Blog Archives - Robyn Sand Anderson Art

Painting-A-Day: August 31, 2013

8/31/2013

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

I am currently not laboring...so I am featuring a painting you might have missed from May 2nd. Simple and sweet! Here's to resting...a seemingly forgotten art!

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Painting-A-Day: August 29, 2013

8/29/2013

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

I am drawn into the variety of textures and bright light in this painting. I was not able to paint today, so I am re-featuring a painting from May 14th, in case you missed this one. Here's what I wrote about it...I couldn't say it any better.

Today as I layered transparent washes, I made sure I saved the lightest white areas. Your eyes are always attracted to the area of greatest contrast. We can't help but look at it. Maybe that is what our current news media are counting on. They report on the story that has the greatest drama. Unfortunately, that ends up being sensationalist stories we'd rather not hear about. I understand why they are doing it, I just don't like it. (Unabashed commercial plug for PBS news!) I never tire of the way transparent color laid on top of other transparent color creates something completely new. The textures I create using various applied objects add to the drama. I love playing with color...letting go of control, seeing what happens, reacting to what plays out. It has taken me many years to get to this place of letting go!

This painting has been altered and SOLD!

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Painting-A-Day: August 28, 2013

8/28/2013

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

Feeling low today for no good reason. I didn't think I was going to paint today. Made some bread, did some business work, catching up on the piles of mail. But still this nagging feeling of low spirits. I walked by a few of my previous paintings and saw one that said to me, hey! you aren't finished with me yet. So cool that my paintings speak to me, eh? I've been alone too much, you say? :) So, here's today's result. I feel better. I don't need to go to a counselor, I just need to go into my studio and stare at my paint...then dip in a brush or two. Ahhhhh....yes. Much better.

This painting has SOLD!

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Painting-A-Day: August 27, 2013

8/27/2013

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

Whimsical. The word just sounds like its meaning. This painting is a commissioned work in honor of the birth of a granddaughter. I am open to commissions. No strings attached. I asked about the colors in the baby's room and was given free rein from there to do what moved me. Some days it is nice to have someone else decide the direction I am to travel, within reason of course. It is difficult for artists to figure out pricing on their creations and then have to talk about it. You consider the years of experience, the skill, the materials used, the area of the country you live in, etc. You may have noticed, if you have looked at my website, the prices are seemingly higher per square foot than these Painting-A-Day 12x12's. Normally, commissioned work is even higher in price. These Painting-A-Day paintings would normally sell for $200-$300 if going by size, my experience and expertise, etc. I realize $100 is, well, 100 dollars. But I also wanted you to know that if you see one that calls to you, you are getting an original painting, ready-to-hang for less than it would normally be priced. Most prints after framing cost more than $100. Okay. That's enough of that. So awkward to have to self-promote, but there you have it. I want you to know you are getting a good deal! On to the next adventure!

This painting has SOLD!

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

Painting-A-Day: August 26, 2013

8/26/2013

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

Today I challenged myself to keep it simple. This is indeed a challenge for me. You may have noticed from my larger paintings (www.RobynSandAnderson.com) that I can get lost in complex juxtapositions. (Sounds like something a museum curator would say on a gallery tour..."A-hem....this artist uses complex juxtapositions at every turn!," he said as he adjusted his monocle and twirled his moustache.)

Let's see, where were we? Oh, yes. I start with some bold brushstrokes of magenta over an underpainting of light burnt sienna. Wow! That felt so good. Magenta is a beautiful, beautiful color. I get lost in stuff like this, but the clock keeps moving me along. I start to see the suggestion of a landscape and that is all the lead I need to move forward. I think the next steps through while holding onto the reins a bit. I am trying to use as few applications and brushstrokes as I can. I want a fresh feeling of pure color. It is true that sometimes less is more, simpler is better. Not always, but sometimes, yes.

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Painting-A-Day: August 23, 2013

8/23/2013

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

Today I wanted to play with light again. You know how it goes. We are drawn to the light. After playing with purples in yesterday's painting, I wanted to try something similar using greens. I started building from yellow green to light kelly green, olive green to blue-green, ending with a dark forest green. You just can't use enough greens. They are all out there in nature. Have you ever noticed? We tend to take nature for granted. Next time you take a walk in the woods, or a state park, look and take count. It opens up your world...to the world. I often think about the arguments regarding climate change. I tend to lean into doing whatever it takes to conserve this beautiful planet. Just in case. I'm willing to make sacrifices as far as consumption goes. I'd like to keep counting the greens out there.

This painting has been altered and SOLD!

