Ranazul Show

Thank you to everyone would came out for my reception at Ranazul Restaurant. I really appreciate everyone that came!My show will be up until April 2nd. Visit www.ranazul.us for directions and hours.

On June 4th and 5th, Savage Mill will once again be hosting the Green Life Festival. During the fesitval, I will have an open house featuring my landscapes and seascapes. Lately, I have been working on some acrylic layered "sunflowerscapes". This is a rather involved process where I make petals on palette paper, and transfer them to the canvas. The result is very textural, and I like that.

Also in June, my work will be featured at Ahh Coffee!, in Eastport Shopping Center in Annapolis, MD. And in July and August, I will have some of my work at Salon on Cross St. in Chestertown, MD.

So things are busy, and life is good. Hope the spring weather is pleasing you, and here is to warmer days ahead!

Artfully yours,

Cathy Harville

The Fox and the Cat

The art "business" has been pretty slow lately. Part of the lack of foot traffic to my studio may be the economy, or the sad fact that two major "draws" moved to spaces in the main shopping building.

But once in a while, I get a visitor or so. A talkative man, named Joe, stopped by with his two granddaughters. While the granddaughters looked at my work, he told me an interesting story about his cat and a fox. His cat is a big, black hunter, and regularly kills small animals. They have a fox who frequents their yard, so there aren't many little critters running around.

One day recently, the fox and cat had an encounter. The fox walked confidently towards the cat. Instead of fleeing, the big feline started to charge the fox! The fox turned tail and ran.

The next night, Joe got up because he heard some noise outside. Looking outside he saw the fox and cat sitting near each other, looking in opposite directions. It seemed that they were hunting together! He could not believe his eyes, and woke up his girlfriend to take a look. I guess he wanted a witness, because it was such an unusual site. He watched for a while, and went back to bed.

He told the story much better than I ever could. But I thought it was worth sharing. I have the privilege of meeting a lot of interesting people. And Joe made my day.

Ten Things I am Grateful for as an Artist

Ten things I am grateful for as an artist (in no particular order):

1. I have supportive family and friends;

2. I have the financial resources to cover my expenses;

3. I have a great network of artist friends;

4. I have a rare opportunity to enjoy nature up close with boating and kayaking;

5. I have the time to create;

6. I have my own studio space in public area;

7. I meet lots of great people while at my studio;

8. I enjoy working from photos (it is kind of difficult painting from a kayak);

9. I have good health, and

10. I don't have to make money and support myself!

Artfully yours,

Cathy Harville

Art Therapy

Greetings to all,

As most of you know, I am trying to manage a brain disorder. (If you didn't know, I guess I am coming out of the closet!) Yesterday, I went to a KIFA (Kent Island Federation of Art) meeting. The members there were very nice, and it was a pleasant time.

I knew that there would be a demo at the KIFA meeting. What I didn't know was that we could participate by painting a vase of flowers on this wild, Yupo paper with watercolors. As I followed some preliminary instructions, I dabbed my brush into the juicy watercolor, and started to paint. Within a few minutes, it seemed like art therapy I had in a few of my hospitalizations. I giggled to myself as I played with abandon.

Distraction and keeping busy are powerful tools when managing a brain disorder. By distracting myself, and keeping busy, I am able to push the uncomfortable symptoms to the background, often forgetting about how bad I feel for a while. Movies are also great distractions. With the big screen, it is almost guaranteed that you will have a few hours of peace.

While my art effort at the meeting will not win any awards, I saved it as a reminder of the power of distraction and play in coping with bipolar disorder. Whenever I feel unable to cope, I need to find some busy play, to distract myself. While this cognitive therapy is not always easy, it is effective.

I also learned that my current artist block is penetrable. All I need to do is play, experiment, and have some fun, as well as be patient - for this too, shall pass.

Artfully yours,

Cathy Harville

PS - The attached jpeg is "Cooling Off", 8"X10" pastel by yours truly. (I didn't wan't to post the yupo flower picture just yet - the vase is a little cockeyed, and needs a bit of attention.)

Back to Pastels

My muse has been prodding me to start painting in pastels again. So I listened. (I have posted a new pastel painting for your viewing pleasure.) "Topsail Sunset II" reminds me why I love that little island, and why I love to paint.

