Un moment...

Hello! You may have noticed that I've been a bit quiet on this blog lately. We've been having some technical difficulties with our computer, so I haven't been able to update this blog as much as I would like. Basically we are at the end of the electricity line, which means we can't have certain appliances on at the same time, and if a neighbor starts using more electricity, it takes away the amount of power we get! Which is not good for the computer, because it causes the computer to shut down whenever there's a power blip. But hopefully we will get all these things sorted out for next year. I'm only here for another 2 weeks, so it's kinda bittersweet... I'm looking forward to getting back to Florida and seeing friends and family, but at the same time I will miss this beautiful and enchanting place.

Well, I better hurry up and publish this post before the computer crashes! Thanks for reading this, and I will update again as soon as I can.

Finished Frog & Strawbales

Untitled (for now) - 6" x 6" - Prismacolor Colored Pencils on Paper

www.thaneeya.com

Here is the finished frog drawing! I'm quite happy with the colors and composition of this piece. I think the detailed text balances well with the detail in the background leaf design.

It's been a busy week here at the Dharmahouse, so I haven't had much time for posting lately. We've been working on building a strawbale meditation hall, with helpers coming from England, the US, and the Netherlands. Here are some pictures of our progress (you can click on the pictures to see a clearer version):

Here we are on the first day, enjoying our freshly-delivered pile of strawbales.

Beams are up, tires being put in place.

The foundation is coming together.

More beams are added to the roof, more strawbales are stacked in place.

The end of seven days of building!

As you can see, the building is not yet finished, and we will be doing more work on it in the coming weeks.

Frog Drawing Continued...

Untitled (for now) - 6" x 6" Prismacolor Colored Pencils on Paper

I've been working on the frog drawing more. I added a decorative white leaf pattern to the background, and I'm starting to go over it with color. This one should be done soon!

New Frog Drawing

Here's a work-in-progress view of the second frog drawing in my Deep Thinkers series. This little guy is sprawled across a page of Japanese math equations, with white word bubbles floating above. This piece has a lot to do with holes, but I haven't thought it out thoroughly enough yet to be able to explicate much further.

I started this drawing nearly 2 months ago, when I first arrived in France. I set it aside for awhile, in favor of painting, which I had sorely missed during my month in England. But now I'm picking it back up again, as my urge for photorealism returns.

His feet look really white right now, but they will be colored to match the rest of him soon! I find that laying down a white layer first helps lend the frog's skin a sense of vibrant translucency.

I worked on this drawing a bit this morning, and I hope to have the frog finished soon. It was a nice respite to pick up this drawing again, because for the past few days I've been spending lots of time working on my small, detailed abstract paintings. Since we've got a Natural Agriculture course going on at the moment, I've been able to steal away loads of free time to work on my art, which has been a real godsend. I've been spending 6-7 hours working alone, listening to mp3s and painting tiny dots and strokes of color onto wood and canvas. Working on art in such an intensive manner has a really calming and focusing effect on my mind, which is something I start to miss if I can't work on art for prolonged periods. After spending a few hours painting abstracts, I find that long after I've stopped, I still see colors, forms, patterns, and designs floating around in my mind, kind of superimposed over the real visual world. Sometimes it can be distracting, because it causes me to focus more on my inner world/vision and makes me content not to engage in conversation (or perhaps it is conversation that is the distraction?)

We went for a walk last night along the ridge behind our property. There was a lovely and peaceful area with a wide variety of plants sprouting from between the rocks. The variety of different life forms emerging from the ground was really inspiring, and I hope to return to that spot soon to make some sketches and take some photos. I'm starting to become more and more inspired by natural forms, so I feel lucky to be in a place where there is so much wild nature just outside the front door.

Long Walks

We've gone on a lot of nice walks in the past few weeks, so I've really had to sift through all the photos to find the best ones to put online. I tried to pick the photos that best captured the essence of the local nature and scenery. So here are a few that I feel really demonstrate the range of the natural beauty surrounding us. This is the view along the ridge behind our property. We are right at the foothills of the Cevennes, so from here we can see the mountains unfolding in the distance!

