ding!!!!

ding!!!  I keep on wondering what that occasional chime noise is that I hear!!    maybe it's my new tablet?? ...too many bells and whistles!!!   ahhhh, the age of technology!   I just don't want to miss out on something really good!!   (smile)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Best wishes for a new year full of blessings for all!!

Music, Gifts...and all that stuff!

I am working in my studio now...my family has decided to make presents this year for the adults, a new venture for us!  With the state of the economy like it is, and people losing jobs, etc...well, we just decided that we could enjoy giving gifts that were not necessarily purchased but made by hand instead...actually, it's a pursuit that seems to have quite a bit more significance than purchasing ready-made from the store.

...and so, after a bit of a break from painting, I am pulling out the watercolor paper and conjuring up images that I might want to paint...gifts to my wonderful daughter, Kerry, and my equally delightful daughter-in-law, Shannon....so much fun!!!  ...shall i paint them something from my "Women Gathering" series?  or something else that holds more significance for them?  ...ahhhh, the many choices!!!

While I am busily dreaming and crafting in my studio, music is playing in the background...it seems the natural way for me when i am creative...to have some delightful piece playing...music is like my companion while I am floating on this cloud of creativity!  Actually, music seems to steer me ever more to that special place called "the zone" in which artists seem to forget the cares of the world... and all that exists at that moment in time is that special painting...or drawing or whatever...and it's creator...this can be the time when the artist does his or her best work!

Do you listen to music as you work in your studio?  If you are an artist, what is your favorite music to listen to as you create? Some artists may play their music loud, but I tend to choose the calmer and quieter "easy listening" style... Michael McDonald...Acoustic Alchemy...and this week I am adding in a Christmas song here and there...Manheim Steamrollers and others.  I also enjoy listening to a local NM artist, Don Shearer, whose music soothes my soul!!  I love his music!!  ...you can hear an assortment of his songs here...it is definitely worth checking out!!
http://donshearersounds.com/fr_home.cfm

As Christmas is approaching, I hope you are finding the true enchantment of the season...

Merry Christmas all!
Nina Baldwin

JOIN US FOR A GREAT START TO THE HOLIDAY SEASON!!!

 
 

 

"Women Gathering"
original painting by Nina Baldwin

Come join the artists at Cottonwood Mall for a great arts and craft show  
benefiting a wonderful cause! Help the horses from the Four Corners
 

Equine Rescue and in turn let them rescue your Christmas gift list with a host

 

of wonderful presents!

We'll be at the old Mervyn's Store...between Macy's and the food court...

 

Cottonwood Mall is located at 10000 Coors Blvd. Bypass NW, Albuquerque,

NM.

 The show will be held on Friday and Saturday from 9am to 7pm and
 

Sunday from 10am to 5pm. FREE ADMISSION! There will be fun events like

 

Door Prizes, a Raffle, and a silent auction!!!  Come be a part of the

 

excitement benefitting a great cause!

Cecelia McRoberts, a friend, and I are participating in the following fun event...we will be at studio 5, just west of 4th ST. near El Pinto Restaurant...tour maps can be picked up at the elementary school on the corner of 4th St and Alameda Rd....just drive thru the parking lot...you don’t even need to get out of your car!! Come visit us!!  Also check out the website:

For information go to: www.alamedastudiotour.com

Alameda Studio Tour

Saturday, Oct. 13th & Sunday Oct.14th
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days
Visit with 33 artists in 16 studios. You'll see: paintings, prints, ceramics; glass, mosaics, tile; fiber arts, gourmet chocolate, photography, an Alpaca farm, folk art dolls and much more! One location will feature art donated to Art in the School which will be sold to support art education programs for children.
___________________________________You're invited!Preview Night Party
Friday, Oct. 12th 4 - 8 p.m.
Bachechi Open Space Bldg. at Alameda & Rio Grande Blvd.
Sneak peek at the art! Refreshments & Raffle

SISTERS!!!

SISTERS!
by Nina Baldwin
beautiful, saturated colors...prints available!

...grab your cup of coffee!!!...and come here to enjoy the artwork!!

Another from my "Women Gathering" series..."Sisters"...saturated colors with lots of pattern...lively, delightful!!!  It's what "Women Gathering" is all about!!! 
Prints are available!  This is one of my most popular prints!!!

(I am just about to have my fine art printer print another batch of "Sisters"...let me know if you are interested in having one!  write me at:  mlbaldwin2@msn.com) 

YOU ARE INVITED to an Artist's Reception...

 All are invited to a reception at the new Cafe Bella in Rio Rancho, NM.  Friday, June 22 from 5pm to 7pm.   If you haven't visited Cafe Bella yet, be sure to attend!  Michael serves wonderful coffees and teas, plus baked goods and yummy paninis. 
    My work will be featured for this first show at Cafe Bella.  Several of my paintings from my amber series will be hanging plus others more colorful!   It will be a wonderful evening!  Come enjoy the festivities!!

2115 GOLF COURSE RD. SE...see you there!!

ANCIENT VOICES
by Nina Baldwin
acrylic paint on canvas with gold leaf and graphite

"Gathering III"



GATHERING III
by Nina Baldwin

     "Gathering III" is one of my original paintings in this series.  Over time these paintings have changed some, but the same techniques are still used to form the figures and elements of embellishment are added. This is a very spiritual line and I added the halos to symbolize the spiritual side in all of us...
Although this original is in a private collection, beautiful high-quality giclees are available for purchase.  If interested, please email me at mlbaldwin2@msn.com

An Image from my "Women Gathering" series...

from the "Women Gathering" series
by Nina Baldwin

This is one of my favorite pieces...it is from my "Women Gathering" series...the loose brush strokes really appeal to me!  Beautiful saturated colors with a gold background.   ...hints of shadows...  Women on their path...the gold sets off the colors perfectly!!!  Email me at mlbaldwin2@msn.com for beautiful prints!
the original is SOLD!  Thank You!!  Prints are still available at a very affordable price!!

 This is beautiful!!!  ...and it fully explains my husband and me!! (smile)  ...be sure to click on the photo to enlarge it!  Thank you, Drew!!

• 
  

  
  

  “I am the left brain. I am a scientist. A mathematician. I love the familiar. I ...categorize. I am accurate. Linear. Analytical. Strategic. I am practical. Always in control. A master of words and language. Realistic. I calculate equations and play with numbers. I am order. I am logic. I know exactly who I am.”
  
  “I am the right brain. I am creativity. A free spirit. I am passion. Yearning. Sensuality. I am the sound of roaring laughter. I am taste. The feeling of sand beneath bare feat. I am movement. Vivid colors. I am the urge to paint on an empty canvas. I am boundless imagination. Art. Poetry. I sense. I feel. I am everything I wanted to be.”

  
  

It’s 6am on a Monday morn, the house is quiet…and dark, and I have been up at least 2 hours already!   I am sipping on my warm chai tea and looking forward to the day ahead!  …but I can’t stop thinking about it!  …our trip to Colorado Springs and visit with the Academy for Advanced and Creative Learning…

…I walked into the entry hallway last Thursday morning, greeted by staff members with smiles and welcomes for us…the air was filled with the low buzz of happy students’ voices…a group of older students sat on the floor busily creating…the atmosphere was nurturing and yet free…I was delighted to be that fly on the wall if even for just a few seconds! 

Miss Hellen, the art teacher, was a delight in bold beautiful colors and a giant smile!   I could see that she is a wonderful mentor for all of her students, impacting them with not only creativity, but also wisdom in life’s lessons…

I had the chance to speak with the older children that afternoon…what a delight for me!!  I spoke about my life as an artist, about my many techniques and processes…and they got a chance to see the paintings that I brought from home…I was very surprised at the well thought out questions that they asked me…and the fantastic interaction between me and them…what fun!!…

 The artshow that evening was full of great energy…the students’ artwork filled to overflowing the displays in the gym and hallways!!!  …and it was fantastic work!!!  …landscapes and portraits…amazing stuff!!  Teachers, parents, staff were all so wonderful!  But the students were the frosting on the cake!! …there were the little girls who insisted I give them my autograph!!!  (it still makes me laugh!!)...and the young students who opened up to me about their lives…and those that gave me some of their art…I left the school that evening wishing I could pack up all of the school and take it home with me so that my grandkids could share in the goodness! 