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Painting-A-Day: August 22, 2013

8/22/2013

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

Have I mentioned how much I love painting? I was reminded when my youngest was painting her first painting the other day. She said, this is soooo fun! I know, I said, welcome to my life! Not that there aren't difficult moments. I've spent the last three days working on the business side of my life as an artist. I wish I could hire someone to do some of these things, but this is part of the package. I am currently working on writing an art fellowship grant with our 9-county area arts council, ordering materials for upcoming exhibits and commissions, and need to get at my financial records so see if I have paid enough in to our quarterly taxes, required for the self-employed. My cousin just told me of an art competition at a children's hospital which I'd like to go for. I want to send materials to other hospitals showing my work for possible exhibits, as many of my paintings have to do with suffering and healing and hope. I am painting five paintings on commission for a church in Minneapolis and have an upcoming exhibit at Luther Seminary in St. Paul. I know...I can hear the sympathetic violins now...

When I think about all the paintings I need to create, I tend to want to hyperventilate. I need clean space (in my brain) in order to create well. I have to separate myself from the rest of reality somehow...to be present in the moment at hand. When reality sneaks in, I take a deep breath and just try to do everything I can each day, hoping that in the end it will all come together.

Today's painting has already been grabbed by a friend whose birthday it is today! Happy Birthday, LaDonna! She reserved today's painting about a month ago. Brave soul! The only suggestion she gave, after I sought it, was that she loves purple. If you are thinking you'd like to give a painting as a wedding, shower or birthday gift but are afraid to choose a painting for someone else...you can give them a Gift Certificate and they can choose their own within the next year. Just go to the Painting-A-Day Purchase page and hit the Etsy widget.

This painting has SOLD!

Painting-A-Day: August 20, 2013

8/20/2013

Acrylic on Archival Illustration Board, 30 x 20", Original Unframed $485.00, Shipping & Handling $25.

Close-up #1

Close-up #2

Today I am posting waves and beach shore, one of my larger paintings. Along with a picture of the entire painting, I am also showing you two close-ups so that you can see the actual texturing techniques I applied. I used both molding paste (on the waves) which lifts the paint off the surface and is applied with my fingers...and art tissue paper to create texture on the beach. Okay, I applied that with my fingers, too. Very sensual. Very fun. I've decided to show you some close-ups because the intricacy of color play inside of those textures is lost when just showing a small version of the whole painting. It's in the details, right? It's weird how you can see beauty in the details, the close-ups and at the same time in the big picture, the grand view. I'm sure there are metaphors that would fit here. Please feel free to share your ideas! P.S. There is a seagull near the horizon line!

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Painting-A-Day: August 19, 2013

8/19/2013

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

Part of my work as an artist is working in the illustration world. I paint illustrations for a national church bulletin company. At first, when I started 10 years ago, it was very challenging to come up with a visual to portray an often indescribable passage. How do you make concrete images in paint for concepts like grace, forgiveness, mercy? As I have grown as an artist, developing from a very literal realist to representational to abstract expressionist, I have actually had an easier time visually illustrating texts that speak of those concepts. Sometimes color and value, texture and movement can say more about our world than words or recognizable images. We can't know it all, we can't explain it all and there is something very healing about letting yourself rest in that space, that place of letting go of the need to explain it all.

This painting has been altered and SOLD!

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Painting-A-Day: August 16, 2013

8/16/2013

Acrylic on Archival Gessobord with 2" Birch Sides, 12x12", Ready to hang!

I really like the subtleties of this painting. So many delicious changes in color and shape. Because I can't control everything that happens, I get excited by the "accidents" that play out on the board. I painted this at the beginning of my Painting-A-Day project, which began Feb. 1st, 2013. Today I solidified the corners and top with a layer of teal which makes the center action pop by toning down the action around it. This teal color is the most difficult color to render by digital means. It always looks more turquoise on your computer screen than it is. Anything you see that looks turquoise is darker, more of a teal color. I like this painting because it reminds me of dusk, of how the sky's blue changes as the sun goes down. With the loss of the sun's light, our perception of colors change. I played with the impression of a harvest moon and it's splashes of reflection on the night's darkness. This is one of those paintings that definitely looks better in "real life" than on the screen.

This painting has SOLD.

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Painting-A-Day: August 15, 2013

8/15/2013

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

Today my daughter worked on her big canvas painting as I worked on mine. Let's just say there was a fair amount of side-stepping, water-spilling, high-fives and delicate dancing to avoid collisions. It was fun teaching her the tricks I've learned over all of these years. This is her very first painting. It's an abstract, non-objective. In other words, color, movement and texture. There is nothing to "recognize" other than a feeling, a vague slip of familiarity...something just on the tip of your tongue but elusive. I, on the other hand, painted a landscape today. A few in my audience were yearning for it. I don't mind suggestions. Just ask my husband. Ha! No, don't ask him. Really, I don't mind...because I know I can take it or leave it. No offense taken...I hope no offense taken on your part, if I don't follow your suggestions. Some days it is hard to come up with an idea for that day's painting. I love feedback, people! Love questions, too!

This painting has SOLD!

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Painting-A-Day: August 13, 2013

8/13/2013

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

Not sure what to think today. Isn't that the way it goes sometimes? Nothing is clear. Ya want straight lines, black & white, give me the answers please! But, life isn't so clean. Answers are not clear. There is that mystery thing. Or Mystery thing. Sometimes you just have to dive into it, one way or the other, and know that you have the capacity to live into whatever your decision is. Well...I did that several times with this previous painting from May 25th. Clear as mud....which I ended up with at one point. Went to hell and climbed back out. Does it work? I'm not sure, but here it is. Life goes on. Tomorrow is a new day.

