Busy Holiday Season

If I wasn't busy enough with my art efforts for the holiday season, the local paper, Vancouver Voice requested the use of my crowning picture for a feature article on home birth.  I was in absolute shock and very breathless when I saw that they had put it on the cover!

Coming up this month are a few exciting events:


Stray Gallery's December 3rd show is Go Not Gently into this Good Night: The Neo-romantics present artistic explorations of death.  I am working diligently on a triptych of a war and death goddess, the Morrigan.  I have incorporated both traditional and new-age elements into this work.  For example, the addition of the three phases of the moon as halos.  However, the majority of the symbols are from the Red Branch Cycle of Irish legends.

Washer at Ford,Warrior Queen, Hag with Milk by Sara Star

The Free Modeling Guild is participating in a Holiday Bazaar at Jantzen Beach Mall Community Center December 4-5th.  I have made a bunch of new mounted prints for this. They are all currently listed in my Etsy Store and the Black Friday-Cyber Monday sale is 10% off.



Additionally, Angst Gallery where I showed in October has asked me to drop by a few pieces for their December show as well.

Responding to Criticism

I received some severe art criticism today, and it threw me a bit, because of such a strong misunderstanding of my work. I have shown the painting many times, in different environments, a Catholic University where it was viewed by nuns and priests as well as faculty and students, a state college, and at a small town gallery. And never had anyone interpreted it quite this way. I responded as I feel an artist should respond to any comment, graciously. But I am relieved to say that most viewers have seen this work closer to how I intended it to read.

"To paint such an image and display the Blessed Mother in that type of art form is disgusting and blasphemous. What a shameful form of talent gone to waste.

After bringing forth her Son, Mary "wrapped Him up in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger" (Luke 2:7), a sign that she did not suffer from the pain and weakness of childbirth. This inference agrees with the teaching of some of the principal Fathers and theologians: St. Ambrose [56], St. Gregory of Nyssa [57], St. John Damascene [58], the author of Christus patiens [59], St. Thomas [60], etc. It was not becoming that the mother of God should be subject to the punishment pronounced in Genesis 3:16, against Eve and her sinful daughters.

Shortly after the birth of the child, the shepherds, obedient to the angelic invitation, arrived in the grotto, "and they found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger" (Luke 2:16). We may suppose that the shepherds spread the glad tidings they had received during the night among their friends in Bethlehem, and that the Holy Family was received by one of its pious inhabitants into more suitable lodgings."

The Crowning by Sara Star

My response:

"Most people who see the painting "The Crowning" see Mary and Jesus's faces as calm and peaceful. I regret to see that you perceive it differently than intended and differently than others who have viewed it. Thank you for your comment. I regret that my art has offended you, but most artists must face offended viewers now and then, though you are only the second in the over five years I have shown this painting to react with disgust.  The first person who hated it disliked it because it did not show enough pain and therefore was unrealistic to her, I assumed she did not know of the story of virgin painless birth.  Again thank you for your comment.

Sara Star"

I would love to read comments from others who have received harsh criticism and how they dealt with it. Please share in the comments below.

Voice Catcher 5

Voice Catcher 5 Available Now

Voice Catcher 5 is an anthology of Portland area women artist and writers. I am honored to have one of my paintings illustrating this gorgeous volume. All proceeds go to benefit grant programs to help low income women take writing workshops. This is my first time having one of my pieces published in a print publication.

The joy and challenge of commissions

Demeter, a new stylistic direction I went for a commission.

 Working with patrons and creating commissions is a collaborative creative act. I find that it offers me challenges that increase my creativity and take me in exciting stylistic directions.

Commissions always come to me out of patrons seeing my other work and loving it. I start talking to them about the work and ask them if they have a favorite saint or mythical figure. If I haven't already painted that subject, I reveal that I would be more than happy to make one especially for them for an upcoming special occasion.

A more naturalistic icon of Mary Magdalene

The excitement of tailoring something specifically for a patron has pushed my style and skills to new heights. For my first commission I pushed myself to paint more naturalistic. For another commission I improved my skills painting loose hair. There is a part of the movie Goya's Ghost where Goya reveals his commission sliding fee scale, a thousand per hand shown in the portrait! My extras are wings and horses--especially horses. And of course, one of my patrons wanted: the four horseman of the apocalypse!

