DRAWINGS AND PAINTINGS by Jara Frisk

2012-01-13T15:02:00.000-06:00

2012-01-13T15:01:00.001-06:00

2012-01-13T14:45:00.001-06:00

Girl's Room MURAL

2012-01-13T14:40:00.002-06:00

"The Four Seasons" Wall

2012-01-13T13:03:00.005-06:00

2012-01-13T12:08:00.000-06:00

Sharpie Forest Floor on Black Foam Core

2012-01-13T11:51:00.011-06:00

Moon Tree

2012-01-13T11:40:00.002-06:00

Oil on Canvas. A wedding gift.

2011-06-22T15:47:00.000-05:00

Work in Progress

2010-09-13T11:16:00.005-05:00

I like to work on multiple paintings at the same time and rotate around. This helps with the drying time.

WORK IN PROGRESS

2010-09-13T11:12:00.002-05:00

COMING SOON to ETSY...

2010-09-08T23:02:00.003-05:00

2010-09-08T23:01:00.000-05:00

EXPIREMENTS with TEXTURE

2010-09-08T22:58:00.001-05:00

Dupont Mural

2010-09-08T22:32:00.014-05:00

Rock climbing chords and ropes are the inspiration for this series.

Work In Progress

2010-09-08T22:01:00.005-05:00

Polished agate stones from Lake Superior...

Circle Dots

2010-09-08T21:56:00.004-05:00

DETAILING, PRECISION WORK, STRAIGHT LINES

2009-05-15T14:45:00.005-05:00

I have a steady hand. I don't use rulers. I rarely tape items off, and I take a lot of pride in never using stencils. That being said I'm a poor draftsman. My straight lines are straight enough for free-form freehand organic images (flowers, nature, fruit, fish, etc...) but anytime anything man-made, constructed and engineered enters the picture? I'm in trouble. Clean lines and sharp edges and perfect angles? Forget it. I created a few concept automotive sketches a design class in college and it was a huge joke. The work looked like looked like garbage. Too much precision and the execution was poor. I wasn't patient enough. Pre-taping seemed like a huge waste of time. At that time I felt it took all the energy out of the work. Too much prep. That's why these cassettes were a delightful surprise. I didn't mind taping the edges. (After I learned that Scotch Artist's Low Tack Artist's Tape really is superior to plain old "Scotch" Translucent Tape-and I learned that the hard way. One pull and half my paint came up with the adhesive)-it was fun figuring out a way to stamp the circles (I ended up using the bottoms of some old paint bottles and the cap of a pen) and I enjoyed the parameters of a technical object. Go figure, huh? Who knew?

"MIXED TAPES" 90's Nostalgia Series

2009-05-15T14:21:00.011-05:00

To me, getting a mixed tape from that certain special someone was a promise of renewed friendship, optimism, and romantic possibilities. To this DAY I recreate sketchy playlists from various homemade tapes on my iPod. (Sigh)...If only I knew the names of all the songs and all the cool hipster artists and crooners gone by...SO DREAMY!

GOLDFISH SERIES 2008

2009-04-11T04:58:00.009-05:00

BRUSH CARE

2009-04-05T10:16:00.006-05:00

It's not about owning the most expensive brush. It's about the care you give the brushes you've got...no matter what the cost was-you pay a big price when your brushes aren't given the proper care they need and deserve. So, I do my best to take the very best care of these little babies. Matter of fact? Some of them are older than my kids. I purchased most of these before I started dating my husband Joe, (nearly 18 years ago) and they STILL hold up. For the record -I prefer synthetic brushes. They seem better able to take the abuse I can dish out MUCH much more than the natural hair ones can. I usually go with nylon and usually a "ROUND" rather than a "FLAT"-but don't get me wrong, I have plenty of large flats too. These are fantastic for filling in larger areas of color quickly. THESE ARE SOME TIPS: DON'T STORE BRUSHES "BRUSH SIDE" DOWN DON'T SOAK BRUSHES IN WATER FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME DON'T WASH BRUSHES WITH HOT WATER DO USE A GENTLE SOAP TO CLEAN TOUGH DRIED-ON PAINT (I use Ivory Liquid or Johnson & Johnson's baby soap) DO WASH IN COLD WATER DO GENTLY BLOT DRY on a PAPER TOWEL DO STORE "BRUSH SIDE" UP or laying DOWN DO PLUCK STRAY HAIRS from YOUR BRUSH It's like my former Industrial Tech Professor (his name was Kermit-yeah, like the frog) once said "If you take good care of your tools -they'll take good care of you."

