Category Archives: Nature

It’s Thanksgiving already?!?!

Where does the time go? It’s a question I ask myself almost daily. There are hundreds of reasons this question enters my mind but without a doubt each day at some point the reason is because I want to know if I will I get a chance to paint or draw today. Sadly, that answer has been no in recent months but maybe that will change.

Per my typical rants, I blame my lack of creative works on a busy life and demanding job. These can be good things at times; however when it comes to fueling those creative fires, it just gets in the way. Now I am a realist, so I understand I cannot quit my job, move to Italy and live in a cluttered little apartment surrounded by canvases and lovely things but there is a dreamer living in here who is constantly trying to access the situation and find a scenario that would work.

Recently I have been lucky enough to travel, quite a bit to be honest and most recently my husband and I went to New Orleans. Seeing new scenery and experiencing new cultures is always inspiring to me. The laid back, relaxed mentality of New Orleans has me reaccessing my current ways, which include constant worrying, over planning, and staying at work way too long. My sister said it well the other day when she sent me a pic of a quote which stated the following. Find three hobbies you love: One to make you money, One to keep you in shape, and one to be creative. I’m trying to keep this in mind.

So today, after work let us out early for the holiday weekend (and I actually left), I had extra time and I decided not to fill it with some unecessary task. Instead, I picked up my paintbrush and started to lay down color. My mind was filled with what felt like a mountain of ideas but I couldn’t organize my thoughts.  I decided to start with the under painting and build on top of that.

As I sat there watching the paint dry I started to drift. My mind has always had a fun way of seeing things in just about every shape and shadow I see. As much as I struggle to put my ideas down on paper my mind is constantly creating, imagining, and pulling from the abstract to build something more… and so it began. A brush stroke here, a dollop of color there and then some scraping to take those actions back.

Below is the first piece I have completed in recent months that has felt complete enough to share. It’s a smaller piece, approx 9″ x 5″ painted with acrylics on Bristol paper. It has moments from past works, organic aquatic imagery intertwined with feathery orbs and floral accents. To be honest it contains most of the bits that make me happy.

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11/23/2016 Calla Grace Fogarty

All I can say is that I hope that this is the beginning of something new and that I can continue to keep my eyes open and senses alive, Absorbing all the wonders of the world around me. You only live once #YOLO and you have to love what you do!

See you you next time,

Calla Grace

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Cape Escape 3 x 3

Once again I find myself getting inspired while away on vacation in the Cape. Maybe it’s because I had a chance to relax or maybe its because I was able to see A LOT of art. Either way it makes me happy.

First we stopped off at the Heritage Museum where they had a great exhibition showcasing three generations of The Wyeth Family. I was familiar with some of the works but had no idea how talented each family member was. The show focused on N.C, Andrew and Jamie Wyeth. I definitely recommend looking at their work. Each had their own voice but you can absolutely see how their work influenced each other.

The Second great art experience of the weekend was my visit to the Edward Gorey House. I’ve always been obsessed with his works and we figured why not check this place out for a whopping 8 Dollars! The tour was interesting and I loved just getting a glimpse into his mind via his collections, stories, clothes etc. Needless to say I bought a couple more books he illustrated, The Sopping Thursday and The Doubtful Guest, GREAT reads.

The rest of my time was spent wondering around Provincetown, indulging in bevies and foods and just looking. I mean really looking and taking things in not just walking with my eyes open. There is a difference you know.

Cape landscape

The above was an interpretation of something I saw while running in Dennis. It’s by no means an exact account but it gives a general gist. It was a quick, relaxed sketch I did when I returned home.

cape landscape abstract

This was an interpretation of the image above! Obviously more pattern inspired but again a good experience. Now to add some serious depth or color blocks and we would be all set.

Enjoy and see you next time.

 

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3″ x 3″ Weekend Painting Adventures Continues

3" x 3" Image 8

© 2015 Calla Grace Fogarty

Another attempt to explore color and loosen up the brush strokes. I’m a big fan of the vibrant colors but the image as a whole is still undecided. Not entirely sure what this is. Its like I wrapped an Easter egg in fabric and set it against a natural backdrop. Who knows maybe my inner mind is telling me that I want eggs for breakfast or maybe not.

