tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54812731749308206122024-03-13T23:34:49.169-07:00Lennox WoodsDeborah Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242296435365350267noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5481273174930820612.post-8037626862998806112014-04-18T17:41:00.002-07:002014-04-18T17:41:54.620-07:00The Lennox Woods filmI am still decompressing from the show and the week long workshop at our new Atelier space immediately afterwards, But I do want to share the final film which played at the opening in both venues. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/allenreedphillips">Allen Phillips </a>did a great job!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/90542770" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/90542770">The Ancient Forest</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user13260351">Archfern</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.Deborah Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242296435365350267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5481273174930820612.post-74185626016706849742014-03-18T15:26:00.002-07:002014-03-18T15:26:41.591-07:00Lennox Woods Show Schedule<div>
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Only a few weeks away from the opening of <i>Lennox Woods- The Ancient Forest.</i> This project has been two years in the making and it is hard to believe we are almost at the finish line!</div>
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For those of you who are in the Dallas-Ft Worth area and plan to visit the show, here are some details. The show is in two venues- <a href="http://www.kornyewest.com/">Galerie Kornye West</a> and <a href="http://www.brit.org/">The Botanical Research Institute of Texas </a>(BRIT), both located in the Cultural District of Ft. Worth. March 29 is Spring Gallery Night, an annual event sponsored by the Ft Worth Art Dealers Association., so there will be other galleries hosting events as well. Spring Gallery Night runs from 12:00 noon to 9PM on March 29. The Lennox Woods show will open at noon at both venues.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>I will be at the gallery from noon to about 5:30 and I will be giving two gallery talks, one at 2PM and the other around 3:30 PM. </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>BRIT is hosting a member reception from 6-8 PM which the public is also invited to. I will be there from 6-8 PM and will be giving a talk at 6:30 PM.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">The show will </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">hang</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"> in both venues through May 8.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Catalogs (which include five essays about the Woods and the work, as well as color plates of most of the paintings ) will be available for sale at the opening and are also available for purchase<a href="http://deborahparis.com/Asset.asp?AssetID=42186&AKey=LCEK6WCL"> here</a>. A portion of the proceeds from catalog sales go to benefit the Red River County Historical Society.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">You can read the Southwest Art Magazine article about the show <a href="http://deborahparis.com/Artists/34644/SW_Art_Mag_article.pdf">here</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Hope to see you there!</span></div>
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Deborah Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242296435365350267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5481273174930820612.post-57026920403562062052014-02-25T18:15:00.000-08:002014-02-25T18:15:21.761-08:00Lennox Woods Exhibition Catalog<br />
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I am happy to say the Lennox Woods Exhibition Catalog is now available! It contains 64 pages, with five essays about the history and ecology of the Woods and of course, the art. It also has over 40 images of drawings and paintings.</div>
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You can purchase the catalog <a href="https://squareup.com/market/the-landscape-atelier/lennox-woods-the-ancient-forest-catalog">here</a>. </div>
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Please note that the catalog will be available for shipping in mid March. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the catalog will benefit The Historical Society of Red River County.</div>
Deborah Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242296435365350267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5481273174930820612.post-32911761651800642762014-02-16T12:37:00.002-08:002014-02-16T12:38:21.821-08:00Southwest Art Magazine ArticleI am thrilled to say that a feature article about the Lennox Woods project appears in the March issue of Southwest Art Magazine!<br />
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<a href="http://deborahparis.com/Artists/34644/SW_Art_Mag_article.pdf">Link to Article</a>Deborah Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242296435365350267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5481273174930820612.post-34547694010307306722013-12-22T17:36:00.000-08:002013-12-22T17:36:00.280-08:00Less is Not Always More<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Whose Woods These Are</div>
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54 x 72</div>
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Sometimes it's just less. One of the great challenges of this project is to find a way to convey the Woods in a way that is authentic but still suggestive and full of mystery. And to do that in sizes ranging from 12 x 16 to 72 x 96. In a 12 x 16 you can use one brushstroke to describe what requires a complicated passage in a larger work. But more importantly, you have to find the right balance between what Asher B Durand called imitation and representation. There are some things which can be imitated and some things that can only be represented (I would use the word suggested perhaps). The right balance is essential to capture a sense of place and yet retain the mystery and mood you want to convey. I wanted the paintings to look like the Woods without being literal portraits- to convey a palpable sense of what it feels to be in this place. That requires something more than suggestive generalization and less than simply copying what you see.</div>
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Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!Deborah Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242296435365350267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5481273174930820612.post-12268967169997819362013-12-18T18:13:00.000-08:002013-12-18T18:13:51.416-08:00Spreadsheets. Really?<br />
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Illumination</div>
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Spreadsheets. Not a word I would have ever included on a list of things I might learn about over the course of working on my solo show. But, here I am two years later finding myself creating spreadsheets to keep track of and organize over forty paintings for the show.<br />
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The exhibition will hang in two separate venues (Galerie Kornye West and The Botanical Research Institute of Texas) and is organized around the theme of the four seasons in Lennox Woods. Early on, I worked out the number of pieces I would paint for each season and the size ranges and how many in each range, and roughly how many of each would hang in each venue.<br />
