Curves II

It is amazing how a couple of slight changes could make such a huge difference in the quality of the image. I still do not profess to have great photography skills but this picture came out really well. The colors are really close. Once I have a tripod to use the hope is that the pictures will become crisper.

This piece is called "Curves II", acrylic on bristol board, 10"x13".

Sketching today went ok but no work was done on my artist statement. I have a feeling it is because I really don't want to do one. I want my work to speak for itself....haha I sound like every artist who ever lived! No matter, I will continue to work on it since it is an integral piece in the business of art. I read a great article that talked about the artist statement as well a number of other items to keep in mind when pursuing an art career. Hopefully, I can find it again. I'll add the link to it here and will also reread it since it deserves to be read again, in my opinion.

Well, that is all for now. The house needs to get cleaned up so we are ready for our holiday weekend adventures. Nothing big planned but lots of little things to do which will make it a busy weekend. With that said, I am going to give myself a mini vacation from my blog so next post will be on Tuesday. Happy Memorial Day to all!

Waiting on the Rain

Today was a super busy non-art related day so I was thrilled when I was able to fit in some quality studio time. I have begun a new acrylic painting that I am excited about. I am finding that I am starting to work larger which is pretty cool. This painting is 10"x13" and I am contemplating going larger. I have the supplies so might as well go for it.

So the day started out with dropping my favorite little artist off at school, job searching while I drank my coffee, took an on-line entrepreneur webinar, had lunch with a friend and then picked up my little artist from school. We then ran a couple of errands before heading home for some quality time in the art room.

Tomorrow, I am going to focus on sketching in the morning since it has been awhile. Also, I need to work on my artist statement. Currently, it is in draft form but I need to complete it between today and tomorrow. Once done I will post it here for you and hope that you will give me some feedback.

Well the rain has finally arrived after threatening to come the entire day. The flowers and trees will be happy especially after the scorcher we had yesterday.

Split

Here is today's piece, "Split", acrylic on bristol board, 13"x10".

The piece actually came out better than anticipated. There were a number of moments where I was just about to give up and start all over. Somedays are like that but normally if you work through the issues you get a piece that you like. If you are really lucky you may get a piece you love.

So I have received some feedback on the photos of my work. In case you couldn't tell, I take the pics myself and a photographer I am not. So today I tried a couple of different camera settings to see if that would make a difference, I think it does but I will leave it up to you to decide. But in any case, I am in need of a good photographer who can take pictures of my work. If you know of anyone send them my way but please keep in mind they need to offer a fair price since after all I am in "transition".

But until I find a good photographer, I will keep taking the pictures myself and posting them here for your enjoyment or amusement.

Stay cool on this super hot day and be sure to drink lots of water.

Purple Sky

Today was a great art day. I got so much accomplished in the studio. First, I was able to finish my acrylic painting called Purple Sky, 6"x7". For some reason the background looks more blue then purple but believe me it is purple.

My favorite little artist picked out the colors for this painting, however, the use of purple for the background was my idea. Sometimes, you pick out colors and then you find that they just don't gel. I do need to buy a new tube of purple. Yes, I know you can make your own purple out of blue and red, however, the color is more consistent from a tube. For whatever reason I tend not to mix colors, I almost never do it. Now that doesn't mean that I don't mix them together on the canvas or board but I don't normally pre-mix them. With acrylics I like to layer the colors in order to get a desired effect, then when the finished piece is glazed the piece appears to have added depth. For oils I like to blend them on the canvas or use the pallet knife directly on the canvas to create texture and dimension.

My other big undertaking today was to clean up my studio. I rearranged some of the furniture but mostly I purged. My little artist is quite prolific in her creation of art, add to that everything she does and brings home from school and that is a lot of paper. So I opted to keep a few key pieces that I hung up on the walls so she could look at them. Her reaction was awesome "You did this for me?? I love it!"

Part of me was going to try and impress on her that it is my studio and she is just a guest in it but since we both work in it together and she has her easel and drawing table set up in it, it really is our studio/art room.

The last art related item I did was to set up the board for tomorrow's piece which will probably take a few days to complete since it is a larger acrylic painting.

Well so long for now my friends and enjoy the new piece.

