She wouldn't leave me alone...

I sat down to paint this image inspired by an old photograph. I am rather pleased with how it turned out. I am struggling to let go of outcomes and just paint what speaks to me. It may not be lucrative but it seems more important.  This is one of the images that haunts me until I do something about it. I like that there are images that do that but I don't know why they pester me.

***Pynelogs Reception***

Airman    16x16 acrylic collage

Hey everybody, there is a reception tonight at Pynelogs for myself, Rita Rankin, Colin Bell, Pam Williamson, Bev Delyea, and Dorial Davis. It should be a great show. Go down, shmooze, have a glass of wine and know that I would love to be there with you. I had to pass because my car's transmission is being a bit wonky and I was afraid to make the trip in it until it gets fixed.

 

Pinkie's Prom Dress 16x16

This is one of the first figure paintings I made and is still one of my favorites. It was based on a photo of one of my cousins. I just love the glasses and the sense of expectation.

Mom used to buy those lovely old prom dresses at the Goodwill for a buck. My friends and I would put on makeup and swan around in the formals playing "Miss America Pagent". I wish I had some of those dresses now!

Redo tutu

I was happy with the figure in this painting but not the background. Once again, I was being too literal, following the photograph. Bad painter!

Simplifying the background made her pop out ot the painting. Now it is so much more about her and how the light falls on her tutu.

Melancholy

Melancholy 16x16 acrylic collage

This reminded me a little of the Degas painting by the same name, hence the title.

Beach Umbrellas

"Beach Umbrellas" 16x16 acrylic

Nice to think about the sun returning some day. Just got back from a walk with the dog. -25C. Crisp!

It intrigues me that Art is a language. I see something, I smile. I paint that image. A person looks at my painting, they smile. We have communicated. Great paintings can move one to tears or great joy. Isn't that amazing?

Clive and Cloris skate

This is a piece I worked on for the Winter sports show.

LLoyd and Lou-ellen

It is sunny but very cold outside. I just came in from walking my dog and my fingertips are still hurting though I was wearing heavy gloves! It's nice to sit by the furnace and paint beach scenes.

Myrtle and Morley

I love old swimsuit photos. I especially like photos of people wearing the old swim caps (although I loathed wearing them).

A pause

This is the painting that I have been futzing with for days. I am going to leave it for now.

Sun Dreams

It doesn't look like I will get my third new painting ready for the artrageous show, but I am sending this one. My daughters get all white around the eyes whenever I try to get them to pose for me.

I am attending an oil (yuck) workshop with Elizabeth Wilson this weekend. It's good info but seriously, I think the solvent vapors mess with my lungs. I woke up at 3 am hacking away.

Rose colored glasses

This is one of the paintings I am working on for the next artrageuos show. The colors are actually nicer, it is so gray today I can't get good light to photograph by. We had a couple of inches of snow this morning. SNOW! It ususally doesn't arrive until the end of October.

I think this one is nearly done. I hope to put a very thin yellow glaze over the whole works. This young woman was sitting on a bench outside of a restaurant when I was down visiting the girls in May and kindly let me take her photo. I love the glasses and her demure manner.

Prizes

At the top is the frame, place mats and pink flower vase I found at the thrift shop on one of my last scrounging bouts. I find it is a way to quench my gathering instinct without damaging my checkbook too much. It is recycling too!

The Red Dress won 2nd place in it's category at the Vis Art show. There was a small cash prize that I may blow on the Wilmer community garage sale this morning.

A sunny spring day, some cash in hand, my honey driving the truck and some junk...it doesn't get much better!

Hannah's Hat

This wonderful girl showed up at Pynelogs last summer looking glorious in her cocky hat. This is my rendition.

Collaboration

I try to use more subtle color schemes but my hand is having nothing to do with it. This is one of my entries for the "Meaning of Green" show at Centre 64 in Kimberley. This was based on a photo taken at the flower arranging class that my daughter and I attended last summer. Everyone made wonderful arrangements!

Happy first day of Spring!

When Paintings Go Bad!


This is what happens when you don't do your thumbnail value sketch, or determine a focal point. However, I wasn't sure where this painting would go so I just jumped in. Now, I think I will go back over it and try to make it more of a "painting" and stop worrying about reproducing a photo. I was trying to go for a more subdued palette but I don't like it over much. The background color splits right about the middle (big no-no). Green has to be the most frustrating color to deal with, I can never get it to look right!!Oh well, we'll see what happens.

Hey all, My work is being featured in Jack Magazine: http://www.jackmagazine.com/
an internet magazine edited by Mary Woodbury, wife of Bruce's nephew Morgan Woodbury. Mary is from Indiana, just a skipped rock from were I grew up. Check it out, it's full of poetry, fiction, non-fiction, videos, etc.

Reprise: Almost Two

This is one of those paintings that hangs around on my wall and drives me crazy. I went back in and changed some of the background colors. I may go back and kick it around again eventually. I like the couple and the look of that era. I still remember my brother going to prom in his white sports coat.

Urban Cowgirl

I only managed to attend one rodeo last year and did not get to take nearly enough photos. This chicka's tattoos and sunglasses were very intriguing.

Cool Dude

This painting was based on a photo of my brother Mike in his early days. He is 63 today (old!) He had a black Bel-air in his late teens-early 20's that I envied him for. The speedometer didn't work but he knew when he hit 60 mph because all the windows would start to rattle. I always remember him smelling of cigarettes and jujubes. The red car(local) is standing in for the Bel-air. Happy Birthday Bro!

Almost Two

I remember my brother wearing a white sports coat to his prom. He showed us how to do "the twist" the next day.