Summer between the Sun and the Moon

Acrylics on wood panel - 20 x 20 in. (50 x 50 cm)

Summer is going by very fast and already we are seeing fall colors around! I heard nature is a month ahead of schedule and that may mean winter a month early too, we'll see.

In the meantime, since we are still basking in warm temperatures and the sky is still filled with lovely puffy clouds, pollen and birds, I let the season lead me to paint this piece. It took me about a month and a half to complete as this was my first larger abstract painting. It's a shift from my usual 10x10 inches paintings and I learnt a lot, to stretch my imagination and my strokes too. 

I love painting larger, it is freeing, less constricting, but more work as there is more space to fill. I still enjoy the smaller sizes for they are simpler and quicker. Although, you never know when I decide to cover it all and start over, so a small painting can be revisited later and change skin completely!

Back to this one, the title sums it up. I have spent a fait amount of time outside observing. What? Nature, simply. It is a constant source of inspiration for me, and if it comes about in more abstract ways, it's simply my interpretation of what my eyes and mind drink up and retain. Since I don't feel fully in charge, it's always a surprise to see how a painting turns out. I like the spontaneity this gives me.

Festival

Acrylics on wood board - 10 x 10

I had started this as a simple study in texture but it developed in a lovely way. I work intuitively, very often, letting the piece lead me into a certain direction. I had many doubts that I was going down a good path on this one, but after I made the decision to add some lines, some green, some shapes, it got better and better. Working with gray is also very satisfying as its variation are endless. 

I was inspired by some colors on one of our maple trees outside. It's a Rocky Mountain maple, and it has numerous of those little helicopter seeds ripening. They are amazing shades of pink and orange, and the green leaves provided a great contrast. After that, it's a world in my imagination that takes over. I like this piece a lot.

Dawn, as the birds know it.

Acrylics on wooden panel, 16 x 20 in.

Each morning, birds are the ones waking me up. And I love mornings, for they are full of hope, the hope that this day will be leave me with a full heart and mind. 

I try not to become "attached" to shapes as I paint, or to anything at all, in fact, but shapes seem to be what calls to me the most. That is how I work, by developing shapes and creating a composition that is harmonious. I often see something in a shape and want to keep it on the painting, but it doesn't always work. When I slowly traced the bird shape on this piece, I knew what it was all about: dawn and birds.

Après la pluie, le beau temps

Acrylics on board - 10 x 10 in.

This was a really fun yet challenging piece to create. I had worked on placing several layers of paint, and when I laid the whiter one, this humanoid appeared. I could have modified it with the stroke of a brush but I might have felt guilty to take its life away. Thus, it stayed. It was not easy to make the rest happen, but working carefully and taking my time tied it all together. The hardest part was looking at it from different angles and try NOT to see a human shape in order not to be too attached to it so that I would be able to change anything, even it, if necessary. 

I work on several pieces at once. This way, when I feel bored or running out of options, I go to another. These days, I have mostly larger works going on, but still finishing those smaller ones that demand attention.

A Primary World

Acrylics on illustration board - 15 x 20 in

I first created the background with much spontaneity, having decided I would mainly use primary colors to see how I could balance them all. Searching for shapes and creating them is a lengthy part that demands constant reassessment of what I am looking at. Nothing is inconsequential, although, with acrylics, it is easy to fix. But I may never be able to reproduce something I liked so my modifications have to be careful. At times, they are a leap of faith, and it either pays off or not.
This particular piece amuses me, probably because of its varied shapes that remind me of creatures. The human mind needing to associate what we see with something familiar, I think it is easy to do so here and have fun.
This is my last piece on illustration board. I have tried this support enough and am not happy with it. From now on, I am working on wooden panels.

Field Day

Acrylics on illustration board - 15 x 15 in

With all the rain that has fallen, nature is green as can be. It had to show in my work! I spent some time in South Park, observing all I could, and was, as always, amazed at the variety, of greens, this time. Nature being my church, I can never tire of what I find in it for inspiration. 

I am also in constant search of a new shape, something not seen before, with the right arrangement, and the right hues. 

I created this piece on illustration board, which I'm not a fan of. I managed to push its limits using a medium for texture and more support. 

I am happy with the result, though.

Auspicious Moons

Acrylics on board 10 x 10 in. (25 x 25 cm)

"Auspicious Moons" - I worked spontaneously on this one. Once again the process is about pushing the piece as far as I think it can go, without being too much. It is not easy to achieve the right balance yet it remains a fascinating search for harmony of the big principles, hues, values, line, color, shape, and space.
In Europe I've seen so much art work adorned with gold leaf, it was the right use of it on the upper moon. It adds a note of sacredness, a concept that is a little frayed nowadays, without necessarily being linked to religion. To me, gold is magnificent, and sacred, yes, for it remains a rare metal after all.
I will keep doing 10x10s as they allow me to work faster and I like the format, but I am working on some larger pieces, which take longer, indeed. Drum roll...

