Timeout for Art – The Muir Tree

Tags

"The Muir Tree", acrylic paintings, John Muir Quotes, Painting trees, Timeout for Art

The trees are watching!  Near Rio Cinto-Mindo Ecuador

“Any fool can destroy trees. They cannot run away; and if they could, they would still be destroyed — chased and hunted down as long as fun or a dollar could be got out of their bark hides, branching horns, or magnificent bole backbones. .” — John Muir

Sometimes a work of art ‘just happens’ as if some invisible hand guides the process.  Everything aligns as if magically orchestrated.

Watercolor  by Lisa Brunetti –  With no pencil prep, I focused on one part of the flower then went straight to painting; the initials strokes of paint slowly evolved into the study of the Thunbergia flowers.

Othertimes a work of art requires preparation and homework, which starts as a spacial gathering of information and honing that data until clarity guides the artist forward.

The Muir quote has always fired my imagination, and I pictured trees frowning in disgust or wide-eyed with fear of being felled or even timidly hiding and peering from behind rocky facades. While pondering ways to illustrate the quote, I began seeking out and studying the twisted growth of mature guava trees – cousins to crepe myrtles – to merge the illusion of limbs and antlers.

Timeout for Art: A Child’s First Drawing Lesson

Tags

a child's first drawing lesson, cosanga ecuador, pachamama birdwatching journey, teaching children to draw, Timeout for Art

The Texas Pachamama Christmas Fairies brought a huge assortment of art supplies. The airlines might have taxed them for extra weight!

“It was amazing what an hour with her sketchpad could do for her mood. She was sure that the lines she drew with her black marker were going to save her years of worry lines in the future.” ― Victoria Kahler, Their Friend Scarlet

Cosanga Ecuador – Napo Province – See Map

The Pachamama Birding Group also brought treats for the teacher… Really really really-nice treats!  Watercolor paper!  Brushes! Sharpie Markers – not used ones like at my drawing table, but brand-new ones with precise points!!!!  But that’s for another post.   Check below to see the view from the table where I took a 30-minute personal timeout for art:

The Pachamama Christmas Fairies delivered high-quality art materials 8 months early!!! Thank you Pachamamas!

… While the ladies were out birding, the two boys and I sat on the front porch for an impromptu art lesson.

Remember Jordan and Rudy?

Please join me as they experience a fresh pad of drawing paper while they discover the magic of a well-sharpened pencil.

Timeout for Art? – What if there were no ‘Arts?’

Tags

Arts Programs, Charley Parker, Ecuador Arts, lines & colors, Timeout for Art

My life-long friend the pencil!

“Art is the signature of civilizations.”- Beverly Sills

(Ecuador) Using my.yahoo.com as email provider home page, I view the most-recent emails, the 5 top news stories, news of Ecuador/Latin America,  weather stats for specific locations,  and science and arts stories.  The custom page provides a quick summary of the day’s pulse when I log onto the internet.

One column features amazing works of art, and whenever possible I follow that link and savor Lines & Color’s ‘Eye Candy’...  This week featured a black rectangle to illustrate a more-serious post.     Please take time to read Charley Parker’s  Lines & Colors Is On Strike Today –

From Lines & Colors: “…Yes, it’s a small, mostly symbolic gesture, but so are the recently announced plans by the incoming administration to eliminate funding for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, as well as the Corporation for Public Broadcasting…”

Museo Portoviejo – Ecuador – This AMAZING group of students repeated every sentence I spoke in English!

I pondered how to share my own thoughts regarding the importance the arts play in our world.   The best option seems to illustrate with images from old posts, where art played a large role in bringing people together while introducing them to the magic of self discovery.

We’ll start in Jama Ecuador, where locals are still recovering from the earthquake.  I am not sure if this tree is still there, but in the past, the whimsical art continued to smile at those who considered looking up….

Timeout for Art when there is no Timeout for Art!

Tags

Cindy Ricksgers art, mosaics in acrylic, Painted floors, Timeout for Art

(Accidental swirl while taking a photo!)

“…I transferred one large and four small framed paintings to the closet in my bedroom, so I would have room to move. I pulled out painted papers. I sifted through bins and bowls full of scraps. I started shuffling things around. I felt myself grinning…”  Cindy Rickgers – Timeout for Art – Jan. 19, 2017

I don’t think she’s missed one week; dear Cindy, hands full with responsibilities and obligations, finds time week after week after week to post a Timeout for Art.  She often apologizes for lack of material, but she always dedicates a “Timeout” for art every Thursday.    Thank you Cindy!  You inspire me more than you’ll ever realize!

Remember this mosaic in progress?

My hands have been full with the ‘stairway’ project, and today I am typing with dried varnish on my fingertips.   As soon as this is published, I’ll brush a second coat on the floor.    Are you curious to see the progress?!

Timeout for Art? Siempre-Always!

