Seven Swans a Swimming...

"Encounter" 5"x 7" oil on "Gessobord" c. 2012 TMW

I have reached my goal of six swan paintings, plus one! I am pleased to have succeeded and I feel like the paintings have been improving each time.

My favorite part of this painting is the interaction between the swans. Relationships keep life interesting, happy and sometimes frustrating.

I feel that way with painting. I used the same palette choices as "Island of Calm", but this painting still has it's own unique look. Part of the fear and fun of painting is not knowing exactly what the result of your choices will be. It does take determination to keep moving forward when a painting appears to be a failure. I don't like that part, but like any relationship, I try to trust that it is just part of the growing process.

The Beauty of Repetition

"Promenade" 7"x 5" oil on "Gessobord" c. 2012

For the sixth painting in my swan series, I decided to return to the English Garden and paint the same pair of swans that influenced "Swan Brocade". I wanted to try refining my palette to see if I could get some better colors.

Less is More.

My four colors were: orange, light yellow, ultramarine blue and yellow green, plus black and white as needed. The result is that I finally got the deep greens, gold reflections and shade of grey in the water I wanted.

I had an "Aha" moment today about life and repetition. Anything we want to really learn from losing weight to keeping a house clean involves consistent repetition. It's a good principle for getting success!

Under the Surface

"Island of Calm" 5"x 7" oil on "Gessobord" c. 2012 TMW

Is anyone getting tired of paintings of swans....?  I have found out that doing a series can lead to some feelings of boredom, but I am determined to finish what I started.  The good part about repetition is that I get to try different techniques to solve the same problem.

I like this painting because it illustrates that wonderful illusion of "making it look easy", when all sorts of work and paddling is going on under the surface.  Swans are masters of this.

"Bridge at Argenteuil"  Claude Monet, 1874

 I hope someday my paintings will reach that place where they look effortless.  I saw a boat in Claude Monet's "Bridge at Argenteuil" 1874, that was composed of three lovely brush strokes.  I can only imagine all the practice that led to that moment.  Meanwhile I will keep splashing away until I get there.

Fair Warning

"Guardian" 5"x 7" oil on "Gessobord" c.2012 TMW

"Guardian" is the title for the fourth painting of the swan series. I love this painting because it represents a concept that I have struggled with my whole life, mainly that it is ok to protect some time and space for myself to create.

I has become very clear to me since we turned our lives upside down last fall that I really have a "people pleasing" problem. When people ask me what I am doing while Jeff is in school, I say "I am working on my painting skills." Many people can't understand that I am perfectly happy being in the apartment and doing this, they want to suggest other activities because I "must be bored".

I feel like I finally have to stand up and guard my decision and my time from my own guilt and from others. After years of working for other people, this is a lifetime opportunity for me. It is hard for me to tell people "no". I want to feel approval, not judgment, but that is one thing about being an older, grayer goose...I know I don't have all the time in the world to do the things that matter to me.

Turn That Frown Upside Down

"Inversion" 7"x 5" oil on "Gessobord" c. 2012

In order to get our German residency permit, we had to get another set of passport photos taken. They conveniently have booths everywhere in the subway stations in Munich so you can do this, but not all booths are created equal.

The photo booth in our U-bahn station had a broken chair, so we had to hover in mid-air to be at the right height for the photo. I had been sick and was still pretty culture shocked in October, but we needed that photo for the next day. The result was an awful photo. It was such a bad photo that the Germans rejected it and I still had to pay for another one.

  Yes, I felt the way I looked that day!

A few weeks later, in the act of tearing it up and throwing it away, I started to look at the pieces and thought they might be interesting for a collage. I kept them, and then when "Professional Artist" magazine announced a self-portrait contest I decided to use them for a painting.

The result was "Inversion". I didn't win the contest. But I did challenge myself. I haven't painted a portrait in years and it took several tries to get it right. I do like the result and I am glad I could change that ugly photo into something interesting and meaningful to me.

Soft Light

"Lift" 7"x 5" oil on "Gessobord" c. 2012

I have decided to do a series of at least six swan paintings. I had several good reference photos and I was enjoying the subject. I haven't attempted a "series" before, so I thought it would be interesting to try. This painting is the third swan.

The reference photos were taken on a grey day and I wondered if there would be enough contrast to make a good painting. It was exciting getting the photos because the swan came out of the water, walked towards me looking for a hand-out. When I didn't have anything, he flapped his wings in disgust and went back into the water.

The "English Garden" on a sunny day.

I think the overall shape of the swan is beautiful, the colors are a bit subdued because of the overcast day. Even if it doesn't capture all the excitement of that moment, I do like this painting.

Re-Do

Back in November I finished a painting called "Swan Brocade". If you remember my entry back then, I wasn't very happy with the finished painting. After looking at it for a whole month, I decided to paint it closer to reality and forget the fanciful swirls and abstract roses.

My original intent was to have a pattern like a brocade that was intricate and included the swans and roses, to represent the English Garden in Munich.

I liked the second painting results better, but I was unsure of keeping the same title for the painting. I looked up "brocade" in the dictionary, and the description said: "n. a rich fabric woven with a raised pattern, typically with gold or silver thread," I was so thrilled since the painting has gold and silver reflections in the water. I could keep the name! Hurrah for do-overs and happy accidents.