Floral Dream

Acrylics on board - 10 x 10 in.

Patterns and shapes, endlessly witnessed around me. Nature is a poem that begs to be translated, and to do so, I must let myself see beyond what is there. The sky is the limit. Just look at clouds and how varied they can be: wispy, ominous, puffy, frayed, dense, bright, translucent, massive, should I go on? Then it's just a matter of letting the hand do its work. I may not always be the one driving the bus, here.

Sunny Day

Mixed media on board - 10 x 10 in.

Joan Miró said "Courage consists sometimes of staying close to nature, which could not care less about our disasters." 

I find it incredibly true, in the sense that nautre is here, always present, and that it can take courage to disengage ourselves from the daily dramas, regardless of how terrible they can be, and find solace in nature and what it is to us.

The target is a symbol that I favor, forcing me to remain aware and sharp. Mindful, if you wish. It allows me to create work that is lively, connected to nature, daring to be here, present. 

My hope is that none of my work leaves people indifferent. I'd like to allow people's imagination to wander and wonder, to let the mind dream a little, take us out of the realm of daily news, technology, business and everything that makes us feel overly busy and stressed. 

Dry point portrait of Malik

About 9 x 7.5 inches, printed on Rives BFK.

This was my last project in the printmaking course I took with Eleanor Anderson. I carved it on a piece of plexiglass with a scribe, after having made a drawing from a photo. This is a long process and the printing part is as well, and you don't want to miss any steps or you wind up with a lousy print.
I'm pretty satisfied with this one, the first of 3 and most successful. It totally looks like Malik, although his muzzle is more concave and not so flat on the long part. Aside than that, yep, it's him, and he agreed to it.

Bamboozled

Acrylic on board, 10x10

Art for me is full of surprised as far as the creative process goes. One can fully structure what they will come up with, and I will do that at times, although never fully. I like keeping some margin for surprises. I also work from nothing, spontaneously, and this is where I have no idea what will come out in the end. This very free process keeps me on edge, forces me to keep looking at the piece, finding the way to push it further, until I consider it done. This particular one took me many hours and you can see below what it was like at its early stage.
I can see surrealism in this. I enjoy the odd shapes, how I relate to the quizzical look of the...face ? It is very layered work, and I had my moment of indecision with it. It took stepping away from it regularly for a couple of days, but I trust that I will always come up with a solution.
This is one of the reasons I paint and create art. I like the mystery of it all, the piece that is not yet created and waiting to come to life. So, another one down!

Ethnico

 Acrylic on board 10 x 10

I was inspired by nature and my life in Western African countries. It is built of layers upon layers, some sanding, adding more, and details, and repeating the process. I was also largely working while listening to a Western African radio, as some of my roots will always be there. It had its influence and I'm starting to see it peak through more of my work. I was drawn to work with a warmer palette, and I'm pretty happy overall with the result, as it was a work of patience and many decision to take.

Collagraph - Printmaking ink over Rives BFK paper, 8.5x6 in.

Printmaking ink on Rives BFK paper, 9.25 x 7.5

I am taking a printmaking course with Eleanor Anderson, who is so incredibly talented, in printmaking, and in ceramics! I love her work, she is highly inspiring to me.
The first week was lino cut, which I like, but didn't create anything transcending.
This week we did collagraphy, which is is a printmaking process in which materials are applied to a rigid substrate (such as paperboard or wood).  Ink or pigment is applied to the resulting collage, and the board is used to print onto paper or another material using either a printing press or various hand tools. The resulting print is termed a collagraph. A variety of materials can be used in creating the collagraph plate. I used vinyl onto mat board. After I sketched my composition, I put it together, which took a while. The result feels like magic and I want to explore that medium further as it was totally thrilling.

Floral dream - Acrylic over encaustic on board, 10x10

This painting is built on a previous one. The warm layer underneath is from encaustic work, and I saved the parts I like best. Painted with acrylic over that waxy part, I like the depth it gives to the work. A friend of mine mentioned it looked surrealist, and I see her point. I like the looseness of it all: from usually working in a fairly detailed way, I'm learning to be playful and let things happen as they want to.

Soulful

One artist, Nicholas Wilton, absolutely inspires me. I took 2 of his workshops a few years ago, and learnt a lot, and found a way to let my abstract ideas come to life. Since it's also good to learn by mimicking artwork we like, I set to do so and came up with this piece, which I"m pleased about. I used the structure of his painting as the basis, but did my own thing, and I find the result quite lovely, with a choice of hues that is different yet works. So I only take credit for that and the fact that I put my own touch in it. Do click on it to get a larger view.

