tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69589963189249631342024-03-05T04:18:59.940-07:00Painting PartnersMAGGIE PRICE & BILL CANRIGHT • SHARING ART • WORK • TRAVEL • LIFEMaggie and Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04270104903665193426noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958996318924963134.post-61871819197719580322013-11-07T12:48:00.000-07:002015-07-22T15:21:28.731-06:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Note from Bill Canright. You can see that I have not changed this partner blog to reflect Maggie's passing. It is not my intention to be misleading but rather to encourage you to pursue the entire blog as most of it was written by Maggie. You will be glad to know that we have partially updated her gallery pages to include many new works, eliminate sold pieces, and add prices and an easy way to purchase paintings by my email.</span>Maggie and Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04270104903665193426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958996318924963134.post-56238539349566711142013-11-07T11:26:00.000-07:002013-11-07T11:59:46.857-07:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many have asked me how Maggie managed to accomplish so much...here is part of the answer. For the last ten or more years, this inspirational philosophy was printed in large type and posted where Maggie would see it every day:</span><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">"...Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never have otherwise occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favour all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way. I have learned a deep respect for one of Goethe's couplets:</span></i><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">'Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it.</span></i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.'"</span></i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">–W.H Murray </span></i></div>
Maggie and Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04270104903665193426noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958996318924963134.post-5619579334647903302013-09-03T16:41:00.000-06:002013-09-03T16:41:15.216-06:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"Death is nothing at all"</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Saturday, August 31, a group of around 50 friends gathered for a "closing" party. It was the last day for the <i>Best of Maggie Price</i>, a gallery exhibition showing sixty of her pastels and oils. At noon we raised our glasses to Maggie--a fine artist, loyal friend, mentor, mother, sister and loved and loving wife. Before proposing the toast the following poem by Henry Scott Holland was read:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Death is nothing at all.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have only slipped away to the next room.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am I and you are you.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whatever we were to each other,</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That, we still are.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Call me by my old familiar name.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speak to me in the easy way</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">which you always used.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Put no difference in your tone.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wear no air of solemnity or sorrow.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Laugh as we always laughed</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">at the little jokes we enjoyed together.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Play, smile, think of me. Pray for me.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let my name be the household word</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">that it always was.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let it be spoken without effect.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Without the trace of a shadow on it.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Life means all that it ever meant.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is the same that it ever was.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is absolute unbroken continuity.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why should I be out of mind</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">because I am out of sight?</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am but waiting for you.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For an interval.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Somewhere. Very near.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just around the corner.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All is well.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't be surprised if this brought tears to your eyes. It certainly did for me, but they are much closer to tears of joy than any I have shed since her passing. I have been fortunate in receiving numerous messages from Maggie since she left and they were all upbeat, one liners, like "laugh a lot" saying essentially everything in the poem. These thoughts--no, these facts--have taken me from wishing I was dead to getting on with life and looking forward to a joyful reunion with the one whose ring I will wear until I slip away to that next room.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This poem is something everyone who has lost or will lose a dear one should keep and remember.</span>Maggie and Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04270104903665193426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958996318924963134.post-36084395247329513422013-07-23T20:17:00.000-06:002015-07-22T15:22:12.328-06:00<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Don't miss the boat</span></b><br />
<br />
I realize that Painting Partners hasn't been doing much painting lately. One partner, Maggie Price has passed on and the other, Bill Canright has been too busy with the incredible number of things a surviving spouse has to deal with and feeling too much grief to be in the mood to paint.<br />
However there is so much you may have missed, if like me, you were unaware of the way this type of blog works. I didn't know until recently that this blog has dozens of entries going back to 2009. Just click on the blue "more blogs" at the end of this batch.<br />
<br />
Her daughter, Amy has taken up pastel painting and may soon be adding her beginner's insights to this partnership.<br />
<br />
<br />Maggie and Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04270104903665193426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958996318924963134.post-33766320086758256472013-06-18T16:37:00.002-06:002015-07-22T15:23:03.709-06:00<h2>
An explanation to our readers</h2>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Her daughter and I, her husband, have promised to keep Maggie's web site active, and we definitely will do so. The demands and emotional overload caused by her death have kept us from accomplishing much. Parts of the site are things only Maggie could do, but we will be presenting a lot of interesting material from her files in the workshop reviews and greatly expanding her gallery pages with options to purchase. I have found great difficulty contemplating painting things that I will not be able to show to her and get her suggestions. But I WILL get back to painting and will follow her lead in discussing particular works in the Painting Partners. The graphics will change, but the title will not, as my painting is and always will be partly the result of a partnership that continues in a quiet way.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Bill Canright, PSA, IAPS/MC, PSNM</span></b></span>Maggie and Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04270104903665193426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958996318924963134.post-13983876520339166462013-06-18T16:03:00.000-06:002015-07-22T15:24:02.437-06:00<h2>
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Maggie and Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04270104903665193426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958996318924963134.post-20753732857769868572013-04-27T09:49:00.000-06:002013-04-27T09:49:16.281-06:00<br />
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<h2>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Nice things are happening</span></h2>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I am happy to report that a number of very nice things are developing to honor and remember Maggie. The International Association of Pastel Societies has founded a perpetual award, the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>Maggie Price Award of Excellence.</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Donations are pouring in. You can learn more about it on www.pastelinternational.com. The Pastel Journal will run a feature in the next issue. It is also covered in Plein Air’s web site. The Pastel Society of America sent an excellent announcement to their entire membership. PSA used a photo by Brenda Matson which I will add with this blog.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">And last but not least, I am working with the New Mexico Art League to hang a 50+ show, “The Best of Maggie Price.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I am also happy to report that the bitterness, anger and questioning...why? why? that my earlier posting reflected, has gone away. Mostly. Now it’s just the constant ache of missing her. I cannot answer the question why she died when she was living such a useful life. I leave the question to the will of God, with faith. However this is not blind faith for there is certainly Divine Wisdom underlying the event. Some refer to her death as a loss, as it certainly is. But the loss is temporary and she is not LOST to me. The love bond that brought us together, and kept us together is still very real and will take us together again.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">By the completion of the show and IAPS convention in mid June I expect to have this site updated throughout and will be adding many new paintings to her galleries. We made very little effort to market our work because we were very busy with workshops, travel, writing and business details. As a result there is a large collection of her recent work still available. Final assembly on this site will be done as soon as the show is over in mid June. Direct purchases will be possible on the site.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF0RJVxmd3IFlgX1ISm-XhaK0FotQu-kcbxhvjeszzIJcF09S0kk8i2vo1NtQOc_AsIvMxR8ztH8FwlviGSmPwTRkIGRjGf8n3TCYgB8_TgbSKfdiRnQ9JM58WUjN6NJUopnG6WSyaViE/s1600/PSA+Maggie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF0RJVxmd3IFlgX1ISm-XhaK0FotQu-kcbxhvjeszzIJcF09S0kk8i2vo1NtQOc_AsIvMxR8ztH8FwlviGSmPwTRkIGRjGf8n3TCYgB8_TgbSKfdiRnQ9JM58WUjN6NJUopnG6WSyaViE/s320/PSA+Maggie.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>
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Maggie and Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04270104903665193426noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958996318924963134.post-32511172410941944562013-04-06T11:28:00.001-06:002015-07-22T15:25:26.392-06:00A tragic and senseless lossMaggie lost her battle with cancer early Thursday, April 4. After her weakened condition and the "chemo brain" it was impossible for her to continue the blog. To say that I am devastated is a huge understatement. She was my world and I would have gladly left at the same time. Obviously we don't get to choose when we go. If we did, she would still be here. Her desire was to continue sharing things of beauty and showing others how to do the same. I intend to do what I can to continue her work. Her web site will continue with its current offerings and will be updated with gems from her extensive writing. <br />
Maggie's husband, Bill CanrightMaggie and Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04270104903665193426noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958996318924963134.post-20479089436638850322013-03-04T21:09:00.001-07:002013-03-04T21:09:45.140-07:00Why We PaintPosted by Maggie<br />
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Why we paint<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Yesterday I was interviewed on film by Barbara Lohbeck,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the director of Masterworks New Mexico.
