Paint Touched Canvas

Paint touched canvas today. First time this year. Now all is right with my world. I made a little makeshift studio space inside. Its too hot in my studio with no air conditioner and a tin roof. I started splashing around some paint and I liked what happened so I splashed some more. Then I added a bit of stamping and now I want to added some text with the image transfer method. Its a little bright. I used red (well its a red hot sort of a summer day) and now I need to tone it down just a little because its very very red! No more time for chatting. Need to get back to the painting ;)

Sob Sob

Its too hot to paint :(

Back to the Easel

Delivered some work to Gallery M for the exhibition committee to assess. Julia (daughter) and Zoe (granddaughter) and I have put in an exhibition proposal to Gallery M for an exhibition next year. Three generations of women in one exhibition. Hope we are accepted. Zoe was determined to carry her own work in. It brought a tear to our eyes, she's not even 7 yet. She proudly stood it against the wall with such confidence. Ah, wish I has some of that.

Once home I went back to the easel. There's been a piece sitting on the easel for months now. I started it long before my exhibition in Naracoorte. The background was completed but the idea I had for it didn't work. I played around with it several times but nothing was right, nothing seemed to work so there it sat taunting me. In the early hours of the morning, some time last week, I had one of those revelation moments. You know the ones? Where everything becomes clear like when the sun pokes through the clouds. These moments occur as I'm waking up. The time in that half awake state where you aren't really sleeping but you aren't really awake either. I have the same state when I fall asleep too. Anyway it suddenly became clear what that piece needed and yesterday it all fell into place. Painting was so easy and natural yesterday and I really like the look of what's happening. Hopefully I can finish it today and post a pic of it soon. I must say it was such a pleasure to be back at the easel. It seems I haven't had a real serious session for some time now.

Off to do my morning chores and then hopefully its back to the easel once more.

Foggy Morning

Since my son, Troy has come back to roost with us I have been driving him to work in the morning. This morning the hills were covered in fog with just a hazy outline showing where they are and the occasional light twinkling through. I love the fog. Its like a protective layer and makes me feel safe like a chick under its mother's wing. Drove home the back way. I wanted to enjoy the falling autumn leaves, grey skies and wet shiny footpaths without all the traffic. It rained all the way. I do love summer and the outdoor lifestyle that goes with it but when the seasons change its such a relief. Will be wanting summer back before too long. I will get sick of the wet but at the moment I'm enjoying every minute of it.

Not much art work was accomplished yesterday. A lot of fiddling and indecision without much productivity. I really like the effect I've achieved and its taken me so long to get it that now I don't want to ruin it. Oh yes I can hear the words "have faith in your abilities" and "just enjoy the process" but they're not really helping. I did do some drawing onto the surface yesterday and have a hint of some pears coming through. I know I want to stamp some text on too but not sure which word or words to use. Nourish? Nurture? Impression? Nah, none of them are right. Not sure if I want any collage on the surface. I do want to draw more and define some of marks made by the paint but which ones. This is worse than white canvas syndrome hehehe. Today I will push forward on it. No more pussy footing around. I'm just going to do it!

No More White

The canvas isn't white anymore. Woohoo! Had the best time painting yesterday with really watered down paint. Masking areas of the canvas with watercolour paper and then laying down washes. Am really happy the way the paints bled into each other and also under the watercolour paper. Been trying for this effect for so long. Even the paper I used as a mask is really cool and will look great in a collage. Not sure if I will use any of it in this piece though. Will wait and see where this piece takes me I guess.
No art for me today though, I'm taking my Mum to visit my sister. Maybe I can get a couple of hours in after dinner.