Treffinger Daily: Caravan

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Caravan

Oil on canvas 14"x11" $275 plus shipping
If you are interested in purchasing this painting please
contact me at katherine@katherinetreffinger.com

I now have three unfinished paintings going in my studio,
maybe today I'll get another one going. I am letting pieces
dry a little before I go back in. I did this piece in the fall.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...: beautiful warm energy from this... r.; March 12, 2009 at 9:30 AM
Katherine said...: Thank you Rahina for visiting. I needed warm today. It is so cold here!; March 12, 2009 at 12:27 PM
Sylvie Van Hulle said...: Waaauuuuuw this is soooooo beautiful!!!!!!!
I really love the colors, makes me think of Mexico :-); March 12, 2009 at 2:13 PM
Cathy Spivey Mendola said...: Love, love, love your work. I have been attempting to do some abstract painting and keep coming back to your site and reading your post about control and letting yourself go.
I'm having a hard time with it. I just posted my first attempts at abstract but I'm calling them SEMI-abstract in that I ended up controlling the results. I would love you to critique them. Thanks so much for your inspiring art!; March 12, 2009 at 4:00 PM
Katherine said...: Sylvie I can see that association. When I was in my twenties my largest passion in life was traveling to Mexico and Guatemala. It was an innocent place then. Anyhow I can see how it would find its way into my paintings.; March 13, 2009 at 8:26 AM
Katherine said...: Cathy thank you for your appreciation. I looked at your abstracts. You have a nice sense of composition. What I would suggest is to keep going. My challenge in painting is to not stop too early, to not let the painting become too precious to keep going and create something interesting in the paint itself. The other thing I would recommend is taking a medium size canvas or piece of paper and draw a graph of squares and put individual colors in the top squares and side squares and then mix those colors that are beside and above all the other squares. Keep track of the colors you are mixing. Then play with colors by adding gray, black and white. Color is so much fun to know. Hope this is helpful.; March 13, 2009 at 8:34 AM
Cathy Spivey Mendola said...: Katherine thank you so much! With my piece I titled edge of pond I DID stop early in the process because I liked it and was afraid I was going to screw it up if I added anymore paint.
I need to keep practicing the art of letting go and also release myself from the fear of being wrong.
I will definitely use your idea of the squares and mixing colors. I will keep repeating to myself to PLAY & have FUN with the process and not worry about the end results! Thanks again and have a great weekend!!; March 13, 2009 at 9:10 AM
Katherine said...: Your welcome Cathy. Sometimes the history of the process on the painting is the most interesting part, especially abstract.; March 13, 2009 at 10:21 AM
Katherine said...: Thanks Rachel!; March 17, 2009 at 4:23 PM

The Art And Meaning Project

The Art and meaning Project is a series of responses from various artists to the question: "What meaning does doing art have for you? In other words why do you show up in your studio, or wherever, and pick up your tools day after day?"

This is something I have thought of doing for a while as
a book, but now I have the blog and, who knows, maybe
it could become a book. I am very excited about this. I love hearing the answers. Showing up for their creations is
often an irresistible pull for artists. Many of us at any given
time ask ourselves why we are doing it. All the answers have a different response. Most of us can relate to at least some part of every response.

I want to hear the artists' answers. If you are an artist
and would like to contribute please email me. I will not guarantee that I will post everyone's answer, I need to
see what you have to say first and if it contributes more to the project.

THE ART OF KATHERINE TREFFINGER

ABOUT THE ARTIST
www.katherinetreffinger.com

I spent my childhood in Sausalito, California in the 50’s. It was a magical place, teeming with artists and creative expression. Across the street from our house was one of the coffeehouses where the “bohemians” came to listen to music, and writers such as Allen Ginsberg, Gary Snyder and Jack Kerouac read from their work.

It was a time when San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley and Sausalito were home to the abstract expressionist and Bay Area Figurative movements. My missing toys were found in the neighbor’s sculptures. I was often on tiptoes, peering into the windows of nearby studios and coffeehouses. I thrived in the wondrous mystery of this world.

Later, as an adult I had the good fortune to befriend Joseph Raffael and spend time in his studio. This was before I realized I wanted to be an artist myself. I was greatly influenced by his enthusiasm, dedication, and his ability to create beauty.

In hindsight, there was nothing else I really wanted to be than an artist. I paint and draw because I love to … and because I have to. I am primarily self taught.

When I stand before an empty canvas or piece of paper, I am lost, unaware of what to do. In fact, my most satisfying work comes from staying ‘lost’. Navigational confidence is seldom productive for me. Each piece becomes the recording of a unique introspective exploration.