nonetheless, take a step

It takes awhile to accumulate enough paints/junk to make a masterpiece as good as this picture below. You would not believe but I cleaned up/threw away recently....

(Today, after cooking some appetizers (SOME? ok. a LOT) I should have taken a photo of my kitchen. I make messes. I just do. Who would guess I am in fact a pretty clean/neat person? You probably would laugh after you saw my house today.)

Today I took a step (some might say back) in the direction of simple, still lifes. I feel rusty and wanted to 'get back to the basics.' Still lifes are pretty much what I did in my intro art classes in college. I painted fruit all day, everyday for months. I hated it. But who would guess I resorted back to that today? I am going to try to have fun with it and try to get back on track. I even bought these beautiful apples at the grocery!

Stay tuned for more work on this....

minor update on 2 paintings...

I THINK I have gotten the shoes to look right on this guy so I can call it "completed." Heck, I didn't know what dance shoes looked like. I looked up a photo on the internet. I have not put on a pair of ballet slippers since I was 6. No, really.

I'm STILL struggling with this big Tahoe picture. I think I am about to take another break from it and move onto another fruit picture. I KNOW I need to look at one boat at a time. I may need to take an art class or two as a refresher.

I tend to paint late at night before I go to bed and I can't sit over an hour. (That hasn't changed from college!) It makes my hands smell STRONG before bedtime. I may want to rethink this.

Tahoe Sunset - Here goes nothing!

I started this painting awhile back...maybe even a year ago...and was intimidated. The painting and photo is Lake Tahoe. It's one of my favorite photos I have ever taken. Sally and I drove from Reno (while at a conference) since Tahoe was close. I will attempt to do it justice with a painting. (Photos are where I get most my ideas.)

It has been awhile since I have done a painting as large as the nightime dancers hung above my couch. My motivation is this huge canvas I paid a pretty penny for (don't be worried...still half-off at Hobby Lobby). I have plenty of paint. I should be able to make this work.

Are there any artists out there who oil paint and have a genius idea on how to clean oil brushes with little mess? I have jars and jars of turpentine substitute waiting to take to an environmental disposal day! It still does not clean the brushes well. I go through packs of brushes!

...HERE GOES NOTHING!

I've still got it...

It's been many years since I dug into webpages/html. (Remember the days when geocities was the place to be?) Tonight I was on a mission to figure out something new with my blog. Originally I went in to create a new banner. I came out figuring out something else pretty darn cool. Can anyone figure out what I did?

Hint: Check the IE tab and the address bar!

Bluff Park Art Show

This past October I attended the Bluff Park Art Show . Many people approached me to tell me how wonderful the show was and how I really must see 'what it's all about.' Needless to say, I loved it. I spent hours with my coworker and friend Sarah wandering around the many amazing pieces of art.

I need to make a goal for myself...a goal to enter my first show. But my standards have to be even higher if I am going to try to sell any of my work at a show. I missed the cut-off for submissions this April for the October '08 show due to calligraphy commitments (and 1000 weddings) but I am plan to start now and get a collection together for the show in '09. I am going to begin to paint more consistently and work on my technique.

I am close to finishing this painting so I will go ahead and post it. Maybe this will be my first piece to enter the show?

I'll be glad when I can finally get a dedicated paint room because I NEED a place where I can make messes. (Yes, have another temporary roomate moving in...) I also need to stock up on some supplies. My brushes are worn, my linseed oil is running out and my paint colors are very limited. I refuse to get anything unless it is on sale at Hobby Lobby so lets pray that when I head there this week all my items are on sale. :) Luckily it is located next to my gym (and I have surprisingly been able to limit my visits).