Enjoy and see you next time.

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3″ x 3″ – POST #2

 

It’s weird what you end up painting when  you don’t really have direction. Your mind just jumps around between things you know, techniques you are familiar with, imagery that surrounds you and on occasion that brilliant moment of true creativity. The images below are examples of one or more of those ideas listed above. Fury critters wrapped in bold statements and color washes defined by a few hard lines.

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© 2015 Calla Grace Fogarty

 

The Orb – color washes pushed this image into a more defined image. Still abstract and loose the solidity of the orb brings a really nice contract to the background

 

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© 2015 Calla Grace Fogarty

 

Oh Look it’s a Squirrel – No one should ever be surprised when a fury critter makes it into my imagery. I wont lie that hook arm makes me mental but these are just small paintings that are meant for me and who ever stumbles upon them. So in that light I will embrace the hook arm and move on.

Enjoy and see you next time!

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The 3″ x 3″ Challenge – 1st Post – A fall breeze on a summer day….

A fall breeze on a summer day, probably the most ideal kind of day in my mind. On days like these you can enjoy every moment outside, the early morning peace accompanied by the tweets of birds, the mid day rush of passersby-ers trying to finish up their errands while you sip on a cup of tea and the cool evenings wrapped up in a cozy blanket on the back porch.

When your mind is at peace I actually find it very hard to paint but it is one of the few times I have the time to. I decided a few weeks ago to start painting again. For those who don’t already know there was a serious lull in production but I needed a break after my last challenge. I haven’t decided on all the parameters but currently we have the following…

  • 3″ x 3″ square  image size
  • 7″ x 7″ square canvas size
  • mixed media
  • one day per image

I have not decided on a number of total images or a time frame but maybe I will figure that out eventually. Below are a few of the images I have created thus far.

3" x 3" image 1

© 2015 Calla Grace Fogarty

Backyard Bunnies – inspired by the baby bunnies that took up shelter in my flower bed. I was happy to finally have an opportunity to utilize my own reference photos!

3" x 3" image 2

© 2015 Calla Grace Fogarty

Science/planetary – This was nothing to begin with just a few random shapes. It got a little muddy but at least I got it done.

3" x 3" image 3

© 2015 Calla Grace Fogarty

 Succulents are my favorite! – I know that succulents are only a minor part of this image but its what inspired the piece. Succulents are fantastic. They have the best shape, need hardly any maintenance and have wonderfully vibrant color.

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Three Hundred and Sixty-Three!

This image looks as if Lady Boo Boo (my dog) did Shrooms. Just for all the animal lovers out there I did not give my dog drugs, I just painted her in a landscape that is somewhat hallucinogenic. I started this image a while ago and have been slowly developing it. It still feels unfinished but unfortunately for me I have a deadline and you do what you can. I can always rework it later. Enjoy and see you next time!

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Three Hundred and Sixty-Two!

It’s like a Petri dish. I have been sick for the past few days and as an attempt to ease the sinus pressure I utilized this chamomile mixture that you put into a bowl with boiling water then cover you head with a towel and breathe in. I was sitting there breathing and realized that the flowers, petals and grass that made up the mixture was actually quite interesting. That is what inspired this piece but this is not a replica of what I saw by any means! Enjoy and see you next time!

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Three Hundred and Sixty-One!

Sometimes you start an image with one character and suddenly the image calls for another. That’s exactly what happened in this image. The hand gestures of the male Raccoon indicated he was telling a story. Naturally he needed a date and once I started painting her I was forced to address the background. The painting was totally responsive which is why the formatting is somewhat off. Typically my layout is better. Enjoy and see you next time!

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Three Hundred and Fifty-Nine!

Now this is an image that has been slowly in progress for a while. I struggled towards the end and really feel that the upper left is incomplete but at this point I’m going to call it and if in the future I decide I want to tackle the image again I will. Enjoy and see you next time!

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Three Hundred and Fifty-Seven!

Easter is right around the corner and with it comes Easter Eggs! The simplicity of this image is nice. The light washes on the egg really work well with the contrast of high impact color in the back ground. The background of this image is one of my favorites. It’s refreshing painting in this fashion and without boundaries or rules. Enjoy and see you next time!

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