Boundary

 "Boundary"

12 x 16 inches, oil on canvas

Framed, $500

Click to buy

 This is about as close as I have to a work-in-progress for this one - it's also an artist's-residency-in-progress shot - from my time at Playa back in February of this year. I've almost finished posting all twenty of those paintings here - but I still have a couple up my sleeve! 

Here's the finished painting. No clip lamp in sight -  I used only window light on my subject, making this a pretty rare piece for me. If you click on the picture for a larger view, you'll see my clamps and screwdriver sitting there on the easel - the unsung supporting cast of painting tools. The only one missing is the pliers. For opening stubborn paint tubes.

...And here's "Boundary" in its truly finished state. All framed up and hanging out with his friends. All four of these paintings are available, framed or unframed. Visit my Etsy shop or send me an email anytime. 

Thanks for reading!

Green Olives and Tea

 "Green Olives and Tea"

12 x 12 inches, oil on canvas
Sold

Here is my thumbnail sketch for this painting:

And here is a studio shot with my work-in-progress - the still life, my thumbnail sketch on the floor, for reference, and my easel cuddled up close to all of it, for a bird's eye view. In the background, by the window, you can see the still life setup for "The Pattern Beneath All Things," which I was painting at the same time as this one, in the afternoons, with the blinds open.  I had tape marks on the floor, and I just shifted the easel over.  

The thumbnail sketch for this piece snuck into this random shot of my studio desk as well - along with some objects from the painting - the garlic, the blue-rimmed plate. The olives are even hiding in this shot. (Hint: they're in their jar.) I think my motive for taking this picture was to document the excessive number of sketchbooks in play at once. Or maybe I just found the overall scene pleasing. I do love a good jumble of objects.

Tips and Tricks: It's Curtains!

 My contribution to this month's blog carnival, devoted to Tips and Tricks, is all about window treatments. It might sound a bit strange - this is an art blog and an art tips carnival, after all. Some of you, having witnessed firsthand my attempts at interior decoration, might be wondering what I could possibly contribute on the subject of tasteful decor curtains, but fear not! At the heart of this matter are two subjects I do know something about: problem solving the simple way, and shopping at the thrift store.

I've come to realize that people like to redecorate. They must, because there are tons of curtains at the thrift store. Weird curtains. Oh well, I don't judge. The more colorful, the better, for my purposes...

Those purposes include model backdrop, still life component, and (in moments of desperation), drop cloth. Hey, they're pretty cheap, these used curtains. 

One of my favorite ways to use any piece of fabric is to block out windows when I want to control a lighting situation. Our weather changes very quickly sometimes, and when I have a model in my studio, using window light, which can switch from cloudy grey to bright and sunny with no warning, is not a good option. Sun breaks make the general public happy, but for me, they are no good!

By putting two little nails in the wall, I can easily hang a window-blocker of any type with bulldog clips. Those round holes are so convenient.

 

 

If you score some of these funky grommet-curtains,  you can skip the clips altogether. I'm not sure how I feel about this type of curtain as an actual decorative element (although, it's already been established that I am no Martha Stewart), I love them for this:

 

I've got one more tidbit before I send you off on your carnival rounds. I get tons of questions about how I hang paintings in my studio, and the answer is simple:

 

Thanks for stopping by today! Hope you enjoy some more tips and tricks from these fabulous artists:

Linda Nickles


Marla Laubisch


Jo MacKenzie


Joanne Grant


Taryn Day

A Carnival in my Studio!

Let's kick things off with a painting (because it can't be all fun and games):

"Blueberries and Water"

8 x 8 inches, oil on canvas

Sold

....And now, ladies and gents - step right up, no tickets required for this guided tour of my studio! 

Can't you just hear the slow creeeeaaak of the door opening...?

Ok, there's no freak show or tunnel of love in this post. It's a blog carnival, in which a group of artists get together to post about the same topic. In this case: our studios.

I've shared pictures of my studio before, but here's what it's looking like this week. Two easels, tons of plants, random still life stuff everywhere, and paintings all over the walls.

 

You can see canvases stacked and leaning on both sides of my cabinet. The left is for blanks, the right is for paintings. I find this to be a *sophisticated* yet intuitive method of organization.

Below you can see some of my happy little plants. Correct levels of Oxygen and Co2 in an art studio is critical to the creative process! I fool myself that they take my fume exposure down a notch as well.

Below I attempted a panorama of a painting-in-progress on the easel. Left to right, top to bottom: My still life setup with painting, my palette, my painting table (and glass bottle collection), my paintbrushes, and a jumble of paints. The last two I'm not too proud of, but the system does contain some cryptic orderliness, and it's been working for me so far!

Interested in going behind the scenes of some other amazing artists' studios? Here is a veritable fireworks explosion of links!

Marla Laubisch	Carol Schiff	Kaethe Bealer	Jo MacKenzie
Michael Chamberlain	Charleen Martin	Sally Binard	Jacklyn Karabaich
Sharon Graves	Sea Dean	Johnna Schelling	Taryn Day
Julie Ford Oliver	Sarah Sedwick	Kim Rempel	Cindy Michaud
Joanne Grant	Carmen Beecher	Cindy Williams	Cathy Engberg