It was worth a try......

webuyanycat.com has valued my cat at £2.74.

Snowcamp!

This past weekend I was fortunate enough to go to Snowcamp, a winter painting workshop with Stapleton Kearns.  I had a good time and learned a lot. The days were 13 hours long.

Here is the group:

I learned some really important things, such as:

MOXIE IS DISGUSTING.


The scenery was gorgeous.

Stape did demos.....pictured is the SMALL brush he used.....

.....and took us through paint handling exercises.  Here is my Magritte tribute:

We painted.

And it was pretty cold.

The cold was fine with me though, because I had this in my room:

Stape talked a lot about OBSERVATION AND INSTALLATION.

I have now observed that a jacuzzi is an absolute necessity, so I would like someone to come over and install one in my apartment immediately.  It would really help me to maintain my UNITY OF EFFECT.  I pay the landlord on time every month; it's absolutely baffling to me as to why this has not happened already.

 Here is the inn we stayed at, from the back.

I stayed an extra night because of travel arrangements. I knew one person was checking in that evening, but what a surprise when I went downstairs at 7:30pm to find that all the staff had gone home and I was literally the ONLY PERSON IN THE INN!  They do not serve dinner on Monday nights so no one was there.

It was a little creepy and I almost died from culture shock.  The front desk was wide open, the computer was left unlocked, and the front door was also, of course, unlocked.  All the keys to all the rooms were just out in the open.  This would never ever ever in a gazillion years happen in NYC.

I called my friend in NYC and talked to my daughter for a while.  Then a family who was also staying there came back!  Special thanks go to My Lovely and Fabulous Oily Girlfriend Sandra who kept me company via texting all the way from Australia!  Special thanks also to My Other Lovely and Fabulous Oily Girlfriend Carey who kept me company during my travels.  Big hugs and zebra kisses to both of you.

*********************
While I was adding layers my cat was getting hers taken off:

Good news!  Kitty is officially no longer diabetic and is off insulin!  She remains on Prozac and her appetite pill.

Between the cat and Snowcamp...I am really, really broke.  It was worth it though.

Pavonia (after Leighton)

I started this painting last spring sometime and finished today...it was the only unfinished painting left in my queue.  This is as far as I am taking it. Working with old master paintings is always such an enriching experience.

14x18 oil on canvas.  click for larger view.

2012!

Happy New Year!

As always, it's time to set new intentions.  Here are mine for this year:

1. Drink a lot of tea. (already off to a good start!)
2. Paint portraits.

That's it!

Here is a pretty color chart of my new Rublev paints.  I love them muchly.

George The Pencil Pirate

This year I participated again in the annual portrait swap over at wetcanvas.

When George sent me his picture, my first thought was "he has stubble!"
My second thought was "He is wearing glasses, too!"

I spent a few minutes feeling sorry for myself. Not because George doesn't have a nice face, he does for sure, but stubble AND glasses...I thought I was in trouble.

Then George did that knockout portrait of me in ONE weekend. I didn't think I was in trouble anymore, I knew I was toast. There was just no possible way I could follow that act.

So I had to come up with something that could have a redeeming quality if it ended up being frisbee status. In one of the reference pictures George sent me (not the one I painted), well, I thought he looked kind of like a pirate. It got me thinking. Also, George likes colored pencils a lot. I thought maybe if I did something clever it would conceal my faulty portrait skillz, and I wouldn't mind so much if everyone laughed at my painting.

Here is George the Pencil Pirate.

11x14 Oil on Panel (click image for a larger view)

Detail

Roopa

Tonight I challenged myself to paint a portrait in exactly 1 hour.

Maimeri Natural Earth Pigments
8x10 oil on panel

2011 Swap Paintings

This year I participated in another painting swap.  I did a series and used some really cool metallic and interference paints paints to enhance the colors ad add a little zing.

All are 5x7 on panel

 

And here is the very fun paint:

Becca's Magic Garden

I started this painting last December, and it took almost a year to evolve.  This is my dear friend Becca, who is an expert gardener and also an excellent painter.  The reference is an image she took of herself in her beautiful garden.  The plants in the background are based on plants from a medieval herbal.  I also got to use my gold paint.

When it is dry enough, I will send this to Becca.

12x16 oil on panel

Self Portrait

I decided to do a self portrait this year.  This has been on the easel since July.
18x24 oil on canvas

Ratfest Portraits 2011

For those of you interested in Ratfest portraits this year, please email me with your questions (my email is in my Blogger profile).  While I greatly appreciate your comments on my blog, sometimes there is no way to email you back directly if you do not have an email listed in your profile.

Please bring printouts of your photos.  Work space is very small, very sorry but I cannot work from your computer monitor.

Portraits are 9x12 on archival vellum.

Special Prices Only for Ratfest!
$10 for color
$7 for black and white

*Prices are for 1 rat only.  Additional rats in the same photo are $2 extra each.

Portraits from previous years can be viewed here.

Thanks for your interest!

How PRT Really Works

The whole east coast should have joined me in PRT instead of August,.  Then, hurricane Irene would have just drifted out to sea.