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As the work begin to take shape, other things needed to be kept track of- what pieces had been photographed, what was finished and what was work in progress, how many of each group still needed to be started, and the frame status for each piece.<br />
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Then, some pieces were sold and others left the studio for the gallery. Some pieces were varnished and others had not been (making it easier to work on them again if I wanted to).<br />
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When we started working on the catalog I needed to keep track of what information had been given to the designer of the catalog and what was still needed. And, of course, the deadlines to get the work finished, photographed, framed and delivered.<br />
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It turns out, spreadsheets are a great way to organize all that information in an easily accessible and organized way. Spreadsheets. Who knew?<br />
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Deborah Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242296435365350267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5481273174930820612.post-38697955336109428802013-12-14T17:52:00.000-08:002013-12-14T17:52:45.300-08:00What Might Have Been<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EKLgo8oYGzE/Uq0GaAbTGmI/AAAAAAAAGfc/RSpLwpf_0kA/s1600/What+Might+Have+Been+4840+72dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EKLgo8oYGzE/Uq0GaAbTGmI/AAAAAAAAGfc/RSpLwpf_0kA/s320/What+Might+Have+Been+4840+72dpi.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>
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What Might Have Been</div>
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Lennox Woods is a 300+ acre oasis of old growth forest surrounded by fields, pastures, third or fourth cut woods and pine plantations. Driving down the dirt road to its unassuming entrance one can immediately see the change in the landscape. The fact that the Woods exist today is because from the mid 19th century, the Lennox family preserved them, protected them from logging and then gave them to the Nature Conservancy to be protected in perpetuity. It could have all turned out very differently.<br />
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I thought a lot about all this while I worked in the Woods over the last two years. But, I also came to understand the idea of "what might have been" in much more personal terms. When I first came to the Woods I had certain ideas about how I would paint them. Although I spent several months just looking and drawing, I did have some preconceived ideas of how I would approach the work. Over time, many of those ideas dissolved and reformed into new ones- influenced both by the Woods themselves and the rhythm of my own life. Those things combined to produce a very different body of work than I would have produced in a shorter span of time or if my own life had not been upended in various ways during the process. I don't know what that work would have been like, but I feel confident that the body of work that I will exhibit this coming March will be stronger, better, and deeper. That is something else I learned in the Woods.Deborah Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242296435365350267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5481273174930820612.post-65122332768617811092013-12-06T07:39:00.001-08:002013-12-06T07:39:23.269-08:00What I learned in the Woods<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KuAfsEYffrU/UqHrQxqv9dI/AAAAAAAAGbk/cRKkq5aHQ4o/s1600/Summer+Respite+4224+72+dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KuAfsEYffrU/UqHrQxqv9dI/AAAAAAAAGbk/cRKkq5aHQ4o/s1600/Summer+Respite+4224+72+dpi.jpg" height="320" width="179" /></a></div>
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Summer Respite</div>
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Now that I am closing in on finishing the work for the Lennox Woods show, I thought I might do a series of posts about what I have learned during this two year process. There are all sorts of things. I have learned a lot about my materials that I did not know. I have learned about patience and frustration. I have learned about the challenges of working on a large scale and of working on a long term project. The list goes on and on. So, I am going to tackle this one little piece at a time, and in no particular order of importance.<br />
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I have learned to slow down. To those who know me, I can hear your snorts of laughter! Yes, I do have a reputation for "being in a hurry, multitasking, getting a lot done in a short period of time and generally living by the "to do" list. But, exactly because of that, learning to slow down has been an important lesson, both in how I create my work and in how I approach it. Over the last ten years, the techniques I have adopted have necessitated that I slow down. Gathering field reference, eschewing photography and working indirectly have all made it necessary for the actual making of art to be a much slower process than it was when I was an alla prima, direct painter.<br />
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But now, I have slowed down in other ways. Spending time in the Woods has led me to a much slower, contemplative way of approaching Nature. Simply sitting on one spot and listening can lead to all sorts of things. In the end, that experience ends up on the canvas.Deborah Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242296435365350267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5481273174930820612.post-31205667133836920112013-11-10T18:00:00.000-08:002016-12-04T14:35:17.800-08:00Working on the "big boy"<br />
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One of the most exciting things about painting for my solo show next spring has been the opportunity to work in large formats. I have learned so much about how to go about this, mostly by trial and error. These days my studio is a jungle of easels and paintings, but I cleared away some of the clutter to show how I started this large painting, 72 x 96 , aka "big boy" which will be the centerpiece of the show.</div>
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I have described in <a href="http://deborahparis-apaintinglife.blogspot.com/2012/09/lennox-woods-work-in-progress.html">another post</a> how I use sketches, drawings, memory and imagination plus a study to start the process. A grid is made on tracing paper over the study and proportional squares placed on the larger canvas in charcoal. In this first image you can see the 18 x 24 study (which is at the underpainting stage) on the right, the grid in the middle, and big boy on the left with the charcoal grid laid in. All images can be clicked on for a larger view.</div>
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Here is the grid. The main shapes and lines in the composition are traced in pencil after the grid format is drawn in in pen.<br />
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Here is the 18 x 24 study (unfinished).<br />