The economy has not slowed down the making of art among artists. I find this time valuable to build a body of work, as I explore other avenues for my work. In October, I am going to exhibit a body of work called "At Water's Edge". The coastal areas are a favorite theme of mine. I just love how the land and water interact, and how the environment changes the lighting and atmosphere.

I am still struggling with a block. This is the first time I have been blocked in two years. Last time it happened, I ended up in the psychiatric hospital with a severe bipolar episode. The block may have been caused by the mood swing. In this current block, my mood is once again unstable. So I am working on my coping skills, and doing mickey mouse work to stay busy.

I have joined another art league, and have booked a restaurant and coffee shop to show my work in 2011. As I venture out to new venues, I find my muse is pleased, and the dreaded block is occasionally lifting. I just have to wait it out. There is no other way around it!

Artfully yours,

Cathy Harville

Finished or Not

Greetings to all,

Yesterday I posted this painting, titled "Sailing Club", on Facebook. I asked readers to judge whether it was "finished" or not, feeling like I needed to add detail to the foreground water. One brave soul piped up and suggested that the addition of more detail to the water would be exciting. Bravo!

So today, I will take it back to my studio and "finish" it. Finishing a painting is an arbitrary thing. Only the artist knows if a painting is finished or not. Sometimes, as in this case, the artist is not even sure!

Thinking about it, many things in life require finishing. But most of those have a definite end point. You pretty much know when a house is clean, or when the grass is cut. With soem things, as in grass cutting, you can see when you are finished.

Not so with art, and creative endeavors. You can always add a bit here and there. Sometimes, artists try to make their medium do too much. Sometimes, we fall short. Have you ever gone to a movie, and thought it was the end, only to have it go on? Or the opposite - the ending left you wanting more?

Perhaps some things never really get finished. Perhaps that is why artists paint a single scene many times. There is always something new to paint every time you look at a subject with fresh eyes. New focal points or backgrounds appear on the canvas. Sometimes, the color scheme changes dramatically.

The finishing continuum is what makes an action creative. We creatively pick a point to stop, and allow the world to see it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder indeed.

Artfully yours,

Cathy Harville

Paralysis by Analysis

Every once in a while, I think too much. When I think too much, I cannot be fully present in the moment. And when an artist is not present in the moment, art just does not happen.

Lately I am suffering from paralysis by analysis. Before I start to paint, I find myself planning the painting, I envision how I want it to look, instead of just trusting that my brush will find its way. When I practice excessive planning in my art, nothing goes according to plan!

Part of the problem may be related to my recent bout with ADD. Not being able to concentrate, I find I actually overcompensate by thinking too much about painting.

So today, I plan to reverse that trend, and just endeavor to stay in the moment. Things happen in life moment by moment. And paintings happen in just this one little moment in the present.

Sunset Grasses

Attached is a wild waterscape that I completed recently, titled "Returning". The sun was setting as we returned from a day on the water. The grasses captured the colors of the setting sun, creating a display of color that just amazed me. The painting has a second name, "Grass Sunset".

To paint the tall grasses, I used a plastic pizza cutter. I just rolled the pizza cutter in a pan of paint, so it was coated all the way around. The results were very gratifying!

I often paint with odd things - my fingers, paper towels, and more traditionally, palette knives. Yes, I do use brushes, but I love to paint with my fingers. Clouds are especially easy to paint with my digits!

Sometimes a painting will paint itself - others are like hard labor. The ease of completing a painting really depends on two things - how well I "know" the subject, and how large the painting is. I seem to get stuck on larger paintings, probably because there are more problems to work out. Smaller paintings have less detail, and seem to go more smoothly.

I am working to get my completion rate up from about 30% to nearer to 70%. I think I need to put more thought into the process, and allow my brain to solve problems while I sleep. It always seems to help when I approach a half finished painting after a good night's sleep.

Then, there are gems like "Returning". With the goal clear in my mind, and the pizza cutter trick, this painting almost painted itself! Such gems are rare, and much appreciated.

Artfully yours,

Cathy Harville

www.harvilleart.com

Summertime = Quiet Time

It has been a busy spring. In addition to a studio show, finishing my book, a Mill event, and a few charity shows, I have been hospitalized for a relapse in bipolar disorder, as well as chest pain (my heart checked out fine!). For a while, it was a rough patch.

