The carved wooden statue of the fisherman is one of my treasured pieces from Japan. My mother brought me up to appreciate, and love, Asian art. She was able to visit Japan many years ago, and this was a piece from that trip.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The red vase looks like a red lacquered carved cinnabar piece. I am pretty sure it is plastic, but it looks real enough, and makes a very nice candle holder. It was a gift from a friend, from when we lived in Hawaii.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This was great fun, so I will do another one this week. I’m already auditioning pieces to be included.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This last painting was also done last week. It is based on a photo by Julie Pryne.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxMLfe0d0Ut9iYpJurhvOKXZAkFEPCwYex3X84uLdgK3ezGk9knGtmk_3xXaD1O-qXcBJeKu3YlZtbfd9r3pCoJdDwu63yjsyW3VT7-GMvbxQQ_AIbQq0C0lQMpr5c4vFH3qaBjKuqmA7227Y6s0a3k4U-fqHFh48cZkHnE7Exem8DFWpMXYZJhSL0/s3196/5F15899F-4A0E-436D-B219-B193F87F9DE4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3196" data-original-width="2319" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxMLfe0d0Ut9iYpJurhvOKXZAkFEPCwYex3X84uLdgK3ezGk9knGtmk_3xXaD1O-qXcBJeKu3YlZtbfd9r3pCoJdDwu63yjsyW3VT7-GMvbxQQ_AIbQq0C0lQMpr5c4vFH3qaBjKuqmA7227Y6s0a3k4U-fqHFh48cZkHnE7Exem8DFWpMXYZJhSL0/s320/5F15899F-4A0E-436D-B219-B193F87F9DE4.jpeg" width="232" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Richmond, England - the home of Ted Lasso</div><div style="text-align: center;">9” x 12” watercolor </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p>Miki Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903615512823465964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454743963883112604.post-39795002454301229802023-05-22T19:46:00.000-07:002023-05-22T19:46:18.281-07:00Switching to Watercolor<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaEBL_cYIicce4Gs98GtDdZY6kspth7gQc3537iNwDpoAi_TMQmmtG63CU7lG3wgidJ-cr-3AIterkAePLLDPak_uIB4ZZHNtZDNfT9NpHp02klEHTS7XqEYt1Y6jUaU9aBFVQpsLIeTm-i4-ns7IMv9tGN-BZ8pUCuFMVuOBX0yyoIZFo6I3p-hq7/s2799/B76677EF-FA2D-4676-9E8E-6EE8D62AEDAF.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2060" data-original-width="2799" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaEBL_cYIicce4Gs98GtDdZY6kspth7gQc3537iNwDpoAi_TMQmmtG63CU7lG3wgidJ-cr-3AIterkAePLLDPak_uIB4ZZHNtZDNfT9NpHp02klEHTS7XqEYt1Y6jUaU9aBFVQpsLIeTm-i4-ns7IMv9tGN-BZ8pUCuFMVuOBX0yyoIZFo6I3p-hq7/s320/B76677EF-FA2D-4676-9E8E-6EE8D62AEDAF.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">Diamond Head Light</p><p style="text-align: center;">2023</p><p style="text-align: center;">9” x 12” watercolor</p><p style="text-align: left;">I have flirted with watercolor for the past 30 years, but I only got serious about it a couple of years ago. Every Friday, for the past two plus years, I have been painting with a zoom group we call Sisters. We are two pairs of sisters, plus one, who live on both sides of the US. We started out exploring acrylic painting, but ended up going with watercolor. I love it.</p><p style="text-align: left;">My favorite things to paint are buildings, especially barns. I hope to stay current in my posts, with older ones thrown in for fun.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Since I have not posted for many years, I am including a few older paintings in this post, then try to start posting more regularly. I’m happy to be back.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwCrnvwVhxh0OHhYASS3N-1PXi_L6Lq2DqqO0eTZc90uaytCpXK-XvYO7V6jD3LVBB8pHZC2PMZFv9kxXny86yUO4dwyfNgI-9lSApXDZhzRQaYETyKnBXLy4rFVlP4FLGIWcvsWm2RP2qjBLYsyaeHJ_1GOycWaSFTWhZMIEypOgLuP2Z4O1AJdp1/s2367/2D7BFE74-42B5-4A2B-AACF-DE7B1B0574B3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1878" data-original-width="2367" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwCrnvwVhxh0OHhYASS3N-1PXi_L6Lq2DqqO0eTZc90uaytCpXK-XvYO7V6jD3LVBB8pHZC2PMZFv9kxXny86yUO4dwyfNgI-9lSApXDZhzRQaYETyKnBXLy4rFVlP4FLGIWcvsWm2RP2qjBLYsyaeHJ_1GOycWaSFTWhZMIEypOgLuP2Z4O1AJdp1/s320/2D7BFE74-42B5-4A2B-AACF-DE7B1B0574B3.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Barn</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">2023</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Based on photo by Carroll with permission</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv5mCjwdrepgu3ZiBjantiOV7aJtGK5MS_OcFD3i2L-vKqKt-Tu7zFwsNv6XkIZU3DmPOowNyoo6hkfZfkk8ApS1x4uhObSa-wKAOP9klip64TtejRm8l7JGIDjKndlRtc0xUOuipN59TEuR0ipAON8tfms_BaIa9rSYcbOoyfy03rCdeY27sQ2Grx/s2479/9AC308DF-3275-4D3A-AFE7-2339D3E8D3FA.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2479" data-original-width="1815" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv5mCjwdrepgu3ZiBjantiOV7aJtGK5MS_OcFD3i2L-vKqKt-Tu7zFwsNv6XkIZU3DmPOowNyoo6hkfZfkk8ApS1x4uhObSa-wKAOP9klip64TtejRm8l7JGIDjKndlRtc0xUOuipN59TEuR0ipAON8tfms_BaIa9rSYcbOoyfy03rCdeY27sQ2Grx/s320/9AC308DF-3275-4D3A-AFE7-2339D3E8D3FA.jpeg" width="234" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Med</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">2023</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFkk8EuUx4tkxFG8h41IihP2iVw8LyC2uxPpGwlmObTUzA2JQjOHhk89b8tLlyUXrd2hyzBbkp5cyYNolzKJjgA_V_xsFJsUfhI3CTAi_1skfIBCg9cOBN1dwM_hONuBxe6ZB56MxtyOXKFZ59dOodDqALNzOzttwjdm2OzH-9sA3BcH4nXqcxLgu9/s2739/BCD847E3-6751-4CC8-8B22-299A596CB5AC.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1990" data-original-width="2739" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFkk8EuUx4tkxFG8h41IihP2iVw8LyC2uxPpGwlmObTUzA2JQjOHhk89b8tLlyUXrd2hyzBbkp5cyYNolzKJjgA_V_xsFJsUfhI3CTAi_1skfIBCg9cOBN1dwM_hONuBxe6ZB56MxtyOXKFZ59dOodDqALNzOzttwjdm2OzH-9sA3BcH4nXqcxLgu9/s320/BCD847E3-6751-4CC8-8B22-299A596CB5AC.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">North Shore</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">2023</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Based on photo by Tom</div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>Miki Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903615512823465964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454743963883112604.post-3353689548671954692010-05-29T15:03:00.010-07:002010-05-29T15:39:14.434-07:00Kansas City with Mary Buek<div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX1q_I1lOe9vVtvLP-pJqepeG3UW6Luyi_qho54ot91J9kQiS7ag34YvX5rTf8CngOnuUZe4HXmxKdGjmHBk8T86Ww15B6SJ4yrZbEvaeQYe8eoQtn-PSjnDTQW1vjgLM7qA8vRmanbXI/s1600/natural-crackle.