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Here is the underpainting more or less complete. This took about two days of work.<br />
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Up on my little stepladder working on the underpainting.<br />
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Deborah Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242296435365350267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5481273174930820612.post-6839841821829307162013-08-13T18:48:00.000-07:002013-08-13T18:48:49.370-07:00A Summer Idyll<br />
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I continue to work steadily on the <a href="http://lennoxwoods.blogspot.com/">Lennox Woods</a> body of work for my solo show next spring. There will be five large scale paintings - 48 x 60 up to 72 x 96- and a total of about 42 paintings in the show. I started with the smallest of the "BIGs" as I call them, and am working my way up in size. I am working on several of them at the same time, plus others as well- usually about 8 to 10 pieces at a time. </div>
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In January of 2012 when I first started on this journey, I was out in the Woods one day with Steve and Allen Phillips (the filmmaker for the project). Allen and I managed to wander off the trail. I didn't know my way around the Woods very well back then and neither did Allen. But, he had a GPS on his phone and we knew if we kept heading north we would hit the dirt road that runs along one side of the Preserve. So, we kept going instead of doubling back to find the trail. It was winter so bushwhacking through the Woods wasn't too hard and we got back into some spots that would be hard to find in any other season. Pretty soon we came upon a small pond. It was a big surprise because the only water I had seen in the Woods was Pecan Bayou and the small streams it spawned throughout the Preserve. This pond looked self contained, although Steve thinks it is fed by a spring on adjacent property. Anyway, having found it, I knew I wanted to come back.</div>
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Here is a study for the 60 x 72 painting I am now working on.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xGm8aZfitC8/UghQ2fcy_TI/AAAAAAAAGBw/fGqBLpdN9xw/s1600/A+Summer+Idyll+2024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xGm8aZfitC8/UghQ2fcy_TI/AAAAAAAAGBw/fGqBLpdN9xw/s320/A+Summer+Idyll+2024.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A Summer Idyll</div>
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20 x 24<br />
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I started with lots of sketches, working out my ideas. This is my preferred way to work- hunting for motifs, then using drawings to work out designs and to gather reference materials.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8h5a4aM_caM/UgrY2oZPMOI/AAAAAAAAGCY/Wx1GqivLhY4/s1600/photo-119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8h5a4aM_caM/UgrY2oZPMOI/AAAAAAAAGCY/Wx1GqivLhY4/s320/photo-119.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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Once I had the design organized and the field reference I needed, I started the 20 x 24 study.</div>
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I made a grid of the study and traced the main shapes and lines. I gridded the large canvas with proportional squares with vine charcoal, then drew in the composition.</div>
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Here is the studio with the large canvas on the left, the grid in the center and the study to the right of that. Just to get an idea of the scale, the painting on the easel behind the grid is 36 x 48!</div>
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Deborah Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242296435365350267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5481273174930820612.post-54746907726849618612013-08-05T13:55:00.002-07:002013-08-05T13:55:53.955-07:00The Morning Room<br />
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There are places in Lennox Woods which have the feeling of a separate space - a room if you will - that one can enter and inhabit apart from the larger surrounding Woods. Of course, it's not true, but it feels that way. One spot like this is beside a small stream which is part of Pecan Bayou, the watershed which nourishes and makes the Woods possible.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D3Y50CABUF4/UgAQM0xGZ8I/AAAAAAAAGAA/CZv7zsRyzsU/s1600/Sketching+Lennox+Woods.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D3Y50CABUF4/UgAQM0xGZ8I/AAAAAAAAGAA/CZv7zsRyzsU/s320/Sketching+Lennox+Woods.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P9GfAa0PvnU/UgAPdjMrFcI/AAAAAAAAF_4/-kVQ-ftBsd4/s1600/Sketchbook+drawing+water+oak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P9GfAa0PvnU/UgAPdjMrFcI/AAAAAAAAF_4/-kVQ-ftBsd4/s320/Sketchbook+drawing+water+oak.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I often take a sketchbook and camp stool here and I particularly like it in the early morning hours. So, it wasn't a surprise that when I got the idea for this painting, its title -- The Morning Room - came with it.</div>
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This is a study for a larger work (30 x 40) which is in progress now. My photography, as always, doesn't capture the hazy morning light very well. But, you get the idea, right?</div>
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The Morning Room</div>
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18 x 24<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A4C206prCKA/UgALVXnwQZI/AAAAAAAAF_Y/w-czWl98kkE/s1600/morning+room+detail+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A4C206prCKA/UgALVXnwQZI/AAAAAAAAF_Y/w-czWl98kkE/s320/morning+room+detail+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Deborah Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242296435365350267noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5481273174930820612.post-72471271491246557132013-03-23T17:51:00.000-07:002013-03-23T19:25:43.299-07:00Back in the Woods- Exciting News!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rfFNY9jI9uo/UU5JEP8xYRI/AAAAAAAAFWE/BNZ-uUgLyNI/s1600/DP+in+Woods+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rfFNY9jI9uo/UU5JEP8xYRI/AAAAAAAAFWE/BNZ-uUgLyNI/s320/DP+in+Woods+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I have been back at work in Lennox Woods for about a month now, working in both the field and the studio toward my solo show <i>Lennox Woods-The Ancient Forest </i>next March. And there is exciting news about the exhibition! <a href="http://www.brit.org/"> The Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) </a>will be co-hosting the show! BRIT has a beautiful new facility located in the Cultural District in Ft. Worth near <a href="http://www.kornyewest.com/">Galerie Kornye West.</a> They have a spacious exhibition space which will be a perfect venue for the large format paintings. On <b>Spring Gallery Night, March 29, 2014</b> there will be simultaneous openings at BRIT with 16 large format paintings and at Galerie Kornye West with another 25 paintings.<br />
