Oral

Oral
Originally uploaded by Renee paints

I was so excited to receive my copy of the book published for the Canvas Project II. This is the exhibition I painted the 5 small canvasses for, put on by the Arthouse Co-op Gallery in Atlanta. 3"x3"...so small, especially for me. The idea was to express the given word (5 in all) on a small canvas. The exhibit has been at several locations this summer, including the Atlanta airport.
Lots of fun.

Inspiration: It's all wet

Morning Koi
Originally uploaded by Renee paints

It might be the long months of extreme heat we have endured here in Florida this year, that has inspired me to explore water in my newest paintings. I grew up in Florida so the heat and humidity should come as no suprise, but the last few weeks have been especially hot!
I welcome the memories of those summer days spent at Ponce DeLeon Springs cooling off in the clear cold waters of the spring, or swimming in the ocean off Daytona Beach.
My two newest paintings are of koi fish in waters of blues and greens. I hope they evoke a sense of refreshment. I enjoyed exploring the textures, layers of colors and reflections that are found in ponds. I am excited to continue that exploration with several more large canvasses I have just begun to work on. I hope you'll stay tuned and enjoy the view.

workshop demo

workshop demo
Originally uploaded by Renee paints

Saturday, August 8th, 2009 I did a demo at the Fifth Avenue Art Gallery in Melbourne. The focus was on texture and color. I showed several ways to create texture on my painting surface. The next step, before deciding on the composition was to start adding several layers of color.
I took the piece to my studio and continued to work, now planning out my composition. I am now adding paint and making decisions on what stays and what goes. That constant challenge that I deal with until a piece is deemed finished. "Finished", the magic word. Then I get to do it all again.

summer workshop

mountain view
Originally uploaded by Renee paints

I am so happy to have arrived at my favorite workshop destination, Wildacres, NC, located in the beautiful blue ridge mountains. It is lovely here and the weather is quite a nice change from hot, sticky, Florida in July.
The work part starts this afternoon. Lots of new printmaking techniques to explore. I can't wait!
I will try and post some progess as I work this week!

Spaces article

Spaces article
Originally uploaded by Renee paints

I was so excited to see the article, I mentioned months back, about my artwork. It's in the latest (July/Aug 09) issue of Spaces magazine. Maria Sonnenberg wrote the article and Brian Abrahamson was the photographer. "Life Affirming Strokes" is the title of the piece.
I am glad it mentions my mom and dad and their life-long philosophy of giving, that has inspired me to use my passion in art to assist others. It is also great to see several of my paintings in my "collectors" homes. Let me know what you think.
I am packing for my annual art workshop at Wildacres in NC. This will be my 9th year attending the continuing ed summer program of Ringling College of Art & Design. I am planning to do several updates to my blog while I am there to share some of the excitement.

pink lemonade

pink lemonade
Originally uploaded by Renee paints

it's time for a summer party...I am just craving some nice pink raspberry flavored cake and lemonade. This piece is brand new for the Fifth Ave Art Gallery's upcoming show, "Cups, Bowls and Recipes" the show will open on July 3rd. Stop by the gallery for wine and food from the gallery cookbook. It will be wonderfully ful-"filling"
I will have several other brand new food inspired art works at the opening.
Fifth Avenue Art Gallery 5:30-8pm

3Crows

3Crows1
Originally uploaded by Renee paints

I am wondering why the neighborhood blackbirds have decided to ravage the little baby lemons on my Meyer lemon tree. This is the second year I have noticed groups of blackbird converging and pecking, pecking...why? I love the blackbirds, crows, grackles...all those lovely creatures. You can see the painting at http://shop.reneedecator.com/products/three-crows

envelope

envelope
Originally uploaded by Renee paints

love and hearts...envelope the next 4"x4" for the Arthouse co-op canvas project
a little collage with this one

Oral

Oral
Originally uploaded by Renee paints

The next piece for the Arthouse co-op canvas project. "Oral" I was given 5 words to express on these 4"x4" canvasses. this is one big-mouthed boy...

output

output
Originally uploaded by Renee paints

Finally finished a piece for the Arthouse co-op canvas project I signed on to do. 4"x4"...so small makes it difficult, there is no room to waste. 4 more to go...

Mothers Day

I am revisiting this Mothers Day post from several years ago, with an update. I hope you enjoy!

