CartaBella

l'Artista Blog

June 5, 2008
by Bonnie Porter
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AFTER WORDS

AFTER WORDS
After blogging, yesterday, about my life as a juggler, it hit me (a thought hit me, not a ball) that there are a number of reasons why I am able to stay grounded more often than not.

Besides my faithful cheerleader team, ie., my husband, my family and my friends, I have the support and encouragement of two different groups. One is my Home Fellowship Community (hereafter referred to as HFC), comprised of almost 20 “mature” members of our church. We not only discuss our pastor’s sermons, we frequently pray for one another and lend a helping hand to one another. In recent years we’ve come to know each other very well.

The other group is my book club. We call ourselves The Passionate Readers. And for a good reason. We are voracious readers and lovers of words. Our lively discussions and differences of opinion serve to broaden my world view. We are a motly crew and have forged a strong friendship bond.

Without this firm foundation, given my personality type, I’d be blowing in the wind—more often than not!

June 4, 2008
by Bonnie Porter
Comments Off on I’m a juggler

I’m a juggler

I’m a juggler.
And as usual I’ve got so many balls in the air that I’m flitting around and hopping from one foot to the other, trying to keep them in synch!

Art Camp ideas have shifted from the back burner where they’ve been simmering for weeks. The themes are starting to take shape, focused on summertime subject matter and Master Artists.

Some Plan A ideas for the EXPLORE EUROPE! format:

SPAIN: Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida/ Museo Sorolla in Madrid/sunny beach paintings/A Walk on the Beach + (?) tile work in Barcelona by Gaudi

SWEDEN: Carl (and Karin) Larsson/National Museum of Stockholm + CL home in Sundborn/family, home and garden/Flower Window/Crayfish Season, Veranda, The Falun Yard, Lisbeth Fishing, Lisbeth and Peonies, The Study Corner, In the Punishment Corner, etc.

HOLLAND: VanGogh/VanGogh Museum Amsterdam/Sunflowers, Yellow House, Yellow Chair, Bedroom + (?)his friend Cezanne (geometric shapes; brilliant thick paint)

ITALY: Leonardo’s Drawings & Inventions/Nat’l Museum of Science & Technology Milano/Sketch of a Horse, Flying Machines

FRANCE: Claude Monet/Musee d’Orsay Paris/Boating at Argenteuil, Field of Poppies, + (?)Still Life with Flowers and Fruit (Getty Museum)

Always exciting to see how God orchestrates the various components and enables me to pull together Lesson Plans, usually at the 11th hour!

June 2, 2008
by Bonnie Porter
1 Comment

Yippee

Yippee! I feel like putting on one of my favorite CDs—Handel’s HALLELUJAH Chorus! Brian just sent me an email (I noticed it arrived in my IN Box after 6 pm so that means it was after midnight in Munich when he sent it!)—my Cartabella website just went live! He must have worked on it all day today and now it is officially launched into cyberspace!

Soooo, now, back down to earth. I get to learn how to do The Next Steps, figuring out how to organize and update the pages. It’ll be so much fun to write descriptions and comments as I re-visit my old and recent artworks. And motivating to execute and post some new artwork, as well as some new pages. My mind’s whirling. Thinking about my art quilts, collages, an unfinished altered book (like a never-ending story), scrapbooks, recipe notebooks and so on.

Kinda like the ole saying, “Make new friends but keep the old . . . !” I’m a wealthy woman. I have lots of gold and silver because I have a treasure chest brimming with friends and a collage style home-studio bursting with creativity.

This has been a very good day. Thanks to Brian’s productive creativity. And likewise thanks to his dad’s productive work—Dan finished painting the exterior side of our house which faces the foot path to the pond and pool.

I’ll unwind by making a cup of Earl Grey and reviewing my notes in prep for our book group meeting tomorrow morning (The Book Thief).

January 25, 2008
by Bonnie Porter
2 Comments

Grand Opening Celebration of Larry Smith Studio/Gallery

Today I rec’d an invitation to the Grand Opening Celebration of Larry Smith Studio/Gallery.

As I re-visited his site one word kept coming to mind: Perseverance. An important word for artists. I know that Larry is also a man of prayer and I suspect that he has savored the power of steadfast persistence in his talks with God. And apparently this way of life experience has carried over into his studio hours, as well as his on-the-road shows. It seems like he has not missed a beat, going seamlessly from his advertising career to his retirement career, painting. I admire his perseverance. And I admire his partnership with Pam. For example, the invite at his site says: “We are inviting everyone who is familar with our work to come.” Larry uses the pronoun “we” because he is a team player and his primary teammate/colleague continues to be his wife.

Van Gogh, often quoted by Larry, made a remark I like very much: “Color in a picture is like enthusiasm in life.” Thank you Vincent, and Larry, for the radiant choices you’ve made in your paintings, praising God for His creations.

Want to see Larry’s works?

January 21, 2008
by Bonnie Porter
1 Comment

ALL ART IS ROOTED IN LIFE

A friend in Jackson MS said she’d be interested in hearing my “philosophy of art” from a Reformed world and life view. That was several years ago. I’m very much aware that I am continually in the process of developing my philosophy of art.
Nevertheless, I need to devote some time to seriously thinking about what I have been formulating these past few years and want to begin to compose some of these insights in writing, gather some new information and frame some questions of my own.

Where to start?! Perhaps this quote is an appropriate starting point: ALL ART IS ROOTED IN LIFE.

to be continued!

January 17, 2008
by Bonnie Porter
Comments Off on This may be a good way to broaden my horizons

This may be a good way to broaden my horizons

Today I wd. like to figure out how to upload photos to this blog. And I have other questions, too, about the posting options, privacy issues, and so on.

I’m still processing the use of this site. Wd. it be wise to include my Write From the Heart letters here, too? Wd. it be feasible/appropriate to include images of some of my artwork for potential clients to view? Or is it more of a site for sharing with close friends and family…..

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