Thursday, May 30, 2013

THREE BALLERINAS BY LEADA WOOD, TEXAS ARTIST

THREE BALLERINAS BY LEADA WOOD©
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I chose Edgar Degas for my inspiration to paint my little ballerinas for the Messin' With The Masters Show at the Heritage Museum.

 Ballet was Degas favorite subject and he is recognized for his paintings of dance. He was a prolific painter and more than half of his works depict dancers.
He was one of the founders of Impressionism but he preferred to be called an independent. He was a classical painter of modern life.

His bold brush strokes, vivid expressive color and portrayal of light and movement imparted a sense of movement and frozen moments in time.

 Degas always painted indoors unlike most other Impressionists. He experimented constantly with materials and methods whose novelty would match his vision of modern life.

 Degas would make a drawing and then take tracing paper and pencil and trace over the drawing and move the figures around. He used this method to try out different compositions and to form new ideas for other works of art. I use these methods in my art as well.
 The thing that drew me to Degas was the light and movement of his work. I tried to express this in my painting of "Dance To The Music".  Degas often painted with pastels. I decided to use a palette knife to try to emulate the texture that the pastels make.
 My favorite quote of Degas: “Art is NOT what you see, but what you make others see."
Thanks for dropping by!

Monday, May 27, 2013

DREAMING by LEADA WOOD, TEXAS ARTIST

DREAMING BY LEADA WOOD©
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 I chose Matisse  because I too enjoy experimenting with a variety of styles and employing new techniques to create my own pictorial language.
Henri Matisse was one of the most influential artists of the Twentieth century whose stylistic innovations altered the course of Modern Art and spanned 6.5 decades.
 Matisse used lots of designs and an abstract quality and was not a slave to photo realism. I use lots of patterns, textures and work abstractly to portray my version of realism. We both enjoy pure colour!
 Late in life while recovering from surgery Henri began his scissor art and it became his favored medium until the end of his life and was the dominant medium of his expression.
I love to make collage art and it is my favorite medium...I only hope I do Henri justice! I think Henri and I had a lot in common both in art and the way we look at life. We both want to paint what is serene, soothing, and a calming influence on the mind. No depressing or troubling subject matter for us. We both love texture, pattern, pure color, and to work expressively.
 Here are two of my favorite Matisse quotes:
"He who loves flies, runs, and rejoices; he is free and nothing holds him back."
 "There are always flowers for those who want to see them."
I hope you enjoy my interpretations of Henri Matisse. It was very inspirational looking at all the wonderful art he created during his long career and learning about his life. What a pleasure it was to visualize two very different works and bring them into being for this exhibition.
This painting was created for the Messin' With The Masters Show at the Heritage Museum. It is 16x20 collage with handpainted paper on canvas.
Thanks for stopping by!


Thursday, May 23, 2013

Vincent's Poppies by Leada Wood, Texas Artist

Vincent's Poppies by Leada Wood©
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I think all artists are drawn to nature and beautiful flowers. Especially sunflowers and poppies...such vivid happy colors they possess. Georgia O’ Keefe and Vincent Van Gogh were my favorite painters of flowers. They both painted Poppies, rich red poppies. I too have always loved to paint poppies...in every hue. I have painted their portraits large like O’Keefe and I have painted them in still lives like Van Gogh, but always in my own style throughout my career.

For the Messin' with the Masters show I decided to paint my own rendition of poppies with Van Gogh as my inspiration. He has inspired so many artists throughout the years. Such a pity he knew no fame and sold only one painting during his brief lifetime. A great artist and a prolific painter, I felt compelled to pay homage to him.

I love Vincent's vibrant red poppy paintings...how happy they make me as i look at them. I hope they brought him great joy painting them. Maybe that is why he did so many paintings...they were his only joy in life.

His letters to his brother Theo were somber and sad. I find comfort thinking that his art brought him great happiness. I know his art has brought pleasure to generations of people who have seen his works.

I too hope that my art brings you pleasure and brightens your day.