I will be judging the standard division artwork, which is juried
into the exhibition by three jurors. Each must be a member of a society, the
Pastel Society of New Mexico, the New Mexico Watercolor Society, or the Rio
Grande Art Association. (For those who can visit, the show is open April 5-27,
Tuesday-Sunday 10-5 weekly. Information about the reception will be at
www.masterworksnm.org).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">One of the questions Barbara asked is why I might choose to
paint a certain subject. I woke thinking about it in the middle of the
night. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I have long wondered about why the first painters painted.
We have all seen reproductions of the cave paintings in France. The
easy answer is, it was informational.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">But below that, I think, is self awareness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The painter looked at his or her hand and used its mark to
indicate his relationship to the world at that moment in time. Continuing
further, he added in his relationship with the deer, which referenced its
relationship with him and both places in the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">In the end, isn't that all we paint?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The subject of this painting, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Morning, Heading North</i>, is in an area north of Albuquerque just a
few miles north of where Georgia O'Keeffe lived. It's about two hours
from home, so it is a frequent first stop anytime we're heading north. We've
painted plein air many times and I've taken thousands of photos.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">But what this is about is a moment in time when I was
there. This is how I saw it. This is how it felt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Why do you paint?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Maggie and Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04270104903665193426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958996318924963134.post-76632708030563922652013-02-25T18:53:00.000-07:002013-02-25T18:53:00.574-07:00Two Blog Night<i>Posted by Maggie</i><br />
<br />
The blog here and the next were finished at the same time, so I'm posting them together.<br />
<br />
<b>PAINTING THE ORDINARY</b><br />
<br />
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<br />
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Staying at home so much, which is a pleasure, has still not
been the same as when I stayed at home in the winter in previous years. I have
spent more time sitting in one place rather than moving from spot to spot at
high speed. So I’ve noticed lots of “ordinary things” which have inspired
still-life work,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>since I cannot
get out yet for plein air painting. It’s back down in the 40s and 50s but in a
few weeks we should have 60s.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I painted this wall red in my living room so the paintings
on it would look good. When I open the blinds to see the mountain, though, I pay
more attention to outside than inside. The moment of this shadow is fleeting,
and I did use a photo reminder, butthe many times I’ve noticed it were
significant.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuzPYIJukEeaoAK3kFNJfIa_mWz93ynAKDMCid_Kf0WdtG1Y6FvLSYveOGLzQof7Wrdvn7veTODsoLtTH398YVyMVM4qRNyTTPp6K3eUtx_70qX7BUPvELTPcKRF1WrZN5UOJFLOV_fMI/s1600/painting-wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuzPYIJukEeaoAK3kFNJfIa_mWz93ynAKDMCid_Kf0WdtG1Y6FvLSYveOGLzQof7Wrdvn7veTODsoLtTH398YVyMVM4qRNyTTPp6K3eUtx_70qX7BUPvELTPcKRF1WrZN5UOJFLOV_fMI/s320/painting-wall.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Paintings on the wall: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> of Prickly Pear and Shadow, 16x20, Traffic Jam, 28x40, The Boulders, 16x20, </i>all ©2012 Maggie Price.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the winter – January and February – when the sun is in a
certain northern position, I have noticed and loved how it threw the plant
shadow on the red wall in the very early morning. Finally I realized it was
time to paint it. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj8jjsU-pCFbyqPFOKU_V8UGqtHjnoUdwqPhgJDbgbsavt3sZTo9jAkDATUWsLYTvke1pvgJVrnaONr6pWk3LDetwEI7QfrrSYlHAkj3k6nBtJKmykmk22YSA2qoQh6jks3CO5BkPLY2s/s1600/red-wall-fin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj8jjsU-pCFbyqPFOKU_V8UGqtHjnoUdwqPhgJDbgbsavt3sZTo9jAkDATUWsLYTvke1pvgJVrnaONr6pWk3LDetwEI7QfrrSYlHAkj3k6nBtJKmykmk22YSA2qoQh6jks3CO5BkPLY2s/s400/red-wall-fin.jpg" width="296" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Shadow as subject” is something I’ve thought a lot about,
and wrote about in my second book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Painting
Sunlight & Shadow with Pastel</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>People often think of a shadow as a minor element or subordinate to the
painting, but it is more important than that. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of my very favorite lines from the book: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Sunlight and shadow are forever paired, the
yin and yang of describing form.” </i>One cannot exist without the other<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Red Wall, 6x8, oil, ©
Maggie Price 2013<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">$200</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
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Maggie and Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04270104903665193426noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958996318924963134.post-53613218514933657402013-02-25T18:40:00.002-07:002013-02-25T18:55:50.826-07:00Keeping Up<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Posted by Maggie</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Something I keep hearing both in relation to cancer (which
I’m tired of writing about, and plan to minimize now that I’m getting well) also
relates to art, and that’s attitude.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As you may know if you’ve followed my blog, when I was first
diagnosed, after the initial shock, my determination was to beat this thing. I
decided to hit on all fronts: radiation, chemo, steroids, and the drugs the
doctors recommended. On my side, diet, acupuncture, and attitude. In the end, I
am not certain but what attitude is the most important.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Years ago, as part of my t’ai chi study, I read a book by
Dan Millman, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Way of the Peaceful Warrior</i>,
which has to do in part with developing and improving physical ability through
visualization. There was a story he told about coaching students to visualize
successfully completing an exercise. One young woman had trouble with the
balance beam so he told her to visualize crossing it. When she made funny
noises he asked what was happening. “I keep falling off,” she said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Too many times, I hear “I can’t do that. I can’t draw. I
can’t get it right. “</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you say things like that, however you believe or
understand the universal life force/God/higher power, you’re putting those
words out there. Listener, who doubtless has a lot of other things to do, hears
repeatedly, “I can’t draw,” and gives what you’re asking for. Wouldn’t it be
better to have what you ask for and get be, “I’m improving my drawing every
day.”</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t visualize falling off your
painting.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv75R57eMbQ3uugHAKt21QcISLP17ew557W6GTatPkSSphVJ2thmTdwAlI_4kLFsZG4eeryAS0v_xZoozAxY55kI4Q5Yv-68TZBy6EUacvHLbNhgr6MynANOxZHRC7lGkiIWpyAJTyb80/s1600/incoming_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv75R57eMbQ3uugHAKt21QcISLP17ew557W6GTatPkSSphVJ2thmTdwAlI_4kLFsZG4eeryAS0v_xZoozAxY55kI4Q5Yv-68TZBy6EUacvHLbNhgr6MynANOxZHRC7lGkiIWpyAJTyb80/s320/incoming_web.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just so every blog has a painting, here is one I like because it illustrates the choice: when the wave
comes in or goes out, what will you do?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Incoming, </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>4x6 oil, © Maggie Price 2013, $180. </div>
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Maggie and Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04270104903665193426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958996318924963134.post-22648421807607435492013-02-17T15:28:00.002-07:002013-02-17T15:28:55.596-07:00Too Many Ravens<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Posted by Maggie</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .35in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV5HWmByqQP18nMGfjtNGkh84c6gNL5OYsqLuoQuaC8E_0h9WaxX-Q1xK59CWQp0FkNWoJnSRUx9MjQMjEduYcwQtoQ4wx4qwLyvcka5d4vXR4Ckm2UOFCUQzfGfmtTIOk2y2RowhcPus/s1600/raven-winter-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV5HWmByqQP18nMGfjtNGkh84c6gNL5OYsqLuoQuaC8E_0h9WaxX-Q1xK59CWQp0FkNWoJnSRUx9MjQMjEduYcwQtoQ4wx4qwLyvcka5d4vXR4Ckm2UOFCUQzfGfmtTIOk2y2RowhcPus/s320/raven-winter-sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Raven Winter, 6x6, oil on prepared board, ©Maggie Price</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .35in;">
