Greekstatue012009

Greekstatue012009


Dear Everyone:


Wanted to take a departure
from my subject matter of birds today.

Saw this picture of a statue
and instantly wanted to sketch it.

Took time out from hostessing
over the holidays to sketch and
paint this image.

Hope that you enjoy this image.

Have a last-few -hours -before-
you -make -your -resolutions
kind of day.

Helen.

Kelly Wearstler 2009

HUE012009 HUE2a2009

HUE2b2009

HUE032009

HUE042009

My Christmas gift to myself was

the newest release of a book

on interior design by top American

designer Kelly Wearstler.

Titled "Hue", I waited to

open it until Christmas

morning.

The book did not dissappoint me.

It has virtually no text and a

wealth of images/pictures of her work.

I enclose a few shots of her style.

Think bold colour (pink, yellow, aqua, blue)

or organic neutrals (black, taupe, ivory),

rich materials like marble and onyx and gold,

bold contemporary art, vibrant wallpaper

and fabric and vintage furniture. She

also has a taste for opulent objets d'art.

The book covers residential and hotel

projects. The style has been dubbed

Hollywood Regency.

I hope that you enjoy these

images. I am reading and re-reading

the book (Kelly Wearstler, "Hue",

Ammo Books).

Have a 2010-in-sight type

of day.

Helen.

Duck 2009

folkartbird052009(duck)

Dear Everyone:

I think. I hope I have overcome my

procrastination on my series of

paintings of folk art birds.

Today's image is of a duck.

I enjoyed selecting the paint colours

for this image. I am also pleased

with the composition of this image

with the rock and the reeds in the backdrop

of the picture.

Hope you enjoy the image.

Have an-enjoy-family-and-

friends kind of day.

Helen.

Blue jay 2009

folkartbird042009(bluejay)

My series of folk art paintings of birds

is in part an acknowledgement of

my childhood.

My parents tended to live on

the outskirts of town. One property

was 10 acres of forrest. They always

had a bird feeder and we would see

cardinals, blue jays, robins and juncos

regularly. Less often and a treat were
woodpeckers and baltimore orioles,

and evening grosbeaks.

Now I live in town but run

in a scenic area with mature trees.

I see blue jays often and a blue jay

is today's painting. Blue

jay at sunrise.

Hope that you enjoy this

image.

Have an all-set-for-

New-Year's-resolutions

kind of day.

Helen.

Celestial angel 2009

celestialangel2009

Dear Everyone:

I have been wanting to do an angel
with red colours for this Christmas.

I originally thought of an angel with roses
but things fell into place when I decided
on poinsetta instead. I collaged the angel
with one of my own photographs of
a vine with flowers that appeared
to be poinsetta-like. Is there such
a thing as wild poinsetta?

So the image fell into place
this morning. Hope that you
enjoy it.

Have a bit-of-a-rest-after
-the-big-day-day today.

Helen.

Celestial Angel

Celestialangel2008

Dear Everyone:

Wishing you a Happy holiday season

with your loved ones.

Helen.

Cardinal 2009

folkartbird012009(crow)

folkartbird022009(robin)

folkartbird032009(cardinal)

Well, believe it or not I overcame

my procrastination and painted

a folk art piece of a cardinal. I had

drawn the sketch way back in July.

I am truly pleased with how it turned out.

I just need to do one piece a day

of my folk art birds to complete

the series.

Hope you enjoy this image.

I have enclosed the other 2 pieces

I have completed in the series

so far to jog your memory as to them.

Have an-overcoming-procrastination-

kind-of-day.

Helen.

Russian dolls 2009

lunenberg032009

lunenberg042009

Dear Everyone:

I am procrastinating today.

I started a series of folk art paintings of

birds and have a couple of pieces

finished but am hitting a block on

doing any more of them at the moment.

I was browsing through a binder of

my work and came across these 2 images

of Russian dolls in a window. They look

charming and with the brightly coloured patterns

look festive to me.

They remind me a bit of 2 photographs by

nationally recognized, award-winning

Nova Scotia photographer

Margot Metcalfe. See some of her work

at http://www.secordgallery.com/. Click on artists.

Click on Margot Metcalfe.

I hope that you enjoy these 2 images.

