At Last! Another Winner!

This year, I was blessed to win the Third Place in the Oils/Acrylics category of the Annual South MS Art Association Juried Art Show. The piece for which I received the ribbon is called "At Last." No, it doesn't mean "At Last, she finally won!!!" It is actually a painting of a young mother and a new baby, who have both finally fallen asleep. I believe most mothers can share the common memory of trying to lull a baby to sleep, so that she can get some much needed sleep, herself. As a mother of four (4), this painting was dear to me, and I'm glad that it placed in this year's show!

A Portrait of My Parents

If you wonder what I've been up to lately, I have been painting and brushing up my skills in my weekly art class with Mrs. Dollye Kirk, a great teacher who has traveled and taught here and overseas. She's, in my opinion, one of the best artists around!

Well, here is one of the paintings I have done, lately- an oil painting of my parents.
I like it, although, I may make a few changes to it. I had another portrait artist to point out a few discrepancies to me this evening, that I hadn't noticed. Thank God for other eyes to help us see what we miss!

Getting Ready for the Show

I turned in my artwork today for the Mobile Street Renaissance Festival Art Show, which will be located at the corner of 6th St./Mobile St., in Hattiesburg, MS. I will be showing four works of art and selling a few prints.

After I turned in my art, I was privileged to meet the son of an Hattiesburg artist, Al Branch. He gave me a nice print of one of his father's 1975 drawings, titled "The Saturday Night Bath," and a brief history of the Mobile St. area. I plan to take good care of the drawing! (in fact, I remember those Saturday night baths...)

One of Those Days

Today was one of those days that make an artist feel, well, like a professional. Of course, we are professionals, but we generally don't claim to be until we get paid for our work or when we have challenges to get it done.

My day started with RAIN. I wasn't expecting it. Of course, I didn't watch the weather channel, so I really didn't know what to expect. Anyhow, it was raining early in the morning. I wanted to make an early start of getting my art together for an Art Show this weekend, but really didn't feel like waking my 2 yr old, dressing her, feeding her, etc. I wasn't feeling the energy. I decided to wait until she awoke and the rain stopped.

I did go to my studio, behind the house, to retrieve the paintings that I needed to have framed, today. Coming back into the house I spyed a truck in front of my home. It looked like a moving-slash-mail truck. I decided to check outside my door to see if they left anything. They did! It was the canvas print that I bought for a "bargain" online. "It's here already?" Unfortunately, the shape of the box wasn't the flat 16x20 rectangle box that I expected. Instead, it was tall and narrow, as if it had something tubular shaped in it. I opened it up- and was disappointed. Now, the picture itself was beautiful; but, I was expecting a "stretched" canvas- not a printed piece of canvas, along with four wooden bars, that I am supposed to put together myself. From now on, I decided, I will be aware of the "bargains." Needless to say, I placed the order again, from a different canvas printing company, checking twice that they would stretch the canvas. Why? Because, the print is to go to a special client. There's no way I'm about to try stretching a printed canvas, myself, risking having a bulky, loose canvas print to present to my client. No way!

After a brief (well, long!) nap, I awoke to a clear sky. Great! I gathered my paintings and my 2 yr. old and begin driving toward the store to get my paintings framed. Unfortunately, by the time I arrived to the store, it was pouring down RAIN! I had nothing to cover my work with, let alone try to carry it AND my baby into the store in the rain. I sat there in the car at the store's parking lot, just looking...

I finally made the decision to drive back home, stopping for lunch (at a drive-thru) along the way. I had to wait until evening to go back and try it again. Fortunately, the rain had stopped, my husband kept the baby, and I didn't have to wait in line to get my paintings framed!

So, I'm expecting a correctly stretched canvas in the mail, soon; and I have my paintings beautifully framed for the upcoming Mobile Street Renaissance Art Show. Yay!

Maybe it wasn't such a bad day, after all.

