Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone

I had the chance to be an assistant ski instructor at a local resort this winter. It sounded like a good idea. Being outside in the fresh air. Getting a bit of physical activity. I didn’t think about getting up to the mountain in all kinds of weather. (Blizzards) Standing in the HR line with a bunch of sun bronzed young athletic people made me want to run for my art studio and close the door. But I mentally stood my ground and like most challenges in our lives, I came out the other end with a great experience.

It did take away from my time to create art. But it is good for an artist to get out of the studio and have new experiences. I met some amazing 6 year olds. I met one six year old that had Taylor Swift as a Nanny. It really impressed the other 6 year old riding up on the lift sitting on the other side of me. He leaned out and said, “Wow.” Six year old number one said she would sing him a song at night like Haters Got To Hate Hate Hate. I said that song would not help me to fall asleep. He said she whispers the song in his ear. Sounds like an up and coming fiction writer with a great imagination on the way. Look out world.

The six year olds couldn’t keep their skis uncrossed. Life inspires art. Have you had experiences that have inspired your life?

Presentation Is Important?

Years ago there was a Utah Watercolor Society Show up in Logan. Life was busy (either going to wrestling matches or getting a son ready to come home from a mission and another to go out). There is always something good going on. But life was busy so I didn’t have time to properly frame my small works entry. I found a make do frame with no mat and entered the show. The judge approached me after the show and said presentation is important. If your painting had been properly framed it would have got a higher award. So presentation is important? I knew that but since then I’ve taken care to properly frame my paintings.

So as I get ready for the Bountiful Davis Art Center Christmas Show, framing and presentation is on my mind. I’m framing paintings and taking them over to the BDAC. So if you would like to see if I’ve learned anything about presentation and see the prints, the information on the opening and the show are below. Come chat with me about life and art. See you there November 17th, 2023 6-8pm at BDAC, 90 North Main Street, Bountiful, Utah 84087.

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BDAC

Doing Demo’s

This is the last demo for the fall watercolor class at Bountiful Davis Art Center. Painting in front of others for your class or a workshop is always an adventure. You’re watching the progress of your painting in actual time as are all the witnesses of your painting skills. No pressure whatsoever. It takes some courage and some diving in and going for it. And a few exclamations of surprise from you as it progresses. You’ve got your exclamation of delight and your exclamation of “Oh no.” Some demos go through a phase where you may be as surprised as the viewers are that it turns out. This demo worked from the beginning and demonstrated everything I wanted to teach my class. Which is an amazing class filled with delightful people.

I’m starting to gather some things together for my Christmas Booth at the Bountiful Davis Art Center. The show will run from November 17, 2023 through December 23rd. Tuesday – Friday 10am-6pm and Saturdays 12 noon-5pm. The opening will be November 17, 2023 from 6-8 pm. Come check out the booths and say hi.

Arts in the Parks vs the Ring of Fire

The annual Utah Watercolor Society Plein Air Competition down in Wayne County and Capitol Reef had a slight conflict this year. We were told to get lodging early because everything would be booked because of the annular eclipse.

I thought for sure I had made reservations at a local RV campground but when we arrived they had no reservations under my name. And I had no confirmation number. They had a spot for that night but not for the rest of the week. It was dark and absolutely freezing. The wind was whipping as we plugged into electricity and tried to get things set-up. I told my husband we should just wake up in the morning and drive home… but we would miss the eclipse.

First thing in the morning I peeked out the window and saw a glorious sunrise with the morning sun hitting the cliff face behind us and shimmering through the yellow leaves of the trees in the distance. I did a little sketch in my watercolor sketchbook. Maybe we could stay if we could find a place to park the trailer.

Some kind friends of ours offered their driveway to park our trailer in up on Boulder Mountain. It was a great place to be. So we were set for the weekend of painting three watercolor paintings and watching the eclipse because of their kindness. Thanks to those who purchased all three paintings. I also received an award of third place in the large category. It was a great weekend.

