Pink Chair Presentations!

SPECIAL ISSUE of  Studio27art Newsletter April 23, 2012 Dear Lynne, Lynne is speaking about her pink chair project this week and next in Hamilton/Wenham Mass. and in Melrose, Mass. It's a chance to hear the whole story from her personally. Lynne will be showing slides of all the paintings. Also, last call for classes! click here for details!   PINK CHAIR PRESENTATIONS! TUESDAY, APRIL 24 ANNUAL MEETING OF THE FRIENDS OF THE HAMILTON WENHAM PUBLIC LIBRARY Meeting 7 PM Lynne's presentation is immediately following the meeting. Lynne will have cards and prints available for purchase after the presentation. The meeting and lecture is open to the public WEDNESDAY, MAY 2 MILANO SENIOR CENTER, MELROSE Meeting 7-9 Each First Wednesday Melrose Arts sponsors artists demos. Lynne will be speaking about her project and also showing some of her other work. I hope you can attend one of these! e-mail Lynne for more information. lynne@lynneschulte.com

Hidden Treasures

Hidden Treasures 18x24 Oil on Canvas

This painting is one of those that I thought was going to be easy but the panting itself had different ideas. I had a photo of my sister’s garden that I liked but I thought it was too much like “Daisy Love”. So I added more to the painting. I took parts from several photos to create this. It took a long time. In the end, I had a perfect green lawn and I felt it too even and bright and just didn’t work, so I had to take the brush and work on top of it to add leaves, grass, etc. That took a lot of courage, but it worked out OK. There is a purple pump in the foreground and it seemed the most important thing there to me and I didn’t know why. I still don’t, but would miss it if it were gone. I even had my sister take photos of it so I could see it better than I could in the original photo. The “ treasures” are different garden ornaments (three of them, can you find them?) but the real treasure is Mom herself. Obscured by a simple life in a working class neighborhood and a role as a homemaker, Mom was a treasure to those who had the pleasure of knowing her.

"Full Nest"

Full Nest 11x14 oil on panel

  

Right from an early time in the project, I knew I wanted to paint a piece with birds. I have some of them in the studio that I use when I teach classes; we use them for models. I saw them perched on the back of the pink chair, even taped them up there. I was clear on why: to celebrate Mom’s joy in singing. She was part of singing groups for many years, and would easily burst into song. As we did the dishes each night, we would sing together, all the old ones. I called them “kitchen sink songs”. Or so it was planned.  I started the piece and placed the birds on the chair in front of a tree that was in its autumn splendor out my studio window. But I could not get into it somehow; it just wasn’t right. I also had a nest I bought at a flower show and I kept putting it on the chair, it seemed to be telling me to put in. So I did, but I had to turn the tree to springtime dress, because that’s when eggs are seen!. As the green started to take over, I opened my eyes and saw what I had. Why 5 birds? Why THOSE five birds? Why was the nest so important? Ahh, the awakening. Lynne, Ricky, Paul, Georgie, Joey…I can hear her call us to dinner now. This piece is a celebration of my mother’s family, her five children. Mom loved us and was always ready to drop everything to be with us; no matter if the house needed cleaning. Our doors were always open to welcome our friends and her heart expanded to hold many foster children. The nest is still full because the door is always open. I even know who these birds are though I didn’t paint them deliberately; From the left: Me, Georgie, Joe, Paul and Rick. Rick died at age 27; he is flying away in the upper right. Mom’s children were her song, and the songs were joyful, energetic, mournful, loving, and heart lifting.

Incoming Tide to Solo Exhibit

This is the very first pink chair piece that I painted. It was before I had the revelation that happened in the next one. It was a lovely day and the tide was coming in, making the water glow green over the rocks that were often exposed. This painting was later reworked in the studio, making it more dramatic than initially. It was a foretelling omen, yet I could not see what would be happening. The repainting in the studio would be part of a loosening up of my abilities to compose away from the subject matter,and this has resulted in an ability to produce large dynamic work, like the poppy piece you saw last week. 

