Mother's Seagull Flies

Finally. 

This was my mother's much loved bird that I claimed when she died. After a few years of neglect, she will now be a permanent part of my studio. 

a face

Since I have three more (paid for) punches left on my card, I decided to go to life drawing tonight. It is fun to go somewhere and focus strictly on drawing or painting or whatever, but I am not a huge fan of the art of nudes. I find myself wondering what led them to earn a few dollars posing for artists. I think of the needy nude models of Van Gogh's day, and then I feel bad for the models. I would just as soon sit in a room with a nice still life in the center, one with pears and watermelons, pitchers and bowls. To me, the outer shell of humans is not even nearly as interesting as their inner workings and their thoughts.
Enough of that . . .
I did the requisite gesture drawings and another whole body but then decided to do the face. It is drawn on watercolor paper, not a suitable surface, but this is my favorite outcome of the evening.

today's painting

My studio space is frequently in need of a re-do.
What did I know. A studio sounded to me like a place where people made beautiful messes. But I have found that most of the artists make their messes elsewhere and use their studio spaces as their own little galleries. Not wanting to be the most unkempt kid on the street, I am going to do the same thing. I have moved things around and out, but now it is looking rather dull. To perk up the place and tie some of the colors together, I painted this picture today using the wall and door paints I still have. I titled it "Rothko-ish" after Mark Rothko whose art I actually like and appreciate. Matter of fact, I like quiet, simple abstracts as much as I like any kind of art. The picture does not do it justice! Will try for a better one tomorrow.

winter tree

For some reason, I really like this photo.
I am fascinated about how the bare tree looks like a leaf, branches like the veins of the leaf.
Similar pattern.
I manipulated the background with the free fotor app.

Social Saturday

That is what Jenny, the girl on the left, calls it.
Since we are open to the public on Saturdays, we show up if we possibly can and have fun together.

committing

A New Year's resolution last January was to paint something every day. That lasted until January 10!
This year I am resolving to do the same thing. But to make me a little more accountable, I have signed up on a big website to post one painting a day for the thirty days of January. So far my pix look ok in the half inch square allotted! At least I am getting the juices flowing.

back at the ranch

It was good to get back to Saturday's Open Studios.
Here are some of us painting clay girls in Justine's studio today.
Justine is a clay artist whose work is sold all over the US, and now she is creating at the Art Works.
In a few weeks, she is going to have a special show, and lots of us were helping her get it going by painting/glazing some of her objets d'art. It was fun.