From here on out my blogs will be posted to a page on my website.
I'll keep this blog open for a good long while, there's some good stuff written here and I'd hate to lose it. Peruse the past, or hop on over and keep track of me at PScarborougharts.com
Sunday, July 17, 2016
On Becoming an Artist
People in creative endeavors are often asked if they've always been artistic.
Years ago my 7th grade class was assigned
the task of creating a painting, with the addition of a story or poem to round
out the project. The details escape me; I was a determined out-the-window-starer and it was not unusual for me to miss the fine points.
Prang Oval 8’s appeared and I went to work. My only memory
of the written half of the assignment was that the movement of pigment on paper
inspired me to write something about “…watercolor skies…” I’m sure it was earnest
and sappy. And then I promptly forgot about the whole thing, windows nearby grabbing my attention with interesting shapes and shadows.
Weeks later our teacher smiled and moved slowly to my desk,
a packet in her hand. Not used to being singled out, my thoughts were something like “Why you lookin’ at me like that?” Excuses began to form quickly in
the back of my panicked brain.
“Congratulations,” She said smoothly. “We’re proud of you!”
There in the packet was my painting, the poem, and a purple
ribbon. Seeing the painting now, I have the feeling the poem carried the day.
Watercolor Skies 11x14 watercolor |
On that day I became an artist. Eleventy-hundred years later I’m still painting. I’m still
staring out windows, too. My poetry has slipped by the wayside, having peaked
in 7th grade.
Sunday, July 10, 2016
Making Hay
The heat has abated – slightly. Humidity is high, rubbing
the edges off the shapes and sounds that come with early morning.
2016 Patricia Scarborough First Cut 6x9 pastel |
The bales are fresh, maybe just a day or two old, still light on their feet and
round, not yet weighed down with heat and their own tonnage.
The sun seems to be unwilling to
make the effort to lift itself higher so the shadows have stayed long and cool.
This is the first cut. Another will be made in the fall. This field will give me sustenance for many paintings I think.
Saturday, July 2, 2016
It's Just the Idea
Like so very many things, I love the idea of activities more
than the actual doing of them. Plein air
painting, for instance.
A year or so ago I took an outdoor painting class. We students
anticipated receiving the holy grail of plein air painting; the magic that
transforms simple rolling hills into slashes of paint strokes in brilliant hues
balanced against the subtleties of color found only while standing in high
grass early in the day. Our instructor made it all sound so worthy. So very artistic.
Getting comfy, in a nest of chiggers. |
On a high hill, the calm before the storm. |
The game of “IF” began. If the sun were to break through, said our instructor, it
would look like this. And if the sky were blue, it would be this color. And if
there were cattle on yonder hill, they would stand like so.
And if there were a coffee pot nearby it would smell and
taste like heaven. And if we'd had any sense we'd have retired indoors and painted from sketches or memory. As it is all I accomplished that morning was to lose 2 good brushes when I got tangled in wet grass on my way to a higher, dryer spot.
And yet the allure of out door painting is strong. Just a few days ago I was so taken by the lovely colors and textures in my garden I gathered my gear and hauled it all into the yard. In the few moments it took me to set up the temperature had risen 15 degrees and a swarm of no-see-ums had claimed my space. Handsome Husband came home for lunch and wondered aloud about my sanity.
Ain’t it grand to paint outdoors?
I’m not always very smart, but I’m also not stoopid. If I am to stand on a hill under heavy skies
in a stiff wind pretending the sky is blue, then I can certainly stand in my
studio pretending the air from a fan is a breeze wafting over me. My spotlights are a fine replacement for the sun's warmth. The average temp in my studio is 75 degrees. I can see my garden from the window.
I like the idea of that.
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