Spare time

Stonington Ledge

Original oil painting 14x18"

by Susan Roux

Getting back to normal.

At least I hope so. My life has been flying at a faster pace than usual and I'm very happy to return to my simple routine. Isn't that funny about routines? They can become so mundane and make you fell stuck in a rut, but lose if for too long and you're quite happy to return to it. This week my only commitments are the classes I teach. I wonder if I can get to the end of the week without creating new ones for myself...

It's usually a challenge.

I don't know about you, but I can't seem to keep my idle time idle for very long. As soon as there is spare time, I begin to fill it up. The same is true of my desk. My students know it is a piled mess. An organized mess though. I can usually find what I want in seconds. What my students don't know is if I take a day to clean it, I no sooner begin to fill it up again. Not just with random papers. Oh no. I start searching the internet finding things to apply to or getting ideas and of course I don't want to forget all this information I'm compiling, so it goes on paper. Lots and lots of paper. Then books and notebooks and folders followed by post-it notes and tiny pieces of different colored notepad paper to keep my thousands of thoughts in order. In the end, there isn't any order to be seen. Clutter covering my entire desk.

So as much as I would love to have a clean desk, I almost fear cleaning it. Fear of giving myself more projects!

For this week, I'll retreat to my easel. I've missed spreading paint around. How long has it been since I've painted one of my dreamy beach girls? Too long, I say.

Stonington Ledge is one of nine paintings I recently delivered at Blue Hill Bay Gallery (not to be confused with the Blue Heron Gallery), located in lovely Blue Hill, Maine. I stopped in to visit Peter, the owner, last June during my weeklong get-a-way to Deer Isle in quest of painting lupines. He agreed to represent me starting this year. You remember, right? Stonington is a lovely fishing village located on the tip of Deer Isle. Painting works for Peter was a real joy. The scenery up there is calming and beautiful. Much like the people who inhabit the area. The pace reminded me of Ireland. It's so fulfilling to know such places exist and when we really wish to slow down, we can retreat to these little gems to participate and be rejuvenated in their ways.

Another interesting fact about this painting is I did it with some beginner students. It was their 3rd painting. Yes, you read that correctly. Third painting. I won't tell you we did it in a snap, but without any pencil drawing, I let them through this complex painting, step by step. Their results were astounding! I had second year students watching this painting develop and feeling they were still not ready for such a composition. But seriously, I could have led them through it as well...

Blue Heron Gallery

Sundress

Original oil painting 28x22"

by Susan Roux

Think sunshine, warm sand, long beaches and vacation. People strolling about relaxed and smiling. Tank tops, flip flops, shorts and ponytails. The smell of salty air.

Think Cape Cod.

Have you ever been? It's a wonderful peninsula, shaped like an arm if you're showing your muscle.

Locals here refer to their locations by using body parts. For example, Orleans is located on the inside of the elbow while Chatham is on the outside of the elbow. Truro is the wrist, Provincetown or P-town as it's known are the fingers, and Falmouth is the armpit. Ask for directions on the Cape and these are the words you'll hear. It's pretty self explanatory and with a single highway running to the tip, finding your way isn't very difficult.

Blue Heron Gallery is located halfway between the inner elbow and the wrist in the lovely town of Wellfleet. People come to Wellfleet for the art. It has many art galleries all within walking distance. Aside from these it's also known for it's oysters. I've been very fortunate to be represented at this fine gallery for years now. The owner, Roy Thurston III, is a wonderful kind man and will happily greet you as you enter. He loves art. He loves the female form and his walls are hung with beautiful amazing pieces of art. You'll also find swirling sculptures, chiseled sculptures, tiny sculptures and whimsical sculptures. Beautiful colored glass pieces sitting on pedestals are placed to capture your eye and enhance the art. The whole experience of walking through this well known gallery is exhilarating to say the least.

The gallery sits behind a lovely perennial garden, center-pieced by a sculpted female with water trickling down her body. You'll walk among the flowers on a brick-laid walkway that leads to the front door. The garden stroll is just a hint of what lies inside. You'll be surprised by it's size. There you'll find a series of rooms on two floors and well placed art that pulls you through the space. Each time you turn another spectacular piece catches your eye in the distance and soon you're drawn further into the maze exploring every inch of the gallery. It's so easy to get lost in the art. At times you may even get lost in the gallery!

