Roz Wound Up

Outsider Art: James Edward Deeds

Christina Trevino sent me a link to the Electric Pencil video on James Edward Deeds. It's a fascinating recounting of how the drawings of this mental institution inmate survived being tossed in the garbage. The drawings are haunting, the background details leave you wanting to know more. This is really outsider art to the tenth power. It is an interesting little film and worth spending the 15 or so minutes it runs. Deeds worked on ledger paper from the asylum he was at. He was institutionalized at age 17 and lived there until he was released to a nursing home for the final 10 years of his life. (If I did the math correctly he died at age 79 after spending 52 years in the asylum and 10 years in a nursing home.)

I found it interesting that he didn't draw contemporary fashions on his people. Well, that's just one thing I found interesting. Most touching, and the important thing that comes through in this short video, is the need for a creative mind to keep producing, despite other constraints. Check out the video to learn more.

Observing Nature: Pat Beaubien at the MCBA Visual Journal Collective

Above: St. Paul artist Pat Beaubien discusses her nature/travel journals at the March 2012 MCBA Visual Journal Collective. Here she shows a watercolor of a meadow near Grand Marais, MN where she rents a cabin as frequently as possible. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

First, before we go any further, Pat Beaubien doesn't currently have a website so what I was able to snap photos of is what you'll be able to see until she develops a website. You might encourage Pat to do that, she's tired of hearing me say it. If you would like to contact Pat with questions about her artwork you can reach her at patbeaubien@gmail.com.

On March 19, St. Paul artist Pat Beaubien came to the MCBA Visual Journal Collective to show her nature/travel journals to the members.

Pat is a watercolor artist who also uses pens and pencils of different sorts, "Give me one and I'll try it out," she said laughing, when someone asked if she ever used watersoluble colored pencils. In her hands ordinary tools are given a new life and direction.

Left: a stack of Pat's journals ready for discussion, along with her small leather pencil case which holds all of her supplies—several sizes of Niji Waterbrushes (including a flat), a Staedtler Pigment Liner, a Pentel Pocket Brush pen, and her mini palette filled with Daniel Smith Watercolors. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

Pat's idea of travel is to go to one destination and spend 2 or three weeks there sketching—not moving about trying to see a travel guide's highlight points. It is more satisfying to get to know one place, and Pat does this through her painting. 

Until her recent retirement Pat taught art to elementary school children. She would use her vacations to travel and paint. She would sell her paintings, made on site, to fund her trips. (When you view the stunning beauty of Pat's work you can understand how this was possible.)

During the school year, however her painting side was dormant. Teaching took her focus and energy. "Then in 2007 I took Roz's nature journaling class in Grand Marais," said Pat, "and took to heart her comment about doing a little sketching and painting everyday. It's amazing how quickly you can improve when you work everyday."

(Note: Pat was already more "improved" than most artists I see when I had her in class. I'm glad I had an effect on her practice.)

Left: Cone flowers and other blooms in a Grand Marais garden, share space with a local artist's garden sculpture. Grand Marais may have more artists per capita than any other town in the U.S. There are things to look at and purchase everywhere. This watercolor sketch is in one of her 9 x 12 inch Fabriano Venezia journals. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

Pat still uses the same mini kid's palette she got in class (refilled many times), Niji waterbrushes (also replaced over time), and Staedtler Pigment Liners. She'll experiment with new pens as people suggest them and she has become quite fond of the Pentel Pocket Brush pen. 

The palette contains the following Daniel Smith watercolors: Quin Gold, Azo Yellow, Burnt Sienna, Quin Pink. Napth. Maroon, Cobalt Teal, Phthalo. Turquoise, Indanthrone Blue, and Zinc White. The set originally contained Buff Titanium but Pat says she hasn't replaced that. Also she is thinking about replacing the Cobalt Teal to get a different range in her mixes.

Pat will sometimes do a light pencil sketch before moving to watercolor. Other times Pat will sketch directly with pen and then apply watercolor. Her method, she explained, is just what happens when she is seated and ready to paint.

While she initially continued making books of the type she learned to make in Grand Marais (8 x 10 inch sewn-on the spine journals), the urge to just paint was great, so she moved on to the Fabriano Venezia 9 x 12 inch journals. (Pat loves the large page size in both these books, and you only have to look at the results to see that's a great size for her work.)

