7.29.2011

Potential

I've spent quite a lot of time in my studio the past few days. A little confused and frustrated. I'm experimenting a lot - which is good. Content and technique? What am I trying to say and how do I say it? I came back to that small piece from yesterday that I didn't care for. Resorted back to green. Scissored up the contour into two separate shapes. Sketched a little more. Threw down a few more watercolor washes. This may have the potential for collage.

7.28.2011

Somewhere between here and there


I have visions of flat, simplified modern patterns. Last night I worked on the above painting and it inadvertently took a more natural form. I quickly did the painting below today. No pencil drawing first - just doodling with the brush. I thought if I steered clear of green, it would be more stylized, but I don't like the colors. Back to the drawing board.


7.22.2011

Look What I Grew


I love green beans!
And, I am anxiously awaiting many,
many grape tomatoes.
I buy them every trip to the grocery store
and eat them everyday.
Home-grown is so much better. : )



7.19.2011

Art Start

A better way to start the day. Wake up early. Limit the amount of time spent surfing the internet. Get in the studio, even if you are still in your pajamas. And start drawing.

7.18.2011

Hand Carved Stamps




Today is the first day of a week of vacation. It is oppressively hot out and even though I've spent pretty much the entire day in air conditioning – I feel lethargic and lazy. The longer I moped around, the more difficult it was to begin anything. I couldn't let a day pass without having something to show for it. So at 9pm I whipped out my first attempt at little eraser hand carved stamps. I didn't plan anything. I just did quick doodles right on the eraser and had the first one carved in about 1 minute. I knew when I did get around to making one, it wouldn't be about an independent single object, but a piece of something bigger like non-repeating patterns.

7.14.2011

Peppers and Flowers


I had questioned the labeling of broccoli and kohlrabi. There is a chance I was mistaken on that one, but the four pepper plants I bought most certainly said "sweet bell." Don't know why this plant never grew any bigger? It did grow a pepper, which looks like some sort of Hungarian banana pepper. I watched it each day. Then, yesterday it was gone. I can't imagine a raccoon or any other critter wanting to eat a pepper? I guess that critter changed his mind because I located my one pepper in the yard about 15 feet from the plant, slightly nibbled, but pretty much intact.

Today I stopped at a greenhouse for some end-of-the-season bargains. I got some great deals plus a FREE flat of vegetable plants! All they had left was peppers. That was fine with me. It is a little late to be getting them in the ground, but the hot pepper plants in their small containers have already grown enough for the pickin'. And, I could verify that the sweet bells are, in fact what they say they are.





7.11.2011

Act Fast

I tend to have many creative ideas that I do not act upon. For years I was fine with that - letting ideas fizzle and fade away. I am no longer fine with that. I am happy creating and unhappy not creating. Simple as that. So when painting feels too daunting or serious, I've decided to have fun with felt and embroidery and mini little bits of cuteness.

I imagined when I started working part-time that I would spend hours everyday making things like this. You know, while toddlers sat quietly on the floor and stacked blocks for hours? Yeah. That never happened. So now my little girls have almost outgrown this sort of thing and I am trying to catch up with that old idea before it completely fades. It is because they are bigger that I can find the time to do it. They are growing so fast that Ellie is turning into an entrepreneur and my production manager. Our plan is to someday sell at a local craft fair. She has been very busy making her button rings and when she finds me browsing on Etsy, she says "Mom, stop looking at art and start making some art." She started out much more productive than me and told me I had lots of work to do. I'm getting there.

[Flowers for barrettes and hair clips.]

7.06.2011

That's Not Broccoli


I thought I planted 8 broccoli plants. Eight plants growing in a row looking very much the same all this time. I believe they were marked "broccoli" at the farm. Or maybe one 4 pk. was and the other nearby looked the same? Yesterday I noticed, tucked down in the very large leaves, broccoli starting to peek out. I went down the row to check the health of each plant. No broccoli on 4 of the 8. Hey! That's not broccoli, it's kohlrabi. I'm glad I like kohlrabi. Only a few short years ago did I learn what it was. Imagine my confusion if I hadn't.



The celery is coming along quite nicely. It occurred to me that I will probably need to give away some celery. I am the only one in the family who eats it and I cannot eat 4 heads myself. Who knows? Maybe the excitement of growing it will inspire kids to eat it?