Now, with all the shows behind me, I can relax a bit and paint. Boating season offers a respite from the busy Mill weekends. Going out on our boat offers solitude, time to think, and time to rest. While kayaking, compositions spring forth, and my sketch book fills up.

I have been reading a book about "productive obsessing" by Eric Maisel. He is the author of numerous books on the subjects of creativity and the mind, and how we can think ourselves into greatness. Despite the "quiet" of the summer, my mind is working on percolating the next big project. Some candidates include: expanding my book, and finding a less costly route for publishing; filling two beautiful 12x16 frames I acquired this weekend (for a song, from a kind Mill merchant); working big, as in 24X36 size; using rice paper and tissue paper to create some semi-abstract florals; and finally, continuing to experiment with various color palettes.

Obviously, I need some focus! But I have learned that I need to let my mind obsess things into being. So, I remain quiet as I finish a few canvases I have been working on, including the two 12X16's! I write in my art journal daily, and sketch crazy ideas. I play with small canvases, and try new application techniques and mediums. I mess up a lot, but I also learn a lot.

So to those of you who are obsessing, try productive obsessing. It is far more rewarding, non-anxiety producing, and kind of fun, like daydreaming about cool stuff. Let me know what your mind come up with!

Artfully yours,

Cathy Harville

Time to Kickstart!

Greetings from snow-covered Maryland! While we wait for another dumping of the white stuff, I have some exciting news brewing in my art world!

Through "Artists' Magazine", I discovered www.kickstarter.com. Wow! In one day, I have put together the project of my dreams - at least for today!

I am going to write and self-publish a book of my artwork, that is titled "When Land Meets the Sea". The premise of the book is to expose the environmental importance of our beautiful and sometimes, mysterious coastlines on the thousands of miles of creeks, rivers, bays and ocean on the East coast. I realized recently that my paintings often depict the places where land and water meet. In these paintings, we find tidal pools, river grasses, waves, and all kinds of things going on -schools of minnows, reflections, ripples, sand erosion, birds fishing in tidal pools - and little girls walking down the beach. Really cool stuff, indeed!

The really great thing about Kickstarter is that it helps artists obtain funds from interested patrons, in exchange for rewards, including interactions with the project. I haven't launched my project yet - there is still time needed for stewing and brewing, and editing. But it will be launched in the next few days, and my blog will be instrumental in getting the word out.

My book will be brimming with my artwork, with stories of each piece, and how each piece contributes to the theme of land meeting the sea. Sometimes the meetings are quiet and peaceful; and sometimes the encounters are wild and loud!

So, as I recover from a nasty fall on the ice from the previous blizzard, and time waiting for the next wave of snow, I have the precious gift of time - time to think, contemplate, and pause - time to consider all the really amazing experiences I have had where the land meets the sea.

Any ideas? I am as open as my book to come. I hope the coming months present us all with our own version of Kickstarter. For the time being, I am so excited, and full of happy anticipation!

Cheers,

Cathy Harville

Immersion

As a painter, I have experienced immersion in many ways:

- I am startled when someone walks into my studio unexpectedly;

- I often forget to eat lunch, or to eat at all;

- I make coffee, and forget to drink it;

- I constantly lose track of time, despite the very accurate "Whatever" clock I have beside me (all the numbers are falling off, so I really never know what time it is);

- I realize I was supposed to meet someone, and forgot;

- After a while, I realize I have been cleaning my brush in my coffee;

- My phone rings, and I am immediately annoyed;

- and, I put off bathroom breaks until the very last minute! (Just let me finish this one area!) Come on, I know you have done that, too!

I also experience immersion while I am kayaking - no, not in the water, but in the act of observing nature. I will often sit, and listen to the wind rustling the trees and grasses. I hear the beating of a swan's wings as it screams at my approach. I watch the reflections in the water change like liquid mercury. I watch the schools of minnows move across the surface of the water, as a bigger fish is hunting them, no doubt. If the light is right, I take some photos. (It is too hard to paint in my kayak!) And, I forget all about everything, except the moment I am in.

This nature immersion serves me well in the studio. I can easily recall the smell of the water, and the taste of the air. I can recall the light shifting, and reflections gleaming. And although I have my pitiful reference photos to work from, it is the immersion I experienced on the water that helps me to capture the essence of the scene I am painting.

