Balancing Act

 

Artists need to be fluent in the languages of realism and abstraction.  An artist needs to understand the aspects of creating art such as drawing skills and painting techniques.  Realism gives me the information and abstraction is the visual language that frees me to paint and draw what is going on in my mind as I observe the subjects before me.  I may be looking at a child but I also see future, innocence, wonder and love.   

The child becomes the subject of my message, not the message itself.  I attempt to capture the moment, not document every detail that my eyes take in.  I have to edit and make choices as I try my best to keep my first impression at the top of my to do list.  

 

 

The more I paint and search for the wonder and delight that I see in my subjects, the more it improves the quality of my vision.  I can copy the subject but I need to look at my artwork frequently and see if the artwork is expressing my vision.  Art is about seeing and interpreting, feeling and reacting.  The goal is to achieve the delicate balance between realism and abstraction so that my artwork is powerful and expressive.

Long Stemmed Elegance

 

 To me, this was a study in grey that is finished with a flourish of color.  I used the building blocks of value that give you feeling of 3 dimensions on a 2 dimensional surface. 

Long Stemmed Elegance -12" x 18" - pastel - available for purchase soon, in a gallery near you.

Mother and Child - Progression

There’s a story waiting to be told in every painting. This one was inspired by the tender moment shared between mother and child.  The love – passion – warmth – protection – embodied in the embrace translated into a beautiful pastel.  The piece is not yet finished, but this 4th still captures the intended emotions. Make sure to check the website for the finished piece soon.  http://www.gerriegovert.com/new-work.html

Black and White to Color

Light effects are central in my work.  I want the painting to stand out from across the room and dramatic lighting does that.

My goal with this sketch was to show the coolness and darkness of this specific light and its effect on his face.

Fall 2013 Newsletter

Hello friends and art lovers!

It has been quite a busy year, both personally and professionally. Despite dealing with death and illness in the family, I have tried to keep creating art  and staying in the flow of life, moving forward - searching and enjoying. I am still teaching; it brings me great joy to be around so many creative people who are on the same journey.

In August I went on a painting trip to Ohio. We took our easels and went out on the water, enjoying the breeze and the trees, and painted away. I also went on a photo trip to Florida last month, taking in some beautiful scenery, water and sunsets.

This fall has brought many opportunities to display my artwork, between putting new work in galleries and participating in 4 art exhibits. All of the pieces entered into these shows were honored with some type of award! Here are the details and pictures from each show:

*Enchanted and Festival of Sunflowers took 1st and 2nd place, respectively, at Hobart Arts League 8th Annual Juried Art Competition.

                                                                                                                                   

*Many Faces of a Woman received 1st place honors at Heartland Artists' 25th Annual Juried Regional Art Show.

                                                                                                                                   

*Out of 401 entries, submitted by 231 talented artists, 215 total pieces were accepted into the Midwest Museum of American Art's 35th Elkhart Juried Regional Show. Secrets on the Wind received the Steve and Jane Poe purchase award.  We Rise to the Occasion received the Craig and Connie Fulmer purchase award.

          Secrets on the Wind                                            We Rise to the Occasion

 

                                                                               

Midwest Museum of American Art
429 S Main St
Elkhart IN, 46516

(574) 293-6660

www.midwestmuseum.us

This show is on display from October 11th - December 8th.

Gallery Hours
Tues - Fri: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Sat and Sun 1:00 - 4:00 pm

                                                                                                                                   

*Round and Round We Go was honored with the Dana Getman purchase award in the South Haven Center for the Arts 4th Annual Regional Juried Exhibit.

South Haven Center for the Arts

600 Phoenix Rd
South Haven, MI 49090

This show is on display from September 27th - November 10th.

Gallery Hours
Mon - Fri: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Sat & Sun 1:00 - 4:00 pm
(269) 637-1041
www.southhavenarts.org

Thank you for your continued support!

Gerrie

Letter From a Student: How Do You Feel About Art Class?

It can be elusive, the creativity, the emotion, release of something inside oneself, the sense of projecting yourself through art.  To some it can be threatening and something to avoid at all costs, to others it is a portal that is worthy of pursuit.  Self-expression through art may sometimes be achieved as you strive with attempts to create a reasonable facsimile, or better yet, your own interpretation of an image, someplace that speaks to you, something or someone that holds special meaning to you.  Capturing and holding onto the creative spark can be difficult and it is helpful to find a group of like- minded people who share the rush when the creative juices are flowing and to help prime the pump when they are not.

 

We listen, learn, and may be challenged with the many layers of complexity concerning color, values, soft and hard edges, composition and brush strokes as well thumb nails sketches. It's a continuous struggle to find that place where your creative drive finds synchronization with artistic technique.  Success occurs in varying degrees, but one hopes for gradual and steady progress and the occasional personal gratification of a piece just finished that just seemed to work.  Or, it may occur on a piece that slowly crept out as you were incrementally rewarded for the right combination of discipline and experimentation and the application of successful techniques to canvas.  Searching for and finding that sweet spot where you apply the disciplines learned while at the same time getting loose and just letting it flow is the goal.  The reward might be that of a piece of work that could convey a peaceful serenity, a swirling wind, the chill of a winter night or heat of a summer day, the glow of sunlight, distant mountains, a rushing stream, reflections off the water or the feeling of actually being there for the viewer.  This doesn't happen by accident.

 

A competent teacher with not only knowledge but ability in multiple mediums is essential.  Also required is the ability to provide constructive critical feedback and be willing to repeat it as many times as required until we finally demonstrate that we get it on the work we perform.  Learning something from each piece is important and is the foundation from which our progress is dependent.  It requires a special gift to achieve all of this while providing the students with a continuous flow of shared art learning experiences from years of study and work as well as fun and laughter.

 

It may have been serendipitous to end up in such a class, but once found, the level of enrichment to your artistic endeavors will be richly rewarded. 

Different Strokes, Part 2

Here is the almost finished version of last week's piece.  Inspired by Strahl waterfall in Brown County State Park - Nashville, Indiana.