Here is one of the local fields near our house... such an idyllic shot!

Here is our local river, La Ceze.

A very quaint and picturesque French scene.

In art news, I've been continuing to work on lots of small acrylic abstracts lately. Here is the smallest one I've ever done... approximately 3" squared!

This one will be for sale in a week or two, so check back if you are interested, or keep an eye on my ebay store, http://stores.ebay.com/thaneeya.

Cockatoo Evolution

As promised, here is an image file that shows the progression of the cockatoo drawing in one easy glance!

Insect Life

There are so many butterflies here! It's enchanting to go on walks through the fields, with butterflies fluttering amidst the flowers. We managed to capture a nice photo of two lovely black and white ones:

And we got a nice shot of a big fuzzy black bee:

I love those black bees! They often buzz near these purple flowers in our front garden. I've never been that interested in insects before, but now that I'm around them so much, I find them fascinating. It's fun to just watch them go about their daily business.

Bonjour!

Hello! It's been over a month since my last post, and so much has happened since then. We had a two day road trip from southern England to southern France, and now we're settled on our new 8-acre hilltop property, which is surrounded by nature and magnificent views of the nearby peaks, valleys, and villages. I've never been so immersed in nature before, and I've found it to be quite inspiring. I'll wax more eloquently on this in the future, but for now I can show you the first abstract painting I completed since being here. I've started a new series of abstracts based on the changing qualities of nature. I've termed this new series Anicca, a Sanskrit term meaning impermanence. Sitting outdoors on this hill surrounded by trees and lush views of the nearby terraced hills, I finally had an experiential understanding of what the Impressionists were after, in terms of capturing the changing atmosphere and lighting of a scene. I have recorded my observations of the visual changes in the landscape in a series of small paintings that are done in my usual funky and vibrant abstract style.

Quoi d'autre - 6" x 6" - Acrylic on Wood Panel

This painting is SOLD.

www.thaneeya.com

In the past my abstracts have been very abstract, so it's been invigorating to move this style into a new theoretical terrain. It has been refreshing and mentally stimulating to use my abstract style to express not only philosophical concepts, but also tangible reality as well.

And finally, I can show you the completed cockatoo drawing!

Celestia - 6" x 6" - Prismacolor Colored Pencils on Paper

This drawing is available for purchase here.

I'm quite pleased with the way this one turned out! I think the colors work well together and there is a nice balance of detail between the bird and the background. Next time I'll post an image file showing the drawing's progression from start to finish, so you can see how it evolved in one easy glance.

In the meantime, here is a pic showing my view as I paint... the red oil drum has since been moved!

Here is another view from the front of the house:

There are many lovely walks in the surrounding area, so next time I'll share some photos of the gorgeous French countryside!

Up, up and away!

Tomorrow I'll be embarking very early in the morning for the long haul to France, driving from urban southern England to a small village in rural southern France. I'm not sure if we'll make it in one day; the trip could possibly take up to 12 hours or longer if we do it in one go. Although the weather the past two days has been sunny and gorgeous here in England, I will be looking forward to a bit more continuity in the warmth that I hope to find in the south of France.

I'll be staying in a beautiful setting... a ranch-style house on top of a hill surrounded by 8 acres of farmland and forest. I'll be there with my boyfriend and some friends, working to set up a spiritual eco-community based on principles of sustainable living. You can find out more about this project at our website, http://www.thedharmahouse.com.

It will surely be an interesting experience, one that I hope to blog about along with my art. At this point I'm not sure how often I'll have Internet access. For starters it will be 2-3 times per week, since I'll need to use the local Internet cafe (which is a 40 minute walk up and down hills, from the house to the village). In time we may get Internet access at the house where I'll be staying... but it's so rural that we'll be lucky if we can get dial-up! (It was tricky enough just trying to get the water turned on!)

