Self-Interview: Question 2 Continued (Captain Bob Cottle)

Captain Bob

     Continuing with Question 2: Did any one person or people really spark your interest?  Well, these questions really caused me to think, since I can't ever remember not doing art and I dug deep into my memory bank and I remembered "Captain Bob" Cottle.  When I was very young in school I would faithfully watch Captain Bob's TV show and draw with him.  I always liked him, his manner was soft spoken, very kind and very clear with this drawing directions.  I remember another boy in my class named Paul Dunn who also drew pictures with Captain Bob and we would compare our pictures and talk about the show. I was probably 6 or 7 then.
     The Captain Bob TV show kept my interest for drawing alive, he was my mentor when I was not taking classes at the Worcester Art Museum.  His subjects always came from nature or being by the sea.  How completely fun it was to look forward to the special time spent watching this TV show and drawing with him. He gave me confidence to try subjects that I did not actually see in my real life since I did not live by the ocean.
     What this adventure of blogging and now self-interviewing has done has caused my curiosity to spark and now seek out what I remember.  By "googling" Captain Bob, I learned his last name and all that he did in his lifetime.  I also found out that there is a petition for signing to take his shows out of the archives to show them again, and also there was the question if they made the shows into DVD's would you buy them.  All they need is 500 signatures to accomplish this.  I signed the petition and am including it in this blog so you can sign it too.  I found a video of his demonstrating drawing a cat on YouTube, and am including this also so you can view what I loved and and found of value on my journey to be an artist.  You can see this gentle, kind artist encouraging people of all ages to draw.  Please enjoy!
Drawing A Cat With Captain Bob
Bring Captain Bob Back Petition, Please Sign!

A Self-Interview: Questions 1 and 2

     A wonderful thing happened to my daughter yesterday; someone recognized her artistic accomplishments and appreciates her work, and she was interviewed for an article in one of our local papers. (please check out her "Julie" blogs on my list)  Of course, I am  very proud of her, but what was interesting is that the questions caused me to think about how I would answer these questions. What better forum to answer these questions, but my very own blog. I warn you now, this make take days to complete, but I hope you find it interesting and entertaining!
     Question 1: The boring stuff- Age, town you currently live in.
I would like to say that I am of an age that I find unthinkable and you would never believe, so I would like to say that I am ageless and we will leave it at that!  I have lived in Central Massachusetts, growing up in and for many years not far from Worcester, for all of my life, but I did live in Charlotte, North Carolina for one year of my life many years ago.
      Question 2: When did your love for art begin? (this question has a few parts, I will answer only this part for today since I have a way of being verbose)  Please go to the beginning of this blog and read "In The Beginning There Was Tea".  I was introduced to the Worcester Art Museum as a preschooler and loved it.  My mother had talent for and an appreciation of art and was a member of this beautiful museum and she signed me up for lessons as soon as I qualified.  I can remember my cups filled with the primary colors and the amazement of mixing to create the secondary colors, "wow!".  I remember having really large pieces of paper and learning how to fill the paper, not just paint in one corner, or down the bottom. I remember learning being taught at a young age how to divide the oval shape for a face into quarters and where to place the eyes, nose, mouth and all the reference points to measure.  I remember Mary Murphy, a tall, attractive and dignified lady who was my teacher, we all lined up and waited for her to lead us down the stairs to the basement classrooms.  She taught us how to make the shape of the eye and how some people had wide eyes. She looked around the room to find a good example of this and I remember opening my eyes wider and she pointed to me and told everyone, "Just like her eyes!" and I felt so proud!!  I remember being taught that the whole sky is blue, not just the top of the paper. I remember walking room to room, gallery to gallery, taking in all of the beautiful art throughout the centuries, feeling amazement and loving all of it. I remember feeling at complete peace in this beautiful museum and like I was at home. That is how it all started.

