via On letting go.
I have never shared another person’s post on my blog before, so hopefully it will work ok.
Every artist and writer has to decide when their work is “done.” We have to let our creations go in order to free our mind and talent to work on the next project; hopefully our next “masterpiece.” 🙂
I love walking around historic old towns. I look at the architecture and imagine the life led by the citizens of that time. I walk through places of worship with beautiful stained glass and wander the cemeteries filled with headstones marking the last resting place of people who lived hundreds of years ago. Strong emotions surface as I imagine the lives behind those hallowed graves. Did this person lead people, work in a trade, or suffer the loss of a child? Did this person die happy, in fear, or too young? My modern-day perspective cannot begin to know the hardships, the achievements, the joys, or the sorrows behind each name chiseled in stone.
When my husband and I traveled through Scotland and Ireland, we wandered through castles and churches with cemeteries whose stones once carried words worn away by the passage of time. Some stones told the stories of the departed with symbols. At the battlefield of Culloden, Scotland fought one last historic battle which ended its independence, and the surviving victors buried the dead in mostly unmarked graves. The successive owners preserved the land, and in the 20th century, the battlefield became a government maintained historical site. The battlefield pays tribute to all the brave men from both sides of that infamous fight. I could feel the hope lost and the human devastation left behind.
This painting represents my second rendition of the OldSwedesChurch in the city of Old New Castle. In the 1990’s, I drew the church with graphite pencils and donated the piece as a prize for my work’s annual charitable campaign. I visited the City of New Castle earlier this year, and the church inspired me again. This time, I wanted to interpret the historic landmark in a medium relatively new to me – watercolor. I shot the inspiration photo looking up to capture the church and the cross.
This painting represents spirituality. Although I do not regularly attend church, I hold a deep faith and look up to God for guidance in my life. When the burden gets too heavy, I pray for strength and a path forward. I continue to work hard, but once I give the burden up to God, everything seems to work out the way it should. I still suffer tremendous loss, but God gives me the strength to go on and to find joy again. This painting reminds me to look up and keep the faith.
In this piece, I love the tumultuous sky, the spring buds on the tree, and the cross pointing high to the heavens. I also love the tree coming in from the left and drawing your eye towards the center. On the minus side, the matting cuts off a little more of the painting than I prefer, and I need to work on my color mixing to better recreate the colors in the photos. In person and through my eyes, the colors seem closer to the original and much more vibrant than they do in the photo of the painting.
Donna Forrest
An Artist’s Path – Winkin, Blinkin, and Nod – Wellsboro, PA
Anniversary Roses – MEDIUM: Watercolor – Completed 8/21/12
Anniversary Roses – Inspiration Photo
My husband and I celebrated our 10th anniversary this past May. Most of our dear friends and family know we are going through a lengthy financial crisis, not unlike many other folks. While we weather this storm, my husband and I have become very selective about how we spend the tiny bit of extra money that sometimes comes our way. This year, we promised each other to make a few sacrifices and not buy anniversary gifts, so we could enjoy a short weekend getaway to Wellsboro, PA, where we have retirement property. Whenever we go to Wellsboro, we visit our neighbors, catch up on local news at the bar of our favorite restaurant (Timeless Destination), and enjoy the beautiful mountains dubbed the grand canyon of the east.
I came home from work the evening before our anniversary to find this beautiful vase of roses on the coffee table with an equally nice anniversary card. I breathed in the lovely scent of roses and felt unworthy. I had no gift for my wonderful husband, just a card. Then, I started to feel a bit angry because the expensive flower arrangement would take funds away from our gift to each other – the trip that weekend to Wellsboro. I was glad I squelched my anger until I heard the real story. After 10 years, I should know better!
I sweetly asked my husband, “Where did you find such beautiful roses?” He told me he stepped out the back door and felt a little empty handed for not giving me anything on one of our milestone anniversaries. Right then, the scent of roses perfumed the air so strong he turned his head to look at our one rose bush. God blessed my husband with a magical moment – the bush teemed with beautiful roses. Now, he could give me something special for our special anniversary and still keep his promise. The perfect vase (I should have recognized it) came from our cabinet and transformed the roses into a thoughtful, beautiful, no-cost gift. I was so glad I didn’t ruin the moment!
