Practice makes...

...perfect!

Maybe not quite perfect... but it certainly makes a difference.

Last week I worked on two paintings that initially seemed to be done

... but they weren't.

First I did was a little color sketch of three pears. It was meant as a preliminary study to work out composition and color/values issues for a larger painting. It had a fresh quality that I really liked. And I thought, should I bother to re-paint this? I mean, it's not bad, right?

Pear Study ©2013 Dorothy Lorenze

But, the plan was to do a study and then do a larger painting. I'm trying to be disciplined and learn through the process... so I painted the pears again. By now, I was getting to know these little guys pretty well and I think it shows (you can also see that the pears were ripening from green to yellow).

Eeny, Meeny, Miny... ©2013 Dorothy Lorenze

The next painting is one I really thought was finished... until I tried to frame it. The little pewter pitcher was set up in front of a wooden box... and you know how I feel about painting wood!
So I decided that a nice neutral grey would do the trick.

It was OK, but not quite right.
How about a warmer cocoa brown?








Maybe that was better, but I couldn't find a frame that worked well with it. Back to the drawing board (or, more accurately, the still life set up). Putting in the dark brown background that actually existed in the shadow box of the set up - well, that made sense!

Seems like "patience and perseverance" are almost as important as "practice." Seriously, if something doesn't seem quite right, it's better to fix it than to pretend it's not going to bother me. (eww, that's sounding dangerously like "perfectionism." Moving right along... )

I do think it was worthwhile to find the right background for this still life "Satin, Pewter and Quartz." Now it's easier to appreciate the textural differences between each of the objects in the painting.
It just works better.  I hope you agree!

Pewter, Satin and Quartz ©2013 Dorothy Lorenze

The frame is a beauty from Custom Frame Solutions.

It's not easy being green

It would be nice to be the kind of unselfconscious artist who plows ahead with confidence and bravado and just paints. Anywhere. Anytime.

But that's not me. Yet. I need familiar objects and materials and that comfort zone that led to the last successful painting. No rabbit's foot required but having all the stars aligned helps!

New adventures are a wishful fantasy. Actually embarking on the adventure? Well, that needs work. Lots of WORK.

A great opportunity presented itself recently when we went to "the islands" for a wedding. All that warm sunlight, ivory sand, turquoise water... and the green-freakin-tropical @#$% foliage!  (excuse my french, green is greek to me)

I was having a terrible time getting situated. Too much sand, wind, people or crazy-giant-green-plants. But I knew I would be completely pissed at myself if I didn't figure out how to do SOMEthing outside of my safe studio.

So I employed a reliable old motivator: GUILT!
Of course I would feel guilty if I didn't at least TRY ("just TRY the asparagus..."). But that wasn't motivation enough because it would only be for my own good.

I had to get creative here. Guilt on behalf of someone else - that would work!

Technically, I had my sh*t together as a traveling painter. Just needed way to get wet oil paintings home (and obviously the guts to get started!) Graciously, my painting teacher Todd Casey offered to lend me his awesome wet panel carrier. It's a hand-made, compact, light wood box with his own logo branded on it... so it was a pretty big deal to borrow.

More important than being functional, it provided just the motivation needed. After all, how UNgrateful would I be if I took his prized possession out of the country and then never bothered to use it! Todd would KILL me!!! (I may be exaggerating a bit here but hey, if that's what it takes...)

So I set up on the balcony (thereby eliminating sand, wind and people) and only had to deal with the green: lots of green. I actually did two small paintings! They are not exactly wonderful so I'm not posting them. But that's OK.

I feel pretty good about overcoming my personal obstacles and finally sticking my toe in the water, from the balcony if not the beach.  

Next time will be easier.
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" says Lao-Tzu.
I do believe that I need more practice vacationing with oils!
       ...Spain
          ...Italy
             ...France!

"...they say it's MY birthday!"

"MUG HUG" drawing prize for one lucky donor

And, to celebrate, I have a gift for you!

Well, at least, one of you!

If you know me, you likely know that girls figure greatly in my life (mother of 4 daughters and one of 5 sisters…+ 2 brothers, but who's counting). Pink and rosy – that’s where I come from!

But it’s not so rosy for girls everywhere. Together we can change that. (And you could win this painting!)

I am raising money to help Edge of Seven build schools for girls in the mountains of rural Nepal and villages in Tanzania. Edge of Seven a wonderful organization that really delivers what it promises. Seriously, they literally build schools and dormitories so girls in rural mountain villages can be educated. Investing in girls helps poor communities thrive, and you can trust Edge of Seven - they achieve amazing results with every dollar.

In Nepal over 218,000 school age children are not able to attend school. It’s either too far, too expensive or they need to work at home. Of those who can get to school, 70% of girls drop out by 10th grade. And yet it has been well documented that educating girls helps the community as much as the individual, reducing poverty for all.

Help us help girls and I will put the names of all who donate $20 or more into a drawing for my painting, Mug Hug. And why a painting of a mug o' joe? Because all you have to do is donate your coffee money for a week (or two depending on your caffeine habit). Anyone can do it.

Donate here to help improve the lives of girls and ultimately their communities. It's easy and it'll give you a better jolt than your morning mug!

Take a chance - my Mug Hug painting could be yours!
It's like the lottery... but you can't lose 'cause you'll definitely win with that feel-good feeling of DOING good.

breaking ground in Nepal

environment friendly earth bags

so many lives changed

ready to learn and make a difference!