Up Coming Show

 

Christmas Balls

I've done a few shows.  I know the ropes.  At least I know it kinda sorta.  Things happen from time to time so it's important to be flexible or have a plan B or be able to fake a plan B.  Especially when you have to travel out of state for a show and cant just jaunt home for whatever.  But my shows have always been in a populated area, near a grocery store and or box store so I don't spend a lot of time worrying about what COULD happen (anymore).  

That said, I have a show coming in November that I haven't exhibited in before.  Or even attended.  This breaks my number one rule.  I'm relying entirely on other artists advice as to how this show is expected to go. 

First of all, I wouldn't normally even consider a show like this one.  It's a Holiday Food & Gift Fair.  Food & Gift.  Whaaa?  I've learned to stay away from crafty fairs as my artwork is a little higher priced than what you usually find at a craft fair.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE craft fairs and spend my money there because I LOVE handmade crafts.  But I've had people look at my prices and roll their eyes and wander off at these venues where as at FINE ART events my artwork and prices usually fit in.  

But I have artist friends who say it's been a good show for them and they recommended I give it a try.  With one caveat.  Bring your small stuff.  My small stuff?  You mean all those little pieces that sold at the last show?  All of them THAT SOLD?  

Good news, bad news.  My littles went like hot cakes at my last show which left me with nothing for this show.  Or almost nothing.  So I got to painting.  And I like painting my littles.  They are my "instant gratification" pieces, or so I'd like to believe.  Maybe not so instant... maybe more like a day or so depending on this, that and the other.  But gratifying.  

Christmas Balls, above, is not a little.  Nor was it instant.  But I love this piece and it will be coming with me to the show in November unless someone scoops it up off my website before then.  I would not complain about that.  

Anyway, the show is The Holiday Gift & Food Fair  at the Kitsap Sun Pavilion, Kitsap County Fairground, 1200 NW Fairgrounds Rd, Bremerton, WA  98311.

FRI NOV 17 - 10am to 6pm

SAT NOV 18 - 10am to 6pm

SUN NOV 19 - 10am to 5pm 

Maybe I'll see you there.  With all my littles and a few bigs.  

Season Finale

 

Season Finale, 12x24, Oil on Canvas, See it HERE

Indeed, once I've shaken all the spiders off and given them a long drink of water, these expressive blooms create a sanctuary space.  I love my butterfly bush.  Fast growing, full of long, massive blooms all summer.  And it makes for long lasting bouquets.

But shake those spiders off.  ALL the spiders.  

Oh my gosh.  How many times have I been painting and out of the corner of my eye I see a tiny, light, almost translucent spider slowly drop from the bouquet to the table top.  Gaaah!  Arachnophobe! 

That said, I'm learning to inspect and do a little housecleaning with them and then deal with the little invaders as they come. Because they will come.  It's inevitable it appears.  The little buggers are good hiders.

But fortunately, the painting doesnt come with spiders.  It's guaranteed spider free.  Spider free, murkey water free, and no dropped petal mess.   :)

Soulful Pansies

Pansy Study, 8x8, Oil on Canvas, $125 

Available On Etsy Here

Soulful: adjective  of or expressive of deep feeling or emotion: soulful eyes.

Indeed, that is my objective - To put deep feeling and emotion into a painting. Or at the very least inspire such feelings and emotions.  

It's not always easy, and it's not always deep, dramatic and brooding.  Sometimes I shoot for light hearted and whimsey.  But todays post is a pansy painting that sits in the shadows with just a spot of light.  Brooding may be going to far.  Or not.  You see what you see.  You feel what you feel.  

Some people only see pansies.  In that case, I may have worked too hard. :)   I assure you, you are not wrong!  They are indeed pansies.  But artwork is intended to provoke and inspire so if all you see is the literal interpretation than I've missed the boat here.  Or you have.  Look again.  Maybe there is more to it that first appearances.  

Christmas Balls

 

Christmas Balls, 16x12, Oil on Canvas, $995

It's grey, wet and cloudy.  Always seems to be either misting or light rain.  Forty degrees feels like twenty. But... It's Christmas Time!  And that always inspires a Christmassy painting.

