Touched by Art

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art, art and emotions, art instruction, artwork, creating art, creative art, demonstration, devil's den, fine art, how to paint, Patricia Allingham Carlson, touched by art, watercolor, watercolor painting, watercolor technique

I was painting in watercolor at a local gallery that represents some of my work; demonstrating techniques and talking with customers as they came by. https://www.facebook.com/MH-Custom-Framing-and-Gallery-Inc-123395394365184/?fref=ts is a lovely place to hang out.

A woman approached to chat about my work with me as she waited her turn with the master framer, Karen Lentz.

She told me she was having two watercolors framed for her daughter as a wedding gift. They were found in a large tablet of completed paintings, up in the attic of her grandparent’s home, created by a grandmother she had never met. All of the family’s children were asking for a painting or two from the tablet, and they were going fast.

I asked to see them and she showed me the work. The art was lovely, all landscapes, all filled with color and light and obviously painted with great love for what the artist was seeing. There were mountains and valleys, streams and rivers, shores and fields and forests- very much what I love to see and paint myself.

“I never met my grandmother, but this I have heard. Though she worked full time, painting was her love. She never showed her work anywhere. She loved to travel with my grandfather, and as they drove she would suddenly ask him to stop the car and pull over so she could photograph the view. Then she would go home and later paint from the photos. She had a small upstairs studio, and the stairs up were lined with labeled photos of all the places and the people she loved. She passed away before my time. We all love her work.”

The woman sounded much like me. I create much of my work from the places I camp and hike in. My husband will tell you of how I ask him suddenly to stop the car so that I can get out, observe a scene, and photograph it, all the while saying, “look at that light! look at the color on the water! Oh my gosh, it is so beautiful here!” Yes, I am a nature freak.

The unknown artist’s work seemed to show an identical love for nature. Seemed to show her visual excitement for the gifts we are given by our beautiful earth, a joy I celebrate myself. I felt a deep kindred spirit with this lady, who painted for herself and never got to show her work.

But now her descendants were sharing it, seeing it, celebrating her talent by hanging it in their homes. What a legacy she left, what a joyful place for her art to have gone… I wonder if she knows?

Bridge to Devil’s Den, from a lovely camping trip by a stream.

Artists create because they are compelled to. They simply must express the world through their medium. They do not get a choice for if they do not create a big part of their spirits feel lost, incomplete, deadened. It is a challenging way to be, but all part of the wonderful journey.

Paint on.

 

Gifts

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appreciation, art, art and emotions, artist, artist's eyes, artwork, creating art, fine art, gifting yourself, gifts, imagination, painting, Patricia Allingham Carlson, watercolor, watercolor painting

Life seems to be an journey between paths lit with bright sunlight, mysterious moonlight, and grey trails of mud and sharp rocks. When you get off the right track, you can sometimes plod on for miles, turned within, not realizing you are off.

Wake up- look at where you are, do you like what you see? Maybe you need to get back into the golden sun, a path where you can walk and breathe and see the hope of the journey.

A place to start is to look at your gifts. Everyone has them. You were born with some inherent talents, bends, predispositions toward skills. They may lie in your natural grace of movement, your way of looking at machines and understanding their functions, your ability to look at wood pieces and see their natural joinings for function or for art.

It may be a yearning to fly, to hear and create music, put together words into tales, or draw the world to share. You have those gifts. If you use them in your life or work or study, your journey will be easier, will bring you more joy. Because when we work at developing a skill that we naturally lean toward the learning is far easier, the potential for excellence far greater than forcing a knowledge that we do not enjoy, do not care about.

art muse

Next, look at external gifts you are given. Wake up- look at the world around you, the sights, the people, the creatures. That bird on the branch is singing for you. Do you even hear him? That brilliant red tree was placed in your sight to savor with your vision. Look at it for goodness sake! The little cat rubbing your ankle wants to give you a gift of its love. The child singing in the yard two houses over is practicing her talent, enjoy her aspiration.