A Good Art Day

Today was a good art day. I picked up my pieces at the Greenpoint Gallery and met the curator. He gave me what I consider an awesome compliment on my pieces which just gave the day a lovely shine. I am looking forward to their next group show.

So today, I started a new acrylic piece which I am anxious to continue working on tomorrow. Life drawing at the Garrison Art Center (GAC) will have to wait for another week but that is ok.

The other interesting thing about today is the conversation I had with my favorite little artist. I was painting and she was working on her piece which I told her was mixed media...she uses paint and collage techniques :-) She loved the "fancy" term for her work.

Happy painting!

Happy Birthday Party

No art today since my favorite little artist and I threw a surprise party for her dad. It was a fun day filled with preparations and trying to keep it a secret. My little artist did a good job but being 4 her idea of a secret is not really secret. But it was fun all the same. I am looking forward to an art filled day tomorrow...maybe up to Garrison for a life drawing class and most definitely to Brooklyn to pick my paintings. I was hoping for a sale but maybe next time...

I love to paint!

What a wonderful, fun filled day! And best of all got to have some quality time with my favorite little artist both in and out of the studio.

I worked on my latest oil painting. It started out as a tree but has morphed into something else...not quite sure what though hahaha. Anyway, it is a fun experiment in forcing myself to use colors I normally wouldn't use. It is really interesting how tough it is not to use blue, which is one of my favorite colors. I am also not using red. The work is pink, brown, orange and a tan looking yellow. It is going to be interesting to see how it turns out. It is just about completed, probably about two more days of work and it should be done. However, the days won't be consecutive since the paint needs to dry a bit before I work on it some more. It is annoying when the colors get muddied.

The one thing I didn't do when I started was to take pictures through the entire painting process. It was fun when I did that with Universe Mother...Oh well, maybe next time.

Have a fantastic w/e!

Big Step

Today, I took a big step...I posted two flyers offering art lessons. Yesterday, I posted to Craig's List for lessons as well. Who knows if anyone will call me but it is a step in the right direction. I also left my business card with a representative at a local art store that has started to sponsor exhibits. So a decent art related day even if I didn't really do any art.

I am also torn about whether or not to drive out to Brooklyn tonight for the reception at the Greenpoint Gallery. Part of me really wants to go but the other part is into being a home body. Besides, my friend who was going to join me for the adventure is no longer able to and I am not sure if I want to go by myself. It might be a good chance for me to really talk to the other people attending but I am so unsure...

Well, if I go I will post about it tomorrow. If I choose not to go then maybe I will work in my studio. Decisions, decisions...

Flora

Today was a pastel day, this piece was created from a sketch I did last week. I am not quite sure I like it but I did like how absorbed my little artist and I got in working on our art today.

For me the piece is unbalanced. However, in nature things are not always balanced and perfectly symmetrical which many times adds to the beauty of flowers, plants and trees. So with that said I put this piece out there for your review.

One thing I have found is that I am using colored pastel paper more and more. In fact, I have pretty much gone through my supply so my little artist and I will be going to the art supply store tomorrow. Colored paper adds a whole different feel to the work but as I look at this piece I am wondering if it would be more vibrant if it had been done on white paper... Perhaps tomorrow I will create a pastel on plain paper but then again I think tomorrow may be a painting day.

The piece is call "Flora", pastel on paper, 12"x18".

Happy Thursday to all!

Blooming

Rain rain go away...

It looked like it was going to be a no-art day. The rain had me blue and I have been working on revising my resume in order to apply to teaching positions. Also, I spent the morning doing an errand with my sister and then going to field day which was held inside. Some mommy I am...I missed my girl's class, ugh!

But anyway once my favorite little artist got home from school and had her snack she wanted to go in the art room. So in we went and as it turned out it was not a no-art day :-)

Being unsure of what I really wanted to do I used a sketch from last week and created an acrylic painting. I decided not to follow my normal process of tapping the paper for clean edges and just let the paint fade into the paper. I tend to do that a lot these days when I am working with pastels but hadn't tried it with painting. I have to say I am not unhappy with the outcome.

So today's work is called "Blooming" (I will be correcting the title on the piece), acrylic on bristol board, approximately 8"x8".