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Galerie Kornye West and I are excited to partner with BRIT for this exhibition! In addition to the show, a lecture series, gallery talks, and other special events are planned in connection with the month long exhibition.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u9Kxa_sjNdo/UU5JUXef_bI/AAAAAAAAFWM/Yw_s7Cui2Ww/s1600/DP+in+woods+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u9Kxa_sjNdo/UU5JUXef_bI/AAAAAAAAFWM/Yw_s7Cui2Ww/s320/DP+in+woods+4.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Me standing near #52, one of the huge short leaf pines in the Preserve</div>
Deborah Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242296435365350267noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5481273174930820612.post-468906739356173222012-10-17T13:14:00.006-07:002012-10-17T13:14:56.928-07:00Feature in American Painting Video Magazine!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eV2-bnb5EfI/UG9wklWaakI/AAAAAAAAEo4/MqW0F9zjfro/s1600/drawing+oak+leaves+and+acorn+72+dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eV2-bnb5EfI/UG9wklWaakI/AAAAAAAAEo4/MqW0F9zjfro/s400/drawing+oak+leaves+and+acorn+72+dpi.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I am very happy to say that my work and the Lennox Woods project in particular are featured in the fall issue of <a href="http://www.americanpaintingvideomagazine.com/">American Painting Video Magazine</a>! APVM is a quarterly video publication founded and curated by artist Michael Klein. It features realist artists and their work. The fall issue includes features on many wonderful artists such as Julio Reyes, John Morra, ACOPAL's exhibit in Beijing, Douglas Fryer, and others. I am honored to be included!</div>
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The issue is available on the <a href="http://www.americanpaintingvideomagazine.com/">APVM website</a> and can be viewed for free online or downloaded for $12.</div>
Deborah Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242296435365350267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5481273174930820612.post-28640864985822553042012-10-06T13:08:00.001-07:002013-10-13T16:38:23.425-07:00Work in Progress<br />
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">This is a painting I have had on the easel since early this year. It is the first of the larger works I am completing for my <a href="http://lennoxwoods.blogspot.com/">Lennox Woods solo show</a> in 2014. At 48 x 64 it is the smallest of the six or seven large paintings I have planned to anchor the 50 piece exhibition. I completed the underpainting on this one early in the spring, but other things kept me from making any more progress on it until recently.</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">All of these images can be clicked for a larger view.</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">This is one of the value studies I did when working out the idea of the piece. This is graphite. At this point I am working out the design in the proportion I plan to use for the large canvas.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Qtd2f4yZfMY/TzHNFlwGO9I/AAAAAAAADys/rVZRvpK-vm4/s1600/sunset%2Bin%2Bthe%2BWoods%2Bthumb.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706567698772016082" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Qtd2f4yZfMY/TzHNFlwGO9I/AAAAAAAADys/rVZRvpK-vm4/s400/sunset%2Bin%2Bthe%2BWoods%2Bthumb.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>After deciding on a design, I did a monochromatic study in oil . Not a great image, a little glare.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0nhrORDFJPA/TzHNFcy7RQI/AAAAAAAADyk/Fz6dI78UfPw/s1600/light%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bwoods%2Bstudy.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706567696367961346" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0nhrORDFJPA/TzHNFcy7RQI/AAAAAAAADyk/Fz6dI78UfPw/s400/light%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bwoods%2Bstudy.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Here is a grid on tracing paper. I laid the tracing paper over the oil study and drew a simple grid. This gave me some measuring points for placing the horizon and main forms on the larger canvas. I didn't draw a grid on the larger canvas because I really didn't need it but also because parts of my canvas will remain transparent in the final piece and I didn't want the grid to show. So, I just used the distances indicated by the grid (each 3" square would translate to a 8" square on the larger canvas) eyeballed it and measured using the proportions from the smaller study.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t-Mdk_suFZ4/TzHNFIhQInI/AAAAAAAADyY/GttU_pUht1w/s1600/light%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bwoods%2Bgrid.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706567690925122162" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t-Mdk_suFZ4/TzHNFIhQInI/AAAAAAAADyY/GttU_pUht1w/s400/light%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bwoods%2Bgrid.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Here are the grid and the study on the easel next to the larger canvas.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DdsD5eoJwkM/TzHNE-ktQLI/AAAAAAAADyM/QtMFkdy5hGs/s1600/light%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bwoods%2Bgrid%2Band%2Bstudy.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706567688255258802" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DdsD5eoJwkM/TzHNE-ktQLI/AAAAAAAADyM/QtMFkdy5hGs/s400/light%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bwoods%2Bgrid%2Band%2Bstudy.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Here is one days work on the larger canvas. 48 x 64. I lightly indicated where the horizon line was, the main tree shapes. Then I started using a wipe out method in the background using transparent paint (Vasari Shale) which was applied with a rag. The trunks will eventually be darker but at this stage I just wanted to get the placement organized. I started on the dry brush in the foreground before I stopped for the day. The toned triangular area in the foreground will eventually be covered with some opaque paint, then glazed (suggestions of leaf litter and forest floor clutter).<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YGJ3Z5TUdlw/TzHNE3QbtoI/AAAAAAAADyA/N3VNJ1P1NdE/s1600/light%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bwoods%2Bin%2Bprogress%2B1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706567686291175042" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YGJ3Z5TUdlw/TzHNE3QbtoI/AAAAAAAADyA/N3VNJ1P1NdE/s400/light%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bwoods%2Bin%2Bprogress%2B1.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Unfortunately, I forgot to photograph the progress on the underpainting, but here it is completed. At this point I was beginning to change the direction of the light. Initially I had planned to have the light coming from the left and illuminating the main tree trunk. While I was working on the underpainting, I decided to change that plan and create a softer backlit scene. I also decided I wanted to open up the woods a bit more, creating more distance between the trees in the foreground and the trees in the distance. The underpainting is really the last opportunity to make those sorts of changes so I take my time and try to pay attention rather than just slavishly following my studies. </div>