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 216px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476817885227172274" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX1q_I1lOe9vVtvLP-pJqepeG3UW6Luyi_qho54ot91J9kQiS7ag34YvX5rTf8CngOnuUZe4HXmxKdGjmHBk8T86Ww15B6SJ4yrZbEvaeQYe8eoQtn-PSjnDTQW1vjgLM7qA8vRmanbXI/s320/natural-crackle.jpg" /></a><br /><div><div>On May 18, I had the joy and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">privilege</span> of touring the best parts of Kansas City with online art friend, Mary <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Buek</span>. I have admired her photographs of the interesting places she goes on her photo walks, and when I learned I was going to be in Kansas City, I asked her if she would mind letting me tag along. She was very gracious and even picked me up at my hotel. At first, she gave me a driving tour of the Plaza area where we were staying. We drove by the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kemper</span> Museum of Contemporary Art and saw some very interesting statues of heads coming out of the ground. No photos, but I don't think I will soon forget them.</div><br /><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4D0taHxAt6ztTX-JtCz7-bPD0i3wG8IuCrvY66Si6B_j3wajQ44LZ4Li78pXwe_cNHE8641LWEQZOkN6StSFo3qqf8NFW3bkvj0YP_9RkAJltwqpUVoCOmtGcZjQpiOLWF-LV1HPiNGE/s1600/wrecking-ball.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 223px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476818854465831298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4D0taHxAt6ztTX-JtCz7-bPD0i3wG8IuCrvY66Si6B_j3wajQ44LZ4Li78pXwe_cNHE8641LWEQZOkN6StSFo3qqf8NFW3bkvj0YP_9RkAJltwqpUVoCOmtGcZjQpiOLWF-LV1HPiNGE/s320/wrecking-ball.jpg" /></a></div></div></div></div><br /><p>The first stop we made was in River Market. We stumbled on a great old brick storage building that was being torn down, brick by brick. The photo ops were fantastic. We scrambled over bricks and skirted mud puddles to take photos of rusty equipment, chain link fence in a pile, empty doorways, and much more. There was even a wrecking ball just waiting to have its photo taken<br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXyOhRyoSf1BbAJczw7IDPXSxb1POn5GQYYFPpwRxePWpovOHr8tnT0gRr1LydznFrOQ6yVwsDDch5qyxqmCyBa0lPAVRzhxzcsE8tGWJOGqTtPUr4mJegANn5U3QaV_W8IstjJ0FvVY/s1600/industrial-waterfall.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476820049740518706" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXyOhRyoSf1BbAJczw7IDPXSxb1POn5GQYYFPpwRxePWpovOHr8tnT0gRr1LydznFrOQ6yVwsDDch5qyxqmCyBa0lPAVRzhxzcsE8tGWJOGqTtPUr4mJegANn5U3QaV_W8IstjJ0FvVY/s320/industrial-waterfall.jpg" /></a> Our next stop was West Bottoms. Where we stopped was filled with old brick buildings. Some looked occupied, most not. There was wonderful <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">graffiti</span> everywhere. We didn't wander too far, but the small area where we wandered was filled with incredible eye-candy of my liking. I discovered a large drain pipe on the side of a building that had broken in a few places. It created a very cool waterfall. There were several puddles of water where the buildings and the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">graffiti</span> reflected hopefully. Here is another photo from that area.</p><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPO7JJRIbqpxFafOUy7vIsrOvPBcEt3gUtnJgXOnWQy7v8rLVAyl8FQruZH_6T3IsqqS16kFrq2bVYjPzS_-yvYITHqTrf5mh0ZnTNKF_mt_JgyCG2n-5TY4__L2JgjATx3h1S05t9VpE/s1600/blue-and-orange.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 250px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476821591855305170" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPO7JJRIbqpxFafOUy7vIsrOvPBcEt3gUtnJgXOnWQy7v8rLVAyl8FQruZH_6T3IsqqS16kFrq2bVYjPzS_-yvYITHqTrf5mh0ZnTNKF_mt_JgyCG2n-5TY4__L2JgjATx3h1S05t9VpE/s320/blue-and-orange.jpg" /></a><br />After leaving West Bottoms, I was hungry, so Mary took me to a great Mexican restaurant where I had avocado enchiladas. They were really great. I am going to make them at home, if I can. After lunch, we walked across some train tracks under a freeway to an old brewery. I fell in love with what I saw there. If it hadn't been getting late, I would have wanted to stay there longer, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">in spite</span> of the drizzle. Here are a couple of photos from there.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAouMRpei3-9PsubL69PCaq_RpkZslFezJAWdpoFV8qy_1RgQaWZdGYwwpwOEUS9OTrwbYau83ah8R_sLQZFbz2G5prPUnkvmwbhGBcPOxQ3XPjb6UoSjceuV5cAW2ZNt8eHuurzSXZR4/s1600/I-am-.-.-..jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 247px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476823619781517906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAouMRpei3-9PsubL69PCaq_RpkZslFezJAWdpoFV8qy_1RgQaWZdGYwwpwOEUS9OTrwbYau83ah8R_sLQZFbz2G5prPUnkvmwbhGBcPOxQ3XPjb6UoSjceuV5cAW2ZNt8eHuurzSXZR4/s320/I-am-.-.-..jpg" /></a><br /></p><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXNUtZEGBFv2wLJUM2d9897CQ-NQtVxRAPpcpMMeOFUNGd8HHY3wvxksDtPByKWUYysvTPwMy4z8ABnaEuybPXQZydGo5F-Td-xXCPJu0ohM5qXJgTtN1k8eoTSXF6l6Yq3e92Ow1p4Sg/s1600/rock-and-bars.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476823452007351970" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXNUtZEGBFv2wLJUM2d9897CQ-NQtVxRAPpcpMMeOFUNGd8HHY3wvxksDtPByKWUYysvTPwMy4z8ABnaEuybPXQZydGo5F-Td-xXCPJu0ohM5qXJgTtN1k8eoTSXF6l6Yq3e92Ow1p4Sg/s320/rock-and-bars.jpg" /></a><br />Our last stop was a grain elevator. So cool. I had a fantastic day with Mary exploring the parts of Kansas City I wanted to see. One day, I hope she will come here and I can show her where I found the rusty car in the woods. I leave you with one final photo from the grain elevator. I have many more to process, but these are some of my favorites.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMXDzj9C1xDkAPaKvQmsZVEBPt3KBoQkPFHR-mtBM-x44QhV8ZrtyKNy8I0s9zcDDvwoZroukd0uaLLnU6Epj0SuaboI5qLDMSh8yyLYx3Llu_lCqpEfcoQdKSoATnASkCpqBY1YbADPo/s1600/swirls.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 292px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476824663381565474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMXDzj9C1xDkAPaKvQmsZVEBPt3KBoQkPFHR-mtBM-x44QhV8ZrtyKNy8I0s9zcDDvwoZroukd0uaLLnU6Epj0SuaboI5qLDMSh8yyLYx3Llu_lCqpEfcoQdKSoATnASkCpqBY1YbADPo/s320/swirls.jpg" /></a>Miki Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903615512823465964noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454743963883112604.post-80037446763988382902010-02-14T09:24:00.002-08:002010-02-14T09:38:18.413-08:00Happy Valentine's Day<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg01h1YWprl4EZ2U333Vt4kWAaTIa6j0NtKKR5YhIJ42WDJ2g5kzqTMt-cPDhrVxwaCy_PpEu5bHM10SnjSyDI7hA2H_3aI1O0gST68hhn0F7PaTzunYNP-qree-M3On4dhrrNcT9V3A9o/s1600-h/valentine.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438151585463890962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 279px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg01h1YWprl4EZ2U333Vt4kWAaTIa6j0NtKKR5YhIJ42WDJ2g5kzqTMt-cPDhrVxwaCy_PpEu5bHM10SnjSyDI7hA2H_3aI1O0gST68hhn0F7PaTzunYNP-qree-M3On4dhrrNcT9V3A9o/s320/valentine.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:78%;">Valentine for Tom</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">10 x 10 mixed media collage</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">by Miki Willa</span></div><div align="left">Happy Valentine's day, everyone. I created this valentine for my husband and actually framed it. It is the first collage I have framed. It is created with five layers of wonderful hand made paper, two hearts of scrapbook paper, and one of wrapping paper. I had great fun selecting the papers, hand tearing the hearts,and figuring out an interesting layout. There was no stress to this project, just joy. All creative projects should be this way. That is a big part of my artistic goals for this year.