Theresa Otteson Fine Art

A Bit of Reflection

Painting of colorful marbles

Sometimes I Lose My Marbles, Oil

 

 

The other day I was asked a question along the lines of, what good or important thing has come out of Covid for you. I didn't even hesitate with my answer. I have had to get out of my comfort zone and change how I approach my business by learning how to use technology. Any of you who know me, know that occasionally my computer makes me cry so this is a big deal. It's not that I'm incapable or incompetent, it's just that technology can stress me out.

This past year, I was asked by the University of Utah Lifelong Learning Department to teach color theory classes for them. I was very excited and happy to have this new opportunity. I love teaching. Then Covid. My class got cancelled then I it got rescheduled... online. First, I had a melt down then I pulled myself up, modified my class to fit an online format and learned how Zoom works. I've taught for the University twice this year. There were a few technology hiccups but I everything went well and I'll be teaching color theory again next year.

I asked my students how they felt about learning online since I felt that they did not have the benefit of one-on-one learning that the classroom can provide. Good news for me. They liked being able to sit in the comfort of their home. They were happy with the class and felt what they learned was beneficial and improved their artwork.

So now I'm learning how to teach online in other formats. I ordered a switch box so that I can use multiple cameras and connect them to my computer for live streaming on Facebook Live and YouTube. It should arrive this week. Once I learn how to use the streaming software and how to edit, I will able to offer more online classes in formats that will enhance online learning. There may be some more crying as I learn how to do everything but I'm excited to be able to have new ways to share and teach my passion with others.

Two things now:
First, I am curious as to how Covid helped you grow this year. I think there are some surprising and interesting answers to that question and I'd like to know your answer.
Second, I would appreciate the opportunity to benefit from anyone who has experienced online classes whether as a teacher or student (I'm also happy to return the favor). What did you like or dislike? Any tips or tricks you can pass along? Anything I should avoid or beware of?
If you are willing to share your answers to either or both of these questions, please leave your comments below.

Thanks,
Theresa Otteson

 

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Emotions and Art

Sunshine Makes Me Happy, Oil

 

 

I sold several paintings recently and I got to thinking about my wonderful collectors, the people who have made purchases of my work. Especially the people I was fortunate enough to be able to meet and learn why they made the purchases. One that came to mind had a big impact on me. A few years ago, a woman bought one of my sunflower paintings. The gallery owner told me that when the woman first saw it in the gallery, she cried. She left and came back with her family and they all made the decision together to purchase it. It was their first purchase of an original painting. My first reaction was utter surprise that something I created had that kind of impact on someone. Then the owner went on to explain that this woman's mother had passed away and that this woman had fond memories of going out in fields to pick sunflowers with her and they would take them home, put them in a pot, and place them on the kitchen table. I later got to meet this lovely lady in her home and visit with her and she told me how much that memory meant to her. That story brought tears to my eyes and made me feel such joy at the thought that something I created could mean so much to someone.
I have heard other stories from other people about paintings that speak to them, not necessarily my paintings. I got thinking about paintings I have purchased or just viewed and what kind of impact they have on me. I can't think of any that have evoked such a powerful feeling that I cried. What I can say is how amazing it is that someone can take something simple such as pigment, brushes, and a surface and create something beautiful, thought provoking, or just plain interesting. That feeling of amazement and appreciation for the artists gift, along with the enjoyment I feel when looking at art, are what make me hang paintings in my home and visit museums as much as possible.
Art is more than something pretty to go with your home décor. Art makes our life richer. It is memories. It is a one of a kind creation that comes from the mind and heart of the artist. It evokes emotion. It surrounds us with beauty.

 

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A Sisyphean Task?

