ABOUT TICKLING OF THE SOUL

SEASCAPE HEAVEN

'TICKLING OF THE SOUL'         15 x 6 1/2                   acrylic on mat board                (c) Loren Fidalgo 2017

Hey guys...it's Loren here.  I have a painting to share from my new on going series 'SEASCAPE HEAVEN'.  The painting is titled ,'TICKLING OF THE SOUL'

I have been hitting around 30 seascapes for ther series so far.  I'm hoping to create about 100 paintings when the series is completed.  I always hope that each painting is a masterpiece LOL but that is not always the way things unfold.  So, I am hoping that at least 90 will make the cut when I am done.

I've been thinking about presentation of each painting however, I am not too sure how I will frame them just yet?  I have been thinking about a frame that is made of 1 x 2's and mitered on the corners 

(sort of like stretcher bars for canvas)  then attaching the painting to the frame. After I will put a thin strip of wood around painting.  I am thinking about painting the wood bright white.  Sounds like it might be a plan!

You can check out my full series on Instagram   https//www.instagram.com/lorenfidalgo/   There you can see a lot more paintings from my series as well as some random paintings from other series I have been working on.

Thanks for viewing my work

Cheers,

Loren

NEW PAINTINGS + B12 SHOTS HEALTH NEWS

'ROUGH EDGES'         20 x 7 1/2 inches       acrylic on matte board       (c) Loren Fidalgo 2017

Hey guys...it's Loren here.  I want to share this new painting with you as well as some updates on my health and the B12 shots I was getting for ?neurological symptoms.

SEASCAPE HEAVEN

This new painting 'ROUGH EDGES' is one of my favs.  I love the rocky seas and the way the water meets the sky.  These seascapes have been a joy to paint and I 'almost' love everyone of them.  I'm shooting for 100 paintings and I'm at 25 currently.  The process to paint is not very strenuous or labor intensive but it is a thrill to paint nevertheless.  I find a lot of excitement painting these seascapes and I truly feel a calm feeling even though I am furiously getting the paint onto the extra smooth 1/8 inch matte board before it dries up.

'DRAWN INTO THE CENTER'    13 x 6 1/2    acrylic on 1.8 inch matte board          (c) Loren Fidalgo 2017

B12 SHOTS

I want to give a heads up about what is going on with my health and the B12 shots I have been getting for neurological problems I have been having.  You can read more about it here.  Well, so far the B 12 have not been working for me.I'm still shaky and my legs are weak and wobbly  I took a serious fall two weeks ago.  I fell backwards into my glass french doors and broke the glass with my head..  I spent 14 hours in the emergency room with my husband Paul.  I didn't injure anything (no cracks in my head)  and I am not certain if I had a concussion.  I hit my head in the same spot that I hit it about 4 months ago when I fell backwards and hit my head on the cement floor in my porch.
So, I'm still unsure what is causing my legs to become weak and also my arms.  I do have some pinched nerves in my lower back and my neck.  Possibly, the nerves are getting compressed when I am walking or bending and this is causing me to not be able to walk and fall as well?  I still have 3 more months to go with the B12 shots and possibly it will bear fruit..  
Today I saw a woman that is a Phyziatrist.  Yes, that's right a Phyziatrist not a psychiatrist!  Her name is Kate.  She is going to help me get to the bottom of what is causing my pain, numbness and falling.  She also believes it is my pinched nerves.  I'm hoping she will be able to sort through my symptoms and come up with a diagnosis.  I will get an EMG nerve test in two weeks and then I will see her again.  I really have my hopes up with Kate.  She seemed to know what she was talking about and doing.
I will keep you posted.
Cheers, 
Loren.

SEASCAPE HEAVEN

Hey guys...it's Loren here.  I want to share some new seascapes with you and more of my thoughts on why I paint and how I paint these pieces.

'THE SKIES ARE LIT FROM BEHIND'    9 x16  acrylic on matte board
(c) Loren Fidalgo 2017

'FROM WATER I COME, TO WATER I GO'  30 x 24  acrylic on canvas
(c) Loren Fidalgo 2017

 SEASCAPE HEAVEN

Well, I think I am in seascape heaven!  I've been wortking on these blue and white seascapes and really enjoying the process.  I am painting on 1/8 inch matte board and love love the surface.  The paint glides effortlessly across the matte board.  Since the board is so smooth, the paint is easy to blend on the surface.  Since the blending with a brush is so quick, it does pose some problems with timing.  I have to time the drying of the paint so I spread it over the entire surface while the paint is super wet.  If I even pause for more than a few seconds, the paint begins to dry and I can't move it on the board.  It's kind of fun to challenge myself to get the paint on the board, pick up some water and get back on the board in a matter of seconds to spread it back and forth.  I like to see how well I can acheive my desired effect.

