Being someone that’s always on the go and generally a bit fidgety, I was doubly lucky that he agreed to sit, and he was tired enough from months of rehearsal and weekend performances to relax and enjoy the down time.

It was quite delightful to bring him into the studio for a few hours to chat and work together. Perhaps I’ll get another chance down the road.

Mordcha the Innkeeper, Graphite and Charcoal on paper.

I was able to see the performance twice, and each time I was brought to tears. This is a story that continues to be relevant today and one that I hope continues to foster compassion for all.

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I sit on the floor, surrounded by boxes and bins filled with paintings. There is a pile of drawings draped over more bins, ready to spill onto the floor.

Paintings and drawings in pastel, charcoal, graphite, pen and ink, watercolor, egg tempera, and oil.

I start to sort them chronologically, by medium, and then subject matter. Mixed feelings of delight well to the surface along with despair…oh! I still have that one…Oh…Wow…that’s terrible.

A flood of memories and feelings swirl for attention. Comments from friends and instructors drift through my mind as well as words that went unsaid, a look on someone’s face.

How do you respond to a piece this terrible, I think.

Vignettes of plein air outings, camping trips, standing in the heat of the dessert, hiking up mountain trails, laughing, oblivion of deep focus, uncertainty, despair, and small victories. Time with friends. Time alone.

These thoughts are interwoven with feelings and memories.

There are 100s, perhaps a 1000 failures on the floor around me.

Twelve years, I think. No, that’s not right. I recalculate. It’s been 14 years, since I took that first painting class. How long had I talked about it before I found that painting class?

A six week painting class in acrylic was my starting point. That was quickly followed by a semester of drawing at Front Range Community College in Fort Collins, CO. Then learning pastel at Schissler Academy in Loveland, CO before taking another drawing class, and then a plein air workshop with Aaron Schuerr. The dominoes of classes, workshops, and countless hours of practice lined up to working with Deborah Paris and her Landscape Atelier program, until I calculated time, money, energy and effort and arrived at the Great Lakes Atelier of Fine Art in Duluth, MN with Jeffery Larson in 2019. The half-way point – so far. Perhaps we could call it the beginning.

I sort more piles, studies that I can use as teaching aids. A small pile that might be worth a revisit.

Another pile should go to the studio to show my students…See what you can do when you stick to it and follow the training?

I think of an earlier conversation that day about revisiting old work. “All the good paintings sell, and we are left with our failures.”

And these? What do I do with these? I think as I look at a stack of canvases, a pile of painting starts. Attempts. Failures. Experiments. Nuggets of understanding.

Back into the bin they go. They are like photographs of my younger self. I am no longer that person, but I want to remember who I was and how I got here.

I take the pile that might be worth revisiting, although I know it will probably just sit on the studio floor. New ideas beckon me now. I am no longer the same person that created those.

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Hello, I hope this finds you well. It’s early September, which means it is time for Plein Air Grand Marais. The week was filled with wind, rain, fog, and a couple of delightful mornings. I painted sunsets, waterfalls, sunrises, and trees got rained out more than once! The opening reception last night was filled with buzz and excitement as people crowded into the gallery to see the new work. My piece, “Hidden Falls” received an Honorable Mention. which made braving the mosquitoes worth it (once again)! The very first night, the waves were crashing into the rocks. We had an hour or so before dark, so we made the most of it! There’s always a rush of adrenaline, when the surf is crashing below your feet and the wind threatens to whip your painting gear into the air like the tornado in the Wizard of Oz. A soft gentle light dawned the next morning and wispy clouds whisked across the sky before clouds settled in for the day. Continuing with the theme of water, I found this little waterfall with it’s piles of challenging rocks and an interesting symmetry with the pool of tannic water. As always, the photos never do the work justice. If you are in the area, swing by the Johnson Heritage Post between now and October 5th to see them in person. If you would like to add one to your collection, please contact the gallery at 218-387-2883 and they will make the arrangements. I’m headed home for a day of rest before I finish a couple of pieces for the next show! Coming up: First Friday, October 3rd – Itasca Plein Air show at the Reif Center in Grand Rapids, MN Studio Tour – October 4th – Central School, Grand Rapids, MN – I’ll have several gouache pieces and some studies for sale. “Days to Remember” Opens October 10th – Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery in Grand Marais, MN Workshops: One Day Landscape Painting Workshop – October 25th – macrostie.org We will work from your photos to create a landscape painting in the medium of your choice. I’ll assist with composition, design, and some technical aspects to turn your photo into a piece of art. ​ In gratitude, Nelia Harper French www.neliaharper.com

​​ 1010 N Pokegama Ave, Grand Rapids, MN 55744 ​Unsubscribe · Preferences​

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