Rembrandt masters me

Wikipedia-Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈrɛmbrɑnt ˈɦɑrmənsoːn vɑn ˈrɛin], July 15, 1606[1] – October 4, 1669) was a Dutch painter and etcher. He is generally considered one of the greatest painters and print makers in European art history and the most important in Dutch history.[2] His contributions to art came in a period that historians call the Dutch Golden Age.

This the skeleton of Rembrandt. While reading about him and viewing some of his work I discovered that his life was filled with loss and sorrow, as well as triumphs and joys. He experienced much of his artistic inspiration from the stories of the bible although he is best known for his portraits.
I found his work warm and sensitive, filled with emotion.

As I learn first about DaVinci , then Michelangelo and now Rembrandt I feeling richer and richer by the day. I am finding that my view of art is changing as well as my creative experience evolving. I liken it to the first time I felt the endorphins rise in my brain while exercise. My endorphins are rising and with each day that passes I feel a stillness and a hunger for this process that I have committed myself to.

Getting down to the nuts and bolts of my inspired work influenced by Rembrandt.
First of all I wanted to stay primarily on the warm side of the spectrum.
my pallet consisted of titanium white, azo yellow medium, cadmium yellow hue, azo yellow deep,cadmium red hue, rose quinacridone, azo red deep, alizarine crimson, yellow ochre, terre vehte, colbalt blue hue, and french ultra marijn.
When it came to decide what I was to paint, of course a portrait was tempting, I love faces. But I decided to go to the bible for my inspiration as did Rembrandt.

My mother gave me a bible for my fiftieth birthday, yikes fifty, that is hard for me still to comprehend. I don't feel fifty (something).
I went to the old testament and looked through the stories and found one that spoke to me.

The Book of Ruth. as the story goes, Naomi, her husband and their two sons moved to neighboring Moab to escape famine in Israel. Naomi's husband died there and her sons married Moabite women. In time, both her sons also died, leaving Naomi destitute and and alone, far from her relatives in Israel. Naomi decided to return to Israel. She went to her daughter-in-laws and told them to back to their families, there they would find security and safety and they were still young enough to remarry and have children.
verse 14 "And again they wept together, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye. But Ruth clung tightly to Naomi. "Look," said Naomi to her, "your sister-in-law has returned to people and to her gods. You should do the same."
But Ruth replied, "Don't ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; where ever you live , I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death separate us! When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more.

This story spoke to me specifically about loyalty, love, grief and friendship. So I tried to put those feelings down on canvas.

studies

practice, practice, practice. it's all about practice

Ode to Michelangelo

As I look for you through my looking glass
colors and stone, folklore and wiki wield their testimony.
Who can deny your Angeloic gifts to us.
to use Marc's word, let me be your witness.


I imagine walking dusty path to Florentine churches.
Your mysteries manifested reside in the Vatican.
I tumble softly through
the cotton clouds with angels and God.

When will I see your face.
There are so many years between us.
Do the tender touches, mean you were.
Are there still silent secrets sleeping.

One can only look for the deeper meaning
Can i see you in me
In what way will you travel with me on my dusty path
that has brought me to you in times twisting tease?

6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni
what is in a name.
Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect,engineer,
poet.

worm holes

Wow! I just crawled out of a worm hole, or the rabbit hole. They have very similar landscape. So much has happened since I wrote last, my studies and practice are constant.

Today I delivered a commission piece, it was an emotion experience, and for one with virtually no water in my astrological sign, it always seems surprising to me that I am so filled with such deep stirrings.
The commission was a memorial portrait, my client's brother died and the memorial is Friday and this portrait will be at the service for viewing.

This has been a trans formative month and a half. I am hoping that soon I will have a chance to really take it all in.

It started with my art lab show. I learned so much from that experience. Bets Lundeen was the other painter and I enjoyed the Friday, Saturday and Sundays for the month of September painting with her. She was quite generous with her knowledge and companionship. It was a true privilege and honor to be at the art lab and to share such company. Initially I was paralyzed with fear and distracted with self doubt. I have to wonder if other artists have as active of a thought life as I do. My brain is always talking to me, giving me her opinion and it is not always good news. But I just kept showing up. I have to wonder did DaVinci, Michelangelo, Frida, Georgia, Picasso, did any of the masters fight this weary battle of self doubt and incrimination?

At the beginning of September I participated in the Art Steps program, Little Monets. That was amazing. What those little eyes see. I once heard that we are all born little Van Goughs and Monets but life makes us forget. Well they have not forgotten yet and the work produced was breathtaking.

On the heels of the art lab came a controversial show at the museum, followed by picketing, city council meetings and culminating in an act of violence toward art.

Yesterday, the clients brought to me a number of pictures of his brother, throughout different stages in his much too short life. They came to deliver the pictures and to see my other work. We talked for a while about his brother. I asked him to share his brother with me because it would make it easier for me to share him back.
There were stories about their past and present, jokes, expressions and personality, moods, phone conversations and mostly about the love they had for one another. It was touching. I was reunited with my own grief and loss and love.

I have discovered that most of life is about point of view. Whether rose colored, readers, bifocals or sunglasses, how we see things seems to rest with our point of view and for me that changes many times a day. Consequently, there are many times I find myself questioning my value, my contribution, my resolve, my abilities. It can be quite tiresome at times.

During the museum controversy there were some pretty sobering question about the value of art and I had to ask where do I fit into this community of masterful artists that have accomplished so much. What is success?

about a week ago I met with a young man who wanted to commission a copper repousse for his wife's anniversary gift. We met at the coffee tree and I explained what I do and showed him some of my work and we were able to strike a deal. He shared with me that he, his wife and their two children were out shopping and he took this most amazing picture of their shadows and the wanted that translated into a piece of art. He shared about himself in a refreshingly open way.

I started the composite portrait yesterday. While creating this work I was reminded how short and precious this life is and how much I still feel my own losses. I turned the focus dial up and started the work. I called them this morning and told them that the work was ready for them to take possession, then I got of the phone and called my grief counselor at hospice and made an appointment.

When they arrived I had the picture hanging on the wall. As they walked into my house I saw their eyes land upon the piece. I saw a recognition, a reuniting, tears. Which soon became contagious. It was a sorrowful and happy occasion. This picture, for them, brought him back in some small but rich way.

I have resolved to remember that I am an artist and to observe the special ways my Creator reminds me that I am a creator too.

In conclusion

For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return.
Leonardo da Vinci

For the last month and a half I have been studying Leonardo da Vinci and I can say that the experience has truly taken me into the clouds. He was an extraordinary man and I have learned so much. I am currently working on a portrait of my daughter Sheena in the Mona Lisa style using his techniques of thin coats of paint layered to creating the ethereal effect he so masterly captured. I will continue to work on the painting but because of the many layers, specifically 30 layers, this project is ongoing and will take more time and I am ready to move on to the next artist.

In conclusion of my studies of Leo, there are many things to admire about this man as I have mentioned previously, the main aspect I am taking away from him is the diversity of his creativity and the creative way he approached every aspect of his life.
Having taken time to really look at much of his work and read about the time he spent on this earth I feel I have truly touched the sky and and there I, with Leonardo as my example, will return.
I encourage anyone who is a willing and ready student to do your own journey with Leonardo and glean the pearls of wisdom he still offers anyone open to receive.

Quote of the Day, 30 Aug, 10

Life is pretty simple: You do some stuff. Most fails. Some works. You do more of what works. If it works big, others quickly copy it. Then you do something else. The trick is the doing something else.
Leonardo da Vinci

Quote of the Day, 27 Aug 10

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
Leonardo da Vinci