Ambassador Bridge Take Two

Ambassador Bridge from the Detroit River, 2010

The first version of this painting (16x20”) was well received at my August Abstract Cities show. It was snapped up from a non-Detroiter and was one of the most popular pieces. I felt compelled to make another that provided a wider view of the bridge as I remember it from boating on the Detroit River. This version, (15x30”) took a few months to complete. Around this time, I was watching an episode of Detroit 187 and the Ambassador Bridge was shown; it was so exciting for me. I LOVE Detroit and this is not the last painting of my city.

Detroit...A Renaissance City

I finished this using a new acrylic paint that has properties like oil paint.



The angles were challenging but I'm eager to try it again. Like the artist Paul Cezanne painting Mt. St. Victoire, I love my home town and would like to paint it often. We'll see what's next...

Detroit

October 4th...Started a painting of Detroit today from a photo that I took when I was 14 years old using a camera that my father bought me as a birthday present;  it was a Canon AE-1. 
 My sister and I went downtown to shoot some landscapes & portraits. This particular photo was taken at Hart Plaza near the (then) new Renaissance Center.

Once I started painting the sky & background, various memories of Detroit, my parents (both deceased) and friends came to mind. I thought of an article recently posted on FB about Detroit having the fewest sunny days and that it had earned the title of "most stressed city".  My painting quickly became an abstract with soft tones of blue, gray and yellow. There were hints of passing storms and sweeping memories breezing by in a flash.

The next canvas will be of the Ren Cen, this one was simply therapy for me-and it felt good!

The Beach - Sunsets and a Storm

Last summer while at my favorite beach I took a series a photographs of the sun setting. I stood in the same spot and watched the colors change before my eyes. It was as relaxing as watching the sun set on the Santa Monica Pier out west.

Well, this summer I decided to capture those sunsets on canvas. All 3 pieces are 24x36". The first, Sunset- Northern Neck was well received at my August 5th art show. It was purchased as a gift for someone who had recently purchased a home there.

The second will be delivered Labor Day weekend to someone who is an avid photographer and who has enjoyed this sunset most of his life.

Lastly, there's the abstract storm of the same place.

For those of you who enjoy abstracts, this one is still available.

I’ve got my head in the clouds…


One of the artists who have remained in my Top 10 is the painter Sir Peter Paul Rubens. Yes, I love his use of color and brilliant compositions but most of all it’s his turbulent skies. On overcast days I often look up and say that it’s a sky made by Rubens. Still, I have avoided painting clouds like the plague…until this summer .

It started with two photographs taken with my ‘handheld device (a.k.a cell phone) from the passenger seat on the way to and from my favorite beach. The first is a swirly mess that is part smoke and part clouds, the second was a dramatic sky that I captured while riding across the Harry Nice Bridge.

I loved what I was able to do in the first work, titled Leaving Virginia. (Based on the the photo taken with my cellular phone).

11x14"

Then I recalled the dramatic clouds that I photographed at Bettystown Beach in Ireland in March 2009. So I painted 2 versions. One of which now hangs in the home of art collectors in Chicago; the other is still ‘up for grabs’- for now.

20x20"

15x30"

This photo was taken while I waited at a stop light to change …because I found it inspiring, glad that I didn’t have to explain that to a police officer.

And someone that had seen a couple of my clouds paintings sent this and offered a commission…wish me luck!

Another that is very dear to me is the painting of The Ambassador Bridge from the Detroit River.

I have wanted to capture this scene for years because I had fond memories of boating on the Detroit river and seeing what I remember as the Canada Dry sign light up in red script lights. Well, after lots of research and consulting with 4 other Detroiters, I found out that the red sign that I had stored into my weak memory bank was actually for Canadian Club-the whiskey…yes, we all laughed about that but I did include the sign in the painting. The goal in that work was to create a dramatic sun setting with clouds and I was pleased with the result. In fact, another version is in the works-a larger canvas where one can see the Canadian Club clearer…and the clouds, of course.

How the creative process works for me…

Well, there's me:

I have the critics:

” Mommy I love it, can I buy it?’

“Mommy, that doesn’t look like your picture”

“Mommy, that line is uneven”







Then there’s the constant companion:

…yeah, I know-I used to hate cats! But he’s just a little person trapped in a fur coat.

Then there’s “I’m staying out of it!” :

  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
It all works out in the end!

Something about California...

The series started with San Fran but I felt the need to create at least one piece from Los Angeles.  I lived there and have lots of colorful memories of that great place. So I finished San Fran with these 2 pieces:

 

                                                           and moved on to No U Turn, from L.A.

Lost in Tivoli

I was all smiles when touring Hadrian's Villa with a group of 120 of my closest friends in Tivoli, Italy.

Then while admiring the beauty, I wondered off to examine the architecture in full detail. The next thing that I knew I had been seperated from my group and lost for an hour. This photo was taken during that time:

As I continue to work on my new series, I thought of my time spent here and the many years that I have lectured about this site and decided to go for it:

Miami Anyone?