2009-03-31T15:49:00.004-05:00

This was a goldfish mural I painted over. These are the only photos I have of it -almost done, looking decent and nearly finished. Then I messed it all up and had to start over. It had gone past the point of salvage. Every time I'd look at it-all I'd see underneath was the image I REALLY wanted and not the image on top that I'd worked so hard to have. I painted three FULL-sized murals over this one, and in the end? I painted over it all-a solid boring eggshell white. The impressions of the fish and a few leaves are still visible however, just in the outlines of thick painted areas-that's it. Murals are tough to live with, in that way. It's not like you can drape a cloth over it while you're working on it-you're stuck with the progress you've made and the progress you have to make. With painting -it's not always easy to know when to call it quits. A very large challenge I struggle with is knowing when to back away. It's just so difficult to put down the brush and finish. I don't always know when it's time to stop...but I ALWAYS know when I SHOULD HAVE stopped.

On ENERGY AND ENDURANCE

2009-03-27T11:00:00.004-05:00

For me the only time to finish artwork is late at night (weekends and weekdays) I go to bed around 3AM and wake up around 8AM Monday through Friday and fortunately I'm able to catch up on sleep during the weekends...but it takes a brutal toll. I drink a LOT of coffee and all that caffeine is sketchy at best. Sometimes it's all I can do to just get through the day. Still? When I'm "IN THE ZONE"-zoned out, GONE-just focusing on what I'm doing -it's like a ton of bricks kicked off my chest. I feel cleansed afterwards. I'm absolutely and flawlessly free and that time is all mine. It’s just me and just me and everything else disappears.

SOLD ON ETSY

2009-03-25T15:32:00.008-05:00

One of my resolutions for New Years included selling artwork online. So far, ETSY (for the Arts & Crafts crowd) has worked out very well. It's simple to navigate, user friendly, and the fees are reasonable.

I'm also considering setting up an ebay store for auctions since I love, Love, LOVE ebay and the many items I've purchased and sold there. There'll be some teetering back and forth, and after some research -I'll make my decision.

2009-03-24T19:28:00.003-05:00

2009-03-24T19:27:00.003-05:00

2009-03-24T19:24:00.002-05:00

2009-03-24T17:44:00.005-05:00

GRANNY SMITH GREEN APPLE

2009-03-24T17:34:00.005-05:00

I painted this Granny Smith Apple three years ago while my husband was in Japan visiting old friends. It was the first time I'd had a quiet house in a long time and I'd planned to hire a babysitter, and get oodles and oodles of artwork accomplished...yeah, no such luck. The truth is? I watched a lot of stupid shows on Television, ate a lot of greasy Chinese food, and wasted most of the productive hours I'd lucky enough to have. This is just about the only creative thing I was able to pull together at that time. It was a lazy shame riddled, lazy week and I stewed in a hearty brew of sloth.

TWO ORANGES I & II

2009-03-24T17:13:00.005-05:00

These are mixed media pieces. It's acrylic with pastel and a matte medium on canvas. I start with the pale yellow wash. (There's a good bit of water-it's almost a watercolor viscosity) You have to let it stand to dry. Sometimes I use a hair dryer-but not often since it's noisy. Afterwards I do a detailed drawing with chalk or pastel, never pencil. The graphite adds "dirty" shadows I don't want. Then I'll fill in the area with blocks of solid color. Again, let it dry...and I spray the piece with a matte spray fixative. This creates almost a "sanded paper" finish. I LOVE the way pastel looks when it's layered on top. I add shadows and highlights with the pastels (I use Rembrandt artist pastels, but I've had dubious results with cheaper versions-not as rich) It should be noted I get dust, paint, and little dabs all over myself, my hands, my clothing, and occasionally my dog. Give it a final pray with a FINAL FIXATIVE. Prismacolor Tuffilm is outstanding-but it's NOT cheap so be prepared to fork over some serious lettuce for the quality. You get what you pay for with pastels. It's WORTH IT.