Tags

art by Lisa Brunetti, Timeout for Art

Acrylic on Fabric –

There is no surer method of evading the world than by following Art, and no surer method of linking oneself to it than by Art. ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

An online ‘special preview’ approaches for all of you who have patiently endured my erratic postings.  My hands have been full with lots of tasks – many of them have been highly-creative ones!   I’ve not had time for full-time painting, but you’ve earned a sneak peek!

Sometimes it’s easy to go into an intense focus, and studies seem to shine best against a stark background.  The butterflies above illustrate when ‘all is calm’ in Zeebra’s life. Other times when distractions nudge me out of focus, I switch to a totally-different style — one that makes me smile and demands a different approach.  An old Artist’s Statement of mine stated, “Two people live inside of me…”  Here’s a sample of that second person:

Timeout for Art – Showing Works in Progress

Tags

Acryic, Critiquing art, Timeout for Art, Unsolicited advice

Butterflies – Acrylic in Progress 8.5 x 38″

Some men, like a wet dog, sprinkle a shower of advice over you when you are least prepared for a bath.   AUSTIN O’MALLEY

While perusing lots of serious quotes about advice, this one (above) made me laugh;  I hope that it gave you a chuckle as well!

This painting of local butterflies evolves a little each day.   There are times when I am tired and don’t have 100 percent concentration, but I try to discipline myself to pick up the pencil or brush and dabble.   There are about a dozen paintings in various stages, all waiting for my attention!

This painting evolves without the aid of preliminary pencil – I study the butterfly in hand or else a photo,  dip the paint brush in a watered-down color and wash in the basic areas.   The fine details evolve with each new layer of  washes, starting with watercolor style and then thicker and finally meticulous attention to detail.     Most every evening  when I push back and eye the painting from afar, I think, “There’s no way this is ready to be shown for Timeout for Art!”

Getting reference material can be challenging!

Even though this will evolve into a strong painting, I know that’s it’s hard for many people to see an unfinished painting and see it as that – a painting in progress.  There are times, like when we look our worst and answer the knock at the door, we wish we’d had had a warning.

Timeout for Smiles

Tags

Timeout for Art, timeout for smiles

Before the Earthquake: Double smiles – He had new boots AND was thrilled to watch over his cousin’s new motorcycle!

“If my heart can become pure and simple like that of a child, I think there probably can be no greater happiness than this” Kitaro Nishida (From The Little Zen Companion)

The birds daily designs are drawn with cracked corn, and the birds slowly erase the designs! The frog usually hides behind the rain gauge.

The first hours of the morning are sacred to me, and I perfer to spend them in silence as I wean from an active dreamworld to the expectations of the day. An always-changing cast of winged performers flit through the living stage.  This morning, as I write from the comfort of the front balcony, a cheerful wren forages along the branches of a Pico-Pico tree just long enough to have its image caught on camera.

Hello Wren!

A dozen or more swallows perform an aerial ballet across the pure-blue skies. One crisp-yellow butterfly inspects the landscaped area near the ponnd. At times the butterflies move with such precision that I think they are birds! Scanning the vista below, I spot a Rufous-tailed Hummingbird perusing the morning’s floral department while deciding which will provide the prized nectar for the day.

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird takes a timeout from the flowers!

While admiring the hummingbird, I spot a large bird streak past the house and realize it was a Collared Aracari!

Timeout for Art – Intense Concentration

Tags

painting birds in watercolor, painting toucans, Timeout for Art

“Hi!  Remember me?” (See Timeout- Let’s Draw a Toucan)

“It takes 100 per cent of your attention and focus, backed up with years of drawing experience, to train yourself to paint what you see.” Steve Childs

Mindo Ecuador –

Simple washes of color… Remember when using watercolor to let one area (yellow) to dry before beginning another (black) or they’ll run together and make a big mess!

Sometimes several washes of color are more effective for building texture and depth.   The cecropria limb started with light washes of blues and greens, and the lightest areas were saved while darker pigments brought form and texture to the painting.  The tree limb needs another session when I can work from life and apply the subtle details.

The second application of yellow, applied after the first had dried overnight, brings more life into the toucan.

Toucans are quite social, so the study has a few support characters!   The next image shows the small painting.   With watercolor, one tries to save the whites, as in the spots of light on the eyes.   One mistake many people make is to try to rush the painting, and they are rewarded with a dark color running into a lighter one.   Placing the dark pigment (Paynes gray + burnt sienna + ultramarine blue) in the eye area would be a fatal mistake if the green pigment had not dried.    Moving to the tree limbs – or even to a different painting is the best option.   Taking a break or putting the painting in the sun or waiting until the next day are other options.

Timeout for Art – Let’s Draw a Toucan!

Tags

Drawing, How to draw a toucan, Timeout for Art, using a grid for drawing

OK, aspiring artists! Sharpen your pencils and get ready to draw!

