Insert Clever Title Here:

Grateful, 48 x 48" oil on canvas, available on Absolute Arts

The Calm Before...., oils on canvas, available on Absolute Arts

It's usually difficult to come up with new titles for my blog posts, but when it's just a rambling post with no real direction, it's even more difficult! I have been slogging thru life these days. Had some emotionally draining personal experiences, moved my studio, had a last minute art show to put together, now putting together another art show, trying to fit painting back into my schedule, run a gallery and a household, nurse my sick husband, etc, etc and the list goes on. I know, cry me a river. I hate to whine, really I do! :0

I'm looking forward to this election being over and done with. HOPEfully with the right outcome this time! My 18 year old son is actually old enough to vote AND he's registered! Kinda scary considering he can't seem to find and job and take care of himself! Either way, I'm happy to say that this family has at least 4 votes going to the right candidate this year.

I'm loving my new studio, though I miss my big windows looking down on Route 66/Central Ave. Plus, I'm the only one down here with the gallery, so I'm feeling a little cut off from all the other artists. I don't miss going up and down the stairs everyday!

I finished the large painting I was working on for 4 months or so, it's actually hanging in the gallery now. I just started a new medium sized(20"square) painting that I'm really happy with. I have another 48" square canvas waiting to be painted, but I am fumbling for an idea to start with. Which is why I skipped to the medium sized canvas for now. The photos I'm posting today are of a couple of my newest large paintings. One is "Grateful", I think I posted a progress photo of it at some point, and it is 48" square. Huge for me! The other one is called "The Calm Before..." and it is the large painting I was finishing up when I got the call about my dad's death. I don't think it will ever be totally finished, so I've hung it and called it done. It's been hard for me to even look at, too many sad memories.

Both were posted in my photos of the gallery, but these are better shots. I will list them in my Absolute Arts portfolio shortly. 

Last but not least, here is a video tour of the new gallery that I put together last week. The background music is the title track from my husband's new cd "Space Travel". Incidently, the cd release party is this Friday at Chroma Gallery from 6-8pm!

I hope everyone is having a beautiful, wonderful, happy day, week, month and year!

New Work, Finally!

It's not that I haven't painted anything new recently, it's that I haven't been keeping up with photographing and posting new work!

The first painting is the large canvas I've told you about in the past couple months. Finally finished!! I was so pleased with how it turned out. This is a 40 inch square canvas in watermixable oils. The second photo is a detail of the middle of the flower. I plan to post this one for sale on Absolute Arts, that is, once I get signed up for an account on Absolute Arts.

The Vortex, 40 x 40" watermixable oils

Detail

The other three paintings are daily journal paintings, 8 inches square.

In Time

Simple Spiral

Agitated

Finally! New work!

Dancing Sun Rise and Shine (SOLD!)
Sunshine (SOLD!)
Centering (SOLD!)

Actually, these are paintings I did while I was at the Fair. Just now finally getting them posted on Etsy and here. Currently, I'm working on a new large canvas. I will take a photo soon, I promise. Actually, this painting has been started for over a month, but the finish took a while to come to me. Still not finished, but at least I know where it's going.

I had to buy a new easel to accommodate the larger size I'm working on. I've realized that the small canvases are restricting my inspiration. So, it's time to go big!

We have made plans for a trip to San Francisco at the end of October! I can hardly wait. It's meant to be a business trip, but my birthday is the 25th, so it's going to be fun too! The plan is to scout out galleries in the Bay area. I have had many people tell me my work would do well there. We shall see!

In the Studio

After a well needed break, I'm back in the studio today. Spent most of the day working on a large painting I started a couple months ago. I had been stuck on it but finally had that moment of AHA when I knew exactly where it would go next. I love it when that happens! I will try to take a progress photo tomorrow. I have been itching to get back to painting! I did some painting out at the Fair, but nothing big. I plan on doing more big paintings in the near future.

This week is First Friday at the Factory on 5th! I only have three more days to get my studio cleaned up and art hung! Yikes!! I'm working on getting all my art hung, old and new, in my studio. Brought in several older works that I had at the house. A few landscapes, a few portraits. Thought it would be interesting for people to see where I came from before painting my spiral abstracts. I don't think I've posted a photo of my studio since I moved in, so I'll try to get that done too, once I have everything hung.

Hope everyone is having as wonderful a day as I am! Smile, it will make you happy!! :)