New directions

"Early moonrise" by Hilary J England, oil on canvas, 8" x 10"

I have begun a few pastel paintings, and am organizing for a solo show.  I find that putting that together is quite time consuming, but in a good way.  I am looking forward to moving in new directions...

I am sorry if I am somewhat at a loss for words today.  I have not slept yet since yesterday, since I am sadly dealing with a chronically ill child at this point, and it is a very tough thing, to say the least.  I find my mind wandering, yet I can't bring myself to sleep, since it is too foreign to do that during the day.  I'll try again tonight...

I also have work due for other committments, so this is most certainly a hard situation...

In the meantime, here is a little rapid painting I did a little bit ago while trying to relax.  It was an absolutely lovely evening, and Maddy and I had finished feeding the ducks in the small canal, and I felt such an overwhelming urge to paint the beautiful sky and moon...I just called it "Early moonrise."

Gray and morose

"Lake and flowers study" by Hilary J England, oil on canvas, 8" x 10"

The gray weather keeps us company again today.  I woke up, and looked out the kitchen door, to see the dense fog lying low along the mountain, seemingly hanging in the treetops, obscuring the view.  The rain has been continuous, with only 2 sunny days out of the last 19.  The creeks are all swollen and raging, and the flowers are busting out everywhere...now, if it will only pause the precipitation for a solid day, I can get out with my gear. 

Yes, I am a wuss when it comes to painting in discomfort.  I've done my days of wet feet, frozen, numb fingers, and the wind blowing my easel and painting face down into the dirt, and quite frankly, my days of this torment are over (at least that's how I feel now--I could always get that masochistic idea rise up again).  I wait for the decent weather, and paint in relative comfort and ease, or I stay indoors in my studio till it gets too hot, then go out during the day and paint, and return to paint in studio at night when it is cool.  Degas had it right...

I have had a few hiccups this week, and how strange it seems that the relatively annoying stuff is the stuff that bothers us the most.  My car broke down in the middle of nowhere, the drain pipe burst downstairs and the plumber needed to come...not only do these unexpected annoyances bother me the most, they bother my pocket book the most...plumbers and mechanics and towtrucks are not cheap, for sure!!  My mother always said I was in the wrong business...perhaps I should have been a plumber!

Thankfully, these things are fixed, my wallet is drained, but all is quiet for now.  The kids have headed off into their own directions for school, and I should've had school myself today, but there is a hiccup there as well in my program, so I will have to wait a week to resume class.  That frustrates me a little (years ago that would have driven me wild) but I have learned to understand the old Serenity prayer, and this is not a circumstance I can change, only accept with patience and understand it's not anyone's fault, it's just the nature of the beast...

So, with that being said, I head out to my studio, and make lemonade from lemons--I have more time to paint!!  I hope you like the little study I did early last summer when I was hiking about by the Poconos and Beltzville Lake. The sunlight was brilliant, as were the pretty flowers, and I can see the sun if I look into my mind's eye, and that's good enough for right now!

April showers



"Wildflowers in china vase" study, oil on canvas, 8" x 10" by Hilary J. England

 The rain has been a constant companion these last few weeks, punctuated by a sunny reprieve here and there.  I know in the South and Midwest, the storms have been terrible, but thankfully we have not had that happen here.  One clap of thunder, and the rest of the storm sputtered away...

I have several phone conferences lined up back to back, school work, errands to run (with no car till this afternoon), and I am generally feeling a bit peckish.  Hopefully, a walk to clear the mind, a cup of coffee, and I will have the strength and patience to get through this morning gracefully ;-)

I am working on the conceptions to my two newest paintings--one will be larger than I have worked in years, so I am excited to tackle that.  With very large paintings comes unique problems to strategize around, including the storage of them afterward, but I think I can handle that now, with the vast amount of storage space I have between the barn and the enormous, empty, dry attic I have.  Working large will help me to diversify a bit (for a solo show), as well as doing some work in different mediums.

So, I plod onward today...I posted a bright, cheery little painting of a quick study of some wildflowers in a china vase...hope it will chase the gray out of your day♥

New painting

"La familia/Lazy Spring Saturday" by Hilary J. England, oil on canvas, 24" x 30" x 2"






   
This is my newest painting.  It's called: "La Familia/Lazy Spring Saturday".  I have been moving away from the closely cropped compositions I was working with, and also with the very closely bound group of models I was working with, which centered on a smaller group of young women, and have been moving outward to include the family life and their interactions.

This was a tough week.  My fifteen year daughter has been very ill for the last several weeks, and the Doctor suspected it to be Hodgkin's lymphoma.  The tentative diagnosis scared me stupid, literally.  We waited for three days to get the results of the vast amount of tests and xrays, etc., and during that time, I died in inches.  The tests came back yesterday, cancer free!!  I can't stop thanking God for that mercy.  But, there is always the but...she does have a rather serious thyroid deficiency that they can't pinpoint as to the cause, possible Hashimoto disease, or some other autoimmune syndrome, and her x-rays revealed that the deficiency was so serious, she has suffered a fracture in her right hip...so, we now have to see some specialists this week and get some more tests and an MRI, and go from there...

So, we be thankful for our blessings, and we move on...on to wellness, on to acceptance, on to contentment in all things.♥♥

School Daze

"Odd pot and flowers on purple" by Hilary J. England, oil on canvas, 8" x 10"

University days have started.  I have hit my math course running. I forgot how much I enjoyed alegebra--I know, what a geek!!  It was always such an interesting math to me...there is an elegance in the formulations I absolutely love, there is a rhythm and beauty in the solutions...I have been working on my course early in the morning, before I start anything else, so the equations dance through my head until I drive them away with coffee!!

I have had strange dreams about the sea last night...I guess it's time to head there.  I dream of gray, stormy waters and magnificent thunderclouds, the sea in all it's angry majesty.  I miss the spray of water against my skin...the briny smells and the feel of cold, wet sand against my bare feet.  I must have been a seal in another life...a seal that was eaten by a Great White ;-)

I've had some aggravating circumstances crop up in the last week, and I have been working to get them hammered out.  Sad to say, these things don't surprise me anymore...greedy people, dishonest dealings.  In a way I blame myself, since I was warned, and I went against the warning, and decided to give this organization a "chance" and they did exactly what I was warned they would do.  That sucks...one bad apple spoils the bunch, as the saying goes.  They have made me very cautious for how I deal with similar organizations in the future....so, if nothing else, lesson learned.

Other than that, I am still waiting for Spring to show it's bonny face...in the meantime, I leave you with a study I did of an old copperish pot on a purple sheet, with some strange little flowers I saved from a bouquet.  I say copperish because it had a copper finish that was wearing off, and that made for some strange reflections....enjoy♥♥

Busy and then some...

