A new work in progress...

Just the wash so far...gosh it's pretty!

Progress...

New Moon, 1/24/2010, acrylic, monotype, Hosho paper on canvas, 24 x 8 inches...a pretty little thing...it took some doing.

Bones of the Earth, Ancient Bronze, 1/24/2010, acrylic, monotype, Hosho paper on canvas, 24 x 8 inches. This was originally pink...imagine that? The pink disappeared on it's own, it just didn't seem to want to be on the canvas or the paper...too thinned down I guess...anyway...the corrosion of bronze is a theme I adore...I might go back into it later...

Finding Gold, 1/24/2010, acrylic, monotype, Hosho paper on canvas, 24 x 8 inches...once again I tried to do a yellow painting and found gold instead...


Bones of the Earth, Stone Monolith, 1/24/2010, acrylic, monotype, Hosho paper on canvas, 36 x 12 inches...I think this one is my favorite...I built up the textures using some of my scrap paper that I tore off to make my rough edges...slathered on naples yellow hue for the undercoat and went from there...the blue/green band near the bottom was the last bit I added to it today to finish it off, it pleases me so much I can just about scream!

Yes, I've been a busy girl... well, I started most of these back in December, and today everything came together, finishing touches and whatnot...so, I wasn't like a crazy woman painting until my eyes were bleeding and my hands falling off...or my head popping off my body...no...not quite...tho' I'm going through a bit of pondering about things creative and feeling odd about what I do, feeling overwhelmed at the same time that I feel good...feeling exhausted, yet content...

Sometimes I just don't know the 'why' of it, I just do what I do because I need to do it, I'd be so unhappy if I didn't spend my days working out these images and these thoughts... it just comes, I have to do something with it...I'd be a sorry thing if I didn't.

I just go with it...

Gallery Opening...

This is our wall at the Delavan Art Gallery (pre-view before opening, I didn't take a single picture tonight, I was too busy people watching and chatting!) I'm sure you can pick out my little bits from past posts, they pretty much represent my summer evolution. The four paintings grouped in the lower middle and right are my Fred's (see his Blog "Crux" in the line up on the right!) He sold one early, the little vertical on the left next to my tall skinny vertical (Welsh Slate). It was Th3 in Syracuse tonight...and the opening was very crowded and lovely, we had perfect weather today and tonight, so everyone came out to browse the city's art world...We're both feeling buoyed by the event, it feels good to see our accomplishments on display!

Walkin' after midnight...what do I see...

Midnight Indigo, Elemental Winter (January Nocturne), 1/17/2010
acrylic wash, monotype, and Hosho paper on canvas
24 x 8 inches

I love the simplicity of the dark circle at the top and the complex layers in the rectangle are just juicy...the Payne's Gray wash was so exquisite I hesitated to make a mark on it! I wish I had taken a photo of it, I thought I had, but apparently I didn't (drat).

I really love the late night walk with Max...even if I'm tired and cold on a winter's night there's still things to see and think about...there's magic in the air when there's fresh snow down, stars in the sky, and the air so crisp and frosty that it hurts to breathe deep...makes poor Max lift his paws while he's sniffing for bunnies in the snow... well, we're warmer now, it's thawing, and we're socked in with fog on the hilltop today, it's a good day to stay inside and paint...or go outside and take pictures...

I might have a few more things left to do with this one...so it's a work in progress...

Work in progress, Night and Day, Winter Elemental, 1/17/2010


Bones of the Earth, Bronzed, 2009-2010
acrylic wash, monotype, and Hosho paper on canvas
16 x 8

I reworked this one a few nights ago...as much as I liked it before, it was bugging me, I kept staring at it one night (instead of reading the proof of my next novel) and took it down off the wall and fooled about with it really late at night, and then delivered it to the Delavan Art Gallery on Thursday afternoon...I was surprised that it was picked from the bunch I brought in...but yet, not. Four other paintings that have been posted here previously were selected as well...there's a group exhibition opening this Thursday night (1/21), I don't know which piece (or pieces) will be included so it will be a bit of a surprise when I get there for the opening...I'll take pictures!

My new scanner/printer is up and running...photo paper is on order...I'm working on an Esty shop for selling original artwork, photographs and signed copies of books from Field Stone Press so...there's much in the works, I'll keep you posted when that happens...a few things have to fall into place first, I don't multi-task as well as I used to...

Window Pictures, Courtesy of Frost...

It's been so cold it's breathtaking...I've been keeping busy with things...artwork, editing the book, playing around with the photos I've been taking of our winter wonderland...keeping warm is a priority...

I love incorporating the icicles dangling above...

Playing around with tinting the black and white...silver and gold...


Nature continues to impress me with its beauty...thinking about future paintings...

Since it seems I'm on a black and white theme, here's some pencil drawings that I finished...


