Timeout for Art: Ancient Man’s Best Friend?

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mans best friend, museo bahia de caraquez, Painting Artifacts, precolumbian art ecuador, timjeout for art

Watercolor study — Artifact from Museo Bahia de Caraquez

“I’ve seen a look in dogs’ eyes, a quickly vanishing look of amazed contempt, and I am convinced that basically dogs think humans are nuts.”
― John Steinbeck

(Ecuador)   Allow me to introduce you to a new watercolor study, inspired by an artifact in the Bahia de Caraquez museum.     I don’t think it reflects the emotion of contempt, but it seems happy and makes me smile.

Several years ago I was allowed into the Museum’s special glassed room filled with artifacts.   A guard accompanied me while I admired various pieces and was allowed to photograph a few.  The director of the museum has given me permission to return to this room so that I can capture the likeness of artifacts that the public never gets to see. This precious artifact (above) is one of my favorites.

Museo Bahia de Caraquez – Bahia de Caraquez/Manabi/Ecuador

Now that we’re receiving afternoon rains in the cloud forest, I work on the gardens in the mornings and switch to art when the rain chases me inside!   This past week I even remembered to take a few photos while I worked!  (Although I do not like working from photographs,  I will be able to adjust colors when I return to the museum for another work session.)

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Timeout for Art – Art Makes Us See

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blue flowers, painting flowers, Timeout for ARt:Art Makes Us See, watercolor

Petite Morning Glory w/watercolor in background…

“Art does not reproduce what we see; rather, it makes us see.”
– Paul Klee

This vine grows wild in the nearby landscape and has exploded into bloom from the recent rains. I often arrange the cobalt-blue flowers in nosegays, which perch on shelves or near the kitchen sink and give me little smiles throughout the day.  Planning to add the petite blue morning glory’s likeness to the butterfly study, I admired the sinuous lines and decided that it deserved its own study!

Watercolor

There are times, when my eye-hand-brain connection is so in sync, that using a pencil before painting would seem redundant. There are other times when that faint map of pencil simplifies the process and strengthens the end result.  After studying the lines of the trailing  vine, I began to paint without the aid of a pencil.

Watercolor – Blue Morning Glory

Timeout for Art: Deliberate Practice

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spirals and circles, Timeout for Art, washing watercolor, watercolor washes

“Success has to do with deliberate practice. Practice must be focused, determined, and in an environment where there’s feedback.” (Malcolm Gladwell)

Last week’s drawing/painting class went well. The ladies no longer chatter as much as they did in the first few lessons! As we were painting in silence, every so often someone would ask, “How did you mix that color?”  

Most of the time I switched to a blank section of my paper and demonstrated the process; they watched as I mixed the colors, applied water to the paper and floated the pigment into a defined area.

The exercise began as a fun drawing, but the students learned that even simple designs demand an attentive eye and a steady hand!

Ready?

Timeout for Art: An Invasion of Ideas

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An artists's studio, Timeout for Art Invasion of Ideas, Understanding Artists

Hmmm, which task comes next?!

The problem isn’t coming up with ideas, it is how to contain the invasion. My ideas are like uninvited guests. They don’t knock on the door; they climb in through the windows like burglars who show up in the middle of the night and make a racket in the kitchen as they raid the fridge. I don’t sit and ponder which one I should deal with first. The one to be wrestled to the floor before all others is the one coming at me with the most vehemence. Werner Herzog: A Guide for the Perplexed — from Brain Pickings

Sundays at Casa Loca are deliciously serene.  The workers on the shrimp farms go to town or to the beach or family gatherings on their day of rest, and the pumping stations (supplying fresh water to the shrimp ponds) stay mute.   Aside from a random car or motorcycle passing on the road, the riverside’s background music comes from the whisperings of birds.

“Yikes! I’m growing feathers!”

The internet signal often works well enough to open emails in the early-morning hours, and most web pages show the text but drop the images.   Comments and emails that I write are often missing in action when I check later to see if they reached their destinations.   Brain Pickings, a once-a-week tonic written by Maria Popova,  arrives on the Day of Rest and delivers an insightful and comforting assortment of reading material that rivals the Sunday edition of one’s favorite newspaper.  Not seeing a Sunday newspaper for a fortnight of years, I look forward to the visual and intellectual tonic that Brain Pickings delivers to my remote location.