A patron gave me the opportunity to explore the theme of fallen angels.

After agreeing on subject, size and cost. I go to do some research and make some concept drawings. I return to the patron and show them the the drawings or color studies. If the client likes what I have planned, I might ask for a bit of money to pay for supplies (gold leaf is something I often run low on and a new book can be $50).  I usually feel very confident that if a patron falls through on paying me (which hasn't happened yet), that I could sell my paintings elsewhere so I don't demand payment upfront. It protects me in case I am unable to complete the project for any reason or it takes longer than planned.

In addition to providing commissions, this year I began taking care of framing for the patrons too. It is very satisfying to bring the piece and put it directly on the wall.

Gold Leaf versus Gold Paint

Gold Halo, amber and pewter on gold crown, metallic under painting.

In my quest to explore the power of sacred figures from world religions in my art, I often enhance my paintings with precious metals in the style of Greek and Hindu icons. Applying precious metals and stones directly to paintings of saints and goddesses has a long tradition back to ancient Egypt. As a modern painter I have access to a large variety of gold and metal leafs and paints. When composing a picture I might use only leafs or include metallic paints as well. I have included below links to the art supplies I use with an amazon affiliate program.

I most always use gold or metal leafs for halos and auras. Nothing short of diamonds outshines a 23kt Gold Halo. I don't see the point of using metallic paints instead, they cannot be burnished for greater shine, and the mica used to make the paints glitters rather than shining.

Smaller details on a painting like lettering or patterns on a dress are harder to acheive with gold leaf, and metallic paints make a good stand in. I have utilized shell gold (flakes of gold suspended in Gum Arabic) for this, and I have found it isn't opaque enough for some of the effects I seek. Metallic paints don't have as much shine and power as metal leafs, and sometimes I prefer the lower sheen of mica as I don't want the clothing to upstage a halos focus on the face.

Gold Halo, silver wings, metallic paint highlights in hair and pearlescent crown.

Speaking of halo's framing the face, sometimes the dullness of hair painted with regular paints interrupts that focus.  I have tried an under-painting of copper paint for red and brown hair and gold paints under blond hair to good effect as a smooth transition between the halo and the face on the heads of saints. Truly, if a saints head shown that much light with a halo, the hair would reflect some of that metallic color. Alternatively a few strands of hair lined with metallic paint or shell gold enhances the transition to the faces.

The gold in the lower half of this picture points they eye up to the main figures.

The modern sensibilities for composition conflict with the sense of space in medieval iconography. I have found that perfectly good paintings don't balance when the only bling in the painting is the halo. Picking out details elsewhere in the picture with metallic paints satisfies the antique and modern needs of a sacred subject.

Painting a week: Tillikum

This is Tillikum, a Sea World Killer Whale.

Study for Tillikum

I saw Tillikum at a Sea World in Victoria B.C. when I was a young girl.

My brother with Tillikum or one of his wives in Victoria BC

Since that time he has fathered 16 children and killed three humans. I have an interest in the evolving perceptions of whales, from Free Willy, Keiko, who I also saw in person as a teenager,

Keiko aka Free Willy at Newport Aquarium

to a food and energy source for local Coastal Tribes, and to Moby Dick.

Concept photo for Moby Dick Movie slated to hit the small screen.

I think I know which of these is Tillikum's idol.

This little painting is a study of Tillikum for a larger painting about the Sea World Orcas.

Study for Tillikum and the little model I used to aid with proportions.

I used a combination of memories of Whales I had seen in aquariums, a little model of a female orca I picked up at the beach, and photos of Tillikum on the web. Then I remembered my own family photos of whales, so I will utilized those for future paintings of the orcas.

Angst Gallery October Art Show

Duke DesRoschers and I are holding a collaborative art installation at Angst Gallery, Vancouver WA for this month. I was initially struck by one of Duke's stunning sculptures and I wanted to work with him. Due to working opposite shifts, me on the day shift at an office and he on a night shift as a carpenter, we rarely connected, but when we did our art made miracles!

Sara Star with the collaboration she made with Duke DesRoschers

Above you can see the frame Duke made for my painting. I really enjoy how they compliment and contrast.

