Highlights from Paris

I am finally back from my trip to France. It was a wonderful experience immersing myself in a different culture. Come with me on a quick trip to France as I share some of the highlights of my trip.

              The stained glass dome ceiling of Galleries Lafayette

      The Beauty of Parisian Architecture (especially the roof tops)

                                  The Gothic Grandeur of St. Eustace

                              Quaint Medieval towns with Castles

                                French Desserts! Ooh La La!

                                 The Eiffel Tower at Night

                             A Walk Along the Seine River

                          The Romance of Paris at Night

                          The Rose Windows at Notre Dame

                               Monet's Garden in Giverny

                      The Louvre (highlights of my visit to come soon)

                           The Opulence of Versailles

                    My Favorite Fountain. A Fallen Giant in Versailles

                        The Stained Glass Splendor of St. Chapelle

   Spiral Staircases, Spiral Staircases and MORE Spiral Staircases

                                       Fashion in Paris

                                       Old vs New

                            Awesome Street Entertainment

I hope that you enjoyed your brief trip to France! I'll be sharing some my sketches/ paintings from the trip as well as pics of my favorite artwork from the Louvre, d'Orsay, etc in upcoming blog posts. Stay tuned!

Have a wonderful week and thanks for visiting! :)

Painting in Progress

I leave tomorrow to go to France with my family. I have never been and am excited to immerse myself completely in all that art and culture! I'm also grateful that I've been given this amazing opportunity to be with my family. It will be wonderful to be able to share all of this with them.

I am hoping to be able to keep up with this blog while I'm gone,but as I'm not sure about the internet/computer situation over there, I felt that it would be smart to post something now before I leave. This is the current painting that I am working on. Perhaps it is because of my little sister having a little girl of her own, but I've definitely been finding myself drawn towards the pure, beautiful love that a mother has for her child. Either that or my "biological clock" is finally ticking.... yeah, right! Hahahaha! Anyway, I've been doing a lot of mother/child related sketches in my sketchbook and have finally taken one of them and am bringing it to fruition. I have always wanted to work on wood, but never really gave it a chance. This is my first time working on it and I'm really loving it! It feels so much more natural to me than painting on canvas.

Here are some quick mother/daughter sketches that I have done in my sketchbook.

Here are some images from the painting I am currently working on.

 I'm having a lot of fun with this one and am sort of sad to be going on my trip right now, only because it's inevitably going to effect the momentum that I've worked up with this piece. C'est la vie!

I wish everyone the very best and hope that you have a wonderful June! See you again in two weeks! (sooner if I can.... )

Medium vs Value

Should a piece of art's medium dictate the value of a finished piece? This is a question that I have been asking myself a lot lately. I have noticed (especially at art and craft shows) that people will often be drawn towards my work. However, once they find out that my medium is polymer, they casually toss it on the table as if it no longer has any value. I have been quite baffled by this response. An artist who works in precious metals will have pieces with an initial value simply because of the medium used, however I don't think that their work should be regarded as more valuable than something made of a different medium. A simple pair of silver hoops can be melted down for their silver but they shouldn't have more value than a piece of art jewelry made from humbler beginnings of clay or beads. Every artist must take into consideration the cost of materials and the time spent when determining the cost of the finished piece. The archival quality of the piece must also be considered. An artist who works in pencil or charcoal will typically charge less for their work than someone working in oils. However, I don't think that the difference in medium should determine whether the piece of art holds any value. When purchasing a piece of art, you aren't paying for the medium(s) used. You are paying for what the artist has CREATED with those mediums. Here are some examples of what can be done with some humbler materials...paint on cardboard,  a pencil and paper, some beads, a bit of clay and most importantly, a lot of talent and imagination ...

                                               
                                                  
Toulouse Lautrec- oil painted on cardboard

                                        
                                             

J.W. Waterhouse study for Hylas and the Nymphs.
                              

                                 
                                         
Sun Face Goddess Necklace by Beaded Art Jewelry

                                          

Citron Ruffle Collar by Elise Winters- polymer clay

These are pieces that are beautiful and inspiring. They show that value of art lies not in the medium but in the talent within the artist's hands.

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful week!