Tiny Architectural Details

Bet you can't tell what 4" square area I worked on tonight on this painting.

When I Woke Up I Was In Brooklyn, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Too Subtle

I'll bet you can't tell that I spent a lot of time carefully graduating the back wall from lighter (on the side where the window is) to darker (further away from the window and down below the table). I'll probably have to re-do it. Also put a little more blue detail into the tree-covered mountain outside the window.

For Rent, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Closing In

I'm excited; this painting needs only two more sittings, I think. I worked on a lot of small details this morning; there are a few edges that need refinement and places to finish up, but it's almost there!

Evening Star Café, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Fluidity, And A Slightly Less Tragic Looking Tuxedo Cat

I keep working the water, back and forth between dark transparent patches and white foam. It's coming along alright. But I worry about the figure. At this point I still don't quite know how to handle it.

Finding A Shell, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Next: You'd think it's not so hard to paint a cat. Well, it's not hard unless you're trying to make it look realistic. This cat is purely awful, but at least I've figured out a way to give structure to the black fur parts. Much more work to do, but I have hope that it'll be less wretched after the next sitting.

Tuxedo Cat, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Sometimes My Paintings Scare Me

This is an example of one. Just looking at it before I begin to paint is daunting; how will I ever get the color/value/technique right? Will I mess it up completely? How am I going to blend that area into the one next to it without it look harsh and banded? How long is this going to take?

This morning's work:

In Case Of Emergency, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

You see that cast shadow from the fire extinguisher at lower left? Well, it's all wrong. The edge is supposed to be soft, and it kind of graduates from a midtone grey to a light grey as it goes down. Also I pulled off a few bits of that carefully graduated left side when I removed the low-tack tape I had in place to keep from overbrushing. 

Wanted to get back to the porch today but it's been rainy and the part of the floor that I painted yesterday is still tacky. Plus, I have a mean looking blister on the middle finger of my right hand from applying pressure to the house paint brush. So today is a bit of a respite.

Gross looking, I know.

Back To Ieva

I darkened some structural areas on the tunic tonight and added a few more of the embroidered embellishments, also lightened up the centers of some previously painted ones. I just wish I had a pigment that is as bright and vivid as the color of the tunic.

Ieva, America Series, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Handsome Jeff

When I showed the earlier version of this painting to Eddie, he said, "Jeff is more handsome than that." So I tried my best tonight, and I do think it looks a bit more like him.

Eddie and Jeff, America Series, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

 

Clearly, after a week or so of disturbing news, day after day, it's time to get back to the America series. I've photographed a few more people lately, and have someone in D.C. who's waiting for me to get together with her. Tonight I hope to get back to work on Ieva.

Painting, vs. Painting The Porch

So, about 10 days ago we hired a guy to paint the porch. He was doing an excellent job, so about halfway through, my husband paid him half of the agreed upon amount. We haven't seen him since. That was last Wednesday, and the porch furniture has been out on the front lawn, in the rain and heat (it is waterproof) for 10 days now, and not only do we look like fools but we can't enjoy our own porch or invite friends over. And yes, we did call him twice, but no answer and his mailbox is "not set up to take messages."

Meanwhile, I have galleries to keep happy with new work, and a couple of commissions to work on. But here's what I did today: paint the porch. This is my newly decorated wrist guard, without which I find myself in rather awful pain when I use a house paint brush:

And here's what I worked on while taking a break from the porch painting:

Chrysler Building, Dusk, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Part of the skyline in the lower right area is now visible.

My goal is to work on 3 paintings a day, so I'm going to have to do 2 of them tonight. The mosquitoes are starting to come out and it's already almost 5:45.

Bringing Order Out Of Chaos

This little painting is a mess right now, mostly because of the grout lines that separate the tiles. I needed to at least sketch them in, but they're wobbly, and thick in some places, thin in others. They will eventually be more regular, but right now they serve to show breaks between colors and values on the tiles. Over time, with a lot of patience, it'll pull together.

Waiting At Le Diplomate, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

You Know How It Is When Something Just Doesn't Look Right?

And it kinda bugs you until you fix it? Well, first I had to let the last tragic paint application dry, but it was ready for a fix today so I went at it. The back wall is done! I feel so much better now. Next I will work on the redhead and the bothersome sleeve on the brunette (it looks very dated to me).

Three Women At The Corcoran, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Plodding Along On Selfies

This morning's work:

Selfies, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Darkening With Glazes

When I compared the original photo of this scene to the most recent painted version, it appeared that the photo had much darker shadowy areas, and I decided I liked that better. So this morning I set about glazing some of the architectural details up at the top, as well as some of the reflections of the building across the street.

The Gauntlet, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

 

After working on that, I fixed the perspective on this one— you won't be able to see much difference from the last version, but i wanted to document it anyway.

 

Chrysler Building, Dusk, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

 

Two Hours On The Big Giant Hand

Haven't touched this one in a while, figured it was time to get back to it. Started refining detail and edges on the left side and worked across to do some blending on the hand itself.