Sara Star and Delilah at the Ruins of the Temple of Dagon

I love doing large paintings, but I think it will be a long time before I do another one. It takes a lot out of you!

And I really adore the small pictures. They have a special intimacy, while the large ones have a more dominating power. I can't wait to post more pictures, this is just a preview.

A Place for Us

Sara Star and Toni Partington at Voice Catcher Pre-release Party

I participated this year with an incredible non-profit that makes an anthology of NW Women writers, and this year for the first time, included art as well. What a phenomenal experience let me tell you. The way it worked was that the writing submissions were accepted and reviewed first, and then the art was accepted and reviewed.  The synchronicity of art and writing was amazing. Among the many incredible poems and short stories, was a story that matched near exactly my painting triptych Vagina Nightmares, it is named Vulvar Fantasies--could you get any more similar without it being planned?

Of course there were many other similarities, but for me, and I am sure many others this was a very striking similarity. This anthology has been coming out annually for five years now. And I often hear accusations from young men that it is ridiculous that women need their own anthology and that it is reverse sexist. I never agreed, but after participating with this incredible group of women, I am armed more strongly with the rightness of this publication. The choice of a women's anthology is not because these writers couldn't compete with male writers or vice versa, this annual creates a theme, an experience unique to a certain demographic and that is so very clear when the art is paired with the writing. It is something that women will read and identify with and a point of strength and a place of power building that everyone should have a right to create for their demographic.

Vagina Nightmares Triptych by Sara Star

I participate also with a group of artist who feel alienated, representational artists. Local abstract and pop artists and enthusiasts make the same accusations of us, why can't we participate in the main art scene (we do) and why do we need to exclude non-representational art? We use our theme based club to create power, to define a theme and to touch a specific experience in its own place. Our work often goes together better than it ever does against a pop art piece. There is a unity of experience and expression. The same goes for this uniquely female and NW anthology.

It seems the choice for both Voice Catcher and the Neo-Romantics breeds a bit of suspicion and a tiny bit of jealousy (maybe?).  There are jokes and attempts to intrude. This is perhaps natural, when a group in the majority feels it is still the minority and is wary of other minority groups taking some power away. This a scarcity model, and I believe there is abundance and a creative endeavor is the greatest sort of energy for creating new markets rather than taking from existing pools.  There are no less opportunities for men to publish their writing due to women's publications, and no less opportunities for abstract artists when representational artists open a new gallery.

Starting over

Sometimes you mess up. Part of the picture is just not going to get right. If you are working in acrylic or oils, you can  just paint over that part with white and start over. I had to do that with each of my big paintings at some point in the process. It is really scary to do, but once I have done it I feel so relieved. I was crying about my painting yesterday I felt so stuck. But after talking with my  friendwe agreed I should paint over the parts I was struggling with and re do them. The painting is already looking loads better and I feel as though I can finish it in time for the art show. A few new ideas to add to the meaning of the painting even came out as I was re-arranging the details in the foreground.

I don't have pictures now, but I can't wait to show it to you when it is finished.

Week Three, again no new painting

I am undisciplined as of yet, and I prefer to flit between paintings. I worked a lot on three different paintings, and it looks as though I will get one of them done this week. I have been painstakingly correcting errors on the very large painting and laying down the under painting. Even with the careful preparatory drawings, there were some small color corrections to make, and I needed to fix some mistakes with placement of the feet and hands. Things that didn't really show until I saw the drawing larger.

Icon under painting by the hand of Sara Star

I have been delinquent on getting photographs of my progress on my various paintings. But here is a photo of an example of under painting. It is often just laying out the basic shading. I will update with more current photographs soon.

Best on the net

A Custom Artist's Desk

What was Monet's Pallette?


My favorite art this week:

Giving Props to a local Vancouver Artist

Tree Maiden
Originally uploaded by lucidRose

So busy!

Week 2 of my painting a week challenge has been diverted. My partner offered to change the living room into my new studio! It has north light from a huge window. Lots and lots of space for my jumbo easel, two smaller easels and my work table. There is even a place for a loveseat for friends to sit and my rocking chair for me to relax and think in.

I haven't gotten pictures yet because we are still finishing up the details. My dear friend Alex Birkett is going to share a corner of the studio with me so he can paint a jumbo sized canvas too. His will lean against the wall, so we need to set up a sheet behind his so the wall doesn't get paint all over it.

