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Thursday, December 21, 2017

Show Entry

OMG!  I've been accepted into the Collective Visions Gallery show from January 20th to February 24th.  This gallery is a co-op - but periodically they host a state wide competition.  I've entered before, but this is the first time I've been invited.  Woo-hoo!  I'm especially excited because the piece that was chosen is the large female nude I did last year.  I had given up hope that it would ever be seen - outside of the one show I had at an art supply store.  If you remember, our local art group has difficulty finding public venues that will accept nudes (and political or religious subjects for that matter).  In some aspects, I can understand - but....ugh!  Anyway, I am posting this work again:
"Inside the Box"

Friday, November 24, 2017

Book Review

Second post in one day.   I recently finished reading a book that I would highly recommend:  "Leonardo Da Vinci" by Walter Isaacson.  Having sat through and been tested on many very boring art history classes in my college years, I have to say this book was extremely interesting.  I wish more of my college textbooks had been written like this one.  The author goes into much more detail about Leonardo's life - attitudes and influences - than in conventional art history books.  Very interesting read.

"Hermit Crab" and "Xmas 2017"

I have definitely been ignoring my posts - so this is "catch-up".   The first painting is an experiment so I've kept it light-hearted.  I am playing with the idea of adding texture to canvasses.   In this case, I've added sand and glitter to the acrylics.   And of course, it's intended on being humorous.














P.S. -- This piece sold - wouldn't you know...one of my least serious paintings would sell quicker that any of my other work.

Also, I wanted to post my 2017 holiday watercolor - a painting of my "Honeybee" who is the typical cat and loves boxes.

Saturday, October 14, 2017

"Another Still-life"

I was working on this painting at the same time I was working on the one in my previous post.   We have a new hanging in four days, and I wanted to have them both done.   Made it!  (18" X 24")

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

"Humanity's Greater Angel"

This painting is a bit of a departure for me, in that it's somewhat of a "statement" piece.   Previously I'd been concentrating on the effects of the specialty pigments - doing more fun subjects.   I wanted this one to be done for the next market hanging in two weeks.   However, I admit to being a bit nervous about showing it.  I usually keep my views to myself.
The title comes from an excerpt at end of the First Inaugural Address of Abraham Lincoln
"...We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature."
At any rate, you decide what it means to you.   Oh, and I should mention this is rather large as well - 40" X 30".

Monday, August 28, 2017

"Smokebush"

This painting was finished a couple of weeks ago.   Normally I post new work right away.   Somehow I forgot this one until today.   The background is really a very dark green but looks black.   Too late to change that....

Saturday, July 29, 2017

Paint Comparison

I've mentioned several times that I am using a lot of the (Golden) iridescent acrylics in my paintings lately.   And I've mentioned that they are a lot of fun because you can get some really cool effects -- but that they are very difficult to photograph.   I thought I would post a comparison shot - two versions of the same painting.   This is the latest work:  "Homage to Mucha" (18X24").   You can see how different the same painting looks under two different lighting conditions.  You can see this very obviously in the hair, but also in the top of the wing and the top petunia - also in the skin tone, which is done using iridescent gold mixed with burnt sienna.   Sometimes the skin looks gold - sometimes tanned.   This also makes it complicated when trying to make prints.   Maybe with a professional photographer...for a lot more money...

Sunday, June 4, 2017

Distractions

Still trying to decide on my next subject.....other summer things taking up my time as well....garden, spring cleaning, also trying to get some touch-up painting done on the cabinets and interior doors.   Darling husband likes to tease and thinks he's cute, "Looks like you've finally found your calling as a painter."  <haha>

Saturday, May 27, 2017

May already

Not much to say here.   The weather is finally getting really nice and there will be a lot of yardwork in my future.   However, I did want to post the newest art - acrylic. 
"Splashdown"

Saturday, April 15, 2017

"Through A Child's Eyes"

Ha! - New art, finally.   This one is rather large again - 30 X 40 - so it's taken a while.   It is loosely modeled from our local community beach; and yes, there really was a piece of driftwood that looked a lot like a dragon.   Of course the driftwood is gone now.   This was many years ago.   The boy is my son when he was about five.   He's 31 now.   Time flies.  

Saturday, March 25, 2017

Work Party

I'm still working on a rather large acrylic - about 3/4 of the way through.   Not ready to post it yet.

However, I wanted to mention the newest art league project.   For the longest time we have needed packaging material to transport members paintings to and from venues.   Of course, people bring their work to the meetings in their own packaging - but then it falls to the hanging committee to keep everyone's packaging straight and return them; and often the people don't show up to take their things home and someone has to store them. 

So...I had the idea to purchase (at league expense) foam to make a whole lot of packages that we can store at the art league meeting room.   This is sheet foam - 1/4 inch thick.   I wouldn't ship with it, but it should work well to transport things.   I didn't anticipate how large the roll was going to be, but we shouldn't need any more for....forever.   It's four foot tall and a yard diameter.   This cost us about $170 and $50 to have shipped.  Not too bad I think and our group has the funds.  

Now - we are planning on a work party this Wednesday to cut and tape a whole bunch of packages.   We will use duck-tape to close up the sides, leaving the tops open.   I am guessing we only need three or four full size envelopes - maybe 3 foot by 4 foot.   Most of our members don't paint that large.   Beyond that we will probably make a lot more medium size. 



Thursday, February 16, 2017

It's been awhile...

Painting took a backseat for the first month and a half of the year - a couple of weeks of illness for first myself and then my husband - and several other issues as well.   Hopefully, things will fall back into place.  

I am uploading this small new piece in support of the "Safety Pin" Movement.  In short, it's a show of support and a reminder of what I stand for.  Attaching safety pins to lapels, shirts and dresses signifies willingness to stand up for the vulnerable in the aftermath of the election.
Links:
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/14/fashion/safety-pin-ally-activism.html?_r=1
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/11/11/safety-pins-brexit-donald-trump-election/93639074/