Burn out

I've been playing around with zentangles, but I am either bored with them, or I am just burned out. Just not happy with any of these. I guess I need to put these aside for a while, and concentrate on painting. I have to get Jan's painting done, and work on the bagels and lox painting.

I worked on Jan's painting for a couple of hours tonight. I feel much better now. I guess I just needed to get back to the canvas. This painting is driving me crazy in a way. I work on it for a while, and think I like the way it is coming out, but then I work on it again, and I change the way or technique of painting, and like that even better, so now I will have to go back and paint again what I thought I was finished with. LOL... oh well, I guess it is just a learning process, and I need to go through it. :)

Merry Christmas

Christmas Deco 2013

Finally took some photos in the living room... Merry Christmas 2013. :)

Bagels & Lox Painting - Work In Progress

I thought I would try a still-life of Bagels & Lox on a gallery wrapped canvas with acrylic paints. This is the first step or my "under-painting" that I did last night. I am finding it quite difficult to go from watercolors to acrylic for "realistic" painting. I know that I have to be careful of how much water I add to the paint. I tried using some slow-dry blending medium, but that makes the paint have almost a "honey" consistency. I saw a video the other day from a woman put on youtube where she used airbrush liquid to get a real watery blend. I might have to get some of that. I don't know if this painting will make it, but I am thinking of it as a learning experience, so even if it ends up with a think coat of gesso at some point, that is ok.

Flurries

I'm almost done decorating for Christmas. I have to drudge down to the basement tomorrow and see if I can find the rest of the garland I KNOW is down there somewhere! My poor tree is missing it's garland on the bottom, so I cannot show it to you yet, it would be to embarrassed to be seen with a bare-bottom! lol. I do however have something I can show you, I finally finished the abstract mixed medium (acrylic & marker) painting I have been working on. I added some "white flakes" which made it look like a snow storm to me, so I named it "Flurries". Next time, I will add more white to the green to lighten up the "pine needles" in the background, there just wasn't enough contract between them and the black, but I don't think it looks horrible, just will make sure to go lighter next time, as acrylic paint does dry darker.

New opportunity

I had a new opportunity pop up this week. I am so excited. There is a new restaurant in Mishawaka Indiana called Jay's Table that just opened. A friend of mine's husband is manager there, and he told the owner about me. They show (and sell) local artist's work in the restaurant. I went and showed him my work and he picked out 14 of my artworks. These are the first 9 I am going to be showing very soon. The other 6 will have to wait until I can get frames for them. I will share photos with you when they are hung in the restaurant.

12 x 12 Acrylic Painting - Work in Progress

I started this painting last night, and have been working with it most of the day... now I have to let it completely dry before I do the next step. I like painting negative space. I am using acrylic paints on this. I like the way it is coming out... now if I can just finish it without messing it up. :)

Edit: Inserted last photo bringing up to date... not done with this yet, but I am having fun with it!