Carnival (in progress), Dahlias and Bees

"Carnival" - In progress

30"x40"

It's misting here in Portlandia.  Perfect weather for easing into a three-day weekend after three rather intense weeks at work, but not so great for those who have been looking forward to their last camping adventure prior to the beginning of school.   The weather is a welcome reprieve from the heat and it buys me a break from exterior maintenance work that demands to be done before the relentless rains arrive.  I'm hoping to finish "Carnival" (which already has another oval appearing inside of the large white oval and a yellow band beneath the white rectangle), and perhaps one other painting.  Maybe I'll break out a new canvas, too, and I'm also hoping to get some hand stitching and machine work done.

I've been spending more time in the vegetable garden this year.  Turning the compost continues to be my favorite activity, but I've also been enjoying hand watering in the evening and visiting the garden in the early morning to watch the bees at work in the dahlias that, amazingly, are now towering over the vegetables and bringing merriment to the garden.

Thank you to those of you who continue to blog and/or post to Instagram, Flickr, Tumblr or Facebook.   Your work inspires me on a daily basis.  And as always, thank you for your interest in my  slow but steady artistic journey.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Painting In Progress.......Suspended Ovoids

In progress - "Suspended Ovoids"

Acrylic on canvas - 30" x 40"

So I stared at my blank canvas for a good part of the day and evening last Saturday, and finally took the plunge on Sunday-- beginning still another painting in my "Ovoid" series.  By mid-morning on Monday,  the painting was at a good point:  suffused, somewhat evocative, a bit brooding, and in a simple palette akin to  the bark, leaves, and lichen of our blueberry bushes in early summer.  Two simple, warm-white ovoids commanded the center of attention.  By Monday afternoon, I had managed to lose the suffused feel and my background palette had shifted.  Tuesday and Wednesday evenings were spent studying the painting; comparing and contrasting it with others in my midst and deliberating about whether to try to recapture the early essence of the painting, or to pursue an alternative, more graphic approach.   Last night, as the light faded to darkness, I literally sat staring at the painting.  Finally, I made several decisions:  "Yes" to using bright orange.  "Yes" to stripes.  "No" to the dark, dark background.  "Yes" to the larger end of the ovoids on the bottom of the painting. "Yes" to "suspending" the ovoids.  And within a matter of an hour, I was well on my way!  Now, it's a matter of adding more color interest to the orange stripes (ala the citrus oranges); adding refinements here and there, and perhaps adding some graphite.   Cannot wait to get back to this painting in the morning light!

And then, I think I'll try to recapture the early essence of the earlier "lost" painting in a smaller version.  :)

Art = Happiness

Cheers!

Giving Life to a "Dead" Piece and....Graphic Ovoids: Second State

Mixed media in process

6 1/2" x 9"

Well, here it is -- mid-afternoon on a Sunday.  The weekend window of opportunity is narrowing.  Yesterday was filled with errands, a long overdue and much welcomed visit with dear friends, and a little baking.  Interspersed, were trips back and forth from one studio "annex" (read: dining room table) to another annex  (read: sunroom table) and then back to the "main studio" (read: converted bedroom).  Mind you, this was strictly a "get re-acquainted with the 'this-and-thats' (sketches, surface designs, etc.), that might one day be useful in a work of some sort or another" kind of activity.  Nothing productive by any stretch of the imagination.  Late in the evening, I became sort of "desperate," if you will.  So I grabbed a very "dullish," "reject " monoprint.  "Dull" as in drab mauve and even drabber olive, and black.  Then, I grabbed my Prismacolor pencils, set up camp in front of the dying fire, and begin to color.  That's right -- color -- just like a schoolgirl.   And now, my destined-for-for-the-trash monoprint has become this colorful "doodle-print-sketch-ditty!''

Which leads me to a wonderful bit of advice that I gleaned from the extremely talented artist behind Non-Indigenous Woman.  NEVER GIVE UP ON A DRAWING.  This little gem came forth when she generously took the time to respond to a question I had asked about a watercolor process she had touched on in one of her posts.  (I've mentioned Non-Indigenous Woman on this blog before.  If you haven't visited there yet, I highly recommend it.  She  instructs at the university level and the focus of her own work is currently printmaking. She is a fabulous illustrator and her mixed media sketches are just amazing.

"Graphic Ovoids"  - first state

"Graphic Ovoids" - second state

Acrylic on canvas 36" x 36"

Speaking of schoolgirls (and boys), did you ever look at "Highlights" magazine in the waiting room of the doctor or dentist as a child?  Remember the "Can You Find the Hidden Objects?" feature?  Well, that's what these two photographs of "Graphic Ovoids" are like:  Can you identify the differences between the first and second states?  No? --I didn't think so -- :) -- because they are so darn subtle. So I shall assist:  The changes include "Xs" in the orange rectangle, changes to the hue of some of the "white" quadrants on the eggs, darkening of the grey/brown quadrants of the eggs, additional definition on the perimeter of the eggs, and a warming up of the lower field.  All that over the course of a few hours to achieve subtle differences!  So that's what I've been looking at for the last week.  And now, the time has come to garner my courage and jump back into the painting...   

Stay tuned, and have a wonderful week!

:)