Addie May Hirschten, Artist and Storyteller

Happiness

2012-03-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

Cross Stitch made by my mother, age 10

I am easily contented with a slight and almost animal happiness.

My happiness is a good deal like that of the woodchucks.

-Thoreau

De Colores

2012-03-09T07:02:00.000-05:00

De Colores
Copyright 2012 Addie Hirschten
Oil on Canvas
18" x 24"
Prints available on Fine Art America

De colores, de colores se visten los campos en la primavera

Y por eso los grandes amores de muchos colores me gustan a mí

-De Colores, Traditional Spainish Folksong

Passion is a powerful spring.
-Emerson

Dreams and Reality

2012-03-08T07:39:00.001-05:00

Dreams and Reality
Copyright 2012 Addie Hirschten
Oil on Canvas
30" x 40"
Print available on Fine Art America

You can design, create, and build the most wonderful place in the world.

But it takes people to make the dream a reality.

-Walt Disney

And just because I feel the need to temper the relative purity of Disney:

Don't dream it, be it.

-Dr. Frank-N-Furter

Do you want the backstory? Visit:

http://www.artistaddie.com/2012/01/dream-of-india.html

Dreaming of Spring

2012-03-07T07:34:00.000-05:00

Dreaming of Spring
Copyright 2012 Addie Hirschten
Oil on Canvas
9" x 12"
Prints available on Fine Art America

And smale fowles maken melodye,

That slepen al the night with open ye,

So priketh hem nature in hir corages:

Than longen folk to goon on pilgrimages.

-Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales

Pandora's Box

2012-03-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

Pandora's Box
Copyright 2012 Addie Hirschten
Oil on Canvas
9" x 12"
Print available on Fine Art America

Not knowing that it would release all of the evil into the world, Pandora opened the box.
After all of that mess was released only one item was left for her.
It was hope.

But here is my question...

Wasn't all of that bad stuff already there?
It existed.

Isn't it better to open that can of worms and face it?

Fantasy

2012-03-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

Fantasy
Copyright 2012 Addie Hirschten
Oil on Canvas
12" x 16"
Prints available on Fine Art America

In an effort for us all to start Monday morning off right I would like to offer up a bit of fantasy.

If this isn't enough to set your heart a flutter how about reading true love letters...
http://www.theromantic.com/LoveLetters/main.htm
This website has love letters written by Keats, Byron and... Ronald Reagan?
Good stuff I'm telling you.

Measure for Measure

2012-03-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

Mariana
Oil on Canvas
12" x 16"
Prints available on Fine Art America

Our doubts are traitors,
And make us lose the good we oft might win
By fearing to attempt...

The miserable have no other medicine
But only hope.

-Shakespeare, Measure for Measure

Dream a Little Dream of Me

2012-03-01T08:57:00.003-05:00

Dreaming of Roses
Oil on Canvas
8" x 10"

Woohoo!

I just finished a 3 day oil painting workshop with the lovely artist Dreama Tolle Perry at the elegant Renaissance Fine Art and Design Gallery.

Dreama demonstrating painting a rose

We laughed, we cried, no wait... I don't remember anybody crying.

But we did have "so much fun it shouldn't be legal."

Here are a couple of my pieces from the workshop...

French Window
Oil on Canvas
8" x 8"

Italian Cafe
Oil on Canvas
12" x 12"

And what about the lizard? Have we tamed that beast?

I sure do hope so.

Listen

2012-02-29T08:00:00.002-05:00

Listen
Oil on Canvas

Listen to this flesh. It is far truer than poems.

-Marina Tsvetayeva

Put a Bird on It

2012-02-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

Nesting
Gouache on Paper
23" x 15"
Print available on Fine Art America

I am pleased to announce that these two pieces
will be included in the "Put a Bird on It" exhibit at the Harrison Center for the Arts!

Join me for the opening reception:

This Friday
March 2nd, 2012, 6-10pm

"Nesting" illustrates both birds and a woman building nests for their young. It represents the similarity of human nature to that of animals. How we often view animals as savage beasts, yet there is a tender side. There is a primal care and warmth.

"The Fall of Icarus" depicts a Greek myth. It is the story of a man who builds wings for his son and himself to fly off of an island where they are imprisoned. The son's wings melt and he falls to the sea. This illustration was featured in my book, "Art Stories, Folktales to Inspire Creativity."

The Fall of Icarus
Watercolor on Paper
11" x 14"

Give and Take

2012-02-26T19:47:00.002-05:00

Give and Take
Oil on Canvas
18" x 24"
Prints available on Fine Art America

An oyster opens his mouth

to swallow one drop.

Now there is a pearl.

Let yourself be silently drawn by the pull of what you really love.

-Rumi

Strength and Courage

2012-02-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

Strength and Courage
Oil on Canvas
9" x 12"
Original $275. available on Etsy
Prints available on Fine Art America

To love someone deeply gives you strength.

Being loved by someone gives you courage.

-Lao Tzu

Titania Triumphs?

2012-02-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

Titania Triumphs
Acrylic on Paper
19" x 14"
Prints available on Fine Art America

What in the heck is going on in this picture?

Is it a girl fight?

Is there going to be a smackdown?

Well- this is a piece commissioned by one of my patrons, Aaron GrandeCorazon Clark.

(Do you hear that Aaron- you are officially a patron!)

This is the scene he requested...

Oberon lay limp against the cold stone throne, his long thin arms keeping his elongated head from touching it directly. The ancient glyphs carved into the throne were empty and hollow as the fairy magic drained away from him.
Maab and Titania stood tall, their backs straight as steel, as they gathered their wills in preparation to battle against the other. Maab, gathering the powers of darkness and cold, focused on Titania with her burning blue eyes. Titania, arching her head back, bright white wisps of fire flow from her eye sockets as she called forth light and summer.

So I asked Aaron, "Why are they fighting?" He said, "this is Light and Summer vs. Dark and Winter... some people say that Maab and Titania are one in the same."

hmmmm...

So this represents the two sides of ourselves, light and dark, dueling. Rather like Jung's "subjective" dream analysis, every person in the dream represents an aspect of the dreamer.

