You Are Valid

Sharing my work on line is one of the most rewarding things in my life.  Not only because the actual selling of my work supports me and my children, but the act of connecting with people through my work can be so powerful, and sometimes, can even change my life.

Last week I received a note from a woman who saw my two self-portraits, "Unleashed" and  "Draw Forth".  She explained...

"I am going through a rather complicated breakup and these speak to me. Both the calm resignation in 'Draw Forth' and the hurt and rage in 'Unleashed'. Seeing these emotions external to myself has helped to put some things in perspective"

"Draw Forth"

"Unleashed"

This note meant so much to me.  Just a couple weeks ago, I was having a discussion with a fellow artist about what I was currently working on, and we started talking about work with a Message - social, personal, political, etc.  And he asked why I wasn't creating more work with a personal story.

My only explanation at the time was that for so long now, my thoughts and feeling rarely seem validated, and/or understood by some of the people in my life.  NOT ALL - just some.  But sometimes they are the people who have the biggest impact on my self-worth.

I don't want to get into specifics either, because I think there is a way to learn and share without throwing people "under the bus" so to speak.  It felt like there was a pattern in my life for so long, that if I wasn't comfortable in a situation or how something was going, I was told "well other people have it worse so don't complain", or if I changed my mind on something I was WRONG to change my mind. Or worse...wrong to have an opinion in the first place.

Changing your mind, wanting something more out of a relationship, having thoughts and opinions that might differ from someone else, these are all VALID.  Valid things to go through in your day to day life.  If you are surrounded by people who challenge those feelings, belittle them, or cut you out of your life because of them, that is THEIR short-coming, not yours.

So what do you do in this kind of situation?  First of all, you become a better listener, which I am thankful to say that I am.  Because, truly, that is what I want sometimes, too - to be really listened to. Not have my feelings dismissed or belittled or challenged.  So that is the first thing I am going to put out there into the universe - my willingness to listen to my friend's, children's, and loved one's feelings, and always let them know that they are valid.

Secondly, I need to listen to myself.  I need to stop letting someone who is bigger than me or who is stronger than me or who makes more money than me or who is simply louder than me (which is not many people) decide which of my feelings are "right" or "wrong".

So let's get back to my point:  this woman's note really meant something to me, because she saw a message in my work, interpreted it for herself, and learned from it.  I don't know if there is a higher compliment that I can receive as an artist, or a human being.  I am so thankful for that.  I am emboldened by her sentiment and finding a lot of personal strength because of it.  I'm inspired to re-examine pieces that I have abandoned or never even started because I had become afraid of expressing my thoughts and feelings.

THANK YOU to every one of you who follows my work because you relate to it, enjoy it, feel something when you look at it - even if it's just joy! - which is a valid response to art!  Thank You for listening.

Figure Drawing Open Studio Woodstock GA

I'm excited to announce that the open figure drawing studio sessions are starting again!

Every Tuesday night August - September 2015

(No Session on September 22nd)

Model schedule still in the works but so far...

August 4th - Mike

August 11th - Melanie T.

August 18th - Michika

August 25th - Ellie

A Few Recent Original Art Sales on Etsy

I am thrilled to see some of my favorite pieces are off to new homes in the past couple of months.  Saying "good bye" to some of these has motivated me to create some new work!

Pastel drawing from the live model on dark blue paper.  More original pastel drawings available.

Original pastel drawing from the live model.  I love that 70's green fabric!  More original pastel drawings from the live model are for sale.

This was one of my favorite paintings for a long time.  The monochromatic pink color scheme was based on a beautiful photograph of some delicate pink roses.  More original oil paintings are available.

I love working with pastels on colored paper!  The fuchsia pink jumped from this olive green paper.  More original pastel figure drawings from the live model are here. 

Two watercolor sketches from the live male model.  They are a combination of purples and browns.  I love working from the live model, finding and losing shapes in the chest and abdomen as the model breathes.  More original watercolors are in my Etsy shop.

New Drawings for Sale

Every few months I look around my studio and realize I have been spending WAY too much time drawing and painting and not nearly enough time selling my work.  The selling part is a necessary part of the art process...how else can I afford to buy guacamole at the taqueria across the street from my studio if I don't sell my work?!?  (The accompanying margarita that makes it's way into the rotation once a week ain't going to pay for itself, either!)

So I am finally finding myself catching up!  I have recently listed a bunch of charcoal drawings in my Etsy shop.  Browse...enjoy...shop...feed my avocado addiction...

View all of my original drawings on sale on Etsy!

Figure Drawing Master Class with Michael Mentler

I am THRILLED to announce that "The Bone Doctor", Master Draftsman Michael Mentler will be coming to Studio 81 in December 2013.

