Tuesday 26 November 2013

puzzlement - just an update



I feel fortunate to even get these updates/photos on here - somehow my camera has refused to send photos to iPhoto in the last week. I finally had the brainstorm of sending them to my laptop (windows 8) and it has sort of worked.....we shall see if I actually get this posted. The mom & girls is nearly done and I have begun the fisherman on the top. I am trying a yellow underpainting again and I used walnut oil when I toned the canvas to slow down the drying period. This might get wiped down for that very reason since it doesn't seem to be drying at all. I wish a Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Saturday 16 November 2013

trio - phase 2 - 24x12"


We have had a very fall-like week here in SC. It was actually too cold to paint in my studio for a couple of days so I need to figure out what sort of heating system I can use with the fumes and an unventilated space - I lasted a few hours at most when it was under 50 degrees. But I am making some progress on this painting and began another………I also decided to use up some tubes of paint that have been cluttering my paintbox before they were too dried up to use. For some odd reason I previously thought that cerulean blue and manganese blue were pretty much the same color….warm blues and all. Wow, was I wrong and am now in total love with cerulean blue.

Sunday 10 November 2013

trio - 24x12


I began this after a couple of days painting outside and totally enjoying the process - the fresh air and the sounds…….I feel like I learned a bunch and have no desire to save either of the two things that I did. Came back very comfortable, energized and eager to get into the studio. I am finding that this is the way I survive as an artist……never get stuck on the "product." Treat your schedule as you would a job (in a rough sort of way) but never, ever lose sight of why one paints in the first place. Paintings are simply not a product for me - they have to come from somewhere else and be something else or I would just as soon make a quilt or work in the garden (both of which are pretty wonderful in their own way). At any rate, this is just the beginning so I am working the values out here more than anything. 

Wednesday 6 November 2013

finishing with mixed results!



I finished these two for the most part.............since they are on my drying wall, I may see some things that annoy me but I consider them complete. Then I spent most of the day "getting into" another nearly done one that I realized had the values wrong and now I hate it. I might go out plein air tomorrow to break myself of the discouragement that hits me when I cannot do something to my satisfaction!