That rosebush amazes me every year, since we first planted it 10 ½ years ago. A friend picked up one of those inexpensive stick rose bushes from Kmart as a nice little housewarming gift when we moved into our home. At the time, I was harried with the move and our upcoming wedding. I planted the bush outside near the dryer vent and beneath the kitchen window fully expecting my lack of gardening skills to kill it within a year. Instead, the rose bush thrived. I prune it back to a nub every year, and still, it comes back healthier than ever. The dryer vent keeps the bush warm enough that sometimes roses bloom in the dead of winter.
My husband gave me such a delightful surprise, I felt compelled to paint the beautiful roses. Now, I will remember our 10th anniversary every time I look at the painting. I was nervous I wouldn’t capture the intricacy in the petals, but they seemed to turn out ok. I wished I better replicated the vibrant pink color from the inspiration photo, but I don’t think you notice anything amiss unless you compare it to the photo. Maybe next time I will start with a vibrant background, let it dry and then add the lighter colors to define the shapes. I need to work a little more on shadow techniques, but I like the way the pattern in the tablecloth turned out.
I know I should work on studies, but I don’t. I get so much joy from a finished painting; I prefer to learn as I paint a piece. Although, I do keep a scrap practice paper handy to test colors and techniques during the process. If I find an inexpensive evening watercolor class, I would take it. The one drawing class I took many years ago taught a grid technique that I use to proportionately transform a small photo to a much larger sketch. The curse of the self-taught artist sometimes manifests itself in not knowing the “proper” techniques right off the bat. Hopefully, I will stumble upon them as I go….or find a good class. J
Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and I am so very thankful for my thoughtful husband, as well as all of my friends and loved ones!
What thoughtfulness surprised and delighted you this past year?
Donna Forrest
An Artist’s Path
Milburn Orchards – Sept 2012
“An Alcove in Spring” – MEDIUM: Watercolor – COMPLETED: 08-05-12
“An Alcove in Spring” – Inspiration
I was a little remiss posting in my blog over the summer. Hopefully, you will find the watercolor paintings I completed worth the wait. Perhaps, they can help you recapture a bit of spring and summer as fall brings its own brilliant colors into play.
You will find Old New Castle a recurring theme in my paintings because I lived there for ten years and fell in love with the history, the old architecture, and the lovely park that all resides right next to the meandering Delaware River. Although signs warn you not to eat the fish or swim in the water, park visitors still enjoy the view and a few water sports, like boating and jet skiing. In fact, a sailing club moors its little boats along the river; and you can meander away an afternoon at Battery Park watching the sailboats come and go.
I took this photo last spring when the buds on the trees were just starting to sprout their lovely green leaves. I walked around Old New Castle searching for interesting “vessels,” and loved the vase-shaped pot. This whole vignette reminded me of something Tuscan, even though the Dutch built many of these old houses in the 17th century after Governor Peter Stuyvesant established Fort Casimir in 1651. In 1824, the “Great Fire on Water Street” destroyed many of the homes on what is now called “The Strand.” I’m not sure whether or not this house was built before or after the fire. If you are a history buff, the City of New Castle’s web page at http://newcastlecity.delaware.gov/history-2/ gives much more detail.
As I came upon this alcove, I pictured sitting on a comfy porch swing protected from the chill in the air while reading a good book and letting the warm spring sun soak into my bones on its way to the bricks below. I loved the way the blue flowers and green leaves popped out of the top of the terra cotta vase-shaped pot to surround the budding tree. I loved the lighter shade of early spring green that brings a promise of the full deep green colors yet to come in summer.
My three favorite parts of this painting are the tree branch that shoots in from the right; the vase-shaped pot, flowers, and budding tree; and the bricks. The tree branch reminds me that the rest of its glory lies just outside this view. We only have to allow our imagination to wander a bit, and we can see it in our mind’s eye. The vase, flowers, and budding tree were fun to paint, and I was happy the blue flowers pop with enough color to hold their own at the top of the lovely red terra cotta pot. The bricks on the sidewalks of Old New Castle show a patina that easily reminds me of days gone by; although, many were probably replaced over these last several hundred years. Walking on the uneven, sometimes slippery, surface proves treacherous, at times. However, I find the risk worth the walk!