Yesterday was not a creating day but turned out to be a good art day in that I dropped two pieces off at the Greenpoint Gallery in Brooklyn for their Salon Show this Friday, 5/21. Details are available at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=120763491287381&index=1. If you are in the area stop on in, they have a lot of great work entered into the exhibit.

So until tomorrow and happy painting!

The Process

What a fabulous day...my favorite little artist and I spent the day with B and N. It was lovely to spend the day out in the sunshine just relaxing with good friends. Time always flies when you are having fun.

So needless to say, no studio time today but I will most likely sketch once my little artist is in her bed. Last night I did a lovely sketch and I even have one that I am looking forward to making into a much more complete piece.

I was thinking about my process the other day and thought I would share it with you. I had been discussing it with a friend who was surprised to find that there is in fact a "process" that I follow. It is very methodical and in some ways not seem creative at all but the end product is usually a complete work of art.

Every piece begins the same way, as a sketch in my sketchbook. I try and sketch everyday if I can. Some sketches never become more complex works while others may be used over and over again. Once there is a sketch that really catches my fancy then comes the determination of whether it will be recreated in oil, acrylic or pastel. That part really depends on my mood and how much time I have.

If the piece is recreated in oil, I pick a canvas size and then freehand the sketch on the canvas. Whenever possible I use gallery wrapped canvas since you don't see the staples, also by painting the edges you don't need to frame it. More often then not the size of the canvas is much larger than my sketchbook. Sometimes the sketch is modified since what worked in the sketchbook may seem lacking once enlarged. Color selection is normally left to what is talking to me that day. So no real science to it. Then I paint, i will work on the piece until all the sections seem to be in harmony. Sometimes it happens quickly, other times the painting seems to drag on or months, with me only working on it sporadically until it pops.

Acrylic paintings have a more in-depth preparation process. I like to paint on bristol board when I do acrylics and try to keep things to standard sizes since it makes framing much easier. Starving artist and all means you can't really custom frame everything :-) So once I determine size, I measure it out on the board and then tape the edges. This is important or you will get really ragged edges that don't look finished or professional at all. I then trace the original sketch onto tracing paper so I can copy it onto the board. Picking colors is again open to whatever moves me that day. I then start to layer the color on the board until I get the right effect. Lastly, the piece is glazed since that just seems to give it a lovely finish. Once it it glazed, the tape is carefully removed so the board doesn't get torn.

Pastel drawings begin with determining what paper to use. I have found I like colored paper, i will use pastel paper or any other nice colored paper I have. Sometimes, the sketch is recreated freehand on the paper, other times it is traced out. It depends on my mood. Picking out the color is the same as for oils and acrylics. Then I color but it is really more than coloring since it involves shading and blending. I was so happy when I discovered blending tools in the art supply store. They make make blending pastels much easier on your fingers. Once complete, the piece is sprayed with workable fixative.

So there you have it...the physical process for my work. I am sure it is just earth shattering hahaha I am not sure how to describe the creative part of the process but I am sure the more I create and the more I write about my works it will become evident at some point in time.

Well, it is time to get my favorite little artist ready for bed and then begin the first step of my process since I can hear my sketchbook calling my name...Garnet, don't forget about me, feed your artist before you go to sleep.

One last thing visit me on face book (http://www.facebook.com/pages/GarnetOriginals/277005384811), follow me on twitter (http://twitter.com/GarnetOriginals), or visit my etsy store front (http://www.etsy.com/shop/garnetoriginals).

Busy Day

Today was a beautiful and busy day. Not an art busy day but a good busy day none the less and since the day is not yet over there is still time to do some sketching.

The day was filled with a birthday party and then babysitting my three nephews, which my little artist loved. The highlight of my day from an art perspective is when my oldest nephew asked if they could go in the art room. My middle nephew the other day when he was over asked if we could have another art party. I so love that they all love to do art.

That is all for now since I have a sketchbook that is calling my name. :-)

A Struggle

The day started out with a low grade fever for my favorite little artist who had the day off from school anyway. We took a trip to the dr's and got a good report...possibly allergies but could be viral just keep an eye on her. And we were told about a recall on children's Tylenol, Motrin and Zyrtec...so three bottles down the drain. But the recall site lets you apply for a refund so maybe we'll get something back.

