Sixties Nostalgia

" Tina's Dream " detail from an oil at Ian Russell fine art, www.IanRussellArt.com

"Blue Mood", a street in Clarkdale .

Of late, I've been thinking a lot about the times when I grew up, which was the early to mid-sixties. " Mad Men" trendiness aside, I'm not sure exactly why.

A fun way to satisfy the yearnings has been to paint a series of works with cars from the era as subject, placed in appropriate settings.The first one in the series was a Chevy Impala, which I placed in my driveway at the time. ( Apropos...always my dream car).

Living here, in Arizona, it's not hard to find subjects that fit this whim.

Many of the streets in Clarkdale are right from out of the 1950's, replete with vehicles that are still being driven. It's quite refreshing to be in a place where the corner gas station is still as it was, with attendants whoactually pump gas, and a " ding-ding " air hose. ( I did get depressed recently after I rode across the hose on my bike, and it went ding-ding; something that did not happen when I was a kid riding my bike on the hoses; I guess I'm lucky that the station didn't explode under my adult weight.)

Homes that were built in the early 20th century have been left intact, and there are no convenience stores, nor a Burger King on the corner. Of course, now and then I do need my fix of Target or Kohl's, and to stock up on enough cereal for six months and a gross of tissue boxes at Sam's, just like everyone else.

I do feel fortunate that live near a little town that's like a snapshot from the mid-century. All across the US are pockets where time has stood still. Sometimes you have to look, but they are there.

Must be a boomer thing.

Inspiration From Out of the Void

"Harvest Moon Memory" oil on panel, 9x12

Several weeks ago while listening to NPR I heard an interesting story about a ten -year old girl who had discovered a Super Nova. "Wow" I thought ; "How wonderfully exciting for her", and I got very excited. It sounded like this young lady is definitely headed for a very bright future in the sciences.

The funny thing is, that my enthusiasm carried over in to the studio, and I began to see things with fresh eyes. I had a very good start on a new painting that I had wanted to get going on. ( We all know that it does not always go well). And, later that day I learned that I had been invited to teach a workshop in another state. What a great day!

The experience really brought to focus the whole concept of a healthy interest in, and cheering on of others in the same field, versus competition and jealousies. It is human nature to feel envy; I admittedly have when I learn of an acquaintance winning a major award, particularly if I had been rejected from the same show.I've also been on the receiving end of resentment for my own good fortune. It really isn't any fun, either. But, I must say that I've been getting much better at dealing with those feelings.

It feels so much better to express genuine happiness with another's success. I honestly do get excited when I learn of a colleague's achevements; even more so when it's a personal friend. And, I now know that the "sharing" of good feelings can translate to productive creativity.

By the way, the young astronomer's name is Kathryn Gray, and she is encouraged by her Dad, who is also in the field. He certainly cheered her on. And, she in turn, really inspired me to carry on in my own work to help celebrate this universe full of wonder.

The above painting was done from memory. I had been out with a good friend ( we're always enthusiastic about one another's kudos) one evening, and witnessed the moon rising above a favorite orchard. Gorgeous!

The next day, I painted this, drawing upon my plein air nocturne work, and the numerous studies done in similar orchards.

So, the next time you may feel jealous pangs when someone has turned out a spectacular work, or sold a large series of work, or even won accolades in a completely unrelated field, celebrate along with them. You never know what the ripple effect may be.

Steamy Greens

Just a few weeks ago we returned to our Arizona home , after having visited NY state's Hudson Valley area. The main purpose was to re-connect with dear friends and family. It was wonderful to be with special people, and to see for ourselves that all is well.

Some of the special memories are watching the gorgeous " ponies" race in Saratoga, a private evening boat ride on the Hudson River, dinner out on a hometown ( Rosendale ) street where a movie was being made, going out painting with a good friend in a charming garden, ( the first image, " Magenta Corner " was from our outing), visiting NYC and seeing the beautifully restored Sorolla murals ... ( not to be missed, by the way- check out

http://www.hispanicsociety.org/ ) and a twilight in a friend's garden that felt like being in

"A Midsummer Night's Dream".

And oh yeah...I taught a workshop, too! The second image is a demo I did for the class.

What could be better than going out to a picturesque location, working " en plein air", and sharing some of the knowledge I've accumulated over the years ? The workshop was small, but that meant that I got to paint alongside of my talented students. It's always an honor to teach at the historic Woodstock School of Art.

I had been longing to re-visit , and really missed the 19th century ( and earlier) streets, the richly varied farmer's stands, the lush gardens, and the emerald woods.

I forgot about the humidity.

It's awfully high. It's steamy, it's dank, it's more than damp...

Anyone that knows the area, is aware that is all I need to say about that.

Steamy greens and all, it was a great trip.

Monsoon Season

Here in the land of seemingly endless deep blue skies, red rocks,and high desert scrub, one would not think that there is a rainy season.