</div><div align="left">Speaking of goals, part of my life coaching group homework this week is to work on setting a goal and creating a plan to achieve that goal. I am excited about creating a series of visual odes (<a href="http://http//mikispastels.blogspot.com/2010/01/creating-visual-odes.html">see this post</a>) about places I have visited or lived in that left a strong impression with me. In addition to the visual piece, I want to share a story or two about the place. As I get more clear about the goal, I will post about it here. Part of the plan will include an accountability piece. When I was doing a painting a day, I set up this blog to keep me accountable. I think this will be part of my accountability system for this project as well.<br /></div><div align="left">I am still working on my artistic freedom manifesto. I will have more photos in the next post.</div>Miki Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903615512823465964noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454743963883112604.post-78681315657233791282009-10-13T09:19:00.002-07:002009-10-13T09:29:01.389-07:00Commissioned Painting - Mt. Rainier<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEptVMqjGiNUctUZlVitM59-DWDXhC_a0tpZc6JT9vTM22VeB-tBGxJWkj6tw05OD8lu0rcovyobdS66HwBf2x9SMRFzHJTfi_1mgFEG_PMN5GFYh-PEGAo9x2uc4UhjNZUaBCv8zzOsk/s1600-h/commissioned-mt-rainier.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392120281762064802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 256px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEptVMqjGiNUctUZlVitM59-DWDXhC_a0tpZc6JT9vTM22VeB-tBGxJWkj6tw05OD8lu0rcovyobdS66HwBf2x9SMRFzHJTfi_1mgFEG_PMN5GFYh-PEGAo9x2uc4UhjNZUaBCv8zzOsk/s320/commissioned-mt-rainier.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:78%;">Royal Peak</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">8 x 10 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">by Miki Willa</span></div><div align="left">This is my first commissioned painting in a long time. The patron wanted mountain and purple. The mountain I see most from my neighborhood is Mt. Rainier. It has many moods and vistas. This is from the north, slightly east. I wanted to make sure little Mt. Tahoma showed its peak as well. I do love working with purple and I enjoy the challenge of mountain peaks. For all you mountain climbers out there, this is my interpretation from a long distance away. It is not meant to be a climbers guide.</div><div align="left">I can now say I have sold two paintings in the great northwest. My studio is ready for more creativity. I am working on preparing myself for more creative time. Just working through some of the nay-saying inner voices. One of my goals is to be more active on the blog again. It may take on a different tone, but it will be a place I will continue to share my creations and my creative process. </div><div align="left">Enjoy the beautiful fall.<br /></div><div align="center"></div>Miki Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903615512823465964noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454743963883112604.post-56371674701217837272009-08-25T10:23:00.004-07:002009-08-25T10:45:13.106-07:00Art Contests - a rant of sorts<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0F9yaik6xJWB0UIOkc_GIklr73cvuHvMelBb9hUsJmtVRtt-TGxCw_I-jP6ct2p4QL8vtVVwxdxd5BL3_DprPg5xege65BARpNAZQKqZOQvC7bKE_EFvjXmluzEPLklrEvz3h3Zvdmkw/s1600-h/uptown-glassworks.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373953497889931842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0F9yaik6xJWB0UIOkc_GIklr73cvuHvMelBb9hUsJmtVRtt-TGxCw_I-jP6ct2p4QL8vtVVwxdxd5BL3_DprPg5xege65BARpNAZQKqZOQvC7bKE_EFvjXmluzEPLklrEvz3h3Zvdmkw/s320/uptown-glassworks.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:78%;">Uptown Glassworks</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">12 x 18 soft pastels on Kitty Wallis white</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">by Miki Willa</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">Plein Air Painting</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">" Create an art piece between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on August 22, 2009 in the Art Walk vicinity."</div><div align="left">How would you interpret that? These were the instructions for a "Quick draw" contest held in conjunction with an art show this past weekend. While my husband, our son and his wife set up and manned our area, I set up my easel to do a painting of a local landmark "in the Art Walk vicinity." I had a great time painting this wonderful old building, working on perspective, and trying to make it look the way I wanted it to look. After a few hours, I felt it was done and got it ready to enter into the auction and contest. We framed it in the prepared frame we brought for just this painting. I took it down to the entry table to turn it in. I should have suspected something was amiss when the people manning the table had no idea what they were to do with the painting.</div><div align="left">It turns out I really misinterpreted the rules for the contest. "In the Art Walk vicinity" meant only that you had to paint whatever you painted in the area that day, but it really didn't matter what you painted. It didn't have to have any relationship to the area whatsoever. I don't mind not winning art contests as long as I feel that the same criteria have been applied to every entry. Perhaps I should have verified exactly what they meant. Now, I can see just how vague the statement is. I also didn't realize that friendship counted. Being new in the area, I haven't established friendships in the local arts groups. Oh well, live and learn.</div><div align="left">We will be moving on from the venues in this area. There is a good market there for our son's glass art, but none for our pastel art. It will take time to learn about the local market. In Hawai'i, people bought art with different things in mind than people in the PNW, it seems. It also doesn't help that the economy is affecting art purchases. I have observed that art that serves a second purpose is more marketable right now. </div><div align="left">In the meantime, I will add the painting of Uptown Glassworks to my glass making series. I have a nice collection of Hugh's glass, and Tom hung some of the paintings above the mantle where a few pieces are displayed. I like the way it looks as it is all tied together. While I had a difficult time with the contest, I had a wonderful day painting and adding to this series.