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Here is the piece after I have put a first layer of paint on the tree trunks in the foreground, a couple of layers of paint on the foreground, and also put in a first layer of paint in the sky and carved out some negative spaces in the distant trees</div>
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A detail of the near trees on the left side. These are American Hornbeams which abound in Lennox Woods. They have a distinctive fluted sort of trunk and are part of the understory trees throughout the Woods. This is just a first layer of paint. Many more to come.</div>
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Here is a detail of the sky and distant trees.</div>
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A detail of the main tree trunk, a white oak, in the foreground. Again, just the first layer of paint.<br />
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This is the foreground area depicting the forest duff- which is sometimes several feet deep in Lennox Woods!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2O_9vnPKRZk/UGhlbGTDomI/AAAAAAAAEm4/74hXVsOuUHY/s1600/4864+forest+duff+detail+72+dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2O_9vnPKRZk/UGhlbGTDomI/AAAAAAAAEm4/74hXVsOuUHY/s320/4864+forest+duff+detail+72+dpi.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I hope to have this piece finished by year end. Stay tuned!Deborah Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242296435365350267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5481273174930820612.post-51075076339371962222012-06-09T17:49:00.002-07:002013-10-13T16:35:58.805-07:00Methods & MysteryThis past month, we put together a video about my methods and process for landscape painting in general and the Lennox Woods work in particular. Hope you enjoy! If you do, please consider sharing it with the share buttons at the bottom of the post. Thanks for watching!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="333" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/43726484" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/43726484">Lennox Woods- The Ancient Forest- Process</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user6933932">Deborah Paris</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.Deborah Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242296435365350267noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5481273174930820612.post-25978920568117971952012-04-30T14:55:00.002-07:002012-04-30T16:30:55.847-07:00New VideoThis month we did an interview in the studio. Allen put together this video which tells a bit more about Lennox Woods, my thoughts on the project and the exhibition. If you enjoy it, please consider sharing it via the share buttons at the bottom of the post!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/41316002?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/41316002">The Ancient Forest-desktop</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user6933932">Deborah Paris</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.Deborah Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242296435365350267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5481273174930820612.post-88027173995559056512012-04-12T17:46:00.013-07:002012-04-12T18:36:56.923-07:00New Work<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tz4HTN38vSs/T4d53r3uRFI/AAAAAAAAEGo/yypK46hw558/s1600/Autumn%2BArrangement%2B2016%2B72%2Bdpi.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 314px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tz4HTN38vSs/T4d53r3uRFI/AAAAAAAAEGo/yypK46hw558/s400/Autumn%2BArrangement%2B2016%2B72%2Bdpi.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730683048428454994" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Autumn Arrangement</div><div style="text-align: center;">20 x 16</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>As I have mentioned, I have resigned myself to painting at least a season behind what is actually happening in the Woods. My field work- drawings and color sketches- keep me busy gathering reference and ideas for finished work. As I work, I also am working on studio paintings from previous seasons. In this particular case, I am two seasons behind!</div><div><br /></div><div>Here is the underpainting for this piece. I use a dry brush technique and keep the paint transparent at this stage. I use a cloth to wipe out lights and create the drawing of the foreground elements. This particular one was done in the studio but for a small painting like this I may do the underpainting onsite.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--UYwxJ-E5Z4/T4d-l7GJbQI/AAAAAAAAEHY/sGnwLi1DeCM/s400/Autumn%2BArrangment%2BUP.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730688240835980546" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000ee;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div>The challenge in this piece was to retain the atmosphere and mood, while creating more detail and drawing in the foreground elements.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here are a few details. I used opaque mixtures to define the foliage in the foreground, keeping the shadow areas transparent.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VoEkrvqGFfI/T4d52y4WIgI/AAAAAAAAEGc/05mJi5fdvh4/s400/Autum%2BArrangement%2Bdetail1%2B72%2Bdpi.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730683033130246658" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; ">The trees in the distance were scumbled numerous times and sky color dragged over their edges too.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sKC2aDHwjE4/T4d57QhgOcI/AAAAAAAAEHA/Sa-2LKEN4ZY/s400/Autumn%2BArrangement%2Bdetail2%2B72%2Bdpi.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730683109806979522" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></span></span></div><div>The trunk of the foreground tree was done with opaque mixtures laid on in discreet strokes to mimic the bark of this hickory tree.</div><div><br /></div><div><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HJdKfj7lYkE/T4d55n3VPOI/AAAAAAAAEG0/h2IOw-_jURA/s400/Autumn%2BArrangement%2Bdetail%2B4%2B72dpi.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730683081712811234" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iQZNdwVX_Pw/T4d576rxZjI/AAAAAAAAEHM/7jRotO0c-Pg/s400/Autumn%2BArrangement%2Bdetail3%2B72%2Bdpi%2B.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730683121124337202" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></span><div></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div>Deborah Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242296435365350267noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5481273174930820612.post-72351209459913785912012-04-07T07:30:00.007-07:002012-04-07T08:59:40.580-07:00Luna Moth Hunt!<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NqqO8l_Zw8U/T4BSlZPeRII/AAAAAAAAEEA/11K0UWemvAc/s320/luna%2Bmoth%2Bsmall.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5728669528399692930" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">(photo credit: Steve Whalen)</div><div><br /></div>It is spring in Lennox Woods. That means many things, among them, luna moths! Luna moths are glorious large pale green moths which inhabit woodlands of deciduous trees. As caterpillars, they especially like hickory and sweet gum, which we have an abundance of at Lennox Woods. The moths emerge in the spring for about one week to mate, lay eggs and then die. So the opportunity to see them is quite limited.