Blog Archives - Robyn Sand Anderson Art

Painting-A-Day: April 30, 2014

4/30/2014

Acrylic on Archival Gessobord with 3/4" Birch Sides, 12x12", Ready to hang!

I love spring. Could we have one, please? Every spring, when I take time to notice, I think about what a miracle it is that green grass appears and the leaves of perennials seem to suddenly break through the surface of the dirt. What?! That's just crazy business! I'm talkin' rhubarb! It just comes up out of dirt. You need rain and sun, of course. Well, duh, you may say, but what a gift it is! I love the seasons, even winter, because it reminds us of the cycles of our own lives. Death to life. Despair to hope. Spring tells us that there is always new life created from the old. And it happens every year. It is so easy to take it for granted. I mean, food...it just grows from tiny little seeds or trees that live for years and years providing fruit for our delight. Take a minute and think about it. It's kind of crazy. And, we are so lucky!

If interested in purchasing, hit the Painting-A-Day Purchase tab and then hit the Etsy widget.
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$100 for this original painting, ready-to-hang, plus $15 shipping and handling.

Painting-A-Day: April 29, 2014

4/29/2014

Exhibit at Luther Seminary, Olson Campus Center Narthex, St. Paul MN
(there's more on other walls!)

Exhibit of Painting-A-Day paintings in Olson Campus Center, Cafeteria Lobby

Continuation of Exhibit at Olson Campus Center Cafeteria,
Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN

Yesterday was International Holocaust Remembrance Day. When I scheduled my art talk for April 28 for my current exhibit at Luther Seminary, I wasn't aware of this. But when I heard, I thought, well that really ties in tightly with the focus of my exhibit on The Human Condition, the Human Spirit: Wreckage & Beauty. My four close friends from New Ulm were with me as we attended Chapel before my talk. I was a little saddened at the low number of people there, because it was a powerful, moving experience. With the use of photos and quotes on the screen behind the pulpit, the lighting of candles to commemorate a representative 18 out of some 250 camps during WWII, the heartfelt and challenging words from Professor of Old Testament Diane Jacobson and beautiful, plaintive music, I was deeply moved. During my creative process for this exhibit, I felt some ambivalence about what I was trying to do. This service reminded me how important it is to remember our human history, the choices we made and continue to make. Even if my little exhibit feels like a drop in the bucket, it adds to the chorus of voices that ask the question...why do we repeat these heinous actions over and over. What is it about us that we end up acting out of fear instead of love?

A new genocide research center is starting up, which aims to study how and why mass violence occurs. It is a collaboration of Steven Spielberg and USC. Here's the link: https://news.usc.edu/61943/new-usc-center-to-analyze-advanced-genocide-research/.

Painting-A-Day: April 24, 2014

4/24/2014

Acrylic on Archival Gessobord with 3/4" Birch Sides, 12x12", Ready to hang!

I've been reading an article in the Feb. 3 issue of Time Magazine entitled "The Art of Being Mindful". This idea of being mindful has been cropping up a lot lately in various media. What does it take to mindful? Is it an art? I am finding that it is a practice that I need to embrace more deeply, as an artist. In order to really dig into who I am and how I think about the world and my place in it, I need to have quiet spaces, but not just quiet for the sake of quiet. I do that well enough. I am talking about a deliberate quiet. A quiet where you turn inward and control what thoughts you want to allow in. A place of emptying and listening. It can be really noisy in there, full of "to-do" lists. I was just in a conversation yesterday about how we are so overly plugged in...to music, to podcasts, to screens. It is a good thing to be involved in the world, but without quiet time for reflection, it seems we are just vessels where life passes through. It can be something as simple as taking a moment to notice...what you are eating, who you are talking to, the beauty of tulip leaves breaking through the dirt. It can be as deep as scheduling 10-20 minutes of quiet time for prayer and meditation. These are holy places.

If interested in purchasing, hit the Painting-A-Day Purchase tab and then hit the Etsy widget.
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$100 for this original painting, ready-to-hang, plus $15 shipping and handling.

Painting-A-Day: April 23, 2014

4/23/2014

Cropped from painting "Faith Hope Love These Three"

Today I've been working on my website. I invite you to visit my new Exhibit "Wreckage & Beauty" under the Exhibit tab. Many things on the business side of being an artist have been hanging over my head. I am crossing off those tasks today and despite the heavy gray weather, I am feeling good!

Painting-A-Day: April 22, 2014

4/22/2014

Acrylic on Archival Gessobord with 2" Birch Sides, 24x24", Ready to hang!

Alpha & Omega. The first and the last, the beginning and the end. I decided to meditate on the Alpha and Omega for my last interpretation from the narrative, The Story. I moved to the abstract in this interpretation from Revelation, where "the apocalyptic hopes of the early Christian community find their clearest and most complete expression." I've never really studied the book of Revelation in depth, as it is rather daunting in its symbolism. But as an artist, I find it fascinating. Perhaps going deeper will also be fascinating. So many rich images. You may notice that I am using the primary colors of red, blue and yellow. This seems appropriate to me as I consider this question...What is the point here? What is the primary message of this library of ancient texts? For me, its purpose is to simply point to God, Yahweh, I Am. A God who wants to be in relationship, a God who loves, who seeks justice and shows mercy. The beginning and end is how we think of time on a linear scale, but I think God is beyond time, in the way we think of it. So Alpha and Omega for me is about the eternal, time with no beginning or end, but in God.

