See The Forest For The Trees.

1. Autumn Beech, 2. On the Red Carpet, 3. Autumn Remains 2 ..., 4. Para Rubber trees and a snake!

This Tuesday's mosaic with Artmind I did forests & trees. The idiom  "Can't see the forest for the trees" really stuck in my head this week. Maybe because that's exactly what I've been doing for too long, focusing on the details of a problem instead of seeing the whole thing, the Gestalt of it. For years I've been dealing with physical anomalies like not feeling well (lots of stuff in this category), plus dark circles under my eyes and low grade allergic skin reactions. None of these symptoms had been pinpointed to any specific cause but I was tested for celiac disease last year and it came up negative.

Well, I should have listened to my own intuition. I was so focused on how I felt and what I had been told I didn't have that I missed that it all added up to the reality that no matter what the doctor told me, I was having a serious problem with gluten. Every symptom pointed there. Why I didn't step back and  see that sooner, I don't know. Silly me. No, I am not a celiac patient, but I sure am totally sensitive to gluten! I went completely off any wheat  and gluten producing products and within 48 hours all of my major "not feeling well" symptoms went away. WOW. I still have dark circles etc. but those group of symptoms will diminish over time as my body heals from the constant bombardment & overstimulation from consuming gluten products over the years.

This last week has been a study of "how does one change one's whole way of eating" without getting totally flustered and confused. I want to stick to a gluten free diet and eat in a healthy way. Although I'm not really worried about very small sources of cross contamination on my oatmeal or a small amount of gluten in the vanilla I use, I do want to be knowledgeable about where gluten is found in larger amounts so I can avoid those products. Luckily I'm not a full blown celiac disease sufferer.  I just play one on t.v. ;o)  Yes, joking. No offense meant, just trying to lighten the mood in here. I have a lot of learning about gluten free cooking to do. But, it's kinda fun. I needed to eat healthier anyways. This just forces me to stay on program. So, this is me, gluten free. Good God, I rhyme too. Is there no end to my talents? Onward and upward, peoples!

So, I totally suck.  Last week I didn't get any posts done. I started the tulip painting and bumped my preverbal nose up against a truth. I really haven't learned to do a successful background yet. This truth stopped me in my painting tracks. I didn't want to go forward until I learned more about creating backgrounds. So, that's what I did.

I went through my constantly growing & bulging e-file of paintings that inspire me, looking for terrific examples of successful backgrounds. Here's what I found...

Artist: Delilia Smith

Title: Lemons & Cherry, Still Life with Bee

I love how soft and smooshy this background is. Yes, I said smooshy! I think it compliments the lemons beautifully. If it was more detailed the simplicity and beauty of the painting would be diminished. I love how the blush color in the upper right make me think the lemons are somehow innocent. :o)

Artist: Annelein Beukenkamp

Title: Waddle

Is this not the most adorable chicken you ever laid your eyes upon?? She looks fantastic! As the artist says, "She's so deliciously plump!". I think if the background was anything more complicated than just washes of color to evoke the feeling of sky and ground, it would take away from her beautiful plumpness. She is definitely the star of this terrific painting and the artist knew how to create a background to show her off to her best qualities. Brilliant.

Artist: Alfred Ng
Title: Memories Of Spring

Wow, this background is so bold! I love the expert randomness of it. There is real technique to getting a background to not look to contrived yet also look not so random as to suggest amateur status. Now, obviously this painting could never in a million years look at all amateur. The tulips are so exquisite they hurt my heart with the excessive love I have for them. I think this artist is masterful in adding the background. The color is bold yet works expertly with the white flowers. I'm fascinated.

Please go check out these artist's sites and blogs, their work will not disappoint! I'll have several smaller pieces to show from last week in the next 24 hours. All done to learn how to do backgrounds. What fun. I'm going to go find a rice cake now... We'll talk very soon.

I Promise!

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