"In Full Bloom"

I finally finished painting my latest picture, "In Full Bloom" which depicts two fully bloomed roses that I took from a rose bush in my front yard. The size is 11" x 14".This is only my second attempt at painting roses. I would like to have made a much bigger painting, but decided to start small. I intend to make a large floral painting in the near future.

 

Painting Roses

I'm at my second stage of painting a pair of roses. Today I made an underpainting of them. I hope to add color on tomorrow.

Slow Stirring

Wow, it's been almost a month since I've posted anything here. Honestly, I haven't been making much art lately. I've found myself in a slump AND busy doing other things that are mostly someone else's agenda. That may have contributed to my slump.

Then, there's the other problem- my sleep pattern- which may also be contributing to my slump. I have been on a 2 a.m. to 10 a.m. sleep cycle for a long time and I'm having a hard time getting off. It's not causing a lack of sleep. As you can see, I am actually getting 8 hours of sleep. But, they are just the wrong hours. My kids get out of school at 2:15 p.m. Therefore, during the day, I only have about 4 semi-quiet hours. Of course, I have a toddler at home to see about, as well as household duties, so those four hours go by quickly. Once my kids and my husband return home, the busyness and noise do not make an atmosphere for painting.

Ideally, I would like to begin my day at 7 a.m. with exercise, breakfast and prayer/meditation. Then, I would paint/draw before my toddler awoke around 11:00 a.m. (Yeah, she sleeps late, too!). At noon, I would treat myself to lunch. Next, I would run any necessary errands and try to return home around 2:00-2:30 p.m., just in time to get my kids off the bus.  Then, I would feel like an ACCOMPLISHED ARTIST!

 

Well, at this point, this is all easier said than done. For me, disciplining myself to go to bed earlier and  make art daily would be an ART WITHIN ITSELF!

 

"Uninspired" by Phebe Smith, Graphite on Paper

 

Does God Use Artists?



"Church Folks" by Phebe Smith


In the religious sector, there is often a discussion to be heard about how God has powerfully used a prophet, a preacher, an evangelist, a minister or teacher to minister to His people. But did you know that the first person described in the Scripture as “filled with the Spirit of God” is not a prophet, preacher, evangelist, teacher or minister- but an artist?

 

Exodus 31:1-6 says,

“See, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri… and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, in cutting jewels for setting, in carving, and to work in all manner of workmanship. And I, indeed, I, have appointed with him Aholiab the son of Ahisamach… and I put wisdom in the hearts of all the gifted artisans, that they should make all that I have commanded you:…”


Exodus 35:35 – 36:2

“He has filled them (Bezalel and Aholiab) with skill to do all manner of work of the engraver and the designer and the tapestry maker… and of the weaver- those who do every work and those who design artistic works. And Bezalel and Aholiab, and every gifted artisan in whom the Lord has put wisdom and understanding, to know how to do all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, shall do according to all that the Lord has commanded."
Then Moses called Bezalel and Aholiab and every gifted artisan in whose heart the Lord had put wisdom, everyone whose heart was stirred, to come and do the work.

Yes, God does use artists. Will you allow Him to use you?

The Birthday Dinner

OK, so I didn't get the drawing finished that I started for my husband's birthday. Since time AND money were limited, I took another route. I made him a delicious birthday dinner that was simple, yet nice. Baby back ribs (falling off the bone good!), mac n cheese and a fresh green salad. To top it off, I made a Homemade Birthday Cake- Triple Chocolate Fudge with creme cheese and whipped topping frosting, decked with chocolate almond bar, pecans, Snickers, luscious caramel and cherries on top! We had a nice time just relaxing at home. Family, food and peace! Priceless!

Johnnie’s Portrait

Tomorrow is my husband’s birthday and as usual, I really don’t know what to buy. Therefore, I decided to give him a “special” gift- a portrait painting. We’ve been married 15 years and I have attempted to draw and paint  him on several occasions. To be honest, I never have gotten it “right.” So, for me to attempt this on the eve of his Birthday is asking a lot of myself. At this point, I have made a preliminary charcoal drawing on canvas. I took a photo of it so that I can see all my flaws. Seems there are several, especially toward the bottom portion of his face- nostrils, mouth, chin. Back to the drawing board!