I will be back into my regular swing of things this week, as most of the studio is set up.

Projection and Transfering

A projected and traced image for a large painting by Sara Star

When I make a drawing for a new painting. I usually work at a size that is comfortable for my hand. Usually I draw 11 x 17 and smaller. When I am painting a picture the same size, I then make a photocopy of my drawing and use graphite transfer paper to transfer the image onto the painting surface.

I lay the transfer paper between the primed surface and my drawing and trace over the drawing with a pen or a stylus. I prefer drafting transfer paper because it is wax free. The wax can cause resist problems with my thin washes of acrylic paints. When I want to transfer an image onto a dark surface, I coat the back of the drawing with white conte crayon instead of using the dark transfer paper.

For blowing up an image there are several options. The classic option is to draw a grid on your drawing and a larger grid on your surface. This requires a lot of measuring, and counting. I find mathematical thinking pulls me out of the right brain thinking of drawing and I am likely to screw the whole thing up. Also, I don't like getting rid of the grid lines later.

For pictures around 3 feet tall, I scan my drawing, and then use a picture or publishing program to print it to size on tiles of paper and I tape the pieces of the picture together. Then I use the transfer paper method.

However, I sometimes work very very large. In these cases, I seek out projection equipment. At University, I had access to flat head projectors. Often for these I had to reduce the size of my drawing to fit into the projector, and then I hung the canvas on the wall and adjusted the projector to show my image. Then I would draw the image on with a soft conte or charcoal. It is important to use something soft that won't press the canvas in while you are drawing--moving the canvas moves where the projection falls.

Projecting an image with an InFocus Machine

However, I don't always have access to the flat head projector. And I have learned to make due with and even prefer to use In Focus Projectors. Often local libraries, community centers and nearby colleges have rooms with In Focus Projectors. I can balance my canvas on the chalk board and then project a scanned image of my drawing onto the canvas. The image projected by an In Focus projector is even more fiddly than with the flat head projector, and so I prefer to paint on the image as I trace to avoid pressing on the canvas at all.

My post on creating a drawing for a large painting

You are the week's link

My favorite painting this week: Dot Courson' Driver's Ed

 
Natural Amber's Advice for getting front page coverage on Etsy

The Virtual Paint Out's September Map is: Manhattan Island

Calypso Moon's September Painting Challenge: Colorful Self Portraits


So those were my favorite art blog entries for the week. I hope to do the two painting challenges, but with my big show the first week of October, I might need to wait to take on new challenges until next month.

Dreams do come true

Sara sleeping with Fey in a bed of her hair by Sara Star

Recently I have had some seemingly crazy dreams.

I described my dream studio.
While leafing through art history books, I dreamt of seeing my work/name in one.
I promised myself a real gallery show by the time I turned 30.

All these dreams are coming true now.

My husband saw my blog entry about studios. And told me to turn our living room into my studio. It has north light in a huge window, it has moldings that can be converted into a gallery hanging systems, it is next to the kitchen with plenty of extra cupboards and a sink. I had never thought of the living room space in that way before!

An art historian contacted me this week for inclusion in a book she is publishing. Woohoo!

And of course, I had quite a few gallery shows before I turned 30, and many to come after! My most exciting one coming this October!

Taking care of my internet presence has made a huge difference in these dreams coming true. You have to put yourself out there to get noticed!

Completed: Painting a Week, the First

Archangel Raphael by the hand of Sara Star

Here he is. My new painting for the Angels of Healing show at the American Cancer Society in Vancouver Washington this Friday. The name Raphael means God Heals.  Raphael uses the fish to heal and he is also associated with the healing waters of sacred pools. The orb that the archangel holds represents Christ.

Angels of Healing Benefit Art Exhibit

American Cancer Society

September 3rd, 2010 5pm to 9pm
2011 Main Street
Vancouver, WA 98660-2636
(360) 695-8215

Status: Weekly Painting, Week 1

I am nearly done with my angel icon for the Cancer Society Show a week from now. However, it is not finished. So I am just shy of meeting my first weekly painting goal.
I encountered a few issues that held me back with the gold leafing. The silver leaf kept sticking to parts where it had been gold leafed. So I had to re-gold leaf over the edges. Next time, I will do the silver leafing first because it is so tricky and the gold leaf behaves itself better.
At this point all that is left is some finer details on the wings, the fish and fishing pole and the ring around the halo.
I am confident that I will finish tonight, so I will be just a few hours over the weekly goal and I will post pictures on Monday!
So I have something to show you, I am going to share this Monastery Icon's Video that shows the process I use for creating an icon.