(Do I get a prize for breaking two hammers?) Some of the hardwoods are like concrete!

The above quote struck a strong chord as I peered into Herzog’s psyche.  He summarized and eloquently nailed how many artists approach their work.  It’s often difficult to explain the creative process to others.   There are times when one of my paintings is going really well, and after a break, I detour in a totally different direction with a new project!  I often create several small paintings while working on a more-challenging one.

Those small exercises in spontaneity are like little appetizers that sustain me and provide a little kick of energy to resume the larger work.   “The one to be wrestled to the floor before all others is the one coming at me with the most vehemence.”

TIMEOUT FOR ART: Starting Small

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La Division Ecuador, learning to draw and watercolor, timeout for art start small

In the distance, beyond that middle power line pole, is the little beach community of La Division…

“I’ll start with small things.”—Vincent van Gogh

Jama, Manabi, Ecuador 

Looking out the window and over the river and across the shrimp ponds, I often gaze toward the little pueblito of La Division. About a half hour’s walk from the riverhouse, La Division retains a refreshing authenticity that many coastal communities have lost.

View from the dining and art class area

With that authenticity comes the ‘manana’ attitude, and the 2 o’clock classes usually don’t begin until 3. Paying customers trump art class, and sometimes Nely prepares lunches, insists on serving me the family special, then scrubs her kitchen squeaky clean before switching to student mode. On sunny days I usually order a cold cervesa and sit back and absorb the tranquil vibe and practice the Ecuadorian lifestyle!

TIMEOUT FOR ART – To Live Eternity in an Hour

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bahia de caraquez museum, concentration, john and mary mcdonald ecuador, TIMOUT FOR ART live eternity in an hour, watercolors of pre-columbian art

“The difference in men does not lie in the size of their hands, nor in the perfection of their bodies, but in this one sublime ability of concentration: to throw the weight in one blow, to live eternity in an hour.” – Elbert Hubbard

I had the honor of ‘bunking’ with the ancient artifacts at Museo de Bahia de Caraquez during the Mola Series Exhibition in 2012! The guards, surprised that I was thrilled to be staying there, told a few ghost stories and said that I was very brave!

After hours, the museum was deliciously quiet, and while reviewing photos in my room, I painted a watercolor of one of the artifacts.

Timeout for Art: Be Yourself!

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be yourself, Timeout for Art, watercolor

“The Magic Portal” – Watercolor – Lisa Brunetti

The hardest challenge is to be yourself in a world where everyone is trying to make you be somebody else.
~E. E. Cummings

Watch the frog come to life!  These photos show how a subject can seize control and affect the mood.

Timeout for Art: Learning to See

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Agaves, Cayambe Ecuador, Hacienda Guachala, Timeout for Art Learning to See

“Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing.” Camille Pissarro

Hacienda Guachala, the oldest hacienda in Ecuador, provides endless subject matter, especially when the early-morning sun warms the gardens.  Although dramatic shadows showcased the architecture of the two churches, my attention wavered to the subtle voice of the agaves.

Agave Study – Watercolor – Copyright Lisa Brunetti

Walk with me through the gardens, and hopefully you’ll agree with my choice for this (above) watercolor study.

Timeout for Art: How Did I Do That?!

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concentration in painting or drawing, ecuador precolumbian art, exercises for strengthening art skills, learning to block out sound when painting, museo bahia de caraquez, paintings of precolumbian pottery, Timeout for Art- How Did I Do That?

“ET” – Watercolor – Working from life/Museo Bahia de Caraquez/Ecuador

I do not know myself how I paint it. I sit down with a white board before the spot that strikes me. I look at what is before my eyes, and say to myself, that white board must become something. (Vincent van Gogh)

Anyone who has spent time drawing or painting will remember times of awe, when one steps back from the work and asks, ‘How did I do that?’

