I am almost done with Songbird. Just a couple of touch-ups left. The bird and song are sealed in varnish. I am going to seal the rest in wax. I want the song to look bright in comparison.
Songbird
It has sort of a graffiti feel. I think that is why I wanted her looking a little bit tough.
Songbird Close-up
I like how the oranges and blues are working off of each other.
I thought I would welcome the New Year in with a little songbird. I had a plan to paint an alligator swimming among lily pads. I prepped a large canvas for this painting before Christmas.
When I got back into the studio, I felt like playing with art. I painted a few layers of abstract strokes and my favorite symbols. The key to playing with paint like this is to stick with the same temperature of colors in each layer and let the layer dry before the next layer.
I started with yellow, orange and red.
Then blues and greens.
Back to warm colors.
The fun part really begins when I added white.
Then black. I think white and black look great side by side.
I used a BIG canvas to let the New Year know that I am allowed to use materials however I want.
Song Bird, the beginning
I wanted a woman. So I painted a face shape with white gesso over the part of the painting that I liked least.
The rest was going to be hair, but the hair was just too big. I liked the rainbow colors in what is now the tail feathers of the bird as well as the breast area.
It was hard to paint out areas I still liked. I was happy to paint over areas that looked like big blotches.
I kind of want to keep her blue, but I might give her flesh tones. Leaning towards a natural skin tone.
I smoothed over the gesso with a plastic hotel key card.
Song Bird, Work In Progress
TheBlush Ball is this Friday. If you want to come, contact me. The tickets are $40 and $60 dollars. We are raising money for women with children who need to get to a safe place and start over.
You can also buy raffle tickets.
If you can’t attend, I will deliver your winnings.
Among many distractions, I finished “Distraction”, my first duo painting. The women are in a coffee shop at different tables. One woman is distracted by the humming-bird hovering over the flowers in the second woman’s hair.
I just entered them in a mixed media competition.
I used a ton of mixed media… acrylic paint, Silks Acrylic Paint, foil, paper, lace, thread, gesso, matte gel, Gilders Paste, charcoal pencil, varnish on reclaimed cabinet doors. The competition is to tell a story with your painting. Click on the logo if you want to enter.
Here are close-ups of my favorite parts. I had this lace collar since I was maybe 12. It has been in my sewing basket for more than 40 years. I trimmed it and inserted it into her sweater using matte gel.
I painted embossed paper. Then I top-stitched it on my sewing machine. Sewing on paper is one of my all time favorite activities.
It is also a great way to mount children’s art on construction paper to make a quick frame.
The hummingbird has pieces of gold and blue foil applied with matte gel. I painted over the foil about 50% to push the foil back and make it seem more part of the bird. I painted several coats of Acrylic Silks over the humming-bird.
Now, the picture of the day. I think this would be a great cover for a coffee table book.
Pussyfooter the next morning eating cereal. Clearly not ready for the party to be over.
My goal in Spark this month is to paint. The other two things I am balancing December with are getting out and enjoying New Orleans and celebrating a bit of Christmas in our house every day. Balance is sometimes difficult and Spark helps.
Today, I am giving you a link to Spark. Click anywhere on the picture below. Don’t worry, clicking on the picture is not a commitment. It is a window into the wonderful world of getting’ er done.
Spark is an online community.
To participate, you need 15 to 30 minutes a day to give [insert desire here] the energy it needs to get it accomplished. Last month, my focus was power tools. Empowering power tools.
There is a new Spark nearly every month of the year. The next class starts December 1st. It costs $30.
Is there something you would like to work towards? Are you feeling at loose ends? Do you need some focus?
The class is led by Jenafer Joy. Sometimes I take the class just to hang out with her. She is that cool.
So, if this interests you, click on the picture and get more information.
I am starting with a painting that is not painting herself. Maybe I am a bad listener. Like maybe I have something in mind and it is not Magnolia and we go round and round.
Sometimes my sweet darlin’ asks me what I have been working on and for weeks I have answered, “Magnolia”. My idea for Sweet Magnolia is simple. I wanted her encompassed by the Magnolia flowers. She needed to have the same coloring as the flowers and leaves.
Magnolia, the beginningWorking on Magnolia
I love this version of Magnolia, but look at her left eye.
Magnolia’s eyes spaced incorrectly
I fixed the left eye making her eyes too close together.
Magnolia, starting over
Here is Magnolia today. I wonder if she just wanted big, Southern hair. I made her earrings by photocopying the two magnolia flowers on the left, shrinking them and applying with gel medium. Her crown is made from glossy, green tissue paper.
Magnolia completed
I have a frame cut for this painting. It is dark green, made from a screen door. I need to cut a piece of wood to go on the back. This is held up by not having a table to cut on at the moment. The back yard is in limbo.
Is something in retrograde?
My new painting goes with another painting. A duo.
