suzanne berry

BUMMER!

2009-11-19T16:29:00.000-08:00

11x14"

pencil on paper

$75

In search of new subject matter, a concept, a theme, something that I simply can't wait to sit down and paint. Until then, I guess it's floating faces.

We've settled on names for the pups. Raz and Blu. It was Red and Blu, because we couldn't decide on final names so we started identifying them by the color or their collars. I wasn't a big fan of either name until sometime yesterday afternoon I realized how well they worked with our last name! Nothin' gets by me. So Red became Raz. However, we're in talks now to possibly change Blu to Dingle.

Bummer!
11" x 14" (28.0cm x 35.6cm)
pencil on paper
$75 plus $12.95 shipping and handling in the US
E-mail me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

LINKS LIST DELETED!

2009-11-19T11:27:00.000-08:00

I admit it. A geek I am not. I got used to using creative programs at work, but now, I'm overwhelmed with list, links, posts, forums, adding gadgets, editing groups and on and on. Apparently during one of my ill conceived attempts to add something I inadvertently deleted my link list! A million apologies to everyone. Please let me know if you'd like to be included again. I'm going through my old posts and retrieving some names but please contact me if I've left you out or you'd like to be included. Thanks!

MOSES-BOTKIN CHALLENGE - November

2009-11-15T12:00:00.000-08:00

View from the Studio

16x20"

oil on canvas

$450

The Diana Moses Botkin Challenge for November is "the view outside my studio," chosen this month by Michael Naples. A great choice of subject matter, but I was stumped. My proper studio, a studio I spent lots of time and money renovating, is downstairs, on the first floor. An ideal location for raising young pups and logging long hours on paintings in progress wouldn't one think? However, I've chosen to remain upstairs, dealing with stairs, a bad knee, two pups and paint on everything, including our quilt and my face. It just feels better up there right now and little Suzanne has acted up quite enough this month, I thought it best to just give her what she wants right now.

Anyway, I found some really nice bushes outside, underneath the bedroom window that caught my eye. And technically, if I open the window, stick my head out and look down, there they are!

I absolutely love the different views from the group's studios this month! So varied and so well done. I'm honored to be a member and I might have done everything correctly this month! Yea!

View from Studio
20" x 16" (50.8cm x 40.7cm)
oil on canvas
$450 plus $12.95 shipping and handling in the US
E-mail me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

The View 4x6” Original oil on hardboard

Green Belt 8x8” watercolor on paper

Studio View 8x8.5” oil on canvas

Studio View 24x18” oil on canvas

Electric Highway 8x8” oil on board
©2009 Michael Naples
http://michaelnaples.blogspot.com/

View from my Studio 8x10” oil on panel
©2009 Vicki Ross
http://vickiandrandyrossart.blogspot.com/

NOVEMBER CHALLANGE TOMORROW

2009-11-14T05:33:00.000-08:00

The Moses-Botkin Challenge for November will be posted tomorrow. Please stop by and check out the group's answer to this month's challenge. This is great fun, I think I've got a shot at doing everything right this month! We'll see.

WHOOPS!

2009-11-12T17:18:00.000-08:00

11x14"

pencil on paper

$75

I made this face in an effort to spell the sound my mouth produced. It wasn't Whoops! Really, just how would one spell that sound?

The depression has lifted. Himself gave me a pup break all weekend past and I was back to my old, marginally cranky self in no time! Seeing the impact not working has on my fragile hold on peace, I took the pups by the horn and reclaimed my days this week! They now revolve around my schedule. I'm still judging and critical of myself, but am not taking it seriously. I keep thinking of what Crash Davis said to Ebbie Calvin "Nuke" Laloush in Bull Durham..."don't think, it'll only hurt the team!"

Whoops!
11" x 14" (28.0cm x 35.6cm)
pencil on paper
$75 plus $12.5 shipping and handling in the US
E-mail me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

OOoo, I'm Tellin!

2009-11-10T11:09:00.000-08:00

11x14"

pencil on paper

$75

It was always me, directing this dire warning to my big brother, but he never seemed to mind getting in trouble. Off to work on another painting.

Ooo, I'm Tellin!
11" x 14" (28.0cm x 35.6cm)
pencil on paper
$75 plus $12.5 shipping and handling in the US
E-mail me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

EWOOOO!