"Morning glories in glass study" oil on canvas, Hilary J England

I start back at the University to complete my teaching degree on an advanced cyber/traditional route next week, and I am really anticipating the experience.  I decided on completing the teaching degree, since it leaves me the most options for my possible future plans, which is to eventually live overseas.  This gives me the option of teaching if I choose to...and I feel you should always have a plan that leaves you the most options. 

I've paced my course of studies as to not be too overwhelming, so it's 24 credits for the year.  I could up that if I want, but for now, this feels like the best fit.  I'm a person who likes to feel the pool first, and ease my way in.  My days of cannonballing right in over my head are over...I've learned a bit since then, lol.

Lots of birthdays coming up this weekend/week, and all of the parties to boot.  April is a busy month in my house, but as soon as Nunni's birthday passes next week, I can breathe a sigh of relief, the birthdays for the household are finished!  It's kind of like a second Christmas, with all the presents I have to buy all within a couple of week stretch.

I have been designated to make the fancy cakes for two of the babies...a Spongebob cake, and a Princess cake.  While I do look forward to making them, since I love doing fun stuff like that...the concepts for these cakes have mushroomed, and now, laughingly, I am considering how we will transport these cake sculptures!  I will have to either go back to the "drawing board" or we'll have to get an engineer involved for the transport!

The weather is nice today, and I am considering a hike into the mountains for a quick plein air session.  I guess when I take Chorkie out, I will decide if the weather is really good enough for it today.

I leave you with the tiny, rapid, monochrome study above I did last summer....enjoy!

Intervals...

"For Jodi" by Hilary J. England, 12" x 16" oil on canvas

The above artwork is a commission I finished painting yesterday...a mother/daughter painting.  This was done by several reference photos, sketches, and one sitting.  It took about 3 and half hours to complete, as we were on a time crunch due to the nature of the commission (it was for a big occasion).

I watched the new remake of "Mildred Pierce" last night on HBO, at least the first parts of it.  I know it received rave reviews, and of course my intention while watching it was to compare it to the Joan Crawford version, and in my opinion, it did not have the same simplicity and charm, overall.  At least to this point...I mean, it is, after all, a miniseries (not to knock them).

First, I think the most troublesome situation/theme I saw arise in this version, and I don't recall this quite as obviously in the first movie is Mildred herself.  She is an extremely complex character, a walking contradiction.  She has all of these noble ideals, yet she desperately throws herself into the sack with literally any man, on the first opportunity she gets.  She actually vomits at the idea of taking a job as a "waitress in a hash house" because she feels it's beneath her, yet she has absolutely no revulsion at jumping into bed with some partner of her soon to be ex-husband's just for the slight off-chance he may "keep" her.  So, in Mildred's book, prostitution is good and noble, but waitressing is vile.  Not a good message here.  This irked me, as it makes her a somewhat unsympathetic character initially.

With that being said, I did feel there was some very good acting on Kate Winslet's part.  She is somewhat clunky and clumsy looking sometimes, but that makes her a "real person" and I appreciate that about her.  The scenes in which she is looking for a job as a single mother, and having no money to buy groceries, and all of the pain, shame, fear and loneliness that accompanies that predicament, were poignant and believable.  She also showed her vulnerability and disorientation as to raising two children alone.  The scene in which she asks her husband for a divorce was also a touching and honest scene...the pain of finality of the end of their relationship hits her...even though the separation is bitter, the loss of hope for their relationship, the reality that it's truly the end, confronts her.  It was well acted.  

Of course, the scene with the loss of her child was hard to watch, such an unimaginable horror to any parent, especially with the guilt of being "missing in action" due to an illicit, guilty pleasure, when the child was taken ill.  That being said, I will definitely tune into watch the other parts, not only because I already watched the first ones, but because I do anticipate seeing the rest of it.

Well, it's snowing again here...big, fat snowflakes.  It must be an April Fool's joke!!  Haha!  Now stop.  I have another two commissions I am working on, plus two paintings of "my own" so I am busy...my back is still a bit troublesome, but I press on through it.  I'm thinking of buying a new mattress...any suggestions?  A Tempurpedic maybe...

So, that's the scoop for today. 

Exciting News!

"Misbehaved" by Hilary J England, 18" x 20" oil on canvas

I am very honored over being chosen as an Artslant Showcase Winner for for Round #2 in their 2011 Competition.  When I opened their email notice, I felt like Charlie Bucket opening the Willy Wonka candy bar and seeing that instant flash of gold, and then came the rush...awesome!!!!

I know they will be publishing the winners on their http://www.artslant.com/ website in the next couple of days, so I will keep my eyes open for that...but I am just really happy right now to have been chosen, and I will enjoy that today♥

I am working on several paintings right now, including one commission, so I am pretty busy.  The weather seems to be holding steady...hovering right above freezing, so my studio is quite frigid, but getting a little fire cooking helps, as does my heater.  Spring seems to have stalled here...

Art Expo NYC was an amazing event, and we had a wonderful time that day.  Me, Ant, Dad, Jilly and Trevor had a lovely lunch in Jilly and Trevor's new pad on the West Side, and then we went to the Expo.  It was very large, and there was all kinds of art there, something for everyone, as my Dad genially pointed out. 

We had to leave rather hastily, however, due to a phone call informing us that our poor bull dog Mac, who has been ailing this week, was having seizures, so off we went to bring him to Emergency.  He continues to be in guarded condition, and we hope the medications do work for him.

My back has almost completely healed, but I am dealing with one strange side-effect that cropped up last week and seems to be steadily worsening...tinnitus.  I began to do a little research, and indeed, NSAIDS, muscle relaxants and, more specifically, the Vicodin medicines, can have this side-effect.  Ototoxicity is rare, but I did read many cases of people getting ringing in the ears after taking these medicines, although no one could state whether it was permanent or not.  I certainly hope NOT.  I try to ignore this ringing and whistling (it seems mostly in my left ear thankfully not both), but when I think about it, it makes me feel like going stark raving mad! 

So, even though I was only taking one pain tablet and one muscle relaxer at night, as per Dr's orders, I have discontinued all medicines this week, in hopes that the detoxification of any residual medication will alleviate this extremely annoying condition. 

Well, time to get out to the studio.  I leave you with one of the winning entries of the Showcase, and wish you a happy day as well.

Lagging!

"Wall flower (morning glory against barn study)" by Hilary J England, oil on canvas, 8" x 10"

I haven't blogged in over a week, and that always makes me feel a little bad.  I had been in one of those funky moods, that, although I was getting work done, I was not feeling balanced, and I was a bit down.  Every time I would look at the keyboard, my mind would go blank and I would just feel a bit squirmy.  So, I avoided it...yes, I do work hard to overcome procastination sometimes.

