over the edge........

This has been a REAL challenge - This piece is on a canvas that was given to me a few years ago. The canvas had an underpainting of some sort of material like glue that formed alot of texture. I then did a painting that was okay and has been in our home for a couple of years. It certainly was nothing special, but it had colors that went with the colors in our home, so it lived here inside. It was perfect fodder for playing with my new paints, so I drug it out to my little land of 'deconstruction' and started working on it. It's been in process for a couple of weeks and finally started taking shape a few days ago. Yesterday I was ready to throw it on the burn pile. It just got progressively worse as the afternoon wore on and on and on. I finally took a rag and wiped off as much as I could and then I could see it! The final, very bad photo, is how I left it yesterday. I was happy that I got it back on track and I just have to do the final tweaking today. I actually like it in this form. Will post a photo (hopefully better) of the final piece.

most of the original painting, but I've started painting over....

in process

Wham! all gone! and truly the ugly .......


in process



Finally I ended with this. I went back into the studio this morning to make sure I was still happy with where it's at and yes, I am. I'll finish it today. Have a very fabulous weekend everyone!

rounding the corner.....

It's been two months since I received a gift of oil paints from Daryl at 'on the m104'. I finally feel like I'm rounding the corner as far as a new way of working. I will not bore you with particulars since I've posted about this journey already. I'll just show what has been coming out of my workspace. It has opened up new ways of thinking and doing and some new ideas are now on the front burner. The following pieces have taught me so much. I'm eager now to branch out.

These first two little paintings (8" X 10") were the canvases that Daryl sent with the paints. I've reworked them several times.







These next two are the same painting - the first is the underpainting and then the final piece.






This is the same evolution. First the underpainting and then the final piece. This is one of the canvases I got at the Goodwill.

some favs....

Not too much to show right now. I plug away each day - some days are good and some days are not so good - the paint goes my way some days and other days? it decides to give me a run for my money. But, there are my constants that I can count on each time I work: my chair - I love this chair - a number of years ago our neighbor had a garage sale and this chair was among the things she was getting rid of -
"how much for the chair?"
"you want the chair?"
"yes! it will be fabulous in my studio space."
"Oh, please, just take it!"
"serious?"
"YES!"



So the chair came to live with me and is one of my favorite things. I use to work standing up, but my knee doesn't like that much anymore, so the chair is perfect!

Here are my brushes. Well these are some of my brushes, but these are the ones I use all the time! They are like old friends in my hands. They pick up the right amount of paint, they maneuver it just the right way (well most of the time) and they don't seem to mind that I don't use them to apply brush strokes, but rather to scrub! Yes, I'm a scrubber!

This is my brayer. It is left over from my sojourn into printmaking. I've used it for many things since, but find it a fabulous tool to use with oils.

Yesterday was the day of a thousand errands and I always make a stop at the Goodwill to see if anyone has tossed out their paintings on canvas. I found 5 canvases! I was so happy. Nothing over $1.50. A wonderful way to get canvas on the cheap. A couple coats of gesso, or not, and they are good to go.

The above is a bad photo of a painting that is almost finished. A bit of glare on the top, but you can get the idea. Have a fabulous weekend everyone!

my digi......

Over the past year I have become more and more reliant on my digital camera to help me solve composition problems when I get stuck! In the past, the problem/challenge would present itself and I would sit with it and then get tired of sitting with it and trying to figure it out - then I would make a drastic about face (like painting the whole thing out) and work some more. Well, actually, I still do that, but much of the time now, I take some photos with my best friend my digital camera, go inside, then download the pics and start moving things around on the computer. It seems a much more objective atmosphere to work in. I can rotate the image, pick the strong sections, crop, rotate, darken, lighten and usually find the problem and a way to resolve it. One of the ways I like to challenge myself is to take a piece that I really like and rework it. Say goodbye to something I'm attached to and recreate it. The piece below is a good example of this kind of challenge.

This is the finished painting I started with. I really liked it, so I decided it would be the one to challenge myself with.

Here is the piece with the first washes of oil over acrylic.

Then this is where I got stuck. It just wasn't doing it for me. I liked certain parts of it, but the whole wasn't working. I took my pics at the end of the painting session, loaded them into my computer and started playing with the images. It didn't take long to figure out what was bugging me about the piece.




The next day I was able to go into my workspace and start working on the areas that bothered me. Here is the final piece. For me this is my favorite painting so far this year.

okay, I have to get another one.....

You have probably seen the fabulous candle holder by Helen Gunn made out of old lamp parts displayed on my sidebar. It was a birthday gift from Lis. I have been trying different things with it and finding this fabulous piece is up for almost anything. Below are a few of the ways I've tried. Okay, now I have to get another one because it makes a wonderful display for almost anything including a stack of books! Each candle holder is unique. The pics below are just a few of the ways I've tried it. This is obviously a piece I will never get tired of (one of my criteria for art in my home :) )


Here I sat it atop one of my favorite vases and topped it with a glass float.

This time I put an old spring on top and inserted a ceramic head by Gary Curtis.

This time I kept the spring and inserted a piece of cactus from Death Valley.

Finally the original wax head by Gary Curtis mounted on a piece of lava stone. Today I'm finishing up five of my new paintings to hang at the gallery at Salon Delucca. Hope you all have a fabulous week. Will post pics of the show after I hang it.

haiku festival.......

monoprint

ego driven self

simulates a feel good rush

then another void

go here for more 'haiku festival'

moving along

Let's see, what have I been doing? Hmmmmmm, oh, that's right! PAINTING, PAINTING, PAINTING! Well, what can I say. I'm lucky enough to be able to work everyday and I'm taking advantage of it. Still working through the 'blood' series and getting a feeling it's winding down a bit. Actually put some other colors on a new canvas today. Below is a progression. Have only been taking pictures at the end of each session so the progression shown is just a quick glimpse of beginning to end.

laid down the under painting....

worked with different shapes and textures....

Here is the final piece.... graphite, oil pastel, oil on canvas...

Have a great week everyone!

"yes, but you shouldn't see it.......

......said my husband when I asked if he thought people would be creeped out by a series of paintings inspired by 'blood'. "That's when people 'creep' out. When they can see it." Yes, of course, he is totally right! But, I feel I must follow the path that excites me and not worry about the 'creep' factor. So why did I even ask him? Oh, who knows. So on I go. Painting the things that sneak into my psyche when I'm not looking. Blood has so many layers - the 'good', the 'bad', and the 'ugly' - my mantra - here are two completed pieces - see, not creepy at all....
I'm working on taking better photographs of my work - I'm getting better, but still have a ways to go.....always a ways to go....


oil & graphite on canvas

oil & graphite on canvas

I'm working on a new body of paintings so that I can put up a website that offers my work to the public. It's a goal I've had for a couple of years, but time has always been so limited, or I'm getting ready for a show, or whatever. Anyway, I know I will have to paint thirty pieces to get maybe 15 good ones, so a large task ahead. One must just start.......