"Laura"

6"x6"

Oil on Gessoboard

$100 plus $10 s/h

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I couldn't stand it!! I had to do a painting today--forget the work, I'll get caught up!! I was really inspired this morning by Deb Schmit's work. She'd left a note on my blog and I went to her's and love her paintings. Her link is listed on the right with the other daily painter's links.

Well, this doesn't look as much like Laura as yesterday's study, but I'm pleased with the life the painting has.

"Study of Laura"

6"x6"

Graphite on Bristol Board

NFS

I can't believe how doing just these four drawings has got me studying the faces of the people I see! It's like I try to memorize them in "sight bites"! It also shows me something about how I perceive people--even looking directly at someone as we're talking, I still don't really "see" the features of that person's face unless I really concentrate on it. So I ask myself--what am I seeing as I listen? And can't I really observe totally if I am also trying to listen carefully?

"Gentle Man"

Image: 6"x6"

Graphite on Bristol Board

$60 plus $10 s/h

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#3 in the series of 50 faces--I think this is going to be an interesting process! I'm seeing that it's going to go from "doing this feels like a good idea" and "a solution to a problem" to being an endeavor in itself that is going to take me someplace--and I really don't know where! I was thinking that if time allows, I'd like to pick my favorite one each week and do a painting from it. We'll see!

This drawing is of my husband, Gary. I've never known anybody to enjoy wearing a hat as much as he does! I used a photo for reference--which didn't seem quite right seeing as how the real thing was sitting downstairs! But I'm glad I did--it was like a meditation on him and I was so taken by the gentleness I saw in the photo that it was a really special experience.

"At the BBQ""

6"x6" image

Graphite on Bristol Board

$60 plus $10 s/h

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This young woman was also in a painting a posted a few days ago, but this time I focused on her and her expression. Not sure I got exactly what I was aiming for. . .but in doing this one I noticed how much more I was seeing (in the photograph) the longer I spent with the drawing. It always amazes me how it is the subtleties--and there are SO many of them--that make up a person's expression! What drew me to her face was the eyes that were encircled with heavy black liner and the contrast of that with the rest of her face and the way she looked out from under her lashes as if she was very wary of something she was seeing. And, darn! I don't think I captured that! Maybe I'll have to try it again!

"Prophet"--the first of series of faces

Image: 6"x6" on Bristol Board

Graphite

$60 plus $10 s/h

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I've been doing alot of thinking about finding a way to honor my desire to keep up with creating and posting a painting or drawing on my blog five days a week while having to work full time on this illustration project I'm doing. I have decided to focus on creating a drawing of a face each day--or a painting if I have the time. The point of this is to be stress-free, though, so it will probably be drawings. I am going to set a goal of doing 50 of these. I hope to be finished with the job by then!

I've been wanting to do something like this for awhile--I saw a series of portraits by Mark Bailey which really inspired me, and then a book of etchings of faces by Frank Boyden. I like the idea of the series. The ground rules I've laid for myself are very loose--actually more about saying what I CAN do--basically anything I want. It can be from my imagination, a photo, someone I see on the street and draw from memory, someone sitting for me--whatever seems to work that day. They'll all be the same size.

I hope to improve my ability to observe and to capture expressions. In this job I'm doing, I'm finding that being more aware of expression is something I need to work on, so hopefully this will help.

The person in this portrait is someone I know--a loving, beautiful young man who had the world before him when mental illness took over during his college years. I call this "Prophet" because at times he believes he's Jesus Christ.

"BBQ Babes" (and being tagged!)

5"x7"

Oil on canvas panel

$100 plus $10 s/h

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Well, first about the painting--of which I haven't been able to do much of lately! These girls were seen at the Merril Potato Festival in October at a community BBQ sponsored by the local Lions Club every year. I was actually gong to concentrate on the one on the left--I was intrigued with her black-line-surrounded eyes, her many studs and her suspicious expression! Maybe that will be another painting. 5x7 is SO SMALL!! Anyway, I working on the other person first and realized that SHE was the subject of this one! She doesn't look too thrilled with her meal. . .

Where's Merrill and what's a Potato Festival? In southern Oregon, about 5 miles from Tule Lake, CA. . .

The Potato Festival comes each October to celebrate the harvest in what at least used to be a big potato-growing area. Football games, a parade, the BBQ, a dance and lots of exhibits in Merrill, which seems like it's always had a population ranging from 750-950 as far as I can remember.

OK--not painting these days is very hard. Maybe the woman in the painting is a reflection of how I feel about that right now--pretty disgruntled. The illustration job I'm doing is very consuming. It is going well and I am pleased with alot of things about it. However, I'm finding it really hard to switch gears to painting--and it is painful to me. Hopefully the coming week will allow for some time at the easel.

AND NOW!! THE TAGGERS, THE TAGGEE AND THE TAGGED!

First the rules, as I understand them: You link to the person who tagged you in your blog, you mention the rules, you say 7 interesting (or whatever) things about yourself and then tag other bloggers and comment on their blogs to let them know they've been tagged.

MY TAGGERS: Roxanne Steed and Carolyn Finnell. Please check out their blogs if you haven't--great work and musings on both!

THE TAGGEE: me and I was so intimidated by this thing when I thought I had to list 7 INTERESTING things about myself--never have I felt more dull. Fortunately, my husband has a different perspective.

