The art of talk

Well, such excitement - I am so honored! I was interviewed by Paul Weagraff, director of the Delaware Division of the Arts, on the radio! It is a 20-minute interview and it just went so quickly! He was so professional and made me relaxed in no time. I felt like I was just having a chat with a friend. Grab a coffee or a glass of wine, and have a listen :
http://www.artsdel.org/podcasts/120609_de_state_of_arts.mp3

I took a couple of paintings along - as a visual person, it was a good aid

and then - please,  tell me what you think. Feedback is a great way to learn - I don't know what folks think unless you tell me. To repay you listening to my interview, I won't write a whole lot today!
Thank you for listening and taking the time! My facebook page is often updated - check it out and "follow" my page. I'd appreciate it!
have a grand weekend!

The Art of the Catalyst

The names for the 2012 hurricane season have been announced. This is now an annual event that gives me the willies. Since Katrina I can’t help it. And as luck or fate would have it I am preparing for a show on big events over the past few years. I have 2 of the pieces already but decided to do a new piece. It’s always good to break away from the series I’m working on and do something different. A refresher for the brain.

This is a close up detail of part of the painting to show the texture

Naturally the first event to flash before me was the dreadful Katrina. She often lurks below the surface of my mind. The subject also came to me quickly. Houses after the deluge with blue tarp and the searchers sign on the outside of each house noting how many bodies, animals, etc were inside marked clearly.

I was pondering on what to use to aid the texture and had decided on a hard plastic sink protection tray (really!). As I got the canvas ready, I stood in front of my messy paint table and I happened to glance down to see some of the packing paper the excellent art supply shop, Cheap Joe’s - see website:  http://www.cheapjoes.com  - uses to send me supplies. A light bulb went off - bingo… it is perfect. It is covered with small triangular cut out sections to make it porous and pliable, totally suitable for the irony of the name of the piece, “Safe as Houses.”

I am about finished with the piece but still have to ponder on it which doesn't really help my state of mind at the moment, which is fragile. Business is difficult, finances are difficult. UGH! And now they are talking of an early start to the hurricane season. It’s like a stupid bloody bogey man I can’t get rid of.

Close up of the collapsed house, I'mstill working on it

But, as my lovely Scots mother would have said, “Mustn’t grumble, just get on with life. You have it easy compared to others.” And aint’ that the truth? I am lucky to have a marvellous family and a big group of faithful friends who put up with me warts and all. I am inspired by so many folks.

For instance, this week I talked with two exceptional people. Amy Stokes of Infinite Family is a recent discovery of mine. I was honoured and excited when she agreed to talk with me. I hope we will now have regular contact. She does wonderful work for the children of Africa and she was so encouraging to me. Her website is: http://www.infinitefamily.org

The other is my supportive and funny friend, Robin Opperman. He heads up Umcebo Design in my hometown of Durban, South Africa. See his website: http://www.umcebodesign.co.za  He works with many different groups - from AIDS support groups to refugee groups - and produces some of the world’s most imaginative fine crafts. He does it all with humour, patience and no bragging. He is truly a joy to know, to share ideas and learn from - we try and skype every so often to egg each other on. The day I accidentally met him 6 or so years ago was truly a godsend.

With people like this in my life, not to mention Robin’s fat spoilt cat Fergie and my own two furry joys to entertain me, why dwell on an old horror of a hurricane. This painting “Safe as Houses” is becoming something of a catalyst - I can feel myself letting Katrina go to the back of my mind as I work more on it. I hope that is the case.
You can follow more on my art at http://annejenkinsart.com and follow my facebook page at http://facebook.com/annejenkinsartgallery

The Art of Thought

So, I've played hookey the past couple of weeks and not posted too much - so sad, too bad! It's just been one of those times - we all have them and whatever they are, they come and go. Deep, eh?

Ihawu - The Shield Painting # 3

I was excited to finish the 3rd painting in The Vukuzakhe Project - it's called Ihawu which means The Shield. It shows 5 women cradling the fabric landscape of two little girls playing. the whole group represents the Amandawe Support Group. Three of the figures represent the Zulu ladies in traditional headdress with 2 smaller figures representing my sister Ruth, Maurean (the tireless UVA volunteer) and me - they're larger because they carry the biggest share of work and love in the group. My sister, Maurean and I are just the small cogs but we all form the whole. I really like this one. It's bright and sweet, with a powerful message - support and love is colour blind.

