writing in the morning, painting by afternoon light

I try to do it the other way around - paint in the morning light, edit in the aftrnoon, but today I had to cut my time to suit my clock.
Worked on the right side and bottom edge of the wood bench. Layering grain, exercising patience.

shine up your party shoes

Look at what will be in Huff Harrington Fine Art's New Works show in September. If Frari Candles was for sale, it would be going too. Instead I'll be searching for another candle image to paint from among the hundreds of photos I (stealthily) took on my last trip.

you may already be a winner

I've been honored with a Kick Ass Blogger Award ...
I think this is the bloggy version of 'tag, you're it!'


It is my duty, as the recipient of the Kick Ass Blogger Award, to anoint five lucky winners.
Jocullum - an erudite and original voice of diffident passion, sometimes art-related.
John Sugg - farewells to print journalism on the CJR website.
Paul - at learning to see in the UK, started with the goal of reclaiming his artist's soul one painstaking exercise at a time. I followed him for a couple of years, and missed him when the site went quiet. He's back.
Stephanie - aka yarn harlot. The title speaks for itself. It's all about chicks with sticks.
Emily - a bold young voice of art, and a creative geyser.

I'd like to thank the academy, that is Nancie, for bestowing this honor upon my blog and then patiently explaining to me via email how to embed links, knowledge I was shamefully lacking.
Okay, it's your turn. Awards come with responsibilities. First, you have to read the instructions and follow the committee rules. Then choose some of your favorite bloggers to pass the award on to.

the numinous

One of the great pleasures of being a painter is choosing to paint what tugs at your heart and your eye.
I was seeking a way to make visible the point where the spiritual and physical intersect. The most difficult part was figuring out how to convey the feel of immensity.
These three sky and sea scapes were the result. They are a gesture gratitude for the chance to be a witness in the world, a valentine to 'being itself', to quote Thomas Merton.

Beauty shots

Back in the day when I was a working model, close up photographs for hair and make up ads were called beauty shots. It was all about the lighting.
Here are four of my Table For One series, carefully lit and photographed.

updating images

First a confession. My earlier paintings were photographed on the floor in uneven light at an angle that turned some rectangles into wonky trapezoids.

Every painting needs a sharp, well-lit photographic image, a jpg to post on a gallery website or send to a potential patron.

I will be photographing my inventory of paintings over the next couple of days. I'm glad to say I've made progress in photography along with with painting skills, and I've learned enough photoshop so I'm able to crop the image cleanly and size it properly for juried show applications.

As I work through my inventory I'll post the images here.

As usual I'm bouncing between two paintings. This is the beginning of a painting that comments on our drought and contemplates the innate, undeserved beauty of crumpled plastic in sunlight. It's like painting dozens of neutral abstract squares, and there is something about working on a chalk gridded mid-value gray canvas that is like taking a long drink of cold water.

Loving painting this.

I'm blocking in the slatted seats, arms and legs. I thought it would be really challenging but it seems natural. I'm drawing with paint, instead of painting a detailed drawing, new territory to me. I feel so in the zone that I am thinking about making a sketchbook series part of my upcoming trip. Sketch what snags me then take a photo of the sketch and the scene. I usually figure out why certain images hook me afterwards. At the time I'm working by instinct and hunch.

the art of travel

Not all canvas is stretched. Some zips and rolls.

This is what I did today (beside book cheap flights from Venice to Vienna, and Vienna to Amsterdam). It's acrylic on -- whatever the heck they make luggage out of.
When my suitcase hurtles down the ramp it looks like no one else's.

a friendly nod from the blogosphere

Industrial strength good news / random act of kindness
An editor who is a pop culture blogger posted this about me today

http://www.atlantamagazine.com/blogs/
blog_post.aspx?id=24126&blogid=258

I'm basking and blushing!
If you've found this blog through her, welcome. Isn't she a terrific writer?

Amanda - thanks!

TCB art day - gesso'd a new canvas gray, and worked on the top of the chair. This painting is so incredibly satisfying to work on. I think I like the physicality of the gestures as well as the emerging images.



Worked on Venice Laundry the last two days - excruciatingly slow and tedious until I fall into it and then time elapses, my mind is quiet and absorption total - then it's pure pleasure.

Deliver the varnished Isle of Palm II to my gallery, Twinhouse, and had the thrill of watching it go straight into the window. I hope it finds a good home.

Gessoing edges

Isle of Palm II, done. Gessoed the edges of the canvas a mid-value gray. Tomorrow or Monday I'll varnish and the darks will deepen and the lights will glow.

TCB day

Did adult artist chores today - like wrote two artist's statements, filled out juried exhibit application forms, reviewed call for artists sites for shows of interest.
Yesterday I finished the Isle of Palm II. Tomorrow I'll gesso the edges of the canvas dark gray, Monday varnish it, and Tuesday drive over to my gallery, Twinhouse. I'm also scouting for the right frame for the Priest's Laundry. I feel it needs something simple, wide and black. Classic and sleek.
All this and turned in a piece to the magazine, and scouted venues for another department. Perhaps most important, got a crisp new edge to my basic bob. Nothing like a precise haircut to convince you that all could yet be well with the world.

Back from Black Mountain NC, and back at the easel - laid in the bench today.
Found out I've been accepted for another juried show - Metropolitan Strozzapreti is going to the Atlanta Artists Center Annual National Juried Exhibition (opens Sept. 6 in Atlanta's Buckhead district). I'm psyched!
Working on the big San Marco piece, the detailed commissioned view of Venice and the sweeping sky scape of Isle of Palm II makes me feel wonderfully stretched and supple. It's like running, swimming, and yoga each use muscles in a different way.

An acceptance letter came today from the SCAA - my painting, Lamott Tomato is accepted for the 2008 21st National Juried Exhibit. I'll put together an artist's statement and drive my work over to the venue for the August 18th opening.
Let me confess. I am not cool. I am thrilled. Especially since there will be an exhibit book and my painting will be in it.
I'm just saying.

San Marco

I've been distracted with travel, pitching freelance, and working on a commissioned piece I don't want to post until it's done. But today was one of the best days of painting ever.
It's a big canvas for me- 30x40. I'd primed the canvas with gray acrylic gesso weeks before. it's a new thing, starting from a midtone value and I wasn't sure I'd be able to see my grid. I ended up using chalk which worked like a charm. Tuesday I did the drawing and it turns out I love drawing on gray. This morning after my run and shower I went straight to the canvas. Painting from 9 to 2-ish I did some of the strong vertical bands on the left, and blocked in the sketchbook.
After lunch I came back and worked on the floor tile and some shadows cast by the high-backed wooden bench and the Savonarola chair. Washed up my brushes at six. I can't wait to get back to it tomorrow. My daughter likes it 'as is. I think it looks like the bench and chair are wearing gray pinstripe suits. But I'm looking forward to laying in the wood grain.