Therefore...

Titania = light

Maab = darkness

Oberon = the powerless victim to the whims of fate

T + M + O = the Collective Unconscious

Wait... is Oberon powerless?

The Harpist

2012-02-22T07:46:00.000-05:00

The Harpist
Oil on Canvas
16" x 20"
Available on Fine Art America

Back in my abstract college painting days, I depicted the sound of music with color and shape often.

I have always envisioned harp notes as golden.

The piano is blue.

Drums are green (well, sometimes black.)

And my instrument, the fiddle, is red.

Time has laid his hand
Upon my heart gently, not smiting it,
But as a harper lays his open palm
Upon his harp, to deaden its vibrations.

-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The Big Picture

2012-02-21T07:28:00.001-05:00

I have been working on this painting for days and here is the problem....
this is only the lower half of the picture. The top depicts a man who is looking down at our woman from a balcony above. And blach! I can't get his face right.

I want him to look caring, intrigued and a bit hungry. And what did my friend say about his face?

"He looks like he forgot to put in his dentures."

Yeah, so I am going to let him dry and work on him again later. For now she can float along waiting patiently for him to get his shit together. For now you can have half of the story.

And what should the title be?

hmmmm...

Winning a Rose...

2012-02-20T07:55:00.000-05:00

A Rose for You by June Rollins

I am pleased to announce that on Valentine's day I won a painting by the artist June Rollins. Thank you June!

On the back of the painting June wrote this...
"I'm a late bloomer. I didn't begin working in watercolor until my mid-forties. I had the desire since high school, but not the confidence to pursue. Remember the Y2K scare of 1999? One day I woke up and thought if the world is going to end, I at least would like to take a watercolor class before it does. I haven't stopped painting since."

Yes! I love it. We have got to embrace what we love.

No one says on their death bed, "gosh, I wish I spent more time watching TV."

Make your dreams reality.

The Heat of the Sun

2012-02-17T07:13:00.000-05:00

The Heat of the Sun
Oil on Canvas
24" x 36"
Prints available on Fine Art America

You have the heat of the sun in you.

All of that energy beats down pushing life forward.

Ever onward and upward.

There is nothing new under the sun.
-Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

An Open Cadaver

2012-02-16T07:11:00.000-05:00

Mural in Downtown Indianapolis

Yesterday I was feeling wobbly and here is why...

When I share my more private art it is as though I am an open cadaver on an operating table. The viewers are all looking down at my guts with masks on their faces. I can't tell if they are thinking, "Ewww, her insides are really rotten," or what. Then I remind myself that if I switched places with them their insides would look the same.

And maybe the more uncomfortable I feel by exposing my thoughts and feelings, the closer I am to hitting at the core, at the truth. I WILL get over my wimpiness...

and then...

there will be a wonderful moment where the viewer and I will be united by our commonalities. We will grow. It will be an orgasm of pure empathy.

So I am going to keep on truckin' and more than anything I want you all to do the same.

Mural in downtown Indianapolis

Disclaimer

2012-02-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

Roses
Acrylic on Paper
11" x 14"
Prints available on Fine Art America

Gravy- I am thankful to all of you who have written to support my vomit of hormones and sap as I explored the subject of love these past two weeks.

I know that "I'm as corny as Kansas in August." arggh and I want to kick myself for it sometimes.

But I also know that I am "as normal as blueberry pie."

And that's the thing, everything I think and feel is so extreme and so normal.... that I hope you all take comfort in it.

Shish Kebab.

(argggh!)

Saint Valentine

2012-02-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

Self-portrait, 2001
Watercolor on Paper
5" x 7"

The story goes that Saint Valentine was sentenced to death. His last request was to be given a sheet of paper to write a love letter.

And so I want for you all to imagine that you are about to be escorted to the hangman's noose.

What message have you been holding inside?

To whom would you write the letter?

It is hard to write the letter. The truth of it can whip you. It is as though you have vomited, purged yourself. The person might not 'get' it, those chunks are acidic. Your message might be mixed up and garbled but you will feel better. I promise.

I urge you, my friends, to sit down and write it...
or sing it, paint it, whatever.

Say what it is that you have been aching to say.

Let's dump a load of pure cane sugar on this earth. No more of this wimpy saccharin shit, it is just so dissatisfying. You want the real thing.

To Love Another

2012-02-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

Mother and Child
Acrylic on Paper
Print available on Fine Art America

For one human being to love another;

that is perhaps the most difficult of all our tasks,

the ultimate, the last test and proof,

the work for which all other work is but preparation.

-Rilke

Kissing the Ground

2012-02-12T08:00:00.001-05:00

The Flower
Collage and Acrylic on Paper

If you can love one person, you can love anyone.

If you can love yourself, you can love anyone.

If you can see the beauty in one spot on earth, you can see it anywhere.

Take down a musical instrument.
Let the beauty we love be what we do,

there are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.

-Rumi

The Romantic Story of Shakuntala

2012-02-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

Shakuntala meets Dushyanta
Acrylic on Paper
Prints available on Fine Art America

Shakuntala is a story of epic cosmic dancing.

Click below to hear the story on my podcast.

Also available on iTunes.

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Fish in the Sea

2012-02-10T06:44:00.000-05:00

Fish in the Sea
Oil on Canvas
16" x 20"
Prints available on Fine Art America

Sir Robert Chiltern: Anyway, what's that saying about there being plenty of fish in the sea?

Lord Arthur Goring: Ah yes, but I couldn't possibly marry a fish.
I'd be sure to land an old trout.

-Oscar Wilde

We Come from the Water

2012-02-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

We Come From the Water
Oil on Canvas
16" x 20"
Prints available on Fine Art America

We come from the water

living in the water

go back to the water

turn the world around.

-Harry Belafonte

Let Me Sow Love

2012-02-08T08:00:00.001-05:00

Sowing Seeds
Acrylic on Paper
Prints available at Fine Art America

Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

For it is in loving that we are loved.

It is in giving that we receive.

It in pardoning that we are pardoned.

