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.

In the queue - progress report on the South of Eden series

Working on several canvases at different stages. Here's the line-up.
Paradise Lost - Probably a third done. With a big push, it'll be done by the end of February. I did the watering can today and the mossy band across the bottom has a zillion more twiddles and fidgets of moss, leaves and pine needles. Only a trillion more to go. Next - all those leaves along the top. It's the priority. 30x40
Grind - One layer all over, so maybe one fourth done. The wood grain is interesting and the husk is looking good. I hope I am better with corn now that I've done spin. The coins are a beeyatch because I'm working from four or five references. At the end of today I painted the needles. I tapes them to a a board for angle, and set them next to the grinder for scale. They turned out to be so close to life size, I ended up holding the needle in my left hand and painting with my right. I went with no cap because a needle is dangerously sharp and adds that element to the painting. Also, I can always add the orange, but it would be very difficult to try to get rid of it. They worked out great. You would have thought I'd been painting hypodermics all my life. Now that I've made the decision to include this element, the title will revert to Corn & Consequences. 16x20
Spin - close to complete. just one more round on the darker area of the corn and a little glaze on the dark area of the yarn. A week or two to dry, then varnish. Want to enter it in a show with a Feb 8 deadline. 24x24
Seasonal - Two layers of snow done, no fruit started. Very small - 8x10 - but the white is really slowing me down. I'm thinking of it as a study for a larger version that will be 85% snow.
Harrow - maybe halfway, maybe less. It depends on how long a field of knee high grass blades take. But it is my least necessary piece. I can finish it whenever. 14x18
Equilibrium - Started yesterday. Did part of the chest top and the dark green silk background. Miles to go. 18x24
Calibration - gridded and gessed canvas, gridded reference. Prepped to draw. Tons of elements, a lot going on. 24x30

I know it sounds a little crazy, but they will all start popping off the line and out of the studio. Much like Metamorphosis. That's the plan anyway.