 

 

Sisyphus was the king of Ephyra. He was punished by the ancient God's for for his arrogance and deceitfulness. As his punishment, everyday he had to push a boulder up a hill only to have it roll back down at the end of the day. This was his task for eternity. So a reference to a Sisyphean task is one that is laborious and futile.
As a young mother I sometimes felt I led a Sisyphean life. Every morning I got up, cleaned house, made meals, and chased children telling them, "no, don't touch that," "please don't stick your hand under the door when I'm in the bathroom," and "food doesn't go on the sofa." Don't get me wrong, I was and still am a mamma bear. I love my children fiercely and have never regretted being a mother. I just got tired of well, being tired. Every night, I would go to bed and think about how I had to get up in the morning and do the same thing all over again and I wondered if it would ever end. Thankfully life changes.
Lately I've felt like I'm leading a Sisyphean life again. I go to bed at night thinking about how the world feels like a place where traits such as empathy, kindness, and thoughtfulness are eroding and I have to get up in the morning and deal with it all over again. It's wearing and there have been a few times where I didn't know if I could get up and function for the day. But then I talk to a friend who has positive words to say. I read the paper and hear stories on the radio about people who are trying to do their part to make the world a better place. People who are kind and thoughtful. Then I remember that I have the ability to make the world a better place by being kind and thoughtful as well. Then I remember that I don't lead a Sisyphean life.

 

 

 

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A Day of Firsts

 

Last Saturday was a day of firsts for me. I taught an art class (Color Theory) for the first time for the University of Utah's Lifelong Learning Department and because of Covid 19, I taught for the first time online. It was a rewarding experience that I get to repeat in the fall.
New experiences can be stressful and rewarding. Those new experiences are important because through them we stretch ourselves, learn, and then realize we are okay at the end of the day. I learned how to use Zoom. I stressed and about had a breakdown over how to set up my studio and do demonstrations. I worried about my students being able to hear me well, especially when I turned away from my computer to do the demos. As usual, sometimes much to my annoyance, most of my problem solving occurred in the middle of the night, Through it all, I had the support of my wonderful husband who got on his computer multiple times and played student on Zoom while I figured it all out.
I love teaching art. All the preparation and stress is worth the satisfaction I gain when I hear my students say that something clicked and made sense, that they want to start a new painting, that they feel a new sense of confidence. I love when they stay in contact with me and send me pictures of paintings they did on their own. All these things bring me joy and let me know I'm doing what I'm meant to do.
The University will still be holding classes online in the fall so I'll be teaching from my studio again. While I prefer teaching in person, I feel excited about being able to teach my passion again.

 

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Sourdough Pancakes

 

 

I'm not writing about visual art this time. Instead I'm writing about culinary art and art of family. My cousin posted a picture on Instagram of sourdough pancakes she made from my grandparents recipe. When I saw it my first thought was "I loved those pancakes!" I didn't think about them again until last night when I couldn't sleep. I usually do my best, or worst thinking during the middle of the night depending on what's on my mind at the time. I started thinking about how good those pancakes were and how I don't think I've ever tasted better ones. They were really good but I think the memory of those pancakes are flavored with memories of my grandparents. That's what makes them so exceptional. I remember the large jar of dough sitting in the back of their fridge and grandpa adding new ingredients to it after using some. My grandpa belonged to the Lions club and during the Art City Days Celebration in Springville, Utah, he would make pancakes at the Lion's booth at the park. They tasted best there. I don't remember my grandma cooking much. I asked grandpa once when I was young why grandma didn't cook much. He told me it was because she wasn't a good cook. He looked serious when he said it. After that I wasn't so sure I wanted to eat grandma's food. Thinking about it now I don't know if he was joking or he really meant it.
As I laid in the dark, my mind kept wandering over memories of my grandparents. Most are about grandpa. Some are very vivid. Others are ghost like. Hard to hold onto. One of the most vivid is about the times grandpa irrigated his yard. He had a large yard and as he pulled the doorway in the canal that allowed the water to flood his lawn, my brother and sisters, my cousins and I would run through the water laughing and trying to scare each other by saying we saw snakes. I still see the arcs of water spraying out from behind our feet and how the drops of water sparkled like magic diamonds.
Another vivd memory is my grandpa working in his lapidary shop behind his house. At that time Bolo Ties were in style and he would make them and other jewelry. I was always amazed when he would cut open a stone and I could see the ugly outside shell and the beautiful colors and patterns that were hiding inside it.
I remember grandpa rescuing me after I tried to climb over the white picket fence in his backyard. My pant cuff caught on the pointed top of a picket and I hung upside down calling for help for what seemed an eternity before he found me.
I have many more memories. In fact when I looked at my clock while I lay in my bed, I realized that what had started as a thought of sourdough pancakes had turned into an hours worth of enjoyment as I remembered my grandparents. These memories are what I meant when I wrote the phrase the art of family. I hope you and your family are creating your own art at this time. And I hope that some time when you are laying awake in the middle of the night you get an hours worth of enjoyment out of those memories.

