Saying yes...

Did I say, "Wheeeeeeeee"???

I think it just changed to, AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

My painting class starts back up today... Good times are sure to be had.  I was also supposed to be starting a true beginners class tonight so people who need (and want) a lot more assistance and direction could get the time and attention they deserve. I always feel bad (for any number of reasons) for the true beginners who end up in the regular class. Most end up not coming back. My boss and I felt offering an evening class for true beginners might bring in a different crowd. As of last week, enrollment was ZERO!! I wasn't surprised. Sometimes a class needs to be in the books for a session or three before enough people happen upon it, or before schedules mesh.

As of this morning, I had still not heard whether it was officially canceled, or if through some painting magic, we had the needed minimum of 8. They were supposed to call and let me know. I finally called them, pretty sure the answer must be no... or they would have called!! Right??

WRONG!

I have class tonight. They did not get the minimum, but because they love me, they're going to let it run with 3, and hopefully we can build from there. I have nothing planned... and am I planning? No, it appears I'm writing a blog post.

Infatuation

I've spent way too much time over the past couple of weeks staring out of my office window at a particular bunch of branches and watching their leaves change and all of it play with the sky. Every day I try to figure out a new way to paint it. Depending on the direction of the sun and the amount of cloud cover, I find myself thinking of different underpaintings (most of the time it's crying out for Mars violet)... and which layers would go on after. It would not be a classic landscape, but just a square of interacting colors... colors that shouldn't make sense together and yet do... colors that hum... colors that the mere thought of applying leave me breathing a little faster each time.

I've started photographing it during its various moods... always cropping it down to a little square. It wants to be a square. Today, when thinking of what I would layer first, and what I would try to keep as pure as possible, I realized it wanted to be a batik... the dark blue dye going on last, after the wax has been cracked... forming all of those wonderful little branches. But tomorrow? Who knows.

I'll probably never paint it. I'm not that fond of autumnal scenes rendered with paint... they can look garish and cheesy really fast, but I've painted it in my mind a million times this season and every time has been as satisfying as if I'd really done it.

(Today's photo was taken through a window, with my cell phone camera... it's kind of blurry, but actually enhances the batik effect)

 

Celebrating Independence Day

With a little independence.

Grizzled took one lamblet up to the lake this morning in order to retrieve another who was bonding with relatives... they will probably be back sometime tomorrow. I could have gone, but a painting was calling me, and the thought of a day to myself sounded good.

The painting that's been tugging at my mind? This one... Apparently it wanted to be bigger. We'll see. It gets one more try... and if it's still being recalcitrant?? ONWARD!

This semi-post was put up to soothe thundra... Happy now??

 

Summer Blogging in One Post!

Garden. Garden. Flower. Butterfly. Fucking rain! Dog. Dog. Dog. Lake. Grizzled. Garden. Lamblet. Lamblet. Lamblet. Driver's Ed. AHHHHHHH! Lamblet. Hot! Too chilly! Wet! Where's the rain?!?! FUN!!! Woo-HOO!! Grrrr! WTF?? Still can't access any of ZRM's many blogs... 3B's! What contest?! Garden. Garden. Painting. Painting. Grrrr. Life is good. WTF??? Dick joke. Dick joke. Thought-provoking post. Dick joke. Garden. Animules. Painting! Grrrr... painting!!@!1 FRUSTRATION! In the zone. Fireflies!! Ah, summer smell. Butterflies! Orbs!!! Orbflies!! Thundra. Von. LOL! Garden. Dogs. Frustration. Satisfaction. Good. Bad. Love everyone. Hate everyone. Weeds. WEEDS! BG!! Lake. Reading. Thinking. Anniversary. Snag. Birthday. Cicadas. School? Already?

Love! Love! Love!

Love him, love his work... just love...

 

THIEBAUD VIA MORANDI from Victor Loh on Vimeo.

h/t Karen Appleton, whom I also, love, love, love. :)

This Sucks

I've been working on a painting lately... one for myself, so no pressure. It was a subject I had wanted to tackle for a while and could feel it down to my toes, I was certain this would paint itself. That feeling usually meant a sure thing, a smooth ride, a joyous event. The only problem is... IT SUCKS! I'm not even that bummed that it sucks because it's just too funny. I'm sucking in all areas that are my strong suit. I've spent 5 days trying to get it right, but it still sucks... looks like someone who doesn't have a clue has started it and will probably finish it.