Serendipitous occurrences can be wonderful gifts. Did you ever just find the most beautiful rock, feather, seashell without even trying? Recently as I was driving my car while filled with churning bad feelings, I made myself go through a small meditation on rising above the false self. Immediately a beautiful blue jay feather floated into my open window and landed on my seat. What a gift!

And give yourself gifts. No, not expensive jewelry(though that can be nice) but small reasonable gifts. Take a walk while determining that with every step you will live in the now. Or shut your eyes when you are full of stress, and imagine yourself in your favorite beautiful place of nature. Plan to take a small trip to a park or a museum, or a place you find intriguing and go. Plant your favorite flower or some spinach seeds, and watch them grow. Eat the baby spinach you planted and feel it nurture your body( I did this one).

If you love to sing, put on your most loved music and let ‘er rip. Same for dancing. It does not matter if you aren’t good at it, it is wonderful to allow your body to express itself so kinetically. And if you do it often, I guarantee you will get better at it!

If you are an artist, even a very over scheduled one, give yourself the gift of creating time. Compose your music, paint your canvas, write your novel. Build your dreams in whatever small pieces of time you can grab.

Last, give gifts to others. Smile at the child, the older lady, the person you pass on your walk. Hold the door for the one behind you, grab the can on the high shelf someone can’t reach themselves. Stroke your dog, praise your friend. Compliment the one you know could use it by sharing a wonderful thought you have had of them. These acts can take so little effort, but can be wonderful gifts. And they turn around and make you feel good too.

Coming back to life’s journey, if you can wake up and see your gifts, your path will be heading back to where it is intended. The sunlight will be up ahead, and you will be able to handle the dark of the night with far more assurance. Remember your gifts. Use them. Appreciate them. See them. Give of them.

Have a happy sunlit trail my friends.

The Meaning of Art?

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art, art ideas, artist, creating art, creative art, fine art, meaning of art, painting, Patricia Allingham Carlson, watercolor, watercolor painting, why create

•   What does art mean to you? Art is a record of the human spirit, the display and expression of what is seen, felt, revealed or even imagined by the artist.
• Transformation, Breaking Through

• It is heard in the thrilling notes of a song, felt through the exquisite movements of a dancer, the emotional connection to an actor, or seen in a painting that grips the viewer on a level deeper than vision.

  Listperson

  I think that artists are compelled to create their art. They feel a need to record what they have observed about living in the world and amongst the people in it.Artists need to show what they have imagined, and to play with their medium of expression for the sheer joy of living with their ability to create.

  Stream on Dark Hollow Road

  Further, they yearn to put meaning to the immense emotions that the act of living generates, the joy and sadness, the confusion and wonder, the search for meaning and the spirit which we humans all experience.

                New Hope Cherry Tree

  When the writer, the dancer, the singer or the painter has created, and the viewer can find truth in that expression, you are close to the meaning of art.

  What is the meaning of art to you?

  Have a beautiful day all.

Creating a Series, Part One and Two and Three

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art, art experiments, art help, art ideas, artist, artwork, creating art, fine art, landscape, painting, painting a series, painting watercolors, Patricia Allingham Carlson, watercolor, watercolor lesson

A hike in a local park, and an art challenge suggested by an art supplies vendor brought together a watercolor series idea. The hike through the woods and fields of Tamanend Park brought the exercise and peace my body and spirit were craving. The art challenge brought the spark to set my imagination to creating.

When I start a hike outdoors, I am often tense, wound up like a spring from the demands of life. I have trouble turning off my thoughts, running them over and over through frustrating loops. Within a half hour, I am far happier, more relaxed. My eyes and ears open to my surroundings, I see the subtle beauty of light play on trees, and I take photos to record inspirations for artwork. This tree on a hillside had such a quality.

A challenge to use the same image, or subject in four different art approaches felt like a fun way to use it. I enjoy a challenge- it frees me to try new things.

I set up the paper for the paintings. Then I began to sketch the landscape. By the second tree sketch, I was rather bored. It was a tedious start. Then I considered the  different approaches I could take.