Incoming Tide 8x8 Oil on Canvas

That day, after painting away from the cottage, I decided to paint off of the back deck. But first, I enjoyed the view for a while, sitting in the pink Adirondack chair in the back yard. It matched the shutters of the house. As I rested and, I thought of how much Mom would have loved that chair because of the color. Not thinking much more about it I painted it into the small piece. The chair looked good there, adding a touch of color. Little did I realize that the title I gave it was was foreshadowing what was about to happen. It was, indeed, an incoming tide of art work, all on the pink chair theme, that morphed from a few pieces done as grief work into a glorious celebration of my mother's life. Eighteen pieces of artwork hung in the Topsfield library and brought joy to many people, who responded to the images and the stories. The show will now hang in the Scala Art Center in January, and then travel to the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center. I have not stopped, as there are now three new pieces that will be shown in the January show. The waves continue to lap higher on the shore.

The exhibit beginning area with my mother's autobiography 

and explanation of the exhibit

The chair itself at the exhibit!

The end wall with the three large pieces

The entry/hall wall

the board where people left notes for their loved ones

On site (plein air) or studio?

          

                painting at Popham Beach in Maine       Studio door at 28 West Main St. In Georgetown, MA




A follower has left a wonderful question on my blog, and because it addresses something I have struggled with so long, I thought everyone might like to hear the answer.


"I'm from New England and read your comment with nostalgia! I find, however, when I take fotos and then paint in my studio from the fotos, that I tend to copy the photos carefully. Is that "as truthful" as paintings done in "pleine aire"? I was always told not to copy fotos. How do you get inspired art that way? Maybe I have to try to develop more immagination?"


I have spent most of my painting life feeling like you do. However, I have had an awakening this year. Because I needed to make larger paintings for my "Coastal Sunrise" series, I have had to paint from photos in the studio. Surprise to me, I loved it. And with the time available to stop and go back to a work, they have become stronger every time. This pink chair show is my strongest one ever and about 3/4 of them are studio pieces.

I take a photo because I sense something about the scene when I take it, or I take it for reference. I take many. I decide which one to use by which one hits me in the gut, a little bit. For each one hundred or more I take, I may choose one to paint. There is almost always a physical reaction in making that decision, again in the gut. It just feels right. Then I think the key is that I use the photos only when needed, to get proportions, anatomy, structure, composition right and go off from there. I am looking at the photo more in the beginning and almost never near the end. Sometimes I combine several because something is needed or I want to change the composition. For "Barrier Beach" I started with a plein-aire painting I was not happy with, then adjusted it until I was satisfied. I made the rocks bigger. I added more rocks from another photo, and finally it worked, to help show you what I wanted you to see (and feel): the feeling of the beautiful day, the warmth of sun shining on the barrier islands in the distance and the chair standing triumphant among rock after rock after rock.

One thing I do is say: What do I want you to see that I saw? And it is not just "this shape is green and irregular". It is more like: "This green shape feels like the damp moss in the northern woods near Haystack Mountain School of Crafts because it is glowing so bright, rich, and deep, and I can almost smell it" Then I'll make it even richer by adjusting the colors around it to spotlight the color.  My friend Mia Lane, the Canadian artist I traveled with, helped me see this fall that the challenge of the plein air work is a good training ground. How do you choose from all around you? Millions of decisions. Yet, each decision makes you stronger for when you go into the studio, and like soup on the back burner, you are nourished from it all winter. So, as much as I am enjoying studio work, I will be out again next spring. It is a way to "fill the well" of my spirit and keep my abilities sharp.

SOLO ART EXHIBIT OPENS

"Against the Wind" oil on canvas 18x24"

 location: Friendship, ME

REMEMBRANCE - THE PINK CHAIR PROJECT

TOPSFIELD PUBLIC LIBRARY

One South Common St.

Topsfield, MA 01983

(978)887-1528

EXHIBIT November 1-29, 2011   

Library Hours: M 10-8; T 10-5; W 12-5;TH 10-8;   

F 12-5; Sat 10-5; closed Sunday   

RECEPTION 

Friday, November 4 from 5:30 - 7 PM

I will be presenting a solo exhibition of my recent paintings from November 1 - 29, 2011 in the meeting room of the Topsfield, MA Public Library. A reception will be held from 5:30 - 7 PM on Friday, November 4 "Remembrance - the Pink Chair Project" celebrates the memory of my mother in moving and beautiful images.  

