 | ||
| "Black and White Cow in the Red, Yellow, Blue Sunset", Pt. Reyes, CA 6" x 6" o/c |
In the Studio Today... Tiny Cow Painting 6" x 6"
September 26, 2010
This is a small painting I did tonight. I am working on some affordable works for the "Art on the Farm" show at Pt. Reyes Winery, October 24th. I am going to be selling my older works from previous farm paint outs 2008-2009, at very discounted prices for originals. The goal here is to have some of the art purchased with 50% going back to Marin Organic Farmers Loan fund. This little one will be priced around $150., with half going to the cause, half to the artist.
In the Studio Today... Marin Arts Council Gallery: Teamworks Exhibit
Sept. 24, 2010
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of Gallery Sitting at the new, Marin Arts Council Gallery and business location on 4th Street in Downtown San Rafael. It is right next to Crepevine, and close to so many great local businesses. Due to this move, they now get many more visitors to the gallery space, and the sales of the latest show have been very good.
The Teamworks exhibit is a 10 year retrospective of the work of Katya McCulloch and Patrick Maloney, who have been working with teenagers in the Juvenille Hall and alternate high schools for at risk teens. This year, four artists were involved as teachers. The results are incredible. This is something you have to see, and it is only up for 5 more days, ending on September 28th. If you'd like to make a purchase to help the Teamworks program, all of the money goes back into the program itself. There are still some wonderful pieces available, and some for as little as $10.- They have a collection of "Clothespin People" that would make adorable puppets for kids playing with a puppet theater. I think my sons would love these.
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of Gallery Sitting at the new, Marin Arts Council Gallery and business location on 4th Street in Downtown San Rafael. It is right next to Crepevine, and close to so many great local businesses. Due to this move, they now get many more visitors to the gallery space, and the sales of the latest show have been very good.
The Teamworks exhibit is a 10 year retrospective of the work of Katya McCulloch and Patrick Maloney, who have been working with teenagers in the Juvenille Hall and alternate high schools for at risk teens. This year, four artists were involved as teachers. The results are incredible. This is something you have to see, and it is only up for 5 more days, ending on September 28th. If you'd like to make a purchase to help the Teamworks program, all of the money goes back into the program itself. There are still some wonderful pieces available, and some for as little as $10.- They have a collection of "Clothespin People" that would make adorable puppets for kids playing with a puppet theater. I think my sons would love these.
In the Studio Today... San Anselmo
"Art on the Farm" Pre-show
 |
| "Preview" show at Marin Coffee Roasters, San Anselmo. Photo: K. Kingson |
I helped hang this show in San Anselmo yesterday. Tim Mock, owner of Marin Coffee Roasters, has always been truly supportive of me, and other San Anselmo artists who have wanted to share their art here. When Brian Stubblefield and Ed Walls owned the Coffee Roasters, I began painting bicycles in Marin County, and this very shop hosted my first paintings I created in 2005. The first was a painting of the original Roasters shop with the backyard garden, and later, several paintings of the Serpentine Trail at Camp Tamarancho; a popular single-track trail that is know by most mountain bikers in the Bay Area. The town loved the old shop so much, that when the new shop opened in its current location, across the street, they raised money from town members to purchase my painting for Bryan Stubblefield to share in the new shop. It still hangs in the shop today, along with a plaque we had made for those who helped purchase the painting.
The current owner, Tim, agreed to let our group hang a "mini" preview show of 12 paintings to promote our upcoming Art on the Farm fundraiser show, October 24th, at Pt. Reyes Winery; a benefit for Marin Organic Interest Free Loan Fund to Farmers. San Anselmo show is a very small sampling of the 100 or so, Bay Area artists that participate in "Art on the Farm". This show includes a dozen paintings, flanked by our October show posters. More info here, on the group blog.
 |
| "Ride to the Roasters", original oil painting by Colleen Proppé |
In the Studio Today...Historic L Ranch Paint-out
Sunday, September 12, 2010
I also was lucky enough to be able to bring my dog today! Mesa loved it. This painting of me with Mesa is by Kathy Kingston, who is doing a great job with PR for our next show. I took a photo of her with her whippet, "Lyric"... below. I will post my painting when I have some more time to work on it, but here are some photos of the beautiful day on Tomales Bay.