As usual, I aim for quiet, tranquil pieces.  But this time of year I also paint cold, bitter cold, brrrry, pieces.  Mostly because that's what's going on.  My studio is pretty small with a wall heater and a space heater which keeps it pretty cozy but outside, lets face it, COLD.  

Every year I take key paintings in my dining room and family room, down and replace them with a Christmas piece as part of my Christmas Decorating.  I don't do a lot of decorating anymore.  I keep it pretty simple which amounts to less and less each year.  

My parents got to the point where they would bring in a single branch that had been broken off from a wind storm and hang a single spent cartridge..  Saying this is their CARTIRDGE IN A BARE TREE.  That might be going too far.  But I kind of get it.  

I still hang a garland with lights across my kitchen beam and we put up our traditional fake tree (with lights, a ribbon and a few pinecones and fake birds).  The powder room gets a small wire tree for the counter, along with a little stained glass church and Christmas foaming soap from Michaels.   I make Muddy Buddies and Spiced Chai Coffee - decaf of course.  But with the kids grown and moved away, Husband and I enjoy more quiet time and that equals less chaos which equals less Christmas decor in my world.  

I like quiet.  Not noise free but chaos free.  Or at least controlled chaos.  Grandkids are kind of the latter.  Kind of.  

Anyway, this piece was selected by the Cole Gallery for their Christmas display so that's where you will find it for now.  It's framed in a classic dark wood frame and for sale for $995. 

Slow down and enjoy the holidays! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

So your still shopping?

Curiously Strong, Oil on Canvas, 14x18

Are you racing to finish your gift list and wrap and bake and watch all those classic shows?

I cant bake for you or watch your favorite Christmas specials but I may have an idea for your last minute gifts.

IF you have a local gallery you will fine MANY one of a kinds and unique items for your special someones - in stock and ready to wrap. (So much fun!!)

My local gallery has items such as:

• Handmade Crocheted Items
• Pottery
• Quilted items
• Applique
• Glass Art
• Fused Glass
• Stained Glass
• Paintings of course..
• Jewelry
• Photography
• Carved Wood
• Mosaic

ORIGINAL ART equals an ORIGINAL GIFT (that's how I got hooked on Etsy).

Now, I, on the other hand am DONE with my shopping (yay!) but I havent even started my holiday baking/meal planning (boo). So leave you with that - my gift to YOU - a brainstorming, last minute, idea list of gift giving options that are likely down the road. :)

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU!

Making Sausage.. ?

I was recently asked if I labored my strokes or in fact, painted quickly and left each stroke as it falls off the brush.

It' might surprise you to know I usually start with a relatively tight painting, putting it all in place where I want it, finding my darks and lights, my strongest color and my muted tones.

That's when I reassess my painting and let my brush fly!  Sometimes I smoosh through edges until they disappear entirely and bring back the areas I want strong.  

It's a back and forth, smooshing and repainting until I'm happy with the result.

Do I labor over brush strokes?  Mostly no, sometimes, yes. 
But when you're in the zone, it's a labor of love. 


What is NOT a labor of love, at least at this point, is my photography of my artwork...  😠👎 
Getting those nasty sparkles and glares out is a constant issue with my chiaroscuro pieces.  I'm going to be experimenting with a new product next week to see if I can produce a better image.  Until then, it remains "a work in progress".  The finished painting and image of said painting will be displayed when that experiment succeeds!   😏
via GIPHY

The Oldfield Show Strikes Again!

Red Storm, 18x24, Oil on Canvas, Auction Item (retail $1830)

It's that time of year again!  The (Fred) Oldfield Show  is happening this weekend at the Puyallup Fairgrounds.  

The red tulip at the top of this post (Red Storm) is slotted for the Major Piece Auction.  You may have seen me working on it during last years show as my "demo".  That was me starting a painting, showing a "bit" of the process at a public event.  

What you didnt see was the work that followed in the privacy of my studio.  Since I started this piece from a photo (rarely done except for public demos where a live set up is.. uh.. inconvenient) I had to re create what I could in order to regain authenticity - or at least, my perception of authenticity.  

Painting from a photo is not breaking any rules, as far as I'm concerned.  A lot of artists use photos and do it well.  And I take photos of all my set ups that I'm painting because, inevitably, flowers will wilt, or brown, or something will happen that will give me grief and the photo will help answer a few questions if the painting process outlasts the floral arrangement.  