 

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Love and Hate

A Flash From the Past

A Flash From the Past, Oil

 

 

Love and hate are two sides of the same coin. I have a love hate relationship with my computer. Sometimes it's a technological miracle and other times it just makes me cry.....literally. At the end of 2009 I got a job at a gallery. A big part of my job needed to be done on the computer and my computer skills were nearly nil. I think I got the job anyway because I had another skill set that was needed. For the three weeks before I started, I spent hours almost everyday learning how to do the things I needed to do. By the time I started my job I was considered the office computer expert. If the printer or someone else's computer was glitchy I had the mojo. I think one of the most valuable things I had learned during that three weeks was the first thing to try when having a problem is to turn things off then back on. I think it worked 99% of the time. I kept my mojo by not telling everyone the reboot trick for awhile.
Fast forward to January 1, 2020. I was putting together a handout for a workshop I was to teach. I needed several pie charts divided into twelve sections to use as color charts. I went to Word and easily made my pie. I divided my document into two columns, added a pie chart then copied and pasted the seven more. I thought I would have it done in a matter of minutes. Wrong. My charts were different sizes no matter how many times I copied and pasted the same chart. On top of that they would not line up. My husband came in and suggested I add a new page, create a chart, then copy and paste my pies. That way they should all line up. I tried to create a chart but as I pulled the lines across the page they would disappear about half way across. I was determined not to let those pies get the better of me so I kept trying to make it work. Two hours into this handout I found an image of a pie chart like I needed online and put it into InDesign. It took about five minutes. As I went to the printer to get my handout I realized that operator error was my enemy. That table I tried to create kept disappearing because I forgot to turn the columns off in Word so the lines ended where the column ended.
So again I repeat. I have a love hate relationship with my computer.

 

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Incompetence to Expertise...

 

 

I recently read a blog by Clint Watson called "Dance At The Edge Of Incompetence." It was a timely blog for me. I had just gotten back from an artist retreat where we did plein air painting. I'm not a plein air painter, I'm a studio painter. I paint in layers and I'm slow. Plein air painting is a different animal, it's done on location, is done mostly in one layer and it's painted quickly. All opposites of what I do. I enjoy going outside and painting with my friends, at least when the weather is good but the quality of those paintings leave much room for improvement. Mostly that's okay with me. I'm there for the enjoyment factor and I know that time and practice will make me better. This time though I felt agitated about my painting. When it was done, I looked at it and knew I could have done better. I was agitated days later.
That's when I read the blog. In it he described how he played racquet ball at a local community center. The players were in divisions labeled A, B, C, and D. The players could climb up the division by winning games against those in a higher division. He was a D player. He moved up slightly but not much. He asked the A1 player to play with him unofficially and over time he got much better. He then noticed that those who played the players close to them in ranking didn't really progress, they just kept changing places. So the point of the blog was that by continuing to stretch and challenge ourselves and "dance on the edge of incompetence," we improve.
That blog reminded me to take the advice I give my students. There is a learning curve to everything. Learn and push yourselves and over time you will get better. So (when the weather is nice) I will continue to paint with plein air painters who are better than me and I will learn from them. I will take workshops and over time I will improve. I'll just be a bit incompetent for awhile.
By the way, the image above is one of my successes and I painted it in three hours.

