Letters from Kristen

June 23, 2021

“I am seeking, I am striving, I am in it with all my heart.”

—-Van Gogh, letter to Theo

I met my artist friend Kristen at an art residency in Italy in 2017. We have remained friends and pen pals ever since. Many of Kristen’s letters are filled with warm encouragement and wisdom for the artist’s journey, and I turn to them whenever I feel lost. I thought that others might also benefit from reading some of these letters, and so I had intended to publish a couple in early 2020. But the pandemic happened, and I forgot all about it. But now, as I re-read Kristen’s words this morning, I find that they still hold much value, and so I will share it with you. Enjoy!

Kristen and me at a cafe in Florence, July 2017 — *Kristen and me at a cafe in* *Florence, July 2017*

December 2019

Dearest Lauren,

Letter from Vincent Van Gogh to his brother Theo, about what it means to be an artist:

“I am seeking, I am striving, I am in it with all my heart.”

This is my hope for your work this new year, in writing and in painting—that is pulled forth from you with the force of being in it with your whole heart—Embodied Art— an extension of your Being (Painting as Person) from that Tom Hess quote in her book (I’ll try to find it in a second…) but I am sitting down so peacefully right now!

Your painting and writing cannot but BE YOU! So be the most enlivened, beautiful you you can be! Enjoy this turn of decade 2020! “The Gift” by Lewis Hyde. It is so very beautiful.

“What is good is given back…” The gift (art), it goes around in a circle. It comes to you and then you pass it on. In the spirit of gift giving, enjoy a gift from my bounty…Use this as a cushion to say “no” to commissions and do your heart work!

…Lean into your heart work, find your voice. Paint with freedom from it needing to garner you cash or be anything but your own free voice! Gift to the world the work of your heart, and the world will give many gifts back. I feel so wealthy, sure with money (which matters) but with a warmth of loving, so dearly, the act of painting, loving so dearly the chance to teach such eager and willing students, feeling like I’ve never ‘worked’ a day in my life— because all of it is so nourishing to me. Read this. Use this to confidently labor after your gift. Merry Christmas dear friend!

Love, Kristen

January 2020… [To Lauren]

To have a pen pal— you! I like it very much. I don’t know when I will actually get to send this letter as I am in Hilton Head, SC at the beach. My parents have a condo here that they come to all the time now that they are retired. It’s beautiful and on the ocean!…

It is hard to have ties and be “a serious” painter. I have been thinking about Grace Hartigan a lot and her “seriousness” and quick rise to fame (no… I haven’t finished the book yet [Ninth Street Women]…) It is crazy though, for all my delving into painting and knowing of a lot of painters, I really didn’t know her work until this book. I really had never heard of her, one generation passes and fame and legacy change, quickly. So fame cannot be the goal. It is fleeting, even if you score it. But, I don’t believe it was [the goal] for her. It was the pursuit of the work, which consumed her.

So, I don’t want to be consumed to the point of never choosing to have children or giving up A CHILD. (How could you?) Or losing a marriage. But I do want to be a painter, a serious and devoted painter…

I am hoping for some discipline this week to actually paint and to sneak away to read…Thank you for my letter. I loved it and plan to read it again with fresh eyes in the morning. A perspective change, from berating myself for what I didn’t to, to being generous and thankful for what I did, and simply taking in life as it comes and not sweating the small stuff.

Life creates and feeds art! The fullest us creates the fullest work. So be full! Full of family! Full of cookies! Full of walks! Full of confidence! Full of seizing the time we can in the midst of a busy life!

Love you!

Love, KP

*Kristen and me, trying to set up a tent on a chilly October evening in 2019, at an art opening in Newtown, Pennsylvania.*

Further reading: “Interview with Kristen Peyton”

Outdoor Drawing Class

June 9, 2021

“Art is really just a few very basics concepts that take a whole lifetime to learn.”

--Abigail Synnestvedt

*Here is a drawing I did in which I demonstrated the reductive, wipe-away technique.*

Last weekend I taught a private charcoal drawing lesson to my friend Il Hyun. We decided to have the drawing class at Hunter Hill CSA, a beautiful local farm just a few miles north of my home in Easton, PA. On that glorious sunny day, we chose a grove of old apple trees as our subject matter.

During the class, we focused on simplification, value, and gesture. I showed him two drawing techniques that have been very helpful to me over the years: straight line drawing and reductive drawing.

Although it was Il Hyun’s first “formal instruction” in art, he displayed a lot of natural ability and enthusiasm. It was a pleasure to give him some tips and watch his drawings come to life. I feel very grateful for the experience.

