Wow, it’s already been a year since I wrote this blog, I was swamped on Cami’s actual birthday this year, but I was mowing the lawn this morning (9/5/2015) when I saw the first little Resurrection Bulb coming up in her honor!
This is my beautiful Cami on her wedding day. February 29, 2008 Leap year…go figure! I painted this of Cami, (she was the originator of selfies…) when she was in high school. She didn’t get to go to prom and seemed uncharacteristically fine with that. Her date got grounded.
Cami would have been 25 years old today if she had not made the decision to end her life on April 8, 2011. Hardest event of my entire life and all her family, including her husband Robert whom she loved dearly. My Savior cried with us that day, and again today. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to have had her as my child for a mere 21 years. She was born laughing, and always handled hard things with a touch of dark humor. As she grew older many health challenges plagued her, mostly tummy aches that today I believe was a…
I love love love to oil paint, and I love love love to do commissioned work! This is the painting for Allie. She commissioned me to paint it in time for Fathers Day…I’ve now finished it. I hope she will record her fathers reaction when he receives the gift.
Allie’s Dad on his favorite horse, April who has since passed away. This is his fathers day gift.
Hopefully he will love love love it!
I may do a few more touch ups to it before I photograph it with my canon camera and call it finished. It will be displayed on April 28th at the SALS Spring Fling show at the TATC. (Love those acronyms? SALS is the Stansbury Art and Literature Society of which I am the president. TATC is the Tooele Applied Technology Building where we are having our show. I will attach more info in a visual format.)
It’s our annual spring open house we’re calling Spring Fling. Tooele county artists will be represented.
My next commission is a portrait of Shelley. She saw my solo show at the Holladay Library: 2150 East Murray-Holladay Rd. SLC, UT I had the honor of meeting with her at her home last week, and am so looking forward to painting her portrait. I plan on having her model for me rather than just use her photo, because she is a very lovely woman, and deserves the best I’ve got to give.
I love love love to paint! I love love love to paint commissions!!!!
My hairdresser Allie wants a painting for her Dad for Fathers Day. He has a favorite horse named April that he misses a lot so Allie is having me do a painting of April, a Red Mare Quarter Horse. I’m not gonna lie…I’ve never painted animals of any kind before, so this will be a new adventure for me. I might have to get my former student, Shayna Lee to critique it for me. She draws really great horses…
So I grabbed my favorite painting surface, a cradled aqua board from Ampersand.
Cradled means it is similar to a gallery wrap canvas, and can be displayed without a frame. So far when using these boards I don’t paint the border because the wood they use is really beautiful. I tape up the sides so I don’t get paint on them.
I stamped on the sky using a piece of wadded up lace and ultramarine blue watercolor. Then I sealed it with clear spray paint, and added a couple of layers of clear gesso. I absolutely love the texture of the board at this point. I wish I would have taken a picture of just the sky but I forgot. Then I began the background. I will do the field of flowers with the mountain ranges behind first. Then I will photograph the completed landscape to sell prints, and overlay the horses, April and her colt Danny Boy after the landscape is complete.
I’m sharing this unfinished edition just for laughs…the far mountains look a lot like clouds at this point…
Here’s last night’s version:
The clouds are now mountains…the foreground is not complete yet. There will be sunflowers and forget-me-nots. Then I will add the horses.
Looking forward to my painting session tonight. Its sunflowers and forget-me-nots. Yay!!!
Photographed in plein air, but it was raining so I painted this in my studio for the Tooele Arts festival plain air competition. I know…I’m a wimp!
So many events to announce…
Flowers for Everyone ~ Solo Exhibition
Holladay Library ~ Gallery Room
2150 Murray Holladay Road
Holladay, Utah 84117 801-0943-4636
Show hangs from March 2 through April 30, 2015
These lovely delicate perennial flowers seem to bloom every Sept 4th on Cami’s birthday. The bulbs were a gift from my sister on the day of Cami’s funeral. My grandson, Hunter helped me plant them after the funeral services were over. This is the unfinished painting that I will finish today in honor of my sweet daughter.
