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What makes you feel most whole?

For over a century now, thanks to the invention of portable tubes of paint, artists have been packing up their painting gear and heading to the big bright outdoors to paint plein air. Winter, spring, summer, fall, daytime and nighttime. I must admit I am hooked, too. I started painting on location as a little girl with my family. My dad would lead us to the greatest nearby spots to paint and sketch and I continue to this day with my husband, Howard Friedland, and many artist friends. I love it! From our back yard to the exotic corners of the world, it is all calling to me to paint. What a thrill to be standing at my portable easel, smelling the air, feeling the breeze (hopefully not too windy) and gleefully accepting the challenges of painting plein air.

"Bear Market" 10x12 oil by Howard Friedland

Howard created this painting depicting one such outing. He wrote a great description of that afternoon to include on the back of his painting. I thought you would enjoy his adventure and his painting. Here it is.

Grizzly Encounter

written by Howard Friedland

The bear depicted in my painting “Bear Market” pictured above is the Grizzly that I saw in this story.

“Close Up and Personal” as they say.

 A few years ago, a couple of artist friends and I were painting in Glacier National Park.

 We had just set up our easels behind the campground at Many Glacier, a spectacularly beautiful area of the park. We chose a mountain scene that was visible beyond a nearby creek. The other two painters set up along the bank of the creek and I chose a spot about ten feet back.

Soon after we put our first brush strokes on our canvases, I heard my friend Tom English yell out “BEAR! BEAR!”

Just then, I looked up and saw a grizzly bear ambling up the stream in our direction.

Immediately, I pulled my canister of bear spray out of its holder and pointed it toward the bear with my outstretched arm. The other painter with us did the same. At this point the Griz was no more than 20 feet away. My heart was thumping out of my chest! I knew, if he wanted to attack us he could have just leapt and been on us.

He sniffed at us for a while (it seemed like an eternity) and proceeded to continue ambling up the stream, which thankfully turned away from where we were. It wasn’t until I knew we were out of danger that I realized, rather than whip out his bear spray, Tom whipped out his camera and took several photos of the bear.

What was he thinking?!!!! 

Anyway, Tom was nice enough to share a photo of our encounter with the Grizzly bear.

 I decided to paint this painting to remind me of just how close, this “Close Up and Personal” wild experience was.

Howard Friedland

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My Gosh, I love to teach!

My new classes for 2017 will start soon ( as soon as I get the information out to everyone) and I am thrilled to be working with so many wonderful artists, new and old friends. But I didn’t always want to teach. Actually, originally, I was terrified of teaching.  I find it so interesting that the very thing that you feel so afraid of, one day stands up and challenges you to try it. God is like that! That was how I ended up teaching artists and absolutely loving it. 

Years ago in 1975, I followed my former husband to the exotic country of Pakistan. (Yes, the world really is my play ground ). The Lahore American School had hired my husband and I knew that I could find a way to be useful, too. In the meantime, I had great plans of painting and sketch my way through the country. Ha, the school had other ideas. They knew that I was an artist and figured they could talk me into teaching once I arrived. Little did they know that they would have to work for it. Once I got wind of the plan, I avoided them all. I was scared of teaching. One day, at a Friday night party, the Board of Directors for the school cornered me. 

Three days later I was the new art teacher for Junior High, High School and Adult Educational Classes for Lahore American School in Lahore, Pakistan.  I knew nothing about teaching, just loved people and loved art. The Superintendent of the school handed me a stack of useless books on making lesson plans and said that I started on Monday at noon. That was the longest weekend of my life. I agonized over what and how to teach. Finally I devised a lesson plan that centered around the concept that art was all around us and in all of our daily lives from the clothes that we wear, to the magazines, tools, etc. From that point on, everything we did that year was centered around that concept. Sure they learned to draw and do lots of artsy stuff. But what was really happening to them? Their fear of art and fear of lack of talent disappeared. What happened to me? My fear of teaching vanished in the first week. 

As they melted into artists, so did my heart. I fell in love with helping people find their artist within themselves. I was so hooked and still am to this very day. Those kids, from all over the world and their parents that studied with me at night, opened a world to me that is incredible. Through teaching I learned to express the inexpressible world of art. I brought all of my learned classical art training from the deep subconscious up to the verbal conscious. No longer would I stand in front of art and say I like it or not like it. Now I can expound, in great length, on the whys and why-nots of a painting. Thank you Lahore American School for pushing me off the safety zone.  Thank you wonderful students for helping me become a teacher and loving it! I am so glad that I took the challenge. It has changed my life and my career! From that time on, I have taught all over the country and the world and loved every minute and every student!

But wait... read more!

And it keeps getting better!!!!

In the past 5 years, my artist husband and love of my life, Howard Friedland and I have painted and exhibited twice in China and taught workshops all over the USA and Europe. Twice we have been been main speakers and demonstrators for the Plein Air Conventions and Expos!  We both have taught classes and workshops for decades (giving away my age again) and love it. We will never stop learning and passing that on to other artists. 