I had the privilege to visit a private beach today on Tomales Bay; a spot that is right across from Marshall, CA. The beach is owed by the Doughty family, who run Pt. Reyes Winery, where we will be having our October 24, group show.
What a lovely spot it was today! Some of their extended family were there, celebrating a Birthday today, just enjoying the warmth of the sun and the beach views. Two of the toddlers came up to me and wanted to paint. I had some small, 4 x 4 and 6 x 6 canvases, so I let them each take one and paint some strokes. It was really great how enthusiastic they were. The little boy even painted on my painting, and it was no problem, as I was just getting started. He really wanted to help me out! I think it is wonderful how children have no fear of painting, and just burst right into it. Had my sons been there, I'm sure they would have wanted to paint too. I overheard the family saying how nice the kids canvases were and how that was such a great Birthday present for their mom. Too cute.
In the Studio Today... Plein Air at Tomales Bay
Sunday, September 12, 2010
I will be painting with "Art on the Farm" today at Historic L Ranch on Tomales Bay. Hope to stop by the last day of the Box Show at Gallery Route One as well. Enjoy the day, folks!
I will be painting with "Art on the Farm" today at Historic L Ranch on Tomales Bay. Hope to stop by the last day of the Box Show at Gallery Route One as well. Enjoy the day, folks!
In the Studio Today: Blog Design for WT Lapathon
September 8-9, 2010
Wade Thomas Elementary School: Lapathon 2010
" The Wade Thomas Lapathon is the only school fundraiser just for Wade Thomas School. "
In the Studio Today... The Art of Moving On
September 9, 2010
I was married once, to my college sweetheart. He was charming, adorable, spoke several languages, windsurfed, loved so many things that I loved too. It's been 10 years now, since we parted in a horrible way that I wish on no one. It didn't even make sense. It was wild, crazy and unimaginable for both of us. I think about this person at least once a week, if not more, to this day. No matter how hard I try, he is still with me, as if he was a true family member that I think of from time to time, wondering how he is doing, just as I wonder how my friends and family are each day. Via the bizarre world of social media, I have managed to find out where he lives, who he lives with and that he still windsurfs and eats chocolate. I've even heard some of the music he has listened to. Who knows if he has seen any of my paintings online, or my kids or anything I do now, but obviously if he was interested in knowing, it would be easy enough to find these things online. I don't really seek him out anymore, but now I just wonder if we will ever bump into each other someday, and what in the world would I even say to him now.
Once in a while, I think we just want to share our true feelings about things with the world, whether it's right or not. We want to be heard and acknowledged. I want to let out the pain that I still feel from losing my friend, and just say how much it stinks.... How much I miss this friend. I think of my childhood friend's mother, who lost her only son in an airplane crash. I think of how much she must still hurt every day, and yet she has to go on. She has many grandchildren now, and I know they keep her occupied. I have wonderful children myself that give me so much to do, and love. Yet I still miss my old friend so very much. It is an impossible and frustrating pain to have to deal with. Ten years of my life with someone that I really loved, and then it just went "poof", and he was gone.... never to be seen again, except in a few images online... a few blog posts. A blog by his girlfriend, that I couldn't bear to read.
I have been working on moving on for a long time, and I do my best every day, but I am not immune to the pain of my past. A simple picture or a song or even a word can bring me to tears once every few months. This was the best friend I'd ever had, and I haven't had that closeness in my life since. I haven't been able to let love into my life again yet in that capacity, except for in my painting. When I paint something that I love, I give it my all. I give it my care, and my time, and all my compassion. My heart goes into my work now, and my kids, and my friends. I miss my husband very much, but I am still hoping to grasp the art of moving on, and find the magic I once had with my old friend again, perhaps in a new place, or in a moment when my sons are giggling.... my dog is wagging, or my paintings are selling. It's all good, but it's not the same as what I had, ten years ago.
Missing my old friend, and wishing him all the best.