Hold that pose!

“Drawing is rather like playing chess: your mind races ahead of the moves that you eventually make. “— David Hockney

While scrolling through the photos taken over the past week, I critiqued the series of toucan photos with a disciplined eye.   Four are shown below; “A” shows the personality of the toucan. “B, C and D” were similar with subtle differences, but one seemed stronger to me. Which is your favorite? If you were about to draw one of the four, which would you chose and why?

Which would you chose to draw?

Two of the eight or so photos were my favorites, and I toggled between the two to decide which one would be the best candidate for a painting.  The two photos are below:

Toucan B

Toucan C

“B” bird seemed relaxed in its environment.   It also seemed heavy on the right side, as if an invisible line was pulling the bird toward the ground.   “C” seemed to tap into its survival sense, and though I was almost hidden from the bird’s view, it seemed to sense a foreign presence. “D” pose amused me; like many humans who are suddenly aware of a photo about to be taken, this bird lifted its beak just a bit and displayed a classic profile. Most likely, it was definitely aware of a foreign presence, and it was preparing to take flight! For a painting, however, it looked too perfect, although I really liked the backwards “S” curve of its throat and neck.

Toucan D held a classic pose, but it seemed too perfect…

After appreciating the toucan’s body English, I tried – through a teacher’s eyes – to decide what made “C” more pleasing to my eye. It appeared more balanced.   My analytical skills automatically stripped the images into basic shapes and directions, and I realized that I should slow down, decipher my methods and share a few easy ways to stay on track when drawing.

Timeout for Painting Signs!

Tags

Mindo Ecuador, painting signs for trails, property for sale ecuador, Timeout for Art, trail signs

Why is Barb chuckling as she sits on the bench?

(Rio Cinto/Mindo Ecuador) As Barbara’s “work visit” comes to an end, we’re reflecting on how much we packed into this past month.  She can now add sign painting, wildlife guide and landscape design to her resume!

Thanks to a guide’s visit to the property, Barb has been officially infected with the birding bug!

Join us for a walk along the pond to critique the signs!   If we’re lucky (and quiet) we might spot an otter!   Adding Whimsy to the Trails 

 

Lisa & Barb

Timeout for Art – Cattle Roundup!

Tags

cows in ecuador, mindo ecuador rio cinto ecuador, Timeout for Art

Would this make you smile?

“Some little thing in my brain stretched, and twisted, and turned until I was pulling all kinds of things from the dark corners of my studio, and this was the result.” Karen (of Stone Soup- KarenSameNow)

(Mindo Ecuador) One can allow unexpected challenges to ruin one’s day (or night) or one can try to find the humor in frustrating moments. With Barbara around, it’s easy to burst out laughing instead of wanting to shout with frustration! My friend Peter (bird guide and electrician) saw my hand-scrawled note and burst out laughing!

“Does she really expect me to move when there’s delicious grass on the property?”

Yes, my brain stretched and twisted and decided that a quickly-drawn illustration might best describe the cattle’s destructive tour of the gardens and trails! The note needed few words to deliver the message to the owner of the cows.

Every time we tried to herd the cows back to the gate, where they’d found a weak part in the barbed-wire fence, they bolted to deeper and difficult-areas to reach in the old pasture areas. At night they tipped back to the yard in order to raid the hibiscus, the orchids and the impatiens.

The Scout

At one in the morning, we were sitting in the truck waiting to ambush them if they returned, as they had sent a scout to see if we were sleeping. Half an hour earlier, I peered out the bedroom window to see a peeping-cow staring back at me!

They finally gave up, but at 7 in the morning they were back.   We herded them toward the gate, where I had taped a note to the owner of the cattle.  One cow inspected the note and sampled it – YOW!  STOP THAT, SILLY COW!

Timeout for Art: Taking Time for the Younger Ones

Tags

art students, mentoring students, Mindo Ecuador, Timeout for Art

(Mindo Ecuador) – An impromptu meeting redirected one of my afternoons last week, and I embraced the opportunity to work with a small group of students that are preparing for an art competition. We met this past Tuesday, and they will bring sketches to the next meeting on Monday!

Every single student is precious, and they all seem thrilled that I will be helping.

This week’s Timeout is short and sweet, and will hopefully be delivered to your doorstep via ‘Publish later’ option. Barbara arrived this past Saturday, and – aside from lots of rain – all’s fine at beautiful Rio Cinto. (It was nice of the otter to drop by and say “Welcome Back!”)

