7 of 9

So far this week I've been able to get to 7 of the paintings I wanted to work on. It helps that the cat is still in love with the faux fur blanket.

Bluemont, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Added a lot of shadow color on the vines; will cover much of it with lighter, sunlit greens.

Narmada, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Pershing Square, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Only worked on the guy in the yellow shirt.

4th Street, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

A Quiet Evening in Cambridge, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Finally made some sense of the bearded fellow.

...And This One Will Probably Take Forever

...because of the taping. I can tape off an area and paint it, but then the paint has to dry enough so that the tape removal won't smear the paint edges. And it's not a big painting either, so there's a limited amount of space to work on at any time. Nevertheless, here's the most recent version:

Protective Coloration, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Whole Foods

Haven't worked on this one for a while. But I spent a lot of time on one of the windows today.

Whole Foods, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

The Dark Rose of Summer

I tend to paint light; when I look at the work of some of the painters who went to the same art school as me at roughly the same time, it seems that their work tends toward the lighter side of the value chart, too. It might be that our instructors were still under the influence of the Impressionists (as far as realist painting went) and they told us not to use black in our palettes. I think we all overcompensated by using lots of white in our mixtures. Anyway, I darkened the rose today. Maybe too it reflects my current mood.

The Last Rose of Summer, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Plans For The Week

Before going down to the studio this morning, I looked at what I want to work on this week, and there's a lot. There are places on at least 9 paintings that need attention. Here's what I've done so far today:

Everyone Is On The Dance Floor, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Still haven't gotten to those napkins!

Coffee With Andi, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Two of the paintings that I want to get to this week still have a bit more drying to do— the little rose floral and Rita's.  Then there are individual figures in the street paintings and A Quiet Evening in Cambridge.

Straight Lines

I can do a pretty good job of painting straight lines, but in a piece like this one, "pretty good" isn't good enough. Searched the house, studio, and garage for the Frog Tape with no luck, so had to pick up a new roll at the local paint store. The roll is way too thick for my purposes (it's meant for wall painting) but if I cut the pieces in half, I can get double duty out of them.

Protective Coloration, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

And no, the other brands of painter's tape don't work as well. I find the color leaks underneath them. 

Getting Back To It

Sometimes I reach a point where I can't work on a painting anymore. Either I lose my focus, or it just becomes such a chore to paint that I need a break. Sometimes it takes a few weeks or months to solve a technical problem, or get past a philosophical stumbling block of some sort. Such is the case with the painting below. I just lost interest in working on it, but picked up on it again, and as soon as I can find some of that excellent green Frog tape in the garage, I'll do more work on those hard-edged tiles.

Protective Coloration, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

The Painting Is Going Well

Despite the deeply depressed state I've been in for the last two weeks, the painting is going very well. I'm quite happy with everything i've been working on. Here's this morning's work:

Coffee With Andi, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

The Last Rose of Summer, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Now that the rose is shaping up--- though next time I'll add some highlights, glaze some deeper color and some blues and violets onto the petals--- I'm looking forward to that white background. It will be interesting to see what color combination works to make the right off-white and shadow color.

I Wanted To Work On The Napkins But Got Lost In The Glasses

The light reflections on the wine glasses were too seductive, so I spent most of the time on this one working on them. There is a hint of the tiara I mentioned previously in the napkin on the right side, presumably one of the bridesmaids took it off before getting on the dance floor.

Everyone Is On The Dance Floor, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Rita's, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

I spent over an hour brushing through the paint on the facing wall to make it look subtly graduated in tone. And I might have to go back and increase the contrast after all that.

A Day At A Time

Just putting one foot in front of the other until I begin to see how things are going to shake out. Today's work (until the cat discovered me in the studio and insisted upon relocating— I may have to start doing some work upstairs):

4th Street, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Bluemont, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Rita's, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Worked exclusively on the trash can, which now begins to look three dimensional. Looking forward to getting to that big, messy wall in the next painting session.

The Winds of Change

It's very windy today, and that could produce a power outage, so I want to get these posted.