Three Red Geraniums

2009-03-24T15:33:00.017-05:00

I found a large canvas mounted inside a shiny brass 70's style frame at a garage sale. The image inside was a screen process style print of a giant sunset with Jonathan Livingston Style-Seagull flocks flying around. Not my taste, but since the price was right and I liked the size I paid about $12.50 and did my best to jam the canvas/frame into my '89 Toyota Camry. I pushed the seats forward as far as they would scootch...rolled down a window to let one of the corners poke out and drove home using back roads rolling slowly without the use of any mirrors unable to see out the back windows. I'd been wanting to paint some Geraniums since I'd walked around a local Greenhouse and all that red and green was pretty amazing out in the sun. The original background was yellow, but I didn't like the way it 'fought' with the other colors, so I re-painted white/aqua. Also, the dirt was at one point -a realistic brown with little with and dark flecks -but it again, n0t the final look I wanted so the deep blue worked out. These were 'orange' terra cotta pots. Again, I disliked the way the orange handled all that red and it gave the green a toxic yellow I didn't want, so they shifted from a warm brown to the nearly identical red of the flowers. Red is one of my all time favorite colors and I have a lot of it in my homeThis is now hanging in my kitchen. It's visible from the road as seen through a curtain-less window when all the lights are on. My neighbors have commented on it -"What's that big painting in your back kitchen? I see it every time I drive by and it always catches my eye." At that point I say "It’s geraniums, one of my own. Come on over and check it out." I love working large scale. The difficult part is finding big canvas cheap or stretching your own. Frames are a separate issue, so I'll troll Goodwill, Savers, Garage Sales, Estate Sales, Craig's List etc...for simple, inexpensive frames.

'Kitschy KITCHEN Art' 3D Food Paintings: Kiwi Fruit

2009-03-23T11:33:00.007-05:00

Kitchen art is the greatest. I grew up with an oil painting of vegetables by Western Artist Lilet Ritsauph in my parent's kitchen. It was RIGHT above the stove. The work had a slick, thick heavy coat of shellac type varnish to protect it from spills, splatters etc...And it did. I now own the piece and it's brilliant as ever. In that tradition, I've completed foodie kitchen art in contemporary style. Thus far, this has been a successful series. I completed a Lemon Slice, Kiwi Fruit, A Cucumber Slice, An Egg Slice, and 3 Sushi Rolls for 2008. The first series (a special commission) completed in 2004 included a Chocolate Chip Cookie made to order and as requested.

GOLDFISH PAINTINGS 2008

2009-03-23T10:36:00.006-05:00

"Tancho Singletail Goldfish with Amazon Sword Plant"

This is one of my favorite paintings of the group. Most of the blue on the body was accidental, but sometimes those are the setbacks that allow a step forward. This was the case.

The fish body/scales originally a dull gray- meant to look "silver" took on a different look in daylight as opposed to artificial light at night (when I painted it) -so I over added the purple, and then corrected with a light blue wash overlay. I was delighted with the result.

2008 GOLDFISH SERIES

2009-03-23T00:56:00.003-05:00

I keep an Artist's Reference File. I also have an Inspiration File. These are blue folders I keep bulgingly overflowing with pictures and photos. Similar ideas keep popping up in both files. Take a WILD guess what that might be? Mmmm. Oh yes. G-O-L-D-F-I-S-H. It's official. I'm obsessed.

2008 GOLDFISH SERIES

2009-03-23T00:45:00.006-05:00

Fish are always, always, moving and that was one of the major challenges in dealing with them as a painting subject. Even a sleeping fish has gentle movement. Those rippling fins and gills -are floating up and over or out and away...and that's when the little bugger isn't flat-out zipping around the tank. The solution I came to included movement with plants (when I could) and motion with water (when I couldn't) -Successful? It's up to you kids.