This painting has been altered and SOLD!

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Painting-A-Day: August 12, 2013

8/12/2013

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

I like the idea of flipping things...refurbishing...making new things out of old things. Today I was watching/listening to Flea Market Flip on HGTV, which moved me to look at a previous painting from April 26th. I decided to "refurbish" this landscape into another landscape. The interesting thing about it is that you can still see remnants of the previous landscape. A landscape within a landscape. I like the way it moves from one to the other. It reminds me to remember to look at things from more than one perspective, one viewpoint. Sometimes you can see beauty when looking at something from a new angle.

This painting has SOLD!

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Painting-A-Day: August 9, 2013

8/9/2013

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

If I could name this painting, I'd call it Embraced by the Light. It began with various violets, each additional layer after, a lighter value than the last, ending with the lightest golden brushstrokes. Sometimes you have to climb out of the darkest places by making one small step at a time. Sometimes that is all you can accomplish...but it is something. It is a step. And with each step you feel a little stronger. You see a little more light shining through the cracks. Hold onto it. You have the strength in you. Be at peace that sometimes it goes slowly. One small step at a time. You'll get there.

This painting has SOLD!

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Painting-A-Day: August 9, 2013

8/9/2013

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

If I could name this painting, I'd call it Embraced by the Light. It began with various violets, each additional layer after, a lighter value than the last, ending with the lightest golden brushstrokes. Sometimes you have to climb out of the darkest places by making one small step at a time. Sometimes that is all you can accomplish...but it is something. It is a step. And with each step you feel a little stronger. You see a little more light shining through the cracks. Hold onto it. You have the strength in you. Be at peace that sometimes it goes slowly. One small step at a time. You'll get there.

This painting has SOLD!

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Painting-A-Day: August 8, 2013

8/8/2013

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

I don't know where this came from, but I like it. I said that out loud to my daughter's boyfriend today...and after I said it, I thought. Oh. That sounds like I am bragging. I wasn't feeling that at all, but rather that I don't always feel satisfied or like what I end up with on any given Painting-A-Day. So there's my excuse and I'm stickin' to it. I think my addiction to painting with a lot of movement has to do with the fact that deep inside I am a dancer, or at least I like to think I am a dancer. I love watching "So You Think You Can Dance" which features serious dancers of all genres. Some choreographed dances give me goosebumps, some make me cry. Yup. I am moved by the expressions of the human body. So beautiful. Today I danced with paint. It's as close as I can get.

This painting has SOLD!

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Painting-A-Day: August 6, 2013

8/6/2013

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

Textures. You can paint on a flat surface making it appear like something you could touch and feel or you can add actual texture that comes off the surface, adding a third dimension. Today's painting was first posted on April 30. I used a crackle paste to the underpainting of browns, reds, oranges and yellows. I added crinkled up art tissue paper today, with transparent color washes in cool colors, for contrast. Originally, I wanted to have a sense of light and hope amidst darkness. Today, I used texture and movement to suggest life and possibility.

This painting has been altered and SOLD!

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Painting-A-Day: August 2, 2013

8/2/2013

What does it mean?

Marketing genius. That is what I am aiming for....and so today, I added the Internet's favorite motif. Kittens. You can't lose. I found an online Multi-Media Painting class, so I am putting this knowledge to work. Plus, it brought a few laughs from the family. The kitten is praying for goodness sake. Again, you can't lose. I am not able to paint today, but I did have time to bring you this piece of "art". You're welcome. :)

P.S. This is only a digital image...the painting, minus kitty, is still available!)

Painting-A-Day: August 1, 2013

8/1/2013

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

They say timing is everything. Well...perhaps "they" are right. Why is it that when you are under a tight timeline, everything goes slower?? Are the computer fairies working against me here? Well, it might be the camera fairies first. Try as I might (about 30 pictures) I had a tough time getting the lighting right on this one. When the lighting isn't right, the colors aren't right. This is very frustrating to a painter, as the colors chosen are very deliberate. I try very hard to adjust the colors with Photoshop to get as close as I can to the actual painting. This, knowing that each of your computers has its own color wizards (or fairies). So. The thing you need to know about this one is that the reddish brown is actually more of a cinnamon brown with less red than it looks on the computer and the yellow leans toward a yellow-orange rather than a lemon yellow. (Just took more pictures about 3 hours later, and the lighting was different and so got a version that is closer to the original!) I am also making bread today and I am about 30 minutes behind in punching down the first rising. Timing. Oops. What I've learned since my battle with a chronic illness is...all of this is not all that important. So relax, I tell myself. In the great scheme of things, this is just a blip. :) Ahhh. Perspective. It helps. On to the bread!

This paining has been altered and SOLD!

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.