We are doing the circus show again, so I'm doing a series of small
paintings for it and this one would be number 5, the subject will be a
fox. I always start with a background first then move on to my main
subjects. Here is a view of how the background evolves.
after the texture and collage is dry
dividing foreground from background
taped and glazes started
now the sky and ground are distinct
at this point it is the process of glaze over glaze letting the paint tell me where to go
adding a wall
doing the wall bit by bit and still glazing the background
these pictures show a brighter yellow cast than what's actually there
Just about done with this painting, it needs a few touches here and there, but at least it looks like a bear now and not so much like a lion. I'm trying to not put anymore more images in this but it's a struggle. I think for now the name is "the juggler".
Well I'm disappointed this is a bear BUT it totally looks like a lion. I was so engrosed working on it yesterday I didn't notice until this am.........sigh. And there is a big difference between the two. Not done yet.
Here is what I hope is the final version of this painting. Went to an interesting show last night by Kevin Sloan, a newcomer to Denver from Santa Fe. He rented my old studio and so when I saw his work on line and I was anxious to see it in person at Ironton. So of course I had to go home and perk up my piece.
Read this blog post and thought it was so good I'd share. The post was on Fine Art Newsletter and the article was by Karen Weihs. Good reminders that you can only relate to after a certain age.....I got a few pointers and a couple of ah-ha's.
To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 42 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I've ever written.
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short - enjoy it..
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will.
Actually Oz has nothing to do with anything (well my little skeleton of a barn owl is called Oz) but it did sound kinda cool. I spent some time rearranging my found objectterrarium, now I'm looking for a better light for inside. The little guy inside of it was sitting way too high and has bothered me for months. Finally I took control and scooped out dirt added a bunch more stuff and gave the moss a good watering for which it was grateful, so much so, that it gave me the rest of the night off. This terrarium was, btw, a bear to photograph.......
top down
side with lights on and a top in place
another view of same
front on
hard to see but items at his feet are big giant marbles to name one
note the tiny little leg which a friend of mine gave me, OMG are they cool, this is at the back side by his tail
I had this idea that masks would make a really interesting the for the next few paintings I'm doing. Well I was feeling as though they would be more whimsical however they are not turning out that way. I just finished the second one and it's got that same weird feeling the first one had. I wonder how that happens. Seriously I wonder why the creative side of your brain just takes over and does something completely different, no wonder I had so much trouble with the first one I was fighting it all the way.
