Friends and Fall Colors

Already packed for my trip up to Saratoga Springs, NY. Woooot!!!! I went up there last fall to do the commission you see here on this page for a good friend and client. This painting I've posted is from her property just outside the town of Saratoga. I also set up a little studio up there so I have some place to go that's quiet and away from the hustle and bustle of my main studio in Puerto Rico. It rained the whole time I was up there last October, as you can see by the light of this painting, but my friends assure me that good weather is forecast for this year. Yay!!!!

New catalogue of paintings

I am happy to announce that I now have a catalogue of paintings available in two versions. One is for internet viewing and the other can be downloaded and printed. The catalogue presents the paintings that I currently have available for sale in my studio. My friend Philippe Pascal of Philippe Pascal Media and Marketing created and published this for me and I have him to thank for the layout and design.

If any of you are interested in receiving the catalogue, either version, please just pop me an email and I'll get one out to you right away.

Life is good!

The Masks We Wear

Had a wonderful day in Second Life on Sunday! Started off with a lecture/discussion by my fellow avatar Emile Sands on the topic of masks and how they relate to the concept of avatars in a virtual world. It was fascinating. Afterwards we had a formal masquerade ball at a park across the street from my gallery where the lecture was. A Second Life jeweler made 8 custom masks for the event that were free to everyone coming to the event. We had a great crowd that stayed all 3 hours and best of all... I sold a LOT of paintings!

I have made a lot of serious contacts in Second Life in relation to my work, but it's also so much fun just being able to fantasize. I live in a very "casual" environment, and have neither the time nor inclination to dress formally. But in Second Life.... it's a hoot!

Another avatar friend of mine in Second Life, Wynd Ling, who owns a sim devoted to creative design in a virtual world has written about the ball on her blog. Check it out here!

First Place Award

I am thrilled to announce that my painting "Metamorphosis" was awarded First Place in Galeria Fusion Islena's collaborative exhibition with Puerto Rico's East End Art Guild. The purpose of the exhibition, titled "Simbiosis" was to meld the artistic efforts of the Art Guild with those of the gallery's. The Guild members, of which there are over 100, were asked to submit 2 pieces of work for consideration. The 28 chosen artworks were then displayed in an exhibition that opened in the gallery (located in the Centro de Bellas Artes in Caguas, PR) last Saturday evening, August 22.

The gallery owners asked leading members of Puerto Rico's art community to then award what they felt was the cream of the crop. I am so honored that they selected one of the 2 paintings I submitted for the top award.

This painting represents a new turn for me in my work is taking. It is a tremendous validation to receive such an honor at this point. It is a technique that I feel totally "at home" working in and to have it recognized affirms that I am heading in the right direction.

Life is good!

A visit from Tortola!

I'm so excited! I have a student coming over from Tortola (in the British Virgin Islands) to take 3 private watercolor sessions with me! Woot! She has come before but it's been a while since I've seen her and it will be such a treat to have her back. Each session is 3 hours, with hands-on, step by step instruction in the process of making a transparent watercolor painting.

It's a relaxed setting, the 2 of us working alone surrounded by the vista down to the northeast coast of Puerto Rico, laughing and chatting not only about the technique of watercolor, but our lives as well. I am so excited to have this opportunity!

Life is good.

The irony of it all

Just sitting here thinking about the process of making art.... the point of it all....for me anyway. I can't help but think how ironic it is that I require solitude in order to make something I want to communicate to the world through.

Hell-o out there?

Sign up!

I am now working on 2 newsletters.... one for real, honest to goodness LIFE and one for my virtual life. Why the two? Well, if you sign on to the first one, you'll get updates and musings about my exhibitions, workshops, projects and whatever. If you sign up for the Second Life one you'll get updates about where I'm exhibiting in the virtual world. For any of you sl'ers out there, my avatar name is Littleone Aries. Look me up!

If you go to the homepage on my website, you'll see where you can sign up from there. You can unsubscribe at any time so not to worry about me following you in to eternity!