Timeout for Art: Desire vs. Talent

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Painting butterflies, painting flowers, Timeout for Art

What is real and what is paint?

Without underestimating the value of talent, it’s not the most important attribute you need to become a successful artist. It’s not even second. More important than talent is desire. (Harley Brown)

Drawing or painting in the outdoors challenges us to shift gears, absorb what’s in front of us and try to decide what to include and what to omit. One can find many excuses to procrastinate – the weather’s too hot, too cold or too windy. Perhaps there’s no good place to sit, or you’re an insect magnet!

Guayava tree – (Guava)

If you don’t make an effort to start, you’ve forfeited the potential for growth as an artist! There’s a slight chance that your efforts are going to look horrid, and if so, call them exercises and toss them in the trash! There’s a great chance that you’ll be very pleased with the results, and you’ll wonder what took you so long to sharpen that pencil!

A few weeks ago I taped my watercolor paper to a board, gathered my supplies and journeyed into the garden.

Timeout to Say, “Thanks, Everyone!”

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daily post wordpress events, painting concrete floors, painting t-shirts, patience and thanks!, Timeout for Art, what paint to use for painting t-shirts

Two days of hard work equals amazing progress!

Thanks to all of you who have commented and given support over the past few months while I’ve been offline more than online.  You’ve endured way too many slices of (my) silence, although I think/hope that I’ve read and appreciated most of the comments.   (When in town, I load the pages during lunch at a restaurant with wifi, and I enjoy reading the comments offline at night!)

Silvana did a great job on this t-shirt, don’t you agree?!

Several people asked about the paint used on the t-shirt;  have you ever soiled your jeans when rolling latex (water-based) house paint on a wall?  The paint rarely washes out of clothing – years later those drips and dribbles still hang tight – so why not use that same type of paint for decorative projects?  

Timeout for Art -An Insect’s View

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An Insect's View, details in nature, Large beautiful moth in costa rica, Large beautiful moth in Ecuador, Painting butterflies and moths in watercolor, Painting Flowers in Watercolor, silkmoth, Timeout for Art

(Detail of an oversized bookmark for a friend who left for an extended visit to the UK.)

“Nature will bear the closest inspection.  She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain.”  – Henry David Thoreau

One of September’s Timeout for Art posts (Find the Pot of Gold) tapped into the above quote, and hopefully many of you were able to “slow down and inspect what’s lurking nearby.”

This past week presented many opportunities to take an insect’s view of nature, and I never regret time spent at eye level and absorbing those details.

Timeout for Art: Reminders

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art by Lisa Brunetti, frog paintings, Timeout for Art, watercolor, zebra frog paintings

“Keep a bad drawing until by study you have found out why it is bad.”  (Robert Henri)

A watercolor instructor (Tony couch) once stated, “You should frame your worst mistakes and put them where you see them often.  They will remind you to NEVER  do that again.”

This week I’ve resorted to using a flimsy paper that was the best I could find almost a month ago in a basic art supply store almost two hours away.  Fair for pencil, it does not serve well as watercolor paper.   People have often stated that I’m a bit too hard headed at times, and after drawing the PEEPERS  in pencil, I wanted to take it a step more with color.  I KNEW that the paper was going to be difficult to use, but…..

More Butterflies?

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art by Lisa Brunetti, Butterflies, dirk maassen, Mindo Butterfly Gardens, nasturtium watercolor

 

How about a bright happy nasturtium to smile on your day? (watercolor)

Can anyone have too many butterflies or beautiful flowers?   When I am not painting, I sometimes work on the surplus of images and wonder what to do with them!  When in a serious painting focus, I either tap into the sounds of nature that surround me, or I use a very select playlist.

One of my favorite artists is Dirk Maassen – (Thanks always, Argentina Carlos!) – and this video features one of his songs paired with butterfly images from the Mindo (Ecuador) area.

Enjoy!

Z

Timeout for Art: Nature’s Beauty

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botanicals in watercolor, coffee art, heliconia paintings, nature's beauty quote, timeout for art natures beauty, waterkolors

Trocitos – Watercolor – Do you think that’s enough?!!!

