Young J.L., Blue

 Young J.L. Blue.  I tried and tried to paint a decent likeness of young J.L., but failed so I painted her blue!  8x10 oil on linen.  

Lucy and Sam Going Somewhere

 On the Road again, oil on canvas 20x20.  Golden Gate Bridge in the distance.  What's wrong with this picture???

Sam at Limantour with Found Lego Toy

 Playing with layers put the waves in the sand dunes at the beach.  

Lucy's MOCA Class for families with kids starting this November

I've been spending a lot of time trying to come up with a fun project to do with families with kids that will result in a finished art piece in about 30 minutes.  This is for my paper collage art theory class at MOCA (link here: https://www.marinmoca.org/) this coming November.  I'm using nice washi paper and some recycled paper from an old telephone book.

For now, after some trial and error (see prior post,) I've decided on a paper collage portrait in the style of Yayoi Kusama.  This Pinterest link: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/230809549637151790/?lp=true includes Yayoi Kusama's 2016 self portrait  in yellow and purple.  It's simple, it uses complementary colors, and it's contemporary.   The image above is my self portrait done in somewhat of a Kusama style.

There are several great projects on-line for kids to create collage portraits in the style of Picasso, or Paul Klee or Matisse.  I thought it would be fun to do something in the style of a living, contemporary artist instead.  I have thrown in a few words of things I love to fill out the negative space.  Drawing the words out, inking them and painting them in, however, made the project take longer than desired, so the negative space surrounding the main object may have to stay empty!

Paper Collage and Color Theory

I'm getting ready to teach a few art classes at MOCA (Marin Museum of Contemporary Art) in Novato starting this coming November.  The classes are part of their Sunday family days - having fun making art with your kids- program.  Link here:  https://www.marinmoca.org/

As I haven't been doing much more than nursing this past year, I needed to practice for my paper collage class revolving around color theory.  I wanted to tie in my first class with the current 50 FACES exhibit at MOCA and come up with something that would result in a finished portrait in 30 minutes.

First off, I got Sam to pose for me (top)  Result looks nothing like him and this fill-in collage technique takes way longer than 30 minutes.  I filled out the rest of the image with doodles (a technique I'm planning to explore in more mediums coming up) and tried another approach.  

Next up (middle) was a portrait using recycled telephone book pages and some apple cut paper images to illustrate the complementary colors red and green.  This also took way too long and didn't come out that well.

Another effort (bottom) was a pen & ink drawing with complementary colors (yellow/purple) filling in the negative space around the main image.  Something to consider, but not the final choice.

Some Fun With Family

Recently, nephew Greg Manata drove down to my studio to have his portrait done.  That takes nerve.  Finished piece combines watercolor, graphite, pen & ink, an old photo of Greg when he was young (which makes up his hair), some nice papers (his interesting shirt) - all glued on some white heavyweight top quality Arches watercolor paper.  I welcome more models - who don't mind what the final piece looks like (since it is rarely totally accurate or flattering).

That same evening, I noticed how cool my late, great father, E.A. Autrey's, stained glass rooster (which hangs in my kitchen window) looked reflected on my neighbor's house.  So some family art photos finished an artful day.

Homage to E.A. Autrey's People Photography

Remembering the late, great E.A. Autrey (my father).  While updating my list of photographers I like on Pinterest - some examples here: https://www.pinterest.com/lucyawilson/people-photography/,  I realized some of the old pictures my father took of his children fit in quite well.  Here is the quintessential sullen teenager in 1965 - capturing the true essence of that episode of youth I don't miss at all.  I doctored up the picture somewhat, especially above where I added some original art to the background.

I Wish I Still Looked Like I Did In 1965

Working on a series of portraits for my photography class at TheImageFlow in Mill Valley, CA.

Being Too Old is No Fun

The plan was to draw a fun abstract on colored paper, based on a poem by my mother, but this picture emerged instead.   At a certain point in time, being too old is just no fun.

Busy Hands are ...

... the opposite of idle hands, which are the Devil's workshop, according to some.  Took some time out from sewing last week to play with cold wax and oil paints:

Top to bottom:

1.  Space Flower:  mixed media on paper covered cradled board 16x12

2.  Space Flowers:  mixed media on cradled gessobord 8 1/2 x 12 3/4

3.  Woman Looking to the West:  cold wax, graphite and oil paint on arches oil paper on cradled board 6x6

Sunday Drawing Fun with Family

Sitting outside yesterday, in Walnut Creek, drawing with my 95 3/4 year old mother, and my siblings, in the warm California sun can be summed up in one word:  Delightful.  I was drawing birds with the aim of designing some new fabric on Spoonflower, then took a turn at drawing my mother (as she drew me) and finally drew one of the still life props set out for inspiration - a wooden artist model.

New Fabulous Taylor Twin Art

Top two ink & crayon pieces by Cole Taylor (age 5), bottom pen & ink & watercolor portrait of his 95 year old great grandma Autrey by Wilson Taylor (age 5).

Portraits of my Father in Indiana

The Taylor Twins in Silverpoint

Cole and Wilson Taylor, age 3, in Silverpoint on Gesso Sottile (rabbit skin glue & marble dust) on 9x12 cradled board.

Portrait of Lucy by B.J.

B.J. Thrailkill did a much nicer job painting me than I did painting myself.  Portrait done as part of an assignment in Chester Arnold's painting class 3/2012.