'WRETCHED SKY'  17 3/4 x 8 5/8  acrylic on  1/8 inch matte board
(c) Loren Fidalgo 2017

This palette I am using in blue and white is such a dramatic change from my usual colorful paintings. I never thought I would be painting in just one color, monochromatic.  It does have some benefits to paint in just shades of blue.  I don't have the decisive problem of choosing the colors I want to use on each painting!  Not that it's a negative thing to choose colors.  Actually, that's fun but it does allow time to think about the process of painting and how to approach moving the paint around.  It is less mental energy and if you need more of it, paint monochromatic!

'ICY COLD HEART'     17 1/2 x 8 5/8  acrylic on matte board
(c) Loren Fidalgo 2107

Well, my husband Paul says to write about how I don't know why I paint seascapes since I am afriad of the sea. I'm terrified of water and I don't like boating. I am also afraid to go out on a cruise. I don't know how to swim and any water hole is a danger over 2 inches high.  Actually, I live in an apartment a block from the beach twice when I was in my late teens and early twenties!  I really enjoyed being by the beach. When I was a teenager I had a best friend.  Her name was Mary and we would hang at the beach every weekend while we were in high school. We would head over to Seaside Heights in the morning and wouldn't leave until late afternoon.  I loved being by the water then.  But some time later in my life, I developed a fear of water.  Go figure!

Thanks for reading my post.  Please share a comment if you would like to?

Cheers,

Loren

SEASCAPES, TIME AND NEW FRIENDS

'WHAT GOES ON AND ON'   12 5/8 x 3 1/2  acrylic on 1/8 inch matte board  (c) Loren Fidalgo 2016

                   

'STILL WATERS'      7 x 5        acrylic on matte board      (c) Loren Fidalgo 2016

                    SEASCAPES ARE ALL ABOUT 'TIME'

I am lovin' the process of painting these seascapes on 1/8 inch matte board.  The paint just glides across the surface and it lends itself to my process and technique perfectly.   Lately, I have been obsessed with time again .  Time passing, time ahead, time past and how much time is left.  These seascapes really let me get into the physical expression and energy as I try to put my message down on the board as quickly as I can so the paint does not dry before I've made my mark.   These seascapes are all about time in every way I can think of.        Time, time, time it's all about time.

                               
GIRLFRIENDS

Some fun news...I've been developing the beginnings of a wonderful friendship with a woman I've met at Fleisher Art Memorial.  Her name is Nina.  She is a fellow painter   (Abstract Expressionist).  Nina started painting at age 60 and is rocking the painting to the ma!.  You can see her work on her site   www.ninahopenklein.com    Her work is super and I think you will love it especially if you love abstract paintings.  We've been sharing information, tips and leads to help what I call 'our painting business'.  Nina had two pieces exhibited in Philadelphia at a studio/gallery industrial building for artists.  Her pieces looked great on the wall among about 60 other artists.  Nina, you go girl!!!
Cheers my friends,
Loren

I'VE BEEN FALLING SLOWLY LITERALLY!

Hey guys...it's Loren here.  Been a bit of time since I filled you in on what is going on in my studio and life in general.  Lot's going on and many changes in the past few months.

                                   

                                     FALLING SLOWLY

I've had to take some time off from painting and life in general before Christmas and now because I have been having some medical issues.  I mentioned it in a blog post a ways back that I was having some mysterious problems walking..  Well, to be brief, I had been falling and falling a lot.  I have fallen 10 times in 2016!  The most serious was the time I got a concussion from landing backwards on my head on a cement floor.  I had to call 911 and go to hospital in ambulance.  Scary episode.

What had been causing me to fall had been a mystery to every doctor I saw.  I went to back doctors, knee doctors, spine doctors, neurologists, physical therapists, orthopedics and on and on.  It baffled the doctors.  I did find out that I have severe nerve damage in my legs however, no one thought that was why I was falling.  So, I had been having this problem for 2 years and it was a extremely upsetting and debilitating problem.  I couldn't walk anywhere without the fear that I would fall and just going to car would be too much and I did fall getting into the car 4 times.

