July 2011
27 posts
2 tags
Unexpected Flow
I approached the chair today with very little faith. My plan was to “wrap up” a piece that I’ve been stalled over for a week. I’ve lost whatever energy I had for it, and I need to send it on its way. Whether that is a good place like a frame or a dead end like the back shelf, it needed to get there! I’m a big believer in finishing.
I’m not sure if I...
5 tags
Everything counts
During my second art show as a nice couple walked away with one of MY paintings, it occurred to me that I’d never see it again. I grabbed my camera, chased them down, and took a picture of them holding the painting with an amused look on their face. There were so many things I didn’t know then — that kind couple would return to many art shows as supporters and friends,...
2 tags
Summer Gallery Tour 2011
Note for next year: Buy more white wine and serve Mom’s zucchini bread again! Thank you all for coming!! It was a fun evening. We were too busy to take many photos but I did remember to take a couple. This was my fourth GT in my Oakwood studio. I participated every year that I was at Meridian Arts with Dan and Arch, so I’ve been doing this for a while. On Oakwood, I’m...
All Systems Go!
Carmela and I were ready today by 3pm as planned! We did a last minute cat hair check — George jumped off the book case and a flutter of cat hair floated down to the floor. Really, must I clean EVERYTHING??
Cat hair aside, Gallery Tour was a huge success on Oakwood Avenue! We had a wonderful group of visitors who were very patient with the rising temperature in my studio. I...
5 tags
I Hate Cleaning
This is what I WOULD be working on if I wasn’t dusting, vacuuming, mopping, and shopping! Of course, that’s how my studio got into such bad shape - I never want to dust, vacuum, mop, or shop. I left this piece as you see it on Friday and I MIGHT be able to work on it a bit tomorrow. Might.
On the up side, I’ve brightened and reorganized my work space and it does feel...
6 tags
You are invited....
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You are personally invited! My studio is on the tour again this year and I’d love for you to come by. Summer Gallery Tour begins at 5pm on Thursday, July 28. There are thirteen galleries and studios on the tour this year (thirteen? oh my gosh!). I’m hanging a few of Scott Smith’s fabulous pieces along with my work. These are his very small pieces and I LOVE them.
...
5 tags
Wild Kingdom- The Final Episode
The Cowboys complete the series! Smooch and Spoon were born behind the studio in a vacant lot. I trapped them along with their Mom and two sisters. I worked late one night and as Mark and I were leaving, the car lights caught the eyes of a black and white kitten, which was Smooch. We sat and watched and saw another one….then another one…then another one. It took me a week to...
7 tags
Wild Kingdom
She looks sweet, doesn’t she. Not! This is Carmela, the devil queen. She is the reason I have studio cats - she started the trend. Carm was called “Mama Cat”, the mother of seven baby devil kittens :). She and her kids were so bad that their foster mom took them to the vet for their spay/neuter appointment and never came back to get them! Abandoned at the vet, Mama Cat...
7 tags
Wild Kingdom
George Gray was born in a shed and was one wild baby kitten! His Mama is Vespa, a well known Five Points lady :) and his Dad was “Big George”. I took his litter in and fostered them. George would have gone to an adopter like his brothers and sisters but he met with an unfortunate accident while staying at my house! While he was sitting on the floor minding his own business,...
Wild Kingdom
At the end of my painting day I usually sit in my “thinking chair” and spend some time with my cats before leaving. George Gray usually leads the way and Noah is right behind him. Noah is my newest studio cat. He was an orphan at our animal shelter, an 8 week old baby with a cut nose and a funny back leg - I checked him out as an A New Leash on Life rescue and he lived in a caring...
6 tags
Crabapples Day One
I thought I’d NEVER get started on this today! I spent all morning putting final coats on two other encaustics. Each final coat led to ANOTHER final coat while I was taking breaks to frame completed pieces that were on the table in the next room. And no doubt, I was an accident waiting to happen today - I bumped, spilled, dribbled, and smeared all day long. I was definitely a danger to...
11 tags
Lightweight books
I visited my bookshelf today to get the heavy books — you probably have them too. The two inch thick books of color plates. I rarely open them — I use them as weights when I’m gluing watercolor paper or supports to my encaustics. Today I was gluing plywood to the back of my finished pieces, preparing for framing.
As I pulled the heavy books, I decided to randomly get a...
A Medium Saturday
Every time I make medium, I go about it slightly different - I change the proportions or my cooking containers. I haven’t settled down to an exact routine yet. Last time I tried preparing a large batch and it took too long with the equipment I have. I also tried Enkaustikos products for the first time and found I like their beeswax. It may all be the same but my medium batch was exactly...
