Word verification

Coastal Simplicity

Original oil painting  14x18"

by Susan Roux

Is it just me or are you annoyed by the new word verifications too? I'm finding myself commenting less and less since the change to the double word. Many times, the verification is longer than my comment! It's becoming tedious and frustrating.

I suppose I could write to blogger urging them change it back, but something tells me that would be an impossible feat. After all there must be some reason they suddenly change it in the first place.  Who am I to tell them to revert to the old one?

No. It's not my approach. Instead I prefer to appeal to you. All you lovely artists bloggers. Do we really need the word verification anyway? Who among us will spam comments? I think it's safe to assume that that really isn't an issue here. Perhaps if we were targeting the masses, it might be an issue. I know we like to think we're reaching all of them, but seriously, who are your comments coming from?

Other artists.

I thought I disconnected my word verification back last summer. Recently I was in my settings and realized it was still turned on. I apologize for making you type all those unnecessary words for so long. Apparently I mustn't have "saved the changes" when I made them. Now I believe it's really disconnected. If you still have to type their crazy letters here, please let me know.

You're already aware from my last post, my eyesight isn't great. Even with my glasses on things aren't perfectly clear. (maybe it's time to visit an eye doctor, but I just don't want to) I suppose if the new letters in the word verifications were clear and straight, this wouldn't be an issue for me.

However they aren't.

I find myself wondering if it's an r pushed into an n or if it's an m. Today I came upon a double o. You'd think if I discerned the first o the second one would be a snap. No, it wasn't that easy. The second o looked nothing like the first one. It was all dented and bumpy and attached to an l. So was it a d or another o???

If I would have written like this in grade school, I would have flunked penmanship.

So please everyone, be comment friendly. Go to your settings and change that nasty word verification to a "no". And please be smarter than I was in July and remember to click save changes.

I blog with morning coffee. It's a nice way to wake up. Unfortunately lately, frustration builds with every comment I leave, making me start my day on the wrong foot! I hope you'll join me in simplifying are comments. Let's take matters into our own hands and annihilate the word verification from our blogs. Please pass the word around.

(If we begin to have problems with spam comments, we can always turn it back on...)

Thank you and happy commenting!


Note: Coastal Simplicity is a scene from Monhegan Island, Maine.

Second Lisa

Lisa (2)

Original oil Painting 20x16"

by Susan Roux

I thought I'd finish her off by late morning yesterday, but it took until 5:30 p.m. before I signed her. What is it about portraits? I couldn't seem to stop picking at her...

I was thrilled with my first Lisa. I found her fresh and alive and I was so surprised how much it looked like my sister. It was as though she was in the room smiling at me. Redoing a portrait was Don Hatfield's suggestion. He told me I would learn a lot by doing so. So I decided to try her again. I was curious as to what I could learn by redoing her, but mostly I wondered if I really had the ability to capture her again. If I could, it would tell me I knew what I was doing. If not, then it was just a fluke that the first one came out so good.

This one was challenging. Very challenging. I took a different approach for experimental sake and worked it without the first in view. I wanted to work strictly from the photo and not attempt to copy the original painting. It wasn't until close to finishing that I brought both together. To my grand surprise, I found the second painting to be much better than the first. If I think about form and 3-dimensionality, I see substantial improvement. Painterly? I can't really say that her face is painterly, but certainly the rest of her is. I question in portrait painting if painterly should be a goal. If someone were to commission a portrait would they want it well rendered?

During this experiment, what did I learn?

The first thing I learned is no portrait is easy. At least not when you're a new puppy at it like I am! There came a time when I saw more changes in color on my photo than I had before. I think this is why it was so hard to finish. Even in places were I thought I had painted all the information I could see, I kept finding more. I think part of the lesson is simply learning how to see and interpreting what it is you're seeing. As artists, once we see what it is, how its made up in colors and values, we can paint it. The difficulty is when we cannot break it down to those simple elements. I have to admit, I'm breaking it down more easily these days.

I'm exhibiting in a one-day group show at the hospital in November. Many doctors and their families will attend. I'm thinking of bringing this second Lisa and offer my services for portraits. I don't know if I'm jumping the gun too quickly here, but being able to capture my sister a second time has boosted my confidence. Part of me shivers at the thought of claiming that I can capture others. What if I'm commissioned and I really can't? The other part of me timidly whispers, "You can do this..."

I have to start somewhere, right?

Here's the first Lisa and the second Lisa, side-by-side as promised. What do you think?

Quick note: Thanks to all of you for your wonderful and helpful comments. They're always appreciated. For those of you experiencing painter's block, I received some very helpful information from bloggers. Please make sure and read each other's comments.

Thanks again.

Nora in Naples

Nora Kasten and Susan Roux

Hello, I'm back from Florida! I hope you all had a good week. I'm relaxed, refreshed and ready to paint! Thank you all for the warm wishes for a great vacation. It certainly was.

Nora Kasten was so kind as to invite my family and I to her home. How wonderful it was to visit with a fellow blogger! Posted is a photo of us in her studio. Her work in progress is up on her easel behind us. I'm certain I'm not alone in admiring her lovely, romantic oil paintings. I can't tell you how excited I was to have the opportunity to view them in person. I must tell you, Nora is as lovely as the work that pours out of her.