 

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Goal Won, Not Lost

 

 

At the beginning of each year many of us set goals and then as time goes on our good intentions fade away. For a few years, I quit making goals because I knew that was the annual scenario. This year I want my business to grow so I gathered up my wishes, desires, and good intentions and got busy. I knew if I was going to be successful, I needed to find a way to organize my goals. I looked at business planners for artists and finally found one that looked like a good fit for me, The Makers Yearbook. I had to order it from England. My planner is an import.
In the front of the planner, I started out by writing down how I want my career to look in the future. Putting words to my dreams and looking at them in black and white was surprisingly empowering. I looked at each of the accomplishments I wanted to achieve and I wrote out each one as separate goal, So far so good. Then came the feeling of doom. So much to do and I didn't know how to make some of it happen. I almost put the planner on a shelf but as I looked at the book in front of me I decided I couldn't let an import go to waste. Strange motivation but it worked.
I have spent a lot time breaking down each goal into small steps and identifying obstacles that could get in the way, including a simple lack of knowledge on my part. I also identified wishes that won't happen because circumstances just won't allow it. So I took a step sideways and kept going. Now, at the beginning of each month, I decide which goal gets the most focus and I break it down into doable parts. Each night, I write down three things I will work on the next day.
Problem. Good intentions need action. Sometimes for some reason or another that action doesn't happen. A few weeks into my new process I missed several days of progress on my three daily tasks. I was frustrated. I saw my progress stalling and falling. There were some stressful things happening in my life and discouragement crept in. One morning I read a short article that pointed out that accomplishing goals is a skill and that skill has to be learned and practiced. That was a revelation to me. It made me realize that a setback is not a failure and so I kept going. Now, when I don't get my three tasks done I forgive myself, move them to another day and keep working.
I don't know what this year will bring. I don't know if I will accomplish all of my goals but I am already seeing the fruits of my labor. Good things are happening. I feel good about myself and what I am doing. Now when I look at the future I tell it to get ready because I am empowered, I have a plan, and I know how to use it.

 

 

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How Art Changes Us

Trier, Oil, 26 x 30

Trier, Oil

 

I like to listen to NPR (National Public Radio) as I'm running errands. I enjoy the news, reviews, and interviews. I feel like they give me a window into the world I don't get otherwise. Recently, a TED talk came on, "How Art Changes Us." It was originally broadcast on 11 November, 2017. I was only able to listen to the first 10 minutes but I found it so interesting, when I got home I listened to it on my computer.
The premise behind the show is that art evokes emotion, starts conversations, helps us understand history, and helps start debates about our past, present, and future. Five artists were interviewed. Each uses their talents to change peoples perceptions of themselves and their communities. Each focuses on creating change around the world by creating beauty in slums, crossing cultural barriers, helping people find connections to their surroundings and having experiences that speaks to our hearts and changes us from within. I'm not going to give a review of the artists. I could never do them and their contributions justice in this format so I encourage you to listen to the talk yourself.
As I listened to them, I couldn't help being a little envious of their ability to reach so many people at once. Perhaps some day I will be able to do the same. Right now I hope that my art brings joy and reminds anyone who views it that there are so many beautiful and fascinating things to enjoy in a sometimes ugly and frightening world

 

 

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Garden Inspiration

Orange poppies

I'm In Heaven, Oil
I love gardening. I love the smell of the earth, getting dirty, and watching the plants grow and mature in all their splendor. I have a spectacular hibiscus plant that is about 3 feet high and about 4 feet across with deep crimson colored flowers. The other day the last blossom faded and died. I looked sadly at the shriveled up petals that resembled a small lump of something indefinable. It means autumn and winter are coming and my garden will be asleep for several months.
I have painted a lot of flowers. However, I took a hiatus for over a year from them. I got sick of painting them. Yup, you read that right. I was sick of them. I had two floral exhibits at two different galleries just months apart and by the time I had created enough paintings for the shows I couldn't paint one more petal. I tried but my attempt was banished to a pile of unfinished paintings waiting for me to go back to work on them again sometime in the future.
In June I stood in a field of orange red poppies. I looked at the beautiful deep colors all around me, the turns and twists of the petals, and the wonderful velvety dark centers. I was immediately over my mind freeze. How could I not paint something so heavenly. I could hardly wait to get to my studio to work. For the last year I have been collaborating with my good friend and artist Sherry on a project that I have found very satisfying but the other evening, when I went through all of the photographs I took of this year's garden, I decided to squeeze in several small florals while I work on the project.
So this fall and winter, when you look at my Instagram and Facebook posts and check my website, you will see the fruits of my garden inspiration. I am looking forward to next years flowers already.

