I had this conversation with someone last night about how artists describe their work. What they say about it and how they say it and what does what they say actually mean. Does that make any sense at all? Perhaps I’m just babbling around in my own head again thinking about things that don’t even matter to you or things I shouldn’t even concern myself with. But, here I go thinking it. Really my first thought was “what are you doing?”.

I find, in my very own judgmental opinion, that not everyone knows how to talk about their own work. Even me. The very thing that we create, we can’t talk about. We don’t know what to tell you about the who, what, when, where, and, especially, the why of a painting. I’ve seen people tell others how they should feel when they (the general public) view the art (the artists’ work). And I think, “like, why are you telling them how to feel when they’re looking at your art?” I can’t tell people what to feel - especially when they’re looking at something I’ve created. That’s crazy. Well, crazy to me. But people do it. All the time. And, as for talking about my own work, well, that’s never been easy for me either. But straight-foward and honest seems to work best for me. I’m not going to tell you how to feel about it but I will surely have a conversation about how you respond to it, what connection you’ve made, and often that leads to places, times, and stories I would never have imagined. And that fascinates me. 

When I’m in a museum or gallery space I hope no one else is there with me. I’m greedy that way. Maybe “selfish” is the word. Could be both. If I don’t get the “ideal” space, I’ll tune the “stuff” out and immerse myself. Personally, I want to experience the work of artists on my own. I want to feel what I’m going to feel in front of a painting as a new experience. And then, if I want, I get to decide whether I like it or don’t like it. I like, sometimes, to guess who the artist might be or who they worked alongside. And, if I feel like it, I can make the judgment call of whether it’s good or bad art. I don’t want to rely on the judgment call of others in that area except sometimes to say, “oh, we agree” or “oh, you’re wrong”. 

Imagine listening to a piece of instrumental music with your eyes closed and focusing on just the music, feeling the music. It is how I most enjoy viewing and experiencing the visual arts. It becomes my personal experience. My hope is that we all experience art this way. There have been various times when I’ve walked into a gallery, a museum, or someone’s home and my mind has been blown. I have felt many intense feelings when experiencing art and an overwhelming sense of awe is my favorite.

I wonder when people see my paintings if I should walk up and talk to them or, better yet, ask them what they think about it. I defer to not asking. I don’t even ask if they like it. I'm grateful when they ask the questions. Or not. But when we do talk and share, that time is so valuable to me. Their experience with the work is personal to them. As it is to me. Now, mind you, I am well aware that sometimes a painting can be just a simple picture of a thing. I get it. But, dang, I think we get to experience whatever it is as ours alone first before the world crashes in with their own skewed thoughts and opinions. That’s what I like about this. That’s what I want from this.

And just so you know, when I paint, simple joy is what I seek. After that, so many layers exist. But first, simple joy. And maybe, if I’m lucky, a bit of awe.
​

"Dancing in September"... If you don't know where this line comes from I might be a little sad today. Earth, Wind, and Fire's song "September"! If you do remember it I know you're grooving your body just a little bit as you're singing the words in your head. Right now. And, yes, I'll be queueing up my super 70's once I get back in the studio today.

Have you been calculating your life lately on how many months we've been living in a pandemic? March, 2020. That's where it began for most. Backwoods Gallery show Opening Night was when I heard we'd be quarantined indefinitely. Now, gratefully, we are moving forward and figuring all of this out together.

As we have lived through this situation, we have seen so many good deeds and good people and positive support and cooperation between friends and complete strangers. You know it. I know it. We've all seen it and experienced it. And this helps us all thrive, especially outdoor cocktail hour with the neighbors. It's been amazing to see people working together figuring out something we haven't quite figured out yet. That's okay. We will get there. Eventually. I'm pretty sure of it. Yep. I'm sure.

Sadly, though, at the forefront of the news and on social media platforms day in and day out some people continue to be "orators of doom" during this time. They preach, shame, and resort to nastiness and sometimes personal attacks on friends and strangers alike. Is this really who we are and who we want to be? Nope. Not me. 

Working through these days, with my family back working and living at home, life has been a struggle but's its been good, too. It's my job, as wife and mom, sister and daughter, to keep this "sh!t" together! Right?!? You experience it and I experience it. To do this, I decided to work on eliminating negative behavior, words, and influences that comes across my path and instead seek joy. It does not take much to pass through social media platforms and remove these things from my daily vision as much as possible. I can also choose what news to watch and read and still be informed, in as balanced a manner as possible. I can opt in to kindness and joy.