A Great Artist, A Great Price

As an artist, when people see your work, they think you're great. When they see your price they think you're a NUT!

Sunset

Sunset in Hattiesburg, MS on Thursday, March 11, 2011

Today, I took a walk just before sunset. Sometimes, you can learn a lot by just taking a walk. I got a small message concerning the sunset. You can read it at http://phebesaidwhat.blogspot.com/2011/03/is-sun-setting-in-your-life.html.

Baby Shoe Makeover

I purchased a pair of walking shoes for my baby girl, but I thought they looked very PLAIN. To spruce them up, I purchased a package of flower shaped buttons at a local craft store and slid them over her shoe strings on the tops of her shoes.
Of course, when she first learned to walk, there were times when she decided she'd rather crawl. When she crawled, the toe portion of her shoes scrubbed the floor and wore the paint off the front. To solve this problem, I stopped by a shoe store and purchased some shoe polish. I dabbed it on her shoes and they looked new again!
Adding buttons or other embellishments (ribbons, beads, etc.) is a good way to spruce up a pair of baby shoes. Shoe polish is useful in keeping shoes looking new and avoiding spending extra money on a new pair, before it's necessary.
Hope this helps! Have fun sprucing up YOUR baby's shoes

I Promise

Recently, I made a painting from one of my old wedding photos. I named it "I Promise." One can make many promises (called vows) during a marriage ceremony. Unfortunately, some forget or "take back" those promises when they feel inconvenienced.
I've learned that it's easy to keep a promise when you love someone. But I've also learned that by keeping a promise, even when you don't "feel" the love, you will plant a sacrificial seed that will spur into a strong love that grows and grows over time.

"I Promise" (Oil on Canvas) by Phebe Smith

I Finished!

At 2:00 a.m., I just finished a MASTERPIECE! Yaaay!

The Artist Reception- Looking Back

Last night, I attended an artist reception at the Hattiesburg Cultural Center, held in honor of four African-American artist- me, Al Branch, George Fairley and Tamara Hinton. It was a new experience for me, but special.I met each artist for the first time, with the exception of Al Branch, who was on vacation. I learned a little about each one: George Fairley is a pastor, and of the same church denomination as I- Church of God in Christ. Tamara (name rhymes with camera) was a very outgoing young lady, who seemed very comfortable conversing with others. I could use a few tips from her! Al does very detailed art work and has time for vacations. Each artist had very nice work on display, including at least one portrait or figurative painting/drawing (my favorite art subject!).I met Anita Price, the president of the Arts Council- seems like a nice lady. We took a  photo together (see above).One thing I learned is that an artist reception is a social event- you must be prepared to socialize. It's not like Facebook, where you can reply with a quick initialized response, such as LOL! No, you have to laugh, for real. And you can't just click "like." You have to use a full sentence to say what you like and why you like it. Personally, I was a little tense. But the nice people I met made talking a little easier. Of course, there were those awkward moments, when I decided to be bold and step out to "meet new people." Well, some of those "new people" seemed to look at me, as if to say, "Who are you? And what do you want?!" Embarrassing is all I can say.

But, overall, the artist reception was lovely and I look forward to attending another one- in MY honor, of course!

An Artist Reception- Looking Forward

I am looking forward to my first honorary artist reception, to be held tomorrow. I and three other African-American artists will be featured at the Hattiesburg Cultural Center in downtown Hattiesburg, MS. I think it's going to be a treat! The other featured artists at the reception will be Tamara Hinton, Al Branch and George Fairley.
When I took my paintings to the gallery where our work will be displayed, I caught a "glance" of the other artist's work. However, I made it a point not to really look at them. Why? Because, like everyone else who will be attending, I want something to look forward to. Looking at their works before the reception would be equivalent to looking at a movie and then inviting my friends over to look at it with me, again. They would be excited- I wouldn't.
Therefore, tomorrow, I LOOK FORWARD. And I imagine that the other featured artists do, as well.

