Sunday, December 26, 2010

Untitled 3 (shoes)

"Untitled 3 (shoes)"
48"H by 48"W, on panel. 
(click for enlargement)

This painting is heavy. It dominates the corner of my studio, waiting and reminding me that I must finish it soon if I wish it to be on the fresh print run of business cards. While I work on other, more pressing projects, it looms and draws my attention whenever I glance at my supply corner.

I may call this about half-finished. Color is absent from too much of the darks, and a few spots are still simply sketches. The editing process begins as soon as I am satisfied with the way the whole is painted, and consists simply of emphasizing the areas which I feel deserve the eye's attention. It is easily the most meditative and difficult part of the painting process.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Two Pugs and a Labrador

"Lily the Pug"
11"H by 8.5"W, on panel. 
(click for enlargement)

"Naomi the Pug"
11"H by 8.5"W, on panel. 
(click for enlargement)







"Mo"
8"H by8"W, on panel. 
(click for enlargement)



Here are the dog paintings I've been drawing for the last week. I'll start to paint on them tomorrow. The Labrador was my mother's and I used to try to ride it like a pony.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

New Studio

From the entrance of studio 5A.
The move into the new studio has gone very well. It is in the same building and has about four times the amount of space I was in. It's about 250 square feet, and most of that is lengthwise so I can get a little distance on some very big paintings.

I'm also working on applying wordpress to my website and converting this blog to be a part of it. So far I've checked out a library book and stared at the cover without actually opening it to read. I know less about wordpress than I do about dreamweaver. This should be fun, and by 'fun' I mean it's like all that homework I've been missing for a year or so.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Holding Pattern

I've been presented with an oppourtunity to shift my studio to a much larger space and I'm taking it. If the blog goes dark for a little while it's because I'm buried under all the art supplies I've aqquired over the years.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

In Progress: Untitled 2 & 3 (shoes)

"Untitled 2 (shoes)"
24"H by 24"W, on canvas. 
(click for enlargement) 

"Untitled 3 (shoes)"
48"H by 48"W, on panel. 
(click for enlargement)

I wanted to play catch-up with these paintings, to get them to the same level as the first painting of the shoes. Of course, the first painting benefited from having a pthalo-greenish wash before I painted the subject at all. Once these three shoe paintings are of the same quality, I can then begin to pick out batches of shoes to detail and finish; all the red shoes at once, all the gold at once, all the black, etc.

The biggest dilemma is that I don't really know what to call these pieces. I have ideas about the titles, but I really want to make sure it fits just right so I'm holding off. In cases like this, I'll often write a prospective title repeatedly on a piece of paper and examine it. If I still feel satisfied after twenty times or so, the title will probably stick.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

In Progress: Gulf

"Gulf" (on the right) pictured next to "Junction"
Both of these paintings are in progress, and this is a photo of them hanging in the hall at my studio, which is how they are stored. I noticed, however, that they correspond very strongly. Gulf is on its side to save some space, and while it doesn't seem finished (as though there were an amount of brustrokes or paint tubes that make a painting "finished"), it seems to work well in this orientation so it may stay this way. Gulf is 54" long.

Friday, July 30, 2010

In Progress(?): Junction

"Junction"
48"H by 36"W, on panel.
(click for enlargement)
I've reached a place with this painting where I can almost call it done. It buzzes with the amount of shapes and colors inflicted on it, seems overcrowded and disjointed. I'm going to look at it for a few weeks, see if I can figure out how to fix it. For now, it's hanging in the studio highway, taking up some space.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

In Progress: Untitled (shoes)

"Untitled (shoes)"
30"H by 48"W, on canvas. 
(click for enlargement)
 
Still working on this one. I have noted that every time I feel like my strokes aren't going on the way I want them to, I feel like I should go brush shopping. Really, what I ought to do is learn to clean them a bit better. 

I'm not sure of the shadow colors in this one yet, and some of the spots haven't been added or their placement still eludes me. Now that some of the shoes are looking a lot more solid, it's easier to see what the result will look like. Tomorrow I hope I can get the background slapped on.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

In Progress: Untitled (shoes)

"Untitled (shoes)"
30"H by 48"W, on canvas. 
(click for enlargement)

Still going really strong on this one. My Mondays are cut short at the studio, but the extension cords are finished and were very fun to paint. This painting has an issue I didn't really see until this point; the shoes on the left side are small in size, but shouldn't be quite as tiny as they are. I'll have to correct that when I paint on top of the drawing. 