I sensed her presence while painting an Adirondack chair of her favorite color - bright, knock-your-socks-off pink. After the initial surprise of that experience, I began placing the chair into various locations which had special meaning to me or Mom. In this way, I have created a cohesive body of work that shines as individual paintings as well as a sensitive and powerful grouping.  

Please continue to read my blog on the process, which will I will add to throughout the show, telling the story of each painting as it is posted. I will also be continuing to paint during the show on the series, so you will get the first news on those pieces as well. http://pinkchairpaintings.blogspot.com/. Bookmark it or sign up at the top of the blog to get these postings directly in your mailbox!

I will display the pink chair (or maybe two of them!) at the exhibit with a pink table and footrest, and I am encouraging an interactive component at the exhibit, encouraging visitors to sit comfortably and tell the story of their loved ones in a remembrance book. Mom's book "This is Me" will also be on display, along with some pictures of her so people can get to know her better. 

I invite each of my readers, especially those who cannot come to the show,  to contribute to the show by writing a bit about someone who was special to you that you would like to remember so that the sharing of this experience can grow and become richer. You can add the comments directly to my blog or e-mail them to me if you want to contribute, but do not want the comments posted. It is a great way to connect with the exhibit as well as my mother and me.

The Topsfield Town Library meeting room serves as a monthly exhibition space for local artists, featuring a different art display each month as well as a community meeting place. If you come during the week, you may want to call to check if there is a meeting or event in that room. Saturday is usually clear.  

A portion of each sale will be donated to childhood cancer research, as well as to the Friends of the Topsfield Library.

Traveling Again

A plein air bunch of paintings coming up!

I've been working in the studio for a while, but next week, I'm getting out. Mia Lane is coming to paint with me and we are going to go plein air on the North Shore of Boston and down to Cape Cod. Mia is a Canadian artist who is known for her awesome animal paintigs and who recently has moved in some different directions. She took one plein air painting and created a whole show from it, gathering new ideas. Check out her website @   http://www.mialane.on.ca/
I met Mia this summer when we visited my cousin Bill and his wife Marnie in Canada. Mia ia Marnie's sister-in-law. Bill and Marnie started the very popular and wonderful campground, Desert Lake Resort, now run by their daughter. Visit the campground site at http://www.desertlakeresort.on.ca/ and see just how cool it is, and beautiful, too.

We had a wonderful time there taking "Mom" on the pontoon boat when we toured around, looking for loons.

I will be putting my pink chair in the car and taking it on-site again as we paint together. I'll let you in on what is happening later in the week!

A Surprise

I took one of my beloved trips to York, Maine. Besides  the required trip to Stonewall Kitchens for tastes of all their goodies and lunch, I like to go to the John Hancock Wharf. It is a beautiful spot on the York River. It has a nice pier and it also shares the location with a great gallery, the George Marshall Store Gallery  ---

http://www.georgemarshallstoregallery.com/

This is a great little gallery that has contempory and traditional art. I'd like them to represent me some day. It was the store that sold the stuff that John Hancock's Wharf unloaded. Eventually it because a central trading spot for all kinds of merchandise. So the spot has history, and art, and lots of beauty.

It was a gorgeous day and I did not have the pink chair with me but I decided I would paint anyway, because conditions were so perfect. I set up my paints and easel on the wharf (found shade and a great view) and started laying out my composition and getting in a few base undercolors on a small piece of paper. I suddenly did a double take. There, in the upper left of what was going to be my composition, was a pink adirondack chair just like mine, with other colors. It was in the perfect spot for my composition. I literally had not seen any of the chairs when I set up. Did you put it there, Mom? I swear I hadn't seen it at all. As my sister Georgie said, Cool..what I thought of is that the chairs with "Mom" were her friends visiting.  She would so much more enjoy a beautiful day with others than alone, right?

Well, I gladly painted it in.

Circle of Friends

Mixed Transparent Watercolor and Gouache (opaque watercolor)

First painting

Between Sunlight and Shadow

Today I worked on the first painting I did and finished it. When you first do a plein air painting, there often are areas that are missed or need enhancing. It is a delicate dance to touch up without losing the original feeling. As I sat there ready to work on this piece in my studio, I felt again the sense of Mom being there.