sliding out of 2011......

Unbelievably 2011 is coming to an end. Even as I type the words, it's hard for me to believe, I mean, I know that sounds cliche, but SERIOUS!!??? Have I been on the bullet train? and am I just now getting off to try and figure out what I was doing for 12 months? It seems like that - I was busy, a bunch of stuff happened, good stuff, bad stuff, life changing stuff, reality changing stuff, and then a whole load of ordinary stuff. Personally I like the ordinary stuff because it keeps me grounded - that first cup of coffee in the morning, the good feeling AFTER working out, throwing on my work clothes and heading to the studio to throw paint, the days of a thousand errands, climbing into bed at night with a very good book, housework all checked off, lists with everything crossed off, watching the birds in the yard, turning the computer off at night - the list could go on and on and maybe I will add things as the week goes by -

I ran back over the work I completed this year and made the mosaic below of my favs - it was another year of some good work, some bad work and a transition that I'm just falling into..... Two new outlets for my work and even a few sales.....life is good and one of the good things on a daily basis are you guys - my cyber friends - I so appreciate your continued support - I want to wish each of you the VERY BEST for 2012!! It's going to be a very good year.

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lights out.......

It's been dark in my little work shed for the past week - energy has shifted from painting to Christmas and all that that brings - it's the same every year - I tell myself I will work through the holidays no matter what! because it's just too hard to gear up to start again after any downtime. sigh - I had to run into the studio to grab a few things this afternoon and it took every bit of energy I had to walk back out again! I wanted to sit down and work so bad - the sun was out, projects lined up in progress, an especially almost finished piece on the easel - but walk back out I did - I have a sense I will be working tomorrow if only just a short while -

Before I post this and slip back into Christmas mode, I just wanted to share a little phenomenon I have run up against at least once or twice a day for the past two weeks - there are women of a certain age who carry handbags that contain at least 50 to a 100 compartments - you have to understand I am of the 'black hole' bag group where you open the bag and just drop things in, they land at the bottom and are retrieved  by feel in a snap! but basically I keep the CARD in the ONE side pocket for quick retrieval - so when I'm waiting in a check out line and the little lady ahead of me starts unsnapping, unzipping, unfolding, each one of the hundred little compartments to retrieve the extra three cents and then refolds, rezips, resnaps each of those very same compartments before moving on, I have to take deep deep deep breaths so I won't yank the hideous brown bag out of her hands and hurl it across the store while all the people lined up behind me cheer!!!!   Serious??!! Just let the clerk make change, it's totally okay!! 

The lights will be on again soon, but until then, enjoy all things holiday!

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continued?......

How do transitions niggle their way into our art practices? I have been thinking about this alot lately. It is obvious to me that I'm experiencing change in my art practice and I wonder how this begins and what triggers the transition.  My work is becoming more sparse on the top  surface, but much more complex beneath - I'm still painting with my darker palette, but more and more the work is shifting into more ghost like images beneath the surface - lighter colors on top - it is still very much me but with a bit of a different voice - I'm shifting between the two  palettes quite unconsciously but landing more and more in this newer vain - I'm enjoying more of the mystery in this newer work - I'm loving this new exploration - new edges to push - I love that this transition chose me and I didn't choose it - I'm wandering this as an explorer which is exciting to me.......

the painting below is oil on paper, 24x19, 'Pretend Silence'

Happy Wednesday everyone! See you all on the other side of the weekend!


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detour......

I just love it when the work takes an unexpected turn. As I told you in my last post, I was messing around with using blocks with wax impressions on them to do some fun printing. I was enjoying the surprises the print blocks left, but for anyone who follows this blog, you know what I love most is painting, so? a painting I went - it took the most unexpected turn - all light and lacy and looking so different from my normal palette - I didn't even try to force my normal palette onto the surface - I just went where the paint told me to go and the photo below shows the final product.  I added some bees wax early on.  I have left my header because that shows a detail of the bones of this piece.

mixed media with bees wax on paper, 19x24, 'The Locked Box'

The weekend looms with Christmas preparations all around us....have the best one ever and I will see you next week!


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reminded again.......!!!!

As our days are really more night then day right now, I am reminded AGAIN! how much environment plays in my painting palette. I have been working on the piece below for a couple of weeks - it has gone through about three major phases - from very light to very dark and finally resolved in the painting below. As I'm turning off the lights, heater, etc. in my workspace each afternoon about 4pm, I come outside to see the moon and first stars already in the sky, or dark clouds forming over the tops of the trees - it's twilight and feels magical somehow - that moment has filtered into my work this past month - I'm also playing with bees wax on little boards and blocks and using them as print elements on paper - will show some later in the week - the painting below is oil and bees wax on board 12x12,
'When The Moon Fell'

Happy Sunday everyone, see you all later in the week!


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