I'm ready to paint more on it as soon as I get up in the morning. This is going very quickly compared to some of the other ones I have languishing in the studio.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

In Progress: Untitled (shoes)

"Untitled (shoes)"
30"H by 48"W, on canvas. 
(click for enlargement)
This is a pile of shoes with a couple of electrical cables piled on top of a mattress.  I had a really good groove going with this by the time I was done today. So good, actually, that I didn't really notice that I was clenching my jaw and leaning heavily to the left. Forgetting to move and above all, relax, is a sign of a good painting, or at least it means that I'm passionate about it. It also means that I might be found laying on the floor tomorrow, trying to get my back to go back to where it should be.

Here is a reference collage I've made of the same subject:

(click for enlargement)
 
Just drawing these absurd little graceful objects brings me more joy than wearing them possibly could.  Another series of paintings? Well, yes. I've got nothing but time until I start making a realistic income with my painting, so I may as well put my eggs in a lot of baskets.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

State Fair Visit


Here's me with Garbage. I like this painting, but me being fond of it doesn't excuse the fact that it feels like a much weaker painting than the ones I'm working on these days.



Tumult seems settled now that it's framed. If it is sold, I may cry a little before using the cash to fix my decrepit truck.


Both paintings won Awards of Merit, and the ribbons are some of the most lavish award rosettes I've ever seen. The State Fairgrounds is enormous and I saw perhaps half of it before deciding that it was just too hot to continue. The Fine Art building is housing some incredible works of art, and I feel like my paintings are in excellent company.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Starbucks Grande

Here's the underdrawings for the start of a series of small paintings. I am not sure if all of these will be of coffee cups, or whether they will all be crushed.









All are 6x8 inches, charcoal on cradled panels. Going to put some paint on them next week. None of them have names or individual lives yet, and I'm not sure whether I'm going to include any of the text. It's a bit repetitive, like a visit to Starbucks.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Built for Two

I've been away for a week, and I feel like I should apologize for being out of the studio for so long. I can't wait to get back to painting. On the bright side, the summer camp that I helped to run got a lot of positive reviews from parents and students alike.


Some friends of mine got married a couple weeks ago, and this was my wedding present to them: 

"Built for Two"
11"H by 17"W, on canvas.
(click for enlargement)

And here's the painting with the frame on it. I went to the trouble of putting gold leaf on the poplar frame and then had to dull it back with an acrylic wash and some satin polyurethane. It came out very nicely, if a little late with the seven-day drying time. 

Friday, July 2, 2010

In Progress: Sink

"Sink"
24"H by 54"W, on panel.
(click for enlargement)

I've been painting outside lately. In my studio, I can't step more than four feet away from the surface to see the picture from a distance. The open air and more importantly, heat, has caused the drying times of my paints to reduce to almost nothing (nothing being an hour in this case). So I'm able to work on a part of the painting and come back to a dry surface, as long as I keep the paint somewhat thin. It's a nice way to work, if you can keep from dying of heatstroke.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

JuJu's Front and Juju's Back

"Juju's Front"
9"H by 9"W, on panel.
(click for enlargement)

"Juju's Back"
9"H by 9"W, on panel.
(click for enlargement)

Finished these paintings and framed them today, they look pretty nice. More dogs for the dog-painting portfolio- someday I'll figure out how to paint a black labrador in a way that doesn't look like an inky spot with ears. 
Here's one with the frame on:

Friday, June 18, 2010

In Progress: Junction

"Junction"(in progress)
48"H by 36"W, on panel.
(click for enlargement)

Not done, but I'm starting to believe that the final painting will strongly resemble what I've done here. The disk or bowl-shaped object in the center right has been replaced with a swirling cloud of yellow and reddish purple., which is the biggest change. The brightness of a few of the front objects has been toned down from a near-white to let them slip back a little since they were popping out like neon signs.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Gold Leaf

All I have to say today is that Gold Leaf, used to spruce up frames, is an attractive material with many good qualities. It is now part of my fingertips and nailbeds.

If a craft store in the area offered classes on how to use this material, I'd take them up. Then I would offer my services to a salon to bling the nails of people who desire a truly permanent look.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

California State Fair

"Garbage"
48"H by 34"W, on panel. 

"Tumult"
24"H by 54"W, on panel. 


These works are on view at the California State Fair from July 14 through August 1st. For event information, please go to BigFun.org

Here's a shot of them when their frames were getting a final coat of polyeurethane:


I think that "Garbage" now weighs 70lbs with the mass of white maple anchored to the outside of it. "Tumult" is framed with some lovely Pacific Coast Cypress, which has a nostalgic yet suprisingly acidic odor.