My Studio Set Ups

I have had several studio set ups. In my first apartment, my roommate, April and I often painted with our canvases nailed to the outside shingles of the house, and then brought them inside to hang on the wall between sessions. Our little place might have been 500 square feet with three people living in it. On dry days painting outside was just fine. We were in college, so we could paint and store some of our large pieces at the university's studio. Most of our work was iconography and rather small so we could paint at the kitchen table.

Working at a small table

When we graduated, we moved right away into a bigger ranch house with a bonus/laundry room. We set up jumbo canvases against the wall and painted standing or sitting on the floor her and my two huge canvases side by side in the long thin room. On sunny days we hung the paintings on a derelict swing set to dry. Still we worked on small pieces at the kitchen table.



When April moved out with her fiance/now husband, I downsized to a miserable tiny apartment surrounded by trees. I painted on the floor by the french windows with bits of green tinged light coming in. The paintings made during that period needed considerable color correction after seeing them in real light.

Projecting an image in my tiny dark apartment

For a while I owned a house and I had my own tiny room for a studio with a good sized window with plenty of sunshine. I painted on a homemade giant easel and at a small desk. The DIY easel is made of two by fours and can support paintings five foot and taller. Over the top? Maybe.

Jumbo Easel by Ben Grosser (I built mine using his plans)

After a time, we downsized again. I paint in a large kitchen nook with picture windows on three sides. I was sad to have to put my jumbo easel in the garage, but I can use it there if I need to dry something large. For christmas this year my dear husband gave me a lovely sketch box easel and I love it. My studio set up is great. I have a large kitchen table for painting small works at, and next to it is my lovely easel. I get plenty of good light to see my work by.

Except, of course I took the photo at night.

My experience with so many various living situations, has made me really appreciate the importance of windows and a compact set up that can expand and collapse as space requirements change. Right now all my paints are in plastic drawers under the kitchen table. But in a larger set up, they might sit along their own wall. I keep stacks of paintings and canvases in kitchen cupboards and along the wall behind my easel. But in a larger room, they might have their own closet or be hung along the walls. Yet I'll take good windows over walls to hang my work any day!

My dream set up is a hybrid. A wall of windows with that coveted north light with adjustable venetian blinds to change the character of the light as needed. One wall would be ceiling to floor cupboards, counter with deep utility sink, and bookshelves to store my paintings, canvases, and paints in. The opposite wall would be white and installed with a gallery style hanging system, so I could hang finished works in rotation. My desk and easel would sit in front of my wall of windows so I could look out the window and paint. There would be enough space in my dream studio for a friend or two to set up easels and paint with me and for a model to pose.

Picture re-posted from http://acheerydisposition.blogspot.com/

However, I can't let my dream studio stand in the way of my creativity. Regardless of the setting, I paint. Whether it be by the shady french doors or at the kitchen table, I must paint!

American Cancer Society Angels Benefit

Deconstructed by Sheila Hutchison

The Neo-Romantics are hosting an Angel themed benefit for the American Cancer Society. 30% of proceeds from art sales will be donated to the American Cancer Society for cancer research.

Both of my mother's parents died of cancer before I was born. Sheila Hutchison, the artist of the Deconstructed Angel, is a breast cancer survivor and she volunteers helping others who have cancer through the American Cancer Society.

American Cancer Society Angels Benefit Art Exhibit
September 3rd, 2010 5pm to 9pm
2011 Main Street
Vancouver, WA 98660-2636
(360) 695-8215

Differences between Water Soluble-Mixable Paints and Traditional Oils

 

Water Mixable Paints are an inventive answer to the toxicity and flammability of turpentine and other noxious thinners. When I was first learning to paint in 2003, my teacher insisted that if we were to use oils in her classroom, we were to use the water mixable paints or odorless turpenoid with our regular oils.  She probably already had her fill of all things toxic. Teaching day in and day out with chemicals in the air was a deal breaker.