2009-11-05T17:19:00.000-08:00

11x14"

pencil on paper

$75

This should have accompanied yesterday's post. I love doing these, they're fun and quick and satisfying. I feel so much better. Thanks again.

Ewoooo
11" x 14" (28.0cm x 35.6cm)
pencil on paper
$75 plus $12.5 shipping and handling in the US
E-mail me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

THANK YOU!

2009-11-05T17:17:00.000-08:00

First, I'd like to apologize for my ravings yesterday. Never post in a mood like that. Thank you all so very much for the comments of support and gentle admonishment. I needed both! I have the uncanny ability to behave like a ten year old brat from time to time. I have so very much to be grateful for, especially art. No more whining. Just more painting.

THAT FREAKIN' APPLE!

2009-11-04T13:59:00.000-08:00

6x6"

oil on board

NFS

You're sitting in front of the easel thinking, let me just dash off an apple. Simple enough. At least you'll have a painting to post. The pups just went out, so they should brawl in their little playpen and give you at least one hour, uninterrupted. This'll be good. It'll get you outta that funky mood, the one that covers you in doubt like a thin transparent film of filth, dulling your vision and sealing up your ears to any sanity that might try to squeak through and knock you upside the head and out of the pity pot.

Well here it is. That freakin' apple! Been working on it for 3 weeks on and off. And it sucks. I need to get this out. I know it seems ridiculous. It's a painting of an apple. Surely not your best Suz, but hey, it's ok. If you are an artist I'm guessing you know what I'm talking about. If you've read my blog at all you know I'm a walking poster child for insecurity and doubt, always lamenting the loss of my mojo. I even received a very passionate email from someone admonishing me, albeit gently, for even uttering the words "I can't paint anymore!" This person's mother was a gifted artist until surgery went dreadfully wrong and made it impossible for her to work— ever again. That definitely gave me pause and made me even more guilty about this latest session of nonsense and waste 'o time.

I felt stupid trying to explain to her that those feelings of dread, of the seeming loss of one's ability, however false they might be in reality, feel very real. Stupid? Yes. I know I'm responsible for what I think and feel. Thoughts cannot just show up. And they all have a purpose. And if I don't take steps to curtail this flight of fancy into the dark place, I'm really going to be extremely unhappy, not to mention hopelessly behind.

So I'm posting this freakin apple. I'm not going to melt, disappear, or spontaneously combust if I post work that I think isn't good. I should make it a point of posting everything I do, good, bad or indifferent. I need to laugh at this stuff. These standards I'm holding myself to are ridiculously high, not to mention arrogant and methinks I'm not the only one sick and tired of my constant whining. I'm so very tired of this dance, obviously I can paint.

It's nothing but a smokescreen of doubt so that when the smoke does clear, there I'll be, on the bed, Pug on each shoulder — one eating my hair, the other still bent on extracting milk from my ear lobe, remote in one hand, bag of chips in the other and depression, solidly and "happily" in place. I think it would be a lot easier if I just put the brush down, laughed off the doubt and insecurity and watched the tube until I felt better, providing I felt better within the next hour that is.

Maybe I'll try that the next time.

HOW MUCH?

2009-11-03T16:05:00.000-08:00

11x14"

pencil on paper

$75

I can't seem to finish a painting these days. It's impossible to jump up and down from the easel and keep some kind of flow creatively, so I'm going to commit to drawings...again...until I can finish some of the pieces I'm working on. This time I think I'll honor my commitment, I really need to post.

How Much?
11" x 14" (28.0cm x 35.6cm)
pencil on paper
$75 plus $12.5 shipping and handling in the US
E-mail me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

ON THE EASEL - THE VASE

2009-11-01T13:52:00.000-08:00

Strangeness. I'm all over the place. This is a painting in progress for Six by Six in NYC. Amazing setup, that. I read about it on another artist's blog and decided to send for the kit. I'm a big fan of packaging and the way this arrives is too cool! Beautifully designed and just plain fun. And the canvas surface is perfect. I'm going to take my time and do this right. Layers, stages, patience, remaining true to my reference color value etc. See what happens. I'll be posting the stages to see how it goes.