A Dedication: Don's Painting

     Sept 13 was the second anniversary of my brother's death, his name was Don.  Just as I did last year, I traveled to Chicago to be with my sister-in-law and nephew at this time.  Somehow, it is the right thing to do and we help each other get through a hard time.  When I visited him a couple of years ago in the window of time of wellness, he proudly showed me his art work, something I did not realize that he did.  I always knew he was very creative in a different way, but paintings I did not know about.
     This is Don's painting that he proudly showed me and which I was given last year by my sister-in-law, how thrilled I was to receive this!  I can remember how he explained his technique of placing random items on the canvas, which he stretched over a piece of wood, and then spray painted it.  He would move pieces, or introduce other objects, and then spray with other colors, He kept up this layering until he was satisfied with his work.  I remember when he showed me this piece and I thought it was wonderful! 
     There is life, depth and movement in this piece.  I love the color choices and they are pleasing to my eye.  I believe this picture tells a story of my brother, since he tinkered with radios and cars and had all sorts of parts and pieces.  I only wish I could talk with him again to find out more about the pieces he used and where they came from and what they meant to him.  I guess I am looking at this in retrospect sadly.  I guess my lesson is to be sure to have complete convesations with people, ask questions and get all information at the time of the converstation, since you never truly know if you will have another chance to ask.  I am proud of him for all that he did with creativity and especially this painting.  Thanks, Don, for sharing something very special with me.

Contemplating My Next Goal

Anne-Marie, winning art pieces; see 9/7/11 for closeups

     Exhibiting in the Spencer Fair is a goal to look forward to, and now that it is over I need to formulate what my next step is.  Of course I will plan to  exhibit again next year, unless, of course, I become professional.  Usually in the fall I think of what art class to take and I pour over the Worcester Art Museum course catalog.  I know that at this time I cannot attend classes at The Woodstock School of Art because my work schedule does not allow the time to do this, which is unfortunate for me.
     When I think of all the techniques I have learned from so many wonderful artists, I start to think that I don't need to learn anything new, I just need to practice and perfect what I have learned.  When I realize that in order to take a class I have reserved three hours in the evening to do this, then I am now thinking to take that same three hours and use it to practice and create my own art.  I need to make an appointment with myself for my own class, then I need to make to time to do my own homework, also.  This will be such a challenge for me!
      Whatever I do, and whatever process I take, I will share it in this blog, because, after all, this is all about my reinvention to create my own art.  I will now be challenged with time management, and fighting my own resistance!  I hope that I am inspiring someone to create art, or to take a class at the Worcester Art Museum, or The Woodstock School of Art, or anywhere close to you.  Classes are starting now.  Or, if you just want to create, just set aside one day for art.  Please let me know what you are doing in a comment. Thank you!

Ribbons Won At The Spencer Fair

      All of this makes me feel wonderful and enthused to get busy painting more pictures, or drawing more beautiful animals with pen and ink!


This first painting is one of my miniatures that is only 2.5"x3.5" and is the same scene that I won Reserved Consideration at the Spencer Fair last year, except that was a large water color and this is oil paint. This place I call my favorite walk, where I enjoy walking with my little dog.  I give credit to Joyce Washor, an artist that I studied with who teaches painting in miniature.  I acheived a second place ribbon.   

Thanks, Joyce, I love painting small!
This is a pen and ink drawing that I recently blogged about.  My subject was a beautiful light brown wild bunny in my yard.  I used Walnut shade ink to draw and create a wash.  I love this bunny, it makes me happy to look at this picture.  I must ink draw more animals, they are such wonderful subjects and I love them so much.  I give credit to Andy Fish who taught the class a the Worcester Art Museum. He is an amazing artist, check out his web page and blog, and even sign up for a class with him if you live around here.  Thanks, Andy, for teaching me ink drawing,

                    and also how to blog to promote art!