Mr. Mentler is a prolific and gifted artist and a force as a teacher.  I feel like I could write ten paragraphs on why I think his work is so fabulous...but for now I will sum up why I think his work is so IMPORTANT -

Artists need an understanding of geometry and anatomy in order to take their work to the next level.

That's it.  I really believe that, and Mr. Mentler embraces both of those vital elements in his work.

This class WILL fill quickly!  Register via Michael Mentler's website - The Society of Figurative Arts -
today!

Figure Drawing Master Class with Michael Mentler

(The Figure in Dry Media)

December 2nd - 6th 2013

Location: Studio 81:Portrait and Fine art by Kristina Laurendi Havens

8594 Main Street, Woodstock 30188 

(2nd floor)

10-5 Monday - Friday

New Drawings and Paintings of the Figure

Hey! Remember me?!? The lady who paints and draws every once in a while between posting on my blog?  Here are a few new pieces...

Charcoal drawing on white Canson paper, 14" x 17"

Charcoal portrait drawing from the live model, about 90 minutes

White and black charcoal sketch from the live model, grey paper, about 25 minutes

A small study that I did, thinking I may turn it into a larger painting.  This is actually a self-portrait.  Oil on textured panel, 11" x 14".  Working title is "A Simple Fix"

Oil on canvas painting, 9" x 12", live model, about 90 minutes.  I'm particularly happy with her hair.  "Lounging Nude on Purple"

And finally this oil painting of my little girl Arianna, who just turned six, and I got all weepy that she was getting so big, and had to paint this picture of her from when she was two...

Charcoal Sketches from the Live Model

I know I haven't been posting a lot of my art lately.  It's not for a lack of productivity.  I have been drawing and painting quite a bit.  But my mind, when not actually holding a brush, has been elsewhere.  I am very concerned about my son's diet, in fact the diet of my whole family.  I am incredibly depressed to see how much junk food children are allowed to eat in the classroom every day, and what a huge negative impact it can have on them mentally and physically.

SEE?! There I go again!  I'm here to show some drawings and back I go to ranting about the junk food!

So... FOCUS! Here are a couple recent black and white drawings from the live model.

This is the very beginning of the charcoal portrait below.  I find it helpful to block in the largest areas of light and shadow first - getting proportion and a sense of the light source before getting caught up in the tiny details.

I think this was just about an hour of drawing.  I used vine charcoal and then switched to charcoal pencil. 

This drawing is built up mainly from charcoal lines, similar to cross hatching techniques.  This was partly due to the paper.  I think this is a Canson drawing pad, and I find that I can't "smudge" as much as some other drawing papers.  It doesn't erase as cleanly, either, which kind of forces me to get it "right" in fewer strokes.

This figure drawing in charcoal was done in 30 minutes from the live model. I love compact poses like this, especially in short periods of time.  Strong lighting, a good pose, you can get a lot accomplished in a short time period if you look at the big picture - the largest areas of light and shadow first - and then work in to the details. 

Where do I begin?

How can I feel like I have so much to tell you, yet I can't even begin to tell you what's going on?  It's been very busy at the studio, at home, and everywhere in between!

So I will share what I can through photos...and share the long version for another day :)

New Woodstock paintings in the works...

The Barber Shop and Tea Party Restaurant on Main Street

Our Wednesday Evening figure group has been awesome every week - fabulous artists and amazing models.  These are a couple of my recent pieces.  The red ones are watercolor pencil on Wallis paper (12 x 18) and the brown one is oil on canvas (12 x 16)

This is the work board of one of my students for the Value Class that I ran last month.  It was a focus on value, not hue.  If your values are correct, used in good proportions as well, your paintings will be more successful.  It was a great class that I look forward to having again!

One afternoon I set up a nice yellow pear in a little turquoise dish, with the light from the window creating a beautiful sunlight pattern.  From this shot you'd think I had made a great painting.  Well...you'd be wrong.  It turned out muddy and overworked.  It got painted over.

This painting of a small striped pumpkin turned out much better.  Please ignore what looks like my finger in the upper left corner...

I'm also spending a lot of time researching and implementing a special diet for my son Jack.  It's based on the Feingold diet - the biggest aspect being eliminating artificial food coloring (which we've been doing for a while) artificial preservatives, and various other foods that tend to exacerbate his poor behavior.  While just focusing on food coloring was working for a while, it seems like he still has problems after eating foods that you would think would be ok - such as orange juice, apples or apple juice, milk, grapes, peaches, fresh pineapple, and almonds.  It's a continuous experiment, finding foods that are not only as all natural as possible, but don't contain those foods that may trigger emotional outbursts (yes...all children have behavior issues at some point...but these meltdowns are beyond definition).  If you have any experience with the Feingold diet, or any other elimination diet and behavior, I would love to hear your feedback!  

My life in iPhone photos...

My Jack painting in the studio.  It was an underwater scene, complete with a striped fish and a tornado frog.  

