Category Archives: Process

Solo time at the coast

For the past week I’ve been staying in a little cottage in Waldport all by myself, enjoying silence and creative time and walking on the beach twice a day. It’s been heavenly!

I bought a folding table to set up as my workspace in the dining room and spread out my supplies. It was great to have the whole day–the whole week!–to alternate working on paintings with taking breaks outside. The past few days it was so warm that I took my book about Henry Miller’s watercolors onto the deck and soaked up some sun.

I’m heading home refreshed and restored and with a stack of new work and many, many photos for future inspiration.

 

Visitor from the Dreamtime

Lisa Griffen, Visitor from the Dreamtime, acrylic and ink on 18x24" canvas.

Lisa Griffen, Visitor from the Dreamtime, acrylic and ink on 18×24″ canvas.

I watched the movie Tracks on Netflix. It’s about Robin Davidson’s solo trek across the Australian desert in the 1970s. Then I read her book, which gave a lot more detail, especially about the Aboriginal people she met along her way. That got me interested in reading about the spirituality of indigenous Australians. I’m especially intrigued by the Creation stories about the Dreamtime.

A few days after I finished all that reading, this figure showed up in my painting, clearly emerging from those explorations.

WIP for the Art Challenge

This will be the third year I’ve participated in the annual Art Challenge fundraiser at Village Gallery of Arts. In fact, it was the Challenge that got me interested in joining the gallery, and now here I am on the board of directors.

I really like these kinds of “come one, come all” events where you can find work by experienced artists hanging alongside pieces by beginners, or even kids. They’re fun to do and it’s amazing to see the variety of techniques. People find ways to attach fabric, glass, clay, or whatever else they want to use. There are always gems to find.

I’m sticking with paint. Here are my four pieces, about halfway done. I wanted to limit my palette this year as an extra challenge to myself, so I’m using black/white/gray and probably red to finish them off.

6x6" canvases for the Village Gallery of Arts' 6th Annual Art Challenge in May 2015.

6×6″ canvases for the Village Gallery of Arts’ 6th Annual Art Challenge in May 2015.

Painting outside

We’ve been having the nicest spring I can remember in 24 years of living in the Portland area. Yesterday I was in the studio looking at the sunshine outside and realized I could be painting out there! I didn’t even want to take the time to set up an easel. I grabbed a big canvas I’ve been working on and propped it on the chairs from the studio. It was so good to paint with the sun warm on my back. I’ll be doing more of this for sure. Though next time I may need to get some sawhorses or a table–something more stable than the chair method.
Painting in the backyard

The problem with pinks

pinks

I’ve been drawn to shades of pink lately when I look at paintings, especially abstracts. So here’s the first layer of a new painting, all in shades of pink. It resembles a large Valentine but I like it a lot. In fact, I like it so much that I’m having trouble painting over it!