Uh oh...here we go again

Well, here we go again. I've started another big painting that I'll be bringing to this blog step by step. I've just posted the underpainting, which is the phase where I just let loose and throw some paint down on the canvas and let it do its own thing. My philosophy is that the "truth" of the artist comes out in such random work and I will attempt to honor this truth throughout the painting process. The dynamics established at this stage of the painting will dictate the direction it will take from here on in.

This is an oil painting on canvas, 30 x 30" square. I've got my work cut out for me but I'm excited.

Life is good.

Tuesday mornings at Treehouse

Why spend Tuesday mornings at my TreeHouse Studio?
1.) It's a relaxing, peaceful and inspirational environment to work in.
2.) If you're not painting, it will give you focus and create a special time for you to do nothing BUT paint.
3.) I can help you with projects and ideas you have banging around in your head that can't seem to find their way out and on to the paper.
4.) I can teach you. I am an experienced painter in watercolor, oil, acrylic and mixed media.
5.) I will share with you my thought process in the projects I myself am involved in.
6.) You can watch me work and ask me questions about the process.
7.) IT'S FUN!!!!

Hours: 9AM - Noon on Tuesday (I will notify you if I am unavailable)
Location: The TreeHouse Studio, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico
Fee: $25.00
Reservations are necessary. Email: monica@monicalinville.com

Second Life Exhibition Brings Me to YouTube

Ah, technology! I opened a beautiful exhibition of landscape oil paintings at Holly Kai Estates in Second Life yesterday. HondoMesa Kidd (Dennis Kinsey in real life, a professor at Syracuse University and owner of the independent record label Hondo Mesa Records) provided the music with truly passionate, wonderful renditions of blues and/or rock music. The collection of paintings I'm showing depict some of the environment that surrounds me here in Puerto Rico, in this case, lots of beach and coastal scenes.

Nber Medici, co-owner of this lovely golf, sailing and flying sim uploaded an HD video of the gardens with my art work showing and of Hondo playing one of his great tunes. Take a look! It will give you an idea of why I find life in Second Life to be so fascinating. The clip is titled "Art in the Gardens, June 10, 2010"

http://www.youtube.com/user/NberMedici

Life is good.

Rockin' the Kasbah

Hey! Check this out! I'm tickled to be featured in this blog. That's me.... Littleone Aries....my Second Life personna.

Thinking like an artist

Well, we're in to day 3 of my "How to Think Like an Artist" workshop here at my studio in the foothills of Puerto Rico's El Yunque Caribbean National Rainforest and we're having a ball! The focus of the projects is to teach the students how to work WITH their paintings and not ON them. I also believe that creative people are problem solvers, so the projects I have developed purposely leave the students with major hurdles to overcome, using the basic elements of painting to do so. It's intense and it's hard but it definitely makes them think and they try things they never would ordinarily do in their own studios. Teaching is good for me too as it reinforces these same elements in my brain too! Sometimes I get lost!

Life is good.

New news! Yay!

Greetings from the tropics! Took a little time off from blogging but I'm back to share a bit of news. (after a gentle prod from my friend, website designer and marketing guru Philippe Pascal).

First and foremost I'm really excited about now having a mailing list that you can sign on to for updates of workshops, exhibitions and newly completed projects. Just go to the home page on my website and sign on to be kept up to date on my activities. You can unsubcribe at any time.

And speaking of workshops, I started my "How to Paint Like an Artist" Creative Watermedia Workshop yesterday here at my TreeHouse Studio in the mountains of eastern Puerto Rico. The goal of the class is to teach my students how take paintings beyond technical mastery and in to the realm of artistic mastery. There's a difference, trust me. I'm enjoying students from both here in Puerto Rico and from the Virgin Islands. These are great days spent making art while perched on a little mountaintop overlooking the northeast coast of the island. Need a break from painting? Just look up and out over the sea. Inspiration returns quickly.

Lastly, my friend from Second Life, Carla Jarnhilde, a Swede from the international community that IS Second Life, posted the nicest blog entry about my work. I just wanted to share it with you. Her words truly touched me. It's her July 3rd entry. When you've been working at the easel as long as I have, it's wonderful to know that what you do impacts other people positively. I'm very grateful she took the time to write this.