Thank goodness for immersion. Like yoga, it is an opportunity to escape, and just be.

Namaste,

Cathy Harville

Thank you!

As I look upon the first snow of season, I am reminded how quickly time passes, and how so many people have played a role in my life in 2009. I want to take a few minutes to thank a bunch of people, for supporting me in my art, and for supporting the local art community (in no particular order):

To Howard County Arts Council - for their tireless efforts to help emerging artists on a shoe string, and their enthusiasm for my work.

To Denee Barr, who is a networking genius, and one of the most positive people I know.

To Laurinda Lee, who has become a good friend, teacher, and listener.

To Robert Genn, who lovingly posts his twice weekly newsletters

To Suzie Lane-Rose, an artist that loves to play as much as I do

To Sara Moran, my good friend who has stood by me through crises and joyful moments

To Karen Schegel, who makes my time at Savage Mill even more fun than it already is

To Jimmy, the Mill security guard, who always has the right thing to say when I need to hear it

To Roger Chase, who has endured my countless requests for impossible frames

To Felton Barner, who is one of the most talented photographers, and one of the nicest guys around

To Nancy Lazarus, who always seizes the opportunity to help, share, and give. You are truly an angel

To my friend Adrienne, whose heart is as big as the moon, and for sharing her precious new family with me

To all my clients, who keep track of my work, and show up at my receptions, and embrace my art with big hugs

To my family, whose love and friendship are unsurpassed,

To my mom, who kept my art spark alive, even when I doubted myself

To my daughter, Adrienne, who is bravely living her dream her way

And, to my husband, Dick, who is my best friend, my confidant, my lover, and my benefactor. Without him, the dream life I am living would be next to impossible.

There are many more people who I cherish and want to thank, but I have already written enough to bore the most patient person! I am looking forward to a fabulous 2010, full of creativity, fun, and love!

Artfully yours,

Cathy

Being True

Last night, I watched a documentary on Monet, and his role in impressionism. Monet was the primary artist responsible for impressionism, and it changed the art world forever, in a very good way.

Besides the creation of stunning paintings, Monet gave the art world truth. Until he came along, the art world was stagnant and snobbish, with no room for new ideas, or new ways of experiencing art. In fact, Monet was not juried into many shows in Paris, because his work was not considered up to par.

But Monet did not give up. He painted outdoors, and he painted light. He learned that detail is not as important as the impression and light of a fleeting moment. He learned that shadows are not black. He pushed color to create moods. He painted things many times, in different lights, and different weather conditions. He experimented, and continued to paint until he was well into his eighties, with failing eyesight.

With 10 other artists, Monet's work gave art a sorely needed gift - - truth and authenticity in expression. By not conforming to the status quo, he taught the world that all of us see and feel in different ways, and they are all worthy. He taught the art world that without growth, and true human expression, art is but a mechanical craft.

As I look at some of my more outrageous work, I am heartened that I am pursuing my own truth. By honoring my own style, I am honoring my true self. I can always tell when I am honoring my own "impressions" - the work feels right, and it flows.

May you have flow and truth in your work,

Artfully yours,

Cathy Harville

Reflections

I have been painting a lot of water reflections lately. I have been doing a lot of reflecting. Even when the water is still, the reflections of the trees, sky, and grass are never exactly the same as the actual image. Water reflections tend to be less defined, and defy borders and logic.

Painting reflections is a very freeing experience. It doesn't have to be "right". Moods can be created that are tranquil, active, mysterious, or curious, depending on how the reflections are rendered. I often use unusual colors and patterns, to draw attention to the reflections. Minnow schools create "swirlies". Boats create ripples and waves. The sun casts shadows and light. It is all very cool. The reflections are like liquid mercury, always changing and evolving.

Floating in my kayak, I take lots of pictures of micro-environments, usually in the late afternoon light. (I am not much on sunrises, since I like to sleep!) I have been thinking about jumping fish lately, and how to suggest that in the water reflections, without actually rendering the fish.

I am also experimenting with a new method of creating depth and mystery. By using thick, clear medium between paint coats, a really interesting, 3-D effect emerges. While time consuming, and hair-pulling, I am practicing the technique, and will post the first notable effort sometime next week.

I think setting aside time to reflect on life is really necessary in these complicated times. Yoga is a great help. And painting reflections is another.

Artfully yours,

cathy harville