DominoWorks News

Painters Block

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 23:17:52 CDT

You know you are an artist when. . .

1. You can't stop thinking about the art you are working on.

2. You can't stop thinking about the art you want to create.

3. Petty things like life changes, job changes, poor health, or just day-to-day life do not stop you in your quest for creating art.

If you are an artist. . .

You are never too busy. You are never too over committed. You are never too stressed to

CREATE ART! Right?

Isn't it true Vincent painted the day after cutting off his ear?

Didn't Monet paint even after blindness set in?

No matter how many women Picasso had to juggle, didn't he keep painting?

Grandma Moses started in painting at the age of 76 after the death of one of her grown children.

These are tough people. These are my role models.

I feel like a real lightweight.

So why is it that I had 2 months off, it is more than 1/2 gone, and I JUST NOW started up again? I seem to paint in fits and starts. Is that normal in the 21st century -- I mean those with full time jobs--I mean in this economy--I mean with cell phones and facebook and 200 TV channels??? Am I obsessed with my job? (I spent the first 2 weeks of my vacation editing A Christmas Carol for my middle school actors.) Do I spend too much time worrying about

e v e r y t h i n g (my health, my children, my dogs, my parents, my sister, our financial future, the plight of teachers, the plight of the arts in society and education, our government, human rights, etc.) Am I too scattered? Do I need focus?

Well, at least I did start up again. . .

There's a positive point of view.

It's a slight departure for me -- bolder colors, a new direction. Maybe I needed the hiatus. Maybe my subconcious mind was working on this piece for a long time. I just didn't know it.

So if you get in a creative slump, just keep plugging, and the magic will come back. It happened to me!

Whimsically yours,

Charlotte

PS Coming very soon, Sunshiney Metro Domino. Here's a detail:

PPS If you haven't seen it, I recommend Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris. The film features Hemingway, Cole Porter, Gertrude Stein, the F.Scott Fitzgeralds, T.S. Eliot, Picasso, Toulouse L.T., Dali, and the City of Paris in all its stunning glory.

Break Painting

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 22:44:27 CDT

ONLY TWO MORE DAYS OF SPRING BREAK LEFT

These breaks fly by as fast as weekends, maybe quicker. But time off does inspire me to paint. I'm not too tired from work, nor planning for the next week, so I can concentrate on my next work. More than likely, I've had an idea for weeks, just percolating, but not the time to execute the work. I call this break painting. Here's my latest from spring break -- Dancing Domino City -- I was in a playful mood (Is that Papa Smurf or just a regular Smurf. I never was much of a Smurf enthusiast.)

Dancing Domino City (6" x 6" Acrylic, mixed media, domino) Painted with whimsy.

PRESSURE VS TIME OFF

I wonder if I painted for survival, if my painting could be lighthearted. Here are a few paintings I created during Christmas breaks:

Orchid 26

Silver Tree Domino Village

Knothole and Marshmallow Clouds

WEEKENDS DON'T COUNT

Sometimes I feel creative and can work on weekends, and sometimes not. I may have a 6 or more hour rehearsal, or errands I don't have time to run, or family things, or friend dinners, or a LOT of dirty laundry that MUST be done. No, for me, breaks are more productive.

MY LARGEST PAINTING TO DATE --

A whopping 35" x 35" (okay it's not so big for some artists, but about 1/3 or more of what I produce is 6"x 6") was done over last summer break.

Metro Domino Black and White and Red All Over (Acrylic, Mixed Media, Dominos)

Let me know if you are creative over your breaks, what you think of my work, or anything else you want to discuss.

Capriciously yours,

Charlotte

Ashland, Oregon, An Ice Cream Painting Inspiration

Fri, 04 Feb 2011 09:56:02 CST

Ice Cream Painting

My first two ice cream paintings were inspired by a Saturday afternoon middle school closing show celebration of A Midsummer Night's Dream at Braums. The cones with swirls of peppermint ice cream

Unabashedly peppermint (Acrylic mediums and dominos on canvas, 10” x 10”)

and chocolate peppermint ice cream

Chocolate Peppermint Domino Ice Cream (Acrylic mediums and dominos on canvas, 10” x 10”)

tasted as good as they looked. I thought, while I painted them, that those were the two most beautiful artsy ice creams I had seen. Then I remembered a summer trip with my daughters four years ago to the charming mountain town of Ashland, Oregon.