1st Annual Illumination Art Show ~ IAA (Inspirational Artists Association)
Artist Reception is Saturday, May 9, 2015 from 5:00 to 7:00 PM
I’ll do my best to be at every Artist Reception, and hope to meet friends, collectors, admirers, and new friends! My heart is so full at this time…love being a full time artist!!!
My little sister said when she saw this magnificent painting by Frans Schwartz that she felt like she was the angel comforting him, and then she prayed about it and realized there were many of us there…
The first blog I did about this painting will tell you about the process in depth. The actual painting of this piece was amazing. The painting of Jesus and the angel was an incredibly spiritual experience, and came together without a problem. Originally I was going to depict it as a framed picture hanging on a wall, but the spirit told me I wanted to be in the garden, so I extended the garden to encompass my self portrait, looking through time as a modern person from our day.
The self portrait was very difficult, I don’t recall having so much trouble ever with a portrait! I hope it reads well, and that the expression on my face includes reverence as well as emotion.
My intention is that the viewer puts their own image in place of mine and feels the power of this moment in time.
I have had several titles in mind, but I think I have narrowed it down: 1) Remembering…I was there, or 2) Wondering…Was I There? 3) What he did for me…
Any other titles or suggestions from my wonderful followers?
People tell me “Wow, you are so talented.” The other day my husband mentioned that other people are intimidated by me. Hmmm. I can’t see it. What I know is that I’ve worked really hard to learn how to be a viable artist, and I have a lot more to learn and a long way to go. What others call talent is 97% practice, and 2% talent and 1% luck according to an accomplished artist, Annie Henrie.
I do feel that being an artist is something I covenanted with my Heavenly Father to learn how to do here during my mortal life, and xthat if I do not follow the path he has laid out for me I would be an unfaithful and not a wise steward. I often feel intimated and frightened.
I looked up art, and talents in the Topical Guide section of my scriptures and the following scriptural references help me know that I need to keep doing what I am doing. My natural tendency is to be shy and very quiet.
D&C 60:2,3
2 But with some I am not well pleased, for they will not open their mouths, but they hide the talent which I have given unto them, because of the fear of man. Wo unto such, for mine anger is kindled against them.
3 And it shall come to pass, if they are not more faithful unto me, it shall be taken away, even that which they have.
I went to the Salt Lake City Utah Temple on Friday, and thought about how ornate and beautiful it is, and how the pioneers who built it were so poor and had to work so very hard just to have food and clothing, and yet they created one of the most beautiful buildings in the entire world. I like the following scripture as I think about them.
Exodus 32:2,3
(intro) Artisans are inspired in building and furnishing the tabernacle…
2 See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: (insert your own name or the name of your favorite artist)
3 And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,
I’m preparing to enter the 10th International Art Competition hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, through the Church History Museum. The theme is “Tell me the Stories of Jesus”. Because this competition is only held every 3 years, and because I quit my steady income teaching job to embark on the adventure of being a professional artist, and because I’m choosing to paint religious subject matter this is a very important competition for me to enter. And because it is so important to me I tremble… I find my lack of faith in my abilities looming it’s ugly head. Therefore, I want to document every step, including the self-doubt every artist encounters.
I’ve brainstormed and ran several ideas past many of my artist friends. Listening to my friend Lanise sharing her testimony in sacrament meeting one day, I began to gather my courage. Her family has a mantra “I can do hard things”. I was thinking about an idea for this painting competition right when she said that, and the spirit whispered “That’s the attitude you need”.
The fear left and was replaced with faith, I sat up straighter, and my subject matter presented itself.
While visiting my daughter’s family for Thanksgiving, I asked her, April Gailey, a professional photographer to do a photoshoot of me.