“Nature has been mastering itself for some time now, and it is an honor to be able to capture its beauty. (Justin eckett)”

In addition to sharing the progress on Trocitos, I thought that a bit of color might jazz up your day!  Here are two attempts of capturing the beauty of nature.

Timeout for Art – Blissful Solitude

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Timeout for Art

Trocitos, detail from watercolor

”Happy are the painters, for they shall not be lonely. Light and colour, peace and hope, will keep them company to the end of the day.” — Winston Churchill.

Although “Trocitos” has not progressed as much as I had hoped, it has a bit more depth this week.  Set up on 2nd floor porch, I encountered a unique problem that forced me to move the table inside.   

Duds

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ART, Butterflies, duds, Hummingbirds, NATURE, usb modems for internet

  Google Definition of Dud:  “Noun – A thing that fails to work properly or is otherwise unsatisfactory or worthless.”

Ecuador – The claro USB modem internet system is a dud!  It receives no signal at my friends’ property, and in “Mindo Proper” it receives a signal, opens pages slowly, but will not send an email!  Sigh, Paradise DOES have its frustrations!

Timeout for Art: Power

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art by Lisa Brunetti, butterflies in art, paintings of butterflies, studying nature, Timeout for Art, watercolor

“Let whoever may have attained to so much as to have the power of drawing know that he holds a great treasure.”  (Michelangelo)

When I block out all distractions and stay focused on my subject, drawing is like breathing – or like taking a refreshing nap!  After half an hour of drawing, I often trade my pencil for a paintbrush.  I quickly wean into a never-never land, and time seems suspended until something pulls me back into the present.  At times I am painting, and at times I am drawing with my paintbrush.

V is for Valdivia!

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Lisa Brunetti art, Sarah Dettman Tours, Spanish words that start with V, Tagged V, Valdivia Mujeres, Valdivia Potter, Valdivia Women, Venus Valdivias, Vivir Sin Aire English translation, Watercolors of pottery

Senorita Valdivia – stages of watercolor

Ecuador’s archaeological museums showcase the many cultures that thrived before the European conquest of the Americas.   The Valdivia culture is often described as the oldest urban settlement in the Americas and dates back to 3,500 or 4,000 B.C.    Some suggest that the Valdivia culture came from Japan, and why it vanished is a mystery as well.

Valdivia Museum – Valdivia Women – Mujeres – Merci Waits

When I visit the Ecuadorian museums, I linger at the Valdivia section in search of my favorite Venus ladies.

Valdivia Women – Guayaquil MAAC Museum

There are many great Spanish words that begin with the letter V for Frizztext’s Alphabet Challenge.   Enjoy this random sampler:

Color? Me? Color? Yes!

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Acrylic Painting, art by Lisa Brunetti, hand-paint, hand-painted floors, Lisa Brunetti, The Mola Series, Weekly Photo Challenge COLOR

Did someone ask for COLOR?!!!

While working on the painting of the magic carpet on the bodega floor, I dashed upstairs to send a quick email.  There in the inbox was the WordPress challenge for ‘Color.’

I smiled and pondered,”Color?  Me?” and then I smiled.

‘Zeebra Rocks” on an explosion of red/orange – (Bookmark)

Hurriedly, I  rejoice that my eyes see in full glorious color, and I am pleased to share a few splashes from paintings that color my life!

While scrolling through  glimpses of some of my more-colorful works, enjoy a song by Don McClean that is often on my painting playlist.

Words Sometime Fail Me

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ceibo trees, Jama Coaque Art, Jama Coaque Sellos Manos, Jesus Jazz & buddhism, Lisa Brunetti art, Patricia Adams Farmer, Rain Jama Ecuador January 2013

How Does One Spell Mud?!!!!  When walking to town in THIS, I briefly wondered if I was on the right track!

After six months of extreme dry weather, typical of this dry rain-forest climate, the clouds turned on their taps and kicked off the new year with slow gentle rain.   And more rain.  And more rain.   And more rain.