Hubcap

"Hubcap"(in progress)
14"H by 14"W, on chrome plated steel hubcap.
(click for enlargement) 
 
In addition to the usual problem solving processes of composition and value, it's very problematic to paint on a round surface. I'm definitely not yet done with it, but it's an entertaining experience; this is the first canvas I've had that's capable of rolling away.

Friday, June 4, 2010

Juju's Front and Back

"Juju's Back"
9"H by 9"W, on panel.
(click for enlargement)


"Juju's Front"
9"H by 9"W, on panel.
(click for enlargement)


These are of a dog belonging to my Aunt, who I've affectionately named Pugzilla.  Her name is actually Juju, and she's an adorable wheezy pile of love.  I had to take my reference photos clandestinely, because whenever I showed that I was paying any attention to the dog she would jump up and practically convulse with joy.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Back from Mississippi

"Mrs. Winchester's Bedroom"
8"H by 10"W, on panel. 
(click for enlargement) 

This is a small painting I gave to my Dad last year. This is the first photograph of it that wasn't too terribly covered in glare, but there's still a shadow line down the right side from being in a frame.


"Tangerine Living Room"
12"H by 15"W, on panel. 
(click for enlargement)  
 
I gave this one to Dad this year.  He'll frame it in a week or so- I had to travel with it wrapped in wax paper to ensure that the few wet spots wouldn't create a enormous mess in the suitcase, so he'll wait a little while before cutting the frame to size and slipping it on. 
 
Had a great time in Mississippi, though it was really much too short. My husband and I went out for nine days, though the better part of two of those was spent almost exclusively in planes and airports. While we were there, I took pictures of three houses, two of which were new to me, and got in a lot of visiting with my relatives. I am also apparently delicious to bugs.  All anyone has to do when a mosquito swarm nears is stand near me, and all of the little bloodsuckers will be drawn to my vitamin-rich veins. 

So I'm very itchy now.

"Tip"(in progress)
11"H by 14"W, on canvas. 
(click for enlargement)  
 
 I like the chair in this painting but I think that the junk piled to the left needs some work. I had this desk in my posession and I left it outside my studio, in the parking lot, because hey- it was rusty and full of spiders. It disappeared overnight so I hope that the reference shots I have for it will be good enough if I want to paint it again.

Soon I'll update with photos of a hubcap I'm painting on for landfillart.org, it's exciting because it's my first attempt at a round surface. 

In addition, Tumult and Garbage have both been accepted to the California State Fair Art Competition. I'm riding pretty high for now.

Friday, May 7, 2010

Product

"Magnolia"
7"H by 5"W, on panel. 
(click for enlargement) 

"Granny Smith Apple"
6"H by 4"W, on panel. 
(click for enlargement) 

Been preparing for a trip to visit some family in Mississippi and driving myself a little crazy by painting every day. I'm actually happy to report that these two paintings took less than three hours each. I'm getting a lot faster with painting things that are right in front of me, which is great news. I stil get bogged down with questions of color in some items- reflected light is particularally hard to get right for whatever reason, but so far "faking it" seems to work pretty well.

I have some other paintings in progress to show, but the photos are very bad so I'll need to re-shoot the things in better lighting.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

In Progress: Junction

48"H by 36"W, on panel. 
(click for enlargement)  
 
Brightened up the highlights today. I feel good about this painting again, even though that bowl/dish shape is hanging in some sort of limbo. 

I also pulled a chair out of a dumpster. I'm not sure if it will find a home elsewhere, but I saw it turned over and fell in love with the rusty legs. It's a very good thing that I have a pickup truck.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Funding- An Eternal Struggle

I always feel overwhelmed when thinking about money. My studio-mate and I are seriously considering a larger studio space, which we are both in need of- my works are stacked in my garage and above the rafters, and things I don't even remember painting threaten to avalanche onto my boxes of regular crap (I.E. Toys, clothes, furniture). I'm in a total quandary, and though I know the way out of it, I don't want get a regular full-time job. I need to earn more money to pay for a studio, in order to make more work, in order to sell more work, yet I'll have to sacrifice painting hours to do more work outside the studio to pay for it.

There are works that I consider "garnishes." Sweet little paintings of things that do little more than advertise my technical skill. I think I need to make a lot of those sorts of paintings just now, to try to deal with my seriously dry financial well. Paintings of things that people like isn't at all what I'm about, but the need to have a product is driving me now. So I'm trying my hand at a few portraits and a couple paintings of people's dogs. It's not a problem to turn these paintings out, I'm just a little ashamed of them.

