Sisters

Sisters

By Michele Lee

20"x60" mixed media on canvas

Well the last pouring painting is finally done! Life has really taken me on a journey with this one. I think I will call it "Sisters".

We swim and we glide through these waters of life

Enjoying all that it has to offer.

She is there for me through good times and in bad

I love her with my heart and soul

I feel a different kind of connection with my sister

She builds me up when I have fallen

And I catch her when she is down

We share our husbands and our children

We share our joy and our tears

She is my sister

Beautiful and elegant

She is there for me when all others seem to have gone

She is my sister

Strong and loving

I am blessed to be swimming these waters with her.

Enjoy!

Working on a new Pouring

Seemed to have changed into another Koi. This one will be titled "We Are One"

I am feeling the need to do a series of these fish abstracts. They feed my soul.

Here is a small portion of the pouring so far
A little more added


First Layer of pouring



Had to take a break for a bit today. I have been working on a large 4ftx6ft painting. (you can see part of it in the upper right corner) And also trying to get the painting ready for class. Plus working at the day job. My soul NEEDS an abstract break! So I thought I would take a moment and get another Pouring started. This one will be a 20" x 60". I can't wait to see how it turns out. It has been merinating in my soul for a while now.



Do you have any idea what it will be? I can always use others thoughts and eyes ;)



Enjoy!

The Valley Below

^ Here is the final painting. ^

I am working on a commission piece...well actually 4 right now. Here is one of them. It is for a client who lives on Monte Sano mountain. Her back yard actually looks out at the valley below. The is a slight hummmmmm to her gardens and surroundings up there. You know that simple little white noise you hear when there are not other noises around. I think that is the sound of peace. Sitting at the edge of her garden is almost like sitting at the edge of the earth.

The painting still has a way to go...but for now

Enjoy!

The Quarry

The Quarry

By Michele Lee

Acrylic on Canvas

Copyright 2010

I was having fun tonight with the knife and some earthy colors. It reminds me of a memory I have from my teens. A big group of us used to go swimming in a quarry just outside of town. The day would be sweltering hot and the sight of that cool aqua green water would almost make your body cool, just by looking at it. The day was spent swimming and floating in that cool water surrounded by rock. Almost like a dream now, I can still see it. A small piece of heaven on earth, so secluded it was....magical.

Here is a painting that doesn't quite capture everything about those days.....but it tries. It is nice to have those memories now. I may not be able to run and jump into that cool water anymore....but at least I still see it.

Enjoy!

Her Legacy

Her Legacy

By Michele Lee

38"x48" Acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas

Copyright 2010

I have been working on a commission for a beautiful woman named Daphne. It has taken lots of prayers, but it is almost done. I didn't want to post it until she had a chance to see it. Well, she saw it the other day, was very pleased, and I can now share it with you all. It is titled "Her Legacy". It is a representation of her as an older woman getting ready to leave this world. She is passing her key onto the ones she loves. The key is engraved with African symbols that represent the meanings of her journey here on earth. The fabric and colors represent her heritage. And the circular shaped stones hanging from her waist, represent wealth and good fortune.

I have to say, this painting has been so inspiring. Whenever I get stuck on a painting, I like to ask God to help and guide me. All I kept hearing was, "You hold the brush and let me give her....her" And so I did. The next day I found a wonderful photo to reference the pose and away we went. Pouring the paint onto the canvas, I knew it was right. You know when you just feel that gut feeling in the pit of your soul that something is flowing and going in the right direction? That's it.

I still have a little more tweeking to do.

Enjoy!

The Koi are now free to swim away

Finally finished the Koi painting. YEA! I did this one on a a 3' x 4' gallery wrapped canvas. It is so hard to get a picture of because of all the glazes and metallics. But I gave it a go....hope you all enjoy! This one is up for purchase until I decide what shop to put it in....hmmmmmm where will the Koi swim away to?

A New Pouring-What do you see?

And just a little more color poured

A little more color poured into the canvas

Well, I had so much fun with the last pouring...I thought you guys might like to do it again. (The fish are done!- you can see the whole transformation in one of the posts below)
So let's here it.....What do you see?

Remember to look at it from different angles and let that imagination go wild!
I can't wait to hear what you all see.
Enjoy!

What do you see?

Well...I think I'm done with the Koi. The finished result has different metallics, silver mica powder and blues buried in a very thick coat of of clear glaze. Hope you all have enjoyed the ride.

