The last post of October

I visited Home Depot on Monday and had wood cut for two oblong supports which I am excited to begin painting! I also completed another drawing in the daisie and doilie tradition - posted here.

I put in a little more work on the drawing posted below and uploaded it under the portfolio link. I also posted 6 new images in the Drawing Project album. Check them out!

Another show!

Warbler one and Warbler two will be showing at FUEL in Philadelphia from Dec 2 until the 28. Yea! Check out their website.

Birdie cutouts and lace tracings

I'm pretty excited about where the last drawing left me (the one with the pink daisies and doilies in it). I think I found a good mix of tools with which to create a composition. Here's the second one in progress!

Untitled

This I think is finished. And I am pleased with the last few decisions I made - to gray out a large portion of the composition in order to define the background; and to use the fuschia watercolor on the other two daisies so as to make them a more prominent visual element. It was all there. The drawing was done - but I needed the tone and colors to bring it together and give it structure. I am going to take a break from this and see how I feel about it in a few days, but right now I couldn't be happier.

Cut out

I am slipping in an image of this drawing which has progressed in a rather drastic fashion. Yes, I took an exacto knife to the composition and excised the bird. It wasn't working. The new look is very minimal and really in direct contrast with some of my other drawings (which are filled with things and laboured over). My exploration of drawing is splintering and I am loosing a sort of cohesion within the body of work. But I need to take these chances and stretch myself right now - grad school portfolio or not.

I think I am finally striking that note of opulence which I always covet in other people's paintings. Today was a real "drag your feet" kind of day in the studio, but I couldn't be happier with the results! It's true - the days when you are most reluctant are often the ones when you do your best work.

New drawing on khadi paper

I began a new drawing on Friday. I found some larger sized sheets of the Indian cotton rag or khadi paper and bought these oblong shapes. I was excited to see what I could come up with for them. I used to work regularly on oblong formats and they still excite me in the same way. Somehow they seem to reference a passage of time - as in Japanese scroll paintings. They open up a sort of compositional asymmetry and dissonance that I like to explore as well. I am just in the beginning stages of this piece building up texture and detail in the background and letting the composition evolve.

#39

I always find a way "through" this project. Just when I feel I have reached the limit of what is possible a new thought occurs to me and a little door is opened to allow me to proceed.

#38

#37

Plodding along

I've gotten some good work done on this piece, but it's very composed; and each decision is being carefully considered. It is becoming a bit tedious. And I'm pretty surprised that I seem to be overwhelmingly working in this way. Perhaps an indication of my state of mind.

finished again

I revised this as per the Somerville crit group. I'll keep it in the corner of the studio for a few days and see what I think. I am hoping to have it done my midweek next week in time to show it for a competition, if I am so lucky.

#36 untitled

#35 flowers

#34 untitled

#33 my flowers