Well, I have heard of Writer’s block and Artist’s Block but this is different.  Usually nothing interrupts my creative motion. Actually for me and my husband, this quarantine didn’t change much of our routine.   So here we are, with nothing but time on our hands. Even so, I find myself sitting at my easel not motivated to put any mark down.  I am feeling like nothing I want to paint is good enough.  So I find an area of the painting that isn’t too important and I do that for a couple of hours. Maybe the back ground or maybe an arm or a piece of clothing.  The next day, the same thing happens.  Of course, I am also having my schedule messed up by other people’s difficulties and I feel driven to make a lot of phone calls to encourage loved ones or help one of my kids with something. It just seems like months are going by without much accomplishment.  Even worse, when I look at the work I have finished, I am just not happy with it. This is not normal. Now, I am getting irate.  I am angry at the bad choices made by people in power and I am frustrated about my constitutional rights being trampled.  Not only that but I am horrified at what is going on with people of all races. We have lost our dignity and we have no trace of morals in the actions and events taking place.  It is good that every once in a while we learn of someone who has acted with human kindness and decency. Not only is violence and pestilence hurting people, now we are suffering depression too.  I am encouraged by those who are beginning to say NO to all this, standing up for reason and calmness in such a bad situation. I am also appalled by how far back we have fallen in our society.  Have we actually chosen lawlessness? I must put my faith in Yah, And I must count on the prevailing goodness of the majority.  

As things begin to open up, art events are again being planned.  I have made choices of pieces to show and Bruce and I have picked out framing material. Of course, I should have expected another wrench to be thrown into the works.  Here I am, working away on a portrait that I am not happy with, trying to get it finished in time for one of these shows and I get this impulse to start an impossible task!! There is an image of a huge rocky vista in Argentina where my daughter and her friend visited just before we learned about this virus.  My daughter and her friend are in the forefront, both looking amazing with this monumental landscape behind them.  I have TWO WEEKS, JUST TWO WEEKS, till the show entry date.  I cannot resist.  I go into marathon painting mode and my husband volunteers to cook supper every night for those two weeks.  I have always taken months to complete paintings.  But, yes, I got this done.  And entered. I will show you an image but the photos are on my ipad so I will have to put them up on another blog entry. Well, let me check to see if there is an image in my photo gallery on my computer.

This is 42 inches across. I hope people enjoy it.  It is entitled, ‘Argentina- Our Amazing Journey. It is not only about the journey to a new country, but about the amazing journey of these girls friendship.  It could be a movie.  Hugs and love to all my artist and art admirers friends. Shalom, Diana

This may not look much different but if you look closely, you will see small changes.  I put in some fly away hairs, toned down the white teeth, highlighted the eyes and put in a signature.  I just sent the image off to Latrobe Art Center to be entered into their open show.  It will be a virtual show this year, thanks to the virus. A new reality, yes, but I will not concede to a new normal.  Nothing about this is normal.  I try to paint every day, but weeks keep flowing by and I barely have time to touch brush to canvas.  I really feel like I am loosing my opportunity to paint but so many other options keep popping up.  I have had trouble concentrating even when I am in front of my work. I have concerns about 5G and how it is affecting people.  All I can do is keep on trying.  I put aside some of my larger works so that I might have better results on a smaller, less complicated subject. I am about to finish a small classic image of a Phalenopsis Orchid. It posed so nicely and never moved. I got good lighting too.  The only challenge was trying to paint all the color I see in the white.  Well, for now, keep painting.  I will get back to you soon.  Shalom

A hundred years from now no one will ever understand how difficult it has been for me to paint these glasses with the tremors in my hand. 😄 I must say, this is an exciting and lively subject to work on. It is sunny and cheerful and I may post it on line to offer something to brighten the day. We must nourish our spirit and live in positive ways. Shalom, Diana