After experiencing the ease of Acrylic drying time for our fast paced assignments, the class all decided to stick with acrylics for the rest of our first year studies. Therefore, I didn't learn the principles of oil paints beyond the incredible basic: Don't paint acrylics or acrylic gesso over oils!

I want to re-approach oil paint for several reasons. Mainly, oils have a certain class that collectors appreciate, and they seem to be better suited for impressionist and and traditional painting. Also, I want to use those tubes of water mixable oils I purchased for that class and barely touched. I had this perception that water mixable paints must function differently than regular oils, and I worried that the instructional principles on oil paints would be useless to me.

I sought out articles and books about water mixable paints and mediums, and there were very few, considering all the brands and options for water soluble and mixable paints.

Finally, I found a well rated book especially about water oil paints, Painting with Water Soluble Oils by Sean Dye. Dye's book is incredible and unique. He includes reviews and shares color charts of all the then available brands of water mixable and soluble paints and mediums. Dye invited about a dozen different oil painters to try the water oil paints and compare them with similar paintings made with traditional oils. My big questions were answered, and I understood why there was so little written about the differences between traditional and water soluble paints. There is in fact very little difference.

The artists reviewing the various products noted that the paints sometimes needed a tad more (water soluble) linseed oil added to get the buttery consistency they were used to with traditional oils. But besides that, the water worked exactly in place of turpentine, only appearing more opaque when wet than turpentine, but drying to the same result.

Artists noted that their paintings appeared a tiny bit brighter in some way than the traditional oils but none seemed to be able to put their finger on why. I thought it over and I suspect that conventional linseed oil is probably a tad yellower than water soluble linseed oils. If you don't appreciate the higher clarity of the water soluble oils, I suggest lightly aging your painting with a final glaze of very thinned yellow ochre.

I have summarized here the few differences between painting with water soluble oils and traditional oil paints. However, for complete reviews of the different brands of water soluble and mixable paints, I highly recommend Painting with Water Soluble Oils by Sean Dye as the authoritative book on the subject.

As of the writing of this article, Painting with Water Soluble Oils by Sean Dye appears to be out of print. New copies are selling for inflated prices, but several dozen high quality used copies are available for bargain basement price.

Setting Challenging Art Goals

A painting per moon phase? Hekate by Sara Star

I am happily subscribed to a few blogs that feature daily paintings. One might guess that daily paintings wouldn't be very good, because less time is spent on them than longer paintings. However, that guess is wrong. A high rate of production seems to improve the work, and many of these daily paintings are lovely and fetch a decent price.

I would love to challenge myself in such a way. Regular painting has improved my work already. However, unlike the daily painting folks, I have a full time job. Perhaps for my purposes a weekly painting challenge would be more suitable.


So here goes nothing, I plan to finish^ a painting a week starting now, and I will reassess at the end of October whether to keep it up, slow the pace or speed it up.  Who knows, after two months of a painting a week, a painting a day might seem more feasible.

Donating to SCRAP

sSCRAP by CafeLatte under Creative Commons License

 Donating used arts and craft supplies to SCRAP in Portland is a great way to put your unwanted supplies to good use and help keep them out of the trash. SCRAP stands for the School and Community Re-use Action Project. Donated supplies are used in school programs and are also sold at the Re-use Action Center.

The Re-use Action Center sells your donated canvases, half used tubes of paint and glaze, wood panel scraps, fabric, pencils, and yarn for a few cents or a few dollars. It gets artists recycling and helps artists afford what are often expensive supplies when purchased new.

Donations to SCRAP are tax-deductible and helps artists, school children, and the environment by keeping craft supplies out of the garbage and available for use by kids and artists who need them at a very affordable price.

When I was at SCRAP today, I noticed they could use more card stock, paint brushes, and jars and bottles. They especially looked as though they had a shortage of primers and mediums. I came away with a box full of stretcher bars, used canvases, calligraphy pens, acrylic fluid paints, damar varnish, picture stands, and a pyrograph tool, all for less than 15 dollars.

SCRAP is open every day 11a-6p and is located on the corner of NE MLK & Stanton in Portland, Oregon. New SCRAP projects are being formed in Traverse City, MI and Washington DC.