</div>Miki Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903615512823465964noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454743963883112604.post-5324721393413980012009-08-15T10:22:00.003-07:002009-08-15T10:44:04.134-07:00Patterns in Wood, Art Shows<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSH_bQ8tiNQm6ntjjDYpZJXdUugPhl1PeOnW8D88mAebKWLvrHeOnTn-HjRvzN7wnJxS35S6FsEukcCgOg1l6Y_nNSw1Sdm2RrWvMfhFnyXHGIvcY36pqk81MmhO8xWJLi_IMPW9rQj4c/s1600-h/door-in-the-wall.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370242451019850946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 226px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSH_bQ8tiNQm6ntjjDYpZJXdUugPhl1PeOnW8D88mAebKWLvrHeOnTn-HjRvzN7wnJxS35S6FsEukcCgOg1l6Y_nNSw1Sdm2RrWvMfhFnyXHGIvcY36pqk81MmhO8xWJLi_IMPW9rQj4c/s320/door-in-the-wall.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:78%;">Door in the Wall</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">14 x 20 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">by Miki Willa</span></div><div align="left">There is an old lumber complex on Lake Washington near the southeast end of the lake. For years there were log booms in the lake where the mill got its raw materials. Later, it was occupied by a wood product manufacturer. Now, it is abandoned. On a recent artist field trip, Tom and I found ourselves wandering these premises to gather reference photos. As we were walking back to the car, I caught sight of this door in the middle of a wall created with concrete and varying wood panels. The window panes in the door reflected the bright sun that was out that day. I fell in love with the colors, shapes and patterns on this wall. I loved the patterns in the wood and the concrete and how they worked against each other. I really liked the brilliance of the reflection in the windows. I relished the challenge of capturing all of this in pastel.</div><div align="left">I started this painting by blocking out the shapes. Then I added the darks in the woods so the grain would work. I added lighter values as I came to the surface of the wood in places where the lighter grain showed. I added the door and the light fixture to the left of the door last. I pushed some of the colors to capture the emotions I had when I first saw this wall, especially in the windows. I am happy with this work.</div><div align="left">We have done three art shows this spring and summer and have been very disappointed at the outcome. It is hard not to think negative thoughts about my art at this point. I know the economy is not in the right place for people to be buying art that does not serve another function, like serving bowls or quilts. That doesn't help at the moment. Another problem has been the venue in two of them and the timing in one. That, also, does not help. We have two more shows coming up. I am working on being optimistic about both of them. One of them is part of a show billed as an art show. The second one is in an area where I know quite a few people. There is a lesson to be learned in all of this, or probably many lessons. One of them has to be about marketing. Hopefully, I will figure it all out soon and the next shows will be better.<br /></div><div align="left">The next show is in downtown Renton, The Arts and Antique Walk. It is next Saturday, August 22. We are on Third Ave. in front of A-1 Locks, across the street from the Western Store. </div><div align="left">On September 12 and 13, we will be in Lake Boren Park at Return to Newcastle Days. If you are in the area, I hope to see you there.</div>Miki Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903615512823465964noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454743963883112604.post-43168369384620351782009-07-15T20:59:00.005-07:002009-07-15T21:20:49.033-07:00Does art have to have deep meaning to be good?<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc5t8OWzSnEYuj6czikT5-S0hiqEIx7Fdy3ttH7ENUd2j4gG3yS5WKlBSPUzepiQNqxK4RIvsQ2VBY2r9ldMlQuHJZ14motTp623X9ntexrQ_Xhs64qOBhh2lgUGYOD7iQyBFhKfaLkao/s1600-h/the-warehouse.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358903047573328082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 228px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc5t8OWzSnEYuj6czikT5-S0hiqEIx7Fdy3ttH7ENUd2j4gG3yS5WKlBSPUzepiQNqxK4RIvsQ2VBY2r9ldMlQuHJZ14motTp623X9ntexrQ_Xhs64qOBhh2lgUGYOD7iQyBFhKfaLkao/s320/the-warehouse.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:78%;">The Warehouse</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">by Miki Willa</span></div><div align="left">There are so many people out in blog land who have much to say about what art is and what makes good art. There are quite a few people who have differing opinions on the subjects. I didn't want to be left out, so I decided to jump into the fray.</div><div align="left">There is a rather large camp who think that a work by an artist must make a statement about the state of the world in some way in order to be considered "real" art. It is not good enough to be sell executed, or to be visually appealing. As I came across these opinions, I wondered what grand statement about the human condition my art makes. So far, I can't see any.</div><div align="left">There is another camp that says to be considered good art, it has to be technically well done. It has to follow all the rules. And, it has to convey the feeling of the artist about the subject at hand. I do try and put my feelings into my paintings.</div><div align="left">There are also a group of people who think that anything that smacks of realism is not true art, but merely copying. This seems to have been happening in the world of academe for a while. I have known a few people who were not accepted into university art programs because their art was too "predictable and inside the box." But I like realism. Does that mean that what I like isn't art?</div><div align="left">I do have more questions than answers in this discussion. However, I have come up with something I think is important. I think art should be celebration. I should celebration human emotions, the beauty of the small stream or majestic mountain, the ingenuity and resilience of humans, and the ways in which the earth reclaims what humans reject over time. There is much more to celebrate in art, and I guess that is what I think my work does. I celebrate the earth in my landscapes. I celebrate the power of water in my waterscapes. I celebrate glass art makers. Not everyone will agree with me, but that is okay. What is a discussion without opposing viewpoints.</div><div align="left">The painting is a celebration of a landmark in Renton, Washington. It has survived earthquakes, fires, and the gentrification of the neighborhood. I took the reference photo on a glorious fall day because I loved the colors on the hillside, and the plume of steam and smoke against the brilliant blue sky.<br /></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"></div>Miki Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903615512823465964noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454743963883112604.post-32602777187947775092009-07-12T13:30:00.003-07:002009-07-12T13:41:11.644-07:00Acrylic Landscape painting<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsLKllMDFqiDhKC4QCoV55YH4HzGnfACYe-FZiCCn587rLunRr8Qk4vTkts3SZaNF8xRBF39cx43Q52SgKADdfaNQjDlvdj-Xu1PQ8Ndq0pE8rlFVSa8VEKjUf3fuU8QeKabIlrsRZJ_0/s1600-h/sedona-acryllic.