Delivery time is approaching. Blue Heron is a seasonal gallery and April is when all the art arrives. Roy is an amazing curator and in a week's time he'll have the empty walls dazzling. I'm looking forward to another season and the opportunity to have my latest series of females out in view for the public. So if you find yourself on the Cape this summer, remember Wellfleet is between the inner elbow and the wrist. Do stop by and let me know what you think.

Thankful

Returning

Work in progress 18x24"

by Susan Roux

Thanksgiving being tomorrow, its hard not to stop at this time of year and reflect on all we have to be thankful for. Yes, many of us have struggled. The economy hasn't made it easy for a lot of people. Sickness and hardships may have hit you hard in 2010. But even through the difficulties life throws at us, there is still much to be thankful for.

I have many. I won't bore you by listing them. I do however want to take a moment to thank all of you who frequent my blog. This has truly been one of the things I give thanks for: the opportunity to have met all of you. Recent hardships in our family have kept me away from painting and posting. My last post was 14 days ago, yet you still continue to visit. You amaze me...

Posted is a painting my Tuesday night class is doing. We should finish it next week. I don't expect to change many things on mine, but I'm leaning towards developing a few of the flowers. Perhaps cutting into some of the round balls of the peony. I also want to identify the irises a bit clearer in spots.

This painting moved along quickly. We didn't draw anything, just hopped in with paint. My class followed along splendidly and with Luka Bloom playing in the background, everyone's work fell into place. Luka has that effect. You should really try it sometime...

This image is special to me. Its a scene in Cape Cod, though it isn't a typical Cape painting. The photo was taken on Memorial weekend, when I traveled there to the Blue Heron Gallery's opening. The female in my painting is none other than the well-known Martine-Alison! Certainly someone high on my list of people to be thankful for. Painting this brought back wonderful memories of her visit to the States. My last post was about painting your passion. This image stuck to that suggestion. Perhaps its why it fell into place so easily.

Note: The darks beneath the flowers are with transparent paint and in reality tuck deep under the flowers. They don't jump forward like in this photo.

I hope you can all find lots of things to be thankful for. I'm certain they exist...

Happy Thanksgiving.

Art talk

I flew down to the Cape this past weekend. Well not literally, but almost with the way traffic flows. It took four hours to our hotel on Cape Cod and another half hour or so to the Blue Heron Gallery. Its end of the season and time to pick up any unsold art. Sadly there were a lot to pick up. Sales continue to be a struggle, not only for me, but for all the artists in the gallery.

I traveled with my friend Sandy. Conversation through two days of driving was stimulating to say the least. I don't know what it is with Sandy and me, but get us together and we discuss art, our goals and desires deeper than with anyone else I know.

I think it has to do with the questions she poses.

Sandy lives an hour away and is an elementary school art teacher. (Those lucky kids. She really teaches them a great foundation!) Consequently we don't get to see each other frequently. Conversation always starts with, What have you been painting lately? ...but goes much further. Short term goals. Long term goals. How have they changed since we last talked about them? Why have they changed? Desires to travel to different places to paint. Workshops. Workshops you need to travel to. Sandy would love to take one in Scottsdale, AZ. She tried to talk me into joining her, but my desires lie somewhere else.

We both expressed a feeling of being on the brink of something very good and wishing we had time to just paint without the typical responsibilities of life. For myself, its as though a deeper understanding of what I'm trying to do with paint is circling in my head. I feel if I had the time to devote to it, I'd create something at a higher level than my usual. It all makes sense in my brain. I just need to make my paintbrush do it! I talked about wishing I was on an art retreat. Nothing to block my mind, just there to paint. Somehow I'm sure something would break through and emerge from within.

We wished we were painting.

All this talk about our desires, yet stuck in the car...

Wouldn't it be great if at the end of our drive we would be on a painting retreat? Our suppressed desire to paint would burst out on canvas! Why don't we rent a house during February school vacation and do just that? Paint without interruption. We wouldn't even have to go far. Stay in Maine and paint indoors. Just be out of our homes so laundry, cleaning and errands are far from our minds. Paint. Paint all day and keep each other stimulated with conversation. What a great idea!

