"Golden" Found Art Friday

Ok, this is unusually abstract for me.  I'm not sure if it comes through here or not, but the gold pigment is really strong, so a little goes a long way.  It's an encaustic painting, that may become a diptych. 

Check out all the other work for "Found Art Fridays" at Cathy Nichols blog tomorrow.  

Rainy weekend

Was a cloudy and rainy weekend here.  Spent a very lazy Saturday night organizing my contacts and then watching "The Fabulous Mr. Fox" (so delightful!)  I have been very inspired by many blogs this weekend in many ways.  Most importantly I was inspired to take this coming Wednesday off for a studio day, since my Monday will be filled with working AGAIN.  I have also been inspired to add to my serious list of wants; which follows my wish for an archival printer is a DSLR.  It was proven both here, and here that I just can't take the pictures I want to with out one.  So I must begin budgeting!!

Sunday we spent visiting our local poultry farm, and stocked up on some herbs and flowers to plant as well.  I started getting some potted.  I can't wait to get our tomato plants going, but I will wait till mid May for that.  I hope to try the earth box's on our rooftop.  They are kinda expensive, but home grown tomatoes are worth it!

I am still not feeling 100 percent after a stomach bug.  I miss running and my active routine, but I still have no energy.  I have to go into work, although I think I may need another day to chill.  Oh well!!  

Here's to a rainy Monday!   

Anguilla House

Ok, the Anguilla house is almost done for my Aunt Laura.  I feel like I post a lot of work in progress, but I am just happy to be able to post some art this week.  The picture I am working from isn't the best so I boosted some of the color, and made the flora in full bloom.  I mean come on it's Anguilla!! The final layer will add a little more precision and deal with the shadows on the porch a but more. Seeing it as a photo, it's even clearer what needs to be tweaked!

I think I mentioned before my "Aunt" Laura's mom still lives here and it was built in The Valley by her great-grandfather.  There are really cool ginger bread details in the woodwork throughout the inside.  My Aunt Sally and Laura are going to visit in two weeks.  I will be there in spirit!  

Now I need to finish a painting for my Aunt Lois. It's a gift, a surprise for her husband.  Boy, my family is keeping me busy!!

Fun with Wax

(fun wax drips)

(fun wax scraps to make base gray with)

 (fun new birch wood - ready for anything, I love that moment)

 I'm still playing with using the wood as an element.  I don't think this is finished yet. 

This guy is finally done.  Now I am not sure weather I want to orient it horizontal like this, or put the circles at the bottom.  hmmmm.

Here is the finished (I think) work with out the drips. 

I also worked on my Found Art Friday piece, which you will have to wait to see! I'll post it on April 30th.  It's been a happy accident that I may be able to use this "Golden" piece for a new business opportunity.  I hope so!

I often wonder if I could get into the studio more often would I be more prolific? Or is it the down time that gives me the energy?  I felt a bit inspired while painting, and hope to sketch out some of those ideas.  I haven't worked through the "rib/houses" idea, but I think it will work best in encaustic.  Above all, I am really hoping to keep the fun going.

F-U-N

I finally had 4 hours in the studio, and as much as I wanted to tackle the must-do's, I just couldn't wait to play with the rock paintings.  So much for worries about originality. I just had SOOOO much fun painting my first attempt.  I had to stop before it was done, and I can't wait to get back to it.  
Sooo...Whadya think?

(detail)

I have envisioned bringing in my house forms some how.  Maybe on the next one. Stay tuned for more studio results.  I have some new encaustic paintings as well as an update on the Anguilla house.

Lots of Dogs, only a little Bull

As I have been saying my social calendar, has been crazy and this weekend was no exception.  We attended a bull roast for a friends charity and they had a mechanical bull!  I regret to say that I didn't ride.  I wish I would have, I could of checked it off my bucket list.

