Philosophy in a romance???

by Rain Trueax

Since doing a word for word edit with a book from my backlist, I've been thinking more about philosophy in my books. First of all, I should define what I mean by philosophy. I am using it as a way of thinking about the universe, the world, and culture. When we look to philosophy, it is to ask basic questions as to what life is all about.What we find can be taken into our own lives to help us in the future or be discarded if it does not fit.

There are, of course, philosophers, some famous for generations, whose words many generations have looked toward for truth that fits what they know of life. But, philosophy itself is about our own way of thinking as well. It asks the question-- what principles guide your life, your decisions, your view of the world? Do you know? Do you look for books to challenge and help you form your own views?

Sometimes the thinking comes from poets and a phrase will leap out. I have always been a collector of such words. The one by Robert Frost didn't make it into Luck of the Draw, but it fits the story. "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference." It has been a guiding principle for my own life that I not follow what everyone else does-- unless it fits my life.

by Diane, On grooming our flower garden for painting

Every evening a black cat crouched in the cosmos waiting for the unwary finch. So in an effort to make the hunt more difficult, I pulled yet more cosmos.  Don also continued his war against the invasive clover threatening to cover and smother all low growing flowers.

 

A small baby garter snake hiding in the damp cool of the clover
is one of the healthy benefit of weeds.

 I  was dutifully pulling the top leaves off the clover,
 when I spotted this wee little one.
Now I wonder if we should
think more about wild habitat in our gardens.
Clover is also good for adding nutritive nitrogen.
Yet the greener clover spreads over flowers mercilessly.

I like the clover carpet when it is just recovering from
being somewhat scooped  with hoe and shovel.
Roots remain: The clover grows back.
Constantly grooming clover is more back breaking labor than what we want to do.
Past years Don covered the clover with mint compost.
Fall crocus used to push its way above the mint compost.
Recuperating from gall bladder surgery,
Don is waiting to spread mint for a few more weeks
until his ten pound limit is lifted.
The mint is so strong it stinks and grows
ugly orange fungus
 and with the slightest disturbance clouds of mold spores rise.
Even smolders as it decays!
When the mint is first spread,
all my painting of the garden is from my studio window.

 

 



We agree only that a change is needed in our flower garden next year.

More plants that tolerate dry conditions!
More plants that will be compatible with wildlife.

 

how it begins

by Rain Trueax

If you are wanting to become an author, the first thing you will hear is write to the market. It makes sense. See what is out there and find your own version of it. There is nothing wrong with that for painters or writers. It's not though how I've done it and hence-- here's how it works for me, the process I use, which varies with the book, of course.

Often, I start with location, a situation, and then who might be involved in it. Once in a while, the situation and the who might be reversed. Most of the time though location is the initial inspiration.

by Diane: How much money is my painting actually worth? Not the purchase price?

WANTED THESE SOLD PAINTINGS
The money received for a short time
made me feel good
but now these paintings would be
more valuable for me to study.
 

 

How much money a painting is worth depends on the person -  the artist or the buyer. Obviously the amount the buyer is willing to pay for the painting is how much the painting is worth to the buyer. Right? No! Some buyers like bargains and want to hear the painting is worth more for their self satisfaction.

 The first time I was asked was in 1965 by Hale Wellman who purchased  several watercolors of palm trees painted in Tucson, Arizona. For insurance purposes he wanted to list my paintings as his belongings.  Since his daughter was one of my best friends, and my husband and I were newly married living as students on a tight budget, the paintings were very reasonably priced to sell. Hale wanted to know their actual value that must be different than what he paid. It crossed my mind that they were not even worth as much as he paid. Putting a monetary value on art is a superficial construct of our capitalistic society. Paintings were like gold ingots to keep wealth. At the time I was dumbfounded by this question making me see art in an unfamiliar light.  I do not recall rising above being wordless.

Even if not including the sentimental attachment I have for the memories my paintings give me, the worth of all my paintings are priceless to me. The value I have for them can not be measured in dollars. The true monetary value of my painting is not something I usually have in mind. I should hope my work is worth more money than the cost of the materials. But is it worth a salary for the amount of time I put into living and working with each painting?  Figuring that way I am working for free even if I sell a painting now and then for hundreds of dollars and once a few times for $1,200. Does it pay for my education and experiences that went into painting? Not even close!