After returning home, I scoured the internet in search of the perfect "home" to do this at. I think I found it. It has four bedrooms, so we need to get two other artists on board. I don't think that'll be hard to do.

The house in question is on the ocean with lots of windows for good light. There's plenty of room to set up easels everywhere. The plan is to bring drop cloths and paint our brains out! Well its not really our brains we want to pour out, more out hearts, but you get the idea...

Karen Choquet laughed when I invited her to join us. "You're always up to something, aren't you?"

Oh, for certain!

(Posted are a few of the tiny 4x4" paintings I did for the November art show.)

Date confirmed

Beach Walkers

Original oil painting 16x20

by Susan Roux

I recently finished this painting with one of my classes and delivered it to The Wright Gallery on Monday. This is Goose Rocks Beach. Its located just down the street from the gallery. Charlie told me last year, that in this bad economy, paintings of recognizable local scenes might sell better. This is my attempt to see if he's right.

My life has been bustling.

As you know, Martine-Alison is coming for a visit. She arrives on Thursday and will be here for three weeks. As the time closes in, its difficult to express my true feelings and excitement for this reunion. It goes beyond words... We plan to take photos of our time together and post them here, to share with all of you. Last minute preparations are continuing at both ends. She's finally figured out how to transport art on the plane and has it packed securely in a carry-on. Her frames are unassembled to save space. Glueing them on the first night is a priority as we are delivering them to the Blue Heron Gallery the following day. As for myself, I'm trying to finish my gardening projects and failing... There will be more planting to do later, together. And... last but certainly not least, does anyone have a cleaning lady they can share?!!

But this is not all the excitement brewing here...

Yesterday I confirmed the dates, July 16-17-18. This is when the great, comical, witty, dynamic, ever-talented paintbrush pusher, Don Hatfield will teach a workshop in Maine!

Yes, I said in Maine!!!

It is my great honor to have him as my guest and I am currently busy setting up and organizing his workshop. Its an interesting experience, as I have never done this before. It will be an indoor, three-day workshop in Lewiston, Maine. If any of you are interested in traveling here and want to participate in this wonderful opportunity, please contact me here, before it goes out in an announcement to the general, local public. I'm certain the limited space will fill up very quickly! Cost is $325.00 for the three days. Such a bargain for this talent...

Is your life bustling with excitement, too? If not, create some... New experiences and new acquaintances can really stimulate the creative juices! I spoke to you many times before about going to meet each other. I hope you're taking my suggestion. You blood will tingle through your veins like Fourth of July fireworks do in the sky!

Here she comes!

Martine-Alison is coming to visit!

From France to Maine. For three glorious weeks, I might add... Can you see me jumping with excitement? Getting together with other artists is such a rewarding experience. Today, Leslie Saeta posted about meeting Dreama Tolle Perry, an artist she blogs with. If you still haven't had this experience, I urge you to try it as soon as possible. You're in for a wonderful surprise!

Through a nutty impulsive act, I got Martine-Alison represented by the Blue Heron Gallery. Though we are nations apart, we revel in the fact that our art hangs together. Martine-Alison and Susan Roux, side-by-side as we wish to be...

I suppose you want to hear the story.

As I've already mentioned, Roy, the owner and I have a very good relationship. To truly understand what happened, I must inform you of his love for the female form. Every year I paint him a "babe" or two to keep him interested and happy. This year I delivered Roaring Twenties and Golden Shimmy. You get the idea...

I recall, a few years back during a phone conversation on the off-season, he told me to try painting in the nude! Sales were on the decline and he thought I might loosen up and pour my passion onto the canvas if I was completely free. I laughed at his suggestion, because my Catholic upbringing made this totally impossible. Not to mention that if he really wanted me to relax, this was not the way to do it!

He then suggested I paint my "beach babes" (as he likes to call them), without clothes. It was a very humorous conversation, I assure you. At every suggestion, I laughed and laughed. Did he have any inclination of my sensitivity to public display?

