Nadi Spencer Art

Quails and Blackberries

2012-02-12T16:52:00.000-08:00

18x24 acrylic on canvas, 3/4 painted edge. $300.

THIS PAINTING has been in the works for some time now. I took pictures on the South Fork last summer of the blackberries growing along the fence at the Well's Ranch, where I lived for 8 years. I always envisioned quails, but still had very few photos to work from. Since I created the "rock sheet", my quail file has grown considerably.

#23 O Winter Sun

2012-02-09T13:16:00.000-08:00

8x16 acrylic on canvas, 3/4 painted edge, $120.

WHEN I PAINT, I love listening to both opera and screamo (a style of emo notable for its screamed vocals). The phrase "fever pitch" comes to mind. One advantage of opera is that, since the words are usually in a language I don't speak, I can change them to anything I like, and sing aloud my own story.

TODAY I watched Cavalleria Rusticana, a tragedy about love and betrayal in Sicily. Since I was painting the January light behind the trees on the BLM land, here in Three Rivers, I envisioned the trees and rocks singing to the sun. "O Winter Sun... DON'T FORSAKE ME...You are too beautiful..." You get the picture.

HAD SOME trouble at the end, when she screams, "They killed Torridu!" It's a work in progress.

Rock Star!

2012-01-17T15:45:00.000-08:00

THAT"S ME under my "rock sheet". I tried it out for the 1st time last week. I didn't want anyone to see me, at least not until I knew it worked. (I don't mind looking ridiculous if it works, but if it didn't work, I'd just be a fool under a sheet.) A nearby friend has a covey of quails that come around every day to eat the bird seed she throws out, so I thought I would try there. She said they were very friendly and I could get pics easily – I tried without the sheet first.

NO WAY. They wanted no part of me. So I hunkered under the sheet with my lens poking out from a hole and –wow! They ignored me (almost) completely while I took several hundred pictures. Now I wish I had gotten even closer. This is going to be fun!

Searching For Quails

2011-12-31T13:33:00.000-08:00

I HAVE this idea if I sit under a sheet that is painted like a rock, I can take better bird photos. What started out as a search for quail pictures ended up as a drive down memory lane today.

DRIVING up the South Fork, I passed the first house we lived in here in Three Rivers, oh, about 35 years ago, and then I passed what I call the Wells Ranch, when a memory flashed of my youngest daughter walking down the driveway to catch the bus, only to be met by 30 wild pigs. A little farther up the road I drove up a driveway to see the barn where Bron and I lived for 2 years, artwork screwed into slanted walls, surrounded by the quiet beauty of the hills.

BY NOW I felt I needed to complete the journey. Cherokee Oaks turnoff led me to the house on Elk Street, where my 4 daughters and numerous foster children thrived on puppies and kittens and Star Wars for 13 years. It was here that I decided I needed to be an artist. It was here that I left my husband to do so, continuing on with 4 children, 6 dogs and 11 cats, a mortgage and an art business that ended with the split. It was here that I raised my fist (in a tribute to Scarlett O'Hara) and swore I would survive on my own.

I FOUND the house on Ferndale with a letter to Santa. It said "All I want for Christmas is a house to rent. Your elves can call me at..." An elf did call, and Bron and I moved in. Here we discovered if the TV was in a certain spot in my bedroom, we could get "Friends" every night at 7. We also discovered how rich we were in real friends, when so many showed up on my birthday to fence a dog yard.

I WAS crying by the time I finished up with the 2 houses on the North Fork. I have loved every home and almost all of my memories were happy ones. My heart is full today as I remember how rich I am – with family and friends, 2 dogs and 3 cats to share my life, in a great house, in this most wonderful little spot on the earth.

I CAN'T wait to get started with 2012. I wish for everyone a prosperous year, and one filled with the stuff of dreams.

Nadi

Persimmon Turnovers

2011-11-16T13:25:00.000-08:00

10x14 watercolor, unframed. $200.

I LOVE persimmons. For my December recipe card this year I decided to make Persimmon Turnovers. I came up with the recipe, which includes zucchini and onions as well, because they were the only 3 veggies in my refrigerator. Sometimes the best recipes are that simple.

FOR A SPECIAL holiday treat I painted a watercolor of the ingredients instead of the usual photograph. I left off the logo with "recipe inside" and instead put a sticker on the clear envelope- that way you can frame the card as a print if you prefer. The painting is available below. Recipe cards are HERE.

Day 3- Teaching Cubs

2011-11-12T10:43:00.000-08:00

THROW IT AWAY! That's how I feel every time I get to to this stage – on every painting I do. You think I know what I'm doing, and I KNOW I know what I'm doing. But the picture seems to say otherwise...

Day 2- Teaching Cubs

2011-11-10T16:11:00.000-08:00

KELTY BRONWEN, my wise (and 8 years old at the time) daughter once watched me whine about artist's block while working on a mural. Handing me a paintbrush, dipped in paint, she said, "Mom! Just start! Once you start, you know you will just finish it." Great advice from an astute observer.