However, I dislike painting start to finish from photos.  It just feels inauthentic.  Like I'm making the whole thing up.  Which should be okay, as it is a creative process... but it's not.  It feels like I'm faking it at that point.  So I like to paint from life as much as possible.  

This piece - Red Storm - is a compilation of several set ups that I photographed.  That's how I came up with the composition.  So painting from life after the show was something to contend with.  Nothing was exactly where it is in the painting, so the trick was to translate what I saw in front of me to what was already on the canvas. 

I'm happy with the finished piece.  I hope you can come to see it at the show this weekend and if you are so inclined - BID!

Red Storm is one of many new pieces this year.  I've been working hard to prepare for this show and I have plenty of new pieces to show you. :)

Here's a small sampling of what you can see in person at the show or better yet, just click to my website and check out all my paintings!

Paintus Interruptus - Back to the Mom Cave

Spice, 16x20. Oil On Canvas, Sold

November brings a slew of interruptions to my already sketchy daily schedule.  Thanksgiving is pretty much just the icing on the cake but November is more than just TG.  It's the real onset of the "Holidays".  Or maybe it's actually October these days but I'm too caught up in the Oldfield Show to deal with it until November.  So about November first, I'm already on that slippery slope where so many other things start to take "priority" over my artwork - and my horse.

December, of course, is the crux of it all - but then we find ourselves thinking about New Years and the going-ons of that event. One could pretty much just throw in the towel if they were not mindful of all things fighting for our attention.  

So I saw what was going on.  I was losing steam and had to stay focused.  Artwork first - all other things at the end of the day- but that's when I'm fried, exhausted, mentally wiped out.  The juggle was on.  I did not prevail (this time) but I learned a lot about myself and am developing better habits. 

So with New Years behind me, I was able to get back into my studio, brush in hand (and between my teeth - yep.  A story for another time) and practice some new disciplines.  

Then I get a call.  

For the next 3 months I had the privilege of being able to help my son and his wife as they maneuvered the rocky road of a tiny little baby born waaaay to early.  This was my new priority.  Painting was on the back burner, not getting cold but simmering.  I had 3 months to think about paintings,  compositions, style, technique and the lot of it.  But no time (energy) to act on it.

The good news is baby and family are thriving.  But also, I am back in  my studio more disciplined than ever and more inspired than ever.  

Maybe I needed a little Paintus Interruptus.  Maybe we all do from time to time.  :)

Yuletide Greetings * A Christmas Painting

Yuletide Greetings, 16x20, Oil on Canvas 

Aaaaaannnd back to posting:

So much for consistency.  I want to blame it all on my lack of photography skills but I'm sure we could create a list of my discipline issues.  However, photography is my nemesis.  

Frosty Noel, 12x24, Oil on Canvas

How to get the correct colors , the saturation, exposure, not to mention all those little sparkly reflections that happen with oils.  It's all a mystery to me.  Even with the Googles for reference, I have to set aside a full day for nothing but photography and editing.   My job is to make the image look exactly like the painting.  Sometimes it's enough to make my hair fall out.  

North Light Tulips, 16x20, Oil on Canvas, SOLD

But not everyone loves EVERY aspect of their job even if it IS their DREAM JOB.  So, I let the paintings stack up then I pull out the camera and all my little camera gadgets, light box, lights, umbrellas, filters, blah blah blah and get the job done.   

 

Crispy White Hydreangeas, 18x24, Oil on Canvashttps://loritwiggs.com/workszoom/2934697#/

Still, after all the fuss, I think they are best seen in person.  Which you could have done at the Oldfield Show in October.  Love that show.  So much going on.  Food, wine, coffee, music, auctions - live and silent, rows and rows of artists all in doors!  Put it on your calendar for next year.  It's usually the first weekend of October but there is a rumor they may be changing that.  

North Light Roses, 16x20, Oil on Canvas

Of course you could make a trip to the Cole Gallery in Edmonds, Wa.  I love that gallery too.  Featuring ME.  And several other artists, of course.  I  was asked if I would consider painting some lighter pieces (because I have a tendency toward darker palettes).  

