8-20-13 Weekly Watercolor

Scene from the back window

As a discipline, I am aiming to make at least one watercolor a week. The reasons behind this goal are two-fold: 1) to make sure I make a painting a week and 2) to create work that go in the drawers at MS Rezny Studio/Gallery (where smaller work is stored.)
      I enjoy the contemplative mode of working with watercolor and the smaller scale, 7 x 5", will keep me from getting too fussy. There is a lot to be learned from quick work and constant work.
     This sketch was fun because I did it directly, while looking out the back window at our garden with bronze fennel, butterfly bush and a sand cherry tree.
      Please watch for upcoming Weekly Watercolors.

Sweet Spot Ecology

Zacchaeus's Perch
acrylic on panel

   
      Several months ago, I was madly preparing for my exhibit OF the EARTH. I  had to write an artist's statement early so that it could be used in publicity blurbs. In that statement I wrote: "...there is a sweet intersection between nature and human influence that fuels my passion." The statement (which is included in my last post OF the EARTH, August 15, 2013) truly reflects my modus operandi as an artist.

      As August and the opening of the show approached, I was a little anxious about things. At night, I would select calming books to read. One that I reach for often over the years is Thomas Moore's, The Re-Enchantment of Everyday Life. A chapter caught my eye: Ecology's Home; where Moore says the following: "Enchantment arises on the threshold between human activity and Nature's presence." That struck me. Moore is describing the sweet intersection that feeds my art. He elaborates: "It is always a liminal phenomenon, a momentary relationship, made of the right arrangement of stars and planets and elaborated with art by human consciousness.  Enchantment is nature's song heard by a sensitive human ear, and it is the crafted work of human hands reflecting their admiration of nature's geometries." 

      Moore provides an etymological break down of ecology; eco meaning home, in the broadest sense; and logy denoting mystery and even the divine. Putting those together, he suggests that ecology is "an infinitely deep and mysterious notion of home." This is also a way that I would like to think about my artwork.

Coming up next: Rich Ecology

 "Ecology's Home"  Thomas Moore, The Re-Enchantment of Everyday Life (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1997) pp. 44, 45.

      

     

OF the EARTH

   My exhibit of landscape paintings, OF the EARTH is on display at MS Rezny Studio/Gallery during the month of August, 2013.  MS Rezny Studio/Gallery is located at 903 Manchester Street, Lexington, KY, in the Distillery District. Gallery hours are 11 am - 4 pm, Tuesday through Friday and noon to 3 pm on Saturday.  There is a mix of media represented in this exhibit: acrylic, watercolor and pastel, and (of course!) mixed media.  I will be in the gallery on Saturdays, come see me!

   To give you a taste of what my work is about, I will include my Artist's Statement here:

     Spending time outdoors is essential to who I am as an artist. In fact, it was necessary for me to take a walk so that I might gather some thoughts for this artist's statement.  While walking, I naturally observed that most of my images for painting are collected on such walks. (I passed several redbud trees with dark leaves of deep red and green. When I turned around for another look, the wind has exposed a delicious purple underside.) The Earth provides me with my artistic inspiration as well as serving as an antidote to some of our man-made problems.  Still, there is a sweet intersection between nature and human influence that fuels my passion.  This sweet spot can be found at my favorite places, such as: Blue Licks State Park, the Arboretum, the Henry Clay Estate and Lake Carnico.  I hope that these paintings allow for an interval of enjoyment for the beauty that surrounds us.

     Coming up next, I am going to talk about the sweet intersection between nature and human influence.
   

Fallen Soldier

A maple tree lies in "estate" at Ashland

Walking is my preferred method of gathering images to paint. I was thinking about this when I took a walk recently to clear my mind for writing my artist's statement for my upcoming show, OF the EARTH (on exhibit at MS Rezny Studio/Gallery, 903 Manchester Street, Lexington, KY, this August). On this walk, I came upon the scene in the photograph to the left: an old maple tree on the Henry Clay Estate had fallen. I realized that I have painted this tree. You can see it at my website: kathyreesjohnson.com/artwork/innerbluegrass/gallery3/autumn_lawn.

         But that is a sight and site you may see for only a few more weeks.  I am discontinuing my website at the end of August 2013.  I have enjoyed having a website and the work that web designer Derek Zachary has done so beautifully. It has been wonderful to have a place where people may view my work. I also enjoy writing about life and art and the world and I plan to continue that through my blog (which you are reading right now!) So please stay tuned!

Upcoming Class and Workshops

Sun after Rain, 18x36", watercolor/pastel

How about trying something new this summer?  

  

                                                     I will be offering watercolor/pastel classes and workshops scheduled around my exhibit at MS Rezny Studio/Gallery.  My goal in teaching is a little different than many artist-teachers'. Rather than teaching a particular technique or genre, I like to use watercolor and pastel to encourage each participant to find their own voice and make their own creation.  Since watercolor and pastel are complementary mediums (mutually supplying each other's lack), we can cover the basics of drawing and painting, solid and texture, opaque and transparent, etc.  And if you have taken any of my classes you have heard, "Redemption is always possible!" The focus is on having an idea of what you want to create and then experimenting to find out how to fulfill that vision.  I request that participants bring their own photos to work from, so that we know the subject will be of interest.