SO I started.

Day 1- Teaching Cubs

2011-11-09T16:12:00.000-08:00

NOT MUCH to show for working all day. I started this commission piece today. It's called Teaching Cubs, a forest scene of a mother black bear teaching her cubs to fish. It's designed and ready to go. And I told myself I would get paint on a brush just as soon as I read my emails, apply "buy now" buttons to all my online paintings, learn how to use my new scanner, upload the photos for Deane's Christmas card, order brochures, take leaf photos up South Fork drive, put events on my soon-to-be ordered calendars, walk the dogs, and finalize the recipe for December's food card.

AND I KNOW better. Paint first. Some days just don't go as planned.

Aengus and Caer 8- Finish

2011-10-22T14:40:00.000-07:00

Aengus and Caer 7- Solid colors

2011-10-21T11:33:00.000-07:00

BLOCKING in solid colors is next. I still hope to finish this by Saturday. 3 more days to go...

Nadi

Aengus and Caer 6- Black Lines

2011-10-20T10:21:00.000-07:00

BLACK lines are painted on bright orange canvas. I buy my acrylic paint from Artex Manufacturing in Los Angeles. It's called Nova Color and most muralists use it. I love it- and shipping time is amazing. If I order before noon,I always get it the next day. And that's fantastic when you're working on a mural at another location.

TOMORROW I will start painting. I love this part the most...

Nadi

Aengus and Caer 5- Swans

2011-10-19T13:36:00.000-07:00

THIS is my finished design. I'm going to enlarge it to 36x48" and print it out in 8 1/2" sections on my b/w printer, then trace onto 36x48 canvas that has been painted bright orange.

SEE you tomorrow...

Nadi

Aengus and Caer 4- Background

2011-10-18T12:28:00.000-07:00

I NEED a background. I searched my DVD of Early European Photographs 1890-1915, Stock.Xchng online, and my reference files for lake pictures in Ireland. I dropped them behind my figures to get a feel for what I'm looking for.

Nope.

Not quite.

I LIKE the lake.

I LIKE the trees, but...

REVERSED is better. I think I want to combine the lake from pic 3 with the trees surrounding the figures. So I drop out image behind the trees and drop in lake picture behind trees.

THIS WILL work. Now for the other swans...
SEE you tomorrow...

Nadi

Aengus and Caer 3- Swan and Birds

2011-10-17T13:11:00.000-07:00

HEY – I really like my first shot so I'm leaving this. I wasn't sure what to do with the bent knee but it worked. All the parts of the swan are from different photos. They are scanned in to my computer, the backgrounds are cut out and then each piece is placed around and behind the girl. Each piece is on a separate layer, which lets me move them around until I like the fit. All of this is done in Photoshop, which cuts my designing time into 1/10th the time it would take without Photoshop.

4 BIRDS added to Aengus. This is done the same way as above. Each bird is drawn, scanned in, put on its own layer, and moved around until I'm happy.

WHICH makes it easy then to place him in front of Caer. This is my basic design. Not sure where to go from here.

TOMORROW I'll figure it out. See you then...

Nadi

Aengus and Caer 2- Models

2011-10-16T12:14:00.000-07:00

STARTING a design is fun. I have my story and now I need to decide how I will tell it. I can't say everything – I must pick elements that will be exciting to look at and at the same time depict this specific story. I can visualize a man holding a swan while becoming a swan; I can also see two swans in flight. But I think I want to show the moment when Aengus reaches for Caer, that split second before she vanishes.

MODELS will be necessary. I've been told I lead a charmed life. Whenever I need something, I find the universe to be very generous with her gifts. Yesterday, my daughter and her boyfriend, world-traveling trick-riders in the equine show Cavalia, arrived for an all-too brief and infrequent visit. Landon is beautiful with long blond hair and Alex has an athlete's body with long curly hair and beard. Serendipity.

PHOTOS of every kind are found in my reference files. I've been collecting pictures for 4o years and, even though the internet is amazing for research, I still like to browse through hard files. There's something about the smell and feel of 40 year-old pages. I have hundreds of swan pictures – I really liked the pictures with wings out-spread. And now I can see Caer in a similar pose, maybe with a swan behind her. And that's it – I see my painting. Not complete, but Landon and Alex leave tomorrow so here goes....

TOMORROW I will show you how I meld the swan's figure with Landon's. At least that's what I think will happen. See you then...

Nadi

Aengus and Caer 1- The Story

2011-10-15T12:07:00.000-07:00

REPOST from 2 years ago!
ON 1ST SATURDAYS, I participate in a town-wide art festival here in Three Rivers, CA, opening my studio to visitors to eye my latest project, enjoy food and drink, and listen to story-teller Rae Ann Kumelos tell a tale from her radio show "Voice of the Animal."

PASSION is the theme this month. Passion for art, passion for people, passion for life. This is a month to celebrate those you love – to call a faraway friend – to send candy and flowers with a heart-felt missive. So, I'm trimming my studio in red, white and black and looking for a story to paint. Rae Ann has chosen "Mating For Life," accounts of monogamous animals, and one segment is the Celtic myth of the passion of the love god Aengus for the swan-maiden Caer. It goes something like this...