My knee jerk was: No.  

But I percolated on it for a while and thought, maaaybeee.  I can still paint the same concept with in a much higher key.  Much, MUCH higher key. A key so high one might need an oxygen mask.  (Did I lose you?).   Because, frankly, if it's not overplayed, it's just sitting there.  So I overplayed.  I lit.  I over lit.  I blew out edges with light. Over exposed.  And that's saying a lot since I paint from life 99% of the time.   

The galley calls it my "White Period".   

BTW, I am back to chiaroscuro.  :)

Good News & Thank You

Study of Pears, 8x8 Oil on Canvas, Etsy

NEW ETSY SHOP

Holy Smokes, what have I got myself into now?!  I already feel like there is not enough time in the day and now I've added a whole new platform to learn for selling my artwork on.  

Dont get me wrong I'm really excited to be on Etsy.  I signed up in 2008 and just let it sit there which was good because apparently they have made a lot of changes but I'm grandfathered into some of the "old ways".  Whatever.  It's all I can do to figure out some of the basics.  The Etsy hand book is like a rats nest of do's and dont's.  On top of that, they have forums and teams and groups and so on.  You can really get lost in there.   I can really get lost in there.

But I have several paintings listed and already made a sale which made my day.  Rather than pester my customers to leave reviews (beyond the thank you note), I am at their mercy to help me out in that area.  That is, if you are happy.  If not...  please get a hold of me so I can fix that.  I want happy, elated, WOW'd customers.  :)

After all, many of my customers purchase my artwork from an online image having never seen the painting in person and that is real trust.  I am grateful for that and wouldnt want to do anything to damage that trust.  

via GIPHY

I think about it in the studio when I'm finishing a painting.  Again when I'm varnishing it.  And again when I'm backing and labeling it.  I think about how it will be received.  I'm ALWAYS thinking about whether I would hang it in my home or give it as a gift.  

SO --  For those of you who have purchased from me, thank you.  Thank you for trusting me.  Thank you for your kind words to me upon receipt of the artwork.  Thank you having faith in me.  It has molded me into the artist I am today.  To push myself to better prep work, better brush work, better palettes, better compositions for elegance.  Better artwork for your home (and mine).

Thank you for your patronage.  

Sincerely,

Lori    :)

Original Oil Painting Stormy Pansies

Storm Watch, 12x16, Oil on Canvas

When they are fresh, I paint as many pansies as I can before burn out.  As usual, I focus on light.  Where I want it and how much do I want it there.  It should be noted , I am supremely influenced by our weather here in the PNW and that may have (did) influence my palette and consequently the light.   Early spring can be that way around here.  Wet, stormy, drizzly, cloudy, windy.  Little if any sunshine.  Maybe enough to mow the lawn once a week if I'm lucky.

All that said, when I was midway through this painting I began thinking about Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven....  Once upon a midnight weary...  and so on.  With all that and it being relatively dark outside even at noon, due to the storms, this was the result.

Frankly, it's one of my favorites.  :)

Original Oil Painting Poof Pansies

POOF, 10x20, Oil on Canvas, $855

If you've ever had baby powder you know what Poof is.  Give the container a little squeeze and watch the atmosphere haze up.  In creating the glow around the pansies I was preoccupied with that memory.  Essentially, I was poofing baby powder with paint - not literally, of course, but that was certainly my mindset.  :)

Creating a glow or atmosphere or mood - that's foremost in my mind when I'm painting.  When I first started painting I was all about painting "things".  Paint the apple.  Paint the pear.  Whatever.  All that gave me good practice with some essential elements such as paint, medium and brush handling.  

But the more I learned, the more I learned I needed to learn....?  Yep.   

Concept is everything at this point.  Sure, I try to start with a good representation of my subject but once I have that established ( to my liking) you might be surprised by my next move.  

A bigger brush and edge obliterating.  Yep again.  Once I have my elements in place (speaking as a general rule of thumb, not exclusively) I find hard edges that need softening or even all together losing completely and go at it with full abandon with brush in hand and no holds barred.  Followed closely with color smooshing and, conversely, dashing pieces of paint in contrasting temperatures for effect.  Some thick paint, some thin paint...  VOILA!

