Morning After the Storm

 

 

9 ¼ x 14 pastel painting on BFK Rives paper

Jan. 20-Feb. 20, 2025

Again, a friend posted and gave me permission to use her photo as a reference. The sun on the trees in the background, the curve of the river, and the blues of the scene in the foreground called for me to see what I can do with this. Trying to pick out a focal point is a challenge. My eye is drawn to many aspects of the scene.

I taped a sheet of 10 x 14 ½ paper to the sit-down easel and used a charcoal pencil to start putting in shapes. Then I used vine charcoal to sketch in some of the trees. After going back and forth a couple times, I changed the size to 9 ¼ x 14 and added beginning color. 

One of my issues is getting what I call the horizontals right when I’m doing the initial work freehand between the reference photo and the painting. I’ve even tried marking off thirds and I still get confused. Then again, I’m not trying to replicate the photo. It’s just for reference.

I struggle getting whites to stay white because the darker pastel dust flies around. And, so often, when I start to walk away, I’ll look back and see something to fix.

The work continued with layering and defining specific areas. I added to the water with dark blue, a lighter turquoise, and some black (in the two dark pools on the right.) I made ripples, shadows, and reflections in water and ice. I also added more orange for brightness in the trees.

 

I was stunned and pleased how the center area water looked shiny… like water should. I need to stay more on top of these things.

By Feb. 18, it was all about the detail. I struggled with the two dark open-water oval pools on the right. I put in more orange in the sunlit trees, used various shades of blue pastels and a charcoal pencil on more defined lines and trees. I signed it. Is it done?

 Of course, a couple days later, I picked at it a little more and finally called it finished for sure.

Original photograph taken by Tara Holdner and used with permission .

 

25-001 Looking Up

 

Looking Up

Dec. 12, 2024, to Jan. 23, 2025

6 ¾ x 11 ¼ inches on black BFK Rives paper

 This is Mika. She was given to me on the late afternoon of Aug. 29, 2024. I wanted a sister for my kitty, Tuli. New kitty’s name was Mickey, but I changed it to Mika, a shortened version of Mielicki, goddess of change, providence and forests.

She didn’t come out of hiding for weeks. Then, I’d only catch glimpses of her. Eventually, I’d see her enough to get a few photos, but she wouldn’t let me get close.

What a challenge when I sooo wanted to pet and cuddle her. But I was patient. She is so darn adorable! I had to try to paint her, chose a photo and did a tracing of her outline and face. (I trace pets to make sure I capture their facial expressions which I don’t feel confident doing freehand.)

Finally, on Jan. 29, 2025, after being here 151 nights, she finally put her nose to my finger and let me touch her. It was a fleeting touch, but as weeks went on, she slowly came out more and I was able to touch her more (a little more, and I do mean little) though not every day.

I started the actual painting itself on Jan. 7.

 

I used pan pastel for the background color. A few days later, I went back in the studio and added a little brown to the background, so it wasn’t so glaring. I started the eyes and added a little fur texture.

The black fur was quite a challenge. I had to figure out how to add layers to the black fur to show highlights and not just be big, black blobs. Maybe a little brown, charcoal, and dark blue.

 

Subsequent days had me using pastel pencils to better shape nose, chin areas and whiskers. I reworked the eyes, too. I used soft pastels in many areas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Term "... All Mean are Created Equal..." is a farce

The Preamble to the Declaration of Independence states “… that all men are created equal…,” and many Americans have held to that belief. But what does the term “created equal” really mean? Is being conceived and born the only real “created equal” part? Is it because everyone has opportunities? But are the opportunities the same for everyone?

The term has been bandied around for years, but are we really equal, except that we are human beings? Life is not equal. Sure, everyone has opportunities, but how accessible are they and to whom?

There are many factors that play a part in how a person develops. The type of family they were born into, education and where they’re raised play a big part sometimes. Then there are their own personalities which help determine the type of person someone becomes. There’s that something deep within the person that plays a big part in who they are, too.

The family we are born into helps determine who/what we become. Those in more affluent families have easier and better opportunities to life than those born in poorer families. Where a person lives also plays a part in the growth of that person.

Yes, there have been many from poor families who have climbed the ranks to be successful. And there are those born to wealthy families who turn to debauchery and crime. Who and what a person becomes comes about from things inside them, family influences, education (academic and life experience).

Is the term “created equal” an excuse, a set up for deception and misinterpretation? Who determines the terms? The wealthy elite and leaders who make laws to protect themselves and their cronies? Then the concept is told over and over to get people to believe, and when enough people repeat it, it must be true, right?

I don’t want to conform. I don’t want to “suck it up” and just “accept” because everyone says so. I don’t want to jump on popular bandwagons and follow every new popular person out there spouting how they think everyone should be while they themselves make exorbitant salaries, live in gated communities and not have to deal with what everyday taxpayers have to put up with. Taxpayers have become (have always been) slaves to the wealthy elite and leaders.

Watching shows and reading history books, I see it is what it is, somewhat. It’s been this way through millennia. The elite get away with whatever they want until there’s a total breakdown in society to cause their downfall. But then another contingency rises up, becomes the new elite and it begins all over again. In some aspects, history never changes because mankind will always have their humanness.

And the masses continue to believe the false promises that sound oh, so good. But those promises are only words to get votes and people to follow. People believe the pretty words that make them feel hopeful and don’t notice what is really going on. People hold on to the belief that their leaders will do what they promise… but how many leaders do?