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>This past Wednesday evening Dr. William Godwin, an entomologist and curator of the East Texas Natural History Collection in Frost Hall at Jarvis Christian College at Hawkins, Texas , and our friend B.F. Hicks from Mt Vernon, TX, an amateur naturalist, came out to the Woods for a luna moth "hunt". Other friends from Clarksville and Mt Vernon joined us, and of course Allen Phillips was there to capture it all on film. (Photo credits below: Allen Phillips)</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8LHetUT5wuI/T4BSltiTPoI/AAAAAAAAEEI/7BWIvRxwEOs/s320/lw%2Bluna%2Bmoth%2B2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5728669533847371394" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1CmopL9587I/T4BSl8zoVXI/AAAAAAAAEEY/dd_uXQvbn0A/s320/lw%2Bluna%2Bmoth%2B3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5728669537946588530" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px; " /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Dr. Godwin set up a mercury vapor light and several sheets to reflect the light. He explained that we would attract all sorts of interesting insects (which we did) but that the moths generally come out after about 9:00 PM.</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eFIjBcGNreU/T4BSmRrd1UI/AAAAAAAAEEg/6mE1t4y9pLs/s320/lw%2Bluna%2Bmoth%2B4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5728669543549490498" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 239px; height: 320px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div>It just so happened that an almost full moon framed by beautifully illuminated clouds kept us entertained while we waited for the moths to arrive. And when they did, they came in droves! We had as many as forty or fifty fluttering around the light and in the woods nearby. It was magical!</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qKrvcuzBrEU/T4BSmgn54UI/AAAAAAAAEEs/-MCSyhZfWps/s320/LW%2Bluna%2Bmoths%2B1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5728669547561083202" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div>I plan to do a series of drawings, dry points and etchings of the flora and fauna of the Woods as part of the exhibition, so the luna moths will certainly make an appearance in my work. Allen is preparing a film clip of the evening's activities which I'll post soon.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Deborah Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242296435365350267noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5481273174930820612.post-8504198721280130542012-03-16T12:34:00.007-07:002012-04-30T14:48:00.883-07:00Studio Visit & Interview With Paula Tillman<div style="text-align: left;">
In late February Paula Kornye Tillman, owner of Galerie Kornye West, and gallery assistant Kelli Cotten traveled to northeast Texas for a studio visit and to see Lennox Woods. The following video is an excerpt of an interview filmed by Allen Phillips. Paula discusses the project and why she feels it is important.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/38652474?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/38652474">Paula Kornye Tillman interview</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user6933932">Deborah Paris</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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Paula and Kelli visited the studio to see work in progress, a few finished pieces and talk about the project.<br />
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After a delicious lunch in the studio provided by Steve, we headed out to the Woods for a few hours.<br />
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Later that evening, Steve and I hosted a sit down dinner at the historic Lennox House in Clarksville. It was a festive evening with several paintings on display and Allen's Ancient Forest video playing on a flat screen in the sitting room of the house. Steve and our "foodie" friend Anne Evetts cooked a delicious meal for 15 guests including presidents of the Historical Societies for Clarksville and Mt. Vernon, a trustee of the Lennox Foundation, Paula and Kelli and other guests from Clarksville.<br />
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It was a wonderful kick off for the project and a good opportunity for Paula to see the Woods and to understand my passion for this project.<br />
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<br />Deborah Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242296435365350267noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5481273174930820612.post-6048451444418119352012-03-01T17:24:00.013-08:002012-03-01T17:51:53.625-08:00Bare Trees<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gUCcByBkx8g/T1AihV-CotI/AAAAAAAAD7g/VrUfEcCm4_s/s1600/Edge%2Bof%2Bthe%2BWoods%2B1824%2B72%2Bdpi_edited-1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 296px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gUCcByBkx8g/T1AihV-CotI/AAAAAAAAD7g/VrUfEcCm4_s/s400/Edge%2Bof%2Bthe%2BWoods%2B1824%2B72%2Bdpi_edited-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5715105883361551058" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Edge of the Woods - Dusk</div><div style="text-align: center;">18 x 24</div><div><br /></div><div>Spring is coming to Lennox Woods. A light haze of budding out branches envelops the Woods in a shear whisper of pale greens and reds. But, I am still painting autumn and winter. I have resigned myself to the fact that I will be painting at least a season behind for the next 18 months or so. Of course, I am gathering reference in the form of drawings and studies with the season, but finished studio work moves at a slower pace.</div><div><br /></div><div>So even though the trees in the Woods are budding out, those in my studio are bare. Or, they are autumn trees losing their leaves rather than leafing out. One of the challenges I worried about was how to depict nearer bare trees without noodling them to death and perhaps spoiling the mood and look I am after. The answer was found in drawing them (like the answer to so many other things!).</div><div><br /></div><div>All images can be clicked on for a larger view.</div><div><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jerx5hZKYzM/T0-2rdxH4wI/AAAAAAAAD6k/I64-b-6UYOw/s1600/Edge%2Bof%2Bthe%2BWoods%2Bdetail%2B2%2B%2B72%2Bdpi_edited-1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bmZP4DaHnKk/T0-2rNu2HgI/AAAAAAAAD6Y/MzzlzwX_YdM/s1600/Edge%2Bof%2Bthe%2BWoods%2Bdetail%2B1%2B72%2Bdpi_edited-1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bmZP4DaHnKk/T0-2rNu2HgI/AAAAAAAAD6Y/MzzlzwX_YdM/s400/Edge%2Bof%2Bthe%2BWoods%2Bdetail%2B1%2B72%2Bdpi_edited-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714987305693224450" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Well, not just drawing, but it starts with drawing. The treatment of the nearer trees really is more of a drawing issue. You want to show the roundness of the tree by making sure your limbs and branches come out from the trunk in all directions. You have to think carefully about the smaller limbs and twigs and really design them as well. I will usually leave that until I have painted the sky a couple of times and I am getting toward the end. I will also then, scumble back over them to keep them soft but not obliterate them. And the edges, while soft, aren't completely lost.