Friends from Colorado are in town to check on their home that’s under construction in the area.   I’ve upgraded from a life ankle deep in mud on the river to a short stay at a cute hostal while they are here.    (The photo above shows the road between my house and town.)   All’s fine here, though the internet has been painfully slow.  I have had problems sending emails, commenting on other posts or replying to WordPress comments.

Zeebra’s 2012 In Pictures

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2012 in Pictures, Don Koen, Flooding in Manabi Ecuador, Hand-painted concrete floors, Light Post Painting in Jama El Matal, Lisa Brunetti, museo bahia de caraquez, Museo Cancebi, Museo Portoviejo, Peace March, The Mola Series, Wear White for Peace, WordPress Photo Challeng My 2012 in Pictures, zeebra art

Reflecting on a twelve-month journey through WordPress.

WordPress tossed us a tempting challenge for this end-of-the year photo challenge.   With pleasure, I present some of the highlights of 2012.

This amazing tree was felled this past year.

The Magnificent Ceibos  Read about Ecuador’s amazing ceibo trees, cousins to the ceiba that grows in other parts of the tropical world.

Story Challenge Y (And Then Comes Z!!!)

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Bananas, Frizztext Story Challenge Y, Snowy Egret, Yellow, Yellow Taxi

We’re nearing the end of Frizztext’s Story Alphabet Challenge, and I’ll be in my element after clearing this week’s Y!

Long Caye Belize

Y stands for Yellow!  Enjoy these selections of yellow!

Story Challenge: W is for Watercolor

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Frizztext STory Challenge W, Lisa Brunetti, Saving Whites in Watercolor, The Mola Series, Watercolors

Frizztext’s Story Challenge brings us to the final letters of the alphabet.  “Watercolor” shoves out other options for this week’s selection from my tag stats!

Water water everywhere… Many times I remind struggling watercolorists to remember that it’s ‘WATER’color.  One wants the white of the paper to enhance the painting and make the colors glow!

Tiene Sed? Are You Thirsty?

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Cafe con leche, cooking with hibiscus, DRAGON FRUIT, Maracuya, Mora Juice, PITALLY, Where's My Backpack Liquid

Cafe Con Leche, Anyone?

Ailsa, from where’s my backpack, asks for images of liquid.  My first thoughts for this post flowed to natural streams, rivers, lakes, oceans.  I then pondered the many liquids that we consume, so here are some of my favorite images that might make you wistful to sample these drinks!

P is for PAINTING!

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Acrylic, Flickrcomments Story Challenge P, Frizztext, Hand-painted concrete floors, hand-painted designs on wood, Lisa Brunetti art, Watercolors

Frizztext tosses his alphabet challenge each Tuesday.   Pulling up from behind just under the wire with O for Olive Ridley, I am now slightly ahead with the prompt for P!   The tagword of “Painting” trumped Pelicans, Portoviejo, Pacific Ocean, Peace March, Photo Challenge and PreColumbian Art for a chance for the spotlight!

From the archives comes an eclectic assortment of paintings from a handful of years!  Rather than ramble on about my work, I’ll let the paintings take the stage!

M for Mola! Story Challenge – Letter M

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Frizztext Story Challenge M, Kuna Indians, M for Mola, Mola, Panama, The Mola Series

Mola Textiles made by the Kuna Indians of Panama

Frizztext/Flickr Comments asked this week, “ Hi Bloggers! Do you have to share a story or a short reflection tagged with the letter “M”?”

I chuckled at the thought of presenting M for Mola!  Are you ready for more molas?!!!

The Kuna Indians of Panama inspired this past year’s Mola Series of Paintings.

Travel Theme – “Red”

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hibiscus, Manzana de Agua, Where's my backpack Travel Theme Red, Where's My Backpack: Red

Red Hibiscus and Quinoa “Quinouli”

Many talented photographers have contributed amazing images for Ailsa’s Travel Theme for this week.  Enjoy my token photos that illustrate the color RED!

Red and Green; Complimentary Colors

The Red-Carpet Treatment at Celebrity Restaurant – Portoviejo Ecuador

Red Capes – Watercolor for The Mola Series – Copyright/Lisa Brunetti

Sunday Post: Black & White

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acrylic paintings, grayscale images, Jake's Sunday Post: Black and White, Lisa Brunetti art, Rufous naped wrens, watercolor paintings

An Ebony drawing pencil provides strong darks.