More next week! Z

Timeout for Art – Reflections from a Bamboo Cabaña

Tags

einstein quotes, Timeout for Art, watercolor

Who created this artifact? Man? Woman? Several People? What purpose did it serve? How many generations lived and died before this artifact was discovered?  Did they have complex language skills?  Who found the artifact, or was it looted from a grave or washed downriver? Who steered it into the museum’s collection so that I could one day admire and study it?    (Watercolor Study — Artifact from Museo Bahia de Caraquez/Ecuador)

“Strange is our situation here upon earth. Each of us comes for a short visit, not knowing why, yet sometimes seeming to a divine purpose. From the standpoint of daily life, however, there is one thing we do know: That we are here for the sake of others…for the countless unknown souls with whose fate we are connected by a bond of sympathy. Many times a day, I realize how much my outer and inner life is built upon the labors of people, both living and dead, and how earnestly I must exert myself in order to give in return as much as I have received and am still receiving.”
― Albert Einstein, Living Philosophies

This quote from Einstein’s Living Philosophies prompted me to pause and consider my life, the lives of my friends and loved ones and the casual strangers we meet each day.     I pondered every man-made article  ‘built upon the labors of people both living and dead’  in the room around me.  I wondered about the nameless people that affected my particular point in life at this very moment.  Who whacked the bamboo that now serves as the walls of this cabanya?  Was the hard work of construction mixed with sweat and shared laughter as the workers saw the vision take form?

Working hard or hardly working?!

Timeout for Art – For the Birds!

Tags

hummingbird feeders, Timeout for Art, timeout for birds

A colorful aracari critiques my work!

(Mindo Ecuador)

Let’s start with a few birds that highlight every day I am on Jim and Julie’s property!

Quetzals often laugh over my shoulder!

A male and female quetzal perch on a tall tree on a hill near the house.

About a 30-minute drive from Mindo is the hub of “Los Bancos.” I was there last week to pay the car tag fee for Jim and Julie. After an hour’s wait in line at the bank, I was told, “The system is down,” and was dismissed.

I stood there with mouth agape, pondered my choices, and quickly decided, “I’ll go to the Mirador Restaurant and not let this bother me!”

Patricio, the owner of the Mirador Restaurant and Cabanas, has great hospitality skills and always has time for his guests. Not only is the food exceptional, there are stunning views to the valley below as well as an ever-changing cast of birds that visit the feeders near the tables.

(Aracaris) These stars often make an appearance at the Mirador Restaurant.

Patricio’s nephew greeted me and said, “I saw you in the bank. That was a long line!” He could not help with suggestions for paying the tag fee, but Patricio came along and assured me that I had all month to pay it.
“I’ll try again in another week,” I smiled, then sat at a table near one of the bird feeding stations.

Timeout for Art: Collective Intentions

Tags

friends helping friends, house for sale mindo, kitchen improvements, land for sale mindo, making a kitchen more efficient, property for sale mindo, Timeout for Art

Say, “Good Morning!” to a Happy Kitchen!

“When women come together with a collective intention, magic happens.”
Phylicia Rashad

Mindo Ecuador –   Cutting a few old boards to custom fit the sink area of the kitchen, Barbara and I enjoyed a 2-day Timeout for Art this past weekend. We took turns with the hand saw then checked to be sure the boards fit the spaces.  After being sanded, the boards were then prepped with white paint. Mixing paints to match the yellow and green kitchen tiles, we sat on the front porch and painted while hummingbirds critiqued our progress. Adding cup hooks and an under-the-counter light helped pull together a photo-worthy kitchen!

Step inside and join us for a cup of coffee; or perhaps you’d prefer a cup of hot chocolate instead?!

Timeout for Baskets – Timeout for Art!

Tags

bridging cultures, embracing the cultural exchange, Timeout for Art, travel from quito to pedernales, woven baskets near la concordia ecuador

“The House of Baskets”

“If we know exactly where we’re going, exactly how to get there, and exactly what we’ll see along the way, we won’t learn anything. ”
― M. Scott Peck

(La Concordia Ecuador)- Several years ago while riding a bus from the cloud forest of Mindo to the Pacific coast, I spotted a simple tin-roofed home with a variety of baskets displayed out front. The sight intrigued me, and I watched with wistful eyes each time I zoomed past in transit.

This past week as Barbara and I drove from Mindo to the coast, I watched for the “House of Baskets” as we reached the ‘rotunda’ at La Concordia. We parked just past the house and crossed a primitive footbridge that delivered us to the yard. Two smiling women immediately greeted us, and Barbara and I stepped into a beautiful cultural exchange.

Never sure if I’d be targeted as a tourist willing to pay twice the normal price, I bashfully asked, “Quanto cuesta?” and pointed to one of the larger baskets to define a starting point.

Timeout for Art & Friendship

Tags

Ecuador, mindo, property for sale ecuador, Rio Cinto Ecuador, Timeout for Art, timeout for ecuador

Guess who flew in LAST NIGHT to help Zeebra?

Seeing Cotopaxi blowing off steam was quite sobering. (Photo taken from airport.

