Grandidea: FLorida for a second season

A Beginning

I always thought I would be an artist. But when I got to junior high school, choir and orchestra were scheduled for the same period as art. I never took it. I sang, played viola, ran track--by high school, I thought I would be a paleontologist, biologist, maybe a doctor. The only art class to fit my schedule was jewelry making.I stopped playing viola,trying to play guitar, sang madrigals, had begun writing. I concentrated on writing papers and pre-goth poetry. Went to Gustavus majored in science, changed my mind, science and education, changed my mind, art and writing, changed schools. Graduated with far too many credits from the University of Minnesota with Bachelor of Science, in Advertising and Design. Along the way I took some great life drawing classes, design courses and sculpture. Then worked as an advertising copywriter on a typewriter! Later worked in PR and communications. Moved to Venezuela, wrote for local economics and business press. Moved to Canada, worked in advertising, then marketing, then in fundraising. Got married to a handsome Canadian, had three beautiful babies and started painting.

I finally remembered painting was what I always wanted to do.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

FLorida for a second season

The weather here never ceases to amaze me. I could be home watching drizzle or snow or just flat gray clouds...instead I wake to blue skies and green grasses and the jaunty toss of palm trees. Yes, it does get chilly now and again, but one or two days in a month never hurts!

I've been painting at the Von Leibig Center for the Arts in Naples and enjoying the time with instructor Ann Sullivan. Building up a backlog of beach plantings, this time oil on canvas boards some linen. Had a great time playing with paint and only turps. It dried so quickly I got a completely different look. (See mother and child image..) Ann takes the time to photograph student work in sequence then gives critique the week after, which is nice. And she provides you with the works in progress shots which are entertaining!