This approach involves powdered graphite- first wetting the paper with water, wherever you do not want the powder  to stick. Powdered graphite comes in a little bottle, and is used to lubricate hinges and such. I tried it out and found it worked fine for this type of art approach.

The powder is washed off with water- in a bucket or hose. It leaves some unique textures.

My structure was set. All that was needed was drying time, then paint.

The colors came together very naturally for this part. Trying to capture the dynamic lines of the image with colors that I felt were suggested by the light, it all flowed for this painting.

The Hill at Tamanend

Darkening for accent, glazing more layers of color for vibrancy, then painting in many small golden branches, it was done.

On to the next one-

This one stared out with just a wet paper with  colors painted on. Pretty plain.

First I scrubbed off some of the extra colors in the foreground which felt over powering. The I started on the branches of the tree, trying to show the unusual quality of the light on the branches that day. I used an ever smaller brush to paint the finely articulated smallest branches.

Tweaking and adding detail, I ended up putting this aside for several weeks. I simply did not know how to take it further.

When I run into a wall with a painting, I often turn to experimentation. My thinking here is what do I have to lose? The work was not what I wanted. If I wrecked it, oh well! I mixed up some watery white tempera paint, and got out a toothbrush.

I spattered fine drops of white paint onto the painting. I used my other hand to block off other areas where I did not want the paint to go. A bit here and there, a bit more- my whole hand was white and the painting was done!  Now it had the ethereal quality of light I was looking for.

On to the next one-

For this painting I started with wet paper, then covered some areas with torn tissue. Next I added the paint- liquid watercolors.

When the paint dried and I removed the tissue, a beautiful color surprise showed up. The paint had mixed together in lovely colors. This usually makes me afraid to take it further; I liked it too much. So I put it aside for a while. That’s my solution to regain my objectivity.

After a while, I saw where I wanted to take it. I had to re-work the pathway 8 times to get it to feel correct. Golden Pathway at Tamanend,the third was complete.

There is a fourth, but I have it set aside for now. This time not because I like it, but because I don’t- LOL.

My hikes in the woods lead me to the peace I need to function well.

What do you need to do to function well in your world?

Peace to all.

Why Make Art?

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art, art and perception, art education, art ideas, artist, artist's eyes, artwork, experiments in art, fine art, watercolor, watercolor painting, why do we create?

A group of people have hiked to a tall and splendid waterfall. They all stand back to look at the magnificent sight.

A geologist in the group studies the rock, ponders the composition of the sedimentary layers. An historian remembers the origins of the area, the Native Americans who dwelt there. An engineer may calculate the rate of the water’s  flow and recall an old waterwheel and mill he saw further downstream.

The photographer in the group is taking photos from different angles, pursuing a certain idea. The dancer is watching the water flow over the rocks, dreaming of expressing it in a waterfall dance. The poet is composing verse in his head to express the sight in words. The artist is studying the atmosphere around the falling water, the light and rainbow play in the mist, the color of the water and rock. The musician is listening to the separate sounds, taking apart the birdsong, roar of the falls, the wind rushing through the trees.

All of these people are enjoying being there, all feeling their own unique responses and ideas. But the artists in the group will take the moments into their various arts and express them as separate creations. Why?

I believe that art is a means people use to process their world. We are surrounded, bombarded by what our senses take in at any given moment. We learn to tune out the extraneous in order to learn anything at all. We learn to focus on the sense we need at the moment to stay safe, to enjoy food, to relax through music, to learn from a teacher. When we stroke a kitten, the exquisite touch of the warm furry creature is amazing. Experiencing the word of sensation can be very pleasurable.

The visual artist also wants to study the composition of the sights he sees. How the insect is segmented, the light flashes on the colors of the wings. How the flower fits together at the center, the petal shapes and stem joining. The mountain rising over the lake, the clouds and colors in the sunset.

Drawing is a first activity for the visual artist, an act of joy and trying to understand how the world is made. Through drawing an object  the artist comes to understand how it is put together and to express that discovery.

The act of expressing is cathartic, releasing tension built up by the bombardment of perceptions, allowing for the how and why to be clearly shown.

