Fast Portrait

Dear ones, thank you so much for your kind comments on my last post and my self-portrait attempts. As part of the same online class I am taking, we were tasked with doing a very fast portrait (I took about 10 minutes). No thinking, just painting from the heart. 

I used four colors plus titanium white, all fluid acrylics. I'm eager to try the same process with heavy-bodied acrylics for a very different look. Anyway, I put up a little mirror and used myself for a quick reference, only glancing up occasionally when things were not looking "right." I do like the result.

It seems that I am starting to work out my "stuff" differently than I used to. I just noticed this today (sometimes it takes me a bit longer to notice things). I used to work out everything only in my head. Since I started painting a few years ago, I seem to have started to process by doing art. It's odd for someone who has always relied on logic rather than intuition or emotion. Odd, but I'm liking it. A lot.

I so appreciate your visits! And I hope you are all doing wonderfully.

Happy weekend!!

P.S. Although I am a bit late this Friday, I am still linking to the wonderful folks over at Paint Party Friday. Head on over to see some marvelous art!

❧ Silke

Seeing Myself

I'm currently taking an online class on willowing.ning called "Radical Wellness". Many participants are taking the class to eat better and lose weight, but my focus is different. I want to learn to love my body again - this middle-aged body - as it is! Not as it used to be or as it could be, if... - but as it is now. Who know that this would be such a difficult goal.

The journal page above is from one of the exercises for the class. The drawing is only loosely based on a photo of me and then the photo on the left of the piece was taken just a few days ago. I did an image transfer with it, which gives it that more transparent look.

That piece of artwork and my recent visit to the Frida Kahlo exhibit in Atlanta gave me the idea of doing a series of self portraits.

Just to learn to look at myself through my own eyes again - with kindness. To look at my face as a whole and not just notice the pimple on my chin (which magically didn't make it into my drawing...) or the lines around my eyes.

I want to release that critical inner voice that is forever telling me what is wrong with me, what I have to  change, what I "should be" doing.

On a different note, we were supposed to be in Florida (in the Tampa area) right now for a mini vacation, but decided to postpone due to Tropical Storm Andrea. And a good decision that was! We are getting plenty of rain here in Savannah from the storm and will through tomorrow. And now I have plenty of time for making art!

I hope my German readers and friends are not affected by the incredible flooding in parts of Germany. I've been following it on the internet over the last few days and hope that the flood waters will recede soon!

Wishing you all a beautiful Thursday!

❧ Silke

Trying to read...

Last weekend the weather was so perfect that we spent much time out on our back porch reading. And this is what happens every time:

The cats see an available lap and ... well, you can see for yourself!

And of course Winslow has to be part of it all as well.

We wouldn't have it any other way!

Wishing you a beautiful evening!

❧ Silke

Bugs

When you live in a climate like ours where it is warm and humid most of the year and where the winters are mild, bugs of all sorts are a part of daily life. But right now I am fascinated by the variety we are seeing on our plants and flowers and I tried to take some pictures for you (you can click on them to see them bigger, which might help with some of the smaller bugs).

Of course I always love to see ladybugs in our garden taking care of aphids which seem to like certain plants. In the picture below it's hard to see the ladybug as it blends in perfectly with the flowers of the beautiful tropical milkweed.

The reason we planted these plants a couple of years ago was not for the pretty flowers, but to attract the caterpillars of the monarch butterfly. We were so happy to see a few of them chomping down on the leaves this year. As far as we are concerned, they can keep on eating.

Here's a new bug for us (on our fig tree) and I had to do a bit of research, but I found out that they are Kudzu beetles and were first spotted in our area 2009. They eat not only kudzu (which is a good thing as this plant is invading the south), but also legumes, which may be a problem as they multiply. They won't hurt our fig tree or the figs, but will soon fly on to find food elsewhere.

This little guy below I have no idea what it is but I found his colors so pretty, I had to snap a picture.

All the flowers right now are attracting all sorts of bees, wasps and flies. (If you click on the photo above, you can see the bee's perfect yellow and black stripes.)

The yarrow especially is abundant with all kinds of flying creatures.

I love seeing the bees so busy!

I have lots more garden photos which I'll share with you in other posts. Don't want to overwhelm you...

In the meantime, I wish you a beautiful Monday!

❧ Silke

Silent is the Night - New Painting

Dear friends, it seems as though life is moving at warp speed right now. It was just Monday and now it's Friday again. How does that happen?!?

My days have been busy and good and I've even spent some time at the easel playing with paint on some canvases that are a little larger than I am used to.

I lost count at how many layers I put on this painting and it just wouldn't come together. I still have this weird notion that after every layer it should look perfect - and that's not the case. Some layers leave it looking rather awful to me, but then - at some point I can't predict - it all comes together.

That's when the painting suddenly feels like it's own entity, separate from me, and I know it's done.

Silent is the Night
16 x 20 inch acrylic painting on canvas

Available here.

I'm submitting this to Paint Party Friday, where you can see lots of fabulous art! 

We are expecting a perfect warm spring weekend and are planning to spend a lot of time outside in our garden. Everything is blooming so beautifully. I'll have to share some more garden photos soon.

Wishing you a wonderfully warm, sunny and relaxed weekend!!

❧ Silke