*Il Hyun’s “straight-line” drawing of an apple tree*

If you are interested in signing up for a private drawing or painting lesson, please feel free to contact me with any questions. lauren@laurenkindle.com

Creativity: A Mutual Relationship

March 17, 2021

I have been writing a novel for the past several years, at a snail’s pace. Early in the morning, before the day starts, my husband Ian and I sit down and write for about a half hour. (Or sometimes only 20 minutes. “Something is better than nothing,” is my guiding motto.) Ian is working on his own novel, so we write together at the same table, but on our separate projects.

Lately, I have been feeling really stuck with my plot. I’ve been spending my writing time each morning not actually writing at all. Instead, I stare in confusion at the computer screen, pulling at my hair and gnawing on the collar of my shirt in frustration, like a maniac.

I have a wonderful writer friend, Kate, and we keep touch with old-fashioned letter writing. In a recent letter, Kate suggested that I use notecards to boil down different scenes so that I could make drastic changes. So I tried, and I have spent a lot of time spreading my notes and notecards and scribbled insane timelines all over the floor, to no avail. I am still really struggling with making sense of it all.

Specifically, I have way too many subplots, and possibly too many characters who are either ghosts or gods in disguise. I also have a really intense climactic scene in the middle of the novel that should probably be near the end, where the real climax is. But logistically I can’t seem to move it there. It’s stuck in the middle, and by comparison, my actual climax is just a thin echo.

Trying harder isn’t helping, I can’t force it.

I wonder if somehow I need to “let go.”

*“Writing my novel with red teapot” gouache on envelope*

There are clear parallels between my writing and my painting practices. I have experienced in the studio that there is a point, if all is going well, when I need to let go of my original vision of the painting, and allow the painting itself to become an active participant in the creative process. The painting will “speak” to me, make clear how it wants to be. From then on, the dynamic changes. It is no longer a situation where the “active artist” is exerting her will upon her “passive creation.” It has instead become a mutual relationship.

A certain amount of struggling and “sweat and blood” is probably inevitable in all creative pursuits. But there’s a time for that, and there is also a time to let go, to step back, and not try to control everything. This letting go requires a tremendous amount of faith. Success is never guaranteed.

But I truly do believe that the work itself has its own spirit, and that it wants to come into being. If you let it participate in the process, magical surprises will happen!

*“Me typing my novel, with flowers” gouache on envelope*

Read My Short Stories

Masterpiece

February 24, 2021

A surprise Valentine poem by Ian Kindle. February 2021

Masterpiece

a poem by Ian Kindle

Seeing you at work upon your Masterpiece

it is difficult to ascribe to you

one consistent way of working.

At times you pass by, glance

then make some fast and casual effortless marks.

A clean bathroom; a tidy surface.

Other times with deep intensive concentration

You spend graceful hours at the easel,

yielding pots of oatmeal; loaves of bread;

calligraphy lessons; a sultry love poem.

Still others it’s a chaotic whirlwind.

A frenetic effort to squeeze a few moments

with this chef d’oeuvre in between

competing demands of the rest of art and life.

A pile of dishes when you’re exhausted;

a sidewalk in need of clearing;

cat litter and endless loads of laundry.

But still you make these brush strokes

upon this giant canvas with grace,

not quite knowing how it will turn out in the end.

You lather on thick daubs of color

and then scrape away.

Always with ecstasy and agony and sometimes

just brute determination of creation

you persevere— artist. lover. wife. mother

as you paint our lives.

For Lauren, Valentine’s Day 2021

"What's Your Story" Interview

February 3, 2021

“I believe that art is important and soul sustaining.”

— Lauren Kindle

A short film by Darin Barron Jr

WhatsYourStory: WATCH HERE

Read the WhatsYourStory Article! (more incredible photos by Darin Barron Jr)

What's Your Story featuring the story of Lauren Kindle an entrepreneur from Easton, PA. Lauren Kindle is a Lehigh Valley native who has a strong passion for art and giving back to the community. She also owns an art gallery studio where many can enjoy art. She shares some challenges that she faces and the importance of giving back.

What's Your Story Site

Instagram

Facebook

Music By: @John Lannon

New Yorker Sketches

January 27, 2021

A little over a year ago, I started doing sketches in old New Yorkers. The magazines themselves were gifts, mailed to me from an artist friend in Missouri, Scott Smith. In the ratty old pages of the New Yorkers, Scott’s own sketches were incredible and moving. I was astounded by the generous way in which he shared his art process. His earnest searching and the inevitable struggles of art-making were there in full view, exposed in each sketch.

