no. 015 - "a lovely mess"

 

 

© 2010 Heather Hingst Bennett

“A Lovely Mess”

5″ x 7″

acrylic mixed media on paper

No stress here. No frustrations. Just painting and watching the mixing of some lovely colors!

Tomorrow I'll try to get back under control. :)

my creative journey...so far

I am enrolled in Kelly Rae Roberts ecourse, FLYING LESSONS TIPS AND TRICKS TO HELP YOUR BUSINESS SOAR. Today was the first day of "class".

Kelly really makes you think and of course the first thing you want to think about is - where do you want to go? What are your goals?

Before I share with you my goals I thought I would share with you my artistic journey...so far.

It all started in Middle school when I met the most wonderful art teacher...this may be a little too far back. So, let's jump out of the 80's, run through the 90's and imagine it's the year 2003.

In 2003 it actually hit me that I really wanted to be an artist. I had a "creative" job as a graphic designer, but that really wasn't the kind of creative I was looking for. I was looking for the get your hands dirty and on a project kind of creative.

So, I started searching and I wanted to be an artist instantly!! The first creative thing I tried was to be a OneStroke Certified Instructor. Take this class, teach decorative painting. BAM! An artist! Well, it wasn't for me.

I was intimidated to even try drawing or painting. But finally, I started looking around and I saw the work of Paulette Insall, Claudine Hellmuth, Lisa Kaus, Kelly Rae Roberts (to name a few)...and LOVED the whimsical style. But I didn't feel confident that I had a style of my own in painting. I was just seeing what these other artists were doing and training myself.

But I really wanted to be an artist yesterday!!

So, I discovered art quilts. And thought...that's what I'll do. I've had a lot of experience sewing and so I developed a style and had a solo exhibit in November 2008. The exhibit was a success. I sold at least half of what I had exhibited. Then I felt trapped...I was a quilt artist, but I didn't want to be a quilt artist...I wanted to be a painter!!

In June 2009 I finally summoned up the courage to quit my day job. I had been working at this particular job for 6 years, so it was pretty hard for me to leave. I had a lump of money squirreled away and my husband was willing to take on most of the expenses. The plan was to develop a body of larger quilts and seek representation at a local gallery.

Well, I started working...and nothing was happening. I went and dabbled with painting. I tried again...nothing happened with the quilts...went back to painting. I was absolutely miserable!

So, now it's 2010 and I have got nowhere! I was beginning to think getting a job would be the only way to go. Then I rationalized that since I had success with the art quilts I should just keep going in that direction...it was better than going back to work. So I started my "Color Story" series. I have 9 pieces complete in the series and I'm not sure what to do with them.

I don't want to say that I don't want to be a studio quilter, but I keep being pulled back into painting. So, I feel that I really need to give myself a chance to be what I had always wanted to be...way back in middle school and until now.

As a painter I am still struggling with my style. I know what subjects I want to paint, now I just have to work on how I want to present these subjects. Should I work in oils or acrylics? Should I include bits and pieces of papers, and other odds and ends in my work? Is the subject whimsical enough that I just need to paint? Those are questions I ask myself now. It's just going to take some time. I think by then end of the summer I will have a lot of this figured out.

I have more goals that I will share with you tomorrow.

Thank you for reading my story...so far.

no. 014 - "soar"

© 2010 Heather Hingst Bennett

“Soar”

5″ x 7″

acrylic mixed media on paper

Just trying out some new techniques.

"the wedding cake"

© Heather Hingst Bennett

“The Wedding Cake”

from the COUTURE CONFECTIONS series

5″ x 7″

mixed-media acrylic with collage pieces on Ampersand Clayboard

Here's a sweet little piece I've been working on. I latched onto a "bridal guide" at the thrift store a few years ago and like to incorporate pieces from it in my cake paintings.

no. 013 - "polka dot plate"

© 2010 Heather Hingst Bennett

“Polka Dot Plate”

6″ x 6″

oil on gesso board

What a difference a day makes. I sketched it out first instead of going directly to paint. It helped a lot.

Thanks for looking!

"madam no. 13"

© 2010 Heather Hingst Bennett
“Madam No. 13” from the COUTURE CONFECTIONS series< 8" x 10" x 1-1/2" acrylic, collage on stretched canvas

I think I finally got this how I want it. It took a lot of toil and re-working. I especially love the name. She does look like a "madam."

I'm also very excited to be taking Kelly Rae Roberts ecourse called FLYING LESSONS TIPS AND TRICKS TO HELP YOUR BUSINESS SOAR! I'm sure I'll learn a lot, but also hope to meet lots of other creative types. The class starts tomorrow!

no. 012 - "humble pie"

© 2010 Heather Bennett

“Humble Pie”

6″ x 6″

oil on gesso board

Showing humility.

This was a very bad painting experience…the perspective is ALL wrong. Why does the plate look like it’s standing up behind the apples. Yes, those are apples. When am I going to learn to get it right?

