Creative Journey

Kansas City with Mary Buek

2010-05-29T15:03:00.010-07:00

On May 18, I had the joy and privilege of touring the best parts of Kansas City with online art friend, Mary Buek. 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 Kemper 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.

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

Our next stop was West Bottoms. Where we stopped was filled with old brick buildings. Some looked occupied, most not. There was wonderful graffiti 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 graffiti reflected hopefully. Here is another photo from that area.

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, in spite of the drizzle. Here are a couple of photos from there.

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.

Something new

2010-03-25T07:57:00.002-07:00

Take My Broken Wings . . .

10 x 8 mixed media on canvas

by Miki Willa

While I was doing some waiting a couple of weeks ago, I started to think about a new painting I wanted to try. I wanted to work in acrylics on canvas with some collage elements added. I wanted to create depth and texture with the paints. I used techniques that were very new and experimental to me. This is the result.

I started with a canvas I had been adding gesso to over a period of several months. I think there were four or five coats, at least. I started with a basic premise and sketch. From there, the painting took over and decided what was going to happen. I used a sponge to apply the first several coats of acrylic to get the colors mixed and feathered the way I wanted. Then I used a piece of plastic mesh as a stencil for the outside texture. On top of that, I used the inside of a Seattle's Best coffee cup protector sleeve as a stamp. I used my fingers and acrylics to create light shadows around the edge of the "netting." While I was waiting for the layers to dry, my muse went wild with ideas for the rest. I have made notes for future pieces as I knew I couldn't use all the ideas on this one small piece.

During the week that I worked on this piece, I found several small metal pieces on the ground as I walked in several different places. I knew I would use one of them on this painting (the circle with star bottom right). The papers for the collage part basically chose themselves. The gold mesh ribbon practically jumped out of a drawer to be included. Of all the paintings and collages I have done over the years, this one is one of the most exciting to me because I allowed the joy and passion of the process come first.

What is it like for you when you let go of the original idea and let the piece itself take the lead?

New Etsy Items

2010-03-19T10:20:00.004-07:00

Ancient

6 x 6 inch mixed media collage

by Miki Willa

I created this small collage as I was working on the larger visual ode collage, Morning Calm (see last post). I decided to create small collages for each piece in this series. I like the idea of having smaller companion pieces I can post to the Etsy store as I decided what I want to do when the series is complete. For this one, I used some of the same papers plus an image transfer of an ancient temple in downtown Seoul.

Kyoto Spring

8.5 x 6 inch mixed media collage

by Miki Willa

This piece was created as a companion piece for the visual ode to Kyoto. The larger piece is in process now. For this piece, I used handmade paper, washi paper, and pages out of Japanese text books and a novel. Both of these pieces are now in my Etsy store.

#1 in Visual Ode Series

2010-02-28T11:40:00.005-08:00

Morning Calm

11 x 14 inch mixed media on canvas

by Miki Willa

I have finished the first in my visual ode series. This is an ode to South Korea, where I spent some time in the late 1960's. I fell in love with the language, the alphabet, the colors, the markets, and the people.

On the evening of July 20, 1969, I was in Chicamagua, Georgia with my grandmother, and we were watching Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins prepare for and make the first manned landing on our moon. The next day, I left for an adventurous trip to Seoul, South Korea via Fairbanks, Alaska and Tokyo, Japan. My first view of Seoul was as we circled the airport in preparation for landing. There were tall buildings, a gray river, and rice paddies and vegetable fields as far as the eye could see. When we landed and started down the stairs (no nice covered hallways in those days), I was assaulted by the strong smells from the "fertilizer" used in the fields. After finally clearing customs, and learning that my golf clubs and two suitcases of clothes were missing, I was taken to my new home with my father and step-mother. It was the start of a wonderful stay in the Land of the Morning Calm.

Our home was in a European complex of homes on a small hill north of Seoul. We had wonderful views of traditional homes mixed with more modern structures. The city was in a transition from the ancient to the modern place it has become. My father was doing work for the US government at the time, so I had access to the military bases there. I soon joined the FASCOM theater group and made several good friends. I also decided I wanted to go to university while I was there and take some art classes. Some of my father's friends pulled some strings and I got into Ewha Women's University where I took figure painting and traditional Japanese scroll painting. This was a Methodist university founded for young Korean women. It was a unique and rewarding experience to attend classes, go on field trips, and visit some of my classmates in their very traditional Korean homes. My figure drawing skills have not improved since my attempts at this fine school.

One of my other favorite things to do was to go shopping at the old market centers near the ancient gates of the wall around the city. I loved the colors, the smells, and the excitement of the markets. I understand all that has changed now. I am very glad I have these old memories.

When I decided on Korea as my first subject for this series, I knew I wanted to focus on the alphabet and the old. I had never been in anyplace so old before, and I was so enamoured of the rich history of place. I have combined current text from a recent newspaper and copies of ancient text found in a recently unearthed burial. I chose colors that I find very calming, for the nickname of the country. The image transfer is from a photo my father took of a farmer pedaling water into his fields the ancient way. I printed it in black and white on special paper from Johathon Talbot for making image transfers with ink jet printers. I applied it by coating the collage surface and the photo with gel medium, waiting until it dried, then rubbing the paper away with water. I is a bit hard to see in the photo, but I am pleased with the results. I used stretched canvas as the base and have painted the sides dark gray.

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T09:24:00.002-08:00

Valentine for Tom

10 x 10 mixed media collage

by Miki Willa

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.

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 (see this post) 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.

I am still working on my artistic freedom manifesto. I will have more photos in the next post.

Artistic Freedom Manifesto

2010-02-06T10:29:00.003-08:00

As promised, I am finally getting around to posting my Artistic Freedom Manifesto beginnings. During the fall, I was working with Leslie Miller as my life coach. For more about Leslie and life coaching, visit her coaching blog here. I was struggling with breaking away from some old studio habits and exploring a way to nurture a new artistic freedom for myself. We came up with several ideas to try, which were very powerful for me. In December, I was entering a wonderful new place creatively, and I wanted to continue to nurture the growth I had been experiencing, and the rekindled passion for creating. Leslie and I came up with the idea of putting together something that I could turn to when I felt that feeling flagging. I wasn't sure what it would look like at first, but let the idea germinate until I found the right format.
Several ideas came to mind, and I played with each of them in turn. At first, I thought I would create a set of tags with inspirational quotes on the back and art on the front. This was okay, but it didn't quite spark for me. Then I started reading back issues of ArtsyFartsy News by Robert Burridge. He wrote about beginning each studio visit with small practice pieces. I was intrigued by the idea, and it came back to me when I started creating the manifesto. Then I saw some cute ideas people made with playing cards at the local scrapbooking store. That is when it all came together. I would create a deck of cards with different ideas, techniques, and styles that could be used to inspire me when my muse was off drinking tea. I started by making a list of things I already enjoyed and adding things I wanted to learn more about, and good practices. The six cards at the top are the first ones on the list. From top left, clockwise, they are Create freely; Focus on images; Zentangles; Speed Collage*; Asian influence; and Cruciform layout.
*Speed collage was one of the things Leslie and I designed as a way of creating very freely, without planning, and just experiencing the joy of creating. I created ten collages in two hours. It was very freeing and I wanted to make sure it was in my manifesto.
These small pieces are created on playing cards and are wonderful fun to make. I try to make one or two every time I am in the studio. For me, this is working. When I am done, I will have a wonderful reference of all the work I really enjoy doing. It will nurture me in times of creative doubt. It is not a manifesto in the true sense of the word, but it is for me.

Creating visual odes

2010-01-24T11:54:00.003-08:00

Ginko - Ashland - 2009

7 x 5 mixed media on mat board

by Miki Willa

Lately, I have been creating small collages to commemorate times and places that have become important to me. I love the ode as a written expression of praise. I have decided to call these pieces visual odes.

This piece reminds me of a three day retreat I took to Ashland Oregon last summer with a wonderful friend. We spent time wandering into shops, creating art, and seeing a play. We found great inspiration everywhere we went. We went into a Tibetan import shop. I found a wonderful shirt and pants there, as well as the prayer flags I have been wanting for a long time. We saw beautiful art, yummy yarn, delightful jewelery. We tasted fantastic food. We walked in the park. Along the way, I picked up these ginkgo leaves from the sidewalk. I pressed them and have been waiting to use them in a collage.

For this collage, I used pages from my extremely old and well used Norton's Anthology of English Literature. I have had this since early college days. I used a variety of other papers, including a round disc I found on the driveway in a rain storm. I wanted to try the cruciform layout as a starting place. I didn't know I was going to use the ginkgo leaves until I realized this was the perfect place for them.

I am also working on a deck of inspiration. I will share the first few on my next post. Another name I have for it is the Creative Freedom Manifesto. Curious? I will tell you more next time.

Return to blogging

2010-01-18T11:49:00.003-08:00

Refiner's Fire

6 in by 9 in mixed media on mat board

by Miki Willa

One of my intentions for the new year is to get back to regular blogging. It is one of the things that got put on the back burner when time got scarce. I have increased the time I spend watching my granddaughter; I have started a new career in my advancing age; and I have not been really good at managing my time. I am working on prioritizing my time to include more creative time and art related activities, like blogging.

This collage is one of my more recent creations. If you have followed my blog at all, you know that I am fascinated by glass art and the ways in which it is created. I have done a series of pastels on this subject, and one of them inspired me to try and convey my interest using mixed media collage. The oven used to heat the glass as it becomes art is referred to as a glory hole. The fire inside is very hot and very intense. When I am staring into one of these incredible fires, I am often reminded of a spiritual song called Refiner's Fire. Thus the title. For this piece, I used handmade paper, scrapbooking paper, and gold acrylic paint. I used a piece of mat board waste from the framing studio in the garage as the base.

One of the things I am finding so great about my new emphasis on collage is the reusing of materials that would have ended up in the rubbish. I use much of the cardboard I find in cereal boxes, shipping boxes, and more as bases. I am aware that they are not acid free, but that is fairly easily remedied. I use junk mail to create interesting textures and surfaces when I am building up the collage base. I have a wonderful collection of bottle and jar lids to use as stamps. I don't know about where you live, but here they only want the bottle in the recycling, not the lids. I have even begun to pick up interesting looking detritus along the road - mostly paper of some form. I am on the lookout for paper wasp nests whenever I am out - abandoned ones only - ever since I found how great they work as color and texture in a collage. This was an unexpected aspect of this art form for me. It makes me very happy.

Hopefully, I will be posting at least once a week for a while, increasing as I get better with my time. Belated joy filled New Year to everyone.

Digital collage

2009-11-01T11:41:00.002-08:00

Red Chevy Truck

10x 8 digital collage

by Miki Willa

I have been down with pneumonia these past two weeks, and have not had much energy to create art. I am feeling better this weekend, finally, so decided to try and do something with some photos I took before I got sick.

I went to take some photos of a house and found this wonderful surprise in the driveway. I love old trucks. This one was beautiful. It had some issues, like a flat tire and dirty whitewalls, but it was really quite a regal beauty. I know I will do much more with the photos I took, but I decided to try a digital collage first. I usually find old trucks in overgrown places, so I found a photo I took of weeds near a freeway off-ramp for the background. Yes, I do always have my camera with me. You never know when something wonderful will ask to be photographed.

This is my first attempt with these photos. Now, I want to learn how to soften the edges so they blend with the weeds. My husband is a whiz with Photoshop, so I am sure he will be happy to teach me. I will also print out the photos and use them in mixed media collage.

I really enjoy finding unexpected treasures like this. I like old things - buildings, cars, hand made tools, quilts. Many, many years ago, I was the director of a small historical museum. The most fun I had was talking to people about the old tools and how things were done in the earlier times. I loved building displays that helped tell the story of the old piano, or the set of wood planers. I am seeking to get that kind of joy into my art. I didn't realize it until recently. Now, my path has a new direction, or is it an old one I have strayed from. Time will tell.

Commissioned Painting - Mt. Rainier

2009-10-13T09:19:00.002-07:00

Royal Peak

8 x 10 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

by Miki Willa

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.

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.

Enjoy the beautiful fall.

More geometrics in complementry colors

2009-10-04T08:57:00.003-07:00

The Nest

10 x 8 mixed collage with image transfer and stamp

by Miki Willa

I actually created this one before the last one I posted. I was playing around with colors and patterns. I like the colors. I like the stripes in the paper, in the stamped text, and the ones I created. I think they are nicely offset by the curved lines of the on the blue paper and in the nest. The biggest problem I have is with the nest itself.

I have been really working to create a successful image transfer. I have tried just about every method I have read about in books and on the web. The one I did on the last collage was with an image printed on a transparency. Then I put a layer of Golden matt medium on the paper, put the transparency rough side down on the medium, and rubbed with my thumb for a short time. When I pulled back the transparency sheet, the image stayed on the paper without any tearing or pulling. That was the first time that worked. On this collage, done earlier, I tried the same thing, but when I pulled up the transparency sheet, bits of the paper came up as well, leaving gaps and tears. I think I rubbed too long. Clearly, I have a long way to go learning this process.