I was married once, to my college sweetheart. He was charming, adorable, spoke several languages, windsurfed, loved so many things that I loved too. It's been 10 years now, since we parted in a horrible way that I wish on no one. It didn't even make sense. It was wild, crazy and unimaginable for both of us. I think about this person at least once a week, if not more, to this day. No matter how hard I try, he is still with me, as if he was a true family member that I think of from time to time, wondering how he is doing, just as I wonder how my friends and family are each day. Via the bizarre world of social media, I have managed to find out where he lives, who he lives with and that he still windsurfs and eats chocolate. I've even heard some of the music he has listened to. Who knows if he has seen any of my paintings online, or my kids or anything I do now, but obviously if he was interested in knowing, it would be easy enough to find these things online. I don't really seek him out anymore, but now I just wonder if we will ever bump into each other someday, and what in the world would I even say to him now.
Once in a while, I think we just want to share our true feelings about things with the world, whether it's right or not. We want to be heard and acknowledged. I want to let out the pain that I still feel from losing my friend, and just say how much it stinks.... How much I miss this friend. I think of my childhood friend's mother, who lost her only son in an airplane crash. I think of how much she must still hurt every day, and yet she has to go on. She has many grandchildren now, and I know they keep her occupied. I have wonderful children myself that give me so much to do, and love. Yet I still miss my old friend so very much. It is an impossible and frustrating pain to have to deal with. Ten years of my life with someone that I really loved, and then it just went "poof", and he was gone.... never to be seen again, except in a few images online... a few blog posts. A blog by his girlfriend, that I couldn't bear to read.
I have been working on moving on for a long time, and I do my best every day, but I am not immune to the pain of my past. A simple picture or a song or even a word can bring me to tears once every few months. This was the best friend I'd ever had, and I haven't had that closeness in my life since. I haven't been able to let love into my life again yet in that capacity, except for in my painting. When I paint something that I love, I give it my all. I give it my care, and my time, and all my compassion. My heart goes into my work now, and my kids, and my friends. I miss my husband very much, but I am still hoping to grasp the art of moving on, and find the magic I once had with my old friend again, perhaps in a new place, or in a moment when my sons are giggling.... my dog is wagging, or my paintings are selling. It's all good, but it's not the same as what I had, ten years ago.
Missing my old friend, and wishing him all the best.
In the Studio Today...
Red Hill Farm Sheep; Day #2
Updated painting of the Red Hill mommy sheep and her baby. I added details in the sheep's wool and faces.
In the Studio Today... "Art on the Farm" Exhibit;
October 24, Pt. Reyes Winery
September 5, 2010
I am working on some new paintings to show at the October 24th, 2010 annual exhibit of "Art on the Farm". This is a great group of Marin, and mostly Bay Area-Sonoma painters that love Marin Organic farms, and travel to the farms to paint during the year. I was away most of the summer and unable to attend many of the paint outs, so I am now working from photos I have had from previous years that I never got around to working with in the studio. Today's image is from a shot taken at Red Hill Farms.
I am working on some new paintings to show at the October 24th, 2010 annual exhibit of "Art on the Farm". This is a great group of Marin, and mostly Bay Area-Sonoma painters that love Marin Organic farms, and travel to the farms to paint during the year. I was away most of the summer and unable to attend many of the paint outs, so I am now working from photos I have had from previous years that I never got around to working with in the studio. Today's image is from a shot taken at Red Hill Farms.
 |
| Colleen with the painting in the background... photo by Aidan Costello, Age 8. |
In the Studio Today... New Bike Painting, available
July 22, 2010
My painting of the vintage Columbia bicycle in the Butterfly Garden at Tod's Point (Greenwich Point) in Old Greenwich, Connecticut is now available to purchase and as prints at Fine Art Amercia. To read more about the location of this image, read my previous post, here.
Please click here to contact me to purchase the painting,
or click here to purchase a print at Fine Art America.
 |
| "Bike in the Butterfly Garden" 24" x 36", oil on canvas. Tod's Point, Old Greenwich, Connecticut |
Please click here to contact me to purchase the painting,
or click here to purchase a print at Fine Art America.
