Author: t foose

Beauty in Tragedy

Art with a Story, Uncategorized

“Beauty in Tragedy” (below) is one of my watercolor paintings.

I don’t always share the meaning behind my paintings, or at least not all of it. But I will this one because of the somewhat unfitting title.

This was painted from a photograph I took over 5 years ago. It was taken during a hiking trip to Jack’s Mountain, PA. It holds a lot of meaning and memory for me. It was one of my dad’s favorite things to do – to hike in the woods. Though it holds treasure and beauty it also holds memory that is tainted by tragedy. By loss. By grief. At the time of painting this, it was nearly 5 years since my dad’s death.

When I look at the photograph, I feel sadness, but I also feel hope because time brings healing. Beauty is still found in tragedy and struggle, and so, in the painting I added white wildflowers to represent healing and growth that time offers. We are not the same people. Experiences, painful or joyous, change us. And I know God has a purpose in his death—I’ve seen Him working – and for that I’m grateful. And amidst the grief of losing him is when I started doing art again.

You can visit the painting here.

Journey to Digital Painting

Lessons Learned, The Journey of An Artist

In the spring of 2022, I decided to take a few of my traditional paintings that didn’t meet my expectations and change them digitally.  I did not have high hopes in the result simply because there was extreme reluctancy in this process. I told myself this was acceptable since it was not fully digital, and it was only to improve my existing paintings, not create new ones.

This was my first digital fix on a watercolor painting from May 7th:

Lone Red Canoe

You can find the painting here.

To my complete surprise, it turned out better than I expected. And I enjoyed the feeling I got when I fixed these traditional paintings. It energized me. It awakened something inside me. It encouraged me to do more. I began fixing more and more paintings. I decided this was still okay because I was simply enhancing my traditional skills.

I was in denial though and secretly eager to do more.

A few weeks later (May 23rd) my sons asked me to redo one of their digital paintings. This is what began the slippery slope—ha!! And how can you turn down a challenge?

Below are two of them:

You can view the shark here.

It wasn’t long before I opened up a blank white canvas and attempted my first entirely digital painting.

Doe at Dusk

You can view and purchase the painting here.

Up until this point, I was convinced that digital painting was in some way dishonest or misleading. In my head I was somehow cheating on my traditional art skills. It felt like I was going against the natural bent inside of me. I was a traditional artist—primarily a watercolorist – and that’s it. Traditional art is what makes me who I am as an artist. I don’t do digital.

Except that………………I really, really enjoyed it……………and I was getting good at it!

What was I supposed to do with this?

Likely you find my perspective bizarre and flawed but regardless there was an unbelievable conflict inside of me. One that I would later come to terms with.

In addition, my digital paintings were not well-received initially which seemed to confirm my unique perspective and drive the internal war deeper. Perhaps part of it is that when you mention digital others tend to think the computer does all the work. That there is no skill involved. (I think cameras initially did the same thing to traditional art as well.) But I assure you, it can actually take longer for me to a digital painting than a traditional one. And because of this unfamiliarity, I began recording some of my work so others could see the process of my paintings. I felt like it validated me as well.

One day—after I had completed a few all-digital paintings, my mom said something that stuck in my head and seemed to satisfy the quandary. She said, “You’re still painting; it’s just a different medium.”

Yes—that was it! That’s all I needed to hear to settle the dilemma!

Here are a few of my favorite digital paintings:

You can view and purchase these paintings here: Boston Terrier, Baby Boy, Water Sunset, Cockatoo.

I still repaint some of my digital paintings, but I especially enjoy starting from scratch. At this point (December 2022) I am probably a 50% digital painter and 50% traditional.

Now, I will clarify that I do not do Artificial Intelligence or any kind of computer-generated images. They are all either my own traditional paintings or photographs that I have digitally recreated or a digital painting that I began from a blank canvas and worked up like I would a traditional painting.

My advice: Never put yourself in a box. It limits your potential.

About Me as an Artist

The Journey of An Artist

Having encouraged the members of my FAA groups to share their story, I decided it was time to share my own.

My name is Taphath (pronounced Ta-fith) Foose. My great-grandfather, William Carvell, was an artist, painting mostly watery landscapes. Sadly, having signed none of his artwork he is not well-known. The most direct influence and support, though, is from my mom, being very creative and crafty herself.

As a little girl I don’t ever remember not drawing. I drew outfits complete with matching shoes and earrings, full backyard scenes with birds and flowers and people. In 1996, being stuck at home during a blizzard, my art took the next step. I pulled out coloring books and reading books with cartoons and began drawing the characters with great likeness.

In elementary school I was chosen out of two classes to decorate the windows at our local Post Office for the Christmas season. And in high school my electives were always bent toward art and music.

Music was a higher focus mostly because there was more opportunity for involvement. I would pick up any instrument I could get my hands on. I had no idea of most of the notes I was playing but I made it up with a natural “ear for music”. I was given the honor of directing a song during a band concert and participated in Jazz Band, Concert Band, Pit Band (switching between four different instruments during each song), Marching Band and District Band. I received music awards, including: The Woody Herman Jazz Award and the Director’s Award.

The arts got my participation as well. I helped with set design for school musicals. The high school volleyball team selected my design for their t-shirt, and I was chosen to create the design for the yearbook’s music section. I also received an Artist Award Certificate on Award Night my senior year.

My high school art classes stretched my experience and ability with each medium and challenge. Many expressed and encouraged me to major in music or art, but my biggest dream was to be a wife and mother. Though, having graduated high school at 17, it did not happen nearly as fast or early as I had hoped.

