AN ART SHOW ON MOTHERS’DAY
My Church, Our Lady of Holy Souls, is hosting an art show on Mother’s Day this year from 9 AM – 1 PM in the Parish Hall. The address is 1003 Tyler in Little Rock (Hilcrest Area). I will have several smaller works and some handmade greeting cards for sale. These are just a few of the artworks I’ll be showing.
Please come visit.
PASTEL AND WATERMEDIA PAINTINGS DISCOUNTED FOR QUICK SALE!
It’s time to slim down my inventory of framed paintings. I have no gallery or studio from which to sell my works anymore, and at my current age of 90, I prefer not to leave my children with an enormous cache for disposal. So here are some possibilities for you. They are available in my home studio for half price until the end of November. If you are interested, please contact me at my email address to set up a time to come by and have a look! You won’t be disappointed!
Flowers Are Free – 24 x 30″ Summer Day – 20 x 25″ Sky and Water -17 x 21″
Solitary – 20 x 20″
There are many more — I’ll post some later, but please make an appointment to come by and see all!
MY VEIN OF GOLD
I have found that Nature is my “vein of gold.” This has been apparent since childhood in the places where I played secret games, in the books I loved to read, in the flowers that formed an important (though unrecognized) part of my education. Even now, the long suppressed desire to grow things has surfaced. My favorite genre in my art are landscapes and florals; even my abstracts have a growing, expanding feeling. This direction needs to be recognized and expanded. My techniques should also be changing to more vibrancy and texture. I am at a turning point. My mission – my vision—is to express God’s glory and grandeur in my work, if only on a limited scale of course, but in the light of His love.
I am noticing that many women are now business entrepreneurs and CEO’s of big corporations. When I was growing up, women “knew their places” and were happy to stay there. Thy managed their homes, husbands, and children, and that was that! They never became all they could be. As for me, I had high potential and low expectations. I opted, while still a teenager, for marriage and a family. Of course, I always wondered what I might have been or might have achieved.
Now, of course, I realize that it is not what I have achieved, but who I have become that is important. What God wants me to be is a compassionate, caring woman who knows Him and His ways and lives accordingly. I think I still have a way to go, even at the age of 90 years: “God’s not finished with me yet!”
ELI, ELI, SABATHANI
The man on the cross cries out, “Eli, Eli, Sabathani.”
The pain of Jesus’ crucifixion must be unbearable, yet he bore it. Alone, deserted, rejected, humiliated and weighed down by the sins of the world, he calls out. And God answered him.
Sometimes, things are so bad for us that we can’t see our way to God. This is when we call out, “Eli, Eli, Sabathani” and God shows us His love.
Having lived to be an nonagenarian, I look back on the last few years and realize that I’ve had a good life. I have learned so much about life, love, and the Almighty that I feel I should be an expert. But an expert has reached her pinnacle, and I have not. There is still so much to learn, and I am overjoyed at the prospect. My husband and I raised eight children, and we should be basking in the love of these and our 24 grandchildren and umpteen great grandchildren. But Lyle died over ten years ago, and I have become a different person. Much learning comes from the grieving process.
My learning progress can be traced, I feel, through the poems, prose and prayers I have written in the last few years. I don’t consciously sit down and prepare to write poems, but I write in my prayer journal each morning, and sometimes the poetry just pours out of me. All it ever needs, to my thinking, is just a little tweaking. Sometimes it’s rhymed, sometimes it’s not, but it all comes from my heart. Hopefully it will reach other old hearts as well. Isn’t that what poetry is supposed to do?
No one really knows love until they have a child. Some would even say “grandchild.” But a child is part of you in a very real sense. He (or she) most likely has some of your characteristics and idiosyncrasies. His facial and bodily features resemble you in some way. Even though he may stray from home, even reject you, you will never reject him—he is part of you. In a much greater way, this is how God feels about us. He’ll always be our father/mother. We are part of him/her. Praise be to God.