I've been very critical of myself...again. I really haven't been working enough. Graphic design jobs were coming in and I was grateful, but they were a rush, they dragged on with multiple revisions and compensation was far too slow. I was whining about not having enough time to paint and himself came up with an amazing solution! He suggested I remove myself from the free-lance arena and concentrate on painting. All day! I was thrilled, I felt free and couldn't wait to start and end the day painting. Of course the first day I did that, I sat in front of the easel and did a lot of heaving sighing and not much else. Surprise!

Another dry spell. Whatever. Self imposed, like all my pain and frustration. Feel the poop and move on. Even I'm getting a tad weary of my all consuming artist angst. What's the big deal? Just paint.

The pups are really a handful. I'm following a schedule but they are taking up a lot more time than I anticipated. But they passed the button test, with flying colors, so that's cool. What is the button test you ask? Whenever I make a life-changing decision, and for me the pups were just that, I visualize a big button, not unlike the Staples big "easy" button. Each week that passes after the big change has taken place, I see the button in my minds eye and ask myself the simple question..."If I could push this button and - fill in the blank - would disappear from view and memory with no consequences, would I push it?" Absolutely not! I do ask myself at 5:30 in the morning, on a dark, dreary, rainy, nasty day...Ok, just what the hell were we thinking, but that's only because they think rain is kryptonite for dogs and refuse to do their business. Not fun. Other than that they are pure joy.

NITE! NITE!

2009-10-27T15:46:00.001-07:00

9x12'
graphite on paper
$50

I just opened this scan and yawned. Hope that's a good thing.

I'm feelin' good, got five paintings in the works at varying stages. The pups are wailin'. I'm off.

Nite! Nite!
11" x 14" (28.0cm x 35.6cm)
pencil on paper
$75 plus $12.5 shipping and handling in the US
E-mail me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

TICKLED

2009-10-21T06:35:00.001-07:00

9x12'
pencil on paper
sold

I'm down to posting once a week if I'm lucky! Himself has been ill and hasn't finished his painting so I lied again. We didn't post side by side yet, I cut him some slack. Until the end of the month. I haven't finished mine either. Can't use the pups as an excuse, work must go on. Just gotta be more disciplined....again.

I want to post at least five days a week. Yeah...I know... I've said that before.

THE BOYS

2009-10-18T08:10:00.001-07:00

NFDP

It's been one whole week of puppy love and each time I look at them my heart just melts. It's a strange feeling though, as Devlin is never far from my thoughts. I no longer feel like I'm being unfaithful to his memory, but I think of him and our relationship every single day.

That said, these two little cartoon characters, two little muppets, whose thinly veiled Ewok disguise hasn't got me fooled one bit by the way, have taken over our home and hearts completely. We happily surrendered, after very little fighting, to their every wish. I've tried, countless times, to set eyes on them, without experiencing an intense and sudden need to express a loud, heartfelt, and very gushy AWWWWWW!

If anything could take our minds off of missing Devlin without making the inevitable comparisons, it's these two. They appear to have come from central casting, two characters straight out of a Disney cartoon, with hastily planned sequels no less. When I'm trying to get some work done and I hear their little squeaks, or look to the left of my foot by my easel and see those two sets of saucer eyes set precariously far apart upon a snout that seems to have met head on, full speed with an unforgiving wall, the thought of limping (I twisted my knee by simply walking...hello) downstairs out into the cold rain to let them relieve themselves is pure heaven. Of course it's not nearly that simple, but it sure feels that way. And now, a very deep felt, happy, love-filled heavy sigh!

OCTOBER CHALLENGE - Water

2009-10-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

That was a quick month! This month the topic of our challenge is water. My first chance to choose. I had so many ideas, water is pretty universal, but when I sat my huge honking bottle of H2O on my painting ledge and saw the sun shine through it, the choice was made for me. I thought if I carried around a gallon plus bottle, I'd drink my quota for the day. All that resulted in was a collection of half-finished gallons of warm water with lots of backwash. I'm back to smaller ones. Here they are!

