Figurative Works

Two of my recent pieces, The Dancer and Eric were chosen for Figurative Works, a juried competition at the Foundry Art Centre in Saint Charles, Missouri.  I was absoLUTELY blown away at the honor of being included in this showing.  There were over two hundred applications and only 46 artists' work was chosen. And the quality was amazing, diverse, and fantastic.  They will be hanging for 5 1/2 more weeks.

My Right Arm

I painted this in response to a call for art that I have chosen to interpret through my own aging. This arm and hand shows just a bit of the wrinkles and arthritis that is beginning to take it's toll. I painted using the grissaille technique and then washed in some layers of color. Hope you enjoy it!

Is it Done Yet?

What do you think?  I love the grissaille underpainting and fully intended to glaze in the skin tones but my sister said I should just leave it as it is.  Soooooo, I'm just putting it out for a day or two to see what ya'll think.  Hope you enjoy it.

I am happy to announce that two of my pieces have been selected for a local show at the Foundry Art Centre in Saint Charles, Missouri.  The show is called Figurative Works and opens this weekend, the reception Friday night.  The two paintings are 'The Dancer' and 'Eric.'  It's such an honor to have anything selected so I am doubly pleased.  If you are in the area, please drop by for this free event from 6-8 PM on Jan. 24, have a glass of wine and some nibblies and check out this great space.

My Hand

I've been in a painting slump.  I started this a couple of weeks ago and was close enough to finishing to sign it but today I did make the final corrections and finished it. It's a tough time of year to be finding inspiration with all of the holiday busy-ness going on. 

This one almost got the better of me.  I did the under painting in grey tones and didn't know where I was going to go with it.  I glazed some of the colors in but wasn't satisfied and ended up painting over the under painting anyway.  But I think it turned out just delightfully.  I hope you enjoy it!

Up Side Down

I started a new series a couple of days ago: hands.  I don't think I will ever have the fascination with them, the utter astonishment, that I have painting eyes.  I believe the eye PODs (painting o' day) has produced some of my best painting to date.  If that sounds like boasting, it surely isn't. The repetition of the subject has projected my technique to another level. I want to see if it has a cross-over effect on other subjects and since hands are nearly as emotive as eyes and expressly because they are difficult, I think it's a perfect project to undertake. The repetitive, persistent pursuit of something worthwhile and challenging.

The result of taking on a cognitive challenge is exhaustion!  Code-breaking, learning to 'see' what the eye sees and not what we think we see, is mind-bending work.  I finished an under painting yesterday without too much difficulty, except that it took me two days to complete.  Today, whilst waiting for the first one to dry, I ran outside to Tim's studio with my iPad and shot a video of him throwing a cup.  I snapped some snaps from the video and found one that looks promising. After working only about an hour and a half, I felt exhaustion creeping in (body fatigue resulting from mental fatigue.)  I realized that I was messing it up!  In frustration and desperation, I did the only thing that helps at times like these:  I turned both the iPad and the canvas panel upside down!!! After another hour and a half I am safely on the right track.  I decided to leave it for the day, clean up and play in my greenhouse for awhile. Here is the under painting, upside down.

Permission

Christmas Card Production

One thing I allow myself is a messy studio. It's dusty, dog-hairy, slightly disorganized, and comfortably grubby.   The studio is my sanctuary and I am at peace with my own disorder and dirtiness, whereas the rest of my domicile must conform to some image of domesticity, order and cleanliness.  The 'house' is reasonably organized and when clutter accumulates beyond a certain 'acceptable' level it must be purged! But, other than the studio, there is no place in which I am completely at peace, at rest, because of there being something which always needs doing. Tidying.  Cleaning.  Painting, repairing, whatever.  Here there is no standard, no image to uphold. It's just my place.  All of the brushes, paints, computer, monitor, cables and cords,paintings, sketches, calendar, books, easel, library table, rug, cabinet, slop sink, watering can, dogs, smudgy windows overlooking the yard, closeness to the greenhouse and across the hall from the kitchen, just a stone's throw from the pottery studio and my garden makes it just about perfect. And perfectly messy.