Her home is a dream gallery! I never expected to arrive at such a splendid place filled with dozens and dozens of her amazing paintings. Room after room she took me to see them all. It was a slow tour as I absolutely had to stop to admire each and every one of them! They are magnificent on the internet, but as you well know, a photo of a painting never does the actual work justice. In life, these jewels sent shivers up my spine. Her use of saturated color coupled with her dreamy brushstroke is energizing and captivating. I couldn't take my eyes off of them!

She treated us to a lovely lunch where I sipped red wine and our "get acquainted" conversation never left art. I've written to you before of my travels and how I meet with artists. I urge you to try it for yourself. It will become the highlight of your holiday! Art connects us. Its a bond that can instantly make you feel like family. You all experience it here through blogs, but it doesn't stop when you meet in person. It escalates!

If you'd like to read about some of my various experiences meeting artists, click these different entries. Don't give up, where I met and painted with artists Mat Grogan and Dave Hayes, John Morris and Owen Rohu.

You may think that you'd be lost for conversation meeting with a stranger, but believe me, in every instance time just flies and conversations flow easily and freely. As Nora and I talked endlessly, she played a DVD of Richard Schmid with the volume off. In one direction I viewed him creating a masterpiece and in every other direction my eye was fed and stimulated by all her exhibited art. Her kind, welcoming and bubbly nature made us feel instantly at home.

The four hours we spent together whizzed by. I didn't want to leave. Nora, I hope I didn't overstay my welcome. You and your husband were a delight. Thank you for making us feel so welcomed.

I must tell you, Nora has painted countless self portraits. They are all wonderful and full of light. One of my favorite paintings hung as a focal point, in a place of grandeur. It is a painting she did of her husband some years back. I absolutely loved what she captured with paint. Men sitting in their suits don't usually hold much appeal for me. But his kindness and her affection for him shown with great visibility through the paint she applied. Nora, I don't know if you've ever posted this masterpiece of yours, but I hope you find it appropriate to share at some point. Its a wonderful work that can be appreciated even if you're not the wife...

Thank you Nora. I hope our journey forward blossoms further than blogging. I truly enjoyed our conversation and hope to continue it.

(Photograph by Michael McAllister)

Sunshine award

I received the Sunshine Bloggers Award. How exciting! It made my day...

I hope this means I'm bringing a ray of sunshine into someone's day. It was my purpose in the beginning. Evaluating myself, I think I fall short of that on many posts, but thank you Jamie for appreciating my blog.

Jamie is from artsyfartsyme, a blog I read regularly. She has granted me this award.

As a recipient, I need to pass it along to 12 of you. If you aren't familiar with these blogs, I suggest you go take a peek.

1) Every Other Day Paintings- Roisin is a very talented Irish painter.

2) Jeanne Illenye-Still Lifes- Jeanne paints very realistic treasures.

3) Celeste Bergin- Celeste takes you on a journey of excitement with soft emotional paintings.

4) Nora Kasten Fine Art Blog- Nora paints rich colorful florals that I love.

5) Ma Dollhouse Joue Un Grand Air De Peinture- Martine-Alison is a friend and new blogger- go peek and follow. She has wonderful treasures she'll be sharing...

6) Plein Air Painting Journal- Jill's paintings are poetic.

7) Coral Barclay Musings on Painting- Carol paints bright tiny treasures.

8) Carolyn's (Almost) Daily Paintings- Carolyn is very talented.

9) Becky Joy's Day to Day Painting- Becky paints with heart and atmosphere.

10) The Open Drawer- Jay has wonderful drawings and amazing "stuck in the box" paintings.

11) Angie Rea- Angie creates delicate scenes with woodburning.

12) Daily Drawings- Ester's drawings are inspiring.

There are rules for accepting the Sunshine Award. If you're a recipient, please go read them.

There are many other blogs that I enjoy following. Jamie said it was hard to pick only 12, so she didn't, and I can understand why. There is a wealth of talent out there! I find it inspiring that you take time to post your work and your thoughts. Thank you all for that...

Your WEBSITE!

This post is just for you!

Here's the idea...

I invite you all to post a comment. In the comment leave just your website, nothing else. (If you'd like to introduce yourself, please do, but on yesterday's page...) If artists, I mean a lot of artists, come and post their websites here, we would create a massive

database available to us all!

Can you imagine a spot where all you saw was a profile picture and an instant link to an art website? I can.

Wouldn't it be great if, in time, we could list thousands of artists!

So here's the plan. Go to your Twitters, your Facebooks, your Email address books, blogs and whatever else and invite all artists to come post their websites. Invite every artist you know. With your help, we can create a place where people can come and click on either your profile or your website. Lets simplify finding each other!

It doesn't matter if they are bloggers or not. Just that they are artists with a website!

Here is the direct link to this page. Just click copy link and paste it into any invitation you send out. http://susanroux.blogspot.com/2010/01/your-website.html

Thank you everyone. If this works, its because of you!

Beauty Inside and Out Susan Roux Original oil painting 16x20" $800. unframed