ACEO Joy
SOLD
I’ve been feeling rather joyless lately about my art. Not for very long, just a few days but none the less, I started to think about why this last year I have been able to find such joy in painting. So much so that I couldn’t wait to get back to it. It has not always been like that. I used to torture myself throughout the process of doing a painting. I really never found much joy in the process, only the result. These last few days, I have been feeling like that again and it all has to do with that nasty old ego. It has stepped in and is trying to take over.
“Go away ego, I will continue to paint for the joy of it and if someone likes it along the way then that is just the icing.”
I did these two ACEOs tonight and it was fun. So there.
SOLD
ACEO The Mushroom Tam
I did this mixed media ACEO last night. The tam is inspired by the artist Dadaya from Kyoto on etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5069929 I just love her stuff! It is so whimsical and colourful. She was in the same treasury as me yesterday. I have added her to my blogroll tniytoadstool-label.blogspot.com Check her out.
The Bearded Lady
Continuing the Circus theme. This is an ACEO of a bearded lady. I actually don’t know if this woman (?) was in the Circus. I found this photo online and thought I’d do a little painting of it. I just don’t know … she really does not look like a woman. But then again, what would I look like with a big bushy beard?
New Mini Canvas of Circus Girl
This is an original 2.5″x2.5″ mixed media painting of Circus Girl ( I think she is going to have an actual name very soon!) I am working on this character for a children’s book. Every now and then, I just have to paint her to get myself all inspired about this story again. She really is beautiful and I love painting her. After the disaster painting day yesterday I thought I should ease myself into painting by doing something that I know I love. The story is slowly coming together. I am trying not to rush it but maybe it is time for a little more of a tough love approach. My husband thinks so. I don’t know.
What Is The Opposite Of The Midas Touch? (‘Cause That Is What I Had Today)
Boy, today was difficult.
Some days, you go to the drawing table and it works. Most days, thankfully. It may take a little pushing or pulling but eventually, it works.
Today was not one of those days.
I was finally feeling well enough to work, Chris took the girls out, and the loft had cooled down to a workable temperature, but no matter how much I pushed, pulled, prodded, stamped my feet, yelled, pulled my hair – yes, it came to that – not matter what I did, it just did not work. It was like the opposite of the Midas touch. Dare I say, I created some mighty, mighty crappy art today! I started to think : maybe I have lost my touch. Maybe I will never create another good piece of art ever again. Maybe everything I create will be like a mediocre piece of grade 7 art- not even that good when you were in grade 7, and even worse when you are … well, we don’t need to go there. I feel bad enough already.
I know that we need to make little messes every now and then to get to the good stuff and that it is all part of the creative process, but it was still a very frustrating day.
I can’t post any art today.
It would just be to embarrassing.
MICE!
I adore Beatrix Potter’s illustrations of tiny little mice. Angelia Ballerina looks great in a Tutu, I’ve always like Mickey and Mighty and I will admit, Stewart was a great addition to the Little family. Cinderella made clothes for them, Snow white cleaned with them. Both sang to them, and their cute little mouse voices. Remember Gus’ little gruff voice? Just adorable! But what is the one thing that these stories have in common? THEY ARE FICTION! Yes, mice are CUTE … on T.V., in cartoons, books and movies!
NOT in my house! Not in MY house! Not in my HOUSE!
I saw him come out of the heating vent. I screamed and he ran back into the vent. I was standing there stunned and a little too still because he came back out again. I took one look at him, pointed my finger and stamped my foot and yelled:
“You get back in there RIGHT NOW!”
And he did.
It makes me think of the book Theo le Seig wrote:
… “now you know,” said the mouse. ” You know what there is in a people house”.
Well, I know what is in my house! A MOUSE!
Life’s First Breath
This is a 8″x 8″ profile canvas that I painted for 8 minutes of Peace. http://www.8minutesofpeace.com/
My first daughter was born at eight minutes to eight in the morning. It was the most profound, awesome and blessed moment of my whole life. To know that she was finally in this world and that she was healthy and safe was the greatest peace I had ever felt. Life is just too precious. We are all someone’s babe. All of us.
Shopping In My Sleep (or The Phantom Wardrobe)
“Lace Coat” 8″x12″, mixed media painting on canvas, 2007
So this morning when I was getting dressed I wondered to myself where that perfect little black cardigan I just bought was. Then I realized I had only dreamt about buying that cardigan.
I was so bummed.
It all came flooding back to me.