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357674076608636162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 288px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 288px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsLKllMDFqiDhKC4QCoV55YH4HzGnfACYe-FZiCCn587rLunRr8Qk4vTkts3SZaNF8xRBF39cx43Q52SgKADdfaNQjDlvdj-Xu1PQ8Ndq0pE8rlFVSa8VEKjUf3fuU8QeKabIlrsRZJ_0/s320/sedona-acryllic.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:78%;">Sedona Morning</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">4 x 4 acrylics on clay board</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">by Miki Willa</span></div><div align="left">When I was in Sedona during my mentoring workshop with Michael Chesley Johnson, I was not really happy with any of the paintings or sketches I did there. I still have trouble with plein air painting. I get overwhelmed with all the possibilities, and my brain becomes so over stimulated I forget all the basic rules of painting landscapes. I will keep working on this problem, but will keep painting in the studio in the mean time.</div><div align="left">This small painting is my first attempt at a landscape in acrylic. I have long been fascinated by the brush strokes I see in oils and some acrylics. I really have trouble with the smells associated with oils, so I decided to try acrylics. I painted with them straight out of the tube, and am quite pleased with the results. I love the way I can scumble in a sky and clouds with pastels, so I tried the same approach with acrylics. It worked pretty well. I also like the way the colors could be layered and blended with ease. Of course, I used my fingers at times along with my brushes. That made it really fun for me. I am happy with the way this turned out. I wonder if I can create something I like on a bigger canvas. We shall see.<br /></div><div align="center"></div>Miki Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903615512823465964noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454743963883112604.post-63299174101195086782009-07-04T09:41:00.006-07:002009-07-04T09:57:19.276-07:00Show opening in Bremerton<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH5xmKC6QcdIp6iICYsjnX8Ucvq94OQV8tksQtULY4YETltQPwuu6WpthTReqVKzChzG1ENKceAm4JQcv2dmky11cImrkSwTYzHnc0P2QZkxOSnGUZSP7mtJ9PWKcxuncTvDdFvKkT_HA/s1600-h/waiting-for-the-opening.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354646245870448002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH5xmKC6QcdIp6iICYsjnX8Ucvq94OQV8tksQtULY4YETltQPwuu6WpthTReqVKzChzG1ENKceAm4JQcv2dmky11cImrkSwTYzHnc0P2QZkxOSnGUZSP7mtJ9PWKcxuncTvDdFvKkT_HA/s320/waiting-for-the-opening.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Last night was the opening event for my show in Bremerton, Washington. The venue was Cornerstone Coffee on the corner of 5th and Pacific. It was part of the monthly First Friday Art Walk in the downtown area. The photo above is of the main wall and the table we set up with edibles and drinks. I was really happy with the way the paintings hung on the gold wall. It is a very nice space.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtAPZ20rJceQDIOrHnXw8F1mg6VQ2XNE_Gb_53iE_5f19r_MP3ml1-mQSHesZYH32PUWj5YZImkY6oT7iFqWWxljAFvd-pl124jq3HgtskSuKgFs7PI85xoeXmHc_JiElqBHERBYZy0Uo/s1600-h/small-walls.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354646355154283938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtAPZ20rJceQDIOrHnXw8F1mg6VQ2XNE_Gb_53iE_5f19r_MP3ml1-mQSHesZYH32PUWj5YZImkY6oT7iFqWWxljAFvd-pl124jq3HgtskSuKgFs7PI85xoeXmHc_JiElqBHERBYZy0Uo/s320/small-walls.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />This photo is of two small walls around the corner from the main wall. They can both be seen well from the front window, but are not in direct sun. This is the first time I have had the glass blowing series (minus 2) hanging together. I am very happy about the look they achieve grouped in this way.<br /><br />There was a very small crowd last evening because of the holiday. Many people had slipped out of town for the long weekend. The people who did drop by were very kind and complementary. My family came to support me, including my sister-in-law from Virginia. (She was my first patron from this show, buying the stormy ocean painting you can see on the table in the top photo.) It was great to get the family together.<br /><br />My show will be hung until July 31, so if you are in the area, please stop by. Enjoy the paintings and a great coffee or tea drink.Miki Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903615512823465964noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454743963883112604.post-57351595098636022702009-06-28T12:41:00.003-07:002009-06-28T12:48:48.787-07:00First one-person show opening<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9m6D-DIRillqR0fkc1FxygjLQuY222xzkebpxb0s7Q_WarDfApXNj1Ccvky2yMjCqPR4-NGGxuDEbmb0ufx7kJ0S2v7GXOrrXeMZkNv1hFMmKZ_It3OEVFaewhNW7IhMf8AQabm34YEs/s1600-h/Furnace-I.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352466293752120850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9m6D-DIRillqR0fkc1FxygjLQuY222xzkebpxb0s7Q_WarDfApXNj1Ccvky2yMjCqPR4-NGGxuDEbmb0ufx7kJ0S2v7GXOrrXeMZkNv1hFMmKZ_It3OEVFaewhNW7IhMf8AQabm34YEs/s320/Furnace-I.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:78%;">Glass Oven</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">12 x 9 soft pastels </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">by Miki Willa</span></div><div align="left">You are not seeing things. I have posted this one before, but I wanted to use it to announce the opening of my first solo show coming up this Friday, July 3, 2009. The opening will be part of the First Friday Art Walk in Bremerton, Washington. My venue is Cornerstone Coffee at 435 Pacific Ave. It is within easy walk from the Ferry terminal. I will be showing my glass blowing series as well as my landscapes. The show will hang until July 31. I hope some of you will be able to join me for this great event. I will be serving wine and finger food, if my art alone is not enough to entice you to stop by. I hope to see you soon.<br /></div><div align="center"></div>Miki Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903615512823465964noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454743963883112604.post-16938630447812953782009-06-07T15:33:00.003-07:002009-06-07T15:43:58.474-07:00New acrylic abstract<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgIwW6rQhUoO6vmJSBIVDKSz9i8s8jtUNuhVdXRvvZuVvLJSdvmdhcMdZGYGc9lcVdwmHIXo27HrR4nK-EbyF0h8vDDiPKj-SCI4GKYCLbdKuHcF9jaHmp3KWEiOb0qG2KWmVhXxx_8I/s1600-h/inside+over+there.