Standing at the arrivals gate, I held a sign that said, “Hummingbird.”  – Many of you will know what this means! (The following photo was taken when she helped design the magic carpet;  we had just finished painting the hummingbird for her home.)

(I forget how much taller I am than she is until I see a photo like this!)

Yes, my dear friend Barbara flew in from Panama last night and will be helping with various tasks in Mindo.   I handed her a new pair of work gloves last night, and we’ll purchase the mandatory boots in Mindo!   It will be fun to see what creative projects we tackle while she is here; for those interested, here’s a link to my friends’ property: A Little Bird Told Me

Speaking of gates, the all-seeing eye that watches over Casa Loca did not do the best job while I was in Mindo. My friends on the farm were trying to make the ‘bridge’ easier to use, but the workers forgot to clean up when finished!

Timeout for Art: New Endings?

Tags

acrylic paintings, angels trumpet, Brugmansia, Timeout for Art

Angels Trumpet 01 – Detail

Angels Trumpet 02 – Acrylic Detail —One can almost smell the fragrance!

Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.
– Carl Bard

Although they ‘match,’ I’m pondering changing the one on the left to a night image, appropriate to the true nature of these flowers.

In order to make the dark painting work, I should probably start one more study and make this a triplet series!

Hope to be back tomorrow with a butterfly safari!  Would anyone like to book a seat?  The magic carpet will leave around noon, Ecuador time!   Z

Timeout for Art – Conversations with Nature

Tags

acrylic paintings of flowers, angels trumpet, Brugmansia, NATURE, Timeout for Art, Working from Life

“When one is alone at night in the depths of these woods, the stillness is at once awful and sublime. Every leaf seems to speak.”  – – John of the Mountains: The Unpublished Journals of John Muir, (1938)

From the 2nd-floor balcony – The tree is loaded, but for only ten days or so….

The days have been full helping Jim (and the cats) prepare to fly to the USA, but there are flowers in the garden that awaken when I am normally sleeping! The blooming period is quite sort, so at night I work on the studies while most people in Ecuador are sleeping!  Nearby Rio Cinto provides a subtle backdrop of sound, though there is a hushed stillness aside from random moths fluttering at the windows.    Every so often an insect finds its way to my work area – maybe in hopes of having its portrait made with the flowers?

Look who came to critique! A lightning bug!

Before focusing on the main subject, I usually work on a smaller study.   The upper and lower views of a  black/brown and white butterfly provided perfect challenges on different evenings.

Timeout for Art: Hurried

Tags

angels trumpet, global transport, moving in ecuador, Timeout for Art

Angel’s Trumpet, acrylic in progress

The week has been busy and very full, but I have managed to take some timeouts for art.  Enjoy the photos, and forgive me for this hurried post.

The week has been full; prep for moving my friends and then the Global Transport crew arrived for three days of intense work. They were so nice and respectful!

Timeout for Art – Beauty Everywhere

Tags

Drawing foliage, Pencil drawing, Timeout for Art

Foliage – Pencil

“If you truly love Nature, you will find beauty everywhere.”
– Vincent Van Gogh

When given a sharp pencil, a blank piece of paper, and ten minutes or more of quiet time, I can usually find subject matter close at hand to occupy my attention.    I have learned to admire the simplest of plants.  A desiccated blade of grass can transform into an object of beauty via a finely-honed drawing.

The meandering philodendrom makes, for me, a fairly easy study.    The basic shape and details of the leaves are forgiving and can be lightly drawn without too much fuss.  The shading can be added later.  This drawing is an unfinished work, though I am hesitant to continue.

My critical eye goes to the two simple leaves in the middle of the drawing.  They seem to have a push-pull effect as if they’re not sure where they belong. Ten or so minutes of subtle shading will place them more firmly in the background.   But wait -overworking a picture often ruins it.

The decision belongs to all of you; should I continue shading and adding depth, or is it time to stop? Thanks in advance for your feedback!

Would any of you consider drawing a blade of grass or three?  I will try to do several studies of grass and will share those results next Thursday.

Sharpen that pencil and start drawing!  🙂  Z

Timeout for Art: Muses of Inspiration and Realization

Tags

painting butterflies in watercolor, Timeout for Art, Timeout for Art Muses

‘Cesar’ Paddling Against the Current – Rio Jama – June 2015

“There are, it seems, two muses: the Muse of Inspiration, who gives us inarticulate visions and desires, and the Muse of Realization, who returns again and again to say “It is yet more difficult than you thought.” This is the muse of form.    