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I Learned My Lesson

According to studies, being good at multitasking is not really possible. Our brains can focus on only one high level function at a time. If we perform different functions simultaneously our brains cannot perform efficiently on any one of them. Listening to music while doing things can have the opposite effect. It stimulates our brains. Studies show that children who listen to Mozart while studying, etc. tend to do better at their school work.
Usually when I paint, I listen to music. I want the melodies to wash over me and create a mood. Getting into the right mood helps me focus better on what I'm doing (so does talking to myself about what I'm doing). Recently however, I decided I wanted to listen to some books on CD. I got stories that were simple, entertaining, and didn't need thought. It worked well for me while I painting simple objects. Recently, I started a portrait of my granddaughters. I turned on the book and painted away. After awhile I stepped back to check my progress and saw that I had put a mouth corner in the wrong place and the nose was off. I was a little baffled because I thought I was being careful to check where I was putting things in relationship to each other. Then I realized that I had just listened to a part of the story that was particularly interesting and I had focused more on it.
The portrait of my two granddaughters is still in progress but now I'm back to painting with music in the background. I have to say, I'm painting better and faster. From now on no books on CD while painting.
P.S. You can check back at a previous blog where I revealed what music I like to work to.

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The View of Your World

 

 

A friend and I were talking not long ago about how artists see the world differently than non-artists. As we were discussing this she said that as a visual artist, her world is wonderful but that her job as a graphic artist was more of a curse. That took me by surprise. She explained that in her world, there are billboards, signs, etc. everywhere, therefore she is constantly thinking about the type face, the images, the layout. I remembered while out with her one day as we drove past a sign, she commented that every first year student knows not to put white text on a yellow background. I was amused. I think she was not.
I started wondering how other people see the world in the context of what they do as a living. Do they feel their world is richer because of what they do or do they wish they could leave it all at work after hours. Here are just a few of the responses I got.
I asked a musician if he hears subtle nuances in music that others don't hear. He didn't know how to respond but his wife replied that when he practices the piano the music sounds wonderful to her but he will be upset and complain that he didn't play well. He is a perfectionist so his music can be a blessing and a curse.
A teacher told me that everywhere she goes she sees teaching opportunities. As an example, she told how recently while driving through a canyon, she saw a rock formation and thought about how that formation came to be, then wondered if she could get some good rock samples for her class. I asked her if she got tired of seeing the world in the terms of a lesson in the making. She says she loves it, it makes her world richer.
A personal trainer told me she constantly views other people in terms of their health. When her husband and kids complain about a headache or something else she immediately starts asking them about health basics such as, did you drink enough water or are you dehydrated. Her family finds it annoying at times but she loves helping others feel well.
As an artist, my world is visual smorgasbord. I feel blessed. Every time I open my eyes, my world is full color, texture, patterns, and light.

 

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A Good Art Read

 

 

It's summer. I see signs at the book store recommending summer reads but so far I either haven't had the time to read or I've been too tired. I partially solved that problem by listening to books on CD while I paint.
When I wrote my last blog, I wrote about the ideas, feelings, memories, etc. that books create for me. When I looked at my book shelves I kept seeing the book, "The Power of Art," by Simon Schama. It wanted to be noticed and with it's bright red cover and white lettering it succeeded. If you look at the picture accompanying this article, you'll see what I mean. I first read it in 2006 when it came out as the companion guide to "The Power of Art," series broadcast on PBS. I found myself getting caught up in the descriptions and stories about various artists and the work they produced. They made me feel awe for the creative process in others and myself. So, I pulled the book off my shelf and plan to read it again. It is sitting on a chair next to my bed beckoning and refusing to be ignored. I look forward to becoming engrossed in the stories all over again.

