I'm a 60 year old artist in Memphis, Tennessee. I spend my life trying to catch stories, give them form, color and light, then send back out into the world.
This is a great piece on reading lists, and reading, from The Book Keeper blog, written by the owner of a shop by the same name in South Australia. I always love her little stories of customers and how wonderful it is to have books to read.
Your summer reading list should contain a dozen of the best books about the holiday season, relaxation, the summer, warmth, sunlight, wine, evening and song.
Actually this is rubbish. Your summer reading list is whatever you want to read. However, it should not be measured in numbers (of books). This is for the amateur. Real lists are measured in years. It should never be an achievable list (also for the amateurs). It should have a life of its own, way beyond your control and way ahead of you in knowing what you need.
A reading list is a priceless document. It should remain intact, unconquered, and be passed on to your children.
I started this painting while we were waiting for the elections results, which was taking an anxiety producing amount of time — though I really believe it’s a great feat getting them all counted so quickly. Thanks to all those ballot counters.
I mounted some red gampi paper — a highly textured paper — on to a canvas some months back. I knew I wanted to paint either a forest or a tree. Tuesday I went with the tree idea. I’ve done several trees where I don’t used local color. I seem to enjoy painting blue trees. I also wanted a leaf pattern that was more like an arc, with vague leaf shapes not necessarily attached to the tree. These ideas came as I was working on the painting.
I did some background abstract shapes then painted them over in red, so they are like distant shadows. I began with a twisted blue tree, then leaves of many colors. At some point, circles made their appearance. I indulged my love of shiny colors with gold, and silver paint, as well as gold foil flakes.
The Tree of Exuberant Dreams by Joy Murray, Mixed Media, 18×24″ $200. (Sold)
There’s a lot of detail work and I used a nib pen and ink for a lot of the lines — not necessarily a good choice for such roughly textured paper — but a good one for filling up long periods of time. I hope the jagged lines add a bit of dynamic movement.
Tree of Exuberant Dream, detail
Tree of Exuberant Dreams, detail
So I finally finished it today, and I’m happy with it and the election results. Maybe even exuberant.
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This blog is brought to you by the generosity of people who support me on Patreon , buy my art, and who support me in so many different ways.
If you’d like to make a one time donation, you can do so at paypal at my email address joyzmailbox @gmail.com
Cards and prints on some of my art is available on Redbubble.
If you find a typo, let me know, and I’ll send you a postcard.
Hard-Headed Girl by Joy Murray, 5×7, Acrylic paint and ink on canvas (sold)
“They said she was hard headed but she thought that might be a good thing.” Words outside her halo/aura: Fear, Judgement, Distrust, Greed, Hate.
Girls are pressured to be compliant. I always enjoy it when I see a girl speaking up for herself, not seeing the world through jaded adult eyes, keeping hope alive.
This is the latest painting for my Written All Over Your Face series of 5×7″ paintings, that I will be turning into a book. You can read about it here.
Thanks for reading my blog. If you like it, share it.
~~~
This blog is brought to you by the generosity of people who support me on Patreon , buy my art, and who support me in so many different ways.
If you’d like to make a one time donation, you can do so at paypal at my email address joyzmailbox @gmail.com
Cards and prints on some of my art is available on Redbubble.
If you find a typo, let me know, and I’ll send you a postcard.
The melancholy and remembrance of death — the playful scariness of Halloween, the acknowledgement of the link between the living and the dead on Day of the Dead — this year it’s brought some new kinds of art to me.
My son, who is a more abstract and intuitive painter, has been sharing my studio with me. We collaborated on this painting:
Resurrection of Bones, by Joy Murray and Timothy Allen, acrylic on panel 5×10″
And today I finished an intuitive painting, laying on paint and smearing it around. I let it sit for a few days and waited until it told me what direction to go in — I’m going in circles, reminiscing on lost love, and wondering what happens when we become ghosts.
When we are Ghosts (I will find you again), by Joy Murray, acrylic paint and ink on canvas, 8×10″
One of the interesting things about an art practice is that it wakes up new things in you. Your vision improves, your mind expands.
Thanks for reading my blog. If you like it, share it.
~~~
This blog is brought to you by the generosity of people who support me on Patreon , buy my art, and who support me in so many different ways.
If you’d like to make a one time donation, you can do so at paypal at my email address joyzmailbox @gmail.com
Cards and prints on some of my art is available on Redbubble.
If you find a typo, let me know, and I’ll send you a postcard.
joy murray art~stories~life 