I went to Colorado at the invitation of the school Director, Mrs. Meyers, delighted that they found my “Art is Power” quote useful…I hoped that while there I could encourage and bless some of the students and those I had contact with…when I left the school that night, I realized that I had been the one who had been blessed!

Many thanks to those at the Academy for Advanced and Creative Learning!  …thank you also to Alice and Harold, Darby and Jack for the wonderful hospitality and yummy lunch on our trip home!!  And many thanks to our son, Sean, who “held the fort down” while we were gone…and for keeping the kitties well fed!!  

"Art is Power"...take me to the 15th Floor, please!

How fun is this??!!  While I was busy making Christmas cookies and stuffing the turkey, my quote, "Art is power", was featured in an article on "15th Floor"..."elevating the agency of playwriting"...evidently a magazine written by writers for writers. 

Actually, as I am reading it occasionally, I am finding that it applies just as much to visual artists and those in the arts as writers...thought-provoking, creative articles that speak to me as an artist. 

I am delighted to share my quote with the author.  This quote on power seems to have a power of its own!  I have seen it posted on other's blogs, used as the theme for an artshow in Colorado, used on nametags, etc...and now as the jumping off point in an article published in New York...cooooolllllll!!!!!!!! 

BLISS!!!!  ...thanks to all!!! 

Nina Baldwin    
http://15thfloor.org/2011/12/21/art-is-power/

MARCH IS WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

Click on the link in the title to go to the WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH website...

FOLLOW YOUR BLISS

I recently found the original and complete quote and wanted to post it so that all of my readers could see it...so here it is!

"Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there
were only walls." Joseph Campbell

I am delighted to add that as a result of doing just what this quote says...following my bliss...I have been invited to attend an artshow where a quote of mine, "Art is Power...." will be featured (you can read this quote on the top of the right column here on my blog). I believe this is part of my journey...and I am delighted to know that I will be meeting the students and staff and seeing the students' artwork! Very cool!!!!

The school is allowing me space to hang some of my artwork also...so, please, if you are in the Colorado Springs area, come visit me at the show...April 19th, 5:30pm to 7:30pm....2510 North Chestnut in Colorado Springs, CO.

a tidbit more about RIO GRANDE GORGE...

I forgot to include any information concerning the publishing of my painting, "Rio Grande Gorge" yesterday...it actually will be included in what is intended to be the premier textbook on color to be published in 2012...I am so honored to have my painting included in this text!! As soon as I receive a copy of it, I will post the name of the book...I believe it is a university level read...
Again, it is an honor to be included in the book!...at the same time it is pretty humbling too! ...and I am so grateful to the author for seeing something in "Rio Grande Gorge" that she wanted to share with others...more info forthcoming!!

RIO GRANDE GORGE will be Published in 2012

“Rio Grande Gorge” is a painting inspired by a trip my husband and I
took one summer to the magnificent northern New Mexico area.

In this painting I tried to capture the essence of nature's own
architecture in the repetition of the beautiful strata of sedimentary
rocks. The river surges far below cutting through the ancient earth.
Petroglyphs dot the ruins. A beautiful New Mexico morning sky
stains the earth in the shades of terra cotta, raspberry and gold.

As an artist I wanted to create a painting which would show nature's
magnificence. The “Land of Enchantment” (New Mexico) has a
spirit all it's own...I wished to portray the emotion I felt as I
gazed over the rim into the deep canyon below...and then up to the
horizon, filled with sunshine, seemingly going on forever, hopefully
providing the sensation that the viewer could almost touch the sky.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

EVERYONE!!!

from Nina Baldwin

A Wonder-filled Time of the Year!!

Ahhhhh!! School is back in session...the state fair was fun and now we are preparing for the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta which will begin this weekend...there is a spirit in the air while the fiesta is happening...as well as lots of big beautiful balloons!!! Colors galore!! Enough cannot be said for the delight in the hearts and minds of both young and old as they gaze skyward taking in the hundreds of balloons from different countries and all of their activities during the week of the hot air balloon festival! If you haven't visited here during this time, you must make plans to do so in the near future...the first week of October is the time...

...there are lots of opportunities for fun at this time of year...be sure to stop by the Galeria de Corrales while out and about and enjoying our wonderful Mexican cuisine!! The Galeria is located in Corrales, about 2 blocks south of the Post Office on the corner of Coronado RD and Corrales Rd....just around the corner from Quilts Ole'! We hope to see you!!

This weekend Galeria de Corrales will be hosting an Open House. All are invited!! Please come and enjoy some refreshments while taking in all of the creativity of our fine artists.
Annette Galvano and I are both featured artists this time...Annette does wonderful purses, hats and wall art in wool...and my "Women Gathering" series of paintings will be displayed...I have many new pieces, so please be sure to drop by to see them! As you probably know, they are filled with beautiful color, lovely pattern and a distinct spiritual feeling to them...the essence of femininity, with boldness and power!!
Galeria de Corrales is located in Corrales, NM...at 3923 Corrales Rd....just around the corner from Quilts Ole! ...a couple of blocks south of the post office...on Coronado Rd....we will leave a trail of breadcrumbs...or perhaps green chilies!! All are welcome!!
Oh! the hours are...Saturday, July 9th from 10am to 5pm and
Sunday, July 10th from 11am to 2:30pm...

EXPERIMENTAL ART and PAINTING

"For an artist, exploration is oxygen."

...absolutely!!!

Robert Genn

(go to the link for more thoughts regarding an artist working in different media)

YOU ARE INVITED!!! Reception and Corrales Studio Tour

...don't forget to attend our wonderful art reception at the Galeria de Corrales, in Corrales, NM, this Friday, April 29th from 5pm to 7pm...wonderful, yummy hors d'oeuvres (i am NOT going to look up how to spell that word again!!!!)...if it isn't spelled right, i bet you know what i am talking about!!...liked minded people who love the arts!!...put your name in for our drawing of a beautiful print, "Sisters" by none other than Nina Baldwin!! Our last reception was attended by, well, probably more than 100 people!!...standing room only! ...but lots of fun!! ...as long as the wind doesn't blow we will be drifting out into the garden area...so beautiful!!...evenings in Corrales are lovely!! Please come join us!!

Galeria de Corrales, 3923 Corrales Rd., just a couple of blocks south of the post office.

...oh! almost forgot to mention the open house over the weekend...Saturday, April 30th and Sunday, May 1st, from 10am to 5pm...drop by for some refreshments! ...we're on the Corrales Studio Tour map!!

ART QUOTE - Robert Maniscalco - "Point of Art"

I found this wonderful quote as I searched the net one day. It is actually taken from the inspirational book, "Point of Art", by portrait artist Robert Maniscalco.

"God was very good to artists, creating forms in nature, which are related so beautifully one to another. Our job is to unwrap these mysteries like a child opening a birthday present - ripping and tearing with the urgency of a child discovering the next toy."

This quote may have been written for the artist, but I think it applies to all who love art...I read it to say that the forms in nature which the artist captures in his artwork are to delight us...they are there for us to devour as would a child...thanks for the beautiful imagery, Robert!!

Corrales Society of Artists Studio Tour, Galeria de Corrales

The Corrales Society of Artists Studio Tour 2011 will take place on Saturday, April 30th and Sunday, May 1st from 10am to 5pm. Welcome centers will be set up at the Frontier Mart, Village Plaza (next to the Oasis Cafe), and at Meadow Lark and Loma Larga...come see the beautiful art created by the CSA artists...and have the fun of seeing where they actually create!!...in their studios!! While out and about be sure to stop in at the Galeria de Corrales, located behind Quilts Ole' on Coronado Rd. and Corrales Rd. We are sponsors of the studio tour and some of the CSA artists show at the Galeria, as well as other fine artists. We will be having an open house on both days, so please stop by!

