This header is a pastel painting I did in 2009 is of a place in the Netherlands, my country of origin, after a photo shot by Dick Witte.

Some of the painters who have influenced me:
Mondriaan, Hopper
O"Keefe, Weyeth
Singer Sargent
van Gogh, Rembrandt
Picasso, Escher

Since this is my second blog page, it generally takes me longer (sometimes very long) to reply to your comments, but I do read and love them!

Thursday, December 3, 2009



© "Entanglement" 18 x 24, Watercolor, St.Germain
Sold, but available in Print (see sidebar)

One of my first official sales of my paintings. 
It took me totally by surprise, because I was in Sacramento on a woman's retreat doing a workshop on art .
When I gave a little intro to the general audience about my workshop, I showed this painting to illustrate my point.  
The main speaker Ms. Wanda Walker, author of a book  (can't remember the book's name), saw it and bought it on the spot, with frame and all. 

She said, "Because I think it will help me teach." Her book was on abuse.
An official sale, because her secretary wrote out the check at her office. 


NOTES
-   Inspiration:  knots in the fabric and threads  
from an old frayed shawl of my daughter. 
-  a picture where the boundaries 
of the fabric have gone haywire
-  The threads were covered with liquifilm till done with all the colors.
   - The basket(s) is a play on words of the phrase "basket case." 
- The fabric of life looks "frayed" or frazzled 
-  things may hang on by a thread.


At that time I had several clients dealing with boundary and entanglement issues.  When boundaries are blurred or continuously ignored,things start spilling out of their basket.
It is not their fault, but the "stuff" (not necessarily their stuff either) becomes too much to contain. 

It's good to get untangled, so our basket is able to contain our "stuff." 
Wow, talking about psychology shaking its hand to art, or...visa versa!

Monday, November 30, 2009

Scratchboard

 My painting




- my try-out on paper  (not finished) 
Sorry for the bad pic:(

with a layer of india ink over it 



- tools to scratch out the upper layer of india ink 
- white claybord covered by india ink 
is another possibility  - photo, p. 56*


photo p.57

- the scratching out technique
combined with acrylic 
or other painting mediums
to read text, click to enlarge image


* last two pics were taken from Charles Ewing, The New Scratchboard. 2001. New York: Watson -Guptill Publ.