AENGUS was the god of love. He was very handsome and about his head flew 4 of his kisses turned into birds (some say that's where the XXXXs at the end of a love letter come from.) Aengus was adored by many women and he was happy with his love-life until, one night, he had a dream in which appeared the most beautiful woman in Ireland. But when he reached out to touch her, she disappeared. A year went by and every night the woman appeared, sometimes playing beautiful music on a harp. And at the end of a year, she vanished.

AENGUS was by now in love with the maiden and grew despondent. He stopped eating and became very ill. Many physicians tried and failed to cure him until, finally, he was diagnosed with love-sickness. After searching Ireland for 3 years, his parents found the girl Caer, discovering that she was a shape-shifter – living alternate years in human and swan form.

AENGUS was told by Caer's father that he could marry her if he could identify her as a swan. He was sent to the Lake of the Dragon's Mouth where he found 150 swans. He stood in a man's form at the edge of the loch and called out to Caer, who answered him, saying she would come to him if he promised to let her return to the water.

AENGUS kept his promise, turning into a swan as he held her in his arms. They returned to the water and then flew into the sky together, singing a song so sweet that all the people of Ireland fell into a peaceful sleep for 3 days and 3 nights.

Hmmm... I think I have my story. For my next post, I will show you how I develop a composition.

SEE you tomorrow-
NADI

Final Painting

2011-09-15T12:51:00.000-07:00

I got bored with the individual posting of each section (as I'm sure you did), so I finished each of them but waited until now to post the finished painting. That was a blast!

Painting #3

2011-09-10T10:33:00.001-07:00

Painting #2

2011-09-08T20:02:00.000-07:00

Painting #1

2011-09-08T09:35:00.000-07:00

Eight Makes One

2011-09-05T19:28:00.001-07:00

OK- Family holiday was great and now I can't WAIT to get back to work. MY NEXT CHALLENGE (these are really keeping me entertained) - I am going to paint 8 paintings, using only blue, brown, black and white. They will all be painted on one canvas, and when finished will become 1 painting. Sounds like fun, huh?

Yay! Mission accomplished!

2011-08-20T13:29:00.001-07:00

I DID IT! 80 paintings in 80 days! I wasn't sure I could, and there were times I wanted to just watch TV and NOT paint. The art was posted daily on Facebook - the response amazing! It turned out to be a wonderful learning experience. I was able to see Three Rivers (and Exeter) with new eyes, I was able to make instant decisions, and I have a new respect for Facebook.

TO THANK everyone who purchased one of my "paintings -a- day", I had a drawing to give away paintings. I went to Colors Art Gallery, where I found Anne Haxton, who offered to draw the winning names.

AND THE WINNERS are:
$100 painting - Debbie Jo Byrd.
$50 painting- Nancy Schroeder.
$25 painting- Carol Greninger.

A Painting A Day

2011-08-07T17:35:00.000-07:00

WENDY McKELLAR of Colors Art Gallery and I have an art show running from June 1st to August 19th at the Creative Center in Visalia, CA. Just for fun, I challenged myself and her to create a painting a day for the duration of the show That's 80 paintings. For my part, the paintings will be painted either en plein air or in my studio. Either way, each piece will be a scene captured in the 2 miles between my studio and my home. I will post here daily. Enjoy my home town!

All paintings are acrylic on canvas unless stated otherwise.

Nadi

Painting at William Shatner's Hidden Garden

2011-05-06T11:06:00.000-07:00

I JUST had a fabulous opportunity to paint at the site of William Shatner's riverside retreat here in Three Rivers, as part of an amazing garden tour held on April 16th. The Hiddens Garden Tour of Three Rivers was sponsored by the Three Rivers Union School Foundation, as a fundraiser for the local school. Six foothill gardens were open to the public, along with food catered by local restaurants, music, and art.

THANK YOU, William Shatner, for graciously offering to share your beautiful Belle Reve Ranch for this one day special event.

ARTISTS of the area were invited to be part of this tour, offering an environment where guests could watch us paint on site. I jumped at the chance. I had seen the river space before, but never in this capacity. Two weeks before the event, I took my camera to get photographs for local advertising, and spent an hour soaking up the beauty and serenity of this magical place.

THE PROPERTY is located in a little valley created by Salt Creek Ridge and Dennison Mountain. Most of the flora is native to the Sierras, boasting oaks, sycamores, grasses, ferns, and even a grove of baby giant sequoias. All the paths, which eventually lead you to the river, are donned with life-sized redwood sculptures crafted by R.L. Blair, the artist who created Country Bear Jamboree at Disneyland. He designed his statues of Yokuts men, women and children, just as if they were alive today – weaving baskets, carrying wood, and passing on tribal stories to the young. Prehistoric mortar holes, in granite slabs overlooking the river, further enhance the feeling that you have time-traveled. I was so inspired that I decided to paint these Yokuts – as real as they appeared to me that day.