     This painting is one of my treasures.  I am so proud of this water color, I love it so much and usually have it hanging in the Autumn. I am totally thrilled that not only did it get a first place ribbon, but a purple Grand Champion ribbon.  I have always admired other work that achieved this ribbon, never realizing that I would also accomplish this!  I give credit to Bill Griffiths, the Guru, teacher at the Worcester Art Museum.  (I can still hear him saying, as I painted hesitantly with color, "this is nice, I want more".)  He is also an amazing artist and you should take a class with him, too, if you live around here.  Thanks, Bill
Also, thank you, Spencer Fair for allowing me to show my work, giving me prizes and then I can blog about it!
     I did find a reader of this blog at the fair, one of my daughter's friends, and she went to the exhibit to find my work.  Thanks, Maggie, for reading and appreciating my work!  I am truly humbled!  Now, lets get painting!!

I Get Excited About Alpaca Yarn

     Years ago, when I was 9 years old, I won a knitting kit when I submitted a drawing of a horse's head in a Curley-Q contest.  (For those who do not know what a Curley-Q  is, it is creating a picture from a random shaped line)  I guess I can say this was my first art contest I won!  The kit came with one pair of size 5 plastic needles and a few balls of colored yarn, and my mother taught me how to knit.  I have loved knitting and yarn ever since and have made countless projects, for myself and others.
      My dream for years was to knit a sweater from hand spun wool, and my dream came true when I found a spinner at the Spencer Fair several years ago.  I discussed with her spinning for me, and 6 months later she had my yarn ready!  I purchased it and knitted a very difficult cardigan for myself with this yarn.  My fingers felt so good while knitting from the lanolin.  I totally love this sweater, it keeps me very warm and even dry as it repels water with the natural oils, and this sweater won me a 2nd place ribbon at the Spencer Fair! This is my forever sweater.
     And, then I discovered Alpaca yarn and these beautiful animals!  I went to the Woodstock Fair in Woodstock, CT, and found people with an alpaca farm and that spun their own beautiful, very soft, yarn.  I bought some natural brown yarn and knitted the softest, warm mittens I ever had!  I discovered some local alpaca farms near me and have had the pleasure to speak with these remarkable people who spend their lives doing something they love.  Yesterday at the Spencer Fair, I found a woman spinning her alpaca fleece into yarn, she dyes it and is learning to knit.  This couple own 6 alpacas and you can see that they love what they do.  The woman did admit that they both work, but I admire that they both find the time to make this artistic endeavor an importance in their lives.  I have their card, will find them again and I will, of course, blog to you what I have found and what I will do!