When I take a look at these two things together, actual behavior among our neighbors, with people in stores and restaurants, at the park, or, for me, painting together with friends, I have found that most people are kinder, more understanding, and loving to one another when there are personal interactions. Yes, there are random exceptions to this ideal - I've experience that, too. But I also see that once the "somewhat" anonymous role takes over on social media, that behavior looks a bit different for those "orators of doom". I'm thinking - hey, why not treat everyone kindly as if you were seated next to them having a cup of iced coffee or an ice cream cone. Sounds simple. Sounds yummy. Sounds like "treat your friends like family and your family like friends" mantra I used to hear alot when I was growing up. Sounds like an entree into spreading joy.

Art for me is joy. I seek to reflect that in my work. My social media reflects this. And I try, yes, I try, to make my life about joy. There will continue to be the people out there who work to "suck joy" from me and others. I've gotten some perspective on this now - I suppose I've actually learned something from these last few months. I can let them do it or not let them. If I let them, my personal life suffers, my family suffers, and my art suffers. Who wants that? 

As for my painting, well, I have been painting continuously since the beginning of this quarantined life keeping busy with large commissions and smaller works thrown into the mix. I continue to paint and be glad of it. I'm thankful for the commissioned work. They're about capturing moments of joy in each of their lives. And, one in particular, laughter and love. That one involves beignets so I've been smiling alot and craving warm french donuts with a snowfall of powdered sugar! (Haha, now you want them, too. Admit it.)

As we dance into September, maybe it's time to tune into some super 70's and drift away...Find your joy. Share your joy. I'll be painting with joy and with Earth, Wind, and Fire.

FW GALLERY / GRAND RE-OPENING:
Well, this is what I've been working up to during the summer months. This show. This exhibit at FW Gallery here in Baton Rouge. Cathy, the new owner, and Meghan have made a few updates to the gallery and it looks and feels wonderful. I was surprised, honored (can I use the word "honored"?), and too happy when I was asked to be a part of this show.

And to show my work alongside Michael Maxwell is really cool. Check out his work at his website https://www.michaelmaxwell.net/work

I haven't really shown anyone the works for this show because I really wanted to have it be an unveiling of sorts. I haven't even seen all of the pieces together at one time. I've put pieces of it together in sections but I haven't see it all as one big show of works. I can't wait to see it hanging in the gallery! 

In case you're wondering, yes, you are all invited to the show opening which is this Friday night, September 13th from 6 - 9 p.m. You will love the art, the gallery, the people. So do come. 

The works do have a unifying theme in that all are derived from landscape scenes out and about the Baton Rouge area. I really wanted to capture a few significant and not so significant locations in the works. Some you may recognize and others may surprise you. There are large oil paintings and small gouache paintings. So much color!

So mark your calendar. Grab a friend or two. Come Friday night to visit, enjoy (and collect - wink wink) original art, and share a drink among friends.

My last post was May 21st. Right after that I headed north to North Carolina to go backpacking on the Appalachain Trail in Virginia to hike for 4 days. I know that sounded weird but I did fly to NC and met up with my brother-in-law and we drove to Shenandoah National Park to hike north from the southernmost point of the park. My BIL has section hiked the trail from Georgia (the start of the trail) on through to this point. The last time I was on the trail to hike was last summer for some day hikes with my sisters. This summer I took it a step further. If any of you have heard of "trail magic" and wondered if it's real, well, I'm here to tell you it absolutely is. My brother-in-law, Monty, was an awesome hiking partner. From the get-go he said it was my hike meaning I was setting the pace. That generosity was the first bit of trail magic for me. Then, there was the issue of water - something basic we all need to get through our days. It's not always readily available on the trail as we found out on the long 12 mile day two of our trip. Except, for the people who provided us water. First, the guy working trail maintenance who parked his van and left it unlocked for us to drop our trash and get snacks and water - the frozen bottle of water made for an awesome cold milk and cereal treat after dinner that night. Then, there was the "bike and hike" guy named Russ who we kept crossing paths with. He went to a local campground and bought us a gallon of water. How generous! And third, the ladies who were checking out some hiking locations for a group of women that get together and hike - they had water for us, too. There are so many more instances of "trail magic" that we came across in just those four days and I will forever treasure it.