CHANGES THAT AFFECT OLDER WOMEN
“CLOUD” – MY LATEST PASTEL PAINTING – 12 X 16″ 18 X 21″ FRAMED
1. Some changes can affect old men as well but I have little experience with this except to note that my husband of 60 years who died in 2013 had become more disoriented, more loving, and more dependent on me. His mind, as well as his body was disintegrating. He was almost 86 when he died of cancer. I am now 90 years of age and grateful for comparatively good health. However–
2. Women sometimes lose inches from their height. I used to be 5’1” in my middle ages and then somehow I shrank to 4’11” in my 80’s. And all of that relocated in my belly area! I don’t have a waist anymore! But one thing to remember – don’t lean over – keep your back straight. Good posture is paramount!
3. Strength and balance seem to lesson. I can’t lift as much, move as quickly, stand as long as before. Exercise classes help to allay these problems.
4. Names escape me – even names of those whom I’ve known for a long time. I also forget names of familiar plants, stores and businesses I frequent. Most of the time the names come back to me after a few minutes. I don’t forget numbers however.
5. I walk slower. It once took me 20 minutes to walk a mile, now it takes 23 minutes. It’s harder walking uphill as well.
6. My eyelids droop, and I can’t wear eyeliner anymore. Applying mascara is also difficult. I have to open my eyes really wide and let it dry, or it’ll smudge. So far, it hasn’t bothered my eyesight.
7. The skin on my arms and legs started thinning greatly around 80 years of age. All extremities, especially my legs, are bruised by even the slightest pressure. This was before I had to start taking a statin and baby aspirin and has been worse ever since.
8. I have stomach aches from time to time. I’ve suffered from IBS for many years, but this has worsened. It depends on what I eat, when I eat, how much I eat at a time, and the amount of stress I’ve experienced. Constipation and diarrhea alternate.
9. I’ve lost weight, staying between 110-112 pounds when before my weight was around 122 – 125. I can’t eat much at night or indigestion and/or stomach aches result. I must watch carbs and red meat.
10. I’m easily confused at times, especially when thoughts of a different nature crowd in and I become distracted: i.e. “What did I come in here after?”
11. I have increased susceptibility to stress and anxiety. I panic if I can’t locate my phone or car keys, for example. The possibility of scams online are always a scare. Not being able to say “No” when asked to help out is a problem for me.
12. Physical, emotional, and cognitive problems increase with no forewarnings. What will happen next? Where am I most vulnerable? Safety and independence is always a concern. Little slipups occur when I don’t expect them.
13. The physical conditions that often accompany old age abound: arthritis, anemia, angina, hypertension, osteoporosis, atherosclerosis – and then there’s that “C” word better known as malignancy – all these loom as definite possibilities.
14. Dark spots, bumps, and dry skin patches abound all over my body – even “where the sun don’t shine.” Whiteheads (as we call it) appear in clumps in soft places – underarms, pelvis area, neck, etc.
15. There is sometimes a feeling of being “left out” when in the company of younger people – even my own kids and grandkids. Perhaps some of this is due to hearing loss! However, I feel more comfortable around those of my own age.
BUT THERE ARE SOME GOOD CHANGES AS WELL
1. Respect has been seen from others for advanced age, as long as I’m not addressed as “young lady.” This is a slap in the face because it calls attention to my age.
2. Little kids and babes smile at me because I remind them of their grandmothers. What a lovely thing!
3. I have a greater love of nature, from the various colors of the sky – cloud shapes – mountains in the distance – the changing seasons and colors – the trees, and even rocks on my paths.
4. Animals of all kinds are worthy of respect – especially the ones I see as I walk the paths around me – rabbits, squirrels, birds of all ilk with their various calls, and of course – pets — dogs and cats and horses!
5. Dare I say, “Wisdom?” The sense to NOT say what I think? Keeping my mouth shut at the right times? Waiting for the proper opportunities to mention my thoughts and suggestions to children, grandchildren, etc.?