-Saint Francis of Assisi

The Story of Medusa

2012-02-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

Medusa
Acrylic on Paper
14" x 17"

Once upon a time a beautiful young lady named Medusa was a devotee in the temple of Aphrodite. Against her will she was raped in that sacred space. Aphrodite became enraged, banished her and changed her hair to snakes. Anyone who looked upon Medusa from that moment on was turned to stone.

Why did Aphrodite punish the victim? Was it because she, the goddess of love, didn't want to be associated with that selfish side of sexuality?

Poor Medusa, if you can see past her bitterness you find that she is still beautiful.

She has forgotten how to love, how fun it can be.

She is silent...

and silence is death.

The Skywoman's Basket

2012-02-06T08:00:00.001-05:00

What?!

There is a folktale about divorce?

Yes... there is.

Click below to hear the meaningful tale of the Skywoman's Basket.
Also available on iTunes.

Podcast Powered By Podbean

Who, being loved, is poor?
-Oscar Wilde

Cupid and Psyche

2012-02-05T08:00:00.001-05:00

Cupid and Psyche
Oil on Canvas
16" x 20"
Prints available on Fine Art America

Cupid could only visit his love, Psyche at night. She agreed not to view him even by the light of the moon. They embraced only in the shadows of the night. As if in dreams.

(hot! hot! hot!)

Eagerly savor each new day and the taste of its mouth-
Never lose sight of the thrill and the joy of living.
-Ewan MacColl

Pyramus and Thisbe

2012-02-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

Pyramus and Thisbe
Oil on Canvas
9" x 12"
Original $275. available on Etsy
Prints available on Fine Art America

Pyramus and Thisbe,

Romeo and Juliet,

Abelard and Heloise...

This is the forbidden fruit of love.

Tasty, tasty fruit sitting high up on the shelf just out of your reach.

The ache of it hurts so good.

All you can think of is that one person.

Everyone else pales in comparison.

All you can think of is that one person.

Perfection.

Yet the passion that with equal strength
inflamed their minds no parents could forbid.
No relatives had guessed their secret love,
for all their converse was by nods and signs;
and as a smoldering fire may gather heat,
the more 'tis smothered, so their love increased...

for what is hid from love?

-Ovid, Pyramus and Thisbe

Aloja, The Water Nymph

2012-02-03T08:00:00.002-05:00

Aloja the Water Nymph
Oil on Canvas
9" x 12"
Original $275. available on Etsy
Print available on Fine Art America

Aloja, the water nymph can be found only around the fresh water springs of Majorca.

She simmers red by the light of the moon.

The fountains mingle with the rivers,
and the rivers with the ocean

The winds of heaven mix forever with sweet emotion

For nothing in the world is single

All things by a law divine meet and mingle

Why not I with thine?

See the mountains kiss high heaven

and the waves clasp one another,

No sister flower would be forgiven

if she distained her brother.

And the sunlight clasps the earth

And the moonbeams kiss the sea

What are all these kissings worth

if you kiss not me?

-Love's Philosophy by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Can You Define Love?

2012-02-02T07:07:00.000-05:00

Self Portrait "In Love" 1999
Watercolor on Paper
16" x 24"
Print available on Fine Art America

It is not ownership. It is not about marking someone as your territory with a ring or a photo.

Love is acceptance.

The purest love between parent and child has an openness, a bond that encompasses all.

And then there is romantic love....

The kind that fills you with longing. To comfort and be comforted.

Sometimes I feel that I SHOULD be able to love anyone because we all deserve love. Yet I have only felt passionate love for a handful of people. When I think of those individuals I looovvvvvve, it is like grabbing a unique lily white snowflake with my tongue and feeling this is it! My mojo flips backward and groans, hot damn, THIS is it.

How would you define it?

The Roses of Aphrodite

2012-02-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

The Roses of Aphrodite
Oil on Canvas
16" x 20"
Prints available on Fine Art America

Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, was running through the forest in hot pursuit of one of her many lovers. She pricked her finger on a thorny bush. As her blood spilt onto the vines a bud formed to create the first rose. This beauty sprung from her pain.

Romeo: Is love a tender thing? it is too rough,

Too rude, too boisterous, and it pricks like thorn.

Mercutio: If love be rough with you, be rough with love;

Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down.
-Shakespeare

And yet...

Gardeners are good at nurturing,

and they have a great quality of patience,

they're tender.

They have to be persistent.

-Ralph Fiennes

Celebrate Love this February

2012-01-30T10:44:00.001-05:00

Women Creating
Oil on Canvas
9" x 12"
Original $275. available on Etsy

Between February 1st and Valentine's Day
I will be creating daily blog posts
on the subject of
~ LOVE ~

There will be stories of romance, sex and poetic intrigue.
Ooh- la -la!

I invite you, my friends, to share these posts as valentines for your friends and lovers.

Let's all light a fire and spread the love this winter!

Dream of India

2012-01-27T08:59:00.002-05:00

Dream of India
Acrylic on Paper
19" x 12"
Reprint available on Fine Art America

A couple of years ago I dreamt that I was in India waiting for a bus. I realized that under my feet the pavement was painted. Every door, building, signpost was brightly painted. It was very exciting.
Last night I made this painting to reflect that dream.
(And yes- I dream in color. Do you?)

There are two countries that I have always dreamed of...

England and India.

Sadly I have never placed my feet on the ground of either.

I need an excuse to go.

I need a reason to make a pilgrimage.

To tie a knot on a tree.

To dip into the water.

What excuse do I need?

Can you give me one?

Life is a pilgrimage. The wise man does not rest by the roadside inns.

-Swami Sivananda

Can you see the Lighthouse?

2012-01-26T10:33:00.000-05:00

Point Loma Lighthouse
Oil on Canvas
9" x 12"
Original $275. available on Etsy

When we visited Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego, California

I was especially taken with the lighthouse.

This painting depicts it on a foggy day.

The sort of day when a lighthouse is needed.

Do you need a lighthouse?

We all walk in the dark and each of us must learn to turn on our own light.

-Earl Nightingale

True, true... but sometimes it is nice to have a beacon.

Is it not?

