The Desert in Outrageous Bloom

I have been working so hard in the studio that I think I have finally hit a creative wall. I think I actually have to take a day off! (whoa.) I know, but there's nothing else that can be done. I tried to paint a cottontail rabbit today - nothing new, nothing I haven't tackled before - and I just couldn't make it work. There was frustration. There was a throwing of a brush. There were breaths drawn to calm down. More working...getting more awful by the brushstroke. I finally had to WALK AWAY. Sit down in a different room. Gather myself. And then, I went back and wiped the whole painting off. (oh yes I did!)

So I have decided to write you here, my dear blogger friends. Hi. I promised to share with you some photos of the Joshua Trees in bloom. I am going to do that, and I am also going to share some photos of the Mojave Yucca blooms. We've got one in front of our house that is exploding with flowers. Astonishing flowers. Here are the Joshua Tree blooms (and one bud):

Here are the Astonishing Mojave Yucca Blooms:

Taken in the last light of the day - so delicate

Don't you LOVE them?

Send me your encouraging words, as you have done before. Please. Since delivery for my April show is less than two weeks away. And I need to have at least two more (preferably three!) paintings. (And this is oil paint we're talking about here.)

Invention

Necessity really is the mother of invention. If you have been following this saga about the animal eraser paintings, you will know that there was a two month waiting period for me before the permission form was returned. During this time, I did move on to other animal paintings, created from "real" animals. But I also had this concept for my upcoming solo show ("Real and Imagined: A Collection of Animal Paintings"). I wasn't quite ready to throw that concept out the window. A friend had suggested I create my own imaginary animals. Of course, I had considered that already, but after she said it, I knew I had to try.

First, I did a couple of one-line drawings in my sketchbook. Then, I decided I needed to have something three-dimensional. I bought some Play Doh. I made a rabbit out of Play Doh. I didn't like it, so I squished it and made another. I did another drawing. I made ONE LAST Play-Doh rabbit, lighted it and photographed it. Then I painted it. I wasn't too happy with my rabbit painting, so I did the same thing with a tortoise: drawing, play-doh, squish, drawing, play doh, photo,... And then I painted it. Now that I have begun to once more paint the Iwako "imaginary" animals, I am finding myself more and more satisfied with my own "imaginary" animals. They will make it into the show in April.

a preliminary charcoal drawing

Play-Doh rabbit

Play-Doh tortoise

Here is my tortoise painting:

"Tortoise." Oil on canvas, 18 x 24 inches. ©Karine Swenson2013

What do you think of my "imaginary" animal?

We love spring

The weather has been warm and glorious here in the desert, these past few days. Things are starting to bud and bloom. The Joshua Trees are covered in buds. I have already seen a few of them in full, wonderful bloom. Photos will be forthcoming.

I am in the studio, frantically trying to make up for time I spent waiting for the well-worth-it letter from Japan. Now that I have a green light, I want to paint more of the Iwako erasers. I forgot, in my last post, to send a link to the company that makes the little animal erasers I have been painting. It is a great website, and if you have a moment, I highly recommend visiting. Click here for a visit to the Iwako, Co, Ltd. website.

I need to get painting, so here are a few glimpses of spring in my yard:

And one new painting:

"Well Defined." Collage, acrylic and oil on board, 9 x 12 inches. ©Karine Swenson2013

Permission Granted

Great news! Today, I checked my PO Box and found a letter addressed to me from Japan. I managed to wait until I got back into my car before opening it. I knew who it was from, but not what it contained. (Those of you who have been following my blog know that I had started a new series of paintings based on some REALLY cute animal erasers. I had found out that there were some copyright issues involved when doing paintings of toys, so rather than risk doing the wrong thing and feeling worried about it, I decided to write to the CEO of the company that makes the erasers and ask permission to continue painting the new works.) As I tore open the envelope, I wondered, would they say "yes"? Or would I find a letter from a lawyer saying "don't you dare keep using our images for your art!" There was some heart pounding, a moment of doubt....and then:

There is my permission form, signed by the CEO of Iwako Co., Ltd.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hooray!!!!!! I love Iwako, Co., Ltd. And I love the erasers they make. Now I have permission to keep painting these imaginary animals. Is that cool or WHAT?!? That is SO COOL.

If you are reading this, Mr. Iwasawa, thank you!!! Thank you for granting this artist permission to keep painting your eraser animals. I am thrilled and delighted! And I will be sending you a thank you note this week.

I am posting a newly completed painting of one of the erasers made by Iwako, in honor of a company that seems to be sympathetic to artists. Here's to you, with gratitude!

"Elephant." Oil on canvas, 20 x 20 inches. ©2013 Karine Swenson

Cold and colds

Hi everyone! I am recovering from a nasty cold, and happy to say I am finally beginning to feel more like myself. It's irritating enough to be sick, but it's been cold here too. We even got a little bit more snow on Tuesday night. Pono thinks snow is fun to roll in. I am sure if I had a fur coat, I would agree.

This will be a short post, since the illness has made me feel way behind. Here's my thousand words:

"Speed Walking." Collage, acrylic, and oil on canvas, 16 x 20 inches. ©Karine Swenson 2013

Desert snow and painting

We woke up to a light dusting of snow yesterday morning. I was so excited that I pulled on boots and a coat over my pj's and went out with dog and camera to record it. It's a rare treat in the desert of Southern California to have snow.

We recently watched (for the second time) "Gerhard Richter Painting" on Netflix. If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend it. At one point, Richter says “To talk about paintings is not only difficult but perhaps pointless too. You can only express in words what words are capable of expressing-- what language can communicate. Painting has nothing to do with that.” ― Gerhard Richter
I love that.

"Science Fiction." Oil on canvas, 30 x 10 inches. ©Karine Swenson 2013 

"Fiction." Oil on canvas, 30 x 10 inches.©Karine Swenson 2013 

Bobcat

The days go something like this:
1. Get up
2. Drink caffeine
3. Put contact lenses in
4. Get dressed/walk or run with dog
5. Eat
6. Laundry and email catch up
7. Studio
8. Eat
9. Studio
10. Go to bed and dream about paintings

Repeat.

Then you have to add the other "stuff" like:
1. Sweeping and mopping
2. shopping for food
3. Buying dog food
4. Dermatologist appointment
5. Hanging another show at JTAG
6. Updating the website
7. creating inventory lists for galleries
8. Shipping sold paintings (yay!!)
9. Visiting galleries to make sure they feel loved
10. photographing art
11. cleaning the bathroom
12. Dusting
13. etc.
14. etc.
15. oh, and I do occasionally shower.

WHEW!

But then there's this, still wet and just off the easel:

"Strict Carnivore." Oil on canvas, 35 x 40 inches. ©2013

Happy Thursday, all you crazy cats!