getting ready for the Retro Challenge

 There has been much cleaning and unpacking going on!

I am finally getting motivated - mostly because I know I have a huge project

coming up and time is wasting away...

The Retro Challenge 2014 is coming!!

What you see above is the reorganization of my studio - 

the packing up of unused canvases and gessboards and the unpacking 

of 150 new gallery wrap 8x8s and 8x10s.

The moving around of oil paints and a new oil painting area.

The purchase of acrylics for painting

and acrylics for ornaments.

Lots of sealer and ink too.

 Isn't this beautiful? Just kidding.

This is my old rickety chair, a bunch of trash and the displacement of many things!

 Can you tell I have no idea what I'm doing yet?

 These are my ornaments-to-be.

They have been sanded and primed and are awaiting painting.

I plan on having at least 50 of these for my Weems show in September.

 These are the wooden chopsticks that I use for holding ornaments while

they are being painted. I slip them through the golden top

 and then I can twirl them any which way to paint.

I also use them for hanging ornaments to dry.

My nice clean canvases all stacked and ready to go.

And, oh so intimidating!

My postcard is being produced now and will be

ready for mailing in about a week.

The Retro Challenge begins on March 1, and you can follow along here.

"ILLUMINTATA II" working process

STAGE 1

I've been working madly on my large paintings for the Weems flower show.
I chose four large chunky canvases and started creating.
This is canvas number two.

I always start by toning the canvas in a very thin wash of orange/red.

Then I move to what I call, "making marks."

I sketch a very loose sketch of where I want to put in the main flowers and stems.

Then I start loading thin color on the brush and placing the main shapes.

STAGE TWO

I've worked a while and have the canvas covered.

Looking at it, I can see that I don't like the sky so dark and I am 

unhappy with the dark green in the upper right corner.

This is spring - it needs to be brighter!

STAGE THREE

This is the finished painting.

It's been painted black around the sides (in acrylic) and varnished.

The painting is actually laying flat on my easel and I photographed it at a weird angle.

As you can see, I've lightened a lot of the color,

gotten rid of the dark green in the corner and added my sky color further down into the painting.

It is now at the gallery for the opening tomorrow of the Weems show, 

"FLOWERS, FRUITS, AND VEGGIES."

I dropped my paintings off in a hurry yesterday, 
but I took a peek and the show is going to be fantastic!  

"ILLUMINATA II" is 30x30" on a 3" deep canvas and is $2100.

Contact Weems at 505-293-6133 for details.
They are located at Montgomery and Louisiana NE.

Happy weekend!

on to other things

ON TO NEW THINGS.....

My taxes are done.

It must be spring cleaning time because now I've moved on to my studio!

The studio is not bad. At first glance, it even looks okay.

But I know better. I know where the clutter is.

Those who know me know how much I LOVE books.

Especially art books. Well, art books are now becoming my clutter.

Today I am being firm and going through all of my art books

and only keeping the ones I really want or need.

I may have a little garage sale for all of my artist friends when 

I'm done spring cleaning.

I want my area to be as decluttered as possibly so when I go into the studio 

painting is my only focus. 

I'm also trying to make some room to have a couple of small painting

WORKSHOPS this summer.

I've been asked numerous times if I teach or do workshops 

and the answer has always been no. Until now!

If you are interested in learning techniques involved in daily painting, plein air painting,

blogging, marketing, and how to get out in the art world, keep this in mind.

My idea is to have 3-6 students for a day long workshop - 

half inside and half outside under the cottonwood trees.

A nice lunch and lots of great instruction and conversation.

Affordable and fun. 

More on that later....

OTHER NEWS

I have a couple of projects coming up....

One is for an exhibition called SEED.

I'm doing one painting and the theme is, you guessed it - seeds!

I'm not sure what I'm doing yet, but there's a lot of room for interpretation.

The other is a group exhibition at Weems Uptown called 

"FLOWERS AND VEGGIES."

I am painting 6-8 large pieces - I'm actually looking at some 30x30 canvases that 

are really deep - about three inches.

They would be awesome covered in wild chaotic flowers and painted around the sides, 

very three dimensional and sculptural. 

I'll probably pick up one or two canvases to start on Monday and

see where that goes. 

You guys know I love painting those wild flowers!

I am going to work on a daily painting to post tonight, so keep an eye out.

AND, I'm going on a retreat this weekend.

I'll be doing a labryinth walk, meditation, writing, etc. 

Don't forget to set your clocks this weekend!

  

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