I felt inspired to be brave and playful in the same way. I started sketching in New Yorkers myself, drawing without any erasers. I used black sharpies, india ink, gouache, oil pastels, and my trusty pilot pen. The “trashy” quality of the old, falling-apart magazines makes it feel less like serious art, and that frees me up to take risks, try new things, and follow my intuition.

Below are some of my sketches.

Adrienne Lunt

January 20, 2021

“Survival is necessary and yet True Success can only be achieved when we are passionate about what we do. How can we inspire others if we ourselves do not feel inspired? Inspired to survive? Inspired to dig deep? Inspired to provide? Inspired to lead? Inspired to create? Find and follow your Bliss and you CAN change the world.” -Adrienne

Edge Of Night,  48” X 30” — *Edge Of Night,* 48” X 30”

a guest blog post by artist Adrienne Lunt

I have always been passionate about art but began painting in earnest when I was laid off from my job as a Vet Tech during the Great Recession. This eventually lead to the very impractical decision of becoming a full time artist.

I enjoy using my paint brush to create unique worlds, whether it is with strong broad brush strokes or minute lines. I take pleasure in plein air painting for the challenge of capturing not only what I see but invoking the feeling of the subject matter. Before having my first child I traveled extensively to paint plein air. With a 5 year old and a 1 year old, I am looking forward to being able to travel again in a couple years!

On a trip to Yarmouth Nova Scotia I was able to paint the inlet off Water Street. The wind scudded the clouds swiftly across the twilit sky and the water gleamed a golden hue just as I realized that the tide being out revealed a sunken sailing ship cast upon the far shore. I love this piece because the brush strokes are very loose and somewhat wild and I feel it reflects the energy I felt that day.

In recent years I became obsessed with the overlooked things in nature and resolved to capture them on large canvases by representing them in tiny swirling brush strokes. This series became known as my Microcosm series. So each semi definitive brush stroke is in itself representing the tiny overlooked thing that I am enlarging.

My most recent work is space inspired. The beautiful images that have come out of the Hubble Telescope have revved my artistic engine so much that I created a painting inspired by the Monkey Head Nebula image. Since these images are public domain and, we the public are encouraged to use them to inspire ourselves, I chose to paint an enormous five by four foot painting of it! Nowadays you can find me at work making paintings combining images of nature that I have taken out on walks and the images the Hubble Telescope so generously provides. Here I am in my studio working on my latest piece.

The first time I shared myself artistically was in grade eight. I got engaged in a project to put a mural on the side of my school’s gym, and each kid got the opportunity to interpret their own rendition of the mural. As a typically awkward and painfully shy teenager this seemed a daunting task, but I was extremely excited to try. Unexpectedly my interpretation was singled out for its excellence, which gave me an unforeseen boost of confidence, and of course in turn made a huge impression on me! Even though I continued to do well in art afterward, doing it more than recreationally didn’t seem practical. But after attaining two science based degrees and being laid off, I found myself seeking solace in inspiring others through art. I realized that my hands itch to paint whenever I see a beautiful scene or hear an evocative piece of music. When my hands are busy creating art I feel inspired, fired up, moved and at peace all at once. This is how I realized my path.

Adrienne Lunt is an Acrylic and Oil Artist who can often be found sneaking away to her easel for a stolen moment to put a little more paint on whatever piece she is currently working on. She currently lives in Quakertown PA with her hugely supportive husband, two kids and a very mischievous rabbit. You can follow along on her adventures here:

adrienneluntstudios.com

or follow her on Instagram!

Free Community Art Group

January 16, 2021

Update: These monthly zoom sessions have come to an end. Thanks to everyone who participated.

I will facilitate a formal virtual art critique group and art-making event on a monthly basis.

We meet on zoom the first Thursday of every month from 7-9 pm. This is free to the art community, thanks to funding from Lafayette College’s Community Based Teaching Program. Email me for a zoom link.

Email me for a zoom link: lauren@laurenkindle.com

More details:

A formal critique will take place promptly at 7 pm and all artists are encouraged to participate by bringing their own pieces to be critiqued, and by contributing thoughtful feedback on each other’s work.

Following the critique, there will be an hour or more for the artists to work on whatever art projects they want to do. Bring your sketchbooks, paints, print-making supplies, and while you work, we can chat together about our art on zoom.

I will set up a still life on zoom which people can work from if they choose, but this is optional.