Creating begins as a way to understand the world as we perceive it. Processing the perceptions can lead to artistic creation. The act of creating can be wonderful or frustrating, but the artists I know pursue this once discovered,                    “Because I have to.”
Recently I wondered what could I create from a blob of paint. So I wet a paper and added watercolors randomly.After it dried, I imagined a tall sailing ship. Starting at the base, I began removing paint by adding water and blotting it off with toweling. Forming the ship. Next I did more of the same to form the sails and structures. Fun!Done, and the blob of paint has become Sailing Ship.Does your art bring you understanding? Joy? Frustration? Do you find meaning in your art through self expressing? Seeking a means to inspire, process, share yourself and unique ideas with others?Art is created for many reasons, in many different forms from the transitory to the more permanent. From the sewn quilt to the dance to the novel to the sculpture. Whatever your means of expression, I wish you great joy in it.”

Recycling a Bad Painting II- Collage!

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art, art experiments, art help, art ideas, art instruction, art lesson, artist, collage, creative art, demonstration, fine art, Patricia Allingham Carlson, watercolor, watercolor and collage

Many artists I know use this method, tearing or cutting up a failed painting and re purposing it as a collaged creation. The painting you have spent hours on has textures, colors and patterns that may come alive when re positioned or combined with pieces from other failed paintings. And the paper and paints are not wasted material if recycled. Collages can be beautiful textural creations.

“Betwixt” was built from pieces of many discarded artworks. I assembled it much like a jig saw puzzle, then added to the collage with additional watercolor for shading and color.

My Tiger collage was created in much the same way. The beautiful textures that were not working in one failed painting worked wonderfully for a tiger’s fur.

I am a person who tries to make order in my life by writing down lists of tasks. During a very busy time in my life, planning my daughter’s wedding, my lists took over for a bit and I had no time for painting. The planning and lists became extensive and my frustration grew with the lack of creating time! I saved the lists and vowed to make a person out of them to express my frustration through art when I finally had the time. This painting is titled Listperson, and is made of those lists torn up, collaged and painted on.

I enjoyed this process very much, eventually creating a series.This is Listperson III.

Another process involves collaging torn sheets of crumpled rice paper over a failed painting. The rice paper is semi transparent, and shows the colors through from the underlying painting.  These colors can be used to inspire a new work, hopefully better than the one you covered. The creased paper provides wonderful textures that carry the watercolor paint into folds and lines. This is called “Tree Poem”.

Isle of Avalon was created in much the same way, but I added concentrated color to the rice paper while it was still wet from being collaged. This allowed for some very interesting textures to develop. which I then enhanced with more paint when the paper dried.

Moth Collage

Midnight Falls

Moonlight Sonata

I would encourage anyone to try this fun technique, find your own textures and save your costly materials for another use. Maybe start a bag of torn up discards, pull it out when you have the time to  art-dream and start a puzzle.

Next week, one more way to recycle artwork-

Have a fine week!

Creating a Series, a Second Completed

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art critique service, art help, creating art, creative art, demonstration, experiment, experiments in art, fine art, how to paint in watercolor, imagination, jump start your art, landscape, p allingham carlson, Patricia Allingham Carlson, powdered graphite, tamanend park, turning photos into paintings, watercolor

A hike in a local park, and an art challenge suggested by an art supplies vendor brought together a watercolor series idea. The hike through the woods and fields of Tamanend Park brought the exercise and peace my body and spirit were craving. The art challenge brought the spark to set my imagination to creating.

When I start a hike outdoors, I am often tense, wound up like a spring from the demands of life. I have trouble turning off my thoughts, running them over and over through frustrating loops. Within a half hour, I am far happier, more relaxed. My eyes and ears open to my surroundings, I see the subtle beauty of light play on trees, and I take photos to record inspirations for artwork. This tree on a hillside had such a quality.

A challenge to use the same image, or subject in four different art approaches felt like a fun way to use it. I enjoy a challenge- it frees me to try new things.

I set up the paper for the paintings. Then I began to sketch the landscape. By the second tree sketch, I was rather bored. It was a tedious start. Then I considered the  different approaches I could take.