</div><div><br /></div><div>What I found was that drawing them really helped because I got comfortable with the form and their gesture, then when I needed to simplify and edit out all the clutter I had a much better idea of how to do that. </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); "><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UhSMBrXMjRg/T0_UnlJCufI/AAAAAAAAD7U/jsmxYzo36q0/s400/Late%2BAutumn%2BPecan%2BBayou%2Bdetail%2B2%2B72%2Bdpi.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5715020228606474738" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); "><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-27zdC0pAfqM/T0_UnPfjVkI/AAAAAAAAD7I/HvJSRGdBXRI/s400/Late%2BAutumn%2BPecan%2BBayou%2Bdetail%2B1%2B72%2Bdpi.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5715020222795306562" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></span></div><div><br /></div><div>As you go back into the picture plane and you are massing the trees, then the solution becomes more of a painting issue. In that case I will often have to come back in and put the tree tops back in after painting the sky, then glaze and scumble over the whole thing once its dry.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jerx5hZKYzM/T0-2rdxH4wI/AAAAAAAAD6k/I64-b-6UYOw/s1600/Edge%2Bof%2Bthe%2BWoods%2Bdetail%2B2%2B%2B72%2Bdpi_edited-1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jerx5hZKYzM/T0-2rdxH4wI/AAAAAAAAD6k/I64-b-6UYOw/s400/Edge%2Bof%2Bthe%2BWoods%2Bdetail%2B2%2B%2B72%2Bdpi_edited-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714987309997744898" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rxC9KXjLbBo/T0_UmxaimuI/AAAAAAAAD6w/aJN-U55T0ow/s400/Edge%2Bof%2Bthe%2BWoods%2Bdetail%2B3%2B72%2Bdpi.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5715020214721223394" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></span></div><div><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hUsnG1ezsMQ/T0_UnP3e-kI/AAAAAAAAD64/RM404426rfw/s400/Edge%2Bof%2Bthe%2BWoods%2Bdetail%2B4%2B72%2Bdpi.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5715020222895684162" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Deborah Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242296435365350267noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5481273174930820612.post-19885902778998935062012-02-21T16:44:00.001-08:002013-10-13T16:35:47.121-07:00Coming to the Woods<div>
<i>I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.</i></div>
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<i>Walden</i>, Henry David Thoreau</div>
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When I first went to Lennox Woods although I was entranced with the beauty of the place, I could not have then anticipated its effect on me. After all, I spend a lot of time in woods and fields, outdoors, looking. But, within the forest there is something new to be learned. So I returned, and will continue for all the reasons Thoreau did and for some of my own.</div>
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Nothing happens there of any importance, at least by the standards of the world. It is quiet, but not silent, and within that quiet is a constant hum of energy and life. You just have to listen and look.</div>
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That's what I did at first, to the exclusion of everything else. It took a while to hear the sounds and actually see what was there. Slowly, the Woods started to reveal themselves to me. This took some time. At that point I began to sketch and look for motifs to paint. But, still mostly just looking. The season was changing from summer to fall and every visit offered new ways to look at the Woods and new color harmonies. Even the sound of the Woods changed with the season. So I kept looking and listening.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; color: #0000ee;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711765856258259314" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MuzVICB0LBk/T0REyLZ6eXI/AAAAAAAAD5Y/scag8E_gT-c/s400/lennox%2Bwoods%2Bvalue%2Bstudy%2B2.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></span><br />
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value study, graphite</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_nmVruQB1BI/T0RG8bp7dGI/AAAAAAAAD5k/_kPExju1Kk4/s1600/pen%2Band%2Bink%2Bsweetgum%2Btrunk%2Bstudy.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711768231442347106" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_nmVruQB1BI/T0RG8bp7dGI/AAAAAAAAD5k/_kPExju1Kk4/s400/pen%2Band%2Bink%2Bsweetgum%2Btrunk%2Bstudy.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 227px;" /></a></div>
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sweetgum trunk study, pen and ink</div>
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Then I started to draw. Drawing is the way I introduce myself to a place. It's the way I study it and try to understand it. And because it slows me down, I always learn a lot about not only what I draw, but the place, and what I want to say in paint about it.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MuzVICB0LBk/T0REyLZ6eXI/AAAAAAAAD5Y/scag8E_gT-c/s1600/lennox%2Bwoods%2Bvalue%2Bstudy%2B2.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xvCqpRs3eZk/T0REVPR3KUI/AAAAAAAAD5M/TJMSSbgVIvM/s1600/trunk%2Bstudy.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711765359082023234" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xvCqpRs3eZk/T0REVPR3KUI/AAAAAAAAD5M/TJMSSbgVIvM/s400/trunk%2Bstudy.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a></div>
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oil study</div>
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The drawings have a life of their own as works of art, but of course they also form the basis of paintings- ideas for paintings and reference for individual elements. I hope to have them and the ideas they represent stacked up like cordwood, keeping me warm and productive in the studio for a long time to come.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; color: #0000ee;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711763244397410850" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8Gdgc2MQ_Ls/T0RCaJdwuiI/AAAAAAAAD4I/0kHza19pT4I/s400/Autumn%2BSunrise%252C%2BLennox%2BWoods%2B1824%2B72dpi_edited-1.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline;">Autumn Sunrise, Lennox Woods</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline;">18 x 24</span></div>