In the Studio Today...Bike in the Butterfly Garden, Old Greenwich; Session #3
Friday, July 16, 2010
"Vintage Bike at the Butterfly Garden", Tod's Point, Old Greenwich, CT
"Vintage Bike at the Butterfly Garden", Tod's Point, Old Greenwich, CTI'm adding color and fleshing out the lighting and details in this painting today. The Butterfly Garden is full of orange, purple and white flowers... they will be added as I complete the details of this painting. See my previous post for more about the location of this painting.
In the Studio Today...Bike in the Butterfly Garden, Old Greenwich; Session #2
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
"Bike in the Butterfly Garden, Greenwich Point" 24" x 36" o/c
I've been visiting my home town in Connecticut, where I grew up and lived until 1990. Now, I return here in the summer with my sons to visit the grandparents, and family. It's a great opportunity for me to paint landscapes I don't usually see in California.
This painting is of the Butterfly Garden at Tod's Point, in Old Greenwich, CT. The history of the property here is that all of this area was owned by the Tod family. The town of Greenwich purchased the property in 1945 and created what exists today as a 147-acre multi-use park, locally know as "Tod's", "The Beach", or "Greenwich Point". Greenwich Point offers a variety of both active and passive recreational areas, natural areas, conservation areas, and gardens and groves. The Tod family sprawling home is no longer there, but the stone walls that cascaded down to Long Island Sound still remain. Amongst the steps and walls facing out to the sea, the Old Greenwich Garden Club have planted and maintained a butterfly garden. The bike I am painting is an old Columbia from the 60's. The painting will be for sale in Old Greenwich when it is finished. I plan to leave it here with my family to sell, hoping someone local will purchase it due to the local image depicted.
"Bike in the Butterfly Garden, Greenwich Point" 24" x 36" o/cThis painting is of the Butterfly Garden at Tod's Point, in Old Greenwich, CT. The history of the property here is that all of this area was owned by the Tod family. The town of Greenwich purchased the property in 1945 and created what exists today as a 147-acre multi-use park, locally know as "Tod's", "The Beach", or "Greenwich Point". Greenwich Point offers a variety of both active and passive recreational areas, natural areas, conservation areas, and gardens and groves. The Tod family sprawling home is no longer there, but the stone walls that cascaded down to Long Island Sound still remain. Amongst the steps and walls facing out to the sea, the Old Greenwich Garden Club have planted and maintained a butterfly garden. The bike I am painting is an old Columbia from the 60's. The painting will be for sale in Old Greenwich when it is finished. I plan to leave it here with my family to sell, hoping someone local will purchase it due to the local image depicted.
In the Studio Today... Art on the Farm 2010
June 17, 2010
Paintings by Laura Williams
I just updated the Art on the Farm Blog. This is a great group of artist from around Marin County and the Bay Area that visit Marin Organic farms and paint, photograph and exhibit as a group annually. I am posting a few photos from our group show at the Pt. Reyes Vineyard here. Enjoy! For more info, visit the blog I maintain at www.ArtontheFarmBlog.com We have started up the 2010 painting season, and the website has a schedule of farms we are visiting.
Three Cows, by Kanna Aoki
Colleen Proppé and Artist/Animator, Christina Richard from BC Canada
Paintings by Laura Williams
Three Cows, by Kanna Aoki
Colleen Proppé and Artist/Animator, Christina Richard from BC Canada
In the Studio Today... The Art of Spring Rolls
May 17-May 18th, 2010
I don't know why, but the day before my 42nd Birthday, I had this intense desire to make my own Vietnamese style spring rolls, with rice paper wraps. I have devoured fresh spring rolls for over a decade in the Bay Area... My first and favorites having been from "Le Soliel" Vietnamese Restaurant on Clement Street near Arguello. I used to go with old friends for dinner, and then walk down to "The Toy Boat" for ice cream dessert. Those were great times, and wonderful memories. Since then, I have had a variety of fresh spring rolls from Thai Restaurants, The Good Earth in Fairfax, and Comforts in San Anselmo. Although good, none of these ever really gave me the original joy and amazing combination of fresh flavors that I first experienced with the Vietnamese rolls from "Le Soliel". There are many different types of Spring Rolls, and wikipedia does a decent job explaining all the different types, from fried to fresh, and with different types of fillings and sauces from different countries.