During that time, my back is improving a bit each day, I have cut the medicine back to one tablet only at bedtime, and I am starting to feel like myself again.  Also, I had two separate articles published in local news, which was nice, and I was asked to be EBSQ Art's Blogger of the week (ah the irony!) this week, so that was a very surprising honor!  You can read that article/interview here:

http://blog.ebsqart.com/2011/03/22/ebsq-blogger-of-the-week-hilary-j-england/

Also, I was contacted by a very old friend, literally.  When I was a young girl growing up in New York, I had  neighbors across the street named Joan and Dave, and my brother and I would play with their grandson.  I loved them both deeply, and Joan was the most fascinating woman to me.  She is a Brit, and she is elegant, intelligent and gentle, and treated me with such kindness and dignity, I loved and admired everything about her.  She is/was a writer and an editor, and her Victorian house was always filled with such interesting and unique objects, antiques, ancient books, and of course, her manuscripts.  Joan and Dave's home reminded me of a scene out of a C.S. Lewis novel, with all of the intrigues of Narnia waiting in one of their wardrobes...

Anyway, Joan is up there in age now, and I had not seen her in over a decade since we all moved in different directions and regions.  You can imagine my surprise to receive an email from her the other day, saying she had read about me in the newspaper, and how happy she was to see the article.  That email brought tears to my eyes as I remembered how sweet she was, and also to know that both her and Dave were, as she put it, "still around."  I was able to get her number, and now I look forward to visiting her and Dave this week.  What a blessing!

I do have quite a busy weekend...hopefully this annoying winter will finally go back to the North Pole where it belongs and we'll have no more snow.  I'm not a snow hater, I just don't like things out of order, and snow in Spring is a bit tiresome! 

Art Expo at Pier 94 this weekend in New York City.  I will be there on Sunday afternoon, floating around and taking the sights...if you're there, I look forward to meeting you!

In the meantime, I posted another little bit of warm weather for you, done against the beams of an old neighborhood barn.  Morning glories are one of my favorite (you'd understand that if you saw my backyard!!).  Enjoy!♥♥

New series offshoot

"Red barn at dusk study" by Hilary J England, oil on canvas, 8" x 10"

I've started to move in another direction with my series...I've included a wider range on the paintings, in terms of the view...they will not be so up close and direct, although they will still be a somewhat tightly bound composition.

I've started three new preliminary studies...I like working in threes (must be a compulsion).  One painting is the final phase of the teenage girls I was working with, and the other two I've branched out a bit, and I'm really excited to begin working on those studies and sketches.  I will also be working bigger with these paintings, with the smallest being 24" x 36", and a possible triptych in this series.

So, I am excited to begin this new phase in my series.  In the meantime, enjoy this little plein air painting from last summer.  It's a local barn, and I was working against the fading evening, but wow, was the sunset beautiful that night, with some storm clouds mixed into the evening sky,  giving it a really purple hue.  I am looking forward to the warm weather and the beach, and doing lots more plein air studies.  Enjoy~~

Some tidbits!!

"Lily pads in pond study" by Hilary J England, oil on canvas, 8" x 10"

Here is a study done last year at Hawk Mountain, in their botanical display area.  They have alot of examples of native plants, and a lovely little pond with an abundance of lilypads and flowers.  I am looking forward to painting at Hawk Mountain again in the coming warmer months.

Today was busy...some "kids" stuff in the morning, new car hunting this afternoon, plus started a new painting this afternoon, and now cooking up some food...all this through the moderate back pain...it's getting a little better, so I am DEFINITELY thankful.

I got some donations today through the mail, towards my campaign for the Florence Biennale, THANK YOU!  Every little bit helps, and again, you get some beautiful, original artwork and the satisfaction of knowing you helped further our cultural activities in the global arena.  If you want to donate, even as little as $5.00, I would be so appreciative, and would love to send you a little gift for your support♥  Here is the website:   http://www.florencebi.com/ 

So, that's it for right now--have a wonderful evening!!

Art Expo NYC 2011

"Sand dune study, New Jersey" by Hilary J. England, 8" x 10" oil on canvas 2010

Well, the weather is starting to get a little more bluster with the fresh breezes, and the faint earthy scent  of Spring is on the air, so I feel my spirits starting to lift with each sniff!  The crocuses have opened their splendid little petals, and Daylight savings is nearly upon us--Welcome Spring!! 

Art Expo NYC is rapidly approaching, and due to some scheduling conflicts, I will not be able to be there on Saturday, but I will be there for the last day of the Expo, on Sunday afternoon, from 2 pm until closing at 6 pm.  I look forward again to meeting some more wonderful people!

I had a visit with my Doctor, and I feel confident that with his management, I can get this back issue healed, and it is slowly starting to feel a little better, so I am not as down in the dumps about the constant pain, since it is starting to lessen.  That is enough to make me jump for joy, but I'll do that with caution LOL.

The newspaper interview went very well, and I was happy to meet such a lovely and interesting reporter.  It's always nice to meet new and interesting people, and we did have alot of common interests, off the record.  I'll post the link when her article is published.

So, I leave you with another little beach study from the Jersey shore last summer.  It's simply a sand dune oil study, but these little studies are an interesting little bit of history in themselves, because if you look very closely, you can see little grains of sand mixed into the paint, after getting pelted with sand during a wind gust.  So, I take little bits of the places I study with me!  Enjoy ♥

new painting in series!



"Misbehaved" by Hilary J England, 18" x 24" x 2" oil on hardwood panel, 2011


This is the newest painting, "Misbehaved"   It is painting no. 5 in my series studying American youth, and the effects of an evolving and shifting culture on these young adults, in particular, young women.  In this painting, I am exploring the subject of behaviors we now consider "taboo" versus the rebellious nature of youth, and the dichotomy of "now versus then" in that there is a constance in the "immortal" thinking of all youth of all culture, and in their defiance of current "norms" in their quest to find themselves.

This was done both conceptually, and par coer from several different studies, drawings, and also observations of the young people I have been studying.  **No animals or children were hurt in the commission of this painting, LOL.**

With that said, this painting is 18" x 24" oil on hardwood panel.  It was a challenge to portray the rickety, broken wooden panels, and pull out the midtones in a painting I wanted to be somewhat close to monotone in its warmth.  She is young, and blazing with passions and rebellion, yet there is a true core of love and promise.  So, here is my interpretation of that. 

Details and other mundane things

"Darlene with basket (outdoor gestural oil study)" by Hilary J. England, 8" x 10" oil on canvas

Red Dot NYC went really well.  I met a whole group of interesting people from NYC, and different parts of the country and world.  I also became acquainted with several other artists, and that was a really nice event.  I look forward to exhibiting with them again in the near future.  It would have been a stellar day if I wasn't nearly crippled from the recent back injury I seem to have incurred.  I was hospitalized on Friday, the day before, and this really made me extremely depressed.  No medicines seem to be working, and I am just madder than a hornet now...