"But your an artist!" he continued. "You're suppose to be fine with nudity. You're suppose to be open minded and free. You really should try it!" He urged on.

It wasn't working...

Later that day, Martine-Alison had just completed a painting. As usual she emailed me the image. This is what she sent:

Valentine

by Martine-Alison

We were instant messaging at the time and I was telling her of my conversation with Roy. We were giggling and all sorts of crazy, silly things were flying out of our mouths, or rather, our fingertips... When we get going, a whole lot of ridiculous gets fed upon by both parties and its no wonder the expression "fruitcake" comes into the conversation! One silly idea leads to another silly idea and being as visual as we are... well you can only imagine the level of hysterical we touch upon.

So somewhere in the middle of being totally foolish together, I get the idea of sending her image to Roy.

A few giggles later, with her daring me to do it, and I was emailing Roy.

It was a very brief message. It read, "Is this what you mean?" and Martine-Alison's image.

As you can well imagine, I received a response very quickly! He knew instantly it wasn't my work, but he certainly wanted to know who's work it was! (I wonder what Leo is looking at?)

And so it happened that with one foolish act, my friend became represented by the Blue Heron Gallery...

For those of you who keep wondering how to get gallery representation? It isn't always a fine art. Sometimes craziness is the way in.

So Martine-Alison is arriving just in time to attend the Grand Season Opening! Let me tell you, Roy puts on a fabulous opening party! It will be held on Saturday, May 29. The gallery is in Wellfleet, MA on Cape Cod. If any of you are nearby or will be visiting during Memorial weekend, please do come meet us. We will be the two silliest girls in the building. You'll find us be following the giggles...

Go meet artists. You'll spark such stimulation in yourself, you'll be amazed! Any time together or simply communicating together will be precious.

You already have so much in common...

Restored

Rose Cottage

Original oil painting 18x24"

by Susan Roux

Did you really think I could stay out of this canvas for a whole day? I couldn't.

It took until mid afternoon before I dared return to it. Thank you for all your comments. You gave me courage to calm down and decipher what had gone wrong. I refused to believe my own excuses. "Too old, so I'm imagining things..." No, sorry I couldn't swallow that one.

Its in the mistakes that we learn.

Saturday I travel to Cape Cod to deliver my body of work for the summer at the Blue Heron Gallery. The owner, Roy and I have a great artist/gallery relationship. This winter he decided to hand pick the art for his gallery. Usually we bring him what we want, but he's in hopes that this might help sales in a tough economy. So all winter, when I finished a painting, I send it along to him. And so it was with Rose Cottage...

I was so excited painting it, as you have read in yesterday post. I took my camera to my studio and photographed it before taking it off the easel. I ran upstairs to my computer, downloaded the image and immediately sent it to Roy, stating that the painting, "looks much better in person". After sending it, I turned to view my painting. This is when I realized the dilemma I wrote about yesterday. Everything looked different and the painting seemed ruined!

On no! And here I had just sent it to Roy.

No problem. I deliver in a few days and it always takes Roy a week and a half to respond to my emails. He won't have even seen it...

Wrong.

Yesterday morning as I turned on my computer to write my devastating artistic breakdown post, there sat a reply from Roy. "Yes, definitely bring it to the gallery!"

So as you see, yesterday I was dealing with my own breakdown along with feeling the pressure to revive it to gallery standards. Let me tell you, my head spun around for awhile. Calming down finally helped. What went wrong? I was still trying to figure it out. I know I didn't imagine what I saw. It was there. But what happened to lose it?

Suddenly I remembered adjusting my yellows just before finishing. Cool lemon yellows in my dark areas were competing for attention. I decided to calm them with cadmium yellow. It worked like magic. They calmed and brightened at the same time. I proceeded to calm several spots of lemon yellow. Oddly in my head, I remember thinking my light is all cool, adding warm cannot be right. But visually it had given a better transition out of the darkness, so I never questioned it further.

Could adding cool lemon yellow back to these passages make the difference?

It did. Suddenly the depth in my trees/vegetation returned. With the warm yellow beneath, the transition out of the dark patches wasn't as stark as before. Such a simple fix... I realized I had warmed most of my little dots of light leading the viewer in, causing those to also disappear. So a few more cool highlights and presto they returned!