Nesting

2012-01-24T09:40:00.002-05:00

Nesting
Gouache on Paper
23" x 15"
Reprints available on Fine Art America

This painting depicts both birds and a human woman "nesting" their young.

We often view animals as savage beasts. The instinct of survival reigning supreme.

Yet there is a tender side. There is a primal care and warmth.

All animals and plants when living are tender and delicate.

The hard and tough are parts of death; the soft and tender parts of life.

-Lao Tzu

2012 Indiana Storytelling Retreat

2012-01-22T22:53:00.001-05:00

Hirschten Storytelling to Stuffies
Circa 1980

Yup- that is a picture of me...

Apparently I practiced storytelling on my stuffed animals long before I had a "real" audience.

This year's Indiana Storytelling Workshop and Retreat is filling up!
On May 26th I will again be leading storytellers, librarians and educators in a day-long storytelling retreat in the heart of Indiana.
(Course Credits Include 5 LEUs or 5 PGPs)

Join us by registering at:
http://www.fantasticfables.net/Storyteller_s_Retreat.html

Share the love- share the stories!

Hirschten storytelling in 2011

The T.C. Steele Surprise

2012-01-20T11:00:00.000-05:00

T.C. Steele painting at IPS School 84

One of the most famous Indiana painters was T.C. Steele. You can visit the T.C. Steele Historic Site down near Nashville to tour his home and studio.

Imagine my surprise as I was walking down the hallway of my daughter's elementary school `when what to my wondering eyes should appear` but an original T.C. Steele painting hanging casually on the wall!

I have no idea how the school came to own this painting, but how wonderful is it that the children there can experience viewing the texture of a real masterwork?

Sir Gawain and the Loathly Lady

2012-01-19T10:34:00.000-05:00

The Apple Tree
Gouche on Paper

Many of life's persistent questions can be answered in the wisdom of folktales.

So I ask you...

What is it that every woman wants?

If you are dying to know the answer to this age old question click below to hear my latest podcast featuring the Arthurian legend of Sir Gawain and the Loathly Lady.

Also available on iTunes.

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The Story of the La Jolla Seals

2012-01-18T11:00:00.000-05:00

La Jolla Children's Pool
Oil on Canvas
Original $275.
Available on Etsy

This painting depicts the La Jolla Children's Pool in San Diego, California.

In 1931 a protective wall was built creating a secure sandy beach. The builder, Ellen Browning Scripps, envisioned a play pool for children. Recently however harbor seals have been drawn to the area and give birth to young pups there.

Thus the controversy begins... The majority of San Diegans feel that there are plenty of beaches for recreation in the area and that the space should be designated for the seals. Yet a few vocal locals want to reestablish the area as a human zone.

I was very happy that despite the large "welcome" sign someone had placed on the beach the day I visited no one was invading the seal's space. We humans have marked our territory by pissing over so much of creation. We can spare this tiny space. We can give it back.

My relatives watching the seals.

It was amazing to watch the wild seals from the wall! I highly recommend visiting La Jolla to see the seals, enjoy a cafe lunch and stroll through an art gallery.

(BTW- it is apparently not safe to swim in the pool anyway! Why? Because of all the seal poop. Ha-ha!)

Drinking Water

2012-01-17T10:45:00.000-05:00

Penasquitos Creek California
Oil on Canvas
16" x 20"
Reprints available on Fine Art America

My, my, at Waterloo Napoleon did surrender.

Oh yeah, and I have met my distant need in quite a similar way...

It is hard for me to believe, but the gushing waterfall depicted in this painting is often just a dried up trickle. Yet now there is abundance.

Would that I were a dry well,

and that the people tossed stones into me,

for that would be easier than to be a spring of flowing water that the thirsty pass by,

and from which they avoid drinking.

-Gibran

California!

2012-01-13T10:23:00.000-05:00

Cliffs at La Jolla California
Oil on Canvas
9" x 12"
Original $275. Available on Etsy
Reprints available on Fine Art America

Inspired by my recent trip to San Diego I am starting a series of paintings depicting the California landscape! This one is of the cliffs at La Jolla looking northeast. Normally you can see the mainland past the cliffs, but this was a foggy January day.

Life has loveliness to sell,

all beautiful and splendid things,

blue waves whitened on a cliff,

soaring fire that sways and sings,

and children's faces looking up,

holding wonder like a cup.

-Sara Teasdale

White River Tree

2012-01-11T09:00:00.000-05:00

White River Tree
Oil on Canvas
16" x 20"
This painting will be available at the Fletcher Place show opening April 6th

Trees reflected in the river,

they are unconcious of a world so near them,
so are we.

-Hawthorne

Autumn in Indianapolis

2012-01-10T12:48:00.002-05:00

Autumn in Indianapolis

Oil on Canvas

30" x 40"
Reprints available on Fine Art America

Santa brought me two HUGE canvases!

I don't know how he got them down the chimney but THANK YOU SANTA!

This painting used up almost all of my oil paint it is so large.
It depicts my favorite spot on the Broad Ripple Canal in Indianapolis.

Notice how the light is different in these two other paintings of the same location...

Broad Ripple Canal #2
Acrylic on Canvas
8" x 10"

6pm on the Canal
Oil on Canvas
20" x 16"

This exercise of painting the same spot in different light is inspired by Monet. He made it a practice of returning to the same place to paint over and over.

"It's on the strength of observation and reflection that one finds a way.

So we must dig and delve unceasingly."

-Claude Monet

This Summer's Show!

2012-01-09T11:52:00.000-05:00

Fantastic Fables presents...

Sleeping Beauties and Beasties

Performances for Summer of 2012

Enter the land of dreams with puppetry and old-fashioned storytelling!

This performance of fairy tales will enchant children age 3-10.

Every summer libraries across the country celebrate the Summer Reading Program. Most libraries in my state of Indiana participate in a collaborative theme. This year the theme is "Dream Big." Hence my summer 2012 Fantastic Fables library program will feature folktales about sleeping, dreaming and mysteries of the night!

When I was a children's librarian I loved organizing these programs to encourage kids to read AND spark their imaginations. I am so grateful to be able to share my stories with so many children through my shows. Summer 2012 will be a busy one!