I have been working in extreme pain, and this adds an element of frustration, anger and sadness to everything I look at, or even conceive in my mind.  I keep hoping the pain will lessen, and it has been, in very small increments.  I don't want to take any narcotic pain medicine, because it makes me incoherent, and contrary to popular culture, I DON'T want to be "high" and out of it, I hate that when I'm on the go.  I want to be clear and energetic, and in control of my wits.  So, I have been just suffering through this for the last several days.  Trust me, when you are in severe pain, and day can seem as long as a week...

I have so many things to do, and time doesn't move over for your calamities.  I have a newspaper interview coming up on Thursday, and I have a list as long as my arm of things that need to be done in the next few days, and I don't care if I have to drag myself around on a gurney, I don't have the time to be "ill."

I will be doing Art Expo in New York City in a few weeks, that should be a really good exhibition, and I am also prepping for some other shows coming up...I am thankful for the warmer weather, since that makes working conditions not so hard, and with the right chair, and some Chopin, I can almost forget the pain...

I will be at the Art Student's League on Wednesday, this time in session with Leonid Gervits.  I am looking forward to being there, and hope that my current condition won't preclude me from that...I guess I'll have to keep doing the stretches and the stay soaking in the hot tub!!!

Here is a little gestural nude I did a while back...enjoy♥♥

The pendulum slowly swings...

"Ellen (outdoor gestural study)" by Hilary J England, 8" x 10" oil on canvas




I was out and about yesterday, enjoying the first hints of Spring, when, lo and behold, I could not believe my eyes, but there on the side of the road, in all of his beauty, was a large male pileated woodpecker!  I was so stunned at his brazen location on the side of the rural road, I stopped the car, threw it into reverse, and crept backwards to see if he was real, and not some decoration someone put on their property.  Indeed, he was no phantom, and I scrambled excitedly to get my camera, opened the sunroof, stuck my body carefully through the window and...HE WAS GONE.  Ugh.  I guess I'd make a lousy reporter.

At any rate, I am still happy to have seen him, since I know they are around, but in all my local travels, I've never seen one...just like I've never seen a bald eagle yet.  So, this definitely made my day.

On an annoying note, somewhere through all the contortions yesterday, I pulled a muscle in my shoulder blade, and I feel as stiff as a mummy today, which is driving me nuts since I have lots of stuff to get done, and not being able to move very well is not helpful to anything.  I took another bit of ibuprofen, and hope that will do the trick.

Tomorrow I drop off my work in NYC for Red Dot this week.  Thursday is the kickoff, with an opening reception from 6-9 pm, a cocktail party at the Strand Hotel on Friday night, and then the close of the exhibition on Sunday evening at 6 pm.  It should be an interesting and fun weekend.

I left you with another small plein air nude, done with another local model.  I keep focusing on warm, warm, warm!

Red Dot NYC coming....

Red Dot New York City will be upon us soon, and I very much anticipating having a good weekend.  I will have five paintings in that show:  three from my young adult series, and two small paintings from my beach series.  It's going to be a fantastic show, of that I'm sure!

It will run from Thursday March 3rd, 11 am to 6 pm, with the Opening Reception from 6-9 pm, then it will run all weekend from 11 am to 8 pm, except Sunday, when it will run 11 am - 6 pm.  I hope to see some friends there--it will be a good time for sure!

Anyway, the campaign website has been having a few bugs, which is annoying, but hoping to get them ironed out as well.

In the meantime, enjoy the little study I did above last summer with a small group of plein air painters with one lovely model.  We would do that on a weekly basis, with a different model each time, and I have some really nice little rapid gesture studies I did in the "wilderness."  I kind of like the idea of nudity in the wilderness...must be the primeval part of me LOL

New oil study and new Snow!

"Gray day on driftwood bay" oil on canvas 8" x 10" by Hilary J England

We have new snow!!  Enough said about that :-o   

Things are moving along well for my campaign regarding the Florence Biennale.  I have some nice pledges coming in, and the press has picked up my story, so I hope that the general public has some Art lovers out there that will want to kick in and help, even if it's only a few dollars.  Hey, little bits add up to big things!

I have been working away on my newest pieces, and doing some little still life paintings at night.  I made a promise to myself to keep "limber" by producing one rapid little painting a day, on top of the usual studio time I put in.  When I am working on big pieces, it's easy to get absorbed into them.  These little paintings or oil studies, just flow quickly--it's like a lightning rod between mind and brush...they clear the cobwebs out and keep the painting flowing smoothly.  It's not about producing a masterpiece with the little paintings...think of them as your notes before your final report.  Even if it is good, it's not the final piece, and never will be.  That's what these little paintings are about.  Practice and preparation!

Red Dot NYC is nearly upon me!  The show goes off on March 3rd and runs that weekend through to March 6th.  It's at 82 Mercer Street in New York City, and I'm told it's a really amazing exhibition.  I am looking forward to it.  I have printed up some materials to be distributed during it, but I don't know if the printer will have them in time...oh well.  At least the stuff isn't dated and can be used in the next show...

Anyway, enjoy the little study above.  It's from when we were in Maine, and it's called "Gray day on driftwood bay."  Say that ten times fast!!!

And remember friends, I still need your help, so please support an Artist!!   http://www.florencebi.com/

Scent of Spring, and I don't mean a fabric softener!

"Spring tulips in orchard study" by Hilary J England, oil on canvas panel, 8" x 11"

I once read a humorous quote that asked the question, "Maybe this world is another planet's hell"  and I mused over that for a moment, and sometimes, when watching the news or some other calamity, you might actually get a moment's twinge that it may be possible, but when you go out on a warm, damp, grey morning like today, and smell the impending Spring on the air, and all is quiet and good in the world, you can only smile and think, "This world is beautiful."  So, out the door with such a silly theory!

Yesterday was a hellish sort of a day for me, and with that being said, I'm just glad it's over.  I slept like a baby, and woke up feeling a 100% better...so good, I laid there and just felt comfortable, not wanting to move, just gazing at the weak sunlight that flickered through the room, and felt relief...

I have a busy day today, and tomorrow, but I will find moments to step back and just enjoy the beauty that is around me.  Sometimes, even when I'm painting, I lose sight of that, and everything becomes a task, a chore, an annoyance, but if I step back a moment, take a breather, close my eyes and clear my mind, it becomes clear and peaceful again, and I can smell the scent of Spring, and I can be happy for that moment.

So, that's what I'll do.  If it works, keep at it!

P.S. Enjoy the landscape from Spring...I'll keep posting the warmer weather studies♥

Scent of Spring

"Green butterfly and fireflowers" by Hilary J England, oil on canvas panel, 8" x 11"

I sense a scent of Spring!  So, another study from warmer days!