6. The knowledge that you still have something to offer others. There’s a reason why you’re still here – you still can do some good – you can help – find your purpose!
7. A greater faith in God and the afterlife often arrives – especially after losing a spouse. You know you will follow soon, so you look harder for a relationship with the Creator/Father. It makes no difference your particular religion. You are one with God, and with all others.
8. Memories still abound of being there in days of history – WWII, the Berlin Wall – the fall of the Soviet Union, Watergate, Vietnam and Korea. You have first-hand knowledge and can share with youngsters. Desegregation, the 60”s when narcotics were tried by all the teenagers, and especially 9-11. What a wealth of knowledge you contain.
9. We now have a greater love of reading, especially of history, historical fiction, spirituality and meditative sources. We re-read old classical novels, poetry and mysteries we once loved.
10. Perhaps we find a new hobby or way to volunteer to help others in need. This could be something we always wanted to do, but never had time for before. Maybe we could write our memoirs so that our descendants could learn from them and remember us in the years to come. What a delightful idea!
NEW PASTEL LANDSCAPES
SUMMER DAY – 20 X 25″ FRAMED – $525
BACKLIT – 20 X 26″ FRAMED – $545
NEW AND OLD WORKS
From the West – acrylic on canvas – 18 x 36″
I have been painting and drawing all my life, but not really absorbed in it until I retired from the field of education in 1995. I was a high school art and English teacher until becoming an administrator after earning a doctorate in secondary education. Even after retirement, I still taught art to adults and children at various locations in Central Arkansas.
As of now, I have over 140 framed paintings and drawings that are still available for purchase. On this blog, I am hoping to show some of these to interested parties who might want to buy them. My style is realistic, and mostly about landscapes, especially Arkansas scenes that might bring a memory or an emotional feeling to the viewer. My prices are very reasonable. If viewers like you see anything you might enjoy, please contact me at my email address: pastelanne@sbcglobal.net.
Blue Skies – pastel framed 24 x 28″
Lake Trees – pastel framed 26 x 32″
Evening Prayer – pastel framed 19 x 25″
Misty Morning – pastel, 26 x 31″ framed
A RETROSPECTIVE OF THE ARTWORK I CREATED IN 2020 DURING THE PANDEMIC
The first two paintings I finished in 2020 were part of the ongoing watercolor abstracts series Out of the Box. On the left is Flow Chart – 12 x 16” framed and consists of many ribbons intertwined with a gold ribbon in the center. As are the others, it is priced at $315. The one on the right is titled O Happy Day – same size framed, and same price. I did this one in three sessions and showed each one on Facebook so that others could see my procedure. I had a lot of fun doing these, but felt the need to try something different.
So then “The Brothers” came into being. This is acrylic on 1” wrapped canvas, so it is not framed, but the edges are painted to continue the tones. The size is 24 x 30” and is priced at $650. It won a 3rd place in landscape at the recent ALA exhibit. It is mysterious in feeling, and the title came about after its finish. The brothers are the dark trees in the foreground sheltering the entrance to what lies ahead in the light. It seems to have some spiritual depth to it, and I was delighted at the way it came together. I seemed to be getting more emotional in my painting rather than trying to be realistic.
Well, I had to go back to pastels eventually, because they’re my favorite to work with. I’m proud of this 20 x 30″ framed pastel finished in early summer. The title is “Sundown,” and it’s based on a photo by a friend Linda Neuman. I thought it was quite dramatic, and it came together easily. The predominant colors are complementary with dark greys reflecting the sky colors. It is professionally framed with 1″ textured black wood and plexiglass — no matting. Price listed is $625.
