To My Sis' By the Sea

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By the Sea, acrylic by Elizabeth Seaver, 15 x 13

 H A P P Y      B I R T H D A Y !

I am sorry for those of you out in blog-land who do not know my sister, Dorothy.  If you did, you'd have a friend for life.  She'd save the world, if she could, and she's trying, one kid at a time.  She's sure saved me by listening, mothering my children when I needed her to, being on my side (even when I don't deserve it), and earning daughter of the decade, trying to KEEP UP with our parents when I live so far away.

So, I'm sorry for you all, but so happy for me and mine that I have a sister like her.  Happy Birthday, my sister, my friend.  I wish we could be together to have a margarita at Ninfa's (or El Bosque, more like).  I love you.

Red Tree, Working Title

Center panel, Triptych, acrylic, 18 x 6 x 1.5

I had intended an entirely different subject matter for my triptych until I looked at the three panels with that first layer of paint on them. Trees appeared, instead of birds.  (The canvases were even supposed to layer horizontally, not vertically.)  I'll freely admit, it's not the first time a painting has talked back to me when I have dared to give it my agenda.   So, if I can't do birds, I can paint perches.

Triptych?

Must a triptych have hinges?  At any rate, you see three canvases, 18 x 6 x 1.5 and three colors.  The plan is to wind up with three trees.

I'll show the red panel tomorrow.  Follow along to see how they go...

Bolivar, Early Morning-WIP

Bolivar, Early Morning, acrylic/collage, 12 x 16

Sold

Two summers ago, I went with my family to Bolivar Peninsula on the Gulf Coast of Texas, just east of Galveston.  We were celebrating my parents' fiftieth wedding anniversary.  The following September, hurricane Ike blew across the narrow strip of land, decimating the small year-round community of Crystal Beach and larger part-time community of vacation homes.

My sister and mom went to see Bolivar about a year later.  The porch of the house where we had stayed had been ripped off, but the house was still there in large part.  Nearly all the houses around it had been flattened.  Originally, it had been on the second row of houses from the beach with a lagoon in between.  It now sits right on the water. 

I painted this from a photo that my mother had taken that summer we were all together.  This day, the sunrise was particularly breathtaking.

Student Work, Too

Corrinne, In the Garden, watercolor, pen, graphite

I took this photo through the framing glass, so it is not wonderful, but, here is the other work in the LibertyTown student show by one of my students from last year.

I teach a little bit about a lot of different things.  A lot of that teaching has to do with helping each student find his/her unique creative viewpoint and expression.  In her journey, Corrinne tried printmaking, oil painting, acrylic painting, and book arts, but she found that she loved watercolor and pen best.  She has been my student for almost two years now and has made huge strides in being able to produce work that she is proud of and is uniquely her vision.  I am truly honored to have been along for the ride.

See you next week, Corrinne!  Did I get your title right?

Bare Essentials Bag

 

Aline's Bare Essentials Purse, canvas/mixed media/fiber, front

Since I've been at LibertyTown, January has been the month to show the work of the students of the artist/teachers there.  Although I taught a great deal in 2009, many of my students are young, and the holiday season is a hard time to stress their parents (and me) out to get something framed for this show.  Which really means, I wasn't willing to push hard enough to get it to happen! Maybe next year....

So, I was very pleased that Aline (who is a Grownup) wanted to show her little bag from a workshop I taught in November called Taste of the Arts.  Two other artists and I teamed up for an all-day, make-and-take fun items workshop.  Some of the participants made gifts to give for the holiday season.  I was glad Aline kept hers, because it is lovely, just like she is.

It is on display in the main gallery at LibertyTown through January, 2010.  I also have one other adult student showing work, but, unfortunately, I don't have a photo of her framed watercolor, Garden.

This is the flip side of Aline's bag.  Blogger freaked and wouldn't let me center this image, oh well.

I will have a new piece I've been working on to share in my next post.  Happy Creating, everyone!

Coffee Break

 Coffee Break, acrylic/collage, 18 x 24

Birds take them, too, you know.  They might even smoke, although these didn't seem inclined to do so while I was painting.  It's in their contract that they get to take time off from singing songs, digging for bugs and hopping charmingly from branch to branch.  Being charming eight hours a day is exhausting.