Things are moving along today...although I had another "no show" employee.  It's hard to find good help nowadays...even when you pay generously.  I guess there are alot of secretly independently wealthy individuals out there!

I have to run quite a few errands today, so the painting will have to wait until I return.  It's supposed to be "warm" today, so that makes me energized and looking forward to the afternoon...

Paging Spring!

"Butterfly and sunflower" by Hilary J England oil on canvas 8" x 11"

Paging Spring!  We need you on the floor STAT!  This frozen weather has grown beyond tiresome, and it also seems that it sucks the life out of everyone, especially the most frail.  I have yet another funeral to attend this week...my Uncle, who passed away on Saturday night.  I am finished with the sad procession of trips to the cemetery.  I am desperate to see the little green sprouts of renewed life coming up from the dark, damp soil...

I have Red Dot NYC coming up the first weekend in March, and a few other shows to prep for, so back into the frigid weather which is my studio.  I am armed with some kerosene and an extra bundle of wood, so hopefully I can get warm enough to work comfortably.  I usually forget the cold until it hits my toes, and once they get numb, I can't ignore it anymore...Feet are terribly important!

So, I hope you enjoy the quick oil sketch above...it's all about the warm weather!

Think Spring!!

"Butterfly and lilac study" by Hilary J England, oil on canvas panel, 8" x 11"

We're supposed to have some warmer weather coming our way, and that is a great relief!  I'm getting tired of hauling my paints in from my studio so they don't get all funky.  Plus, I have been working on some sculpture in clay, and that needs to remain indoors as well, so it's getting pretty cramped in my little office...

Working on several new projects, and of course, my fundraiser.  I have gotten some private pledges, and am working to bring everything to the public...i.e.:  Publicity.  The dirty word...Anyway, one step at a time.  I never did like getting ahead of myself, although that seems to happen on a routine basis! 

In the meantime, enjoy my study from last year of the monarch butterfly.  That always brings memories of warmth and sunshine!

Getting in gear!



"Sand dollars and sand swirls study" by Hilary J England, oil on canvas panel, 8" x 11"



I am getting geared up to go live with my http://www.indiegogo.com/ campaign to fundraise for the Florence Biennale.  It was hard work, and there is still alot of hard work that needs to be done, but I am up to it. 

First and foremost, was making a video under a deadline.  Making a video was like trying to take a crash course in Chinese...certainly was not an easy thing to do!  Shooting the footage was easy enough, but when I got it into Photoshop to edit it--what a nightmare!  I had never used the Photoshop Premier Elements before (their video editing software), and it is NOT user friendly for a novice.  I was literally ready to rip my hair out of my head by the end of the sixth hour!

As time wore on, and other tasks started to press on me, I had no choice but to abandon the Photoshop in search for a more basic program that didn't require a Master's to operate.  I settled on good ole Window's media player, but, to add to my frustration, the video footage I shot was in Quicktime, and was incompatible with the Window's program.  At this point, I put up my white flag, and scrapped the whole thing...I had to make this deadline, and had to do it with some degree of sanity and at least a cohesive video.

I decided to go with a good old, albeit it somewhat simple way of communicating the video....slideshow format of the work, interspersed with on scene photography, background tracks, and viola:  the video was done in about an hour and a half.  Whew! 

So, when Indiegogo goes live, I will post the link!  I am excited to work on this project, and look forward to the positive end result of it...

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy my study of sand dollars...I've got the beach studies out to keep up the warm vibes!  Maybe Spring will come early after all.

Winter weary



"Conch shell study with blue" by Hilary J. England, 8" x 11" oil on canvas




I guess everyone is winter weary at this point.  More snow coming tonight, along with some ice...I did manage to get most of my traveling about done, so at worst, it's just messy out.

I have been working on several large projects, under a deadline, so I have been quite consumed...but, here is another shell study to keep the thoughts flowing toward balmy weather and the beach!

Astounding!! Florence Biennale 2011

"Single spiral seashell study" by Hilary J England, 8" x 11" oil on canvas panel

I received a packet today inviting me to participate in the prestigious Florence Biennale 2011.  This morning, I received a large envelope in the mail from the Scientific Committee of the Florence Biennale inviting me to participate in the 2011event. Very exciting indeed!!!!

Initial inquiries led me to understand that I had been selected from my website. There is a committee of some 30 members world wide who look for artists to invite. These members have credentials that allow them to choose artists with a degree of ability and attainment in their chosen field of the arts.

After the initial listing of your name for consideration by the worldwide committee member, your work is submitted to the Internal Scientific Committee before final acceptance. This is done before you receive the invitation. So should you receive an invitation, then it is important to remember that you have already passed this process...pretty cool
Also, once you are invited, you are always included for life......again, pretty cool.

The Florence Biennale is the largest democratic artist supported Biennale in the world with over 840 artists from 180 countries. It hangs 2500 artworks for a period of 10 days mainly in the one center. It is part of the United Nations initiative "Dialogue between Nations" and is expressly for the bringing together of artists to unite in peace and share with each other. It is not an Art Fair as the work is not for sale; It is not a commercial venture for artists, but a juried art competition with awards. It is an excellent opportunity to promote your work, meet other artists and learn from them. This Biennale is more about providing a venue for artists to learn what is happening word wide in the arts from each other and gain an understanding of each other and build networks in a democratic way.

Many really great artists have participated in this event, including internationally acclaimed artists like Marina Ambramovic, Shu Yong, Gilbert & George and David Hockney, to mention a few.
Another plus about Florence is it is the seat of the Renaissance, the home of Leonardo and Michelangelo, the Uffizi and the visual arts, while Venice is the home of theater, festivals, masked balls and performance art-- as a visual artist, Florence is truly the place to be!

So, after initially being bowled over by this great honor, then the wheels of logic began to spin--and the mechanics of participating in this great event, but, one step at a time...more to come on that subject!

In the meantime, I will just post another little tidbit to keep the happy and warm thoughts going:
"Single spiral seashell study" by Hilary J England, oil on canvas panel, 8" x 11"

Hugs!♥

iPad hard case original Contemporary artwork from Zazzle.com

iPad hard case original Contemporary artwork from Zazzle.com

Hello there!

"Seashell and sand, study 2" by Hilary J England, oil on hardwood panel, 8" x 11"

Why, the sun is shining today--Hello there!  We've missed your bright presence in our area for the last week, so you are a welcome sight and sensation!

I've started doing my preliminaries for my newest painting, and in the meantime, I'd like to leave you with the second study of seashells, to compliment your thoughts of warm weather, summer, the beach, and fun days!

Enjoy♥

Seashells!