Basket Maker

2011-05-05T12:02:00.000-07:00

Here is the original photo.
I design most paintings in Photoshop. I removed the large tree, which was a distraction, and I already had this picture of my friend Fabi, from another project I worked on several years ago. Same position!
The 22x28 canvas is then painted bright orange, and black lines added.
Colors are filled in. And details added. I had intended on just starting this and finishing it on the day of the event, but it was decided that the artists could sell their work, so if I was to have a booth, I couldn't paint as well. I ended up finishing 3 paintings in advance, and worked on one at my booth. And by working on, I mean talking to guests all day.

This painting SOLD, 5/7/2011, $450.

Yokuts Woman

2011-05-04T12:29:00.000-07:00

Original Photo.

Fabi's sister Marilu poses for this.

Orange and black....

Colors filled in....

Finished. This painting is also available at $450.

Yokuts Story

2011-05-03T13:09:00.000-07:00

This was painted on a 36 square canvas.

Josephina Belman and her grandchildren Jamie and Fabilu, along with my grandson, were my models.
Almost done.
Finished. On the day of the event, I had all 3 finished paintings on easels set up at the spot where I painted them. I sold this one at the event, $650.

Robin Eggs

2011-03-28T13:31:00.000-07:00

ROBIN EGGS are warm and comforting. It might be their color, or tiny size, or maybe what they represent – new beginnings. For me, they are a means of time travel, an instant journey back to a 10-year old me.

I GREW UP on a vineyard. Each spring, my brothers and I would grab our little notepads and, in my organized manner even back then, traverse the rows, searching for birds' nests. We very carefully peeked into each vine, documenting each find, and then following the progress of each nest until, at last, all the baby birds flew away.

SOME EGGS didn't hatch, while others were eaten by small mammals or other birds. And it always broke my heart to scribble, "Dead hatchling– not strong enough." Occasionally we got to see the parents feed worms or bugs to the babies. It was so exciting I couldn't sleep some nights.

SOON the nests were empty, and we moved on to new adventures. We ditched our notepads and found other ways to amuse ourselves, not giving nests another thought – until the next year, when it would seem like just the best idea all over again.

I painted Robin Eggs on 16 x20 hardboard panel, which I cut with a jigsaw. Original available, $250.

Blue Window 4

2011-03-22T17:49:00.002-07:00

Well, finally – here is the finished painting. I finished it 2 days after the last photo, but it's been raining ever since! I like to take my photos outside. While shooting this I leaned it up next to a wall and I liked how it looked, so tomorrow I am going to shoot it hanging on the red shed next door. It needs a background in order to make prints. Thank you Jerry Jonnum for the hook- I love it.

Blue Window 3

2011-03-01T10:37:00.001-08:00

To do the lace, I printed the lace exact size and taped it over painting – placing a sheet of carbon paper between print of lace and painting. With a ball point pen I marked the dots. To paint the dots with acrylic paint I use a #1 point brush that I have let paint dry on. The hairs are stuck dry and only the tip touches the painting. (I discovered this great use of a ruined brush because I am quite lazy when it comes to clean-up time.) The lace you see so far took a whole work day to complete.

Blue Window 2

2011-02-14T17:27:00.000-08:00

THIS took 2 days- sorry, I forgot to post it. I've now added the red, green, blue and white. Some was taped off, some free-handed.

Blue Window

2011-01-17T12:42:00.000-08:00

WINDOWS intrigue me. They can invite you in or shut you out. They can brighten your day or leave you feeling lonely. From either side they give you a glimpse into another world.
LAVINIA MARIN of Bucharest, Romania shows her photos on Stock.xchng and has graciously given me permission to paint her photograph of a blue window. I love the bright bold paint colors juxtaposed with lace. I am going to paint this on plywood that has been cut to the shape of the window in the Trompe L'oeil style. The overall size is 36" x 48" so it will give the impression of a real window when hung on the wall. I am using 1/2 inch plywood cut with a jigsaw.

I CUT the shape, puttied the edges with Elmer's Wood Filler and then painted with a thinned Nova Color acrylic wash, using various old-wood colors. I then painted on 2 coats of Clear Protector sealer on BOTH SIDES of plywood. I can now paint my picture.

TAKING FROGTAPE, I mask off the most obvious black lines. After painting in the areas black I mask off other obvious sections. I need to section off the parts of the painting so I can see what I'm doing. GETTING BORED with straight lines so I played with the lace for a while. I'm a little nervous about the lace. There's a lot of detail and I have failed with lace in the past. Wish me luck. OOPS! I forgot to pick up my grandson Miklos at school. See you after lunch!

