Saying yes...

There's always room for Jell-O

Explorations in reflections continues... Notes to self for next time: Need stiffer Jell-O... need different lighting. If my hazy memory recalls, stiffer jello can be made by adding some Knox to the Jell-O mix.

Slaying the dragon...

Or killing two birds with one stone, or slaying two dragons with one bird... whatever. All I know is, this past weekend, I surmounted two mental/physical challenges all at the same time.

The first one?? I started over on a painting I had wanted to do nearly 2 years ago, but SUCKED at... You can revisit the suckage here, however there will be no photographic proof of the suckage as I'd be ashamed to show it, even if the level of suckage is funny. I'm happy to say, this one is going much better and is almost finished. I need to do a few things including tweak the fork. I wonder if Urban Dictionary has a definition for tweaking the fork, and if so... what would it be?

The second one?? I ventured into the world of water miscible oil paints. I have resisted... they weren't "real", they weren't legit. Also, I was worried they'd handle like shit. I'd seen a couple of people use them and struggle with them, but then realized the people were new to painting and probably would have struggled with regular oils. Also, since I had someone in class who was using them, I figured it would be good for me to know how they handled so I could better help her. Anyhow, I received some during the holidays and finally broke them out to give them a try.

The verdict?? They're funky in ways, but otherwise, not bad... The big bonus is my sinuses and lungs don't hate me for trying to poison them. I'll use them... especially when the house is closed up and I can't vent as well as I should.

 

Observation of the day...

Sometimes creativity feels like a slow dance, and other times, it feels like a mosh pit...

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.