The centerpiece of the Brigham Young University Museum of Art’s Sacred Gift’s art exhibit, the very first painting, hung at eye level and perfectly lit, called ‘Agony in the Garden’ by Frans Schwartz, sent chills up my spine, and brought tears to my eyes. A great feeling of love for my savior, and his love for me penetrated my heart. It was an a very personal, individual experience. And as you view my rendition of my self portrait, hopefully capturing my emotional and spiritual response, perhaps you will relive your own experience with this reminder of the ‘Agony in the Garden’, an incredible piece of artwork!
Reproductions, although lovely do not capture the intensity of the colors, the bloody tears he is crying, and the intensity of the emotion on both his and the angels face. Even though LDS doctrine does not include angel wings, the paintings with the wings of the angel enveloping him in comfort, strength and love illustrates intense emotions, beyond human understanding. The Garden of Gethsemane, and the event depicted is the most important event in human history. And because of him, even I, “I can do hard things.”
Words are not powerful enough to convey the visual message depicted here
I will insert my copy of the master…our master Jesus Christ, and the master painting by Frans Schwartz.
Because I want to capture the emotion “The Agony in the Garden’ communicates, I will use this as my rough draft….my photo to guide me. Yes, I will add tears to my face.
Philipians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me…”
Saturday required a lot of self talk, the encouraging kind, as I tackled the project. My painting surface is 22×30 and is a cradled panel watercolor board. I taped up the sides. It’s 2 inches deep, and the wood used to create the cradle is beautiful. If I can keep it clean I won’t need to paint the edges. Then I pondered and procrastinated painting the watercolor background while I drew out the design. I used the brick lines from the above photo to create a perspective grid for my copy of the Master. I used dental floss to identify my vanishing point.
This is the side view of my cradled panel, it’s all taped up to protect the edges from my sloppinessThis is how I extended the perspective lines to locate the vanishing point. Dental floss is taped to the drawing and extended to a vanishing point outside the picture plane.
Here I have drawn the basic outline of the painting I want to include using a perspective grid. This shows the overlay of the tracing paper used to rough in the ‘copy of a master’ and identify placement. The camera makes it look like the print is already in perspective but it is not.
The watercolor background is very soft and neutral. It could change, but for now I think it looks like it will work.
Could change…Here I am transferring the drawing to the painted background. Next I will add 3 layers of clear gesso.
Now that I’m this far into the painting I have no idea why I was hesitant to start…I’m having a riot!
Painted en plein air sitting on the balcony of uncle Bob’s cabin
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Happy New Year!!! Reviewing my History as an Artist, and trying to connect with you, kindred spirit!
I love to learn…and I love to set goals. Jason Horejs, (www.RedDotblog.com Marketing and Selling Your Art — Insightful tips from an art gallery owner) in his free online course that I am working through says that a profitable artist needs to paint 60-80 paintings a year. The assignment was to count how many paintings you had completed in 2014. I counted 27. I’ve always loved the Painting a Day concept, but haven’t ever felt like I paint fast enough to do that. So, that’s exactly why I need to do it!
Self imposed rules:
Limit to 1 hour
Paint small, 6×8
Add the routine to my morning..5:00 am exercise, then paint.
Prepare ahead…I already ordered 36 cheap little 6×8 canvas panels, and will select 36 subjects ahead of time, so I’m all set for 9 glorious, challenging weeks and then maybe I’ll order 36 bigger better canvasses…
Each day as paint I will have an alarm set. At 1 hour I will quit and post on Facebook.
If someone wants to purchase they will be dirt cheap, and will not be framed. Maybe I’ll even give some away.
I will post a daily observation along with the image
I will commit to do one of these studies at least 4 days per week with Sundays off.
I’M SO EXCITED!!!!!
In my last post I went clear back to my Jr. high years to find out where and when I began my journey as an artist. The path is strewn with a few regrets…I firmly regret that fact that I did not try out for Sterling Scholar Art my senior year. I was, and still am a bit shy, and have a hard time thinking my work is as good as it needs to be to compete.