"Seashell and sand" by Hilary J England, 8" x 11" oil on canvas panel

Unbelievable!  MORE snow!  This has to be the snowiest winter in quite a while, and the skiers are just starting to break out of their shellshock and come to--so we've been seeing alot of travelers.

I've got a mountain of snow to the left of my drive so high, they could literally go skiing on that!  I'm not going to fuss over it though--it is what it is, and there's no use bitchin about it.  So, work as usual.

Since my mind has been drifting towards the ocean, and the warm weather to come.  I am going to start posting some of the studies I have done at the beach, and some I'm doing of shells as still life paintings. 

Again, I will continue on this thread until I get it out of my system.  My Dad always said I have "tunnel vision!" 

So, I hope this little painting can help you to conjure some warmer thoughts!

All snowed and crowed out!

"Foggy field with crows" by Hilary J England, 9" x 12" oil on canvas panel

Well, it's snowing again, wet, slushy snow, but it's coming down pretty persistently...enough to be irritating when you are outdoors.

This is the last of the crows for a while...I am snowed out and crowed out.  Now, on to something else to study...I decided not to do any detailed studies of the crows, because, (a) honestly, they don't interest me that much that I would, (b) they were more interesting as part of a "larger" picture, a backdrop to what else was going on, (c) my winter cabin fever seems to have lifted, so on to something less morose.

I am setting up for my next painting in my series of young adults, so I have alot of preliminary ideas I'm fine tuning, and will get the sketch together and onto the panel probably sometime tonight or tomorrow.  In the meantime, I've decided to do some quick studies on something decidedly brighter than crows--seashells!  I guess my mind is moving back to the beach, since it's been a few months since I've been there, and I do miss it.

So, enjoy the soggy, slushy weather if you are here in the Northeast USA!

New painting



"A brave new world (for the love of Baby)"  by Hilary J. England, 26" x 30" oil on canvas





 
This is painting number four in the series I'm doing about young adults.  This painting was a process of sketches, a few thumbnails, some reference photos, and mostly flying par coer. 

I really enjoyed this painting, until I got to the dreaded midway plateau.  It was mostly physical discomfort, cold feet, old equiptment, semi frozen paint and chunky medium but also the added stress of starting to get uptight when I reach that point of the painting...my impatience in general, since I long to be done with it, and my anxiety of whether I'm staying true to the vision of what I had in mind, but also, has that vision shifted...it's like skipping off the path and finding yourself in a bog.  Not good.

This painting has many meanings to me beyond the obvious.  The very young mother and baby girl are alone...the empty chair  and the large door symbolizing the absence of Father.  Baby looks for Father, but he is gone.  The delicate candlesticks show it is just them, and the candles have not yet been touched, showing they have their full lives in front of them.  The atmosphere around them is hazy, dreary and dark, yet they are entwined tightly together and rendered in high key, to show their love and unity, and Mother's protection of her infant.  Mother has skipped to the drumbeat of the world, as shown by her makeup, and now, she has reached this place, and she must bravely go forward from this point, for the love of herself and the love of Baby...There is more, but it is highly personal to me, so the rest of the story is yours to finish and adapt into your own concept.

There seems to be a glut of "Ross" like painters out there...who wear L.L. Bean, speak very slowly and pronounce each word carefully, who loathe to show any emotion besides super PC, but that's certainly not me.  I prescribe to the old school of flowing and passionate emotion, and being of a wild heart and nature. I try to keep things tame in my paintings, because I feel that the recognizable qualities of order and coherency are a better representation of what the deeper meanings behind my artwork are.  It's a kaleidescope of vision...you may see one thing in the representation of the painting, I see another, and someone else sees yet another thing.  That's the way I roll...

This painting will be in the coming exhibitions, as well as in process for a limited edition print series.  So, out to the studio...and time to begin again.

Cold and Smoky

"Winter dusk" by Hilary J England, 9" x 12" oil on canvas panel

It's dank and smoky in my studio today, so working has been a bit difficult.  My kerosene heater is smoking like a chimney, for some unknown reason, so this causes me to have to stop what I'm doing, and ventilate the area, letting all the cold air back in, so I feel like I'm on a bit of a hamster wheel today.

The painting I'm working on his hit the plateau most of them hit, where it's at its midway point, and it can either go all downhill, or I can break through and really get that complete feeling and expression I'm looking for...this is the difficult and most important time for the painting...whether it will live or die, sink or swim.  I find myself getting a little frustrated and "fiddling," since I've been receiving alot of distractions today in the form of nonessential, time wasting phone call interruptions, etc.  So, I'm inside for a minute to steady my mind, warm my feet, and shut down all distractions.

So, I'll leave you with yesterday's study, since it was so damn cold, it was a very quick one!  It's called "Winter Dusk," and it's 9" x 12" oil on canvas.

Hope you enjoy it♥

Mandy Moore - Only Hope

Feeling quite sentimental tonight...I've always loved this song by Mandy Moore, and the whole sequence.  She looks and sounds so angelic, that watching her makes you think that there can actually, if even for just a fleeting moment, be purity in this world.  

I've finished another two small studies, and am still frustrated by the weather.  My studio is literally frozen solid, and now that we are having a heat wave for the next few days (projected to go up to 37 degrees--woohoo!!) I can set about "defrosting" it.  In other words, hauling all my paintings in progress, paints, mediums, etc., back out there.  Fun!

So, rather than complain about the gypsy studio I have going right now, I'll just be thankful to be able to get back out into my space, barn rat and all (yes, he's still there) and get painting.  I have two big exhibitions coming up, and I really need to be completely prepped for that.  I don't like rushing, and I don't like "loose ends..."  That must be the irrepressible perfectionist in me.

So, I'll post the new paintings tomorrow and the next day, but in the meantime, enjoy beautiful Mandy Moore, and her heavenly voice ♥

Another Winter Wonderland

"Lonesome crow in the storm"  by Hilary J. England, 9" x 11" oil on hardwood panel

We awoke to another Winter Wonderland this morning; six inches or so of fluffy snow--and to the grumbling of the local world.  The postmistress and company were particularly agitated...I could hear their complaining through the walls of my office, but I don't mind.  My mind is numb to all the snow...it's become a commonplace obstacle.

I like the snow, and the isolation it causes.  The streets get quiet, and people just stay indoors.  I suppose a hundred years ago they would sit about and knit, whittle, or just tidy up and enjoy a good discussion by the crackling fire, but now everyone lays about watching the tube, playing videos, or, what I'm doing, pecking away at my keyboard.

If I dress in layers and stay nice and warm, a good, calming trek into the woods is always conducive to inspiration.  But, the feet are a particular problem when the snow gets a bit deeper.  Cold, wet feet always translates into discomfort and misery, and my hiking boots are waterproof, just not to this depth (of snow).

