waves
Lake and Sky Paintings
Here are three recent paintings of the sky over water.
I heard recently that vertical paintings reference the figure or portrait, even if the subject is landscape. That applies to these three paintings, each 16 inches wide by 40 inches tall. There is an interesting mental twist that happens while painting. The subject (for me often plants, water, and sky) draws me out of myself, and then reflects me back to myself. I explore the nature that surrounds me, in an expression of my own inner nature. I’ve had a similar experience when connecting with another artist’s work. That resonance says something about the artwork and something about the viewer, who is connecting with it.
I’m working on my new website, and I’m trying to decide whether to link this blog to it, start a new blog, or both. Anyone have suggestions for me? Ideally I’d keep this one going at the new site. I’m looking into the logistics. I want to keep things pretty simple.
I hope you are all well. It’s spring again! Plants are coming up.
Oil Painting: Sunset, Duck Lake Beach
November already! We had our first snowfall today. This sunset painting is inspired by a summer trip to Michigan back in July. I’ve kept busy painting indoors and out, and teaching at Insight Fine Art Studio, among other things. I post more frequently on Instagram as debrhapainting, but I’ll be bringing this page back up to date over the next few days.
I’m looking forward to showing work with fine jeweler Dora Winchester on November 27 in Glencoe’s Guild Hall. More details coming soon.
I’ll also be updating my etsy shop with quite a few new pieces including a series of works on paper that I’m having so much fun with… soon, very soon!
Enjoy the weekend, friends.
Radient Waves
Lately when I’m painting I think about prismatic, colored light. I don’t see rainbows very often, but daily I see light bending and bouncing off every surface. I see how sunlight cools at the zenith of the sky and warms at the horizon.
My paintings, including the two above, are hanging in the beautiful display space at the Glenview Public Library until May 15. Join me at the library for my artist talk on April 4 at 6:15, followed by a painting workshop from 7 to 8:30. Register for the workshop here at the library website.
Oil Painting: Sea Map I
Here is a description I wrote for the work (including the painting above) showing at North Park University’s Johnson Center, as part of the 2016 Alumni Triennial Art Show:
The More You Look the More You See
paintings by Deb Hendriksma Anderson
Lost in a tangle of plants—chicory, queen anne’s lace, joe pye weed. Bristling structures of thistle. Delicate strands of bindweed. Tense pods of jewelweed, showy plumes of goldenrod. Dry hedgerow, lush forest understory, the fluid surface of water, triangular folds of fabric.
In Robert Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance a young writing student has nothing to say about the world, her country, or her town. Her instructor suggests she narrow her focus to one street or one building, and then to a single brick. With that narrowed focus she is suddenly free to describe and engage with her subject, and to express herself.
For every fact there is an infinity of hypotheses.
The more you look the more you see.
Lost in transient, maybe irrelevant details, painting is a way of paying close attention—a meditation. The subjects become a mirror of the inner landscape. Mapping out my context within changing spaces.
Pickeral Weed
Horsetail
Tigerlily
Goldenrod
Red Leaf
Light Shift, Left
Light Shift, Right
Sea Map I
Draped Figure
Sea Map II
White Doe
Deb Anderson, painting 