Frank Paur was the only contender. (I just found him of FB!!!) When he accepts my friend request I’ll share some of his work. He’s fantastic! He still would have won even if I had competed, but looking back, it would have been good for me. Through my years as a high school art teacher I’ve coached and interviewed many students as they went out for the Art Sterling Scholar title.
Despite a few regrets, one huge leap of faith for me was when I entered college and declared my major as Art. I certainly didn’t have the portfolio nor the skills to back up my decision. I just knew I loved the process. My most influential professor at Ricks College was Brother Parson, father of well know artist Del Parson. Since then I have had many varied and wonderful teachers who’ve made a difference in my life as an artist. If you’ve ever taught a class, you know who learns the most…the Teacher! If I ever wanted to learn or strengthen my understanding of an art concept I develop d a lesson plan and taught it. My most important mentor however, is prayer. It’s prayer that opens my eyes to new ideas, abilities, and drives my passion. More on that concept next time!
Broken peace is a still life of my daughter headstone. The figurine holds a broken peace in, symbolizing her death.Painted from a live model whose real name was John Wayne something or other…These lovely delicate perennial flowers seem to bloom every Sept 4th on Cami’s birthday. The bulbs were a gift from my sister on the day of Cami’s funeral. My grandson, Hunter helped me plant them after the funeral services were over. This is the unfinished painting that I will finish today in honor of my sweet daughter.Tiny SLC Temple I called Visions of Glory because the water is the only part of the landscape visible. the novel Visions of Glory describes a huge flood, which soaks the foundation of the temple and ruins the rest of the surrounding area…Oquirrh Mountain TemplePainted in Plein air with Rolanda and CharlottePainting of my grandson Cole as a Christmas present 2014Painting of Eric for Christmas 2014Painting of Jenica for Christmas 2014Plein Air painting done with my friend Rolanda as part of the ISA Pond challengeTrial run, watercolor sky, oil temple. Fun and loved it!Plein Air during the Local Colors Plein Air Challenge at the Park in Sugar HousePlein air event sponsored by Local Colors fine Art Gallery in sugar House. Painted with Charlotte and Rolanda. So much Fun!My son Kiffy took the photo when he was 14. He’s 30 now and I finally got it painted for him as a Christmas presentAn old photo, painting began long ago, and I finally got to finish it!Plein Air experience at Art in the Utah Sun Conference. Snow Canyon in St. George areaMy Dad used to indulge us all when we’d beg him to honk as we drove through these arches that are on the way to Escalante where we lived. He’d roll the window down a bit to get the full effect.Plein air challenge for Tooele Arts Festival. Hollyhocks growing in my front courtyard.Plein Air challenge for the Tooele Arts Festival. This is the beautiful chapel my family attends. We watched it being built.Workshop exercise through Portrait Society of AmericaWorkshop exercise through Portrait Society of AmericaSt. George Temple I named “Sacred Steps”This little gem was once a watercolor on gessoed board, I finished with oil and love now!This is a painting commissioned by Lucky, a very young collector.Lucky’s first commissioned painting, this is her lovely mother.
Creativity is a magic word to me. Mom is a very achievement oriented individual. She loves math, order and logic. She never forgets a commitment, and isn’t afraid to make them. I happen to be her eldest child…of 9 natural birthed kiddos, and one more acquisition, (a dear sister who isn’t really a sister at all, but a friend we unofficially adopted). I am a duplicate of Mom, or so I thought, until the day she decided I was ready to learn math.
“Ok Jane, what’s 1×3?” My mind was entirely blank. I knew 4 couldn’t be the answer because that had been my answer several times already, and I never did get it right. Crying was always a way out, so that’s what I did. I had always loved school. Now I had something at school to hate.
Creativity was a skill Mom wouldn’t acknowledge (or couldn’t acknowledge) within herself, or those around her. It was not encouraged or praised, or even noticed. Mom is definitely a dominate personality in our family, and since I have a similar dominate personality, creativity lay dormant, or unnoticed for several years.
