'Lightness of Being' has founds it's new home here in Dallas!

This painting is rich in layering and is best shown, like most works of art, with good lighting. The original layers are still visible to read through the surface which is one of my favorite ways of working. I remember when I began painting  more than 15 years ago, one of my goals was to layer color in a way that still enabled the colors underneath to show through. Each layer effects the previous in some way (adding a blue over a yellow creates a green and so on) but by using glaze I was able to find a technique to enable the individual colors to still shine through. I marvel at great artists like Rothko and Reinhardt who have made of career of such pursuit. There is something amazing that happens when you lose yourself in a painting and it reveals it's inner being to you while you sit with it. I guess that is part of the allure of Abstract art for me. The painting requires you to stop and actually 'be' with it for it to reveal it's full self. The reveal is the reward for the viewers patience. I am pleased this painting will live on in the home of a good friend and hope it provides their family as much pleasure as it did for me with it's creation!

'Listening' has found it's new home here in Dallas!

'Listening' Oil/ Glaze on Canvas 36" x 48" 2013

This work was a wonderful lesson in listening, hence it's title. Many times I brought it out to continue working on it as it is only a few layers deep and a lot of my work is quite dense in layering. Each time I went to work on it, it literally spoke to me and said it was complete. I battled with this for a while as I loved the composition as it is but there are usually many 'stopping points' along the way in my work and I keep going with the layering to discover more. I often lose a work for a time and then it returns somewhere along the way, I have come to expect it as part of the process. There are nights when I leave the studio sure a painting is complete and then in the light of day decide to continue exploring and building, revealing, concealing until another stopping point arises. It is knowing which stopping point signals true completion that is interesting. This work spoke of completion well before my normal process would. I am so pleased I listened and resisted the temptation to build some more. It has an ethereal beauty and calmness in the energy it exudes. It is now hanging in a music studio here in Dallas and the title and the lesson it taught me seems so apt for a room dedicated to the purpose of creation. I hope it inspires many a beautiful song.

'Light Being' has been delivered to it's new home!

36" x 24" Oil/Glaze on Canvas

I delivered this painting to my fabulous hair stylist this morning. We have a deal between us that I love, he does my families hair (like the artist that he is) and I dress his walls! I love it when a painting goes home with a friend. Not only do I have a chance to see it again when I visit but I know the vibration I am leaving with them is like being there in some way. Friendship is such a special part of life. It is the key to so much happiness. I hope this painting reminds you Robert, of the wonderful 'Light Being' you are! I know that somehow you manage to imbue a special magic when you sculpt my hair. I feel like my mojo is back and I can do anything. I guess that is the power of beauty, for some it's hair styling, for some it's painting but anyway beauty is expressed with passion, a magic remains! Thank You!

Letting go.

This year's theme has been- 'letting go'.On so many different levels, run the same theme of 'letting go'. Personally and along side in my studio practice, I have really begun to let go. I am no longer trying to foresee how any of the paintings relate, until I see that they do. When they do, you really do know.  There's a pull to stop. Choosing to stop is another matter. In fact there are really many 'stopping points' along the way of a deeply layered painting. The lighter the painting, the less layers in I decided to stop and allow it to remain in it's semi completeness. That's rare for me to do. I usually opt to explore and risk what is, to see what that exploration add's to the next layer. I've done that many times  to where the painting resembles a monochrome but with layers of color underneath because I have just kept going, layering and layering. They are wonderful viewed with great lighting and also powerful alone in the dark. :) This year though, I have allowed an earlier 'letting go' of a canvas with fewer layers, just occasionally. They are simpler but still carry an energy and a message unique to their making. I have found many of my works are coming out in pairs, Diptychs as they are known. It is exciting to work on two similar or even joined canvases at one time. I often have multiple work underway , due to required drying time for oils, but to work with a vision that runs across 2 or 3 panels at once is rather grande. I am really enjoying it. They are diverse in palette and in style to themselves but carry all the commonalities in my work. They are very distinct vibrations. I'm 'letting go' of trying to articulate what they meant to me as they were my gift in the making, but when they move on to their new homes, they have their own purpose. For me, I had the lusciousness of participating, a real collaboration with my materials. Waiting for drips to run and images to appear in front of my eyes as I watched the interactivity of colors and glaze among each other. Rivulets forming and pools gathering, organically with gravity, watching as they grew. Stemming them, encouraging them. Little mark makings that felt splendid in my wrist and joyous in their burst of expression that gave me such fun. Painting is discovery and patience, trust and impulse, witnessing creation as much as intending it. The paintings are all related in sequence of their making. Literally. It is one extensive series.