I then spent the next 5 weeks at my sister and Monty's lake house in NC and was able to spend that time by myself - for the most part - and paint. I found that this sort of "trail magic" showed up during that time as well. I didn't think of it as such at the time, but it was there. First, the gift of being able to be alone and paint - amazing opportunity. And then there was the issue of the canvases and paintings that weren't working out. They were crap. I can say that. I can. I was fighting with the canvas and the paint wasn't going on the canvas in the way I wanted it to and I knew I needed to do something about it. I figured I needed to mount the canvas to board somehow or toss it til I got back home and counld manage another solution. Monty, like me, is a brainstormer and said let's figure it out. Let's find a way to make it work here and now so that I could keep moving forward. And so, we managed to head to town and obtain boards and adhesives, set up a work station in the garage and mounted three canvases to board. It worked. And it worked well. This doesn't mean all the paintings have been successful, but that bit of magic came along right when I needed it and it helped me continue to move forward.

There's "artist magic" out there in the universe like the magic on the trail. I see that now. I listened to the audiobook "Ninth Street Women" by Mary Gabriel. I listen to audiobooks while I paint. It helps. If you're looking for a great in-depth story about Joan Mitchell, Helen Frankenthaler, Grace Hartigan, Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning and all the other artists they lived with and worked alongside during the 30s, 40s, and 50s - it's amazing and, I felt, immersive into their day to day experiences. But, one small portion of the book really hit me one day and that was when one of the artist said, and I will paraphrase, "up until that point we never thought about painting for money or to sell a painting; we painted because that's who we were and what we did." Painting was a process. That's what the experience of painting was to them. It hit me that in that time and place, the mindset was so different to what I am experiencing today and how art is perceived, appreciated, and, most importantly, created in the now. It was a bit of "magic" for me to hear this. Getting back to focusing on just the process of painting - meaning, painting for the sake of painting - is something I'm working on. Walking my way though a painting is always a discovery. I start with an idea. I really think it through and let it marinate. Then, when I'm ready I paint. But, I found, that the end result isn't ever as I thought it would be when I began. Sometimes it's very close, but most times it's something new to me. And that is magic and it's wonderful.

All these pieces I have been working on - the ones that  you will never see and the ones you will - have been for a show of my work at the FW Gallery on Highland Road in September. The gallery is under new ownership since the spring and Cathy is having a Grand Reopening. When she asked me to be a part of this, I had the feeling of YASSS and then WHAAAT am I going to do. But, it's worked out and I'm really excited about the new work. She and her gallery crew have already made changes and updates in the gallery with moving things around, painting walls, acquiring printing equipment, and more. And, yes, alongside the original paintings I will have prints. I am so looking forward to this. I hope that you will join us at the gallery on September 13th for the Grand Reopening Reception that evening. The work will hang during September and I would love it if you would please come and celebrate with us the "artist magic" that comes along unexpectedly but when right when we need it.

I've been quietly painting here at my home studio for the last few months. I have moved to larger canvases and have really come away with mixed feelings. Ugh! I love it and it drives me nuts at the same time. I thought the move from smaller canvases to larger would be easy. I was wrong. Not the first time. Hey! You don't have to agree with me on that!!

The largest attempt is a 24" x 48" canvas. I have to thank my friend, Debbie, who had taken a painting off the wood framing and left the framing at my gallery. I took that and stretched my own, taking a leap of faith I could make it work. I'm not ready to share that painting because I'm still staring at it in the studio just to make sure it's done. I'm finding the contemplation period takes longer for me, too, on whether there's more to do with a painting or if it's telling me yes, I'm done, move on.

This sunflower painting ("Untitled") is one of the larger pieces I recently completed. But, I'm sort of stuck on a name for this one. I painted 3-4 smaller paintings of sunflowers and feel I've worn out the names. So, I'm looking for a suggestion from you. If you have any, well, I'd appreciate a share.

I posted on my FB page (@NanciCharpentierArt) a request for suggestions and an offer. The offer is if I choose your title, I'll use it and I'll send you a pack of my flat sunflower notecards with envelopes. 

As I "finish" these paintings, I'll continue to post them here and on social media - you know, FB and IG, mostly.

I also have a great opportunity that's come my way this summer and I'll be sharing some of that in the next month or so. So, stick around. New work is on the way.

And, if you're interested in buying one of these paintings, shoot me an email @ nancicharpentierart@gmail.com. I need to buy more paint!