It has been a
season of too many ravens, but I have tried not to take it personally.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .35in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .35in;">
Yes, I know in
many cultures, they are a symbol of death. I have ignored this, as I have long
ignored facing mortality, until it sidled by with a black-winged, knowing
glance. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .35in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="text">
But where I live, Raven is also the Trickster. He changes the
world, and people, through deceit and trickery. You can’t trust him.</div>
<div class="text">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .35in;">
I could be
disturbed by the cacophony outside the window. But I think perhaps Raven and
his friends are laughing at me, thinking they’ve got me worried and on the run,
when there’s really no need for fear at all. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I paint him, perhaps I will understand his tricks.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .35in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .35in;">
Already as it’s
warming the ravens are departing. Soon we’ll see the sharp-nosed roadrunner
with his keen eye and fast feet, and the happy summer birds are already here—
giggling finches with their giddy summer warble, and bobble topped quail
sitting on the posts calling each other. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .35in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .35in;">
<b><i>Who worries about ravens when you can have songbirds?</i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .35in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .35in;">
If you are interested in purchasing this painting, the shipping is free within the US (excluding Alaska and Hawaii). For foreign orders please contact me for shipping information. DO NOT order from outside the US without checking shipping, or your order will be canceled. Shipping may be delayed if paint is wet; I will let you know by email.<br />
Thanks.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .35in;">
<br /></div>
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Maggie and Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04270104903665193426noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958996318924963134.post-85992019038690226262013-02-14T20:15:00.007-07:002013-02-14T20:16:22.306-07:00Bill's Valentine<b>Valentine’s Day, 2013</b><br />
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<i>Posted by Bill</i><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">It is by no means a normal Valentine’s Day. Like most husbands, I try to find creative ideas to celebrate, but this year is tough. No jewelry, she doesn’t want it. No flowers, there have been too many. No candy, she doesn’t eat sugar.</span><br />
<br />
Our lives since the discovery of Maggie’s brain cancer on December 21 have been chaotic, to say the least. But now with more positive medical news—watching her walking again with more mobility and indomitable spirit, things are looking good. Good enough that I can relax a little. Her spirit was shown by the first blog on this subject which was written at the lowest or almost lowest point in this trial. Written in the middle of the night when she could have simply despaired.<br />
<br />
Our experience with reputable hospitals was mostly bad in spite of the best efforts of seriously overworked staffs. At the first hospital where we spent several days while they tried to figure out the next step, I heard one nurse tell another that he wished he could be cloned so that he could catch up with the demands put on him. We spent several days before and after Christmas there and that meant many things were closed, unavailable, understaffed etc. We then spent day and a half at another hospital where a neurosurgeon was available, but it was also understaffed and seriously overcrowded.Then on to brain surgery for the biopsy and three days in in the intensive care unit which became overcrowded but was well-staffed.<br />
<br />
My point mentioning all of the above is that I had to be with her all of the time, because she was not getting adequate attention from hospital staff. Not that I would have left anyway. The result was that by the time we got home after nine days in hospitals I was fine physically, but my mind was suffering from too much lost sleep. My memory was about gone and my attention span was very short. However, it was all about Maggie and I was glad that I was spending as much time as I could with her while it was still possible. It seemed like a privilege. All I cared about was her survival and recovery. I would do whatever needed to be done and spend whatever needed to be spent without hesitation. Anyone involved that didn’t have the same attitude was irrelevant along with any problems they might have.<br />
<br />
I found the possibility of going on without her totally unacceptable. The only way I could handle it was to say to myself, “Fine. if she goes, I’ll be right behind her.” That possibility presented a bleak and pointless life of sadness. To do another painting that I couldn’t show to her would be like a stab in the heart.<br />
<br />
I have to admit that I have never felt so totally unqualified and incompetent as I did being a caregiver and nursemaid. I also had never in my life gone through a period when there was no light at the end of the tunnel. Whether recovering from an operation, getting through special forces training, or a nasty divorce, there was always the assurance that it would end and things would get better. It didn’t seem that way during the first month of our trial. <br />
<br />
So what to do for Valentine’s? Celebrate the wonderful progress she’s made, talk about all the places we’ve been and things we’ve done, and how wonderful our lives have been together, and how much more there is to come.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc3tBuqHfs5wdqpfqg9PSexoEIOqkwED7N2dx3SX5k_RHvgG6yfuwmvguAPXSQ04U6sZZoq93gEj5tq-AQVUW2jm5P3vKXYeaOLGKtZmj8t4f1WysItlrEIRSzJcnpzmudiVj9t2LvTaQ/s1600/Fond+memories.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc3tBuqHfs5wdqpfqg9PSexoEIOqkwED7N2dx3SX5k_RHvgG6yfuwmvguAPXSQ04U6sZZoq93gEj5tq-AQVUW2jm5P3vKXYeaOLGKtZmj8t4f1WysItlrEIRSzJcnpzmudiVj9t2LvTaQ/s320/Fond+memories.jpg" width="320" /></a>The painting, <i>Fond Memories</i>, 11x14, $550, is one of many happy memories from a trip to Scotland. When we go to teach a workshop, we go early to get over jet lag and paint enough to reaquaint ourselves with the local scenery, which very unlike New Mexico. For one thing, it rains. This painting is across Loch Ewe from Gairloch on the northwestern coast of Scotland. We stayed in a quaint hotel—they are all quaint in Scotland—and the next morning, woke to gale force winds pounding the enormous glass windows looking out from the breakfast room. It was spectacular. After a bit, two clearly local fishermen came in for breakfast. They didn’t seem to be used to the place, and we wondered if they had been forced in by the weather. They looked at the menu, rejected the porridge, the full Scottish breakfast (eggs, bacon, sausages, mushrooms, haggis, grilled tomatoes, toasts, marmalade) and ordered kippers. We had never tried those, though we both usually like to try something new frequently when in a foreign country. It turned out to be a good thing. They were enormous spiny fish, smoked, pungently awful. We finished breakfast quickly and went out to more pleasant memories!<br />
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<br />Maggie and Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04270104903665193426noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958996318924963134.post-63390722541879360692013-02-09T16:59:00.002-07:002013-02-14T16:00:32.276-07:00Eight Weeks<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<i>Posted by Maggie </i></div>
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Much longer than I expected it would be, before I could
truly paint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But then, there never
were any accurate expectations. I didn’t expect to be told I had cancer. I did
not expect to wake up and have no use of my left side for weeks. And
apparently, at least one of my doctors did not expect that to change. But it
did. I’m walking, and able to sit at the easel to paint.</div>
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I cannot hold pastels very well because the steroids I take
(in addition to giving me a pumpkin face) make my hands shake. But for some
reason, holding a brush is easier, so I’m working in oils for a while.</div>
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Personal style as an artist is something people often worry
about when they begin to paint. Students have often asked me how to develop it.