Meanwhile here's a photo from the studio of what was happening this week.

meraki....

This wall post was sent to me by a good friend who has a number of my works in her home. Thank you Elizabeth! I had to share it, this is a such a beautiful word with a beautiful meaning and describes what I feel is so important in an artwork.

To some, it may be the style, the techniques, the palette or the imagery that pulls you into an artwork and engages you.

To me it is more about feeling, the essence of the person infused in the creation of the work to be shared that fascinates me. This is what I respond to. This is what I feel most when engaging with a work of art. It is possibly the subconscious reason I am drawn to the abstract forms of art over representational. Neither have more importance and there is no right or wrong, just what each person responds to.

There is an energy that remains long after a work is made that emits a signal  unique to the artist. In the same way their techniques, subject matter or palette helps you recognise their work, this energy is recognisable.

I believe when you resonate at a similar frequency, the work engages you wholly, not just in an intellectual capacity through your eyes and your mind, but in a way that you feel in your heart, in your body. One of the components I love about sharing art is hearing how someone else views it, what it makes them feel. Often there is a match between what I was thinking or feeling when making a painting that a viewer picks up on, without imagery to guide those thoughts/feelings. To me that is pure magic.

The invisible communication that is enmeshed inside the strokes, the color, the design of a piece of art. It is the connection between artist, art and the viewer that speaks without words. Art has a language all of it's own. A language that connects souls. I love that there is a word to describe that essence. The word 'meraki' is music to my ears.

So...off I went, into the woods....

Hmmm, it's been a while since I have sat to write.Life has been a roller coaster in action lately but the high points, have been worth the altitude! I disappeared a little into the realm of social media. I discovered a wealth of cool art people to speak with and share. I developed relationships and understanding of a large group of people, mainly woman, at once. It was a whirlwind and invigorating and is now informative and I am learning how to flow with it. It takes time but adds dimension. I've felt, like I have had company in my studio when I paint my current serries, akin to a party. All my new friends there in spirit. It's cool, something someone said in the forum comes to you, to influence while your working. even just the fact of knowing 'other's' are doing the same activity with the same passion, in another location. is invigorating to me. It's strengthening.

It's also a learning curve to navigate and boundaries to set, terrain to explore. I am expanding on many levels at present, literally and it's expressing in my paintings. It's a  24/7 pace, but it is such a good feeling, it hasn't been too hard to maintain. Imminent growth and a new mix of palette's to boot. Once again, a mix of the old and the new and yet it is a new vibration. Bright and radiant from with in. There are techniques and textures apparent through all panels, in different degree's.

I am waiting to photograph the paintings properly, to share. Meanwhile I am Happy to share studio shots, a taste of what is to come....

:)

Reaching out to other artists through social media.