Where is your favorite place?
Donna Forrest
An Artist’s Path
September 2012 – Pine Creek, Gaines, PA
“Inside My Bleeding Heart” – Medium: Watercolor – Painted 7/6/2012
The Inspiration Photo for “Inside My Bleeding Heart”
I really enjoyed painting my first watercolor, “Cherry Blossoms for Mary,” and have veered from the pencil medium again in my second painting, “Inside My Bleeding Heart.”
My husband and I bought our house over 10 years ago from the great aunt of his best friend’s wife. The experience gave me a lesson in perspective. His friend, who lives in somewhat of a McMansion by my perspective, hesitatingly mentioned the house to us. My husband asked if the house was nice, and again, his friend hesitated. My husband told me about the house with the same trepidation. “I’m not sure we will like it, Donna, and I don’t know why.” He said his friend wouldn’t come out and say what was wrong with it.
We looked around a while and after a couple months decided to go see the house. I loved it! I loved the nice yard, the partial brick construction, the three bedrooms, the great curb appeal, the good bones, and of course, the nice neighbors. Unlike his friend, we had no children (he had three) and wanted a house that wouldn’t make us spend every moment either working to maintain it or working to pay for it. We bought our home owner-to-owner right before the real estate bubble and refinanced it a year later, which lowered the mortgage even further. Over the years, we used the money we saved to not only travel, but to add a big beautiful deck, upgraded electric, a new HVAC system, and a new roof. 10 years later that decision saved our home, as we struggle like many others in this horrible economy.
One of the things I love about our home is the landscaping. Something blooms every season except sometimes in the dead of winter. The first spring blooms come from tulips and hyacinths. Then, a few of the bushes turn a bright yellow, while others grow pretty white flowers. All summer I enjoy roses from one hearty bush, as long as I dead head the spent blooms. The rose bush grows near an outside dryer vent and has been known to give us beautiful flowers, even in the winter. Once the mums finish their fall season, the bushes that turn yellow in the spring produce little red winter berries.
One of my favorite spring blooming bushes is a little bleeding heart the previous owners planted next to our shed. I never saw a bleeding heart bush before this one, and it excited me to no end. Throughout the bush, lush green leaves protect and showcase pretty pink hearts with luminous white tails. Once the bush spends itself in the early summer, I prune the brown, dry leaves, back to the ground. Each year, the bleeding heart bush grows back bigger and lovelier than the year before.
The in-laws of my husband’s best friend live around the corner from us. They are lovely people, and his mother-in-law (the niece of the previous owners of our home) stopped by the first year we lived here to ask if she could transplant the little bush to their yard. It held a special place in her heart, but she didn’t seem eager to share the story with me. I said ok, but she never came to dig up the little bush that year. The following year, she said she did not want to move the plant for fear it would die. Now, I would not part with it. I suffer with an annual touch of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) during the dark, cold winter months and anxiously await the early spring flowers that signal the fresh, bright change to come.
This watercolor not only represents my homage to that little bleeding heart bush, it represents my homage to spring. I cannot wait for the archival framing to arrive, so I can show my neighbor around the corner. The painting will have a white mat and a pretty black frame. I love the way sleek black brings out the colors in my art, and it has become my go-to frame color. I also love that color fills the whole piece, and I hope the painting conveys how the leaves envelop and protect the delicate bleeding heart flowers. I took a little artistic license by adding a touch of blue sky to the very top of the painting. The backdrop to this bush is actually my light gray shed, but bright blue skies feel more like spring.
Donna Forrest
An Artist’s Path: Wellsboro, PA – May 2012
"Cherry Blossoms for Mary" - Completed 4-13-2012. Medium - Watercolor.
"Cherry Blossoms for Mary" - The Inspiration Photograph
I talked to my younger sister about wanting to add a little color to my pencil drawings. She suggested I practice on a drawing for her because she wanted a Donna Forrest original. I told her I created my drawings from photographs and would need to find a photo I was comfortable drawing. Ever the problem solver, she took a photo of someone else’s art and e-mailed it to me.
