White Flowers,Letting Go, and Sunday Meditation

In letting go, there is a falling, then a soaring freedom to rise upon...

Flowers

So much color abounds this time of year, lovely rich saturated colors and so many wonderful flowers and gardens.  Rich in inspiration.  They grace my table and sometimes I place a single bloom elsewhere in our house.  Refreshing visually, some with a luscious scent too.  But so short lived, as so are we... a reminder to live fully in our days and savor our moments in the sun.  

Sunday Meditations

"The Art of Letting Go" by Richard Rohr is an audio book I am enjoying listening now.  Rohr is a Franciscan priest in New Mexico, the land of enchantment, and is engaging in this book centering on the wisdom of Saint Francis, exploring spiritual mystery, and letting go.  A very good and worthwhile summer read.

  A recent page from my journal:

Flowers bloom
Then fade...

Falling beautifully,
Cascading down gracefully,

Falling is unstoppable.

I savor the moments of those heady pure white blossoms,
I linger a moment in reverie and wistfulness,
And know I must soon turn the page...

Trees, Inspiration, and Art Show

Paying attention by practicing mindfulness, the small moments of happiness are everywhere to be found...

"Morning Joy Among the Trees #1"         12"x12" Acrylic

Copyright 2012 Delorse Lovelady

Trees and Inspiration

I continue my exploration of trees with paint.  There are endless possibilities of shapes and colors and moods.  These two paintings were done rather spontaneously on a Saturday morning, and I hate to admit, but for a painting exhibition with a deadline due the next day.  I don't usually wait til the last minute, but I had been having a particularly bad summer cold (thankfully gone) that affected my eyes.  Maybe it's a reminder to not labor so much on minutia or thinking when approaching the canvas.  Capturing a feeling or moment may be easier when we let go and let the brush and hand go where it will.

The inspiration for these paintings come from a certain walk that my spouse and I take occasionally.  It's a lovely hidden spot, a walking trail with lovely undulating trees along a small running creek.  So as I began to paint, I recalled the crisp air, the colors, the shapes, the enjoyment of the moment of walking with my best friend.

"Morning Joy Among the Trees #2"         12"x12" Acrylic

Copyright 2012 Delorse Lovelady

Gallery North Art Show

Both of the "Morning Joy Among the Trees" paintings will be in this show, do stop by, it is a lovely gallery set in the artsy community of Edmonds:

Plein Air Edmonds - Beauty of the Northwest Art Show

August 1 - 31, 2012

August 16, 2012 - Edmonds 3rd Thursday Art Walk

5:00pm-8:00 p.m

Refreshments will be served.

 

Gallery North

508 Main Street, Edmonds, WA

425-774-0946

Monday-Fridays from 11:00am-6:00pm

Saturday from 10:00am-6:00pm

Sunday from Noon-6:00pm

Retreat, Art Play and Sunday Meditation

Beautiful scenery, good company and blissfully painting...

Retreat

A retreat is a wonderful thing, good for renewing the spirit, getting away from the regular routines and events going on in life.  And so, that's what I was doing this last week in a beautiful corner of our Northwest.

I arrived a day late after recuperating from a three week trip to Texas followed by a short illness after returning.   I quickly immersed myself in the camp of good company of our painting club, and gave myself up to painting and experimenting as much as possible.  Our instructor was the talented Jennifer Bowman, a high energy acrylic painter.

Art Play and Experimenting
In 5 days I produced 12 small paintings, experiments in color, shape, lights/darks, subject matter, materials, and using a palette in a different way.  Jennifer showed me how to do the eye on a couple of the paintings and in two others showed me the use of dark and light passages.
Here are the results of my experiments with birds:

and pears, rooster and trees:

and tulips:

I chose this retreat in place of the Artfest retreat in March this year.  And as it turned out this was this last Artfest, so I did manage to go for one day only over to Port Townsend to take a great workshop from Lisa Bebi on painting and photography.  Here is a one sample from my several paintings in that workshop:

Sunday Meditation
The exquisite scenery of both retreat locations nurtured my soul.  Nature does that.  And the one day March workshop plus last weeks retreat will serve as inspiration for me as I try out  different things in my paintings.  I am going in the new directions as I wanted...and am seeing where it leads.

I wonder if every day, there isn't a "mini retreat" waiting to be found by me... an hour painting outside on our deck, meeting at a park with fellow plein air painters and sketchers, a museum visit, or just quietly studying and playing with the many photo's I've taken of places, examples.

Art Show, Trees and Whispers

Night whispers among the trees...

"Night Ceremonies #1"   16x20 acrylic

Copyright 2012  Delorse Lovelady

Art Show

This is a little late for posting, but I was pleased to be juried into the annual Seattle Co-Arts show.  The last day is tomorrow.

May 1-31, 2012

Seattle Co-Arts Juried Show "Eye of the Artist"

 at The Art Institute of Seattle, Burnley Gallery, 

South Campus, 6th Floor, 2323 Elliot Avenue, Seattle, WA

Trees and Whispers

"Night Ceremonies #1" is my latest in a set of two paintings on trees.  They were an experiment in faux monoprinting.  And I listened to the whispers telling me they wanted to be pink moving about in the night with the winds blowing around them...

