What are you working on?

[Terri]

My latest project I'm working on is waiting for me to start. I've been moving so I haven't painted anything yet on this project because I'm too busy sorting and putting stuff away, but I've got my materials all ready and waiting for me to have the time.

I've used Bee loose pages for several years now but never tried their 100% cotton sketchbooks because when I've had the money, Amazon was always sold out of them. I finally got lucky and found them in stock so I bought the 8 1/2 x 11 and a smaller one 5.5 x 8 and can't wait to try them out.

I also found a new listing for Fuumuui 100% cotton paper blocks so I bought the 9x12 size and the 5x7 size.

My first project will be to try out the smaller block and sketchbook. My new place sits right on the bank of the large creek (actually more like a small river) where I have a wonderful back yard to sit in next to it so I have a perfect view to paint from. Also, I'm much closer to the osprey nest across the creek. I might have sneaked out for a painting session even during moving except that it's been pouring down rain the past several days and that's not my idea of a joyous "wet on wet" painting experience. I'll wait till there's a sunny day.

It sounds lovely, Ellen! Glad you're getting all settled in and have some new papers to try.

 

[snoball]

Don't have a photo yet but am finally going to start a new oil painting. Hard to explain the concept but a puppy is involved. Besides, if I explain it, it will be in AI form on facebook and google tomorrow.

 

[stlukesguild]

I'm working on surviving the last 7 days of the school year. Last week was insane... and I've battling a nasty head cold on top of it all.

 

[Artyczar]

Hang in there St. Luke!

Sno, can't wait to see your pup!

 

[Artyczar]

I've been working on a couple of large gouaches on the dark BFK paper, kinda like the ones I was doing last year:

The above is one of the ones I finished last year. I felt like I did three that I liked. I would like to get at least eight for a whole series, possibly, and once I finish the two I'm working on, I can submit/pick four of them for a publishing competition.

They are based on the shapes of garment patterns. The ones I'm working on aren't as "busy" as this one above.

As for the other projects I've been working on for my show--still doing those, and have made a lot of progress. I looked back on this thread, and I don't think I ever posted some of the finished pieces, like my largest painting or two of the smaller ones. I will look to see if they are in any other threads. If not, I'll post them.

As for those embroideries, I'm three-quarters finished with those. I have twelve more to go:

 

[john]

Don't have a photo yet but am finally going to start a new oil painting. Hard to explain the concept but a puppy is involved. Besides, if I explain it, it will be in AI form on facebook and google tomorrow.

LOL. ... Just explain it to the painter AI and the all knowing entity that mankind has created will do it for you. Plus, your idea will spread throughout the galaxy. If they have internet.

The idea of puppies and AI bothers me for some reason. There has to be some boundaries. No babies and no puppies.

Looking forward to seeing your painting sno, as usual, and to keep it real. The more imperfect and human the better. But don't get too Ab Ex on us.

 

[john]

I've been working on a couple of large gouaches on the dark BFK paper, kinda like the ones I was doing last year:

View attachment 40674

The above is one of the ones I finished last year. I felt like I did three that I liked. I would like to get at least eight for a whole series, possibly, and once I finish the two I'm working on, I can submit/pick four of them for a publishing competition.

They are based on the shapes of garment patterns. The ones I'm working on aren't as "busy" as this one above.

As for the other projects I've been working on for my show--still doing those, and have made a lot of progress. I looked back on this thread, and I don't think I ever posted some of the finished pieces, like my largest painting or two of the smaller ones. I will look to see if they are in any other threads. If not, I'll post them.

As for those embroideries, I'm three-quarters finished with those. I have twelve more to go:

View attachment 40675 View attachment 40676

I really like the garment pattern gouaches. A playground for the eye. Reminds me of aboriginal art. That art still resonates.

IMO large scale gouaches meshes well with your style.

 

[john]

I'm cleaning and decorating the basement and had all my paintings on one wall so took them down because it just looked like a cluttered mess. Then started to "decorate" the walls with paintings. .... And quickly ran out of paintings that I want on the walls. Won't say that most of them suck, but I just don't want them on the walls.... and some of them suck. I want plain old boring pretty landscapes, not my attempts at "groundbreaking art".

Now with a lot of empty wall space I have room to put some new boring pretty landscapes. I can do some plein air painting maybe. Since retiring I now have more warm weather time to do things like paint outside. Just have to make some time for it.

But I HAVE to finish this first, dammit. The painting from hell. It's 90% there? Who knows.

 

[JennieJo]

I'm cleaning and decorating the basement and had all my paintings on one wall so took them down because it just looked like a cluttered mess. Then started to "decorate" the walls with paintings. .... And quickly ran out of paintings that I want on the walls. Won't say that most of them suck, but I just don't want them on the walls.... and some of them suck. I want plain old boring pretty landscapes, not my attempts at "groundbreaking art".

Now with a lot of empty wall space I have room to put some new boring pretty landscapes. I can do some plein air painting maybe. Since retiring I now have more warm weather time to do things like paint outside. Just have to make some time for it.

But I HAVE to finish this first, dammit. The painting from hell. It's 90% there? Who knows.




View attachment 40695

I just hate it, when you know it's not finished but the next step isn't obvious. Looking forward to seeing it finished.

 

[Artyczar]

I'm cleaning and decorating the basement and had all my paintings on one wall so took them down because it just looked like a cluttered mess. Then started to "decorate" the walls with paintings. .... And quickly ran out of paintings that I want on the walls. Won't say that most of them suck, but I just don't want them on the walls.... and some of them suck. I want plain old boring pretty landscapes, not my attempts at "groundbreaking art".