2008 GOLDFISH SERIES

2009-03-23T00:35:00.004-05:00

The process of painting this fish involved using lots of translucent or transparent layers. Then it's a waiting game of letting the paint dry in between until it's just right. I'm not a big fan of lengthy titles-but I chose "Red Ranchu Goldfish with Nana Plant" -since I used a 'Red Ranchu' Goldfish and the 'Nana' Plant as visual references. All my Goldfish Paintings are available for sale online at www.JaraFrisk.etsy.com

2009-03-20T10:54:00.002-05:00

2009-03-20T10:47:00.002-05:00

2009-03-20T10:45:00.003-05:00

2009-03-20T10:41:00.004-05:00

2009-03-20T10:31:00.004-05:00

Color pencil on paper.

Jay Cook State Park in Carlton Minnesota.

2009-03-20T02:19:00.004-05:00

More Goldfish Murals

2009-03-20T02:01:00.004-05:00

2009-03-19T12:09:00.005-05:00

2009-03-19T11:58:00.003-05:00

Growing up, my parents were able to fill our home with beautiful handmade, original works. There were five of us living on an elementary school teacher's salary -and we were in NO way wealthy...but I grew up with valuable pieces of art: paintings, sculpture, cabinets full of hand thrown pottery and ceramics…all because my parents made genuine art a priority. Mom and Dad developed long-lasting relationships with creative people. We attended galleries and introduced ourselves to local museum directors and curators, gallery owners, and local artists. My father (a sculptor) traded with other artists, entered art exhibitions, participated in co-showcases, and in local shows. My parent's friends were gifted and talented artists. They had a generous giving spirit and they shared the very best with us. I honor that spirit.

2009-03-19T10:37:00.003-05:00

My SOLD Etsy paintings displayed in simple document fames. Several pieces are still available on the etsy site. Check them out: www.JaraFrisk.etsy.com I charge $25 a piece plus actual cost shipping. I created these the traditional way -with lots of paint and a brush. Lots of love and late night hard work. These are the real deal. I don't do prints or copies or printouts. Original art is THAT important to me. I respect it that much. That's why I took the handmade pledge. I'll never sell a reproduction. That's something I wouldn't hang in my own home. In the end you have to look into your soul. There's definitely a "HANDMADE" type of person. It's sort of a Luddite, cheapo, "I'll do it the gosh darn diggity-dang dag nabbit old fashioned way, thank you very much" type -and if that's not you-we're different, and so be it. However...if the artist in your heart cries out for handmade, obey her. Because she's right, damn it...she's right.

UNTITLED

2009-03-19T10:18:00.003-05:00

Finished a painting for an existing frame and matte. It's a Mixed Media piece completed with oil pencil, color pencils and a light Gouache (resoluble, quick-drying, waterbased color). It's a ceramic bowl with oranges and two potted plants.

Violets AND Pansies

2009-03-19T09:38:00.005-05:00

I love rich, bold, vibrant color. Just about my favorite color in the world is green. I adore green. Green is gorgeous. Green, green, green. I even love the way "green" sounds when I say it. My favorite coat is Kermit Green - a froggy color. Growing up in Cloquet my parents owned an old Toyota that was green as Nyquil.

GOLDFISH SERIES

2009-03-19T01:03:00.025-05:00

Goldfish Mural

2009-03-18T21:18:00.005-05:00

These fish (completed in 2006) are 6 x 8 feet tall and take up an entire wall. I stood on a ladder to finish the top bit. I worked it and re-worked it, screwed up numerous times, painted out leaves and plants -at one point the water was pale purple-I destroyed the carpeting and consumed about 20 pots of coffee. I used a 3 inch brush and mini roller with big shoulder shwoosh-swooping strokes. Just thinking about it gives me a neck and backache. Was it worth it? Sure. Will I ever do it again? NOPE.

My Relationship With My Stuff

2009-03-18T16:07:00.023-05:00

...and it's a LONG one. My stuff. My artwork. My art-(and I never call it that) it's my stuff. You can check out more of my stuff at http://www.jarafrisk.etsy.com/

"Thanks for looking at my stuff"