Beeswax!
It arrived! I’ll make medium tomorrow and I’m back to work. In the meantime, I’ve been cleaning and reorganizing the studio — Summer Gallery Tour always terrifies me into action. It will take me at least a day to clear all the cat hair out!
5 tags
I'm Surrounded
At home and at the studio — Mark and I are surrounded by art and fine craft. We’ve been collecting pieces we love for many years now. Some of it was purchased from students and other pieces from established artists — that’s of minor consequence to us.
I’ll talk more about this later, but I think collecting art has been a big part of my art education. Making...
9 tags
I need Beeswax quick!
I’m out! It’s ordered but I can’t make medium till it comes in. Drat! Poor planning….how did I let this happen?
Today I continued with the gourd foliage. Carving, filling, and scraping back.
Periodically I add a layer of medium, scrape back to a smooth finish, and fuse. This layer isolates and protects the work I’ve done (to a degree) and adds depth as the...
6 tags
Pea and the Gourds
Pea and I had to go visit her Doc in Birmingham today — so I had a late start at the studio. She enjoyed the ride - we make this trip together fairly often. She’s a great little traveler. I dropped her off at home, picked up the dogs, and began my day with the gourds!
I visited a gourd farm many years ago, riding around in a golf cart with a very nice farmer — seeing...
4 tags
Blog Week: Alien
I’ve taken on a new life form - if you see me, you might not recognize me. It’s actually working quite well and I couldn’t be happier but I don’t recommend it. It’s called “balance”. Even the word is boring and overused. Truthfully, if I had titled this entry “Balance” would you have read it?
Only try balance if you have totally drained...
6 tags
Blog Week: Burn Out
I said there was no such thing. Really, isn’t it just an excuse to slow down? Isn’t it another of those terms like painter’s block, a label for something that doesn’t deserve the attention? Push through it. Keep working. I’m doing what I love so leave me alone.
Well, I still don’t like the term “painter’s block” but I’ve learned...
Blog Week: Doubts
I despise them. Doubts has robbed me of more joy and energy than I’d like to admit. Some days it creeps in slowly and other days it can slam me from behind like a two by four. Either way, the rest of the day is spent managing the darkness rather than focusing all my energy on painting.
I’m sure most people deal with doubts in their life but for an artist or any person doing...
6 tags
Blog Week: Exposed
My first painting sold for $35 and was my only sale at the show. At my second show I sold fourteen paintings and made $640. Fourteen paintings! I was thrilled because I paid my show costs and could buy paint and paper to keep working. The paintings weren’t amazing but they were amazingly cheap. Was it a good idea to start showing and selling so early? When is the right time to start?
...
6 tags
Blog Week: Listen
I was painting in my south Huntsville studio around 10am when I was interrupted by a knock. A man with an impressive full beard politely removed his hat and said he had come to meet me. He had heard I was a hard working artist who was taking my work seriously — and it was “high time we met”. I knew exactly who HE was. Arch Pike became a dear friend over the coming years....
Blog Week: Does it work?
I was asked recently how I know if a painting is successful. It isn’t a simple question so I’m probably going to ramble as I try to answer it. I hope that is what a blog is for because that’s what I’m about to do.
When I started painting a successful painting was one I didn’t ruin. If I quit before I reached the point of no return then I had succeeded. Knowing...
6 tags
Blog Week: Paint
I save every squished tube and cap. I’ve been tossing the tubes in these two glass jars for well over ten years and they still aren’t full. I don’t understand it.
I started painting in watercolor when I saw an ad in the newspaper for a watercolor class. I signed up for a ten week course and kept painting for two and a half years. Frustrated with my lack of time to paint, I...
10 tags
Blog Week: Studios
The studio I have now is about 1000 square feet — more than I really need but it is amazing how much stuff is attached to my art making. I’ve always kept all my supplies, bookkeeping, books, framing — everything art related — at my studio rather than my home. It’s a much more organized way to approach both places! This is the front room overlooking my watercolor...
11 tags
Kicking off "Blog Week"
This is what my studio looked like midway through our renovation. I SO wish I had photographed when the bars were still on the windows and before all the black paint was scraped off the glass - and before the tanning bed rooms were torn out. I was in too big a hurry to let the light in to bring a camera. Believe me, there was no AIR in the place! The outside was just as dark and...
In the garden
This is what I’ve been working on for the last couple of days. I’ve added more foliage since this photo and it still needs another day or so of work. I’ll have to take a break from it because of other obligations — and I REALLY don’t want to. I finally have a piece that is flowing. Meaning — my hand is handling the technical side well enough that my head...