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344717670217577474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 178px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgIwW6rQhUoO6vmJSBIVDKSz9i8s8jtUNuhVdXRvvZuVvLJSdvmdhcMdZGYGc9lcVdwmHIXo27HrR4nK-EbyF0h8vDDiPKj-SCI4GKYCLbdKuHcF9jaHmp3KWEiOb0qG2KWmVhXxx_8I/s320/inside+over+there.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:78%;">Inside Over There</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">11 x 6 acrylic on watercolor paper</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">by Miki Willa</span></div><div align="left">I really like working with split complements, especially this combination. For this painting, I started out with a mono-print. I applied the paint to parchment paper. I used pretty thick layers because I wanted some texture. I put a piece of watercolor paper over the paint. I used a rolling pin to get even pressure to make the print. I was really pleased with the textures that were created. Purple and Payne's gray made up the first layer of the print. After the print was dry, I applied the orange, blue, and magenta with a credit card across the texture so that it would be picked up on the ridges. I also used some Titan buff to add some lighter areas. I really like the areas where I left the white of the paper showing through. </div><div align="left">If you are interested in winning a free original painting or professional photograph of a tulip image, be sure and hop over to Tom's blog, <a href="http://tomsimages.blogspot.com/">Tom's Images</a>, and vote for your favorite. The drawing witll be on June 18 from the people who make comments and select a favorite. These are beautiful images, so don't miss out.<br /></div><div align="center"></div>Miki Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903615512823465964noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454743963883112604.post-4528480235798753322009-05-28T12:21:00.004-07:002009-05-28T12:29:34.292-07:00Painting for Different Strokes<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ7F0DrHReyFKTsCoEcS0T_qiTE3PWHzBGU7Pj3TIFtyI7GqPotVrwOnmC6mHMRhQyrwOQYYY7kZ54V6lpgKhp-zSN9jMEBo09-oz90dUNCU99X7nnaWsm3wKZfgkFUKqY9bJ0-noh2Jg/s1600-h/wheat-farm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340957302210817330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 136px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ7F0DrHReyFKTsCoEcS0T_qiTE3PWHzBGU7Pj3TIFtyI7GqPotVrwOnmC6mHMRhQyrwOQYYY7kZ54V6lpgKhp-zSN9jMEBo09-oz90dUNCU99X7nnaWsm3wKZfgkFUKqY9bJ0-noh2Jg/s320/wheat-farm.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:78%;">Wheat Farm</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">8 x 18 soft pastels on Kitty Wallis Professional White</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">by Miki Willa</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">based on gray scale photo provided by Karin Jurick</span></div><div align="left">I really enjoy watching all the wonderful interpretations of Karin's biweekly photos on <a href="http://differentstrokesfromdifferentfolks.blogspot.com/">Different Strokes From Different Folks</a> blog. Every once in a while, I decided to try my hand. For this one, Karin provided us with a gray scale photo of a Pennsylvania farm and asked us to use our own favorite palattes. This was great for me. I loved the photo, and I knew it would lend itself to my favorite complimentary palatte. This was quite fun to paint. I really like the lost edges in the distance and the cripsness in the nearer buildings. I also had a lot of fun with the size.</div><div align="left"><br /> </div><div align="center"></div>Miki Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903615512823465964noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454743963883112604.post-9468301739968426282009-05-26T12:01:00.003-07:002009-05-26T12:12:47.530-07:00Abandoned packing shed<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJaIqieKtsKKcm_4Ygq1UxpeTGeAYIjsCJAvPKA3AgBJm1KPc3GRD-GyWl5SkY-_uXABa5JM4RpxWj_SC8P37KLjOyj6yIidC2qwqSoU-0_h_s4rVSjBz69DaNoCjSP4nO5Zt1-6h-6ls/s1600-h/packing-shed.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340210023914648690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJaIqieKtsKKcm_4Ygq1UxpeTGeAYIjsCJAvPKA3AgBJm1KPc3GRD-GyWl5SkY-_uXABa5JM4RpxWj_SC8P37KLjOyj6yIidC2qwqSoU-0_h_s4rVSjBz69DaNoCjSP4nO5Zt1-6h-6ls/s320/packing-shed.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:78%;">The Packing Shed</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">12 x 18 soft pastels on Kitty Wallis Professional white</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">by Miki Willa</span></div><div align="left">This painting has been kicking my butt. I think it is finally finished. The place is a lavender farm northeast of Bellingham, Washington. We were there on a very warm day, enjoying the lavender, the bees, and the beautiful surroundings. At one point, I spotted this old packing shed. Apparently, there used to be fruit grown on the property. The shed was still in relatively good condition as far as looks go, but I don't think I would want to spend much time under it. I love these old structures from a distance.</div><div align="left">I started the painting with a gradient orange to yellow underpainting. It really kept the painting warm, which I think made for some of my problems. I finally decided to stay with the orange in the sky and work from there. I used the grayed out greens from my Terry Ludwig pastels for the trees in the background. I then used the warmer greens as I came forward. After fighting with it for days, I decided to kick back and have fun with it. Now, I like it. </div><div align="left">I have decided to stay with more realism with my pastels and non-representational with the acrylics and collage. That decision has really eased my mind. I do really enjoy the style I have developed with the pastels, but want to expand my horizons. I think this will work out very well for me. I believe change can be very good, but I am of an age where hanging onto some of the old is very comforting.<br /></div><div align="center"></div>Miki Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903615512823465964noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454743963883112604.post-78044488018140408412009-05-25T10:09:00.004-07:002009-05-25T10:41:52.351-07:00Acrylic abstract painting<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWWwi1fKDpBXQX-HHnWFdBMOy3EvBLV9RKFTCQOYRNRKZU5naYlrBSo75K20zQyuG5uBh396y5pSS-OnqMsr5_LIJYd4c81fwqUtUBNzC71arua8pC34c3YdvQnpXjqaPljyPRYOYmqQQ/s1600-h/blue-silo.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339809958776324450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWWwi1fKDpBXQX-HHnWFdBMOy3EvBLV9RKFTCQOYRNRKZU5naYlrBSo75K20zQyuG5uBh396y5pSS-OnqMsr5_LIJYd4c81fwqUtUBNzC71arua8pC34c3YdvQnpXjqaPljyPRYOYmqQQ/s320/blue-silo.