Sometimes, I just think the painting is better off left alone.  That is rare though.  

With POOF  I mingled a little this and a little that but focused on getting that powder explosion behind the pansies.  I really had fun with that.  

How much is too much?  How far can I go?  If I dont overplay it I havent gone far enough.  The end.  I overplay.  It's what I do.  

I dont take a lot of risks these days.  I get my taxes done on time, I dont eat any grapes on my way to the check stand, and I use cruse control on those long rural roads.  HOWEVER,  when I'm in the studio, 

"I am the master of my fate, 

      I am the captain of my soul. " 

(Invictus BY WILLIAM ERNEST HENLEY) 

Whatever happens, happens.  I'm the author of success as well as failure.  It's all on me baby.  :)

Twiggs Studio * Red Tulips Original Oil Painting

Finish Line, 12x12, Oil on Canvas, $675

I love red.  No secret there.  In fact, my home AND my barn have red and black accents.  So it 's no wonder that I go there in my studio often  enough.

A very long time ago, I was told that red, not black, was the color for SIN.  Whatever that means.  I dont know anything about the color of sin or much about the psychology of color at all except that red is is supposed to be threatening..  even aggressive.

If a soccer team had an all red uniform from jersey down to the socks - solid red- they could - in theory, have a powerful psychological affect.  Enough perhaps to overwhelm the opposing team.  In theory anyway.  According to a study I read.  Online.  So we know it 's true, right?  :)

But I like it anyway.  I like the lavenders in the shadows and the orangey yellow glows.  And I dont think this painting is in any way, shape or form threatening.  Maybe quietly confident.  It wont scream from a hallway.  It's not loud.  And despite the 9 clear tulips and a few ambiguous ones it's a long way from busy.

Do you have a spot in your home ( or office, or wherever )that needs a mood-setter?  What mood are you looking for ?  :)

Twiggs Studio * Pansies in Smokey Blue Original Oil Painting

Study of Pansies in Smokey Blue, 8x8, Oil on Canvas, Etsy

Trust Me, I'm Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator by Ryan Holiday.  

I'm slowly perusing my way through this humbling, hard to digest book. In the book, Ryan Holiday tells how the media lures us with lies and rumors and their motives for doing so.  He tells how they need you to click to their page because the more clicks their page gets, the more they can sell ads for.  Whatever gets you to click - that's their job.  They are working for a paycheck like everyone else. Essentially, their job, isnt to report facts as we would like to believe but collect clicks, page views, impressions.  

Joe Friday would never make it in our world. 

Like gristle in a steak.  Mold on an otherwise sweet and juicy strawberry.  Or a chunk in your milk.  eeew - we bite, we follow links, we read, share and re-tweet (well, I dont re-tweet) until rumors become "facts" by the sheer nature of "everybody is saying it".  Like driving by an accident.  It's hard to look away, so we click.  Maybe the article is boring after all so we stop reading and venture elsewhere, but we already clicked, we landed on their page, they got their impression, page view, click, so they did their job.  The advertisers are happy. The blogger is happy.  The reader rarely knows nobody dared to fact check the pack of lies they just digested.  The cycle continues.

 I stumbled across Ryan Holiday while shopping for a workshop on Creative Live on how to use Etsy.  Scrolling through the "sale" page I came across the workshop "Smart PR for Artists & Entrepreneurs" with Ryan Hoilday.  Okay, I'll bite.  So I watched his blurb video and was intrigued.  But first, I thought, I better read his book to see what he's all about.  

via GIPHY

So instead of spending the first part of my mornings studying, reading Southwest Art magazine, Hawthorne on Painting, [insert miscellaneous art publication here], I spend them reading this book.  Etsy workshop delayed.   

And it's all fact. Absolutely true.  After all the guy says, trust me....I'm lying.  :/

BTW,  Pansies are back and I'm filling my studio with them!  

Twiggs Studio * Study of Red Blooms Original Oil Painting

Study of Red Blooms, 8x8, Oil on Canvas, Sold

It is raining hard today.  Actually it was raining hard yesterday and I think the day before but such is late winter here in the PNW.  Maybe that's why I'm drawn to darker, deeper and atmospheric paintings.  Because I relate to less sunshine, less clarity but I also seek out that spot of color?  Maybe.  If that were true then more artists in Western Washington would paint the way I do - but they dont.  I see more high key, brilliantly colored paintings than deep, dark, chiaroscuro paintings.  Many, many more.  