Life is good.

ta daaaaaa

"Evolution" is complete.... ha! As complete as evolution can be! I have found great comfort to let paintings simply "let loose" from inside me, although it is as difficult a process as painting a subject that I have painted many times and know so well .... sometimes even more so. I can only hope that I grew as an artist in the same way that this piece grew as a painting. I would hate to get lost along my path.

Evolution? We humans have it backwards. We think that because we know how to build buildings and cities that we have evolved. While to some extent this is of course true, it is not our own evolution.... we evolve because nature evolves, and we'd best not forget it. At the end of the day, nature trumps man...always.

The Aries Sessions

Yesterday was the start of something quite special, I think. We've started a series of panel discussions at one of my galleries in Second Life. The panel consisted of 3 artists, a visual artist (me), a poet (Stosh Quartz) and a musician/writer (Rosedrop Rust). DaVince Isle Arts SIM owner Ppmediadev Blinker posed the questions. The panel will change for each event.

The questions focused on the artistic process as experienced by artists working in the different genres. They were truly thought provoking questions and the discourse that followed was fascinating. It seems no matter the medium, the creative process crosses all borders of expression.

The Aries Sessions will take place once a month on the second Sunday of each month. The time will be announced. For some in depth, intellectual conversation, please join us.... from the comfort of your own home!

Old friends

I was looking for something totally unrelated when I stumbled upon some photos of watercolors I did for my first one artist show at La Liga de Arte in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. It's been a long time since I've seen these paintings (the show was in 1996) and it was like running in to old friends. The show was an exhibition of paintings with which I first experimented with superimposing 2 distinct drawings on top of each other and then working with the result. I apply what I learned by doing this to my Magical Realism paintings of today. Happiness is revisiting one's roots!

Creative Painting Seminar

There is no greater freedom than flying, I think. But to do so you need wings. I am teaching a Creative Painting Seminar at my studio here in Puerto Rico from July 5-8, 2010. This workshop will give you the wings to soar creatively and with confidence. It will teach you the basic elements of painting that, with practice, will allow you to take flight without being "technically tethered" to the ground. It will teach you to work WITH your painting and not ON it, resulting in a work that not only reflects your skills but your emotions as well.

We will be working with watercolor and/or acrylic on paper along with a surprising assortment of other mediums and materials, some of which are included in the price. Classes include lectures and discussions, hands- on personal instruction, critique and and the end of the final class, a casual exhibition/closing party to which you may invite your family and friends.

A 50% deposit is required to secure your space in the class. Space is limited, so contact me as soon as possible.

yup.... same painting

Yup... this is the same painting that I've been posting as a work in progress. I have now titled it "Evolution" as that has been exactly what the process has been like.

I'm always pushing myself forward...sometimes it's more like slogging. This painting has been like pulling teeth for me.... bringing it out of the mess I created with the underpainting and in to uncharted territory for me. My work is usually "softer" I think .... more organic. But the tides need to change, as with life.

Perhaps that explains the waves.

A bit more progress

Well, I'm moving slowly on this piece but I think I'm making progress. I'm really liking the movement and am trying to do everything I can to honor that and enhance that. I'm now working WITH the painting, not ON it, so we're talking to each other.... hopefully in the same language!!!

Moving along slowly

Well, I've been living with my underpainting for a while now, picking at it and trying to make some sense of it. It wasn't working. I was getting too "nitpicky" and not feeling the dynamics of what I had established with the underpainting. The poem has a beautiful, quiet strength to it yet that's not what I was seeing happening with my work. I don't know that the image seen here is clear enough, but there are some wonderful, peaceful swirls gracing their way through the painting. They were what was important to me when I did the underpainting, yet I was ignoring them once I started to try and put this thing together. Also, I had the reds fighting with the blues, neither dominant so it just created more turmoil. I was frustrated. Showed the piece to a friend and his response was.... quote... "if I lived in Puerto Rico I would come kick your a...." LOLOLOLOL What he meant was I needed to trust my spirit, I think, and let go of what I've done with paintings in the past and let this one take me forward. Sooo..... I went in to the painting seeking some peace. Life is good.