I have given up trying to keep up with all of the snow tracked into the house...one thing about this old house, was the builders didn't have the foresight to put in a mud room.  That would have done wonders...

Well, out to the studio to work on some bigger paintings.  Hope you enjoyed the one above!

Mushy and slushy

"Blackbird in blooms" by Hilary J. England  7" by 7" oil on canvas

It's definitely been a mushy and slushy couple of days, with more snow supposedly coming tomorrow night...I kind of have enough years under my belt to accept the dog days of winter, so this doesn't bother me too much!  What bothers me is sharing my studio with a brazen barn rat, who, everytime I get it nice and warm in there, decides to come out and do whatever barn rat business he has to do, right in my peripheral vision--gives me the "willies!" 

I don't want to kill him since I feel that is mean, but I get to thinking, what if he has buddies?  What if he is not alone, and that is not the same guy I'm seeing?  What if there is a hoarde of them?  Yikes!!!   That just repulses me, so I am in a quandry.  I have seen him, and he is pretty unique looking--he has a thick black coat that looks pretty different, so I'm hoping he is the only one.  I just don't want him to go insane and run up my pant leg or something, haha!

My Dad has a "have a heart" trap, but it's for a raccoon, so it's huge, and wouldn't contain this little critter.  Apparently, mouse/rat sized "have a hearts" are hard to come by, because when I mentioned this to the local purveyor at the hardware store down the road, he looked at me as if I had grown a second head.  "Why wouldn't you just kill it?" was his question.  Ah, he just doesn't get it, and it's really not the poor fellow's fault.  I ask myself this question as well, but I am just very squeamish about killing anything, especially an animal.  Just an eccentricity, I guess.  But, I'll not open that can of worms...

Anyway, above is another quick study of crows/blackbirds.  It's called (simply enough) "Blackbird in blooms" and I did this one on a 7" by 7" canvas, in oils. 

So, out to the studio, and I'm hoping my "friend" stays in his own quarters in the dark recesses of the unfinished barn.  I'm not into being Captain Ahab today, so I'll just pretend he doesn't exist for right now...

Out of synch

"Raven in a thicket" by Hilary J. England, 11" x 14" oil on canvas

I'm feeling a bit blue today.  I don't know why, but I slept a long time and even after showering, didn't seem very motivated...I got everything done I intended to, but I had this nagging fatalist feeling in the back of my mind...the old, "what is all of this for" hopelessness that sometimes rears it's head on me.  I try to not think about it and just push myself to complete what needs to get done.

Problem is, this feeling usually runs parallel to a general irritability which makes me want to withdraw from everyone, and just be left alone, and it's no one's fault, just my own freakiness working it's attitude.  I try not to let it show, but it's a transparent thing, so best thing is just to retreat alone into my studio and let it work itself out without involving anyone else in it....

I'm pissed about a few things, and it's the usual menu of bullcr$p.  I feel like I'm on a hamster wheel sometimes, with the same stupidity cropping up over and over, and this makes me depressed and angry.  So, I'm trying to enjoy a cup of coffee, make some dinner even though I feel wretched, and force myself out of the funk by not indulging the dark thoughts. 

I've done a series of studies that I didn't post before, but they definitely reflect some of the angst and loneliness I feel from time to time.  The first, which is above, is part of series of 4 I was looking to make into large works, but up to this point I have not done that....I may still, but I don't know if I really want to stay in the frame of mind to do these darker paintings, without making myself totally insane.  So, for now, they remain studies...

Now, out to the studio for some more alone time.

Fuel - Innocent

Satan, you know where I lie


Gently I go into that good night

All our lives get complicated

Search for pleasures overrated

Never armed our souls

What the future would hold

When we were innocent

Innocent



Angels, lend me your might

Forfeit all my lives to get just one right

All those colors long since faded

All our smiles are confiscated

Never were we told

We'd be bought and sold

When we were innocent



Yeaaaaaah Yeah



This prayer is for me tonight

This far down that line and still ain't got it right



And while confessions not yet stated

Our next sin is contemplated

Never did we know

What the future would hold

Or that we'd be bought and sold

When we were innocent, innocent

When we were innocent
**********************************************

It's so cold...I finally had to bring it all in tonight, since my studio is a frozen, barren tundra.  I'm in my office, with my outdoor easel set up, working like an elf in these little quarters.  Sniffing fumes and smoking cigars...

I looked out the window, and the snow is gently falling again...but I won't drown in the snow.  The aroma of odorless spirits is noxious...but the sweet scent of cloves makes me feel good.  Happy Birthday!! Or, is it Happy Un-Birthday?  Whatever....

Still the snow is falling.  I'll be o.k. in the morning.  What do ya want?  Maybe it's cabin fever...

Frozen fingers

It's been brutally cold, and will likely get even colder in the overnight--but, I am prepared!  I have been hauling my wet paintings, and palettes into my office in the main part of the house, so that the paint doesn't get "funny" with the frosty temps.  This is not really a bother when I see the flipside of the coin--thick, clotty paint, and frustration.  No thanks!

I am about half way through my new painting, and it's moving along at a really good pace.  I also have two smaller paintings going, but these are really just "exercise."  I like to paint little still life paintings, quick studies, just because.  They are cathartic little brain candies...kind of like knitting!

I wasn't able to get into the City today, as planned, so tomorrow is the goal.  The curator for the gallery I was going to meet wasn't able to make it today--she's a sweetie, and I know she is very busy, always on the go putting stuff together, so this didn't ruffle my feathers at all.  Tomorrow works better anyway...

All in all, it was a good, productive day--the karma was good, the brain juices flowing...hoping to keep the groove going over the next several days and get all the work done~

So, that's that for now, and off to enjoy the chilly evening with some dinner, and a good, old flick!

Another snowy day~

I am awaiting the snow...but that is not a bad thing (I know people will cringe when I say that).  I love a good snowy day, just like I love a good rainy day.  There is something so peaceful about the snow, the purity of the flakes, the gray skies obscured by the white gales.  I like to glance out my window as the wind gusts and causes drifts around the landscape, while my little potbellied stove struggles to keep the cold out of my studio.  I feel safe and warm inside, like a pioneer in a wagon or a primitive cabin, or even an Indian in a teepee.  I enjoy seeing the snow start to creep under the barn door, and the wind ruffle the blanket I have hanging as a barrier over that ramshackle old door.  Yes, I know I'm a bit strange...but that's ok.  So is everyone in their own peculiarities...

I'm still working on "A brave new world."  I need another few full days of studio time, and the snow actually buys me that.  Here in this "neck of the woods," everything basically shuts down now even with the threat of snow, so I have that to fall back on as an excuse for no interruptions, no need to take anyone any where, no danger of people showing up unannounced (unless they are stranded, and that is not too likely), no errands to run.  Everyone sort of hibernates, and everyone is very o.k. with that, even expectant of that. 