Yesterday Mr. G and I participated in our local SPCA's March for The Animals.  What fun!!  This is the first year that we have been able to go.  There were so many beautiful doggies.  I was very proud of our boys, they got to try the agility course. Dakota was so thrilled, and Bear impressed us all with his willingness to try and he did really well.  (I wish I could of taken pictures of them on the course, but we both had our hands full.) 

Although my plans today have been slightly side tracked today, I have to go into work for a bit.  After a stop by the art supply store, I am headed to the studio.  I am determined to get a least 4 hours of painting in!  Wish me luck.

Sketching

I had really hoped to post some new paintings, but all I have are sketches.

Trying not to get to frustrated.  It really seems like all my studio time gets sucked away.  Every Monday that I don't have to work, I try to set aside to get some work done.  Errands and appointments always take up more time that planned!  So I am working a lot in the sketchbook.  The upside is that I am more and more excited to actually get some painting done!!

I have some fun ideas for my rock formation paintings that make them feel a little more like mine. I can't wait to get the first attempt started.  

I also have to give a BIG thank you to Megan from Transmission me, for lending her technical expertise.  I know have a less obnoxious header and more room for larger pictures.  THANK YOU!!! 

Facing another fun and busy weekend. I also hope that I find some time to catch up on my blog reading, I gotta find out what everyone is up to!  Maybe I can live vicariously through some others studio time.  Happy weekend all!

Play Ball!

This weekend was another busy one!  Whew.  Had a blast at opening day.  Perfect weather, and lots of over indulging in ballpark food.

Just to make the day even better, my good friend got engaged!  (They met on opening day the exact same date three years ago.)  I am so happy for her and her fiance, and glad we could be there when it happened.  

The rest of the weekend was filled with Spring cleaning.   Our unfinished basement has been a catastrophe since I moved in to his house years ago.  I was so happy to tackle it, and make a good deal of progress.  It's one of those things on the "to do" list that has been hanging over me, and feels so good to finally tackle it. 

Now to find some studio time!

Been there, done that.

I've been looking for some inspiration lately.  Sketching a lot, and working on some paintings for family to keep my creativity and mind working.  While hiking in California, I fell in love with rock formations.  Fellow blogger, at Big Bang Studio's, has talked about them before and now I truly appreciate what she means.  I've seen them before but never in abundance and wow, the color and patterns are so cool.  

I took a ton of pictures and all through the hike I imagined large juicy oil paintings and wet watercolors of these compositions.  But by the end of the trail all I kept thinking is that so many artist have done this before me, so many way more talented artists.  I wonder does anyone else do this to themselves?  The common sense part of me realizes that this is silly, that I bring myself to my art and that makes it different.  But, it seems easy to talk myself out of this.  I always feel like I need to find something new or reinvent.  When all I need to do it be true to my own creativity, and explorations.

I'm going to tackle one painting and go from there!

A fun filled few days

 (BF's wedding venue!)

Whew!  It feels like I've been gone from here forever!  I just returned from a wonderful weekend visiting my BFF and her fiance in San Diego.  It was fabulous, lots of hiking, drinking and yummy delicious fresh food.  I am envious of the simple access to fresh fruits, and great organic produce.

My beloved BF is planning her wedding in December so we got to run around and do fun wedding planning things.  I'm so excited for her.  Although, the weekend was spent doing so many other fun activities too.  We hiked Iron Mountain, 

on a sunny morning.  I feel in love with all the rock formations (more on that in another post soon).  

We took a sunset sail in San Diego harbor, 

where I got to meet some great people.  And got a different perspective of the city.  We walked the beach, and I enjoyed a beautiful scenic run on the PCH.  I even got to feel the earth shake!  (once is enough of that, thank you.)

I returned home last night to my house full of boys, who I certainly missed!  The weather here in Baltimore really makes it seem like I am still on vacation, so with my last day off I took the dogs to the trials and enjoyed the sunshine.  

I think I wore them out...

I miss my BF but it's good to be home too!  Now I am looking forward to catching up with all of you, I've got some major post reading to do.