Within Ouselves III - not complete

I also worked on the third painting in the new series "Within Ourselves" - this one fought me. I realized after thinking about it for a long time over a few days... I have a pattern of painting. I can paint 2 paintings in a series then I need to take a break from it and turn to something else, or another series. Must be that short attention span thing again. Anyway if I go straight from painting #2 to Painting #3 it fights me. Now I have finally - DUH! after all these years? How slow can one be? - worked this out I can change things around. Paint 2 and then do something else, come back paint 2 more... etc etc. So, the Within Ourselves painting #3 was progressing badly, in fact last night I thought it looked like I was painting the Teletubbies... that's when I went home and poured a glass of wine.

I do my best thinking over a cup of rooibos in the morning as I watch the light change over the river or in the evening when I'm having a glass of wine and relaxing. Things sparkle clearly in my brain then and I wonder why I couldn't see it before. Well, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!
I have lots going on in March - 2 trips up to New York City and much more... but I will try to be more consistant with writing my blog. See you soon!

The Art of Caring

I’ve wanted to do more abstract work for a while, funnily enough health irritations (flu and now a gimpy back) have made it happen. I can’t work on the Vukuzakhe Project - canvas too big - with my back in this state, so I got out smaller canvas’ - 18x24 - and at the end of last week I started on a subject bubbling in back of my mind.
Now I have 2 “Within Ourselves” abstracts done. I used canvas, acrylic, burlap and oil pastels - decided to use a limited palette - more of a challenge and can be more dramatic. I joked on my face book page my gimpy back has delved in to some deeply Freudian areas, it’s showing in my art. And there is something in that statement - for a couple of reasons..

Within Ourselves

First, I have a family member fading fast, hard as it is we hope for quick and painless. At the same time good news from the younger generation, we will welcome a new member to the crazy clan. Another family member is slowly taking on more of the caregiver role. It got me to thinking on how life starts with you being cared for, you grow up, are free for a while and then you care for the next generation.
But with age comes another kind of caring - caring for your partner as they fade. Some fade from their body in to another place called Alzheimer’s, some fade battling disease. It doesn’t matter if it’s a man or a woman doing the caring, it is never easy but it  is done with love.
Second reason, I am pro-choice and pro-gay marriage. I’m getting fed up with right wing religious conservatives trying to ram their beliefs on abortion and marriage into repressive laws. For people who yell “government is too big, we need smaller government and less interference” they seem to miss the irony of their tunnel vision of right/wrong being imposed on everyone else. I wish they would shut up and go away. Sadly they won’t.

Within Ourselves II

I’m just stating facts as I see them. Abortion and marriage are strictly personal and no one else’s business. It’s just important to love someone enough to care under all circumstances.
I feel there’s too much false emphasis on eternal youth and money in today’s society. It’s a simple path of life - you are young, then you grow old. Money will not save you. Deal with it.
And if you are lucky, you are loved enough and you love enough to care. Warts and all. Nothing is more important.
That is what I’m trying to show in these paintings - the circle of love and caring, no matter who you love.

The art of the turn around

Flat is the only way to describe how I’ve felt the past 10 days - cottonwool head, achy joints, snotty nose and the deep rooted blahs dominated. I am so thoroughly sick of it all. I am normally one of the world’s big optimists …my ex used this description of me: give Anne a barrel of horse manure and she’ll dig around in it saying “there’s got to be a pony in here somewhere!” And I’ve always felt it’s far better to be optimistic than permanently gloomy about things. So, it’s no surprise not feeling well is not one of my strengths, if you can call it that.
This morning as I sipped my tea in bed and watched the light change over the river walk, with Geordie giving me a running commentary on bird and squirrel activity outside the window, I pondered what to do to get myself back in top spirit. Do something different was the decision.
The creative process takes a dive when you’re down, so to keep things going I’ve been doing the boring prep work for the Vukuzakhe Project - bonding the plexiglass dowels to the wooden cradled panels, gessoing - and more gessoing. So much so I’ve been looking at the gesso with a jaundiced eye. No gesso today I determined. No something ‘prep’ oriented.
I walked in the studio back door and immediately started hauling out one of the panels, taking off the protective cover and placing fabric landscapes on it to start thinking what to paint. Wait! Isn’t that what I said I would not do?
Then I fired up my laptop and checked out things. Got a wonderful boost with a nice article on the arts in Kent County by Pam George in a very cool magazine, Delaware Today,
http://www.delawaretoday.com/Delaware-Today/March-2012/Arts-and-Entertainment-in-Kent-County-Delaware/
And a mention in a couple more in the series…
http://www.delawaretoday.com/Delaware-Today/March-2012/Kent-County-Guide/ 
This cheered me up no end!