I went to see a new neurologist and he was perplexed as well..  He said as he looked at me straight in the eye, "I don't know what is wrong with you!"  Needless to say, that after waiting 4 months to see him, I was devastated.  He had me get some blood work and thought I may have had a neurological problem called Myastenia Gravis.  But the tests showed up normal. On my last appointment, the neurologist said again that he didn't know what was wrong with me and I didn't fit any neurological disorder.  He did however nonchalantly and briefly check my blood work and he saw that my B12 level was really low!  Yep, that's right B12.  Well, it just so happens that a B12 deficiency can cause all kinds of neurological problems in the legs and when walking.  Also, I was walking in to things like doorways, tables lamps and so on. This also can be because of B12.  The other things that can be caused by B12 are severe anxiety, mood problems, balance problems and on and on.  The doctor told me he has never seen someone get better from B12 treatment!  Then he proceeded to tell me not to come back.  He didn't want to waste my time!!  He said "go to your primary Doctor and see about B12 injections."

So, I went to my primary and she wanted to do a second test to be sure and it came back that I was in the range but it was low/normal.  She agreed that I should try B12 injections (not pills they don't work) once a month for three months.  I just had my second shot and I have been able to walk a little better without getting numbness and tingling down my legs.  So that is really good.  I even managed to walk an hour at the mall before Christmas!  Before I could only walk about 20 feet and I'd get wobbly and was afraid of falling.  Now, I am waiting to see how I do with the shots for three months and get reevaluated to see if I need them for the rest of my life.  B12 shots are stored in the liver and pills are not.  The question I asked was "How did B12 level drop so low?'  One answer may be in that I was taking a heartburn medicine for another problem with my esophagus and the medicine can delete your B12 level.  Also, I was not eating a lot of meat and that can deplete it as well.

I am telling this story for everyone to beware of heartburn meds and B12 levels.  If you are taking heartburn medicine, get your B12 level checked to make sure it is normal.  B12 deficiency can be extremely serious and may cause permanent neurological problems.  In general I am feeling a little better.  It may take 6 -9 months for the neurological problems to get better if thay can.  I am hoping that I will be back to myself soon but in the meantime, I have started to paint again and am back in the swing of things.  No falling in a month!  I'd love to hear from anyone who has had B12 deficiency.  Please leave a comment.

REALLY WORKING THE SEASCAPES AND MORE

"FOLLOW THE LIGHT'   12 x 16 acrylic on watercolor paper    (c) Loren Fidalgo 2016

This is one of the paintings that really drew me into painting seascapes.  I love the texture in the sky and water.  I painted it solely with a palette knife. All of these seascapes and landscapes were painted during the time I was falling and I can see my instability in my paintings.  Can you?

STUDY IN TEXTURE,SPACE AND COLOR   24x18  acrylic on canvas  (c) Loren Fidalgo 2016

 Another experimental study in texture, space and color.  I am so in love with Prussian Blue and I can't use it enough these days. I especially love it with Crimson .  Mixed together or on top of each other, either way I am in love!

'STORM IS RAGING'       7 x 5         acrylic on matte board         (c) Loren Fidalgo 2016

This painting is really a mystery to me.  I can't decide if it is a seascape or a landscape?  When looking at it one way it looks like a long road out west on the way to California.  Then when I look at it again it looks like a stormy sky with raging clouds.  I really love it especially because of it's size. It's a petite size painting 7 x 5.  I have been working on all different size surfaces lately and it really shakes things up! I did a small series on 7 x 5 inch matte board and I really like the surface.  They are quick studies that have really turned out to be small and petite paintings in their own right.  I like to see something emerge on the surface quickly to quell my anxiety when starting a painting.  I never know what to expect.  The anticipation makes me unsettled for a few moments as I am beginning my painting.  So, these small pieces are a great way to get rid of the anxious feelings

Thanks for reading.  Remember get your B12 checked if you take meds for heartburn!

Cheers,

Loren

CLOSING MY STILL LIFE EXHIBIT + WORKING ON NEW SEASCAPE SERIES

'The skies are lit from behind'    9 x 16   acrylic on 1/8 inch matte board   (c) Loren Fidalgo 2016

'FARTHER ON'     30 x 24   acrylic on canvas      (c) Loren Fidalgo 2016

Hey guys...it's Loren here. I want to share some news about my new seascape series, closing up my still life show and some thoughts about whats been going on around here.

 Still life show has come down this past week and I am feeling a little sad about the ending of the event.  I always feel so optimistic and full of energy when I begin a new venture.  Sometimes when I end or wrap up an event, I feel a little blue about closing up the experience..Reflecting on my show, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to share my work with the public and exhibit at Christopher's.  I am not so sure if this is really the venue for my work to reach enough buyers,collectors and so on.  But it is however a great stepping stone to moving into a gallery.  It has created a more comfortable state of mind for me to reaching higher and greater than I thought I ever could. So, I can't say that it was a negative experience in any way, just the opposite.I will say it was a unique one.