Art Critique Guide

Describe what you see. Line, Shape, Value, Composition
What is working in this piece of art? What are the strongest elements of the drawing (painting, etc.)?
How could it be improved or pushed further? Suggestions for the artist to try?
Does the work remind you of other things you have experienced?
How has the artist suggested these moods, thoughts, or ideas?
What expressive language would you use to describe the qualities? (adjectives)
Does the artwork send a message or suggest a deeper meaning?

“Le sommeil d’amour dure encore”

December 30, 2020

“At four o'clock in the morning, in summer,
Love sleep still endures.”

— Rimbaud, Arthur. “Good Thoughts for the Morning.” Trans. Ian Kindle

*“Le sommeil d’amour dure encore” oil on canvas, 16x12 inches*

All summer long, my husband, Ian, spent his mornings translating Rimbaud’s poetry from its original French into English. It was early, before his work started, and before the kids woke up: a special quiet time. We would sit at the same large table, separated by bouquets of flowers. We had such a wonderful abundance of flowers all summer long, grown by our local farmer friends.

“La muse timide” gouache on paper, 7x5 inches — *“La muse timide”* *gouache on paper, 7x5 inches*

I would sit nearby with my sketchbook or my small easel and paint him. I liked to watch him work, peering unobtrusively through all the bouquets of flowers, much like a jungle explorer might peer through foliage to catch sight of a rare bird. I did many sketches of him throughout the summer, him sitting there behind fruit and flower. I painted from life, and also from my memory and imagination.

*“Man Behind Flowers” sharpie and gouache on an old New Yorker*

Now, in the middle of a cold, grey winter, I am warmed by re-reading his Rimbaud translations, which evoke memories of luxuriant blossoms, bountiful fruit, and hot summer nights. I share with you here one of my favorite Rimbaud poems: “Good Thoughts for the Morning.”

Disclaimer: Ian asks the reader to remember that he is an amateur translator; please forgive any shortcomings.

*“La belle muse” gouache on paper, 7x5 inches*

Good thoughts for the morning

At four o'clock in the morning, in summer,
Love sleep still endures.
Under the groves dawn evaporates
The odor of night's celebrations.

But over there in the immense worksite
Towards the sun of the Hesperides,
In shirt sleeves, the carpenters
Already stir.

In their mossy wilderness, peaceful,
They prepare the precious panels
Where the wealth of the town
Will laugh beneath fraudulent skies.

Ah! for these charming Workers
Subjects of a king of Babylon,
Venus! let the Lovers alone a bit
Whose soul has been crowned.

O Queen of Shepherds,
Bring brandy to the workers.
So that their strength may be at peace
While awaiting the bath in the sea, at noon.

—translated from French by Ian KIndle

“La muse séduisant” gouache on paper, 7x5 inches — *“La muse séduisant”* *gouache on paper, 7x5 inches*

Bonne pensée du matin

À quatre heures du matin, l'été,
Le sommeil d'amour dure encore.
Sous les bosquets l'aube évapore
L'odeur du soir fêté.

Mais là-bas dans l'immense chantier
Vers le soleil des Hesperides,
En bras de chemise, les charpentiers
Déjà s'agitent.

Dans leur désert de mousse, tranquilles,
Ils préparent les lambris précieux
Où la richesse de la ville
Rira sous de faux cieux.

Ah! pour ces Ouvriers charmants
Sujets d'un roi de Babylone,
Venus! laisse un peu les Amants,
Dont l'âme est en couronne.

O Reine des Bergers,
Porte aux travailleurs l'eau-de-vie.
Pour que leurs forces soient en paix
En attendant le bain dans la mer, à midi.

—Rimbaud, Arthur. “Bonne pensée du matin.” Rimbaud: Complete Works, Selected Letters, The University of Chicago Press, 2005, pp. 178-180.

*“His realization” sharpie on old New Yorker*

*“Ian behind tulips and anemones” 10x8 inches, felt-tip pen*

Reading Art Books With My Daughter (Reprise)

December 23, 2020

My daughter Nell just turned 14 two days ago, on Monday, the Winter Solstice. Then I turned 40 the following day. Now I am thinking back to when I started this art blog five years ago. In September, 2015, I wrote a post about how my daughter and I would get up early and look at art books together. I wrote:

“For the past year, my 8-year-old daughter Nell has been getting up very early in the morning to spend time alone with me while the others are still asleep. We creep downstairs together quietly and I make some tea and coffee. Then I let Nell choose one of the many big art books on my bookshelf, stuffed with full-color reproductions of beloved paintings. And then we sit, slowly turning the pages, talking about our favorite artists, snuggled under our blankets, until the boys came downstairs wanting breakfast.”

