Lena Francis's Comments

Hello

ElayneKuehler — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 11:11:09 GMT

It's great to hear from you Lena. Gee it sounds wonderful to be able to run on the beach and see all of the animal/sea life there! I have always wanted to go to Hawaii. It's definitely on my list of things to see. And it sounds like you are very busy with your prints. That is a process I'm not familiar with. Sounds facinating. And congratulations on your work being recognized.

My opening night went very well. I was very pleased with the amount of people that came. Sells were ok.

I an considering a new project. I'm thinking of illustrating a cookbook. The first teacher I studied with told me that still life painting was my forte'. I have had other opinions and don't know what to think but in any case I am longing to do a series of still lifes involving food. My next step is to investigate pricing for this project. I will keep you posted on my progress.

Take good care, Elayne

Appreciation

Lou Marek — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 21:38:03 GMT

Thanks for the compliments. It is the one thing we can spend that won't make us broke. Obviously I am feeling the "recession". But all kidding aside When I started painting seriously - with the intention to sell and support my wife and I - and of course lend money to kids who ae always broke I thought like the ad man I spent 25 years working as. I took a year off to live and watch out for my mother in law whose Alzhiemer's had just turned nasty to where whe couldn't lkive alone. She and her husband live about 125 miles south of me in La Jolla, California. There I picked up watercolors and for a year I taught myself all the tricks I could and painted and painted and painted. ( There is a point here.) So when my mother in law needed more professional help I moved back to my house in West L.A. and started painting acrylics but here I thought I would concentrate on "pets" the more I did the better I got but I also wanted to be able to handle the medium of oil, acrylic and watercolor with dexterity so I chose two artists I thought could teach me with my abilities and esthetic sense ( The point is coming.) I picked Sargent and Whistler, it is only coincidental they are both expatriate Americans. Sargent in particular fascinated me in that from a distance he seemed flawless and perfect, and as one approaches his work you see technique - facile technique. I was envious so now everstroke I make is to be as facile and perfect in color, value and tone as Sargent or as I now feel is important. Then of course we still have the problem of subject - but life isn't perfect, is it. So the point is know what you like in your work and others and then paint, paint, paint regardless of the outcome. I did murals for 13 years and I assure you right after working in the corporate world I learned on the job. But I felt then that I was going to do the best however long it took and I was also not going to beat myself up if it wasn't a masterpiece. I wise teacher once told me something I repeat to myself everyday "It's only paint!".

Lou

Please excuse any misspellings.

New friends

Lou Marek — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 22:02:55 GMT

Great to meet you. Look forward to seeing you progress in your art. If you have any comments on my portfolio please help me out. Lou

Good morning

ElayneKuehler — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 11:56:04 GMT

Hi Lena, Gee it sounds like you are very creative coming up with some new colors and frames and techniques. Do you have a website? I would love to see you work. As far as colors go for me, I absolutely love blue, yellow and red. Am I primary or what? When I paint landscapes, I find their colors gray down so much as they recede that I am endlessly finding new colors while doing that. Painting is so facinating. Every new painting is a whole new ball game. I'm working hard to get ready for a one gallery show at the New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts where I went to school in the 90's. I have several new works but have not put most of them on my site yet, am waiting for the show to begin. I became a grandmother for the first time last year. Two of our children had baby daughters, 3 months apart. I recently painted one of them in watercolor as a garden fairy. I must say that was a lot of fun. Have got to do the other one very soon! I find children very inspirational! That's where the miniature ideas came from, children's nursery rhymes. I plan on doing more. It also seems to make me very happy doing children's subject matter. I'll but your hibiscus paintings are really beautiful. I have several potted hibicus' in my garden. I really love them. I am not familiar with the one you named. I'm going to google you and see if I can find you work. Have a great day! Elayne

Friends

ElayneKuehler — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 12:08:44 GMT

Aloha to you Lena. So nice to meet you. I'll bet you get a lot of inspiration from your home place. What is your favorite subjects to paint? Thanks so much for the nice compliments on my work. Happy painting to you. Elayne Kuehler

Thank you , and Aloha

Michael Orwick — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 16:11:35 GMT

Lena thank you for the heartfelt response, and for taking the time to read my bio.

I live around the corner from your son like 5 blocks away, Small world.

I'm also going to be spending over a week on the big island starting Tuesday the 2nd.

Also thanks for sending the sun, as you know we need all we can get here in Portland/Beaverton or Aloha the small town I live in. It is so cold out, I'm ready to see some 80 degree weather for a change.

Best of luck with your art and I look forward to hearing and seeing what you come up with, you must be completely surrounded by inspiration all the time.

All the best,
Michael Orwick

Orwick Arts

http://michaelorwick.blogspot.com/
http://www.MichaelOrwick.com
My art hints at a story and then invites you to finish the narrative. My style has been called Inspired Expressionism, which combines impressionistic brush strokes and a touch of realism to create the atmosphere and lighting woven into my work.

The easiest way to see my work is at www.michaelorwick.com