I have tried the method of using several layers of medium on a copy, letting each layer dry before applying the next. Then I used water to remove the paper backing. These have not worked for me at all. I must not have used the right medium. People who have written about this method have not specified the medium - brand and all. I have also tried using the method of putting a layer of medium on the surface and applying the image face down, letting it dry, and using water to remove the paper backing. This was moderately successful, but it still needs practice. I will keep at this because I really like the outcome when it is successful.

One of the wonderful things about collage is the vast variety of creative forms than may be used to create a finished work of art. I have been so limiting on my self by sticking with one medium for so long. This is really freeing.

Using surprise elements in Collage

2009-09-28T12:06:00.003-07:00

Far North

10 x 8 mixed media collage on watercolor paper

by Miki Willa

This collage uses handmade paper, magazine images, found "paper", paper wasp nest, image transfers and acrylic paints. I wanted to get the feeling of being near a rushing stream near the mountains during a salmon run, but also wanted snow. When I think of being on the Skagit River during the winter, I can see the mountains, feel the cold in my toes and fingers, and imagine the eagles feasting on the abundance of salmon. I used magazine images for the rocks, the rushing water on the right, and the first ridge of mountains. I liked the textures in these images. I used hand made paper for the rock overlay and the mountains on the left and in the distance. I used a part of a paper wasp nest on the right side distant mountain. It was a gift from nature left on my front stoop. When I was walking with my granddaughter, and seeing the world through her inquisitive eyes, I found the piece of pulp that had been weathered and run over many times for the mountain in the center. I did my first successful image transfer with the salmon. The trees are also an image transfer. The last thing I did was glop and spray "snow" over it all. This is that transitional snow when it has been warm enough for bit wet flakes, then starts to turn really cold and the flakes get finer. I also used some textured rice paper to enhance the snow and the rock texture. I think I like doing these landscape like collages better than the geometric ones, but I think there is a place for geometry as well.

I have a few more I have done that I will be posting later this week. Please come back and take a look.

Adding Collage to this page

2009-09-17T14:15:00.003-07:00

When It's Cherry Blossom Time

mixed media paper

by Miki Willa

I started a blog just for my collages, but decided to put them over here from now on. I seem to be doing more collage right now, when I get time in the studio.

This one was inspired by a picture from an old calendar. I went through my collection of old photos, hand made paper, scraps from the backs of boxes, decorated paper, and some stickers. I have been working with more abstract, torn shapes up to this one. I thought I would try geometric shapes for a while and see where that takes me. I am really new at this medium, so want to experiment with many styles before I decide on a direction. So far, I like the softer edges of the torn shapes. However, I do like the way the softness of the cherry blossom theme interacts with the straight lines of the geometric shapes in this one. The Saurus Cranes in the upper right are just because I like them, and I wanted to create a triangle of focal images.
I would love to learn more about the mechanics of collage. What kind of finish should I use? Is it okay to use dry mounting like a fusible webbing used with fabrics? Are there any adhesives I should stay away from? If you care to share any of these secrets with me, I would love to hear from you.

Art Contests - a rant of sorts

2009-08-25T10:23:00.004-07:00

Uptown Glassworks

12 x 18 soft pastels on Kitty Wallis white

by Miki Willa

Plein Air Painting

" Create an art piece between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on August 22, 2009 in the Art Walk vicinity."

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.

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.

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.

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.

Patterns in Wood, Art Shows

2009-08-15T10:22:00.003-07:00

Door in the Wall

14 x 20 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

by Miki Willa

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Does art have to have deep meaning to be good?

2009-07-15T20:59:00.005-07:00

The Warehouse

soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

by Miki Willa

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

Acrylic Landscape painting

2009-07-12T13:30:00.003-07:00

Sedona Morning

4 x 4 acrylics on clay board

by Miki Willa

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.

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.

Show opening in Bremerton

2009-07-04T09:41:00.006-07:00

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.

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.

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.

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.

First one-person show opening

2009-06-28T12:41:00.003-07:00

Glass Oven

12 x 9 soft pastels

by Miki Willa

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.

New acrylic abstract

2009-06-07T15:33:00.003-07:00

Inside Over There

11 x 6 acrylic on watercolor paper

by Miki Willa

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.

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, Tom's Images, 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.

Painting for Different Strokes

2009-05-28T12:21:00.004-07:00

Wheat Farm

8 x 18 soft pastels on Kitty Wallis Professional White

by Miki Willa

based on gray scale photo provided by Karin Jurick

I really enjoy watching all the wonderful interpretations of Karin's biweekly photos on Different Strokes From Different Folks 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.

Abandoned packing shed

2009-05-26T12:01:00.003-07:00

The Packing Shed

12 x 18 soft pastels on Kitty Wallis Professional white

by Miki Willa

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.

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.

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.

Acrylic abstract painting

2009-05-25T10:09:00.004-07:00

Blue Silo

12 x 16 acrylic on 300# watercolor paper

by Miki Willa

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.

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.

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.

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 Miki's Collages.

Landscape in acrylic

2009-05-23T16:22:00.003-07:00

Earth and Sky

6 x 5 acrylic on 300# watercolor paper

by Miki Willa

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.

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.

The Gathering

2009-05-16T13:29:00.004-07:00

The Gathering

12 x 18 soft pastels on Kitty Wallis Professional White

by Miki Willa

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.

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.

Have a wonderful spring weekend. Take a look at the new paintings Casey Klahn is posting at the Colorist. They are really wonderful.

WIP The Gathering

2009-05-13T11:49:00.001-07:00

The Gathering WIP

12 x 18 soft pastels on Wallis Professional White

by Miki Willa

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.

This is a glass furnace at Avalon Glassworks 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.

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 here.

Glass Blowing Series - Glass Furnace I

2009-05-07T13:25:00.003-07:00

Glass Furnace I

12 x 9 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

by Miki Willa

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.

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.

In this series, I am paying tribute to these glass artists.

My first collage

2009-05-02T17:04:00.003-07:00

Landscape 1 , 12 x 6 torn paper on 300lb watercolor paper

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.

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.

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.

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.

Painting and more

2009-04-23T14:12:00.003-07:00

In the Shadow of the Mountain

9 x 12 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

by Miki Willa

This scene was painted from a number of different reference photos shot in the shadow of Mt Baker in the late fall and early winter. On my screen, the colors appear a bit darker than they are in real life. I really like the look of the fallow fields with the isolated farm buildings. The tree line in the back is a mixture of evergreens and winter skeletons. This is another painting I will include in my show in July. As the date approaches, I will give more information about the location. For now, I will say it will be in Bremerton, Washington.

I have been studiously avoiding my easel for over a week. I just kept putting off painting while I worked on other things. I have been working on creating a visual journal, and am having great fun creating rather abstractly painted backgrounds using acryllics. I am also learning to do collage. In a few weeks, I will be posting some of them on another blog dedicated to this art form. I am also working through The Artist's Way, again. This time, I am taking time to do the tasks, writing my morning pages, and going on my artist date. I have only been at it for a week, and I am already excited to paint again. I have a bud of new insight about myself as an artist which I will nurture further before I share it here. It is a very profound shift in thinking for me and want to make sure it sticks.

For both of these projects, I am working with online groups and having a great time. For the visual journal, I am working with Kelly Kilmer at A Prompt a Day. There is still time to sign up for the May group. Learn more about this at this site. For The Artist's Way Journey, I am working with Laura Lein-Svencner. See her blog here.

An Eagle's Nest

2009-04-13T09:56:00.003-07:00

Black River Eagle Nest

18 x 12 soft pastels on Kitty Wallis Professional White

by Miki Willa

I have decided I need more Northwest landscapes for the show in July. A few weeks ago, we went to the Black River Riparian Forest in Renton, Washington. There is a very large heron habitat there. There is also a pair of nesting eagles. An interesting combination. It was too early for the trees to be fully leafed out, so the nests were all very visible. I decided to paint the trees around the eagle nest because of the contrasts in the colors. I used a very limited palette to create the mysterious air about this fairly unknown place of beauty and wonder.

If you want to read more about the area and the heron colony, go here.

Glass blowing series #7

2009-04-08T17:06:00.004-07:00

Into the Fire

12 x 16 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

by Miki Willa

In this latest painting in the series, I wanted to depict a partially worked glass piece on the way back into the glory hole. Glass artists keep the glass moving once the piece is begun. It is important to do this to maintain the shape. An object will make many trips back to the glory hole before it is finished. The intensity of the heat will change this piece to a brilliant orange before it comes out again, to be worked and shaped more by the artist. It is fascinating to watch the colors change with the temperature. This glory hole is in Viscosity Glass Studio in South Seattle. This studio features corrugated metal walls to separate the bodies of the furnaces from the studio space. It was fun to represent them here, the way they catch the light from the glory hole and reflect on the steel table top.

We visited another studio last weekend and took some great reference photos. I am looking forward to working on more paintings in this series. I am so glad I keep finding new and interesting material from which to work.

Small Landscapes

2009-04-03T06:26:00.003-07:00

Beaver Pond in Spring

5 x 7 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

by Miki Willa

This is the first landscape I have done in a while and it was fun to do. I was able to keep it very loose, which was one of my goals. I used a complementary underpainting. I love the way the orange peeks through the greens. I wasn't sure I could put all the information I wanted to include in this 5 x 7 format, but I found it a useful exercise in really looking for what was important. I am always amazed by the work of plein air painters who work in these small sizes. When it stops raining, I will have to get out and try it.

Painting 5 x 7s

2009-04-02T11:39:00.003-07:00

Color Rods

5 x 7 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

by Miki Willa

On a recent visit to a glass studio, I got a lesson on how color is added to glass art. I won't go into the details here but to say that glass artists purchase color rods in various lengths, colors, and opacities. I happened to spot a few short pieces on a nearby shelf. I was taken in by the colors and the arrangement. I decided to try portraying them in a 5 x 7 format.

Why 5 x 7? I recently had a brainstorm about my upcoming show (July). I decided I would have three to five 5 x 7 paintings for a free drawing. Visitors to the show would fill out a card and drop it in a bowl (glass of course), giving contact information and first choice of painting if they win. At a designated time, I would pull out a card or two, and l would award the painting(s). I think this will be good PR. First, I have to create the paintings.

I have not painted in this size before and it is quite interesting. I had some left over pieces of paper I had been using to test color for larger paintings. I brushed the test colors out and created an interesting under painting. I wanted to keep the strokes fairly loose so it would be in the same style as the rest of the paintings in this series. The reflections of light and of the rods on each other was very interesting to me. I also like the pattern of the shadows. All in all, this was fun to paint. I am not sure the power and intensity of the ovens would work in this small format, but I will have to try.

I also painted a small landscape. I will post that tomorrow.

The Glass Artist

2009-03-29T09:38:00.002-07:00

The Glass Artist

20 x 16 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

by Miki Willa

I rarely venture into the realm of figurative painting. It is not within my comfort level, but I had to do this one. With all the ovens and glory holes I have been doing, I thought I needed to depict a glass artist in the intensity of the creative moment.

When I started my Glass Blowing series, I wanted to share my emotional response to the glass studios I visited. I wasn't sure there was much of an interested audience for these paintings, but I decided to pursue the series for my show in July. The response of friends and family members has been mixed, ranging from strong interest to lukewarm at best. The last from glass artists I know. It will be interesting to see the reactions of a wider audience.

This brings me to a big question. Why am I pursuing this series when the glass artists are less than enthusiastic about it? One reason, beyond my simply finding joy in the creation of the pieces in the series, is that I am learning so much from this series. I am learning about color combinations that I have never used before. I am learning about composing using geometrical shapes and value transitions. I am learning more about techniques in using pastels. That is some of what I am getting out of it. What about my audience?

My sister-in-law recently pointed out that these paintings take people into a world they don't often get to see. We have a glass artist in the family, so we are fortunate to be able to visit studios where he is working and seeing how glass art is created. Most people see the art, but don't think about how it is made. Many people don't have any idea of the amount of thought and physically uncomfortable work goes into this art form. With this series, I hope to help people see into the heart of the process.

In the mean time, I have a couple more paintings I want to do in the series before I return to landscapes for a while. I am not sure if I will do another figurative work, but you never know. We are going to a glass studio today and may find just the right moment to capture.

The Glass Blowers Garage

2009-03-26T10:22:00.003-07:00

The Garage

18 x 12 soft pastels on Wallis Professional White

by Miki Willa

I took the reference photo for this during a recent visit to Viscosity, south of Seattle. Once again, I was intrigued by the geometric shapes and the colors. This particular garage has two openings, but I chose to only do the one on the right because it had a piece of glass parked there. I decided to use a vertical format to stretch the image and give it more interest. I really like the abstract quality that came through in this format. I worked primarily in Ludwig dark purples, reds, and the grays. I also used some Nupastel reds and oranges. The ochres on the glass are Great American. The yellows and golds in the background bricks are a mixture of Ludwig and Great American. I adjusted colors and values as I went which worked out well. My next painting in this series will have a glass blower at work. This will be a challenge for me as I don't normally do figure paintings. Stay tuned for that in a few days.

