Revisiting Red Tulips

 

 RED TULIPS 2005

RED TULIPS 2013

 I went to paint over this tulip painting to reuse the canvas and wound up just tweaking the colors. This can hang around as is for a little while longer.

Hollyhock studies

Little 8"x10 studies of one of my favorite summer flowers. I can't grow them, but I love painting them.

HOLLYHOCKS

I took this 12"x24" canvas and primed over an old painting. These hollyhocks flowed onto it while I was at the gallery in Fennville- 89ARTscene- during my shift yesterday.

They didn't just show up unbidden! I've been looking at hollyhocks and sketching and brought along some photos. I've painted hollyhocks before. They are one of my favorite flowers. It was fun to complete a painting again in one sitting. I have too many incomplete projects going! This one is wired and ready to go.

Back in the game

It's been about 3 months since I worked on art in any meaningful way. After a cross country trip and encountering some lovely paintings at the Des Moines Art Center, the art wheels in my mind are turning. I had a dream about printmaking and spent the rest of the night contemplating new directions. Yesterday I spent time taking apart a painting and putting a new layer on top. It was an autobiographical piece. I have photos, I don't need the original. I have money in the frame and I'll reuse that!

Vee Gates

SABBATICAL

I'm taking a sabbatical from creating art. One definition of sabbatical is ceasing. I ceased producing art a few months ago. My hands are not idle. I'm putting energy into remodeling our home with my husband. It's good to step back and it's also good to make changes in our living space. I'm still putting time in at the galleries (Flat River Gallery and Framing in Lowell MI and 89ARTscene in Fennville). But now when I go, I bring a book.

As with all the plans that I make, God adds some twists and turns. Last Friday, the fortune in my cookie after a good Chinese meal was "More art in your life at this time will help you feel better." I wasn't feeling bad to begin with, but I got a laugh out of it. I suppose, to quote Bob Dylan "I feel pretty good, but I could feel a whole lot better." Then on Saturday someone bought a piece of my art in Fennville and offered me a commission to design an icon of St. John of the Cross. And this week, I got an invitation to submit art for the Christian calendar I've had work in the last few years (http://www.thechristiancalendar.com/).Some sabbatical!

Right now, I'd better get back in the kitchen and remove the wall paper paste that's been soaking. What a process! Just thought that some of you might be interested in this part of my art journey. Thanks.

LARGE commission

This is a 4' x5' commission I have worked on at Flat River Gallery and Framing for a few months now. The canvas was too big to work on comfortably in my studio, and it wouldn't fit in my car! Kind friends with a covered pickup were my canvas transport helpers. It's as yet untitled (something about cycles of the moon perhaps). It now hangs in a house in the woods over a magnificent fireplace in a great room with lots of windows. I am so honored to have it there. It's the largest painting I've ever done (except for some wall murals in my past). I did lots of sketches and it didn't follow the plan of any of them! It developed organically.

THE ROAD FROM THE CENTER

THE ROAD FROM THE CENTER

This is the road leaving the Franciscan Center in Lowell.

Two styles

People often remark about my diversity of styles. I love to paint loose acrylic landscapes and I also love to do more abstract mixed media pieces. Because I've been working in the Flat River Gallery and 89 ART Scene so much I've been doing more landscapes because they are more portable. I need all the tools and mess in my studio to work in mixed media and if I did transport everything, I run the risk of making a giant mess in the gallery space!

MORNING LIGHT

HEAVEN & NATURE SING 3

still blogging after all these years!

I went on a trip through memory lane. I went back in time and looked at things I've blogged over the years. April 2, 2006 was my first blogpost. It's amazing to have this record of my work over the last 7 years.

Morning

MORNING Acrylic 16" x 20" Virginia Wieringa

This is hot off the presses. I like it. I used Winsor Blue in the sky. I haven't used it before. I think it worked well. It's so satisfying to paint patches of sunlight!

sunflowers

As promised, here's a summer sunflower. It's coming!!

snow scenes

People in Michigan and elsewhere have about had it with winter. It's March 26 and we are looking for warmer breezes and no snow! So I post these two 16" x 20" paintings to get them off the list of things that haven't been posted! From here on in, it's warmer posts!

Roadside Attraction: toward the Art Deck

Roadside Attraction: Tosebo Hill

Roadside Attraction: study for Morning Light

ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS: Near Hamilton

I just finished this little painting. It's 12"x24". It was inspired by a trip along the back roads of Allegan County necessitated by road work on my usual route to 89 ART scene. It's in a series of paintings I'm calling Roadside Attractions. The shadow on the barn was what made me turn around.

Crazy Paper Quilt finds a home

This collage found a home yesterday. I'm thrilled because it's a piece I love and now it will be appreciated by its new owners!

A piece in FUMC Celebration.

Forward Movement

First United Methodist Church in downtown Grand Rapids has had a juried show for 40 years called Celebration. It highlights spiritual art. This year 'Forward Movement" was selected to be in the show.

Possible

Possible 2013

This piece combines my love of circles, layers and textures.

In process since 2006

Embedded Prayer

Celestial Timing #6

These pieces are on top of paintings I thought were completed in 2006. It took until now to get the right layer! It's great to have the energy to be in the studio again!! Pain free. Praise God!