This approach involves powdered graphite- first wetting the paper with water, wherever you do not want the powder  to stick. Powdered graphite comes in a little bottle, and is used to lubricate hinges and such. I tried it out and found it worked fine for this type of art approach.

The powder is washed off with water- in a bucket or hose. It leaves some unique textures.

My structure was set. All that was needed was drying time, then paint.

The colors came together very naturally for this part. Trying to capture the dynamic lines of the image with colors that I felt were suggested by the light, it all flowed for this painting.

The Hill at Tamanend

Darkening for accent, glazing more layers of color for vibrancy, then painting in many small golden branches, it was done.

On to the next one-

This one stared out with just a wet paper with  colors painted on. Pretty plain.

First I scrubbed off some of the extra colors in the foreground which felt over powering. The I started on the branches of the tree, trying to show the unusual quality of the light on the branches that day. I used an ever smaller brush to paint the finely articulated smallest branches.

Tweaking and adding detail, I ended up putting this aside for several weeks. I simply did not know how to take it further.

When I run into a wall with a painting, I often turn to experimentation. My thinking here is what do I have to lose? The work was not what I wanted. If I wrecked it, oh well! I mixed up some watery white tempera paint, and got out a toothbrush.

I spattered fine drops of white paint onto the painting. I used my other hand to block off other areas where I did not want the paint to go. A bit here and there, a bit more- my whole hand was white and the painting was done!  Now it had the ethereal quality of light I was looking for.

On to the next one-

My hikes in the woods lead me to the peace I need to function well.

What do you need to do to function well in your world?

Peace to all.

Creating Dragon’s Eye

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adam allingham, art help, artist, artwork, cracked glass and watercolor, creating art, creating Dragon's Eye, creative art, dragon, Dragon's Eye, experiments in art, fine art, how to paint in watercolor, imagination, Patricia Allingham Carlson, textures, watercolor, watercolor painting

I am reposting Dragon’s Eye for the New Year.

An accident in the studio- a piece of safety glass was cracked; it remained attached in a single piece. As we discussed its disposal, my husband thought to slide a piece of watercolor paper under it and drip liquid watercolor through the cracks… hmmm. We did it!

Well, I let it dry for a week, then slid the broken sheet of glass off and threw that out. A richly textured stained paper was left. It had texture on texture, really impressive! I scraped off as much splintered glass as I could, then studied the thing. I had no idea what to do with it and set it aside.

It remained so for 3 years. Every so often I would pull it out and look at it, but it remained silent, and waiting. Then I saw what it would be. The texture was very reptilian and I decided on a dragon. I researched close up photos of reptiles eyes. I drew in the eye of a dragon.

This became an obsessive piece for me; I bought a dragon wall gargoyle, I listened to music that pictured dragons for me, I painted and had much fun!

I started work with the eye itself. I used watercolor ink full strength to cover the eye area completely. I have always loved painting and drawing eyes of all kinds, and this part was a easy to complete.

Close up of the eye.

In order to include the proper dragon anatomy- my vision of it anyway, I added paper surrounds to complete the whole head as a sketch. Looked right to me-

Done- Dragon’s Eye

20 x 15 inches

watercolor

Relaxing against a warm mountainside; you suddenly turn as the Dragon’s eye opens!

The original is available, as is a print at http://fineartamerica.com/featured/dragons-eye-patricia-allingham-carlson.html

The music I listened to as I painted and dreamed was Demon outside: Run, battle., by Adam Allingham- a gifted music composer.

Check out Adam’s work and songs at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Adam-Allingham/174774089223111?id=174774089223111&sk=app_178091127385(soundcloud)

His facebook page at  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Adam-Allingham/174774089223111

Visit my facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Art-of-Patrcia-Allingham-Carlson/151439547637?ref=hl

Happiest New Year to all!

Art Experiments with Watercolor and Sand.