With Mother's Day approaching I thought I would share my most memorable one with you all. I think three years have past since the beauty parlor chair incident.

I like unusual things...things with unexpected possibilities...and chairs, I love chairs.
Driving through back streets on my way to church, I noticed a chair sitting in the side yard of a little block house. The neighborhood is one block from the beach, lots of rental homes most of them built in the 50's and 60's. I was immediately intrigued by the beauty parlor dryer chair with a elongated bullet-shaped dryer; definitely "vintage". I continued to notice the chair, week after week, and commented to my sons that I loved the chair...and wanted to have the chair. I lamented on rainy Sundays, that my chair was getting all wet. I said that I was going to ask for the chair. Many months passed by and on one Sunday...no chair. The chair was gone.

I was so distressed...physically, when you heart starts pounding and you get that pit in your stomach.
I believe it was the following day...I drove to the house, knocked on the door and introduced myself as a local artist, who had noticed the chair that "used to be in the yard" and inquired if something had happened to the chair. Well...the young surfer "dude" that I was speaking with explained that they had moved the chair to the back patio, "yea it's still here...why"? As nonchalantly as I could reply, I said I liked old things and thought I could do something with it. He said that the chair belonged to his roommate, who wasn't home, and I should check back. I nervously wrote my phone number and handed it to him...I asked him to please have his roommate call me about the chair. I was trying not to get too excited...look too anxious.

I waited for that phone call...at least two days. I drove back over, but no one was home. The Friday before Mothers Day I got up early and couldn't stop agonizing over the chair. I woke up my two sons, Jay and Tom and asked them to pay close attention. "I am your mother, and Mothers Day is this Sunday, I want one thing for Mothers Day and I will be disappointed if I don't get it". I remember this moment...I am not proud of it...but I remember it. My oldest son was still in college and the youngest one was in high school; neither of them had any money. I had recently sold some art and still had some of the cash in hand. I counted out $115 and told Jay to take the money and drive over to the chair house and negotiate the procurement. I suggested he see if they would like to give him the chair to humor his mom...and to take it from there. Tom was going along to help with loading and delivery. They returned with a tale of the garbage truck showing up...and the chair was in the truck and they followed it but it turned...a lie. I could tell by their faces, a mother knows. No, no...they had the chair! I was sooooo excited.

How much did they charge for the chair, I asked? Well, Jay says, I asked the guy what he would take and he asked what I thought it was worth...and before I could start with a low price, Tom says,"didn't mom say she would pay $115? Sold...$115.

I still have big plans for the chair...I have had it upholstered in hot pink glitter vinyl, and the elongated helmet top has been repainted, I still need to re-do the chrome legs. I want to call it the get plugged into art chair, or something like that and give it a prominent place at my studio. Regardless...I love the chair, I love the boys who got me the chair, and I can't imagine a more wonderful Mothers Day.

the update...I did get the legs refinished and put it all back together. There are still plans to "customize" it...do a little painting inside the dryer top...perhaps. I love seeing it in my studio! It inspires me to slow down and observe all the exciting possiblities each day brings; and to, not forget to have fun and smile whenever possible.

moving forward

Sometimes things seems to progress soooooooo slooooooooowly. In the past, while preparing for an upcoming exhibition, I have been able to maintain a crazy schedule of working feverishly to create new pieces of art. It surprises even me when I think back to last year and the Road Trip exhibition. I sketched, painted, collaged and printed almost 30 new artworks in the span of 5 months. That was pretty crazy.

Everything comes in cycles. After completing a large series of work, I have to take a break. Put down the brushes and paints and spend a little time in observation. Explore the art world around me and let the creative juices rejuvenate.

I am still playing around with new techniques for acrylics. I want to be challenged and expressive, always learning more about how to communicate through paint and paper and canvas.

Seascape

start and nearly finished

I have overcome the fear of showing unfinished work, too. I hope I convey just how much I love what I do.

Comments Welcome.

I Lost it on Tuesday

"Gnarly but Nice"
It is so exhilirating to paint in an intuitive manner, at least for me. I know one thing for sure with each canvas..."this will be a challenge." It helps to have painted for a while. One of my favorite artists, would tell his students that to be a good painter you had to paint for miles and miles. I think it was a famous quote. I would have a great painting coming along and he would say, "now go home and start 10 more like it". I tell my students that they must paint a lot of paintings before they learn how to develop as artists. You learn something new with each painting. The next one forces you to recall the lessons of the previous. It's sort of like that muscle memory you learn about when you play a sport. Practice, practice, practice.

