Thursday, January 22, 2015

Around Here Lately

Sketchbook 8.5 x 11"
acrylic

Working in sketchbooks a bit lately to try out some ideas.  I love interior paintings and would like to do a few of them.  

Hurley at home

The above photo was the inspiration.  It sure is difficult to paint light.  

graphite and pastels in 8.5 x 11 inch sketchbook

I have also started some sketches, but left them unfinished.  I became bored with this one.

sketchbook sweetie
graphite and tinted graphite in tiny moleskin

Very few sweetie sketches these days.  I swear I am still pretty worn out from our move in December.  It feels like I am in recovery.  All I really feel like doing is taking walks and watching movies.  Of course that's not all I do, but if I could I would.

sketchbook sweeties
graphite

These are scribbled ideas for paintings inspired by Riverside, the neighborhood we now live in.  I also bought a HUGE canvas to paint a Riverside theme for our house to go above the couch.  I have no clue exactly what I will paint, but the canvas will be waiting for me when I finally decide.  It may take a year to make up my mind though.

acrylic and pastel on 6 x 8 inch linen

Of course it just wouldn't be winter without a girl in a beanie and mittens.
:)

 photo edited with distressedfx
View of trees on the Arkansas River
pronounced Ar-Kansas not Ar-Kan-Saw

I walk every day for at least two miles.  Lately though it's been more like three or four because I don't want it to end.  The sunsets have been so nice to watch from the walking paths and parks nearby.  One night I saw a fox.  I called my husband to ask if they were dangerous because I didn't know.  I wanted to get a picture of him, but by the time I finished my call he had run off.  Beautiful red creature!  I learned they are common in this area.


photo edited with distressedfx
bike path along the Arkansas

This photo was taken on a warmer day and just after I snapped this picture a family of four passed by on their bikes, and I also passed two joggers.  I just love all the activity here!  What's nice is that there are certain times of day when it's very quiet and you see very few people, it goes both ways.

 new palette

I finally broke down and bought a Masterson's Sta-Wet Palette that I saw last year on Gillian Lee Smith's blog.  This photo is day four and my acrylic paints are still wet!  The palette does water them down a bit, but if you blob on a lot of paint, then not so much as you can see in the titanium white pile.  I should have bought one ages ago.  The lid has compartments for watercolors with three mixing areas.

 current state of my art studio

I really should straighten up my work area today, but I don't feel like it so it probably won't get done.

 Hurley

The animals have adjusted nicely to their new surroundings as you can see.  I don't have a photo of our other cat Peet, however he seems to like it here too.

growing Mitsou

Mitsou thinks this blanket is her mommy.  She sucks on it and then curls up and falls asleep.  She cracks us up.  She is quite the mischief right now.  I will be glad when she matures.  I am constantly picking up after her...knocked over plants, spilled water, broken coasters, I even found her dangling from the window shade the other day.  She is an absolute mess, but she's extra sweet when she is calm.

moon glow out the studio window 2 weeks ago

I have also been organizing my photos on the computer.  I take so many pictures with my cell phone these days and there isn't any rhyme or reason to them.  So I simplified and put them into folders labeled family, friends, pets, scenery, artsy, videos, and misc.  That is at least a start, right?

I hope whatever you have been doing lately has been all that you find inspiring and good.  Until next time...

♥ Lisa

Saturday, January 17, 2015

Video of My Art in 2014


Happy weekend my friends! 

Well I did it!  I finally made my 2014 video.  It's a little over 3 minutes long and set to the funky music of Mackintosh Braun.  I was browsing through classical music, but it just didn't seem to go with the show as well.  

I hope you like it!

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Heirs That Are and Were

 Heirs That Are and Were
mixed media on 11 x 14 inch canvas panel
available here

Hello everyone!  I finally finished this painting.  It really did not take as long as it seemed.  I have been very busy with so many other things.  Since our move to the new house, art has been on the back burner.  I hope to rekindle the artistic fire starting this weekend as a lot of the busyness seems to be settling.  However, I am really wanting a change, so you may see several different things in the weeks ahead.  Perhaps I will start with some more chair paintings.  Or maybe some landscapes as a way to show you our new neighborhood.

 detail

Another thing I would really like to work on is making another slideshow of all the paintings I did last year.  I made one for 2013 (see sidebar) and it was really fun to do. It would be great if I could put one together for 2014.  It took a long time to make one though, so it might be 2016 before I can get it done.

detail

Thanks for your visit.  See you next time.

♥ Lisa

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Painting Progress, Thoughts on Meaning, Studio, and News

mixed media in progress
11 x 14 inch on canvas panel


This is a view of the entire painting I shared in the last post. It is still in progress.  Things have gone berserk with this one.  The composition is a little crazy...even I can't make sense of what is going on.  For example, where on earth did that ladder come from?  

What I am sure of though is, the women in the sky are likely representations of those who have passed on and the two in the foreground remain.  I have had two close friends lose parents this past month, one of them just last week.  Life always has an impact on art.


Since this is a mixed media piece, I decided to play around with some crackle paste and stamp into it.  I may end up sanding some of it down because it seems to be a bit too much as far as texture goes. 


Some of the faces are a bit scary, but of course they are not done yet. I was going to finish all the faces in oil, but some of them are turning out well in acrylic, so I may just stick with that.



The light coming into my studio yesterday afternoon was so pretty.  I am loving this new studio.


Some news I have not shared here is that the above paintings:  Ragamuffin Rena, Laurel, and Blue Hair Elegance were purchased last November and are now part of The Art of Emprise collection at Emprise Bank here in Wichita.  It is such an honor to have my art as a part of this collection and I am thankful for Tessera Fine Art Gallery who made it possible.

Monday, January 5, 2015

Beginnings and Amazing Snowfalls



Work in progress
mixed media on 11 x 14 inch canvas panel

This is a work in progress with lots more to do. It is based on the sketch below.  

water-soluble graphite and ink sketch
4 x 6 inch

Obviously I didn't stick to the plan. As I layered acrylic paint, the composition unfolded in a different way.  Love it when that happens...I think.

Before I go, look what we got the other night.  It was so gorgeous out, my husband and I decided to take the dog and go for a walk.  He took this magical photo while we were out.