A Man for Monday

Too much rabbit skin glue on an un-stretched canvas is not a good thing. As you can see the canvas got hard and brittle and curled up. I painted Andy 3 times. This is not the most successful of the bunch. I have come to think of it as a propaganda poster. Looking back at the ones that don't work makes me try harder!..Onward!

18+19+20 details

18+19+20

Here is where I left things yesterday. Wonder Woman escapes! I was really happy when I finished painting. But, I didn't sleep last night fretting about it. Crisis time! Don't think I will get to paint today, I will face it tomorrow. Either I will kill it or leap over this hurdle! I am at a crossroad, it could go either way. Something in me is telling me, I am heading in the right direction. Stay tuned: same Bat time same Bat chanel...or I should say: Wonder-time, Wonder-chanel!

Frankenstein Friday

Artsy Chug

Thursday is Kick Ass Chick day

When I painted this one it was all about romance. Amy and I had a nice conversation about all things romance when she came to sit for me. Now all I see are boobs..and nips too...Oh my! There is also a dignity, strength and toughness there, that is all Amy...she'll kick your ass!

Truman is in heat. It happens about once a year. She gets restless and roams the house looking for Lizards. I found her on Sunday straddling the heat register in her room. Since Frankenstein still feels he needs to jump on her and bite her head, she doesn't get to roam like she used to.
She has no indoors cage. She has a perch with a ramp, out of puppy paws reach. she never comes down because of our little monster. But her hormones have been compelling her to search. We had a few dog on lizard scrambles before I realized she was out sexing, or trying to. Now, I have the door closed to her room. Yesterday I found her on the bed, sunning. She likes soft blankets and the warming sunlight.
Frankenstein is now a teenager. His hormones are also on the rage. He wakes up and soon after, I hear his toes tapping on the wood floor. He looks at his rear end in shock as it starts doing the Humpty Dance. Thump-thump! He has spurts of crazed energy, erratic behavior and talks back, like all teens do.
Mr. Eleven is sick. He won't admit it but he is doing the DayQuil, NyQuil cocktail rotation. He is stuffy nosed and puffy faced. Way too sweet and nice to not be sick.
I just want to get back to Black Wonder Woman, in the studio. But for now, I am Nurse Tracey.

Wonder Woman Wednesday

Oh my...what a thick club!

Pileated Woodpecker

He is the Woody Wood Pecker of wood peckers. He is shy and rarely seen. I read that they drum on hollow branches and chimneys with their beaks to announce territory. Well he owns our pine tree! He pounded the bark right off. It is nice that this shy guy came for a visit.
The Wax Wings and Blue Birds are in the birdbaths. These flashes of color, that could easily be missed. swoop and rest, creating patterns and then they are gone.
Homer is gone already. Slowly over the next two weeks the hard plastic baby Jesus and wire frame light up deer will also disappear from yards. Except for a few folks like our friends neighbor who will have a row of three foot high light up candy canes on their lawn till August. Or maybe this year they will stay up till next December.
I prefer the rare glimpse. Like the Moon and Mars the other night. You have to look up to see it. I can look out and see some birds in the yard. Or I can focus and see cadmium yellow tips on wings, a patch of red belly or dusty blue feathers. But, I am going to miss seeing Homer through the trees too!

18+19

We are having incredible weather here in Richmond. It was 60 degrees out yesterday and it looks like it will be the same today. Great painting weather. After painting in the cold for the last month it felt great. I don't want to go too far with this one. I like what is happening and the color is good. I am hoping to pull it together in one more strong session. My idea is to add another panel today. 18+19+20...and so on. I like the idea of it being a continuous painting. Like a comic strip.

18+19

And so it begins...

A final look at 16+17

They finally made it to the clothes line. I really am fond of this one. It is the friends and family remember where you came from painting. Now it is time to shake things up and move some paint...next!

A Man for Monday

This is the third portrait I did of Jeff in his pretty blue shorts. I like this one for its economy. It breathes. Once again, there is Jeff!

Moving leaves part II

I keep thinking about this image. I posted a similar view on Tuesday Dec. 18th. I can see it painted by Corot, with the light catching the leaves in mid air. Or after the fashion of Millet's The Gleaners. If I had a slightly different temperament I would paint this classic yet modern scene. But I do not, so, look at the photo and picture how nice it would be.

Homer

One thing I am going to miss about the Holidays is looking out my window and seeing Homer through the trees.

Frankenstein Friday

He is the fastest dog in the world!

Dog Globe

The globe is getting really cool looking. I have a great idea for the base. I want to take it off of the plastic one it is setting on now. There are some things to work out first. It is coming along!
I also started 18+19 yesterday. But nothing has developed there yet.
It felt great to finally get 16+17 down and on the clothes line!

What is in the back yard...

Almost no water in the fish pond! Frankenstein and I discovered the missing water this morning. I cleaned the filter and worked on the pump yesterday. Something must have happened then to create the problem, but I can't locate it. We rushed to get the hose and re-fill it. You can see the urgency on Frankenstein's face! It is filled now. I will keep checking it throughout the day.

Thursday is Kick Ass Chick day

When I painted this one it was a record breaking, hot Summer. I was trying to use as little paint as possible, as thinly layered as I could. It was damn hot! I think I could have pushed this a bit farther. But I like seeing it at this stage. I like the flat ghostly quality it has. The earrings she is wearing are ones she created herself.

Wonder Woman Wednesday

That is the Duke of Deception who sits on the thrown of Mars. Lya will later organize the Martian Women to over throw him and clam her fathers throne for herself. Lucky for her he left his clay in the spaceship!