I will have a number of my Christmas prints for sell at the Bountiful Davis Art Center during the month of December. Come check out the display and maybe find some Christmas gifts for yourself or others.

bdac.org

Thinking About Backgrounds

A lot of artists focus on the subject and don’t think about the background until all of a sudden the subject is done and you’re left with an unpainted background. Now what do you do? Even if you paint the subject before the background, you should have some idea of where you want your painting to go including the background. Here again is my demo for the Dixie Watercolor Society in St. George, Utah that I started. I did have an idea of where I wanted the background to go but not enough time to finish the painting. I told the Society that I would finish the painting and then send them a copy. One of the drawbacks of finishing the subject and then tackling the background is the fear you might have of messing up the background and thus ruining the entire painting. But you have to dive in, have some faith and go for it. If you’re afraid it will show up in each stroke of your brush. Here’s how my diving in ended up.

I love how the dark background shows off the face. I also love how the dress turned out. It was painted freely by looking at the photo of the dress. It’s a combination of the reference material and what ended up on the paper. Below is the demo I did the year before for the Dixie Watercolor Society. The graphic quality was achieved by using masking tape instead of masking fluid.

The Dixie Watercolor Society Workshop and Demo

I had a delightful time teaching and presenting at the Dixie Watercolor Society. These students were dedicated painters and jumped right into the different projects we worked on. We talked about bringing life into our portraits and paintings of people, the freedom of painting florals and topped things off with a landscape watercolor.
It was interesting to see the artists that were so timid with their portraits dive into rich color and movement in their floral paintings. It was a nice group to hang out with for three days.

It can be intimidating to paint in front of people and painting babies can be especially hard so I chose the little cutie below to paint. My husband had never sat through one of my demos and said at the first he was worried that I would never be able to pull off the painting. He called it a zombie baby. (His words not mine.) It is like magic to put angle and shape and brush stroke down on paper and suddenly a cute baby appears before your eyes on your paper. I could not wipe the grin off my face each time I looked down at her. And at the end my husband said. “Oooh nice.”

I did not have time to finish the painting at the demo but said I would share the finished product with the Dixie Watercolor Society and you here on the blog. So here she is the unfinished painting and I will post the finished painting next blog post. If you have a watercolor society near you it’s a great opportunity for education and friendship and a chance to display your work at shows. Here is the link for the Utah Watercolor Society and the Dixie Watercolor Society.

John Salminen in Grapevine Texas – we’ll sort of.

What do atomizers, masking tape and pill bottles have to do with John Salminen? Those are all tools he used in his demo for the American Watercolor Society in New York City on April 27th. I was able to watch it on zoom. I drew the above sketch during the demo. A lot of the things I’ve seen him use in his workshop but I picked up a few new tricks from watching the demonstration.

‘Then a week later I was off to Grapevine, Texas for the Western Federation of Watercolor Societies Show. There was a John Salminen painting hanging on the same pillar as my painting “Auditory Perseption”. It was a great opportunity to examine an original painting by John in person which is much better than on the iPad screen over zoom. I was able to study his use of value and marks that he made on the buildings that added interest to those spaces. If you get a chance to see paintings in person, they can teach you more than photos of the art. If you get a chance, check out the exhibit in person.

SWS is to host the prestigious 48th Western Federation of Watercolor Societies (WFWS) Exhibition in Grapevine, TX.

Exhibition Dates are May 6 – June 2, 2023

Tower Gallery in Grapevine, Texas

636 S Main St, Grapevine, TX 76051

The Juror was Mary Whyte

The Western Federation of Watercolor Societies includes over 5,000 artists in ten societies across the western states.  The juried show is hosted each year by a different regional member society. We showcase works on paper created with a variety of water-based media.  Membership in WFWS is automatic for any member of one the ten societies.

It was nice to be juried into the show.

A Super Power

The interrupting grandchild came into the art studio. He pointed a Harry Potter Wand at me and said, “You are frozen.”

“I am not frozen. I’m not looking at the wand I’m looking at your eyes,” said the interrupted artist.

The interrupting grandchild moved the wand up by his eyes, “Now you are frozen.”

“I’m still not looking at the wand. I’m looking at your eyes.” The artist said, “I, have a super power.”

The interrupting grandchild said. “No you don’t.”

The artist said, “Yes, I do just like Sonic or Superman or Spider-Man.”