The painting in the photograph looked very nice and was simplistic enough that I could have easily recreated it. I just didn’t want to. I know many artists further hone their craft by studying and recreating the work of master artists. I, too, study and recreate techniques I find effective in other artistic works, but I would rather not paint a copy of someone else’s work. Instead, I set out to find a photo of something real I could then make my own.
The planning process for me is to first find an inspiring photo in nature and then figure out how I want to interpret it in my art. I love to go on picture expeditions for inspiration and the digital age adds affordability to a process I really enjoy. I just didn’t have time to hunt down a cherry blossom tree in peak bloom, at least not if I wanted to finish this painting before her birthday. Lucky for me, the internet had this photograph as free clip art. I am a big fan of hidden treasures, and the bird reminded me of a hidden treasure amongst the beautiful cherry blossoms.
I decided to try my hand at watercolor for this painting because I really loved the colors. I had some old watercolor supplies from 30 years ago that I never seriously used. The brush on one of the brushes actually deteriorated to dust. Fortunately, I researched appropriate watercolor supplies before I used those antiquated paints. The labels said nothing about light fastness or staining properties. I did not want to put all that time and love into the painting and then watch it fade away to nothing over time. With the aid of some powerful coupons, I invested in quality supplies and an instructional book at my nearby AC Moore.
Framing the piece gave me a bit of an eye opener, as well. I discovered devastation inevitably comes from framing art on the cheap. Acid free foam backing and matting, as well as UV protective glass costs significantly more, but then keeps the colors from fading. I struggled with the framing because even though I wanted to give a complete gift, I burst my gift-giving budget buying supplies to create the piece. I called my step-father to explain my dilemma and asked if he wanted to contribute to a gift-card, so my sister wouldn’t have to bear the full brunt of the framing costs. He agreed to pay for all the framing as his birthday gift.
Of course, special framing is a special order, and I had to wait two more weeks. On her birthday, I shared the painting, sans the frame, right before we had a yummy dinner at The Melting Pot! The framing came in this past Friday, and the complete package looks pretty good. She will be pleasantly surprised when I give it back to her. I worried my first watercolor painting would turn out like something I colored in a coloring book. I realize my cherry blossoms cannot begin to compare with the talent of a Georgia O’Keefe, but the reactions have been good, so far. Now, that I put this piece to bed, I am ready to begin again.
Donna Forrest
"A Bay View at Fager's Island" - Pencil Medium - Completed 3/25/2012
This drawing reminds me how much my husband and I love to travel, albeit within our modest means. The low maintenance, affordable ranch home we bought in 2001 reflects our original goal to travel (low maintenance, low mortgage payment) and one day retire (all one floor) in the same home. Our checklist included a safe neighborhood; good neighbors; a medium size yard; and something move-in ready (no fixer upper). Check. We skipped the more popular “McMansion” type houses many couples in our income bracket coveted in favor of more time and more disposable income. For the same reasons, we repeatedly declined good intentioned family and friends when they tried to coerce us into adopting a pet. We wanted to see the world.
Fast forward more than a decade into our marriage and past our earlier trips to Ireland, Niagara Falls, Scotland, as well as a myriad of domestic trips up and down the east coast. We even fell in love with the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon and bought a piece of retirement property in that area – so much for retiring in our current ranch home. We still dream of driving around New Zealand following the footsteps of Frodo Baggins (“The Hobbit”); cruising to Alaska in search of the Aurora Borealis; and driving an RV from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans in search of new places, new friends, and perhaps some good notes for a travel narrative.
As we all know, life can throw a wrench into the most well thought out plans. We lost loved ones and were sorely reminded that what we counted on as a normal progression of life could change in an instant. The economy destroyed my husband’s family business, and decimated our finances. Anymore, we barely eke out a short anniversary trip each year to check on our retirement property, but so far it survives. My husband and I are blessed with our remaining family and friends, as well as a renewed effort to cherish every moment we have with them. God still blesses us with relatively good health, so maybe our retirement and travel dreams only have to be delayed, not squashed.