The fish are starting to become more refined

Thanks to everyone here and on Facebook for your visions....It has been fun to see what you see...in the end,I think I see fish beginning to appear!

Pouring above has been flooded with clear acrylic gloss gel and the woven with a large trowel

I did a very large pouring this morning. A pouring is a technique I learned a while back from a wonderful artist named Anne Hamilton. She runs an art retreat near Mentone, AL. You can visit her website here: http://www.artforartlovers.net/ And if you have never gone to an art retreat before...I suggest doing it at least once in your life! I spent a week there doing nothing at all but painting, reading, sitting, eating and just being! It changed my life!
So a pouring is just that. Laying your canvas down on a flat surface, you mix colors (thick or thin) and actually pour them onto the canvas. Let them flow and move where they will. You can help them along by tilting the canvas. After the colors are in place and dry...you begin to romance the canvas. (like we talked about in one of the last posts) Put it in a very visible spot, turn it to different angles and see what vision comes out of the pouring. It will suprise you what comes out of your imagination. And it is so nice to use your imagination...something we tend to loose as we get older.
Have fun with it!
I am curious to know...what do you see in this pouring?

Finished The Lake and starting a new

Well the Lake is finally done. And I have now started a new commission piece. It is nice to jump into an abstract. I love the flow of color that they bring...YUM!

Progress NOT perfection

We strive to progress in this life...NOT to perfect it. When I find myself disappointed about the outcome it is usually because I had expectations of how it should have gone. But when I realize that this life is not my own, but yet an adventure in learning and growing.....THAT is when I can see the beauty in this world I call....... "Paradise".

Enjoy!

Michele

Finally I have started again!

Finally I started painting again. Granted it is just a little landscape. But hopefully it will get me back in the mood and the groove. Work has been so busy that I literally do not have any energy when I get home to do much more than drop onto the couch and fall asleep. Now, I am not complaining, mind you, but I do miss the painting time. My soul aches for the quiet, relaxing time that comes with painting.

I guess this would be a good time for a little serenity prayer.....

Enjoy!

What a day it was!

Yesterday was the Madison Street Festival. It was an absolutely perfect day! Sunshine, not too hot, and lots of art sold. I had an easel set up with a canvas for kids to add to as they went by. This is always fun because they get a mini art lesson and the parents can actually stop and enjoy without little feet running around them:) My friend Angie was right next to me. We had lots of our friends stop by throughout the day and really enjoyed ourselves. I forgot to take pictures of everyone who bought a painting but I did get one. This couple was so sweet. You know when you see someone get a painting and they just look like it was meant to be? That is what happened her. When they held the painting up to take the picture...my heart just knew they were going to have perfect home for it. Sometimes I get attached to my art. But I try to put on that brave face at shows and know that I am doing this for others and not to keep :) This painting was done at my good friend Ann's house. A while ago I went with Angie for a week long retreat. This painting I started on the first day of painting. The studio looked out over the mountains and had large tree branches hanging in front of the windows. It felt so right to paint....and now I know why. It was meant to go home with this great couple.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by yesterday. I enjoyed sharing with you what has been so freely given to me. I hope you all enjoy!

Hey kids, I will post the completed painting you all did in the next post:)

Here are some pictures from the day.

SOLD

Well the first Funky Friday was a blast. Even though it was really hot, everything went off without a hitch! We even missed the rain by about 30 minutes. Whew! Here is a painting that I sold last night. It is called "Sassy". She was painted at the Art Retreat I went to a few months back with my friend Angie.

http://artforartlovers.net/ http://pickmybrainsart.blogspot.com/

She will be missed...but I know she is going to a wonderful home :-)

Enjoy!

Art for the day...whew!

I have been working on a mural for our local minor league baseball stadium and the Autism Society of Alabama. Go to the AF Blog to read more. http://artisticfinishesblog.blogspot.com/

I am worn out so this is all I can do for today...whew!

Enjoy!

Another day...Another Panel

My working buddy Ricky and I have been busy at work getting the final panels completed. They are due on Thursday and will be delivered to the clients. Hopefully they will have a smile on their faces when they receive them....fingers crossed:) Here is a picture of the next one I am working on. I will post them all for you to see at the end of the week.

Enjoy!