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art, art lesson, art teacher service, artwork, creating art, demonstration, experiment, experiments in art, fine art, how to paint in watercolor, imagination, jump start your art, p allingham carlson, painting, Patricia Allingham Carlson, textures, watercolor and sand, watercolor painting, watercolor technique, watercolor textures

Looking Up

Sometimes I am brimming with ideas for artworks I want to paint. Often I am not. In our busy lives we don’t even have the time to create, express the ideas swimming around in our heads when we have them; how frustrating to have the time to create and no ideas to work with!

On such days I just haul out a variety of materials and experiment.

On this day I decided to try sand, water and paint. I don’t know where that idea came from, but I enjoy creating new textures to paint on, and wondered what these materials could do.

 

 

 

 

 

Outside I dumped sand onto paper, wet it, drew in it with my finger, then dropped concentrated watercolor paint onto it. Then I let it dry, and brushed off the sand.

(By the way, I kept the colored sand for another future experiment!)

That was really fun!

 

Here is what one of the dried works looked like- truly unique textures had been created. but it didn’t bring any inspiration for what to paint it into. It sat for months in my studio. I would periodically turn it in different directions, waiting for it to “tell me” what it wanted to be. One day it did.

The face I saw in the unfinished work was in an odd pose, not one I would have chosen myself. It was hard to get it right and make it look attractive; the view up someone’s nose is tricky to pull off! But the textures there for a head dress and hair were intriguing and fun to work with.

I used white ink with a pen to do much of the detailing. It took another rest until I saw what was needed to complete the head dress and veiling, then it came together.

Looking up was completed. She looks hopeful; that is a good way to look and to feel.

I hope your holidays were warm and wonderful. Mine were.

And I wish you a happy and creative New Year to be- Looking up!

 

 

 

Step by Step- Art

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art, art help, art instruction, art lesson, art teacher service, artist, artwork, creating art, creative art, demonstration, fine art, glazing, how to paint, how to paint in watercolor, Patricia Allingham Carlson, pennypack creek, pennypack park, pennypack watershed

At a recent adult art class, a student seemed somewhat intimidated by the idea of attempting a landscape. She was looking at a completed work of mine, and felt she could never achieve a complex finished work. Ironically she had been working across the table from another student who was doing just that- creating a watercolor painting from initial sketch to background sky and mountains, now working toward the middle ground road and shrubbery.

I pointed this process out to the student, saying- you have to take it Step by Step.

That is the essence of artwork, and no mistake, it is work!

Trail by Pennypack Creek

First the idea must occur, inspired by a beautiful sight you see or imagine. Or by the way the light falls through a window onto a chance color grouping in the room, by the way it plays on the water of a stream. By a vivid dream you have had, or by the yearning to convey an emotion or concept.

Then perhaps a period of mental planning, emotional preparation, free flowing thoughts and visions of the work.

Sketching may follow, research of the subject, use of a person as a model for position, or photography of the subject.

in this image I have sketched, then applied masking fluid to preserve white ares in the painting.

Now, ready for the actual work, out comes the paper and something to sketch it, pencil, chalk, or brush. And sketch worked out, the part of the composition furthest back, the background, is then painted.

Then the middle ground. Then the foreground. Then the adjustments, fine tuning. Perhaps another layer glazed onto a color area, a dark accent, highlight or stronger detailing.

You step away from the work periodically in order to see how the overall painting is evolving. This also allows for a more realistic viewing of the work, as most art is viewed from across the room, not 12 inches away from it!

Is it done? Give yourself a little rest, some time to regain your objectivity. Turn it toward the wall, look again tomorrow. Sometimes I will gaze it the work from across the room, then write on the backing next to it my thoughts about what needs to be done as they occur to me.

Or ask a trusted friend or family member. And listen to what they say; untrained or professional, everyone knows what looks right to them. If you agree, write it down.

Then make final adjustments to satisfy yourself.

Trail by Pennypack Creek

Step by step, That is how it is done.

To all- I hope that your Holiday time is a very wonderful one for you. My family will celebrate Christmas this week, and my thoughts are of my loved ones near to me and together in my home. What ever Holiday you may celebrate with your family, I hope it is full of Love.