When I was a kid, maybe 9 or 10, Mama came home one day and said she’d run into her friend Marion at the grocery store. Or some other mom hangout. She knew Marion from Girl Scouts. They were both leaders. Cookie chairmen. Badge honkers. District council mucky-mucks.
A chance meeting where Marion mentioned she was an artist and was teaching classes out of her home. A chance meeting that turned into years of Saturday mornings in Marion’s magical rambling arty house.
Saturday morning lessons with sister Marjorie Ellen. Because in the beginning it was really about her. She was the blazing art star, I was the tag along little sister. But those Saturday mornings with the Dunkin Donuts and the comaradarie, the kneaded erasers and the charcoal smudged fingers…those Saturday mornings set me on my life path.
Because Marion taught me how to SEE.
How to narrow my focus down to a piece of the whole, And expand my world in the doing. How to find elements of design and beauty in what others would pass off as mundane. The quality of a line. Or light. The indefinable something that sets one square inch off against another.
It’s a lesson I’ve taken with me. A lesson I’ve done my best to impart to my own students over the years. Look. Look look LOOK around you.
SQUINT!
I keep a camera with me most all the time. You never know when you’re going to come across the perfect crack in the sidewalk. Or a tree root.
Or an old rusty Ford truck. I could parcel this baby into at least three paintings.
And this stack of crates, funky old weathered things that once held fruit…this will be the inspiration for an oil and cold wax piece, I just know it. The finished painting won’t be a photo replica. It may not look anything like the photo at all. But there will be elements. Texture. Color. Something…
My absolute favorite from this particular day’s photos, another painting waiting to happen…screaming to happen when I put aside the acrylics and dive back into the oils…
The potential in this one takes my breath away. Where, WHERE could I have stumbled across such beauty???
In a restaurant parking lot, that’s where. A stucco wall surrounding the dumpster. A green SUV parked next to it, the light from the sun reflecting through the windows, tinting the wall.
Adding mystery. And richness.
The wall around a dumpster….
Because once upon a time Mama’s friend Marion taught a little girl to open her eyes and see.
Or what goes on inside that head of yours, Miz Susan? Really, WHAT???
Okay, so last week I got all fired up about Venus traipsing merrily across the sun. Because someone told me that astrology-wise it meant ALL SORTS OF CREATIVE WOO-WOO.
Whoo-hoo, I’m all for that, y’know.
So I went home and painted. Might’ve even showed you this. See, lookit…she’s in front of the sun! Because she’s Venus!
Oh, I was nothing if not clever, eh?
But in the clear light of another day, a day when my mind was stone cold sober and free from the effects of the astrological high…well, then I wasn’t nearly as impressed with my efforts. In fact, after some careful (i.e., spontaneous) consideration… I MADE HER GO AWAY!
Poof...just like that!
Be gone with you, pouty faced goddess!
Which is what happens when you arm a cranky artist with a loaded brush. Wasn’t exactly poof. First came the tortured hippy phase.
Next came death by Titan Buff. Followed by some scrubbing. Good way to get the mouldering in the grave effect, don’t you agree?
Then I said the hell with it and brought out my inner Flora Bowley. Because layers are good. A new start. Did a lot of layers, can’t say how many. By this time I was in a pissy mood perilously close to art therapy.
I looked at the scribbles and saw a woman. Not really, didn’t see a damn thing…but I still had Venus in my head. And if I wasn’t careful, if I didn’t part with Flora (whom I respect and admire tremendously) if I didn’t part with her right here, I would go on to paint some birds. And big ole va-jayjay flowers. Wouldn’t’ve been able to help myself.
So I cranked up the music and painted a GODDESS. And those blue squiggles on the lower left…they told me they were dancers. Holy crap! The Supremes!
No, no NO…not the Supremes…it’s the TRANSITS! Venus and the Transits!
'Venus and the Transits Rockin' Round the Sun' by Susan Lobb-Porter
And there you have it…Venus and the Transits Rockin’ Round the Sun.
PAR-TAY TIME!