Today I enjoyed bible study with my granddaughter and her aunt by face time. Then I sat on my porch in the nearly 80* weather to enjoy the birds and the flowers. I prayed a lot. Here we are blessed for the time being because this is a very small rural town. Even the grocery store four miles up the road is well stalked and people are not panicked. Even so, the majority are concerned about the unknowns and the risk of infection as time goes on. The fact that we know almost all in our area causes this quarantine to take its tole. We want to visit and hug and go to churches or movies. We must consider the risk to others and so we comply with the seclusion. Things are not much different for me because in order to paint, I ordered my life in a secluded way. I’m used to it. Others are not. So I pray for us all,,,and paint. This is what I did today. After this is well dried I will apply a thin, transparent layer of flesh and then glaze with vivid red reflective light and highlight with very bright and yellow highlights. I will then refine those glasses and also the ribbon. Then I believe this will be finished. When I began this five years ago, I began two. Yes, two. I wanted one for each of the girls. I would have continued working on both but this spring I needed to be working on a cheerful work and do it in a way that brought success and accomplishment daily. So I only worked on one so as not to become more stressed. Eventually, I will go back to the other one. So thankful. Shalom, Diana

This process takes layers and layers. If I applied the exact flesh tones in tiny strokes like some methods call for, it would create a different effect. My flesh tones are known for their suppleness, depth and realistic appearance. This is how I achieve it. I will probably do at least two more layers on this. The sister on the right with the braid is wearing glasses. I have only hinted at the frames for now. I want to be careful not to make the frames too bold. This pose expresses personality and mood. It is what we look for when choosing a photo for a painting. The sunshine, shadows and graduation gown add interest.

I was not expecting to make any progress but I picked up my brush and began. I want the skin tones to dry thoroughly before I apply another transparent layer of flesh. So, I touched up eyebrows, did a few minor adjustments here and there and then decided to lay out some colors for the hair. I used raw umber for darkening hair in deep shadow. I used yellow ocher, gel and some Naples yellow light mixed with burnt sienna and raw umber to add some rich mid tones and blond sunlight. Then I used burnt sienna and Naples yellow light to lay in the sun lit hair of the brunette. Her hair is very dark brown but I love the way the bright sunshine brings out the red tones in her hair. Now I am going to do a little cleaning and organizing in my studio while I feel well enough to do it. May we all be safe and well. Prayers for all who are ill. Diana

The entire world is on a new schedule so I have no reason to complain. We all are hopefully doing our small part to support each other and keep everyone safe. My husband and I are staying home except for groceries. I also spend time with my adult grand daughter with the observation of social distance and all precautions. With all other friends, the choice is standing firm to avoid contact but we call and face time often.
Bruce had surgery last week so we have been sidetrack with our usual routine even without considering the virus. So I was happy today to work on this painting. I would like to finish it successfully so that I can get back to the other three or four I have started. My granddaughter’s difficulties had my attention for a long while and I don’t feel extremely happy about these works. When I get back to them, I hope to have a renewed optimism and energy to get them back on track. I will post on this one as I make progress on it. Blessings to you all as you adjust to our new and hopefully temporary reality. Shalom, Diana

ALLRIGHT FRIENDS, I DONT LIKE TO SPREAD FEAR BUT I JUST GOT WORD FROM LOVED ONES IN ITALY. THIS IS MUCH WORSE THAN WE CAN IMAGINE. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR HOME UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. TAKE MORE PRECAUTIONS THAN YOU THINK YOU NEED. I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW VERY SERIOUS THIS IS. TWO WEEKS AGO THEY WERE NOT WORRIED, NOW THEY CALLED TO WARN US.

It seems to be true that even though a picture is worth a thousand words, even so, a photo just does not do justice for representing an oil painting. This painting is coming alive but when I see this photo, it looses vibrancy and spirit. Well, it is my best effort to show you how this is coming along.
the work is slow going because of the medical issues and now even social distancing! I had a sweet visit with my granddaughter outside on the front porch in cold, rainy weather in order to guard against any possible introduction of corona virus. She got here from Ohio last night where she works at a huge public place with hundreds of different people daily. She is not ill, nor are we, but Pappy is supposed to have surgery to repair a hernia on Friday and we are trying to avoid carrying anything to a hospital Environment. I don’t think all this is necessary but we are trying to do our part to protect everyone until we know for sure what is happening. It isn’t good for humans to distance in these ways but we may be faced with a situation that is beyond anything our generation has seen before. Stay well, be safe, remain calm, and may God bless us all. HalleluYah!