Left: Pat sketches lakeside in the North Woods. Often one of her artist friends Nanette Lee will join her—you can see Nan in the bottom left of the image. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

As she spends more time up north exploring, revisiting painting sites she has previously discovered, Pat has considered returning to flat paintings but she was unsure how to store them. The Collective threw out a variety of portfolio options she could use to house the final paintings in "journal" form.

After her presentation and a round of questions the 25 attendees gathered around the table to get a personal look through Pat's journals, and continue the conversation. We all left inspired and ready to jump back into our own journals after our trip into nature with Pat.

Below: A view of a stone bridge on Lake Superior, using Daniel Smith Watercolors. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

If you would like to know a little bit more about Grand Marais and some of the artists living and visiting there you can check out this short film on the yearly "Plein Air Brush Off." Tom Winterstein supplied this link after the topic came up in discussion. 

UPDATE 4.13.12: Want to see more photos of Pat's work and the event? Go to Briana Goetzen's blog post at Courageously Creating. (Thank you Briana for capturing so much with your camera.)

Eye Candy: Three Visual Journals from Wendy Hale Davis

Above: Three recent journals from bookbinder and artist Wendy Hale Davis. See enlargements and peeks into the interior in the link provided below.

Wendy Hale Davis is an amazing artist (actually she's simply an amazing person) I'm fortunate to have as a friend. (I've actually held many of her journals in my hands and been able to look through them. I think her life and her mind are pretty amazing!) She binds the most wonderful books with leather covers decorated with leather dyes.

A recent series of journals have had painted canvas covers. You can see three of these recent journals in the above image. (You can also see these journals and more images at Wendy's blog.)

Wendy begins a journal by giving it a title. This title is then in someway reflected in the cover artwork. In various posts on her blog you'll find other images of her journals and the wonderful approaches she has employed. Also you'll find glimpses inside various journals she's kept over the years. The journal pages are filled with her wonderful calligraphy and illustrations as you will see in this other post which shows page spreads from Flying Cloud. Her journals are illuminated manuscripts—a joy to look through.

And in a post about ephemera Wendy gives yet another glimpse inside her recent journals along with tips on how she attaches some ephemera immediately. 

If you missed my earlier post about Wendy's podcast on creativity with Ricë Freeman Zachery now might be a good time to go and listen to that. You can put a voice to the artwork as well. (She has a wonderful voice.)

Wendy lives in Austin, Texas. She teaches bookbinding classes so watch her workshop listings or contact her for more details. You'll learn bookbinding—but by spending time with Wendy you'll also be inspired to think more, see more, and smile a whole lot more.

Thoughts on Creativity and Curiosity with Wendy Hale Davis and Ricë Freeman Zachery

My friends Wendy Hale Davis  and Ricë Freeman-Zachery have just made a great new podcast. In it Ricë interviews Wendy about creativity and her curious mind. Wendy has just turned 60. She talks about some of the various interests in her life and how they connect. She does a wonderful job of mapping out how delving into something with a curious mind will lead to more curiosity, more knowledge, more fun, more life.

Go get a taste of that now with the podcast included in Ricë's post: Podcast with the Brilliant, Creative & Curious Wendy Hale Davis. It's about 40 minutes short (I want more) and a great way to start your weekend. (Wendy brings up a story from her life about a "magnificent failure" in art school which everyone should hear.)

Delve deeper this weekend!

Profile: Allison Reed

Above: Rooster painting by Allison Reed. Image ©2011 Allison Reed. Used with Permission.

Since you all know how much I love chickens and love painting chickens it will come to you as no surprise that when I received a letter from reader Mary Harper pointing me to Allison Reed's website I was filled with delight. I wrote to Allison telling her I'd like to post about her on my blog. She responded with a clear artist statement which in her own words tells you what you want to know about this talented artist. Do yourself a favor and read what she has to say below and then go and look at more of her artwork (she sent me the new images to include with this post).

Her paintings capture birds (and other animals as well) with a wonderful gestural quality that is accurate but also expressive. Her use of color is bold and playful. There's a wonderful energy in the paintings and a stunning capacity to capture cher chickens at their compositional best.