Attic Babies, Sunday Meditation, and Wonder

You never know how much goodness a little peep will make...

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Photo

Attic Babies

Exactly one week ago I woke up to some very faint peeps... and they have gotten more insistent and loud as the week has progressed.  Yes!  Our woodpeckers, Northern Flickers are back!  While I am so happy to share in this joyful occasion, the nesting location is not the best... our busy little flickers took advantage of our absence on a road trip for a couple of weeks in late March to hammer a hole thru the top side of our 2 story house and establish residence.  So we will not disturb them, and hope for the best in our attic, to see the fledgings take off.   I read that both the male and female share incubating the 6-8 eggs which takes about 11-16 days before the hatching.  Then both parents feed them constantly til they leave the nest a month later.  So I'm guessing the launching date for the babies will be sometime around June 6...  

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Photo

I've attempted but missed photo's of the comings and goings.  I so wish I could photo the going's on in the nest, but will have to be satisfied with one of the adults feeding at our bird feeder.

 

copyright Delorse Lovelady 2012

Sunday Meditation
It's been a full week for me.  Connecting with friends, art groups, family.  I won an award for a painting!  And yesterday I had the thrill of meeting NY artist/author Seth Apter (so charming) and 5 other Seattle area artists in his new book at the book signing.  Yesterday one of the attendees was speaking about the effect of a few words of a teacher on a student.

So I remembered a couple of personal instances where someone shared some words with me that made a difference, "stuck".  And I wonder how much we all really hear in all the symphony of life that goes on around us.  I can't help but think it could be a few words from anyone at a certain moment when we really take it in and hear it.   Words and images are so important, conveying meanings and layers of meanings.   It's as important to notice what we are sending out to the symphony, as it is to stop and listen to what is coming our way.

Wonder
Meanwhile, I'm enjoying the little singing chorus of peeps, the new energy, spring, life, the growing of wings for flying on the tiny flickers, my attic babies.

Sunflowers, Library Show, and Book Signing

Peace after storms, sun follows rain, and "we all shine on"...

"Fear Ye Not - the Sunflowers Ever Come"

Copyright 2012 Delorse Lovelady   Mixed Media 16x20

Sunflower Painting

I worked and struggled on this experimental painting off and on earlier this year, and finally finished it after lots of process and trial and error.  It's a combo of personal photos that have been Photoshopped, various collage, and acrylics on gallery canvas.  I was pleased to receive a 3rd place for painting of the month at Seattle Co-Arts last meeting!

Edmonds Library Show

My painting critique group will hold an upcoming 2 part Ten Ladies Painting Show at the Edmonds Library.  Sunflowers and 4 more of my paintings will be there starting June 11.

May 3 - June 10- Ten Ladies Painting 1:

Pamela B. Harold, Beverly Shaw Starkovich, 

Marilyn Webberly, and Helen Drummond

June 11 - July 30- Ten Ladies Painting 2:

Delorse Lovelady, Sue Gill Rose, 

Victoria Galbraith, Cheryl Hufnagel, 

Judith Heim, Jane Mayer, and Joan Poor

Book Signing

You are invited to attend..... 

Saturday May 5th from 12-2

Bellevue Art & Frame, 13131 NE 20th Street, Bellevue, WA. 425-453-8959. bellevueartandframe.com

The Pulse of Mixed Media:   Secrets and Passions of 100 Artists Revealed
By Seth Apter,  
NY mixed media and book artist

This book goes below the surface to uncover the inner workings of the
creative mind.
Imagine you've been invited to have an intimate discussion with all of your favorite artists. You can ask them anything, and hear the
personal stories behind their artwork.
Become a true art insider.

Local artists Donna Watson & Leslie Avon Miller will be doing demos.
 

Local "Pulse" Artists also attending:  

Delorse Lovelady, Lisa JonesMoore, Robert Stockton, & Alicia Caudle

20% off all books purchased during signing.

 Door Prizes!

Published, Fear and Altzheimer's

I opened the box labeled "fear"; it dissipated like wispy fog into the air...

"Fragments Over the Deep Blue" Mixed Media 10"x10"

Copyright by Delorse Lovelady 2011

Published
A special thank you goes to talented Seth Apter of The Altered Page blog whose book The Pulse of Mixed Media: Secrets and Passions of 100 Artists Revealed was recently published. It is a fabulous book full of wonderful artist's images and words... And, I feel so honored that he included me in this melange of 102 artists. My mixed media painting, "Fragments Over the Deep Blue" is in Section 3, Secrets Revealed.
Fear
My painting and another one I completed and submitted were in response to the challenging question: "what is your biggest fear?" There are little fears in life, then there are bigger fears. What seemed to pull at me the most when reflecting on the question was the dreadful disease altzheimer's which two of my aunts have battled over the last few years. One aunt continues to do so and now my mother is also affected. This has been and is difficult for myself and family.