The interrupting grandchild said, “What is it?”

The interrupted artist said, “Ok hold still and I’ll show you.” The interrupting grandchild did not stand still. I sketched his picture anyway. 

The interrupting grandchild said, “I have a super power too.” He took the paper and drew a truck pulling a trailer. Before he disappeared out the art room door he left a parting shot, pointed at the sketch and said, “My nose is not a circle and that’s does not look like me.”

Sketching is a super power. You can grab a pencil and capture the scene in front of you in your sketch book. It doesn’t come easy. It takes practice. The practice comes from carrying a sketchbook around with you and taking the time to sketch what you see around you. The more you do this the better you get, the quicker you get. You can observe someone walking past you and do a pretty good job of capturing their likeness. So grab your sketch book and pull it out today. Try sketching in ink. There is no need to erase because you can’t erase ink. It will save you some time. 

sherrymeidell.com

Sending Two

”At The Cliff’s Edge” is also getting ready to head down to the Sears Invitational in St, George. This is a watercolor that has a varnish for the finish. With this kind of a finish, the painting was framed with no glass. You have to think about the painting you are doing and how it’s going to look framed. Some paintings work with the varnish. There is no glass between you and the painting but other paintings like the flowers from last week will look better with a mat and glass. You have to decide which will be better for the painting and frame them in the best way.

It’s like that with the painting also. Before you start on a painting you have a picture in your mind how it will turn out. As you dive into the work the direction of the painting can change. That’s what makes each painting an adventure.

sherrymeidellart

When is a Painting Done

The above painting was finished and even hung in a show. I was pleased with it. Sometimes it takes a little time away from a painting to see it clearly. Something bothered me. The vase had a hard edge on both sides and it was taking away from the painting. Also the grey shape above the bottom sunflower was boring. The painting was already framed. I would have to take off the back paper and do some additional painting and then replace the paper backing. I decided it was worth it.

I lost the edges of the vase which took attention away from the vase and put the focus back on the flowers. I added some details in the grey shape which added some interest and made it a more interesting shape. I glazed over the shape under the glass which helped to draw attention away from that area. Now the painting seems to vibrate with energy.

I’m preparing to send it off to the Sears Invitational in St. George at Utah Tech University. The show will run from February 19th through April 2, 2023. Plan on going to St. George and seeing original art in person. Also I’ve had my website updated and you can check it out at sherrymeidell.com The store is still being updated.

The Year Ahead

What does the New Year have in store for you? Maybe another question should be “What will you bring to this New Year?” There are parts of life which we have no control over but we can always look forward and plan where we want to head. 

Where I May Be Heading?

• Heading to the Western Federation watercolor show as alternate delegate.
• Another edition of Eating Crayons
• Thinking more about color theory
• Balancing life and artwork
• Looking people in the eyes and listening more carefully
• Being open to adventures
• Keeping my art studio organized (HAA HA HAAA HA CHORTLE GUFFAW)
• Being always grateful for blessings
• Working on some book ideas
• Continuing to enter shows
• Being open to opportunities that come from left field

I always have ideas I’m working on. It doesn’t have to be the first of the year to make goals. Hope you have some things you’re working on. Write them down and see where they lead you. 

Silent Night, Holy Night

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. -Luke 2:11-12

Thanks for joining me this year. Take a bit of time this rushed season to enjoy your family, the quiet moonlight on snow, or the quiet moonlight on ocean waves, and the holiness and peace that comes from that quiet belief deep within your heart.

‘Merry Christmas

Finding Beauty in the Every Day

Every day, on my way to BYU Hawaii, I would walk past this beautiful scene. It would change everyday but every change was beautiful. Some days the sun was shining, other days I would be greeted with an instant downpour that would dump from the sky and then be done. Other days my face felt a slight misting from heaven. If we take some time to look, we can find beauty all around us. So first take sometime to see, give a little thanks, and maybe try to capture it in paint.

Below is the value study for the watercolor painting above.

