July 2010
8 posts
Finding the spark again
I’ve never been very good at rereading a book. I love books about creativity and healthy thinking — and try to internalize as much of the good stuff as I can. I also read a lot of artist biographies because understanding how creative minds work is fascinating. But going back and reviewing has never been a priority, no matter how special the book.
Twitter has really sparked me to...
The studio and Gallery Tour
I had such a nice experience with Gallery Tour this year. I enjoyed the evening with friends and supporters but I also enjoyed the preparations! Cleaning the studio, rearranging, and watching the studio cats explore as I shoved furniture around was actually fun. Our work spaces are so important — it is one place in my world that is completely devoted to my thought process and...
A Necessary Evil
I’m not sure when it became evil. I think it was the day I let a cat move in my studio! Now there is more than one cat and that’s all I’m going to confess. A lady never counts her cats. Framing used to be a continual process — there was always something on the frame table and I’d bounce between painting and framing. While a wash dried, I’d cut a mat or...
Encouragement and Windex
I spent most of yesterday cleaning the studio — one of the main reasons I do Gallery Tour every year is the preparation. I get freaked enough to straighten up my yard and clean the studio. Yes, it requires terror to make me clean.
As I was finishing, a friend congratulated me on the American Artist article — and I told her she must be looking at an old magazine. She convinced me...
Bad varnish leads to painting....
I was all set to varnish caseins today —- air compressor ready, sprayer hooked up, paintings laid out — and I discovered TWO containers of varnish were discolored. So, back to the computer to order some more. It’s on the way so I returned to this watercolor. More frustrating than the varnish fiasco was the baby kittens who wouldn’t stay off the painting! Sophia Loren...
Mats, glass, and cat hair
I’ll be framing for the next few days. I’ve tried lots of different approaches over the years — framing a piece as soon as I’m satisfied with it or piling the paintings up and tackling it all at once. I haven’t found the perfect way to get the job done. Even hiring a framer isn’t perfect — I’m impatient as a deadline approaches and I like...
If I didn't live in Huntsville...
….I’d live here. This could be a lot of places — San Francisco, Chicago, or even Asheville. In this case, it is New York. I’ve been asked why I paint these images when I live in Alabama. Well, I just want to. Dirty windows, fire escapes, door latches that I can almost hear the key turning in. I love warm brick that is soaking up the sun — I want to walk up and...
When I'm good enough...
Since Miller was assisting today, I had some time to think while I was painting. I was thinking about the big question. AM I GOOD ENOUGH? For so long I made plans for “when I’m good enough” — keep painting and learning and eventually I’ll be “good enough”. For what, I’m not sure but there was a goal in there somewhere. It was a moving target...