In Progress: Retired

"Retired"
36"H by 36"W, on canvas.
(click for enlargement)

This painting began with a doodle on a post-it note, just a simple composition study with areas of positive and negative space. I've painted some problematic areas several times and as with most things that aren't based on my own photography, I'm having a difficult time figuring out whether I'm done or not. At the moment it seems like there's too many neutral and cool grays.

This is my last oil painting, at least for a little while. I took a two-month break from the oils and all of a sudden I can smell the mediums and thinners, and I hadn't been able to detect the odor since I was in school. Frighteningly, I was also unable to smell them while pregnant. I wore a mask while painting, but I still didn't smell anything while in the studio. So in the interest of my baby's health and my own, I'm packing the oils away for a little bit. 

Hiatus

I have a very good little reason for not being very productive lately, and his name is Simon Stark Black.

(click for enlargement)

He's two and a half months old at the moment, and while he lets me sleep most nights, he certainly isn't ready to be introduced to the art studio. Painting had slowed down quite a bit even before his arrival, but now I'm in the studio very rarely. I should rename this blog "One Day a Week".

Website Down

My site is down temporarily as I change hosting and do a little bit of redesigning. The URL is still correct.

Chatter

"Chatter"

48"H by 48"W, on panel. 

(click for enlargement)

This is being taken to the State Fair this Saturday for delivery to their Fine Art Competition. Here is the accompanying Artist Statement:

"With my paintings I explore the accessories of modern life, directly confronting consumerism and the link between identity and material possessions. In this work, I have made a study of the artifacts of material culture, diffused and tangled in a treacherous jumble of repetitive colors and familiar shapes."

It may not be the best that I've ever written, but it is short, and I felt that that was important. I didn't want to get the reader too bogged down by elaborating on ownership, culture, totems, self-worth, and femininity. 


6.5 in Gold

"6.5 in Gold"

11"H by 8.5"W, on wet media Dura-Lar. 

(click for enlargement)

This was done quickly with a favorite shoe as my model. I can't actually wear most of the shoes I've been painting, and this one in particular is so absurdly tiny that it should be relegated to the world of doll shoes. However, the label on the sole insists that this is sized six and a half.

I was invited to a contest put on by the makers of Dura-Lar film, and this is completed on their media. It is a very unusual surface to paint on; the brush seems to pull differently, as though the clear media were quite absorbent. The fact that I can paint on both sides of the surface was fun and liberating. It's a good thing that I have several more sheets to use up, but I am a little confused about how to handle the artwork once it dries. It seems to dislike tape, so I'm not sure a conventional mounting in a matt or frame will work.

Noema

"Noema"

30"H by 48"W, on canvas. 

(click for enlargement)

I very nearly sent this to the California state fair without a title. Now I'm playing the waiting game, hoping to hear back before the 15th, when the competition literature said results would be published. It's a huge relief to have it completed.

Lily the Pug

"Lily"

11"H by 8.5"W, on panel. 

(click for enlargement)

This was finished a few weeks ago but I forgot to post it, and the unframed version of this photo was unfortunately corrupted by a memory card error. 

Pugs really do have some of the most enthusiastic and dedicated owners I've ever met, and it's seldom that I meet a dog of this breed that isn't sociable. As a commission, this was an enjoyable experience. I do experience a lot of anxiety over arrangments and custom paintings, mostly because if I'm creating for a specific person or audience I stop being able to be happy with the piece of art- and I seldom can tell if and when I'm finished. However, this one was straightforward and easy to paint, and when the buyer approved without any corrections I found myself hungry to do more of these.

Of course, the other two dog paintings I've started are not progressing so easily. At least I can put them off until the 22nd, when the State Fair deadline is officially up.