Sketch for Kitty Kitty Cowboyed Up

Sketch for Kitty Kitty Cowboyed Up, ink on paper, 11 x 8.5 inches, 2010 by Sarah Atlee.

I worked on this sketch while my mother was in the hospital with a broken leg. Nothing like the solitude and boredom of waiting in the ER all day to drive my mind to creative distraction.

The finished piece:

Kitty Kitty Cowboyed Up, acrylic on canvas, 16 x 14 inches, 2011 by Sarah Atlee.

My Lavender Standby

Purple (Dinosaur, Peter, Duck and), acrylic on canvas, 24 x 24 inches, 2011 by Sarah Atlee.

"She's not as concerned with immediate issues of physical self-defense, so I gather that she's in a safe living situation. However, her new guardian must be an emotionally distant sort, because she frequently seeks solace under the wings of Duck."

Carl looked funny. "Duck?"

"One of the four personages who accompanies and advises Princess Nell. Duck embodies domestic, maternal virtues. Actually, Peter and Dinosaur are now gone - both male figures who embodied survival skills."

"Who's the fourth one?

"Purple. I think she'll become a lot more relevant to Nell's life around puberty."

- Stephenson, Neal. The Diamond Age: Or, A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer. Bantam Dell, 1995.

Click on any image to view its source.

Winter storm over the Northeast (night time thermal image) from NASA Goddard Photo and Video on Flickr.

Untitled by Flickr user Peregrine Blue.

Untitled by Flickr user Billy Plummer.

Untitled by Flickr user Billy Plummer.

Norfolk Lavender 10-07-2010 by Flickr user Karen Roe.

Read about the various uses of lavender on Wikipedia and the University of Maryland Medical Center.

So I Can Put A Buffalo On It

Rooster Study, after Seabourn, acrylic on masonite, 12 x 8 inches, 2011 by Sarah Atlee.

Hey, artists. We all know that we should never stop learning, right? Good, I'm glad we're on the same page about that. I love your hair that way.

I've been taking a painting class taught by beloved Oklahoma artist Bert Seabourn at Oklahoma Contemporary (which, until last week, was called City Arts Center). This is the second time I've taken Bert's class, which is really more of an open workshop. The images in this post are from the first time I took his class in 2011.

I've been to art school. Why am I taking a painting class?

Dancer Study, after Seabourn, acrylic on canvas, 18 x 12 inches, 2011 by Sarah Atlee.

Because it's seriously fun.

A little bit of influence can go a long way. In Bert's class, I always paint something completely different from what I would have made on my own. There's no pressure - I'm not painting for a show, and I'm not getting any grades. As students, we get an open class format in which to experiment, ask questions, try new things, and get input from a master painter. We also learn by watching other students paint in our individual styles.

So I can learn by watching Bert.

Bert begins class by handing out copies of a sketch, a previous painting, or some other image that interests him. He invites each student to interpret the image in their own way.

Bert also paints along with us. He brings a new canvas to every class, makes a sketch (usually with vine charcoal), and the paints a painting. It's a little bit magic. Also, he's been doing this for awhile. You can see from his work that he paints in an energetic, spontaneous way, which makes it all the more wonderful to see him in action.

He walks around the classroom and makes suggestions, helping us if we get stuck or mired in a difficult spot. But, even more than his direct feedback, I love having an environment where I know I can try anything.

Seated Man Study, after Seabourn, acrylic on canvas, 12 x 10 inches, 2011 by Sarah Atlee.

So I can dedicate time to paint.

When I'm in class, I stand over a canvas and paint on it for two hours, without thinking about much else. I don't know what I'll paint before I get into the room. When I leave, I take a painting with me that may not be finished, but it's off to a solid start, and it's something I didn't expect.

Paint Chip Buffalo, acrylic on masonite, 10 x 8 inches, 2011 by Sarah Atlee.

What is the Ninja, Kung Fu, and/or Vulcan weapon equivalent of this class?

It would have to be that awesome two-in-one sword that Michelle Yeoh uses in this fight scene. Working with Bert slices straight through what I know about painting, then comes back and hits me from the side with things I didn't know I could do. Excellent question, thank you.

Oklahoma Contemporary has an excellent education department, with classes for adults and kids in all media. They are a great asset to the OKC Metro - check 'em out.

Leftovers Series: Wedge Salad

Wedge Salad, acrylic on canvas, 12 x 12 inches, 2012.

This painting, from an ongoing series of still lifes of food, was created for the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition's annual 12x12 Art Fundraiser in 2012.

My source material was a leftover beet salad plus the prosciutto-and-pears appetizer from The Wedge Pizzeria in Oklahoma City. (Hint: Don't visit their website unless you're prepared to get hungry.)

OVAC? Oh, yeah, I may have mentioned them a time or two.

Fortunately, I have it my power to supply deficiencies.

Susan Rubin (Colorado) Mesmerize:Echinops tjanschanicus, Globe Thistle. 18 x 18 x 2 inches, colored pencil on Mylar on Claybord.

* The title of this post comes from the novel Jane Eyre. Click on any image to view its source.

Lynda Schlosberg: Diffraction. Acrylic on panel, 30 x 30 inches.

A chart of grammatical terms from the constructed language Lojban. Image credit unknown.

An island micronation. Photo credit unknown.

Micronations, sometimes also referred to as model countries and new country projects, are entities that claim to be independent nations or states but which are not recognized by world governments or major international organizations.

Micronations are also distinguished from imaginary countries and from other kinds of social groups (such as eco-villages, campuses, tribes, clans, sects, and residential community associations) by expressing a formal and persistent, even if unrecognized, claim of sovereignty over some physical territory.

Several micronations have issued coins, flags, postage stamps, passports, medals, and other items, which are rarely accepted outside of their own community.

Doug Chayka: What Remains. The Euro crisis and the dissolution of the European social ideal. (Detail view). Illustration for The Nation.