Just Practicing

Thinking that I might paint calla lilies on the art heart, and having never painted them before, I thought it might be a good idea to practice. The blue practice canvas was a hand-me-down leftover from my oldest daughter who (I think) got it from someone else.


FYI, the calla lily is a very sexy flower to paint, similar to painting the naked curves of a beautiful woman.

Twice the Heart

Someone at the American Heart Association must be really good at their job....because the Circle of Red has several new donors that came about directly as a result of the awareness raised from the art heart tour. These new donors were especially excited about the art hearts.

So, I'm pleased to announce (and immensely honored) that I've have been asked to create another art heart for a brand new patron of the Go Red for Women movement.


The six foot tall heart shape was delivered this morning, and I've already put an undercoat of pink on it. The image on this one will be entirely and completely different from the last one. The idea for what to paint on it is coming together....I'm nervously excited to get started!

Art Working

There are two things of note in this photograph. To the left of the goofy face, which is also actual left (mirror image), I am holding a small piece of sheet metal. It is provided to artists from Lawndale Art Center to make a retablo for their annual gala. It's become one of my favorite art projects every year. (This is my fifth year to participate.) Also, notice the ceiling in the studio. I finally finished caulking the cracks in the beadboard ceiling! Whew. It took six tubes of caulk and just over two weeks (not working everyday) to finish the job.


The two paintings on the easels are in process. I'm trying to figure out what to do next. (?) I know what I want them to look like, just not sure how to achieve it.


Pottery smashing has begun for my new mosaic project. Every time I do a mosaic (all three of them) I swear that I'll never do another one again. They are complicated, messy, and time consuming, not to mention the wear and tear on my fingertips. The design and idea for this mosaic is only in my head. It's an ambitious project (for me) so I don't feel at liberty to discuss what it will be, yet, because what if it's a complete flop? It happens.


There's one more big art, time consuming project that hopefully will begin next week. It's big. More on that next week.

Vincent

Much to my delight, I've been reading a book about Vincent van Gogh by Marc Edo Tralbaut and Edita Lausanne. It was published in 1969, and is a big, thick, heavy book with wonderful color reproductions of some of his paintings, and first hand, rich descriptions of van Gogh's relational style and personality from those who knew him. Reading the book, I couldn't help but be reminded of a BBC Dr. Who episode, and this wonderful scene.



His friend, P. C. Görlitz, writes this about a young Vincent:

"He was a singular man with a singular appearance into the bargain. He was well made, and had reddish hair which stood up on end; his face was homely and covered with freckles, but changed and brightened wonderfully when he warmed into enthusiasm, which happened often enough. Van Gogh provoked laughter repeatedly by his attitude and behaviour -- for everything he did and thought and felt, and his way of living, was different from that of others his age. At table he said lengthy prayers and ate like a penitent friar: for instance, he would not take meat, gravy, etc. And then his face had an abstracted expression -- pondering, deeply serious, melancholy. But when he laughed, he did so heartily and with gusto, and his whole face brightened."

Projects....

Beginning to gather supplies for a new art project....do any of y'all have some old broken pottery to donate to the cause?


Long overdue -- caulking the cracks in the bead board ceiling in the art studio. Hopefully it will help keep the studio from collecting the summer heat. Every little bit helps, right?


I thought that it would be easy, like decorating a cake. It wasn't.