Saturday in the studio

First I varnished three paintings from the Answered Prayers series. Next I did a final round on Uzbek.


Here's a detail of the engraving. The canvas is rougher texture than I usually use, but I wanted it for the shadows.



After lunch (shrimp, mango and pears) I tackled the Walking Dead. The seeds need work and the wet glitter on the tomatoes, but it's close.

Four down, two to go

Nearly done with Tomatoes & Uzbekistan Knife. Worked on details and the very important engraving. About half way there, because the knife needed more reflection. Thinking it will be done tomorrow. That's four down - I signed St Crispian, Quick Draw and Harmonium yesterday - two to go.

Time's a wastin'

Harmonium's last day on the easel.

One minute I'm chugging along in the studio at a measured pace, one eye on finishing up the series for  my next Mason Murer group show, the other on a new triptych that's in the drawing stages, and Wham.
First an email pops up about a Mid-summers Nights Dream Show in June (small works, under $2000, one night only) Sure, count me in.
Followed by a letter accepting two of my paintings - Clothe the Naked and Thirsty - for the Decatur Arts Festival fine art show. Yippee.
This morning I confirmed the date of the show at Mason Murer, which I had a hazy idea was scheduled for end of April, beginning of May....nope. My paintings are due on April 10th for an April 13 opening.  I'm sending three ( maybe four) Answered Prayers) and three (maybe four) of the Tomato & Knives paintings.
Yikes! I lunged across my desk to the easel, where I have been moving paint to canvas ever since.  I don't expect to surface from the studio until April 9th. Nothing beats a deadline.

leopard print and purple suede

Second round on the shoes


Here's a close up...



It's shifted the mood of the painting completely.

I think my  favorites are the Tuxedo shoes in the far background - a wonderfully absurd cross between saddle oxfords and formal wear.

A shoe-in

I've been unhappy with the Stiletto painting, mostly because I felt the joie de vivre factor was lacking. After due deliberation, I decided it needed more shoes.

Daughter kindly brought over the props - two laundry baskets heaped full of her shoes.
It took three days of lining up shoes and taking photographs to get it right. It worked out that the only step that was long enough to mimic the step in the church also required me to stand in the thorny embrace of a ginormous climbing rose and lean to the left.
The shoe set up changed in form and content many, many times. The sun went down. The sun came out and splotched the step. The camera battery died. The printer choked. I prevailed.

I painted the shoe lineup this morning. Nearest to farthest it's purple suede sandals, peeptoe leopard print ankle boots, patent leather kitten-heeled sling backs, and a pair of stiletto heeled peep toe shoes that mimic a tuxedo shirt with a bow tie. They are just started - the ankle boots need their leopard print, and there are buckles and rivets and shadows yet to come, but you'll get the idea.


I am so so much happier. I went from feeling defeated to positively hopeful. I not only like the way this is true to my daughter's shoe-coveting heart, but the idea of all the barefoot women running on the stone floors of the church. I wonder who the patron saint of shoes is?

Aphrodite, Walking Dead Tomatoes, drawing

One of those overlapping times in the studio when I'm starting a new series, still doing photography for the last one and fiddling with tomatoes and & knives on the side. A full rich life.

Added the lettering to the page of script, darkened the shadow. Starting to add a little of the juicy gleam and pick out the edges of the seeds.


Here's the current state of Aphrodite after adding lots of purple to the shadows on the torso. It's still more distinct that I have in mind. I'll think about it while I work on the letters carved on the stone wall and add heft to the candelabra.



The new series is all on horizontal.  Though it barely reads in a photo, for example can't see the dozens of trees I drew on the right side, here's that drawing I was working on Tuesday.