Lorikeet 2

2009-12-12T16:39:00.001-08:00

WOW. Sorry folks. I just couldn't get back to this. Actually, I hit a snag when I got to the green feathers and I kept finding other projects to spend time on (running 1st Saturday in Three Rivers and framing 20 paintings for my show in January, to name 2)!
RAINED all day today. So my grandson and I painted at home with the heater on. Nothing like the rain on a metal roof with a 4-year old sharing watercolor expertise. I learned a lot.
I PAINTED the lorikee's head in watercolor. It was working fine. But when I got to the body feathers I quickly decided to switch to acrylic and gouache, first painting solid black, red and yellow areas and then, with a fine pointed brush, painting lines of color. Much better. So this is now a "mixed-medium" painting. Whatever works!

Rainbow Lorikeet -1

2009-10-10T13:56:00.000-07:00

I JUST LOVE this photograph of a Rainbow Lorikee. I didn't take it. Sarah Williams (user name MeHere) of Brisbane, Australia did. She is one of hundreds of photographers that share their work on SXC.hu, a leading free stock photo site.

SXC.hu was started in 2001 as an alternative to expensive stock photo sites. The images are free and you can use them for almost anything – web design, artwork, inspiration. They are high-resolution photos and are easily searched by topic. There are some restrictions- in some cases, the artist wants to be notified, and sometimes you need to give them credit. Some just want to see what you did with their image. And it is very simple to contact the artist – a click away. My favorite comment quoted in a photographer's intro came from Asif Akbar (user name asifthebes) from Mumbai, India, who said, "You can use any of my images without permission. Life is short, but there is always time enough for courtesy." Wow.

I ALMOST ALWAYS use my own photographs in creating my artwork. But I am going to paint this bird – because it makes me so happy! And those feathers – I can already see the wet watercolor spreading on the page. Follow me- I'll show you how I do a watercolor.

I LIKE different watercolor papers but I especially like the inexpensive Strathmore 400 series because it lets me pick up color easily, and I think I will be doing a lot of that here. My image is 14 inches by 10 inches. Let's get started.

FIRST, I wet an area with clear water. Using cobalt blue, I drop large amounts of paint in the wet area. I don't have to hurry to remove highlights in the feathers because, with this paper, I can do it easily even when dry. In the upper right area, you can see where I have removed color to look like feathers.

FILLING IN the black is next. I can't wait to see how it will look (and not at all sure how I will proceed) so I leave the blue (which has already started to bore me) and go forward with the black and adding opaque blue on top to make feathers life-like. Yeah- I like it – so now I can go back and finish the blue area. The red beak is pretty straight-forward. Wet the beak with clear water (this keeps the paint in any given area), drop on large amounts of red, then orange and yellow, then pick up white highlights.

1st Saturday in Three Rivers

2009-09-19T14:17:00.001-07:00

FOR THE PAST 5 months, on the 1st Saturday, I have invited people into my studio for a free lunch, the recipe from my latest recipe greeting card. As an artist, I need to have a constant flow of creative energy and I get it from many sources- looking at artwork, listening to music, pasting in my "I Love Scrapbook". The main source, however, comes from the people I interact with.

NADI'S TABLE 1st Saturday has been fabulous. What can I say – good food, good people – lots of laughing. (OK– and lots of compliments.) And, sure, I made sales. But, more than money, I need to be passionate. Those who enjoy my studio and my art are all talented people in their own right- and it's that bouncing off each other's ideas that I love. It's such a rush.

THIS MONTH is the kick-off for an event that grew from my little endeavor. 1st Saturday in Three Rivers will start on October 3rd. It embraces the whole down-town. Musicians, dancers, artists, restaurants, even a story-teller– are all joining in, offering specials, refreshments and entertainment. If you want to stay later to enjoy the drum circle, stay the weekend – there will be discount rates at hotels. And of course, don't forget my studio. I will be serving Roasted Oranges and Bell Pepper Soup – free as long as it lasts!

To find out more, click on "1st Saturday in Three Rivers" above.

Nadi

Character Counts! Mural

2009-08-25T12:03:00.001-07:00

THIS IS my Character Counts Mural that I just painted at Monson-Sultana School. It is 12' high by 25' wide. Sorry- I meant to show it in progress, but got behind on my schedule. Posters are available for you teachers out there. Just click on the title "Character Counts" above.

Til next time- Nadi

Turkeys!: Day 4, Finished Painting

2009-08-11T15:21:00.000-07:00

I BELONG to 2 women's groups, a canasta group of 8 that has been meeting once a month for over 30 years, and a newer group of 9 women that meet to discuss important parts of our lives (WOW- Women of Wisdom). At the WOW meeting last night I realized that we are TURKEYS! In both groups, we are a rafter of non-laying hens that flock together – too old to lay eggs, but with a lot to live for! So this painting is dedicated to all the hens in my life. Thank you ladies – you are my teachers, my support, my friends. I love you!

COLORS are blocked in.

DETAILS are added. I love it! Thanks for joining me. If you have any questions, just ask in the comment section. I'm happy to answer questions.

Nadi

Turkey!: Day 3, Black Lines and more...

2009-08-10T14:43:00.001-07:00

I PAINTED the black lines and started filling in color. I am having so much fun with this picture. I am having 8 women for dinner tonight at my house – the food is all cooked and the table decorated so I snuck away to paint at the studio for an hour or so. I hope to finish this tomorrow!

