"The Bay."

Just finished a piece I've been working on continuously since I started painting full time. "The Bay" is something that had been brewing in my head for months, and this is the result. I feel it might be too static, or rigid, it needs a dash more fluidity. Still, it was a good 30+ hours of work, and I'm proud of it.

I've also done a few more portraits for practice, and finished a commission. It's nice getting stuff done. 

Art show next weekend, "Art in Carnegie Park."It's here in Livermore, in the park downtown where the farmers market is, and it's always been fun in the past. I will also be showing at the ArtWalk this year on October 9th. 

Time to get back to work! :)

("The Bay." Oil on Canvas. Summer 2010.)

(Acrylic on Canvas. August 2010.)

(Acrylic on Canvas. September 2010.)

("For Frances." Commission. Acrylic on Canvas. September 2010.)

The last "Painting a day" #3...

("Topography" Oil on canvas. August 2010.)

This last weekend was my birthday, and I turned 26. I am now entering my late 20's, and I do feel older. 30 is just 'round the bend. Crazy thoughts. So, in regard to my artwork, I took a few days off to scrapbook my wedding photography, but it's time to get back to work. My husband and I saw "Wicked" on friday, and I highly recommend. It knocked my socks off...

As for my decision to do a "Painting a day," I need to let that go. I'm going to shoot for a painting every other day or so. The fact of the matter is that my painting quality is suffering a little. It's really evident in the painting I did today. I also need to switch from synthetic brushes to bristle. I still want to produce quickly, and 2 or 3 paintings a week is a good goal, on top of the really big pieces I'm doing on the side. Just not 5 paintings a week.

"Topography," the painting I did today, may end up with a road painted through it, through the lowest point. It has to dry first. I need to think about it. But despite the painting flaws I

 see, I am happy with it.

Painting a day: #2

("In To." Oil on Canvas, August 2010)

I don't know if I can keep this up, because there are things I want to do that will take more than one day. But the thought of trying to do one painting a day really did light a fire under my butt, and I worked hard today. So, day 2 was a success. This painting turned out different than intended, but I'm actually really happy with it.

Painting a day: #1

The Studio...

I'm going to make an attempt to do a painting a day for awhile. It will be interesting to see if I can do it.

This is day #1, featuring the thin white duke himself, David Bowie. I'm thinking about a series of portraits, which means I need to brush up on my skills. So, this copyright infringement painting is just an exercise. I'm okay with it, it's a little lifeless and he looks older, but not too shabby for my first portrait in... 4 years? Wow, it's been awhile. It took about 3 hours.

(The Thin White Duke, Oil on Canvas, August 2010.)

Going all out.

So, I've been laid off. Should have been expecting it more than I was, but I did know it was coming in the back of my head. I was the bottom rung of seniority. Teaching is an insecure profession at the moment.

Solution? What else? ART! I'm gonna do it. As soon as school is out, balls to the wall, I'm a professional artist. I'm going to see if I have the discipline to make it work 40 hours a week. I'll have unemployment to hold us through the first few months of building up my portfolio, and try and supplement with shows that don't require me to have a business license. If things are going well, I'll go for it. 

I'm kind of excited. I don't know if I can do it, I'm worried that I'll get distracted by all the things that need to happen around the house. Maybe if I give myself an hour of housework in the morning, and then completely devote myself to it the rest of the day. I'm nervous but stoked.

Still, variety is the spice of life, so they say. So I plan to also promote myself as a private teacher, muralist, and handmade graphic designer. Speaking of which, here are my invitations....

Here's to hope.

A new direction: backwards.

I've decided I was putting too much focus on the concentric circles, and I didn't know how to get out of it. I wanted to grow, but I seemed to be growing trite, and overdone, and repetitive. I've been struggling to figure out what to do, where to develop towards.
And it hit me, go back to the point when I didn't feel repetitive. When I was treating the circles like a secondary feature, like an accent to the greater whole, that told a story. I used to be all about dualities. The circles representing something natural, versus something else. Juxtaposition.
I know that I've been keeping that in there a bit, but it has become the secondary feature. I want to go back to content, and keep the form secondary.
In the meanwhile, heres what I've been doing...

("Richmond." January 2010. Oil Paint on canvas.)

(Random sketch. "Masked" Sharpie. February 2010.)