Oh, and by the way, I did paint paintings in Pakistan, a lot! While I lived there for 3 years, I had a terrific studio, painted every morning for 4 hours and taught in the afternoons and evenings. I had three solo shows of my paintings. The last show was a complete sellout! Now that is a great memory!

Teaching is exhausting. It takes tremendous energy to give to my students all that they deserve and more. There was a time in my life that I leaned so heavily into teaching that my painting time was almost snuffed out. Then there was a time in my life when I stopped teaching. Neither was a good plan…..Through the years I have learned that I can balance my painting time and my teaching time. Both are necessary in my life. I love giving back what I have been given for all these years.

Great news! Howard and I are starting On-Line Painting ( Oils and Watercolors ) and Drawing lessons ! 

I am just now setting it up ( big learning curve). Stay tuned! 

Susan

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Sunday, January 8th, 2012 was a very special day for many reasons. I will tell you why in just a moment.

For 46 years I have been a professional artist, 32 years as a watercolorist and the past 14 years as an oil painter. During that time, I have done hundreds of shows and created hundreds of portraits. I love painting people. Many, many of these portraits have been commissions and it has been my highest honor to paint loved ones for a family.

In December of 2011, I met with a couple, Valerie and Cam Gould. They love portraits! Their home is filled with paintings and sketches of generations of their family members. They asked me to paint a portrait of their daughter, Christie. She was 25 at the time, however, they wanted a portrait of her when she was three years old. Out came the albums of photos and we had a great time looking through images of this little red curly haired tyke, finally settling on one image.

Like many commissions that dig back into the past, there are always challenges. Sometimes the photos are faded or damaged, or in black and white. The old photo that we chose this time was a terrific image of her little smiling face, but it, too, had a sizable share of things that needed to be changed. For starters, it was a very tiny photo. The size of her entire body was less that 1 inch high. However, the light wrapping around her face was priceless. I was determined to use this photo. Back in the studio, when I tried to enlarge it to see her face, I realized that the photo became grainy and out of focus. (When this is the situation, I am so grateful for the years and years of painting and thousands of sketches that I have done studying faces.) Another challenge was her clothes and the environment she was in. This old photo was taken at a play ground, she was dressed in typical play clothes and sitting on bright colored inflated balloon bags at an amusement park. The setting and the clothes just didn't do her face justice, so using the inspiration of her little face and her body position, I set out to create a painting that would ooze with charm and innocence.

We went back to the other old photos of her to find clothes ideas and the right environment. We found some photos of her in a darling timeless old fashioned dress – perfect, I decided to use the dress. Then, looking at another photos, I decided to have her seated on the old brick steps of her childhood home. Now the background and her clothes fitted her sweet face. By softening the background to colors typical of a garden, I created a portrait that let her darling face reach out to all of us.

Now, getting back to the big event of Sunday January 8, 2012. From the very beginning, my clients were extremely excited to host an unveiling party for this painting. Never before or since, in all the years of my painting and drawing commissions, have I ever been honored with an unveiling of my work at a client's home! I thought that perhaps a few of their friends and neighbors would stop by, a lovely thought and I was very pleased. This event was set for Sunday January 8^th, 2012.

On the Sunday the 8th, Howard and I arrived at the Gould's early in the afternoon to set up the painting. To my amazement, it wasn't going to be a small gathering. Instead, there were beautiful plates of food and candles set out all over! 60 friends and neighbors had been invited to this gala catered event. As the afternoon slipped into evening, more and more people arrived. It was a huge success! Everyone was thrilled to see the painting. What an honor to have my work presented in this way. It reminded me of the royal portraits through the centuries and how they were always presented at an unveiling for the court. I felt like a rock star!

Christie 24x20 oil by Susan Blackwood OPA AIS

A big huge thank you to the Gould's for this wonderful memory, for trusting me with this awesome commission and for hosting that incredible unveiling! We all had a great time! That Sunday was a great day of connecting with old and new friends, and old and new memories. I will never forget it!

Artists have so much fun!

Susan

What to paint the children in your life?

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A New Year,

It's a New Chapter, A New Day, A New Morning, each of us get this gift today. Embrace the possibilities of it all! Throw off the chains that are holding you back, dream big! Don’t be intimidated by the largeness of this opportunity, instead look at the next few minutes as the beginning of your new plan.

Keep it simple; it is easier to stay the course. But plan big -  no plan Bigger than that! Reach for the stars, not just the rooftops.

Then write it down. Commit it to paper. That will make this dream more real. Think of one step that would take you closer to your plan. And you are on your way. Change begins in our hearts and in our brains. These are the greatest journeys of all. Think positive thoughts; believe it will happen, look for the beginnings. It may take time, but wonderful journeys are worth waiting for. Let your journey begin today!

Susan

Happy New Year!

His Light 18 x 14 oil by Susan Blackwood

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