KANDINSKY, The Inner Need, The Inner Necessity

The "Inner Need"...the need for spiritual expression by the artist, according to Kandinsky, has three guiding principles (these three may cause a corresponding vibration in the human soul): 1. color harmony 2.form harmony 3.the choice of object to represent. The inner need...something which is evident to me as an artist with my own work, remains elusive as far as clearly defining it, but I will try...it is that terrific desire to communicate with the viewer...it is the expression from the very soul, the spirit of the artist...it is a gift of great intimacy, the expression of it, that one shares with another. I am still not sure I have expressed it correctly...or enough! ...is there a better way to define "inner need"? I don't know... a couple of quotes from "Concerning the Spiritual in Art"... "...everything which adequately expresses the inner need is beautiful." "There is no "must" in art, because art is free."

Experimental Painting

yes, surprise!! I am sharing some of my own work here! I have been experimenting...I picked out some images that i took with my camera a few days ago to share with you...hope you enjoy them! ...sorry about the glare!!

In honor of March being WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH, my Women Gathering series is on display at Galeria de Corrales. The originals are painted in beautiful saturated colors...very ethereal, spiritual and full of energy!! If you have special women in your life, these would make the gifts that touch the spirit...the soul!! Matted prints and giclees are also available!
Galeria de Corrales is located at the corner of Coronado Rd. and Corrales Rd., about 2 blocks south of the post office in Corrales, NM. We will be having an open house this Saturday, March 12 from 10am to 5pm, and Sunday, March 13...from 11am to 2:30pm. Please join us!

MARCH IS WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

"Learning about women's tenacity, courage, and creativity throughout the centuries is a tremendous source of strength. Until relatively recently this sphere of women's history was overlooked and undervalued...women's achievements were often distorted, disdained and denied. But knowing women's stories provides essential role models for everyone. And role models are genuinely needed to face the extraordinary changes and unrelenting challenges of the 21st century."

The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United State Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of women whose commitment to nature and the planet proved invaluable to society.

KANDINSKY - Concerning the Spiritual in Art - all about color (Part II)

...the previous post is actually the beginning of this article on Kandinsky and color...

Another theory of Kandinsky's...that colors have an effect on all of the senses...sight, taste, smell...and that they work in harmony with each other...he even mentions the sound of the colors as being very definite and distinct...and that chromotherapy...colored light can exercise very definite influences on the whole body...sighting attempts that have been made with different colors in the treatment of various nervous ailments...this sounds very much like chakras to me...that red light excites the heart, while blue light can cause temporary paralysis...Unfortunately, when tried on plants and animals, the results are not the same...a mystery indeed...but he repeats that color can exercise enormous influence over the body as a physical organism...

In all of this, I am so impressed that Kandinsky is searcing and theorizing over things seldom considered by the artist...or at least that are not spoken of frequently...color and its effects on body and soul...he persisted in going deeper to find the deepest meaning in art and all of its elements for all of us...

He put it so eloquently as he spoke of the association of music and color..."Generally speaking, colour is a power which directly influences the soul. Colour is the keyboard, the eyes are the hammers, the soul is the piano with many strings. The artist is the hand which plays, touching one key or another, to cause vibrations in the soul. It is evident therefore that colour harmony must rely only on a corresponding vibration in the human soul; and this is one of the guiding principles of the inner need."

KANDINSKY - Concerning the Spiritual in Art - all about Color

In Concerning the Spiritual in Art, Kandinsky states that color either has a cooling and soothing effect on the eyes, or a warming effect. He says that the effect at the beginning of viewing a color is superficial, but to a more sensitive person the color has a more intense effect...a psychic effect, which produces a corresponding vibration in the soul of the viewer. He maintains that the eye is strongly attracted by clear, light colors and still more strongly by those colors which are warm as well as clear.

Kandinsky also brings up the idea of association...how a color may remind a viewer of another element such as vermillion which he says has the charm of the flame, attractive to humans...of course, this could be considered very subjective as he deems lemon yellow to hurt the eye as a prolonged shrill trumpet note hurts the ear, causing the viewer to turn away from the yellow, seeking green or blue for relief...Kandinsky has some very strong opinions of colors and their associations/effects....biases, I would call them!!

He speaks of the soul being one with the body and the possibility of a particular color causing a "psychic shock" to the body. He explains that a warm red may cause excitement while another red may cause disgust or pain as it is the color of blood...again, the implication of association. "In these cases, color awakens a corresponding physical sensation, which undoubtedly works upon the soul."

...to be continued...

Video: Wassily Kandinsky

This is a fabulous video with many of Kandinsky's paintings from over the years. It is definitely worth watching!! Enjoy!
Click on the title!

my son...a civilian once again...

My son, Sean, the Marine, is no longer a Marine...his 5 year contract is up as of today...he participated in both Iraq and Afghan...was sure that he would come back changed from Afghan since he is...was..in the infantry...but he is returning to us whole in body and mind and spirit!...we are so, so very blessed!!! thank you, God!!! thank you to all who prayed and sent thoughts his way!! ...words cannot express feelings!!...
Nina

an article about the fresco at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico

An interesting article with a great photo of both mural and artist, Frederico Vigil...of the fresco at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico...author, David Leigh, makes the point that it's more than art...it's a 4,000sq.ft. map of the past...click on the title of this post...

ART QUOTE: Howard Pyle - on the artists' heart

"Throw your heart into the picture and then jump in after it."
Howard Pyle

Kandinsky: a few favorite artists - Cezanne, Matisse, Picasso - and why

Life happens...and I was called in for jury duty a few weeks ago! Have been at their disposal since...and will continue to be thru April...that's four months!! Between working at the gallery, jury duty and the many activities I am a part of, I have only been able to study Kandinsky's book occasionally...

Trying to make sense of the book is another story...very difficult most of the time to understand what he is saying...I know the words I am reading are in my language, English, but still very difficult for me...perhaps you, my readers, can add to what I can report if you have read it as well...

I think it is interesting that Kandinsky chooses a few artists who he thinks are excellent...one being Cezanne..."he was endowed with the gift of divining the inner life in everything. His color and form are alike suitable to the spiritual harmony."

...of Matisse he says, "He paints pictures, and in these pictures he endeavors to reproduce the divine...he is specially gifted as a colourist, but he is apt to lay too much stress on the colour...pictures which are full of great inward vitality, produced by the stress of the inner need...typical French painting, with its dainty sense of melody, raised from time to time to the summit of a great hill above the clouds."

...of Pablo Picasso..."there is never any suspicion of this conventional beauty (as in French painting). Tossed hither and thither by the need for self-expression, Picasso hurries from one manner to another...great gulf appears between consecutive manners because Picasso leaps boldly...(leaving a) bewildered crowd of followers...from...where they saw him last...In this way there arose Cubism...He shrinks from no innovation, and if colour seems likely to balk him in his search for a pure artistic form, he throws it overboard and paints a picture in brown and white; and the problem of purely artistic form is the real problem of his life."

"In the pursuit of the same supreme end Matisse and Picasso stand side by side, Matisse representing colour and Picasso form."

...to be continued....

Video: The Artist's Studio - Titian, Part 5

Video: The Artist's Studio - Titian, Part 4

Video: The Artist's Studio - Titian, Part 3

Video: The Artists Studio: Titian, Part 2

the continuation of a beautiful video...so informative, yet experimental and exciting!! enjoy!! ...click on the title...

Video: The Artist's Studio: Titian (Part 1/5)

this is fantastic!! enjoy!!