—Sharing Wonder: Looking at Art Books With my Daughter

*8-year old Nell (and me) looking at an art book, September 2015 (over 5 years ago)*

As I re-read the old blog post, I am warmed by those sweet memories. A lot has changed since then. Nowadays, Nell and I rarely look at art books together, although we do have other ways of connecting. Naturally, as a teenager she has her own separate interests, and usually she prefers to read her own novel in the mornings. But, once in awhile, when the mood is right, we do sit down together and open up a couple of art books, just like old times.

Guitar Lessons

December 9, 2020

“That is sacred—you have put your heart in it.”

—Charles Hawthorne, to a student, Hawthorne on Painting

Morgan, my 10-year-old son, has been taking guitar lessons for several years. His teacher is a local musician and an amazing teacher. During the pandemic, we have switched to virtual lessons using Skype, and they are working out better than I hoped; I can hear the improvement in my son’s playing.

I have been looking through some old sketchbooks, feeling nostalgic, and I found these pencil sketches of Morgan and his teacher during their guitar lessons from before the pandemic. I miss those days when they could be together in person; hopefully they will return soon.

Thank God for music and art!

That’s all I have to say today.

The Witch of the Hill

December 1, 2020

“Bring me these things, and bring them Well/ All mixed together to break the Spell/ On All-Hallows’ Eve when the moon is Full!”

Sometimes it’s hard to draw the line between Artist and Mother; in so many ways the roles overlap. Here is one such instance:

On Halloween this year, we did not go trick-or-treating. Instead, I became the Witch of the Hill and invited a few children from our local “pod” to the woods behind our house.

The Witch of the Hill was imprisoned, trapped by invisible chains to a tree growing on the hill. Her sister, the more powerful Witch of Gollub Cliffs, had put the spell on her (the result of a petty witch’s quarrel.) When the children came in their costumes, they had to approach the formidable witch and gain her trust. Thus accomplished, they were given a list of magical ingredients to find.

To Break the Witch’s Spell

A lock of hair from a laughing child

And a Flower growing Wild

A rose’s thorn, a slender bone,

And dirt dug from beneath a stone.

Confess to something that is feared,

A child’s drawing that is Weird,

A Marigold, and something Cold,

A snip of Silver from a Beard.

Bring me these things, and bring them Well,

All mixed together to break the Spell,

On All-Hallows’ Eve when the moon is Full!

The children were able to gather the ingredients and the Witch of the Hill was released form her magical confinement. The Witch’s Familiar, a devoted beast who was Half-bear and Half-fish, rewarded their efforts with generous gifts of candy.

After such a success, it was agreed by all that there should be future adventures, filled with more perilous quests and magical encounters. To be continued…

The Witch of the Hill and her Familiar…photo credit: Berry Steiner — *The Witch of the Hill and her Familiar…*
*photo credit: Berry Steiner*

Further magical adventures: Treasure Hunt

October Sunsets

November 12, 2020

“Only here. Only now.”

—words embroidered on a ribbon, a gift from a friend

*“Pink Sunset” oil on canvas mounted on board, 8x12 inches*

I spent a few weeks last month working on a commission to paint the vista from someone’s front door in Harmony Township, New Jersey. I went several times to get a feel for the place, arriving in the late afternoon and painting through the sunset. It was a glorious vista. The family had lived on that land for a long time, and it felt like a special place.

Here’s a picture of my painting-in-progress on my little french easel, with my beloved palette. I feel very sentimental about the easel and palette; they have accompanied me on many adventures!

On one occasion, I took my student Laurie along with me for a private plein-air lesson. I really enjoy teaching, and Laurie is an exceptional student. I admire her tenacity and spirit! On a side note, I am accepting new students right now. If you are interested in an outdoor, socially distant private lesson, just let me know. I’m up for painting outdoors throughout the winter. We can bundle up!

*“October Evening” oil on canvas mounted on board, 8x12 inches*

I’m happy with the paintings that I’ve been doing, and I plan to return to this particular vista as the seasons change. The owner of the property has graciously invited me to come and paint any time.

*“Memory of a Sunset” oil on canvas mounted on board, 8x12 inches*

*“October Sunset” oil on canvas mounted on board, 6x7 inches*

This last one might be my favorite….

I really leaned into the abstraction and the feeling of the sunset in that one moment, that one place. I allowed myself to be free.

Only here. Only now.

For Her

October 2, 2020

“From the beginning, the dance told me – this is not yours. It is a gift to give away.”