Being Mama’s (Artist) Child

Today, I visited my 75 year old mother, out of town. I took along an invitation that was created by the local Arts Council, announcing an upcoming Art Exhibit. I will be one of the exhibiting artists. A picture of two of my paintings are on the front of the invitation and my name is on the back, along with three other artists. I wanted Mama  to see the card, so she could be proud of me. However, when I handed her the invitation, she took and looked at it, with a question on her face (I had to explain what it was about). She, then quietly laid the card down, looked at my brother and proceeded with their conversation about a TV program!!!
Does that mean Mama doesn't care? No, I doubt it. You see, I've known her for almost 40 years, now. This is the woman who threw my art kit away when I was a child, in an effort to "clean up." She also interrupted many of my piano practices, to remind me to "come clean up!"
You see, Mama, is just a part of a population of many who are just "not into art." But, in my heart, I believe she values ME. She was the one who OK'd my study of art in college, after I came to the conclusion that I was chasing the wrong dream (yeah, MARKETING is NOT my dream.) She still has many of the hand-made gifts I've given her over the years; and, since she hasn't "cleaned up" and thrown them out, I think it's safe to say she treasures them.
Last year, Mama confided with me that, when I was a child, she assumed that I was a little "slow." But, since I have grown up, she understands that I was just "different" from my 10 siblings, because of my gifting as an ARTIST. And, she also added that she now thinks I show a lot of wisdom- beyond others. Thanks, Mom!
I realize, that unlike the parents of doctors, teachers, lawyers, etc., my mother may never exclaim to her peers, "My daughter is an Artist!" (And she probably won't show up at my exhibit) That's o.k. I can live with it. I'm just happy being Mama's child... Now, let me get off this computer and GO CLEAN UP!!!

First Kiss

As Valentine Day approaches, I am reminded of a painting I once made, called "First Kiss." I started with a blank canvas and then tinted it with a wash of brown (sienna) paint. After I tinted the canvas, I thought I saw what appeared to be faint figures of people on my canvas. Since I didn't know what to paint, I decided, why not paint what I think I see. I began to paint and "pull out" two figures from my painting, finally deciding that they appeared to be about to share a kiss. Strangely, my figures looked a little young (and somewhat reminded me of myself and my first boyfriend- who I never kissed by the way!), so I decided to name the painting "First Kiss."

A first kiss is one of those moments in life we may never forget, and the most meaningful ones, I guess, are sometimes those which happen, unplanned- like my painting.

A Hand to Hold, A Hand to Mold

A great way to celebrate your love is to create a hand sculpture with the one you love. My husband and I used a Precious Impressions Memory Keepsake Kit to produce this beautiful keepsake. It makes a great testimony of our love, that can last much longer than roses or chocolates.
Another great idea would be to create a mold of your child's hand or feet. And guys, here's a great proposal idea- create a mold of your hand in the "giving" position. When the mold is ready, set it up and place a ring in the palm of the hand. Present the hand to your special someone.
Or ladies, you could make a mold of your hand, while holding something shaped like a heart. When the mold is ready, use a permanent marker or paint pen to write a message of love on the heart, to your significant other.
If you can think of other creative ways to use the molding kit, feel free to leave a comment.
Note: The Mold Kit comes with easy to follow instructions.

A Wooden Heart Gift

Last year, I purchased a heart shaped piece of wood from a local craft store and wood burned a "love message" in it. I gave it to my husband as an anniversary gift. For some of you creatives out there, this may be a good idea for a Valentines Day gift!

For other great Valentine gift ideas, see  my "Gift Ideas for Him on Valentines Day" article.

A Will to Draw

I have decided to practice and improve my drawing skills. I decided to try and draw Will Smith. It was tough, but I enjoyed the process. Didn't quite get the eyes right, but that's o.k. I now know where my weakness is and that's what I will work on.