September Workshop

I’m excited to share with you all about the workshop I presented in September called “THE PLAY OF ABSTRACT ART”. It was a unique opportunity for participants to explore the creative process of abstract art, especially for those with little or no experience.

I attempted to convey the concept that unlike realism which starts with a clear end goal in mind, abstract art is often an open-ended question until it is finished. The process involves a lot of playing and experimenting, followed by editing in about the 3rd quarter of the game. So-called “accidents” are really opportunities because, after all, it is only play. Playing fosters intuition and leads to aha moments when you’ve followed your gut and stumbled onto something cool. Your whole mind/body says, “Yes,” this is it! 

For the next two days, we played while doing 4 exercises incorporating abstract art elements. We then curated and cut out 4" compositions from the exercises and mounted those to Matt board. Finally, we had an art show/discussion complete with wine & cheese.

I received some really good feedback from this workshop which will help me improve it for next year. I’m planning to add more demonstrations and change the exercises a bit, but I’ll definitely keep the wine and cheese!

How a Housing Market and Two Natural Disasters Shaped my Art Life.

I’m from Michigan, but my parents had a vacation place on Cudjoe Key which I enjoyed visiting for 20 years. In 2011 there was a down turn in the real estate market. A house on Cudjoe that my husband Paul and I were looking at on Zillow, dropped its price by $100,000.

So, we decided to buy it and move to the Florida Keys!

Ibis

I was incredibly inspired by all the color in the Keys and the—Dramatic skies, water views, variety of tropical plants, and water birds. I especially loved the Egrets, Pelicans, Herons, and Ibis

Our house on Cudjoe Key was 860 sq ft. Without much space to make art, I made small watercolor paintings in a sketchbook —like this painting of an Ibis. I sold Giclee prints at art fairs, and eventually at a Key West gallery called Frangipani.

Conch House

This is a painting of a Key West conch house—a style of architecture developed in the 19th century and attributed to immigrants from the Bahamas known as ‘conchs.’

Conch Houses are rectangular with a porch across the full front and often have louvered, ‘Bahama shutters.

Smiley-Face Boat

In 2015 we were lucky enough to buy the iconic Smiley-Face houseboat in Key West depicted here in the middle of it’s neighbors.

It had been moved to the Key West City Marina in the 90s from its original site at Historic Houseboat Row—a bohemian colony of floating homes made famous by Ernest Hemingway.

Charter Boats

Paul and I would walk our dog Leo by the Charter Boats in our neighborhood several times a day. In late afternoons we would watch the fisherman cleaning their catch.

Pelicans would flock in a frenzy to catch scraps thrown into the water. This painting was enhanced digitally, “It’s called “Charter Boat Row.”

After Hurricane Irma

During hurricane season, we watched storms develop off the coast of Africa, travel across the Atlantic, then over or around Cuba before heading to the Gulf of Mexico. Conversations at the pools and bars in Key West were of past storms, and plans to evacuate or hunker down.

Hurricane Irma was the most intense hurricane to strike the U.S. since Katrina in 2005. Irma intensified to a Category 4 before making landfall on Cudjoe Key. We had evacuated back to Michigan, and upon returning, found that both our house on Cudjoe Key and our houseboat in Key West were badly damaged.

Our pink neighbor landed on the electrical entrance to our houseboat. The whole boat shifted, opening gaps, and letting water seep into walls, and damaging windows. The Cudjoe house also had roof and window damage, and the mold that comes with that. It took a year to fix both places.

On the roof of the houseboat repainting the smiley face.

Here’s my family on the roof of the houseboat, re-painting the Smiley-Face after the roof was replaced.. The original roof was removed and a restaurant-owner in Marathon took it away to hang in their restaurant as a conversation piece. 

After fixing and selling both properties we plotted our move back to Michigan

We moved back to Michigan in the spring of 2019. I got a full-time job at Holland Hospital where I had worked before, and Paul went back to work at R.I.T. Music in downtown Holland.

It was great to get back to family and friends in Michigan— but I missed Key West, and Paul will tell you— I struggled our first winter back with the grey and the cold.