The glass blowing garage is a place for the glass artist to park pieces he/she doesn't want to cool down, but has to leave for a while. One example of how these are used is when you create a goblet with a stem, bowl, and foot. The separate pieces are parked in the garage until it is time to assemble everything. In the above case, the glass artist was not finished with the process for making a sphere, but needed to take a lunch break. Just amazing what you learn when you hang around artists who work with a different medium than your own.

Creativity

2009-03-23T08:40:00.004-07:00

Pipes and Punties

12 x 18 soft pastels on Kitty Wallis Professional White

by Miki Willa

I have run across a series of questions about being an artist and creativity at Textures, Shapes, and Color. I have been thinking about the answers to these questions and decided to tackle the question of creativity first. Here are the questions:

1. What is it that I want from my creativity?

2. What does my creativity want from me?

My first step was to look up some definitions for creativity. Wikipedia, not always my favorite source, defines creativity as a "mental process involving the generation of new ideas or concepts, or new associations between existing ideas or concepts." Another online definition is the "re-evaluating or combining old ideas." Websters says, "Creativity is marked by the ability or power to bring into existence, to invest with a new form, to produce through imaginative skill." And finally, Carl Rodgers, writer and philosopher, defines creativity as "the emergence of a novel relational product, growing out of the uniqueness of the individual." With this small research done, I can now begin to examine my own creativity.

As an artist, I have, and continue, to evolve along the creativity curve. When I first started out, I wanted to recreate exactly what I was seeing - photorealism. I actually started out doing technical illustrations, then moved on to other forms of illustration. There are many artists I know who don't believe there is any creativity in illustration. Skill, yes, but nothing of the individual self. At the time, I thought I was being very creative. Now, I am not so sure.

Over time, I have moved more in the direction of painting my impressions of what I see, bringing my own individuality to the piece. Is this creativity? It is hard to fit this into the first couple of definitions I found unless you accept the premise that art is always new if it comes from within, and is not a copy of another artist's work. It is much easier to fit my work as an artist into Rodgers definition.

Now, what do I want from my creativity? I want joy, clarity, and fulfillment. I want to continue the enjoyment of watching my inner vision emerge onto a blank piece of paper. I want to continue to learn to express my own individualism, to continue to find new relationships between existing concepts. I don't want much, right?

What does my creativity want from me? It wants continued growth and practice. It wants silence of the inner critic, but guidance from the inner critique. It wants to be shared. It also wants me to continue to stretch, not only in my mind, but in my creations. It wants me to continue to practice creativity.

About the painting: This is the punty warming oven at Uptown Glass in Renton, Washington. I am particularly happy with the oven and the intensity I was able to achieve. This is number four in the glass blowing series.

Blog Comments - Do you or don't you?

2009-03-16T15:05:00.003-07:00

Heating It Up

9 x 12 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

by Miki Willa

This is one of the glass heating ovens in the hot shop at the Tacoma Glass Museum. When I took the reference photo, I was not sure the intense heat would really show around the edges and bottom of the door covering the oven. This is a very hot oven that heats glass to a molten stage. Glass blowers pick up glass from the oven on pipes or punties to create bubbles or other glass starts. Yesterday, I went to see my son working on glass spheres and he gave me a short lesson on what all these things are called that I am currently painting. I love the intensity and the geometry of the lines. I already have the next few ready to sketch and paint. I may even get brave enough to put glass blowers in the paintings one of these days.

On another note, I was thinking about making and receiving comments on blogs. I know I get far more viewers than comments. I am guessing it is the same for most bloggers, at least in the art world. I am wondering why some people leave comments and some people don't. Does it have to do with the art or the text? I have tried asking questions, and very few people answer. Some people have surveys on their blogs, but the number of people who participate is nowhere near the number of people who regularly read these blogs. I know time is an issue for many people. I try and make sure I post a comment or two each morning as I read my favorite blogs. I am very grateful for all those people who stop by to look at my blog. I am even more appreciative of those who leave a comment, however brief. Don't get me wrong. I love the blogging community and all it has to offer. I am not complaining, just observing. Anyone have anything to add?

Glass Blowing Series II

2009-03-09T14:41:00.005-07:00

Uptown Furnace

9 x 12 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

by Miki Willa

This is the second work in my glass blowing series. If you want to see the first one in the series, you will find it here. I love being in the glass blowing studio. The intensity of the colors, the labor, and the heat are very inspiring. Sometimes, I forget to take reference photos, so I have to use Tom's. You can see the original photo here. To do this painting, I had to really plan everything ahead.

I was worried that the glory hole (the furnace) would completely overpower the painting because of the intensity of the color. To balance the rest of the painting, I exaggerated the colors and wall surfaces, using some of the colors from the furnace as they are reflected on the walls. I love all the forms and lines in the studio and wanted to bring that to the painting, as well. I used a somewhat limited palette for this painting. I stuck to the deep purples and blues from Terry Ludwig, and a variety of ochres, as well as some very light colors from Unison. This painting was great fun to do. I can't wait to get started on the next one in the series.

If you are interested in seeing and/or purchasing very beautiful hand-blown glass pieces, be sure and visit my oldest son's Etsy shop, French Curves.

On a completely different note, I wanted to share a photo I took a half hour ago from my front porch. Bear in mind that I live in Western Washington, south and east of Seattle a bit. This should not be happening here on March 9.

The Resolve

2009-03-07T09:50:00.011-08:00

I seem to have so much difficulty with photo placement in this program. After several attempts, this is the closest I can come to what I was looking for. That being said, I want to talk a bit about how I resolved some of the issues I had with this painting.

I was relatively happy with the sense of depth in the one on the left, which was the unresolved painting, but decided to push it further. I darkened the foreground, especially on the lower right, which I think helped establish the steep incline of the hill. I also lightened the shadows on the small rocks toward the top of the path where they meet the rock pile. I then decided to add some highlights on the rock pile to bring out the shapes and forms. While it looks like I darkened the shadow sides, I actually lightened the shadows making the rock faces look darker. It is all about simultaneous contrast. One last area I resolved was the light value on the ground in front of the rock pile. I realized the area was in light shadow, so darkened it a bit. I am much happier with the painting now, even if the focal area is smack dab in the middle. It works for me.

On a totally different subject, my husband had finally started a blog. He does some amazing work in pastels and photography. Take a look here to see what is going on with Tom.

I also want to suggest you take a look at this painting by Casey Klahn. It is bold, intense, and very exciting.

Another artist I have come to appreciate more and more is Mary Buek. Check out her paintings and collages here.
Finally, you can follow all of Margaret Ryall's posts on art critiques at this site.

Starting a Critique Dialogue

2009-03-02T11:23:00.006-08:00

WIP

12 x 9 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

by Miki Willa

After spending a week in a mentoring workshop, and listening openly to critiques of my paintings, I have been really thinking about the value of critiques, the way to present them, and a way to receive them that doesn't feel personal. Fortunately, other artists and bloggers have also been discussing critiques. Tracy Helgeson received an anonymous comment on her blog that was quite critical of a series she has been working on. It sparked quite a bit of discussion. Some commenters felt that anonymous comments can be difficult and that if you have something to say, you should be willing to put your name behind it. Others felt that so much feedback on artist's blogs is very positive and flowery, so anonymity is the only way to feel comfortable saying anything negative. I agree that most of the people who leave comments are people who have something nice to say, and that is always a good thing to read. On the other hand, I think it might be helpful to growth as an artist to have some helpful critiques along the way.

Another artist who posted about critiques this week is Margaret Ryall at this post. She speaks more to the art of getting and giving a valuable critique. I like what she had to say.

With both these posts in mind, and my own personal experience with critiques, I am starting to formulate what I think would be good things to think about when giving and receiving critiques.

1. Critique does not necessarily mean to be critical or nit-picky. Criticism is not always received well by anyone.

2. It is better to talk about things that would enhance the overall composition than an artist's personal style. Reminding me that my shadows might be a bit to dark or warm is far more easily heard than telling me my style is old fashioned or weak.

3. When giving a critique, try and include the things that work as well as things that might make it better. When receiving a critique, listen to the positives as well as the places where the painting could improve.

4. Don't make your critique personal, giving or receiving. If the artist doesn't follow your advice, please understand that there might be a reason. If it is suggested that a softer line of the far mountain ridge might add more depth to the painting, at least think about it. Use critiques as a learning time.

I am sure there is more I have to say on this topic, but for now, I would like to invite helpful critiques on the above painting before I go any further.

This is a studio work done from a reference photo taken on a very overcast day. It is a rock outcropping in some low hills on the East Slopes of the Sierra Madre mountains. I am pretty sure about the values at this point, but need some help in how to show the mountain slope as partially snow covered with low clouds at the top, eliminating any edges up there at all. The sun, behind the clouds, was coming from my left at the time of the photo, but it was barely discernible and shadows were very minimal. I look forward to any critiques, not criticisms, that you are willing and able to share.

Sedona Day 5

2009-02-22T18:20:00.003-08:00

From Jordan Trailhead

9 x 6 soft pastels on Kitty Wallis Professional White

by Miki Willa

I am a little late with this because we are on our way back north and didn't have time before this evening. This painting is very different for me. Michael threw down a challenge to use a limited palette in the field. I decided to try it. We selected a warm and a cool of six different colors - blue, green, red, orange, yellow, purple - plus black and white. Value was not really considered in color choice because we had the black and white. He used hard pastels, but I used softer ones because that is what I had. We drove to the Jordan trail parking lot, where there were several red rock formations to paint, and I set myself up near Michael. This was quite a challenge.

After several attempts to get decent colors that were near local, Michael told me that putting the white down first was a big help when trying to get a lighter value. Then, I made the mistake of putting black down first in the shadow areas. I should have thrown away the black and used the dark cool purple. Once I figured that out, I was much happier. What I ended up with is pretty abstract, but I think I like it. Go figure. If Michael posts his from this day, I will put a link in a future blog.

Today, Tom and I have been driving north from Barstow on Hwy. 395. We have seen some of the most spectacular scenes we have seen in all our driving around the country. There was high desert with Joshua Trees, mountains with heavy snow, ranch land, rivers, small towns, and the colors were incredible. A veritable feast for an artist's eye. We ended the day in Carson City, the capital of Nevada. I am so glad we decided to drive to Sedona and back. This would have been a terrible thing to miss.

Sedona Day 4

2009-02-19T15:16:00.004-08:00

Painting in Jerome, Arizona

First, I have to say I don't loathe yesterday's painting as much today. I see possibilities in it. That is a good thing.

This morning, we drove to Jerome, an old mining town that went bust and has turned into an art colony of sorts. The town is built up a hill, as are most old mining town. As you wander up and down the streets, you can visit many different art galleries from fabric art to blown glass to paintings. There is a big artist cooperative in one area, and the old high school is home to several galleries and studios. We parked on the middle street, across from the Mile High Grill where we later had lunch. I decided to paint a couple of the buildings across an alley from the Mile High. The photo above was taken by my husband, who chose to be photographer today instead of painting.

The painting is not finished, but I know where I want to take it. I was intrigued that the lower buildings had one set of perspective points while the upper on that is behind had its own set. The front buildings are also on a sloped street and sidewalk. I still have to work on those lines and angles, but I think I am fairly close to the values I want. The windows will be interesting to finish. I think I will work on this one some more before I post it.

Now that we are nearing the end of this week in Sedona, I really want to say what a wonderful model this mentoring workshop is. All of us are staying in one house. We eat breakfast together, then we have critique sessions. After that, we follow Michael to a great place to paint. Michael is there as a resource for us as we need him. We are each working on learning different things, and he has time to give each of us the individual attention we want or need. After a few hours painting, we head back to the house for lunch together. Then we are on our own for the afternoon to paint, explore, read, or nap. Any paintings we do, we can include in the next morning critique session. I really think there should be more mentoring workshops like this. It has been a great experience for Tom and me. Check it out at Michael's Sedona page.

Sedona Day 3

2009-02-18T13:07:00.002-08:00

Munds Mountain

12 x 18 soft pastels on Kitty Wallis Professional White

by Miki Willa

Today was not a good painting day for me. Once again, I bit off more than I could chew. These rock formations won the battle today. I suppose I could work more on this and resolve all my issues, but I fear it would all turn to mud before my very eyes. What went wrong? Many things.

First of all, I was not really grabbed by anything I saw this morning. It was all majestic and beautiful, but nothing that spoke to me and said, "Paint me!" At one point, I thought about painting a large cactus. Perhaps, I should have stuck with it.