Wassily Kandinsky - Concerning the Spiritual in Art

I am reading the book, Concerning the Spiritual in Art, by Wassily Kandinsky. Sometimes it feels a little difficult to read, but I guess I have finally gotten to a place where I think I understand it...and although I may not agree with everything Kandinsky writes, I do agree with his beliefs that color and form affect the soul...that these things set off a vibration in the spirit which resonates with the viewer...and that the artist who wishes to communicate with the viewer on a deeper level, that desire for outward expression is the impulse defined as the "inner need."

I'll be posting quotes and thoughts on the subject by Kandinsky in the next week or so...I hope you enjoy this journey! By the way, are you aware of the 5 postings I did on Kandinsky starting with April 12, 2009? You may find them interesting...a little about his life...enjoy!!

Art Quote - Kandinsky on the Spirit

"The spirit, like the body, can be strengthened and developed by frequent exercise. Just as the body, if neglected, grows weaker and finally impotent, so the spirit perishes if untended."
Wassily Kandinsky

Art Quote - Anna Pavlova on Talent and Genius

"God gives talent, work transforms talent into genius."
Anna Pavlova

Gustave Klimt, the Artist

"Whoever wants to know something about me as an artist...ought to look carefully at my pictures and try to see in them what I am and what I want to do."

Gustave Klimt

for all of my local yocals...North America's Largest Fresco...right here in our backyard!!

Marvel at North America's largest fresco, courtesy of KOB TV...the largest fresco in North America is right here in our backyard!! That's right!! It is located in Albuquerque, NM! ...at the Hispanic Cultural Center...it is open on a limited basis...so call first to make sure you can get in to see it!
To see a short, but sweet virtual tour click the above title which is linked to a video by KOB TV...very cool!!!

Art is Power

"Art is power. It can influence perception, opinion and values. And the artist who creates uses his paintbrush to focus on a moment in time...recording those things that touch the heart." Nina Baldwin

Art Touches the Soul

"Art touches the soul...art is communication...it reaches out from the canvas and passes through the eyes of the viewer right into his heart where it can leave an imprint of beauty that can make the spirit sing." Nina Baldwin

MY GIFT TO YOU...AND ME...IN THE NEW YEAR

It's no use...I can't wait to do this...I have been thinking about this for a while now...I must give it away!!...a gift at the New Year for you...and me...

The New Year...a time of contemplation, prioritizing, planning and giving ourselves permission to have the most exciting, fun-filled, growing in the spirit experience in the new year...permission also to do, perhaps, something we haven't done before...

"And as we let our own light shine we unconsciously give other people the permission to do the same." Marianne Williamson, from the Painter's Keys Resource of Art Quotations. http://www.painterskeys.com/

PERMISSION SLIP

name: __________________ has permission

to allow his/her light to shine to the nth degree

from this date, Saturday, January 1, 2011, forward

...at all times...and in all circumstances...

forevermore...

Make your New Year really meaningful!!

"The New Year is like a blanc canvas waiting for us to put colours on it."

Happy New Year!!

Nina Baldwin

ART QUOTE - Monet and Fear

"I haven't yet managed to capture the color of this landscape; there are moments when I am apalled at the colors I am having to use, I am afraid what I am doing is just dreadful and yet I really am understating it; the light is simply terrifying."
Claude Monet

What an interesting quote...Monet, an artist who is held in such high esteem, sharing his fears that he is not capturing the colors and light in a particular landscape...a huge thing to admit for an artist of his prestige...I thought that only happened to artists like me!!

Do artists experience fear while painting? Have you? Please comment if you wish! I think this could be an interesting conversation...thanks for reading my blog too!

Nina Baldwin

Monet on Color

"Color is my day-long obsession, joy and torment."
Claude Monet

MONET - His Paintings

I have read a few biographies of Claude Monet now and I can truthfully say that they all read pretty much the same...and so if you are interested I encourage you to do the same as I...
It was his artwork that needs to be talked about...he was a prolific painter, in my estimation...over the years you can see changes in his techniques, in usage of the brush to create different effects. He used colors also to define atmosphere and/or time of day...it appears he couldn't get enough of those pigments in his color-filled, textural paintings...he was in love with the richness of his vision which he painted with relish...I didn't see many still-lifes, but landscapes, water-scapes, architectural, people...he painted them all...not just once, but over and over again...a different time of day would mean different colors and so he would do a series of the same landscape with each painting telling a different story... atmosphere would justify painting the sky of the "Tuileries Garden" with wistful softness while the "Women in the Garden" he painted under a clear noonday sun.
In his painting, he was brazen. He did the unexpected. He was rebellious. He was courageous. He painted as he liked...and we inherited it all...if you don't get a good book of his images to devour, it is your loss.

The Artist - Reality vs. Impression

"The artist gazes upon a reality and creates his own impression. The viewer gazes upon the impression and creates his own reality." Robert Brault

A wonderful truth...Robert is a poet, philosopher and an artist painting a piece of his heart! Click on the title to read his post for October 25, 2010...Paris!

MUST-NOT-MISS PLACES TO SPEND TIME AND MONEY!!!

You can see some of my art at:

Galeria de Corrales, Corrales NM, wonderful gallery full of great artwork, perfect gifts for Christmas, Christmas ornaments...and lots of fabulous artists!!

Chamisa Hills Country Club, Rio Rancho, NM (2 pieces, one hanging next to a fluorescent green bear painting!! :)) be sure not to miss it!!)

KISS Cafe on Patio Escondido, Old Town, Albuquerque, NM (where you can get wonderful New Mexico Hot Chocolate and Mocha Oles! ...its a fun place!! lots of fun art!)

and for the months of November and December...

Unitarian Universalist Church, Rio Rancho, NM...wonderful group of people! ...they are especially open on Sunday mornings...believe it or not!!...but also probably most weekday afternoons, but be sure to call ahead!!

WEEMS INTERNATIONAL ARTFEST

The Weems International Artfest is right around the corner. It is a major event and an Albuquerque tradition...great fun and the best in fine art...and I always run into old friends while visiting there! Check it out!
Nov. 12-14...check for times.

Impressionism: the Academie, the Salon

The Academie was the upholder of traditional standards in French painting at the time. The Salon was established as the sole acceptable market place for the work of the Academy-trained artists...therefore, the Academie and the Salon had great power and monopolized the artist's world, determining the teaching, the subject matter, the techniques used, the paints, even the method of "retailing" the artwork...ugh!!!!!!!!! Thank God for the painters of the Impressionistic period who struck out on their own, making their own rules and paving the way for the artists to come...I am reminded of the quote..."Freedom is a bigger game than power...Power is about what you can control...Freedom is about what you can unleash"...Harriet Rubin

In 1863 a Salon des Refuses, was organized since so many of the works that year had been refused by the establishment Salon. Of course, this resulted in much hostility from the public toward the artists and their work. However, the Salon des Refuses did eventually open the door for other salons to take place such as those of the Impressionists from 1874 and the Independents in 1884. These salons were well attended, strangely enough, although the young artists often received much ridicule from the public...eventually though, art which was not favored by the Academie was more accepted by the public.

Impressionist Techniques

MANZANO MOUNTAINS by Nina Baldwin
10" x 10" on canvas - private collection

• short, thick strokes of paint are used to quickly capture the essence of the subject rather than its details. the paint is often applied impasto.
• colors are applied side-by-side with as little mixing as possible, creating a vibrant surface. The optical mixing of colors occurs in the eye of the viewer.
• grays and dark tones are produced by mixing complimentary colors. In pure Impressionism the use of black paint is avoided.
• wet paint is placed into wet paint without waiting for successive applications to dry, producing softer edges and an intermingling of color.
• painting in the evening to get effets de soir - the shadowy effects of the light in the evening or twilight.
• Impressionist paintings do not exploit the transparency of thin paint films (glazes) which earlier artists built up carefully to produce effects. The surface of an Impressionist painting is typically opaque.
• The play of natural light is emphasized. Close attention is paid to the reflection of colors from object to object.
• In paintings made en plein air (outdoors), shadows are boldly painted with the blue of the sky as it is reflected onto surfaces, giving a sense of freshness and openness that was not captured in painting previously. (Blue shadows on snow inspired the technique.)