The answer is, it will just happen. And it will evolve, and change, as you grow
as an artist, and if you observe it over many years you may see that while it
changes, it is always you, and always unique.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZpI_W5-ezB-HPyw9_qHE_Hw8x4DrnzThf436kcGaRGh16MTQJpcEvqOdVLh_m0NwagMpfKsSqIxHsfMstoFZAn-siPOPHogZTH8p-ieaC8cCvxXuUnCUAAxXA3RW-QgixE4HgXcftGls/s1600/hope-web-size.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZpI_W5-ezB-HPyw9_qHE_Hw8x4DrnzThf436kcGaRGh16MTQJpcEvqOdVLh_m0NwagMpfKsSqIxHsfMstoFZAn-siPOPHogZTH8p-ieaC8cCvxXuUnCUAAxXA3RW-QgixE4HgXcftGls/s320/hope-web-size.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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So, I was not surprised to see a change in my style. It is
looser and less defined than most of my work. But I like it, and it is what is
true today, though it likely will change over the next few months. This is the view looking northeast from our house towards Santa Fe, at sunrise. </div>
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<i>Hope</i>, 6x8, oil on panel, ©Maggie Price<br />
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<i>(For those who saw this post previously, the painting was listed on eBay. For some reason they removed it. As it turned out, I had felt uneasy using that service anyway, so I am not replacing it. If you were interested in purchasing, please leave a comment or send me a message on Facebook if you are a friend.)</i></div>
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I called the painting <i>Hope</i>, because I always find every
sunrise, every morning, a hopeful and wonderful thing. I hope yours will be as
well. </div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Maggie and Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04270104903665193426noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958996318924963134.post-80607839141073212722013-02-06T05:53:00.000-07:002013-02-06T05:53:14.181-07:00You are what you eat<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Posted by Maggie</i></span><br />
<br />
I mentioned that one aspect of what I'm doing to fight the cancer is diet. For those who are interested, I'm following a diet called the ketogenic cancer diet.<br />
<br />
I've always been a believer in paying attention to what you eat. "Garbage in, garbage out," doesn't just apply to data. It makes sense that if you put junk food in your body, your health will not be as optimal as if you don't.<br />
<br />
In the early '70s I was a strict vegetarian. My daughter's hyperactivity was controlled better by removing meat, sugar and preservatives from our diet than any drug that could be given her. We remained on that diet for many years, and while we did not consume refined sugar, we did use honey and lots of fruit. We also ate dairy products, and eggs. Looking back, if I had it to do again, I'd cut back on those.<br />
<br />
As time passed, the children in the house grew up and made their own choices, which included adding meat back into their diets. I eventually began eating fish and chicken but never touched red meat again.<br />
<br />
For years I was misdiagnosed with regard to stomach problems, until just a few years ago when I found I had celiac disease (inability to tolerate any form of wheat or gluten) and an intolerance to dairy products, particularly casein. I've gotten that under control, and while it's not an easy diet to maintain, it<br />
is worth it to feel healthy.<br />
<br />
Then came the cancer. One thing I read was that people who have had long-untreated celiac disease have a higher probability of developing certain cancers. It is frustrating to think I could have missed this, with a proper diagnosis earlier, but that's water under the bridge now.<br />
<br />
My current diet eliminates all grains, not just wheat. The theory of the diet is that cancer cells feed only on sugar and carbohydrates. If those are not present in the body, the cells have no food and begin to die. In one of the many studies done on this diet, a patient had significant (80%) tumor reduction size in 6 weeks. Of course, if you go off the diet, you feed the cells and it can grow right back, so there has to be other treatment, such as radiation and chemo.<br />
<br />
I started the diet on January 2. I did not start radiation and chemo until January 23. On January 25 I felt my toes and was able to move them. My radiologist doctor was amazed, but did not expect much further. He certainly did not expect to see me walk, which he saw yesterday. (Okay, just a few feet, and with the walker, but hey, I am getting around!) I doubt he spent 20 minutes studying diet in medical school, so I did not expect him to agree with my thought that it's the diet that's begun the shrinking of the tumor. But I believe it's true.<br />
<br />
So what do I eat? My main goal each day is to consume zero sugar and zero carbs. The diet allows a few, but I find a goal of zero keeps me on track. I eat eggs, avocados, good fats --tumors can't feed on fat--chicken, fish, and unstarchy green vegetables. Nut and seed flours replace grains, and I use a minimal amount of them. Sound boring? It is not. Everything is freshly prepared, as no mixes or pre-prepared foods are trustworthy. Flavors are great, I eat small amounts every 2-3 hours and am rarely hungry. So far I have lost only about 10 lbs. and most of that was in the hospital. Not losing weight at this stage is critical as I have no reserves. It's kind of nice having people tell me to eat!<br />
<br />
Some months ago, my daughter Amy, who also cannot eat wheat, gluten, or dairy, and I began working on a web site that will offer a variety of allergy-free diet plans and lots of recipes. Her diet and mine were similar when we began this, and her two daughters have the same intolerances we have plus others. We've had fun testing new recipes and making improvements during the two weeks she's been visiting to help me transition into my treatment.<br />
<br />
We planned to launch the site this winter. Now we've delayed it to build a section for recipes for the cancer diet. We plan to take the site live within a couple months. I'll post a link when it goes up, for those of you who might be interested.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, on the art front, we set up a new painting space for me yesterday. I have too many doctor appointments today, but tomorrow I hope to paint and then post a blog with my setup and painting to share with you.Maggie and Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04270104903665193426noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958996318924963134.post-21813175174319627942013-01-30T10:09:00.000-07:002013-01-30T10:09:26.795-07:00Great News!<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Posted by Maggie</span></i><br />
<br />
Yesterday was a day of low and high. It was the last day of construction--the bathroom was done, but the hall and bedroom floors had the carpet removed since I could not walk on it, and new wood floor. I am so glad to have construction workers out of the house. Of course, in typical fashion, they did not finish on time, and I had to leave for radiation without a shower, which distressed me. One of the side effects of radiation, steroids and anti-seizure medication (and probably the chemo as well) is that I get distressed more easily, and it's hard to return to an even keel. So I went off to radiation in a funk.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIOJ4TF3utAVmUpsRkq9V-EOL1VsyZH8yV1gmnENN6dJde1Nz0u3c8tu8A47n8bWXZfOuUpBKwh3VFWhEBESC2aH8PhzLAYB21w4LePA3ElcRUDSRzPWpkzccIAwg0ot9oToeIlbRwzyI/s1600/mask-radiation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIOJ4TF3utAVmUpsRkq9V-EOL1VsyZH8yV1gmnENN6dJde1Nz0u3c8tu8A47n8bWXZfOuUpBKwh3VFWhEBESC2aH8PhzLAYB21w4LePA3ElcRUDSRzPWpkzccIAwg0ot9oToeIlbRwzyI/s200/mask-radiation.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Radiation is not exactly painful, though it gives me a headache and makes me tired, and burns my scalp. The worst is the mask which bolts my head to the table. It's a good thing it doesn't take a long time. There are tiny breathing holes but the thing is not what you might call comfortable! This is not a very flattering photo but it's reality--I've given up all thoughts of vanity now, though I do hate my swollen face which is a result of steroids and will apparently be months like this. And yes, I'm losing my hair. Oh well it will come back. Meanwhile I'm going a bit strawberry blonde, which is what I was when I was young.<br />
<br />
Anyway, this is how they immobilize my head. The red lines show how the radiation goes. I get 8-12 zaps of varying length, most 6,000,000 volts or more. Five days a week for 8-10 weeks, and chemo every day by pill at home. I'm grateful the chemo is not intravenous! I have terrible veins and it's always an issue to find anything usable.<br />
<br />
So after I had radiation I had a doctor appt. This was the beginning of the good part of the day. The doctor is scheduling me for physical therapy now, which should help me learn walking again. But he also said I could take off the CFP brace from my left leg, and that was a huge change. It made it much easier to control and direct my foot which is now speaking to me most of the time. So much difference that I have been able to get around better in the house. Of course, having the carpet gone at the same time also helped.<br />
<br />
For the first time in over a month, yesterday I was able to sleep in my own bed, and had the best night's sleep so far. It's made an enormous difference in my morning! I am so happy to be more mobile and rested.<br />
<br />