In the spring, I started playing around with more watercolor, especially in my watercolor sketchbooks in a 9 x 12” size. This was after I had broken a hip, had surgery, and spent time in rehab and physical therapy. My grandson’s wife, Marianne, had sent me a photo of her oldest son, Logan, looking up at a tree in the fall, marveling at the leaf colors. What a great photo, so I had to try it. Here’s the result. I have mailed this to the family for a keepsake, so it’s not for sale! But of course, commissions are always available is someone has a great photo like this! Here’s the result:
Next followed three acrylic paintings with very dramatic color schemes. I was rereading old copies of The Palette Magazine and loving how those artists used bright and vivid colors to make paintings. These are somewhat semi-abstract, since the colors I used are not the colors of nature. But why not? It was a time for experimentation, and I was having fun!
Two more of the abstracted “Out of the Box” Series were painted a few months apart: Why Me? And The Fallen. The first was a group of canna-like plants painted in an analogous color scheme of blue-green, green, and orange accents. The second was a group of fallen leaves in orange, yellow-green and blue=green – with the oranges pre-dominating: a semi-triad color scheme. With this series, I had tried to use every color scheme imaginable, and I think I must be through with this series. It numbers a dozen with one sold. The sizes, framing, and prices are the same with each one. The Fallen is the only one with a horizontal format.
Back to pastel painting: Two iris paintings in pastel were done for the Iris Show, which was cancelled because of the virus. They are both 9 x 12” as of now unframed, but matted. The first was titled “Peachy,” while the second was named “Blue Iris.” Pastel paintings seem to be completed quicker than watermedia paintings. This may be why I love doing them so much! When framed, these will be priced $315 each.
Smaller works followed as the result of a Doodlewash Challenge for September. Three works were completed for some of the daily challenges, but one was later torn up to use as collage material. One is named “Mishmash,” and was used as a mask design on Vida.com and resulted in over 40 sales. The other was an 8 x 12” unframed watercolor of my rose-red paper weight. It was a real challenge – Round by name! Mishmash is framed at 19 x 23” and is priced at $435. “Paper Weight” can be bought unframed at $50!
Toward the end of the year, I decided to try doing a pastel portrait of my tabby cat, Spice. It is on self-prepared black gessoed support and is 12 x 16” currently unframed. I am happy with it because it shows her lovely yellow-green eyes and her sweet look. It was fairly easy to do – not traced, but drawn free-hand as most of my artwork. I thought the dark blue-green background set off her colors beautifully.
In December I started re-reading Gerald Brommer’s signed book Collage Techniques, and decided to try my hand at collage-making. This is the first result using the torn painting I mentioned earlier. It is 16 x 16” on clayboard that has a depth of 1½”. Another clayboard was used the the second one – same size, and it was the final painting in 2020. I used rice paper and acrylic skins on an acrylic and gesso background.
In addition, I drew with pen and ink almost every day in different sketchbooks. Here are a few examples – I sometimes found pictures in the daily ArkansasDemocrat/Gazette and magazines to use as references.
Volunteering for Kindred Hospice, I also painted over 70 watercolor greeting cards to send Hospice patients – they all had a personal message of hope and comfort inside. I will continue to do this in 2021 since it is such a rewarding endeavor for me. A few examples here:
THAT’S ALL, FOLKS!
DRAWING CLASS TO BEGIN IN THE NEW YEAR
Basic Drawing Techniques II, a continuation of the drawing class from September-October in 2018, will start on January 9, 2019 at the Maumelle Center on the Lake. This will be a more advanced class consisting of linear and aerial perspective studies, enlarging from photos, and figure and portrait drawings. Information will be out soon from the Maumelle Center, but if you are interested, contact me by email or text to get further details.
Here is an example of a pen and ink drawing accomplished with the knowledge of linear perspective — a good thing to know if you want to further your drawing abilities!
NEW ARTWORKS ON SALE FOR CHRISTMAS
Here are some additional framed artworks that are marked down 20% for Christmas sales. Contact me if you are interested. Mary Ann
An Early Spring – pastel on suede board 26 x 31″ framed
From the West – acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas 18 x 36″
Lake Trees – pastel 26 x 32″ framed
Pie Apples – pastel 21 x 27″ framed
Crystal Cross – pastel 20 x 26″ framed
Stafford ArtWorks 