—Terre Parker

*filming Liz O-Brien dancing, photo credit:* *Elizabeth Pangburn*

For Her premiered on Friday, October 2nd, 2020. You can watch it here. In this version, the artist talk is a separate video. Find out more about the piece here. @terreparker on social media.

For Her: Reflections on a creative process

By Terre Parker

Creating For Her has been a wild ride. It began last fall with an invitation from an artist I deeply respect – Terry Jenoure. In this meeting, I had my professional hat on (my artist hat safely stowed away.) We were dreaming up a new arts program series and Terry (also a woman of multiple talents with professional and artist hats) had agreed to present one artist. There was a moment of silence and then Terry turned to me and said, “Why don’t you do your thing?” I couldn’t turn down that invitation/challenge.

Being a mom (Rule to live by: Unexpected delays will occur!,) I decided to start early and began working in the studio with collaborators last winter. (You can see some of the early self-portraits in my previous guest blog post.) I danced in the intended site – a grove of elder beech trees – one time before COVID shut everything down around me.

Enter four months of just getting by. Then in July I heard from Terry that we were still on and that I should submit 30 min. of video. 30 min. of video! On top of a full-time job, five year old at home, COVID… How?

*on site for a shoot with a bat, photo credit: Terre Parker*

I knew I was being called up to give something. From the beginning, the dance told me – this is not yours. It is a gift to give away. So I named it “For Her” to remind myself that I was the channel, but not the owner. I felt the turmoil, pain, grief, and loss of the last months and years of my life pushing on the dam to get through this dance. I was afraid. I called my dear friend Lauren Kindle. She said, “I would not want to be called to create a grief dance right now. I don’t envy you, but I know you can do it.”

I have found a practice of looking in the mirror and saying “I believe in you.” I gave the dance to thing in me that I have been talking to. She heard me.

*filming Barbara Cortez-Greig, photo credit: Elizabeth Pangburn*

Collaborators Barbara Cortez-Greig and Liz O’Brien re-connected. A new collaborator – Elizabeth Pangburn – emerged, another working/mom/artist. Working together I started to see how Elizabeth made it possible for herself. I began making it possible for myself. I asked for help. I committed to the dance. I made it as important as other people’s needs. I asked it not to eat me up, but to feed me.

*Sometimes I have to close my eyes to feel what I have to do next., photo credit: Elizabeth Pangburn*

Elizabeth and I met for costume fittings and video editing sessions outside. My mom picked my son up and they drove off with masks on and windows down. I was in costume with my camera and tripod packed when she arrived to pick up. Everyone had a lunch packed, including me. I jumped in a neighbor’s car – masks on, windows down – to catch a ride to the Brook. My neighbor reminded me, “Why make art?” I answered, “Only if you have to.” I had to. I hiked in to the Brook, set up my camera. I became her for 45 min. It was easy to fall in. She was right there. I was ready. All the packing lunches, working late hours to provide for my family, troubleshooting and planning precautions for COVID, it all made me ready. I arrived home with just enough time to take off my wet, dirty costume and shower before my mom and son drove in the driveway. It had been two hours total.

Revelation! I can create art I believe in with only two hours. I began to feel more alive than I had in a long time.

*First day of shooting, photo credit: Elizabeth Pangburn*

I carted my son around to research sites. I thanked my blessings for a union job and took a week off. I declared it art week. I ordered equipment. I relearned video editing. I met with Elizabeth, Barbara, and Liz in different local sites. Masks. Distance. Children. Snacks. Migraines. Delays. Technical failures. Construction vehicles making an unexpected soundtrack. All through it the sound of running water. My mom and Elizabeth taking turns with my son to make it possible.

*Terre and Elizabeth on site, photo credit: Elizabeth Pangburn*

I had one weekend to edit the video. It was not perfect, but it told me what to do. Then my uncle died in the sweeping California fires. I still had to record 10 min. of an artist talk. I was raw and grieving and swamped with work for hire. I had only 1 hour. I went to the River. I asked for what was supposed to come out to come out. I stopped talking after 10 min. and reviewed the video. I hadn’t meant to say so much, to be so vulnerable! But it was not mine. It told me so.

The video is not perfect, but it is real. I became myself again through the process. Thank you, For Her.

on a two-hour solo dance shoot, photo credit: Terre Parker

For Her is presented by Augusta Savage Gallery for REVIVAL/50: Terre Parker as part of a year-long digital performance series celebrating Augusta Savage Gallery’s 50th Anniversary. This event is also part of the Creative Women Leading Climate Action series presented by the UMass Arts Extension Service, Augusta Savage Gallery, Women of Color Leadership Network, College of Humanities and Fine Arts Advising and Career Center, Department of Theater, and UMass Amherst Center at Springfield with support from Women for UMass Amherst, UMass Sustainability Innovation and Engagement Fund, Massachusetts Cultural Council, and the Arts Extension Service’s Arts Entrepreneurship Initiative.