My calendar is filling up fast. Email: fantasticfables@gmail.com to book a performance.

San Diego and Kupka

2012-01-05T16:33:00.001-05:00

I just got back from a visit to San Diego.

I must recommend the wonders of Balboa Park.

Inspiration station.

One highlight there is the San Diego Museum of Art.

My favorite painting there? Oddly enough it was not a landscape, but Blue Space by Kupka.

Of course to see a painting like this in person tops this internet found image.

But I can still ask the question...

what is this painting about?

It reminds me of ice, a flower or something of this world... and yet it is not.

The Greenway

2012-01-02T11:00:00.000-05:00

The Greenway
This painting will be available at the Fletcher Place Show Opening April 6th

I have been enjoying hibernating in my studio!

This painting is of an amazing spot viewed from the Central Canal Greenway walking trail.

When I am there I feel like I am not in a city but transported to medival England.

It is just that quaint.

Beauty awakens the soul to act.

-Dante

The Two Faces of Janus

2011-12-30T11:00:00.000-05:00

Janus is the ancient Roman God of beginnings and transitions. He is the namesake of the month of January. He has two faces. One looks forward to the future and one looks back to the past.

As you make your plans for the new year take a look at your past and your future.

What lessons have you learned in 2011 that you can apply to 2012?

I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.

-Jimmy Dean

The Wind in the Trees

2011-12-28T11:00:00.000-05:00

The Wind in the Trees
Oil on Canvas
9" X 12"
Original $275.
Available on Etsy

Caresses, expressions of one sort or another,

are necessary to the life of the affections

as leaves are to the life of a tree.

If they are wholly restrained, love will die at the roots.

-Nathaniel Hawthorne

This quiet landscape painting features a beautiful tree

on the Broad Ripple Canal in Indianapolis, Indiana.

How to Create a Painting in 3 Simple Steps

2011-12-27T10:38:00.000-05:00

Autumn Day by the Bridge
This painting will be available at the Fletcher Place Show opening April 6th

I am often asked how I create a painting on canvas. Here is a breakdown of my process in three steps...

Step 1
Paint on a light wash of acrylic paint. This sets the tone of the work.

Step 2
Paint a layer of acrylic.
This is another thin layer that blocks out the shapes into the darkest and lightest forms.

Step 3
Paint a THICK layer with oils.
I used water soluable oil paints to create the final coat which almost completely covers the previous layers. The biggest tip I can give is to make the paint as thick as you can at this stage.

I sometimes even paint with a palette knife to get a maximum thickness.
Most often however I use a traditional brush.

I have found that creating multiple layers makes a work more rich. I always put at least three layers on my paintings.
One important thing to note is that you can paint oils on top of acrylic paints, but not the other way around. Once you start using the oils there is no going back.

I would love to hear others folk's methods....

Light

2011-12-22T16:42:00.000-05:00

Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you.

-Maori Proverb

Yesterday was the shortest day of the year.

Now we can welcome back the light... and yes it will get worse before it gets better.

Winter winds are going to blow but don't give up.

There is light at the end of this tunnel.

Let us gather together to celebrate light.
Let us celebrate our differences and our similarities.

I believe that we created this beautiful variety of holiday traditions to get us through this darkest time.
Together we can do it.

Happy Holidays everyone.

One Dollar and Eighty-Seven Cents

2011-12-20T20:49:00.000-05:00

Bridge over the Canal
This painting will be available at the Fletcher Place Show Opening April 6th

Friday my computer died. Yeah- it is the worst. The hard drive is toast.

I lost videos of my daughter... sigh.

But you don't take anything with you when you die. I've got to let it go.

We spend so much time documenting it all. Honoring it, putting it up on a pedestal. All people, all artists create the kodachrome. I believe that it is still worth doing even if it will be destroyed later. We create our art then let it drift away like teenagers fleeing the nest. It is our gift to the world.

Of all who give and receive gifts, such as these are the wisest.

-O. Henry, The Gift of the Magi

So let's all bake cookies then eat them. Let's share the love.

O Henry

Winning

2011-12-19T14:34:00.000-05:00

It is rare to officially "win" anything.

Last week I bought a book I am excited to read called No Ordinary Woman, a manifesto on how to be a fabulous woman in our crazy world.

And for this I WON the artwork below by the artist Barb Bazan!!!

Isn't it awesome! It quotes Charlie Parker:

"If you don't live it, it won't come out your horn."

Another artist recently told me that if "I don't toot my own horn, no one else will."

We have got to be loud about it! Yes!

Thank you Gabrielle Javier-Cerulli and Barb Bazan for your generous gifts.

Riding the Wolf

2011-12-15T23:26:00.000-05:00

Riding the Wolf

Oil on Canvas

9" x 12"

Original $275.

Available on Etsy

"There is still somewhere deep within you

a beast shouting that the earth is exactly what it wanted."

-from Morning Poem by Mary Oliver

Inspired by the Art Nouveau style this painting depicts a woman standing on the back of a wolf. As I painted the wolf emerged from the swirls by accident. Now he brings a whole new meaning to the picture.

So... are you riding a wolf?

My Shelf Elf

2011-12-13T20:50:00.000-05:00

I added hair, fancy ribbon and a lace skirt.

Before

The children's librarian side of me loves gifting kids books. This year one special kid in my life is going to get her very own Elf on the Shelf book with a new and improved Shelf Elf.

Oh what fun it is to craft and play!

The Old Woman and the Vinegar Bottle

2011-12-12T10:20:00.002-05:00

What if your wishes were granted?

Click below to hear my latest podcast featuring the folktale of the
Old Woman and the Vinegar Bottle.

Also available on iTunes.

Podcast Powered By Podbean

Why paint realism?

2011-12-10T08:01:00.000-05:00

Illinois Street Bridge Painting

Oil on Canvas

9" x 12"

Original $275.

Available on Etsy

When painting it is impossible to depict every leaf of a tree. So... why do it? Since the advent of the camera why do artist's continue to paint landscapes or anything else in our concrete world?