I do own one bright painting.  It was given to me by an artist that died soon after.  I was a new artist at the time and it inspired me when I walked by it.  It is brushy, painterly and has a very Van Gogh appeal to it.  It also goes with the couch.  But mostly, I have a connection to the artist and the work from an artist point of view.  I can relate to it.  As I look at it now I doubt I would look twice if I were to see if for the first time.  My experiences have changed the way I perceive art but this piece will always be special to me because I know a little bit about the artist.  Only a little bit but enough to give me a connection to him.  

It begs the question, why do people buy the art that they buy?  Why purchase one painting over another.  What is the appeal, the attraction, the connection?  Especially if you have never met the artist and know nothing about him/her.  Because it goes with the couch?  What if you buy a new couch?  What then?

I'll be touching on this more in future posts.  I suspect the answer is wide and varied but I have a few insights I might share.  After all, my house if filled with original art, mostly mine of course but I do pick and choose which pieces I display.   :)

*********************

I did this painting in steps.  While it was drying I realized I did not get the glow on the petals that I wanted.  I took it back to the studio and proceded to overplay the glow.  Again, I took it back to my studio for a third pass and was finally happy.  :)

After having fragmented studio time during the holidays I am slowly working myself back into a stronger routine.  It's frustrating to have other tasks interfere with studio time but I am finally getting some momentum.   Looking forward to a productive year !  :)

Twiggs Studio * Study in Lavender Original Oil Painting

Study in Lavender, 8x8, Oil on Canvas, Sold

Pink and purple.  Uber femenine.

Once again I began with a high key concept but ended in a mid key.  It's the deep, unsaturated darks that I gravitate to - although this painting has some very saturated pinky-reds and purples. 

In my quest for "authenticity" I go down many roads.  :)

Twiggs Studio * Study of Red Droopy Tulips 2

Study of Red Droopy Tulips 2, 8x8, Oil on Canvas, sold

For a moment I started to believe I should never purchase flowers on a Friday.  Especially if it is before a show.  I bought them, put them in a vase and had to wait until after the show, decompression and unpacking before I could get to the actual painting of them.

I have a mini fridge in my studio that I keep flowers in to hold them over from painting to painting but it only keeps them fresh for so long.  At some point they start to lose that fresh cut appeal.

I'm not sure that was a deficite for me.  I kind of liked the droopy, almost done look I got from these.  So much that I did another, larger gallery piece.  So that moment of early purchase regret passed and I learned something really important about myself.  There is real character in imperfect arrangements.  Droopy blooms.  Shortened stems.  Whatever.

Sure, the bold, symmetrical, happy bouquets are beautiful and have their place in artwork but it all depends on what statement you, as an artist, are trying to make.

Twiggs Studio * Study of Poinsettia and Christmas Balls Oil Painting

Study of Poinsettia and Christmas Balls, 8x8 Oil on Canvas, Sold

I actually painted this last December but couldnt let it go at that time.  I did it as a study for a gallery piece that you can see here:  http://artist14470.fineartstudioonline.com/workszoom/2237090  but it sold quickly so I just kept the small study for the holidays.

The balls were trickier than I suspected which is rapidyly becoming a familiar theme with my artwork.  My guess is that as long as I'm branching out into new territory I will always have new challenges to face.

The very reasons painting is so captivating are the ongoing challenges and the opportunity to solve them.

Study of Candy Canes Original Oil Painting

Study of Candy Canes, 8x8, Oil on Canvas, Sold

Hard to believe how much there was to see and translate with 4 candy canes. each twist of each color had to have its lights and darks, not smudge terribly with the neighbor color and still look painterly. Yikes. What did I get myself into?

Study of Blueberries Oil Painting

Study of Blueberries and Depth, 6x8 Oil on Canvas, Sold

This little study of blueberries was to re visit my earlier approaches at depth and atmosphere. The question looming in the far corners of my mind, "just how far back, exactly, IS the horizon?"