I never say a painting’s finished until it leaves the studio. But this one’s close. Maybe a few little touches here and there. But no major facelift like she-who- lies-beneath-the-surface.
Now scroll back up and listen to Frankie. C’mon, you know you want to.
Studio Grande in living color. Yummy luscious living C-O-L-O-R!!!
Look at that! Don’t you just want to dive in face first because it’s so EXCITING! Brushes! Paint! Ahhhhhhhhhhhh….
First tonight’s brushes…my special friends. The new favorite, the scrawny guy on the left. The one in blue. Came from a bin of cheapies at the local crafts store. OMG, I LOVE THIS BRUSH! Cost me under two bucks and he (’cause he’s a he) he’s a freakin’ work horse! I painted an entire canvas with him yesterday, a 28X30 inch canvas.
OK, so here it is from yesterday, a work-in-progress. But this is all the work of my new little friend.
Fast forward to tonight. I came home from work and headed down to the studio. I had the painting itch. Thought this girl might like to evolve some more. Figured it would be cool to show pictures of the process.
So I started taking them. The brushes up above.
The water.
The palette. Oh look…a yellow heart! And a while, umm…I dunno.
The process. Yes, yes, I know. I’m using the other brush. Must be cheating on Mr. Best Brush. Go figure.
And then…oh noooooooooo! I dropped the camera! All the way down to the floor. Where it bounced. And beeped. And stopped working.
Damn you, gravity!
IT STOPPED WORKING!!!
My beloved best ever in my pocket or purse all the time. My Canon SX210 STOPPED WORKING!!!
I thought about rushing in to town. Getting another one before the grief set in. Replace my camera with another and pretend the whole thing never happened. I’m an artist. And a blogger. How can I function without a camera???
I HAVE TO HAVE ONE!!!
But a trip to town would cost me the light. And a whole bunch o’money. And I had the painting itch. So I stayed in the studio and painted. Made quite a bit of progress. That I can’t show you. Because I don’t have a camera.
You’ll just have to take my word for it.
And if you can recommend a camera I’d be most obliged.
Uh-oh… Looks like Arty Life took a little vaca-shun this week. Like, you know, I forgot to write any posts.
I’m. NOT. Kidding.
Seems I got me a serious case of the summers. Long days. Sun addled brains. Lazy girl panties with ‘Arty Life’ embroidered on the butt. Languid afternoons floating around the crystal clear pool…the blue diamond sparkling pool of clarity, sippin’ G&Ts and readin’ ro-mance novels.
Bwahahahahahah…. In. My. Dreams.
Aside from the day job, aside from painting the walls and ceiling of the new! improved! Studio-Grande-under-construction, aside from scrubbing winter pond scum from the algae green depths of the pool where the mer-trolls dwell (after the day job when I could’ve been writing. Or painting.)… ASIDE FROM ALL THAT…it seems I ignored you, my sweetums. My best beloved readers….
But NOT on purpose. Swear to big G in heaven above. Really. Really really really REALLY. Not. On. Purpose.
Now I’m back. And I have much to tell you. Like about today. And how it was a jumping up and down clicking my heels together kind of day.
Today was the day Catholic Girls Wear Plaid went to her forever home with new friend Betty.
Aren’t they a lovely couple? Betty fell in love with CGWP a few weeks ago when I posted a work-in-progress photo. Every painting should come into the world so appreciated.
Betty and I have known each other on-line since taking a hot wax class with Judy Wise. But we’ve never met in person…until today. We live a little more than an hour away from one another and decided to meet somewhere in between. We decided to meet at High Hand Nursery, a combination conservatory, restaurant and art gallery housed in historic fruit sheds in the hills outside Sacramento.
And since Betty is a member of the RANDOM ACTS OF ART group on FaceBook, well, it was only natural for our meet up to include some RAA. RAA rules are simple…make a little arty something, leave it in a public place for someone to find, take a photo of the hide and walk away. I call it spreading the love one arty token at a time.
We share our photos in the FaceBook group. Check it out. If you like the idea, ask to join. We’re friendly folk and you don’t have to be an artist to create RAA. Really. I just make heart rocks. They’re easy to make, easy to have on hand, easy to hide.