My wonderful daughter is here now, helping take care of me. For the last 4 weeks I've had sisters here, one after another, and they have been fantastic. I am hoping by the time my daughter leaves I will be much more functional, but I will hate for her to go. She is seriously spoiling me (of course Bill has done that forever!).<br />
<br />
Today we're getting a painting stool for me to use in the kitchen and at the easel. Not sure if I'll actually get to paint today or not but it's getting closer. Still fighting the hand shaking but I'm going to paint soon! Will post results whether good or not.<br />
<br />
As always thanks for all the emails, support, positive thoughts and prayers. You are all the best!<br />
<br />
Maggie<br />
<br />
<br />Maggie and Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04270104903665193426noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958996318924963134.post-66677621890889435682013-01-21T21:59:00.000-07:002013-01-21T21:59:02.387-07:00Roller Coaster Ride<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Posted by Maggie</i></span><br />
<br />
I don't like roller coasters. In fact I have never liked any carnival ride more extreme than a Ferris Wheel, and I wasn't always sure about that.<br />
<br />
Life has been a roller coaster ride for one month now. It's not just the health issues, though they are sometimes daunting, especially with the limited mobility. But to add insult to injury, I've had to spend even more time dealing with health care providers, insurance companies, etc., etc. It seems a bit much to ask to have to do all that, chasing people down to get things in order, while also figuring out how to focus on dealing with disease. Finally I was assigned a patient advocate who is now helping with getting everything organized. With the changes in doctors and hospitals, I lost a couple days before starting treatment, but it's beginning Wednesday.<br />
<br />
One high part of the roller coaster ride this week was getting the advance copy of my book. It has been such a pleasure to see it. Another high has continued to be the contact from so many friends and family. To my artist friends who are on Facebook, I cruise to see what you're all painting and posting. It's fun to keep up that way.<br />
<br />
When I can do so, I think we've figured out a way to get my chair in front of an easel, with everything lowered to reach. I can't wait., and it won't be long now.<br />
<br />
Happy painting to you all,<br />
<br />
Maggie<br />
<br />
<br />Maggie and Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04270104903665193426noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958996318924963134.post-28142067421047138692013-01-15T11:31:00.002-07:002013-01-15T11:31:57.574-07:00Holding to Optimism<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Posted by Maggie</span></i><br />
<br />
In general, I've always been an optimistic person. I usually wake up with a sense of well-being, of direction, of knowing what I want to accomplish for the day and having some confidence I will do so. It doesn't always work out, of course, but I usually have positive expectations.<br />
<br />
They've been a little tougher to maintain lately, but I'm doing it. What's helped now is that there's a plan —I know what day I start treatment and just what is going to be likely to happen.<br />
<br />
And because I want to do everything I can to improve my odds I've added in going on a strict anti-cancer diet. I've had time the last few days to do a lot of research, and there are amazing studies supporting it. The basic theory is that tumor cells are fed only by sugar and carbohydrates, so removing those from the diet helps starve the tumor at the same time as it's being poisoned and radiated. Makes a lot of sense to me. It's not a huge change for me to make this switch, as I'd already been gluten and dairy free, so it's just the rest of the grains and all forms of sugar that go. It gives me a feeling that I'm contributing to the healing process myself in addition to trusting the doctors to do what they do.<br />
<br />
I've sketched a little, nothing great, but good to put pencil to paper. It's still hard to hold a pen or pencil without shaking so I tried a loose watercolor where I just let shaking be part of the process. It was interesting.<br />
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One more huge positive came my way yesterday—I heard from my wonderful book publisher that an advance copy of my new book is on its way to me. It will be such a thrill to see it. The books will be available sometime in March, but can be pre-ordered any time <a href="http://www.northlightshop.com/creative-freedom-w8059" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
I am so glad it was completed and in production before I became ill. I have been very excited about the book and can't wait to see it in print!<br />
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Once again thanks to all of who have written, emailed, sent messages and your support and wishes. It means so much to me.<br />
-Maggie<br />
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<br />Maggie and Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04270104903665193426noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958996318924963134.post-21131113954603036172013-01-12T01:41:00.001-07:002013-01-12T01:41:02.986-07:00Midnight Roses<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Posted by Maggie</span></i><br />
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It seems forever since I painted. It has been hard to comprehend that it has been three weeks now since I went to the hospital and this life-shattering chain of events began. But in terms of any connection to art, it seems even longer, though I had a painting on the easel the day it began.<br />
<br />
Given all that is going on in my life, I've wondered why I have been so focused that I needed to draw or paint, when I'm also overwhelmed by the need to communicate with my leg, to heal from surgery, and so on.<br />
<br />
What I think it is, is that I need to know I still am who I am, and a big part of that has to do with my art. If I can put pencil to paper, hold a brush and apply color, think about form and line and value, then I am reconnecting to who I am and what I do.<br />
<br />
My hands shake endlessly. I found on an earlier attempt that I cannot hold a pencil or charcoal or pastel well enough to draw. So tonight, when my sleepless spell began, I decided to try some watercolor. Earlier today, with Bill's help and the use of a walker, I stepped a few feet into the studio to select supplies, so they were at hand and ready.<br />
<br />
It did seem easier to handle the brush than to try to hold a pen. I loved just playing with color. I have looked at these particular roses, which are closest to the recliner where I spend most of my time, for the last two or three nights. I like them at midnight, when the fireplace behind them is dark and they silhouette in interesting ways.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_7QasgUzywhsyV8Buoc_nhRch6inDoikIcio2GET0ia4DK1LzQU7WqEDuqPzRYnyI2r8CQI6AzvJtGe0Z6FbIvIpuPr1khZa14hHJJ90tXitxIlKSKl_05dbAKH2h4lx6XHO5XiQidss/s1600/midnight+1-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_7QasgUzywhsyV8Buoc_nhRch6inDoikIcio2GET0ia4DK1LzQU7WqEDuqPzRYnyI2r8CQI6AzvJtGe0Z6FbIvIpuPr1khZa14hHJJ90tXitxIlKSKl_05dbAKH2h4lx6XHO5XiQidss/s200/midnight+1-12.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
It's not a great sketch. Watercolor is a "dabbling" medium for me, not something I do often or seriously, though it's fun. But honestly, my goal was set pretty low. I was more interested in that re-establishing of the art connection than anything, and that felt good.<br />
<br />
I often tell my students they should save the occasional early work so that later they can see their progress. I think that's what some of these sketches will be for me --the record of the changes as I get stronger, and begin to regain some skills.<br />
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<i>Midnight Roses, watercolor, 1-12-13.</i><br />
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<br />Maggie and Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04270104903665193426noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958996318924963134.post-5505802436069486762013-01-10T13:13:00.002-07:002013-01-10T13:13:20.149-07:00Gratitude<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Posted by Maggie</span></i><br />
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Last night's blog got derailed. I'm pretty sure it was the Steroid Witch who sent it down a different track than I'd planned. But at 3 am, it's not so easy to fight the Witch.<br />
<br />
My plan had been to write about gratitude. I am so overwhelmingly grateful for all the support, comments, posts, and messages from all of you who have been following this blog. Initially, when I first learned what was happening to me, my instinct was to retreat for a while. But I missed my friends and the interaction with my wonderful group of artists on FaceBook.<br />
<br />
I guess I just hadn't thought about the fact that so many people would respond, but it was the best gift possible. I don't feel isolated now, and I feel the waves of positive energy coming my way.<br />
<br />
I've spent some time thinking about other things to be grateful for over this last couple of weeks. I'm grateful I lived through that first seizure, and the biopsy. I'm so grateful to have a doctor I trust. Family and close friends helping out with everything have been absolutely wonderful. I am so aware there is no way I could have managed without them.<br />
<br />