Second, I painted with my sunglasses on without realizing it. Once I took them off, 95% of the way through the painting, I was amazed at what I was seeing. It was too late, however, to really fix anything.

Third, I simply couldn't see the values and color temperatures today. Some days are like that. I really wanted to put oranges and yellows where there was shadow. Then, I had to gray them down. The greens were far to dark and looked cartoonish. I got lost in all the shapes and forms in the rocks. The basic large shapes are correct enough that a person familiar with the area would probably recognize it, but that is about all. I could go on, but I think I have beat myself up enough for one painting. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a better day. We are going to Jerome. That should be fun.

Sedona Day 2

2009-02-17T13:29:00.004-08:00

Untitled

9 x 12 soft pastels on Kitty Wallis Professional White

by Miki Willa

I am feeling better today, and I think it shows in this painting. Today, Michael took us to a wonderful place between Doe Mountain and Bear Mountain. Everywhere you looked was something wonderful to paint. There were mesas, grasses, junipers, fluffy clouds, strange plants, and distant mountains. I decided to try one of the red rock formations, just to see if I could do it. Michael makes it look so easy.

We started the day with critiques of yesterday's paintings. That was a very valuable experience. I think it was especially good because I was away from the painting for a day and could look at it with fresh eyes during the critique. After the critique session, Michael did a quick demonstration of how he works through the composition of a small painting. He gets so much out of a few strokes. I tend to make things a bit busy sometimes. That is evident in my painting from today.

I chose this scene because I liked the contrast of the red rocks with the blue sky and the clouds. I was worried about not having the right colors for the southwest, but I feel pretty comfortable with the palette I chose for this painting. I am glad I purchased more dark purples because they were perfect for the shadows. I am pretty happy with the rock formations. I think I can achieve a better effect next time by not being so fussy. I just had to feel my way around this time. I am not happy about the lack of depth from the foreground to the rock formations. It is really much further then it looks. I think I was working so hard at getting in the great yellow grasses, I sacrificed the depth of field. Fortunately, we are going back to this place to paint another day. All in all, I am pleased with the direction I am heading. Now, if I can only come up with a non-cheesy title.

(I had to change the location to give a more accurate description of where we were.)

Sedona, Day 1

2009-02-16T13:09:00.002-08:00

Low Rock

9 x 12 soft pastels on Kitty Wallis Professional White

by Miki Willa

We finally made it to Sedona! It is very beautiful here with all the junipers, cacti, manzanita, and of course, the red rock formations. We are staying in a wonderful house with Michael Chesley Johnson, Trina, and one other student. Today was our first painting day. Michael led us to a park where we had spectacular views of Cathedral Rock. There was also a wonderful stream with smaller rock formations. As you can see, that is what I chose to paint.

Unfortunately, I came down with a wretched cold during the drive down from Washington. My head is very clogged up and concentrating is pretty tough. I just didn't have it in me to tackle the large rock formations. I was quite happy to work on this red rock slab just across the stream from my vantage point. I am afraid the photograph does not show the slab in its best light. It really is darker than the sand to the right of it. There were some very busy leafless branches just behind the slab, but I took them out. They detracted from the forms and shapes in the rock. It is a very calm scene on a overcast coolish day.

This workshop is very individualized. Each of us are working on our own styles and how to work better within that style. The other two students use a much brighter palliate that I do. I like what they did today very much. I think that the sun will come out later in the week and I will break out the brighter colors as well. The colors I chose today reflected the weather and my physical discomfort. Hopefully, the cold will pass quickly.

New Pastels

2009-02-03T15:26:00.003-08:00

Yesterday, Tom and I drove up to Mt. Vernon to visit Dakota Art Pastels. We are trying to get everything we need for the upcoming Arizona trip. We needed paper and I was running out of my favorite Terry Ludwig darks. While we were there, I took a look at the new gray set by Terry and fell in love, so that got put in the pile. This morning, I decided to clean out and reorganize my palette. It looks so pretty, I just had to share it with you. The box on the upper left is the new Terry set and the one on the upper right is my set of Unison lights. I realized last summer, when taking a class from Richard McKinley, that I really didn't have very many good lights. Now, I feel ready to tackle the colors of the Southwest.

Visiting Dakota was great fun. I could have ordered on line, but we really wanted to experience the store. I got to look at all the colors I could want before I had to buy them. We could see the true colors of the Art Spectrum paper without having to rely on the computer screen. While we were living in Hawaii, we didn't have much choice but to order online. I enjoyed my shopping much more yesterday.

The Art of Rejection

2009-01-29T15:21:00.003-08:00

Lone Tree

12 x 9 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

by Miki Willa

This morning, I was reading about an artist who recently had paintings that were not accepted into a juried show. After seeing her paintings, I really don't know why. It got me to thinking again about what juried shows mean and why they are or are not important to me. I have had pieces selected for shows, and rejected. In all cases, I would like to have known why.

Recently, I had the opportunity to talk to the artist who rejected my favorite piece for a show. We didn't talk about that piece, but jurying shows in general. This artist said all shows are different based on who is sponsoring them. He eluded to the fact that occasionally, gentle pressure was applied to make sure certain people got pieces in, and even won prizes. This was not often the case, but did happen. He also said that sponsoring groups often give thematic directions, ie. "We don't want anything with flowers." After our talk, I had an entirely different outlook about juried shows.

Every juror has his/her own likes and dislikes, just like every artist and patron. Every juror has a comfort zone. I would have difficulty making decisions about abstracts because I don't know the genre well enough. Then, there is the fact that environments affect what we think and feel. I suppose that when a show is juried with digital images or slides, this has less of an impact than if the juror is in a crummy hotel and the breakfast was a horror.

Having said all this, I want to get back to my stated topic - The Art of Rejection. It is perfectly normal to feel defeated and sad when a piece you really like doesn't get accepted into a show. After all, you wouldn't have entered the piece if you didn't think it was good enough. The art comes in what you do after you get the news. I was part of a show committee one year and watched an artist become very unpleasant when her painting was not accepted. She was very loud and called the juror some very unkind names. Unfortunately, the juror was still in the room. My rejected piece was next to hers in the pick-up area. I think I handled it better. I went out and sold the piece a few weeks later. By that time, I was experienced in the art of rejection. I knew that my piece was one that someone would like because I really painted it for people like me who like old fashioned landscapes. This juror did not like that genre.

I think that is the real secret. Paint what you like. I have decided that I am not going to paint for a juror, a society, a group who says it must be done a certain way, or public praise. If I paint what I like, and use my best skills and techniques, then if I enter a show, and that painting is not accepted, I will still be sad, but I will have a good painting that I know will find a better home some day.

Today's painting is from our Oregon Coast trip. I took a series of photos by the Yaquina Head Lighthouse. I really like the romance of the lone tree. (And yes, I think barns are romantic, too.) I was trying for an Asian look with a feeling of mystery. My husband thinks I was successful with the mystery. This painting took me a couple of days of looking at it. For the tree, I did a complementary under painting in orange. The trunk started off purple, but doesn't look this purple in real life any more.

Reviewing my progress

2009-01-25T11:47:00.003-08:00

Untitled

9 x 12 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colorfix

by Miki Willa

Plein Air

I am currently doing a review of the work I have done over the past two years. I have kept all the paintings in transparent paper books, just waiting for this moment. My goal is to recycle the ones I really don't like, and my husband and friend agreed, put aside the ones I think I can fix, and catalogue the ones I will include in my sales web page. Since I have photos of them already, I am keeping a record of where they are, size, and price point. The upside of all this is that I can see progress in many of my skills and techniques.

The first paintings from my starting painting most days are pretty dreadful. Before that, I was very slow and methodical, working everything to death. Once I started working daily, or almost, I had to work much faster. This really helped me in the long run by getting me past the notion that I have to include every little detail. Now, I feel the freedom to paint what I feel - to get to the essence. The more recent paintings that I decided to recycle don't do that. It is good to see the steps in the journey in this way. I recommend it.

As I was going through the paintings, I realized that I did not post the one above. This was done in plein air in Maine. It is alla prima. I am not sure I like it very much, but I do remember sitting on the side of a trail overlooking this beautiful bay. The weather was balmy, and there were no mosquitoes. It was just about the only place in Maine where that could be said. I am looking forward to a week of painting on location in Arizona in a few weeks. Hopefully, my outdoor skills will improve.

Some Good News: My husband and I have a small show in a local spa, Third Heart Men's Spa. In July, I may have a one person show in Bremerton, Washington. I will let you know more about that as it gets closer. On the blog front, I have passed the 200 postings mark. I have made it well past the first year, and I feel very good about that.

Small Spaces series

2009-01-22T13:34:00.002-08:00

Churning

12 x 9 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

by Miki Willa

I first got the idea of doing a Small Spaces series a couple of years ago when I noticed that I was fascinated by little places and scenes. Scenes often overlooked in our everyday fast pace as we work hard to get through life. I found myself drawn to the corner at the bottom of the concrete steps where a flowering weed grew, or the rock formation around one of the steam vents on a volcanic plain. I do love the grand vistas, and enjoy painting them, but once in a while, I see something small that touches my painter soul.

Last summer, we took a short hike in Flaming Geyser State Park. After walking along the Green River, we started up a narrow trail along a small creek. When we got to the point where it became too muddy for my shoes, I noticed a really interesting place along the stream where the water was rushing and churning over a few smallish rocks. The branches hanging over the stream were covered in lichen and moss. This is a small space of no more than three or four square feet in the water.

I used dark purples, reds, greens, and blues in the rocks. The water is all from the Unison light set. The lichen and moss are mostly from the yellow-greens in the Terry Ludwig green set from many years ago. I had great fun creating this new addition to the small spaces series. I think I have turned a corner in my rendering of moving water.

Sunday with no new paintings

2009-01-18T17:33:00.002-08:00

Photo from the Central Oregon Coast

by Miki Willa

I have no new paintings to share today, but I have an artist I want to share. He is still alive, and I didn't get permission to post his painting here, so you will have to go here to see his work. His name is Bill McEnroe. He has done oils, watercolors, and pastels. My interest is in his pastels. He is a member of the Northwest Pastel Society and he did a demonstration at a membership meeting today. It was quite wonderful.

I have never watched someone paint with the freedom he has to go really outside the box of realism, but retain some of the tenants of realism. He is very passionate about what he does, and it shows in his work. Would I collect his paintings? I could never afford them. He sells pastels at $3500. Wow! Take the time to look at his work. It is inspirational.

I am sad about the passing of Andrew Wyeth. In the coming months, I will write more about the study of his work I began in December. One of the things I love about his work is what he left out. He is my reminder that I don't have to paint everything that is there. I do have artistic license.

Jefferson Memorial at Night

2009-01-15T12:00:00.005-08:00

Jefferson Memorial at night

9 x 12 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

by Miki Willa based on a photograph by Karin Jurick

This is my most recent painting for Different Strokes from Different Folks.

I have not done a night scene before and found getting the value of the sky right a bit tricky. I know and love this spot, so I could see it in my mind at all times of day and night. This helped. There is quite a bit of street lighting and lights from the monument, as well as reflected light from the tidal basin. This usually keeps the lower atmosphere lighter than the vault overhead. It is also very difficult to see stars there, because of all this light.

When I lived in Northern Virginia, I really enjoyed this memorial more than almost all the rest. It is built on a grand scale with a very large statue of Thomas Jefferson in the center. It is right on the edge of the Tidal Basin and the walkway is lined in Japanese Cherry trees. In early spring, the trees are all in bloom, making it a photographers paradise. I have many wonderful memories of my time spent in and around this memorial.

If you want to learn more about the Jefferson Memorial, please go here.

Yaquina Head Lighthouse

2009-01-12T16:17:00.004-08:00

A light in the dark WIP

12 x 18 soft pastels on Kitty Wallis White

by Miki Willa

I really like lighthouses. When I was doing some reading about Andrew Wyeth, I learned that he, too, liked lighthouses. For him, they seemed to represent guidance and security. They were a refuge, as they were in the past for sailors caught in the dark in a storm. To me, the lighthouse represents loneliness and hope. In the past, the light keepers job was often a lonely one, but an important one that gave hope to otherwise lost souls. I have painted a number of lighthouses, but I think this is the first one I have done that gives vision to my feelings.

This is the Yaquina Head Lighthouse in Newport, Oregon. Construction began on this building in 1871. It proved to be a very difficult task, as the lighthouse is on a high cliff surrounded by large sea rocks. Two small boats were lost during construction, and a larger ship was damaged. The lamp was not lit until 1873. Today, it is a popular tourist attraction. Hardy souls can even climb to the top. If you are planning on taking photos from the top, be aware that you cannot go outside once you are there. This is also a wonderful place if you are interested in whale watching. There are usually representatives from a local whale watching group to help spot. They are a wealth of information about other forms of sea life, whether fish, birds, or mammals.