I am just mulling over whether to do a folk art

painting of them.

Have a generous-hearted kind of day.

Helen.

Iconic Treetrunk at Sunrise revisited

Iconictreetrunkatsunrise2009

Dear Everyone:

This tree is my favourite image

of my work. I thought I would

post it again in current postings

to keep it in the forefront.

Nothing to remark about

it other than the fact that I

love the combination of colours.

I took some risks with this piece.

So a revisit to this image.

Helen.

Model with Hat 2009

Modelwithhat2009

I have wanted to do this piece

for a few days. I grew up with

art as both my parents collected.

One of the pieces they owned

was a woman with a hat on a windy

day at the beach. I can still see

the aqua of the water and the

pink ribbon on the hat.

This piece I have sketched

and painted today has interesting colours.

Hope that you enjoy this image.

Have a rise-above-the-busyness

kind of day.

Helen.

Festive Model 2009

topmodel032009(festive)

Dear Everyone:

This morning I had the insight that

I need to carry out art or photography

every day. These pursuits are like

breathing to me -very essential.

I feel right within myself when

I am sketching or painting.

Photography grabs my creativity

and well-being as well. If I miss

a day something doesn't feel right

all day-I am off-kilter even bereft.

I almost need total immersion in art

to have a good day. Reading books

and magazines on art, photography,

fashion and interior design or browsing

the web to discover new artists

are all almost mandatory daily

as well as doing my own work.

Today's piece is of a festive model.

An acknowledgement that Christmas

is round the corner.

I hope that you enjoy this image.

Have an immersion-day-in-your-

hobby of choice.

Helen.

Fashion image II

vogueamangirijan.2010


I picked up a copy of American Vogue.
The January, 2010 issue.
The most striking image was of a model
in the Utah desert wearing a coral
Yves St. Laurent dress and on her
head a tumbleweed crown.
The tumbleweed was found at
the locale.The coral colour references
to me the red soil and cliffs of the region.

The more I read fashion magazines
like Vogue the more I appreciate
the art installation-like feature
articles and coverage of clothes and locales.



To my mind this image taken at the
Amangiri spa and resort could easily hold
its own hung in an art gallery. And
that is what appeals to me about it.



Hope you enjoy this image.



Helen.

Iconic Fashion 2009

Britishvoguegoldwyndec.2009

I now review several Vogue magazines-

Vogue India, British Vogue,

American Vogue and Australian Vogue.

This outfit grabbed me. Located

in the December issue of British Vogue

it features the grand-daughter of

Hollywood mogul Samuel Goldwyn.

Named Liz Goldwyn she is an author,

jewellry designer, fashion consultant

and film-maker. A serious collector

of vintage clothes her collection

numbers in the thousands (p.250-253,
p.298).

This outfit is made of silver foil and

perspex by Rodarte. Founded by 2

sisters in 2005 see the fashion house

at www.rodarte.net. The brocade

coat is Oscar de le Renta and the

ankle boots are Givenchy.

She wears it with confidence

and it is truly unique.

Hope that you enjoy this image.

Have a wear-an-outrageous-

outfit kind of day today.

Helen.

Folk Art Angels

I believe in angels. I have done several depictions
of folk art angels. Here is a selection of them.


angelatdawn2008

angeloverchurch2008

pearsnangeldreamscape

angelwithbasket2008

pinkfolkartangel2008

cherub 2008

peaceangel2008

The angel with the pears background was drawn

by my mother. She is a retired physician and

talented artist in her own right. The remainder

are mine.

I hope that you enjoy these images.

Have a thank-your-angels-kind

of day.

Helen.

Studio tour 2009

I thought I would share my workspace with you.

These are a few shots of the space.

I have a table for sketching and painting.

My selection of folk art acrylic paint is

stored in a bin. Looking through the colours

is always inspiring.

studio022009

On the right of the desktop are my brushes and more paint.

studio032009

The print of the loon over the table

is an inuit art print by artist Kenojuak

Ashevak.

I rely on bulletin boards to keep abreast

of current work.

studio042009

studio062009

On another wall is a collection

of some of my early folk art work

framed.

studio052009

I also have a filing cabinet for all of

my 4 x 6 photographic images

and 2 computers (not shown).

I have thousands of photographs now.