I don't pre-plan my large paintings. I work on them a while and eventually they ha, ha..."speak to me." Tuesday, I saw this wonderful alligator. He was slithering around on my canvas, part of his head, two eyes, one front leg...I know he was there. It was a colorful abstract canvas with texture and all those alligator parts. The next step is to "capture" the subject. I work out the composition with chalk or paint and try not to lose the little surprises I find so appealing. I have learned that not all paintings proceed in a orderly manner. I have to be willing to change directions or let alligators go. I lost my alligator Tuesday, he just refused to cooperate. All the work of the day was lost.
So today, I start again to capture that magic...just to relax and paint big shapes, color, line. Tomorrow the search begins...

"Swamp Thing"
a previous alligator that didn't get away

one is good, five is better

I am always working on something, or several somethings, at one time. I hear about artists who are intimidated by the big blank canvas, but perhaps because of my process I look forward to starting new work.

Spring seems to inspire new beginnings. I have been looking through some old canvasses that either didn't develop as planned, or did not fit with the project I may have been working on at the time. Some of these were pieces that I was very excited about. I set them aside and wait to see what happens. If after several months, I don't get back to the canvas, I cover it with texture and color and start again. I almost never work on one painting at a time. I like to take a break from a painting I am working on and look at it with fresh eyes. If I have two, or five painting to work on, I can rotate from piece to piece and give them all the time to develop. Started new work is exciting...texture and color and no plan whatsoever. Finishing is the hard part. A favorite artist/teacher once told me that you know a piece is finished when you can take a large painting and visually divide in into many small paintings, and all of them are interesting and finished. That is what I try to do with each canvas.

I will post the progress as I go.

a new triptych I love the colors in this piece

my lovely palette I draw with chalk once I have the colors I want

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Still Working

I have a brain full of thoughts and ideas for new artworks to create. Just don't ask me any questions that require me to recover a long lost number or memory. My brain is too full with diversions of reality. I am still in that gathering mode, which goes hand in hand with spring cleaning. I hope to tackle some of that soon.

I am trying to play with a lot of new materials and reviewing my sketchbook to see where that takes me. The following pieces are in progress. Some are barely started and some are near completion. I love books of all kinds and I am hoping that they will be an outlet for some magical little images.

book cover and book spread (in progress)

summer days (in progress)

More to follow...I am actually working on about 10 art projects right now. Juggling the order, according to my mood after a good cup of coffee each morning. I hope you will stay tuned...

a new path

I have always loved mixed-media. I did quite alot in my show last year, Road Trip, impressions of a memory. I was somewhat restricted (self-imposed) working with subjects that pertained to the Road Trip experience. I have been gathering...aren't all we women gatherers? Rediscovering the oddist objects saved from all kinds of places and events. Sometimes you step out of your vehicle in a parking lot and behold a treasure. I have lots of those. I have a hard time leaving them lying there. I always presume they were waiting on me to retrieve them.

I am starting work on some new mixed-media pieces. I actually loved working on the book project for Hopes and Dreams, (check the previous post for more info) and want to do more, more, more.

As I get started, I am working with a sketch on acid free paper, the number 2, a fairy drawing clipped from an old book, a die-cut tag, an old painted piece of canvas (I couldn't throw away), some yellow plastic binding and assorted papers. I will be applying all of this to a board I have prepared with gesso.

I will try and remember to post new pictures as I work. Let me know what you think.

Still working, it is coming along...

Hopes and Dreams Opens Friday Feb 6, 2009

Finally,

I probably shouldn't say finally, since my artwork for the show is not framed yet. I need to refinish my frame, and it is too cold to use the spray paint. I am hoping for lots of sun today. It is sold though, an area artist stopped by to get a preview of the show, and purchased my entry, "Dream".

Hopes and Dreams, the exhibition to benefit Genesis House opens tomorrow night at the Fifth Avenue Art Gallery. I am so pleased with the exhibit! We hung three strands of the hand pulled prints yesterday. Artists and visitors were asked to write a hope or dream on one. They are hanging above the exhibition's artwork. Several artists friends and I printed almost 200 of them. They are so lovely.

