Ginnie Cappaert

working hard

noreply@blogger.com (Ginnie Cappaert) — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 19:39:00 +0000

Another quote from "Trust the process" - "The creative process requires the active participation of the artists over a period of time. People . . . have to realize that important results are not always immediate."
As a full time artist for many, many years, I know how hard it is to "work" as an artist - not always during successful years, but always continuing to paint and create just because that's what's inside you. I sometimes want to give up but then can't imagine life "not being creative" so I continue on - enjoying the process, even if I'm working way to hard. I was never good at relaxing anyway. I do believe that talent is partly "a gift" and those of us who are blessed with talents should definitely be using them!
Back to the studio - have a great weekend!

North of the 45th

noreply@blogger.com (Ginnie Cappaert) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 14:01:00 +0000

I just received acceptance of 3 pieces into the juried show North of the 45th at the Devos Art Museum, Northern Michigan University in Marquette. The show features artists from the midwest -north of the 45th parrallel and opens on Friday, June 4 with an opening reception from 6-8 pm. The exhibition runs through July 25. Always a great show in a wonderful museum-like gallery space.
I've been working on some new oil/cold wax pieces and have been trying some new techniques to un-earth buried layers. It's interesting to bring up layers from 10-20 layers underneath-adds an interesting dimension to the subtle pieces.
Here's another quote from "Trust the Process" - "Try approaching your creative expression in diverse ways. We learn from continual practice, but exercises need variety in order to solicit new responses."

Bindley Collection Gallery

noreply@blogger.com (Ginnie Cappaert) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 14:16:00 +0000

This past weekend I made a trip to Madison. We took our kids to the big Midwest Horse Fair and immersed ourselves in "horse" stuff - was a grand time. Then Dave and I took off to the Farmers Market and bought some cheeses, honey, cheesy bread, herb plants and met up with my friend Courtney and enjoyed a hot cup of tea at the coffee house on State Street as it was a very windy day.
Then, the best part, a trip down University Ave to drop off artwork at the "Bindley Collection Gallery" in Middleton. Wow! Owners Colleen and Dennis Bindley are great people with a passion for art and have a gallery filled with some of the best artists in the midwest and beyond. Dennis purchased some of my work previously and really enjoys my work - so a perfect fit for their beautiful space. I am excited to be a part of their gallery. If your in Middleton (6771 University Ave) stop in!
But, home at last, and happy to be back in a routine - headed directly to the studio this morning.

reading

noreply@blogger.com (Ginnie Cappaert) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 11:20:00 +0000

I always have a stack of art books near by, some I'm re-reading bits and parts for the 10th time. "Trust the Process - an artists guide to letting go" by Shaun Mcniff was recommended to me by fellow artist Rebecca Crowell. Here is a statement from that book.
"The way of creation is a practice that lives each instant as fully as possible, lets go, and moves on to the next engagement. When examining the lives of creative people there is always sustained desire and a vision into the future." "The sense that everyday is a new opportunity . . . the sun rises anew each day . . . and that we never step into the same brook more than once."
Painting creates painting, just showing up in the studio makes things happen, not always good, but always an experiment! Enjoy your day!

Delivered

noreply@blogger.com (Ginnie Cappaert) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 14:26:00 +0000

This weekend I made a quick trip to Door County to drop off work at Edgewood Orchard Galleries for the start of their 2010 season. I am very excited to be a part of this awesome, well-established gallery! I had the opportunity to meet the owners JR and Nell as well as their very professional and friendly staff! This will be my first season with Edgewood and I think my new work will be a nice fit to their gallery space and mission and I can't forget to mention the awesome sculpture garden they have added to the property - beautiful trails through the woods with sculptures along the path - you know how I love wooded paths!- so . . . if you're in Door County this summer (they open the beginning of May - October, every day) stop in and say "hi" - they carry a range of artwork from glass to paintings - done by some very professional artists.
Although the weather was cool, cloudy, I had a nice drive through the countryside and backroads, which provided more inspiration for my abstracted landscapes - so I am back in the studio this morning!

getting ready for encaustics

noreply@blogger.com (Ginnie Cappaert) — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 15:51:00 +0000

As the weather warms up and winter turns to spring, I am anxiously awaiting the day when I can get my HOT WAX aka. encaustics out. Because of the fumes I only work outside with this medium so it's been since last fall that I was able to experiment. I'm getting anxious to start - yet have no thougts in my mind. Usually when I start working I have some sort of idea in my mind and then I let intuition take over and usually it ends up being something totally different than what I had visioned. However, I have no thoughts in my mind - yet - so we shall see!
I've been doing a lot of spring cleaning and tidying up in the studio and not as much painting as I would like, a transition time, I guess that's good! Happy Easter!

