Table Scraps

Sometimes I think that I like the the palette scrapings more than the paintings themselves. Do I paint just for the table scraps? (Kind of like cooking just for the leftovers.....)

Skye's last shot

Happily finished. So radically different from the first round. Reflecting a divided painter's mind, I think.

Loch Ness Sketch

Another blurry shot (note to self- figure out how to photgraph art!) of a new sketch. Oil on Canvas. Second note to self- find less toxic art materials.

Skye still

I wish this weren't such a blurry shot, because I'm liking this painting.

Skye Redo

But I am a glutton for punishment.

Skye No More

The beauty of art is when it doesn't work, it can be made to go away.

Baby

Back to the dogs. Oil on panel. I am still trying to figure out how to get the effect I want - I envision dog-talisman paintings but I can't quite get the technique for an under lay of writing with an over lay of painting. (Hence the script showing faintly in the background.)

Skye again

I wish I had been to Skye as many times as I have painted / worked on this painting. Reaching the "pretty damn done" stage- not so much because I love it but because I am tired of it.

Talisman dogs

Looks like nothing but hopefully is the start of a new series. Oil on masonite board. Or I can leave it like this, call it done and go read. Two interesting books I finished recently: "While I'm Falling" and "Secrets to Happiness". The latter has a cute beagle on the cover.

Summer painting

What I've done over my summer vacation- scraped and painted and scraped and painted. A change from dogs. Oil on canvas, big (for me)- 36" by something. A memory of the Isle of Skye. Not done, but at least not banished from the easel. I like the bottom, the middle is mushy. I'll let it dry a bit and then go back in.

Defender of Dreams

Colored pencil on pre-primed paper.

Scrapings

It's hot and I am uninspired. And I hate the last painting I did so much I am posting the scrapings rather than the thing itself.

On the bright side....I am reading The American Painter Emma Dial and loving it. For a bunch of reasons, but primarily because it is reminding me of "painter think" and NY in the 70s and 80s, though the book is set in today's city.

And I read an interesting article in Bark, that got me thinking about a new set of work. Not paintings, I think, maybe, um, constructs? Not sure but this funny little block print is step one.

One view of Blizzard

Charcoal on paper

Another view of Blizzard

Charcoal on paper.

Il Duce, phase 1

Oil sketch on canvas. First try at painting a cat.

Birdhouses

Mudstone Studios offers open studio space, classes for kids and teens, and special workshops and events. Ellen Blomgren, one of the founders, is a wonderful ceramicist / sculptor and this show, which will feature the work of a number of artists, is the perfect way to bring some art into your life (and garden!)

Il Duce

Oil sketch on canvas. I have never painted a cat. Let's see how this goes.

Summer Reading

Still Life with Oranges and Lemons, 1633, Francisco Zurbaran

Studio time has been taken up with priming canvasses and the fits and starts of painting. Non-studio time has been spent reading some of the New Yorkers that pile up. I confess that I'm not very good at reading art reviews- embarrassing as it is to admit, I usually don't get what the reviewer is talking about and the words start to float on the page. And I've had a long running love/hate relationship with the writings of Peter Schjeldahl. But sometimes he makes me shout with joy at the absolute rightness of his phrasing, like in this review. The phrase "rhapsodic austerity" to describe Zurbaran's painting style - yes and yes! You stand in front of one of those paintings and want to swoon with the repressed beauty of it all.

Zula, finished?

Oil on Canvas, Finished- unless I get the urge to fiddle.

Cat Scratching

Charcoal on paper.

Zula, part 1

Phase 1 of painting Zula.

Zula

Charcoal on pre-primed paper. Possibly next painting.

Bogart Again

Having scraped Bogart down several times, I found I had a thick, encaustic like surface. So of course, I had to give it one more try. Thin, watery oil paint over a thick, lumpy surface.

Bogart 3

Did I say I was done with Bogart? I am....almost. I wish I could get a handle on this dog!

Charcoal on pre-primed paper.

Bogart 2

Bogart is a lovely dog who this painting does not do justice to! But this painting has bee scraped down too many times, so it is being consigned to the "paintings to be repainted on another day" pile!

Weekend poodle doodle

Charcoal on paper

Bogart

Charcoal on pre-primed paper. I can't seem to paint Bogart (I have scraped down the canvas more times than I can count.) Maybe a drawing will help me focus.

Shaq

Oil sketch painted on pre-primed color sheet. These pre-primed sheets are a hardware store find. They are meant to help people pick a paint color, but they are a lot of fun to paint on.

il gatto in giardino

il gatto and I agree- it's too beautiful a day to be in the studio!

Caring

On Saturday we will leave the cani e gatti and cruise for a cause - Rett Syndrome. According to the Rett Syndrome Association of Massachusetts, "Rett syndrome is a childhood neuro-developmental disorder seen primarily in girls and women in all racial and ethnic groups worldwide. Rett syndrome affects about 1 in 10,000 females. Rett syndrome leaves all children dependent on others for all of their basic needs such as feeding, dressing, bathing, and toileting."

But with research there is hope and tomorrow's cruise is a fundraiser to raise monies to support Rett research. All across the country there are groups fundraising for research- check out the International Rett Syndrome Foundation for a group in your area. And for pure inspiration, visit Girlpower2cure.

Adornments

A girl can never be too rich, too thin or have too many Fetching Tags to call her own! Handmade, functional art for your pet, you can choose one their tag lines or create your own. Either way your cani or your gatti will have their own piece of wearable art (and a portion of the proceeds go to pet charities!)

Jazmin

Oil sketch on canvas.