Carole Sikes Artist / Writer in Austin, Texas

"" My latest painting is entitled THINGS FLYING (20" x 20" oil on canvas) and it is another in the Nature and Geometry series. Another title might be "Freedom and Structure." Our Creative Workshop is having its last session Wednesday Nov. 14th. Laura and I are so proud of the work that the participants did. We produced a booklet of the stories and poems that were submitted to be included. The success of the group can be measured by their willingness to be vulnerable and by their support of one another. When one writes, paints or offers whatever they have created in the name of art, it is often difficult or downright scary. A book by David Bayles and Ted Orland, ART AND FEAR, addresses this. I recommend it to all who are beginning to make art. We are born creative but often our creativity is suppressed. We must find time to discover and a space to react to what we have seen and what we can know that wants to be expressed in whatever way we choose. In ou...

It's another image from my painting series NATURE AND GEOMETRY. I continue to explore geometric forms and nature using color repetition simple surfaces and clean negative space. I suppose the painting's title should be BEFORE THE LEAVES LEAVE, however I'm  leaving it untitled for now. (Pun intended) . Oil on canvas, 20" x 20". OCTOBER, MY FAVORITE TIME OF YEAR! It's wonderful everywhere. In Texas it's the end of oppressive heat. But I don't want to leave the impression that summer is awful. Given the choice, I choose summer over winter. October is the best with alternating days of warm and cool. October can bring rain and a spurt of fall growth. Until November, Texas hangs on to her green leaves. Then we are given a little color followed by the beautiful tracery of winter's bare branches. I suppose I like all the seasons and it's the change that invigorates me. I remember fondly an October Saturday long ago, basking in the warm sun on a ...

NATURE AND GEOMETRY is the theme, DARK TULIPS is the title of my latest 30" x 30" canvas. My challenge of choice is to marry these two interests, nature and geometry, in my painting compositions. I'm looking for design elements in ordinary subjects to enhance my drawing with rhythm, contrast, and repetition. Also looking for opportunities to inject my painting with greater freedom of color. (Perhaps I should have saved this painting for Halloween, the colors are right but it's not scary enough!) This painting was photographed on the exterior wall of my studio. For painters choosing to work in nature, my belief is that these studio exercises, requiring one to be very intentional about selection of color and shapes or geometry, will influence future compositions in a positive way. Like a musician practicing scales or a writer studying grammar, I believe all artists need to work on their skills. Daughter Laura Barrow and I will be leading a group at Good Shepherd E...

Crystal Bridges Museum, Bentonville, Arkansas                  No, NOT disappointed in Alice Walton's CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM despite some negative things we heard about the collection. We spent our first evening enjoying the architecture of MOSHE SAFDIE by walking from the entrance, down to the lake level and all around the complex. It is truly spectacular architecture. There are several comfortable places to rest and to enjoy the landscape or to look through numerous art books in shelves and on tables. For those wanting to do research there is an extensive and spacious  library on the upper floor. The next day we concentrated on the chronological collection by starting with the 20th century and traveling backwards to the beginning. WHY? Because the early American paintings, consisting of many portraits or our pinch-nosed founders can be difficult due to the vast numbers in the collection and because we have seen so many of...

This is to notify that I will be taking a break from blogging. Happy summer to all.

WHAT FUN !  I have just taken a trip to Arkansas prior to taking a trip to Arkansas...a Virtual Tour I have been looking forward to an evening at the GRACE MUSEUM in Abilene for the LOREN MOZLEY exhibition "Cross Currents - Three Generations of Artistic Influence", opening May 10th. From there we drive to Bentonville, Arkansas to see Alice Walton's CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM designed by MOSHE SAFDIE. But more about this next month. For now I want to extol the marvels of the internet and my virtual tour. Learning that we were going to Arkansas, Lu Ann Barrow (seated in the photo) encouraged us to see THORNCROWN, the important and remarkable chapel in the woods near Eureka Springs, Arkansas. I began my virtural journey by searching for the architect E. FAYE JONES, a contemporary of Frank Lloyd Wright. JONES's most well know structure is probably his THORNCROWN. Please go to www.thorncrown.com for more about this spectacular structure. Discovering THORNCROWN, I emaile...

CONSTRUCT #5 The image is of another CONSTRUCT (abstract designs were discussed more in last month's blog). This and other paintings from our SikesArt website were projected on two large screens for one of the continuing education sessions at the University of Texas.  At the invitation of Bob Coffee, my artist husband and I kicked off the "Austin Artists" series for Quest members on the U.T. Campus. QUEST is one of 4 very popular continuing ed programs at the University of Texas at Austin. LAMP, SAGE, QUEST AND FORUM were founded in that order.  All have a curriculum of a variety of subjects to interest their members who must be 55 years of age or older.  Several years ago we made a similar presentation to members of SAGE. To both groups I remarked that they were getting two painters for the price of one. To many it seems a curiosity that Charles and I are both painters.  We began  sharing our interest in art at age 14 when we were in high school...