The above is borrowed from Wikipedia...it is concise...thanks Wikipedia!

A Little Bit More About Pigments, Oils, Wax and Techniques

It was the paints that allowed for the Impressionists to make the changes in techniques that they did...

It was about the 1870's...the younger artists were rejecting the techniques of the Academie...the dark, transparent shadows, subtle tonal modeling, somber hues and earth colors of chiaroscuro. Mechanical grinding of pigments was considered too coarse by the masters, but actually the larger particles lent themselves to the loading of the paint so favored by the Impressionists.

While oil binders such as linseed oil were best suited to thin layers and glazes, poppy seed oil was more "buttery" when combined with ground pigments, thus retaining the mark of the paint brush...and providing a raised textural effect. It was slow-drying which was particularly useful for the wet into wet technique employed by Monet in his paintings.

The addition of paraffin wax improved the consistency of the paint, but overuse lead to sticky, dark colors prone to cracking. The wax did make it possible for the stiffer paints to be used with a palette knife...something Cezanne and Pissarro took advantage of...

Before starting to paint artists attempted to remove as much oil by placing blobs of paint on blotting paper to soak out the oil. So at this time, artists needed to manipulate their paints in order to achieve the effects and use the techniques that they preferred...more later....

NEW MEXICO MOUNTAIN SERIES -Gallup, NM plus California Dreamin''

PART OF MY NEW MEXICO MOUNTAIN SERIES...the painting on the left is of the mesas on the way to Gallup, New Mexico...a sight I fell in love with on my many trips to Arizona! The one on the right is called "California Dreamin" and was painted in my studio after my husband and I returned from a trip to that state...the colors are lovely in both!!  Both paintings are done with a palette knife making for interesting texture and wonderful energy!! 

"On The Way to Gallup" & "California Dreamin'"
by Nina Baldwin

These are small (5" x 7") landscapes. They look very attractive sitting on small easels, but they can also be hung on a wall! They are impressionistic in technique..$95.USD each...shipping and handling in the USA is free!!) These would make great gifts!
both have been sold...thank you!!

IMPRESSIONISM - a Time of Transition for more than just Art

1860 to 1870...the time of Monet, Degas, Cezanne, Renoir...Art was not the only thing transitioning in France at this time. Great changes were taking place in Paris, for instance, with the razing of the narrow cobblestoned streets which were replaced with grand boulevards lined with shops and cafes..."light-filled sunny promenades" where the elite could stroll, lunching and enjoying some of the finer things in life.
Society was changing. Life no longer centered around agriculture (a favorite subject matter for the realist painters in Paris). Modern city life brought with it cafes, racetracks, parks, concerts, balls, the opera and the ballet. It also brought grand changes in the appearance of the city...on the outside...but behind the great facade of opulence lay the "underworld", the world of the common folk who serviced the sophisticates of the Second Empire...
This is what Manet and Degas painted...not the traditional historical scenes, or scenes on the farm that the realist artists painted...they wanted to paint life...reality...everyday people living their ordinary lives...landscapes and still lifes also, both unacceptable according to the status quo. Monet and the other young artists were greatly influenced by this.
While preference for subject matter was changing, artists were finding new techniques more suited to their tastes. Glazes of transparent paints were in less favor, while "loading" the canvas with more opaque, brighter paints became the favorite of the Impressionists. Paints were going through their own evolution as more and more artists found the convenience of the first tin tubes of paint easily usable for plein aire painting. Previously, pigments had to be crushed, ground to a fine powder, then mixed with linseed oil and perhaps wax, then stored in an animal bladder. The colors provided in the tube paints were brighter more "modern" shades than the traditional more somber colors...thus the beautiful, vibrating colors of Monet's garden and the haystacks...

...to be continued...

MONET and IMPRESSIONISM

I know that I invited you to come along with me on this journey in the last post...I guess it would be good if I actually showed up!! ahh, life!! is anyone else busy??!!!

My intention is not to do a book report, but only to gleen from different sources snipets of observations and impressions about Impressionism and its artists...

I am enjoying reading a little from "Techniques of the Impressionists" by Anthea Callen...I have stopped to take in the title page which has a close up of a painting by Monet. First impressions....so much movement in the water, I am guessing from the technique Monet employed in painting it...a background of medium blue with what appears to be a wet on wet addition of different colors of blue, green, yellow and an off-white, producing a "glistening" of sunlight effect on the water. He even painted over the tops of the trees with this white effect giving the appearance of water sparkling through the tree branches...

I love the passion and freedom displayed in the way Monet dragged colors across the foreground...terra cotta, greens, purple, white...He must have been working very quickly...gestural, painterly strokes of colors...creating shadows, texture and highlights. These energetic flashes of pigment communicate roughly the time of day and the atmospheric conditions among other things.

Our own eyes see like this...they flit around the subject matter, focusing at certain areas taking in pieces of the whole...and our brains do the rest. They fill in what's not there...they connect the pieces to make a whole. Some artists train very hard to be able to take in the subject matter more quickly...but it takes a lot of time to develop this skill...

more next time...

IMPRESSIONISM...a Spirit of Independence and Rebellion

"The "Impressionists"... were a diverse group of artists in style and temperament, unified primarily by their spirit of independence and rebellion." (wiki)


I am forever searching for the right term...abstract?...contemporary?...modern? What correctly describes my artwork? Perhaps I am an Impressionist...afterall, independence and rebellion seem to be stepping stones in my process, even if my artwork doesn't betray it...which surprises me no end since I seek peace daily! I was a good little girl all of my life! Really!! I attended Catholic schools for 13 years of my life...very controlled...might be considered rigid compared to today's standards...could this be why in my art I determine to put inhibitions aside when I start a painting?...could this be why I am trying new techniques with each new work?...could this be why I must express myself, my emotions on my canvas?...because I can?!! ...because I want to leave an Impression?


I will delve into the subject of Impressionism and it's painters in the next few weeks...join me...


How about you??? Do you paint? If so, what style do you paint in? ...and most important...WHY?

LOVE SEES WITH A PAINTER'S EYE

"It is not that love is blind. It is that love sees with a painter's eye, finding the essence that renders all else background." Robert Brault
Gorgeous words! from a friend, Robert Brault...if you haven't read his blog yet, do so...soon! He'll be your friend also, before you know it...his words are so easy to relate to...
(his blog is linked to the title of this post...go click!)

Nina Baldwin will be the Featured Artist at KISS Cafe

The above painting, "Gathering", is from the series "Women Gathering", about women supporting other women. sisterhood! It is an acrylic painting, 12" x 36", painted with beautiful saturated colors, a soft, ethereal technique with patterns and textures added...prints available!

I am delighted to announce that I will be the featured artist in a show at KISS Cafe. The show is in conjunction with the annual big kickoff of the Christmas season, the Holiday Stroll, in Old Town, Albuquerque. The show will take place the weekend of Dec. 4th, 5th and 6th. Come enjoy the festivities as well as the reception on Dec. 4th from 5pm to 7pm. KISS Cafe is located in Old Town at 404 San Felipe St. on beautiful Patio Escondido.

DUELING WATERCOLOR DEMOS!!!!

Please join us for a duo watercolor demonstration! Peg Weyers will be demonstrating representational techniques and I will be demo-ing more abstract techniques...Monday, September 14th, at Destiny Center, 4401 Northern Ave. in Rio Rancho. The meeting starts at 6:30. The public is welcome...no charge...refreshments...come visit with fun people!!

Jasper Johns - Quote for Today

I was looking for a new quote to include on my blog today. While looking in the index of subject matter for quotes, on my favorite source for quotes, I spotted the subject "accomplishments". Ahhh! "There's a noble word, I thought...that would be a good, uplifting subject for my next art quote!!" But my eyes strayed all too easily....to the word just above the noble term...to "accidents"...ewwww!!...now that could be interesting! Now I started to argue with myself... "really, I should stick with the positive...the more enlightening subject matter!!...but "accidents" could be very exciting, altho' a little negative...it could actually be fun...No, Nina, don't give in...go the high road!...but, but ...."