LAKESCAPES

Michigan Cove

Near Glen Arbor

My first lakescapes of 2013. Tiny. 6" x 11".  I have just the right frames for them!

RED PAPER QUILT (2013)

RED PAPER QUILT (2013)

This is my first piece out of the studio for 2013. Now to frame it and hang it at Flat River Gallery and Framing.

F&W becoming Flat River Gallery & Framing

For six years, I've been affiliated with Fire and Water ART! in Lowell. The space that was Fire and Water ART! is becoming Flat River Gallery and Framing! We're still at 219 West Main, but we're getting a facelift and new artists are joining many of the F&W artists. Deidre Wingelaar is still our framer.

We'll be having a GRAND OPENING when everything gets put into place!!


Flat River Gallery & Framing is on Facebook.

Painting again- the kitchen

Now that my knees are healing, I'm painting again. I have been in my studio and started new work and completed a few pieces, but I'm drawn to updating our living space and so teh painting this week will take place on our kitchen!

Songbook cover

Gathered Together #9  has been selected as the cover for a 3 year cycle of songbooks starting in 2014. This journey of art is really surprising! The art director of OCP found this image online. I haven't been working in this exact mixed media style for a while and it's inspired me to get my stencils back out and work into some pieces in the 'halfway done' pile. If any come up into the 'finished' category, I'll post them.

ordering cards and calendars

New knee

This time the knee replacement is quite challenging. Very painful and I hope it's teaching me patience and tolerance. I don't know what lessons pain is supposed to teach but it leads to all sorts of philosophical questions. Sometimes it just leads to 'OUCH!!'.

ELK RAPIDS

This is from a new series called Roadside Attractions. I'm attracted to the shadows and random bushes and flowers along the side of the road. I have a whole folder of these odd shots. It's so fun to paint the various colors of grasses and I like the composition. I don't know if others will like it, but I do.

waiting

Friday, October 12 by this time, I will have a new right knee. I have excitement, hesitation, and a little bit of dread. I know when I heal it will be great, but the first two weeks are a big challenge. Fortunately, my terrific husband, Fred will stand by me and guide me through it. My left knee was operated on and replaced on July 19 and it's really quite wonderful for only being 3 months out.

BE

BE, 2011, Mixed media

This piece utilizes some of the medical stickers that were used to plot my radiation last year as a part of my blessedly minor experience with breast cancer. During my treatments, I would sing to myself:

The LORD bless you from heaven above

And shine on you with radiant face.

The Lord who heaven and earth hath made

Illumine you with peace and grace.

(To the tune of "Praise God from whom all blessings flow")

ADVENT ARTWORK

ADVENT STARRY NIGHT 5, Virginia Wieringa, Acrylic 2011

MORNING STARS TOGETHER, Virginia Wieringa, Acrylic 2014

MAGNIFICAT, Virginia Wieringa, Acrylic 

JOY TO THE WORLD, Virginia Wieringa, Acrylic

EMERGING STAR 2, Virginia Wieringa, Acrylic 2014

EMERGING STAR 2, Virginia Wieringa, Acrylic 2010

EMERGING STAR 3, Virginia Wieringa, Acrylic 2014

ADVENT STARRY NIGHT 3, Virginia Wieringa, Acrylic 2009

ANGELS AND SHEPHERDS, Virginia Wieringa, Acrylic 2013

IN THY DARK STREETS SHINETH, Virginia Wieringa, Acrylic 2013

ADVENT STARRY NIGHT 1, Virginia Wieringa, Acrylic 1997

ADVENT STARRY NIGHT 2 , Virginia Wieringa, Acrylic 2006

ADVENT STARRY NIGHT 4, Virginia Wieringa, Acrylic 2010

ANGELS FROM THE REALMS OF GLORY, Virginia Wieringa, Acrylic 2013

CHRISTMAS MORNING, Virginia Wieringa, Acrylic 2012

This is an assortment of images I've created with an Advent, Christmas and Epiphany theme. I'm honored when churches ask to use my images and I am happy to share them. However, as it says in Luke 10:7    "the laborer is worthy of their hire" and is repeated in 1 Timothy 5:18, "The worker deserves their  pay." For a fee, I am willing to send you a high quality image for use on program and bulletin covers. You can email me at: vwieringa@gmail.com Of course, the high resolution image I send will be for one use or one season and will come without the 'watermark' of my name and copyright.

Claudia's birthday

Claudia's birthday: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NXG7qb6lhw&feature=plcp

Claudia's 1st birthday

This is my great grand daughter at her first birthday with a marvelous toy. I used a free trial of Camtasia Studio video software to adjust it. I was laughing so hard I turned down most of the volume and I filmed it in the wrong direction and learned to rotate it!

Knee Hiatus

My knee replacement surgery has forced me to take a hiatus from creating art. I had surgery 3 weeks ago and I haven't got the energy or interest in creating. I'm sure it will return but I'm filling my time with reading and napping and healing.

September Collage show at Lowell Arts

Bloodlines 2, Mixed media, 2012

Forward Movement. Mixed media. 2012

These two pieces were chosen to be in the Collage show at Lowell Arts which will run from mid September to mid October.