A bit more adjusting here and there and what I saw in my head, was once again before my eyes. During my class last night, I kept analyzing it further, dabbing a dot or two until I felt it was tweaked to my satisfaction.

I think the feeling of restoring it back to its original feeling was more rewarding than having it all fall into place immediately. Trusting that my instincts and knowledge are enough to pull me through my mistakes is restored. Faith that the light in my studio is still safe for painting is also calming...

I couldn't sleep last night. I wanted to get out of bed and go paint all night. But my days are too busy and I knew sleep was necessary, so I held myself back. Funny how a failed painting can knock your energy but success bubbles it nearly out of control!

I hope you trust in your instincts. Its what makes us so creative. When it all falls apart, its where we have to look for answers. That and blogging...

Thanks for being so supportive.

Such a "Dub"...

If there's a fruitcake award, please give it to me quick!

I just wrote this post about my painting problem. As I was writing, I decided to fix it and post the finished version at the bottom. Unfortunately in my haste and a cup of coffee short of awake, I failed to photograph it prior to fixing my problem... So now I have this post written about a painting issue, without a photo to go along with it! Sorry... You may want to stop reading now. I even joked about deleting this post. Maybe I should.

I'm finally back in front of my easel! Being everywhere was fun, but getting back to painting feels like me.

The past two days, I've been working to finish up this painting. I'll be delivering it to the Blue Heron Gallery in Cape Cod, in another week. The pressure is on. Pressure to finish up some lingering canvases. Unfortunately my best work isn't executed under pressure...

As I was painting my figure, I was happy with the results. She appeared very striking. I ended by doing her reflection and deepening the bottom water. My brush danced around in juicy shades of purple and blue. (I just bought three new blues and playing with new mixtures had me overjoyed, like a child with new toys!) The oranges were dynamite and sang among the darks. Playing was fun...

Did I get carried away with my new found colors? Did I fail to see what was happening? Maybe I was just away from the easel for too long? Luka Bloom was singing in my ears and I felt so relaxed and happy. My brush was on automatic... You know that's when your true spirit is releasing itself on the canvas. Your deepest self is being exposed. Revealed. Its the recipe for your best work. So why didn't it work, I wonder???

The bottom overpowers the figure. She no longer seems to capture the attention. She's fighting with the reflection and your eye doesn't know where to go. I stared at her for a long time last night, trying to figure out (no pun intended...) how to fix it. What does it need? When I crop out the bottom, she pops out perfectly.

Such a dilemma...

My thought has been to darken some of the top left. However, my intensions weren't to have a dark painting. I was fighting with myself. What to do? What not to do? Blogging is great, isn't it? As I sit here evaluating it for you, the solution I seek reveals itself. I have also been annoyed by the interrupted bands of white. Did I need to connect them somehow? No. I don't think so. I think my problem lies in the contrast of the reflected skirt with the dark water. Though I think its lovely, its also what's pulling the eye away from the figure. No need to darken the top. By dulling her reflected skirt, it will solve the "white blotch" problem at the same time.

Funny how its so easy for me to see what's needed with my students work, but often difficult with my own. It has to be that passion. That attachment we get with every stroke and color we painted. Ideas we tried to execute. Though failures at times, are hard to abandon. I'm happy to see dulling her skirt is all I need to do...

Knowing that, I could delete this whole post and go fix her quickly. But I think its better as a learning tool to post her as is. (Such a Dub...)

On the bright side, I was very happy with the colors dancing around her feet. She's looking down and I just want to watch her splashing feet too!

(My sincere apologies for botching this up... Its amazing you actually read to the end. Thank you for putting up with my stupidity.) Sometimes we just need to laugh at ourselves...

Posted: "Carefree" Original oil painting, 36x12" painted-edged gallery wrapped canvas by Susan Roux

Booklets

Do you ever have brochures or booklets just jump out at you?

There they are. Staring you in the face. You can feel them tugging at you. Take me. Take me. Your arm leaps forward. You hesitate. It retracts. Your eye stays glued to the booklet. "Why would you be taking it?" you ask yourself. "These are for tourist." Unable to turn away, you finally pick it up.