Because of this Internet access dilemma, I may not be able to list new art updates for a few weeks... we'll see! At the very least I can post words, if not pictures. It's funny that the birth of this blog one month ago coincided with my travel from Florida to England, which inhibited my ability to create new art, due to housing circumstances (no studio). And now my relocation to France will further stifle my Internet access, although my studio circumstances will be rectified - I'll be getting my very own small wooden shed which I can convert into a studio. It won't be easy though, since the shed is currently roofless and dilapidated and filled with the belongings of the previous owner. It will be a fun project nonetheless, and I'll be sure to post pictures of the studio space before and after!

In other art-related news, I've finished the cockatoo drawing, but unfortunately I don't have a picture of it yet because the battery charger I've been using hasn't quite been charging up to par. But that will be remedied soon, because I will set up my scanner in France. Then I can keep you up-to-date on my latest drawings, since I've also started on another frog piece in the same series.

So thank you for keeping up with my journal... have a good week and I'll catch you again soon!

The cockatoo is coming along...

I've finished the cockatoo and started on the background. I'm really happy with this piece so far!

Untitled (so far) 6" x 6" Prismacolor Colored Pencil on Paper

I'm not sure how accurately the color and lightness/contrast is showing up, since I'm using someone else's computer. Hopefully the image looks alright and isn't too off.

I've been having a good time here in England, going on lots of walks around town and into the surrounding countryside. Today we got up early and went on a morning walk through some woods and saw some deer, which was a nice surprise! As much as I'm enjoying the beautiful Sussex scenery, I will be glad to get to France next week and get started on painting again. I miss painting, have I mentioned that yet? Drawing is fun, but it is much more time-consuming than painting, and it is a much more cerebral activity. I've been working on really tight photorealism with these colored pencils, so I'm looking forward to letting loose with some abstract paintings in France, and maybe trying my hand at some looser still lifes.

Evolution of a Frog Drawing, and Cockatoo Update

Here is how the frog drawing evolved, in one convenient glance...

Here is an update of the cockatoo drawing. I've finished the beak and a bit more of the feathers. The versatility of colored pencils is amazing - they can capture both the softness of feathers, and the hardness of a beak. Through layering I was able to create a well-worn wabi-sabi texture on the beak, which is one of my favorite aspects of this drawing so far, as it lends a sense of depth and solidity to this light and feathery creature.

Finished Froggie

I finished the froggie drawing a few days ago:

Untitled (for now) 4" x 6" Prismacolor Colored Pencil on Paper

Quite a cosmic wanderer! Once I take a good scan of it, I can offer it for sale. My scanner is packed away right now and ready to go to France, so it'll be a few weeks before it gets scanned. That'll give me plenty of time to come up with a title and pin down some words about the piece.

I started a new drawing of a sulphur-crested cockatoo:

Another cosmos-oriented piece, but since I already used a nebula-like form in the frog drawing, I'll have to come up with something slightly different for the background of this bird piece. I was thinking of something involving decorative clouds done in a Tibetan style.

Brighton

I spent a couple of days in Brighton, where I lived last year. It's a nice seaside town that's big, but not too big. It's a very hip, artsy place with a thriving alternative scene.

Here's the view exiting Brighton Station. It's quite a steep hill but the camera seems to flatten the incline! I'm acutely aware of the steepness of the hill, because I used to live up that center road had to walk up it many times, often carrying heavy bags.

After moving out of the flat near the station, I lived in a house near Preston Park - a much more residential area. The houses are quite gorgeous in this area:

Here are some pictures of the trendy North Lanes, where there are a lot of nice little cafes and shops:

One of my favorite "quiet" spots in the middle of Brighton, behind the Royal Pavilion. I like the gnarled branches of this tree that twist at the top:

And that concludes my mini photo tour of Brighton!

Now the background...

I finished the froggie and started working on the background:

Froggie Update

I've found some time in the past two days to work on the froggie drawing. Yesterday I started filling in the dark area underneath the chin:

Today I finished more of the shading:

One reason I really enjoy working in colored pencils is the ease and facility of subtly blending colors. Being able to easily blend a multitude of colors to form a shadow creates a fascinating depth and richness in the drawing, causing the figure to really "pop" off the paper.