I like Miami and have enjoyed the various films and shows that have been based out of this wonderful city...everyone has a favorite. I fancy the unrealistic, yet entertaining Burn Notice. Then there are the highly successful sports franchises as well. Right now, I'm thinking of the Miami heat, not the team-the temperature right now HERE, in our Nation's Capital!  I am thinking that I need to capture the record heat/90 degree days that we have experienced in the past 30 days; we'll see what's next!

New Painting and a question...

Yesterday was a banner day. Finished this painting of the Key Bridge and worked on 2 others. Question though, does this need a Visi crew boat added to make it complete?

Abstract Cities

I was commissioned to create a painting of San Francisco and it took me quite some time to get to it. The very patient patron was so pleased with the work when it was presented that I decided to get going on a series of work that represent a glimpse of cities.

 

Photography

Photography has always been my first love. I got my first camera, a Canon AE-1, when I was 14 years old. I will photograph anything, the whole world around me-like Degas who was referred to as “the observer of the modern world”.   For the first time, I will include my photographs in my show.

Underwater Series

For my son’s room I created an oversized underwater painting and it was a new experience for me having never painted sea life before. It took me an entire day to paint the turtles and four hours to paint a single fish.


I was able to use that experience a year later when I worked with The Decorating Committee at My kids' school. My friends and fellow artists on that committee inspired me to create a couple of murals. One of the murals (over 10 feet) was painted during the historical snow event of 2010, or as people named it ‘Snowmygoodness’ and so on. This was a great way for me to start painting again on a regular basis which I had not been doing. Thanks team!

 
 
 
 
 
 

Kids Collection

When I began to decorate my own children’s rooms, I designed them by themes because I wanted their rooms to be filled with original artwork. So I created a few pieces and once a some parents saw their rooms, I was overwhelmed with commissions. I’m still waiting for Pottery Barn to contact me!

 

 

Still Life

I love still-life and push it on my students in the way of observation works A LOT. One of my favorite artists in Paul Cezanne though I do not attempt to paint in the same vein as ‘the father of modern art’. When I began this series I needed to view actual fruit so I ventured out to the grocery store and bought one of each piece of fruit to paint…you should have seen the look on the face of cashier, it was the “seriously?!” face.

Imaginary Landscapes

One June before we broke for summer vacation, Sister Anne-Marie asked what I would be doing for the summer and I responded with “painting, of course” and she remarked with “you know, you should really try watercolors, only real artists can master them.” I took that as a challenge and created a series inspired by landscapes from Asia. One of my favorite spaces is the Asian garden at The Metropolitan Museum in New York. The piece that I created based on that is owned by Tom Joyner, who I had the opportunity to meet at a White House correspondence dinner.

Portraits

I began painting self-portraits the year that I moved to California. It was the year that my father died and I had quite a bit to contemplate and self-reflection was a big focus. I had never been one for portraits and though I was proud of my work, a lot of people thought that my self-portraits were portraits of my sister…at least there is a family resemblance. I enjoyed the freedom of embellishing and taking liberties, for instance-my skin was always blemish-free, my hair a tad longer and so on.

Truth Denied

This work is modeled after a sculpture by the artist Dou. I created it in anticipation for my first art show when I returned to D.C. after leaving California. My apartment was filled with art and my committee of critics: my sister, brother-in-law, and 2 best friends were over. I didn’t particularly care for the work, it didn’t turn out exactly as I had anticipated and I had it facing the wall, not intending on showing it anyone. My team of critics/connoisseurs insisted that I show it and I did so with great reluctance. As it turns out, people were fighting over this piece. Someone bought it and another person tried to buy it from them. So now, I have a team of friends, some well-versed in art others not so much come by to provide feedback prior to each show.

Abtracts

I remember being at an art show and a guy approached me as I stood before one of my paintings and (trying to impress me with his vast knowledge of art?) stated: “these modern painters I just don’t get-I could paint that”. He didn’t know that it was my art show so I replied with “this painting is about a failed relationship that ended abruptly and the brushstrokes at the top (beginning of relationship) are smooth and near the middle the strokes show waves/rough strokes that represent chaos, then everything goes black”. He was blown away to learn that there was some meaning to the work. I then extended my hand and said “Kelli Duvall, pleasure meeting you”-his jaw dropped, it was priceless! I share that story with my freshmen every year when we discuss the work of Abstract Expressionists and they find it amusing (or pretend to). How great is it that there is now a series of postage stamps of Abstract Expressionists

     

First Post

The Space Frame:


Made of balsa wood, I had to hold and glue each piece together…tedious/time consuming-yes! I created this while I was studying architecture in Detroit. It was for a project and I built this model over a couple of days and nights. After cutting all of those pieces of balsa wood with an Exacto knife, one of my fingers had gone num. The original hung in the school of architecture and was bumped & destroyed. Many years later I created another one.