After this exhibition and the dull feeling I have,I find that this is when I need to throw myself into a new experience so I loose that numbing sensation that I have when something ends.  I don't know why I feel this way.  I think it is what it is and I recognize it now and just go with the flow that my journey takes me.  it has taken me to seascapes again.

This new series of seascapes are so exciting for me because they are so freeing and energy releasing.  They are mostly on thick 1/8 inch matte board and are painted on long oddly shapes pieces. They require my full attention to complete one piece.  There is no room for mistakes or delaying the process since I am painting in acrylics and it dries really fast. on matte board.  To capture my message, I swoop the paint over the board really fast and pick up various shades of blues then blending the shades to create the effects of light, sky and sea.  I love love this process of painting like this.  It suits me well.
Well, that's a wrap up for this post.  Leave a comment if you would like to.  Cheers,  Loren

STILL LIFE EXHIBIT ROCKIN' AT CHRISTOPHER"S!

Hey guys....it's Loren here.  I want to share that my show is in full swing at Christopher's!  Everything went well with the installation on Tuesday and now it is just rockin' the restaurant!   I am so thrilled and at peace that the show is up and I hope it speaks for itself? 

I, however think the exhibit looks pretty awesome if I do say so myself. I have not seen all of my still life paintings in a group and they do look so sweet up on the wall.  I see my vision, my voice and my heart and soul in the exhibit!   It's so exciting and rewarding to see all of my hard work, energy and time really pay off in the end.   I also see the theme of my series and what I had been putting together as a collection or body of work now that I get to see the full series next to each other. The paintings are mostly 24 x 30 and they are oil on canvas.   I didn't think they would look okay on the brick wall however, it doesn't bother me or take away from the work.

The reception and 'meet the artist' is on Monday November 14th 2016 6 pm-8 pm.  The show is at Christopher's: A Neighborhood Place  335 E. Kings Street  Malvern, PA 19335 Come on over and have a glass of wine and chat with some of my artist peeps and some very smart bunch of characters!!  Show is up until November 30th if you can not make the reception. Check out my still life paintings here on the site as well. Just scroll up to tab bar and click on still life tab.  

Thanks for coming,( in advance)!

Cheers, Loren

COUNTDOWN TO STILL LIFE EXHIBIT Whahoo!!!

Well, hey there...It's Loren here and I'm getting so excited that my exhibit will be right around the corner.  I can hardly contain my excitement.    I am really thrilled with the way things are shaping up and most things are done.  Painting tags are done!   Sides of paintings totally finished!  Wired up and ready to hang? Yep!  Printing for Painting/Price list will be printed tomorrow. Ring binder with info about 'yours truly' is almost put together and all I need now are some large boxes to carry paintings and keep paintings from touching each other.  I know exactly where I will get these boxes!  Great!  So far, so good!   With everything going smoothly, I have to say I expected more chaos than I actually have been experiencing. 

I hope if you live in the area, you can make it to the show reception on Monday November 14th 6 pm - 8 pm.  If you can not make it, take a peek at my Still life paintings here on my site.  Just go up to 'tabs' bar and click on  STILL LIFE.  There you can see some of the pieces that will be in the show. 

A NOTE:   If you are interested in purchasing a painting, please contact me by the 'message me' box on the left side bar on my site.  Let me know which painting you are interested in and I will message you back.  I am happy to help and answer any questions you have.  Feel free to message with additional questions.  Some times there is a problem with my email, if you can not reach me, you can contact me at   loren@lorenfidalgo.com  and I will get back to you.

Hey, just another note:  If you are interested in note cards that feature my paintings, please contact me in the 'message me' box on the left side of my site.  Scroll down and you will see it.  Write down the title of the painting and size and I will message you back.  The card size is 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 and they are blank inside. The price is 6 note cards for $16.00 + shipping.  I am excited to make the cards for you.

Well, signing off for now and  I hope you can make it to the show  November 1st to November 30th.  The reception 'meet the artist' is on November 14th.

Be well and Cheers,

Loren

STILL LIFE EXHIBIT OPENING SOON!!

Hey guys... it';s Loren here.  I wanted to let everyone know that I am having a solo exhibit of my still life paintings at Christopher's: A Neighborhood Place 335 E. Kings Street in Malvern, PA.  The show will be up from Nov 1st to Nov 30th.  The reception, "meet the artist" will be held on Monday Nov 14th, 6 pm to 8 pm.