So I am concentrating on the positive and how much is working well, and facing the next few days with determination. And maybe in addition to being grateful, I might learn to be more patient.<br />
<br />
Thanks again for the caring support,<br />
<br />
MaggieMaggie and Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04270104903665193426noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958996318924963134.post-11929771579297347672013-01-10T03:14:00.001-07:002013-01-10T03:14:41.918-07:00On Being Patient (or not)<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Posted by Maggie</span></i><br />
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I am not a patient person. (Those of you who know me well can quit laughing anytime now.)<br />
<br />
I like being busy. I always have lists, schedules, calendars and deadlines. I like knowing what I need to accomplish each day and set out to do it, then cross it off and move on.<br />
<br />
So you might not be surprised to know that having to sdend 3 days just getting an appointment with the oncologist who is to start my treatment immediately make me pretty cranky. It's finally all sorted out, but it was just a bunch of medical beuracracy that could have been dealt with days ago.<br />
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Ah, well, be patient.<br />
<br />
On a good note the new shower walls arrived a couple days early. I am very close to having a lovely, safe new shower.<br />
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On my short list of the worst features of this unattractive illness, I am terribly frustrated with the inability to move. I suppose the desire for independent unassisted motion connects right back to that whole bit about impatience and busy-ness.<br />
<br />
And I'm impatient to paint. More roses arrived today and they are simply gorgeous. Shaky or not, tomorrow I think I will pull out some pastels. Night all.<br />
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<br />Maggie and Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04270104903665193426noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958996318924963134.post-5612966835818167162013-01-06T15:20:00.000-07:002013-01-06T15:20:05.758-07:00Changes and Challenges<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Posted by Maggie</span></i><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>This blog is usually dedicated to art-related subjects. It’s
going to get pretty personal for a while. I hope to reconnect to art as we go
along, but life doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and art is often pushed around by
events, and the blog is going to be the easiest way for me to communicate for a while. So please bear with me, skip ahead or come back later when I hope there
will be less pain and more paintings. </b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like a lot of people I joked about the end of the world, or
at least a big change, due for December 21, 2112 according to the old Mayan
calendar.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I did not expect my own world to crash about my shoulders.
In the middle of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a routine trip to
the art supply store, I had a seizure. I didn’t know what it was until the
doctor told me later; I thought I was just having a weird spell. But it was
scary enough to get me to the ER, and begin the sequence of events that led to
a fairly quick diagnosis of a tumor on my brain.</div>
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<br /></div>
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You can never prepare for hearing something like that. Denial
comes fast. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You must have mistaken me for
someone who has time for that. Your tests are wrong. Surely it is benign, if it
does in fact exist. I have too much to do to have cancer—could we reschedule
that for another year? I’m supposed to be on an airplane in 6 days. You must
have the wrong person. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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Unfortunately, all the denial in the world changed nothing.
The thing was/is still in my head.</div>
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<br /></div>
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On the 26<sup>th</sup> the doctors performed a needle biopsy.
Just a little needle, didn’t sound too bad. Well, except for that whole
drilling through the skull part. There had been a fair amount of discussion
about the bad position of the tumor, which was located on the motor control
area for mobility of the left side of my body. I’d lost use of my left arm and
leg in the initial seizure, but it came back. When I woke up from surgery,
though, it was gone again. The arm came back but I haven’t been able to regain
feeling or control of my leg, so cannot walk.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You look for the good stuff. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">It didn’t affect my ability to think, reason, or speak.</i> I immediately
had asked how far away it was from the creativity center, and they said quite a
ways. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I’m right-handed. I will paint
again.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Three days in neurological ICU was not something I ever want
to do again. The hospital staff was great, but everything else was awful.
Getting out to await biopsy results became a huge goal.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It took almost no time to become aware what wonderful
friends and family I have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew
I had the best husband in the world but he proves it again hundreds of times a
day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Support and company from
family and friends kept me from feeling abandoned.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><b>Going Home</b></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Going home was terrifying. It is hard to comprehend what
immobility does to you. Every day, every hour, of those first few days brought
such huge challenges, it was exhausting beyond belief. Still recovering from
the surgery, learning how to live in my house in this condition has been
overwhelming.</div>
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<br /></div>
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We live in a one-story house with no stairs. I thought
navigating using a walker and the fling-and-drag foot method of locomotion
that currently passes for walking would be doable, if not easy. The first real
obstacle came with the realization that the door openings to both bathrooms
were three inches narrower than the walker. What were those people thinking?
How could anyone not make such a simple measurement in advance? How could I
have lived here ten years and not known?</div>
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<br /></div>
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Looking at several upcoming months of chemo and radiation,
and not being able to anticipate how much my motor controls might fluctuate
from bad to worse to better, it also became obvious there was no way I could
get into a shower. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, in the
space of a few days, the house became a remodeling zone. We have a wonderful
friend who stepped forward to become the general contractor, and in just a few
more days will have a new handicap accessible bathroom.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Meanwhile the biopsy results came back. Not as good as we’d
hoped. Okay, way worse. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You look at something like this and every step is a choice.
Fight or give up? I choose <b>fight</b>. The word “treatable” has such a nicer ring
than “terminal.” Fight it. Chemo it, radiate it, starve it. Eradicate it and
move on. I have too much to do and to live for, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to give in or give up. I’m fighting. </div>
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<b><i>Meet the Steroid Witch</i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve been able to reduce the number of drugs I’m taking moment,
but the two biggies remaining for months to come are steroids to reduce the
swelling around the tumor, and anti-seizure medicine.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The steroids are really important and really wicked. The big
side effects seem to be nausea, thirst, sleeplessness and rage. I call the rage
the Steroid Witch.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In spite of everything going on, most of the time I maintain
a fairly even keel, a determination to get through this, and am always working
on a positive attitude. But I’ve learned to hear the steroid witch coming.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The witch is in a fury, flying easily off the handle at the
unfairness of it all. She brings with her vicious
hot flashes that fan the flames of rage, and she can appear without a second’s
notice. The steroid witch uses bad language, has come close to
throwing things, and is generally an unpleasant person with whom I have almost nothing
in common. But she keeps showing up and using my mouth!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m hoping she will learn to behave
better soon.</div>
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<b><i>Art Calls</i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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I’m itching to paint, but I think I will start with drawing.