Tomorrow's N.A.W.A. opening on Fifth Ave is starting to look further and further from the possibility of accomplishment.  I see the chances of my attendance to that reception growing remote as this supposed storm front begins to envelope the next few days.  I was looking forward to it, but I accept that Winter is a capricious season, and Old Man Winter gets cranky pretty often, and when he does, we all have to obey him and stay put.  

So, I'll throw another log on the fire, and a few pieces of coal, brew up some more coffee, roll up my sleeves (put on my Jets hat) and get to work!

Enjoy your snow day!

A difference of opinion...

Long day, but not bad.  I attended an artist's reception today, since I had won the "People's Choice" Award of First Place, and, being asked at Christmas time, to attend the awards ceremony by a former committee member, I decided the cordial thing to do was to go ahead and attend, but once I got there, I began to think otherwise!

I walked in, and I was very much given a cold shoulder, for real.  Apparently, the Association that mounted this exhibition didn't agree with the Curator/Juror who judged the show, and were rather miffed that I, an outsider, and a brand new "Club Member" had won the show.  Plus, the old dragon ladies that were running this institution, were not thrilled with my painting.  I stood behind them, and listened to their comments, all the while giggling to myself, since they didn't have a clue as to who I was, as they had never met me.

I heard the words "appalling," "shameful,"  "arrogant," and other adjectives, along with this exact sentiment "This painting makes me uneasy--what was the juror thinking?"  Another older woman looked at it and said, "I don't like this painting at all.  The way these young girls are looking is very menacing, and it's just not a nice painting."  One of the womens' husbands disagreed, saying, "I really enjoy it.  It's a very different take on figurative work than I have seen.  I also like her treatment of the girls' hair, it has nice texture."  Both women looked at him as if he were nuts, and then he looked rather sheepish, and walked on.   As the younger people came in, they automatically and instantly gravitated to it, admiring and discussing, and I also sat back and enjoyed that.  I knew they would see the truth in it.

As I was standing there, a woman of the press corp stood in front of me, and stared for a long time at the painting.  She turned to me and smiled, and said, "I just love this painting."  So, I said, "Me too."  She nodded and looked back at it, and said, "So, do you have a piece in this show?"  I just smiled and said, "Yes, that would be it."  Her face lit up, and she broke out into a huge grin and said, "YOU did this?  I love it!" And we both laughed knowingly. 

As we got to talking, she told me she saw the show being hung, and she was there and excited when the painting was juried as First Place.  She told me the Juror, a professional with a very impressive career behind her (I'll not mention any names here), also loved the painting, and that made me smile.  Neither of these women knew me, they had just seen the work, and the work spoke to them, and the work spoke for itself...so the art was a success.

As word filtered down through the show who I was, not one person of the official committee came forward and introduced themselves to me, or even congratulated me.  I noticed that my painting was situated in the back of the exhibition, where it was somewhat obscure, not in a place where the winning painting would be placed.  Instead, in the view of honor, was the second place painting, a very tame painting of a few onions on a lace doily, of which the vested ladies fawned all over, "What gorgeous treatment of the lace," and,  "Really, this lovely painting should have been the winner." 

I actually rather got a kick out of the whole situation, since it made me feel very good...actually, it made me feel great.  My painting had done it's job, which was to provoke a reaction, whether positive or negative, you couldn't ignore it, or just walk by without actually being drawn to it.

I also noticed the comments were not of the technical prowess of the painting, it was rather of the subject matter.  I had abandoned the high art tradition of making these girls submissive, shrinking violets, who cannot meet the gaze of the viewers, as most women are portrayed in art.  Men can look you square in the eye, but according to our ancient and idiotic traditions, a woman should be demure and meek in a painting...I say, "Bullshit."  My girls are girls of the 21st Century, and if they want to meet you squarely in the eyeball, and be in your face, so be it.  And, that was the crux of the problem.  I broke with tradition, and these old dragons were quite insulted with it.

When the time for the awards came, they basically shoved the check in my hand, and all but told me *not* to elaborate on the painting.  I was really amazed by this point, but didn't care.  The final insult came as I was getting ready to walk out the door...

A tall, thin, elderly lady with rheumy green eyes and an angry red slash of a mouth approached me.  She was decked out in an elaborate fur jacket, with pearls at her throat and wrist...she was so stereotypical, it was almost a laugh riot. 

"Ms. England?" she sniffed, and when I acknowledged, she went on.  "My name is &*&^^*&*, and I am head of the exhibition committee.  I have been curating all of our shows for the last 25 years.  I would just like to voice a....'problem' to you.  While we were hanging this show, this, er, painting of yours, apparently was still wet somewhere, and your painting 'soiled' one of our ladies' sweater.  You must be sure if you plan to submit any further paintings to our group for exhibition that it is fully dried." 

And then she stared at me.  By now, my annoyance was aroused, so I said, "Are you trying to say that you damaged my painting?" I looked at her in the eye and said this quite pointedly.  She was taken aback, and in surprise, at the tables being turned, said, "Uh...NO!  No!  That's not what I meant!"  I folded my arms across my chest and said, "Well, what do you mean?  This painting was fully dried, so perhaps she had paint from another work she handled?  And what does she mean putting her hands all over the picture plane anyway?"  At this point, she knew she had lost, and she said, "I'm sorry.  It must be a misunderstanding," and she just turned abruptly and walked away.

I had been standing there with a small group, and we looked at each other in amazement at the exchange, and then we all  burst out laughing.   I traded info with a few people, and with one woman in particular, since I really enjoyed talking with her, and she also paints, so we made a plan to get together with a few of the other local artists I know and do an informal model session.

So, all's well and end's well!

Schedule 2011

Well, as today is January 7th, I would say after a week of getting my act together, that 2011 is in full swing!  I have an opening reception tomorrow night at A-Forest Gallery, New York City, for the "Values" exhibition, an People's Choice/Best In Show Award to receive Sunday afternoon at the City Hall Rotunda in Bethlehem, PA at the opening reception for the Palette Club show, another opening for the N.A.W.A. Associates Exhibition on Wednesday, January 12th, and literally half a dozen other shows in the works for the next few months--busy, which is good!  For a full schedule of my upcoming shows and exhibitions, check out the new page I just made on my website:   http://www.fieldsendart.exhibition-info.html/


I have started a new painting, and I really am feeling this one, so I am anxious to get out to the studio and work on it.  I've got the studio some new insulation, so it's a tad warmer than it was--and that makes all the difference--the difference of freezing your buns off, and having stiff paint and stiff brushes, or having a nice, warm, juicy flow to everything...

So, that's it for now.  Check back as I'm hammering things out, and I'll let ya know!