I am so excited about showing this body of work because it is very meaningful and close to my heart. Lot's of things happened personally and emotionally when I began painting.  Since I began my 'calling' and journey into painting some 8 years ago, I started and dove into painting still lives.   I started painting with a palette knife and it didn't occur to me to use a brush!  So, I used the palette knife like a brush and painted like there was 'no tomorrow'! 

It is so interesting to me because in my early years in college at Moore College of Art & Design, I studied Graphic Design and Advertising in the 80's.  I didn't have any interest or longing to paint much less still lives!   I hated the smell of the linseed oil and turpentine!  So after my head injury and my compelling need and desire to paint, I was shocked more that anyone to come to understand that I had this deep hidden need to paint and to paint still lives to boot!  Go figure!! 

So, the opening of my show is coming soon and I can hardly, hardly contain my heart and soul..  I think this will be an awesome show and I would love to see you at the reception if you are in the area.  Come say 'hello' and have a glass of wine and enjoy the energy and emotiuon in the space.

Cheers,

Loren

NEW LANDSCAPE PAINTING + SOME THOUGHTS

'THE CALLING'         24 x 18        acrylic on canvas     (c) Loren Fidalgo 2016

Hey guys...it's Loren here.  I want to share this painting with you.  It's titled, 'THE CALLING'. 

 I was looking at this painting after completing it and one day I realized why I had titled it, 'THE CALLING'. I was thinking about how when looking at the center of the painting, it pulls me in like I am on a path, a road and a journey like someone, something is calling me.   I have had experiences in my life that felt like a calling but never in the way that I was called to paint.  I write about this in my blog.  I write about how I was struck on the head by a ceramic vase and approx. 1 month later, I began to have this compelling, need, desire and compulsion to paint, to express myself through oil painting.  You can read more about this story here.

Since the day I had the head injury, I have been painting and creating art more furiously and I am finding myself on this surprising journey. I have this need to express myself more deeply and to touch others with my interpretation of my world, my consciousness and my creative life that is filled with so many ideas, thoughts and feelings.  I have had a very traumatic child hood and I have dealt with serious illness my entire adult life..  These experiences have made me the creative being I am today.  I have a need to share my story and I hope that it resonates with you the reader.  How do I do this and at the same time keep the privacy that I need to have?  I ask myself these questions everyday.  I wonder and I go back and forth over this issue everyday.   

So, this painting,'THE CALLING' I believe is a communication, a revealing about where I am at this point in my creative expression and my personal world.  It''s about  always trying to find my way in this crazy maze I call 'life'!

Cheers,

Loren

NEW LANDSCAPES POSTED ON BLOG

'THE RIDE OF YOUR LIFE'           28x22       acrylic on canvas   (c) Loren Fidalgo 2016

Hey guys...it's Loren here.  I'm posting to let you know that I have listed some landscapes and water scapes on my blog.
   
I'm excited about this new body of work.  It is a subject matter that I was not familiar with and I love working on these paintings.  I have been experimenting with lots of texture and loads of color. Reflections, light, skies and water are some of the elements in these paintings.  Dark and light are also revealed.. All paintings are painted with a palette knife which is how I achieve the textural effects and marks..  No brush.I have been using a palette knife for a long time now and I have now begun using my palette knife as a brush, moving it and the paint around the canvas. There a lot of energy and emotion in these pieces, which I really love the process of painting them.

I am enjoying this new body of work.  It is a subject matter that I was not familiar with and I love working on these paintings.

Stay tuned in because there are more landscapes coming soon.
Cheers,
Loren

THE PAINTING I AM LOVIN' RIGHT NOW

'If it really is'    acrylic on canvas    24x18   (c) Loren Fidalgo 2016

Hey guys...it's Loren here.  I have been thinking that after I shared some personal health stuff in my previous post that I would write about something that I am lovin' lots right now.  

I am in love with this painting.  Don't know the psychology behind it however, this painting really speaks to me. I am lovin' all the texture in it.  I also love the way the color moved around the canvas.  I some times do not like how I interpret color. I struggle at times with it and varying the shades of a colors when I am mixing on the palette.  It's not that I don't see the colors, actually it's quite the opposite. I see and feel colors so deeply it's as if I can feel them in my body. I often need to touch a color to understand it's meaning and message.  I am compelled to try to hold the colors in my hands, move and manipulate them and only then do I understand what they want to say and do.  I am just in between the colors, sort of a mode of transportation, and the canvas surface.  Color has a language all it's own and some times I can not make sense of it.  So I am challenged often by it's control.  I however, do not mind it.