The Red Poppies and Butterflies by Van Gogh had an Oriental feeling to me so I decided to use a Chinese newspaper for the calligraphic under layer. Then I started layering Glazes of color to give a golden glow to background yet allowing the calligraphy to remain visible. I used some of my own Poppy photos for the drawing.

 I didn't want to slavishly copy his work but to interpret it with my style. I think I successfully gave it a contemporary look yet paid homage to the master Van Gogh.
This is another one of my paintings for the Messin With The Masters Show. It is 24x30, acrylic on canvas.
Thanks for stopping by!

Monday, May 20, 2013

O HENRY! by LEADA WOOD, TEXAS ARTIST

O HENRY! BY LEADA WOOD©
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O Henry ! is one of my paintings I have completed for the Messin' With The Masters Show. It will open May 24th with a reception for the Caboose Watercolor Society at the Heritage Museum from 5-7.

I chose Henri Matisse as one of my masters. Matisse loved goldfish. He said "I wouldn't mind turning into a vermillion goldfish." Matisse also used rich color and a limited palette with lots of design in his work. The object was to try and emulate their style in our own interpretation.

I had fun trying to come up with ideas for my paintings and then attempting to capture what I liked about it was quite a challenge. I will be posting the other three later, be sure to check my last post as it was one that I painted in Mary Cassatt's style.

Thanks for checking in!

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Fun In The Sun by Leada Wood, Contemporary Texas Artist

 
FUN IN THE SUN by Leada Wood Copyrighted 2013
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www.leadawood.com/blog  or  www.leadawood.com
 
 
I love to go to the beach! Texas has 600 miles of shoreline so there are plenty of beaches to choose from. Our family favorite for years has been Port A and we try to get there 3 or 4 times a year. We would go more often but it is an 8 hour drive from where we live. Before we discovered Port A we enjoyed going to Crystal Beach.

When we are at the beach I enjoy watching the brown pelicans fly up and down the shoreline. They were nearly extinct at one time but are back in great numbers. We also swim, play in the sand, hunt sea shells, go crabbing, fishing and eat lots of fresh shrimp! I also take lots of pictures of everyone and make mental notes of what would make a good painting. We also find plenty of time to relax and enjoy the tranquility of the splashing waves and screech of the sea gulls. It seems the sea breeze has a way of blowing all stress away and keeping you on island time.

I am very thankful for the good times I have had with my family at the beach having fun in the sun!

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Texas Traditions by Leada Wood, Contemporary Texas Artist

Texas Traditions Copyrighted 2013 by Leada Wood All Rights Reserved
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I love to see our state flag waving in the breeze...red, white and blue with a lone star. It is one of the most recognized flags of any state flag in the United States,and it has been flying over Texas for well over 175 years.

 Each color in the flag has special meaning, the white stands for purity, the blue stands for loyalty and the red stands for bravery. The lone star has five points and they represent the characteristics of a good citizen, which are fortitude, loyalty, righteousness, prudence, and tolerance. The lone star represents All of Texas and stands for our unity as one for God, State and Country. The lone star is seen as a symbol of Texas' independent spirit and gave us the nickname "The Lone Star State.

Boots are also a Texas tradition and have been worn by cowboys since the 1800's. Cowboy boots refer to a specific style of riding boot that have a slanted heel to keep the foot in the stirrup and a tall top to protect their lower leg while riding a horse.

Our family has been a part of the Texas tradition by selling cowboy boots for over 40 years. We don't just sell cowboys boots though...now they are for everyone! They come in a variey styles, colors, and leathers...some very exotic. I am proud to be a part of the Texas tradition. I guess that is why I enjoy painting cowboys and boots.

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Children's Art Show by Leada Wood, Contemporary Texas Artist



Here we are at the Children's Spring Art Show. I am so proud of my budding artists! They are such a pleasure to teach and be around. They always surprise me with what they can do and the things that they come up with! They take their work to heart and come to class with a willing attitude to learn and are observant and co-operative students.

 Oh to have the imagination of a child again! I think making art does keep your mind lively and your imagination active.

 Congratulations to these young ladies on their accomplishments and awards!