She has an old taxidermy of a coyote head in her studio which she draws repeatedly—her constant model. As you look through her work you'll see how that coyote inspires her each time she views it. Also I learned from Mary Harper that Allison will often bring one of her chickens (she raises them) to life-drawing sessions at her studio. (If I ever get to northern California you can bet I'm going to schedule my trip accordingly!)

(Update Correction: I had that last bit wrong. Allison sometimes brings her chickens to Open Studio days which are when all the artists have their studios open for visiting and buying art. You can follow the link to find out when this group of North Coast artists holds these events. Those events will of course be equally fun to attend.)

Left: Rooster painting ©2011 Allison Reed. Used with permission. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

You can visit Allison Reed's website, Fowl Gallery by clicking here. That page will also give you links to her blog, artwork on flickr, and email contact, or you can check for additional links at the end of this post.

Here's what Allison wrote:

I’m 26 and I’ve lived in the forest most of my life. The isolation of growing up on a mountainside influenced my life in many ways. I developed an enormous appreciation and curiosity about the changing seasons, wildlife and biological processes happening all around me. Seeing juncos migrate through during winter accompanied by the mushroom bloom, getting a glance of the rare kingfisher at our pond, watching tadpoles develop over time, finding a flicker feather in the forest, and the clouded salamander family that lived behind a drain pipe on the side of our house…The forest is a rich, diverse environment and it’s a sacred place to be a part of.  

I have been drawing since I can remember, and in high school I learned to paint, and never stopped. This is all a long experiment to see what I am capable of doing over time.  Creating art helps me understand and admire the complexities of the natural world we so rarely stop to notice. It takes me back to places I have visited, and makes foggy memories clear again. It helps me tackle fears and weaknesses I see in myself, through a constant game of self-improvement. I have learned to see clearly by drawing, because you have to notice every little thing in relation to everything else. I am addicted to it. I get a rush of euphoria and accomplishment when I create imagery I could have never imagined making.  

And I paint my chickens. I grew up with a fondness for chickens and began selectively breeding them 15 years ago to see what happens from generation to generation. They have far more personality and intelligence than most people give them credit for, so I like to depict them in natural settings, enjoying the sun, bathing in the dust, roosting in trees, roosters courting their ladies and offering them the tastiest of tidbits in trade for bonds of friendship. They have a complex social ladder with kings, outcasts, cliques, and harems. I observe them for their whole lives, from the time they were eggs, to sometimes ten years later. I know them all as unique individuals, and I see them every day, so painting them is incredibly personal and a reflection of my life.

Left: Here are two of Allison's friends you might meet at her life-drawing sessions. Image ©2011 Allison Reed. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

I'm confident that you will enjoy seeing Allison's work. Be sure to look through the paintings to see the lovely dog images as well as a very cool series of masks she made. (You'll find masks in some of her blog posts as well—including some in-progress masks, just keep feeling your way through the blog.)

Thank you Mary for drawing this artist to my attention!

And thank you Allison for sharing your background and letting us see a little bit into your world at the same time we see the output of your creative mind.

See some of Allison Reed's new paintings here.

Visit the flickr site of Allison Reed here.

Allison Reed's blog "Nesting" is here.

How To Paint Caricatures: A Short Film

Yesterday I popped over to the blog of one of my favorite illustrators: Peter de Sève. There are some wonderful posts you should check out. One bit of great news you'll discover from checking out recent posts is that de Sève has been involved in doing illustrations for some books by Charles Dickens which will come out next year for the Dickens Bicentennial. Could anything be better? The pairing of a favorite illustrator with my favorite writer? I already knew next year was going to be fun but now I'm even more excited.

I also read de Sève's post on John Kascht. Everyone, whether they are interested in doing caricatures or not should read this post and check out the film "Funny Bones." Kascht is indeed a master artist (at one point he even makes a clay model of Conan O'Brien, the making of the portrait of whom is the subject of the film). The film is actually about seeing and observing. It is simply a joy to watch. Kascht's articulate opening definition of what drawing is lets you into the philosophical bent of this artist's mind and approach. You won't be able to walk away. So set aside 27 minutes today to be thrilled, inspired, and awed.

An Interview with Roz

Interesting questions for me are the ones which make me stop and think about my situation and my life. Recently T. Myers asked me some questions that have still got me thinking about the "mess" I'm in. I have plans to bust out before the summer is ended, but I also realize life is a series of "busting outs."