Another sold & Panel #5

Another painting sold. This was called "A Study in Degas" Thank you to Brian and Richard over at Richard Cable Interiors.

http://www.richardcableinteriors.com/ They have a beautiful home decorating business and store in the new Bridgestreet shopping center in Huntsville, Al. They have been carrying my art for some time now and doing a fine job of selling it. Thanks guys for for all that you do! You rock!

The commissioned Panels are coming along nicely. Here is a glimpse of Panel #5. I know...the name alone makes me want to sing Mombo #5 :-)

Sorry about the picture quality..had to use the trusty cell phone.

Enjoy!

Busy on some custom art pieces

Sorry that my posts are so few and far between now. I have been completely swampted lately. Here are a few custom art pieces that I have been working on. The panel is one in a series of 5 that I am just toning. Whew! The girls have the rough sketch done and are ready for paint. Need to get them done this week! Yikes...it's Thursday! Better get back to the easle.

Hope you all have a great end of the week and get lots of rest over the weekend:)

Enjoy!

Jackson Pollock's Birthday

Today is Jackson Pollock's Birthday. I love how large he painted and how he got LOST in the work. Some say a little too lost:)

My friend Angie http://pickmybrainsart.blogspot.com/ is having a few of our close artistic sisters over for a paint day to commemorate this occasion!

I can't wait to have a full day of painting with my girls. And I can't wait to see what beautiful work comes off our canvasses. I will post that later. But for now...here are some photos of Pollock and his work. Plus some interesting facts.

Enjoy!

In the 1940s artists around the world tried to deal with the impact of World War II. The Surrealist art movement, born in pre-war Europe, had great influence in postwar America largely due to the wartime migration of significant European artists. In New York, Surrealism continued to be a major influence on the free association method of working, called ‘automatism’. Through this method, artists sought to unlock images from the depths of their unconscious.
Many artists took an interest in Carl Jung’s theory of the collective unconscious and sought to explore symbols that had powerful shared meanings across different cultures and throughout history. This theory often provoked the desire to study tribal art and symbols as seen in the early work of Mark Rothko and his close friend Adolph Gottlieb.
The notion of a ‘return to origins’ of our deep humanity informed a renewed interest in the spontaneity of children’s art and what was then known as ‘the art of the insane’.
Philosophies such as existentialism, which stressed personal responsibility for creating meaning in one’s life, contributed to artists working with personal imagery. These ideas were incorporated in the work of artists such as Jackson Pollock. His distinctive style incorporated signature linear gestures and a layered surface made up of energetic drips and splatters.

Pollock's Materials and Techniques
Pollock did not produce preparatory drawings, colour sketches or other plans for his work. After long deliberation before the empty canvas, he used his entire body in the picture-making process, as he dripped, poured and splattered commercial paint – including Duco (automotive paint) acrylic and aluminium – across its surface with the aid of sticks, hardened brushes and garden trowels. In Pollock’s classic poured paintings, line no longer serves to describe shape or enclose form, but exists as an autonomous event, charting the movements of the artist’s body. As the line thins and thickens, it speeds and slows. Its appearance is modified by chance behaviour of the medium such as bleeding, pooling or blistering. In short, Pollock broke free from the conventions and tools of traditional easel painting.

Fun Story

Here is a fun and interesting story of a lady who bought a Jackson Pollock painting at a thrift store for $5. Then found out what she had bought!http://www.cincyworldcinema.org/z_70426jp.php

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Well guys and gals, another year has passed. I hope that it was a good one for all of you!

Sorry that I haven't posted in a bit. But there are some big things a brewin' for 2009. As soon as I can get my bearings I will fill everyone in. But for the past few weeks it has been a whirl wind around here.

So stay tooned, stay happy, stay healthy and most of all stay creative.

Love and peace,
Michele

FREE Painting Giv-a-way!!

16X20 Origional Acrylic
Framed in Black 2in frame
By Michele Lee copyright 2008
Drawing is on DEC 20th!!

I told you it was coming...so here it is! I am going to have a give-a-way for Christmas! This is my way of giving back just a little this year to that beautiful art-world out there:)
Here are the rules:
1. You must post a comment with your name only (please don't put your address on the comment)

2. On Dec.20th I will draw a name out of the "comment hat".

3. I will post the name of the winner that day.

4. The winner will e-mail me directly and then I will get the address on where to ship the painting.

So you will have to keep up. But all of the postage and shipping will be paid by me, along with the cost of the painting..$.00!!!! It's FREE!!!