Artistic Voyage » Mickey Baxter-Spade

October 2011 Newsletter

Mickey Baxter-Spade — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 20:57:36 +0000

October, 2011

September was a busy, creative month on this artistic voyage. Some things that kept me busy . . .

• Finalized Broadmoor Resort signage for The Boutique
• Finalized Broadmoor Resort signage for the New Broadmoor Holiday Shoppe!
• Finalized a Paris theme nursery for a Baby Girl
• Ideas Approved for the Broadmoor Resort Children’s Shop
• Designs approved for two ceilings at the Broadmoor Resort

Creating Signs for the Broadmoor Resort

As mentioned in the August Newsletter I have been working on new signs for The Boutique and the new Broadmoor Christmas House/A Holiday Shoppe. In total there will be two double sided signs and two single sided signs. My how technology has changed over the years. Instead of hand painting every aspect of the signs I hand painted the decorative areas, photographed the paintings, dropped them into my computer, opened them in Photoshop, made color adjustments (can be way time consuming) and proceeded to layout the sign to the correct size and shape. This sign measured 24″ x 24″.

The text was decided upon, placed on the page, adjustments made to the size, kerning and style. Samples were printed, the artwork was burned to a CD and taken to the sign shop and a few more trips to proof the printouts for color, layout and shape. I cannot say it is quicker to create a sign this way, the advantage will be that as the signs age and possibly fade in the sunlight or perhaps even gets damaged the old sign can be peeled off and a new one can be printed out and applied in a short period of time making this cost effective in the long run. The Christmas signs measure
30″ x 48″ and 24″ x 40″.

The Broadmoor Children’s Shop

Sketches have been approved for some fun things in the Broadmoor Children’s Shop. More about that next month.

Painting a Nursery

Mural with a Paris Theme

A proud grandmother contacted me in regard to painting a nursery for her first granddaughter. What a special gift for her son and daughter-in-law. The young couple had fallen in love with Paris after vacationing there and wanted that as a theme. They knew they wanted a tree with flowers and the baby’s name above her bed but they also wanted some very personal items added.

The new parents had both lost their fathers and wanted to incorporate things into the mural that reminded them of their fathers. The new mother’s father had been a pilot and she wanted his plane added. The young father knew his father had always wanted a basset hound but never had one.

Something I like to add to children’s murals, when it is appropriate, is a growth chart. A whimsical, girly Eiffel Tower seemed the perfect thing to serve as a growth chart for Devon. Plus this served as a nice background for her grandfather and his dog and an object of interest for her other grandfather flying his plane.

I might mention that the paternal grandmother also known as “Mia’ to her grandchildren, created all the beautiful bedding for the newborn’s nursery.

Q Do you have any tips for painting on a rough surface?

A What I’ve learned over the years when painting on a low to medium
textured wall: For the delicate lettering I painted on the medium textured wall
in the nursery above I used a Windsor & Newton #4 Regency Gold 530. Liner
brushes are one of my favorite brushes. Because of the long bristles you can
begin the letters with a narrow hairline stroke adding pressure to increase the
width to over one fourth inch and back to a hairline in one stoke, in most
cases. To do this you need the correct amount of moisture in your brush bristles and the right consistency of paint.

Five Tips that help when painting on a rough surface . . .

1. Begin with the right amount of water in your brush. Wet your brush, tap on a paper towel or damp sponge before you fill your bristles with paint. Keep paint about 1/8th-1/4th from ferrule.

2. Your paint needs to be the right consistency. This can vary according to the paint finish, i.e. the more matte the finish the more drag on the bush.

3. The speed at which you paint can determine how smooth your paint goes on and whether or not it skips the surface. Again this is determined by the finish of
the surface you are painting and the consistency of your paint.

4. Don’t forget, the pressure you apply determines the width of the line, the
more pressure the wider the line.

5. I often hold my breath as I am painting a line, exhaling slowly toward the
end of the stroke.

Most importantly, don’t fight the texture. Once you learn the above techniques
your lines should appear smoother over a light to medium textured surface.

Something else I’ve learned; practice is the only way to improve your brush strokes on any surface and don’t expect perfection. There is no such thing.

On a personal note. . .