Oh, well! There’s always tomorrows painting. I swear since I started this painting daily challenge my paintings have got worse. What’s up with that?!! Maybe it’s just a Friday thing and I just don’t feel like painting a still life.

no. 011 - "lovely lavender"

© 2010 Heather Bennett

“Lovely Lavender”

6″ x 6″

oil on gesso board

This started out like the other finger nail polish paintings with a harsh line indicating the wall and a table, but I decided to try a softer approach on this one. I eliminated the line and blended the background and foreground areas together. I think it looks much richer.

no. 010 - "pinky no. 2" - SOLD

© 2010 Heather Hingst Bennett

“Pinky No. 2”

6″ x 6″

acrylic on gesso board

In the double digits...only 355 more days to paint, but who's counting!

Daily painter, Lisa Daria, just completed her 365th painting. Yeah!

no. 009 - "pinky"

© 2010 Heather Hingst Bennett

“Pinky"

6″ x 6″

oil on gesso board

$15 USD – free shipping in US.

Please contact me to purchase or for more information.

I thought I would try some techniques I use with acrylics on this piece. The circles were made with a paper towel tube.

no. 008 - "orange crush"

© 2010 Heather Bennett

“Orange Crush”

6″ x 6″

oil on gesso board

no. 007 - "spread out"

© 2010 Heather Hingst Bennett

“All in a Row”

6″ x 6″

acrylic on gesso panel

$15 USD – free shipping in US.

Please contact me to purchase or for more information.

It looks like these shapes are in P.E. class and their teacher just told them to spread out.

I think I've had enough of the shapes for awhile. I have by no means mastered them, so I'll be painting them again. Monday it's on to something else. I'm not sure what yet...hmmmm! But I'm definitely going to be using oils!

no. 006 - "all in a row"

© 2010 Heather Hingst Bennett

“All in a Row”

6″ x 6″

acrylic on gesso panel

$15 USD – free shipping in US.

Please contact me to purchase or for more information.

no. 005 - "playing house"

© 2010 Heather Hingst Bennett

“Playing House”

6″ x 6″

acrylic on gesso panel

$15 USD – free shipping in US.

Please contact me to purchase or for more information.

A little more of the painted ground showing through.

no. 004 - "let's make a pyramid"

© 2010 Heather Hingst Bennett

“Let's Make A Pyramid”

6″ x 6″

acrylic on gesso panel

$15 USD – free shipping in US.
Please contact me to purchase or for more information.

Same subject, but in acrylics this time.

I think I did a little better working with acrylics on this painting. I started with a tinted ground in primary magenta from Golden® (fluid acrylic) then I drew a quick sketch of my subject with a colored charcoal pencil. Then I used titanium white from Amsterdam Acrylics (expert) to under paint the different areas of my painting before I painted them in color. I only wish more of the red ground showed through.

no. 003 - "totem"

© 2010 Heather Hingst Bennett

“Totem”

6″ x 6″

oil on gesso panel

$15 USD – free shipping in US.

Please contact me to purchase or for more information.

I think I'm getting the hang of painting these shapes. There is something I'm a little confused about and I checked and doubled checked this. The cylinder and box shapes both have their lightest sides on the left side, while the pyramid shape at the top the lightest side was to the right. The light source is on the left. I'm not sure how it happens. Maybe from reflection from the white walls of my light box? Hmmm....

No. 001 and No. 002

Many changes going on around here.

I started painting a few times a week in January and now I'm hooked.

So I though...why don't I do the daily painting thing! I know this is nothing new and many, many artists are doing this and many have done this. I am going to paint one 6×6 inch still life painting on hardboard. It’s a little experiment…I want to see just how good at painting I can get in 365 Days! I actually started yesterday over on a different blog, but I'm thinking of switching it over here. So, this is a catch up post.

"playtime" - No. 001

© 2010 Heather Hingst Bennett

“Playtime”

6″ x 6″

oil on gesso panel

$15 USD – free shipping in US.

Please contact me to purchase or for more information.

"playtime over" - No. 002

© 2010 Heather Hingst Bennett

“Playtime Over”

6″ x 6″

oil on gesso panel

$15 USD – free shipping in US.

Please contact me to purchase or for more information.

It looks like all the little blocks are headed home for the day.

Thanks for stopping by!

"caliente"

© 2010 Heather Bennett
"Caliente"
6″ x 6″
oil on Ampersand panel

"cake no. 4"

© 2010 Heather Bennett
“Cake No. 4” from the COUTURE CONFECTIONS series
6″ x 6″
oil on Ampersand panel

Let them eat cake! Did Marie Antoinette say this or not?

"cake no. 3" - SOLD

© 2010 Heather Bennett
“Cake No. 3” from the COUTURE CONFECTIONS series
6″ x 6″
oil on Ampersand panel

Today my husband and I have been married for 10 years!

"cake no. 2" - SOLD

© 2010 Heather Bennett
“Cake No. 2” from the COUTURE CONFECTIONS series
6″ x 6″
oil on Ampersand panel

I started painting from life so my cakes would have more dimension. This is the first cake I’ve painted in a long time.