Great News!

Summer Botanical

For the past several weeks I have been busy painting instead of blogging but now I have something to crow about! Bentley Global Arts Group, a major publisher of fine art prints, has chosen six of my painting to publish! Three are from my Tree Party Series and three are from my Botanical Seasons. The above, called Summer Botanical is just one of them.  You can see all of them on my web site now and soon they will be available on the BGAG website. www.bentleyglobalarts.com

The Northern Neck Studio Tour

This photo was taken Sunday April 10th in my garage studio during the Arts Alive Studio Tour. I think it was a success! Over the 12 hour period of the 15 studios tour, I had 75 visitors find their way over country roads to Corroluna Studio. This may be a record number of visitors to my remote neighborhood in one day.  I showed my work on the walls, demonstrated my painting process, sold some art work, and got to meet so many new people. My five greeter volunteers, provided by the Friends of the Northumberland Library, were delightful company and made my job of interacting with the public duty free.  I was delighted to see some former students and “art buddies” from Richmond and the Rappahannock Art League walk in my door and even buy some art work. All in all, it was a very fun experience!

Getting ready for the Studio Tour

Getting ready for the Arts Alive Artist Studio Tour 2011 is like giving a party with major decorations, door prizes and light refreshments. Then there is the mystery of who might come…or not. This tour is to benefit the Northumberland Public Library, a great little gem of cultural resources to the rural community of Virginia’s Northern Neck. They have organized the artist studio tour as one of three annual “Alive” projects. They also have Books Alive that sponsors authors from all over the state to come speak and Music Alive that invites musicians to perform. There is a lot more going on at this small rural library than book reading and research.

Come on the tour to support grass roots Arts Alive on the Northern Neck.



Teaching a Workshop this week

I love to teach! To pass along the knowledge I have gained through years of experience and see it help others to advance on their journey is very rewarding. Painting is a journey of self- discovery as well as self- expression and most importantly it is so much fun!

This Friday I begin teaching a 3 day workshop at the Crossroads Art Center, in Richmond, on Mixed Water Media. This workshop explores the virtues, pitfalls and advantages of watercolor and acrylic paints in mixed media painting. I will demonstrate how to use these two different paints effectively in one painting and how to further enhance the painting  surface with water soluble crayons, pencils, various tools and paper surfaces.  My painting below, called Tree Party I, is an example of mixed water media.

Any Studio will do.

When I first came to this small cottage I struggled with finding a suitable place to paint. The kitchen table just wasn’t cutting it.  I really needed my own space …even if it was outside under a tree. Before resorting to the shade of the big Maple, I decided to try the garage. I set up a couple work tables in one of the two bays, took out my art stuff, put on the music and started to paint.   It has fluorescent lights (Ug!), but they are located 10’ high on a white ceiling and there is some natural light from the bay door windows. Humm….the quality of light is actually better than I thought it would be.  I can keep one bay door open in nice weather and use the handy garden hose for cleanup.  All my art stuff is out and ready when inspiration strikes and best of all I can make a mess if I want to.  This “lightly” heated and air-conditioned space is my version of a garret studio. You know, it’s not ideal but it will certainly do and surprisingly I am happy there.  Ah….freedom to paint! You have to create your own studio even if it means kicking the car outside.  Where could you create a studio?



Inspiration

Inspiration can come from the unexpected or from the everyday. The unusual things that happen by chance, like a dramatic cloud layered sunset, make us stop and take particular notice. We may take a photograph or paint a quick sketch to capture this unusual moment. This type of striking inspiration is always welcomed but it is the everyday that requires a closer look to be appreciated for its familiar comfort. I am inspired by the little things in life that make me happy…like my Crocs. I have made two paintings about these popular and endearing shoes. The square one is called Love My Crocs and was inspired by the traditional Crocs that so many of us know and love.  The rectangle is called Flip Flops. It was inspired by a pair of sandaled Crocs that I love to wear on hot summer days. Inspiration can be right under your nose, or in this case, right under your feet.

Ripe with Possibility

Morning is my favorite time of day and often part of my paintings. Not the physical morning, although they are beautiful at Corroluna, so much as the psychological. Each morning is a new beginning that is ripe with possibility.  It must be this positive thought that makes positive things happen in my life. That and taking action. The unknown is not a scary place but fertile ground for creativity, a blank canvas on with to create the art of happiness.

Multi Tree Morning by MJ Beswick 2009

 

Keeping an Artist Journal

Keeping an artist journal can have a big payoff for any aspiring artist. “Keeping”, in this case, means capturing moments of your life’s journey with regularity. Doing it takes discipline but it soon becomes a habit that is also a pleasure and a valuable tool. I have been doing it for over 10 years now and have some twenty or more of these little books in various sizes, colors and shapes on my studio shelf. They are much more than sketch books. I have set no limitations on what I can put into them. My journals are filled with my deepest thoughts, my dearest desires, ideas for new paintings, drawings of things I see, drawings from my imagination, inspiring quotes, mindless doodling, and lists of things to do. I include photos of completed paintings next to the idea that inspired it, and pictures of other artist’s paintings that inspire me. This “keeping” has become an important tool in my creative journey. It teaches me about myself and clarifies my intentions and desires for both my artwork and my life. My journals give me a documented history of my journey and growth as an artist. Even when I cannot get to my studio because life gets in the way, I can take a few minutes to add something to my artist journal. I know that when I do get to my studio, I will have a wealth of information on which to draw authentic inspiration.





Line and Shape

Line is the most powerful, personally expressive element used in art making. Lines can be straight or curvy, fat or thin, broken or solid, dark or light, smooth or rough, sweeping or tight, or lost and found. Most artists have natural tendencies to use certain qualities of line.  I like curvy, lost and found lines as in my painting above, called Cleo’s Bouquet. It also uses light and dark repeated lines that read as patterned shapes. A shape is a line that closes. Think about drawing a circle or any other shape. The edges of shapes are considered lines too. Line is very personal. It carries energy and information about the maker. Think about signatures. They are basically lines that visually represent someone in a personal, expressive and unique way.  It’s the same in drawing and painting.

What is Corroluna?

Corroluna Studio at Corroluna Cottage is located on the river banks of the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia. The name Corroluna is made up of Corro from the Corrotoman River that the cottage overlooks and the word Luna or moon that shines a path on the river to our door.  It is an inspiring place to live and paint surrounded by the beauty and quiet rhythms of nature.  Here one is transported back in time from today’s hurried man-made world to the slower, simpler natural world. It reminds me daily to appreciate and celebrate life simply for the experience of being a part of it. That is what my art is about.



Pattern in Painting

Pattern is an element that I love to use in my paintings along with color, line, and shape which actually make up patterns. Although I love traditional patterns like checks, stripes, and dots, almost anything can be a pattern.  Think leaves on a tree, tiles on a roof or waves on the sea. Pattern can be loose or tight, large or small, calm or active.  Pattern can unify and separate shapes as in my painting above called Fiesta Table.  The different patterns define different objects or shapes.  But at the same time, the patterns can appear unified when they are contrasted with plain shapes. Then all the patterned shapes are more alike, in contrast to the plain shapes which are different.  Can you find the contrasting Plain shapes in this painting?