Who knew?

I sure didn't, before I moved here. Right in the midst of summer's intensly scorching heat comes a respite in the form of occasional afternoon downpours.

We're lucky enough to have far-off views, so these intense storms are sometimes viewed at a distance. Other times, they'll come up over the hill suddenly. The skies will darken, the wind picks up to a fierce pitch, and huge raindrops, and even hail sometimes pelts the thirsty ground.

"Monsoon Study" , the second work,is a plein air pastel, looking in to such a storm, which is about 15 miles away.

This piece was painted in about 30 minutes, as the light was shifting at lightning speed!

The first piece, is an untitled oil, which I did in the comfort ( and safety ) of my studio from some photos I took in order to later explore these dramatic storms.

There is a great beauty in the intense darks, and highlighted bits of the landscape.

I do love the sunlight, but we all need stormy weather in order to thrive.

Yes, there is a bit of metaphorical musing in this. A recent favorite CD is Mary J. Blige's "Stronger".

She sings " I can see color"... A favorite line is "If April showers bring May flowers, then bring on the rain"...

Words to live by in these difficult times, I think.

I Like Lemons

Sunny yellow lemons are a delight to paint; in fact I don't know if there is a realist painters out there that has not , at one time or another, used them in a still life...The cheery primary color is irresistible- in fact even when I see them piled up in the grocery store, I linger, and enjoy the color.

This painting, "Siracusa Lemons"is a slightly different take on the subject. This small grove is in an ancient quarry , in Sicily.

It was delightful to see them on the tree.

Now that it's summer, and I do like to cook,I like to go for dishes that are minimal fuss, can be made and chilled ahead, and use the wonderful things that are now available. A lot of summer dishes call out for lemon. Here's one I use for green beans: ( I'm not a chef by any means, so things are approximate.)

It will serve two.

Two serving of fresh green beans, washed, and trimmed

Juice and zest of one lemon.

About 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil.

One clove garlic, finely minced ( if desired)

A tablespoon of provencal herbs.

A sprinkling of salt, pepper, to taste.

Cook the beans until just tender, and still retain color.

Whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice. add to this the garlic, herbs, and salt, pepper.

Place beans in bowl, cover with mixture, and chill.

I like to take this out of the 'frig a bit before serving- flavors are fuller at room temp.

Enjoy!

Ups and Downs

Riding my bike is something I've always enjoyed; it's a plus that there are health benefits.

When we moved to Arizona, I didn't count on there being so many hills let alone that we would be living on a hillside...I suppose that it's good I have a nice down hill ride if I want to go any where. When I do get to my destination, there's an " uh-oh"when I think about the ride back.

"Black Hills study", plein air pastel

This art career, and surely, life in general follows a path of ups and downs. This spring has especially been a roller coaster ride. A joint project that I had high hopes for fell through, a workshop at a popular art school was cancelled, another joint showing opportunity was nixed, plus the usual rejection, and, of course, absolutely dismal ( well, nonexistent) art sales.

Amazingly, and wonderfully, other opportunities materialized almost immediately!

A new friend invited me to partner with her on an exciting project. Two established galleries asked me to participate in their new season group shows. I won a best in show at the Arizona Pastel Artist's exhibition. I won a top award at the Pastel West Coast exhibition. Another friend

suggested that we apply next year for a joint show. Another, dear, fabulous artist friend will be visiting , to scout out local galleries with me.

And then there are the every day blessings. I revel in the blue skies , big vistas, and brilliant sunshine. I'm thankful every day that I'm in the beautiful studio, and that I have a wonderfully supportive mate, a beautiful son, and as aforementioned, great friends.

It's nice to live on a hillside.

Sometimes Bigger is Better

A few weeks ago, I went out to paint in a location where I had taken a ride to view ancient "first people's "ruins. This whole area is a painter's dream.

What struck me at this time was the blanket of wildflowers beneath towering red rock formations. I had to come back to render this in pastel; the rocks had rich dark shadows, with the sun illuminating some edges as it grew stronger.

Coconino Spring, pastel, 12x16

My usual pastel plein air size has been 9x12, as it's just the size that fits in my guerrilla box.

I knew that this would be limiting, for these massive formations and open field, so I went for a 12x16. I taped the paper to a foam board a little bigger, and used a bungee cord to hold the board to my box- worked great!

I concentrated on the light and shadow areas on the rocks, knowing that this would be the area that would be changing the most. As I worked,I was enthralled with the reflected light, and the jewel tones in the shadows. On location, I only made a "color note" for the sky, where it pressed up against the rock, knowing I could block it in later, as well as just some rough indications for the vegetation. Looking at it the next day, I decided I liked the "partial "sky, and my visual notes for desert scrub.

So, I ended up with a piece that is a little bigger, and looser to boot!