 

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Does It Speak To You

I like to peruse the articles, photos, etc. on the Google Arts And Culture App. This morning there was an article, "Remarkable British Women and the Objects That Inspire Them," from the First Among Equals exhibit at the Foundlings Museum. It was about British women who are first in their fields and objects from the exhibit that spoke to them and made them think.
I started wondering if I had objects in my home that speak to me and make me think. I certainly have objects, many of which I have collected because I find them interesting. Do they speak to me? I have objects that have memories attached to them of people and places that I have been. I immediately saw an enameled pill box shaped like a bird. It's head swings open to show a small compartment that holds the pills. My granddaughters liked to put a small cat figurine in it and then laugh in delight that the bird swallowed the cat. I opened the bird and saw the cat.
I thought about a pot that my uncle made and gave to me. He is an artist that lives in Oakland, California. I thought about how he helped nurture my love for art as I grew up. Any time I visited his house he would take me to art exhibits around the bay area and talk about the art he loved.
I could go on reliving memories like that about various objects around my house. I enjoy it and yes they make me think but it was when I looked at the shelves of books that I have collected over the years, that I knew that they are what make me really pause and think. I love a book that makes me stop reading in order to contemplate and wonder about people, history, ideas and events.
After looking at the books, I spent more time looking at objects and smiling at the memories. I realized then that they speak to me just as much as the books but in a different way. It's an exercise that I need to do more often.

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Get Your Groove On

 

Folk dancers in bright costumesAsociacion Folklorica Excuzucena, Oil, 24 x 36Edit Image
When I paint, sometimes I listen to books on CD but usually I listen to music. Music creates a mood that helps me focus on my work. I have a lot of CDs, oldies, jazz, opera, big band, classical, Celtic and various others. What I choose to listen to as I paint depends on my mood. Here are a few moods and a few of my favorites that go with them.
Something calming: anything from Andrea Boccelli, music from the movies "Il Postino" and "Last of the Mohicans."
Need some energy: Oldies from The Drifters, Dion, and Kansas.
Feeling cranky: The Brian Setzer Orchestra "Songs From Lonely Avenue."
Feeling good: music from Sara Vaugn, Etta James, and the Moody Blues.
Moody, leave me alone: music from Clannad and other Celtic groups.

 

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Have Fun!

 

I decided to learn something new with my art and I went to Plein Air Utah last September. I went with my good friend and we sat outside in the sun and wind and painted. The wind blew dirt into my painting and my bag. I got sun burned. We laughed a lot. I had a blast. I've been a few times since then and have found that I am a much better studio painter- at this point in time anyway but I don't mind. I've found that I really enjoy being outside in beautiful weather (notice the beautiful weather part), looking at beautiful scenery and painting along side someone else.
I went plein air painting with my six and eight year old granddaughters yesterday. I had purchased easels and paint sets for them and I was as excited to go out and paint together as they were. They live in Missouri where it's wet and green. We went to an area where we had to walk to an incredibly beautiful, large, bubbling turquoise colored spring. The water was so clear we could see the bottom and the fish were jumping. They chose to sit and paint an area where the water from the spring flows under a bridge and cascades down to a river. We had a lot of fun creating.
I didn't finish my painting. I'm slow, so I will take mine to my studio and finish it. The next time we get together will be in Hawaii - a whole new painting experience and we're looking forward to it.
 

 

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What Is Art?