feeling busy

noreply@blogger.com (Ginnie Cappaert) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 14:17:00 +0000

It must be Spring. A time when the sluggish, slow pace of winter changes to a "gotta get things done around here, quick" mode! Not only does that mean getting the yard raked and cleaned up, but the flower gardens ready as well. Also means getting the projects we were supposed to get done in the winter, now done in the spring.
I can see my quiet painting days are numbered and I was thankful for a very prolific winter. I have many projects to finish up and am now wondering why I waited.
Here's a pic of a recent painting I finished and I now have three large pieces in the works which I am very excited about! Happy painting!

inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (Ginnie Cappaert) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:41:00 +0000

I truly believe that my surroundings influence and inspire my artwork. It seems it took awhile for me to finally realize that and it is finally showing in the new abstracted landscapes I've been working on. I've been spending some time horseback riding this winter and now in Spring, kayaking down the creek near here. I'm seeing the marshgrass in a whole new way and the simplicity of the fields and fencelines as well. One need not travel to find inspiration - just look around you. (Good thing because I didn't get a vacation this winter.)

larger works

noreply@blogger.com (Ginnie Cappaert) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 23:34:00 +0000

I always LOVED working large, in fact one of my favorite pieces was 4 feet by 6 feet, however, this winter I started working on some smaller, more intimate, landscapes and so it goes - I fell in love with working small, again. I've gotten some requests from galleries to see some large works, so I am happily back in a large working pattern and loving it!
I'm starting these large pieces by imagining some of my smaller pieces in a much larger format and although I start with an image in mind, intuitiveness takes over and the large piece always turns out to be a different, piece of it's own.
These new larger pieces are approximately 30 x 42 inches.

Saturday evening inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (Ginnie Cappaert) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 00:03:00 +0000

Working under pressure - always works for me, I seem to get a lot accomplished. I took the afternoon off and went for a horse ride on a beautiful sunny afternoon and have come back refreshed and back to the studio I go. I currently have a solo-show at the UW-Marinette Gallery space, however, it features my mixed media paintings I have done prior to my move to the oil/cold wax abstracted landscapes.
After much hard work this winter in the studio of not only painting, but cleaning as well, I've got a solid body of new work that I am really satisfied with. So . . . I got organized, put together a portfolio of my new work and sent it off to some galleries. I've started to get some responses back, somes no's, some love my work and a couple that sound promising. There is one for sure out of all this work so far and that is - I'm happy to announce - the start of a gallery/artist relationship with Edgewood Orchard Galleries in Door County! I feel one of the best galleries in the peninsula! They called me immediately upon receiving my portfolio and I'm on my way to organizing the select group of pieces that I will be taking to them in April. Still waiting to hear from a few more of the galleries, but am thrilled to be a new artist at Edgewood Orchard Galleries! So, after this beautiful spring day of riding through the marshes and fields and woods - I'm back to capturing the simplicity in my memory of what I saw in nature today!

shop etsy

noreply@blogger.com (Ginnie Cappaert) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 21:19:00 +0000

I finally did it! Had my friend Ingrid start my etsy shop (ginniecappaert.etsy.com) - if you don't know what etsy is - etsy is a shop on the internet where everything is handmade - so artists and crafters from all over the world post unique items/artwork to sell. Check it out. Also, check out Ingrid's site ingridartstudio.com She's been very successful on etsy and has been telling me to try it for years - so thanks to her - I'll try it!
Back in the studio, landscapes continue to pour out of me - currently small ones - like 1" x 3" which is very different than working large, quite intimate, I kind of like it!

my new etsy site

noreply@blogger.com (Ginnie Cappaert) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:13:00 +0000

Finally did it! Had my friend Ingrid create my new etsy site to sell smaller pieces of my work. Visit my new site ginniecappaert.etsy.com to see and purchase original encaustic and cold wax/oil pieces. Ingrid had been doing etsy for over a year with great success - her site is ingridartstudio.etsy.com - check out her work, too!

New York Show

noreply@blogger.com (Ginnie Cappaert) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:35:00 +0000

A juried show in New York - a small works exhibition - at the National Association of Women Artists Gallery opened February 12 with a reception on February 16. I had two pieces accepted - my first showing in New York and I am very excited. The pieces accepted were of my new abstractted landscapes, minimalist, oil and cold wax on panel. I seem to have put aside the mixed media/collage pieces and am working on these more simplistic pieces and am finding a certain feeling of peacefulness inside. In other words, I am really "enjoying the process".