-—-

Costumes by Elizabeth Pangburn.

Also by Terre Parker: A Dancer in Isolation

For Her (Artist Talk)

For Her (Performance)

Mornings at Hunter Hill CSA

September 17, 2020

“Part of the painter’s discipline is day dreaming.”

—Gillian Pederson Krag, artist

Summer is definitely over. We can feel the change in the air, the crisp, cold mornings, the subtle yellowing of the tree leaves. As I look back over the past few months, I reflect that it has been an alarming summer, to say the least. In our country, and in our world, there are plenty of dangers to fear, injustices to fight, and losses to grieve.

*Me, painting in the morning with a four-year-old companion. Photo credit: Katy Hunter*

In the midst of it all, what has helped me stay sane and grounded this summer have been my weekly painting sessions at Hunter Hill CSA. (Community Supported Agriculture) Hunter Hill is a small local farm that grows fruit, veggies, and herbs. My friend Katy is one of the farmers, and I’m so grateful for our morning chats while I paint. She has a little four-year-old child who often joins us and watches me paint.

There has been such a wonderful abundance of flowers at the farm: sunflowers, tithonia, rudbeckia, and dozens more. When I take time to paint them, I feel that I have gotten to know them, and thus the flowers become my friends. Now the dahlias are having their moment of glory! I’m excited to try painting them soon.

Here are some of the paintings I have done so far, over the course of the summer:

*“Rudbeckia Laciniata” oil on canvas mounted on board, 8x7 inches*

*“Tithonia and Sunflowers” oil on board, 8.25x5.5 inches*

“Morning Sunflowers” oil on primed paper, 5.25x8.25 inches — “*Morning Sunflowers” oil on primed paper, 5.25x8.25 inches*

*“Tithonia” oil on canvas, 10x7 inches SOLD*

*“Small Tithonia” oil on primed paper, 6x4 inches SOLD*

“Early Misty Morning on the Farm” oil on board, 10x12 inches — *“Early Misty Morning on the Farm”* *oil on board, 10x12 inches*

Most of the mornings I painted at Hunter Hill, it happened to be cool, gray, and misty. I like this sort of weather since it makes the colors of the flowers glow even more intensely than usual. My process took on two parts. First, I would paint what I could at the farm in a two or three hour time period. Then I would take the paintings back to my studio and let them rest a week or two. When I returned to those paintings, I relied on memory and intuition.

*“Sunflowers on an Overcast Morning” oil on board, 16x12 inches*

In the preceding painting, “Sunflowers on an Overcast Morning,” I painted on top of an older painting. A bit of “blue sky” from the older landscape showed through as I worked, and this blue evolved into a sort of stream or river, an imagined river. I like to think of it as the River of Memory, which guides me as I paint.

I’m so grateful for the precious mornings I have had with the flowers. This has been a time to for me to see. A time to be. I’m constantly coming back to this idea that being an artist is all about seeing and being, more than doing. In its purest form, painting is the act of paying attention at a soul-level. And at the same time, there is space for dreaming, for remembering, and for waiting.

My Short Stories

September 9, 2020

Here are seven short stories written by Lauren Kindle (me!) over the past five years.

Echo and Narcissus

*“The Model” oil painting by Lauren Kindle, 24x36 inches, 2015*

Breaking Up With Chagall

*"This can't go on. I can't keep seeing you like this, I'm sorry." --me, talking to Chagall*

Botticelli’s Weird Party

*detail from "Primavera" by Sandro Botticelli, 6' 8" x 10'4" tempera on panel (1477-1482)*

The Conversation

Head of a Woman

We Work Beside the Wind

*The Gardens of the Villa d'Este at Tivoli, oil painting by Corot*

The Seductive Muse

*"The Kiss of the Muse" by Paul Cezanne 66x82 cm*

If you are reading these stories and you like them, and you happen to be a publisher looking for someone to publish, feel free to contact me! Besides these stories on my blog, I also have several more unpublished short stories. I also have two novels in progress. Email: lauren@laurenkindle.com

Four Year Studio Anniversary

August 8, 2020

*Here is a photo of me and my sister Karen in front of my outdoor painting display in my studio alley.*

I celebrated my four year studio anniversary last week, on Saturday, August 1st, 2020, to be exact. I’m so happy and grateful, and honestly rather surprised that I managed to keep this dream alive for so long.