I have just joined a newly formed 'closed' group for artists on a social network. It is like pigging out at a buffet after dieting for years! There are many different groups and I am a member of a couple. They all have their own flavour and I appreciate the friendships I have made and the inspiration and motivation I have received from other members, mostly artists too. It is an interesting time in history to be an artist well, just to be alive but in terms of art making, which is often a solitary pursuit in a studio environment by oneself (at least for me) I have found this medium of social networking an amazing boon to my self discovery and confidence. The groups I belong to are not just about posting your work hoping to get likes, in fact one of the groups doesn't allow posting except on a given day and only one share each, they are about opening up and sharing of oneself to get to know yourself better and to share with others on other levels. These groups enable us to share things we have learnt that may be helpful to others, whether it be practical advice on technique or marketing or how to build your website to better suit your needs, even just to  share a block in creativity in search of a way out of it. The best thing is the groups are focussed on positivity. Helping one another become bigger and better at what we do. Helping us to find our authentic voice. It takes time and like everything, has to be weighed up in terms of how much one allocates to it. I am still painting despite having discovered 300+ new 'friends' in one week that I wish to get to know better. I haven't vacuumed my house or mopped my floor but I have still fed my family. So it is about prioritization. Sometimes the world does have to stop for a moment. We do need to jump in the deep end and immerse ourselves in the experience at hand. Learning when you are hungry to learn works up an insatiable appetite. Sharing with other people who are passionate and likeminded is such good soul food it is worth having a dirty floor! So, to all those who may be afraid to join a network of new people I am here to say 'don't be', take a risk, give it a go. You might find in sharing yourself, you find a little bit of you  that you hadn't really noticed before. It may be you as a reflection from someone else or it may be in the way you find you interact with another or answer the questions they ask. What's the worst case scenario, you join , don't like the experience and leave the group? The best scenario is that you learn and grow and share. I have some wonderful friends I am truly grateful for and one day I hope to meet in person.

Meanwhile, I have a few paintings on the go in the studio. They are not yet complete but here is a studio shot of what is in the midst of creation.

'The Birds' Triptych found their new home for Christmas!

I began this work in 2011. It changed numerous times until mid 2013 when I chose to do some line work on two of the panels. That began as an exercise to free me up again with the brush. I had become blocked and things were not flowing as I would like. I decided to paint lines across two panels just to see what it looked like and because the movement felt good to my hand. After that layer had dried I applied Indigo abstractly with a palette knife for effect. The Birds were born and in flight!

I love it when an experimental technique works so well for a final finish. The outcome was NOT the purpose, the PROCESS was the goal and yet, here it is...complete. Another example to me of trusting each moment as it unfolds, not needing to know the destination, while remaining open to what reveals itself along the way.

I am happy to announce this Triptych has found it's new home here in Dallas in time for Christmas. It is in a beautiful new home with a lot of character and fabulous people. It joins other paintings in the collection with some reference to flight. I am so pleased all 3 panels are back together again! It took a few years to come together but it did!

Completed after months of layering...

Finally, after many months of play, this work is complete!Each layer requiring some days to dry before the next layers can go down.

I was asked by a client to document the process of layers going down on the canvas. I don't usually show work in stages but thought I would for this one, in the name of sharing. There are often many possible 'stopping points' along the way of constructing a work, some that would have held their own but often I am propelled to keep painting more layers just for the discovery of what might be.

This is one of those paintings. I know there were a couple of points I could have stopped but the intricacy of all these layers can't be reached in a short period of time and once the journey has begun it is so tempting to continue.

I may lose a couple of paintings in the process but a depth of layers can only be reached by continuing and for me, it is often just the play of dark and light that keeps me exploring. Each application bringing with it a new resonance that affects the way all the existing colors read off one another.

Here are some of the stages of the making of this work.

As you can see the orientation of a work can change throughout it's making.

There are a couple of stages I didn't capture along the way, but I hope this gives you a feeling of the trust process involved in each stage leading to the next. The final outcome isn't the product of a vision from the outset as rather a culmination of the footprint of the journey.

"The Woods" - Finally complete after months of indecision!

Last night I finished the final layers on 'The Woods'.

I have been working on this painting over the course of many months. I have a system of moving 'finished' paintings into the hallway for a month or two before I move them into the sunroom, (the viewing room). This time gives me a chance to evaluate whether they do infact need anything more or are truly complete.

Many times I feel a work is complete, only to change my mind a little while later. This 'resting' phase has become an important stage in the paintings life. It either moves forward into the sunroom, where it can be seen by people coming to have a look at what is new from the studio, or it gets reworked and added to in some way that hopefully enriches it.

Sometimes, I have overworked paintings and 'lost' them after deciding they needed something more but that is just part of the process of creating. If it feels like it needs something else and I didn't take it back in for a rework I would feel unsatisfied moving it to the sunroom.

It is worth the possibility of losing the painting along the way in order to feel it is truly complete. It takes walking past them on the way to the studio door and looking at them over time from different perspectives on different days, to know for sure.