Perhaps the timely and true reason for my sudden desire to create Vietnamese style Spring Rolls, was the bursting abundance of fresh, healthy mint in our yard after more than our share of rain this Spring. The Vietnamese rolls always had lots of fresh, whole mint leaves, and they served extra, large sprigs of mint alongside almost all the dishes at Le Soliel. My 5th attempt at the rolls this week was the best, because I finally perfected the sauce, and added the rice vermicilli noodles. My ingredients were as follows:
• Spring Roll Skins (made in Viet Nam, sold dry in circular package at Andronico's, San Anselmo)
• Sunflower Sprouts(or other fresh, crunchy sprouts)
• Shredded Carrots (I peeled long strips with a peeler)
• Wildwood Sprouted Tofu (Teriyaki style)
• Maifun Rice Vermicilli Noodles (Dry in package; cook for 2 minutes in boiling water, then run under cold water to cool)
• Green Onions (Scallions, cut in long, thin strips)
• Fresh Mint Leaves
• 1 orange
• "Spicy Vietnamese Sauce"*=combine the following:
• Vietnamese Chili and Garlic Sauce
• Light Sodium Soy Sauce
• Hoisin Sauce
• Fresh Lime Juice
(*Wikipedia states that the traditional, central Vietnamese sauce can be made as follows: Fish sauce, lime, garlic, sugar, small red and green peppers and water. Mince the garlic and peppers. Add the sugar into a bowl of hot water to help dissolve it quickly. Add fish sauce, lime, and the minced garlic and peppers into the sugar water.)
I don't know why, but the day before my 42nd Birthday, I had this intense desire to make my own Vietnamese style spring rolls, with rice paper wraps. I have devoured fresh spring rolls for over a decade in the Bay Area... My first and favorites having been from "Le Soliel" Vietnamese Restaurant on Clement Street near Arguello. I used to go with old friends for dinner, and then walk down to "The Toy Boat" for ice cream dessert. Those were great times, and wonderful memories. Since then, I have had a variety of fresh spring rolls from Thai Restaurants, The Good Earth in Fairfax, and Comforts in San Anselmo. Although good, none of these ever really gave me the original joy and amazing combination of fresh flavors that I first experienced with the Vietnamese rolls from "Le Soliel". There are many different types of Spring Rolls, and wikipedia does a decent job explaining all the different types, from fried to fresh, and with different types of fillings and sauces from different countries.
Perhaps the timely and true reason for my sudden desire to create Vietnamese style Spring Rolls, was the bursting abundance of fresh, healthy mint in our yard after more than our share of rain this Spring. The Vietnamese rolls always had lots of fresh, whole mint leaves, and they served extra, large sprigs of mint alongside almost all the dishes at Le Soliel. My 5th attempt at the rolls this week was the best, because I finally perfected the sauce, and added the rice vermicilli noodles. My ingredients were as follows:
• Spring Roll Skins (made in Viet Nam, sold dry in circular package at Andronico's, San Anselmo)
• Sunflower Sprouts(or other fresh, crunchy sprouts)
• Shredded Carrots (I peeled long strips with a peeler)
• Wildwood Sprouted Tofu (Teriyaki style)
• Maifun Rice Vermicilli Noodles (Dry in package; cook for 2 minutes in boiling water, then run under cold water to cool)
• Green Onions (Scallions, cut in long, thin strips)
• Fresh Mint Leaves
• 1 orange
• "Spicy Vietnamese Sauce"*=combine the following:
• Vietnamese Chili and Garlic Sauce
• Light Sodium Soy Sauce
• Hoisin Sauce
• Fresh Lime Juice
(*Wikipedia states that the traditional, central Vietnamese sauce can be made as follows: Fish sauce, lime, garlic, sugar, small red and green peppers and water. Mince the garlic and peppers. Add the sugar into a bowl of hot water to help dissolve it quickly. Add fish sauce, lime, and the minced garlic and peppers into the sugar water.)
To make the Spring Rolls:
Remove 2 dry skins from the package, and run them each under cool tap water until they are both wet on each side. (I found this much better than soaking them in a bowl of water. They really don't need to soak because they will stay wet on the parchment paper and become more and more pliable the longer they sit on the parchment, as you are putting ingredients on top). Place them each on parchment paper(I use one large piece and fold the edges around a cookie sheet to give me my working surface). Once wet, the skins will stick to almost anything, so parchment paper is your best bet to keep them from sticking like super glue to anything else.