Deborah Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242296435365350267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5481273174930820612.post-4571535392159008282012-02-16T16:34:00.001-08:002012-02-16T16:50:24.807-08:00Snow at Lennox Woods!All winter I have been hoping we would get snow this year. It usually snows each winter once or twice. But not always, and it doesn't last long. So when the forecast called for snow Sunday night, I went on alert. I woke about 4 AM Monday and sure enough, there were a couple of inches on the ground. I intended to wake Steve around 6 so we could get to the Woods by dawn, but he was up before then and we headed out about 6:30. It was about 35 degrees and still lightly snowing.<div><br /></div><div>As luck would have it, <a href="http://lennoxwoods.blogspot.com/p/about-filmmaker.html">Allen Phillips</a> (the filmmaker for the project) was out of town! I texted him on the way and just before we lost the signal, he texted back "No way!". So, the video you see here is just a few minutes of the roughly one hour of video we took. Hopefully Allen can turn it into something a bit more artistic!</div><div><br /></div><div>It looked just the way I had imagined it would. And it was so quiet. It always is, but the snow and heavy atmosphere muffled all the usual forest sounds. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/36920473?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400" height="300" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/36920473">Untitled</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user6933932">Deborah Paris</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</p>Deborah Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242296435365350267noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5481273174930820612.post-2683796090997069582012-02-12T15:15:00.000-08:002012-02-14T13:34:48.995-08:00Lennox Woods-The Ancient Forest Video<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/36659042?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400" height="300" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/36659042">Untitled</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user6933932">Deborah Paris</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</p>Deborah Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242296435365350267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5481273174930820612.post-13039895238094629302012-02-12T14:50:00.001-08:002012-02-14T13:33:30.059-08:00The Lennox Woods Project<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 298px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--oDaWaSBJX8/TzhFOHOchfI/AAAAAAAAD1E/6LMdaYnBvk8/s400/Autumn%2BSunrise%2B1824%2B72%2Bdpi.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708388636452226546" /><div style="text-align: center;">Autumn Sunrise- Lennox Woods</div><div style="text-align: center;">18 x 24</div><div><br /></div>I am so excited to announce the Lennox Woods Project. Over the next 18 months or so, we will explore and record the pristine beauty and magnificence of the Lennox Woods Preserve in northeast Texas. Underwritten and sponsored by Galerie Kornye West of Ft. Worth, Texas, the project will encompass over fifty works of art- including paintings, drawings, etchings and drypoints-to be be exhibited in multiple venues during 2014 and beyond. A film documenting the project will be shown at the exhibitions and film clips from throughout the project will appear on this blog over the course of the next year. A full color catalog will be produced which will include a DVD of the project film and other content. This blog will chronicle the course of the project, recording what happens in the Woods, in the studio and elsewhere in connection with this unique multi disciplinary project.<br /><br />Although the Lennox Woods Preserve is only about 10 miles from my home/studio I visited it for the first time in late summer 2011. Northeast Texas is full of beautiful woods, huge trees, and streams, and I had spent the last five years painting mostly what could be explored within a few miles of my studio. My husband Steve visited the Preserve with friends one weekend in late summer. He thought it would be the perfect subject for a large body of work and a major exhibition. I was skeptical. But, when I stepped into Lennox Woods I knew I had come to a place that is unique and special.<div><br /></div><div>As an old growth forest Lennox Woods presents an opportunity to step through a door to an earlier time. Unlike other old growth or ancient forests like the redwoods, Lennox Woods represents not what is <i>unusal</i> but rather what <i>was</i> common, and is now <i>rare</i>.<br /><br />Honestly, I have a difficult time describing the effect of the Woods on me. When I first went to the Woods I began to consider what I might have to say about them in paint. I worried at first that there might not be enough material for a large series of work, and then I worried that there was too much. For the first month, I simply observed, walking, listening, closely looking at every little thing. The more I did that, the more I noticed, the more I understood, and the more I fell in love.<br /><br />Slowly, I began to draw and then to paint. I took these first attempts and other treasures, like pine cones and leaves, rocks and pine needles back to my studio. I went back again and again, waking early as late fall approached, knowing that fog might envelop the Woods. I wanted to miss nothing. I wanted to see each leaf fall.<br /><br /></div><div>Steve encouraged me to dream big about what was possible. We drove to the Woods in fog and rain and he waited patiently at the truck while I wandered around exploring. He shot some of the original footage we took at the Woods and acted as lookout and bodyguard for wild pigs that happen to cross our path. He has come up with wonderful ideas for how to promote the project and expand its reach.<br /><br />When Paula Kornye Tillman and I first began to discuss this project, I honestly wondered if I could convey to her what I saw and how compelling this place is to me. After all, at that point, I had only drawings and a few field sketches to show for months of intense observation and study. But, Paula understood immediately and embraced my vision for a large exhibition and desire to bring in other artistic disciplines to document and enrich the project.<br /><br />Soon after, Steve recruited Allen Phillips to document the project. Allen's creative and unique talent and his deep roots in the northeast Texas soil make him the perfect partner in this endeavor.<br /><br />I hope you will join us in the journey!</div><div><br />Deborah Paris<br />February 2012</div></div>Deborah Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242296435365350267noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5481273174930820612.post-32175533494950313122012-02-12T14:30:00.000-08:002012-02-12T15:26:47.830-08:00"In our current culture, all too often, we think that everything that needs exploration and examination in nature has been discovered. It is true that our natural areas in the United States have been mapped and explored, but that should really be the first chapter in our book of appreciating, understanding, and preserving our natural surroundings. That is why Deborah Paris’ Lennox Woods project is so worthy of our attention. Deborah is continuing the 19<span style="font: normal normal normal 7.3px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; letter-spacing: 0px; "><sup>th</sup></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "> century tradition of artist/explorer that was so essential in bringing to the attention of the American public the value of nature in our own back yards. I invite you to join us in a year long journey, as seen through the artist’s eyes, as she interprets this ancient forest in our own Texas. Let’s take the time to watch, listen, and learn about Lennox Woods and in turn be the recipients of the bountiful gifts these ancient woods hold for us. "<br /><br />Paula Kornye Tillman<br />Art Historian/ Gallery Owner<br />February 5, 2012</span>Deborah Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242296435365350267noreply@blogger.com0