Playing With Strange Paper.

She's evolving into a Native Princess.  And she now has eyeballs, and some teeth as well.  Her dreamcatcher is full.

I like these paintings on paper that aren't serious.  They let you play.


Here are the beginnings of two more:

Playing.  That's all this is.

I added some quick details to this one, and a quote.

I'm finding that if I paint these morning watercolors, my head stays on straight for the rest of the day.

This is weird paper to watercolour on but I had to try it.  It gets so wrinkley and buckled, its thin and slick.  Sometimes the paint doesn't want to adhere to it.  But if you can work through the obstacles its kind of ok.  In fact, I rather like it in a strange strange way.

Eyeball Work.

I worked on this yesterday.  Its unfinished, there's more eyeball work to be done.

details.

This was what I did for a warm-up and I sort of liked her.  Is she a Native Princess or a Squirrel?

This area sort of got away from me.

She could use some eyeball work too.

 It had been such a busy day and I couldn't get into the studio until so late that before I knew it this was happening.  The light was fading and the sink-plants were saying goodnight.

Out the front door the sun was setting like a fireball over behind the field.

 I did see something special earlier in the day.  Surely it was it a sign from above to keep on keepin' on with the eyeball practice.  What else could it mean?

You just don't run into this very often.  Fascinating.

Fascinating and fun!  Tomorrow, I'm going to prefect some eyeballs.

A Happy Workplace.

A good friend gave me this metal sign and it greets me right as I walk into the studio.

Its a bit embarrassing that Lucy and Ethel make me laugh every time.  Every single time.  This little metal sign practically guarantees a smile upon entering the studio.  Hey, whatever works.

These light switch covers need to go on the list immediately.  Gosh, I'd be positively giddy if they had a cute paint job...



In the studio:  here's some snippets of a painting I'm currently working on.  Its large and I've almost completely obliterated it at least a thousand times in my mind.  But instead, today, I worked on it with actual paint and actual paint brushes.  Then I got real involved and started fingerpainting and that's when the time and silence got me and it was bliss.

Playing with paint led to covering up areas I didn't love, making it pretty, emphasizing areas I liked, adding some mystery and some cohesiveness and some details.

Its such a large piece and I'm discovering that can be tricky.

So I just kept on playing with paints.  I think I can I think I can I think I can.

  I put it, dripping and wet, right in the middle of the studio floor where the late-afternoon fall sun could shine directly on it and then- once it got dark- the moon and the stars could take over and work their magic through the big big windows all night long.
Back in college I used to do the same thing but in a different way, I would put the textbook under my pillow the night before the exam so that all the knowledge could seep into my mind.

Productive day, check.


This was going on when I got home.  Eevee can't stop touching Thumper, she adores him.  Poor Thumper, a guy can't even get a nap in this place.

The anticipation of going back into the studio to play with that big painting some more is a good feeling.  I had been been trying to ignore it but it kept stabbing me in the side with a butter knife.  It felt good to have at it.  Like I said, its big (which translates into "you'd better love it because there's a lot of acreage").  I've been feeling that pressure.
The only answer to this madness is to transform it until I love every single square inch of it.  That is the only way.
Which means, I need to keep my head on straight.  Which means, I need to play with the kitten.  A lot.

Hey, whatever works.

Storm Clouds and Toothy Jack O'Lanterns.

Painting these guys was complete and total art therapy.

I'm kind of in love with them both.

There's collaged papers underneath the paint.  If you squint  you can see it in this shot.

I started out with those paper mache' pumpkins that are at every craft store these days.  Then it got covered with torn paper and glue.  Then, paint.

I enjoyed them like that for a few weeks and then got crazy and gave them life. You have to imagine the scene from Frankenstein here where the mad Doctor yells "he's alive, allllllliiiiiiiive!"

Ok maybe not.

But I did get some eyeball practice in.

Then I got distracted by the schennanigans out the window.  These clouds came and I couldn't stop watching them.

How do you even spell schennanigans?  Apparently not like that, but I couldn't find it in dictionary.

The rain came, badly needed.  I could hear the slurp-slurp-slurping of the trees taking a big drink.

I forgot their ears so they couldn't hear anything.  Its just as well.

Tomorrow is October.  Wasn't it just springtime 10 seconds ago?  Let me answer that.  Yes, it was just springtime 10 seconds ago.  But now its not.  And we all need to accept this.

The days are getting shorter and its happening fast.  The real zombies will be here soon, not those fake California/Mexico zombies, I'm talking the real zombies.  So get ready party people, get ready to be scared because this is happening.  Get your Jack O's painted up to scare them away; surely this will help us all to survive the horror.

Getting The Owls Out Of My System.

 Once again I made the 5 a.m. painting on that crazy luscious smooth sensuous wonderful mineral paper, my new 5 a.m. lover. Yes, we are in. love. and getting married straightaway.  (not the owl, the paper!!--as if I would ever marry an owl)

The beginning stages:

I must be working the owls out of my system.  Its taking a while too, but I don't mind, they're so therapeutic.  Especially at 5 a.m.  I must be delirious and unable to think of a different bird, or even a different thing at 5 a.m. before the coffee kicks in.

Meanwhile, yesterday was a positively glorious day, warm in the sun but long sleeves were fine.  Well actually it did get hot in the middle of the day for a New York minute.  The sunshine was everywhere, making everything glisten.  My plants were basking on the window ledges.


This one blooming away...

Absorbing the light...

This guy has flat-out gone crazy lately and quadrupled in size.

This Christmas Cactus is either the white one or the pink one but I can't remember which one.  Only time will tell.  All I have to do is blink and it will be Christmas and I'll know.

And this sweet baby was a studio gift from JAH.  My humongous aloe vera kicked the bucket in the Polar Vortex 2015, froze plum to death.  I've really missed having a aloe plant and now I do.  I'm going to take much better care of this one.
So far so good, its been 3 whole days and he's still happy.  And so am I.