Guess which one won out...you guessed it..."accidents"! (I wonder if there is a catagory for ornery!)

Of course, I found a quote in the forbidden catagory which tickled my artist's heart! It is from Jasper Johns, an artist who became well known back in the 50's for his pop art. Well, here it is...

" I have meant what I have done. Or – I have often meant what I have done. Or – I have sometimes meant what I have done. Or – I have tried to mean what I was doing." (Jasper Johns)

I laughed so hard when I read this...quotes often seem to be for the intellect...or perhaps to prop up us creatives when we are going "thru the desert"...rarely, do they say something really significant which makes us have a good laugh, too! Being an experimental artist, I can relate! All too often I have started a painting with an image in mind...only to find the paint has a mind of its own. Or the brush goes this way instead of that. Or...OMG! What's that big spot of green doing in my sky?!! Art for me is an ongoing challenge, a quest for the next new discovery, a journey in excitement, hopeful for excellence, always stretching and trying new things to come to a conclusion which speaks to my spirit, and hopefully to others' as well...

thanks for reading my blog!

A Quote from Pablo Picasso

"Art washes from the soul the dust of every day life." Pablo Picasso
I couldn't say it any better!

POWER VS. FREEDOM - Unleashing the control!

I get these inspirational newsletters on Saturday nights from Dr. Phillip Humbert (no, not the TV Dr. Phil!). http://www.philiphumbert.com/ He's a life coach. He always has some inspirational material to pass along...whether to do with your life, your profession or your bliss. Included in the newsletter are some quotes which I always check out. They are pithy, appropriate to his writing and usually by someone whose name we know.

This quote I copied down and have sitting on my desk...that is, when it's not on my working table! I seem to carry it from place to place, depending on my task at hand. I hope you enjoy it!

"Freedom is actually a bigger game than power. Power is about what you can control. Freedom is about what you can unleash." Harriet Rubin

I can see this in my painting. About a year or so ago, I just had to paint a red painting...and I did! It is a beautiful painting in my eyes, if I might say so. I remember that when I painted it, I determined to make it a powerful painting. It is as the quote states regarding power, controlled...one of my most controlled paintings. I am an experimental painter, so it is a little edgy, but still more controlled compared to my other paintings.

In the last year, I have gone through the "desert"...most artists go through this at some time in their careers....months where the artist runs up against a wall, where most attempts to create leave you frustrated because it just isn't working...just isn't what you want. I have come out of that desert, and on departing, I could see that my painting had changed...I determined that I would allow myself the freedom to paint in any style that happened...no limitations. I unleased myself from the expectations I had set up previously...as a result, I am painting with saturated colors (something new for me!), adding pattern and texture, and using different mediums for new "effects".

The quote says it all...Power is about what you can control. Freedom is about what you can unleash. I like power, but I love freedom...unleashing can produce some fantastic surprises!! My lovely red painting, "Red Mesas", is up above. I still love it because it is as I had hoped...powerful and painted with gorgeous reds...my more recent "unleashed" landscape is the one in my title bar...what do you think?

post script: the paintings I have produced in the last two months are even more free...someday when I get my courage up I will put those on my blog also!! Thanks for reading my post!

Let's Save Paul Coze's Artwork for all Generations!

I want you to know that I am not writing about Paul Coze because I knew him so well, for, unfortunately, I did not. I am writing about him because you need to know about him…and his artwork deserves to be appreciated.

It has been a great disappointment to me to realize that so many of his public works have been torn down or altered over the years, some even during his lifetime. I would see them around town and, at my young age, almost took them for granted because there were at one time so many of them. Didn’t all cities have beautiful artworks, tributes to their societies, just like Phoenix? It took me many years of maturing to realize that although many cities do have public art, Paul Coze's artwork was unique! It was dynamic! No other artwork could possibly replace it. Please, let’s save whatever is left of Paul Coze’s artwork for us, our children and our children’s children.

PAUL COZE's Public Artwork

Mr. Coze’s work was foremost in the eyes of Phoenicians in the 60’s and 70’s…his artwork was huge in concept, rich in symbolism, adornment in the fullest sense, springing forth from the spirit, embracing the beautiful, paying homage to the past…the precious history of our peoples, our land…acknowledging the great strides in technology and the sciences in what was then the present time (in the 60’s and 70’s), and also the infinite possibilities and great hope for the future...for in his art we see the passage of time and place, and the hopes and dreams of a people who stood in wonderment at our own ever evolving potential. His artwork was the best of us.



As you can tell, Paul Coze’s artwork touched my heart profoundly. I don’t believe any other artwork has done the same for me. Do we not see that Coze’s public artwork represents us? I can look at a landscape painting and appreciate the beauty of it, or see a still life and admire the techniques used to paint it. I can be astonished at the highest sky scraper and its architecture or be dumbfounded by the latest in technology, but nothing can compare to the feeling I have when I see a piece of Coze’s creativity…for it is us…his art is who we were, who we are, who we will be, if the good survives.

PAUL COZE - Public Art - Phoenix Airport, Terminal 2, St. Thomas the Apostle

I have always admired Mr. Coze’s artwork. I can remember the first time I saw the Phoenix rising out of the ashes in front of the Town & Country Mall in Phoenix. I was enchanted by it. I had never seen anything like it before. I was just a kid, but every time we drove past it, I would look for it, staring, trying to take in as much as I could. His artwork was like that for me…jaw-dropping, earth-shattering. It touched my spirit. Even at my young age, I wondered how anyone could accomplish anything that big, that remarkable.

I can remember when the Phoenix Airport, Terminal 2 now, was brand new. And I can remember feeling great pride in not only the building, because it seemed so elegant to me at the time, but also in the huge artwork created by Mr. Coze. There was a sense that his artwork belonged to all of us who lived in Phoenix…that it was our story…I think the whole city was in awe of it. It was located over the way to the concourse, as I recall. I can remember our family making a special trip down to the airport just especially to see it. Even now when I see pictures of it I feel a thrill. Last year while visiting the area, I made a trip down to Terminal 2 just to see if the artwork was still there…it was! I can’t tell you what that meant to me!! I hope that it will be cherished always, saved for many more generations to see and appreciate.

I was in close proximity to his artwork also while I attended grade school at St. Thomas the Apostle on 24th St. and Campbell Rd. Paul Coze was commissioned to paint the Stations of the Cross for the new Church. They were not the usual plaque-like structures I had been used to…they were actual paintings on canvas. One stands out in my mind. The Seven Deadly Sins…let’s see if I can remember them…sloth, greed, (I’m already having trouble remembering them!) wrath, envy (I’m grasping for them now!), pride, lust and gluttony…(oh, ok, I had to look up the last three!!). But what a painting!! Mr. Coze had painted 7 hands each representing a different deadly sin all grasping at a cloth, as I recall. Oh, my gosh!! It was exquisitely done! You wouldn’t think that 7 hands could be that different, but you actually could identify each deadly sin just by their appearance. I guess that is one of those things that is etched in my mind…his art touched my soul even as an elementary school student!