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Blue Silo</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">12 x 16 acrylic on 300# watercolor paper</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">by Miki Willa</span></div><div align="left">I finally decided to stop listening to that inner voice that tells me I cannot do something. I chose colors I like together, images that make me happy, and set to work on my first real abstract painting. The result is pleasing to me. It has the farm fields and grassland, the approaching storm, and the blue silo. You may see something completely different, and that is great. The best part for me is that I did it.</div><div align="left">Creating non-representation art is very difficult for me. The box I think inside is pretty narrow. I have been able to stretch it somewhat in my representational art, but not to this extent. I expected to get more set in my ways as I got older, but it seems I am doing some rebelling at the present time. This painting represents more to me than just trying something different. It is me stepping outside my box and taking a chance. I am betting that my work in the Artist's Way is having some effect on my creativity. This is a great thing and I am really enjoying this divergent path along the journey.</div><div align="left">One of the things that has happened to help make this happen is creating a new studio space just for collage and acrylics. We have a small rust-orange colored room I claimed as my own. I set my sewing machine in there along with a bunch of stuff we were storing. Last week, we cleared it out, bought a new table, and I moved things around to make it a wonderful studio space. Now I can work on my pastels in the studio I share with my husband, and not get glue or acrylics on my pastel paintings, or his. He set up his oil studio in the garage. It is so good to live with another artist.</div><div align="left">Speaking of pastels, I have nearly finished the one on the easel. It will probably be posted here in the next couple of days. In the meantime, take a look at my newest collage at <a href="http://mikiscollage.blogspot.com/">Miki's Collages</a>.<br /></div><div align="center"></div>Miki Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903615512823465964noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454743963883112604.post-24617831222954736112009-05-23T16:22:00.003-07:002009-05-23T16:36:10.012-07:00Landscape in acrylic<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTMb5c0xvNenBwsUOmoMCorhPkl9CBLVSi-Nwsvsei8H8hS5tCSa89qz0x3JBAwKKafXxdaBjcd59d_JZ9ffTbozkNDfXMndzCFQXd251sbsF5J4CY_zSF9ljWql9WlGE4uWb7GwR4RYU/s1600-h/landscape.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339163934295699986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 282px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTMb5c0xvNenBwsUOmoMCorhPkl9CBLVSi-Nwsvsei8H8hS5tCSa89qz0x3JBAwKKafXxdaBjcd59d_JZ9ffTbozkNDfXMndzCFQXd251sbsF5J4CY_zSF9ljWql9WlGE4uWb7GwR4RYU/s320/landscape.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:78%;">Earth and Sky</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">6 x 5 acrylic on 300# watercolor paper</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Miki</span> Willa</span></div><div align="left">I had some left over acrylics on my palette after working on some visual journal pages, so I decided to paint a small painting. I tried a painting in acrylics years ago and really hated the result. I was determined never to try it again. Since I started my visual journals, I have found I like acrylics for that purpose. I still put too much paint on the palette and hate to throw it away at the end of the day, so I came up with this idea. It was fun to mash all the paint around with small strokes, creating a sense of some texture. I may get some small canvases to create more abstract pieces with left-over paint as I go. I may learn to enjoy acrylics after all.</div><div align="left">In the afternoon, I worked on the pastel painting on the easel. I am happy with the direction it is taking. I do enjoy working with the pastels quite a bit. I would like to do more paintings that are less representational, but I am having trouble making the shift. I will get there, but it will take more time and study. My left brain is screaming for me to get back in line and stop all this nonsense. My right brain is working up to taking the leap. It is an interesting place to be on this journey, and a very funny one for me. A year ago, I would have bet money I would never be in this place in my head. One should never say never.<br /></div><div align="center"></div>Miki Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903615512823465964noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454743963883112604.post-74038648215704086862009-05-16T13:29:00.004-07:002009-05-16T13:40:59.571-07:00The Gathering<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEYJq6Kbcj8ytGzLcO-M2Ss2XS8d74AIvKblYyKnhthyphenhyphen3nqd4zzWPTF2yEkNTHz5-5dLnXZuuv_jKanCSEalL95-Cxb42w6V0SFLdTlnxQoQVg1jPwynXqnAsL1TWq2ZQCLSHXsHG02iE/s1600-h/gathering.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336521766118490002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEYJq6Kbcj8ytGzLcO-M2Ss2XS8d74AIvKblYyKnhthyphenhyphen3nqd4zzWPTF2yEkNTHz5-5dLnXZuuv_jKanCSEalL95-Cxb42w6V0SFLdTlnxQoQVg1jPwynXqnAsL1TWq2ZQCLSHXsHG02iE/s320/gathering.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">The Gathering</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">12 x 18 soft pastels on Kitty Wallis Professional White</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">by Miki Willa</span></div><div align="left">I finished the painting today and I am happy with it. I like that there are very few sharp lines. I love the play of the light from the oven surfaces and the corrugated wall. I am happy that there are hints at structures and oddities, but they are not so well defined. I am glad I waited until I was ready to finish this piece. I think it is one of the loosest things I have done so far.</div><div align="left">I think I am done with this series for a few weeks. I am feeling pulled to landscapes again because of the incredible spring days. Even the rainy ones make me happy. Our back yard is constantly changing, and I am loving the new surprises every day. I didn't move here until early June last year, so this is all new to me. I am sorry to say we lost the lavenders over the winter, but we are going to replace them as time and money allow. The blueberry bushes are going great guns. I think we will get a great harvest this summer, if we keep them all watered on the dry days. We also have a new gala apple tree that Tom got me for Mother's Day. It had several blossoms, so I am hopeful for fruit. My lilac tree is in full bloom. I was thrilled to be able to cut a bunch. I will have to get out the ladder and cut some more. They smell so good.</div><div align="left">Have a wonderful spring weekend. Take a look at the new paintings Casey Klahn is posting at <a href="http://www.thecolorist.blogspot.com/">the Colorist</a>. They are really wonderful.