Seasonal colors...

Elemental Autumn, Samhain, 10/31/2009, acrylic monotype on sumi paper mounted on canvas, 12 x 30 inches

I think it's finished...well, it's still sitting on the dining room table, I've picked at it all week, adding bits of this and that, I've given it a name anyway...if I make any changes they might be small ones...nothing drastic...unless I go crazy and decide to obliterate it...which I don't think I will do...

Bones of the Earth, Bronzed, 10/25/09, acrylic monotype on sumi paper mounted on canvas, 18 x 6 inches

This little guy...is from last week, I had to think about it, it started out red and then the red wasn't working, so I made it go away...it took a few layers...and I was ready to give up, but then I plopped that gold red that I used in Samhain all over it, like a glaze, and fooled around a bit more and now I think it's "done" the pale green square saved it for me, I might ponder it a little more, but, like with Samhain, I don't expect too much will change (of course if I do anything too crazy I'll be sure to post the results!)

This has been a rough week, my Fred's father is near death, these are difficult times...
an emotional rollercoaster...which has put many projects in limbo...exhaustion is taking its toll.

Work in progress...this is an orange one...

I worked on this lovely orange painting at the dining room table while I cooked curried butternut squash thai soup (OMG was that yummy!) on the woodstove...still much to do...I originally started with a delicate wash...then made a mess of it by going too dark too soon with the dark moss brown that I love so much...dang...so I painted over it all with pale umber, stone gray, and a white wash...then I went back at it again, the red gold wash (the color in jar on the table) and played with a pale green and the dark moss color...more to come another day!

And then...I picked this little painting off the wall (I originally worked on it back in August 16th) because I "saw" something that needed to be done...I think this time it's done...

Bones of the Earth, Granite Fieldstone with Lichen, 10/25/09
acrylic monotype on sumi mounted on canvas
10 x 10 inches

Work in progress...

This is the top...

This is the middle...

This is the bottom...well, for now, that's how my mind has this little guy oriented, it's only 6 x18...

Oh, yes, here's some pretty fun...this is the early stages of new work, the sumi paper was mounted on the canvas yesterday morning, and I did the washes last night after everything dried...I'm loving the colors as is...I don't imagine doing too much more...but now is contemplation time...

I didn't paint anything new this week...

I've been concentrating on my novel...but yesterday, I got outside with the sunshine, and went into the barn to explore...it's old...built around 1850 or so...the patina of the wood has always been an interest to me, and the light was bright enough to reach into the darkest corners...

This narrow piece reminds me of an O'Keeffe painting from her early days...or maybe even the Jack-in-the-Pulpit paintings...

I loved the knot, and ya gotta love the cobwebs...there's even a stray pencil line...

There's more, but I need to stop here, dinner is nearly ready...

Black forest stew...mmmmmmm...that's guaranteed to fill in the empty nooks and crannies...stick to the ribs...take the chill off...there might be snow in the air tonight...I can smell it on the wind...I'm not ready for it...

Bones of the Earth series

Bones of the Earth, 9/29/2009, acrylic monotype on sumi paper mounted on canvas, 30 x 12 inches.

I just love the subtleties going on in the top half, it didn't come through so well in the full shot...so here's the close up...there are layers to this...first a wash of the moss brown, and then I started impressing layers of color with various surfaces, glassine, mat board of various shapes and sizes, and the various circles...the texture of the paper and paint surface comes together like a surprise...I had no plan, it just happens...

My little buddy Kennedy Bear helped hold the drawing for the snap shot...I'm still working with it...still lots more to do...

A new drawing...

I started a new drawing on Sunday night...it's been a long time since I made a pencil drawing...I settled in on the couch to watch the Ken Burn's National Parks on PBS and taped out the edges of some smooth finish Bristol paper (9 x 12) and started to make random marks...and then let my pencils go with the flow...
This is a close up of Sunday night's corner...

And this is what I did during last night's episode...one problem with photographing graphite drawings, they shimmer...There is no top or bottom, right or left to this yet...it resolves itself as I move along...

These drawings are very soothing to me, some are successful, some are rambling nonsense with no focal point to anchor the viewers eye...people tell me they get lost in them...I say they give me joy...I can't wait until I get back to this one tonight! When the show ended last night, I wanted to keep going, but I had to stop, I was so tired last night, my Fibromyalgia was really giving me grief all day yesterday...these drawings are my therapy...

Here's some of my most favorite drawings...

A Little Bit Softer Now...2005

Show and Tell, 2005...This little drawing was stolen from the bin at the gallery where my drawings were on display...I'm pissed at the thief...tho' I keep being told I should feel "honored" that someone liked it so much they felt compelled to walk off with it.

Joy, 2006

For Cello, 2007



Spring Nights, 2007


May, 2008

They're all small ones...8 x 10 or less...pencil drawing is my first love...I'll always go back to it to regroup, think about what to do next, or just to play...or go with the flow...

It's a keeper...

Elemental Autumn, Twilight, 9/27/2009, acrylic monotype on sumi paper mounted on canvas. I finally resolved the left side to my satisfaction, it kept changing, and I would like it for a little while, and then...I wanted to do better.

Bones of the Earth, White Stone, 9/26/2009, acrylic monotype on sumi paper mounted on Stonehenge paper, 8 x 8 inches.

This little one...purely accidental. It started out much brighter, and then I messed it up, and then I tried to fix it...made it worse, and then I just went into "oh, f' it" mode and did this and that just to see what I can do while waiting for paint to dry on the others I've been working on...and so...when this stony surface happened with lots of the under coats showing through and the paper texture doing its thing in spite of the layers of washes I had a "that's it!" moment...

My vacation is over...