If you visit this beautiful spot, plan to get there so you are finished in time to have lunch or dinner at Szabo's Steakhouse and Seafood on Hwy 101, just across the light from the road leading from the lighthouse. We stopped there for lunch because it was recommended, and I want to pass on the recommendation. I would describe Szabo's as a tavern with great food. We were there in the dead of winter on a weekday, and there was a steady stream of customers. We had the halibut and chips, which we thoroughly enjoyed.

About the painting: I have noticed that I am using quite a bit more gray than I did in Hawaii. Do you think that living in the Great Northwest has any influence on that? I do, and I am really enjoying it. I was always trying to use grays in the tropical island paradise, but they rarely fit. This painting was done intentionally minimalist. That is the reason it is still a WIP. I am afraid that if I go after finishing it today, I will add way too much detail. I do have some lines to straighten out, and some edges to fix, but I am going to resist unnecessary details.

Tomorrow, I am going to the Seattle Art Museum with my husband and sister. I am looking forward to this treat. I will let you know what wonderful things I see.

Painting with more freedom, Boiler Bay, Oregon

2009-01-08T10:24:00.002-08:00

Boiler Bay, Oregon

9 x 12 soft pastels on sanded paper

by Miki Willa

We stopped at a pull-out along Hwy 101 on the Oregon Coast about a mile north of Depoe Bay. We had been told about a place where the ocean met the rocks in a wild and wonderful dance. We didn't know there would be waterfalls, so that was a wonderful surprise. Boiler Bay does have an official state maintained park just south of this viewing point, but I think we would have missed this scene completely. In 1910, a ship grounded here and at low tide, you can see the ships boiler. This is also a great place to see several of the shore bird species that populate the Oregon Coast.

I decided I wanted to create an impression of the rugged wildness of this place. To do that, I had to let go of certain control issues I have with my paintings. I wanted my strokes to be a mixture of smooth and broken. I wanted to define the rocks and waterfall, but just lay in impressions of foliage and dirt. I wanted to make the water appear to be moving. I have not achieved that before, but I think it works this time. The waterfall appears out of the foliage from where we stood. We couldn't see a source, so I decided to keep it that way. The colors and values are representative of my impressions at that time.

I have been noticing that I am painting less sky since I have moved here. In most of my paintings from Hawaii, sky played a big part. It was always an important element. Now, I am finding inspiration from more grounded elements. That being said, the next painting will be of a lighthouse with lots of sky, and no water.

Painting with grays, Cape Foulweather

2009-01-05T13:00:00.002-08:00

Morning Mist

9 x 9 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

by Miki Willa

When we were staying on the Oregon Coast last week, we had all sorts of weather conditions to inspire us. The first morning, it was very foggy. I stepped out onto the deck, and this is what I saw. It was so eerie, yet beautiful. My husband did a painting of the coastline in the fog in Acadia National Park in Maine, but I had not tried working with so many grays before. It was an interesting challenge.

Pastel artists can create grays by blending, or they can purchase pastels in gray tones. I have a wonderful Great American Art Work set of three values each of grayed red, purple, green, blue, and gray. I used them quite a bit for this painting. I also used some Unisons and Terry Ludwigs to blend some of the other grays. I think I got the feel of the unifying fog that permeated this

vista.

In planning the composition for this piece, I realized that I could have a more powerful piece if I used a square format. I have not used this format before, but have seen some paintings recently that I really liked. I think I will look for other subjects that lend themselves to this square format.

When we were in Oregon, we stayed at the Inn at Otter Crest, on the south slope of Cape Foulweather. In 1778, during one of his famous voyages of discovery, James Cook came upon this cape as his first sighting of shoreline on the Pacific Coast of North America. He was within sight of land when a sudden and very turbulent storm overtook him. His trip nearly ended there, thus he named the place Foulweather. From this area, you can see miles of ocean, sea stacks, natural arches, and harbor seals in large numbers playing in the surf. This part of the Oregon Coast is quite beautiful.

My first portrait in pastel

2009-01-03T12:48:00.004-08:00

Portrait for Different Strokes from Different Folks

8 x 10 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

by Miki Willa

Portraits are very difficult for me to even contemplate, so I just haven't done one in color before. I have sketched likenesses of family members. I have even sketched myself. I don't know why I decided to join this year end challenge at Different Strokes, but I did, and I am really glad I did. I think it is important to get outside my narrow box, subject-wise, once in a while. My goal was to interpret the expression on the artist's face. I am happy with the results. I hope she likes it.

I have been looking at lists of favorite blogs on other artist's blogs and want to add my thoughts here. I have selected three blogs that I find very inspirational to the artist in me:

Linda Blondheim's Art Notes

Rose's Art Lines

The Colorist

Linda Blondheim's Art Notes: In addition to really liking Linda's artistic style, I enjoy her honesty. Many of the ideas she expresses seem to answer questions I have been pondering for a while. The path she is taking is very inspirational to me. I also enjoy the recipes. Her other blog, Landscapes of the South, showcases her paintings and shares her stories about the places she paints. I really like that idea, and thoroughly enjoy the stories. Finally, I really appreciate that she responds to comments and is very encouraging.

Rose's Art Lines: Rose Welty is sharing her artistic journey in a thoughtful, thought-provoking way. She has inspired me to think about trying other artistic endeavors. She has great courage, which is an important trait for an artist, I believe. She also responds to comments regularly.

The Colorist: Casey Klahn has more than one blog, but this is my favorite. He shares information about artists he admires, ideals he aspires to, and he promotes other artists whose art inspires him. I especially enjoyed his series about artist's traits. Casey and I have very different styles, but I am learning from him about stretching my usual color boundaries once in a while. That is a good thing. He is also good about responding to comments.

There are other wonderful artist's blogs out there that I enjoy for many reasons. I keep finding new ones when I have the time. Let me know what blogs you find most inspirational.

Painting a glass blowing glory hole

2008-12-24T11:06:00.003-08:00

Glory Hole WIP

10 x 8 soft pastels on sanded paper

by Miki Willa

This is another gift painting. Our oldest son is a glass blower, so I used a reference photo my husband took of son blowing a vase, which I have on my mantle. I wanted to capture the intensity of this part of glass blowing. The fire is so hot, the edges around it are blurred. There are subtle shapes and forms in the dark areas. I still have to flesh them out a bit and clean up some of the lines I want to be sharp. I am pleased with the colors and values, so far. This has been a challenge, but a very enjoyable one. It took me outside my normal comfort zone and there is not a speck of green here! I am adding this to my small spaces series.

Snow in Seattle

2008-12-22T11:03:00.008-08:00

It has been snowing in the Greater Seattle area off and on for over a week now. I spent part of that time painting and part of it creating Christmas stockings for five family members. This project all started because I wanted to make a stocking for my new granddaughter. Her parents wanted new stockings as well. Then my husband spoke up, so I had to have a new one also. Next year, I will make for the rest of the family. It was a fun project. I haven't sat at the sewing machine very often over the last ten years or so. I think I will be doing more fun projects now that I have it set up again.
I lived in the Seattle area for many years before I moved to Hawaii and don't remember real snow in December. This has been a great adventure for me because I haven't had to try and get around in it. I thought I would share a couple of photos of the yard. I don't remember too many white Christmases in my life. I am sure there have been a few, but they are rare. This snow is supposed to stick around until Christmas day, when it will begin to rain. I wonder what the rest of winter will have in store.

This is a view of part of the back yard. We have a wonderful yard that has great character all times of the year. Notice the two bird feeders toward the distance.

This is the maple tree by the front door. I love the structure of the branches and trunk. You can see a fall foliage shot of this same tree near the bottom of this post.

Paintings as gifts

2008-12-20T16:44:00.004-08:00

Bread, Beer, and Edam

8 x 10 soft pastels on sanded paper

by Miki Willa

Doing a painting as a gift is always a tricky thing, I think. Unless you really know someone really well, you may easily create something that will reside in their storage closet until you are expected for dinner. For instance, I would never paint something for my daughter unless she requested it because she really knows what she likes. My son's, on the other hand, have asked me to do paintings for them for a long time. They each have paintings by my husband, their father, but not by me. I decided to remedy that this year. Our oldest is a pastry chef who enjoys a good beer. He has been giving me bread making lessons, and I have become very popular with my daughter and sister every since. I decided to do this still life for him. I threw in the Edam for color and shape. Besides, we really like to eat Edam now and then.
I had some trouble with the beer in this painting. I expected the foam to last much longer than it did. Fortunately, I took a photo before it went away, and I didn't pour it until I had the sketch done. I started on that part. Another thing was the glass. I haven't painted glass in a long time. I am pleased with the final results, but it was difficult to get there.

I hope he likes this painting. My other son is a glass blower. That painting will be an even greater challenge.

I have not been idle between paintings. I spent several hours making Christmas stockings for five people. I haven't had a sewing room for many years, so it was good to get back to that sort of creativity. In the new year, I will be splitting my time between quilting and painting. I am really glad I named this blog Pastels and More. That way, I will be able to share all my endeavors.

If I don't get back before the 25th, Merry Christmas to all of you who celebrate. To my readers who worship in another way, a blessed season to you all.

Lower Falls - finished at last

2008-12-09T11:56:00.003-08:00

Lower Falls

20 x 27 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

by Miki Willa

I think this is finally finished. It was quite difficult for me to resolve the left side of the painting. Partially, it was because the area was not as geographically interesting as the right side. The other part was a color and value problem. I had originally used pale green for the distant river valley above and behind the falls. As soon as I realized this was not working, I rubbed it out and used purples. This gave me a much clearer vision of what I needed to do to the left side. I may have more to do on this one, but it will have to wait until I haven't been staring at it for a couple of weeks.

I have a few smaller paintings to do in the next couple of weeks, so I will be back in my size comfort zone. It is good to push yourself to grow your skills, but it is also fun to get comfortable once in a while.

Now that I have discovered somewhat of a routine to my weeks, I am going to take a look at where I want to be in 2009. Over the next few days, I will we working on some goal setting and a business plan. I will post some of this as it formulates.

Lower Falls WIP 3

2008-12-02T08:47:00.006-08:00

Stage 1
Stage 2

Stage 3

I had a request to put all the stages of this WIP on the same page for comparison purposes. I hope this helps.

For this stage (3), I worked more on the farthest ridge on the right of the painting, the left ridges, and some on the far distance. As I work, I am constantly adjusting for value and temperature. One of the things I want to do next is darken the foreground of the hillside on the left. I will add some purples to indicate that this side is more in the shadow than the right side. The purple will also help the golden foliage pop more and send it further forward. I have all the elements I want to use from the original reference photo, so now it is all about the painting and what will make it work.

Lower Falls WIP 2

2008-11-27T11:53:00.005-08:00

Lower Falls WIP 2

by Miki Willa

In this second phase, I reworked the ridges on the right side. I wasn't happy about the values yesterday. The closest ridge is filled with golds, iron oxides, and sharp angles. I wanted to portray that. The second ridge is very dark, with a few tall pines. The third ridge was much lighter with more trees. I think I finally have what I want here. I may punch up the areas that were hit by the sun closer to the finishing stages. I also worked a bit on the left ridges, the river, and the falls. There is a tree with very golden leaves in the near ground that I will be adding in the next stage, if I get brave enough.

I was reading Linda Blondheim's Thanksgiving post about the ugly stages of a painting. It is so good to read about the process other artists go through in their painting. I am always amazed at just how ugly my paintings can be in the early and middle stages. When I take a class, or paint in public, I have had to learn to just trust the process and not worry about what others think. That is no easy task, for me. The way I have of approaching a painting has evolved over time from working on one small section until it is as good as I can get it before moving on to the next, to working with the whole piece in mind from the beginning. It makes it much easier to see how colors and values will react with their neighbors, but it sure makes from some not so lovely scenes. Even on this painting, I placed the values and temperatures in the first layer. Staying with them, I am able to work back and forth on different elements.t

Given all that, I am still learning how to let go of those paintings that never leave the ugly stage. If you have watched my progress on the blog, I am sure you know which ones I mean.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Lower Falls WIP 1

2008-11-25T15:19:00.003-08:00

Lower Falls WIP

by Miki Willa

After I did my preliminary sketches, I got out a full sheet of Art Spectrum Colourfix and found a backing board large enough. I did a very rough sketch of the basic lines and shapes. I selected pastels in different values and temperature to lay in the basics. I worked the falls and river first, something I rarely do. What you see here is a bare beginning, just trying to establish value and some form. I am also trying to keep the majesty and my emotions at first seeing this place. A tall order, perhaps. Lots of work still to do.

Fall Colors

2008-11-23T11:04:00.005-08:00

I love the fall colors, but have decided to share photos for now. They are very difficult for me to paint the way I want to at my present skill level. However, I wanted you to see what I was seeing through the lens. This one was taken in the upper parking lot at Snoqualmie Falls in Washington.

I love the bright colors in these trees. This photo has not been tweaked at all. I took this one from the pedestrian bridge between Snoqualmie Falls and the upper parking lot.