Have you had this happen to you? I have. Several times actually.

What happens next is the real story. You spend a few moments wondering why you even grabbed this information and almost convince yourself it wasn't there for you at all. And then it happens... It sends you in a completely different direction altogether.

Your mind wanders and begins to imagine possibilities. New possibilities. Your excited just thinking about them. The first time this happened I was in the grocery store and at the checkout I spotted a Cape Cod art gallery guide. This may not strike you as funny, but I'm in Maine and Cape Cod is not exactly close by. There was just one gallery guide tucked among the TV guides. Looking back now, I'm convinced it arrived here by accident. An accident with my name on it. This happened in 2001 and by 2002, after much research and many art packets later, I got into the Blue Heron Gallery. If I hadn't picked up that booklet, would I be there? Most likely not.

Don't avoid taking chances that can spin you around. Surprises await. New beginnings await. Most times its just a matter of taking that initial step. Picking up that booklet...

So Wednesday while waiting for my son to arrive at the airport, I stumbled across a whole stand of booklets. Yes, they are there for tourist. Well a few jumped out at me and I must say I didn't hesitate as long as I had years ago in the grocery store. One was of Blue Hill, Maine. I've never been and knew nothing about it. I may have heard the name, but one town or another, if you don't know it can mean nothing.

I quickly learned its the jutting chunk of land just south of Acadia where the popular picturesque Bar Harbor sits. Its a wonderful area, so why wouldn't the area south be as pretty? I don't suppose it wouldn't. Photos of lupines run through out the booklet. Next thing I know, I'm all over the internet looking for lodging during lupine season...

Wouldn't it be splendid to go paint the lovely purple spikes with the ocean in the background? Whole houses are for rent by the week for the price of a few nights in an inn. (Ha ha, just like in Ireland!) My first thought of going for a few nights quickly turned into wanting to go paint for the week! My second thought is do I want to invite other artists to come join me? You can get houses with various number of bedrooms...

Well I'm not sure how this will play out at the moment. But I can tell you I wouldn't even be considering this if I hadn't first picked up that booklet. Now I'm tingling with excitement at the thought of going on a painting holiday.

I hope you keep yourself open to new possibilities. Half the fun is never knowing what's waiting around the corner. Just as color can give you surprises on the canvas, a slight change in direction can place surprises in your life. Go surprise yourself!

The Cape

From Atop

Original oil painting 16x20"

by Susan Roux

More beach scenes keep pouring out of me as I prepare my body of work for delivery at the Blue Heron Gallery in Wellfleet, Massachusetts. Wellfleet is on Cape Cod. The Cape is a beautiful place and I'm thrilled to return year after year. I've explored so many corners of it. I love bringing new people with me to take the two-day trip. They become my travel buddies.

Everyone is amazed with this gem of a place. Its off season when I deliver, so congestion is not an issue. Its like having the Cape to ourselves! Of course the beautiful flora comes later and to experience that, you must deal with the full hustle and bustle that tourist season brings.

Both bring me great joy.

One of my favorite things about the Cape is you can drive to both sides in a few minutes. The beach is always salty, but each side has its own special characteristics. To the wide Atlantic, the tall sand dunes aim to protect. Nature is wild however and it continues to carve them. Much like a painting, they are a work in progress. Every year their shapes are altered.

On the bay side, there are no pounding waves. The beaches are flat and long and the ebbing tide pulls the ocean far away from the dry sand. Sandbars appear. Grasses grow in the shallows. When the tide is high, the summertime green grasses dance in blue water. I love the shapes they make. In fall, the grass is orange. It can be spectacular swaying in the blue...

This painting is of the Atlantic side. From the parking lot, you approach high atop the dunes. The ocean appears all at once as a surprise. I wanted to capture that feeling, but I nearly gave up on it.

The front grasses gave me quite a challenge. After letting it stand for a few days I returned to try and gain control. Just as in Beach Path, those pesky, beautiful, sunlit grasses come together better second time around!

Maybe the accomplishment is sweeter when we work harder for it...