I am excited that all 3 paintings I submitted for entry in the San Antonio Art League 85th Artists Exhibition were accepted.  Acceptance in the show has a special meaning to me as the 3 paintings I entered last year were rejected.  Naturally that was a real disappointment but it reminded me of what I always told my art students regarding rejection and it encouraged me to keeping trying.  We will all have works rejected at some point in time but we must remember that is one juror's opinion.  It does not mean failure.  Don't give up.

A Whiter Shade of Pale

I have been working at our lake place and have a very small work area and few supplies.  I decided to work in a 5" x 7" area on cold press heavy watercolor paper.  I used 2 colors of acrylic paint plus white (Golden Burnt Sienna and Phthalo Blue), metal leaf, stamps, and webbing spray.  I used 2 brushes ( a 1" brush from ace hardware and a small 1/4" acrylic flat brush).

Motivation to create did not jump right on me in 2015.  My addiction to HGTV Fixer Upper, and Buying the Beach did not help matters.  I was ready to sell everything, move to the beach, sit on a balcony drinking wine and watch the waves.  Reality set in so I went to the garage and got a 3 x 4 foot canvas, placed it on my easel, and looked at it for about a week.  I then organized my work area and prepared it for getting in gear.  That took another week but I finally put brush to canvas and began.  It was soooooo hard.  How easy it is to quickly get out of the practice or arting.  I took process photos as I always enjoy seeing how things come together.  The painting improves and regresses many times as I struggle to express myself in my work.  A big thanks to Lyn Belisle for her continued encouragement and guidance.  Below are a FEW of the painstaking steps I took to reach my destination on my first canvas in 2015.

After working in mixed media on watercolor paper for quite awhile I realize that I miss painting on canvas.   I am also trying to push myself in new directions which is always uncomfortable but necessary in order to progress.  I have been reading a book by Shaun McNiff entitled Trust The Process.  It has forced me to paint, repaint, repaint, and repaint.  It has been a frustrating and   disappointing learning process.  If we truly learn from our mistakes I should be a genius now.  I decided to trust a combination of my knowledge of art elements and principles, my inner self, and The Process.  Below are examples done on a 20 x 20" canvas.

Retired At Last

June 30, 2014 was my last day with NEISD.  Anticipating retirement was a truly stressful time for me.  Leaving a career in art education and administration after 39 years and not knowing what the future would hold was a fearful thought always lingering in the back of my mind.  I have passed through that door (thus the title of my blog "Open Doors") and have reached paradise.  I am loving every minute.....morning coffee in the hot tub with hubby,  no horrible San Antonio traffic during rush hour, spending time at the lake,  travel, golf, and of course doing my art and enjoying classes with Lyn Belisle my wonderful and supportive painting teacher.  One of my goals now is to post my latest work on my blog.  The work below will show the results of Lyn's guidance through the process of helping me rediscover my art soul.  I could not have begun the journey without her.

The frustrations of technology

When I changed email addresses earlier this week, my blogger account somehow disappeared. I'm faced with the task of rebuilding my images and posts, but perhaps a fresh start won't be so bad. I'll start this new blog with a copy of Lyn Belisle's post in her blog, SHARDS, about my work. This was published in April of 2103, just about a year ago. Stay tuned for new posts, new work, and new adventures.

From Lyn Belisle's blog, SHARDS:

Gloria Hill: Guest Artist for April

Posted on April 8, 2013

I’m honored to feature my long-time friend, Gloria Hill, whose expressive abstract paintings have blossomed in 2013. She started working with me at the Studio in February (I hesitate to say “taking lessons” because I learn as much from her as she does from me). Gloria grasps an idea and makes it her own. She is dedicated and amazingly prolific considering that she has a demanding full-time career as North East ISD’s Director of Visual Art where her art teachers and students win state and national awards. Gloria is, thankfully, finding time for her own art, and boy, is she good! Her paintings (below) speak for themselves, but this is what she has to say about her personal creative journey:
“We all have to start somewhere and I feel that I am at the gathering stage in my work.  I am motivated by the strong urge to create.  I hope that through the process of discovering, gathering, creating, experimenting, searching, failing, and learning I will develop the tools, techniques, and processes to better express myself.   I know who I am and am happy with me.  I never want to stop growing and learning and I am finding that my art is taking me down the path I want to travel.  It is giving me joy, inner peace, confidence, and a feeling of personal accomplishment.”
Thank you, Glo, for sharing your talent and inspiring work!

Acrylic on paper

Acrylic on paper

Mixed media on paper

Mixed media on paper

Mixed media on paper

Acrylic on paper

Mixed media on paper

Acrylic on paper

Mixed media on paper