Shortly after graduating High School, I spent a brief time under the modest guidance of a local acrylic artist. During this time, she encouraged me to enter two of my pencil drawings into a local, but well-known fair. One received a 2nd Place award and the other a 3rd Place.

I moved out on my own at 19 and life hit extremely hard. I struggled deeply. Lots of difficult trials and lessons I’d have to learn. I needed to grow up, but this growth wouldn’t have happened any other way.

I did not devote much time to the fine arts. Marriage finally happened and three beautiful sons quickly followed. They naturally occupied most of my time. When I did sit down to draw, it didn’t meet my high expectations and perfectionism. It was so discouraging that it caused me to put aside art. I had no idea why God gave me a talent. In fact, I told Him I wished He wouldn’t have given it at all.

It wasn’t until my father died in April 2016 and a difficult journey to the Autism diagnosis for my middle son the following year that I reluctantly picked up my pencil. God mercifully and graciously allowed it to become a beautiful, healing outlet for me. He has been whittling and carving and developing my talent ever since. He has grown me as an artist and as a person.

I have dabbled in most of the common mediums (ink, graphite pencil, pastels, colored pencil, oils, acrylics) but my main and most loved medium is watercolor. I didn’t really spend much time with it until February 2019. It was then that I fell in love with its ability for free flow, capability of detail and crispness and versatility in texture and tone. My portfolio contains impressionism (of which I’m still learning and growing) all the way to realism; I LOVE details. I tend to paint birds, flowers and water the most—but I have always followed my creative eye to whatever piece God had next and that has certainly opened my eyes and stretched me.

Having always loved taking pictures, especially due to its sentimentality value, I have added photography to my portfolio on Fine Art America (FAA) as well. Stretching myself there as well, I love showcasing the hidden secrets of macro–those unseen delicate details that most pay no attention to. Photographing and painting still lifes soon followed as I took over as Administrator to a Floral Still Life FAA group.

I sold my first painting in 2016, the year my father died. I sell mostly existing artwork, although I’ve been approached several times over the years for commissioned pieces but only completed and sold three so far. I am a very involved Administrator to three FAA groups and am constantly inspired by all of the amazing artists’ beautiful work!! 😊

Art is in my blood and it’s in my heart. I am extremely grateful for the gift God has given and desire Him to be glorified through my art; after all, it is He who gave it. Serving God, no matter where I am or what I am doing, is my highest calling.

10-year-old Me to Now

The Journey of An Artist

My mom found a box of my drawings and artwork from when I was between 10-13 years old. I sifted through piece after piece. Many of them I remembered. It was so neat to go through all the memories!

I mostly drew on lined notebook paper and even old rolls of computer paper. I found partial roll after roll of birds and little drawings. Looking back, it’s interesting to see that I followed the same themes and subjects into my adult life. Birds, animals, flowers/nature and people.

The pictures below are a comparison of my artwork from back then to my artwork now.

Even when I was 12, I was drawn to birds and bird nests.
A love for babies and a desire to be a mother turned into painting one of my sons.
Turning God’s beauty into paintings, then and even now.
This is just a fun one I wanted to share from when I was 13!
And another one!

If ever there was a testimony of a 10-year-old beginner starting from simple drawings who develops into a professional, award-winning artist….here it is!

At the time, I thought my drawings were nothing special. I just drew what I could and to the best of my ability but nowadays with all the technology blasting everyone’s talents and abilities in your face we can more easily get caught into the trap of comparison and high expectations.

To the little budding artist out there….take heart. Look at my drawings. Do not lose hope. Practice, practice, practice. If you keep at it and don’t give up, you will learn and you will grow as an artist. If this is something you enjoy, stay with it. And compare your art to no one else’s but your own. Work on your technique. Be inspired by others and learn from them but do not compare.

Only work at making YOU better.

The Ups And Downs in the World of Art

Lessons Learned, The Journey of An Artist, Uncategorized

“Ughh,” I said quietly, my poor brush feeling the huff as I placed it down on my art table with a tad bit of purposeful force.

It wasn’t always like that, I reflected. That was a cool response compared to what it used to be when I felt like an artistic fraud.

For most of my life, I felt like art was my identity. It was who I was. It was what made me unique. It was my biggest offering to the world. And to feel as if I had lost that was to feel like I lost who I was. The reason I was something. The reason I was created. (Yes, I know that it was a false sense of identity but that’s where I was at the time.)

All artists experience it . . . those dry days. The days when your artistry feels defeated or perhaps impossible. The idea is in your head, but you just cannot get it to paper. Or perhaps there is no idea. It can happen for many reasons. Perhaps you have exhausted your creativity in one area after doing too many paintings in a row or perhaps you are afflicted by emotional turmoil or physical fatigue. Regardless of the cause, it can completely devastate an artist if not prepared. It can feel like you have lost all of your artistic ability. On those days your vision is blurred. Your perfectionism heightens. Your expectations intensify. On those days your art has died.

Boldly scribbling on paper, ripping up artwork, smashing the brush bristles into the paper, throwing pencils. Sadly, these were some of my past occurrences when I hit a dry patch. I had no idea when the creativity would return, or if it would.

It’s not easy when it happens. But it saves a lot of heartache if you walk away and come back. Sometimes hours later. Sometimes a day or two later. Sometimes a week or more. I’ve learned to be more attentive and proactive of my limits, so those dry moments don’t push me into frustration. Another way to handle it is to switch mediums or arts (like music or writing). If you don’t have one, try something new. And then come back to your original.

It’s important to remember, the dry artistic spells are fleeting—they are temporary, and the creativity does return. And when it does, all will be okay once again. And sometimes your refreshed outlook creates even better art.