Nadi

Turkey!: Day 2, Designing Painting

2009-08-09T12:09:00.000-07:00

FIRST I decide on a canvas size. I picked a 20"x 24" for this one and then opened a page that size in Photoshop. Next I paint the canvas bright orange, so it will be ready. I've taken a lot of turkey pictures, but I don't have any egg or hatchling ones. So I found this in a book I have, along with other pictures of eggs etc.

NEXT, I need a hen – which this is not. You can tell by the beard hanging and the leg spurs, but mostly because of the pink head. I did like the stance though. I think I can use this.

I FLOP the picture, take off beard and spurs, then add a foot. The background is transparent (not really white).

I DROP in the hatchling picture behind hen.

I MOVE one baby forward by cutting and pasting in front (each piece is on its own layer in Photoshop, and layers can be moved in front, behind etc.) I had to cut hen's right leg, separate it from the hen layer, put it on its own layer, then move it in front of chick. Now it looks like the hen is standing over all the eggs.

I ADD leaves to bottom.

I DROP in several different backgrounds and liked this yellow best. Because the hen is dark, I liked the gold sky behind. But I'm still not happy with the hen's body- not enough happening.

THERE! I can live with that. Now I will print this out (it is already sized 20 x 24). I print out on letter size paper and tape them together. I am now ready to paint black lines on orange canvas.

Turkey! 1

2009-08-08T09:44:00.000-07:00

I LOVE turkeys. Maybe because of Thanksgiving – turkey decorations mean great kitchen smells and lots of laughter. But how much do I know about real turkeys? Not much.

IT'S TIME for a treasure hunt. That's what I call the hours I spend researching information that I have let remain undiscovered all these years. So here are some fun facts that I learned today.

THE WILD turkey is smaller than the domestic turkey (which has been bred so fat that he tips over),and has red, instead of brown, legs. The small bumps on the head are called caruncles. The appendage that droops over the bill is a snood. A turkey can fly 55 miles an hour and outrun a man. His eyesight zone is 300º (as compared to an owl's 70º), has acute hearing, a poor sense of taste and almost no sense of smell. The turkey has no homing instinct – if taken to a new environment, he just makes it his new home. Grown turkeys roost in trees at night.

THE MALE (tom or gobbler) can change his head colors in seconds – to warn off other males or to signal females for mating. His snood dangles when he is hot, sexually aroused or fighting. He has a beard that juts out from his chest and spurs on his legs. In spring, he mates with as many hens as he can and takes no part in nesting or rearing of the poults. A male less than 2 years old is called a jake.

THE FEMALE (hen) is half the size of a tom, has a bluish head sparsely feathered, has a tiny snood and a few caruncles. Her plumage is controlled by hormones, so if her ovaries should be damaged, she would grow the feathers of a gobbler. Because the hen can sometimes have a beard and spurs, the most reliable way to distinguish them is by head color. Toms have a pink head, the hen's is blue-gray. After mating, the hen becomes a loner. She will lay from 8 to 13 eggs per clutch. After leaving the nest to eat, she will return, taking a different route each time, often flying the last 100 feet, to confuse predators. Poults open their egg with an egg tooth that will fall off in a day or two. This is called pipping. During the 2 days of hatching, the poults imprint on the hen, and get to know all their siblings. After leaving the nest, the hen will often watch her brood from afar, and even feign an injury to gain attention from a possible predator.

A RAFTER (or flock) of turkeys comes in 4 types: hens with their young, hens not successful in hatching poults ( up to 20), adult gobblers (up to 25 birds), and young gobblers that have left the family flock. There is a peck order and rank is achieved by fighting. There is fighting among gobblers, as well as hens; in fall and winter there is also fighting between flocks, in which whole groups participate.

TURKEYS have about 30 different calls. Here's a few:
Gobble – Come to me, mama.
Whippoorwill – Back off buddy.
Rattle call – Fight! Fight!
Alarm putt – Danger. Danger.
Cackle – only used when flying.
Yelp –I'm lost!
Whit-whit – I hear ya- this way.
Predator alarm – Eek! I'm being attacked!
Distress Scream – My babies! My babies! Help!
Pit-pit-pit – Careful- I have a funny feeling.
Peeping (from inside egg) – Look out world- here I come.
Hatching yelp – Mama's here, you're safe.
(Poults learn their mother's individual voice at this point, while in the egg!
They must also imprint when hatched or they will be confused their entire life.)
Lost call – Maaaa-maaaaaa. Where are you?
Singing alarm – Look up! Danger above! (AT which point, all turkeys look up.)
Purring – Y'all still there? Let's keep together.
Tree yelp – Good morning. All here? Let's have a good day.

MY PAINTING is going to be the hatching event. Stay tuned.

Nadi

2009-07-31T10:32:00.000-07:00

Join me at
Nadi's Studio
41838 Sierra Drive, Three Rivers, CA.
the 1st Saturday of each month
from 12:00 to 2:00
to taste my latest vegan recipe.