Jet-lagged but Happy

It's Sunday night as I type this. I arrived in London yesterday morning after an 8 hour plane ride from Tampa. I'm getting used to these long plane rides; this was my 5th trans-Atlantic flight in the past two years. I've learned to get myself into a zone of mental stillness during long periods of travel, which leaves me unfazed by screaming babies and nosy customs officials. Being in such a state of mind makes the travel go much smoother. I spent some time today in the countryside of southern England, immensely enjoying the amazing views, the brisk weather, and some good company. There were a few times when I chastised myself for not bringing my camera. I have to remember to always bring my camera with me when I go out, as there always seems to be something stimulating that I will find that would make a great reference photo for my artwork. Being back here makes me remember how much I love England. It's so wonderfully green, has an amazingly rich history, and the shops, pubs, and hotels maintain a refreshing individuality - in contrast with the chain stores and neverending strip malls that plague my home state of Florida. I love the architecture and the distinguished sense of age that permeates nearly every building and every narrow winding street. It's delightful to turn a corner and suddenly drive under a crumbling stone archway connected to the remnants of a building that has long since fallen away. The rolling green hills dotted with sheep and cows are utterly gorgeous, like a scene from a childhood dream. You can walk through these hills and often find no one else around, and feel sublimely alone and at peace with nature. As a child growing up in the dry flat lands and wet swamps of Florida, I always wondered if such green rolling hills even existed anymore. My trips to England have confirmed, much to my delight, that such places do still exist. I know I'm being a bit of a tease by writing about the magnificent English landscape and not showing any pictures, but if you close your eyes I know you will see it.

I'm still jet-lagged and have a lot of unpacking and organizing to do before I get on an art-making schedule. It won't be long before I'm back on track and I can't wait!

Ready for Take-Off!

This weekend I'll be returning to England! After finishing the 30 Day Artist, it's amazing how much time I've spent getting ready to leave... packing up paintings (over 30), organizing, gathering reference materials for paintings I'll do while abroad, and other general art business stuff... I haven't had time to work on a single piece of art yet this month! Which accounts for the slow start to this blog... but trust me, it will pick up. I miss painting already! I will only be in England for a month before going to France for three months, so I won't have a studio available during my stay in the UK. Therefore no painting for a month for me (sob, sob) but luckily I will have my colored pencils to keep me busy, and I am itching to work on more pieces from my Deep Thinkers series. I've already got background ideas for the frog drawing, but first I need to finish the froggie:

Here are two other completed drawings in this series:

Computational Reckoning 6" x 6" Prismacolor on Paper

available for purchase

Song 6" x 6" Prismacolor on Paper

available for purchase

This is a new series, so I haven't yet fully articulated to myself what these pieces will embody. The basic gist is that these drawings are a series of images in which various animals are juxtaposed with evidence of human thought, in the form of mathematical equations, quotes, definitions, musical scores, etc. These pieces depict a zen-like transcendent bridge between conceptual thinking and animalistic consciousness. I'll post more thoughts about the series as it unfolds!

Welcome - Introduction

Welcome to my new blog, and thank you for being here! It's the third of April, and I am fresh off my month-long March stint at the 30 Day Artist. During that month I spent every day creating artwork, to reach a goal of 40 artworks completed in 30 days. Every night I blogged about the day's process, posting pictures and commentary as each work evolved to fruition. It was an insightful and invigorating experience, reconnecting me more fully with what actually happens during the creative process.

Thanks to the positive feedback I received from my 30 Day Artist efforts, I have decided to start my own blog documenting my artistic activity. I have found that to discuss the artwork each night after the work is done adds a cognitive layer to what can often be a subconscious (and solipsistic) process. I also find that by exposing the inner commentary that runs alongside the actual physical art-making, readers can gain a more comprehensive idea of what goes through the artist's head at certain points throughout the process.

I hope you will find this blog interesting and return for more. I will do my best to update it as often as I can. I do have a lot of travelling coming up in the near future, but hopefully my various locales will offer a bit of spice and excitement to my artwork and my posts.

Thank you for joining me!