Gratefulness

Here are some things that I’m grateful for this year: 

I’m grateful for two year olds that say, “I love Uncle Luke. 40 minutes til Luke’s house.” I’m grateful for mother-in-laws that need to putter, puttering with a card for a great granddaughter, puttering while dishing up a portion of her chili to send home with us, puttering to go out and get some eggs from the backyard chickens for the neighbors. Always puttering.

I’m grateful for a tornado’s worth of kids running through the house. They run down stairs through the kitchen and down into the basement. The giant visiting dog perks up and runs after them. They run up the stairs through the kitchen and up into the family room. Repeat on a 10 minute rotation. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat..I’m grateful for a room full of people eating turkey and masher potatoes and gravy.

Im grateful for car repair shops and eye doctors and quinachronome rose watercolor paint. I’m grateful for friends and a husband and kindness and love.  I’m grateful for prayers of gratitude, prayers asking for help, prayers asking for blessing on others. And for Apple Pie.

Live Model vs Photographs

Part of every artists training and continued training should be painting and sketching from the live model. The experience involves seeing things with your eyes that the camera does not see. The model asked me why do you paint from a model when you could paint from a photo that doesn’t move? I told her that the human eye sees things differently than the camera. There is reflected light, an ease in seeing lost edges and more depth and ability to see in the shadows.

Plus there is the personality of the sitter that can play into the painting which isn’t there in the photo. It was fun to get to know the person on the other end of the painting. There is that bit of apprehension about “Oh no, what if she comes and looks at the painting and is disappointed, shocked and dismayed with the artist’s ability. But there is also the just dive into the paintingi and get started and do the best that you can.

I do take pictures of the model for future reference and to finish up the painting if time runs out. It was interesting to look at the photos after I had studied the model and painted for two hours. IT was true, the eye sees differently than the camera. Live models are all around us. Start sketching and painting.

Out of the Head Onto the Page

Sketching from life trains your mind and adds to your sketching from imagination. The sketching arm goes into muscle memory. Sometimes it’s like magic and the image appears from the end of your pen or pencil. You can take those images from your sketchbook and use them for a project. Some ladies in my congregation wanted an image for a Primary Program. I could go to my sketchbook and see if something there would work. Below is the finished art for the program.

This painting came home from the Women Out West Exhibit at the Sears Gallery in St George and the February Fisherman won Second place at the Davis County Art Exhibit which can be seen at the Davis County Office Building in Farmington. Go have a look at the paintings there.

October Day 31

Thanks for joining me this month for Eating Crayons.. I hope you enjoyed reading them, as much as I enjoyed creating them. So the month has come to an end. When I started drawing these comics, I wasn’t sure if enough ideas would come to fill the month, but they came. A lot of the ideas come after you dive into the work. So dive in. Create something good. Or draw a picture of a teddy bear and give it to someone you love.

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October 2 – Celebrating Ink

Celebrating Drawing with Ink This October

For the month of October, I will be posting my comic “Eating Crayons”. This has been created on Pro Create. I hope you will enjoy and join me for the month. I will be posting every day this month beginning with Eating Crayons Day One.

“Eating Crayons” Day One

From Time to Time I Meet People Who Have Been Reading My Blog. Thanks For Joining Me Here.

Becky Hartvigsen, Joyce Baron and Sherry Meidell at Gallery in the Garden

Thanks to everyone who took the time to come to Gallery in the Garden. It’s always a good time to talk to everyone about art and painting with watercolor. The winner of the Giclee print drawing was notified and the print delivered. It was one of Becky’s students. Thanks to all those who went home with a bit of new art to hang on their walls.

Value study for “As a Hen Gathers Her Chicks”

I’ve been working on “As A Hen Gathereth Her Chicks”. It started with a drawing in my sketchbook. The sketchbook is a good place to gather ideas that pop into your head. If you don’t get them down, they will disappear. Then you take those ideas and work with them a bit and see where they lead you.

From my sketchbook

”AsAHen Gathereth Her Chicks” oil on board by Sherry Meidell

So get in the sketchbook habit. It is a place to work and practice on your craft and to collect ideas.

Still Working on Gallery in the Garden

White Space 9”x12”

Sometimes it’s not what you paint but what you don’t paint. The white space around the object you’re painting has to be designed and is an important part of the painting. You have to think, variety of sizes of shapes. And you also have to think of variety of edges. Sometimes I take a moment to remind myself before I begin a painting, save the whites. You have to think a bit about how you want the painting to look.