Parent teacher conferences in 7th grade, a unique night, Mom and Dad were both with me, and they seemed to have time. Time not to rush. Mesmerized, I was lost in halls of magic. My parents let me lead them from painting to painting as I marveled at the incredible art work mere junior high age kids (my peers) had produced.
Mitch McAllister. I still remember his name. I knew him! He wasn’t even very handsome or popular, and he had done the most awesome paintings, and a lot of them. His use of color was delightful. There were pinks and purples in the reflections he painted in water. Old buildings became interesting. Skies were alive with color. Student art work covered every wall in every hall. I had to see them all.
A touch on my shoulder. “Miss, you and your parents will have to leave. We need to lock up now.” The janitor startled me and brought me out of my world. Extremely disappointed that we had to leave, we rushed by the rest of the paintings and hurried home.
Dad was a music teacher. I played the violin.. Our orchestra teacher had me playing first chair. I practiced and I was good. But…so what. My best friend cold draw! And paint! In eighth grade I quit orchestra.
“I need your signature so I can transfer out.” I stood in his office. It was just me and him. He sat upright when I said that. It was terrifying enough to just say that line. I didn’t want any lecture. I probably couldn’t have told him why I was quitting anyway. It was one of those 13 year old decisions that doesn’t get well thought out. It just happens one day. He blamed it on peer pressure. He said I must think popular kids didn’t play violin. He almost cried.
My parents must not have reacted too violently. At this point in my life I don’t even remember anything about their reaction, or their involvement.
As a Junior in High School I got brave enough to take my first art class. My schedule finally had room for it. What a scary class that was for me! I also had an English teacher who approached English as a creative media. My junior year was a year of discovering my creative nature. I came alive. I wrote poetry. I wrote stories. I painted pictures. I drew pictures. I led the class in putting together our own illustrated class publication. I did paintings for all my friends for Christmas presents. I gave a very large painting to my uncle for Christmas. He said he had it appraised, and that it was worth at least $500.00, (and that was in 1975). I developed my own self-identity. It was so exhilarating. And even my mother noticed!
The rest is really happening now, goals to pursue, kinks to work out, art to do, poetry, prose, blogs, music, (yes I’m back to playing a string instrument, I settled on the viola) and novels to write.
This is the culprit…it is a result of this little drawing that I decided I wanted to be an artist, and an art teacher. My teacher, Max Durrant taught me how to use a grid to enlarge the drawing, and how to use color correctly. I found an ad in a magazine for a stereo system. I begged him to let me finish it with colored pencils instead of crayons as his assignment suggested. He reluctantly said OK. (The annoying highlight is because I am too lazy to take off the frame to get a decent photograph)This is my very first oil painting. I carefully drew it using the grid method, and then painted it with oils. It was copied from the cover of an New Era church magazine. It still hangs in my parents home.This is about the 2nd or third painting I did in my High School Oil Painting class. I was quite impressed with myself.
I will continue sharing the most significant of my life stories, including my love story, some family stories, and a lot about art. I’ll call this series of blogs a Retrospective.
These three pieces of art are the only surviving paintings from my high school days. Stay tuned!
I offered a free gift in a previous Blog…I now have greeting cards created, some containing original artwork, most have a framable picture of one of my paintings.
They look like this, the picture inside varies, and they are blank inside so you can use them any way you choose.
I will send you 3 cards completely free. All you have to do is sign up for my newsletter…it will begin in January.
Hope your Christmas and New Year Celebrations Rock!
Until I get the Christmas spirit in my heart I just want to skip it. Last night I read this in the Ensign and got zinged! And I must share it in my blog today…
“This Christmas, mend a quarrel. Seek out a forgotten friend. Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust. Write a letter. Give a soft answer. Encourage youth. Manifest your loyalty in word and deed. Keep a promise. Forgo a grudge. Forgive an enemy. Apologize. Try to understand. Examine your demands on others. Think first of someone else. Be kind. Be gentle. Laugh a little more. Express your gratitude. Welcome a stranger. Gladden the heart of a child. Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth. Speak your love, then speak it again!” — President Howard W. Hunter (1907-95)
Trying to keep the purpose of Christmas evident in all my gifting has always been a challenge. It’s so easy to focus on the worldly gifts that are so fun to wrap, unwrap and watch for the glow in the receivers eyes. This year, our family goal is to share only homemade gifts. My request is this…I want every one of my 12 Grandkids, even the babies…(hand and/or foot prints guided by parents will be just great) to draw or paint a picture for me. I have 8×10 frames ready and waiting! I’m so excited!!!