 That is the why, now for the what, when, where and how:

Experimenting with Watercolor & Pastel

4-session class

Tuesdays, July 23 & 30, August 6 & 13

1:30 - 3:30 pm

Fee:  $145 (includes all materials*)

One-Day Wonder Workshop

Choice of two dates

Saturday, August 10 or Saturday, August 24

10:30 am - 3 pm

Fee:  $75 (includes all materials*)

Where:  Both the class and the workshop will be held at MS Rezny Studio/Gallery, 903 Manchester Street, Distillery District, Lexington, KY.  To reserve a spot in either the class or the workshop, please mail a check (payable, MS Rezny Studio/Gallery) to:

                                   MS Rezny Studio/Gallery

                                   P.O. Box 4714

                                   Lexington, KY  40544

* Materials include: watercolor paper, watercolor, brushes, pastels, special little palette and water containers. The specific materials will be listed by brand for your reference. The class/workshop gives you the opportunity to try out these expensive supplies before you invest in them.  Please bring your own reference photos.

      Also in August, on display at MS Rezny Studio/Gallery will be my exhibit of landscape paintings, Of the Earth. This is a celebration of the beauty that surrounds us every day.  The opening Reception is  Thursday, August 8th, 5 - 8 pm. Come join us!

Any questions?  Feel free to contact me:

                     

The Home Path

Autumn Greens/Blue Licks

My life has been greatly enhanced by a road. Because of this road, David and I have joined a wonderful community of faith at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Paris. I have found a place of simple wonder at Blue Licks State Resort Park which I can return to whenever I need to just stand in the woods or walk a path. I have experienced the serendipity of making music in Mozart Hall, housed in the Neal Building in Carlisle, KY. It is easy to imagine the scene in that hall with touring spectacles coming through town; and the acoustics and atmosphere are amazing! With a mighty throng, I enter the unique world of MaysLick, KY during the Asparagus Festival in May. I taught my first workshop in Flemingsburg, because of connections made along this road. This road extends all the way up to Maysville and continues up into Ohio, all the way to Findlay, where my father spent an important part of his childhood. And, actually, the road heads southwest from Lexington all the way to western Kentucky going by another favorite spot, Land Between the Lakes. By now, if you are a Central Kentuckian, you know which road I am writing about: US Highway 68.

     Of course, I wouldn't have so much experience with this road if David and I had not acquired a retreat on a beautiful little lake in Nicholas County. We bought our place on Lake Carnico in 2000. This was when the Paris Pike expansion began, thus, we were able to see the landscape from a multitude of perspectives as new road was built. Paris Pike is the most beautiful road in the world! I was so enchanted by this road that I used two scenes from this stretch to paint my 2010 Horse Mania horse, Paris Pike. Now the highway is being expanded from Paris to Carlisle, and we can again see the rolling hills from a fresh angle. This is an ever-evolving road, which began with buffalo crossing at a low point in the Ohio River (what would become Maysville) and roaming from salt lick to salt lick, creating traces. There is quite a story to tell and fortunately, now there is a book which thoroughly delves into this story. That book is Kentucky's Frontier Highway: Historical Landscapes along the Maysville Road by Karl Raitz and Nancy O'Malley.  The launching party for this book is a wonderful exhibit at the beautiful Hopewell Museum in Paris, KY: Road Life: Sites and Scenes along Kentucky's First Highway. This exhibit is up through June 2, 2013.

     I am very pleased that I will be the Hopewell Museum's artist for the April 12, 2013 Artwalk. From 5 - 8 pm, I will be nestled within the Road Life exhibit with small paintings, cards and prints. All will feature scenes from along US 68.  I hope that you can stop by to see this wonderful exhibit at the Hopewell along with a sampling of my work!  For more information please check out the Hopewell's website: www.hopewellmuseum.org.

Recognizing Reality, Revealing Enchantment

The sun rises on 12-12-12

Something that I try to drive home when I teach, is that artists must develop two types of perception: objective and subjective.  Of course, the act of perceiving objectively is used constantly as we look for just the right color or the accurate relationship between objects. Recognizing reality is always useful when you are trying to create or accomplish something. You have to know where things stand. This is true whether you are painting a landscape or running for President. I personally believe that this alone makes the case for art being part of everyone's education. Through art, and drawing in particular, you learn how to see things directly, think and evaluate for yourself. This is especially important now, when everyone and their brother is writing a blog (including me!) and throwing opinions out there willy-nilly. We need to know how to recognize reality for ourselves.

Fortunately, making art is not just about representing reality in a sterile fashion.  The whole idea is that something is loved enough to bring it into the world.  So, an artist also needs to develop subjective perception: What do I think is so important here? Why should this perception be shared? This type of perception is also in short supply. People can go through whole days (months? decades?) without seeing what a wondrous and beautiful world we live in. Perhaps we are too busy or preoccupied. I have to remind myself to keep my senses open to what is happening without any work on my part. Just today, I was walking Carly and I realized that the birds were sounding like Spring is coming. In my art, I want to bring out this beauty and wonder using my subjective perception. This is the true work of the artist, to shine a light on something that needs to be sensed. This can go in any direction, pointing out injustice, silliness, darkness as well as loveliness. To me, the news and much of today's art focuses on what is wrong and tragic in our world. So, I think it is important to reveal the enchantment that surrounds us.

     And that is my goal for this new year and beyond: to recognize reality and reveal enchantment.