December Winds, 12/11/2009, pencil drawing on paper 14 x 11 inches

These tend to be my mental putterings...an aimless relaxation...they take a very long time to make, they're very satisfying to me while I'm working on them...at times they're very odd...although I do try to "plan", they tend to be their own thing in spite of what I think I want to do when I lay down the first marks...


Winter Sonata, 1/1/2010, pencil drawing on paper, 14 x 11 inches...the first of the New Year...

I know, I posted this over at Upstate Girl...but just in case you didn't get there, I snapped this photo yesterday afternoon from my back window looking out at the hilltop behind us...all of the trees were coated with a fine layer of ice earlier in the week, then snowed upon for a couple of days more...and voila, winter wonderland! It's very pretty out there, and I have my camera full of pictures...so much to see, so much to look at...

The last work of 2009...

Elemental December, Frost and Snow, 12/28/2009, acrylic monotype on sumi paper mounted on canvas, 9 x 9 inches

At one point, I had feared that I was going to work this one to death...it saw many layers, had some of them washed off...here's the documented progression...

Started on 12/5/2009 (I loved this start sooooo much!)


12/6/2009, then I did this the next day...I wasn't completely happy with it, I tried to like it, but...unfortunately (or fortunately depends on how you want to look at it), I didn't photograph the two other attempts that I dunked into the bathtub and scrubbed the paint off with the paint brush...oy!


12/27/2009, I started over again...and washed it off at least one more time (if not two) before I got to this point...then late that night on one final impulse, I added the "windows" and the moon...I woke up the next morning and fell in love with what I had done...and so it's finished...a white painting.

There are more works in progress, tomorrow begins a new year...this is the last one to receive 2009...it's been a very productive year, I have loved my experiments with texture and color and all the hard work has been very rewarding and wonderful! I appreciate all who follow my "blog studio" and leave comments. I'm going to pour some champagne and ring in the new year...all the best to you!

Slip into the Glimpse...

Slip into the Glimpse, 12/27/2009, acrylic monotype on sumi on canvas, 12 x 12 inches

Oh, happy day! It turned out to be a pretty one...I've kept this canvas aside for weeks n' weeks with that red/gold wash on it, and today was the day to make marks while my mind wandered over many things...I'd walk away from it, go outside to enjoy the sunshine...all of our snow is melted away, it was not quite balmy, but it was a lovely day...

The title...it's one of those phrases that came into being to explain something I saw within...just a glimpse of something beautiful that I have no words for...

Winter Solstice

Winter Solstice, 12/14/2009, acrylic monotype on sumi paper mounted on Stonehenge paper, 8 x 8 inches

The layers of color are so much fun, they always surprise me in the end! All four are part of a series...a fifth piece is still being contemplated...it seems I'm into my winter nocturnes...must be the long nights and snow bringing it on...

A busy day...

Bones of the Earth, Molten Ore, (Star) 12/13/2009, acrylic monotype, sumi paper on canvas, 9 x 9 inches

A wintery mix outside today...inside...well, a mix of this, a mix of that, I turned on the music and let the paint fly...many of these were posted in their early stages on my November 29th post...many have evolved into something completely different from what I started with...


Ice Nocturne, Elemental December, 12/13/2009, acrylic monotype, sumi paper and 2 ply mat board on canvas, 12 x 12 inches



Bones of the Earth, 12/13/2009, acrylic monotype, sumi paper on canvas, 9 x 9 inches



Bones of the Earth, 12/13/2009, acrylic monotype, sumi paper on canvas, 12 x 12 inches



Bones of the Earth, Fieldstone, 12/13/2009, acrylic monotype, sumi paper and 2 ply mat board on canvas, 4 x 4 inches (It's sooooo little!)


Bones of the Earth, 12/13/2009, acrylic monotype, sumi paper on canvas, 9 x 9 inches



This one isn't quite done yet...almost...I really love to keep it simple...

My choice of music today was an eclectic mix, Patty Smith, Florence and the Machine, Moby, Bob Dylan, Tracy Bonham, Beatles, Metric, Mute Math, Balbec, and then I listened to all four discs of Woodstock... Okay with that said...imagine painting that red one with Jimi Hendricks jamming the Star Spangled Banner? (Yes, it was awesome.)

Today was awesome.

Progress...a little at a time...

It took some time to make the positive ID, but judging by the crinkles I think I got the right one...this is what I had last week...loved it then...but knew I had to be brave to go beyond this lovely start...

This was yesterday morning's effort...oh, I was so bummed after I added the burnt sienna, I thought for sure I ruined it, then I went into it with a dark brown, and then laid down some white on top of it while it was still a bit wet...I oooo'd and ahhhh'd, and so I loved it more...

This is today's work...I love it better...there will be more, stay tuned!