My husband and I entered 2012 with some important issues resolved and more hope than we had been able to muster for some time. This drawing in my “portal’ series, “A Bay View at Fagers Island.” came from a little weekend trip to the beach in February. The timing, the bay-side versus ocean-side location, and a generous Christmas gift card made this getaway affordable. We walked from the lovely hotel to one of our favorite restaurants for their Sunday jazz brunch; arrived early enough to snag a coveted table overlooking the bay; and stayed for a couple hours. Not only does this drawing show a transition from land to bay, but it reminds me of the visceral change in us that weekend as we cast out our past despair for an inkling of hope – a portal to a brighter future.
Donna Forrest
"A Bay View at Fagers Island" - The Photo Inspiration
"A Bay View at Fagers Island" - Medium: Pencil - Completed 3-25-2012
Rather than select random photographs to draw, I thought I would look for themes to thread through my work. Although you cannot tell from the “Dining Room” drawing, I took that picture through a door size opening that I envision as a sort of portal from the living room to the dining room. I took this picture underneath the deck of the Lighthouse Hotel where my husband and I stayed onFagersIslandinOcean City,Maryland. The drawing, “A Bay View atFagersIsland,” provides a sort of gateway or portal view from the land to the bay. These two pieces make a nice beginning to what I call the “portal series” of drawings.
I like the idea of something providing a passageway between two other things that are not necessarily physical spaces. The thing that someone passes through to get from one thing to another can come in all shapes, sizes, substances, and perspectives. I went on a picture expedition for this series and found some unique interpretations of the portal. Two trees side by side grow in a way that frames the scene in between. A person stands in a parking lot on one side of the trees and looks through them to see a beautiful park at a river’s edge. The bottom of an old tree has a hole just big enough for small animals, like squirrels, to step through and find shelter from larger animals or bad weather. Piers take someone from land to sea. Gates mark the end of a driveway and the beginning of a lush green back yard. Alleys take people from a sidewalk to a river’s edge. Portals can be more than physical, as well.
Meditation provides a portal to relaxation and peace. While we sleep, dreams link our conscious and subconscious to help sort through a myriad of feelings and other stimulus from the waking world. Fortune tellers use their tarot cards, tea leaves, or other items to take them into someone else’s life. I use prayer as a portal to communicate with God, and I envision the sky as a portal between heaven and earth. The creative process takes thoughts and ideas from our mind and transports them into the light of day. Even the tools artists use to express those thoughts and ideas, like pencils, charcoal, a computer, paper, and paints become portals for our creativity.
Many people use little “rituals” as portals to transport them from one state of mind to another. Writers and artists may say a mantra, stare at an object, or perform certain activities that open them up to their creative selves or help them pass a creative block. My morning starts with a shower and a cup of coffee, which is the ritual I use to signal the end of night and the beginning of the day. At the end of the work day, the drive home takes me home both physically and mentally. Even a tough conversation may come at the end of some sort of preparation.
Although I may take an artistic detour from the “portal series” now and again, I look forward to delving into the concept of passing through a portal of some sort to get from one place to another. I am curious to see how I interpret those portals from the photographs through my mind and to the paper.
Donna Forrest
An Artist's Path: Spring 2012, Battery Park, DE
"Me and My Brudder at the Park" MEDIUM: Pencil and Charcoal DATE COMPLETED: 03/12/2012
I turned the corner of forty before I married the love of my life and missed the opportunity to birth my own children. One of my ultimate regrets, for sure. Then, my stepdaughter brought two wonderful boys into this world and this woman, who never expected grandchildren, suddenly became “Nonna.” My regret, now, is my husband works so many long, hard hours that we sorely miss spending time with our grandchildren.
One special moment plucked from a precious weekend with the boys inspired this drawing. Nonna and poppop spent hours at a little local park swinging the boys; helping them climb hanging bars; catching them at the end of a speedy trip down the spiral sliding board; and pretending with them on the “stagecoach” near the horseys they rode. The boys horsey ride gave Nonna and poppop some much needed rest. Later we played in our backyard a homemade game dubbed “Evil Dr. Porkchop.” The boys chased their poppop around the backyard with badminton rackets, while he growled and grabbed at them. Nonna’s magic tennis balls drained Dr. Porkchop’s energy and saved the boys by forcing him to “rejuvenate’ behind the shed. Towards the end of the game, everyone took an exhausted turn “rejuvenating” behind the shed.