"And So I Stood Here All Along"
Oil on Linen Panel, Framed
$450.00

BLOOM!
22 March - 5 May 2019
R. W. Norton Art Gallery
Shreveport, Louisiana

This spring, an explosion of color rocks the Norton inside and out. Just as our botanical gardens burst forth with blossoms, BLOOM! bestows upon us and exhibit of canvases crowded with pigmented petals. It all began with an invitation for submissions on a floral theme for a juried competition. There were an astonishing 193 submissions this year from not only the Ark-La-Tex, but also south Louisiana, Texas, and as far away as North Carolina and Virginia, all wonderfully rendered versions of lovely flora seen from a variety of interpretations and perspectives. Because of the quality of all these submissions, it was truly difficult to select the fifty which make up this year’s display. But, now you can enjoy the beauties of nature without the perils of pollen or bad weather as you stroll along through our garden-inspired galleries. 

Social Media:
IG: @NanciTheArtist
FB: @NanciCharpentierArt
Twitter: @NanciTheArtist

I don't know how cold or warm it is where you are but right now I'm dealing with sunshine and about 70 degrees outside. Terrible. I know. I'm actually inside working but will be heading back out to paint this afternoon. It's been cold and warm these days which allow for me to get back out there and do more plein air painting. And I am glad of it.

Last year I choose my "word" of the year as "perseverance". And I stuck to it. This year my word is "PAINT"! And that's what I've been doing as much and as often as I can. I'm painting in the studio. I'm painting at workshops. I'm painting with my friends!!! Each year my focus seems to narrow more and my brain seems to explode all at the same time. Not sure how this happens but it's nice to know my brain can still grow and expand and take in and discard as I grow up.

I've only added a few new pieces to the website and will be adding more. I've got several smalls that I need to photograph and put up on the site. I'm also working on a couple of really large pieces that as soon as they are completed will go up as well. They are definite works in progress and I'm loving them.

I know we're already a month into the new year but I want to say thank you to all of those collectors and new friends out there that supported me this past year in not only buying my work, but coming to see me at festivals and markets and talking and sharing art with me. It's been a blessing and so much fun. I'm looking forward to doing it all again in 2019, y'all!

Social Media:
IG: @NanciTheArtist
FB: @NanciCharpentierArt
Twitter: @NanciTheArtist

This weekend I am a juried artist participating in my first Covington Three Rivers Art Festival. The festival is Saturday and Sunday, November 10th & 11th from 10 am - 5 pm each day. My booth, Booth 607, is in the 600 block of Columbia Street. Tents will stretch from the 600 block to the 200 block of Columbia. So many tents, so many artists.

This morning on WAFB my dear friend and creative, Ana Maria Andricain of Jewel of Havana, was on air talking about the upcoming arts festival. Her beautiful botanical jewelry,  Ghada Khawand Henagan Ceramics along with my painting "Fire In The Sky" were featured. 

As Ana said, this is a juried exhibition of fine artists and "everything is for sale". It will be a beautiful weekend with over 200 artists participating.

Come spend the weekend in Covington, Louisiana!

You can click the link above to see the full video clip from this morning.

I bought gouache paints. I bought of box of Holbein gouache paints because I was curious about them. I actually first starting painting with watercolors back in high school. And then I didn't. But these are opaque watercolors! I think this medium is much more fun. For some time now I've been following several artists on instagram and they use gouache - I love instragram and artists' feeds on that thing! (Pssst - just do a search for Jeremy Duncan. He's a great place to start.)

So, that's where this new passion started. It was on Instagram. And I brought the paints to the lake and started making small quick studies of the lake landscape. My sister really liked them and now those first ones reside on the walls in the lake house. I came home and painted a few more. I've been gradually slipping these small paintings in between the larger works, the commissions, and the markets. They're a great way for my brain to shift and work on something else just for a couple of hours. 

About a week and a half ago I taught my first gouache workshop in Lake Charles at The Art Factory. For me, my brain works differently when I'm painting by myself in front of an easel than when I'm painting and explaining to others my process, what I'm thinking about, decisions to consider, and the laying down the painting. Half of the workshop participants were artists but none had used gouache. I think they're hooked now. The plan now is to teach another workshop at The Art Factory in the spring. You should come try this stuff out. It's addicting! 

I have just two available now and they are listed on my website if you want to go there and take a good look at them. Click here.