This painting is one of 31 works of art by eight regional and national artists and is the last of my five paintings for an exhibit on the biblical narrative at Crossview Lutheran Church Art Festival, Edina, MN running April 27-May 25, 2014.

Painting-A-Day: April 17, 2014

4/17/2014

Acrylic on Archival Gessobord with 3/4" Birch Sides, 12x12", Ready to hang!

I challenged myself to using a flat brush only on this floral. I started with a black gesso for the very first step, creating the stained glass effect. I haven't tried this technique before. I saw it on another artist's painting and I liked the look of it. It forces you to think big, and not get caught up in the minutia. Minutia drives me a little crazy. I discovered that after serving on a board where two gentlemen argued over what seemed to me, details that didn't matter. I have no patience for that. I guess it is good some people do, because there are details that need to be argued over. It's been a rough few days for Minnesotans...getting another snowstorm after a few days of what appeared to be spring. This one's for you!

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$100 for this original painting, ready-to-hang, plus $15 shipping and handling.

Painting-A-Day: April 16, 2014

4/16/2014

Acrylic on Archival Gessobord with 3/4" Birch Sides, 12x12", Ready to hang!

Today I walked into the studio ready to prep my last commissioned painting for the Crossview Art Festival. I looked down at my tarped floor and saw the painting last posted on April 10. I walked around it, viewing it from each angle. "You!" I said, pointing at it..."I am not done with you!" and ended up with today's painting. I turned it CCW one quarter and blocked off the edges with white. It's interesting what neutralizing a busy painting does. Sometimes it can really strengthen it. As you may have noticed, I tend to have a lot going on in my abstracts. One can "Jackson Pollack" it and leave it busy, or one can create some neutral space. I used a small squeegee tool to lift off some of the white paint in strokes of movement, which serves to connect the central action to the sides. Hmmmm....much better, I think. On to my commission...

If interested in purchasing, hit the Painting-A-Day Purchase tab and then hit the Etsy widget.
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$100 for this original painting, ready-to-hang, plus $15 shipping and handling.

Painting-A-Day: Crossview Art Festival

4/11/2014

An Invitation or Two...

Today has been a day of invitations to view my work up close and personal in two places in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. I posted an invitation to my lastest exhibit at Luther Seminary, St. Paul (March 15-May 15, 2014) earlier this afternoon and now the Christian Art Festival at Crossview Lutheran in Edina (April 27-May 25, 2014). If you want to bathe yourself in art, you could hit both places, as well as the Matisse exhibit which is currently at the Minneapolis Institute of Art through May 18. I have that one on my to do list! Can't wait!

I was gratified to see that they used the first of my five paintings as the featured artwork for their advertisement (entitled The Barley Fields: Naomi & Ruth). I have one more painting to do for this show. They invited eight regional and national artists to interpret 31 chapters of The Story, a biblical narrative. I am honored to have been asked and can't wait to see how the other artists interpreted their chapters. There is an opening reception for this exhibit on Sunday, April 27, from 1:00-4:00 pm. I hope to be there!

Painting-A-Day: Luther Seminary Exhibit

4/11/2014

An Invitation to my exhibit:

"The Human Condition, The Human Spirit: Wreckage & Beauty" now on display at Luther Seminary, Olson Campus Center in St. Paul, MN, running March 15 - May 15, 2014.

Also showing in the Olson Center cafeteria, "The Suffering of Becoming."

In the area outside the cafeteria is a display of my Painting-A-Day paintings...check it out if you are nearby!

Painting-A-Day: April 10, 2014

4/10/2014

Acrylic on Archival Gessobord with 3/4" Birch Sides, 12x12", Ready to hang!

Sometimes you need some distance from things in order to see them clearly for what they are. Other forces distract you from what you are really seeing. When I first teach someone to draw, I repeat the mantra...turn off your brain's interpretation of what you are seeing and try to look at it objectively, for what it really is. This is a difficult thing to do, and it takes practice. Weeding through the things that are distractions, like peeling off layers of an onion, takes time and focus.

Two days ago I painted this painting. Today I revisited it and was able to objectively, without sentiment, do what needed to be done. The other day I was so enraptured with all of the beautiful colors and nuances happening, that I couldn't for the life of me, cover any of it up. Today I realized that to truly bring out the beauty and meaning of the painting, I would indeed have to cover up some areas. This is very difficult for me to do. And, I am afraid. I am afraid that I will ruin it. And then what? And then...life won't end. I will set it aside and move on. Maybe someday I will come back to it, or completely cover it up and start over. It's all about trying things, right? I daily fight the fear, in so many ways. "Fear is the mind-killer..." but I say it is also the heart killer. It is so stifling. So today I dove in. Whether it helped, I'm not sure, but I did it. I will let you be the judge. I am satisfied that I gave it a whirl. Literally. A whirl...of orange and more.