So here are two more paintings for Gallery in the Garden. I’ve got them framed and varnished, framed without glass. Like how much white space to leave, you also have to think what will be the best way to frame this painting.

So come check them out if you’re in the area Friday August 26th 5-8pm. Saturday August 27th 11-8pm Hartvigsen’s Garden 120 South 800 East, Centerville, Utah

A Hot Cup 9”x12”

Gallery in the Garden

9”x12” watercolor “Tulip Jubilee”

I’ve been busy painting for Becky Hartvigsen’s Gallery in the Garden. Once a year we set up in Becky;s beautiful backyard to display some of our latest paintings. This year there has been water restrictions so it will be Gallery in the dry Garden. It’s a chance to meet people again and chat about art and painting.

I love to paint flowers. You can be so free with your colors and brushstrokes. The painting can end up looking like flowers but the design is what gives the painting power. So if you’re in the area come check out the art and say hi. Drop by next Friday or Saturday August 26th and 27th, 2022. FRIDAY 26TH 5-8 PM SATURDAY 27TH 11-8 PM. 120 South 800 East, Centerville

I will be there with Becky Hartvigsen, Joyce Baron, Tom Howard, Steve McGinty and the latest oils by Diane Turner.

9”x12” watercolor “Daffodils and Apple Blossums”

Struck by the Art

I attended an Artist reception at the Cottonwood Presbyterian Church this Sunday. The above painting “Mary Kept All These Things and Pondered Them in Her Heart “was hanging there. A man came around the corner and said, “Where is Sherry Meidell?” I introduced myself. He said that my painting struck him. He wanted to know my feelings on creating it. 

My Artist statement was hanging next to the painting. “The first time a new mother holds her little newborn, she falls in love. The bond is so strong between mother and child. Besides the strong bond of love, Mary had a lot to think about. She had the visit from an Angel, and she was willing to be the mother of Christ with all that entailed. She witnessed the visit of the shepherds and their testimonies of their own hearing a chorus of angels. But there was a lot to ponder and a lot of things to witness. She saw the Lords journey from birth to the ending on the cross. And she pondered all these things in her heart.
‘We also can ponder in our hearts her watchfulness as Christ went about his Father’s business. We can ponder what we will do to honor Him.”

So the painting struck him. That was good to hear as an artist. You put a lot of your life into a painting and it is nice to know that all that work was seen and struck a cord in someone else. He like the curly hair of the baby. I told him my husband and I had traveled to Israel and had taken a picture of a father holding his child with beautiful dark curly hair. Perhaps that photo taken years ago worked its way into my sketches.

Pondered in Her Heart

Here comes the Christmas Season. The above painting was done for my friend to hang in an exhibit at her Presbyterian Church. The topic was the Annunciation. There is a lot to think about when you want to paint a picture. There is more than how you want to move the paint around. You also have to think of how you will portray the subject. You have to step a bit into the picture. It’s an oil painting.

‘Below is the picture I have displayed by a bell at the Bountiful Davis Art Center. “Every time you hear a bell ring, an angel gets his wings ” a quote from the movie It’s A Wonderful Life. Come check out the art and ring the bell. You can also write some comments in my comment book. The opening is this Friday November 17, 2023 6pm. to 8pm. At the Bountiful Davis Art Center. Here comes Christmas.

Falling in Love With Paint

There is much time and care that goes into a painting. You get that first burst of creative excitement that compels you to paint. Then there is the planning, and the spending of hours with the paint and brush and subject. You fall in love with the painting. In the past it was hard to part with those paintings but now I find great joy in seeing the happiness that my art can bring to others and to see that they fall in love with the painting.

Lois went home with this beautiful watercolor painting, “Cold Duck Under White Flowers”.. She fell in love with it. It joined some other fine art on the walls of her home.

I also was on a great search for this painting. I knew this painting was somewhere. I just didn’t know it was buried on the bottom shelf, the last place to look. This will be a gift for a graduating granddaughter. There is great joy in creating and sharing with others.