I am refreshed and back in the studio after a weekend trip to Charlevoix and Traverse City. Two galleries there (Elements & Gallery 50) represent me and I wanted to trade out some new artwork. We enjoyed walking downtown on a snowy evening and having a wonderful dinner at a bistro/chocolate restaurant. We also stopped at a tea house to warm up - lovely. Now back to reality and work!

busy week

noreply@blogger.com (Ginnie Cappaert) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:54:00 +0000

I attended a wonderful evening reception for the group show "messages" at the Marquette Cultural Arts Center. A wonderful evening of friends and art. Nathan & Ingrid Blixt (Ingrid was also part of the show) and Pasqua Warstler and myself enjoyed an "art evening" out. Dave's cousin, Rebecca Ferguson, was also singing with a band, can't remember the name of the group, but they were fabulous, all on the same night!
Then this weekend some friends and Dave and I adventured via snowshoes on rough terrain to the "ice caves" in Eben, Michigan. Courtney & Lara are passionate gourmet's and after our "hike" we had a wonderful spread (on the tailgate of Dave's truck) with all this fabulous food! Now back to the studio.

lucky girl

noreply@blogger.com (Ginnie Cappaert) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:48:00 +0000

Wow, am I a lucky girl! My "builder guy" that makes my panels for my new artworks just brought me a huge stash of panels yesterday. A variety of sizes to inspire me and keep me busy for weeks. I'm diving right in today with some mini's 1" x 3" as well as a couple medium sized ones. Also wanted to share with you one of my favorite books "New Mexico Artists at Work" it takes a look at some of the studios of fabulous artists like Susan Rothenberg, Agnes Martin, Gail Rieke and more - all in beautiful New Mexico! It's a wonderful read, over and over again!

Here's a pic of a new triptych with some gold dry pigment layered under more layers of oil paints. I love the subtleness of the layers as they show through.

Trust the process

noreply@blogger.com (Ginnie Cappaert) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:34:00 +0000

I am reading another good art book "Trust the Process-an artists guide to letting go" by Shaun McNiff. A wonderful read about letting go and letting the artist spirit inside of you do it's own thing. I can relate to that. I was explaining to an artist friend my fear of "changing my style" - yet again - and what my collectors would think. She said you got to keep it interesting and truthfully, i feel like i have no control over my art, it just flows out of me so even if i wanted to keep doing my "busier, mixed media style", it wouldn't work as it is the "minimalist" path that my soul is on for now. And by the way-I'm loving it.
Here is a quote from the book "Artists strive to get to the heart of life, to the core of matter, and they are known as much for what they omit from their interpretaion of nature as for what they include. In the creative process, "seeing" is as important as "doing"." So . . . now I am going for a walk in the sunshine (first time I've seen the sun in weeks) to (quote) contemplate the spirits and energies conveyed by the structures of your environment. Peace.

group show

noreply@blogger.com (Ginnie Cappaert) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:12:00 +0000

A year in the planning, "Messages", a group show being held at the Marquette Art Center in the Peter White Library opens in February with a opening reception on February 4 from 6-8 pm. Christine Saari is curating the show and all works of art have the theme of text, written words or "messages". I decided to enter 3 works on paper where text is a major element in each of the pieces, subtly creating the background as well as compositional elements. Ingrid Blixt, Russell Prather and other artists ( i believe there are 6 or 7 of us) works will be on display. I think this show will be wonderful!
Sharing a little bit of spring wishes for you - although I'm enjoying winter and all the skiing and snowshoeing i've been able to do, I am looking forward to spring!

friends

noreply@blogger.com (Ginnie Cappaert) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:14:00 +0000

I am very lucky to have such good friends to make life a little more interesting, including my husband. I have friends that share my love for the outdoors and for cooking and reading about it, too! My Husband gives me continued support (for the most part) and I cherish our relationship. I also can't forget the customers and collectors of my artwork who have also become friends over the years - their support means so much to me! And then I have my artist friends, one in particular (Candace) means a lot to me. Even though we don't get together to often as my life is so crazy, I really cherish our visits in which we just talk ART! We share tips, show prospectus info, and positive thoughts. Candace is a graduate of the Chicago Institute of Art and has lived around the country and it's kind of neat to meet someone so talented in our remote, small town area. Our last conversation was centered around the thoughts that when all else fails, we will always have our art to carry us through - I think artists all over can relate to that! Here's to another great painting day . . .