Simple Answer:
It is fun. Playing with the yummy colors of a landscape is my idea of a good time.

Cheesy Philosophical Answer:
To honor the beauty we see. To reflect it back.

Art communicates with the viewer or listener. When I share a story I have a hidden message for the audience. When I paint my message is to celebrate the beauty I see.

Notes on Nudity

2011-12-09T11:02:00.000-05:00

Notes on Nudity

Oil on Canvas stretched over frame

9" x 12"

Original $275.
Available on Etsy

Inspired by Rodin's Danaide sculpture and the Art Nouveau style I created this painting.

I would like to contend that when I paint a nude it is meant to honor our human form. To lift up our sensitive side and put it on a pedestal. Here we are at our most honest.

I have tried to define the difference between this and pornography, one thought being "I know it when I see it." But the best distinction I can make is that porn depicts the "other," someone else that we are staring at in a wolfish manner whereas the nude in art reflects us. We are looking at ourselves. Is this an odd definition?

Mr. Bones winner of the award for
"Most Exposed Model"

I'm not for gratuitous nudity, but if there is humor I don't have a problem.

-Rebecca Romijin

Hence we now have "Mr. Bones" who won the prize for the "Most Exposed Model" drawn in my Anatomy Studies class at the Indianapolis Art Center.

We started by examining the skeleton, the idea being that if we can understand the core structure of the body we will be able to draw it better.

So what is our core stucture? Mr. Bones has all kinds of bolts to hold him together while we have tendons and tissues. What is holding us together? Can we reflect a human soul in a picture?

P.S.- My current "partner in crime" hates my nudy paintings and prefers my landscapes- what does that mean?

The Odyssey

2011-12-07T15:16:00.001-05:00

"A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer."
-Emerson

Click below to hear my latest podcast featuring Homer's the Odyssey.

Also available on iTunes.

Podcast Powered By Podbean

New Etsy Shop!

2011-12-05T13:53:00.001-05:00

Festival of Venus Painting

Available on Etsy!

Exciting news- I just opened up an Etsy account:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ArtistAddie

On this site I will be posting small paintings for sale (and saving the larger items for gallery shows.)

After all that work setting it up- I now need a piece of chocolate. Wheww.

The Forest at Holliday Park

2011-12-01T09:15:00.000-05:00

The Forest at Holliday Park

Oil on Canvas

9" x 12"

Original Painting $275.

Holliday Park in Indianapolis is the sort of deep rich forest where your blood pressure lowers as you enter it.

"It is not so much for its beauty that the forest makes claim upon men's hearts,
as for that subtle something,
that quality of air,
that emanation from old trees
that so wonderfully renews a weary spirit."

-Robert Louis Stevenson

Buy this painting now through PayPal:

Reflections

2011-11-28T15:13:00.001-05:00

6 PM on the Canal

Oil on Canvas

20" x 16"

Available for sale at the Fletcher Show!

Exciting announcement everyone! In a couple of months I am going to be hosting my first show of paintings at the Fletcher Place Art and Books Gallery. Together with Beka Nimtz I will be sharing paintings on the theme of "Reflections."

So mark your calendars to join us on April 6th for the First Friday opening!

Enter your Best Gift Idea!

2011-11-25T08:25:00.001-05:00

Do you have any stellar gift ideas for the holidays? Share your creative gift giving ideas with us as comments below.

On Monday morning (11/28) I will use random.org to select two lucky winners! The first will earn a copy of my book, Art Stories, Folktales to Inspire Creativity. The second will will earn a set of five note cards featuring my Broad Ripple Canal painting below.

To get the ball rolling here is a gift idea for you:

Create a Unique Coloring Book for Kids: Google "free coloring pages." You will be amazed at the choices you can print off. Add doctored photos of the child for a personalized present.

I look forward to reading your ideas (I need them!)

How to be Happy

2011-11-21T09:15:00.000-05:00

My daughter at the dinner table of my new home

A few years ago I was stuck in the sad rut. I wallowed in the mucky mud of self-pity. I probably had postpartum depression. While it is healthy to face the bad stuff and talk about it, if you want to be happy you've got to come to a point where you get over it.

One trick to moving forward is to voice what is good in your life. By focusing on what you love you will find ways to create more of what you want.

My family and I have a ritual of saying what we are thankful for at the dinner table before we eat. It is very therapeutic.

Here are the top five things I am thankful for this year:

1. My Mom

2. My Daughter

3. My New Home

4. Chips and Salsa

5. The audience. Without you my friends I would just be one hand clapping. ha- ha

So what are you thankful for?

Do any of you have tricks to get over what Zig Ziglar calls stinkin' thinkin'?

How to Collage your Vision of the Future

2011-11-17T10:18:00.001-05:00

Believe it or not, the photo above is my business plan for 2012!

Inspired by the excellent book, the Right Brain Business Plan by author Jennifer Lee I created a vision board of my plans for the future.

By cutting out pictures and layering post-it notes I made a concrete collage of my hopes and dreams and !WOW! this really helped me to clearly see where I want to go. In the past I have jotted ideas down on little scraps of paper, but now these aspirations are all in one place. It is now a plan that I can interact with every day.

But a collage like this doesn't have to be a business plan- it could be your LIFE plan. Where do you want to go? Can you make a picture of it?

You have to know where the track is to get back on it.

-Benjamin Zander, conductor and writer

White River Reflections

2011-11-15T14:18:00.001-05:00

White River Reflections
Oil on Canvas stretched over frame
9" x 12"
Original $275.

This painting depicts the banks of the White River next to the Indianapolis Art Center.
To see this view you must look west from the Monon trail bridge.

Do I need to tell you that it was early morning?
I had drunk my coffee and was ready to welcome the sun.

Buy now through PayPal:

King Midas

2011-11-14T11:43:00.001-05:00

Click below to hear my latest podcast featuring the ancient story of King Midas.

Also available on iTunes.

Podcast Powered By Podbean

One Definition of Art

2011-11-10T12:33:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I was walking to meet my daughter, Emmaline at the bus stop. Rain was blowing in my face and I was squinting against the shining sun.