Moving leaves

The city came out to get the leaves, today. First a bunch of guys with blowers strapped on their backs moved all our leaf piles into the middle of the street. They looked like spacemen. Then the big equipment came in and made a huge pile about 8 feet tall. Then they scoped it all into a big truck. Pretty cool!

Birdman cards

Inside the cards I printed the word Rosebud. I used a cool blue ink on the prints and the word was printed in a combo of red and purple ink. I wanted it to feel cold and fragile. I like the idea of the Birdmen flying across the country bringing a simple message. A word. A word that symbolizes our deepest love, our most precious memory. Or as Mr. Eleven reminded me, of William Randolf Hurst's girlfriends lady parts!

Birdmen fly

The Birdmen holiday cards have reached their destinations. Here is a quick look at the process. As I have said before, I am no print maker. But I was feeling very nostalgic when I set out to make these cards.
I remember when I was very young my mom making block prints for holiday cards. I remember the clothes line strung up in the basement and all the cards hanging to dry. That memory got me going on this project.
Now that it is done, I am done with the holidays and ready to move on! I pulled 57 prints and 3 proofs...phew!
I carved a block of linoleum and printed on the shinny side of white rice paper. the shinny side looked like a snowy blizzard. When all the prints were laying on the table to dry it looked like the Birdmen were flying.
This got me thinking about animation and Zoetropes. So the next project is a zoetrope!

A Man for Monday

This is the second portrait I did of Jeff. The naked men behind him all jumping for joy were reminiscent of the figure's My adviser in Grad school used to draw. I had found out he past away right before I did this painting. Jan was on my mind as I painted this. But it was also about the shorts. Blue velvet shorts, I loved the color and texture of them. Then there is Jeff, gush, gush..Love Jeff!

More Murder Junkies

Such nice boys..
They Rocked! I am feeling balanced and ready to paint!

Murder Junkies in the House

My last post was embarrassingly sappy. I knew the Murder Junkies were coming to stay at our place this weekend. So I knew everything would balance out. Mr. Eleven was in the band in the 90's. If you don't know about them (sorry I still don't have the ability to link here)you can find tons of info, on line. Believe all the crazy things you hear!
I don't want to go into all the details, because if you are interested you should see one of their shows in person. Expect, a naked drummer and drumsticks going where no drum stick should! The woman who took these photos got up and cut herself with a razor blade while the band played behind her. It sounds horrid. But it was really sort of beautiful...contrasted by the music. But honestly the photos are ghastly! Hence I didn't post them. Mostly I love watching the angst filled kids go nuts. Release. I was smiling like a mom at her kids first ballet recital!
For me it has always been about the love. The purity of it all. Total acceptance, open mindedness the liberation that brings. They are family.
We had a big pancake breakfast and Frankenstein had a blast with all his Murder Uncles. That is me peeking out from behind Paul the singer. The house seems so quiet and empty now that they are on the road. They play in NY tonight.

Friday fog

I woke up and saw the solid white out my window and thought of snow. But it turned out to be fog. I love walking in the fog, in the city in the country in my hood. The air is moist and feels like a thick enveloping coat. A cloud blanket.

I have been hearing rumblings of energy from my friends who have finished their Fall semester of school. Some are teachers and some students. But all of them, are boiling over and doing all the things the weight of the end of semester prevented. The fog of school has lifted and a window of freedom has opened up.

There is also the fog of the season. The food and drink and must see events that cloud our path. I watched the movie White Christmas for the third time this week. I wait all year just to see those colors and hear Rosemary Clooney sing! I get lost in the browns and slate blues, cerulean feathers and red velvet gloves. When it finally snows in the end, I cry every time!

It is comforting and mysterious. It is a cloud too near the ground. Yet it will pass. For now, for today, I welcome this fog. Maybe only because I know, it will lift and be gone. The starkness that follows is both exciting and unknown. I welcome that too!

Frankenstein Friday

Mr.Eleven took this while we were sleeping. He thought it was hilarious that my puppy had his paws on my boobs!

Dog Globe

He is looking pretty spiffy. I think it is time to rotate the globe and start a new image.

16 +17

They are still wet and shinny but I think they are ready for the clothes line. It is time to get 18+19 started! Onward!

Thursday is Kick Ass Chick day

Here she is the lovely Miss. Heather. Heather on the half shell. When I painted this she was going through some hard times. I painted her, adrift on Venus' shell. The angels seem to be messing with her. But, I think they were also guiding her, just in a playful way. Remember if you find yourself lost at sea on a shell, bring a Crona along!

Wonder Woman Wednesday

I love her form! Run, baby Wonder Woman, run fast!

In the studio

All this Holiday stuff, has taken me off course. It has been a nice detour. Eating cakes and making crafts. But it is time to get back to work! Today I head back to the studio. All the cards will get mailed today. I will post photos of the cards and process, once they reach their destinations. What a relief it will be to put them in the mail slot!

It seems like years since I last painted. It is time. I am hungry for paint! I have had my fill of sweets and fluff!

It is hot

It is 70 degrees outside. It is kind of disorienting. I still have to finish up the holiday cards, but it feels like Summer. The lizard is out in the yard, sunning herself. The fish are swimming near the surface in the pond. They can only eat when the water temp is above 50. Today they will feast.

A Man for Monday

I painted two portraits of Jeff. I have both of them hanging in my home. This one has a Milton Avery feel to it. I don't know if I captured the warmth and truly wonderfulness that is Jeff. But I feel it everyday, living with the paintings. Memory combined with paint equals good energy.