new supplies

noreply@blogger.com (Ginnie Cappaert) — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 19:14:00 +0000

Sometimes it's some new supplies or new colors of paint to just inspire another leap in art. I just ordered a few new colors of oils to play with - mostly in the green shades - wondering if that's because everything is so white here. I'm happy to have some quiet creating time as well as a sunny sky today.

back in the studio

noreply@blogger.com (Ginnie Cappaert) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 21:28:00 +0000

Yes! I'm back in the studio. The holidays were great, however, I feel much better when I get time to paint. I've been working on some larger panels 3'x3', 3'x4' etc as well as some tiny panels 2"x3" and love bouncing back and forth between the sizes. I've always loved working LARGE, however, there is something more intimate about the tiny ones that I am realy enjoying. Here's a pic of my studio space with some of the new pieces. The large red/black finally came together today after weeks of it not working - amazing how those things happen!

Happy Holidays!

noreply@blogger.com (Ginnie Cappaert) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 19:11:00 +0000

Enjoying the quietness of winter. Our friends, Sherri & Tim, stopped in this morning on their way up to Mackinac Island for the week. They built a beautiful home there last year and here's a picture of the Grand Hotel in the winter. It is really peaceful there during this time of the year and I look forward to a visit in February.
Hope everyone enjoyed Christmas and all that goes along with it - memories, friends, families, food, presents, giving, sharing, good times!
It was a "rainy" day on Christmas in the U.P. - we were wishing for snow actually so we could play outside. Today is nice out, but a lot of the snow is gone. Plan to do a little snowshoeing this afternoon with my husband - as I got him a pair of snowshoes for Xmas - actually there is so little snow left that we may not need them, but the woods will be peaceful!
Took advantage of the dreary weather to do some cleaning/rearranging in the studio so that I am ready to roll next week. Gessoed some large panels this morning and can't wait to get at them. Joy!

winter fun/holidays

noreply@blogger.com (Ginnie Cappaert) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:13:00 +0000

In the recent book I read "The creative habit" by Twyla Tharp she talks about the 5 essentials for a creative life. Food, "creating", exercise, sleep and solitude. Those are all great, but I add sharing time with family and friends as very important also. Yesterday, I took some time out with my friends, Lara and Courtney, to make caramels and spiced pecans for the holidays. We also went for a nice snow shoe to enjoy the beauty of winter. Friends and family, as well as solitude, are very important in my creativity. I'm taking a little time off for the holidays from painting, but certainly will be busy with other things. I plan to dive right into some larger size panels of my new minimalist series.

seize the moment

noreply@blogger.com (Ginnie Cappaert) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 15:13:00 +0000

keep it simple.
As I continue to work on my new series of oil/cold wax paintings I am in awe at how much I am just "enjoying the process" not knowing where the painting is taking me - just going with the flow. The luscious feel of spreading oil paints, the blending and mixing of luxurious colors and of course creating texture by scraping, sanding, adding more layers, taking away some layers. In love.
Trying to keep my holidays as simple, too. Didn't haul out as many decorations as I usually do and you know what - things look great! Baking with friends, spending time with families, reading some good books AND skiing - cross country that is - every morning in the fields behind my home. I love winter!

new pieces

noreply@blogger.com (Ginnie Cappaert) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:23:00 +0000

Another new pic from my recent works with oil and cold wax. My new series is based on landscapes, fencelines, borders. I'm abstracting out physical images of trees, fencelines, old barns etc. As well as the natural old patina'd surface of an old metal milk can that my husband brought home for me. These textures/subtle color variations really are all around us and I'm enjoying "looking" for them and capturing them on panel.

hot wax/cold wax

noreply@blogger.com (Ginnie Cappaert) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:17:00 +0000

As winter nears, I have packed up my "hot wax"/encaustic painting set up until spring and have been experimenting with "cold wax"/oil paints and am having a wonderful journey. My work is headed in a direction I've always wanted to be - simple. The pieces are coming out with a more minimalist style. Mission accomplished. It's not that I disliked my mixed media paintings that were more on the busy/involved side, I just felt it was time for a change - actually that change was inside of me and happens to be coming out through my art. Here are some pics that don't do the subtle layers justice but as you can see, the landscape series I'm working on still has a lot of texture within, except it's more subtle. Peaceful.