Measure Twice

You know that phrase, "measure twice, cut once"? Yeah... I think I need that framed above my sewing table. Unlike painting, you can't just get it close enough or paint over a mistake. On a related subject, I was looking for my seam ripper, but it is no where to be found! I even looked in the places where my cats usually fling small objects I leave unattended, but no luck. So, needing to get my fix of creativity, I looked around and remembered a painting I'm doing for a friend. I've put this painting off for some reason, and my friend has been incredibly patient in waiting for it. Plus he lives in India, so he can't do much about it ;) I kid... seriously it's really late.

Pencil on canvas board 14" x 18" 

I thought I'd do thin layers of acrylic paint to build up the colors.....

Acrylics on canvas board

.... but then I realized that since I didn't erase the grid lines, I'll need thick paint to cover those up. Whoops. Another example of measure twice? Actually, I think it will look better with more opaque paint in the end, so no big deal. I'll keep you updated as the painting progresses!

Kittens!

Jasper (close up- he's actually a lot cuter in real life)

Jasper. Acrylics on canvas board

...inspired by Kittens! Draw what you know- or what you have at hand; in my case, kittens! This is an acrylic painting of my cat Jasper, peeking through the covers in the morning (encouraging me to get up and feed him I'm sure). Acrylics is not really my jam, but it is quick and easy (just like your mom!!!....sorry).

Jasper II. Soft pastels on paper.

Originally I did these because my mom was making art based on their beautiful new (to them) greyhound Stell, and challenged me to do the same with my furry friends. June is a bit shy, plus it's really hard to photograph an all-black cat, so I used a couple of pictures of Jasper. Nothing I'm really proud of but, hey, I said I'd post everything here!

Jasper Crap Abstract Painting. Acrylics on canvas board.

Remember how I said I'm bad at abstract art? Yep, here's the proof! I used metallic acrylics for this one. It looked ridiculous so I painted over it with this...

Hopeful Hearts. Acrylics on canvas board.

The heart was for a friend of mine. I strongly dislike this one too, but when he saw it he said he liked it and took it, refusing to let me paint over it again. At least the unlucky canvas board is out of my life!

Jasper, checking out the progress on his portrait.

Just to explain my extended absence from the blogging world, I've had the bubonic plague or something for the last month or more. It's been horrible! Not being much of a believer of Western medicine, I tried nearly every herbal tea and tincture, homeopathic remedy I could get my hands on and nothing worked. Finally I embraced the evil empire and went on antibiotics and am now healing. Yeesh!

Currently, I'm working on updating my self-portrait, so stay tuned!

Self Portrait

Self Portrait, Oils on Board, ~2004

This is my self portrait. I painted in oils during... maybe my Freshman year of college, I'm guessing around Spring 2004. I remember the pain of having to do a self-portrait. Dreading it, really, and making the professor take several pictures of me before I could find one I liked, or at least could tolerate. Seems silly now. This is the logical first post in an art blog- to start at the most basic level. A simple image of who you are. Or were, in this case. I'm no longer 19, I'm no longer blonde, and I no longer have SUCH low self-esteem that I cannot stand to stare at my own image for a few hours for a painting. But who you were is a stone in the path of who you are and who you will become. That sounded pretty hokey. This blog is meant to show you (whoever you ends up being) the PROCESS, not so much the result. I'll have a separate website for the result- the polished, portfolio-worthy stuff. This will be a journal of sorts- to show you art to do for fun; art that is about MAKING art, not just having something pretty to put up on your wall. I hate categorizing art as "good" or "bad"- it's so polarizing, and it distances art-making from people who don't consider themselves "artists" (to be said in the snobbiest tone possible). I prefer to categorize them as either something you would like to put up on your wall or something that you enjoyed making. Something that turned out the way you hoped it did or something that turned out unexpectedly. I'm also a therapist, so no doubt that will be part of it- art as therapy. I hope this blog is inspiring, revealing, and connecting. Welcome.