High Hand is the perfect place for RAA. Gardens. Old buildings. Art. Ahhhh…..
A garden bench.
A little old lady frozen in time.
A hanging candle holder.
And my favorite, because I get all kinds of giggles hiding RAA in galleries…
In the gallery on the pedestal with an assemblage sculpture.
Those were some of my RAAs today. Not all of them. And Betty has some of her own which I’m sure she’ll post on the FaceBook group. Watching her position one of her little watercolors in the gallery and take a photo looking for all the world like she was supposed to do that…oh man, it was like watching my kid graduate…it was that good!
So go on over to the FB group and check it out. And come back here on Monday. I’ll be back, I will. I mean, I can’t keep forgetting to post now, can I? So I’ll be back and I’ll have some interesting photos to share. Monday it’ll be all about texture.
Yumm…I loves me my texture!
Ohhhhh…and I loves me my comments too! In other words, don’t be shy. Say hi and join in the conversation.
“When you got nuthin’ to say, give ’em pictures.” Mark Twain
Okay, Mark Twain didn’t really say that. But a hundred something years ago, Samuel Clemens, AKA Mark Twain, spent a fair amount of time here in California’s gold country. Some of it right here in my town.
So I figure a man known for exaggeration and literary license, a man who might’ve walked the very land I call home, would give me a 19th century equivalent of a high five and tell me to go for it. Lie through my teeth for a great quote. He would. He really would say that.
Not that I’m lying. I’m just being...creative.
The point is, I’ve got nuthin’ to say tonight. Because I’m as deep fried as an order of the Colonel’s extra crispy. Mr. Spouse was in Dallas this weekend and I’ve been left to my own devises. Which means I’ve been PAINTING. Happy happy happy dance time! I’ve got seven…SEVEN canvases going this weekend. Two are done, one damn near and the rest are somewhere in between.
Got nuthin’ to say…BUT I GOT PICTURES!!!
So here’s a peek at a couple of the paintings. Crappy photo alert. Snapshots with the old point and shoot.
'Catholic Girls Wear Plaid' by Susan Lobb-Porter
Remember this one from last week? Catholic Girls Wear Plaid. I’m thinking it’s done now.
This one is going to have something to do with a poodle skirt. I think. It’s still way early in the process.
'Spike Anne' by Susan Lobb-Porter
And this little guy, ‘Spike Anne’ (5X7) is a fun pup I think I’ll include in my children’s collection. Did I tell you I’m going to have a children’s collection? Well yes, I am. One of these days… FYI, if memory serves me right, and it doesn’t always these days…Spike Anne was the name Mr. Spouse and I called FirstBorn when he was in utero. Figured we covered our bases with that one.
Random Acts of Art has moved to FaceBook and taken on a life of it’s own. Check it out. If you like what you see, join the party. In less than two weeks we’ve grown to over 200 members, people from all over the world are making things, hiding things, stacking things.
And posting the photos.
There are some amazing photos.
Tonight we’ve been wowed by new member James who stacks rocks into seemingly impossible creations all against the backdrop of rivers and mountains. Stacks that sooner or later, probably sooner, will tumble either on their own or helped along by nature or man. James knows his creations are temporary. In his words, “But like the brightest leaves of fall, only there for a moment.”
It all comes back to release. Non-attachment. Seems like that’s been a theme lately. Making things, letting go. No need to stake a claim with name or credit. Random. Acts. Of. ART.
But doesn’t that go against making my living as an artist?
No. Not at all.
In fact, it enhances it.
Because giving something, without any expectation of return, feels GOOD. And when I’m feeling good, the art flows from the feeling good place. The place inside me that’s bold. That takes chances. That isn’t afraid of blowing it. Because if I do…it really doesn’t matter.
Releasing my little arty tokens out into the world makes me a better painter.
Huh? Yeah. It DOES. It. Just. Does.
And that, in turn, gives me the confidence put on my big girl panties, go out into the world and sell my art.