Christmas vacation 2012 Eric and his siblings, Cole and Jenica spent some time with me in my art studio and we created art!We did this one together, Eric, Cole, Jenica and I (Grandma) had fun creating this.Of course I’m not in the picture because I’m taking the picture…Hunter and Camden spent time with Grandma in my art studio using watercolors. Budding artists! Yay!I think this was one of Camdens, he’s the little guy on the right.This is one of Hunters masterpieces…He’s the big brother!
I love being a Grandma!!!
May the Christmas Season find you rich with blessings of all types! Especially the richness that will come from giving gifts of the heart, as the Prophets have always taught.
Ok, so that little video interview says a lot about who I am.
Today I want to highlight some of my favorite artists. Last Friday evening I met my artist friends at the Rio Cafe Mexican Grill for extremely yummy cheesy enchiladas at 5:00 then we attended the SLC Gallery Stroll. We began at the Rio Gallery where we spent the majority of our time. Our favorite was by Kate Steinicke called “Utopian Weeds”. Several yellow flowers hung upside down in a symmetrical pattern. They were made from clay, wire, filament and acrylic. I searched the web but cannot find an image or a website to share here.
We made it over to the Art Access gallery and the Utah Arts Festival Gallery where we fought crowds to see all the cool stuff there, and run into other artist friends, but the very very best part was the live music. A Cellist was playing beautiful rich music. I did not wish to leave…ever! I should have asked her name…
The cello played well is perhaps the most romantic music ever! Soothing and exhilarating all at once.
But alas, we did leave and at the Phillips Gallery we saw the most beautiful painting of cardboard boxes by Brad Overton. When an artist can take something so very ordinary and make it so incredibly beautiful, that’s astounding. I couldn’t stop thinking about his work. His colors are very muted and quiet. His subject matter so ordinary. But his use of color, reflections and light made the most mundane subject speak volumes. I will include his website here so you can see what I’m talking about, but after checking out his site, know that seeing the real painting is a thoroughly different experience. http://bradfordoverton.com/gallery-box-series.html
We always enjoy the work at Utah Artist Hands http://www.utahands.com and spent a bit of time there. At a previous Gallery Stroll we met an artist in the Michael Berry Gallery, adjacent to Utah Artist Hands, named Cjay Helt. Her work is unforgettable. Her work is filled with forests and fields of wildflowers, and garden settings that feel like the Garden of Eden. http://www.cejaycarolehelt.com/index.html
I don’t know if any of these three artists are known nationally or internationally but they should be! There are a ton of fabulous artists out there. I’m crazy to think I can compete…but I must! No-one will interpret visually the way I do. My message is unique. And I have been assured that there are people out there who will connect with my work, I just have to get it in front of enough people! I have a new website: nilajaneautry.faso.com and as always you can buy prints of my work at jane-autry.artistwebsites.com
Oh, and BTW, I delivered the commissioned painting to Sara last week. Here’s a photo of her with her new painting.
We met at the airport where she was picking up family who flew in for her wedding. The pictures that have been posted to Facebook of her reception are great! It was a beautiful wedding for sure.
Also, a blog was written about the painting for Sara, and my business that I will add a link to. November 21, 2014 post http://blog.thebrideandgroom.com
This is my beautiful Cami on her wedding day. February 29, 2008
I painted this of Cami, (she was the originator of selfies…) when she was in high school. She didn’t get to go to prom and seemed uncharacteristically fine with that. Her date got grounded. 
Eternal Oils ~ by Jane 