Tucson Artist Melinda: Windy Point...And, I Do Have One

Image © 2010 Melinda S. Esparza But, that doesn't mean a screed of unusually complex meanderings will follow. No, it's been really windy around here, and I've heard it's been extremely windy nearly everywhere around the states, globally, too. How windy was it? Why it was so windy on Saturday that the furled umbrella six feet from our house became unfurled and landed on our roof! Really. This 8" x 8," oil on artists' board, painted in a hurry, is in response to that gale. As I was blown around the internet recently, I laughed and laughed at Kathryn Law's pie chart (her work is brilliant--have a look), read that the heat is back on at the Mabel Dodge Luhan House (been worrying about New Mexico), read a great post about art collector, Roy Neuberger at Art in the Studio, watched some "Who Do You Think You Are?" with Gwyneth Paltrow, which sent me back into the seductive world of genealogy research, updating some family tree data, and pondered the poignant question posed by art tourists in Miami: "How do you get important?" at The Madness of Art. Now. Back to work. In the studio, not 'random web surfing.' Hope you are all painting as much as you want.

Tucson Artist, Melinda, and the Quick Plein Air Study

Image © 2010 Melinda S. Esparza It may seem like a subtle change here, as most of my links are the same and only the template design has changed. However, I do have some fun things to share today. And, I've got a new and improved attitude...See?! Bright colors again! 

This painting, from a day of plein air work next to the Rillito River and a few miles north of midtown Tucson, is of a popular site, Thimble Peak. Most of the work was done on site, but I did paint a layer today over the foreground, darkening it to enhance the drama of the peak. Last night, we drove across town to buy a large (48" x 48") canvas that was on sale. It was so inexpensive that I thought it might be good to check online to see what else is available. I went to ASW Express, and couldn't believe the deals. No, I don't get paid to hype this art supplier. Wish I did, though, 'cuz this week should get them a lot of sales. Their canvases are greatly discounted (check out The Edge 1 1/2"). 

Wait! There's more! I found an online coupon for an additional discount that resulted in free shipping. Not everything is included in the extra discount, but it's worth a try if you're looking for more supplies. I've also been doing some online research. I've got a great new link to Joanne Mattera's blog. She's the artist who wrote the book, The Art of Encaustic Painting. Be careful. It's a great book. It might get you hooked on another medium. Her blog will keep you interested for a long time too. Then, I've got a link to the Google Art Project. Wowza. If you haven't seen this yet, take a tour of the MoMA, or travel virtually to some of the best museums in the world. 

There is also a new link to ARTINFO. There are some very interesting things to see and read at this site. Here is a great link to the only way to see Guerrillas In Our Midst. I recommend this to all artists, but especially women artists. 

Finally, if you get discouraged with your art and the isolation that we artists often endure, this link to Carol Diehl's blog, Art Vent, features a quote of Alberto Giacometti's that I find meaningful. A snippet follows: "....It becomes always more painful,” Alberto (Giacometti) said, “for me to finish my works. The older I grow, the more I find myself alone. I foresee that at the last I shall be entirely alone. Even if, after all, what I’ve done till now counts for nothing (and it is nothing by comparison with what I would like to create), fully aware of having failed till now, and knowing from experience that everything I undertake slips through my fingers, I enjoy my work more than ever. Is there any understanding in that?..." Read on. Paint on.