In this painting, the buildings are conveying emotion to me. The texture is so thick on the canvas. I enjoyed painting the layers of texture. I used a palette knife for the entire painting. I think the buildings are painted in a way that captures my attention because of the layering of one on top of another. They are also painted partially there and partially not there, like they are playing, peek-a-boo! They are painted as if they have degraded and have been distressed on the canvas or to the viewer's perception.  I love moving the paint around the canvas with the palette knife.

I have been getting into creating shades of different blues in my paintings.  I try to see how many shades I can come up with.  It makes the process so much more fun and you can never have enough of that! 

So, that is a wrap up.  Leave a comment if you would like to.
Cheers, 
Loren

NEW PAINTING WITH LOTS OF EMOTION & ENERGY

 Hey guys...it's Loren here.  I wanted to share this painting titled 'REALITY IN MOTION'  12 x 8 acrylic on canvas.  I created it about two months ago.  What I really love about this painting is the energy and emotion it evokes in me and other viewers.  I find this work to be such a freeing expression with the paint marks. It is quite a different technique that I usually use with most of my other paintings.  I used a palette knife for the entire painting as I usually do.  The day I painted this piece, I was in a fairly okay mood and I was eager to get started on this canvas because the landscape size proportion is so different than I am used to.

Usually, when I paint or create something, I have some idea on how I want to create what is in my mind.  With this piece, I didn't know where I was going and how I was going to get there.  I used a lot of loose strokes and I painted very quickly. I just love, love, love the freedom I had when painting this quickly.  I think I will incorporate this technique and looseness into my future paintings.  I want to be able to capture the same state of mind, too.  I believe the trick is to change it up by using an unusual size canvas. I think it makes it so that I will have to think differently about composition and mark making.

Well, that wraps up this post.  Leave a comment if you would like to.  I love to know what you are thinking?
Cheers,
Loren

ALOT GOING ON... NEW PAINTING SOLD & SOME PERSONAL STUFF TOO

Hey guys...it's Loren here. It's been awhile since I posted here and I wanted t let you know what has been going on.  Lot's of personal stuff and some business stuff too.

                 PAINTING GONE TO ITS NEW OWNER

This new painting, 'A DISTANT MEMORY'  has gone on to it's new owner, Chris.  I was so happy to deliver it to him.  It is part of a series that I have been working on featuring landscapes, seascapes and urban landscapes.  The size is 20 x 16 and it is acrylic on canvas.   It has sooo... much texture and brilliant color and it  'pops'  right off the canvas.  I used a palette knife for the entire painting.  Lot's of fun.   One of my fav paintings.  To see more of my work, head on over to my Instagram page  https://www./instagram.com/lorenfidalgo/ 

To purchase a painting ,please go to my etsy shop   www.lorenfidalgoart.etsy.com 

or contact me at my email  loren@lorenfidalgo.com

                                                                   

INTUITION & BAD DRUGS

About 4 months ago, I was put on a medication which gave me a severe side effect for a disorder which could have been FATAL!!  Had I not known the warning signs and trusted my intuition, I may have been exiting this world.  Literally! The doctor who put me on the medication, told me I would be fine on it, even though I took it once before and had such a severe reaction to it in 1992  The doctor I had was inept and unethical and he disregarded that I had it listed as an allergy in my records.  He changed my records and removed the allergy warning, which I did not know until later on.  He insisted that I needed to take it and it had me feeling like I was at the mercy of his treatment.  Needless to say, the doctor is GONE and I am feeling much better!  What a scary time.  I am telling you about this because I want to express the importance of trusting your gut and intuition and following your heart and mind.  If I was not paying attention to the warning signs, even though the doctor said the medication was not causing them, I might not be here today.  So, PAY ATTENTION and TRUST YOURSELF ! You are you're best advocate and don't let a doctor influence your treatment just because he is a doctor.  They don't know everything and they make mistakes, sometimes FATAL ones!.  Now life does go on...thank God.

      PALETTE KNIFE & ARMS, LEGS, BACK & HANDS  

UGHHH!!!   I've been having some neurological problems which began some years back and they have gotten worse this past year or so.  I had a test done and I found out that I have nerve damage in my legs which is coming from my back, as well as problems in my arms and hands. It has been making it harder to paint with a palette knife and to do fine motor things like buttoning buttons, zippering my jeans and leaning on my right arm.  The damage in my legs is troublesome because it's hard to walk long distances without my legs going numb to the point where I have to stop walking. I'm doing exercises  to strengthen my back that might help with walking and going up and down stairs.  I'm also going to get an MRI to see why I am having trouble with my arms and hands.  I am hopeful that these problems will get better.  What's most upsetting is not being able to use my hands how I want to..  If I can't do that, I am lost.  I use my hands to make so many things everyday that they are as necessary as breathing to me.  They are my lifeline. 

