A Day Without Art

Well, it happens to everyone. Had to take a day off - without being able to paint or draw - to take care of the lawn in town (and I must say - it looks so much better all groomed and cleaned up) and then upon returning to the farmstead, with the mowers - still smokin' - had to do some mowing here. I swear - you can watch the grass grow. It's cooler tonight than it has been.
Got a recipe for "cashew chicken" out of one of my daughter's Everyday Food magazines, made it for supper tonight and was it ever good! So we had our Chinese fix, right here in the middle of nowhere! Hubster found one of my favorite things on his trip to Denver, banana popsicles! Love those things!
So, maybe I will get back to my pastel tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Stopping Point

This is as far as I am going today.

The shadow in the top right is my nifty easel light.

Dogs and I took mile walk up the road, yes, I had all three on a leash. If Cesar, on Dog Whisperer can do it, so can I. It was ok, til we rounded the driveway onto the road and Chaco thought he would like to attack a cow that was along the fence. Then everyone became a little unruly. But when we got back, everyone crashed so I could carry on without going to the door a hundred times an hour.
We need to do more of that - for all of us!

BTW - Happy Cinco de Mayo!! I miss being in the city where you can get to a cool Mexican restaurant and celebrate!

On the Easel

Today, I am back in the kitchen, was outside for awhile, then it got too breezy for the easel. Working on a pastel of 4 figures. Glad I stepped back, cause I see a problem with the two reader's legs, they are too short. I am working on Canson paper, not my favorite, but the biggest surface I have, and I needed a large surface for this one.

I am working from a photo that I took in NYC near the MOMA. It was lunchtime and I felt like I was in a candy store with the number of possibilities of "Kodak Moments".
Check back for progress tomorrow.

Two Paintings a Day

One more for today, eh? I AM practicing and practicing portrait painting these days, as I really want to step it up a notch or two.
My husband still has his passport photo from when he was in his early 20's. Ah, the early 70's! (I must confess, I have loved this face for an eternity!) Since I had done the old photo of mom and I had enlarged hubster's photo and it was the next one in the pile, I chose to do it. Again, changing a black and white photo into a colored one. And I changed the stark white background...ugh! Talk about "mug shot"! Gotta love those eyeglasses!

"Going Abroad" - 6" x 6" oil on canvasboard

And again, the photograph of this one turned out not exactly what it looks like in real life, I think it's the incandescent light - and because of that I am quitting for tonight...the colors I am seeing at the easel, aren't true. Stuff is going back to the studio.

A Painting for Today

...and maybe more to come. While in KC got into the family photo albums. Took some memorable black and whites and thought of doing a series of them. Here is the first.

"Mom on Vacation" - 6" x 6" oil on canvas panel
There is a little glare on the surface of the canvas and it makes it look like the canvas isn't covered, but it is. Hm.
Thanks for the pose, Mom! I'm sure many kids have had to wonder - what did mom and dad do on vacation? Often the photos would come back - little tiny figures in the background, with the added inability and frustration of making out what was going on. My favorites are the close-ups. This photo was in the really bright sun, my Nikon would have not liked it, but the Brownie didn't seem to care! It's always fun to add color to what is in black and white. Amazingly these shades have made a comeback over time. Ha!

Oil Portrait and Where I Stand....

Because it's so relevant and it's where I will be tomorrow, I am including my "Where I Stand Sunday" - only the photo was taken today(Saturday) and it will look the same tomorrow. I stand in my kitchen - painting stuff brought in from the studio, and I am spread out on the kitchen table. Here I can stay all night if I want to. I think I am on a roll.

I copied a photograph of my daughter Jessica, and wanted it to be the first one I attempted when I returned from NYC. It was tricky, I am used to painting with larger brushes now, my hand isn't as steady as it used to be and I am just more "painterly" in my approach. So, I probably redid the eye about 5 times, before I was satisfied with it.

"Last Chance Hair" - 12" x 12" oil on canvas

Back Home

I'm back. Been in Brooklyn, N. Y. Had a great time visiting my daughter and her family! This is a 3 generation photo, we will catch mom in the picture to make it 4 generation - in July.
My granddaughter had a good-sized skin tag removed from her nose surgically, yesterday (after I had to leave, sniff-sniff) and is doing fine. She will need rhino-reconstructive surgery when she gets a little older.
I am anxious to get back to the studio, I have so many ideas in my head!
"iffy" weather happening. Lots of wind and bad storms and predicted for the next few days. Yuck!
Got a notice from the CITY govt., to MOW the lawn at our house in town. Geesh! I think about half the town just mowed for the first time in the last few days and half the town hasn't mowed and had better have gotten the same threatening letter like we did. This is in a town where they allowed a building to lay in rubble for almost a year on Main Street. I checked the lawn on the way home from KC, and it isn't even that bad, maybe just above the ankle?? There is something to be said about owning property in a little town and how this little town views the "newcomers"..it's not often with open arms and a kiss on each cheek. Ha! In the meantime, I am rethinking the 'gallery' idea....
And that's today's life in the middle of nowhere for this artist!