End of February

It is incredibly hard to believe we are already heading into March. March of 2010.   I do mention time often, because I just don't ever seem to have enough of it and it seems to disappear on me.  It can be months before I realize I haven't been in touch with someone or missed a date or deadline.  It's not like I'm sequestered, but my life revolves around painting and dogs, home and studio.  My husband is amazed that I am an avid newspaper junkie - but it's how I keep in touch with where I live.  Why mention this?  I dunno - I guess it's often on my mind.  I also realize as time is passing, that my days here are limited and there is much I want to do.  


In the studio I want to explore textures and techniques with acrylics that I haven't done.  I've attempted twice in workshops, but once the workshop is over - I'm back to my commissions.  I'm so torn!  Obligations vs desires.  


Enough of that train of thought.  

Here are 2 pics, of Mikki and the newest painting.  I painted most of the weekend.  Yahoo!  I haven't spent so much consecutive time in the studio for several years.  It's been awesome.  


More to come.  Ditto and Plum need to be finished, too. 

Mikki

This is Mikki. Still in progress.

Two posts ago I mentioned working on several pieces and one not going so well.  In fact, it took a turn for the worse.  Sometimes that happens with a painting and usually I expect it to have an "ugly phase" just before it begins to take the road home, so to speak.  It's a tough phase to be in and where I can make some pretty huge mistakes.  Coupled with frustration and lack of desire, it's a toxic mix.

I've shown Mikki on here before I think.  Here she is in an early phase.  I was so excited at the time because the companion painting (Tess) was such a bear for me to paint, this one looked great right away.  Alas, that excitement didn't last long.  Here she is again still working out pretty well, but legs and paws are beginning to look odd to me and my client.  Then the background wasn't looking quite right.  Of course, now that I see it here, I don't feel so strongly about it, but at the time....well, I was concerned.

Here it starts to go downhill.  (There are several revisions I am not posting.)

And then I lose her face.  Oh no.  So I set Mikki aside and debate on whether to keep on or give up this painting.

Then a funny thing happened: I decided to "do or die."  After beginning the piece for the Celebration show, and after having Susan B. come help me for the past two months, a load has been lifted off of my shoulders AND now I'm WANTING to get into the studio. 

 I e-mailed my client in January and told her briefly I was having trouble and e-mailed again yesterday to let her know maybe it was time to give up, but I was going for one last gasp.  Although she is particular, she has been very patient and supportive.  Just before getting into the studio,  I picked up my copy of Art Calendar magazine that just came in the mail to find an article about color.  Without going into the detail, it was like a light bulb blazing above my brain.  No, it was like a slap upside the back of my head.  DUH! YES!  All the things I knew about color, but  this article inadvertently addressed my issues.  So I went back into the studio, pulled out the paints I knew would begin to work and Whoa! it happened.  

I wish this photo was brighter in color, but I painted for two days and took this image in late afternoon when the light was not ideal.  But look at the face.  :-) 

 Sometimes we hit a roadblock and we just need to reenergize. Maybe it was a normal evolution of this painting and I couldn't get past it.  I don't know.  I do know this;  I'm in my studio more often and longer plus while Susan is here doing office tasks.   She told me this afternoon she can see the energy has changed for me while I work.  She has noticed I'm focusing on the painting and sees the progress.  What an angel. 

I don't know what my client will want to do.  But I am thrilled.  And I can't wait to get back to work and conquer this piece.  Even if just for me. 

Finding the Joy again

Last year I realized I had to make some changes in the studio, from record-keeping issues, to dealing with my pack-rat tendencies to how I approached my painting.  I was going to paint only commissions and leave behind my other work, with few exceptions. 

Two out of three issues were dealt with successfully.  I hired a part-time office manager who has been a godsend and a delight.  Susan B. is the one who helped me get started on tackling my studio organization skills (see January blog) and I'm now proud to say my studio has been clutter free (ok, not for the compulsively tidy, but for ME it is) for two months.  On the business side, Susan is organizing all my scattered bits of info into a database.  What a time-consuming job it has turned out to be and I'm very happy to pay her to do it.  It has given me extra time to paint.

