Resurrection!

First Take - Tulip Demo, before I over-worked it (should have left it alone)

I taught another really fun workshop last Thursday and Friday at Chattanooga Artworks, where Lisa Seago has created a wonderful painting venue.  Also, the people who attended were terrific -- good painters, eager listeners, and game for anything... Meanwhile, I started out painting a demo for about 1 1/2 hours, which was going along pretty well, then I decided to over-analyze and over-work, after which I decided to totally Wipe Out (that's a first for me at a workshop).  It started with my erasing one or two tulips, then I only had one remaining, and then I thought - What the Heck- it's outta here!! As I told everyone, this artwork didn't exist two hours ago, so once it became a mess, I cut my losses.

Another Look - 2nd Day Tulip Demo, 12 x 12, won by Rena Malone 

When I was attending a workshop in Vermont 10 -12 years ago, the instructor said to NEVER wipe out a painting -- resolving problems helps the painter to learn.  This IS true, but sometimes for me, it's so liberating to start anew : )

So I did just that the next day for a short re-demo; the tulips had moved, and I shifted the composition; still not sure if it is any better, but at least it came back to life, a resurrection of sorts on Easter weekend, no less... 

Over the Airwaves - Good Vibes

Juicy Fruit, Shiny Bottle, 30 x 20

It's been very nice to be home this month:  I've had plenty of time to paint and to enjoy this amazing Atlanta spring and to just BE, rather than worrying about commitments.  I still have a few, but I've found the joy again; for me, that's what this painting journey is about.  YAY

Tomorrow, Thursday, March 29th, I am going to be interviewed on the radio, actually Blog Talk Radio, by fellow painters Leslie Saeta, from California, and Kathy Cousart, from Athens, GA, the hosts of "Artists Helping Artists." The show airs live at 12 noon eastern time, and can be accessed as follows:

Go to this link and listen to live streaming: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/artistshelpingartists. The link to go directly to the show is http://www.blogtalkradio.com/artistshelpingartists/2012/03/29/a-conversation-with-artist-nancy-franke and this can be used anytime. 


I am going to try to talk slowly (my friends know what a challenge that is) and I will try to think before I speak (my husband Michael says that would be another challenge).  Anyway, it sounds like fun, and I am excited to be part of it all.  If you get a chance, tune in, and let me know what you think.

Spring Things

Detail from Shimmering Roses, 36 x 36

Well, I keep painting these white shapes on textured, muted backgrounds (here the "shapes," of course, are roses).  The pattern and movement, the dance of the linear and round forms -- all of those things represent my current challenge.  The weather has been really wonderful and spring-ish here in Atlanta for about 2 weeks... Below is this painting outside on my deck, accented with some slanting sun shadows!  

Now I'm wanting to paint with some COLOR and feel the spring vibe in my work -- so I'm off to the studio to see what develops...

My Balloon

My Balloon, 20 x 20

Well, MY balloon is floating right now - last weekend was just great -- first I taught THE most fun workshop ever at Chattanooga Art Works (sponsored by Lisa Seago).  We had a wonderful time, painting from life, laughing, sipping a bit of wine (!), and just connecting.  There were 15 people from as far away as Indiana and Ohio, and of course, Georgia and Tennessee; Lisa's studio is beautiful (see below, in a photo supplied by my friend, Kathy Cousart), and we rocked it out.  Everyone painted well and they sent me off to Huntsville, Alabama on Saturday afternoon.  I put on some under-eye concealer and a fancy dress and attended the Museum Gala at the wonderful Huntsville Art Museum; the people of Huntsville are amazingly gracious and they welcomed me and Michael to the max!  It was a beautiful party, a successful and magical evening;  I was very honored to have been chosen as the featured artist, and basically, blown away by it all...

CHATTANOOGA:  Workshop Day One/ Rounding up the troops for a petite demo

 CHATTANOOGA:  Day Two/ Doing a morning demo before everyone did 3 paintings that day (!)

HUNTSVILLE:  Entrance to the "Nancy Franke" room...

HUNTSVILLE:  Front-on view of the featured artist area; all of my work was beautifully placed...

HUNTSVILLE:  Here's the corner with "My Balloon," which floated high that night!!

p.s.  there are three spaces left for the April 5 and 6th Chattanooga workshop if you'd like to join us...

Leap Ahead

It's time for a fresh leap in my painting! Tomorrow I leave for Chattanooga to teach a two-day workshop at Chattanooga Artworks, then Michael and I head to Huntsville AL for the Museum Gala on Saturday evening.  I am excited about doing these things and excited for a fresh start this spring in my painting.  Just ordered some new panels today with a more textured linen, ordered lots of big tubes of paint, and my intent is to change it up, paint more freely, and pile on the paint.  I guess Leap Year is a good time to leap into new territory... this painting, done last month, is called Tulip Patterns, 24 x 12; I like the vertical format!  

Subtle Color, Past and Present

Simply Roses, 2012, 30 x 24

Back to the white roses again (I asked Michael for some white ones for Valentines' Day)!  I still really enjoy playing with pale tones on pale backgrounds -- think I'll try some stacked creamware next and then maybe some really pale skies and sand (am at the beach right now, so that's all around).

Over the past few years, I have been experimenting with pales.  By nature I tend to be a colorist, and after checking out the 32 little paintings pictured in my last post, one could see the colors abounding in most of them.  So the subtleties are a challenge for moi!  

The first group of three pales, done in 2011, are below:

Don't Tell, 2011, 36 x 36

Winter Roses, 16 x 12, 2011

Petite Surprise, 16 x 12, 2011

Looking through the 2010 painting files, I could only find one of the subtle ones.  On this dress, I resorted to outlines in various places to establish directional lines and for definition (you can see why, since there surely isn't much value range here; that's when a dark background comes in handy). When doing floral subject matter on pale ground, as above, the stems in clear vases add direction and the darker leaves help define form.

Tiny Dress, 2010, 30 x 24

In the 2009 files, I found this floral with pears to be among the palest, yet it has more color than those above.  I like it -- perhaps the underpainting of dark red unifies the background and defines the left flower, making a harmonious whole.

Table for Three, 2009, 24 x 24

Back in 2008, I did my first white roses, and there were LOTS of leaves, which are more clearly defined than recent ones.  Below the roses is my first white box with white ribbon from 2008.  It's fun to see old and new takes on a similar theme ... 

Camellia Leaves and Roses, 2008, 20 x 16

Surprise Me, 2008, 12 x 12

That Would be 32!

More Radishes, 6 x 6, painted February 12th  -- part of the group!

I kept counting and re-counting, but here are the 32 small paintings -- all 6 x 6 -- for the patrons of the Huntsville Museum Gala in March of this year

Yes, I was going to have absolutely NO problem doing the small patron gifts for the gala event in Huntsville, AL the first weekend in March. I was just going to breeze through these warm-up paintings last November and December and easily have the number requested by the co-chairs (two charming gals from Huntsville who donate tons of time and inspiration to the museum gala, at which I am this year's featured artist).  Need I say that last Tuesday I had far short of the required number?? Having sold or given away some of the intended pieces, I still at NO time had anywhere close to 32. So for the last week, I have been steadily at the easel.  Again, I am reminded of and truly appreciate the steady output of the daily painters, who create 300 + each year with skill and aplomb!

Meanwhile, the boxes were sent off today, with 32 little artworks between glassine paper and bubble wrap, all done and gone and --yippee-- we leave to visit dear friends in Florida tomorrow!