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Tending
my art -- applying the first coat of varnish . Pictures
taken by Tilda Santiago. Thanks, Tilda. Looking
good in my "Painted Eagle" baseball shirt. Go to my store
and buy one now! Free shipping til June 9.
Paintings are for sale, click on
the painting for more information. Go to My
Gallery to see more of my work.
Gallery
-- Inspiring Images Gallery
-- Mary A. Gravelle Home Post your comments to our website: click
here. Gallery
-- Inspiring Images Gallery
-- Mary A. Gravelle Home Post your comments to our website: click
here. Gallery
-- Inspiring Images Gallery
-- Mary A. Gravelle Home Post your comments to our website:
click
here. Gallery
-- Inspiring Images Gallery
-- Mary A. Gravelle Home
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Tending My Art
Artist: Mary A. Gravelle
Media: Tempera paint on paper, 18" x
24"
Before you read
what I say:
How do you tend your art? How does it
relate to how you tend your life? Are there parts of the
artmaking process that you love? that you hate? If your art was
your life, what does that tell you?
Post
your comments, then read on.
About Tending to my Art:
I met with friends, Tilda and Terri, at the
park one day. You can see Terri's head above me as I work in the
upper photo. I was preparing for Open Studio weekend in Hartford
on May 4-5, 2002. I decided to work at the park and enjoy the
company of friends and natural environment.
We had met at Jerry's Artarama and spent
way too much money on art supplies. The park was an impromptu
suggestion and I seemed to be prepared with what I had picked up
at Jerry's. My paintings were in the car. So, I agreed to join
them.
My chore for the day was to varnish my
paintings before framing and matting. I had purchased varnish at
Jerry's and had been given a huge bag with the mat board. The
bag provided the clean drop cloth I needed for the picnic table.
I was prepared to work.
Luckily, varnish dries quickly because the
wind picked up one of my paintings and promptly landed it in the
dirt! No harm done. I put my pocketbook on one corner and a
water bottle on another corner and other items on the remaining
two corners. I proceeded.
Art
Making Process:
I love every part of the art making
process.
Varnishing is one of the steps that gives
me great pleasure. Since I use tempera paints, I need to use
varnish to make the finish permanent and water resistant
-- protection from the elements.
It feels a little like making love to
the painting -- caring, nurturing, bringing out the best in the
image because it intensifies the colors and puts a nice sheen on
it, giving it a smooth appearance.
As I coat my painting with tender loving
care, I nurture myself. My artwork is a microscopic piece of my
life. What I do to my art, I do to my life. I teach myself that
it is good to take care of myself. I prepare myself to be
presentable to the world. I protect myself.
I run the brush, loaded thinly with
varnish, along the strokes previously painted, following the
shapes and forms of color in case the varnish wants to bleed
colors into each other. I get to feel the energy of the piece
and it inspires me all over again.
I actually love my own artwork. Although,
my Painting class this semester threw a small monkey wrench into
that thinking for a bit. But alas, I once again love what I do.
There are so many different forms of art, mine is as valuable as
any other. It is very valuable to me.
I apply two or three coats in different
directions to ensure that it is covered. I stand back and admire
it after each coat. Each coat seems to give it more presence than
the last. I smile and can't wait to see it when it dries.
As I work on my life's inner processes, I
go deeper, looking at myself from different angles. I apply
tools and techniques, new thinking to my way of being. I feel
pleased with each step I take. I like the me I am becoming. I
take time to stand back and admire myself and my work.
Varnishing my art -- taking care,
preparing, intensifying the color, preparing it for presentation
to the world, protecting it from the elements -- doing all the
same to myself as I do the work.
I hope you enjoy your art making process as
much as I do.
A salute to all you artists out there and
the aspiring ones too. And a special salute to the non-artists
who admire artistic works.
May we always live in an artful world!
Amen. It is said. It is written under the
holy law.
THE END
Email Mary: mary@wisdompainting.com
Post your comments to our website: click
here.
Go to the Inspiring Images Art Gallery, click
here.
Go to Mary's Art Gallery: click
here.
Read what people are saying about our
posted artwork, click here.
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Posted: June 6, 2002
Written by Mary A. Gravelle
© 2002 Mary A. Gravelle
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