*Inside and outside my new studio, four years ago, after signing the lease!*

To celebrate, I had an outdoor, socially distant “Open Studio” in my alley. It was a huge success! I’m extremely grateful to all of the wonderful art collectors who have continued to buy art and support artists like myself during this crazy pandemic. Seriously, it gives me such hope and fills me with awe. Thank you!!

My sister Karen drove all the way from Nutley, NJ, just to come support me! I felt so loved!! I was also happy to see a lot of other artists and friends from the community who came out to offer their moral support and encouragement. Everyone followed social distancing protocol, and the evening felt very safe and positive.

*Here I am, setting up before the event begins. My husband Ian built this wooden display rack for the occasion!*

My mom also came and totally surprised me! Here she is! So beautiful!

This is a beautiful oil painting by John Schmidtberger! I have a whole bunch of paintings by him in my gallery right now: John Schmidtberger’s New Oil paintings.

*oil painting by John Schmidtberger, 5x7 inches, $250*

If you missed the event, don’t worry. I’m planning to be open again (outdoors in my alley, weather-permitting) TONIGHT, Saturday, August 8th, 5-9 pm. Come say hi and see some original artwork!

Lauren Kindle Studio

7B North Bank Street

Easton, PA 18042

*John Schmidtberger: artist in his natural habitat*

John Schmidtberger: New Paintings

August 5, 2020

I currently have many beautiful oil paintings by John Schmidtberger on display in my studio-gallery. Schmidtberger is a local artist with a gallery in Frenchtown, New Jersey. He is an enthusiastic supporter of the art community and a kind friend. He paints with a quiet confidence and fierce dedication to his vocation. His paintings are utterly satisfying to view in person. Spend some time with Schmidtberger’s paintings, and you will be rewarded by exuberant, luscious brushstrokes and juicy, rich colors.

I especially love how Schmidtberger succeeds in capturing the essential spirit of the Delaware River and its surroundings. It is clear that he knows, intimately, the particular trees, riverbanks, watery reflections, and verdant cliffs which I know so well: the landscape of my childhood.

I will have an outdoor “socially distant” open studio this Saturday, August 8th, from 5-9 pm. Or you may contact me for a private gallery visit: lauren@laurenkindle.com 267-247-6364.

Further reading: My Maine Thing (a guest blog post by John Schmidtberger from October)

*oil painting by John Schmidtberger, 8x10 inches, $400*

*oil painting by John Schmidtberger, 10x10 inches, $400*

*oil painting by John Schmidtberger (details and price coming soon)*

*oil painting by John Schmidtberger, 8x8 inches, $300*

*oil painting by John Schmidtberger (it’s a painting of ME!) 11.25x11.25 inches, $400*

*oil painting by John Schmidtberger, 10x8 inches, $400*

*oil painting by John Schmidtberger, 6.5x11 inches, $400*

*oil painting by John Schmidtberger, 8x8 inches, $300, SOLD*

Open Studio Saturday, August 8th, 5-9 pm weather permitting

masks and social distancing protocol expected

Lauren Kindle Studio

7B North Bank Street

Easton, PA 18042

Just Keep on Living

July 29, 2020

“Over the years, you will add a rich compost of experience to every day's work.”

—message from a friend

*Drawing of baby and mother cow from my sketchbook, October 2019*

I recently stumbled upon this old email from back in October: a message from my friend, the poet Margaret Campbell. I hope this message might encourage others, and in that spirit, I share it here with you.

*Drawing of cows from my sketchbook, October 2019*

Hi Lauren,

Thank you for your letter, and appreciation of the poems…

I can see that you have every reason to trust your instincts about how to proceed with every second of your life....artist, mother, human being. The cup of tea, the time staring into space, the housecleaning, the looking at cows, the painting, it's all you, the person who has multiple avenues of expression, painting, poetry, prose, and who realizes that everything goes into everything. Nothing is wasted. No moment, no thought, no iota of energy. You can't really control this. It is who you are.

Being hard on oneself is, I think, nothing more than having a good, solid sense of what you have learned to call "the best," and you are fortunate enough to aspire to produce the best. Having that kind of ambition isn't easy. There are some who might ignore you or fail to recognize your "radiance," but you can inhabit your own universe/environment/world, and tend it with all your love, passion, energy, and skill. Over the years, you will add a rich compost of experience to every day's work.

Do not suffer, or waste energy tormenting yourself. You have already done enough great things to justify a life.

Just keep on living.
With great affection,
Peggy