September turned into a challenging month on the home front. Colorado Springs received over 4-5 inches of rain within four hours and was combined with very high winds. The home I bought a little over a year ago had been redecorated with lovely colors, new floors and there had never had a problem with water coming in . . . until September 12th.

At this writing, about nine days later, I am still living with large fans blowing day and night. The fans in my bedroom were taken away two days ago so I am back to sleeping in my bed. Thank you, God. If this was a test I came close to failing. Not being irritable has been a challenge. I am told tonight should be the last night for the fans. Then to the dusting and cleaning and that is before the repairs begin. Arrrrrrgh, this too shall pass.

Bella’s Insight

Happy Autumn Everybody! What a beautiful time of year. Mom and I headed to the mountains to check out the pretty leaves. I was thinking, “Oh, ho hum, yep that’s just how I want to spend my Sunday afternoon.” But guess what, pretty leaves are OK plus we got to see some BIG animals called cows, horses, elk and deer (I’ve seen lots of deer, you don’t have to go far for that in Colorado Springs!) Somehow Kimba doesn’t seem quite so big any more.

Well, another interesting thing we got to see was the Victor/Cripple Creek Mine Project. WOOOOOW! It went on f o r e v e r, I’m talkin’ miles and miles. Mom told me that for a real long time Cripple Creek Mining was a series of underground mines. Since 1994 it has become an open-pit operation and employs nearly 400 people. I’m telling you this place is huge. When you come to visit Colorado it is a Must See!

Oh yeah, one more thing. I’m missing some people. You see this past summer two of my pinochle buddies moved to New Mexico and they have only come back to see me once. How can they possibly stay away from me that long?!? Here are the missing people. Just so you know they are nice and very happy, will probably have smiles on their faces.

If you see them tell them “Hi, from Bella.”

March Newsletter: Columbines & Poppies

Micky Baxter-Spade — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 10:22:25 +0000

You are a Priority

Somewhere on your list of priorities should be you and things that make
you smile. For me filling my surroundings with things I love is part of taking
care of me. Some of the things I like to surround myself with are photos of
family, remembrances of special times and art that I enjoy. Things that make me think, things that make me feel and things that bring a smile to my face.

Today it is still quite cool outside. The sun is shining on the snow covered
ground and it looks as though someone has sprinkled glitter on top of the
pristine white snow. Everything is still and peaceful, Bella is napping at my
feet. I’m sipping on a cup of hot water with lemon. I don’t remember how long ago I started drinking hot water but it has been many years.
At first it was a way of assuring my water intake was enough in the dry climate of Colorado. Now I just enjoy it. It’s clean, healthy and feels nurturing to me. While on a plane flight one time I ordered a cup of hot water with lemon when the stewardess came by. The rather robust lady seated next to me said, “In Michigan, where I come from, we call that Silver Tea.” That sparked a pleasant conversation and it does seem much more sophisticated to be drinking “Silver Tea”, don’t ya think?

Commissioned Paintings are a Privilege

It is such a privilege to have a friend commission a painting. My friend, Linda, is a joy to be around, she is intelligent, spiritual, an avid hiker, a dancer, a movie goer and she has two wonderful canine friends so she also loves spending time in nature. When she asked if I would paint something for her living room I was honored. She had changed a few things since I had been in her home so I stopped by to measure and to see some of the color changes she had made to her decor. Like so many of us Linda loves flowers. In fact, when you visit her in the summer you are greeted by beautiful flower gardens that surround her home. After taking all of these things into consideration and getting measurements I went home to do some sketching.
Columbines kept popping into my head. She accented with a deep red so poppies seemed a good fit although I would have to take some liberties and coordinate them to her accent colors. She wanted an airy feeling to the painting so a pairing of wild flowers on fields of tall grasses were the seeds of my inspiration.

Deep red poppies would add a sense of daring and the columbines created a
quietness at the same time. The first sketch was approved but when actually
drawing it out on watercolor paper to the proper scale a few changes were needed. Since it was to be a vertical painting having the flowers in closer proximity actually made it feel more intimate.

Meaning of Columbine

The columbine was said to have sprung up where the Virgin Mary’s feet touched the earth when she was on her way to visit Elizabeth. The spurred flowers resembled the tiny doves and came to represent the Holy Spirit. The flower also symbolized the innocence of Mary. The petals of the Columbine symbolize the seven gifts of the Spirit. The wild columbine has only five petals.