I was in Charlotte since last Wednesday.  My stepmom and I were laughing at the hurricane hype on Wednesday.  On Thursday, we thought it might be a good idea to seek alternate flights, just in case.   My Sunday nite flight was cancelled.  We got it moved to Saturday night.  Then, just in case, we changed it again to Saturday morning.  Everything got cancelled, with re-bookings stretching through September 8th.  Both my parents were going out of town for work, so staying there was not an option since I don't drive and getting anywhere would be a problem.

I was so  bummed about leaving early...but then the Saturday morning flight got cancelled, which was a problem.  We did finally manage to get a flight out first thing this morning at 6am. The return flight cost $15 less than my round trip ticket.

I ended up missing the storm completely, got to spend extra time with my family, and Jet Blue refunded my entire flight both ways, and I made $15 in the whole deal.   Not too shabby.  Everyone should join me in PRT, it does provide a great buffer for Bad August Things.

Gamblin Paint PRT

I like Gamblin paint very much.  I also like the company.  They are environmentally conscious, make high quality products right here in the USA, are committed to conservation, make the best varnish ever, and they have a great website with lots of info. 

Truly, I want to love all things Gamblin.  But sadly, that has not been the case.  Back in 2006 I had terrible problems with their titanium white yellowing.  Noticeably, within a week.  It was awful.  Side by side tests with WN really showcased the yellowing.  I contacted Gamblin, they sent me another tube which also yellowed in a week. Since then, I have remained a huge fan of their colors but have avoided their white like the plague.

A few months ago I picked up a can of their oil primer.  A canvas I primed yellowed after a few weeks, which was very noticeable after I put on the second coat.  So I called Gamblin and told them the situation.  They said they had reformulated their whites and I should try them.  They even sent me two huge tubes of their radiant white and the titanium zinc, plus a new can of oil primer.   That was pretty nice, I only expected and asked for small sample tubes. I told them I would try them, test them out, and if they are ok I will switch over to Gamblin for all my whites except lead, because they do not make lead white.

(I LOVE lead. )

The jury is still out on the primer...the second coat so far seems ok but I need to give it more time before I am comfortable.


Gamblin's customer service, however, is excellent...yet another reason to love them.  I hope their whites are up to standard, because I really would like to give them my business.  And I do go through a lot of white paint.  :)

What they sent:

And here is a pretty pic I took for the website I am building: (click to enlarge)

Color Chart PRT

Here is a little color chart...they are very relaxing to do.  :)  Click for a larger image.

Left to right top:
Vasari caput mortuum
Vasari red umber
Maimeri terra rosa
Rembrandt raw sienna
Vasari capucine red light
Gamblin venetian red
Vasari burnt sienna
Gamblin brown pink ----> I LOVE this color it is fiery!!
Vasari transp red oxide
Gamblin Transp red earth


Bottom left to right
Maimeri verona green earth
Maimeri antique green earth
OH green umber
OH Green earth (natural pigment only)
WN terre verte
Lukas 1862 Bohemian green earth
Gamblin terre verte

#52, The Pool, Central Park PRT

I had a little time yesterday to paint.  This time I used a slightly different approach and worked on a white oil primed panel, instead of a reddish toned panel over gesso.  (I primed with Gamblin's oil primer over gesso)

Over the white oil primed surface, I made a very detailed underpainting.  This approach worked well and forced me to handle all my problems at the start.  Next time though, I will use burnt sienna instead of red umber.  The oil primed surface was nice for this, as it can be wiped back to white unlike gesso, which stains.
I also used real turps and put copal resin in the underpainting so it would tack up quickly and not interfere as much in the color layers.

Palette was the Vasari proprietary greys from Scott Christiansen...I didn't want to deal with color as much as drawing and composition.  Time was limited and I worked large, so this enabled me to not have to mix colors so much.

!4x18 oil on panel

PRT 2011

It's almost Pigeon Risk Time again.  *sigh*  Since it's gone from awful to non-eventful, I am inclined to hope things can swing towards positive?

Plein Air #51

At the beach again...it was really misty and beautiful early in the day, but it cleared up and got sunny later on.  I was looking forward to painting the mist, guess I'll have to do it in my studio.

Here is my little sunny painting, 8x10 on panel

Prozac Kitty

I actually made an appointment last month to put my cat down, and I couldn't go through with it.  She's been pretty good lately, although that could be because she does not have access to the laundry anymore.

A few weeks ago she peed on a bag of onions.  Last night she peed on a bag of apples.

That's BEYOND NASTY.

So I called the vet again, and we are putting her on Prozac, and it's only going to cost me $6 a month! I hope it works to calm whatever crazy anxiety she has.

The Ocean (#49 and #50)

FINALLY I have made it to 50 plein air paintings.  After 120 I won't consider myself a total newbie anymore, I'll be a beginner.  :)

We went to the beach today, it was so wonderful and relaxing.  I can't wait to do more ocean paintings.  This was my fiorst time painting at the beach, and my first time painting the ocean.

Both are 6x8 oil on panel
49

50

Stapleton Kearns

Today I met Stapleton Kearns!  He posted that he was painting in Central Park today, so I took a slightly long lunch and went to say hello.