More images soon. I'm going to donate a painting to a local art organization to try to keep them afloat and I'm preparing to enter a state fair competition. So this depression hasn't completely affected my enormous ego, but it could surely use some feeding.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Fireplace Scene 1& 2

14"H by 11"W, on panel. 
(click for enlargement) 
 
 
 
11"H by 14"W, on panel. 
(click for enlargement)  
 
These are finally finished. I like them both, and I'm fairly sure that one of them is going to be claimed soon. Part of my objective in painting two virtually identical pieces is to keep one of them- my studio is looking like it's full of things that are perpetually in progress, and I need a few art pieces that will look nice around the room. Building up a store of art that can be given to a gallery for a month or so is also an objective of mine, even though having such a small space means that some of the art will be in storage for a little while before seeing much daylight.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Tangerine Living Room

6"H by 8"W, on panel. 
(click for enlargement) 

A much better photo of this painting. I'm going to amend that entry where I showed it before, because the picture was so inaccurate.

In Progress: Tumult

48"H by 36"W, on panel. 
(click for enlargement)  

Mapping out the main composition points using the shadows is extremely satisfying and a step that takes a lot of consideration, so today I sat this painting in the parking lot and looked at it for a long time. I committed to some heavy editing. This painting is probably only at the halfway point and will have a lot more layered upon it before I'm at all satisfied.

Friday, April 2, 2010

In Progress: Fireplace Scene 1 & 2

14"H by 11"W, on panel. 
(click for enlargement) 

11"H by 14"W, on panel. 
(click for enlargement) 

These works have got much more paint on them now, and are very nearly done. I'm not exactly sure that the colors in these photographs are right- it seems like a lot of the warmer yellows have cooled dramatically. I'll shoot them again next week and try different color adjustments.

As usual, writing at 2:30am makes me terse and a little less than inspired with my entry, but I enjoyed painting so much today that I had to make a post before sleeping. 

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Winchester Hallway

10"H by 8"W, on panel. 
(click for enlargement)
 Finished and framed this, it's hanging in the studio while I debate a larger version. I really love painting the convoluted scenes inside the Winchester House, but it's only tangentially connected to my body of work. 

Friday, March 12, 2010

In Progress: Fireplace Scene 1 & 2, Winchester Hallway, and Update

This week I slipped while removing a v-nail on a frame and had to get stitches on my left forearm. It really hasn't caused me much discomfort except that typing irritates it a little more than I'd like.


 
11"H by 14"W, on panel. 
(click for enlargement) 

 14"H by 11"W, on panel. 
(click for enlargement) 

These paintings are both near completion but I feel like they need something more. I can't help but feel like at this size, I should think of them as studies for larger paintings.


 10"H by 8"W, on panel. 
(click for enlargement) 

Here's a small painting I just started today. The source is a strange and convoluted hallway inside the Winchester Mystery house in San Jose. 



This is the frame that I injured myself on.  I'm so happy with how it looks that I'm posting it here without a proper cropping.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Trip to San Francisco, and In Progress: Slough II

Taken from the train on the way out of town.

I might use this as a reference for something, even though it's rather blurry I can't decide whether that detracts from the image. It's a recycling depot just south of the San Francisco train station that I managed to glimpse when my camera was in my hand.

Thursday was spent going to galleries in the city, scouting the locations and examining the works they had on display. 49 Geary has a large collection of galleries featuring mid-career artists, and while the exhibits are interesting and definitely worth an entry of their own, the purpose of my visit was to find a gallery willing to represent me. One of the curatorial assistants was especially gracious about my questions and thanked me for looking at the work before asking whether they represented emerging artists- apparently a lot of people who are starting out use more of a "shotgun" approach and drop of submission packets without considering what sort of work the gallery handles. It's likely that I could have been a bit more subtle or planned approach, but many of the galleries on my list are not very forthcoming about how and when submissions are accepted, or if they'll even consider the work of someone just starting out. 

Generally, the reason for that is because the answer is no. I found a few galleries that do, in fact, accept emerging artists, and while they did generally state that they were not in a position to take risks in the current economy, none of them refused to take and look at my CD of work.

18"H by 24"W, on canvas. 
(click for enlargement) 

I've been working on this as a follow-up to a smaller painting, Slough. While the first was commited from a photographic reference with invented color, this newer painting is entirely invented and has been constantly rotated. It's interesting to me how much this new painting resembles the view from an airplane.