Well that wraps it up for now.  Leave a comment to let me know if you have had a similar situation as I did?   Thanks for reading this post!!   Cheers,  Loren

WHATS BEEN GOING ON AROUND THE STUDIO + NEW SERIES

Hey guys...it's Loren here.

I wanted to post some info about what's been happening around the studio. I also want to discuss info about my progress with a new series I have been working on.  It's been a challenging time in 2016 and I can't believe we are 3 months in!  

So, I had my exhibit at Christopher's: A Neighborhood Place in Malvern, PA in February to March 2016.  It went well and gave me lots of exposure.  Lots of people attended the reception and friends came out to support me as well.  It was a great experience.  Planning to do it again soon. 



'It is brightest when alone' 14x11 acrylic on canvas (c),LorenFidalgo 2016

 I've been painting a lot and have begun what is shaping up to be a new series.   I am enjoying the process yet finding it a tricky progression as I struggle sometimes to get my painting into a series.  It is something I've been working on so diligently and consciously.  It's always a 'tug and pull', and exploration for me to create work in a series, but I manage to do it eventually. I love the novelty of birthing new ideas and bringing new ideas into reality, but I try to make a concerted effort to have unity in my work.  Nevertheless, I except the fact that I am a 'Creative Idea Problem Solver' ( my new self-appointed term, if it is one?) at heart and I am have been embracing this aspect of myself.  I want to see all my ideas to fruition and it is sometimes frustrating to have to curtail the explosion of ideas that bombard me day and night! I am however, coming to realize that possibly I can still have a voice and be a 'problem solver' at the same time.  It's such a fine balance, although do-able.  And I am doing it however challenging it is.  More to write about this in future posts.

About the my current work... no title to the new series yet. There are however, some canvases with lots and lots of texture by layering with acrylic paint. This is something that I have been playing with for a couple of years now. I am experimenting with different sizes and loving the newness of the canvas that sits on my easel to greet me. I say to myself, "hmmm...now, what can I do with you?"  It's exciting to adopt the new proportions and I am always surprised by the end painting.  I have also been playing around with color and all the gray shades I can create.  I am loving working with shades of blues such as Prussian Blue and Cerulean Blue and Crimson shades. I am amazing myself with all the yummy colors  I can achieve.  Lastly, my subject matter has taken a turn and twist.  There are subtle landscapes that have been emerging on the canvas and I am following the path that is calling me.   So, lots more to discuss about my current work in new posts.

I will post some more stuff about my work and some new things that have been going on this year. Question?   Do you struggle with creating unity in your work?  I'd love to hear from you.  Thanks for reading and enjoy your own journey!

Cheers,

 Loren

  

ABOUT CLEARING THE WAY

Hey guys.. it's Loren here.  I want to share a painting I have done recently.  It is called 'Clearing the way'  24 x 36 and acrylic on canvas.

'Clearing the way' is something we all have to do at different points in out lives when life just takes up too much space in our mind.   It also is necessary to do when we feel overwhelmed or bogged down with the 'stuff'  we take on even though we don't want to.  For me, it means moving things out of the way that are not important or needed to live a rewarding and fufiling life.  Getting things into focus is another way for me to clear the way.. Finding the right path or the right journey to take helps me to get rid of the things I don't need anymore, It also feels good to have a laser like focus that just makes all the stuff on the sides no longer to be important. I think that's what this painting is about for me. 

What about you?  Do you need to move things aside that are bogging you down?  Leave a comment if you would like to?  Cheers  

NEW 'on my EASEL' PAINTING FEATURED 'THE FIRE FLOWER'




'THE FIRE FLOWER'        24 x 30   oil on canvas        2011 (c) Loren Fidalgo

Hey guys...  a new 'on my easel' painting featured. This painting is from the archives and I thought it would be an interesting one to write about.

The title of this painting is 'THE FIRE FLOWER'.  It is 24 x 30 and oil on canvas.  I wanted to feature this painting since my last post was about the small scribble drawings that I have been doing lately in one of my painting classes.  This painting was created from a small drawing with graphite pencil on paper.

SKETCH FOR 'THE FIRE FLOWER'
5 1/2 x 8 1/2 graphite on paper
2011 (c) Loren Fidalgo

 When I was sketching out this drawing on paper, I was letting my hand just scribble away.  I didn't know what I was going to create or see in the lines.  Eventually, I began to see a face that was coming out of a flower. I was thinking that I wanted there be no difference between the face and the petals as if the face was actually a living part of the flower. The features to the face are very minimal and some what human like and some what not. I chose them to be this way to not dominate the flower.  The face almost looks as if it is a lion or some kind of animal maybe a cat and I wanted them to be painted just as the drawing was done.