I think I will title this ‘Painting Sunshine’. Even though it is not very apparent, I actually did quite a lot on this today. I repaired and refined a lot of the features, I started laying in the hair patterns too.  The daughter on the right has hair that shines red in the sunlight and the one on the left shines blond.  I really love the hair patterns and the shadow patterns on the faces. I darkened the background but I will get some deeper color in this.  I have always loved this image of my two youngest and I have duplicates being painted at the same time.  I switched to this painting because the ones I have been working on are difficult and they have been getting me down.  This one makes me really feel good.  Hope it continues to turn out well.

flat early attempt.

beginning to see the sunlight

Here is a portrait that has been sitting in my studio for quite a few years.  At the time I was working on it, I thought I was making pretty good progress but now that I have begun again, I am surprised at how much my process has changed. When returning to a painting, I do not oil out.  Instead I mix a transparent blend of the flesh tone I use as a base and a lot of Grumbacher Gel.  Layers of this make a skin tone glaze that builds up the depth and gives me a surface to work on.  I then take white or in this case, Naples Yellow Light to sculpt the brightest features and begin the formation of the skin layer.  This is how the three dimensionality is created. I have shown some of the earlier process in other paintings that I have placed here for demonstration, so I am sorry I don’t have that in this case.  I will use some of the same techniques as I proceed. I am working on three or four other subjects so there may be some space between my posts on this one.  I hope to get back to a more productive schedule.  Asking for your patience, Diana.

I just want to tell you that our family has been blessed to have learned about a treatment for my grandchild that is the first new development in the treatment of mental health disorders in years. My granddaughter had a miraculous response to the first of the six treatments. There is no way I can express the changes. Those of us who have experienced this painful journey also know that until now, we have been offered no real hope.  I just want to encourage you to do your research. Look for a clinic that has good experience and good results treating with psycedelic drugs.  There are a number of these drugs that are promising.  My search began with Johns Hopkins testing with psilocybin but the drug in our case was ketamine. We learned that it does not medicate but instead actually repairs the area of the brain that has shut down. It gets the neurons and dendrites functioning.  Find a qualified doctor. If your insurance doesn’t cover it, save your money.  It was worth it in our situation.  I hope you find it beneficial for you or your loved one.

It has been a busy time here in PA. Bruce is recovering from surgery and he is not back one hundred percent. I am doing better with the circulation in my legs by wearing the compression stockings. I am having some trouble formatting this page. Sometimes it is a complete mystery to me. Today, the words and images are giant size. I will not say much just in case this is all transferring to you in this strange format. Anyway, I have been working on three or four paintings that are in progress and I have found everything to be causing me trouble. I don’t usually have creative block but there is a lot of stress right now. It seems to be interfering with my work. My sixteen year old granddaughter has been dealing with anorexia and now she is suicidal. Of course her family is trying to get the best help for her but this is not an easy task. It sometimes feels as though a nightmare has taken over all of life. Even in dark times we continue to have faith. I hope to be making progress in my work soon and then I will post more regularly. I wanted to host another class but things are just too stressful at the moment. I have posted a photo of my orchid blossoms that continue to cheer me in the white haze of our first real snowfall. I hope to make more connection with you with my art as soon as things calm down. But it looks as though this show season will not be as active as some previous years. Also, I noticed, that I have had some recent viewers in China. My prayers are with you as you struggle against this mighty attacker virus. I pray for the plague to be stopped and the affected ones to recover and also that you will have the supplies you need to survive. For now, shalom.