I suddenly remembered something my step-dad, Thomas told me years ago. Under these conditions there is ALWAYS a rainbow. You just have to turn away from the sun.

I turned around and there was a fully arched rainbow!
And... one end of it started at my house!!!

I stood for a moment smiling at this happy site, when a man in a car drove past. I pointed urgently behind him and mouthed, "Rainbow!" I am not sure if he understood or thought I was crazy, but I realized that it was the artist in me that wanted so desperately to share that beautiful miraculous moment.

And that is what art is all about. Sharing.

White River from Broad Ripple Park

2011-11-09T15:34:00.000-05:00

White River from Broad Ripple Park

Oil on Canvas stretched over frame

9" x 12"

Original $275.

Brrrrr! It is blustery cold outside today.

The clouds are moving fast and I had to hold my canvas down with my thumb to keep it from flying away.

But... for a brief hour the sun showed his face and I was able to create this painting.

Keep a tight hold on your umbrella people!

The Strawberry

2011-11-07T10:10:00.000-05:00

Click below to hear my latest podcast featuring the Buddhist Koan story, The Strawberry.

Also available on iTunes.

Podcast Powered By Podbean

Broad Ripple meets Hudson River

2011-11-04T12:58:00.000-04:00

Canal Greenway Bridge

Oil on Canvas stretched over frame

12" x 9"

Original $275.

I have been doing a study of the Canal near my home in Indianapolis.

I paint it in different lights and am facinated by the variety of reflections in the water
(as well as the many little bridges that cross it.)

Maybe it is the yellow ochre paint, but this one turned out very Hudson River School-ish?

New Storytelling Photos- Thank you Lisa!

2011-11-03T11:46:00.003-04:00

Last week I shared stories at a local elementary school.

One of the parents, Lisa Bonconsky is a professional photographer.

She sent me *beautiful* photos from the storytelling. Thank you Lisa!

To find out more about Lisa's work visit:

http://www.lisaboncoskyphotography.com/

Who is that behind my back?

Children love stories!

Jack and the Ghost

2011-10-31T10:55:00.001-04:00

Happy Halloween everyone!

Click below to hear my latest podcast episode, "Jack and the Ghost." Also available on iTunes.

Podcast Powered By Podbean

Autumn on the Canal

2011-10-28T13:27:00.000-04:00

Autumn on the Canal

Acrylic on Canvas Stretched over Frame

10" x 8"

Original $125.

This painting depicts the Broad Ripple Canal just west of the Illinois Street Bridge in Indianapolis.

I love my new city!

Hypnos God of Sleep

2011-10-27T10:20:00.000-04:00

Hypnos God of Sleep

Acrylic on Paper Unframed

12" x 9"

Original $125.

Hypnos was the Greek God of sleep. He was often depicted with wings on the side of his face. Although he is said to have dwelt in a cave, here he is under the light of the harvest moon ready to hypnotize you.

As a side note, Hypnos' twin brother was Thanatos, God of Death.
So... sleep=death?
I certainly feel more alive after I sleep, but da Vinci and others loathed sleep.
Ben Franklin wrote, "There will be sleeping enough in the grave."

Purchase the original:

Or buy a reprint through Fine Art America.

"Sleep that knits up the ravelled sleave of care
The death of each day's life, sore labour's bath
Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course,
Chief nourisher in life's feast."

~William Shakespeare, Macbeth

Celebrate the Day of the Dead at the Indianapolis Art Center

2011-10-26T11:00:00.000-04:00

Addie in front of her Altar to honor her grandfather, Lonie Rudd

at the Indianapolis Art Center.

This Saturday, October 29th the Indianapolis Art Center will be hosting a Day of the Dead Celebration. Celebrate the lives of our loved ones by participating in the workshops, hearing music and viewing the altar exhibit. I will be sharing stories at 2:30pm.

New Podcast featuring Monsters and Mayhem

2011-10-25T09:32:00.000-04:00

Are you in the mood to be scared?

This month I am featuring various "scary" stories on my new Fantastic Fables podcast.

Click below to listen:

Episode 2, Hercules and the Strife Monster

The White River from Holliday Park

2011-10-23T17:48:00.001-04:00

The White River from Holliday Park

Acrylic on Canvas Stretched over Frame

10" x 8"

Original $125.

I keep visiting Holliday Park to paint the White River. It is always so amazing how many different colors and moods come from the place at different times of day.

"Beauty is the oracle that speaks to us all." -Luis Barragan

The Ghost that said, "Boo!"

2011-10-21T14:39:00.000-04:00

Yesterday my daughter, Em and I wrote a story about a little ghost. He tries to scare people but can't.

Em wanted to document the story herself. Here is the first paragraph:

"Onse upon a tim ther was a gost. He live in a hauntend tas ad it in a tost. On halwen it sim w not on the dor. The gos wet daw the sars. Te ont the boooooooo."

I do have to wonder why so many of our words are not spelled the way we say them. funny.

The White River in October

2011-10-19T10:16:00.000-04:00

The White River in October

Acrylic on Paper Unframed

11" x 14"

Original $150.

It is a challenge to depict sun shining on water!

The ripples and constantly changing colors are fascinating. We think of water as simply blue- but when you start really looking at it so many other colors come out.

I have been visiting Holliday Park in Indianapolis to paint. It is a beautiful place!

New Fantastic Fables Podcast!

2011-10-17T19:42:00.001-04:00

I have just created my first podcast to share inspirations and stories!

In this first episode I tell the "Faceless Nun" an Indiana ghost story.

http://fantasticfables.podbean.com/

My Daughter's Wonderland

2011-10-17T14:49:00.000-04:00

My five year old daughter, Emmaline, drew this picture.

When I asked her about it she said,

"It is Wonderland where the fairy tales happen and everything comes true."

Indeed. :)

Sun on the White River

2011-10-14T09:49:00.003-04:00

Sun on the White River

Acrylic on Paper Unframed

11" x 14"

Original $150.

Is there anything more beautiful than the sun filtering through the autumn leaves?

These few days when the leaves are at their peak are the best.

I am ready to eat pumpkin pie!