Place sprouts, carrot strips, tofu slices, rice, mint... in the center of one of the skins. Fold bottom up, and wrap the two edges to seal the ingredients inside. Now, here's the trick... Don't worry if the skin breaks here, or if the roll isn't tightly sealed enough. Just close it up the best you can, and then pick this up and plop it down in the center of your 2nd, wet skin that's also on the parchment. Use that second skin to really wrap the roll tighly, and neatly. When you are done, you will not even be able to tell there are 2 skins rolled around it. The skins are so thin and translucent, that the 2nd skin adheres to the first one and like magic, it really tightens up and pulls the whole thing together... Almost like "Spanks"... I guess. : )
My favorite sauces are from "Le Soliel" on Clement in SF, and the spicy sauce that comes with the vegetarian pot stickers at Schechuan Chef aka"Rebecca's" in Fairfax, CA. I think I have managed to create a sauce, above, that is very close to these. Some people like to use a Thai Peanut Sauce on these, but I don't like the combination with the mint. I appreciate the spicy, "kick" the traditional Vietnamese sauces have, with the hot peppers and garlic. This recipe does not use fish sauce, so it is a vegetarian version, for the purists. Oh, and btw, the orange is just to slice and put on the plate for decoration, and I squeeze some into the sauce before I spoon sauce into the rolls. 1-2 rolls and I am super full, and I am pretty sure the calories are user friendly. : )
In the Studio Today..."Land Art" Project;
for Ross Valley Schools YES Fundraiser
April 8, 2010
I am so impressed with the 2nd graders and their amazing job on the "Land Art" project yesterday at their school. 3 classes, of about 20 kids each, created art on the campus surrounding their school. Each class divided into groups of 4-5 students, and had one adult to work with. The parent volunteers and teachers all enjoyed the project almost as much as the kids.
This image(above, entitled "The Window of Color") was created by the group that worked with one of my sons' teachers, Mrs. Olund, who has been teaching for 30 years. What a stunning piece of art! I am so impressed. The groups for the first two classes were given some constraints, such as "Circle", "Square", "Fading Colors", "Heart Shaped", "Insect". The third class to create the work was allowed the freedom to create what they wanted after seeing the 10 other projects that were done in the morning. Their group went more representational, and did things such as "Mother Nature", "Dinosaur", and "Dragon". It was a wonderful Spring day, with 76 degree weather in Marin County. Please click here to view the set of images created by the children (note: There are more images, but I am awaiting the photos from a wonderful parent photographer who assisted me on this project for the first two classes yesterday).
One of the most amazing things to happen yesterday was to witness the children protecting their projects from destruction during recess; One group of kids took turns guarding their "Spring Nest" project. Later, the kids got orange playground cones and marked their art so no one would step on it! The kids loved this project, and some of the older students were very interested in what we were doing as well. "Land Art" was a huge success for the kids, and I want to thank Richard Schilling for his website, "Land Art for Kids", and his book, "The Wheel of Life", which I shared with the children the week prior.
I will be making sets of notecards and envelopes with the kids images on the front, and selling these through the YES Foundation Online Auction to raise funds for the Ross Valley Public Schools Music, Art, PE and Assemblies. Feel free to visit their website in the next week or so and buy some notecards to support our kids!
I am so impressed with the 2nd graders and their amazing job on the "Land Art" project yesterday at their school. 3 classes, of about 20 kids each, created art on the campus surrounding their school. Each class divided into groups of 4-5 students, and had one adult to work with. The parent volunteers and teachers all enjoyed the project almost as much as the kids.
This image(above, entitled "The Window of Color") was created by the group that worked with one of my sons' teachers, Mrs. Olund, who has been teaching for 30 years. What a stunning piece of art! I am so impressed. The groups for the first two classes were given some constraints, such as "Circle", "Square", "Fading Colors", "Heart Shaped", "Insect". The third class to create the work was allowed the freedom to create what they wanted after seeing the 10 other projects that were done in the morning. Their group went more representational, and did things such as "Mother Nature", "Dinosaur", and "Dragon". It was a wonderful Spring day, with 76 degree weather in Marin County. Please click here to view the set of images created by the children (note: There are more images, but I am awaiting the photos from a wonderful parent photographer who assisted me on this project for the first two classes yesterday).