Just as Covid started in 2020 I moved to a part-time nursing position at the hospital. Paul and I also moved into a larger house in Saugatuck Township with room for a studio. To help me find a new art direction, I joined a 12-week online course called, ‘The Creative Visionary Program,’ In the Art2Life organization founded by Nicholas Wilton.

He is the founder of Art2Life, and fabulous teacher of the Creative Visionary Program (or CVP for short). (He has a free, online, 4-day workshop in February if anyone is interested.)

Dance With Me

In CVP, I learned how to use acrylics, set up my studio, work in a series, and how to analyze design principles to make my art better. I naturally began making paintings of trees since that’s what surrounds my home here in Saugatuck Township.—This painting is called, “Dance With Me.”

Hearts & Flowers

I also learned to create abstract paintings by following the process of call and response until a painting just seems to take on a life of its own.

Like many artists—I often name paintings when they are finished with the first word or phrase that comes to me. This painting is called ‘Hearts & Flowers.’

Fidget

Although I didn’t go to Art School, I did get an MFA in Graphic Design from the University of Michigan. I had a career as a graphic designer before becoming a nurse.

I still love letterforms as you can see here in this painting called, ‘Fidget,’ —now hanging at J.Petter Galleries, the Saugatuck Annex.

Pink Cloud & Tidal Wave

Last September Hurricane Ian made landfall near Boca Grande near my friend Jan’s condo. Since I have experience with Hurricane damage—I helped Jan organize the clean-up and fixing of her condo.

This painting is called, ‘Pink Cloud & Tidal Wave,’ dedicated to my Florida friends after the storm.

Rain & Shine

In my process, I make a lot of painted papers using the extra paint on my palette. These papers get cut up and added to mixed media paintings.

Here’s an example with this painting called, ‘Rain & Shine.’ I think it’s partly about leaving Key West for Michigan, but also about how you don’t appreciate the sun shining—until it rains.

The 100 Days Project

“Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.” So said Picasso famously.

Last winter, I took on a challenge that many artists around the world have done: an art project for 100 days. I made 100 4.5” x 6” Bristol board cards ready with gesso and began painting tiny abstract landscapes on them. 

It was amazing how much joy this daily practice brought me. I was painting for myself, without any pressure or expectations. By the time I reached the 50th painting, I thought: this is it, this is what I want to do for the rest of my life: paint for 20 minutes in the morning, tweak in the Procreate app for another 20 minutes, and share on Instagram. What could be wrong with that? It felt so satisfying and rewarding. It was fast, easy, and fun! (It also meant I always had something to post on Instagram!)

But was I becoming addicted? Yes! Was I dodging the hard work of making “real” paintings? Yes! Was this a viable way to be an artist-in-the-real-world? Sadly, no. 

I had to stop when I realized that I had a pile of other projects that were waiting for me. I felt guilty for not finishing the full 100 days, but I knew it was the right thing to do. I gained a lot from these daily paintings and I intend to do this again in the future. That is probably the best result I could hope for. 

Now I am turning these 50 sketches into 24” x 36” acrylic paintings on canvas. You can see the first two that I have completed below.

Noodles, 24” x 36” Mixed Media

Sailing Apostle Islands, 24” x 36” Acrylic

I’m so happy about this…

I’m really delighted to announce that my work will be represented here in my own stomping grounds by my favorite gallery in Saugatuck, Michigan. J. Petter Galleries has a new space dedicated to their stable of abstract artists, at 403 Water Street in Saugatuck. It’s right at the corner of Water and Main Street, downtown.

It was lovely to meet the owner, Juli Petter in my studio, talk about my present work and plans for the future. She took her time, and we clicked. They’re busy renovating this new space right now, and I have just put the finishing touches on frames and delivered several pieces for hanging there. Time to celebrate! And maybe sleep!

Look for information about the grand opening coming soon. Date to be determined. I’d love to see you at that celebration!

Current hours: Thursday through Sunday 12-6 pm. Hours will expand in the summer.