Taking our neighbor's dog for a walk

Picking tomatoes from our neighbor's yard.

Latest painting from the Woodstock series.

Male nude with rope - charcoal drawing from Wednesday's figure drawing group.

Super Girl eats dinner with us whenever she flies through town :)

New Figure Drawings and Paintings

Stop me if I've said this before...what a a WONDERFUL session of figure drawing last night!  A packed house, an awesome model, and so many beautiful poses.

After a series of gestures we worked on a 45 minute pose with no breaks -our exhausted model was so grateful for a lounging pose! -  But I'd say we got the better end of the bargain.  This is blue, silver, and brown watercolor pencil on watercolor paper mounted to foam core.  (Her head was resting off the edge of the stand)

We followed that up with a very complex pose where she leaned forward onto a long wooden staff, her arm stretched out overhead.  Two 20 minute sessions.  I used Nupastel on a light dusty rose Colourfix paper, 13" x 19".  I mat have gotten too heavy handed in the shadows, but I do like the shapes of her ribs and hips and she folds herself forward and into the staff.

And today I returned to the studio just to do some light cleaning and organizing, but got sucked into this painting, because I had to fix her leg.  

It's getting better (I took the photo while some paint was still wet, giving it an odd shine where her hip meets the fabric) but there's still an issue with the cast shadow and high light on her knee.  The focus is definitely on her shoulders and hair, but the leg shouldn't feel awkward.

And  - I don't think I shared this yet - I keep putting finishing touches on the model holding a wine glass.  I think her gaze is finally right, or right right now, next time I have a brush in my hand that could change!

I almost forgot!  My little Arianna was also very busy in the studio today...

May in the studio...

I haven't posted in a while so I pulled up my photos from the month of May to see what I haven't shared with you yet.  After skimming through all of my pictures, I suddenly realize why I am so wiped out.  May was really, really busy!

I worked on several commissions, lots of new nudes, and some portraits.  I have gotten off to a great start on my series of paintings based on photographs taken around Woodstock, close to my studio.  And, of course, had four very productive Wednesday night sessions with our figure drawing group.

One question I get asked all the time is "How long have you been painting?"  The truth is it feels like forever!  But in a good way - I guess what that really means is that I don't remember a time where I WASN'T painting!

The other expression I hear often is "I want to paint like you!"  And flattering as that is, I can't teach you how to paint like me.  I am me.  You are you.  You will bring your own style and inclinations to your own work.

But what I CAN tell you, is that when you take stock of what you have done each month, you should feel a little bit overwhelmed: you should be drawing and painting as much as possible.  Seeking out inspiration, trying new materials, viewing great work, introducing yourself to new artists, developing your style.  A little bit every day, a LOT on some other days.  There's no other way around it - to improve, you have to work.  You have to be painting or drawing or sculpting as much as possible.  Each piece will MAY NOT all be successful in their own right, but they will be part of the bigger picture - your growth as an artist.

Now go draw something!

From last Wednesday night and a little more on Friday - oil on mounted Wallis paper, 16" x 20".

It's all about environment

I'm working on a couple of figure paintings, both started during some wonderful sessions centered around my friend Matt's newest sculpture of the standing nude female.  I'm working on a tall painting, and I started out with a very blue-purple background.  But as I kept working, I felt like the blue was too strong, and I wanted to surround her with a more sophisticated purple.

This is not a great shot for showing color, but you can see that most of the blue has been covered, and I can now get a better sense of where I need to work on her flesh tone as well.  (Doesn't the sculpture look awesome!? If you've followed the last few posts you can see subtle changes in the pose from day to day. )  It's difficult to make a change like this on such a large scale, but it will be worth it if I can achieve the right balance between her flesh tones, the drapery, her hair, and the environment.

But that's not the only painting that got an environment make-over.

I started this back study during one of the live sessions, and added the dark red background later on.

While it was dramatic, I thought it was too obvious: like I was trying too hard to make it look sexy by painting it red.  So I went completely opposite, and tried a green.

Again, not a great photo, but I like the palette much better.  Her flesh tones are complimented by the green background, and the chair that she is sitting on is not getting lost in a dark background.

And as I continue working on the model in the garden, I keep adjusting values in the background and on the figure.

There is so much information in this painting, and each little puzzle piece needs to fit with the one next to it. 

I also did this nice oil study last week from the live model, and I love the way the environment and the figure work together.

Because it is a small painting, 8 x 10, I was able to work the environment and figure at the same time.  By keeping a limited palette of warm pinks, peaches, and purples, it helped to unify the entire piece.

And, speaking of great environments...while Matt worked on his sculpture over the weekend we both brought our kids to the studio (our very understanding spouses deserved a break!) and it was SO cute to watch our little line up of artists hard at work!

A good environment for Creativity.