Now with a lot of empty wall space I have room to put some new boring pretty landscapes. I can do some plein air painting maybe. Since retiring I now have more warm weather time to do things like paint outside. Just have to make some time for it.

But I HAVE to finish this first, dammit. The painting from hell. It's 90% there? Who knows.




View attachment 40695

I do that very same thing John. I don't like hanging my own art on the walls very often, unless I have a studio visit or something. I don't have any of my own work up around the rest of the house. It's the work of other people. And I like having some of that in my studio, too, because it inspires me.

I like this one "from hell" that you're working on. I'm interested in where you're going to take it. It's great so far and NOT from hell as far as I can tell.

Thanks for the input on my gouaches. I am still on the fence about whether to submit them to the publishing competition. I was wondering if I should submit my grocery bags instead. I'm not sure. I'll finish these gouaches first and then decide. Here's where I'm at so far on these next two. The bottom one is actually in portrait format, but it's on its side. The gold stripes will be at the bottom:

Thanks for the aboriginal comment. That's a huge compliment, I think, because I love that work. I didn't think of that, but now I sort of see that.

 

[snoball]

I've been working on a couple of large gouaches on the dark BFK paper, kinda like the ones I was doing last year:

View attachment 40674

The above is one of the ones I finished last year. I felt like I did three that I liked. I would like to get at least eight for a whole series, possibly, and once I finish the two I'm working on, I can submit/pick four of them for a publishing competition.

They are based on the shapes of garment patterns. The ones I'm working on aren't as "busy" as this one above.

As for the other projects I've been working on for my show--still doing those, and have made a lot of progress. I looked back on this thread, and I don't think I ever posted some of the finished pieces, like my largest painting or two of the smaller ones. I will look to see if they are in any other threads. If not, I'll post them.

As for those embroideries, I'm three-quarters finished with those. I have twelve more to go:

View attachment 40675 View attachment 40676

These are all great. Are the embroiders going to be fastened as a group or will they stand alone? I particularly like that little pill bottle.

 

[Artyczar]

Thank you sno!!! Here's a crappy mock-up of how they will look. They will all be pinned to a wall with sewing pins, the kind with the little colorful glass balls on the tops. Should look interesting in the two groups, I think?

Now that I made this, it's not as spectacular as I thought!

 

[Artyczar]

Welp! I finished the first one and discovered there are grease smears on the paper. I'm totally bummed. I thought I washed my hands, but I guess I had some oils on them somehow. I don't know if I should just leave it alone or paint something else into the composition (which I did not/don't want to do).

There were also dents in this paper when I started and I tried to iron them out, but I wasn't able to get them out fully. Also, this picture doesn't reflect the true color of the paper. It's really more brown/gray than yellow.

Not sure what to do.

 

[john]

Welp! I finished the first one and discovered there are grease smears on the paper. I'm totally bummed. I thought I washed my hands, but I guess I had some oils on them somehow. I don't know if I should just leave it alone or paint something else into the composition (which I did not/don't want to do).

View attachment 40752

There were also dents in this paper when I started and I tried to iron them out, but I wasn't able to get them out fully. Also, this picture doesn't reflect the true color of the paper. It's really more brown/gray than yellow.

Not sure what to do.

Arrrghh. Cool painting. Maybe some 90% isopropol alcohol? It shouldn't dissolve any dried paint I don't think. Or maybe like tie dye the whole painting? Just throwing stuff out there. After "tie dying" without ties I guess, the wet painting could be flattened.

Or poured ink? Would create some cool background patterns. But I know you like more simple backgrounds, I think.

 

[Enyaw]

If you can’t hide it, exaggerate it. Just a thought.

 

[snoball]

Thank you sno!!! Here's a crappy mock-up of how they will look. They will all be pinned to a wall with sewing pins, the kind with the little colorful glass balls on the tops. Should look interesting in the two groups, I think?

View attachment 40736

Now that I made this, it's not as spectacular as I thought!

Not a bad idea. You could mismatch one of each in the other grouping.

 

[Artyczar]

Thanks for the good ideas! I've been thinking about it, and I might do this to it (this is Photoshop)--darken portions of the paper in the background on purpose, which won't take away too much from the composition. I mean, it does a bit, but maybe I like it:

In any case, I'm going to nap on it. I've been up since 4:am painting on both pieces. Almost done with the other one.

 

[Enyaw]

Opinion only but your fix adds another dimension. Favourable to me.

 

[Artyczar]

Thank you Wayne. I'm a-gonna work on this tomorrow. I almost feel "smart" for coming up with this solution. I feel like it's the only thing to do to keep it in line with the rest of the suite.

Now I'll have to figure out a way to take pictures of these. That's been a bit of an issue. This time, I'd like to capture the wee-edges. The pictures I have of the others are copped but I think if the deckled edges showed, it would be a lot more impressive. There's just a lot of shadows on my studio wall this time of year. I'll have to figure this out, too.

 

[snoball]

Thank you Wayne. I'm a-gonna work on this tomorrow. I almost feel "smart" for coming up with this solution. I feel like it's the only thing to do to keep it in line with the rest of the suite.

Now I'll have to figure out a way to take pictures of these. That's been a bit of an issue. This time, I'd like to capture the wee-edges. The pictures I have of the others are copped but I think if the deckled edges showed, it would be a lot more impressive. There's just a lot of shadows on my studio wall this time of year. I'll have to figure this out, too.

Arty, I think your fix actually adds to the composition. Gives it a more complete look. I would have never thought of it.