And now I’ve decided I will paint something today - but it won’t be the Project art. Maybe what I need is a little “and now for something completely different.” Okay, I know, short attention span and all that, but it can do your psyche good to do an about turn on occasion. So - voila - here is the start - it will be an abstract -I stuck a piece of burlap in to the paint to add to the texture. The poor cut piece of burlap was looking lost and forlorn since I didn‘t use it for the Vukuzakhe Project, so I slapped it this one.
I just had a visit from a new friend, who cheered me up 100% more. I’ll be skyping with another friend soon, ditto cheer up. And tonight we go to the theatre - our local Second Street players are putting on ‘One flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest‘. I personally think a comedy would be cheerier for gloomy February, but what do I know. But it doesn’t matter - I’m happy now!!!
A good day can wipe out 10 days of glumpf easily.

Discovering Delaware ... or Canvasing Delaware

Fallow Field in Delaware

     The countryside around Delaware constantly reminds me of Holland - flat, tranquil and rural. Good biking country. And it’s lovely in its sparseness - it gets all moody with various marshes and wildlife reserves. There are fabulous beaches showing off big dunes and miles of sand, but some of the inland vistas are breathtaking for their sheer simplicity. This is a very small state but somehow, and unlike Holland,  it seems to have a big sky. I guess it’s the flatness. I think of big sky in Africa or Montana or Nevada. Not the East Coast - and here’s little Delaware with a BIG sky. Delaware is also changing the way I paint - and I just love it when that happens! A “new” always gets the creative juices flowing like nothing else - the sheer excitement of discovery.
     During my life as a professional artist, there’s been nothing subtle about my use of colour - tons of crimson, strong yellows, orange etc. Hardly any blending… just wham! Straight out of the jar. Now I suddenly find myself blending and lathering on layers of whites, soft blues, sweet greens, olive greens - only adding just a touch of red here and there. It just sort of happened, I didn’t think about it. And, strangest of all, it feels so right. Just as strong colour seemed to work before, now soft light is in.
     No doubt I’ll go back to strong colours every so often - I’m from Africa, it’s in my soul. Just like whenever I dance to African music, I wiggle my butt and yell “Ehh-yeh!” Just like whenever I hear a penny-whistle, my whole body starts to vibrate.
     I’ve decided the first show I have here is going to be called, “Canvasing Delaware,” (with thanks to my old New Orleans friend, Patrick Burke - wordsmith supreme - for suggesting titles.) The paintings will chronicle my introduction to my new state. I am so enjoying thinking of which scenes to paint, or seeing a scene and thinking “Well, if I leave that out ..” or “just use that section…” I have always enjoyed painting vignettes more than the whole, so this dear wee State’s topography suits me well. I was looking at a field and remarked to Lee, “I’ll just use that bit, make it smaller perhaps,” and Lee, typically American, replied, “Anne, you can’t make Delaware any smaller.” Sometimes I think there’s a bit of Texas in them all!
     There’s a field near here that’s lying fallow right now and there are a couple of scraggly old trees on the side. The small space is so sparse, open and inviting, it tricks you in to thinking it is huge and you could get lost in it. This is the 12x24 study I did for it, and I’m not sure I will do this one bigger. In it’s case, I think the small, long canvas captures the spirit of the place.

The end of the daffs

I don't normally do still life, so 2 of the same subject in 3 days is something, wonder why? But I'm enjoying doing them, maybe it'll start off a new trend for me. oh - and the shine is because the paint's still wet. Size is 16x20

Spring daffodils

Lee came home Thursday with a little bunch of lovely spring daffodils for me. We put them in a big coffee mug made by a ceramic artist friend, it's a deep wonderful turquoisey blue. I love daffodils. I always think of walking through London's parks in spring. Happy memories. So I decided to paint them - the paint is still wet thus the shine!! Size is 16x20

Starting over ....

this blog was created in October 2005 just after Hurricane Katrina by a dear friend - I wasn't able to follow his directions clearly and never got it right, nor could I get in to it at all.
But now - after 5 years, I've reclaimed it and it will be the official blog for my art alone. My other blog - Art by Anne Jenkins - is about the gallery, selected guest artists in my gallery and about me - so ... now I'm getting selfish and this is "all about me!" YEAH!
I will create a facebook page to go with this one and my website. In the new year will start blogging regularly on this site as well! Hope you enjoy it as much as the other one - which I will also maintain regularly!
I sold a print of this image of a New Orleans Second Line to HBO to use in their highly acclaimed series, "Treme - Series 2" - look out for it when the series runs this year!