This blog is my portfolio of artwork, a journal about my process of making art...and the things that I have no words for...

*Copyright notice* All photos, writing, and artwork are mine (
© Laura J. Wellner), unless otherwise noted, please be a peach, if you'd like to use my work for a project or you just love it and must have it, message me and we'll work out the details...it's simple...JUST ASK, please.



Sunday, April 24, 2011

Here comes the sun...

Here comes the sun... 4/23/2011 acrylic wash monotype, rice paper on canvas 16 x 8 inches

Detail
I finished this little one yesterday afternoon, the multiple layers of paint create such stunning depth...it's so much prettier in person...I have it finished just in time to include it in our end of month reception at Moonlighting this Friday night (4/29), I might try to finish up one more, maybe...just maybe...
Left to Right, Ken Nichols, Fred Wellner, Laura Wellner, Suzanne Masters

 Last Sunday afternoon, the four painters of Moonlighting Gallery visited Cafe 407 on Tulip Street in Liverpool NY to paint a painting for a fundraiser for Ophelia's Place (event yet to be determined.)

The finished painting

detail

detail with critter that My Fred made

I think this is my favorite spot...

Another favorite spot

It's just interesting to see how we blend our styles on the canvas

another detail of a favorite spot...
 So many nifty little places for the eye to wander into and rest for awhile, thinking...

We've been doing this project since we started our partnership at Moonlighting, starting a painting, and then passing it around amongst ourselves or to other painters we know...we have about a dozen paintings so far, and it is our intention to do a reception at the gallery someday, have a silent auction, and donate the money to a good cause...fun stuff!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

From my sketchbooks...

Untitled, (Finished on St. Patrick's Day), 3/17/2011


I keep several sketchbooks, different shapes, sizes,

Untitled, 4/14/2011

I always have something in the works, my little graphite meanderings,

Untitled, 9/26/2010
 ...pencil point, sharp or broken, worn down, the edge of a graphite stick, graphite dust, grit...

Untitled, 2/10/2011
 ...they're about mark making...


Moonlighting, 9/9/2010
practice and patience...
A work in progress starting with the hard 'H' pencils, don't know which way is up yet...

Sunday, April 10, 2011

The Bridge Street Painting...


Detail of The Waxing Moon, 4/9/2011
 This is the painting that I started for the local television show "Bridge Street", I went in with this dusky burnt umber and Payne's gray wash:
The start...4/3/2011
I was a little bit concerned that people would take one look at it and say "Yuck, are you kidding, this is your painting?" but to me it was gorgeous and I was working out in my head the colors I intended to use, and as usual, I cannot plan what will happen...it's intuitive and once I get to work, anything goes...



At the end of the show, Layer #2, 4/4/2011
There was not enough time to finish a painting during the show...I never believed that I could, and I knew Fred wouldn't...it's a lot to do, so I had no expectations that I would... I really loved the foundation that I created...

I took it home and worked on it...4/4-4/9


Once I got into the third stage I needed to walk away from it and give it a rest, the top part was troublesome, but I finally got it settled by Saturday morning...
The Waxing Moon, 4/9/2011




Yesterday I fiddled and tweaked throughout the day and the result is this new nocturnal image that I'm very happy with...

The event itself was a bit of a learning experience...when people asked me how it went I told them that it was awesome and awful at the same time... it was what I expected, yet not... my Fred and I work well together during these moments of stress, if one fumbles, the other fills in the blanks...we did fine a classic grace under fire moment...so the interviewer got our last name wrong, I corrected her and we moved on...the lighting was terrible for painting, but we made do...small stuff...we remained calm and patient, and I'm glad it's done and the painting is just as beautiful as I had hoped it would be...

The auction went well on Friday, we were relaxed, and set up our table with postcards, brochures, our art book, and I set out my two novels (artwork featured on the cover, why not? And it is part of what I do.) Fred brought one of his stone sculptures, and I set out my portfolio of photographs, we kept it simple. Our artwork sold, bidders got bargains. The young woman who bought my drawing Lumina #2 was clearly pleased with winning the bid...it was meant to be...her smile was priceless. I didn't get to see the reaction of the winner of my photograph My Conversation with Georgia, but I did see it leave under the arm of a gentleman...it was for a good cause, and worth doing again. We met more local artists...it's amazing to see how much talent is in the area, most of us all do what we do on the side, a few are professionals (have retired from day jobs.)

It appears that Spring has arrived at last, I'm still photographing the debris of leaves and dead grass, the crocuses are the only things brave enough to bloom. A honey bee was buzzing in them yesterday, and a bumble bee buzzed past my head while I poked around at the twiggy remains in the herb garden. There was a bullfrog belching in the marshy area behind the barn last night, it was sweet hearing his noise...

There is rain on the way, I'm going outside before it comes...

Sunday, April 03, 2011

Back to making more...

Evening Light, 3/28/2011, acrylic wash, monotype, rice paper on canvas, 18 x 6 inches

detail of middle/bottom

Detail of top
Evening Light started off as a blue painting and turned into gold instead...I'm so in love with this little painting! She really sparkles, I don't think the photos really do her justice at all (in most of the pics I took she looks too green, so I had to fiddle a bit to get it right.) I love her simplicity, when I placed the blue horizon bands I knew that was all she needed...I didn't want to do another thing to that surface. I took her to Moonlighting and hung her up to replace one of the paintings that I packed up for Szozoda Gallery, to swap out paintings that have been there since fall. (My Fred and I will be showing there mid-July, the dates yet to be announced.)

The writing and production of our little art book Elemental took up so much of my time that I hardly painted a thing for nearly a month! I'm so glad the book is done, it's published, and out there to be browsed through... it's a real beauty (please click the BookBuzzr widget and enjoy!) It's a fabulous collection of artwork, it barely scratches the surface of what we've accomplished (that's the crazy part of it!) We're in the planning stages for a book of our drawings...so stayed tuned. I've gathered up a bunch of scans and have started the selection process...so much to choose from!

Tomorrow my Fred and I will be on television promoting the CNY Art Showcase, (WSYR Ch. 9, "Bridge Street, 10-11 AM) We're bringing our paints and canvases to work on something new, we'll see what happens with that...I'm trying not to dwell on it too much (if you know what I mean, too much of the 'unknown' and 'what if' imagined disasters sort of stuff that can drive a person to distraction.) I just need to pack up my stuff, pick something comfortable to wear, pack my little apron, and go with the flow...what will be, will be. The auction will be on Friday, we'll go and enjoy the show.