August 1st
Potato Soup
Blueberry Scones with Irish Whiskey Spread
Blueberry Iced Tea

Special Musical Performance by
Jesse and Fabi Belman

To see how I painted the picture and created the recipe card,
scroll down to read blogs below.

Lughnasadh Painting: Day 7, Yay! It's done!

2009-07-22T15:55:00.001-07:00

Well here it is finished. And just in time. Tomorrow I will bake my Blueberry Sun Bread again, set up a still with this in the background, and take a picture for my recipe greeting card. Then I will order cards that will arrive barely in time for my Nadi's Table event which I host at my studio every first Saturday of the month. You are all welcome to join me to try my bread and blueberry tea from 12:00 to 2:00.

SEE YOU there!

DON'T FORGET to check out my Lughnasadh painting on prints, shirts, cards, mugs, and more on Cafepress! Click on title of post above.

Lughnasadh Painting: Belt, Day 6

2009-07-20T18:14:00.000-07:00

I FOUND this photo of a celtic knot. I took it into Photoshop and distorted it to fit the belt. I flopped the image for other side of belt. This saves me lots of time redrawing it to fit the shape.
NOW I just have to trace it onto canvas.

I FILLED in wheat next.

NINE PM, and I'm going home!

Lughnasadh Painting: Color! Day 5

2009-07-19T15:39:00.001-07:00

I LOVE color! Today I painted in solid colors, not really thinking about the variations of color that will go on top. I'm mostly concerned with the balance of light and dark, and also blues and golds. Don't forget this painting is 36"x48", so there is a lot of ground to cover. This took about 6 hours.

I SHOULD finish this by Tuesday. Then I will bake the Blueberry Sun Bread and set up a still-life with the bread and the painting for my recipe greeting card.

Lughnasadh Painting: Black Lines, Day 4

2009-07-17T15:28:00.000-07:00

I DECIDED to wing it tomorrow at the Fowler Library reception. If I give it too much thought, I will freak out. I figure if someone asks a question I can definitely answer it. So I worked on another watercolor this morning and then I spent most of the day working on this.

THE DANCERS had to go. I wasn't happy at all. It seemed unfair that some were dancing and some still working. It didn't work both ways, so I picked the workers. I liked the composition better this way, but I did struggle. And I'm still working on Renny's eyes. Actually, it looked a lot like Renny – not what I intended though.

BACK TO the easel. I have two hours before I have to get ready for Canasta.

See you Sunday, Nadi

Lughnasadh Painting: Day 3

2009-07-15T17:06:00.000-07:00

I WAS HOPING that I would get the black lines on my canvas finished today, but I worked on a watercolor at home while watching 4 episodes of Project Runway this morning. So I got a late start. However, I started this as a daily post, so I guess I have to show you how much I did today. I will finish lines tomorrow – then color! I hope you are enjoying this- I have to say, it is pushing me to get this done. Thank you! 'Til tomorrow – ciao! Nadi

Lughnasadh Painting: Day 2, The Design

2009-07-14T12:46:00.000-07:00

I HAVE my idea, now I need to pick the elements I think will tell a good story and also be fun to paint. Right off the bat, I know I am doing blueberries. Great color and shape, and because of their size I will put them in the foreground so I can enlarge them. The color will bounce off nicely with the complimentary oranges and golds of the wheat, which will be my main theme. (I'm thinking blueberry bread of some sort at this point for the recipe card.)

SCOURING my reference files, both hard copy and online, I find images that represent what I'm seeing.
I WANT a woman picking the berries, not sure where she is looking yet. Maybe at the raven. A WHEAT field can go in the back. I like this one with the sea behind.THE RAVEN is too small. Since he represents Lugh, the sun god, and has made all this possible, I am going to have him interact with the woman, who is happy for his generosity. I find a face (my daughter Renny) that has the look I want. The raven now continues the circle of the blueberries and I like this.A CELEBRATION needs to be happening – the harvest is almost finished. RENNY needs some Irish clothes and maybe a headdress. It would be hot in the sun in August, picking berries.MANY, MANY changes took place as I went along. I just gave you the basic process. I'm pretty happy with this design. The beauty of Photoshop, which is the program I use, is that I can enlarge or reduce, flop, and change position of each item at will. I tried the woman facing the other direction, I tried the dancers bigger and in other areas. I kept coming back to this. I will make a black and white copy of this now and transfer it to my 36"x48" canvas that has been painted bright orange.

SEE YOU tomorrow!

Lughnasadh Painting: Day 1, The Concept

2009-07-13T15:02:00.000-07:00

I THOUGHT it might be fun to show everyone how I create a painting- from concept to signing. It's really fun. I am very organized; I have binders and binders of ideas and starts of projects, and that is where I generally begin. But not always. Point in case – this week's painting. I wanted something different for my August recipe greeting card that I will have ready for my Nadi's Table event on August 1st, where I serve the recipe to anyone that wants to try it.