Water Bottle
16x20"
oil on canvas
$350

Waterbottle
20" x 16" (50.8cm x 40.7cm)
oil on canvas
$350 plus $15.95 shipping and handling in the US
E-mail me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

Fish Tale oil on hardboard 8x6"
© 2009 Diana Moses Botkin

Sprinkler Park 11x6" oil on linen
© 2009 Robin Cheers

Ocean Waves oil on canvas 18x24"
Marie Fox

Half Full 8x8" oil on board
Michael Naples

Cool, Cool Water 8x8" oil on panel
© 2009 Vicki Ross

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW 1&2 again

2009-10-11T13:40:00.001-07:00

These two were done some time ago, but have recently been purchased, so I did a little freshening up on them before shipping. Thank you so much for the tips on Liquin and the use of alternate support surfaces. When I say I know very little about oil painting, it's not false modesty. I know the salad dressing would have been so much easier to do if I'd done some investigating instead of diving right in. Oh well, nothing like on the job training and the generosity of my fellow artists.

The pups are simply amazing! Their names change every hour. I think Taz, formerly Little Richard, aka Dignon, has finally gotten the hint that my earlobe is not going to express mother's milk. I spent two weeks listening to Cesar Milan's book while working, I've downloaded all manner of instructions on being a strong pack leader and was determined to do it right this time. However, it didn't take long before I surrendered to the little tykes completely. They're crawling on our heads, nibbling on our fingers and are already spending far too much time in bed with us. Devlin ran the house and was kind enough to let us stay, provided we paid the mortgage. Seems like old times and we couldn't be happier.

THE PUPS ARE HOME!

2009-10-10T12:27:00.000-07:00

These are now my favorite photos on the planet! Well these and any others we take from this point on. We picked the critters up this morning! We are now parental units again! We were playing on with them on the bed after lunch and a potty run. I set up the camera as they were literally attacking Tim's face with kisses. These shots are the result. It took about five minutes for the three of them to fall asleep. And Devlin is present and accounted for, in the form of Arfrod, under himself's hand.

We just keep looking at them. They're just too cute to comprehend and I just cannot stop smiling.

KEN'S

2009-10-06T14:39:00.001-07:00

8x10"
oil on linen
sold

Oh my did I have a time with this commission! Great story behind it but I'm not sure I'm at liberty to share. I hate when people say that. Anyway, I searched high and low for a nice smooth,small linen surface and ended up with nubblies and imperfections everywhere. The lettering has been the bain of my existence for weeks now. Plus the drying time was ridiculous!

Lessons learned: patiently look for the right support, use acrylic or add something to the oil to make it dry faster when doing a job with lettering. Arrrrgh!

Also, I was so busy working on our challenge here at home, I thought I had weeks until the next Moses Botkin Challenge. Not!

PINK CURLERS STEP 4

2009-10-04T11:56:00.001-07:00

16x20"
oil on canvas
in progress

This is as far as I can take it without some drying time involved. This is a great experience, sharing progress of the painting with himself, coupled with his own interpretation of the same image, the house is fairly alive with creativity! There's also the buzz of new babies bouncin' off the walls. I've been working upstairs for awhile, but will have to move downstairs so the I can keep their schedule solid which will speed up their potty training. So excited!

Thank you to all those who weighed in on Pink Curlers progress! Your words are very much appreciated and inspiring. I had a comment on Lemon Thru a Drinking Glass and it made me think. The comment stated that ..."I have so much trouble with glass...." So do I actually, at least when I think of what I'm painting as what it actually is, I bump up against my very own predetermined, self-inflicted limits which are, on the whole, completely untrue. I didn't paint glass. I painted a series of tonal values of varying temperatures arranged in a predetermined pattern by a light source or more simply stated, I painted what's behind the glass and then painted a lighter value of the that color coupled with with the bright highlights and tints of the glass itself. I think. You get my point.

I just stubbed my toe on the folds of the coat this morning. I always have such a hard time with folds, I thought. No, actually I don't. Not when I break them down to large shapes and then pick out some of the smaller shapes, paying careful attention to angles and temperature.

Himself is starting his canvas today! This is going to be fun! October 20th, I'll be posting both side by side. No pressure Northport!

A NEW APPROACH

2009-10-02T22:45:00.001-07:00

NFDP

As I worked on our challenge today, the challenge himself and I set that is, Tim would step in when I took a break and take some snaps of my progress. Of course there was the usual, "Stop now! I'll buy it!" and " Leave the jacket unfinished, with the chalk line showing!" All good suggestions, but alas, his is due the 20th so he'll have an opportunity to do just that on his canvas. Still, he's got a point. I'm deeply moved by unfinished art and yet always feel I need to make neat, make nice. But perhaps in time that will come. I can see my style changing with each new painting.