My filing cabinet is bright yellow.

I use my own photos, as well as

fashion and interior design magazines

and art books for inspiration.

A recent piece I found inspiring

was the cover of a journal

picked up from the drugstore

featuring a bird and mandelas in pinks

and greens (see below).

Inspiration comes from

really "seeing" the world

around you and taking it in

and processing it purposefully.

SDMcover2009

Hope you enjoyed seeing

some shots of my workspace.

Have a work-on-beautifying-

your-environment kind of day.

Helen.

Architectural Digest - 2 images

I read several interior decor magazines.

I don't always buy Architectural Digest

but I did pick up the January, 2010

issue.

There are 2 images from the pages

of the magazine that struck me.

The first image is of an airy

white apartment in Beirut with 4 pictures

of trees suspended on wires in

the living room (see p. 89).

Architecture-Kohn Pedersen Fox.

Interior Design -Joe Serrins Studio.

The trees remind me of my recent

tree trunk series. The second

aspect of this apartment that

struck me was the large relief map

made of gypsum plaster forming the ceiling.

The second image that struck me

was of a patterned fabric on a sofa

in a client's wood-panelled library (p.163).

The colour reminded me of a paint

colour I often use called "hydrangea

pink" and it is just this side of peach.

The sofa fabric looks Persian and

is from Stark. Interior Design-

Hein and Cozzi.

Hope that you enjoy these

images.

Have a stay-open-to-your

environment kind of day.

Helen.

Iconic Tree trunk at Sunrise 2009

Iconictreetrunkatsunrise2009

Well. I returned to my 3rd photo

of a tree trunk and did another sketch.

I wanted to use red with the blue and tan.

Instead the image took off in a different

direction towards an interpretation

of the tree trunk at sunrise.

I must say that I particularly enjoyed

the choice and selection of paint colours

for this image.

See what you think.

I sort of see it as a store logo.

Or stitched as a pattern

for a leather handbag.

Have a return-to-it-if

-it-is-bugging you kind of day.

Helen.

Iconic tree trunk- #3 2009

Treetrunkphotoreference032009

Iconictrretrunk032009

This image is the 3rd on my series of

tree trunks. Same tree. Different shots.

The image wanted to be blue and red and tan.

As I applied colours the red kept on getting

deferred until it wasn't used at all.

Think the yellow makes the image work.

See what you think.

Have a buy-yourself-a-treat

kind of day.

Helen.

Iconic Tree Trunk - #2 2009

treetrunkphotoreference022009

iconictreetrunk022009

For this folk art my photo reference is of

the same tree as yesterday's painting

at a distance that is less close-up.

I knew that I wanted to use

the colour burnt sienna again.

The green sort of presented itself.

As I did the painting the pink

called light peony made the image work.

So using colours mostly found in

nature on trees such as the sienna and green

and black and then adding the pink

for the trunk.

I am quite pleased with this image.

I find it to be very graceful.

Hope you enjoy the image.

Have a draw-your-courage-up

for-winter kind of day.

Helen.

Iconic tree trunk 2009

Treetrunkphotoreference012009

Iconictreetrunk012009

I saw a path through the woods

and came back to the house and got

my camera and returned and took several

shots.

This tree trunk shocked me with its grace.

I have included the photo reference for

the painting.

I am particularly pleased with the

colours in the painting.

I hope that the painting captures

the grace of the photograph.

Have a be-creative-to-the-nth-

degree kind of day.

Helen.

Celestial collage 2009

celestialcollage2009



I have been wishing to use these
colours together since I used
them yesterday in a piece
I haven't posted yet.



The flesh tone of the scroll shapes
is of particular interest as is the
pink and coral of the rose.



Hope that you enjoy this image.



Have an enjoy-the-build-up
to-Christmas kind of day.

Helen.

Jacob Ebriani - Painter

Jacobebriani01

Jacobebriani02

Jacobebriani03

Jacobebriani04

Jacobebriani07

Jacobebriani09

I discovered a talent new to me

yesterday.

A painter named Jacob Ebriani,

he was born in Iran, but has resided

in California since the 1970's.

His work is very poetic and mystical.

See a larger selection at www.jacobebriani.com

See what you think.

Have a be-open-to-the-

universe kind of day.

Helen.