Stape is a very friendly person, and he talked to me for a long time.  He has a pink camera and I tried on his eyeglasses.  Perhaps now I can say I have seen through the eyes of a master painter?

I deeply appreciate people who are true masters of their craft yet remain not only friendly, but truly strive to share their knowledge.  If I ever become so proficient, I want to be like that too.  Admittedly, it isn't every day one gets to meet such an accomplished painter- next to Stape I really feel like I know nothing, but not meaning that in a negative way.  It doesn't make me feel bad, it makes me want to take one of his workshops.

46 & 47

Last Friday and Tuesday I attended two painting workshops in Central Park with Danielle Hatherley, who is an excellent teacher.  Both days were very productive and educational.  I got to work a little larger than normal with my new paint box.

From Friday May 7th, Shakespeare Garden:
11x14 oil on panel

Tuesday May 10, Conservatory Water
11x14 oil on panel

Sid's Vicious Dogwood

I had leftover paint from Thursday, so I panted Sid's dogwood tree because he posted such pretty pictures of it.  Sid is an excellent painter who lives in Maryland.

This painting was particularly good practice to find masses in very lacy areas.

8x10 oil on panel, hour and a half

#45

I went up to the Cloisters yesterday and did a little painting in the park, spent about an hour on this one.

The palette is from Kevin McPherson's recommendation....Cad yellow light, cad red light, alizarin, viridian, ultramarine, black and white.  I might try this one again but without the black.

8x10 oil on panel

****
I was in very low spirits yesterday.  There are some not-nice things I have to think about concerning my cat.  She has become a real problem, and it is more than I have the capacity to deal with.  Basically, she pees on laundry.  In fact, she will go out of her way to pee on laundry.  I am extremely short on living space, time, and stress capacity. There is nowhere to isolate her, and nowhere to isolate  the laundry.  Otherwise I would do it.

Also, she does not get along with my daughter and considers her a rival.

As far as I know, my cat is 14 years old; she has been with me for 13 years.  She got a recent clean bill of health from the vet, nothing in the household has changed, I tried Feliway spray, odor deterrents, keeping her litterbox fastidiously clean, and finally an animal communicator who I met through a friend in Connecticut.  The animal communicator actually worked- perfectly- for six months. After our first chat my cat even stopped peeing in front of her litterbox-a habitual behavior she had been doing for a year and a half straight.

Then a couple of weeks ago she started up again, in the laundry.  I had another talk with the animal communicator. She said my cat has some pretty deep mental issues. (Which has always been true)  Apparently my cat just got tired of being good.  She has no sense of caring for anything beyond herself- well, she does love me but she is so high above herself nothing else really matters.  She simply doesn't care that she is causing hardship and unsanitary conditions.  Sleeping in the laundry she just peed on doesn't bother her either.

The bottom line is that I can't live like this.  If, after a first talk with an animal communicator my cat's long-term habitual behavior changed drastically and immediately, it is pretty obvious evidence of comprehension and self-control. I don't want to live with anyone (person or animal) that has such a basic disregard for everyone else in the household.

So I have some terrible options:  keep the cat in a cage overnights and when I can't supervise her, re-home her if possible (but who wants an old, mean cat that pees everywhere?), or take her on a one-way trip to the vet.

I'm pretty devastated about the whole thing.

Watch Out! There's Some Nudity About!

Friday night was the Draw-a-Thon at Pratt, and I went this year, and I made it through the whole night!

I don't have a whole lot to show for it work-wise, mostly a bunch of drawings like these below, which are between 3 and 10 minutes.  I prefer 5 minutes or less for figure drawing.  It's better to go fast, and it was so nice to work with live models again.  All the figure drawing is one of the things I miss most about being in school.

These are all 18x24 conte on newsprint, click for larger view:

It's such a different world, Pratt and the art environment in general.  I really miss it.  Being back in that space, in that zone was literally like being on vacation.  And I saw a old friend from my college years, which was really great.

I also did one ink wash drawing which is not finished, a pastel drawing which is not finished, and a really terrible painting with a bad pose and terrible lighting.  It was so crowded- very difficult to find space.  I even had to drink coffee...nasty stuff!  But all in all it was a great time and I am definitely going back next year.

Really Cool Central Park Tree

There is a tree in Central Park that I particularly love.  It lives right by the zoo.  This tree reminds me of one of my most favorite genius artists of all time, Eyvind Earle.

Eyvind Earle used to live here in NYC.  He ran laps around Central Park a lot.  I like to think that he, too, saw and loved this particular tree, and that he also found inspiration in it.

This painting was very much an experiment, mostly to see if I could pull it off alla prima, meaning all in one session.  It took a little over 2 hours.

8x10 oil on linen panel

CMYK Rose

Three hours, magenta, yellow, cyan, black, white.  The reference is from a pic I took in Brooklyn last June.
8x10 oil on linen panel

Here are the paints.  They were on sale at Jerry's Artarama.  They are really cool and fun to work with.  I want to try them with optical mixing in glazes.