Meaning of Red Poppy

In Persian literature, red poppies, especially red corn poppy flowers, are considered the flower of love. They are often called the eternal lover flower.

Limited Edition Prints

One of the exciting things about the technology available to artists today is
print-on-demand. As an artist I can have a limited edition series and not have inventory and storage to contend with, not to mention the possibility of damage that can occur in a storage area. The actual size of a good quality giclee can be customized to my client’s decor as well. My giclees are printed on archival canvas or archival watercolor paper. The quality is amazing. What I like about limited edition prints is that they make art affordable to just about anyone. What wonderful choices we have available to us. If you have questions about art or reproductions just drop me an e-mail.

Bella’s Insights

Hey!

I’m beginning to like this writing stuff. Last month mom and I went with friends to the “Paint Mines” outside of Calhan, Colorado, not far from Colorado Springs. Boy, was I happy when I was invited too! I noticed that mom put her hiking boots on – that’s always a sign of a pending adventure. Wahoo!

Lots of mom’s friends were there and I even got to meet Arlo and Muki who turned out to be really nice “for dogs”, they really taught me a lot more about exploring. Oh man, did I get to play in the mud, look at these paws!

Arlo was a real go-getter, he checked everything out and if he got out of site his mom called and he always hurried back, he was really smart and that dog could jump like a kangaroo- What a hoot!

Muki is my other new friend. Muki and I pretty much didn’t stray far from the trail. Of course a leash around our necks helped with that. We were taking in the sites. I still managed to get wrapped around some bushes and rocks.

The Paint Mines were different than any place I have seen and right here near Colorado Springs. You can’t see them from the highway, the road or even the parking lot. All you can see are the great Plains of Eastern Colorado. You absolutely must go exploring to find them. I can’t wait to go again. It was an overcast day when we went. Now mom wants to go back when the sun is out and see how different her pics look. Who knows, maybe she will share that place in one of her paintings. That’s it for now, this is Bella signing off. ~Bella, the Explorer

Writing a Thank You to a Business Associate

Mickey Baxter-Spade — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 03:00:30 +0000

Saying “Thanks for a Job Well Done” is always appropriate. To follow is an idea of what you might say to someone who has done a great job on their presentation.

“Hello . . .

As anticipated your presentation was fabulous. Sandy had mentioned you were good with colors and I concur. Thank you for your help.

As promised, I am enclosing information about my company. We’ll get together to discuss opportunities soon.”

Here is one of many cards created from my watercolor paintings that would be appropriate for a business contact.

#162, Kristy's Rose Note Card, blank inside, 5.5"x4.25", $15 box of eight, $25 box of 20

Snow Covered Cardinals Christmas Card

Mickey Baxter-Spade — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:08:26 +0000

Painting birds has always brought me joy and cardinals are certainly one of my favorite birds. Adding them to murals has always been fun, especially in Colorado since they don’t live here. I find people from the midwest usually miss seeing them and they have actually asked me to add them to their murals.

Two little things I miss living in Colorado, besides family and friends, are cardinals and lightning bugs (fireflies). Not having investigated it, I’m wondering if it is the altitude that keeps them away. I must admit creating this painting made me a bit homesick for family – well, it is that time of year.

The cardinal is the state bird of Indiana, where I grew up. It also is the state bird of Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina. Let me know if that’s way more information than you needed.

When deciding on a setting for the cardinals I immediately envisioned snow and then the pine trees to add more color and textual interest. You seldom miss seeing the beautiful red of the male cardinal in the snow covered trees in the midwest during the winter.

This is the original painting which measures 8.5″ x 6.5″.

Snow Covered Cardinals in Watercolor

My new Christmas card for 2009 is from this painting. Some cropping was done so the birds could be as large as possible, hope you enjoy it. The cards come in boxes of ten with a bright red loop around it. The price is $15 for a box of ten cards. Christmas cards are available from my website, the Snow Covered Cardinals should be up soon.

Snow Covered Cardinals, New 2009 Christmas Card

Testimonial:

Hi Mickey,

I’m very pleased with the cards. The ones for Tanya were for my daughter and I was able to get them to her by her birthday on the 11th . She loves them.
Thank you and I will definitely keep your information for future orders for myself and gifts. They make such nice gifts.

Jan H