It may be then that form serves us best when it works as an obstruction, to baffle us and deflect our intended course. It may be that when we no longer know what to do, we have come to our real work and when we no longer know which way to go, we have begun our real journey. The mind that is not baffled is not employed. The impeded stream is the one that sings.”
― Wendell Berry

Magnificent Frigates practice touch-and-go aerobatics — Thursday morning, June 4

Fatigue and sore joints linger as I slowly reclaim my normal life ‘after dengue.’   Painting presents some new challenges; one is an unpredictable shake that suddenly takes control of my hand and then vanishes just as quickly.  I ignore it and assume it will eventually grow bored and vanish.   The fatigue affects my ability to stick with the painting, and after an hour’s session, I usually stop and rest for another hour.   The birds provide excellent distraction for those commercial breaks.

The watercolor study ‘Before Dengue” —

Painting this watercolor has been work.   It has also provided a necessary discipline for me to show up for work even if I feel like playing hooky.   I stare at the painting and nudge myself to move forward.   Losing electricity hasn’t helped, but I moved my work area to a window and cut fresh flowers for reference.

The first few sessions were brief, and I realized that I was not as strong as I thought!

We were without power all day Saturday and most of Sunday. Building a bit more physical strength, I squeezed in several painting sessions and then slept for ten hours.  While painting on Sunday night, we lost power again;  that’s one way to stop progress on a painting! On Monday morning, I could not find the painting.  I eventually found it propped on a shelf, where I had critiqued it the night before by candle light.

Timeout for Art: Scientific Accuracy

Tags

art by Lisa Brunetti, nature studies, painting butterflies in watercolor, Painting Flowers in Watercolor, the great nature project, Timeout for Art, watercolor, Working from Life

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

‘We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.’- Maya Angelou

The watercolor (above) patiently waited for three weeks while I waded through dengue-clouded sleep and dog-paddled back to the land of the living. Like trying to remember a dream, I now recall details of the illness that return in little snippets, “Oh, the exceptional pull of gravity on my hands and arms felt as if heavy chains kept them cemented to the mattress.”  I remember seeing my puffy face in the mirror and wondering, “Who are you?”  After the fever left, I walked with a touch of vertigo and often listed to the left like an injured fish swimming in circles.  I walked little, as my blood pressure fell if I stood too long, so returning to the bed with easy sleep was a gift.

The butterflies and flowers from a year ago

At times I forced myself to sit up, take my temperature, pulse, drink more liquids, and then I collapsed back into the world of dreams. Oh, the places I went in that dream-packed sleep, and though my dreams I could fly! I could roam the world and other worlds and spend time with a new cast of people! On awakening, the vivid recall kept me entertained, and I rolled back after a brief commercial break and returned a the marathon of dreams.

I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly dreaming I am a man. ~Chuang Tzu

Two days ago I peered at the watercolor in limbo and pondered the wildflowers in bloom outside. They were at their peak a month ago, and they were now going to seed and would soon be gone for another year. I could rely on reference photos, but there’s nothing (for me) better than working from life. I retrieved some flowers, revived the dried watercolor palette and began painting.

Timeout for Art: Remembering Mosquitoes

Tags

chikungunya, dengue, drawing when sick, jama manabi ecuador, mosaic mirror with paint, Timeout for Art

Pencil drawing with Gold Metallic Color Effects…

“Noise proves nothing. Often a hen who has merely laid an egg cackles as if she laid an asteroid.”
Mark Twain

(I needed a chuckle and hope that the above quote gave you one as well!)

(Jama Ecuador)  Half of the month of May has passed, and I am just emerging from this mosquito-induced fog.   My friend Cesar complained of a tightness in his neck today, and later he mentioned an ache in his foot.  I remembered well the first arthritic aches, the ones that began a few days after I finished the mosaic mirror for the ladies’ room at Palo Santo.

The mirror photographed best in the gardens!

Luchi’s mother (Nieve) helped with the task, and she later said, “When you asked if you could paint something, I thought you were just going to paint the mirror a different color!”  Nieve helped paint many layers of precise color that created the mosaic effect.

Timeout for Art: Trading Gifts at Hotel Ciragan

Tags

Bartering, El Matal update, Hotel Ciragan Jama Ecuador, Places to stay in Jama Ecuador, Timeout for Art, Trading Gifts

“When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.” ― Maya Angelou”

Ramon touches up the entrance at Hotel Ciragan…

My dear friend, Gloria, who owns Hotel Ciragan, often refuses my money when I stay at her place in town. “You owe me nothing,” she smiles in her elegant style. “That’s OK,” I accept with a smile, “Two can play this game…”

Sometimes it’s very easy to dress up a plain wall…

Timeout for Art – Flying Joyfully Through My Days

Tags

hummingbird feeders, old hummingbird feeders, Timeout for Art

Just beyond the courtyard area, hummingbirds feed on the extra-tall hibiscus bush at Sarah’s home.

Like the hummingbird sipping nectar from every flower, I fly joyfully through my days, seeing beauty in everything.
– Amethyst Wyldfyre

(Conocoto Ecuador)  Earlier this month, my friend Sarah mentioned that the hummingbirds did not come to the feeder, so she stopped using it. Between the Good Friday parade and Saturday’s wedding, another friend, Lynnda and I added a few creative colors in hopes of luring the hummers to the feeder.