By the time we got home she was feeling fine and had some lunch with her dad. We then spent sometime in the studio which was not productive. It was frustrating but I just couldn't focus on my painting, I am not sure why. It was a struggle to get done the little bit that I did. The canvas size is smaller than I normally use when doing an oil painting...could that be the issue? Well, a bad day in the studio is still better than a good day in an office tee hee

So tomorrow is another day and hopefully it will hold more inspiration then today. Perhaps, I'll do some sketching to see if that loosens me up.

In case your interested, my little artist was quite productive with her artwork. :-)

New Oil Painting in the Works

Today was a half day at school, well more like a quarter day if you ask me, and after school my favorite little artist had a party. BTW, it was a lovely dance party and she had a blast. So we did have a pretty busy day but after the party my little artist wanted to go into the art room. Since she received a good report from her teacher today, her listening was much better, she was allowed back in.

She checked out my completed oil painting and gave it a thumbs up. We then tested to see if it was dry so I could move it. As I was hanging up the painting on the wall (I rotate my artwork in the house periodically) she took a new canvas and unwrapped it and said I needed to do another panting. Also, she knew instantly what she wanted to do, reproduce my picture from yesterday :-) So I showed her how to use the tracing paper to get the image to show up on her paper. We then spent the rest of the afternoon painting in my studio. And since my little artist did a great job, her work is showcased on today's post.

My new piece is an adaptation of one of the pastel I did this week. The original sketch was modified since it just didn't fill out the canvas well. Also, I am experimenting with colors, I am using ones I normally don't and limiting myself to four. However, I do reserve the artistic right to add more if the piece isn't working.

Oh, before I forget...I will most likely do another salon show at the Greenpoint Gallery in Brooklyn (we love Brooklyn, no sarcasm). So if you are in Brooklyn on Friday, 5/21, stop on in and take a look. At this time, I think I will be showing XO and Coupled.

Well, here's to another great day of art. Check back tomorrow to see what else is new.

Getting Back on Track

Today, was a good day. My little artist had a play date after school. It is so nice to hear her playing with a friend. And on the selfish side, I get so much done when she has a friend to play with and doesn't look to me to occupy her time. Although she does play well on her own. But anyway, these mommy musings are not why we are here.

So the fact, that this impromptu play date came up got me to thinking. If I let the responsibilities of my life overshadow my art all the time then I will never create. In fact, that is how it has been for the last oh I don't know how many years! There is always something to be done for my husband, my daughter, my job, the house, and on and on. So it was used as an excuse to bury that part of me that wanted to create. It would be selfish of me to take time to draw and paint when there are so many other seemingly more important things to do. But no more!

I have found that I am happier and a better mommy and wife when I indulge my artistic side. It will not be silenced and it will not be denied so now it is time to figure out how to incorporate it into my "real" life. When will I draw when I start working again? What about painting and showing? I don't know the answer tonight but I am determined to figure it out and I will share it with you.

So today after a full day of job searching, working on my professional recertification, cleaning the tv room, having a play date, cooking dinner and getting my girl ready and into bed, I sat down and did a pastel drawing. In fact, I did the sketch for it while my girl was playing with her friend...gotta love multi-tasking hahaha.

So, today's piece is called "Loop", pastel on paper, 12"x9". It is a play on darks and lights. Also, I was in a very red mood so that is the dominant color. But then again the dominance of red can't be too surprising given my name...Garnet.

Later, I am off to chat w/my friend on fb...I probably would not have embarked on this creative journey if not for her. More tomorrow...

Reality

I know for some individuals creating art is their reality but for me it is just a dream. Today was a reality day...most of my day was spent on my job search. Then it was off to pick up my girl from school, food shopping and making dinner. I had so hoped that her teacher had said she had a good listening day since her reward for good listening was being allowed back in the "art room". If that had been the case then we would have ditched food shopping.

So it truly was an artless day, I didn't even do a sketch...totally sad :-(

On the bright side, I figured out how to add my artwork to the background on my twitter page (http://twitter.com/GarnetOriginals). I also updated the header for my blog. I cropped one of my pictures and used it as the background on the heading. Can you guess what picture I used?? Till tomorrow.

Two Works to Share

Somedays are just really good art days and today was one of those days. This morning I did a pastel and this afternoon I finished the acrylic painting I have been working on. It felt so good to see the works come together especially after feeling so blah earlier today.

