Year: 2008

Kristen likes flowers, and reminded me that I do too.  Hope everyone had a good Christmas.  In 2008 I spent my time getting back up to speed painting.  2009 is going to require that I actually get my paintings into your homes and offices, and some moolah in my pocket.

Portraits are hard!  It would help if I were a brilliant draftsman(woman) but I’m much happier slathering paint around than trying to make something look… at least familiar.

Cathey sold two of my paintings!  Yeah!  We were able to donate $350 to Bobbi & Hugh from card sales.  There are still cards available.  They’re blank so they don’t have to be Christmas cards.  See the Portfolio part of my site for more info.  We’re raising money to help Bobbi  in her fight with Inflammatory Breast Cancer.

I think I’ve got my Christmas portraits done. 

The coldest November, in all of the years of record keeping, in western NC.

This is a 30″x24″ canvas.  I’ve been working on paper or panels and they take the paint differently.  The texture grabs the pallette knife and the brushes bump across it.  I guess once I get enuf paint on it, it will feel more familiar.  Art on Depot is trying to talk me into doing another screen.  I’m a tough nut, yeah.  We bought the panels this morning.  Painting on a large surface 80″x56″ when it’s cold and miserable outside is my idea of FUN!

I think I’ll call this “Snow on a Cold Tin Roof”.

Day 1

Compression, tension, conflict vs. concentration.  That’s what I started with and this is what I got. Phooey. Maybe I need to read the news first, that should put some tension in the figure.

Maybe there are artists that know exactly what they are doing, but I’m not one.  I’ve added more paint and energy to these figures.  I’m looking for the balance point, where a woman’s body goes from being familiar to being alien, consumed and contorted by the monster, Cancer.

Portraits are hard!  Oh well, it’s a Christmas present, maybe he’ll be polite.