Eight years, going on nine. That’s how long I have been doing this blog. Sometimes I read something about how a blog just “takes off” and I laugh and laugh. I’m sure it happens, but more of it is about hard work and ignoring rejection and apathy. I do this for me, and I find it useful. That is enough.…
Author: Tara Choate
The Frozen Shore
In the 52 years the beach house has been standing, and the (insert less than 52 value…) I’ve been hanging around in this location, I’ve seen snow here a handful of times. But it never fails to elicit a sense of nervous wonder. It’s not supposed to snow at sea level in Oregon. We headed to the coast last Sunday,…
A new thing called “subtle”
This week was busy (I had to work five whole days! It was awful!) and I was tired at the end of it. My list of goals was small, which was a good thing because a large, wet, and windy storm hit Saturday morning (a bit unexpectedly) and even the dog wasn’t interested in venturing out. Saturday, I didn’t even…
Important
“We must paint only what is important to us, must not respond to outside demands. They do not know what they want, or what we have to give.” – Robert Henri One of the artists I follow (unfortunately, I have forgotten which one so I cannot provide credit for the inspiration) put the above quote on their newsletter. It struck…
Golden Winter
I love winter in Oregon. While it doesn’t have the snow and low temperatures that most people associate with the season, for me, the cooler temperatures, ample rain, and return of green are just perfect. Other perks include the return of a high density of waterfowl to the refuges and slightly more convenient photo times. While I miss the many…
pareidolia
pareidolia: the perception of apparently significant patterns or recognizable images, especially faces, in random or accidental arrangements of shapes and lines. pareidolia: the human tendency to find patterns in experiences or sensations A few months ago, one of my favorite artists, Kate Dardine, did a newsletter with this title. I put it in my “to do” pile for the…
A Different Sort of Art
I am the (volunteer) webmaster for the Watercolor Society of Oregon. It’s not a big deal, except when it is. And the last couple of years, with the increased demands of everything going online, the website has become a bit of a burden. This last year, at the fall WSO convention, I was named volunteer of the year, which was…
Home again, Jiggity Jig
Tonight will be a short post because I’m tired and I don’t have a lot to say. Obviously, we are all home again from our time at the beach house. It was lovely, and I got a lot of thinking done. I’m hoping some of my thoughts and plans come into fruition. Today I received a “rejection” from ISEA that…
Lesley Humphrey “Workshop” – Day 4 (sort of)
Today I did watch the 4th (and final) video in Lesley Humprey’s painting horses series. However, I did no painting of horses. Debbie Loyd, a magnificent painter I have known for years, saw on Facebook that I was complaining about my original workshop getting cancelled, and offered to drive down for the day and provide an online workshop on waves…
Lesley Humphrey “Workshop” – Day 2 and 3
Progress is not linear, and some days that is more evident than others. Yesterday, I had two art experiences. First, I listened to Renee Kahn through a presentation by the ISEA, which was excellent and gave me a lot to think about. Second, I started on the second demo of the Lesley Humprey series, which was on charcoal and gouache. While…