Meeting PAUL COZE

It was while I was at Phoenix College that I met Paul Coze. I was looking for part-time employment. The student placement office contacted me to let me know that there was a need for an artist.
I dragged two huge boxes with all of my artwork from 3 years of high school art classes out to his home/studio. I can remember sitting there going through every piece of art as fast as I possibly could! He patiently looked at each piece...at the end, with a little wry smile on his face, asking only if I didn't have more artwork to show him...of course, he was kidding! I had just taken up a half hour of his day to see every single thing I had ever drawn, painted, stenciled, silk screened, inked, formed and glazed...it was more than enough!!
He was looking for a helper for his newest project…large public artworks for both the outside front entrace to the building at the new Indian Hospital, as well as the inside of the main building. But the federal funding for the project had not come through as yet, so I actually ended up helping him with small projects and “gophering” for his art classes…a great experience in itself!
I remember on one occasion while at his studio Mr. Coze shared some cake with me. He had had a dinner party the night before for some dignitaries and visitors from France. The cake was delicious! He told me that it had been made with beet sugar... something I had never heard of. The taste was delicate...not nearly as sweet as cane sugar would have made it.
His art classes were always interesting. During one class a friend of his dropped in to allow us to paint him. He was a Native American Chief. Unfortunately, I can't remember his name. I still have that painting I did.
Paul Coze was a great mentor. I have often desired to have that same special relationship with another artist/mentor since then, but I think those opportunities are very rare...I don't know why the art gods decided to bless me with that time in my life with him, but I am so very grateful they did! I have memories from then that I will cherish always!
...to be continued...

Westward Ho!

Born in the East, I was brought up wearing bobby socks, tweeds, wool and plenty of navy blue. My first exposure to art was really through the beautiful classical religious art portraying the saints, Mary, Jesus and Joseph.


In the early 60's my family and I moved to Phoenix. Moving so far from the formality of the East was, to say the least, culture shock in many ways! Suddenly it was OK to slip into sandals…with no socks!! Tweeds and wool were unheard of in Arizona…and navy blue no longer was in the color palette. No more getting dressed up just to go to the A&P! “Anything went” in “Paradise”…swim suits, shorts and tops and sundresses were the most you wanted to be in! And color…the hot temperatures of the desert were the perfect excuse to wear the colors of citrus, mangos and papayas.


Perhaps the biggest surprise was the art…of course, you still found the traditional old masters’ works in the church, but outside the doors was a land very influenced by the proximity to Mexico and the heat of the desert. Bright colors and primitive folk art startled me into appreciating an entirely different look, not only in clothing, but also in art.

,,,to be continued...

Tapas of my Life-how I met Paul Coze

FYI...tapas are little savory bits of food to delight over with apertifs...

My family and I moved to Phoenix in the early 60’s. We moved from Michigan to the “land of manana”…a place where time didn’t really matter…if you called for a service repairman and he said he’d be out on Tuesday, you learned that he really meant the Tuesday three weeks away…and you learned that was OK.

It was a land where, at the time, just three or four cars would pull up to a stop light…not a mass of traffic like today. It was a time when huge packs of dates hung from the towering palms, and cooling in homes was of the swamp type, if you were lucky enough to have it.

We arrived in August. I can remember stepping out from our car into the hot, swampy noontime sun and feeling like something had just slapped me across the face…it was 118 degrees in the shade, something a Michigander had never felt. I remember all of us felt sick for about the first month there while we adjusted to the heat.

...to be continued...manana, manana...

Creativity and Art Quote for Today

"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep." Scott Adams

Kandinsky and His Theories on Abstract Art, Color and Music

Wassily Kandinsky was a deep thinker. He developed theories regarding art. He was fascinated by color as a child. In later life he pursued color psychology and symbolism.
It is said that on a trip to a region north of Moscow he was deeply touched by the decoration used on the outside of the houses and churches in the area. The shimmering colors gave him a surreal feeling as if he was entering a painting. He enjoyed the folk art of the region and their use of bright colors on a dark background, which is reflected in his earlier work.
Kandinsky believed that creating music was very much like creating a painting. "Music is the ultimate teacher." "Color is the keyboard, the eyes are the hammer, the soul is the piano with the strings."
Kandinsky was also spiritually influenced by Theosophy, a theory that postulates that creation is a geometrical progression, beginning with a single point, a descending series of circles, triangles and squares...this gave Kandinsky's artwork a feeling of hieroglyphics floating about in his geometric compositions.
In my reading, I can only begin to try to understand Kandinsky and his theories. I have read about his belief that pigments are pure color, of his desire to create vibration in the eyes of the viewers of his artwork and of his concern with creating a spiritual resonnance and communion in both artist and viewer. His theory, "Inner Necessity," speaks of his devotion to the spiritual...inner beauty, fervor of spirit, and deep spiritual desire...all central to his being and his art. His writings speak even more of his thoughts on art. They are quite lengthy, but are excellent reading if you want to further understand what made him tick!

Kandinsky, the Father of Abstract Art

Kandinsky is credited with painting the first abstract works. His love of color, and intensity of color is obvious, especially in his earlier landscapes, such as the bottom image above, "Winter Landscape" from 1909. (I'll get this blogging figured out someday! Until then, please pardon the placement!) I can see the impressionistic influence in this piece, can't you? The second (from the bottom) image is of a landscape that he painted in 1913, just 4 years later..I posted it so that you could see his artistic progression in a short time.

He started painting when he was 30 years old. He was a resident of either Germany or Russia over many years, but eventually decided to live out his life in France. He became a citizen in 1939.

While in Germany, Wassily taught at the Bauhaus School of Art, a school concerned with architecture, the use of plastics, industrial fabrication and manufacture. He worked there from 1922 to 1933, when it was closed by the Nazis. During this time his work became more angular and geometric as can be witnessed in the image included above at the top (location, location!). As you can see, Wassily used many different geometric shapes and lines, employing repetition, bright, more dominant colors and lots of energy contrasting with a softer more flowing background. In viewing this painting I am reminded that Kandinsky plotted his artwork almost as if it was a musical composition. Indeed he had a theory that painting a work was akin to composing music. The layout has a logical progression to it, which helps the eye of the viewer to move around the parts of the painting, finally taking in the whole composition.

Kandinsky was a deep thinker. He had theories about art. I will talk about those tomorrow...

...to be continued...

Kandinsky's Formative Years

Wassily Kandinsky was born in 1866...to put that in perspective, that's about the time of the end of the Civil War in the United States. He was born in Moscow, where his father was a tea merchant. His parents valued the arts, both being piano players, and so encouraged young Wassily to read and play music at an early age. Music would later become a main influence in his artwork, and perhaps in the way he saw the world.

As a young adult, Wassily enrolled at Moscow University where he chose to study law and economics. This is the time of his life when he also became fascinated with spirituality, which he would later draw upon in his art. While at the university studying law, art was more of a hobby.

An exhibition he attended in 1896 in Paris of Monet's impressionistic work startled Kandinsky. He couldn't get it out of his mind. It was the first time he had observed art that didn't exactly imitate the subject matter. It was art where the painting techniques, expression, style and colors had more importance than exactly replicating reality. It was art that portrayed a quality from the soul of the artist. Kandinsky was enchanted.

...to be continued...

Kandinsky on Abstract Art

"The impossibility and, in art, the uselessness of attempting to copy an object exactly, the desire to give the object full
expression, are the impulses which drive the artist away from"literal" colouring to purely artistic aims…

The more an artist uses these
abstracted forms, the deeper and more confidently will he advance into the kingdom of the abstract. And after him will follow the gazer at his pictures, who also will have gradually acquired a greater familiarity with the language of that kingdom.

Must we then abandon utterly all material objects and paint solely in abstractions? The problem of harmonizing the appeal of the material and the non-material shows us the answer to this question. As every word spoken rouses an inner vibration, so likewise does every object represented. To deprive oneself of this possibility is to limit one's powers of expression. That is at any rate the case at present. But besides this answer to the question, there is another, and one which art can always employ to any question beginning with "must": There is no "must" in art,because art is free."

...Part II, About Painting, The Psychological Working of Color, by Wassily Kandinsky

WASSILY KANDINSKY at Auction

In searching the internet for Kandinsky I came across something I thought was very interesting...results of an auction (of a couple of pieces of Kandinsky's work) which took place in 1999, at Sotheby's. http://www.thecityreview.com/f99simp2.html
The website, "The City Review" (Carter B. Horsley, editor and publisher) was extremely interesting to say the least!!...it will take me a long time to take in all of the information it has...photos of structures in NYC plus notes on architecture, art auction results, massive links to anything and everything NYC including theatre, dance, old master's works, films and even a listing for "passion"! ...what more could you want??!! Check it out!