But then, I did create the art pieces, which was quite cathartic. And I realized that another part of the fear was really putting out such personal art for viewing... I was reminded by my spouse that that was what real art was about, when an artist can reveal some deeper meanings that the viewers can connect to in their lives. And so there it is...

The roses in the painting are so symbolic for me in many ways, including, growth from the ashes, transcending struggles in life, hope always survives. So the question was asked and the fear was painted, and at the same time, the painting offers a resolution to the fear... art is so healing. I've always said so...

Altzheimer's
I am finding that there are so many families affected by this disease. It creates unfamiliarity where there was once knowledge and assurance, it changes the personality, functioning and relationships of the person and creates "the long blank stare". Memories are destroyed and it's almost like starting over with a "tabula rasa", a blank slate... in a child-like state. Sometimes we can laugh and other times it's just painful. I mourn and rail against the unfairness of it. But who am I to say. It just is, and I remember to keep a heart full of compassion.

I remind myself of the cycles of nature, the mysteries of life and being grateful in the now, sending out ripples of good energy, and being able to create and express, and so, I will...

Books
Here are two new books I chanced upon unexpectedly at a recent visit to the Seattle Frye Art Museum with my spouse. I have started reading them, and they seem quite full of great information and resources for those who have family members with altzheimer's.

Forget Memory - by Anne Davis Basting
Understanding fears and moving thru them; cultural stories about dementia

I'm Still Here - by John Zeisel, Phd.
Understanding it, the journey, relationships, art, treatment, being in the moment

Contemplation, Miniature Paintings and Art Show

I am painting and painting and contemplating...

"Contemplation #1 and #2 Diptyph 5"x7" Acrylic
Copyright Delorse Lovelady 2012

Contemplation
Two paintings that go together (or not), using my favorite undulating shapes and a sun. I was thinking about the desert scenes I had viewed in Death Valley last year. I loved the shapes, the soft colors, the faraway look, a place of silence to contemplate and be quiet. This could just as easily be a scene of a faraway sea in the distance, I like that it could be interpreted another way. These 2 will be in the show coming up...

Art Show
I'm happy to present 6 new paintings in this show. There are over 350 paintings by local artists painting in a variety of media and styles in this popular show. Please stop in and take a look, and enjoy the artsy little downtown of Edmonds!

Gallery North

Annual Juried Miniature and Small Paintings Art Show

March 1 - 30, 2012

March 4th Sunday, 1-4pm Artist's Reception, open to public
March 15th Thursday, 5-8pm, Edmonds Art Walk

Trees
Two more paintings in the show, lots of texture in these as I used molding paste, very fun to work with.

"Talking Trees #2" and "Starting the Conversation #2" Acrylic 5"x7"
Copyright Delorse Lovelady 2012

Winter Solstice, Grays, and Retreat

The lengthening of the days begin today and I join the journey towards more light and the renewal of Spring...
Winter Solstice
I have been enjoying the grays, the short days, the few frosty frozen mornings. Above I found a whimsical sun enshrined in a sidewalk, as if to remind me, yes, there really is a sun up there hovering above the ever present gray cloud cover here in the Northwest. A reminder, perhaps, to savor this different time of year, the season of resting underground, inside... full of the promise of the new cycles and color to come. Being a painter who uses lots of color, I wonder at the beauty of simple images with that contrast and light. Almost like the difference between seeing an old black and white film versus a color one. Perhaps color can be a distraction from the subject.
Hoar Frost
We've only had a few frosty mornings, but one day I chanced to actually find hoar frost, which I read comes after especially clear cold nights. The frost was fascinating little stems shooting up everywhere on our deck railing. I remember seeing hoar frost a couple of times before. The most memorable time was at the top of Haleakala volcano very very early in the morning as we wanted to be able to greet the dawn and see the sun rise in that gorgeous place.

Retreat
More exquisite grays and blues, lots of contrast is reflected in the photo below. It is from our recent short winter retreat near a favorite Canadian lake nestled between mountains with sprinklings of snow.

Art Show, Monoprints, and Trees

I listened and I heard the trees speaking of stories long ago...

Copyright 2011 Delorse Lovelady

Art Show
Many local talented artists will be represented at this show. My latest paintings above and below will be included. All paintings in this show are small or miniatures making them ideal for gift giving this time of year.

December 3, 2011 - January 25, 2012

"Miniature Masterpieces and More"

Kaewyn Gallery, Bothell, WA

Monoprints

These latest paintings are a result of experimenting with monoprinting after a recent class with talented artist Lisa Snow Lady. I may post my class paintings later. Monoprinting is an interesting technique and for me will take a bit more practice. It involves transferring and drawing an image onto a painted background. It's challenging trying to determine whether the paint is the right level of wetness to transfer but not totally blacken your surface. It's a surprise to see what you get as a result and moving towards more abstractness.

Copyright 2011 Delorse Lovelady

Trees
Trees are a recurring theme in my paintings. I love their shapes, the colors at different times of the year. I imagine they have been listening to all our stories, holding them, and are repositories like ancestors. They shimmer in the sun with diamond dewdrops, standing elegantly in their roots while reaching to heaven, and whisper to us with the wind.