Mini-Monday Painting - Cause & Effect

3/31/09

I love to push the first domino and watch the series of each hitting the next and falling down. It's pretty predictable seeing how they are set up but not always. Sometimes we stack things up nice and close in our lives and wonder when one thing is whacked why everything else seems to fall as a result. Sometimes you can grab a domino out of the line further down the series and it stops the falling process.

This week's theme is Cause & Effect.

The 1 domino represents a couple and each successive domino things they choose in their lives. The last domino off to the right represents over time a growing family. It happens to show the 2 for my husband and I and the 9 for the 8 children we have and 1 son-in-law. The domino laying down shows inaction, inability and no risk. It's safe. It won't have the chance or opportunity to be knocked down. It also is blank to show emptiness, lack of growth, immoveable on the one hand and calm, stability, and rest on the other. The curvy pattern for the twists and turns in life.

3/30/09 I didn't want you to think that I dropped off the end of the earth so I am posting Mini-Monday even though I haven't finished it yet. It's about half way done. I have a couple of things to do tonight, like pick up my Mom from the airport, and I didn't know when I'd be able to post later. 

This week's painting inspired by having to shop for a car after the car accident.

Mini-Monday Painting - Accident

You'd think I'd do something like spring given the time of year. But, this week's theme is ACCIDENT, since my teenage daughter had a car accident Friday afternoon and our car is totaled. And the other car. So accidents have been on my mind a little this weekend. (She is fairly fine. Very sore.) We spent the afternoon in the hospital for tests. My other daughter, Alisha, flew in the night before to visit for the weekend so she was part of this adventure too. And that is who inspired today's Mini-Monday.

Alisha works in a state mental hospital and is familiar with difficult patients. Because of her aptitudes she is often asked to accompany patients to the hospital. She was in her element when she got in 'work' mode with her sister. It was different to see her in that way. But it's made me think of how helpful it is to have someone who can assist, aid and give relief during times of stress, like accidents.

The painting has folded metal to represent the metal of the car accident. It's a cup because I often think of people as vessels, things being put in and things going out with the ability to store for future use. Alisha is a no frills kinda gal. The X & O to represent the emotional and physical love and relief. Green because of the renewing affect that the aid generates. Not much of a vacation but it was a help and pleasure to have her here especially in response to the accident.

This week's painting inspired by Alisha.

Mini-Monday Painting - Cupcake Jessie

oil 8"x8"

FINALLY! This is a first - Mini Monday on Tuesday. Truth be told I started exercising last week. And it's something that I'm not so fond of and takes me half the day to work myself up to do. So I have not been working my normal painting routine. I may have to change a few things here. But, for today here is the painting. It is inspired by my daughter Jessie. Her nickname, given to her by her great-grandmother is Cupcake. I don't even remember exactly why but that's it.

Most nicknames are given in affection, tenderness or some connection. It's a soft spot someone has for someone else. That's why the soft colored background of spots. The reflective foil surface is reflective because it mirrors the nicknamed's personality. The cupcake is served on a plate because we usually get 'served' nicknames from others. And the circle dragees because it is mostly an inner circle of people that use the nickname. (I actually meant to add a line on the inner edge of the plate to represent that too but forgot until this moment reading my notes - oh well) So, there you have it.

This week's painting inspired by Jessie & Gram

Mini-Monday Painting - Brush Off

Brush Off                8" x  8"                 oil

For Mini-Monday's Painting I could have gone in all sorts of directions with the topic of REJECTION but I ended up with Brush Off a play on words. It is symbolic of being rejected from exhibitions - particularly 3 shows (hence the 3 paint brushes laying flat) that paintings of mine were rejected from last week. The paint brushes in the can are for shows that I do get into. Rejections and Acceptances are just intertwined in the process. The background is a palette representing the amount of work involved in finishing a painting. The used, chaotic paints on the palette are kinda like the feelings one has when being rejected or brushed off.

Inspired by the 3 Exhibitions that I didn't get into.

Mini-Monday Painting - Day Off

The husband got back after 5 weeks away and I just couldn't bring myself to work. Sorry, no painting today. Have a good evening. 