SO WHAT is celebrated in August? Nothing makes me happier than to search for info on the internet! I learned that August is National Golf Month, National Picnic Month, and Romance Awareness Month. We celebrate the birth of the internet on August 1: Vertumnalia, the festival of Vertumnus, the Roman god of seasons, gardens and orchards, is celebrated on August 13th (which is also Blame Someone Else Day). We have Ice Cream Sandwich Day, Toasted Marshmallow Day, Pony Express Day and, my favorite, Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Night (August 8).

BUT WHEN I read about Lughnasadh (pronounced LOO-na-sa), the Celtic festival of the first harvest, I knew I had my painting – and my recipe.

LUGHNASADH is the gaelic word for August and is named for Lugh, the Irish sun god, who is associated with the raven, light, and agricultural fertility. On August 1st, Lugh celebrated the death of his foster-mother Tailtiu, the last queen of the Fir Bolg. Tailtiu died from exhaustion after being forced, by her enemy, to clear a forest for planting. Festivities centered around the grain harvest, which was needed to get the tribe through the winter months.

FARM FOLK picked the first wild blueberries, and sang when the crop was abundant, for a good berry crop meant a good wheat crop. There was dancing in the field, and sometimes a wagonwheel was set on fire and rolled down a hill. It was the day for handfasted marriages, where a couple could marry for a year and a day, until next Lughnasadh, when they would either commit or stand back to back and walk away to dissolve the marriage. People gathered to exchange news and settle disputes, to sell wares, to tell stories, and to compete in games and horse races. There was great feasting, with the baking of bread an important ritual.

TODAY, Lughnasadh reminds us of the importance of belonging to a community, of working and playing together, of achieving success through group effort. It is a time to share your bounty with those less fortunate and to help friends and neighbors. It is a time to let go of things no longer fruitful in your life and open up to the bounty of things to come.

TOMORROW I will show you how I get started.

'Til then – Nadi

"I Love" Scrapbook

2009-06-15T21:45:00.001-07:00

"I WISH I could paint. It must be so exciting being an artist!" If you are an artist I'll bet you've heard those words many times, and, if you're like me, you agree- most of the time. But what about those days when nothing inspires you- when you wake up and find that you don't have a challenge to jump into? You know what I'm talking about. And now you're scared. Did I choose the right career? Am I tapped out? What if the passion is gone? We've all been there.

I HAVE a quick fix. It's called the "I Love" Scrapbook. Get a cheap sketchbook, 9 x 12 is perfect, and a stack of magazines. It's time to cut and paste- two words that summon memories of Kindergarten- and let the child in you loose. There's one rule. You must love anything you paste in this book.

DO THIS activity just for yourself. You can't make a mistake and no one will ever see it unless you wish to share it.

BE CREATIVE. I like to do color schemes. I file by color (which satisfies my inner organizer), and when I have plenty of clipped pictures, I spend a lazy morning in bed with scissors and a glue stick. Ahh, so rejuvenating.

The BEST PART is yet to come.. The next time you need inspiration, take a ten-minute break and browse through your new plethora of pretty pages. The colors and images will instantly raise your spirits and give your creative mind a jump start.

BEWARE! Your scrapbook is extremely revealing. You might not want to show it to just anyone. One Christmas, after graduating from starving to struggling artist, I gave each of my four daughters a sketchbook, a pair of scissors and a glue stick, with a plan to meet one year later to share our masterpieces. I can only say that when we did , I declared that Christmas the best ever. Each book was so delightfully original and personal and we learned so much about each other.

SHARE your book with family and friends. They'll love it. The year my mother died, I gave her my latest creation and suggested she look at it over a cup of coffee some morning. She called me a day later and said, "Oh, Nadi. I never knew you."

OVER TIME, you will start to see another benefit. Small and large items pictured in the book will start to appear in your everyday life. You'll notice that your bedroom is now red and that there is a Great Dane sleeping in your living room.

YOUR BATHTUB is outside and you're wearing multi-colored boots. You seem to have accumulated lots of dishes!

SO, start cutting.
I promise that you will see a change in your work, your home and your thinking. And you'll be hearing yourself saying, out loud, "Wow! I love that!"

New Calendars!

2009-06-11T17:26:00.000-07:00

I will have these and other new calendars available before the end of the year in my studio and on Cafepress. I am very excited and hope you enjoy them. Nadi

ACEOs

2009-05-31T14:00:00.000-07:00

What is an ACEO? It stands for Art Cards Editions and Originals. They are highly collectible miniature pieces of art. These cards have only one rule - they must be 2.5" x 3.5"- the size of a Trading Card. The craze started 2 years ago by an artist on E-Bay who wanted art to be available at affordable prices. Now anyone can own original art.
Art cards can be displayed in many ways, and they make charming gifts, alone, framed, or tucked into a greeting card. They fit into Trading Card albums and magnetic card holders.
Some are prints, some are originals- make sure you know what you are buying.
Here are my new Aceos. I've just joined in- and what fun! Mine are all original paintings in watercolor or acrylic. They can be purchased at 1000Markets.