Abstract "The Lamentation"

Abstract The Lamentation
Originally uploaded by Gayle Bell

I finally got around to posting this abstract painting I did a while ago. It's one of a few of my paintings in a show with Terri West at the Maitland Civic Center through October. 

Art Journaling for Creativity and Self Awareness

Fish Out of Water, Mixed Media, 5.5" x 8.5"

Today was pretty busy with a trip to the dermatologist and several biopsies. It's such a treat to be fair in Florida. After that ordeal, I came home and took a little nap before my art journaling class at Maitland Art Center. I know I don't get out much and my art room is a solitary refuge, but it was almost more than I could take. It turns out the class is sort of an open studio with people coming in and painting, collaging, doing pastel, everything under the sun--a lot going on and a lot of commotion. I'm apparently the only one doing journaling. Before I bolted for the door, I asked the instructor, Kaye Calloway, if it's like this all the time, and she said don't get scared off because it should quiet down after the first class. Even though she was spread thin with so many students, we talked quite a bit about artistic goals, earning a living from art (or not) and even hard to tame inferiority complexes. She seems like a very caring and astute person. I absent-mindedly doodled in a corner of the room on a page I had started in one of my sketch pads while taking in the chaos. Ironically, when I came home and looked at it again, I saw that it had an image of a fish out of water--the same way I felt in the class. Maybe there is something to this journaling thing.

New sketch--Roses and cat

Roses and Grady, mixed media

I was hoping to finish the portrait I did of Marley for Jerry's Christmas present. It needs a few little tweaks before I'm going to be satisfied with it (naturally), but I just didn't feel like tackling it tonight. It may be of the verge of being ruined if I do too much to it, yet I'm not happy with his mouth and fur yet. So I decided to do a sketch of the flowers Jerry gave me for Christmas. I was hoping for a Picasso-type look, but didn't quite get there (might as well aim high!) I took some creative license and only painted five of the dozen flowers he gave me and it didn't seem complete without Grady in the window looking for birds.

Completed a page in my sketch book --yipee!!

Mixed media abstract

I'm not sure where the day went, but I did manage to get some painting in. It didn't amount to much, but I did fill a page in my sketch book and managed to spread some paint on some other things I have lying around. I'm determined to fill a page a day--that's a good New Year's resolution! And they don't have to be as intricate as today's--not sure what it means, if anything--just a pencil sketch of a still life will do. Tomorrow I'm determined to clean up my art room--I can't breathe in there, let alone create anything. I guess it shows in this busy piece.

Abstract painting--mixed media, graphite, ink and acrylic paint

Mixed media, "Cat hair on the carpet in the full moon"

Today was beautiful--clear and cool (almost cold!) Finally made my way into the art room to varnish some paintings I had laying around. I'm sure I can do this, I thought. It was kind of fun and I was wondering why I had never bothered to varnish paintings before. It really brings out the color and lends an air of finality to the paintings (perhaps), it's mindless and, therefore, not an anxiety-producing event like painting can sometimes be (I know, I know--I'm nuts!) It led to attempting to finish a sketch/painting I had done a couple of weeks before. I added graphite and some ink to the painting and--be still my beating heart--it's done! Heck, it's only an entry in my sketchbook--can't spend my life on it! :-)

New artwork--Orchid altered photo/mixed media

Orchids, 9.75" x 6.75" mixed media, altered photo on illustration board

To break out of a creative slump, I got out one of my many art books, "The Complete Guide to Altered Imagery" by Karen Michel. It's got some good ideas and tips about using photo transfers, monoprinting and altered photos in mixed media pieces. Since I'm an expert at bad photography, I decided to alter some crummy pictures of orchids I took a while ago. It was kind of fun and here's the result. My light bulb moment!: If you break out of the mind set of being discouraged by imperfection, and try hard enough, you can sometimes achieve fairly good results. I've got plenty of bad pictures, so this could go on and on.

Seven painting ©, 11" x 15", mixed media
Today's meltdown of the stock market and oil exploding over $11 a barrel was a little distracting, to say the least. I added a "widget" to the site for news, because it's impossible for me to divorce myself from what's going on in the world. The anxiety of worrying whether I'll be living under a bridge in the not too distant future seems to have a negative impact on my will to create and the type of paintings I'm doing. In fact, everything I touched today in my studio was anything but pretty. Maybe blaming it on the environment is a cop out, but I guess art can't always be pleasing. It's strange, but the painting I'm working on has a prominent "7" in it, which somehow I never noticed. Maybe it's a subconscious wish for some luck in our country's dire situation. Bill Moyers, on PBS, had some guests on tonight who really scared me. What with all the sabre rattling going on now with Iran, they said one incident of a tanker blowing up in the Straight of Hormuz and the insurance companies would take care of insuring that oil went to $200 or $250 a barrel. I can't help but think that the smart money is betting on that now.

On a more positive note, this blog thing brings back memories of my grandfather who kept a diary, in tiny, meticulous handwriting, in many small leather-bound books. My siblings and I have enjoyed reading them (with a magnifying glass). I never kept one until now, but I can't help but think how he would have been in heaven with the tools available today. I can see now why he kept a diary--it helps to sort out, define, vent and, hopefully, resolve the problems in our lives. That's a lesson worth remembering.

Burnt Offerings ©, 12" x 16", mixed media on canvas board
Finished another one. This one has been languishing around for a long time. I had tried a number of experiments, including adding a fragment from an old family Bible that had fallen apart. The fragment is about Abraham getting ready to sacrifice his son when God steps in and tells him never mind, he passed the test. I'm calling it "Burnt Offerings" for a number of reasons, including the fact that about the only thing you can see from the fragment is "burnt offerings." I included bits of a CD because I've always liked the way they look, especially in a mosaic pattern. I guess they're another formed of burnt or "burned" offering.

Evolution ©, 11" x 15", mixed media
Hooray! I finished a picture. It's amazing what a deadline will do. I had this board laying around forever with some elements laying on it (don't know why I chose those particular ones) and never did anything with it. My mission is to get all my unfinished paintings finished (on a daily basis until complete). They may not be perfect (what is?), but maybe I can move on and actually tidy up my art room. It was certainly not easy trying to navigate around so many unfinished works, but I got a really nice shade of green I copied from a Rousseau painting and it seemed to go well with a lot of the unfinished works. I even dabbed some on the big painting on the wall and it seems like it might be starting to come together. However, I do need some additional elements in that. I'm not sure what. Hopefully, I'll sleep on it and my dreams will tell me.