 

 

"Nightwatch," Oil

I like to listen to National Public Radio. I like to listen to the various interviews of people from around the world. They give me insight to different cultures and ideas. Last week when I got in my car to go run errands, The 1A with Joshua Johnson was on. The subject was about artificial intelligence producing art through generative adversarial networks, or GANs. GANS uses images to analyze patterns and then uses the knowledge to create new "artwork." The computer has no idea what the images are but learns patterns to produce an image. Last year, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) produced image, the "Portrait of Edmund de Belamy" sold for $432,500. The discussion on the A1 was about the process of GANs and whether an AI produced image is really art.
When I'm asked what art is I generally give the broad description, anything someone creates. The broadcast made me think about this description. It is really much more than just a creation. The creation starts with inspiration, an idea. For me that idea has to percolate. I have to envision how the subject I'm going to paint is to be presented on my canvas. How does it sit within the frame of the canvas so that it looks interesting and draws the viewers eye to what I want him or her to see? What information is important or not important? Do I need to change something, a color, a shape? Do I need to leave something out? Should my edges be soft or hard? This goes on and on through my painting process until I am finished and satisfied with what I have produced. So if I apply this thinking to AI produced images, I have to say no, the AI is unable to apply inspiration and a decision making process in order to create. However, during the broadcast, a caller pointed out that the math used by the AI is art and has a poetry in itself. I'll leave it to you to form your own opinion on the subject.

 

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Serendipity

 

 

A Flash From The Past. A still life painting of old cameras.

 

 

 

ser·en·dip·i·ty
[ˌserənˈdipədē] NOUN, the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way. This is what happens when you are in the right place at the right time and are cognizant enough to recognize that there is something that might work out well for you. That’s what happened with the painting, “A Flash From The Past.”
I was in a restaurant in southern Utah one evening when on my way out, I saw a shelf filled with old cameras hanging about six and a half feet up a wall. I was happy when I recognized some cameras on the shelf that I had used when I was younger. I love old things and I can wax nostalgic with the best of them. I wanted to ask if I could get a chair or a ladder to climb onto so that I could get some good photos of the set-up but I was hesitant to ask since I would have blocked an aisle to do so. The best I could think to do was to hold my phone high over my head, click a picture and hope it turned out.
As I walked out of the restaurant I was sure that the photo was going to be terrible and I would end up deleting it. I didn’t look at it until I got home a couple of days later after I put it on my computer. Low and behold, there it was all squared up with the shelf level and after I cropped it slightly, the center of attention, the box with the lights on the top was in the right spot for the composition.
Editing wasn’t turning out to be a problem either. Editing a painting is what it sounds like, the process of deciding what information is important and should be kept, what information is not important and therefore left out of the painting, and what things need to be changed. I simplified some things, took a few things out, and changed some colors. And, there it was. My chance encounter in a restaurant and camera phone held high over my head came together to give me the photo for this painting. Serendipity, I wish it happened more often.

 

 

 

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I Wrestled A Cow (a non-art adventure)

 

I wrestled a cow - well, it was really a calf. It's the time of year for baby cows. I love watching them. Not only are they cute, they are amusing - but not at the time of this adventure. On one of my walks last week, I saw a calf that had somehow escaped from a pasture. He and mom were walking back and forth on opposite sides the barbed wire. Then baby would lunge at the fence and try to get through. He did it more and more. I could tell that he was panicky. I couldn't find anyone around to help. Usually I only saw workers later in the evening. That would be hours away. I decided I couldn't let him continue and possibly become severely injured so I walked along the fence trying to find where he could have gotten out. Eventually I found a spot where the ground sloped down and away under the lowest wire. This had to be the place.
I had a brilliant thought! I could hold baby under is chest and push his head under the wire and then of course he would realize what to do and all would be well. I tied my dog to a fence post, rounded up baby who was bleeding all over and proceeded to do just that. Mom stuck her head through the fence with her nose next to my face. I pushed baby, he fought me. Mom's face got closer to mine. I felt her breath. I wasn't sure if she felt I was a threatening presence or not. Was she going to bite me or worse yet, lick me? The dog barked and whined. This went on for what seemed an eternity. I was getting tired. Finally, I did become brilliant. I laid him on his side and pushed him under the wire. I watched with a smile as he stood up on the other side of the fence and he and mom walked away across the field together.
By the time it was all over, I was exhausted, covered with dirt and grass stains, and weeds were stuck in my hair. The dog was still barking and whining and I felt happy.

