Saturday, January 26, 2013

MORE PRESENTS

My sister treated me to dinner last night and brought lots of presents for me, too!  She went overboard, as usual, spending too much, but she says I'm her only sister so...

Amid the fiction books and cd, I also got 2 art books (she checked my Amazon wish list and picked some good ones).


A beautiful hardbound book of O'Keeffe's landscapes in the place she loved - New Mexico.

The paintings are all oils, but they have the flowing look of some watercolors.  The book includes photos of the places alongside the way Ms. O'Keeffe saw them and her color choices. 







And a book put on my wish list when Maggie Latham recommended it.  (If you haven't been following Maggie's 31 Days of Color tutorial on her blog, you are missing some good stuff!


So I have enough to keep me busy while looking and reading through these two and perhaps even trying my hand at a few paintings as a way to study these two different artists.  But maybe not until I get past the last of the Notan studies coming for Tuesday's class...don't want to jump around too much.  Of course, you could say that painting on the front of the Rankin book is almost a Notan painting in itself!


Lately, I find I've been thinking about painting a lot more than painting.  I even had dreams that my body was being painted on and then that I was painting a triptych of 3 full size watercolor sheet paintings, one on top of the other.  Wonder what that means?




7 comments:

Vandy said...

These look like fabulous books, Rhonda. I have my eye on the Don Rankin one myself. I'll be interested to see what you think of it.

Anonymous said...

Rhonda, happy Birthday! Don's book is great...I've had it since it was first published back in the 80's.... but some of it is only just making sense...if you know what I mean. I believe he is working on a newer updated version. Sounds like you had some wonderful gifts. Maybe you should begin some large dream inspired paintings! Shame Jung isn't around to interpret your dreams. I too spend more time thinking about painting these days than painting. I find manual labour (like gardening, stacking logs, even housework)...clears my mind and as I do these chores I either compose my blog post for the next day or begin visualizing colours for my next painting!

Bruce Sherman said...

Happy Birthday Rhonda... from the Frigid and Frozen Canadian North!

Your family very obviously celebrated your BIG day in fine fashion! You must know... and feel that "You"are "Special"!

Too bad that Roger couldn't deliver... on the court... or at your birthday party! HA HA!!! C'est a guerre ... et la vie! "You" and Andy were the winners... on and off the court!

Now... you can with new energy and resources... read... paint and brew your way to higher levels of your water colour magic!

Good Painting!
Warmest wishes and regards,
Bruce

Autumn Leaves said...

Lovely birthday gifts and you are one artist who really studies from these books and attempts to learn the techniques. I never seem to find the time, energy, or patience myself. But that is how you are growing and I am staying stagnant.

RH Carpenter said...

Thanks so much for your birthday wishes, everyone! Vandy, I'll definitely review this and let others know what I think about his book. Maggie, I'm sure it's a winner since it's one you have purchased and kept.
Bruce, thanks for your enthusiastic wishes from the frozen north!! Brrrr - stay warm with a wee nip or two and know that spring will arrive - of course, 2-3 months after spring here, but it will come! ha ha
Thanks, Sherry. It just takes time and the will to do it - but time is hard to find for those who work full time, I know. I am lucky that I have so much time - and often feel lazy for squandering so much time.

Gary L. Everest said...

Hi Rhonda,
I tried, unsuccessfully, to leave a Happy Birthday comment yesterday, but those nasty letters and numbers defeated me.
Looking at the evil code tonight, my good wishes just might make it to you.
So, congratulations on what appears to have been a wonderful celebration. You deserve it!
Sincerely,
Gary.

RH Carpenter said...

Thanks, Gary. Your post came through yesterday just fine - do you think you might need glasses? hee hee Have a wonderful day! We are going up to 60F today!!