Going BIG

Transferring the drawing to the canvas, using a grid. Old school methods still work.

A new glass palette, table sized. I'm so glad I got this bigger palette to work on these paintings!

The first layer is painted.

January 1, 2014. On page one in my sketchbook I wrote, "let's go big, let's do this big." Yesterday I began one of three large linen canvases that are 5x5 feet. That is LARGE for me. I'm excited to not only be working at this scale, but also to be doing something I set out to do. Slowly I've been working towards this goal this year, completing the four 2x3 footers, which I've shared three of here, and here, and here. Is this the next step to even larger? Who knows!

Usually on a painting I'll work from scratch, without a pre-planned drawing or sketch. But sometimes I alter my own rules or routines. Since I've been interested in blowing up my sketchbook entries I have begun this painting with an entry from the end of June. I scanned and printed it out and then marked with a grid to transfer to the canvas. Doing the grid really took me back to my high school days. 

And I'm reading a book that is in every art student arsenal but somehow, unless I completely blocked it from memory, I never read. Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way. This morning I started "the morning pages" excercise.

With all this, I'm setting myself up for a productive, focused, and creative time in the studio before I begin teaching again in one month. 

Snaps from the week

A wonderful visit with Lisa Solomon! I loved meeting her, and could write a whole post about it. 

Gathering color from the garden.

Cleaning up the edges of these canvases, prepping them for a gallery.

Dinner makings, from the garden.

Oil based primer, for some big canvases.

Lots of work to look forward to!

New Mexico film

Last week I got film back from our trip. I hadn't shot film in a while so I was pleased that every frame turned out. My very favorite is the one of Matt. That afternoon we were at Tsankawi sitting in the shade of a rock eating a picnic lunch of hummus, pita, carrots, chocolate peanut butter bars, soynuts, and veggie jerky and I quickly looked up and snapped him taking a swig of water. At the time I thought it probably wouldn't be like I wanted, but I like it alot. Now that I have all the pictures, I will make us a book of our trip. For now though, I need to tackle the downstairs. It's trashed. Over the weekend we began reorganizing it. I am hoping there's a bunch of stuff I can get rid of, like old drawings from grad school. It's funny that some of my work I feel an attachment to, while others I seriously don't mind if I burn, tear up, or paint over. I need to make space to work on some 5 foot canvases!

A few summer favorites: reading My Berlin Kitchen, sipping ginger ale made from this ginger syrup recipe, and bright, overflowing bouquets of cosmos, African daisies, sunflowers, and zinnias from the garden.

A new painting... From February Seventeenth

From February Seventeenth, oil on canvas, 24 in. x 36 in., 2014

This painting truly underwent major changes throughout it's process, as you can see in the sequence photos below. There were times I didn't know what was going on, I would think I had it figured out then it would change, and I'd look at it wondering what in the world?! There were sections that were working but overall it wasn't. So I'd sacrifice the whole thing by painting over it; that happened several times. Then I'd see things in it that I didn't want, like cartoon characters, and I'd have to paint over them.

I really like the color palette, the black lines, and the collections of brush marks. I like the sense that I'm looking at something from above but also from inside. It is perhaps my current favorite of the new canvases and was worth all the effort and time. Right now we have it hanging in our house, though it is available (as are my other new canvases here and here.) Please email me with your inquiries!

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Sequence: top to bottom & left to right.

Sketchbook & a summer garden supper

Sketchbook entry from 6.17

Our supper plates this week have been full of produce from our summer garden. We are spoiled with veggies. Overgrown sugar snaps were shelled, the peas boiled and mashed, onions sautéed and tossed with the mashed peas, one egg added, mixed, then formed into croquettes (or cookies as we call them) and fried in a thin layer of butter. Top with a dollop of sriracha mayo. Side that with kohlrabi and beet slaw, pan roasted new potatoes with rosemary, and the first handful of green beans. Good good good. Last night we sautéed broccoli and sugar snaps, so tender, green, and delicious.

Soon I want to make this chocolate-beet cake.

Tend is in full force with some new guests this year.