Art has been teaching me for 70 years. my palette, My brushes, my panels, and canvases have advanced me as a person. The people I choose to put on my canvas and panels have all enlighten me in so many ways. Alone, out painting, or in the studio working on a still life I'm constantly learning. At times I seem to have forgotten how to paint, other times it comes so easy I can not remember how I got my vision to the canvas.
Each painting I do presents me with challenges I need to understand. I love these challenges and how I deal will them. How I see myself and what I want to put to canvas and why I want to paint what I paint begins the process. The format, the ground, my palette, what brushes - even the music I choose plays in how my painting develops. Sometimes I paint while listening to a movie, just hearing voices can be enough, not even speaking English. Something about the human voice does something for me. When I am out painting the heavy buzz of an insect does for me what music and the human voice does in the studio. The sound of the wind is one of the most inspiring sounds for me, the smell of rain approaching causes me to speed up and improves my sight as I look for that which is important for my painting to be complete. Rain causes me to be a bit more serious about seeing what is around me.
Art has been teaching me outside the world of art. I have shared my entire life with my brother Francis who has been a special person teaching me, much like art has been teaching me. My brother has lived most of his life in a wonder world where only good exist. For 50 years he was never without a smile. He affected how I saw the world and what I chose to paint. His smile was contagious, strangers to me would stop me and say "aren't you Francis's brother ". That is maybe why all my work is to do with good times - pretty girls laying about reading books or sleeping, still-lifes of flowers, landscapes of my childhood. My brother made me see the good in the world and how important it is to see the good in the world. Too much bad news caused my brother snap. Too much news of bombing and killing in the world was too much for him and like a light bulb breaking the light went out and could not be put back together. His art could not take all the evil in the world.
My sister and I have been caring for my brother for the last 25 years during which time he has become physically handicap. My time in the studio has become more important as I have less time to be there. I spend more time on Facebook taking in the great art I see posted from all over the world. Art has always been important to me, now even more so. I love the bright colors Brian Simons uses in his paintings and the wonderful figures of Denis Sarazhin. There are so many great artists out there, too many for me to thank. So many unknown artists who have lightened the load for so many people.
I want to add that the great nurses who came to the house to help with my brother went above and beyond and lifted Francis's spirits and mine, easing my time away from my brother. I need to add that these wonderful people were of all faiths. One of the best was of the Islamic faith. My illegal neighbor shoveled our snow this winter so we did not have to. He made sure we could get to our appointments with my brother with no problem.
This blog is in response to people asking me to teach, to travel to do workshops and stop letting myself be sucked into the political crap on FB. Jordan, Adrienne and Josephine are getting me back on track, I thank these three lovely ladies.

Long time back I discovered something about myself and drawing. It was always a passion of mine, but it was half way through my career as an artist that I discovered a new value to drawing. Looking through my photos and sketchbooks for something to paint I came to the realization I knew more about my subjects captured with my #10 yellow pencil than about those subjects snapped with my very expensive camera. It was the time I spent with my subject. Drawing takes time. It takes careful study to draw a tree, a house, or a boy fishing. Snapping photos takes a second and then moving on to next doesn't allow the subject to ferment in my head, maturing into a work of art.
Drawing a subject from life demands careful observation, allowing my mind to study the possibilities for expressing myself. There are no colors in my sketches, but the colors come to life as I relive each sketch I come across. Dragging my pencil across a tree trunk in such a way in sketching, I 'm hoping for the gray to appear pale pink. Knowing that is impossible, I am simply strengthening the image before me. Like words painting pictures, my drawing can carry the color of a subject, almost impossible not to recall the absent color of a subject looking at a sketch. Even years later the colors can appear. I still see the pale purples and pinks in the trunk of a tree I sketched twenty years ago. Had I simply snapped a photo of that tree I might not even remember it, or the photo itself.
Sometime back I discovered sketches done long ago held more than simple shapes. At the same time, I was tossing out photos because they meant nothing to me. It is important learning to draw, not just drawing but drawing with purpose. Drawing from a live model can be so rewarding: picture a model extending a hand out to you. Now, picture a tree extending a limb out to you. Learning to draw is so important no matter what subjects you wish to draw or paint. Limbs do not always grow out from the sides of trees some are reaching out to you, inviting you to come and paint.

Getting me Back on Track

Drawing With Purpose