Wassily Kandinsky - "Color is a power which directly influences the soul"

This is the first in a series of quotes taken from Wassily Kandinsky's writings (which seem to be quite prolific!) speaking of color and its relationship to the soul. I will also be touching on his thoughts on abstract art in future postings.
"Generally speaking, colour is a power which directly influences the
soul. Colour is the keyboard, the eyes are the hammers, the soul is the
piano with many strings. The artist is the hand which plays, touching one
key or another, to cause vibrations in the soul.
IT IS EVIDENT THEREFORE THAT COLOUR HARMONY MUST REST ONLY ON A CORRESPONDING VIBRATION IN THE HUMAN SOUL; AND THIS IS ONE OF THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF THE INNER NEED."
...Part II, About Painting, The Psychological Working of Color, by Wassily Kandinsky

Color is a power which directly influences the soul...Wassily Kandinsky

THE ROBERT BRAULT READER

When I started paying more serious attention to my blog just recently, I didn't realize that one of my favorite blogs to visit would be by a poet...the fact is...and I am almost ashamed to admit it...I have never liked poetry...NEVER!!!...but on Robert Brault's blog I almost always find a snippet..or two...or ten...a pearl of wisdom for me to tuck into my heart to take out again later and relish, a second time! Thanks, Robert! http://www.robertbrault.com/

EFRAIN PADRO: "a photographer's guide to New Mexico"

Tonight, my husband and I attended a presentation by a new friend of mine, Efrain Padro. Efrain is a photographer of all things New Mexico, the American Southwest and also Latin America. He especially loves to shoot landscapes, architecture and the people and events of the above locales.

Efrain recently had a book published, "the photographer's guide to New Mexico". It is packed with expert advice for the photographer, as well as maps and directions to his favorite places in New Mexico to shoot.

"New Mexico offers endless possibilities for taking stunning photographs. From spectacular desert landscapes and historic missions to colorful fiestas and world-class archaeological sites, this easy-to-use guide features the best spots to photograph all the natural wonders, events, and historic places in the Land of Enchantment." (backcover)

Check out Efrain's website. It shows his extensive experience in the photo-journalism field. His images are stunning!! Efrain's website: http://www.padroimages.com/pubs.htm Enjoy!!

VAN GOGH

I received an email from a friend today. Sue sent me a link which her grandson, Noah, sent to her so she could take a break from her hectic day! What a thoughtful gesture, especially for a young one! The video is delightful and does provide a good reason for anyone to take a break, especially artists! Van Gogh's masterpieces set to music...very nice, Noah! Thank you from your Grandma's friend, Nina!
vangogh.pps
Sue is an artist also...to see her blog, go to: http://www.silversaddlearts.blogspot.com/

About Artist and Author, Henry Miller

"Paint as You Like and Die Happy" is the name of a book written by Henry Miller. This is one of my favorite lines because while most of the artists here in New Mexico that I know paint in a representational way, my techniques tend to be a little more abstract or contemporary than most. Sometimes this leads me to feel a little isolated...so Henry Miller's quote is often an encouragement to me as an artist!

"Henry V. Miller was born December 26, 1891 in Yorkville, NYC. His parents were from Germany, his mother from the north, his father from Bavaria. He lived in Brooklyn during his school years. Tried working in his father’s tailor shop, here he developed his love of fine clothes. He was always a dapper dresser. His life is chronicled both by himself through his books & by his fellow authors. I think his life was remarkable in so many ways. He had to fight mediocrity and poverty, working at many mundane jobs. He started to write in his 30’s, late for a writer. When he discovered Europe, particularly Paris, he became friends with writers like Anais Nin, Alfred Perles, Lawrence Durrell. In the 1930’s he wrote & published “Tropic of Cancer”, “Black Spring”, “Aller Retour New York”, & “Tropic of Capricorn”. The floodgates were open, he was a WRITER…

Dad lived in France, Greece, NYC, Beverly Glen, Big Sur & Pacific Palisades. He was a prolific writer, disciplined & driven to create. Painting watercolors was his way to relax, he didn’t consider himself an ‘artist’ but loved to paint. He made thousands of paintings, gave most of them away. He also learned how to etch & make silk screens. Nuns from The Immaculate Heart School came to the house in LA & taught him how to make the silk screens.

Dad balanced the cerebral with the physical. He loved riding bicycles, he would ride out to Coney Island and he raced in the Velodrome. He was still riding in his 70’s in the Palisades. He was a great walker, walking all over New York and the wonderful arrondisements of Paris. In Big Sur he would trek down the road to get the mail & groceries, hauling it back up the hill. My brother & I would run to his studio in the afternoons, Dad was always happy to take us up in the hills for long walks. Sometimes he told us stories, one I recall about a little rich girl who lived in the city, a fantasy which fascinated us, being country kids.
from a biography written by Henry Miller's daughter, Valentine. http://www.henrymiller.info/bio/bio.html

Art Quote for Today

another of my favorites...
"Paint as you like and die happy!"
...artist and author, Henry Miller...

sand artwork video

This is something I received from a friend. It is a short video on artwork made by manipulating sand. It is great! Hope you enjoy it!
HAPPY.wmv

Addendum..."the Magic of Delight"

I am delighted to have found a blog written by the creator of the wonderful quotes I quoted in my post, "the Magic of Delight". This is the link.
http://www.robertbrault.com/ I am not a techy kind of person...so finding this is fun for me. I enjoy his "pearls of wisdom"...I bet you will too!

Art Quote for Today

"If you go to the canvas with
love and joy in your heart, somehow it comes off on the canvas."
Wilson Hurley, 1994

Artist Wilson Hurley

Wilson Hurley was born in Tulsa, OK, although he spent several years of his young life in Washington, D.C. His family moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1935, where he attended high school.

A graduate of West Point in 1945, Hurley practiced law for 14 years in the Albuquerque area. He also had attained an engineering degree and worked at Sandia National Laboratories 1958-1960. In 1965 he became a full-time painter, a passion he had had since boyhood.

Wilson Hurley received many distinguished awards for his artwork. His artwork was well-known and loved by all. He painted in the luminist style of the American west. Collectors are well aware of his wonderful grasp of the colors and light and the way they play on the mountains of the Southwest.

In 1991 he painted 5 murals depicting the beautiful landscapes of Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, California and Wyoming for the Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City. In 1996 he created dioramas, 15 paintings depicting sunsets over an iconic American vista...also for the Cowboy Hall of Fame. The dioramas together measured 2876 square feet.

Unfortunately, Wilson Hurley passed on in 2008 of Lou Gehrig's Disease. He seemed to be a gentle, thoughtful man who saw beauty in the world and considered it a privilege to catch it on canvases to share with all of us. He is greatly missed!

If you would like to see a video which he participated in, try this link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g40eEXs70hU This is a 3-part film.

Don't let the title ("The Art of Growing Older") discourage you from watching it! It's excellent!

FYI: http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/obituaries/articles/2008/09/01/wilson_hurley_at_84_noted_american_landscape_painter/

...along the Pathway...

Sometimes good things come to an end...as has happened with Art Gallery 66, the gallery where my art was represented. Yes, AG66 is closing it's doors on March 31, 2009. We always try to figure out the reason why. Whatever that reason is, I know that everything will be OK!

I will miss all of the friends I made while there. Of course, I hope to see them from time to time in the future. It was fun! I'm glad I met the people, attended the receptions, learned all I did, painted all I did. It was a delight to see my art hanging amongst the other excellent artists there! I have great memories to always cherish from Art Gallery 66.

I believe everything has a season...and a purpose. I know that good things are ahead for me...and all of the artists from AG66. I look forward with anticipation to everything life holds for me!

I will be blogging more often in the future. I hope that you will check back occasionally. I may even post some of my paintings from time to time. Life is good!