Now that I can focus a little, I think a sketchbook, pencils, charcoal, would
be just right.</div>
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<br /></div>
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For several years, one of my New Year’s goals has been to
draw more. Looks like that may really happen in 2013. I’m interested to see how
the act of observation and drawing helps exercise my brain. Gotta keep those
connections open. If the foot won’t talk to me, I’ll focus on the hands
for a while. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My favorite painting subject is usually the landscape. Can’t
see much of that from the part of the house where I’m spending my time. But
I’ve got vases of flowers, and I think I will draw those, along with some still
life objects. I'll post pics when I can. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>The Best Laid Plans</i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This last summer, we had a long string of back to back
workshops. At the end, when we were en route home, I spent a lot of time
thinking about what I wanted for 2013. I decided I wanted to take a year to
travel and teach a little less, to work on my own painting, and to develop new
skills and ideas. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s also a convention year for IAPS<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(International Association of Pastel
Societies). That takes a lot of my time as we get close to the convention. I
worked out a good year-long plan for incorporating painting into everything else,
and then began revising my five-year plan. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Looks like I’ll get that year at home, but with chemo and radiation infringing on the painting time I had planned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess I won’t know until I get into it how much I can
bring to focus for art in order to push forward. But I am going to paint, one
way or another.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here were my broad 2013 goals as of December 20:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Spend more painting time at home, both studio
and plein air; draw more</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Take frequent 2-3 day painting trips with Bill
so we get good time together painting and having fun.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Work on series of daily paintings to focus and
sharpen skills; every day for 30 days, several times</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Continue to work on making the 2013 IAPS
convention the best ever</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Give more time to the New Mexico Art League
board projects</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Organize workshops for following year(s)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Find ways to spend more time with family</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here is my list now:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Beat cancer. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
See above list.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Updates to follow as I can. I can't take phone calls and my ability to respond may be sporadic, but I hope to keep in touch as well as possible.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>-Maggie</i></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Maggie and Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04270104903665193426noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958996318924963134.post-31576237139294916632012-07-28T15:36:00.002-06:002012-07-28T15:53:57.892-06:00Memorable Moments en Plein Air<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Posted by Maggie</i></span><br />
<br />
Today I was going through photo files looking for subjects to paint as demonstrations for an upcoming workshop. I recalled a particular photo of a stream that I thought would be a good demo, and started going through files of photos from trips to Scotland.<br />
<br />
I got lost in the memories.<br />
<br />
One year we went early prior to a workshop, and spent some time on our own, painting and exploring. We spent a day or two in the Glen Coe area, which we'd visited before and loved. One afternoon we set up to paint along a stream in the middle of a glen with mountains rising sharply on either side. It was a good spot for a plein air study:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNr_T3is5xVF5k7_pYAC5PqDLfncPG-8wR-qcADkRXsoVfMD-cqaKFveqNcd5pjw5J4VSL0gVPHv9Oj2VzSzz7WJfwDqEBOC92u5AN6r2BDB6R_agMxKP8MM_J92JN58HeSq61Q__8kTw/s1600/scene.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNr_T3is5xVF5k7_pYAC5PqDLfncPG-8wR-qcADkRXsoVfMD-cqaKFveqNcd5pjw5J4VSL0gVPHv9Oj2VzSzz7WJfwDqEBOC92u5AN6r2BDB6R_agMxKP8MM_J92JN58HeSq61Q__8kTw/s320/scene.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
We were painting away, listening to the chuckling creek and an occasional bird, when suddenly there was a roar that sounded like it was right on top of us. In fact, it was—it was a fighter jet screaming sideways down the glen. My camera's always in my bag on my easel, and I grabbed it just in time for this shot as the pilot roared away.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD2ZNz0MAqZibNC7Bj2cYbFg7jJhFmocvK6o12J4HWAxcWcVLxNvVyDgV3DXh1ss92SLPMi603PMA7RUr2DdytO1DuGRRMV4gMVWjayOGnPjhB8izxJUEuNP8QiwEsx6IlpURKp80tQOY/s1600/jet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD2ZNz0MAqZibNC7Bj2cYbFg7jJhFmocvK6o12J4HWAxcWcVLxNvVyDgV3DXh1ss92SLPMi603PMA7RUr2DdytO1DuGRRMV4gMVWjayOGnPjhB8izxJUEuNP8QiwEsx6IlpURKp80tQOY/s320/jet.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
It was a little hard to concentrate on the painting for a while after that! <br />
<br />
That year, Bill and I also rented a small cabin on Loch Duich, near Kyle of Localsh and the bridge to the Isle of Skye. We spent a memorable week there, exploring some fantastic places, and painting when weather permitted. This was our view from the cabin—it was mid-summer, and this photo was taken late at night, about 11 p.m. The view is of the mountains called the Five Sisters.<br />
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<br />
Some days it was hard to tear ourselves away from the window to go out to paint. But down at the end of our narrow, single-track road, was an old abandoned ferry house with a great view across the loch. This is the spot photographed looking back from the other side of the loch—the white building is the ferry house:<br />
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We set up to paint there one day. Bill was looking across the loch to the Eilean Donan Castle, one of the most popular tourist destinations in the area. From where we were in our quiet isolation, not a tourist was to be seen. The castle was much farther away that you see here, but he could see it well enough to make it a focal point in his painting of the loch and hills.<br />
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As we painted away, enjoying our privacy at the end of this dead-end road, I began hearing a bagpipe playing far in the distance. At first I thought I was imagining it, given our idyllic surroundings, but I finally realized it was a piper across the loch, playing for the tourists at the castle. He played for half an hour or so, we painted away, and engraved the experience indelibly in our memories.<br />
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There are so many reasons to paint outdoors. We go out expecting and hoping to learn from the landscape, to better understand how light and shadows describe our subjects, and how to paint the constantly changing effects. And then there are these unexpected moments that add a little bonus to the experience of learning, lasting long after the paintings are filed and forgotten.<br />
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<br />Maggie and Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04270104903665193426noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958996318924963134.post-64732915717052205272012-06-20T09:27:00.000-06:002012-06-20T09:27:09.548-06:00Painting with a Limited Palette<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Posted by Maggie</i></span><br />