What I make in money is less and less important to me in my senior years.  In 1965 I was encouraged by all sales when I needed the income for buying more art supplies. The small budget years when my husband was a graduate student  at the University of Arizona, I enjoyed going to the student store and buying supplies for a small fraction of what they cost now. Knowing the money came from someone who wants to have my work was a boost to my ego. But the supplies did not last and neither did the glow from the sales. my patrons from the 60"s have either down sized and in many cases have passed away. Some work has sold on e-bay or the Portland Art Museum Rental and Sales Gallery for several paintings that were once part of the  First National Bank Permanent Collection.

These days all my older work informs my new work. I welcome my older paintings back into my collection. Some friends have put my paintings in their will to go to me or my family. I am willing to pay to get the work back.

Fairy Tales for Grown Ups

by Rain Trueax

Recently during a good conversation about many things, a friend told me she was unwilling ever to read my paranormals. She has been supportive of my romances, but a world with demons and monsters was a bridge too far. My mind is much on these books since I finished the rough draft of my seventh in a series called Mystic Shadows.

I didn't ask her specifically about what she feared from them because that's her business. If she's uncomfortable with something, then that's enough reason. I can think of possible reasons she might have concerns, which led to this blog.

by Diane, Overcoming painter's block recipe - benefits and shortcommings

Starting July 31st my past four Wednesday blogs were about the development of two similar paintings.

I declare them finished this week.  At least for the foreseeable future!  Their titles might be  MY DREAM #1 and #2. The  recipe for these combined three entities - our garden, a painting surface already covered with textured paint.  Henri Rousseau's painting, THE DREAM was an interesting start because I enjoyed the lush forest.

The first painting has more of Rousseau's symbolism that led me to see changes in meanings of symbolism between 1910 and today. Also needed a larger surface. In the second painting.  DREAM #2  became more personal with symbolism from  life closer to my home garden.

One of  the personal symbols was my husband Don's and my sculpture of Nessie.  I wanted to commemorate my wild garden that we both created but will be replaced by easier to maintain plants in a drier climate.

 Another entity in my formula is the surface. DREAM #2 was painted on top of an incomplete abstract became the surface. I borrowed much of the original abstract for the overall coloring of the painting.



 This week I attempted to resolve MY DREAM.

 
 

Mine symbolizes mystery and female renewed, creative flow.

Rousseau's has female symbolism of renewal, peace plus esoteric mystery.

Some of the subjects are shared and  may have different symbolism.

Mermaid by our front door

 Summation of the benefits and critic of my experimental recipe to banish painter's block

This new adventure followed a dry spell when the sightings of foxes abruptly terminated my last series of immediate reactions to what I was seeing of them.  Hopefully the foxes went closer to the river where their pray wouldn't be warned by the snapping of dry grass. As we saw fewer and fewer fox we worried that the mountain lion sighted in our neighborhood took them.

Writing was a positive part of my process keeping me thinking, photographing, and researching origins and symbolism of plants and animals. Writing about the experience, I want to add in retrospect, was as important as the three entities in the formula to overcome painter's block. A fifth entity is a strategy of determining when the painting is finished.

 If  the summer had not dried up the garden plants,  if the yellow jackets did not pester me, if I wasn't about to pack for travel, I would have been tempted to add some birds, and define the pears and peaches, or add surreal Koi fish flying about.  Adding more was becoming work instead of fun. So my final hours of painting was devoted to looking at the abstract composition of color values, compositional contrast to bring some flowers and the snake to more dominance. I made the background darker and more purple to help to make the moon more noticeable.

I am happy with the painting.  Thank you Rain for making me a co-author here.
Stay tuned. In October I foresee another need for a painter's block formula. Painter's block often occurs after life's interruptions.

 

the heart and the catalyst

by Rain Trueax

Another interesting dream that I am still mulling over with two symbols that seemed possible to have meaning.