This painting sat in the hall for some months. I would take it out into the sunroom, only to bring it back into the hall again. I am glad I did. The extra couple of layers really added to the mood and I now feel satisfied with the finish.

So, out to the sunroom she goes, ready for someone to find it a new home in theirs!

An experiment - A resurrection

I am undertaking a course on marketing for Artists at the moment and am learning many things. Not all of them are sitting comfortably, as those of you who are familiar with my work would know I am an intuitive painter. What that means is I don't have a preconceived notion of what I am going to paint before I pick up the brush and begin. I like it that way. It is very much a part of the journey of creating for me.

The idea of being marketable, at least from most Galleries perspective from what I am learning is producing quality and quantity of easily recognisable work, among other reasons I am sure. It is an interesting topic.

I understand from a business point of view it makes sense, if you invest in promotion and help build a brand to have the expectation that there is a continuity to draw on and build a loyalty to that brand and style. Then the consumer knows what to expect from a specific artist and the gallery can promote a certain aesthetic with confidence.

It works for many artists, I know it does, I have seen their work and yes there is a continuity of theme or style that one learns to expect from them. It means you might recognize their work before reading a signature and if you like their style, you may return for further purchases or be confident in recommending their work to others.

I also feel it has the possibility of making a studio into a production line based on the idea of sales rather than pure artistic exploration, which is fine too unless, like me, creating art is an exploration of self through my materials, as much as it is a means to create a painting of aesthetic value.

There are artists who managed to engage in a specific subject matter they wish to explore continuously and with passion without a production line tendency. Robert Ryman,  with his White Paintings for example. His approach to his subject was not the identification with color or image, rather the act of painting itself and the exploration of what various strokes, techniques and additives meant to the paint. The very fact he explored the physicality of painting itself produced a body of recognisable work with a recognisable theme of investigation into his materials. (See my blog post below, from May 13th 2011)

I consider my work to be a collaboration with my materials and what the paint teaches me along the way to a resolved piece IS the point to my time spent in the studio, it is the joy in the very act of painting that makes being a painter so fulfilling to me. A discovery of my personal qualities along with the qualities of my materials and how they interact.

A gallery perspective may be that it is 'safe' to change a style once a brand loyalty is established as long as there are underlying principles that run through the different variations, again making the work identifiable at a glance or at least having enough brand loyalty to inspire investigation into the new style of work. I really do understand this concept. Finding a way to achieve this with my own work is more challenging.

I experiment with layers of Glaze and Pigment, techniques to produce different outcomes and palettes that resonate over the build for a satisfying outcome. The colors differ widely depending on my mood at the time, often more colorful when I am feeling energetic and more neutral or earthy tones when I am seeking calm. I definitely feel affected emotionally and energetically by the color choices I make and consider my time in the studio a sort of 'life therapy' as much as an investigation into the properties of paint. The idea of even pre-planning the palette rests uncomfortably.

So where does this new approach to making art (in terms of a Gallery relationship) leave me in regard to my arts practice? The same place I was before I suppose but with a better understanding of why they do what they do and why I do what I do. Finding a compatible Gallery may not be as easy as it might be if I was to focus in on a particular style, if I stay true to my experimenting and intuitive approach but I am sure I will find one who relates to my work in the way I do.

Meanwhile, I have interpreted this dilemma- perhaps literally and over the past weeks of losing sleep and my creative urge in order to explore how I could apply this new found knowledge to what I do, I collected a couple of paintings from the studio, cut them up into little inch squares and cement glued them on top of another painting. This was a way of working through the thoughts about this topic while remaining creative but not committing brush to canvas in any chosen style. It was extremely cathartic and an enjoyable process. Each tile carries with it the vibration of it's origin and contributes to the new work comprising of many pieces coming together as a whole.

I am happy to say I like the end result as well, which is a bonus and I am choosing to explore it a little further in the process of repeating the process with varying sized tile and different styles of my work selected to deconstruct and reconstruct. I am going to call the series 'Resurrection'!