 

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Pet The Whale

 

I've watched a few lectures about photography given by "National Geographic" photographer, Joel Sartore. In one of the lectures, he tells a story about some tourists in a boat. Swimming alongside the boat were some whales. Some of the tourists were petting the whale while most were furiously trying to get good photographs of it. The point of his story is, who was going to have a more memorable experience, the people petting the whale or the ones who might get a good photo of others petting the whale. Or in other words take time to savor the experience.
Whales come in many forms, such as birds. I live near wetlands where a bird refuge is located. One of the trails I walk my do on is located near the refuge. When we walk, I try to leave all my work and distractions at home and focus on my surroundings because no matter how many times I walk a trail, wherever it is, there is always something to surprise me.
Let's get back to the birds. It is spring now and many of the birds that summer here are coming back from their winter migration. It starts at the end of February when the Bald Eagles come through. I see their black bodies with white heads standing on the ice of the frozen bay. Sometimes I see them sitting in a tree with their wings out stretched as they bask in the sun. Sometimes I see them with their wings outspread, bodies on a diagonal, and talons reaching out as they fight one another over a fish.
The Great Blue Herons are nesting now. Sometimes they startle me when they fly out of a ditch or tall grass in front of me. I've also seen the Pelicans. I am mesmerized by them when they are fishing. They perform a water ballet as they glide across the water in a group. All heads dip down into the water and back up in unison as they scoop fish up into their bills. When they fly away, they rise single-file, their bodies flash white, the underneath of the wings flash black. They turn wide circles flashing black and white, black and white as they slowly rise higher and higher until they are out of sight. Some of my favorite birds are the little ones shown in the drawing above. I don't know what they are called but I love they way they flutter back and forth from the ground to the fences like they have ADHD.
I do admit that sometimes I pull out my phone and take a picture if I think of it and I sometimes draw the birds. I can't help it. For the most part though, I want to experience the joy and wonder of petting the whale.

 

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The Need to Create

 

I am occasionally asked why I chose to become an artist. My answer has been, it's a part of who I am. Being an artist makes me feel complete. Recently, I started asking myself why art makes me feel complete. I have found some answers to that question.
A couple of weeks ago I was watching Sister Wendy's "Story of Art." She passed away recently and in her memory a website was offering the complete series of the art programs she had done for the BBC during the 1990s. She reminds me of a little blackbird, has a slight lisp and was utterly charming. She made a comment that art is about being human. That art is instinctual as shown by the fact that all children love to color and draw. And in my opinion, make wonderful things with Playdough.
I thought about that awhile and have wondered if people who go on to become artists have a stronger instinct or perhaps the instinct grows stronger over time and we just continue to color and draw while others lose the drive to do so. Either way, we continue to act upon that urge to create.
A second part to my answer has to do with an experience I had years ago while on one of my trips to southern Utah. I was standing on the edge of a cliff overlooking a vast canyon. A green colored river snaked far below me and the faces of the red rock cliffs were glowing in the sun. I felt like I had become one with my surroundings. It made me feel very small and very big at the same time and I thought wow, God sure had a good day when he created that.
I think for me, art has given me a very small glimpse of what God must feel when He creates. I know my creations are very pale in comparison with that canyon but being able to take a brush and apply pigment to a surface to create something gives me a great sense of satisfaction and pleasure. That satisfaction is magnified when I know that my creation can give pleasure to others.
So to sum it all up, I have to say that yes, being an artist is a part of who I am, it makes me feel complete. It is also gives me great satisfaction that I have the ability to create something that gives me and hopefully others pleasure and contributes something to the beauty of this world. If you call that last part ego it's okay with me. We all need to have some part of us that makes us feel happy about ourselves.

 

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