  When I began the painting from this drawing, it was a challenge to unify the petals and face so it was as if the flower petals and face had no separation.  I knew I had to do it with color and I love the colors of this painting. I started with this bright orange and yellow color for the background. I then decided to make the flower in orange and yellow to create this illusion of integration.  I didn't want too much contrast from the petals to the background. The painted edges are soft.  I placed the flower off to the left to have a more pleasing composition and show off the bright colored background.

I painted the stem of the flower in shades of greens, yellows and blues. The tips of the stem are accented in Cerealan Blue which is like a turquoise color.( I used a brush for this painting to blend the colors which is rare for me. I usually use a palette knife.)  I added the stem tips as if they are coming out of the bottom left corner to give some weight to the loosely painted flower and large stem.  It filled the space and gave the flower more mass because I didn't like looking through the empty orange space there. Since I wanted the flower painted as if it was emerging out of the background, the stems really worked. I didn't want to draw my eye in that direction.

Well, what does this painting mean?  What is it all about?  I think it might be about hiding in plain sight?  Possibly, it is about trying not to be seen or not wanting to make oneself more visible to others? It might be about concealing one's identity?  I think it is also about being able to see everyone else while at the same time not been seen by them.  When I did the drawing and painting, I was in a place where I was kind of feeling this way.  Part wanting to be open and out there and part not wanting to be obvious and noticeable. Now I think that I am glad those days have passed for the most part.  Every so often, I feel this thinking and emotion trying to emerge but thank goodness, I handle it better now. Have you ever felt this way? 

Well, that wraps up another 'on my EASEL'. This was a long 'on my EASEL' but I think a good one. I would love to hear back from you guys to see how you interpret this painting?  What do you see in it?  Have you ever felt this way?  Please feel free to leave a comment.

Cheers,

Loren

'on my EASEL' NEW PAINTING FEATURED



Hey guys... it's Loren and time for an 'on my EASEL'.  This is a series where I discuss an early painting and I talk about what the thought process I went into to create it.



'TIME TO OPEN UP'   18x24   oil on canvas    (c)   Loren Fidalgo 2010

I painted this piece back in 2010, however, I love it and the subject matter is this painting is titled, 'TIME TO OPEN UP'. and it is still current for me today.

When I was creating this painting, it began from a normal still life set-up.  I decided to shift the arrangement around and create something that would speak to me in a deeper way. I changes the arrangement and the colors.  I took the 'umbrella' and painted it on top of the mannequin to illustrate a figure/woman with an 'umbrella' as her head and face. It kind of makes one want to ask, "what is under there?"  The 'umbrella' is symbolic to me for the ability or inability to open up one's mind and heart. I chose to move the mouth off of the face on the 'umbrella' to hanging it from the bottle to suggest that this soul is suffering from being shy and not able to speak or open up. Thoughts and feelings from the mind, don't reach her mouth. The mouth however, doesn't go far and it is 'hanging on' to it's possibility to be able to speak by being in arm's reach. The eyes look on mysteriously and they are glancing out at you to express that she is so deep in thought and feeling and communicating, "I have so much to say!" While I was painting I knew I needed the courage to step into this new experience.

At the time I painted this piece, I was personally going through a lot of changes in my life and feeling like I needed to express myself in a deeper and more meaningful way. This painting was done about a year and a half after I began painting and my head injury.  If you would like to read about my 'destiny' and 'calling' into painting, please read HERE.   I was challenging the direction I was heading in with my artwork and my life in general.  I was asking myself questions and struggling while trying to make the changes that I knew would make major differences in my life. Although I wanted the changes, they were still overwhelming and somewhat difficult to encounter.  I knew nevertheless, it was time to try and open up, to speak out, to let it be known that I had a lot of thoughts and feelings that needed to come out. The 'umbrella' image in this painting was a perfect icon for expressing all this without words.

I love creating this type of painting with so much meaning and intense content.  It reaches and touches my soul in a profound way.  I love being able to express something with visual imagery, as well. Since I have began painting, I have been on a journey to dig deep inside myself and to be true to myself.  This painting was one of the paintings that was created in the beginning of this process.  I am still learning and experiencing intense changes.  It has all been good and welcomed.

Please feel free to leave a comment and to let me know if you have ever struggled with having the ability to speak up when needed?  I am happy to hear what you have to say.

Cheers,

Loren