After dinner, we treated the boys to milkshakes and then tucked them into the couch with one of their favorite movies playing on the TV. Poppop and nonna were sad to take the boys home Sunday night, although we appreciated the opportunity to apply a tried and true remedy for sore muscles – ibuprofen, a steamy hot shower, and off to bed!
Donna Forrest
An Artist's Path - Resting at Niagara Falls, Canada
Oh, the conversations this dining room has heard!
I started my first blog, “Life in this life,” (http://donnasuefo.wordpress.com/) in 2010, after graduating from college at 49. The blog helped stoke my passion for writing. In the beginning, I tried to write about the humor threaded throughout everyday life. That sense of humor drained away in 2010 when my family suffered several horrible losses – too many loved ones gone, my husband’s family business gone, and his livelihood gone. My writing lost its purpose, while my health and wellness deteriorated. In 2011, my blog morphed into one that shared some honest attempts to regain a healthier lifestyle. Unfortunately, I gave up writing in my blog at the end of August to focus attention on saving both my parents’ and our homes. We entered 2012 with that mission accomplished, a renewed sense of hope, and a healthy appreciation of God’s blessings.
Some call it karma or fate or whatever, but I believe God guides our lives. Even after all my loss these last couple years, I still believe God wants the best for us. We just have to listen. In the beginning of December 2011, my employer partnered with an organization that gives grants to companies willing to sponsor an art contest for all their employees. The art was to be publicly displayed for a month and qualified artists adjudicated the entries to determine the winners in each category. The art had to be less than three years old, and I found out about the contest with only one week before the deadline. I always gave my drawings away for special occasions. Then, I stopped drawing altogether shortly after I got married, so I possessed nothing relatively new.
This contest spurred my creative muse to action. The drawing technique I learned decades ago involves taking a black and white picture of the subject. Thankfully, we live in a digital age where black and white pictures quickly print using a computer printer. I had some beautiful chrysanthemums on my dining room table, the remnants of this first sad Thanksgiving holiday without my dear nephew (he was killed in December 2010). Although not prize-worthy compared to other works in the contest, the drawing came out well given the time constraints and my rusty technique, at least in my humble opinion.
Then, I attended a baby shower this January at the sister of my husband’s aunt, who showed me her talented family’s art beautifully decorating the walls throughout her lovely home. Her husband also draws, and I particularly enjoyed a pencil drawing with pops of watercolor. I would like to add pops of color to my black and white pencil drawings, but I am afraid my lack of skill would ruin the piece. Her husband arrived, and we talked about the different mediums and art classes locally available.
Then, I received an e-mail earlier this month from the coordinator of the art contest. She said someone in another division wanted to hang artwork in one of their common rooms currently under construction, and my name was on the list of artists picked from this contest for that purpose. Of course, I jumped at the opportunity. Call it fate. Call it Karma. I call these out-of-the-blue coincidences God’s will whispering in my ear. Is it time to begin again? My home has a lot of walls, and I could replace the mass market pictures with original art. If God is trying to tell me something, I need to more fully explore the possibilities.
This year, I am ready to start a new blog. However, I want this one to better reflect the complexities of my artistic passions. I love to write, but I also love all things artistic and creative – drawing, music, designing, dancing, crafting, cooking, and more. Feeding the creative muse may even help me reach my health goals more than all the stressful calorie counting in the world. Of course, my doctor may have a different opinion. 🙂
Enter this new blog and let it mark the beginning of a renewed hope in my life. I hope to prolifically create art and then write about the pieces – maybe fiction, maybe poetry, maybe non-fiction. Although I am not yet convinced the writing muse dried up for “Life in this Life,” this broader approach deserves to stand on its own. Last year, I worked my way through Julia Cameron’s book, “The Artist’s Way.” This year, I hope to find and give inspiration that will help me forge a more creative path forward. I hope to follow “An Artist’s Path,” and I hope all who read my blog will share the journey with me.
Donna Forrest
An Artist's Path 