I'm feeling free again. I suddenly realize I don't have to stop painting the paper studies altogether, I can simply wait until I'm moved to do so again. Same with the bugs. I can have casual relationships with my subject matter, don't have to marry and then divorce them.

My reference for this painting comes from a photo album I've had around the house for years. A friend, who I've since lost touch with, wanted me to do some paintings from some of his shots, mostly taken around NYC. He had an incredible eye and finding this album was like finding buried treasure. I hope to do many more from this book of gems, I'd forgotten he'd never taken it back.

It's going well and I might be done by Monday. We'll see. I thought I'd wait and post with Tim's but I'll probably do some work on it between now and then and re-post. I like the way he's grouped the shots, they make a nice graphic I think.

Later.

LEMON THRU THE DRINKING GLASS

2009-10-01T17:43:00.001-07:00

20x20"
oil on linen
$650

It's not done, but I'm impatient, again. I'll let it dry for a bit and then see. I had put it away for a while and saw it yesterday and thought, take it out, see what happens. Himself thinks it works. Of course the voice doesn't. Whatever. I'm painting again. It feels great.

It's been a wonderful day. Birthday Boy has a few days off and it's time to laugh!
The Puppy Fairy is probably somewhere over Europe right now.

Lemon Thru the Drinking Glass
20" x 20" (50.8cm x 50.8cm)
oil on linen
$650 plus $15.95 shipping and handling in the US
E-mail me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

THANK YOU!

2009-09-30T12:24:00.000-07:00

A huge THANK YOU! to Leslie Ervin for awarding me the Kreative Blogger Award! Thank you so very much and I apologize for taking so long to keep the good feelins' goin'! I'm still not sure how to get everything linked the right way but I'll certainly give it a try. I, being completely self-centered, have indeed put this off until I have the time to do it right and I do hope you will forgive me.

Leslie's blog: http://dragonflyseye.blogspot.com/, is just a joy to visit. She takes the most amazingly beautiful photographs of "scenes a dragonfly might bump across in her travels here and there upon this earth!" Deeelightful!

JAZZMAN

2009-09-29T18:14:00.001-07:00

9X12"
pencil on paper
$75

Finally! Just emerging from a very intense "I can't draw anymore!" period. So strange. It's not like it goes away and then comes back again, it's more like I get lazy and don't want to finish. In my defense, I have been distracted by other duties. Thanks to himself, I pushed through. And then there's the pending visit from the puppy fairy. She's comin' heavy so I gotta be ready.

Starting a relationship with new pets is always an exciting time for me. I bought my second Shepherd when I was going through a divorce. Poor baby was a neurotic mess. But now, in hindsight, I think Dev was so extraordinary because he was raised in a loving home, with a medium amount of drama. I'm very focused on the quality of my energy and feel like I'm becoming more aware of the unavoidable human tendency to go to the dark place. It's realizing it's a choice. There's the rub!

PUG LIFE: Parenthood!

2009-09-29T15:09:00.000-07:00

NFDP

Meet Rampage Jackson Berry and Mayhem Miller Berry. Those are just working titles..er names. Himself called me last week from work to tell me a co-worker was adopting a pug puppy and did I want to do the same. He didn't have to wait for my reply. We went to see the little critters on Saturday and we're takin' two!!! I am beyond excited. Except for feeling like I'm cheating on Devlin's memory, I am alive with anticipation. I'm even reading up on how to train puppies correctly. A little tentative that I might be taking on too much but they're soooo cute and small. Calm and assertive, Suz, calm and assertive.

Himself is fixed on Rampage and Mayhem. We follow mixed marital arts. Rampage Jackson and Mayhem Miller are fighters with the UFC. I like the irony of the names, but how does one shorten them into nicknames? It's inevitable. I can't see myself calling them..here Ramp....yo...May...dinner's ready! Doesn't work for me. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm definitely open. Our friend weighed in with some great ones, but I'm just not sure.

I really miss posting! I tried a drawing last night, but hated it. I have 7 paintings going, but keep getting graphic design work with uncomfortably tight deadlines and can't seem to catch up. Not complaining. But I need to paint and post, soon!

New Site from DP Creator!

2009-09-23T13:26:00.000-07:00

Please check this survey out, the projected site sounds very interesting!

http://www.surveygizmo.com/s/182857/becoming-a-successful-artist-on-the-internet