Concentrating only on commission work did not go so well.  I reached a point where I avoided going into the studio and when I got there, I'd paint a bit, then leave.  My heart wasn't in it.  Difficult commissions made it harder to find the enthusiasm.  I hit a block. My plan to complete commissions was backfiring.  I wanted to try some new work, but felt guilty if I didn't work on the commission pieces.   I didn't stop painting, but any artist will tell you that if you aren't with the painting, the work is awful.  So I hoped for inspiration and painted when I found it.

This weekend I began a new painting for a show at Riverview Gallery in Portsmouth. My friend and the co-owner Wayne will be celebrating 12 years in his space.  Since Wayne was the first person to afford gallery space to me that first year, I work with him on special occasion projects whenever I can.

Yes, I have commissions underway. But I wanted to do this for Wayne.  I had an image from an art opening, taken by my friend and photographer Lynda Richardson, that I wanted to paint.  Oh boy!  I had that drawn and in progress in just a few hours.  I was loving it.  ! The canvas was right, the image spoke to me, colors were happening and I suddenly realized what I had been missing this past year.  The joy.  The JOY in painting.  The sheer delight in seeing something happen that is totally mine....no collaborating, no input from someone else, no pressure to please a client or stress to finish, to move on to the next commission.  Just painting in the moment and NOT worrying about whether another person will like it or not.  I hope this translates back to the commissions, but I do know this; I can't give up painting for me.

( in progress) 

Getting work done - Ditto

With all this snow (ugh! NOT a fan) I've been able to get into the studio to paint a bit more than usual.  It's always wonderful to get into the groove of working and feel/see a painting come to fruition.  Two are near the completion stage, but alas one is regressing.



This is Ditto - the handsome Rottie that I was able to meet and photograph a few years back.  Sometimes it happens that a client has an elderly pet, so I take the photos early on and file them away until it is time for that piece to be painted.  I have thoroughly enjoyed this piece, from the many sketches through the painting on canvas.  The clients are so generous with their input and easy to work with and very importantly, the images speak to me.   I can picture this boy's big head and sweet demeanor when I work on him.

If left to my own devices, I prefer not to do a head shot (with the exception of my small square panels).  It seems too "portraity" for me.  I had many photos of Ditto and his entire body, which was massive and impressive.  His markings, as in all Rotties, are distinctive.  This client wanted to see him up close and it was the right decision. It was his expression and his eyes that spoke to his humans.  If I had done a full figure, you would not have seen his sweet expression so well. In the end, that is what is important to my client.   Ditto will be finished in a few more sessions.

As for the other two paintings, I'll talk about those later.

Welcome to my newest blog followers.  :-)

February is Here

I continue to slowly incorporate changes into my home studio habits.  It's staying tidy and when I do walk in to work there,  it's welcoming.  I am having issues with wanting to work - I'd rather do my own pieces than commissions, but commission work calls.  So I struggle as an artist with the need to be creative and the obligation to produce.  It can be overwhelming and sometimes lately I just turn around and don't do any work at all.  Counterproductive and something I'm working hard on dealing with.

In the meantime, Susan B. continues to come here once a week to put my files and records in order.  She has been a godsend.  For the many hours she has put in, I'd have taken twice as long.  We finally have most of my art images on the MAC and most of my client list moved as well.  And we're using the eArtist application to pull it all together.

So I'll upload "Sprite."  This is an acrylic on panel which I actually did last May, but am now donating to the Richmond SPCA for an auction. (if you are local - it's a good cause!)

The panel is wood (ash, I think) and 4 x 4 inches.  Tinier than I usually work, but seemed right for a tiny dog.

Just for fun. This is my porch.  Those are my cars under snow. 

I'm really not fond of snow or cold, BUT, I've been able to get more done while inside.