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One of the things I find intriguing about working in oils is the ability to carry a small set-up for painting outdoors. When I paint in pastel, my small set-up is a wooden Heilman box with 200-240 pieces of pastel (see<a href="http://paintingpartners.blogspot.com/2010/11/value-of-organization.html" target="_blank"> this blog</a> for information on how the box is organized):<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy9OwgMysXHe2ySqGwcG9Z20Q1zIvgRoXeHcvR5GAmsY-f5GCd67JmqK3KbXcGpOTY_mkKK4cY2S3D1HQebAVuqcyQg_KxaKAUudnKE3kqIJuesFAsbgIxB4mdWlFS9aFIK-NigVEujyw/s1600/pastel+box.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy9OwgMysXHe2ySqGwcG9Z20Q1zIvgRoXeHcvR5GAmsY-f5GCd67JmqK3KbXcGpOTY_mkKK4cY2S3D1HQebAVuqcyQg_KxaKAUudnKE3kqIJuesFAsbgIxB4mdWlFS9aFIK-NigVEujyw/s320/pastel+box.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My pastel set, arranged by value and temperature</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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When I paint outdoors in oils, I have generally worked with a limited palette so as to keep the number of tubes of paint down to 5 or 6. Last summer, I carried a few tubes of Cobra water-mixable oils for some plein-air painting in Colorado. My palette consisted of cadmium yellow light, cadmium red medium, ultramarine blue, sap green, titanium white and black. Here's an example of a painting done with that palette:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0N7WDql2ZlKUskMoMn_KmwA3ZIudEuuTavS-4F4UfOslAKlUa_a810WlunTApkmZaX31Cd3nErC8j_0RpMWfsVHVZ_6Lje_1_3vOEZOD_uWg2hoj-Z4tV9o7-ekEfsCuX1tfzt0ndkhM/s1600/colorado+colors+o-c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0N7WDql2ZlKUskMoMn_KmwA3ZIudEuuTavS-4F4UfOslAKlUa_a810WlunTApkmZaX31Cd3nErC8j_0RpMWfsVHVZ_6Lje_1_3vOEZOD_uWg2hoj-Z4tV9o7-ekEfsCuX1tfzt0ndkhM/s320/colorado+colors+o-c.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colorado Colors, 8x10 oil, plein air, ©Maggie Price</td></tr>
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A couple of months ago, another artist started a Limited Palette Challenge on Facebook. I thought it sounded interesting, and decided to participate. The challenge was based on artist Ken Auster's limited palette, which was cadmium yellow medium, alizarin crimson, ultramarine blue, white and black. I found that using cad yellow medium rather than cad yellow light was a challenge. It was hard to get a light enough yellow, and also hard to get a rich light green. However, I painted three pieces for the challenge, with the goal of learning something from using a different palette. Here's my favorite of the three:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZqclmDES7_LOutBDz1LsEINQkzd9tuXoXyQZh431I73UB59pzPIC2KxedtqqPwMdqfDDoIgnzV0il1iMYSxtf3uDOVpEPjB5MeuwKiPNrZOe4kgb0rHE8uqLyggTsWaTr-CqmzIto0GM/s1600/val+di%27chiana-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZqclmDES7_LOutBDz1LsEINQkzd9tuXoXyQZh431I73UB59pzPIC2KxedtqqPwMdqfDDoIgnzV0il1iMYSxtf3uDOVpEPjB5MeuwKiPNrZOe4kgb0rHE8uqLyggTsWaTr-CqmzIto0GM/s320/val+di%27chiana-web.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Val di- Chiana, 12x16 oil, ©Maggie Price</td></tr>
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One of the things I learned from this painting was something that I already knew in relation to pastel, and that is when you have trouble getting a feeling of light, it may work to darken adjacent colors. And to increase the feeling of warmth, it may work to cool other colors. These ideas helped me get the effect of late afternoon sun that I recall so clearly from the Italian countryside. And while the palette was a bit of a struggle, when I compare this painting with the one above it, I prefer the richness of color evident in the second one.<br />
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After a few of the entries were in, the organizer (artist Candy Crawford Day) asked Ken Auster to review the entries following a deadline and select a winner. He offered one of his DVDs as a prize to the winner. To my great surprise, this painting was selected. Ken's comment was: <span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}">"After a weekend of continual review of images--and keeping in mind
that it is a limited pallete challenge--the painting that I believe did
the most with the least is Maggie Price #1--the best use of warmer
and cooler and color harmony and light." </span><br />
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<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}">I was especially pleased by Ken's comments as they focused on exactly what I had worked with in the creation of this painting. Color harmony is almost a given when you work with a limited palette, but getting the feeling of the light and balancing warm and cool colors was a challenge! </span><br />
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<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}">Italy is a wonderful place to paint, rich in subjects and with a beautiful quality of light. I'm looking forward to some more limited-palette work during our <a href="http://www.maggiepriceart.com/workshops.html" target="_blank">October workshop</a> there, and also in the workshop in Puerto Vallarta next January. I'll post paintings after we return!</span><br />
<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}"><br /></span>Maggie and Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04270104903665193426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958996318924963134.post-2768772240861888832012-05-25T15:26:00.002-06:002012-05-25T15:26:57.583-06:00<h2>
Food & Flower Paintings</h2>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Posted by Maggie</i></span><br />
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I serve on the Board of Directors for the <a href="http://www.newmexicoartleague.org/" target="_blank">New Mexico Art League</a>, and for the past few months we've been working on plans for this summer's Food & Flower Festival. There will be a month-long exhibition, but to kick things off, there will be a number of events on June 3 at the League.<br />
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In addition to working on some organizational things, I've been painting small pieces for the silent auction. The work, donated by instructors, members and friends of the League, will hang unframed and be auctioned off. My usual subject is landscape (with buildings occasionally appearing in paintings done in or inspired by European workshops) but I thought it would be fun to do some food and flowers. Here are the results.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUYav0-rQR2qWRMtZsmt37zFUeOf6E9C_nz8qOaG0LX_QvjaRlzMi9c7IudC_Ivpr9SE4J5Zbf9nZdjGfLjlT-Vf7ScOM_NCE6jDpMLi9fCTgB8Rw_dIOQO6nitSEFLZf1RnnOCLcd9QI/s1600/Oranges_blue_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUYav0-rQR2qWRMtZsmt37zFUeOf6E9C_nz8qOaG0LX_QvjaRlzMi9c7IudC_Ivpr9SE4J5Zbf9nZdjGfLjlT-Vf7ScOM_NCE6jDpMLi9fCTgB8Rw_dIOQO6nitSEFLZf1RnnOCLcd9QI/s320/Oranges_blue_small.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oranges and Blue Bowl, 8x10, oil on panel, ©Maggie Price</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixDf8pai89P8n6-Vbw1XZubIxJDs6hiRgy9zmFb4yTEhicgBNZFIbsGUQ95TS3z0tNiW6ts6SDUmbFyvpKV3wnHsF97DF9pvp5aAI32Xy8gbDdgkgCFatxyhusjO7U7UcE6jNe3MFWlcM/s1600/tea+roses_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixDf8pai89P8n6-Vbw1XZubIxJDs6hiRgy9zmFb4yTEhicgBNZFIbsGUQ95TS3z0tNiW6ts6SDUmbFyvpKV3wnHsF97DF9pvp5aAI32Xy8gbDdgkgCFatxyhusjO7U7UcE6jNe3MFWlcM/s320/tea+roses_web.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tea Roses, 8x10, oil on panel, ©Maggie Price</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsThz2g-MOlfUmb3aRAqX9bccSzLFGdXY6KVkTW2mmIV_seuAGTQYolBgY2omW0c3Qii3ZzikAGelMyb5OxxmBtLDuQ5Aba8mTBee4BCSVQ4G_iJdOs73iUVHyvI08vEpfVMEMPVqC2x4/s1600/liliies+&+bluebells-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsThz2g-MOlfUmb3aRAqX9bccSzLFGdXY6KVkTW2mmIV_seuAGTQYolBgY2omW0c3Qii3ZzikAGelMyb5OxxmBtLDuQ5Aba8mTBee4BCSVQ4G_iJdOs73iUVHyvI08vEpfVMEMPVqC2x4/s320/liliies+&+bluebells-sm.jpg" width="253" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lilies & Bluebells, 10x8, oil on panel, ©Maggie Price</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg62s0Z1VhiXpP73rxyt84MXPhyts8cXW81IP_Akht3evoNMsP5kK34P8oTQUNxYpPlTdxwctsgLN_PN-LOtsPnCBSRk5_xlRI5KQegDzFYJIc4mpiQoJVbqkqBTSfAG8dRZATEy8w8N0c/s1600/hollyhocks_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg62s0Z1VhiXpP73rxyt84MXPhyts8cXW81IP_Akht3evoNMsP5kK34P8oTQUNxYpPlTdxwctsgLN_PN-LOtsPnCBSRk5_xlRI5KQegDzFYJIc4mpiQoJVbqkqBTSfAG8dRZATEy8w8N0c/s320/hollyhocks_web.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hollyhocks, 8x10, pastel, ©Maggie Price</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ieFHKo1fV3vwdKOSnTVSdlVxvfkFMWOkZsY_fLhvVZ1hwHEBSyjgr2ItxMB2NpFJFmZn4G9Uy7WTHXRb49nZUqfFS-syYpy321StfB82Bxuik7yEZoy6PAhaDZli6ISDI-zoYyfyIZA/s1600/peppers-websize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ieFHKo1fV3vwdKOSnTVSdlVxvfkFMWOkZsY_fLhvVZ1hwHEBSyjgr2ItxMB2NpFJFmZn4G9Uy7WTHXRb49nZUqfFS-syYpy321StfB82Bxuik7yEZoy6PAhaDZli6ISDI-zoYyfyIZA/s320/peppers-websize.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peppers on a Glass Tray, 8x10, pastel, ©Maggie Price</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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I'm going to donate three of the above to the League for the auction. If you're in New Mexico, join us on June 3 and maybe one will go home with you!<br />
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It's been so much fun painting these, I think I'm going to add still life and/or florals to some of my upcoming workshops, or maybe teach a workshop now and then focusing on those subjects rather than landscape. So I've not only avoided getting in a rut, I have new and fascinating subjects now!<br />
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<br />Maggie and Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04270104903665193426noreply@blogger.com0