It's a metaphor for the resurrection of my faith in my own intuitive, creative process as much as it is in the resurrection of deconstructed works into something new. On with the journey!

Blog post May 13th 2011: http://www.deborahrhee.com/robert-ryman/

A new addition in the studio!

As it turns out, I now require reading glasses! It occurred to me that I paint a lot more than I read and should buy a pair to wear while in the studio. I only need them for short distances, so while painting I actually look over the top of them but they are perfect for when I am mixing my colors! I hope over time, the glasses themselves will be testament to the colors worked with while wearing them. If my Iphone and Ipod are any indication, my glasses will soon be an artwork too!

Simplifying!

I have had the urge of late, to simplify daily life and in the studio.I am still enjoying working with a vibrant palette, Cyan, Magenta and Cadnium Yellow  exude a positive energy but the Titanium mixed with a little Yellow Ochre added a spaciousness in which to move. It changes the way the color fields bounce of each other, almost exaggerating the resonance of each field. I like it- hope you do too!

"Biology of Belief" - A new painting, a new palette!

The month of July was challenging on a personal level.

I made an unexpected trip home to Australia to see my Step-Father in the ICU ward. He passed away a few days after my return to the USA.

May he rest in peace.

I began this painting in the days before leaving to Australia and completed it in the days before his passing, on my return. I was thinking a great deal about the Biology of our bodies and how our beliefs shape our reality  I thought about human consciousness, our cells and how our thoughts and beliefs in turn affect them.

The time spent in the studio with this work was highly cathartic and I like to think that although it was a time of sadness that this painting reflects more of a celebration of life In Gratitude!

The MAC's 2013 Annual Membership Show : "Delta"

'DELTA I'

Here is my entry to 'The MAC Membership Show 2013'!

Opening

Sat July 27th (6-8pm) 3120 McKinney Ave Dallas

The theme is DELTA. [The capital letter Delta, Δ, is the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet. The symbol is commonly used in subjects of science and mathematics, often to describe change. The triangle, the strongest of shapes, can also be a source of inspiration]

My life has been full of change of late and paint interprets this well;

As paints merge with each other, enticed by gravity, they create new pathways in their combined flow- just as a River Delta joins the sea. A metaphor for how each day shapes the next in life.

A joy to watch unfold.

Studio in July...

I started late last night but I made some headway with this new Triptych. With the warm weather in Dallas at least these layers will be dry to work on again tonight. I am feeling the pull of the Autumnal palette, there is something soothing about working with Burnt and Raw Umber's, Sienna's and White.

"Of Water I" has found it's new home...

I received this photograph recently of my diptych 'Of Water I' in it's new surrounds, in a beautiful home in Miami.

I love that it has been hung above the piano! Music and Water go together, there is a lyricism in the energy of flow they share.

I always love seeing the paintings in their new environments, hope you do too!

Miami bound...at least my paintings are!

"Texas Translated III" has found it's new home in Miami!

This work is heading off to it's new home in Miami, Florida.

I am so lucky to meet some wonderful people in the process of sharing my art. It is always rewarding when another person picks up on the energetics at play when a work was created. In some magical process energy is captured in a painting and remains to be shared.

It further validates my belief that there is so much more than meets they eye with art!

I am pleased to know it is going to a home where it will be truly treasured!

"The Deep End" (Msg 4) has found its new home!

"The Deep End" - (Series 1, Message no 4) from my Melbourne Exhibition in 2009 has found it's new home right here in Dallas, Texas! It may take some time but paintings have a way of finding their rightful owners.

I am always delighted when a work resonates with someone enough for them to wish to hang it in their home. It is very rewarding as an artist.

"Lest we Forget II" (Anzac)...the series is born

 

I have been having so much fun creating a series of work based on one of my first paintings from 2001 titled 'Lest we Forget', which is in memory of the Anzac soldiers that fought at Gallipoli in WWI.

I am presently working on a triptych in the same palette, using similar techniques.

It is a wonderful feeling to create a body of work based on an old favorite. The original painting 'Lest we Forget I' is not for sale but I am hoping the new series will be the basis for my next show. It will be interesting to see what comes through.

http://www.anzacsite.gov.au/