Very helpful to have done this, I should now try a masterpiece by Caravaggio!

Oh, and here is Nicholas Wilton's site, his blog rocks, and his listed work is amazing... to my eyes and hopefully yours!

http://www.nicholaswilton.com

A NEW BEGINNING!

I haven't posted for a long, very long time, in fact. 2014 was a year of questioning and being deeply involved in my graphic design work. I went also on a 3-month trip in France, not exactly traveling since I was also working online. I did much, visited friends, family, made new friendships, did a meditation retreat, walked a lot in cool villages, saw some amazing art, was inspired, felt French again when it was time to go back to Jackson.

Upon my return, I realized that I was at a turning point in my life. I wondered about pushing my graphic design business further, as I enjoy it, and it pays me well. However, when I finally allowed myself to be truly honest, I came to realize I simply wanted to be an artist. I wanted to paint and paint and paint. I knew it all along, as one of those truth embedded in you, that keeps pursuing you, yet you never dare looking at it. Well, I did, and this was HUGE for me. This is my life-long passion.

It has many implications. The first one is that I am making a commitment to paint every day, if I can. There will be days when I can't, indeed. I still need to work in my business, I am not ready to let go of it, and it will pay for my art supplies and expenses. So, I will paint every morning and also develop my presence online, as being an artist today is a bit different than when Gauguin was one. You need to get known on the internet. That takes time too. Yet my primary focus will be to work hard in order to get better and get a direction in my art. I am looking at submitting my work to contest, galleries yet being patient with progress. It can't happen overnight

Voilà, this is what is lined up for 2015. I am thrilled. Joseph Campbell said "Follow your bliss" and I am. This is my passion. I have a voice through my paintbrushes and pens, I intend to let it express itself. I have many details to cover in order to get anywhere, but the foundation is simple: paint and draw.

Bright thistles

I like to walk my dog in South Park feedgrounds, and the early morning light has been wonderful, with fog that makes the land mysterious, and bright colors when the sun comes out. I came upon some thistle in full bloom, and I simply loved the color palette, green and fuschia, beautiful.

J'aime aller marcher a South Park avec mon chien, et la lumiere matinale est tres belle ces temps-ci, avec du brouillard qui rend la vue mystérieuse, et de belles couleurs fortes lorsque le soleil sort. J'ai trouvé ces chardons en plein floraison, et j'ai adoré la palette de couleurs, vert et fuschia, superbe.

Gray day on the Town Square

Yesterday was a gray day, and at times rainy. Good light for drawing, no harsh shadows, and I spent a while on our local town square sketching people. I could have done much more, but I got cold as sitting just about motionless is not the most warming thing to do. And here, if it rains, the temperature plummets. But the time I spent was fun, and I want to do more. I liked the abundance of colors in clothing, the hats, the umbrellas, and the challenge.

Hier, le temps était gris, et parfois pluvieux. La lumière était bonne pour dessiner, car il n'y avait pas d'ombre prononcées, et j'ai passé un moment au "Town Square" à dessiner les gens. J'aurais pu rester plus longtemps, mais j'ai fini par avoir froid, il faut dire que rester assise sans vraiment bouger n'est pas la meilleure facon de se réchauffer. Et ici, s'il pleut, la température tombe vite. Mais je me suis bien amusée, et y retournerai. J'ai aimé l'abondance de couleurs, les chapeaux et casquettes, les parapluie, et le challenge.

Tools Study

Still lives can be fun to do, particularly when I challenge myself with different objects. No pear or lemon here, only Alan's tools, which were really fun to do. A little tricky on the foreshortening of the tape measurer, but overall, I'm satisfied with the result. I used my watercolors a bit differently, on top of a water soluble marker, that was cool.

Floating the Snake River

I spent last Saturday afternoon floating the Snake River, thanks to my friend Ben and his son Trae, who came to spend time here for 3 days and invited me along (Alan was working...). I had little time to make this sketch as mosquitoes arrived in full force. But I love this quick image, totally capturing the moment. It was a fun day, and I had a great time, it's always magical to be on the water and see the landscape from a different angle.

J'ai passé samedi après-midi sur la rivière Snake, un grand merci à mon ami Ben et son fils Trae (prononcer "Tré"), venus passer 3 jours ici et qui m'avaient invitée (Alan travaillait...). J'ai eu peu de temps pour faire ce croquis car les moustiques débarquèrent en masse. Mais j'adore cette image, capturant complètement ce moment. Ce fut une journée très sympa, je me suis bien amusée, et c'est toujours magique d'être sur l'eau et voir le paysage d'un angle différent.