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$100 for this original painting, ready-to-hang, plus $15 shipping and handling.

Painting-A-Day: April 8, 2014

4/8/2014

Acrylic on Archival Gessobord with 3/4" Birch Sides, 12x12", Ready to hang!

I am back in the paint on my 12x12" gessobords. I enjoyed painting on a smaller board today. This painting was full of action and I pushed myself to make quick decisions, not to overthink it. I used my palette knife for some of the applications which causes some lovely "accidental" texturing. Boy, you have to let go of control with that thing...not as much guidance as you can achieve with a brush. I used the cruciform motif again which seems to work well on this size surface and I like the layers of meaning that are possible with it.

If interested in purchasing, hit the Painting-A-Day Purchase tab and then hit the Etsy widget.
It will take you right where you need to be to purchase the painting of your choice. Thanks!
$100 for this original painting, ready-to-hang, plus $15 shipping and handling.

Painting-A-Day: April 7, 2014

4/7/2014

"Orchids" (photograph)

Today I am posting a photograph of my magnificent orchid plant because today is TAX day at my house. No paint was brushed upon a surface in this house today. Being self-employed makes life a bit more complex when filling out tax forms. Many hours are spent in gathering expense and income numbers, etc. and then filling them into spreadsheets. It is interesting to see where I've spent my art money, and of course, where I've made money. I didn't want you to go without a visual today, so I thought I'd share this beauty. Isn't it incredible?! The intricacy of its design always blows me away!

Painting-A-Day: April 4, 2014

4/4/2014

Acrylic on Archival Gessobord with 2" Birch Sides, 36" x 24", Ready to hang!

I added a few things to yesterday's painting "The Battle" to tighten up the design elements. Balance is a big deal in a painting and I do it mostly by instinct or my gut, as they say. I've used the repetition of color and shape on different sides of the painting and counter-weights to bring the eye back into the painting rather than right off the edge, ne'er to return. I wonder if you can see the changes I've made? My husband looked at the painting this morning in the living room and then this afternoon in the studio. He thought I'd added something that was there all along. It's interesting how different elements come to your attention by the mere addition of another color or a geometric shape vs. an organic shape. Oh, the tricks of the artist....endless.

If interested in purchasing, hit the Painting-A-Day Purchase tab and then hit the Etsy widget.
It will take you right where you need to be to purchase the painting of your choice. Thanks!
$975.00 for this original painting, 36" x 24", ready-to-hang, plus shipping and handling.

Painting-A-Day: April 3, 2014

4/3/2014

Painting-In Progress: Acrylic on Archival Gessobord with 2" Birch Sides,
36" x 24", Ready to hang!

It's hard to remember the battle now. I can stand and paint for more than 15 minutes at a time. The memories of how it was when I was diagnosed with a chronic illness six years ago are fading. But there are daily reminders. I notice my fingers are crooked, the joints no longer square, but I can use them to paint for hours at a time. My mind is free from the constant voices of pain. I took some moments today to let myself feel the joy of this freedom. Yes, I still have it, I still have pain and discomfort. But those voices are quieter now. And some, some never escape their pain. I call this painting The Battle. I paint for those who suffer, who have no voice. I want to speak of hope. And hope comes in many ways. Here's one: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrea-gardner/to-the-woman-behind-me-in_b_5082769.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000063. I am not quite finished with this painting, but I am very close.

Painting-A-Day: April 2, 2014

4/2/2014

Painting-In-Progress: Acrylic on Archival Gessobord 24x36"

Today I continued work on this painting which I hope to enter into a juried art show on Saturday. Juried art shows are "judged" art exhibits, usually with cash prizes of some sort or another. It is a way to give your work exposure, earn some money for supplies, and something to add to the resumé. The person(s) judging these shows always changes. I learned early on, not to take it personally if I wasn't chosen. There are objective art concepts that are considered, but it is still subjective after all. Although, there was one show that I entered where the bones of two small bird carcasses sitting at a tiny little table won first prize. I almost gave up after that one. But, you know, it did make you wonder...why did they stay at the table so long? Lesson learned! I thought I'd show you where I am on this painting. I showed you the first layers on March 27th. I will show you the results over the next two days...and here's to hoping!

Painting-A-Day: April 1, 2014

4/1/2014

Acrylic on Archival Gessobord with 2" Birch Sides, 24x24", Ready to hang!

Today's painting is a commission from a church who is following The Story, a narrative of the biblical story. The title of this chapter was The Hour of Darkness. I am one of 6 artists who were asked to visually interpret these stories. They will hang all 31 pieces of art on a huge wall in their sanctuary for their annual juried art show. If you are interested in seeing this exhibit along with the art juried in, it will be at Crossview Lutheran Church in Edina, MN from April 27-May 25, 2014.