13636 – Whoops, Timeout for Art – Simply Drawing

Tags

drawing sea shells, PENCIL DRAWINGS, Timeout for Art

If many of you are suffering from cabin fever in below-freezing weather, why not pass some of your time with pencil and paper? Drawing can be very relaxing, if you can endure the first five or ten minutes of frustrations and keep working, you might be very pleased with your results.

Go ahead; pick one up and have fun!

While staying at my friends’ home, I gave a drawing lesson, and after a few warm-up exercises, we drew sea shells. I worked earlier in the day on a study to lllustrate the stages of the drawing. Sometimes a simple line drawing needs few details after the dark background is added.

Timeout for Art: Painting for the Joy of Painting!

Tags

Handpainted floors, Timeout for Art

 

“Yes, I’ve made a great deal of dough from my fiction, but I never set a single word down on paper with the thought of being paid for it … I have written because it fulfilled me … I did it for the buzz. I did it for the pure joy of the thing. And if you can do it for joy, you can do it forever.”

Stephen King

I’ve spent months painting the floors where I live, and I often chuckle and say, “I spent X-amount of time on a painting I can never sell!” That’s OK, because working out the design, the correct proportions and building layers of colors are all important challenges, and I learn what works and what does not work.

Timeout FROM Art! End-of-Day Tranquility

Tags

Floor Painting, Math and Painting, Painted Designs for Floors, Solomon's Knot, Timeout for Art, Timeout FROM Art, WordPress Blog Siites

One of nine panels, this 2′ x 4′ section will be part of the border. (Acrylic on plywood)

Hola Sports Fans; I’m writing via off-line mode while taking a break from a floor project. Black paint is drying, so it’s best to take ten or more giant steps away from the work and enjoy a break!  Nine pieces of plywood make up this large jigsaw floor puzzle that will upgrade an 8-foot area that overlooks the river. Clear thick plastic protects each finished panel until all are fine-tuned and adjusted to merge with the others.  The design should be ready for varnish on Tuesday.  It’s been a challenging and rewarding project, and you’ll see the entire floor on the next Timeout for Art.

Center 4′ x 4′ Section – detail

Border Detail

Yesterday my dear friend Silvana, back from her internship in Minnesota, dropped by the house and happily accepted the task of filling in areas with color. We set up a work area on the balcony and watched the birds and fishermen as we painted. Time flew, and at sunset we stopped to take photos from a slightly-different vantage point before she returned to Jama.

Although the rainy season is quite late, many birds are displaying breeding plumage.

Silvana gazes toward the boca as the fisherman snags another fish!

Timeout for Art: Mosaics and Beyond

Tags

mirror ideas, mosaics, Timeout for Art

Hmmm; what do we have staring back at us?

As I look back upon my life, I see that every part of it was a preparation for the next. The most trivial of incidents fits into the larger pattern like a mosaic in a preconceived design.
Margaret Sanger

Last week during the 10-day power outage, I worked on several different projects.    The mosaic border demanded many more hours’ attention than I had planned, but the end result might fool most people who view it from six or eight feet.     Here is how it looked last week:

In progress – Mosaic Mirror

After about four layers of paint on each piece of the mosaic, much of the grout area was painted a second time.   Thick and a bit-sloppy paint gave the illusion of true grout.  When that dried, the edges were strengthened with straight, confident strokes and highlights were added along the top edges.

Timeout for Art: Painting by Candlelight!

Tags

challenges living in latin america, mirror designs, mosaic painting, painting bamboo, painting by candlelight, Timeout for Art

Small acrylic exercise in color (detail)

 

“…If the stories are true, van Gogh would seek out cafes at night to paint, wearing his candlelit straw hat beside other customers. (The Huffington Post- By Todd Van Luling)

After ten days of using flashlights and candles to read – and sometimes to finish a painting session, I am pleased to announce that power has been restored at Casa Loca! I inquired (complained?) last Friday, and again this past Tuesday, and again today. Today the owner of the shrimp farm was with me, and for some reason Xavier’s presence made a difference! Two men drove to the house within half an hour, and  ten minutes later, the power problem had been found and repaired!

Timeout for Art – A Measure of Thanksgiving

Tags

Thanksgiving, the art of sharing, Timeout for Art

Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving. ~W.T. Purkiser

Rosa sets up her booth in the early-morning sunshine.

This dear woman, Rosa, patiently set her hand-made items in front of the restaurant where I enjoyed breakfast each morning.  With a smile, she tolerated the many photos I took while she flashed in and out of the early-morning sun.   I bought a small handbag and  a smaller zipper bag to hold my pens and pencils.

On the third morning I invited her for a hot chocolate, which she drank while setting up the morning’s display.  I handed her a little scrambled egg sandwich from some petite rounds of toast and took more photos as she worked. 