One of the most amazing things to happen yesterday was to witness the children protecting their projects from destruction during recess; One group of kids took turns guarding their "Spring Nest" project. Later, the kids got orange playground cones and marked their art so no one would step on it! The kids loved this project, and some of the older students were very interested in what we were doing as well. "Land Art" was a huge success for the kids, and I want to thank Richard Schilling for his website, "Land Art for Kids", and his book, "The Wheel of Life", which I shared with the children the week prior.
I will be making sets of notecards and envelopes with the kids images on the front, and selling these through the YES Foundation Online Auction to raise funds for the Ross Valley Public Schools Music, Art, PE and Assemblies. Feel free to visit their website in the next week or so and buy some notecards to support our kids!
In the Studio Today... "Land Art"; Ankylosaurus
Made in the backyard this afternoon with my son, who is studying dinosaurs in 2nd grade. This had to be the weirdest weather day ever in Marin; Rain, sun, rain, sun, rain, sun, cold, hot, cold, hot... now it's pouring and windy. When I made this, it was sunny but very windy, and I had to shield it with my body every time the wind blew... As soon as I took the photos, it blew away....
Materials:
Mock Orange Tree leaves (dying yellow, and green)
Red and Orange Leaves from trees outside my son's doctor's office today
1 eucalyptus leaf for the tail
1 Sycamore Seed Pod (tail end) and stick to hold it up
Eucalyptus Seed Pods for spine
1/2 Acorn top for eye, and Mock Orange Seed for eyeball
Patience and ability to enjoy simplicity of things, essential
I also spent some time with 40 second graders today, sharing "What is Land Art?" from Richard Shilling's website landartforkids.com, and they looked at Andy Goldsworthy books. I shared some materials I brought from my yard this morning... petals, berries, vines, seed pods... and they immediately wanted to get started, making things. Our project is set for next week, after Easter. I look forward to seeing what the kids come up with.
In the Studio Today... "Land Art" Leaf Flags
Camelia petals and yellow leaves from a Mock Orange tree in our backyard... inspired by Richard Shilling's work.
Continuing on my effort to create "Land Art", I tried to make some leaf flags, such as those in Richard Shilling's book, but it was really HARD! As I slit the branches to feed the leaves in, they would loosen and the leaves I'd already feed through would move or fall out. Instead of cutting them square and fitting them through two branches, I decided to just go with what was working, which was simply leaving them in the branch where they would rest. It looked pretty just the way it was, so I went with it. Also, Richard uses thorns to seal the branches together, and keep the leaves from falling out. I was happy not to have to use any thorns for this project. : )
Later this month, I will be working with 60 second graders on "Land Art" as part of their YES Foundation Fundraiser, to raise money for art, music and PE at their public school. I have been practicing projects to see what is doable with the kids. This might work, if we have enough time and good light. Our end result will be turned into notecard sets, with photos of the "Land Art" the kids create on the front of the cards. The sale of the notecards will help pay for the kids' school art, music and PE. If you would like to purchase a set of notecards, please contact me and you can help the kids with their fundraising efforts!
In the Studio Today...Photography Workshop with Aperture Academy; Fort Point-Golden Gate Bridge
February 28, 2010
Fort Point-Golden Gate Bridge-San Francisco|Marin 365; Day #52, originally uploaded by cproppe.
Fort Point-Golden Gate Bridge-San Francisco|Marin 365; Day #52, originally uploaded by cproppe.
