Paradise Found, with bugs

Today was way fun. I did the tiny bugs I wanted to add.

Ladybug

cricket


Lightning Bug


Spider

Then I painted twirly bits of light on the moss and reworked the green apple. I'm really close, maybe less than a week away from done. I just have to scumble another layer on the background and highlight the yarn. I had so much fun with the bugs today I might find a place to add a honeybee, a beetle and an ant.

More painting, less fussing

Back on the horse that threw me yesterday.
Started with the angel- it's a metal garden ornament that's also painted. I'm fairly happy with it. Please ignore the leaves. They aren't done yet.


Added detail to a few of the dratted leaves along the top edge, but moved on to the twine before I started chewing the ends of my hair in frustration. It's a funny color, not the usual tan of jute. It's dyed green to supposedly blend in, but of course it's a shade not found in nature. The top is faded by exposure to sun.


Just finished working on the front glove. Quite pleased with it.

I think I'll do the other glove, then a few more leaves that are down in the moss.

Paradise Found, not without some cussing.

Covered in paint, which is not usual, mostly variations on green. Did the half-visible printing on the seed packets. Painted the (insert curses here) leaves down the right hand side. They look ghastly close too, not so back from, say, eight feet away. What was I thinking? Don't know how to go forward, can't go back. Must do another round on the gloves and angel yard ornament, but I am too horrified at the state of the leaves to get any closer. I have stalled out at this point.
Just realized that what I need is a pair of blinders, like racing horses wear to keep from freaking out at what's in their peripheral vision.

Sweet and UV bulbs

Yesterday I did a bit of the texture on the wood, and some of the detail on the honey comb. Today I worked on the sugar bowl, spoon and sugar cane. I need to rework the drapery, smooth it out, just get more paint on it. It will have to dry another week first.



Drying may be quicker because Robert built me a drying box; an aluminum foil-lined, 30x40" box with four UV bulbs attached to the sides. 'The windows of the drying room now glow a lurid violet. Apparently they are the same lights pot growers use to raise marijuana in the basement, so I should brace myself for an unscheduled visit from the DEA. heh.

Silk drapery, part deux

Painted all morning, placing the drapery down the left side. Took fierce concentration. Most of the time it looked like random streaks until everything connected at the end and I smoothed out the edges - all 10 zillion of them. But then I was very pleased.

More Sweetness, and the tribulations of white.

Painted the silver sugar bowl this morning. The cool thing about silver is you don't paint the color silver, you paint what it reflects, so there's a swath of mahogany, a corner of sugar cane and lots of highlights. One of my favorite places is the curve of the base, which reflects the bottom of the bowl.


White, the most essential color, is a beast. Doesn't cover well, needs multiple layers, takes forever to dry. Robert has built me a drying box which is lined in aluminum foil and has 4 UV light fixtures. The box is built, just waiting on the UV lights, which he ordered over the Internet. Won't be starting that snow painting until it's functional.

Just ate my (late) breakfast. Now going to tackle the honeycomb.



There's a world of drapery waiting, but I am going to set this aside for the rest of today.
Stripes require careful attention, concentration, and more hand-eye coordination that I have at this point.

Perseverance tips the scales

I'm at the difficult point where I can work all morning on detail - the numbers on the weights, the lines on the ruler, the separations between each dollar bill, the coins (again) - and feel like I've gotten nowhere. Yet when I leave the room and come back, I can see the sharpening, the incremental addition of clarity. I feel so far from done and so ready to stop, but I will persevere.

I've done my assigned amount for today, so off it goes to the drying room, down I go for a nap. When I get up, maybe mix color for the sugar bowl.

Sweet

Here's the start of Sweet. This is one of a pair of paintings. My relationship to all things sugary is complicated.


Today I worked on the drapery, sugar cane and the spoon. It's a spoon that specially made for sugar, and the bowl is in the shape of a shell. It's only roughed in.



Among other things, this painting gives me the pleasure of painting silk drapery, for which I have a weakness.

More snow predicted tonight.

Working from my newly created schedule, I completed a first layer of the paper money and all the coins. Some of the coins got a third or fourth layer of pattern. Worked hard on the integrating the edges.Another layer on the background- a dark green silk drape with a subtle suggestion of folds. There's a long day ahead of working on the face of the bills and the notches on the weight's center bar, and the tops of the weights. Then it will be complete.


It's snowing and being in my studio with windows on three sides is like being inside a snow globe. Beautiful, even, cool light.

Updates and a new title

First Equilibrium. This one is really about my opinion that the produce that sits in the supermarket warehouse and is chosen for 'shipability' is often tasteless. This morning I worked all over the top of the chest, plus the highlights on the fruit and the scale and far background. I had an 'aha' moment and am changing the title to Profit & Loss.


Next Grind. I spent yesterday mostly heightening what was there. Don't know if the background of wood grain will read over the Internet but it's about a bazillion tiny wiggly lines and their shadows. I still have the last two boards on the far right to do, and the corn silk falling over the right side of the grinder. Otherwise, it's pretty close to done.

Griding and drawing a new canvas that I gessoed this morning.
I'm working toward my first show at Mason Murer Fine Art. I've changed galleries in Atlanta. In brief, Huff Harrington and I parted amicably, and Mason Murer, whom I admire and esteem, has welcomed me with open arms. How great is that?

Cash money and seed packets

From this point on I expect I'll be working on a different painting every day. I would like to get four new pieces done in time for my debut at Mason Murer in March.
Here's the progress on Equilibrium. I mostly painted cash, plus the center weight. It's fun to paint money.


Today I worked on the seed packets, the snake, the pale blue sky up in the corners and highlights on the digging fork of Paradise Found.

Equilibrium

The other day I'd done little on the drape background and top of the desk. Today I started with the wooden fruit.


Then the front of the trunk, and part of the scale. The part with no paint on it will be stacks of banded bills, gold coins and stacked iron weights.


This morning I set up everything for the Sugar painting. I love the light through the jar of honey and the shimmer on the striped silk drapery. I miss painting drapery. Go figure.