We have a lovely old Japanese Maple near our front door. I waited and waited for it to change color this fall. About two weeks ago, it started. First, the dark reds appeared here and there. Then the golds and yellows. I took this photo two days ago. It is just about the last to turn in our area, and one of the last to retain most of its leaves. I really like the structure of the trunk and limbs. I can see this tree becoming part of a series.

My next project will be a big one. I am thinking of posting the progress. Today, I will be working on line and value sketches. I still don't know what size I will be working in, but I know it will be larger than usual. I am looking forward to doing another large painting. It has been a long time.

Artist's Traits

2008-11-22T17:55:00.004-08:00

Casey, Iowa

9 x 12 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

by Miki Willa

I am going through a major transition in my life. I have retired. I have become a grandmother for the first time, and have the privilege of taking care of my grandchild a couple of days per week. All of this has led to a disruption in my daily routine. A happy one, for the most part. On the downside, I have not been painting regularly, or blogging. That has led me to several questions. Where do I want my painting to go? Am I a hobby painter, or do I want to work at marketing my paintings? What direction do I want my blog to go in now that I am not posting daily paintings? This is an important question since I have found the blog art community very inspiring, and I know that I must be an active member to get the most out of it.

Casey Klahn has been exploring the traits he thinks are important to be a good artist. A recent post has called for traits other artists think are important. I suggested discipline, since this is one I really have to work on. He is calling for an essay on discipline. I hope I have the discipline to do that. I would say LOL, but that is not something I see in blogs very often.

Another thing I have done is reserve a space in a mentorship with Michael Chesley Johnson in Sedona, Arizona in February. I have been wondering where to focus my efforts during this time, and have pretty much narrowed it down to taking my paintings to the next level. I am looking for the wow factor. I am really excited about spending a week in Sedona.

In the meantime, I have my sights on painting the lower falls of the Yellowstone River. Groan all you like, but if you see it in person, you will want to paint it, no matter how many times it has been painted before. Some will resist because you think it is so cliche, but don't. It is far too wonderful to pass up.

This painting was done from a photo of a very small town in Iowa. We stopped for gas and lunch, all at the same place. I wandered down the road while Tom put gas in the truck. I couldn't resist the photo.

Capturing Fall Colors

2008-11-08T12:44:00.006-08:00

Vine Maples
9 x 12 soft pastels on sanded paper
by Miki Willa

These are the trees at the beginning of our driveway. Having lived in Hawaii for six years, I didn't realize just how much I would love having fall colors right at home. Today, I noticed the Japanese maple by the front door is about half turned, and the Dogwood out back is fully turned into its brilliant reds. It seems to me the color has lasted an extra long time this year. I have been enjoying every minute of it.

When I first decided to paint this scene, I wanted to make sure the rock was prominent. It is a very cool rock. No matter what I seemed to do, however, the rock kept getting lost in the glory of reds, yellows, and oranges. After I took the photo of the finished painting, I was zooming in to make sure it was in focus and I figured out the problem was the composition. I really wish I saw these things before I started painting. I am going to have to work on that. I have included a cropped photo of the painting that I like much better.

Following the Rules of Painting

2008-11-01T10:35:00.005-07:00

Yellowstone River Meander

12 x 18 soft pastels on Kitty Wallis Professional White

by Miki Willa

When I first saw this scene, I fell in love with the colors. The river was so blue surrounded by several shades of ochre grasses. This is an area where the buffalo really do roam. The lodge pole pines line the tops of the rolling hills to add a wonderful dark contrast to an otherwise light landscape.

I did several small sketches before I started this painting. I had trouble getting the shapes of the small islands at first. The shapes were very important to the overall effect of the scene. I really wanted to share how I felt when I first saw this place. I feel pretty good about the final result. There were, however, some things that might have gotten in the way.

I have studied pastel painting for about seven years now, focusing on landscape painting for the last two or three. I have been learning all the "rules" for representational painting. I understand the principles of aerial perspective, value, temperature, focal area, and more. Sometimes, though, I think the rules get in the way of what I am trying to convey. For instance, I know that yellow is the first "color" to disburse in the atmosphere, so that in the foreground, the yellow is warm and intense, the mid ground yellow begins to get cooler tan, and by the distance it is a cool grey. However, this is not what I saw in the scene above. I know that an artist has to use these "rules" to trick the viewer into seeing what you saw, but I sometimes have trouble swallowing it. For this painting, I hit on a compromise by adding cooler grays to the distant hills while still using a pale yellow. Rules, after all, are often broken when it comes to art.

Rethinking an old painting

2008-10-21T15:55:00.005-07:00

Fall on the River

9 x 12 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

by Miki Willa

When Tom and I set up the new studio, we put a cork board on one wall to hang newly finished pieces so we could see them to think about them over time before they were put away or framed. For a long time, I have been looking at this painting and liking it less and less. This morning, I awoke thinking about how to change it. This is the result.

Yesterday, I drove into Seattle along the west shore of Lake Washington. The colors of the fall trees were spectacular. I kept thinking about them all evening and this morning. I decided to work them into the trees along the bank of the Green River. If you look at the old painting, there are no fall colors, but plenty of deciduous trees. I also took out the path that simply wasn't working in the old painting. While I like some aspects of this painting much better, I still think I have a long way to go with rivers. I am just happy I got the fall colors in. I want to do many more of these.

Painting Reflections in Pastel

2008-10-16T10:08:00.003-07:00

Little Saco River, Maine

12 x 18 soft pastels on Kitty Wallis Professional White

by Miki Willa

When we were in Eastern Maine, we left our campground in search of a covered bridge crossing the Little Saco River. We wanted to find a place to do some pleine air painting. We had all our painting gear and we were ready. The leaves were beginning to turn along the river, and we wanted to do our first fall color paintings. When we got to the bridge, we were excited to see several areas that would be great to set up to paint. Then we got out of the truck. The mosquitoes were so thick, breathing meant the possibility of taking in some of the critters. Deet was no match. We grabbed several photos, dove back into the truck, and drove back up the river. On the way, we saw this beautiful bush that cried to be painted. Photos were taken quickly and stored for studio reference.

Since I want to get better at rivers, I decided to work on this one this week. I did a dry underpainting, paying attention to values rather than local color. The scene was all about the turning bush and the reflections on the slow moving river. I started with the bush and worked out to the sides, putting the reflections in as I went. I kept in mind the unequal triangle approach to points of interest, with the bush being the main focal area. I went with local color in the final painting. If I do this one again, I think I will push the fall foliage to the brighter reds, yellows, and oranges. I would like the next river I paint to have more speed to it. I still have much to learn about reflections, but I also have to learn to paint moving water.

Painting Rocks

2008-10-07T13:57:00.006-07:00

Coastal Acadia

12 x 18 soft pastels on Kitty Wallis Professional White

by Miki Willa

I really like to look at paintings of rocks. When I was doing watercolor, I learned to do pretty good rocks. I used wet in wet, dry brush, palette knife, and credit cards to create rocks with texture and interest. That was a long time ago. Now, I and trying to recreate the same effect using pastels. I think this is my best effort to date.

My husband says you have to look at rocks to paint them. They are all so different. The rounded smooth ones from rivers and the shore are the most difficult to paint, for me. I like the ones with planes and angles. MC Johnson did a short post about painting rocks where he talked about using short straight strokes to indicate roundness. His rocks are very good.

This is from a photo I took on a walk from our campsite in Acadia National Park in Maine to an overlook on the coast. Coastal Maine is known for wonderful rock formations and islands on the horizon. I took a series of photos from this spot to create this painting.

Gibbons River, Yellowstone

2008-10-06T17:20:00.002-07:00

Gibbon River - en plein air

12 x 18 soft pastels on Kitty Wallis Professional White

by Miki Willa

I did not do as much plein air painting on our trip as I originally planned. During our third day in Yellowstone, however, we found a very nice picnic area on the Gibbon River. It was a perfect day. There was a shady spot right where I wanted it to be. There were no bugs, it being too cold at night for them to be around in the morning. I didn't have to drag all my stuff very far. In short, it was comfortable enough for me to paint outside.

I don't think the river was as full or as deep as it looks in this painting. I really need to work on moving water. Maybe that should be what my series is about. Any ideas about who I should study in this area will be appreciated.

Painting Grand Vistas

2008-10-04T13:59:00.007-07:00

Vista

12 x 18 soft pastel on Kitty Wallis Professional White

by Miki Willa

I was reading Rose's Artlines yesterday, and she posed a question about what kinds of art a person likes and why. I have been pondering that question for a while in an effort to narrow my focus for my paintings. I think I will start with subjects.

One of the subjects I really like is the grand vista. I like the idea of the majestic landscape, but not in an over romanticized way. I also really like pastoral scenes, with or without buildings. Old barns, rivers, wetlands, rock formations, and mountains always draw me in. I also really like still lifes, if they are filled with odd and interesting things.

I guess the reason I am starting with subjects is because I am thinking of working on a series. Katherine at Making a Mark has been writing about series paintings. Some time back, MC Johnson wrote about painting in a series. Yesterday, I read Elizabeth Mowry's Landscape Meditations: an artist's guide to exploring themes in landscape painting. All of this has made me think about what I would like to get from painting a series.

1. I would explore a subject in depth and make it a part of me.

2. I would hone my skills in certain areas that need work.

3. I could explore various techniques while staying true to style and subject.

Now I just have to decide what I want to use as my primary subject.

Today's painting is from just outside West Glacier in Montana. We stayed one night at a very overpriced, not really pleasant motel before we started our camping trip in Glacier National Park. The only thing this place had going for it was the view. I used an orange underpainting for the trees in different values of orange. I was really pleased with the way the underpainting turned out, so I very carefully followed the values when I added the greens and violets. I also worked hard getting the values the way I wanted for the receding mountains. Once again, I was going for good aerial perspective.

New Directions

2008-09-27T08:59:00.005-07:00

Early Fall in the Blue Ridge

12x18 soft pastels on Kitty Wallace white

by Miki Willa

We returned from our seven week adventure last Friday and I have spent the week getting used to being home. During the week, I have been pondering this blog and where I want to go with it. I started out doing a painting a day and the blog helped me to stay focused on that project. This summer, on the road, I was exploring plein air painting and how I would adapt to it. I have learned several things.

First - I am a studio painter. I am very glad for the opportunity to paint on location and learn new ways of seeing things. I know it will help me enormously in the studio. I learned a great deal from Richard McKinley about translating what I see onto paper to help others see it, also. I have a long way to go, but I will keep at it.

Second - Doing a painting a day was very good for me to learn to control my medium. When I started out, I had a heavy hand. All my strokes were way to heavy. I am pleased to say, I am getting better at varying my pressure and strokes. That being said, I still have trouble with tree trunks. I have to work on that.

Third - I want to work on larger, more in depth paintings for a while. This means that I won't have a painting a day to post on the blog. I also want to do some artist studies. I have become very enamored of Andrew Wyeth and Winslow Homer of late. Do I post only my finished paintings as they are done, or do I take the blog in a new direction to share what I am studying and learning? I am not sure yet. For the time being, I will post some of the paintings I did on the trip that I have not already shared.

To that end, today's painting was done in studio while in Virginia. We spent a lovely weekend in Syria, Virginia in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. On the way in to Syria is the small town of Crieglersville. As we drove past it, I came upon this scene and knew it had to be painted. It was early fall and the trees were just beginning to turn. I am a complete sucker for these pastoral scenes. They bring me so much peace.

I am glad to be back and hope to figure out my new directions very soon.

Values in the landscape - learning to see again

2008-08-11T07:14:00.008-07:00

Ever since spending a week learning from Richard McKinley, Tom and I have been looking for values in every scene before us. On the way out of Bend, we stopped at Smith Rocks again to do some value work. The photo above is of one of the beautiful rock formations. Even though I know that the camera lies about values, you can see some of the darks in the shadows and crevasses. Such a beautiful place. Keeping in mind the value challenges of the camera, I have selected a few representational photos of what we have been seeing, drawing, and discussing on the way to St. Cloud, Minnesota (our present stopping place).

This is a view from the west side of Logan Pass from the Going To The Sun Highway. We were stopped for road construction, so took some photos. Notice how the values go from the dark shadow in the foreground to a middle value on the nearest ridge, finally to a cool light value on the distant ridge. This is a pretty good photo showing the warmer tones closer and the cooler tones in the distance. This is something I have to work on. I tend to use too much warmth in the distance at times.

This was taken from a trail in the Many Glaciers area of Glacier NP, I think. Once again, look at the warm darker values in the foreground and the cooler lighter values in the distance. One of the things I am working on is to make sure the darker values in the distance, like in the shadows, are not as dark as the darks in the foreground. I also need to make sure I don't do major value jumps in any one area. Sometimes in the studio, I relied too much on the photographic image. Since I am learning to see again in real life, I am seeing that photo images cannot be relied upon completely. Value sketches are much more reliable.