1. I was one of 26 peo0ple in my high school graduating class (in Merrill, of course)--just a small town girl

2. I took a road trip to the Yukon Territory with a "friend" in my bright yellow VW bus back in '78 to fish and camp for about a month; the sight I won't forget is arriving to the top of a hill on a muddy, rutted ALCAN highway and not being able to see a telephone/electric pole or another road or a clearcut for as far as I could see

3. I am a descendent of the Achomawi Tribe (northern California)

4. I have not read WAR AND PEACE and I only skipped the chapters on the Battle of Waterloo in LES MISERABLES

5. I am a 9 on the enneagram

6. I lived alone in a teepee for a few months after said trip to the Yukon. It was great until I sat on a slug in the "teepee-style" outhouse I had and the Oregon rains began in earnest

7. I raised and showed steers and cows in 4-H

And now to the NEW TAGGED! Some of these are artists that are new to me and a couple are some I've been following. Hope you enjoy them! Jennifer Bellinger, Jeffrey Boron, Sharon Wright, Atul Pande, Deltra Powney, Mary Sheehan Winn and Craig and Tanya Amberson.

"En-Countered"

8"x8"

Oil on Board

$150 plus $10 domestic s/h

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I was drawn to the design elements of this composition--the play of the vertical and horizontal shapes, the pattern of the tile in the background and the play of the cool and warm colors against each other. It was really fun to do!

I am at a point where I need to spend concentrated time on that illustration job I'm doing so I don't expect to post again until Saturday, December 6th. I SO miss doing the painting everyday! It is just about the best thing I do for myself. However, the job I am doing is great and deserves all the energy I can give it. I would post those illustrations, but am afraid there are copyright issues. I will have to check on that.

Meanwhile--wishing you all a beautiful Thanksgiving!!

"Black Stockings"

7"x5"

Oil on Gessoboard

$100 plus $10 domestic s/h

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It was fun playing with the light and the reflections in this painting of a scene from the 5th St. Public Market in Eugene, OR. at lunchtime. I really enjoyed the warmth of this palette of colors and the high contrast of the different elements in the painting. Ahhhhh, life is good!

"Andean Air"

12"x9"

Linoleum Block/watercolor

NFS

I'm ending the last of this series of Latin-themed prints with my favorite.

Looking back on these pieces makes me think how fortunate I've been to have spent most of my adult life focused on doing artwork in one way or another. I have enjoyed exploring so many techniques and styles. Each one has been my favorite at the time, of course! At one point I did alot of papier mache wall sculpture--and IT was my favorite! Then I got into re-creating some of my paintings by embroidering with tiny tiny beads--which I still might be doing if I could actually get paid for the amount of time they take! Then I've known that landscape painting in the vein of Georgia O'Keeffe was where I would stay all my life; and then I rediscovered wood and linoblock printing and THAT was my calling!! Then I discovered you daily painters and now I feel like it's painting these "slice of life" themes--and I can't imagine doing anything else!! It's so funny. And it's such a huge gift!!

"Woman Wrapping Copal"

12"x9"

Linoleum Block/Watercolor

NFS

Ah, yes, another non-painting day--but I did do two illustrations for the project I'm working on!! This is another one of the series I mentioned a couple of days ago. She represents Central America, more specifically Guatemala. The copal is being wrapped in large leaves to be sold to be used as incense in rituals.

"Playing the Bordunua"

12"x9"

Linoleum block print/watercolor

NFS

This is another of the series of prints for the illustrations I mentioned in yesterday's post. The publisher wanted to highlight four different areas of Latin America: Mexico, the Carribean, Central America and South America. This one is of a man playing an instrument called a "bordunua" from Jamaica. It was so fun to do this, but I still think I should have visited there to do my research!!!

I had a question regarding the technique I used in these. I printed the linoleum block print with oil-based relief printmaking ink then watercolored it when it was dry. I usually use Somerset Satin paper with this technique as it is a bright white that lets the color stay true and it is a little more flexible and soft than a hot press watercolor paper.

"Dreaming of Mexico"

12"x9"

linoleum block/watercolor

NFS

Today is being spent preparing some work to hang for a show and working on my illustration project, so I decided to post one of the pieces going into the show since I won't be able to get a little painting done. Actually, this is one of a series of pieces I did a number of years ago for an illustration job for covers for a Spanish language magazine. I had been in Mexico City on my honeymoon for the celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The print is a composite of memories from my trip (and not really aself-portrait!!). Makes me want to be there! I will be posting the other three images in the series as the craziness around here continues. They are not available for sale on this site, but I do think I'll have some greeting cards or giclees done of them.

"At Palmer's Cafe"

5"x7"

Oil on Gessoboard

$100 plus $10 domestic s/h

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I love going to this little "mom & pop" restaurant here in Bend. The food is sort of "greasy spoon" and really tasty and you always see an interesting group of people. It looked like this woman was with family that had eaten breakfast and was just hanging out having coffee and visiting. She'd gaze off toward the window every so often, looking lost in her own thoughts in the midst of the chatter around her.

"What's the Attraction?"

6"x6"

Oil on Board

$100 plus $10 domestic s/h

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Today's painting is from the Sisters (Oregon) quilt show. Sisters is a town of under 2000 (I'm pretty sure!) and every July they have a quilt show that draws quilt afficionados, quilters and their quilts from all over the country. They hang them early on a Saturday morning all over town and thousands of people walk all over the quaint little town looking at the beautiful creations. I don't know how many quilts go up, but I'm sure it must be in the hundreds. The show lasts for the day. The week before is filled with workshops on quilting and dying and whatever one might do as they quilt. I am not a quilter, but certainly admire the art of it! I took lots of pictures and this is the first time I've gotten to work with any of them for a painting. I have liked the pose of the woman in the foreground and have wanted to paint her for quite some time.

"Bayfront Reflections"

6"x6"

Oil on Board

$100 plus $10 domestic s/h

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This little painting is done from my trip to Newport, Oregon. It was a beautiful morning--the clouds would clear for a bit and everything just sparkled. . .and then it was gone!