October 21, 2012 In art, craftsmanship, creativity, design, drawing, fine art, painting By Patricia Saxton

Creative Duet: The Prolific William Morris

Perhaps the grand lord of the decorative arts, one could think of William Morris as the craftsman’s craftsman. His uncompromising  belief that the best things in life were hand-made using natural materials combined with his exquisite drawing and watercolor skills to produce a vast collection of wallpaper and fabric design still widely used today.

Early on he was dedicated to creating beautiful, hand-crafted furnishings, which led to fabric printing and then to excelling in the arts of carving, dying, embroidery, stained glass and weaving.  A prolific individual, to be sure.

But ~ yes  ~ there was more to this inspired man than textile design. Throughout his life he wrote and published poetry, fiction, and translations of ancient and medieval texts. As author, illustrator and medievalist, he helped establish the fantasy genre, and was a direct influence on authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien.

Morris was born into a well-to-do family on March 24, 1834 in Essex, England, educated at Exeter College in Oxford, and was married to Jane Burden until his death in October, 1896.

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September 23, 2012 In art, drawing, fine art, illustration, painting By Patricia Saxton

Two Autumns

Two styles. Two quotes. Two Autumns.

Autumn Leaf / © Patricia Saxton (colored pencil on paper)

“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf’s a flower.” ~ Albert Camus

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Autumn Mosaic / © Patricia Saxton (acrylic and watercolor on paper)

“Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all.” ~ Stanley Horowitz

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September 9, 2012 In art, color, creativity, fine art, life and the universe, painting, travel, work and play By Patricia Saxton

Getting What You Ask For

Unplugged is when you decide to stay away from all work and computer / electronic connection.

Very unplugged is when Mother Nature steps in to be sure you fulfill that intention. Something along the lines of a rainstorm. Drenching your laptop. Unrecoverable. Which is what happened to mine on my “unplugged” trip ~ just so there was no cheating, even if I’d wanted to.

The bad news, of course, was having to get a new laptop sooner than I’d hoped. The good news ~ it was a liberating 7 days. I highly recommend it. Just one caveat: be careful what you ask for. The universe just might give your request an unexpected boost!

In any event, thought I’d share a small taste of what I did instead of checking emails and monitoring facebook pages… (Thank you rainstorm?)

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August 21, 2012 In life and the universe, painting, work and play By Patricia Saxton

Bold & Daring? or A Little Nuts?

The way I see it, if I can’t be in Tuscany, I might as well bring a little Tuscany here.

Of course, indecision reared its head as I thought about using this color on my kitchen walls for a couple years before buying the paint. And then, even then, I had a moment’s hesitation. Not only for the color ~ although the concern was real, if temporary (because at some point you just have to go for something brilliantly unexpected and risk regret) ~ but for the act of painting. Give me a blank canvas any day! But interior wall painting isn’t high on my list of fun things to do in my (very rare) spare time.

Oh sure, once you’ve got your tools, cleared the space, cleaned up the walls, taped the edges, painted the corners and are finally (!) ready to swish the rollers into the paint tray and swab the walls with long strokes of color, it’s not so bad.

But then there are second coats, sometimes thirds, and dabbing your messes up along the way, and the light changing, and other duties calling so that the disarray hangs around too long.

Once all that is done, and the room put back together (including the opportunity to toss all those crafty things that’ve been lurking in deceivingly tidy plastic containers under the bench…last used how many years ago?), you can indeed feel good. Satisfied at making a fresh, bold change. Happy you were nuts enough to try it. And glad it’s over!

I’m not over yet though…. so back to it before the light changes……..

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August 11, 2012 In art, color, creativity, life and the universe, painting, travel, work and play By Patricia Saxton

Kenya Inspired

Me, Relaxing

Thought I’d share a few paintings that came out of my Kenyan experience several years back. More haunt my mind and lurk in my paintbrushes, but there are so many paintings to paint and so little time…

Kenyan Landscape / 5’X7′ / © Patricia Saxton

Flower Lady / 4’X4′ / © Patricia Saxton

Kenyan Plains / 9X12″ / © Patricia Saxton

And here’s me, capturing great shots. Looking younger too. Ah… Hakuna Matata.

