New Copy of the Chagall Lithograph

Here is another version of Chagall's lithograph of the Vase of Flowers by the Window. This is much more my style than the previous effort. I used a lot of watercolor pencil (wet) and black sharpie in addition to real paint. I like this much better. It was very much worth re-doing the piece.

Med Changes

Since this blog is both about my art and my psychiatric condition, I feel compelled to tell the world about my medication changes. As of Friday (with medical advice) I increased my Geodon to 80 mg (I've been on this dose before) and changed my anti-anxiety medication from Lorazapam to Klonapin. I feel much better. I actually take LESS Klonopin than I did Lorazapam. It works better. I may be switching from a low dose of Lexapro (antidepressant) to a low dose of Wellubtrin (a different class of antidepressant). I do think I'm not getting much benefit from Lexapro since I've been on it since Sept 04. I'm actually eager to make this change, but it will take weaning off the Lexapro. I feel fantastic now, so I'm actually not moaning about my mental state. I just want to keep the public notified. Any one who knows about these psych meds can feel free to comment.

Chagall and Copy

Clearly the real Chagall is better than my first effort to ape the piece. I really think this is a good composition exercise, but it is not very creative. I'm just trying to mock someone else's work. And my first effort is not a totally competent forgery. Not that I'm looking to create a good forgery. This is fun, but it is not what I really want to do with my art. I want to create totally unique pieces of art...but I guess this is the assignment.

Chagall Lithograph circa 1963

I need to pick a master artist to try and follow for the rest of the semester at Fullerton College. The professor says it is fine to pick Marc Chagall, who I love. I ordered a book off his work offAmazon...but it is not here yet. I did a google search for Chagall paintings and found this lovely floral lithograph for sale at the Weinstein Gallery (should you want to purchase the real thing). I have all the necessary colors of Watercolor paint and think that this piece will be challenging but not impossible. I like florals. This is an especially lovely one. I'm sure I will not match the beauty of the original. It is so lovely.

Flowers

This is a small piece I painted in class Saturday just to take a break from Dry Brushing the Silas Portrait. I was experimenting with some new colors...I have expanded the paints that I'm using in this class. It is not some of my best work...but it is cheerful. I used Q-tips to blot some of the color out of the flowers and to create shading.

Completed Silas Portrait

This is the more refined version of the painting of Silas the half Siamese cat who has lived with me for 9 years. I spent a lot of time in class on Saturday dry brushing his face with a fine brush. This was the point of the assignment: copy a photo and use dry brushing. I don't think the professor loves this painting, but I do and that is really the point here for me. It is my family cat and we like the portrait.

Report on My Moods

Since this is a blog about the effect of art on my nagging chronic Bipolar disorder, I might as well spout about my moods once in a while. Today I am as normal as can be expected. I did wake up at 5 a.m. without the alarm and did WANT to paint but was scared to death to touch the Silas painting for fear that I would ruin it before class tomorrow...when it is due. My artist friend Dan Joyce thinks I need to darken the face and leave the rest lighter...or something like that. I think I need HELP from someone in class to do this right. It is weird for me to be afraid to paint. But, other than that, I'm feeling fine today...yesterday was another story.
I was very depressed again yesterday. There were some family triggers for my depression which make logical sense, but I don't like that I am still getting THAT depressed when I'm on a boatload of meds. I was too depressed yesterday to go to Yoga...which is bad, very bad. I was too depressed to read, even though I made it to the library and checked out a collection of Short Stories. I'm an avid short story reader, for those who don't know me well. If you know any good short story authors, please turn me on to them. I do read a lot when I'm at a stable place mentally. I actually think I'm going to go on Amazon right now and buy a used Chagall book. I'm picking him as my artist to emulate in the latter part of the Fullerton College Watercolor class.

Smoggy Sunset No. 2

Here is another version of the Smoggy Los Angeles Sunset that I painted in class on Strathmore Aquarius paper. I don't know which version of the smoggy sunset is better. I like both. My artist friend Dan Joyce who has a blog on My Scene likes the smoggy sunsets. The sunset is a combination of Permanet Magenta, Windsor Orange and Scarlet Lake....those of you who know Windsor Newton paint will know what I'm talking about. This was painted quickly as a wet onto wet painting. I don't know if anyone other than Dan and I like these pieces.

Photo of Silas

I've lightened the original photo of Silas becasue the colors of the photo I posted a few days ago were too dark. This version looks much more like the actual cat. I just used curves in Photoshop to lighten the digital photo slightly. This color is much more true to the Silas we all know and love.