<br /></div><div align="center"></div>Miki Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903615512823465964noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454743963883112604.post-753672205366914462009-05-13T11:49:00.001-07:002009-05-13T12:00:57.257-07:00WIP The Gathering<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisCMEd1lEe_auB6BPGhLzArTKD1kO69r4HRjFhKBNZCw0AVeqNWzC_KtOKRivbZY2pyPPiJxIOuhHJp1J2Nht1IE8WpNtCAyfDsU7ty0BrSlx86HZDjHMg5vFhz_sK1q7hwq6A-i-0jvM/s1600-h/WIP-oven.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335382963291245154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 218px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisCMEd1lEe_auB6BPGhLzArTKD1kO69r4HRjFhKBNZCw0AVeqNWzC_KtOKRivbZY2pyPPiJxIOuhHJp1J2Nht1IE8WpNtCAyfDsU7ty0BrSlx86HZDjHMg5vFhz_sK1q7hwq6A-i-0jvM/s320/WIP-oven.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:78%;">The Gathering WIP</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">12 x 18 soft pastels on Wallis Professional White</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">by Miki Willa</span></div><div align="left">I am having a hard time finishing this painting because I really like what it looks like right now. I like the roughness of the sketch and the contrast of the blues and yellows and oranges. It looks somewhat cartoonish, but gives an idea of what it is all about. I will finish it so it works with the rest of the paintings in the series, but I think I will go back and do some more in this style.</div><div align="left">This is a glass furnace at <a href="http://www.avalonglassworks.com/">Avalon Glassworks </a>in West Seattle. Son Hugh has just picked up more glass on a bubble that will become a folded plate, or taco. This furnace is very high tech and different than the other ones we have seen. It is opened by pressing down on a pneumatic foot pedal. Very cool.</div><div align="left">I have taken the plunge and started a new blog dedicated to my exploration of collage art and visual journaling. You can take a look <a href="http://mikiscollage.blogspot.com/">here</a>.<br /></div><div align="center"></div>Miki Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903615512823465964noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454743963883112604.post-26108285327365700122009-05-07T13:25:00.003-07:002009-05-07T13:41:43.486-07:00Glass Blowing Series - Glass Furnace I<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ-Qvc46Mexx-82Sbp-A5M3C1PENyhb4ZI3IIiMOEF1hW_WcNaYJJnd49Ep-1kAYSY5E71j0pNYgBhISphASPi6lnzyfxF000ZZHN9mIbiU7aaJ6Yxf_SiqqBEBX_s70bn9i21YkgK4jQ/s1600-h/Furnace-I.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333181308912103858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ-Qvc46Mexx-82Sbp-A5M3C1PENyhb4ZI3IIiMOEF1hW_WcNaYJJnd49Ep-1kAYSY5E71j0pNYgBhISphASPi6lnzyfxF000ZZHN9mIbiU7aaJ6Yxf_SiqqBEBX_s70bn9i21YkgK4jQ/s320/Furnace-I.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:78%;">Glass Furnace I</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">12 x 9 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">by Miki Willa</span></div><div align="left">In working to convey my impressions of glass blowing studios and glass art, I find myself more and more drawn to non-realistic representations. In this painting, I deliberately left the top portion dark and vague. It could be anywhere, maybe even a cave. I did add some detail to the furnace itself, especially at the bottom, which is further forward. One of the things about being in a glass studio is the intensity of the heat, light, and creativity makes it difficult to really focus on the details too much. At least it is for me because I get caught up in the heat, light, and creativity. </div><div align="left">So many people have no idea what goes into creating a piece of glass art. We see so many "hand blown" vases, plates, cups, and glasses at places like Crate and Barrel for such low prices, we are astonished at the prices in glass studios. We forget that most of these pieces are made in factories where repetition is the bread and butter. The glass artists I watch work hard. They often sketch out their designs before they gather any glass. They need to understand the properties and chemistry of glass, especially colored glass. They have to have respect for their chosen medium. Then there is the heat and physical endurance, especially in the upper arms and lower back. Next time you look at a piece of glass art that is made in your local area, be sure and look closely. You will be amazed.</div><div align="left">In this series, I am paying tribute to these glass artists.<br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA27wXFa3qANrD2jyZ5b1_T3qP3OGiM3gt2RxR4yLbbRfMjztOTfndQI80w46eBqx3TOssziVaCzn8-d10D2s3kqzmDYvrGuYZY-UuSQOzlHntS8UJlCTdHDu4RVX78TObgMCus88YGtM/s1600-h/Furnace-I.jpg"></a><div align="center"><br /><br /></div><div align="center"></div>Miki Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903615512823465964noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454743963883112604.post-65845754709458653332009-05-02T17:04:00.003-07:002009-05-02T17:23:20.680-07:00My first collage<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBsW9t5RUx9natATD6Bf_jQPzO18ITfdcx8_Zi03EWMrwQpLWMu62jyMlDM3VjnmR1vyQ40heDt4KJrSpT4ycBxpjO9Pd0UhkaVp1bWC6LaMo1Yfl3Y28x_eiho3t9aiSJHk7VjWmbzSg/s1600-h/landscape-1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331382005529750674" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBsW9t5RUx9natATD6Bf_jQPzO18ITfdcx8_Zi03EWMrwQpLWMu62jyMlDM3VjnmR1vyQ40heDt4KJrSpT4ycBxpjO9Pd0UhkaVp1bWC6LaMo1Yfl3Y28x_eiho3t9aiSJHk7VjWmbzSg/s320/landscape-1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Landscape 1 , 12 x 6 torn paper on 300lb watercolor paper </span></p><p>I finally overcame my fear of trying something new and created this collage. I used paper from magazines, scrapbooking background paper, paper bags that I painted, and some washi paper I had stashed. I also found one of those skeleton leaves in the garden and added that for texture and interest. I decided to do a relatively simple landscape. I wanted to keep it rather simple for a first collage. </p><p>I knew the colors I wanted to use and looked for them in my paper stash. I was missing a few, so I took a grocery bag and painted pieces with acrylics. When I paint landscapes, they are pretty realistic in style. I tend to use fairly standard sizes, so I wanted to get away from that with this piece. I think I accomplished my goal here.</p><p>I do have a number of technical questions I will have to find answers to. I am sure there must be better mediums out there for attaching everything without all the wrinkles. How do I apply the medium to the pieces of paper without them curling up on themselves, or should I strictly apply the medium to the support. I read about using a tacking iron, and that sounds cool, but the curling up thing would still be an issue. I will sort all of this out soon.</p><p>In the meantime, I have a pastel painting on my easel. It is another one in the glass blowing series. I should have it finished in a day or two. I will post it when it is ready.</p>Miki Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903615512823465964noreply@blogger.com8