Jake’s Sunday Post prompts us away from today’s brilliant color applications  and asks us to submit images in black and white.  He reminds us that long-ago photos included subtle nuances of gray that made them uniquely appealing.   The pencil drawing (above) adapted to the grayscale format, though the watercolor butterflies on the “Happy Shoes” (below) look real – even to me!

Weekly Image of Life: Summertime Blast

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Manabi Museums, Museo Bahia De Caraquez Ecuador, Museo Cancebi Ecuador, Museo Portoviejo Ecuador, The Mola Series, Weekly Image of Life: Summertime Blast

Lovely Gabby, of Museo Cancebi/Manta, Ecuador adds her special touch to the group “I CAN DO THIS” painting.

This Man’s Journey’s theme for the week is Summertime Blast.  Through a beautifully-narrated photo post, he shares the high points of his family’s summertime memories.   Because I live on the equator, the past three months did not represent long days of summer vacation time, but exhibiting in three museums provided a blast of memories…

Monkey see, monkey do, I see a monkey just like YOU! (Museo Bahia de Caraquez)

Each museum offered different experiences, and visitors quickly transformed into new and dear friends.

Many tour groups visited Museo Cancebi in Manta

Senorita Valdivia watercolor in progress for Museo Bahia de Caraquez(Above:  Museo Portoviejo)

Museo Cancebi/Manta, Ecuador – Francess and Angel take a time out for painting HAPPY SHOES!

The Quite-Tardy “Color Purple”

Arresting Sunset – Playa San Miguel, Costa Rica

These photos have been waiting in queue for almost a week  for the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge.   With a Sink or Swim command to the images,  I present my eclectic assortment of Images Purple!

Kuna’s Mola Textile    

Kuna Indian’s Mola Textile from the Republic of Panama

Spanish Lessons, Museum Openings and a Tuna Soup Breakfast

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encebollado, museo bahia de caraquez, The Mola Series

BAHIA DE CARAQUEZ, ECUADOR

While learning a new language, we all have moments that burn in our memories when we mistakenly insert a similar-sounding word in place of the correct one.   The locals in Costa Rica still reminisce (with chuckles) when I stated that I was a man, instead of stating that I was hungry!  Hombre – hambre; oh the difference one vowel makes!  They also laughed when I bluntly stated with strong emphasis, “I NEED A MAN” (to help shovel truckloads of gravel!)  

My most-recent Spanish-speaking blunder arrived last night, when University students joined locals and  extranjeros at Museo Bahia de Caraques’s opening reception  of  the Mola Series.  While explaining that the preColumbian Kuna Indians painted the designs on their bodies, I used the word for breakfast instead of naked!  

Desayuno.  Desnudo.  Come on, I was close!    

Several generous souls in the audience helped me through a few other stumbling blocks, but everyone seemed quite patient and forgiving!  

The public reaction to the paintings continues to surprise me!  Color certainly has a positive effect on people, and as Kate Murphy said at the Manta opening, “The paintings smile at you and make you smile back!”  

YOU ARE INVITED!

Tags

Museo Bahia De Caraquez Ecuador, The Mola Series

THURSDAY, 26 JULIO – 2012 7:30 PM

ECUADOR

Although most of you will not be present at Thursday night’s opening, you will be here in spirit!

We’re moving the exhibit from Portoviejo to Bahia today!

Out the door!

Z 😀

Showtime: Museo Portoviejo

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Acrylics, Lisa Brunetti, Museo Portoviejo, Series de Mola, The Mola Series, Watercolors

Paparazzi!

(PORTOVIEJO ECUADOR)  Preparing for this second show of the Mola Series should have been a simple task, but—!  It’s not that things went wrong; just that things didn’t flow the way they were planned!

Showtime: The Mola Series – Portoviejo Ecuador

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Lisa Brunetti, Museo Portoviejo, The Mola Series

Enclosed are random images from the past week.  Tonight’s showtime #2 for the Mola Series!  Z