Mini-Monday Painting Dreams

Dreams            8" x 8"      oil    

This weeks theme is DREAMS. For Mini-Monday it's a symbolic painting representing dreams. The swirling pattern on the heart is for the swirling of emotions that - as in wishes, aspirations, wild fancies, or hopes - often whirl through us as we dream (like-can I? I can, maybe not, why not?, this is dumb, no one does this, not me,...). A heart for the personal nature of our dreams. How close to us that they are. Things we don't want to tell others. Or that when we do tell others that we know our dream will be safe with them. It's hanging in the open because we expose our vulnerability when other's know our dreams and when we fail or we succeed. Dreams show what we think about ourselves or the world around us. It hangs by a ribbon because of the circumstances that dreams hang on. Sometimes by a thread but at other times it seems like a gift. I chose the ribbon for the gift side of it.

Inspired by my daughter, Leila, who is visiting, and her dreams many of which she has accomplished and the one's in the future.

Mini-Monday Painting - Apple halves

oil  8" x  8"

Today's Mini-Monday painting is an apple cut in half. I will name it later. I think I am having a need for brighter colors lately. Maybe it's the winter weather. I don't know but I like them. I don't know that I'd like these colors larger than this format though. 

I liked the idea of seeds for beginnings because of the obvious. But, apples also have many prior iconic meanings that have tie ins to beginnings. Like Adam and Eve (and the apple) in the beginning, Apple of someone's eye - their favorite, Newton and the falling apple linked to gravity, seeds and Johnny Appleseed who supplied seeds to pioneers, and then there is my favorite Apple (MAC) in the beginning of the personal computer industry.

Well, maybe you have some other connections. Let me know and happy Monday.

Update: This painting is inspired by my Mom who has been there since the beginning for me. 

Mini-Monday Painting

8" x 8"  oil

Mini-Monday Painting - New Beginnings

The Mini-Monday painting is New Beginnings  6" x 6"  oil. I actually was really done on Monday... that is until I dropped it. My husband and I were webcaming together apart (he's in Africa) and I lifted the painting to show him. Bam! On the floor. Oh and it had to hit the drawers on the way down. Of course. So I had to fix it.

This obviously is a lousy photo so I will post another one later. (2/3/09 I replaced the photo for one in natural light) And I'll try not to touch it again until dry. Since I started so late, 10:30, I needed something a little simple. I had this little broken egg that one of my daughters brought in. Robin's egg blue is a beautiful color.

2/3/09 Posted this Mini-Monday late last night. Originally titled it "robin's egg blue" which I liked. But looking at it this morning I had different feelings. (As opposed to the feeling last night of just getting it finished.) I thought about the different direction, really a more focused direction, I am going in now with my artwork.  It seems more symbolic of me. It's a new vision about my art and this is apropos - New Beginnings.

Mini-Monday Painting

1/29/09   This photo is closer to the actual color, taken in better light.

Mini-Monday painting.             Oil            8" x 8"

Mini-Monday Painting - Hershey Kiss

1/29/09 Updated - This is closer to the actual color of the painting. The one below is taken in artificial (warm yellow cast) light. The one above in natural (cool blue cast) north light, which is what I like to paint by.

It's 11:26 pm my time so technically it is still Monday. So I made it. I really like the colors.

Mini-Monday's painting - Hershey Kiss

Gesture of Affection

8" x 8"

oil

Mini-Monday Painting

Anyone looking for my Mini-Monday painting it will be a Mini-Monday NIGHT painting. So I'm still going to do it just much later in the day than I thought it would be. Sorry it's gonna be late today.

Mini-Monday Painting .44 Mag

Here is today's Mini-Monday Painting -

.44 MAG         oil       8" x 8"

Inspired by the husband

Mini-Monday Blue Gumball Painting

Finally!!    8"  x  8"  oil painting

We're closer to having the auction working

Mini-Monday Always Know Painting

Always Know                   oil painting     8"  x   8"

This is today's mini-monday ptg - Always Know. Ideally I would auction this but that's not set up so..... All my pricing will be done in a couple of weeks. That's the plan anyway. So, for now this is great skill building for me. Fun to do the reflective surfaces. (silver clothes pins) And I love the colors. I miss my husband so that's probably why the content. He'll be home tomorrow.

Mini-Monday Boyfriend Painting

8"  x  8"    oil painting    Boyfriend

After viewing many artist's 'painting a day' blogs I was hooked. But in reality that's just not what I want to do - a painting a day. But I like the idea of small paintings - just do it and be done. Especially after painting so large all the time. So I have compromised on the idea. I will do Mini-Monday. So, every Monday I will do a small painting. That way I get to do a small painting but don't commit to my time that way everyday. The idea is to sell them online. But I haven't set that up yet. So it will just sit here for awhile. Besides I kinda hate selling this one.