Way Out of Comfort Zone

This prompt from Journal 52 2014 has pushed me a bit further from my normal execution of subject matter. The prompt: "Inspired by Abstract Art."

This abstract piece has a noticeable X to the composition. Much of my work has this. There are also hidden images, also in many of my pieces. I pushed or pulled some flowers and butterflies into recognizable shapes. That was to satisfy my little voice saying it is only a beginning!

The abstract is where my work begins My initial ideas are put on the board in a very abstract manner. Then those of  you who know my work  or as you look back at older posts will see samples of finished products. I always say I keep slowly resolving my images or tuning them in until my eye and sensibility are satisfied. For myself abstract work has not been complete. Like a lot of my work there are areas I might follow into other compositions. The mama painting can be allowed to birth her children which nurtured and coaxed become  stand-alone individuals in time. A fitting thought for a MOTHER'S DAY! That just came to me. Enjoy. Feel free to leave comments. Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers out there.

What DO You Want

A meditation exercise inspired this page for Journal 52 2014  prompt.. A spiral seemed like a simple place to me. Art is a simple choice for me.  ART is the only way to run away without leaving home.  A single flower can be simple. Of course, it depends on what you want to do. As the artist you set up the question and how complex the answer is.

Somewhere A Simple Place

A thought popped up that nothing is simple. Maybe a place could be simple. I think I was going within to find a simple place. Sort of the idea of hiding in plain sight. That is why I put art. It is a simple place where art is in my mind. It is quiet, much of the time peaceful and a safe harbor. My art is where I go to relax, to heal, and often to survive. For years art has been my life raft.

I featured 3 of my sunflower painting series for the prompt: "You Make Me Smile." Sunflowers are cheery happy flowers and working on this series of paintings makes me smile. I smile because of the flowers and because I have created the images which other people enjoy too.

Sunflowers Make Me Smile

When more sunflower paintings are completed I will post them too. Please leave comments so I know you have stopped to visit. Thank you.

Celebrate 75 Years with Us...

Celebrate 75 Years with Us...     Prismcolor products I use
                                Below is an oil monoprint enhanced with color pencil

Below:Watercolor pencil used for 3rd Street Park DeKalb, IL and

 preliminary sketch for NIU Huskie Pup Project

If you have not tried this product do it now. I absolutely love them. The color is true and the pencils are so nice to work with.

How The Rose Painting Developed

A painting has to start somewhere once there is an idea. For my process I do an under-painting, Although I most often use burnt umber or sienna I used purple for this image. I rather like it, do you?

Sometimes I would like to stop at this point. Well, I pushed it by adding some color glazing in the example to the right.


Then I made the addition of some transparent white giving solidity to the background and the flowers. More glazes were applied over the white additions in the example to the right.






This example to the left has been warmed up with additional glazes.




Then the details were refined and final glazes were applied. When dry into the frame it went. A wedding gift to Nick and Megan Kucharski.

"Rose Bouquet" 

Acrylic 11  X 14 inches

All images copyrighted by Sherry Lee Patterson and cannot be reproduced without specific written permission of the artist.

Exciting Visiting This Labor Day Weekend

 Finally back after getting NIU Electronic Reserves ready for faculty and students. Saturday of the holiday weekend I am visiting  two Milwaukee museums: with a group from NIU.

Milwaukee Art Museum http://mam.org/    to see the China Exhibit.
Then on to Milwaukee Public Museum http://www.mpm.edu/?gclid=CJOd3NmIgKsCFQ0BQAod-UZo2g


Some pictures from my trip to the Chicago Botanic Garden August 15th.

I loved the high color.all over and found the water lilies especially exciting.

Now I have more reference pictures for future paintings to come.

"The Sunflowers Three" will be featured on my next post, soon, very soon.

Moving Right Along With Sunflowers Three

Drawing-Pencil and Watercolor Pencil Study.

The 16" x 20" canvas started.

Enlargement of watercolor pencil study.

The “Sunflowers Three” title comes from the fiddlers three in the Old King Cole song I used to sing in McHenry Choral Club. I loved that song and our bases chosen to sing the parts and dress as the fiddlers three. Nice memories. These three sunflower images remind me of those guys. Wonder if they’ll make an appearance. in the work? I haven’t gotten that far yet.

I documented the working drawings which have led me to putting the image on canvas for the first stage of the painting. The watercolor pencils were so fun to use on the study I decided to try them for my under drawing/painting. Below is the beginning of the project "Sunflowers Three" with the underpainted stems.

Next stage is to underpaint the flower petals.

Showing at Next Picture Show Dixon Illinois

Artwork by Sherry Lee Sadilek Patterson.
The "Orchid Lady" Oil/Acrylic on board 9 1/2" X 13" and "Poppies on Purple" Acrylic on canvas 11"X 14" will be at the Kishwaukee Valley Art League Exhibit being held in the lower gallery space at Next Picture Show Gallery in Dixon IL. An opening reception will be May 8, 2010 at 6 PM.

Two pieces at the Egyptian Theatre

The house project is still in progress. Art work has taken a back burner for a time, but I currently have two paintings in the KVAL exhibit at Egyptian Theatre DeKalb, IL. Both are studies for larger works to be done in the Lilac Flower series. (Lilacs on Mint [10"x10"] Small Bunch on Orange [9"x7"]. The larger bouquet study has been sold. I have been working on the Bonsai trees mentioned in my last post. I will get a new post up soon.