Abstraction & Jazz

Song - Take Five by Dave Brubeck

Earlier this week I took a workshop in Orinda from Sandy Ostrau. She is an incredible artist from Palo Alto. 

Sandy painting a figure

As I seem to have hit a plateau with my painting and I needed to shake things up a little.

So I have been thinking lately that I would like to paint a little more abstractly and more impressionistically instead of being so "fussy".  You know the fussy thing I mean? It's when you paint everything down to the last minutiae so the viewer doesn't need to think about much.

Sandy's landscape demo

But when you paint more abstractly, the viewer knows it's a landscape or a figure but it is done in such rich colors and lovely form that the viewer becomes a participant.

One of my favorite figuratives of Sandy's done from the rendering below

Pretty amazing, huh?


Sandy had asked us to bring along several painted canvases that we would then paint over. I have lots of those!!!

Unfortunately, I don't have a "before" photo to share but trust me.....this was rendered fairly realistically but just didn't knock my socks off. But now it sings....not like Sandy's but hey.....it was my first attempt!

So at lunch we got to talking about how a lot of people just don't "get it", meaning abstract work.  People walk by and say "Oh my kid could do that!"  But amazingly it is difficult to break down all of the components into large, strong shapes!

I compared it to Jazz.  There is the kind of jazz that is melodic and you kind of know what's coming next.  But there are other kinds that I have trouble following.  I think abstract painting is kind of like that.  Some abstracts will blow your mind because you can't seem to get it (and maybe you are not supposed to!) and others you can follow and recognize as a landscape or a figure.  Somehow that feels a little more settling to me. 

Love this one of Sandy's as well!

It was a great workshop and I actually had fun playing with my paint!


Please check out Sandy's work here - www.sandyostrau.com

 
 "Ah, swing, well, we used to call it syncopation, then they called it ragtime, then blues, then jazz.  Now, it's swing.  White folks - you'all sho is a mess!"  --Louis Armstrong talking with Bing Crosby

Where Have I Been?

Mr. B and I have been at our family cabin in Tahoe for almost 4 weeks. The cabin is very much out of cell range, which is both good & bad.



In some ways it is nice to drop out of the everyday email, texting, TV, newspaper world and relax, play cards, visit, read & hike. But on the other hand.....YOU ARE OUT OF TOUCH! The world maybe on fire and you're blissfully unaware!

We arrived home on Thursday night, unpacked and early Friday morning I began to get back into the rhythm of things. Six loads of laundry...check...pay bills...check...water plants, clean refrigerator, check emails....check and double check....and oh yeah repack!




You see I made arrangements to attend a Carole Marine workshop in Santa Fe, New Mexico almost a year ago.

Check her out - http://www.carolmarine.com/


After deposits, car rentals, flight reservations, etc., I discovered the Tahoe cabin was available for the month of September! I really needed to do both. Right?

This morning Mr. B drove me to the airport and after a Gin & tonic for breakfast, I flew into Albuquerque ( by myself - which is huge for those of you who know me) and rented a car for the one hour drive to Santa Fe.



The breakfast of champions or those who are afraid to fly...


Well hold onto your pants!

I made a four hour drive up to Colorado to do some Family Tree investigation. However, much to my dismay I arrived here about 6 pm and drove though so many lightening storms it was amazing





and tomorrow is Sunday so most everything will be closed. I will also need to return to Santa Fe by 4 pm (leaving here by noon ) for a welcoming workshop get together.

My mother and both of my grandparents were born in Starkville & Trinidad, Colorado. My grandfather was a coal miner as we're his brother and father but his parents purchased a dairy farm to try to get away from coal mining.



I am so happy that they eventually moved to California! I tried to buy a bottle of wine today but apparently you need to go to a state operated liquor store. I thought that was in Canada?

At the restaurant tonight, I was talking to the bartender who had hard liquor and an amazing array of beer but just BOX wine. When I questioned him about that, he replied that most of their customers are truck drivers, coal miners, and hard working men that are not really interested in "wine"......well, I reminded him....well never mind. I am just glad I'm living in California!


I will be staying at a convent in Santa Fe and pray they have wifi so I can fill you in on the glorious details of New Mexico!

Laters - J