This is not about value. I just had to throw it in because it was so cool seeing these beautiful animals so close. This herd of bighorn sheep was in the meadows at Logan Pass. They were very close to the boardwalk feeding on alpine lilies.

This photo is a perfect example of how a photo can lie. This is the Painted Hills area of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. It was taken on an overcast day. Notice that the values read the same from front to back. It was not that way in reality. It was also much more colorful than the photo shows. The hills were brilliant pinks, calming ochres, and many shades of browns and lavenders.

This last photo was taken from the car, at 72 mph. It is a field of sun flowers along I 94 in North Dakota. I kept wanting to get a good photo, but the people who plan these roads simply do not have artists and photographers in mind at all. Don't you think they should build in pull-outs for plein air painters in spots like this? So far, we think Montana wins the prize for artists pull-outs. Or course, they are cleverly disguised as scenic overlooks or chain removal spots.

Today, we head further east. We will still be looking at values. In a couple of days, we may even be able to stop and paint again, if the weather holds out. Forecast is for rain and thunderstorms to the east. I will post again on Friday when we get to Boston.

From Bend, Oregon to Bismark, North Dakota

2008-08-09T15:18:00.006-07:00

On the way out of Bend, we decided to stop again at Smith's Rocks. Both of us were determined that we could actually paint this place. We allowed ourselves time to do good sketches, one line and one value. We both would have stayed to paint, but we had to make it to Spokane, WA by dinner time. We both think we have good sketches and photos. I wrote extensive color and value notes on mine. Look for it when I get back to the studio.

After two nights with family in Spokane, we headed northeast for Glacier National Park. It was a long drive, so we decided to stay the night in West Glacier before we headed over Going to the Sun Highway to our campsite in St. Mary's campground. The motel I selected had fantastic views. Tom did a great painting there. The room was very clean, very small, and very basic. It was also really pricey. For the money, we could have stayed in West Glacier itself and had stuff to do.

The next morning, we headed over Logan Pass. There is construction on the steep west side, but we were lucky to have only a six or seven minute delay. Most of the delays are 30 minutes. We decided to push on to the campground and drive back to the meadows on the top another day. The picture at the top is of our campsite and Tom's painting from the day before that he wanted to work on a bit more.

We spent the next two days exploring the park and painting. The next three paintings are pleine air pieces we did. I have decided to post Tom's paintings from the trip also.

From St. Mary's Lake

12 x 18 soft pastels on Wallis

Tom Willa

View from St. Mary's Lake

12 x 18 soft pastels on Wallis
Miki Willa

Jackson Mountain

9 x 12 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix
Miki Willa

After we left the park, we headed east on Highway 2 through Montana to Glasgow, where we found another interesting motel. It was a very hot drive. This morning, we headed southeast to pick up interstate 94. We stopped at a very cool dinosaur museum, looked at the North Dakota Badlands in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, and drove through the rain to Bismark. Tom picked this place to stay which has reliable internet access, plenty of room, a laundry (thank goodness), and very cool furniture. I am not sure how much painting will be done between now an Maine. The weather forecast is dismal so we may not be camping much until after the 16th. Hopefully, it will clear up by then. If we don't get paintings done, I will post some great photos from Glacier in the next few days.

Blog news

2008-08-02T07:46:00.003-07:00

Sorry. No picture this time. I just wanted to let you know that the McKinley workshop was fantastic, and now it is time to head east. Tom and I are going to take a plein air cross country trip for a few weeks. I will post results when I have internet access. We are going to Glacier National Park, North Dakota, several state parks on the way to Boston, three parks in Maine including Acadia National Park, and Yellowstone on the way home. Look for my impressions along the way.

Mckinley Workshop Day Four

2008-07-31T18:45:00.004-07:00

These are the two paintings/sketches I did on Day Four. The one on the left is of Southern Sister Mountain from Sparks Lake, Oregon. The one on the right is looking slightly northeast from the other view. Neither of the paintings photographed well because I tried to do it in deep shade. I have tried to get them closer to reality with Photoshop. You be the judge on which one you like best.

McKinley Workshop Day Three

2008-07-31T18:22:00.004-07:00

On Wednesday, day three of the Richard McKinley workshop, we drove north to Smith Rock State Park, Oregon. The place was awe inspiring wherever you looked. Painting rocks had me really excited because I love to paint rocks. This place just about did me in. There was so much to chose from. Talk about a pastel artist in the Dakota warehouse! (Dakota Pastels is an online pastel artist's mecca located in northwestern Washington.) I had a really hard time, so set up in the shade near the parking lot and decided to attempt this view. First, I had to do my thumbnail sketches. Before too long, I got totally lost. Never a good sign. However, I persevered, and came up with a plan. Once I got the small sketch done, I put in on the larger paper. Everything was fine up to that point.

One of the techniques Richard teaches is using an underpainting. I have talked about this before, and have had good results before. I figured it would work out fine. That is until all my carefully placed sketch disappeared. I realized I had only done underpaintings on pieces that did not require detailed sketches. I should have gone with my first instinct to just start the painting. But, I was a good little student and did the wash. I nearly cried when I realized what I had done. Then, I decided to try and paint the painting anyway. Such a disaster. One of the first things Richard said was to expect to paint my worst paintings in the workshop because it was a learning experience. Well, this was my worst painting ever. Fortunately, we stopped for lunch and to watch a painting demonstration.

By the time I got back to the easel, I decided to wipe out what I had, and start all over. Pastel is such a forgiving medium. My paper ended up with interesting tones upon which I redid my sketch. Of course, it wasn't as good or as fresh as my original, but I made it work. As I started to build up the colors, I started having fun, finally. I still struggled, and as you will see, I have much work to do, I think this painting now has potential. I will carry it with me until I get back into my studio in seven week.s and I will work it some more. Here it is, warts and all.

Monkey Face

McKinley Workshop Day Two

2008-07-29T19:36:00.002-07:00

Today we met on location at Green Lakes Trailhead about 27 miles west of Bend, up in the mountains. It was incredibly beautiful. There were three mountains nearby. There was a full stream and wonderful meadows. During Richards demonstration, we were visited by a beautiful little doe. Fortunately, the weather was much cooler, so we all had more energy for painting. There were not so many bugs in the cooler, overcast weather.

Today, Richard talked about aerial, or atmospheric perspective. This is where the artist takes into account knowledge about light waves, refraction, and distance. Here in the northwest, we have quite a bit of moisture in the air, so things that are in the distance become lighter and more blue. The artist has to take that into account to help the viewer see those distances. I am still struggling with that, but I understand it better now.

There were so many views to choose from to paint. Several of the group painted Broken Top mountain. Several chose the meandering stream. A few of us chose the wonderful meadows filled with wildflowers. I worked very hard on my painting, trying to put all my new knowledge to use. I am still struggling with the wall of trees in the distance. I think they detract from the overall painting. Unfortunately, the photo of this painting is really not good. As all artists know, the camera does lie, especially about values. My meadow has many more values than this photo shows.

Tomorrow, we are going to a place called Smith Rocks State Park. I do love painting rocks. Maybe I will have less of a struggle tomorrow. Moving from the studio to pleine air is much tougher than I expected.

Richard McKinley Plein Air Workshop

2008-07-28T18:32:00.005-07:00

Richard McKinley demonstration

Dillon Falls, Dechutes River, Oregon

Photo by Miki Willa

Today was the first day of our plein air workshop with Richard McKinley. In the morning, we sat in a classroom where he gave us an overwhelming amount of information. It was great. I learned so much about composition and simultaneous contrast. Two of my goals for this workshop revolve around those two skills. My other goal is to learn to see with my own eyes instead of through the lens of a camera. I really think that if I can develop this skill, it will make me a better studio painter in the long run.

The class time ran a little long, so we didn't get to our location until after 2:00. I have to say it was quite beautiful. It was also hot, dusty, and the bugs were very hungry. We were forewarned so had umbrellas and bug spray, but I found it quite distracting. I really don't like bugs too much. I kept the bug spray with me at all times and kept reapplying until they left me alone. It didn't stop them from doing fly-by stunts a la Top Gun. By the time I got my thumbnails done, I was ready to pack it in. I really wanted to do a larger piece, but that will have to wait until tomorrow.

Richard is a great teacher as well as artist. I am really looking forward to the rest of the week. Tomorrow, we will be travelling to a river trail system in the mountains surrounding Bend, Oregon called Green Lakes Trails. I am looking forward to a full day of painting. I will post what I do whether successful or not. After all, this is a learning blog.

Below are my thumbnails from today. The first one is line directions. The second is shapes. The third is first impression of values done in pencil. The fourth is done with grey tone markers after consulting with Richard. The last one has a bit more detail. I did take photos, so I may be able to do this one in the studio when I get home in seven weeks. Did I tell you we are on a seven week plein air road trip? Stay tuned. This is only the beginning.

Virtual Sketch Date

2008-07-24T14:40:00.003-07:00

Sunquats

5 x 4 colored pencils on Colourfix

Miki Willa

I did this for the July Virtual Sketch Date. This is the first time I participated. Once again, I have to applaud all the colored pencil artists out there. I find this a very difficult medium. Go to the Virtual Sketch Date site for more information and the reference photo. I cropped it pretty drastically before I started drawing.

Green and More Green

2008-07-24T09:03:00.002-07:00

Green on the Green

9 x 12 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

Miki Willa

This is the Green River in Flaming Geyser State Park, Washington. I did this one using a complementary color underpainting. I should have taken WIP photos to show you some of the amusing problems I had with this painting. When I thought it was finished, I stepped back with Tom and discovered that the river looked as if it were going to slide diagonally off the page toward the bottom right corner. I hadn't paid enough attention to my water strokes. Then I noticed that I had created a perfect formal garden hedge of flowers all along the river bank. The path was all one value from front to back. I decided to wait until this morning to fix all of this. A few carefully placed strokes with my handy-dandy foam brush took out much of the hedge and helped to fix the river. I found my favorite purple for the nearest part of the path. Then I added the strokes in the river to make it show movement in the correct direction. We were there on a very cool early June day when the river was still running high, and I think I captured both the cool weather and the full river.

The title? It was a very lush green place along a river named Green.

Dugualla Flats with tree

2008-07-21T15:48:00.002-07:00

Dugualla Flats

9 x 12 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

Miki Willa

I know the title of this posting won't get any hits, but I wasn't sure what else to call it. Besides, it took me quite a while to find the name of this place, so decided to use it.

This is a wonderful flat meadow between the main north/south highway on Whidbey Island and Dugualla Bay in the Puget Sound. The white mountain in the background is Mt. Baker. It is done from a reference taken in early spring several years ago. The photo was taken in the morning, thus the long shadows.

I did this painting as a demonstration on using a complimentary underpainting. I put orange under the green field, red under the distant tree covered hill, and dark purple/blue under the water. I did a blue underpainting on the sky because I have not been successful with complements under the sky yet. I used soft pastels and blended them with turpenoid (the stuff in the blue can, not the green one). I put the grazing cows in the far part of the field to give a sense of distance between me, the tree, and the water. I really liked this place. We had fun sketching there from the cab of the truck. As I recall, it was a cold, very early spring morning.

The color of haze

2008-07-20T10:35:00.005-07:00

Sound View

9 x 12 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

Miki Willa

I finally made time to get back to the studio this week. Since I still have several local monuments to paint, I decided to get the Mt. Rainier painting taken care of. I am not entirely satisfied with it, but I will try and explain my feelings about this Puget Sound icon.

First, some basic information about the mountain. Mt. Rainier is 14,411 feet high, making it the highest mountain in the Cascade Range. It is an active stratovolcano, and it has 26 glaciers. That is the most glaciers on one mountain in the lower 48 states. Parts of it are open year round for hiking and day trips.

When I first moved to the northwest during my college days, in the dark ages, I have been in love with this mountain. Of course, I am not alone in this love fest. It is a part of local lore as well as conversations. "The mountain is out today," is a great weather indicator. The goals of many local residents include climbing the mountain at least once in their lifetime. Many celebrations take place on the mountain, as well as few losses over the years. Going to the mountain for a day trip or a week long camping adventure is a must. Seeing the wildflower meadows in late spring is awe inspiring. The most interesting thing about this mountain is that it appears differently each day and each season.

On a recent trip to the northwest, before moving here, I took several photos of Mt. Rainier from the decks of the Bremerton-Seattle ferry. It looked so big and close in real life. When I got home and looked at the photos, I was disappointed that the sense of proximity and size were completely lost. When I decided to paint it last week, I decided to exaggerate those points. One important point is that the snow cover on the mountain takes on the colors of the sun at each point during the day. Late afternoon and early evening, the reflections are pinks and oranges. I wanted to include that in my interpretation. There is often a haze or low cloud cover masking the base of the mountain and the foothills leading up to it, which adds to the mystique of the mountain, I think. The haze is where I first got into trouble in the painting. I finally went to Daniel Smith's and bought new pastels in the light range, and that helped.