Define "Scary"

2011-10-13T20:14:00.003-04:00

I have been sharing a lot of "scary" stories lately.

Most teachers who book me for a storytelling performance in October say that they want scary stories, but not TOO scary.

One of my favorites is the Belly Button Beastie, a Japanese folktale about a boy who has his belly button stolen by a monster that turns out to be friendly.

When my daughter Emmaline was four I read the story of the Gingerbread Man to her. After the horrible demise of our hero, I asked Em if this story was scary. She rolled her eyes (just like a teenager!) and said, "Mom, he is a cookie."

I want to be sensative... where is the line?

The Sun and the Circle

2011-10-11T16:57:00.000-04:00

The Sun and the Circle

Acrylic on Canvas Stretched over Frame

8" x 10"

Original $125.

How many colors radiate from this sun? Is it an infinate spectrum?

Latte Art

2011-10-09T20:38:00.000-04:00

My college buddy, Kent Kingrey, created these images in cups of latte coffee!
Isn't it amazing?

This is making the ordinary extraordinary. This is Art with a capital A.

Is it Fall yet?

2011-10-06T10:52:00.000-04:00

Autumn Leaves

Oil on Canvas
12" x 16"

Original $175.

I love this time of year when a couple of crisp days shock the trees into gold. It is a challenge to portray trees and I just love the way this painting turned out.

Art vs. Art... is it WRONG?

2011-10-05T22:12:00.000-04:00

My friends went to an Art vs. Art competition last Friday night.

In one of these competitions artists submit paintings that are then voted on by a crowd of people. The winning paintings are bought. The losers are submitted to the "wheel of death" which determines how they will be destroyed. Death by saw was the crowd's favorite.

Is this wrong I ask you?

My gut says yes, this is so counterproductive. Why create something when a mob could have it chopped to bits? (And isn't this saw business in front of a bunch of people dangerous? The mom in me can't help but think this is a bad idea.)

But then... I used to wax philosophical that art is about the process not the product.

Apparently it was a fun event.

Tree Climbing

2011-10-03T11:10:00.000-04:00

Tree Climbing

Acrylic on Paper, Framed

25" x 17"

$750.

This Painting is going to be included in the Day of the Dead Show at the Indianapolis Art Center to honor the life of my Grandfather, Lonie Rudd. I imagined him as a boy in Kentucky surrounded by nature on the farm where he grew up. As an old man he planted many trees.

May the children in your life be surrounded by such beauty!

Can you tame the wolf?

2011-09-30T12:00:00.000-04:00

The Gunniwolf

Acrylic on Paper

11" x 17"

The African-American folktale, the Gunniwolf, is one of my favorite stories. In it a little girl tames a wolf by singing him to sleep.

What song would you use to tame the beast?

You can read more about this story in my new book,
Art Stories, Folktales to Inspire Creativity for Teachers and Art Lovers.

Frankenstein or Piggie? Does your art come to life?

2011-09-29T12:00:00.000-04:00

Pygmalion

9" x 12"

Acrylic on Paper

No, this isn't Frankenstein. This is the sculpture of Pygmalion. He created a woman of such beauty that he fell in love with her.

If you are curious about what happened to this strange couple you can read about it in my book,
Art Stories, Folktales to Inspire Creativity for Teachers and Art Lovers

Have you been creating monsters or things of beauty?

The Festival of Venus

2011-09-27T21:40:00.000-04:00

The Festival of Venus

Oil on Canvas

12" x 16"

Original $275.

September 26th was the ancient Roman holiday of the festival of Venus. This is a time when the summer cycle is at an end and the apples weigh heavy on the trees.

Happy Venus day everyone!

My Book, "Art Stories" is now available on Amazon!

2011-09-26T09:10:00.000-04:00

Big news! My first book, "Art Stories, Folktales to Inspire Creativity for Teachers and Art Lovers," is now available on Amazon.

The inspiration for this book came from my work teaching art for children at the Indianapolis Art Center. Every day I would start the class with a folktale related to creating art.

In this book you will find the story of the Greek Muses, Pygmalion and more. Each story inspires artistic creativity and hits on what it means to be an artist. This book is perfect for reading aloud in art classrooms or alone to awaken your inner muse.

Broad Ripple Canal

2011-09-22T16:00:00.000-04:00

Broad Ripple Canal

Acrylic on Canvas Stretched over Frame

8" x 10"

One of the best things I love about my new neighborhood is the canal. The teal bridge is the college street pedestrian bridge. I love it for its color.

SOLD!

The original painting has sold, but you can purchase a reprint through Fine Art America.

Aphrodite Sowing Seeds

2011-09-21T16:20:00.000-04:00

Aphrodite Sowing Seeds

Acrylic on Canvas Stretched over Frame

24" x 36"

Original $950.

Inspired by all of the flowers that are in bloom in my garden I decided to paint Aphrodite as the creator of all this beauty.
This painting will be in a show during the month of October and available in November.

The Kiss

2011-09-20T13:22:00.000-04:00

The Kiss

6" x 6"

Acrylic on Paper

Are you feeling romantic?

Narcissus

2011-09-19T13:07:00.001-04:00

In Greek mythology, Narcissus was a man who saw his reflection in a pool of water. He fell in love with his own image. Here I have depicted Narcissus as a woman. I enjoyed the challenge of painting a reflected image in water.

Book Recommendation

2011-09-16T11:17:00.000-04:00

I can't recommend this book highly enough!
Doorways to the Soul, 52 Wisdom Tales from Around the World by Elisa Davy Pearmain has been hanging out in my purse for the past month ready to be re-opened at any quiet moment.
In it you will find a wonderful collection of thought provoking stories that hint at morality without being overly didactic.

One good thing about the Super Bowl!

2011-09-14T13:21:00.000-04:00

Indianapolis will be hosting the Super Bowl this year.

One good thing about it (other than the ranch dressing) is that we will soon have 46 NEW MURALS about town!

The Arts Council and the City are commissioning these works from artists. Thank you, Thank you!

To find out more visit:

http://www.artscouncilofindianapolis.org/murals/