Visitors to the gallery during February 09 will have the opportunity to write on a print and share a hope or dream.

Hopes and Dreams

Hopes and Dreams will open at the Fifth Avenue Art Gallery on Friday, February 6th. This is an invitational art exhibition to benefit Genesis House, a Melbourne organization who assist women who are pregnant or who have children and need a home.

I wanted to do another charitable art exhbition like last years, "Give them the Farm" but for a local charity. Each artist was asked to produce an artwork and a book with "Hopes and Dreams" as their inspiration.

The book has been a challenge for most of the artists participating, including me. Eventually, I started to feel more comfortable working in mixed media with paper, gesso, markers, etc.

Here are a few of my pages.

New Year, New Art News

It is hard to believe that 2008 is over...but here we are on the first day of 2009. I have had a busy year and I am gearing up for several art adventures that will arrive before I am ready. I could put "procrastination" high on my list of resolutions, but I have decided to accept it instead. Wouldn't that be a better way to address our shortcomings...embrace them.
I have determined that I work much more effectively under pressure. I wake early in the morning and start to think about some looming deadline...my pulse quickens, my brain starts to fire off ideas and new possibilities. I leap from my bed in a bit of a panic, and spring into action...after a good strong cup of coffee.














One of the projects just completed is Tweeterville. My son Tom and I created an "Animal Home" for the Brevard Zoo. We decided on a bird nesting community we call Tweeterville. It was a big project and the deadline was a few days before Christmas...but we are proud of our efforts. The primary audience is school-aged children who visit the zoo during their Christmas break. We were encouraged to plan the project through the eyes of a child...not too hard for me. We created nests including the Early Bird Cafe featuring the cuisine of Chef Bobby Fly, Birdbrain "U" with Professor Whoooo-ver (the cute owl that Tom made) and Flyover Park with a working bird merry go round. We made birds from packing tape and red birds from foam and crepe paper. For more Tweeterville pictures, go to my Facebook Album . Tweeterville will be on display with several other animal homes at the Brevard Zoo only till January 5th.and is located in the area of the wading birds, near the food pavilion.

The other exciting art event is Hopes and Dreams, opening February 6th, 2009 at the Fifth Avenue Art Gallery here in Melbourne. This is an exhibit that I am chairing to benefit a local organization called Genesis House. Thirty-five artists were invited to participate and were asked to create an artwork with Hopes and Dreams as their inspiration. They were also provided a blank book to design also using the Hopes and Dreams theme. The books and artwork will be for sale during the month of February and a portion of the proceeds will go to benefit Genesis House, an organization that assists women who are pregnant or who have children and are struggling, in renewing their hopes and dreams.

It is my personal goal to use my gifts to share the love and hope of God. Most artists I know love what they do and are generous with their time and talents when it comes to helping those less fortunate. Part of the exhibit will be a display of hope and dreams banners that our artists and patrons will be invited to write their hopes or dreams on. These will be strung in the gallery above the exhibit and our visitors throughout the month can participate, as well. I am looking forward to seeing the artwork and books for the show. Don't miss this wonderful exhibit which runs from February 6 till February 28, 2009.

For more information on Genesis House, go to genesishouse-shelter.org
Fifth Avenue Art Gallery: http://www.blogger.com/www.fifthavenueartgallery.com

Renee's Art: http://www.blogger.com/www.reneedecator.com

Hopes and Dreams Artists

Renee Decator, Bill McCoy, Beth -Anne Fairchild, Marlis Newman, Witha Lacuesta, Lois Mittleman, Mark Mittleman, Ellen Pavlakos, Pat Catsimanes, Carmen Beecher, Cindy Maronde, Tom Powers, Marg Kuhl, Jini James, Bridgette Guerzon Mills, Linda Graham, Jody Carter, Cindy Michaud, Nina Katz, Elizabeth Kaufmann, Linda Graham, Kaye Shannon, Marti Meyer, Dave Kaufmann, Nancy Mann, Susan Kessler, Suzanne Peiffer, Rudy Pacarro, Dij Pacarro, Lou Belcher, Lori Knerick, Stephanie Gibbs, Arian Armstrong, Lori Jenkins, Clare Zipperly, Julian Bennett and Betsy Heath

Happy New Year to all, best wishes for a exciting and exceptional 2009!