So the works for today are "Eye", pastel on paper, 9"x12" and "Coupled", acrylic on bristol, 11"x14".

The pastel piece came together very quickly from the initial sketch to the completed piece. It just spoke to me right from the beginning and I am so happy with the outcome.

On the other side of the spectrum is Coupled. I fought with the background on it an never thought I would finish. I actually started it sometime last week and it has taken this long to finish. I would expect a decent amount of time if the work was oil but normally my acrylic paintings just seem to move much faster. Well, this work is the exception but I do have to say I am pleased with it. The colors work and it has movement.

It is very interesting as I look at the pieces together. Though different they have a very similar feel to them.

Well I hope you enjoy today's installment. I would love to hear your thoughts so please send me a comment or two...love it, hate it, couldn't care one way or the other.

Until tomorrow (which I hope is as productive as today).

Mother's Day Take 2

Well, the day didn't turn out to be artless after all. After my little sweetheart went to bed I opted to do a quick pastel based on one of the drawings I did last week.

It is called "Woman", pastel on paper, 9"x12". It was good to do "art" on Mother's Day. :-)

Mother's Day

So sad, another day of no art. It didn't start out that way, in fact, my favorite little artist and I were in the studio. She was working on her project and I was deciding what to do about my painting's background when my little love decided not to listen. She was told to leave my tube of paint alone but proceeded to squeeze out the paint. A time-out was issued and was answered with a full blown temper tantrum. Kicking, screaming, biting, scratching...the works. So being in my studio, or as my little one likes to refer to it "the art room", is a special treat part of the consequences of the meltdown was being expelled from the studio.

The tantrum and repercussions of it lasted for a good 45 minutes. At the end, I was just too sad to go in and paint. I am hoping tomorrow is a better art day.

Hopefully, your little angels behaved today. Happy Mother's day!

Saturday

Today is turning out to be a no art day. This doesn't mean that it is a bad day but just not a good day for creating. It was a day of visiting and a grand meltdown...not me but my favorite little artist. But now that we are home after a busy day, she is enjoying a nice bath then dinner then bed. Perhaps once she is happily tucked in I can do some sketching.

The one thing I did do today was to take a look at the acrylic painting I am working on. I am unhappy with the back ground color. The issue is how to fix it? The way I work in acrylics is to layer the color that way there is depth to the piece so I am not sure if just overlaying a new color will do the trick. But that is probably what I will try. No matter the outcome I will post it here for your feedback.

Enjoy your Saturday and happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!

Painting, Painting, Painting

No finished work to show just yet but lots of progress made on my latest painting. I forget how much time it actually takes to do a larger acrylic painting. Granted we are not talking about a piece that is so many feet large, I am still working in inches but it does take significantly longer to do 11"x14" then it does to do 5"x6".

I may post the piece as a work in progress...I just haven't decided yet. It will also depend on whether I can get batteries for my camera or not. But then again, it is so nice to unveil a completed piece.

Well, I am off to pick up my favorite little artist from school. Her cousin is also coming over for a play date so it will be a lively afternoon.

Happy Friday!

you can delete this psot once you recieve it as a tweet or FB update.

Excellent Studio Time

Somedays, time in the studio is quite excellent. The only downside was that my little artist was in school so I was alone. However, it did give me a chance to move my easel and clean up from my oil painting. Also, I was able to begin painting my new acrylic piece. It is part of my tree series and so far it looks good.

The piece is more complex then others I have done which is interesting. Having more time to work out details has made a huge difference in how the pieces work. I still like the simplicity of clean lines which the piece has, which I guess is a contradiction to it being more complex but once complete I think you will see what I mean.

So, hopefully tomorrow I will be able to post the completed piece. Till then...

Finished! Universe Mother

I am so excited. I have finished my oil painting, now all it needs to do is dry.

Somedays, it just all comes together so nicely. I went into the studio and did some organizing...too many papers and my art room mate (who is 4) is not so neat, but I so love to have her in the studio with me. I took a moment or two to look at the piece and I knew what I needed to do to finish it. It didn't take long but the result works well. I am so happy with the outcome.

However, I am at a loss for a name right now. It belongs to my "Mother" series. I need to think about it for a bit but if you dear reader have any ideas please send them to me.