Timeout for Art: “Just Being & Growing”

Tags

Ecuador sights, Lago San Pablo Ecuador, Lecheros Tree, Quito Flower Market, Quotes by Robert Henri, Timeout for Art

Oswaldo Guayasamin Sculpture – Overlooking Quito Ecuador

Guayasamin Bird-Sculpture

“Genius is not a possession of the limited few, but exists in some degree in everyone…

…To be an artist is to construct, and to whatever degree one shows the genius for construction in work of any sort, he is that much an artist.” –  Robert Henri – The Art Spirit

With slow and deliberate patience, this lady displayed each bag with loving attention to its best presentation.

“…I think the real artists are too busy with just being and growing and acting (on canvas or however) like themselves to worry about the end.  The end will be what it will be.  The object is intense living, fulfillment; the great happiness in creation.  People sometimes phrase about the joy of work.  It is only  in creative work that joy may be found.  

… the object is not to make art, but to be in the wonderful state which makes art inevitable.  

 The artist life is therefore the desirable life, and it is possible to all.”

  Robert Henri  – The Art Spirit

Waiting on the 11 p.m. bus (left) and a hurried sketch in the Guayasamin Museum private collection of pre-Columbian art.

The past few weeks have found me on the road with tour groups and with friends.  While embracing each moment, I have also dedicated time for sketching.

Friends have nudged me into a skull/bone series, and now cow skulls seem to wave to me most anywhere I travel!

Robert Henri’s words resonate when I reflect on the interactions between strangers – how chance interactions open the doors to rich experiences.  I treasure my time alone when I can focus 100 percent on creating art, yet opportunities for cultural exchange inject amazing energy into my life.

Many times I stop and quietly ask, “What is your name?” and the person reflexively slaps his/her chest and replies, “Me?”

“Yes.  You,” I smile, and they immediately stand a bit prouder and hurriedly rattle their entire name.

Jose, with cataract-clouded eyes, appreciates the chance to boast his age; 92. He smiles as tourists walk past his house at the Bahia de Caraquez lookout, yet he yearns for interaction with others. “Hola,” makes him proud to be alive.

Many times a tourist forgets that the experience is not all about being a tourist, but about slowing down and telling a local what’s great about his/her community.

This gentleman has taken photos at the same park location in Quito for over 70 years. At age 90, he says that he has never been sick or in the hospital.

Traveling opens that wonderful state of being that Henri mentions.  From the flower markets throughout the country to the pastoral landscapes of the Andes, one’s day is enriched by slowing down and appreciating the local color.

Timeout for Art: Subtle Surprises

Tags

El Matal Ecuador, Hope, Timeout for Art, transforming an ugly space

“Even in the mud and scum of things, something always, always sings.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

El Matal (Manabi Province) Ecuador

Life planted a subtle surprise in my path last week when I visited El Matal’s quickly-vanishing beach.  After walking the low-tide line from one end to the other, I turned around and walked back along the boat-crammed street.  Almost instantly, a flash of just-painted color caught my eye, and my serious mood (see:Esperanza-Hope) transformed into one of joy.

Esperanza – Hope — A subtle message of hope smiled at me along the upper end of El Matal. (Ecuador)

The bystanders confirmed my suspicions:  Yes; “Maestro” painted the post.   They seemed baffled at my enthusiasm.  I pointed out that he painted the post out of the joy of his heart and not because he was competing in another post-painting competition!    I took a few photos, retrieved a 4 x 6″ card of Diablo Uma and asked if they’d give it to him as a token ‘Thank You’ prize.

They peered at me as if I was the Caped Crusader!

As walked away,  they called me back;  a surprised Maestro stood there buttoning his shirt and wondering what had triggered the infectious enthusiasm that domino-ed along the neighbors until the card reached his hands!  I congratulated him on his kind and giving spirit and said that the freshly-painted post represented hope – esperanza – for the residents of El Matal. (See previous post)

Timeout for Art – ES Coffee Timeout Project

Tags

ESCoffee, Group Projects, Painting projects, teamwork, Timeout for Art

“ES Coffee – Be Part of It!”

Old logo waxing out – New Logo of red coffee cherry waning in…

“It is much more rewarding to get to the top of the mountain and share your experience with others than to show up by yourself, exhausted.” ― -Shandel Slaten

After a three-day search, American Airlines located my missing luggage on Tuesday, and I found myself with a free afternoon in Guayaquil (Ecuador). A quick check with Miguel Rendon of EScoffee confirmed that he was in town, so I popped in to say, “Hi” and talk about coffee and art.

Little did we know that an impromptu art session was in our future! After a quick dash to the local art store, Miguel and I returned with acrylic paints, brushes and two painter’s pallets. Half an hour later, the entire staff took a Timeout for Art!