I know so much of painting is often adjusting and readjusting. Like a pilot, so often you're off course, correcting your course, but this is insane. It's like I want to go West, and keep heading every which way but.

I'm not stopping though. You can't suck this much and not be around the corner from something good, especially when you really wanted to tackle it in the first place. Maybe I'm purging a month's worth of suckiness on one piece. I'm also wondering if something in my style is changing, on its own, not a purposeful direction, but rather an organic shifting... kind of like when you get up one day and your signature looks different, reflecting the fact that you're no longer the person you were for the past year or ten.

I've been expressing my conundrum to Grizzled who finally took a look the other day. I didn't even get the Explaining Voice. I merely got a subtle "ha" and then he left. Wow. It's kind of funny... Grizzled is left speechless... and probably a little afraid.

2011: Onward

It's going to be good. It's already good.

Moving Forward

Update below:

I've got absolutely nothing to say, I'm as busy as sin right now, but this spot was looking forlorn and dusty...

I had one of my usual stress dreams last night... being on or in a vehicle that was out of control, except this time while it was, I wasn't... my vehicle morphed between being a car and a bike and both were flying through streets, paths, and places where they shouldn't have been, but they were handling wonderfully. At one point, while in the car, I looked down to see that I was doing well above the speed limit, the tank was on empty, but it was too much fun. I decided to hell with the gauges and kept on going. When the car finally came to a stop, it turned into a bike and I kept on going. This was the first fun stress dream I've had in a long time. 

It's a new year, my tank is pretty empty from the holidays, and yet I think I'll keep on going.

Hey, ZRM... you mentioned lots of art in the new year. I fully agree. What's next on the challenge list?? 

Update:

ZRM- Ever-helpful fish has suggested that we do a watercolor of a loved one... stranger the better... no holds barred... it's up to you to decide whether you do your strangest w/c or choose your strangest loved one... or strangest w/c of your strangest loved one. What do you say?? I'm in. I hope you'll come play.

I asked fish to join as well figuring he'd be a master at the wet on wet technique, but he refrained. Pfffft. Anyone else feeling watercolory??

It's Not Finished Yet!

This is what Grizzled says I say whenever I'm working on something. I don't like being watched when I work... Not sure why... I guess it's because I know all of the ugly spots you go through before you get to the end. I also know of all of the wonderful spots that get lost along the way... you don't want proof that those existed and someone looking at it midway might remember. I'm getting better though... a little more willing to show the process, or my process.

And yes, if this looks familiar, it should.

Update:  Trying to keep it amped up while toning down what needs to be... however, finding I just want to scrub and scumble. I'm not going to though; I'm doing this in a number of ways and am trying to keep each in their own category. Also, just posting this so I can see the difference from the morning... if there is one. While I thought the bowl would be trouble, the ice cream (something I've easily knocked out before) is being problematic. The actual "scoops" weren't pretty, but I'm trying to adjust them a tad. That little bit on the top is way too dog turdish-like... While it was in the original, it may have to go away altogether and I may have to make stereotypical scoops. The reflection from the bowl is still way over the top, but I'm not minding that... it's its own creature. And... I'm loving the stupid strawberries on the bottom right. It's silly, they're pretty much exactly as they were on the tablecloth, but they're working some kind of brain-tickle magic.

Update II: dog-turd-like chunkule on the top has been eradicated. However... IT'S STILL NOT FINISHED... even fish's take on it, is still not finished...

Now see... this is a case where I was thinking vast forward movements had been made between photo one and two, but looking at that movement on the top... apparently... if the painting were at the eye Dr and had heard, "Better #1 or #2?", it would have said, "#1".

Live and learn.

On hold

The honey bear has released its hook. I've messed with it enough that I don't feel the need to mess anymore, or at least right now. He'll sit somewhere and will thoroughly dry until I decide if I want to deal with some of the issues that still need to be dealt with, but until then, he's done... on hold... in limbo. The brown at the edge of the cloth is bothering me. It's a flat tabletop, but it's not reading like that and I'm not sure I care. I may lighten it up or may allude to it being a background. Until then...

Onward.