Finally, I am pretty happy about the mountain, but the mid and foreground need something. Any suggestions would be received well.

Painting Details - or not

2008-06-25T09:19:00.002-07:00

Virginia's Pond

12 x 9 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

Miki Willa

In my continuing journey to become a better artist, I find I am looking more critically at some of my favorite artists to see what they are doing right. I am beginning to see that there is a way that these artists handle details that draws me in. James Gurney wrote a post about what artists include in their paintings that was really though provoking along these lines. One of the artists who handles details in a way I find quite wonderful is Richard McKinley.

McKinley knows just where to include details and where to indicate them. He uses color, line, and light to draw the viewer into his landscapes and details to guide you along the path to the place of most importance. I am fortunate to be signed up for a workshop with him in July. I am looking forward to learning some of his techniques.

Today's painting is done from a reference photo of my friends', Virginia and Jerry, pond in northwestern Washington. Several years ago, they bought a large and wonderful log house on several acres. Thanks to a family of beavers, they looked out from their deck onto a great pond. I have been meaning to paint this for years, but lost the photos until a few days ago. I was drawn to this photo because of the yellow leaf. Tom thinks I need to make the leaf look more like what it is. I am working on it.

Deception Pass

2008-06-20T12:39:00.005-07:00

Deception Pass

12 x 18 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

Miki Willa

I finally got time to work on a larger piece. I really had fun with this one. This is one of my favorite places in Puget Sound. It is at the northern end of Whidbey Island, and it separates Skagit Sound from the Straits of Juan de Fuca. It was named Deception Pass by Captain Vancouver on one of his exploratory voyages because he was certain it led into a sheltered bay, but found it to be a strait instead.

I am finding that I use totally different greens and blues here. I wasn't frustrated once in finding the right green. Besides, I recently read Richard McKinley's post about greens and tried to apply some of what he said. I think it really made a difference.

I read an article in the latest Pastel Journal about painting local landmarks, and how that is a good thing. I have also seen artists talk about local landmarks being so cliche. For me, I paint what I enjoy seeing or what moves me in some way. I also find that I am painting the kinds of things I am drawn to in other people's art. I was reading Travels With a Sketchbook in . . . the other day, and Katherine was talking about analysing what you like by going to a large exhibition and seeing what you are drawn to. Now, I just have to figure out how to find the right market for what I do. It is time to start marketing my work.

The Olympic Mountains in Spring

2008-06-16T10:58:00.003-07:00

Spring on the Sound

9 x 12 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

Miki Willa

Summer isn't officially here until this weekend, but we have had absolutely beautiful days yesterday and today. It still feels like spring after unseasonably cold weather. It snowed in the mountains last week. We took full advantage of the sun yesterday, and we drove east to a great park along the Green River. As soon as our computer gets fixed and hooked up to the printer, I will be doing some paintings from this area. In the meantime, I am using photos from a few years ago as reference.

This painting is from a photo looking west across Puget Sound toward the Olympic Mountains.

New Home, New Studio, New Painting

2008-06-13T14:48:00.006-07:00

Late Afternoon on the Sound

12 x 9 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

Miki Willa

It has been a while, but I am finally set up in my new home and new studio. We moved from Hawaii to the Pacific Northwest. Hawaii is beautiful, but this place is quite wonderful. The mountains, tall evergreens, Puget Sound, and my incredibly beautiful back yard all call to me. My studio is great with fantastic natural light, even on these gloomy days of June.

My first painting in my new studio is from a reference photo my husband took of a small ferry coming into port on Whidbey Island. I loved the way the cloud colors reflect on the water. I am adding this to my cloud series even though the sky is not the focal area.

Painting from memory

2008-05-27T09:33:00.002-07:00

The Sound WIP

9 x 12 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

Miki Willa

Years ago I took a watercolor workshop on Whidbey Island in Washington. The instructor showed us how to paint beaches and islands like those in Puget Sound without using reference photos, or without painting in plein air. I was thinking about those paintings over the weekend and wondering if I could recreate the idea using pastels. I usually have something I am painting from, so this was a challenge. I am calling this a work in progress because I am still not completely happy with the overall look. I think the pier and house need work. I want to work on the shape of the land mass on the right. I think I would like a more sheer drop at the headland. I also want to work on the distant islands. I think this has potential. I just have to work on it.

Morning shadows

2008-05-26T15:54:00.003-07:00

Early Morning at Number 5

9 x 12 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

Miki Willa

I was walking back to my little room the other morning when I was struck by the shadows cast on the walls surrounding my door. The sun was just cresting the roof on the southwest side of the courtyard. There is a large tree near my end that cast these great shadows. After much debate, I decided to use purple, even though I saw purple and blue in the shadows. The walls are a dark cream stucco. The wall light near the door had reflections of so many colors, and I wanted to show them all. Unfortunately, this photo didn't pick them up well. I am not particularly pleased with the shadows on the lower part of the door, but I think I can work on that some more to fix it. The differences in the purples to the left and right of the door are from the camera. Color on the right is more accurate.

Fantasy drawing

2008-05-21T18:22:00.003-07:00

Boar in Love

Miki Willa

This is so outside anything I have ever sketched before. I don't even know where it came from. I just got home from work and put my feet up. I was too lazy to get my sketch pad from across the room, so I picked up the note pad next to me along with the black pen, and began doodling. By the time I was finished, I was laughing pretty hard. I probably shouldn't share with the world, but I hope you have a laugh.

Water Lily at the Hilton

2008-05-20T14:27:00.004-07:00

Water Lily

9 x 12 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

Miki Willa

I think I have solved the lighting situation in my little studio. At least I can see the colors of the pastels before I pick them up now. That was a good thing this morning since I decided to do this on black paper. I was going for the dramatic effect.

The weekend after our furniture was shipped, we stayed a couple of nights at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki. What a beautiful place! There are several lily ponds on the grounds, all teaming with beautiful carp. Fortunately, there were blooms in each pond. I took several photos, but I liked the composition in this one the best. I attempted to paint a lily pond painting before, and was not happy with it. I like this one much better. I am especially happy with the depth I was able to attain in the flower.

I tried to get some carp in the photos, but I was concentrating on composition, and the fish just wouldn't hold still. I do have other references of this kind of fish. Perhaps I will be able to combine references when I get moved and have my computer back again.

More Clouds

2008-05-19T18:28:00.003-07:00

White Plains

9 x 12 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

Miki Willa

I forget who said to do 100 sky paintings, but I really believe in it. When I go back and look at my earliest attempts at clouds when I was doing watercolor, then again when I took up pastels, I can see huge differences. I used to think that daytime clouds were only white and pure gray. Living here for the past six years, I have really had time to study clouds and see all the different colors they reflect. Colors from the water, the land, and the sun. I am particularly pleased with sky holes in these clouds and the sculpturing. I also like the way they reflect on the water in places.

Beach Rocks

2008-05-15T17:31:00.003-07:00

Beach Rocks

9 x 12 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

Miki Willa

I decided that I wanted more practice with rocks. I really enjoy working on them, but feel I can do much more. This grouping was from a larger photo. There was much more driftwood, but I didn't want to complicate the painting with too much. I think the one trunk is enough for this composition. I also pushed the colors on the rocks a bit. Unfortunately, the lighting in my new digs is very lacking in the early morning. I am going to have to try and do something about that over the weekend. I have been really surprised when I get back home and see the paintings in daylight.

Painting shallow water

2008-05-14T17:40:00.002-07:00

By the Sea

12 x 9 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

Miki Willa

Painting shallow water means having a mastery of the light touch with pastels. This is something I am working on learning. The area I painted was a very shallow tide pool area as the tide was coming in. The sandy bottom was clearly visible in places where the reflected blue of the sky was weakest. There were also some rocks completely submerged that I wanted to show. In the shadows of the rocks, the sandy bottom was very evident. I am pretty happy about what I accomplished. Someone else was happy enough to buy it right off the easel. That made me doubly happy!

Homemade pastels

2008-05-13T18:16:00.003-07:00

Sunset

9 x 9 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

Miki Willa

I think I am finally back on a regular schedule for a while. We have been moving out of our house in preparation for our return to the Mainland. Tom leaves tomorrow, but I have to stay to finish out my school contract year. In the meantime, I am living in a small studio apartment in the convent across the street from my school. So far, it is all good.

Part of the moving process involved cleaning out our studios at home. Tom has been saving pastel dust for quite a long time. He had several containers, sorted by hue. He finally decided to make them into new pastel sticks before we moved. We looked all over for distilled water, but couldn't find it. I remember growing up and always having distilled water in the house because the steam iron required it. How things have changed. Finally, he decided to use tap water. The colors are all unusual, but quite wonderful. I especially like the reddish/pink. I used that in the sky and highlights in the water. The other colors are two values of greyed purple, two greens, and the reddish/pink. The best part is that they are all a little streaky, which adds an interesting dimension to the painting. Unfortunately, I don't think the photo I took shows the colors well. I did add two blues, two yellows, and an orange from my regular palette. I like the homemades so well, I am going to be more conscientious about saving my dust in the future.

Still Here

2008-05-07T20:26:00.002-07:00

I just wanted to let you know that I have not stopped blogging forever. We are in the midst of moving, and I am not getting much painting done right now. I will be back on next week once I get settled again. Please come back on Monday.

Pele's Home - Halema'uma'u

2008-05-02T19:23:00.002-07:00

Pele's Halema'uma'u

9 x 12 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

Miki Willa

Pele angered her older sister and had to leave her home. She sailed north to our islands, holding tight to the egg her mother gave her. She came to the older northern islands, dug holes with her digging stick and settled in to each fiery lair. Her sister, who commanded the water, followed her and drowned her fires out. Pele kept looking for a place where the waters could not reach. She finally came to the island of Hawaii and Kilauea. There, her sister's water could not reach her. The crater at Kilauea where Pele finally stopped is called Halema'uma'u (the house of the ma'uma'u fern). It was there that the precious egg hatched to become Pele's beloved sister, Hi'iaka.

Today, Pele's presence is recognized by the Hawaiian people. Halema'uma'u is alive with steam vents and the warmth of Pele's fire. In the last couple of months, the crater has had several minor eruptions, with lava visible. The sulphur from the new opening has closed the park and forced evacuations of nearby areas. It is a big reminder that the earth is constantly changing and reforming.

Standing on the rim of Halema'uma'u is like standing near creation. There is a very stark beauty, and a strong connection to Creation. This is my third attempt to put down my impressions of the place using pastels. This is the closest yet.

Motivation and muse

2008-05-01T19:22:00.003-07:00

Makapu'u Lookout

9 x 12 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

Miki Willa

When I started doing a painting a day, I tried to paint every day, seven days a week. That was just not working, so I decided to do five paintings per week, mostly on week day mornings. I have tried to stick with that, and have been fairly successful. This daily practice has allowed me to learn and grow as an artist. I usually look forward to my morning painting times. Not this morning.

This morning, my motivation and muse were elsewhere. The school where I work celebrates May Day with a big performance involving the whole school. For many weeks, the different classes work with a kumu hula (hula instructor) preparing a dance for the yearly theme. This year, the theme was the Year of the Reef. Everyone from the junior kindergarten three year olds to the seniors in high school learns their song and dance to perform before their peers, parents, and grandparents. It is much work, but great fun and quite wonderful. Try and imagine 50+ three and four year olds doing a hula in colorful costumes. So cute, you know. This type of celebration is pretty common in the islands. This year, the teachers decided to also prepare a dance as a gift to the students. This morning, my mind was much more on remembering the dance than finishing my painting.

I took the reference photo for the painting from the lower lookout near Makapu'u Point on the south shore of Oahu. Makapu'u is also a very popular hike for whale watchers during the winter months when the big gray whales migrate to our island waters. I think I will put this painting away for a while and come back to it with a fresh look in a few months.

Painting mountains

2008-04-30T18:54:00.002-07:00

Mt. Ka'ala

9 x 12 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

Miki Willa

One of the things I never tire of here is the well weathered look of our mountain ranges. The reference for this one was taken from a park in Haleiwa Town looking toward the Waianea Range and Mt. Ka'ala. I selected a variety of greens and blues to work the ridges and valleys. I put my darks in first, then found I had to tone them down as the mountain developed. My sky is not as developed as I usually like, but I was really concentrating on the mountain and ran out of painting time. Isn't that always the way? I really like the feel of this one.

Gray Skies

2008-04-29T20:20:00.002-07:00

The Wall

9 x 12 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

Miki Willa

I was hoping to post the reference photo with this, but it is not where I thought it was and it will take me some time to find it. Maybe tomorrow.

This was a very high overcast day near Hilo, Hawaii. Even the greens were toned down. The only bright color was the red in the rock wall on the right. My husband thinks it is too vibrant. It is true. I pushed it. Maybe a small amount on the left wall would help. I don't know. I like the boldness of it. Sometimes I break the rules. A friend of mine said it was okay to break the rules if you had the name to do it. Why should they get all the fun?