Rita's, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

The Last Rose of Summer, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Renaming this one. We've had some frosty nights with killing cold; there was one bud left on the roses a few days ago and I haven't gone out yet today to check on it, but I don't think it will mature enough to bloom. So this was probably the last one for the year.

The Day's Only Half Over

Still feeling very much out of sorts. I have to attend to a few things around the house right now, but might be able to get back into the studio a little later today. However, I already worked on four paintings:

A Single Rose, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Soon I'll start to work on the table and the background wall. I've been trying to visually analyze the colors that make up the "white" wall and table.

Coffee With Andi, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

The skin tones are tricky. There are a lot of deeply shadowy areas, and also there's a lot of bluish light coming in the window.

Everyone Is On The Dance Floor, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Starting to deepen the shadowy background area on the upper right side, where I want to suggest the figures that are dancing but also retain the focus on the table. The upper right side is wet right now, and i used a lot of glaze medium as well, so it looks rather odd. Still need to get to those napkins!

Pershing Square, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Haven't worked on this one for a while, so it was time to pick up on it. Concentrated on some very detailed work on the windows and window frames.

Cat Nap

The little dear, sleeping soundly and letting me work...

The Cat Let Me Paint Today

Since the weather's been getting cooler, I took the faux fur blanket out of the linen closet, and the cat has commandeered it as his own. I think he's in love with it. Anyway, he slept on it for several hours today, and as a result I was able to get a lot of work done.

A Single Rose, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)
Trying to get the color of the petals right on this one.

Everyone Is On The Dance Floor, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)
Mostly worked in the center of the painting today, need to get to those napkins.

Whole Foods, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)
Worked on the second window from the right.

Stockton Street, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)
Only worked on the leftmost figure.

Hansa Yellow Is Like Sunlight In A Tube

Pretty soon I will have to stop indulging myself with working on paintings that make me happy, and get back to finishing the ones that have reached that difficult stage where they need great attention to detail. But the landscapes and portraits and little floral painting that I just started are therapeutic, and that's what I need right now. The whole focus of my life is in the service of beauty.

I used some Hansa Yellow on the places where sunlight strikes the tops of the vines:

Bluemont, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

I started this one last night, and hope to make it as realistic as possible:

A Single Rose, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

You Need To Work On What Makes You Happy

Something new.

Coffee With Andi, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Working

Everyone Is On The Dance Floor, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Silence

Too depressed about the election results to paint or write. I need a few days to process what has happened to my country.

A Step Further

It's Election Day here in the U.S. I got to do something I've waited for my whole life: vote for a woman. It feels really good, like the tide is turning; women are calling out the misogynists for their behavior like never before, with a new confidence.

And a step further, too, on this one:

Everyone Is On The Dance Floor, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Hard and Soft

This is coming along real well. I'm using a weird palette of hues, which are mixing to form unusual and interesting colors, especially in the napkins on the table. And— I discovered a tiara nestled in the napkin at the far right! Will begin to paint it in when the canvas is a little drier. Some of the edges are really hard, like on the edges of the glasses, and some are very soft and appealing.

Everyone Is On The Dance Floor, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Sold!

Atlantic Ocean #2 (Deep Blue Phase)

I Just Really Want To See This One Done

Everyone Is On The Dance Floor, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Thursday

The cat curled up on an old blanket on the studio floor today and let me paint, uninterrupted, for THREE HOURS STRAIGHT.

Pershing Square, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Everyone Is On The Dance Floor, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Wednesday

More small matters.

4th Street, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Counterpoint, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

I looked at this one last night on my computer screen— I put the last version of the painting side by side with the original reference photo, and the original is not only warmer, it has more richness and depth throughout. The shadows are darker on the skin and the wall and under the wooden seat on the back wall.The paintings don't look so flat and bright. I made some corrections on two or three of the figures today and the contrast between the table tops and the seat. More to do...

Tuesday Painting

Not much to report. Worked on some small areas today; bananas and apples and oranges, shadows, box fronts, etc. on this one:

Stockton Street, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

And walls and light fixtures on this:

A Quiet Evening in Cambridge, © 2016, work in progress (click on image for larger view)