Have a happy day!

It just hit me...Universe Mother.

Etsy

So, I finally set up my Etsy storefront. I am hoping I can sell some of my work through this venue. I have posted 4 works on it so far so we will see what happens. I do need to take some pictures of the greeting cards so I can post those as well. Cross your fingers this generates sales for me.

Check it out:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/garnetoriginals

Life Drawing

Today was not a fabulous art day, it was a focus on your job search day. However, before immersing myself in the activities of job searching and networking I took sometime to turn one of the sketches from yesterday into an ink drawing. I call it "Relax", ink on bristol, 11"x14".

I knew that my day today would not allow me to really work on my art so I was happy to be able to carve out some time to create this piece. I keep reflecting back on my day yesterday and how much I enjoyed the class at the GAC. So the big question is do I join as a member so I can sign up and get a discount on the class in order to attend more often...Normally this wouldn't be such a big question but when you are unemployed you rethink every dollar you spend.

I was hoping to have sold a piece at the show on 4/30 but it didn't happen, maybe next time. Tomorrow I will pick up my pieces from the Aeon Logic Gallery. My favorite little artist will need to go with me so I am sure she will have a comment about having to go to Brooklyn...AGAIN!

My other decision is do I go to a networking event tonight? Maybe I will base my determination on the weather, if it rains I will stay home, if it stays nice out I will go or maybe it should be the other way around...I am so indecisive these days LOL.

So till tomorrow my friends.

Fabulous Art Day

Today was a wonderful art day. I spent 3 hours in a life drawing class at the Garrison Art Center GAC). The model was fantastic, the only drawback for me was that she wasn't pregnant or voluptuous. However, she knew how to pose which is a feat in itself. So if you ever take a life drawing class at the GAC and you get a model named "Molly", be grateful.

It did take me a bit to get into the groove of the class since it has been so long since I took an art class. The nice thing about this class was that you were left to do what you wanted which was fine by me. The group was welcoming and I met a couple of talented individuals. In same ways looking at their works made me feel very inadequate but I had to remind myself of my goal in taking the class. The aim is not to perfect life drawing but to get exposure to a model to enhance the sketches and paintings I already do.

Most of my sketches from today are incomplete but I do have a number of them that I am very happy with. I will see if I can get a couple of good shots and then post them to my facebook page as an album.

Here is one that I took a moment to add some color to. It is called "Reclining", pencil and pastel on paper. Enjoy.

Check out http://www.facebook.com/pages/GarnetOriginals/277005384811 for more works from today's adventure to GAC.

Sunday

Well, it was a beautiful Sunday. I didn't get much done in the way of art but the sunshine definitely fed my soul. Tomorrow will be a good art day since I am headed to Garrison for a life drawing class. I am so excited to work with an actual model. It will make an incredible difference in my work.

I did do a great sketch while sitting outside today and I am excited to get in the studio and paint it out. If all goes well Tuesday will be a good studio day.

Have a great week.

Rollercoaster

What a great day to draw outside! Today's piece is called Rollercoaster, pastel on paper, 9"x6".

The piece is called rollercoaster since that is what my girl thinks it looks like. I am not sure if I really like this piece or not. I like the flow of the lines but I am not sure it really came together with the colors. In part I think this has to do with my trying to do two things at once...create this piece and watch my girl. There were more starts and stops to the piece then any others I have worked on. I may revisit it at a later date but for today this is what we have.

The big decision to be made within the next little bit is whether to get myself together to go to the reception at the CCCP Gallery. I think I'd like to but not sure if I am really in the mood to socialize. Well I have a little time before making my decision since as long as I leave here by 6pm I am fine. I wonder if my girl would want to join me or is an art opening a bit much for a four year old? It does end by 8 and it is not a school night...decisions, decisions, decisions...

Decision - I am going to take her. She will get a kick out of it!

Revised decision - I did not take her. Unfortunately, being four she got into things she is not supposed to touch so the consequence was being put right to bed which meant she could not go with me.

I did go and it was interesting. Not a lot of people and not a lot of artwork on the walls. Each artist represented had about 3-5 piece displayed. My work was in a back gallery and spanned two walls, 3 pieces on one side and two on the other. Not so bad, i just hope people walk back there. So goodnight for now.