Silas in Watercolor

This is my first version of my beloved cat Silas in Watercolor. The children like it. It does look like the cat. I'm not certain it look exactally like the photo, however. This took me all day. I really don't want to paint it again tomorrow. I like how it turned out. But it may not make a perfect grade for the assignment...but I'm not sure that I care.
My mother...who knows Silas...told me she thinks I need to do this again. She thinks the ears are wrong...Hmmm.

Teletubby Land

I'm finally satisified with the clouds...but the landcape looks like Dipsy and LaLa should be wandering around chasing bunnies. Oh well, maybe I'll make another pass at this during class. This is on the Arches all cotton paper. I used Cotman Cobalt Blue for the sky insted of the Cheap Joes Phtalo Blue that is in the rest of these cloud paintings. It is a bit more subtle as a sky color.

Cloudy Skies

Here is another shot at the wet onto wet cloudy sky and landscape homework. I think the clouds are getting better, but they aren't perfect yet. This is the Strathmore Aquarius Paper.

Greeting Card/Post Card Offer

I just want to repeat my offer to make greeting cards out of anything on the blog for $10 per dozen cards. You may pick six card designs of ANYTHING on the blog in your dozen. Just e-mail me your order at linda.s@adelphia.net I can also make Post Cards for $10 for 20. You can pick ten designs in a post card order.
You can snail mail me your card request with a check if you know me well and have my street address...I'm not posting it on the blog.

Sunset Over Downtown

This is a smoggy sunset over Los Angeles, California. This is a scene from my childhood. I remember the smog made beautiful sunsets over downtown L.A. in the distance that I could see from the backyard of my childhood home in Glendora, California which is in eastern L.A. county in the foothills. My mother says I was standing on the brick wall and looking at this view from a 6ft elevation.
This is another attempt at the wet on wet landscape homework assignment with clouds. It is on Arches all cotton paper. I went out today and bought a tube of Windsor Newton Permanent Magenta at Michael's with a 40% off coupon. I really needed this color pink to do this piece. If any friends or family want to mail me Michael's 40% off coupons out of the Sunday paper, I would be most appreciative. I saved $4 on the tube of paint today.

Landscape with Clouds No. 2

This is my second attempt at a landcape with clouds. It really looks much nicer at this size than it does big. I don't like this Strathmore Aquarius paper much. I wish I didn't have so much of it.

Any opinions?

Landscape With Clouds No. 1

Here is my first attempt (this semester) of a wet onto wet watercolor landscape with clouds. It is not perfect. It is on the arches all cotton paper. I just did a version on the Strathmore Aquarius Cotton/Synthetic Blend Paper which I'm really not so fond of. I'll post it once it is dry.
Any comments?

This week's assignment: Wet onto Wet Landscape

This is an assignment I am actually very familiar with...wet onto wet painting is very fun for me. It is freeform and abstract. I need to do a landscape with A LOT of clouds that has a wet onto wet landcape...I may become very wild with colors on this...I really like wild colored landscapes. See my January Postings for an example that I love. I really don't like realism in my art for some reason. I like abstractions much better. I don't know if I should use the Arches All Cotton Paper for this assignment or if I should use the Strathmore Aquarius Cotton/Synthetic Blend Paper for this assignment. I have both. I have one week to do this...so keep checking the blog for installments. Any color requests....does anyone have a decorating scheme they would like me to paint toward...I would like to provide prints of my paintings to my admirers in exchange for gifts of paint...Windsor Newton Professional Watercolors please. My favorite colors are on my wish list www.cheapjoes.com I don't have magenta in my favorites, but I would like a large tube of it too. It is hard to mix really good pinks out of Scarlet Lake.

8-year-old Girl's Photoshop Scribbles

My eight-year-old is home sick today and wanted to paint in photoshop. This is her work. She has the flu today. I guess I'm starting the tradition of posting art by all Saslow family artists on this blog. I was actually amazed that she was able to use the paintbrush and color picker as well as she did. I gave her very little instruction.

Stained Glass Program Cover

Here's another stab at the flat wash homework which is also an attempt to do another version of the Bat Mitzvah program cover. My twelve year old REALLY likes this. She likes the other one too, but says this is so much better. I must say that the $12 English Sable Windsor Newton brush that I bought yesterday at Michael's does make this job easier. It is a very good brush. It cuts in nicely and it holds a lot of paint. BUT, it is impossible to get a flat wash with Windsor Newton Ultramarine Violet. So, this is still not perfect, but my instructor says it is good enough to pass the assignment, so I'm going to start painting in my regular style again. In the Linda Saslow gallery will be a cubist Stained Glass room...sort of like Piacasso's Blue period.