Rounding out July

I am rounding out July, and facing August is a little intimidating. Here is my checklist for the next couple of weeks:
1. complete lots of paintings and drawings
2. re-do my website (thanks to not backing it up on an external hard-drive)
3. prep for teaching
4. a couple of outstanding doctor appointments
5. visit friends and see art in NYC**
**this one isn't really a task, but it does distract from 1-4.

So on to the new starts, and a big Poem based drawing:

1. A new 16" x 20" painting:
This painting includes my "Paw-Paw" (maternal grandfather), my two nieces, a tiny mother in front of a white house (see the black and white photo), and my brother's childhood friend Josh (the little guy sitting in the lower left photo).

I originally thought I was going to have a young version of my mother in the foreground.

2. A new 24" X 20":

This painting is featuring my niece Aliya and tiny-small versions of my mother and her brother. I got a little zealous trying to make "painting progress" and forgot to take a start shot. Overall my latest tactic for painting involves sketching everything out in charcoal and then painting. 

3. A new 30" x 40":

This painting is featuring my mother with two friends and five dogs from the early 70's, and a photograph of my husband Marc and puppy-cuteness Shelby. I am really excited about this piece because I truly love the idea of my mother spending time in a world with the two creatures that I love the most (sorry I referred to you as a creature, Marc). My mother was a notorious dog lover and would consistently bring home strays her entire life. 

4. Resolution to the big Charcoal on Canvas drawing previously featured and begun several years ago...turns out that all I needed was a fantastic collaboration to finish the piece. The final drawing was transformed based on Liz Robbins' poem Beauty Sleeping in the Wood. Our collaborations will be on display this fall at Flagler College's CEAM(Crisp Ellert Art Museum)! Future posts will announce the opening.

The original drawing, charcoal and gesso on canvas, unfinished from 2008.

The new version.

Sharing Cleaned Up Images

I took some decent photos of paintings last week and thought they would be an improvement over the iphone photos that have permeated the blog.

Croquet, 24" x 20", oil on canvas

Follow Me, 16" x 20", oil on canvas

Front Porch, 30" x 40", oil on canvas

The Girls, 7" x5", oil on panel

We Could All be 30,  24" x36",  oil on canvas

 a new batch of tiny-smalls

TS174, 3.25" x 2", oil on panel

TS175, 2" x 3.25", oil on panel

TS176, 2" x 3.25", oil on panel

TS177, 2" x 3.25", oil on panel

TS178, 3.25" x 2", oil on panel

TS179, 2" x 3.25", oil on panel

TS180, 3.25"x 2", oil on panel

finally, a little gift for my very dear friend Kari for the arrival of her third beautiful daughter

3.25" x 3.25", oil on panel

Weekend Round-Up

I wanted to share the progress made this weekend on my newest painting. I consider this weekend a success, because I got some reading and painting accomplished in-between eating popsicles at The Hyppo.