You can read the interview at "Strata: Roz Stendahl" on the Open Letters Monthly, Like Fire blog. I hope you enjoy it. It reminded me that I have been rather focused after all.

Profile Friday: Wil Freeborn—Another Journal Facsimile to Add to the List

Left: Watercolor of a Raven ©2010 Wil Freeborn. A blog reader alerted me to Freeborn's art with a link to this gorgeous painting. Check out the use of colors in the black wings and tail! I did a little more digging and found Freeborn has a journal facsimile for sale, read below for details. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

Wil Freeborn is a designer and illustrator living in Gourock, Scotland, who has published a facsimile of "two years of sketches by train, bicycle, ferry and plane." You can purchase a copy of "See You Around," here. I recommend it. I purchased the 8 x 10 inch version (which is the large version) and am over joyed that I did. The journal page spreads (from his Moleskines) take a page each: the journal page spread is not interrupted by the book's gutter. It's a wonderful way to view the page spreads.

Freeborn's art is immediate and includes collections of objects, city scenes, and crowd scenes. Freeborn has a wonderful sense of composition. You will enjoy the way he explores his observations across the page, using mostly pen and watercolor. Upon occasion small Polaroid images are added as details on some pages. (I'm assuming that these are Polaroids because in 1998 through 2001 or so, I had an I-zone Polaroid camera that took photos about this size, but it broke and I never saw more of them, or film—so perhaps he's using something else; whatever it is you'll like the way he incorporates the images.)

You can view additional paintings and page spreads by  Wil Freeborn at his blog GhostSchool. I must insist that you visit today and spend time poking around.

(I'm adding this facsimile to my master list and putting the blog in my blog roll. Thank you Chris, for pointing me in this direction!)

The Alternative Tim Jennens

Left: One of the "alternative Tim Jennens" from Jennen's Facebook page. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

Given my love of fake journals and my habit of designing fake book covers, it should come as no surprise to anyone that I am thoroughly taken with Tim Jennen's venture into creating alternative selves for himself. They are fantastically fun, funny, and well thought out (full of tidbits of history, culture, and wishful—expansive—thinking from his eclectic brain). I hope that Tim continues to discover and invent more alternative selves we can enjoy.

You can view his growing list of alternative selves on his Facebook page "Tim Jennen's Photos—Alternative Tim Jennens." (Not on Facebook?  Well join just so you can see these!)

Tim is one of the extremely helpful folks at Wet Paint. He puts together their website and does a thousand other things I can't even name—yet he always finds a moment to share a great movie tip with me. I can't wait until he's on the cover of Variety, having just won an Oscar for…

Profile Friday: Twin Cities Artist Jennifer Davis

Left: Float, 12 x 16 inches, acrylic. ©Jennifer Davis. Click here to see Jennifer Davis' website gallery.

Last week a friend sent me an email: "Thanks for sending me the link to Jennifer Davis, I love her work."

I honestly didn't know what she was talking about and wrote back saying so. I asked for the link she was talking about. I'm glad Mary Jo misremembered, because now I've seen Jennifer Davis' art and can point you all there too!

I find her acrylic paintings, with muted pastel colors, are delicate yet pack a strong narrative punch. There's an edgy bit of menace in her humor. I also love the way she handles and creates pattern, either with color or composition.

After you have looked through the gallery at the link above check out Jennifer Davis on mnartist.org. She has been posting her work there since 2001. She has almost 700 paintings there! It is exquisite fun to see the progression of her work through these years!

After viewing all those images you're going to want to own one right? Well then you can head on over to Jennifer Davis on Etsy.

I want to see her work everywhere so I hope at some point she also branches out and starts putting her images on laptop covers and t-shirts, you get the idea. I know fine artists might not think much of the idea, and I have no idea how Jennifer feels about it but we live in a visual culture and I would like to see her images everywhere.

Davis' paintings do get around, so you might want to go over to her blog—Jennifer Davis: Paintings and Collages to keep up on the latest happenings. She has a show opening at First Amendment Gallery in Minneapolis on March 27. And in October her work will be in a group show at the MIA in the MAEP gallery. Keep your eyes open. One of Jennifer's blog posts mentions her 35th birthday. That's good news—we'll have many, many years to watch what she comes up with next. Now I'm going to stop writing and look at some more of her paintings. That's what you should be doing too!