Me, Captivated

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July 14, 2012 In art, color, creativity, fine art, imagination, painting By Patricia Saxton

Abstracts

“I’ve been doing a lot of abstract painting lately, extremely abstract. No brush, no paint, no canvas, I just think about it.” ~ Steven Wright

That quote cracked me up, as my canvasses are pretty much screaming at me! But it also inspired me to share some abstracts ~ not my “typical” style, but there’s “something about them”. Maybe just their free spirit? Ah, but I’m not one for analyzing my paintings, so here goes, just because.

Pink Flower / © Patricia Saxton

Dark Sky / © Patricia Saxton

Landscape / © Patricia Saxton

Red Garden / © Patricia Saxton

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May 23, 2012 In art, creativity, life and the universe, painting By Patricia Saxton

Dear Paint

“Paint Strip 2” / © Patricia Saxton

Dear Paint,

I have missed you. Missed your colors flowing on the end of a brush; the way you make magic at my hand’s command in sweeping strokes or smart little dabs with brilliant yellows and burnt umber and sienna-tinged greens and luminous blues and vibrant reds. Your tones, creamy, rich and ripe, acquiescing to the dips and swishes of well-used bristles and merrily slathering across a nicely stretched canvas, as if to say “Yes! I’m free! Let’s shake it up!”

Sure, sometimes you get ornery, but don’t we all? Maybe, sometimes, I want you to go this way when you really want to go that way. But in the end we work it out ~ we’re a team, going where the spirit moves.

I haven’t abandoned you, it’s just been a really long pause having to do with “responsibilities”. You know, keeping the roof overhead and all. It’s most definitely not for lack of inspiration or desire. So, thank you for being patient, and I promise we’ll have many, many more years together.

I’m also pretty sure that the best is yet to come. Hang in there!

P

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April 15, 2012 In appreciation, art, fine art, painting By Patricia Saxton

Beautiful Paintings in an Unexpected Place

I expected to see fighter jets and smartly clad cadets during a recent visit to the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.

I didn’t expect an intriguing, architecturally and symbolically impressive chapel, and I definitely didn’t expect art ~ especially the kind that’s inspiring. What a delightful surprise I was in for!

The works below are 7 of the 9 paintings created by Polish born artist Shlomo Katz permanently displayed in the Jewish synagogue area of the Academy’s chapel. (There are individual Protestant, Catholic,  Jewish and Buddhist chapels, all self-contained under one amazing roof of the chapel building).

Katz painted all nine pieces in a 9-month period, which is pretty incredible in and of itself. Each piece tells a biblical story, created with oils over a gold-leaf base. The effect is truly beautiful ~ enhanced by a marvelously rich color palette, wonderful artistic styling and a terrific sense of design.

I guess the only thing that wasn’t a surprise was learning, after the fact, that these pieces of art are considered a national treasure. They really are stunning.

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February 14, 2012 In art, fine art, painting, poetry, words and language By Patricia Saxton

3 Classic Love Poems

On this day of love, whether you have a sweetheart or not, it seems a perfect day to share some sophisticated literary candy from a few poets whose words have withstood the tests and tides of time… enjoy them well!

Two Tulips (close-up) / © Patricia Saxton

18th Sonnet, William Shakespeare

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm’d;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm’d;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this and this gives life to thee.

How Do I Love Thee? (Sonnet 43), Elizabeth Barrett Browning

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints,—I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life!—and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

Love’s Philosophy, Percy Bysshe Shelley

The fountains mingle with the river,
And the rivers with the ocean;
The winds of heaven mix forever
With a sweet emotion;
Nothing in the world is single;
All things by a law divine
In another’s being mingle–
Why not I with thine?

See, the mountains kiss high heaven,
And the waves clasp one another;
No sister flower could be forgiven
If it disdained its brother;
And the sunlight clasps the earth,
And the moonbeams kiss the sea;–
What are all these kissings worth,
If thou kiss not me?

and a virtual treat for you... yes you, reading this post : )

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