I enjoyed a full-day photography workshop with Aperture Academy this past Sunday. It was a great learning opportunity for me, as I have always wanted to push myself to better understand my DSLR camera, and all it is capable of doing. We split into two groups of 7 students each, and I worked with instructor, Brian Reub. We spent the entire day shooting in Manual Mode, using tripods, and long exposure shots with a remote control. It was a really rainy and foggy day in San Francisco, so we spent the majority of our time in the covered area of Fort Point, underneath the SF side of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Although I had been there before, I had never stepped foot into the Fort itself! I couldn't believe how special it was to tour the old fort, built just before the time of the Civil War. It never saw battle, but it was fully prepared for it. Canons lined the roof top and gun powder and canon balls were stored in the bottom level. You may view my set of photos on Flickr here to see some of the history of Fort Point, and the many colors and textures there. Also, Aperture Academy has a full blog post on our day, with a few photos of me and the other members of our class. It was a really nice group, and I will definitely go back for more.
In the Studio Today... Painting on an iPod;
but wishing for an iPad with Touch Sensitive Pen
February 1, 2010
The announcement of the new iPad coming out by Apple Computer in a couple months has made me very curious about the possibilites of the little app called "Brushes" that currently works on my iPod Touch (or your iPhone). I finally took the time to familiarize myself with it over the weekend, and I just painted this little San Francisco night scene and made a movie of it. Years ago, I used to use "Painter" and "Flash" on my Mac for work, and a Wacom touch sensitive tablet. Those tools were great for painting on a computer, and I loved them. You could also play back your work in those programs... probably still can, but I haven't been keeping up with the software as I'm not at a design studio any more, and I have bigger fish to fry in my own home here with my twins in grade school. As for "Brushes", I think it will be great on the larger iPad, but where is the pressure sensitive aspect of it? It's sooooo frustrating to draw with a tool that can not create a thick-thin line, and drawing with your finger is not so great... It's fun, but I frequently can not get the line to go where I want it to go, and have to "undo" and redraw it. An old friend of mine used to say that "Drawing with a mouse is like trying to draw with your shoe". Drawing with your finger on a screen the size of a business card is kind of similar, I'd say... Silly, almost. It leaves for a sloppy way of doing things. It's a serious challenge. I hope the iPad upgrade and new Brushes software will be much better and really be easier to use. In the meantime, click to watch the video of my first iPod "painting" done in Brushes.
The announcement of the new iPad coming out by Apple Computer in a couple months has made me very curious about the possibilites of the little app called "Brushes" that currently works on my iPod Touch (or your iPhone). I finally took the time to familiarize myself with it over the weekend, and I just painted this little San Francisco night scene and made a movie of it. Years ago, I used to use "Painter" and "Flash" on my Mac for work, and a Wacom touch sensitive tablet. Those tools were great for painting on a computer, and I loved them. You could also play back your work in those programs... probably still can, but I haven't been keeping up with the software as I'm not at a design studio any more, and I have bigger fish to fry in my own home here with my twins in grade school. As for "Brushes", I think it will be great on the larger iPad, but where is the pressure sensitive aspect of it? It's sooooo frustrating to draw with a tool that can not create a thick-thin line, and drawing with your finger is not so great... It's fun, but I frequently can not get the line to go where I want it to go, and have to "undo" and redraw it. An old friend of mine used to say that "Drawing with a mouse is like trying to draw with your shoe". Drawing with your finger on a screen the size of a business card is kind of similar, I'd say... Silly, almost. It leaves for a sloppy way of doing things. It's a serious challenge. I hope the iPad upgrade and new Brushes software will be much better and really be easier to use. In the meantime, click to watch the video of my first iPod "painting" done in Brushes.
In Nature's Studio Today... Land Art #4;
Rich Colors of Winter
January 15, 2010
Land Art #4; Red Sweetspire, Violets, Holly Berries, Sycamore Seed Pod, originally uploaded by cproppe.
Land Art #4; Red Sweetspire, Violets, Holly Berries, Sycamore Seed Pod, originally uploaded by cproppe.
Red sweetspire leaves(I believe), wild purple violets, red holly berries, sycamore seed pod...
My son and I collected the red leaves from the ground at his school today, and the seed pod from the upper playground. The holly berries are from our yard, as well as the wild violets, that just opened this week. It's rain season in Northern California, but there is still color if you look for it. This is our fourth creation in our own "Land Art" series this month. I am hoping to teach a class in the Spring through the Recreation Department. Inspired by the works of Andy Goldsworthy and Richard Shilling. Take a look at Shilling's work, here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)