Cabinet door repair
I took the handle off and threw it away. The hinges I soaked in vinegar, salt and dish soap for two days. They came out sparkly clean.
Hummingbird beginning
She will be looking at the woman on the other cabinet door. They are in a coffee shop at different tables. I was going to put a chicken on the woman’s head. Maggie thought of hummingbird drinking from the flowers on her hat. Go Maggie.
Hummingbird in progress
So far, this one is painting herself. I love her already. I am doing something cool with her shirt. I am painting textured paper then stitching the collar and sleeve together with my sewing machine.
I went back to the salvage store for more cabinet doors. I waited too long.
Cool fact. The bridge is 24 miles long. It is the longest bridge over water in the world.
The Whimmsey Shoppe will be open starting November 1. The hours are Tuesday-Saturday 11-7 and Sunday 12-4.
The owner is Kathleen Peterson.
Kathleen and me
We just met and you can already tell we are BFF’s.
Cool fact #2: Our birthdays are 4 days apart and our favorite color is green.
This is the place where art meets antiques. Gator Girl Art is here with prints, giclee’s and original works of art. In downtown Covington there is no sales tax on original art. Win/Win.
Kathleen finds great stuff and makes it better. She has lots of mid-century furniture and cool new items. This can be your one stop shopping for eclectic gifts.
Raffi finished his BIG painting. It is 30 by 40 inches.
This is his sequel to “Family”. It is Pet Parade because when he finished painting all of his pets he noticed they were facing the same direction.
Pet Parade
“What is special about this painting is that all of my pets are going the same direction. Kenobi, Lacy, John Jones Nixon Pokorn. They all have Pokorn in their name. Albert Pokorn.” -Raffi Pokorn
The snails have one goggly eye on the tentacle
“The snails are Shelly Pokorn, Shirley Pokorn, Killer Snail Pokorn and also Kriller Snail Pokorn. One snail’s name is Crush Pokorn.”- Raffi
I met Kathy at Pinchapalooza in April. Recently she called me and said that she would like to have Gator Girl Art in her shop. The Whimmsey Shoppe is having a Grand Opening October 30th, but will be open this Saturday as a preview during Covington’s Fall for Art event.
Whimmsey Shoppe, 828 Rutland Street, Covington, LA
In February 2013 I painted Justice in honor of marriage equality. I felt strongly that these two women existed out in the world. I put it out there over and over, “Does anyone know a couple that looks like this painting?” I offered a print in exchange for a photo.
Here they are.
Amy and Rene
I saw this photo and thought, “Wow! Except for the blonde hair this is them!”.
Rene (short for Irene) said, “How did you know Amy’s original hair color is red?”.
The quote that I have on my painting is, “The moral arc of the universe bends towards justice”- Theodore Parker. We see this is true when we watch state after state passing marriage equality laws. The full title of the painting is And Justice for All. Kind of gives me chills.
It has been a while. I think I had a virus. I hope you are doing well. I am much better.
October is the beginning of the time of year when we have to start choosing activities. Things begin to over-lap… This weekend we are choosing the Louisiana Seafood Festival in City Park.
It is much easier to make something to sell or give away. When someone has pre-ordered, I always worry if they will like it. This one has nice depth and texture. I felt bold with the colors. So far, I am not tired of Grace. I love to spend a couple of days with her.
I am taking a little jump-start class with Cosmic Cowgirls, called Spark. We make a plan for the month. It is something we want to accomplish that takes 10 or 15 minutes a day. They offer it every month, but I haven’t signed up for about a year. My goal in October is to live my art. With a side note of using powertools. I have a habit of waiting until I can ask my sweet darlin’ to hang pictures, drill holes, cut wood… I am perusing my house, moving paintings, and using power tools to build and improve things. It has been a physical 8 days.
I made this frame from wood I bought at the salvage place.
Framed Turtle
Those mitered corners are hard. I think I did a good job.
I am re-visiting Magnolia. I hope I will be happy with her soon.
Working on Magnolia
She looks much more alive. I am going to bring her hair forward over her ears a little and add magnolia earrings. I cropped and resized the two magnolia flowers on the left and printed them on paper to make her earrings.
More power tool use…
Cabinet doors before sanding.
I wish I took a photo of the doors when I brought them home. They looked like they had sat in dirt of years. I washed them outside with dish soap and a sponge. Then I put them in the bathtub for a day soaking in Charlie Soap and washing them over and over.
I sanded them with my Craftsman Mouse Sander. The sandpaper is peel and stick. The sander has a little nose that gets into corners. I am going to paint on the panels. I plan on them hanging together. Maybe a woman and her flowers or a woman looking at another woman. I don’t know yet.
The hummingbird has pieces of gold and blue foil applied with matte gel. I painted over the foil about 50% to push the foil back and make it seem more part of the bird. I painted several coats of Acrylic Silks over the humming-bird.
Gator Girl Art 