The Hand Of The Artist, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Here And There On The Evening Star

I had pretty much come to a grinding halt on this painting. There's SO much work left to do on it, but I'm burned out. I did force myself to deal with a lot of the nitty-gritty details last night, things like straightening edges, painting faces on the customers in the right side window, the brackets that hold up the shelves on the wall, adding glasses on the tables, and painting a tiny little "Don't Walk" hand reflection on the window. It's not so bad once I get started, the problem is just getting started.

Evening Star Café, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

For Rent, And The Big Repaint

It was time to darken the windows in the building down the street from the café, so I did that and added a little of the trim above and below each of them. Also worked in a few places here and there; the girl's hair and scarf, the cup and water bottle on the table, darkening some of the guy's skin tones.

For Rent, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

 

Also moved on to the repaint of Three Women. I've probably mentioned that the figure on the left has always been a problem, but it does feel like I'm finally going to get a handle on it. I'm also trying to decide whether to try to match the wall color or darken it (and the cast shadows from the sculpture).

Three Women At The Corcoran, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

A Diversion

I like to work on the commercial cats project when I feel like painting, but don't want to do the (usually) tedious stuff. Here is a "before" and "after." This particular painting was just so horrible I've been avoiding it for months.

Tuxedo Cat, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Tuxedo Cat, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)
Still needs a LOT of work.

Labels

Worked mostly on the upper and lower labels on the fire extinguisher this morning; also a few places up toward the top where the gauge is.

In Case Of Emergency, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Last Night's Work

Put in an hour or two on this one. The figure in the bar window is developing nicely.

Waiting At Le Diplomate, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Exhausted

I've spent the last several days in front of the TV, following the news about the inhumane and disgusting policy of separating immigrant children from their parents. I've written to a number of Republican legislators and the RNC, and apparently so have a lot of other Americans who have a conscience. Hopefully, things will change soon as the president has given in to criticism and has just signed an executive order.

In the meantime, it's been hard to concentrate on thinking about art. It takes time to get one's thoughts together. In my case, the thinking about art has to be sustained and linear, if you can follow that. Distractions break the train of thought, whether you're trying to think about a color palette or a new series of images. I finally got back to the easel after a week of no painting, and yet the distractions continue.

Here's today's work:

Selfies, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

 

The work on Selfies was mostly in the upper left-hand corner and the left side. I think it's going well.

 

Finding A Shell, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

 

I keep going back and forth over the shallow water on this one; the way I'd originally relied on the natural taper of the brush really wasn't communicating the truth of the way the water looks— the openings in the foamy surface are more rounded than tapered. And some of the surface catches more light, while slightly deeper areas need to be a bit bluer to project the sense of moving water.

 

There's a fair amount of green and blue in the skin tones, too. Again, I'm satisfied with the progress. Taking a break now.

 

Cats

Had to go run some errands today and was too bushed when I got home to work on anything serious. The cats project appealed to me as the physical painting is loose and free, requiring little in the way of sustained line. Felt like I made good progress on the:

Brown Tabby, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

 

Also on this one:

Marmalade Cat, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

 

Though I think the symmetry is off a bit. Next time.

Like A Turtle

"Slow and steady wins the race," is the way the fable of the tortoise and the hare goes. Well, I my not win any races, but I am progressing, bit by bit, on this painting of a wall of green tiles. It's not the only thing I worked on today, but the other two paintings aren't ready to be written about yet.

Waiting At Le Diplomate, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Working A Second One In

This is going— as they say— slow as molasses, but at least it's moving forward. Worked, again, on the right side of the canvas, but minus the smearing and messiness that characterized this morning's work.

Selfies, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Can't Seem To Get In Gear

It's always hard to start the week, but today was worse than usual. After waking up late from a fretful, rainy night, I forced myself down to the studio and spent an hour and a half smearing paint around, finally giving up. The cat was no help, either; he kept snaking his way around my legs and meowing pitifully until I let him out in the fenced yard a couple of times. I did get a decent amount of work done on the right side of the canvas, though.

The Gauntlet, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Of Cats And Redness

Doing the work on the commercial cats project is like being on vacation. While I take the painting seriously— what's the correct color for this area? How fine do I want the brush strokes to be?— there's a certain freedom about it all.

Here is what I worked on so far today:

Brown Tabby, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

While my own cat was taking a nap upstairs, I was able to sneak down to the dungeon studio and get a bit done on these two:

The Gauntlet, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

In Case Of Emergency, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

A Surprise In The Mailbox

HillRag, the community newspaper of the Capitol Hill area, is featuring my painting, "Navigating The Stones" on its cover this month:

And A Little Wait Time

Waiting At Le Diplomate, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Seashore

Painting water is fun, because the brush naturally mimics the wavy patterns. And the strokes don't have to be precise.

Finding A Shell, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Completed: Learned Pond

Learned Pond, © 2018 (click on image for larger view)

I'm not sure I like the ripples.