I may title this ‘the Rose Quartz Necklace’

I will add an image later.  Right now I would like to catch up a little bit.  My husband Bruce has had some health issues which involved blood clots in both lungs.  This led to the discovery that his thyroid was quite enlarged. His doctors have been watching this for a long amount of time. It was decided that a complete removal of the thyroid would be the best treatment but the timing of that was adjusted because of his need to stay on blood thinners until the clots were safely under control. Finally, his surgery was done in Pittsburgh with only a quick hick up when his blood pressure dropped for an unexplained reason. The nurse called a code which means that every doctor and nurse available was at his bedside instantly. They administered a bag of IV fluids and did an EKG but all seemed normal.  There have been a few other challenges this fall but everything is calming down.  All this stuff has interrupted my normal painting schedule but I hope I can get back into a routine.  A lot of my artist friends have asked for a class to review the portrait techniques.  I am considering that but if I do  it, I will have to get it set up quickly.  I have so much less energy and more trouble breathing.  It is not like asthma, it is just that my heart doesn’t have the energy to push oxygen and talk too.  I think I may try anyway.  Soon I will send an inquiry about how many want a class. I am working on a number of paintings, even thought the progress has been slow.  I seem to be improving some of my skills so that I move through some of the steps a little easier so that is good for me.  I have so much I would like to do. Well, thanks for being patient through this slow period in my blog.  I will get on my ipad and post a photo of my self portrait.  It is very instructive to do a self portrait because you know your own image so well, if you make a mistake, it is obvious. Then again, we may not see ourselves as others do.  By the way, please check out the web sites of artists you know of, they have such good information that can give us ideas and help our development.  Try Cesar Santos and Andrew Tischler.  I will get that photo up in a little while.  Diana

I always wanted to paint these beautiful thistle blossoms. The humming bird moth, a type of hawk moth, showed up to help add interest. A good friend with Scottish heritage was expecting a first child so I determined this painting would be my gift for the baby. I am glad they were pleased with it. Before gifting it to my friend, I had it professionally photographed in order to have Giclee prints made. I have them available for others of Scottish background or even if they just like the painting or thistle flowers.  It was a detailed and tedious painting. I used a specific mathematical formula called a root rectangle to lay out the arrangement. Hope you enjoy

This can be complicated, even at this late stage. I will list some examples of things still needing addressed.

Maisie’s fur may need brightened but I will wait until other surfaces are complete. The flesh on the subject will be modified with several layers to give life and depth to it. I may add some details to the shirt. My granddaughter’s hair will be painted on top of the shirt. And the dog’s tongue will be finished with a brighter pink. This adds up to  several days more work. Keep tuning in to see the final stages of this portrait. I hope you have gained in experience and technique. Diana

There will be some time between posts for a while, please forgive the delay. Just use the time to practice the steps so far demonstrated. I am expecting a very dear visitor whom I have not seen in a lifetime. An event in her life caused her to loose all her contacts and we could never find her in all that time. She is coming with her adult daughter and I am not sure how much time she will be able to spend with us. I have been racing to get some work ready and entered in shows. I have not had the drive to work passionately since my sister in law’s illness and death and again last week a monumental Friend died. I am deeply grieved.

Even so, I am working many hours a day trying to get these works ready in time. First, I will show you the latest work on my grand daughter’ painting.

Yes, I have a method, so, you would think this process would follow along the routine steps and I would never get lost. WRONG! Perhaps I just forget something, or maybe I decide to skip a step, or maybe something just doesn’t seem right. I have messed up so badly at times that my only option is to call the mess I have an under painting and drop back to square one. Then again, maybe I don’t know why something isn’t right. What I want you to think about and understand is that you must trust your ability. And, I believe in a higher power and I ask YAH to intervene. This gets me on the right track and I come to understand what move to make next. Believe me, if your flesh tone looks blotchy, do another layer and then another. Each time you paint this face, you get to know it better. What you may not realize is that your brain is learning how to paint suppleness into the skin. You don’t need a teacher except to help the process move along more quickly. What your brain needs is failure and experience. This is how we were meant to learn. Get the point I am making here, please. Your brain is gaining mastery as you try to figure this out. How else could I have learned. I looked and I tried and failed and began to recognize my own improvement. Don’t give up. I am grateful I kept trying.