A Word about Ashland

For many years I had wanted to go to the Shakespeare Festival there. We saw seven plays in seven days. I was in my element. The quality of the acting, innovation of the directing , larger than life sets and accessibility of the venues were not exaggerated in the festival's literature. Some of the productions were better than Broadway. This was a collaboration of acting, directing, and designing for its own sake, not for flash and big Disney bucks ־ very impressive, as was the food.

Not Just Hazelnuts and Pears

Although I am a sucker for hazelnuts and pears, I was impressed with how fresh and local most of the food was in the Ashland restaurants. It was like there was a contest between the restaurants, "Who can be the greenest?" The local goat cheese, area wines, baby veggies, fresh eggs, handcrafted pasta, and crusty bread made Ashland a foodie's paradise.

And Then There Was The Ice Cream

We stayed at the Ashland Springs Hotel, a tall white Victorian looking building, located within walking distance of all the theatres, three Shakespeare bookstores, and (did I mention I liked the food there?) wonderful restaurants. Across the street from the hotel is an ice cream parlor with enticing tables outside.

Unexpectedly Hot

Every blistering afternoon, after hiking, or white water rafting, or wine tasting , or shopping, tourists flock to Zoey's Cafe & All Natural Ice Cream. That week the special flavor was peppermint ice cream studded with flecks of real peppermint leaves. Refreshing and pretty!

Fresh Peppermint Domino Ice Cream
(Acrylic mediums and dominos on canvas, 10”x 10”)

I think since I have three ice cream paintings, I can officially call it a series. Tell me your ice cream story, your Ashland story, your painting story, or just say hello. I love comments. It tells me that someone's out there. Meanwhile I'll keep painting. . .

Capriciously yours,

Charlotte

Snow Day Painting

Tue, 11 Jan 2011 22:46:06 CST

Yippee. . . . .

I don't know who's more excited when the district calls a "snow day," the kids or me. Yes, I do -- MEEEEEE!!! I get up at 5:30 am, and chant at the TV newsbroadcaster, "Say-my-district-say-my-district-say-my-district," and then I YELP like I won the lottery when he does (much to the dismay of those trying to sleep in my household, both human and canine.)

Snowball

Idaho

When I lived in Idaho, snow was on the ground eight months of the year; we couldn't wait until summer. (Spring was the sloshy muddy time.) But you can go years in Texas without snow. And even longer, waiting for a school district to decide that the roads are too icy for safe travel. One superintendent I worked under drove all the bus routes himself during icy weather. If he made it home without incident, school was on.

Back in the day

I can only remember two snow days the 12 years I attended Dallas schools, but nowadays it's colder in the winter (global warming?). If we are lucky, we get one a year. And it's a glorious time to paint.

Snow Day Paintings

A rare snowfall can make a painter ooze with creativity. I tend to paint in happy colors when it's a snowy day in Texas. Turquoise is my favorite color, and the three ladies enjoy cavorting on it.

3 Pink Ladies

When I get a new color in the mail, I can't wait to try it, but sometimes I put it away, and forget about it. "Orchid" had been sitting in my drawer for years before I rediscovered it on a snow day.

Orchid 26

I enjoy exploring variations on pink. I mixed 4 completely different shades. Just for grins, I portrayed dominos dancing. (Did I mention snow days reeeeally make me happy?)

Pink Dancers

Down to Earth

I'm back at school and the kids are as squirrelly as they were just after winter break. I don't blame them. I feel the afterglow of a long vacation myself.

Let me hear about your snow days, your opinion of this blog, my art or any other topic below.

Capriciously yours,

Charlotte

Rothko Domino Series

Sat, 01 Jan 2011 11:41:20 CST

I was very inspired by a visit with my children to the Fort Worth Modern Art Museum a few days ago. It's a beautiful building with lovely views and each stunning artwork has a nook.

By far my favorite piece was by Mark Rothko, the abstract painter. His rectangles of vibrant color vibrate hypnotisingly on the canvas. This Russian American, from all accounts, lived some tortured moments, and his paintings still evoke intense emotions today.

I am starting a small series of painting variations based on his work with my own twist. I call it the The Rothko Domino Series. (What else?) I won't be going for the strong somber spiritual feelings he created in his works. I hope to bring my own brand of whimsy to it. Here's the first one:

Tomato Cucumber Apple Domino

Rothko Domino Series 1

Let me know what you think about Rothko, my art, my blogs or the world in general by commenting below. Happy 2011.

Capriciously yours,

Charlotte