Welcome to my Blog.

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Welcome to my blog.

I'll be posting thoughts, photos, happenings, and other art
related information from time to time.


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venerdì 19 aprile 2013

Finishing Touches

26" x 19"
a detail of the above photo

                                                                                                                               

I went to the studio in Florence today and worked on this larger painting, a make-over, pushing it a  little further using cold wax and a many layered-base.  I believe I've finished it for the time being, the real truth is that I'm just tired of it  so ... will let it rest and see what happens next, if anything. I will continue to experiment but will try using the wax on paper next. Am curious to see the effects of wax on various qualities of paper.



mercoledì 17 aprile 2013

HOMEWORK

My homework:

9" x 9"

  I've been doing homework for the last few days. Spring has sprung (and don't believe a word about the groundhog and his shadow or the 3rd of April being able to forecast the weather.  It's all a lot of hogwash, Spring  arrived just  NOW after long days of rainy rain.) Therefore, I've dug into the gardening that has to be done, the spring cleaning that claims me everyday. BUT I've also taken my small canvas swatches home from my studio, my cold wax and colors and make sure that every day is spent, even if only a few minutes, on another type of home work, continuing my  wax project.


9" x 9"

venerdì 12 aprile 2013

Figures Emerging

 This square was inverted before proceeding.

and became this.







This square is also in the working stage.

 


As you can see, my figures are emerging.  I can't help it, I just see them everywhere and I don't know if I want that to continue or not. Anyway, we're still in the first stages. Who knows what will happen next!

venerdì 5 aprile 2013

Cold Wax Continues

#4 of cold wax canvas swatches  9x9"
Here is the last of 4 trial pieces that I am experimenting with using cold wax.  I would like to keep it in light, soft tones as you see it now but with over layers, transparent, that leave their marks on the rough spots that exist here and there. I will add more texture to achieve that, some red sand and gravel that I brought home with me from the Grand Canyon years ago.  This seems a good place for these cherished relics. But again, seeing that I am still at the experimental phase, I will just have to allow myself to be led on by the materials themselves.




mercoledì 3 aprile 2013

April 3rd - "Tre Aprilante"

                                                
               
my beautiful flame red amaryllis
 
Today is the 3rd of April, a very important day in Italy (and for me), "Il Tre (3) Aprilante (April) Quaranta (40 days) Durante (long)" which means: whatever the weather is like on the third of April that's what will prevail for the next 40 days!!! The Italian version of Groundhog's Day I guess.
Whew!!! It's OK. That is, if it doesn't rain this evening we've left Winter behind us and Spring is on the way because we have had a lovely...sunny... day. (I couldn't bear even one more day of rain.) Even my prized Amaryllis decided to open up into full bloom today.





And, I have been working.  The photo on the left is the next state of the large work on canvas that was my first step  using cold wax. But, mounted as a normal canvas on wooden stretchers, I don't have a hard surface behind the wax/color to allow me to scrape and dig down to previous layers. Have to find a solution.

(See Post "Cold Wax")


These are three of the small (9x9") canvas swatches at stage 2




I'm not sure yet what I'm doing, just "feeling" my way with this new medium.  I love the transparency that it gives to color.  I'm learning about the accidental mixtures that happen along the way. I'm having fun just mixing and applying color.  It's opening a whole new way of approaching my work.


lunedì 1 aprile 2013

Wiinter Doldrums




It's just Another Rainy Day!  I'm trying  very hard to pull myself up out of a fierce attack of winter doldrums - no energy. . . no inspiration . . . .no painting.  And,  NO sunshine,  NO warm, balmy, Spring days that would fill me with energy and new projects in a minute. I am so envious of all of my blogger friends who are able to produce a painting a day with success. (Without a doubt they  live in sunny parts of the world.) Or. . .is this just an excuse! ! !

What I have been doing though is thinking a lot. And. . .  preparing a little for the better days.  The first attempt at using cold wax as a medium is continuing (posted March 2 "Cold Wax") but I've realized that, as everyone has said, a hard backing is necessary in order to allow for scraping through the many layers of wax/color.  So I have prepared four small ( 9"x 9") canvas swatches, I've mounted them on cardboard and am, finally, starting to prepare them. The small size  helps. . .  there's less canvas to cover!

As you see in the photo I'm using oil paint sticks and dry pigments as well as tube paint and . . .of course, my homemade cold wax medium which is hidden in an old can of oatmeal. To spread mix and scrape there are spatulas of various sizes as well as other tools.