Don'tcha Hate It

So, today is cold and wet and snowy and I've been working on some night times.. The pieces here are brighter in real life--really. It is just that my sky light is covered with snow again and it is very cloudy (read snowy) outside. And no way am I gonna take paper based work out in the snow for a better photo shoot! I'm dreaming of spring! And it will be about June when the daffodils come up here. But come July I'll probably be mentioning the highs in the 70 and 80s.

The night times take a bit longer than other skies but people seem to like them. What I hate is when I mis-cut the paper I work on and do a piece that fills the too-big sheet. Notice the piece on the bottom right--it is an inch bigger than the one on the left and my pre-ordered mats and frames won't work with it unless I cut off some sky!!! What a waste of time!!! Or maybe I could cut off some of the grass in front--that might work even better. Better, I guess, than doing a piece that is too small for the pre-ordered mats. We've got some of those types of skinny guys hanging around the house.

Windy

I would have posted a different image but it is soo windy that I can't take the pieces outside to photograph. So windy in fact that my favorite ball cap (Pirate Girl--Abaco) flew off my head.
But these three were done on the ampersand panels so they weren't in danger of flying away!

On another note, Rees tells me that Steve Earle is scheduled to release a new album within the month--all covers from Townes van Zandt. I'm psyched. One of my favorite dead guys covered by one of my favorite live guys! Who knows? I may have to figure out how to upload a song once it comes out. How 21st century is that?

Disappointing Snow Levels-NOT

The snow we were expecting came last night--only not in the quantities forecast. Probably got about 6 inches. I'm okay about that as I believe spring should come back. I miss it. Walking Bug is so much more pleasant when it is 50 and sunny than when it is snowy and damp and 24 degrees. I hope it melts tomorrow.
Here's part of a panel I've been working on. I forgot to photograph when just in the chalk stage.
Here I've added most of the road and an adobe building near the center.
Here the layers of grasses have been applied. I think it is finished but will leave it on the easel until tomorrow in case any tweaking is required.

On another note, I want to apologize to the facebook people who I have been remiss about responding to. I really am trying to get with the program and push myself (admittedly kicking and screaming) into the 21st century. But it is a lot to ask of a scatterbrained artist. I'll try to check in more regularly. I did feel better reading in The Week that the largest growing segment of the market using facebook is the 34 to 50 year olds. That includes me. So I'm not so far behind the 8 ball. But my dear niece Kate invited me to twitter and I signed up and never did anything after that. I guesss I'm still clueless about how all this interacting allows a person to get anything done. I'll work on both the twittering deal and developing a facebook profile when I get a little more time. Promise.

Dogs & Snow

In most of the country spring has sprung. In fact, it had sprung here for most of February and most of March. Beautiful blue skies and balmy (for here) almost daily. Then, cruelly, winter showed its ugly mug once again. I woke up this morning to overcast skies but by the time I had finished showering and drinking my joe it was snowing cats & dogs. It stuck for a while but not all day. The snow has subsided but the forecast is for 8 inches to a foot tonight and 6 more inches tomorrow. If we get it, I'll post a picture.

And speaking of dogs, we were graced by Bill & Carol's labs, Josie and Olive, for the day. That meant two walks instead of one, a trip to their house to get them, and countless throws with the chuck-it. Needless to say, I didn't get as much done. Although I really enjoyed their company in the studio. A nice fire, 3 dog beds, three sleeping labs--excepting part of the time, Olive, who is still only 2 and likes to take very short naps--especially compared to the other two---it was a nice day. I got 2 pieces done but they weren't as big as the ones I did yesterday. Oh, well, you can't be productive all the time.

Productive Today!

Sorry about the glare--it is getting dark and I wasn't able to photograph as I normally do. Just pretend the shiny and white out spots aren't there.

Sometimes my first day back at painting is really hard. I feel like I have to start really small and build up. Today, dear readers/followers, I didn't feel that way. I just wanted to get out there and do something constructive. Not like yesterday's dreary chores, but fun painting type productivity. Yeah! I think it might be the first time I ever I got 2 19 by 25 pieces done in one day, after a painting respite of an entire week. Admittedly, I didn't get all the frames that were delivered today put away or the boxes stored, but I did get 2 big pieces done.

That's the thing I guess. I really like to be out in the studio. I like selling at art shows and meeting the people who like my work and interacting--otherwise, I'd be a total hermit--but I miss being able to create.

Back In the Saddle

So the winds I mentioned Sunday morning never really materialized--there were a few gusts but absolutely nothing like they had been forecasting. Yeah! Sunday turned out to be a good day and I made some sales. All in all a good trip.

We arrived home late Monday night and I spent yesterday unpacking the van, packing up paintings I needed to ship, putting the paintings away, figuring out what I sold to whom, doing laundry, reframing the couple of pieces where dog hair--yes, DOG HAIR!--had infiltrated under the glass and rested on the nice pristine white mats. As much as I love my dog, I'm thinking maybe the next one should be white. At least then, the hairs wouldn't be so noticeable. As much as Rees helps with everything, an artist does not get to just paint. There is always more to do!
So today I am finally ready to actually paint (or color) and get back at it. The images above are just a couple more from the show since I didn't have any new pieces to show you. (I'm guessing the several laundry baskets full of clean clothes don't count.)

Scottsdale Arts Festival

Okay, I'm finally posting something. I was just being cheap. We're staying at this great and very convenient hotel, The Mondrian, right on the show grounds but you have to pay for internet. So we opted to not do it everyday. This morning I don't have much time before I need to go open the booth but thought I'd post in and bring you a photo from the show. So far, sales have been good. Not great. But nothing to complain about. They've forecast high winds for this afternoon so keep your fingers crossed that they don't get too bad. Will be home tomorrow and will give you more info then!

Evening

We're getting ready to leave for Scottsdale and the van is full! I mean FULL! But, I thought before I left I'd show you some evening pieces I've been doing. Will try to post while on the road but don'tknow how easy it will be to manipulate images...

McWilliams Visit

Today Dennis & Clarissa McWilliams stopped by the studio with their children, Christian and Hudson, their niece & nephew, Canion and Carsyn Hempel and Clarissa's mom, Pat. Dennis & Clarissa own quite a few of my pieces and it was nice to visit with them. The three older kids made some fantastic art while they were in the studio. I'm impressed. Top pic is of Christian McWilliams, second one is of Canion Hempel, and the bottom one is Carsyn Hempel. Good job, guys!

Ready, Set, Go!

Scottsdale, here we come. Today we finished framing all but the 3 new large panels. Yeah! I'll pop those in tomorrow morning--simple as pie. I do need to remember that when we have large blocks of time in between shows I should frame more often. That way I wouldn't have to waste a bunch of days in a row doing so. And, it really isn't all that interesting to post about. I should have taken a picture of all the completed work--the studio is cramping up as we pull more and more stuff out.

But, I was able to paint his afternoon and that felt good. It is my job to paint but I really do love it and miss it when I'm just doing framing, etc. So, it is nice to have finished the drudgery and to get back at it.