I had dreamt about shopping for clothes and I’d found quite a few cute little numbers. I felt so jipped, I mean, a lot of these pieces that I acquired were classics that would have filled a lot of gaps in my wardrobe quite nicely . I felt like I’d got them for a good price too but that, I can’t be sure of. I know I’d tried on a lot of stuff so, to wake up and realize that it was all for nought, was just so unfair! (Now I sound like my five year old).
I still feel kind of robbed and I can’t help but think, that maybe, all the clothes that I purchased in the dream are actually hanging in my closet but are somehow, mysteriously INVISIBLE. Like a “phantom wardrobe”.
I am sure that it is going to make it even harder for me to decide what to wear ever day and kind of makes the expression, “I have nothing to wear”, even that much more literal.
Horizontally Challenged
Not only am I not a landscape artist, I will take it one step further and say that I am not even a horizontal artist! I have painted quite a few paintings over the last six months and I have only completed one horizontal piece. (The above painting of Lilies). The other horizontal painting I started never got finished. This is rare for me. If I start a painting, I usually finish it, but not this one. This one was NOT good and was going to remain that way. So I ditched it.
None of this matters really but yesterday I was just wondering why I like vertical so much. I was looking at a new painting that I was working on and it struck me: VERTICAL! AGAIN! WHY?
I guess the answer is fairly obvious. I am a figurative painter (mostly) and we humans are vertical by nature. So it does make sense. Let’s just say, I am horizontally challeged. Hey, come to think of it, having two little kids makes me horizontally challenged in more ways than the way I turn my canvas! HA!
Home Again, Home Again, Jiggidy Jig
We are flying off to Victoria tomorrow. Going ‘home’ for a little visit. I can’t believe I’ve lived in Edmonton for over ten years. That is so crazy. And more than a little sad… you see, I love Victoria for so many reasons. I was born there, which is a tie but my brother in law was born in Germany and I don’t think he is longing to get back. It is more than where you are born and it is even more than where all your family still live, although that is a huge draw. I always thought it was the Ocean that was calling me back or the view of the mountains but that is not it either.
I think that I have finally figured out that it is the familiarity of it that I love. I know it like the back of my hand. Everywhere I go I have been, in some form or another. Even if the shop is new, I know the building or the building before it or even the land before that. I know it. I feel so comfortable there. It really is like being in the comfort of your own home. I have never been able to find that comfort level in Edmonton, it is like I am always looking over my shoulder. In Victoria, I never have to look, because I already know what is there.
The Other Visual Artist That Lives In My House
So, lately I’ve been trying to paint any chance I get and sometimes, actually most of the time, that is when Scarlett is asleep and Imogen is not. This is not good for Imogen. I try to create interesting games or better yet, give her fun crafts to do while I am painting but the other day she told me I was really boring and all I did was paint. OUCH. This is not what mummy wants to hear. Especially, when mummy thought she was doing such a great job at playing along with her make believe games. This days game involved me being the Evil Queen that poisons her with the flowers we got from the dollar store and, I just need to remind you, this is while I am actually trying to paint. So, I was a little sad and I’ll admit, worried, that my painting days were numbered.
Then, something happened: she started to paint from the same reference photos that I use. I guess she figured: ‘if you can’t beat’em, join’em’
So, here is Imogen’s version of ‘Wooly Hat’ . I think that it is pretty amazing. I know I am slightly biased, and I will admit my ulterior motive is that maybe, just maybe, if she sees her art posted it will buy me more painting time. I know, not exactly Mother of the Year, but what can I say? I want to paint.
The Orange Peeler
My orange peeler.
One day I handed Scarlett a bowl of tiny oranges and was surprised to see how long it kept her busy. As I watched her I had this weird vision in my head of rows of toddlers peeling oranges. An orange peeling factory. I am still working on a large 2’x5′ canvas of six Scarletts, all peeling away. Meanwhile, I have painted two other versions of just a single Scarlett.
Anyway, all that aside, this is a great way to keep a two year old busy when you are working in the kitchen.
Imogen Harlequin
I did this painting of Imogen. Like the larger version, I can’t seem to part with it. I put it up on Etsy and then took it off. It is hard to part with your paintings. Especially ones of your children. I really regret selling a few already but that is why you do them isn’t it? To send them out in the world. They can really become a huge weight when they are hanging around the house staring at you. You always remember the ones you sell a little more fondly than the ones you see everyday. I wonder if our recollection of them is better than the actual painting? I hope not. That could be pretty disappointing during a retrospective. YIKES!
Some Days are Better Than Others
Imogen had a rough day on Sunday. It was a learning experience for all of us. I hate when she is sad and that is part of the problem. When she is sad, I am sad and I don’t like to be sad either. So what do you do? Give her everything? Spoil her ROTTEN? Say NO and mean it. Yep, it was a hard day.
