Just a little more

I just have a tiny bit more to do and then I'm on to my next piece. Which I've already started....It includeds a fire pit and fireflies roasting marshmallows.

Let nature do its thing

I've changed the background color and added the tattoo and dialed in some other details. I've changed my thought process on this a bit. He was going to be tattooing and he still could've but I'm going to add some keys hanging from the tree to kind of go along with the subject of the tattoo. This wasn't the original tattoo I was intending to paint on but found this one and just had a little revelation as to the woodpecker could look like he was unlocking or picking the lock.
Ever  evolving art. This happens with almost every piece in one way or another.

On a side note or kind of an update. I'm depressed.
I'd like to be here all happy, silly, sexed up and nude, but instead I'm depressed and I've been fighting this feeling of...." I can't feel this way" A sort of denial, I guess. But it is real and self destructive and I can't stop it. I feel heavy and tired and numb and just feel like each day that I'm lost. I've unfortunately been here before. This time it's been here for a while and I just didn't want to see it and have to face the facts that I'm here again.
I can put on the happy face and pretty much no one knows. I do that well. These last couple years have been intense for me. Maybe someone else could breeze through it unscathed, but it has taken me down to a low point.  I think the worst part is that I "thought" I had come to a peaceful place within myself and was proud that I found that. Then the last year and a half happened and now I am treading water hoping I can grasp something to pull me out of this hole.

Another in the making

It's been a long time since I've been here. Life gets in the way. But thought I'd jump back on and share a piece that I'm currently working on. Still undecided on the title. Usually by now I have it dialed in. Suggestions are welcome.
And yes that is a woodpecker and he will be tattooing the back of her thigh.
Hope this finds eveyone healthy wealthy and wise.

90% done

I did the under painting as seen a couple posts down and now I'm glazing color on. I need a few more coats and wah la it will be ready for my next show in a week.
I'm going to try to squeeze in one more little tiny piece in before next week.

Bruised walls

This is my latest piece.

(not finished, it's the under painting)

I can relate to this piece. I can only hope others can, in one way or another.

 I should've been done with it a week ago. I keep putting it off. It's always hard for me to get in the groove, but once I find it,  I'm pretty much on it. 

I'm hoping the folded arms, the posture, the peeling wallpaper, the exposed plaster tells a story without much other explanation. I think I might add a few little cracks still. Then it will be on to glazing the color on.

This guy and some older pieces will be in a show starting beginning of June. 

On another note, an exciting one at that. We've booked another trip to Desire Cancun for the fall! yay!

Tah Dah.

It's done. (I'm guessing around 85 hours put into it) It's submitted.

It's going up for silent auction. 

%50 goes to the cause and %50 goes to me.

Min. bid I started way lower than my normal pricing to get interest.

Who knows how it will go? It might not even sell. It's always up in the air with things like this. 

Show doesn't open until May. 

Its been on FB getting lots of love. It's been chosen by our local paper to promote the show.

It will be in print and on the racks this next Monday.

It's already gotten good response.

It feels good.

On to thinking about my next piece. I'm not going to bore you with the steps of that one though. I'm entering my colleges student show in the next week with some recent paintings and painting towards upcoming shows in June and in October. Hopefully I will find some others that I want to be involved in also. 

Marriage Equality Painting Day 14

Took it to school yesterday and by popular opinion I nixed the back window scenery. Lowered the horizon line still viewed by the side windows. Added a happier sunnier sky and started painting in the couple.
I'm feeling better about it. I was told it kind of has an Edward Hopper feel. I'll take that! LOL

This change has put me a bit behind but O'well, I can only do what I can do, plus been fighting crazy headaches for several days now. I'm not one to have them and trying to just deal with it.

Marriage Equality Painting Day 13

Yesterday I noodled around with the scenery. I  made it have contrast in the very closest seats to bring them forward. I added some values to the cake but not nearly enough yet. Today I will draw on the couple and get them started a bit and I still want to lighten those back side window panels. They bug me. Or at least get more highlights into them. Add reflected light of the green onto the cake.

So much to do, now so little time before it's turned in.

Marriage Equality Painting Day 11

Darkened the foreground and lightened the background. Got rid of the weird green on backside window panels and not really wild about that either.
My intention the whole time was to put a same sex couple a top the cake. (males) Someone mentioned that it wasn't needed and I kinda scoffed like yeah right. But now sitting with that thought for a while it seems like it actually would be ok. Basically just saying that everyone has a right to be married. Not labeling who. My issue is that it will leave the piece flat or missing something. I'm pondering it.
If you have any thoughts let me know.

Marriage Equality Painting Day 10

Worked today mostly on the ceiling and a little bit on the cake.

I think its finally starting to come into its own.

It will probably be done at the end of next week.

Marriage Equality painting Day 4

I didn't do much day 4, but I did paint on it. Basically the two windows closest to the front seats, and I darkened some areas. Better than nothing and it's all a process.  Kind of like my life right now.
Some days are more productive than others.

Have a good weekend. It's sunny and 85 here today.

A faint vision

Horrible photo, but just trying to show the faint image is ready to be painted tomorrow.

Still....it will not be what you think.

I use chalk instead of pencil when drawing an image on a dark surface. Then light touch of pencil over it so when the chalk brushes off there is still some sort of line to reference.

I know.....who cares!

:)

This is not a landscape

Above is the very beginning stages of one of my lastest pieces.

Most of my paintings start out this way and end up totally different than you would think.

Much like artist Magritte's famous paintings.

This piece below is called

Ceci n'est pas une pipe

Which translates into

This is not a pipe

He's trying to convey that this isn't actually a pipe, it's a painting of one.

Things aren't always what they appear, right?

If memory serves me right this is another one of his pieces. I'm too lazy to look up the title, but this is a piece about his mother whom I believe that he had either watched die or saw her drown or something of that nature.  I forget exactly...  but it was tragic.  Anyways, this is a representation of her.

What I'm getting to is not that I'm like Magritte by any means, but my paintings are usually representational and narrative and aren't what they appear to be.

My new piece at the top is a word project. I picked three words out of a hat that classmates of mine wrote down. I have to use two of those three words to make up a painting. 

My three words were 

buck

pregnant

light

I'll leave you with that and although this painting looks like one thing, I assure you it's not.

It might not be as representational, but it will be surreal and a play on words

Crazy painter chick

I have been on a roll painting today. This is in the very beginning stages. I had put this one off for a while. Now I'm back at it. It's the one that will have the rocket boy retro wallpaper in the background.
I'm having fun with this one.

Does sex sell?

My finished commissioned piece.

Oil on 3.5" x 3.5" birch block.