Rainy Day

Last week had a couple of very gray days. Driving back from town, I could see a downpour to the west, back behind some hills. I couldn't stop and take a photo, but it stayed in my mind. I finally had to get it out of there since it was haunting me - happily! I knew watercolor would be the perfect medium for this, since it was a watery kind of day. The view is from my imagination and I feel that I'd like to capture the real one. I'll have to wait for another stormy day.

Il y a eu deux jours très gris la semaine dernière. En conduisant de retour chez moi, j'ai vu une grosse averse au loin à l'ouest, derrière des collines. Je n'ai pu m'arrêter et prendre une photo, mais j'avais gardé cette scène en tête. J'ai enfin dû l'en sortir car elle me hantait - gaiement ! Je savais que l'aquarelle serait le medium parfait vu que c'était un jour "aqua". J'ai imaginé la vue, n'ayant pas de modèle, et je voudrais capturer la réelle. Il me faudra attendre un autre jour d'orage.

Sketching at the Raptor Center

Today I had the great pleasure of sketching at the Teton Raptor Center, with the wonderful artist Shannon Troxler Thal. I've always loved her work, and having her there to help me as I worked was most inspiring.
I had the opportunity to sketch Ruby the partially blind red-tailed hawk, a real beauty, a bit restless but after a while I understood her shape. Her talons were stunning and I wish I had had more time to sketch them.
I also drew Owly the great-horned owl, a true model at heart as she was pretty still except for a few twists of the head to follow whoever was walking nearby. Her eyes are amazing, and I didn't do them justice, but I'll try again some day.
Sketching live, and birds, not people, was very challenging, and I learnt much in three hours. Observing these birds was also a special moment, as they are mesmerizing.
Thank you, Shannon, for allowing this to happen, it was awesome!

Aujourd'hui, j'eus le grand plaisir de dessiner au Centre des Oiseaux de Proie de Teton (ouf, traduction peu heureuse, le titre est plus joli en anglais !), en compagnie de la merveilleuse artiste Shannon Troxler Thal. J'ai toujours adoré ses travaux, et je fus très inspirée par l'aide qu'elle me fournit tout au long de la matinée. 
J'eus l'occasion de faire des esquisses de Ruby, une femelle faucon à queue rouge, une beauté, un peu agitée mais après un moment je compris ses formes générales. Ses serres étaient étonnantes et j'aurais aimé avoir plus de temps pour les dessiner. 
J'ai aussi dessiné Owly, une femelle grand-duc, un vrai modèle tant elle était calme, excepté pour quelques mouvements de la tête pour suivre ceux qui marchaient dans les parages. Ses yeux sont inouïs, et je ne les ai pas très bien exprimés, mais j'essaierai de nouveau une autre fois. 
Ce fut un vrai challenge que de dessiner des oiseaux vivants, pas des gens, et en trois heures, j'en ai appris beaucoup. C'est un moment unique que de pouvoir observer ces oiseaux de près, tant ils sont stupéfiants.
Merci, Shannon, pour cette matinée fantastique !

In the park

Cloudy and cool day, and the ever changing afternoon light on the Grand made it a challenge. I need to repay it numerous visits until I get a satisfactory result. That said, is an artist ever satisfied? If so, wouldn't they stop creating?
I was actually looking for bisons to sketch but they were too far away; it was easy to find another subject, one that is ever present.

Jour nuageux et frais, et la lumière de l'après-midi qui change constamment sur le Grand Teton me donna du mal. Je me dois de revenir plusieurs fois jusqu'à que j'arrive à un résultat satisfaisant. Cela dit, un artiste est-il jamais satisfait ? Si oui, il, ou elle, s'arrêterait-il/elle de créer ?
Je cherchais des bisons à dessiner mais ils se trouvaient trop loin ; ce fut facile de trouver un autre sujet, un toujours très présent.

Illustration Friday - Mask

Acrylic on board, 12 x 12 in.

My Art Supplies

This is what I usually carry with me, although I've just acquired some Niji waterbrushes, with a water tank, very useful. I'm also trading my Micron pens for Copic ones. Otherwise, this is the gist of it. I'll redraw this to include the new items, some day. I also challenged myself with using markers for the color, which is not my favorite medium, yet it turned out fun.

Voici ce que j'emporte normalement avec moi, ces jours-ci, bien que je vienne juste d'acheter des pinceaux Niji pour aquarelle, donc avec un reservoir d'eau, très pratique. Je suis aussi en train d'échanger mes stylos Micron pour des Copic. Autrement, c'est l'essentiel de mon matériel. Je redessinerai donc un jour ceci pour inclure les nouveautés. Je me suis aussi donnée le challenge de faire ces deux pages avec des feutres, pour la couleur, ce qui n'est pas mon medium préféré, et pourtant ce fut sympa à créer.