I Was Afraid Of A Blank Sheet Of Paper

     With my recent readings and blogging about the book The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, it brings to mind my own fears when I returned to creating pictures after years of not creating.  My first fear was that "I've lost it".  I can remember hearing from unreliable but well meaning sources that is you don't use your talent you will lose it.  With having that thought in my brain, I would think about drawing and not attempt it for fear that I couldn't draw any more, how sad!  I started getting excited about art again when my daughter took an art course in high school and her teacher was very encouraging to her, which got my creative juices flow a little bit.  I will blog about my first attempt at another time, I need to show you both my first attempt and my reference piece, for which I am not ready to do today.
     I will, however, tell you my funny story about my first art class that I signed up for to get myself going again.  When I finally felt I had the time to devote to creating paintings, I chose to study water color painting, a subject that I had never been taught before.  I felt that this would be a good start since it would all be new, even if I was creating with a different medium.  I love the finished water color painting, the flow of the colors, the blurriness, the suggestions of images not necessary painted in detail. Then, of course, there are the paintings by masters who do nothing but beautiful detail.  Anyway, there I was sitting in my class at the Worcester Art Museum with the great William Griffiths as my teacher. He referred himself as "The Guru" and taught the purist method of using only the correct primary and secondary colors, mixing them to create all other colors and the big rule of using no black or white. His palettes were referred to as the tetrads and it was important to stick to these colors because if you introduced something else, he would know!  That was enough to instill fear of the ire of Uncle Bill being brought down upon us.
      After we had classes teaching the the basic strokes, methods, techniques, we could start our own painting.  There I was with my Arches Water Color paper, my pan of water, my paints unopened, my reference picture in front of me.  I had penciled in a few reference lines, but was totally clueless as to how to start my painting. I was scared to death to even make attempt!  He always went around and sat with the students individually and gave tips on what to do, but this week, he started at the other side of the room, and I was the last one on my side of the room, so I just sat and waited patiently, telling my neighbor I didn't know what to, and it turned out, she didn't know what to do either.  Finally, it was my turn, he sat down next to me, looked at my reference picture, looked at my paper, and all he said was, "cover the paper with a yellow wash".  Ok, I said, (taking a deep breath), I prepared my perfect yellow and water, took out my large brush and I was able to paint a perfect yellow wash.  I was very proud of myself.  But this is where it ends.  I was too afraid to even attempt to my painting, I was completely stuck without being told what to do next.  There was no time for Bill to see everyone again, and I went home and proudly showed my daughter, laughing, "see what I did with a 2 1/2 class!" and showed her my yellow piece of paper. I was so afraid to paint back then, believing that I may do the wrong thing and I didn't want to face this.  It is terrible how paralyzing this is.  There are probably countless paintings that are given up on because of fear.  I have made a lot of progress since then!

Being A Hunter-Gatherer

      While I have not actually had the time to sit down and create art work, I am never without thoughts of what I will create next.  My eyes are looking everywhere in my world for ideas that can be used in my art.  I carry my camera with me and I am taking many, many pictures of wonderful scenes, animals, people in great poses.
      My camera is not fancy, but I did get a new one when my first digital camera became senile and could not focus on anything.  I found the lastest Sony Cybershot and I am not only pleased with the results, but I absolutely love the panoramic picture feature, it is great fun.  When I was first practicing this feature at a cookout we hosted here, and I wanted to take a picture of he entire group, I told everyone to pose, and as I swept my camera slowly from left to right, I went, "woooooooooooooooo" until the picture was done.  It was so funny!!  "Wait a minute, everybody, I have to do this again, ok, look at me.....wooooooooooooooooo!"
      Just last week at one of the sites I worked at, I found some magnificently old trees that were twisted and shaped so wonderfully, and the feature that drew me to them were the holes in them and I could only imagine what beautiful animals that would poke their heads out of these holes!  When walking at another site a couple of weeks ago, I found groups of great mushrooms on the side of the road.  I got down on the ground, cleared out the weeds and grass and took some nice closeups of the mushrooms.  I have taken beautiful pictures of the sky with big puffy clouds. 
      I once tried to save pictures from magazines, they looked nice at the time, but when I looked at them later, (yawn) they did nothing for me.  I get excited with my own work, and it may be that element of love that I am finding.  When I have searched and found something great, I claim it as mine, I feel a connection to the subject, and my pictures have meaning.  I want to turn to my own library first and ideas are flourishing.  I am getting excited to start a painting from a picture I took recently.  I will tell you where I found the picture later in another blog.  I can only tell you that I got excited to create after hearing from my daughter the ribbons I won at the Spencer Fair.  I don't want to say what I won until I see it with my own eyes tomorrow, but I will say that one ribbon gave me goose bumps and made me do a happy dance and got me on the phone to my son's house since he has the print of this painting!!! Keep reading!!! Happy Labor Day to those from the USA. To others around the world, it means we take Monday off from work and enjoy a day of rest from our labor (although there are still plenty of people working).

In Conclusion, The End Of The Book

     I finished reading The War of Art by Steven Pressman.  It is such an excellent read, I highly recommend it for anyone who is or wants be creative.  I think it should be on book lists for art students everywhere.  I must say, the style is easy to read, he gets to the point and delivers the message clearly.  The message is pretty powerful, too.  When I read traditional books, I tend to give into the temptation of leaf through the pages at the end, because I can hardly wait to get there.  I read this on an e-reader, which is new for me, and with this you have to click, click, click to get to where you want to be, and without a book mark to place anywhere, I didn't dare venture off of my page, so I read every page in order, and then finally found myself completely done!
     In essence, to be an artist is to tap into your soul, create what your soul wants and not be concerned with what the world thinks or wants.  Also, that our soul is connected to a higher spiritual plane, and we will be full filling our purpose for being here.  Mr Pressman's final thought is: "Creative work is not a selfish act or a bid for attention on the part of the actor.  It's a gift to the world and every being in it.  Don't cheat us out of your contribution.  Give us what you've got."
     All I can say is, "wow"!  I may have to get back into this book to re-read parts, but I feel there is great value in what I have learned.  My only hope is that day by day, I remember these thoughts and that day by day I do something that brings me to my goal of creating art more present in my life.  There will always be the conflict of what the world wants from me and what my soul wants from me, but I have to find a way to bring my soul more present in my life. He did touch upon reinvention of ourselves and shedding the old skin. I found that amazing, since the theme of this blog is the reinvention of myself, to be the person I was intended to be all along. Thanks for sharing my journey, I will let you know the steps I take along the way.

Professionalism , Art and Love

     Continuing with my subject of  The War of Art, a book I cannot put down, Steven Pressfield has a chapter entitled "For Love of the Game" where he touches on professionalism.  He wrote: "To clarify a point about professionalism: The professional, though he accepts money, does his work out of love.  He has to love it.  Otherwise he wouldn't devote his life to it of his own free will."
     This reading brings my thoughts back to The Woodstock School of Art where my teacher, Chinese master painter HongNian Zhang, explained to us that we should paint what we love.  When he was away in China, his wife Lois Woolley taught the class alone and our model set up was a chef chopping up food.  When he returned and saw our subject posing, he was pleased and said, "Look at this.  This is love".
     I believe I had a hard time understanding this at first, along with his asking what was the "story" of my painting (as I had my apple girl dangling in the middle of a blank canvas, story? what? I have to think up a story, too?), and, "what are you talking about?", as I would be putting detail in a particular area (probably the wrong one, too).  But, as I am learning more, and becoming wiser, I realize love in our work is crucial to get the results we are looking for.  I've said it before in my blog, that I know when my art is going right because I fall in love with it.  I must remember to keep love in my art, when I choose my subject, when I create my story theme and as I create.

The Spencer Fair Art Exhibit

     After arriving home from work yesterday, I was off  to the Spencer Fair to submit my three pieces of art work for the exhibition.  I was so excited.  I lovingly and carefully checked the glass for smears, the frames for dust and then carefully wrapped them in cloth and off I went!  As I passed the fairgrounds, I felt a thrill as I saw the ferries wheel and the carousel set up, bringing back so many memories of fairs gone by.
      In the exhibit hall I needed to obtain my number which is needed to claim my artwork back at the end, then I went off to the table to write my labels for each piece.  I was so excited, I was all thumbs!  Next to me was a man who brought his photographs to show and he was doing this process for the first time.  I glanced at his work, and saw he did beautiful close up shots of his wife's garden and there was this huge white spider on a flower!  The hair stood up on the top of my head and I got goose bumps all over!  What a picture!
     I then brought them to the tables where my work was placed last year, and I only saw one other painting.  Realizing there was one more hour to submit art, I thought, where are the artists??  Have they all gone professional? I saw there was big response to photographs, they had large plastic bins filled with photos, all sorted by categories.  I walked away, looking back at my art work hanging up, waiting to be judged, wanting to be loved.  It was an empty feeling leaving them behind, kind of like when you drop off you child at school for the very first time and you walk away leaving them.  Wish me luck!  Please feel free to check the Spencer Fair website to the right in this blog and see what we do here.