It's A Start!

Finding my way through the painting on my easel...

WIP

It's been a really good, productive week here in the home studio...  

even though it feels a little odd to be posting about art and studio life with all that is going on out there in the world.  I have to say...it is my safe haven and really important for my peace of mind to keep clear headed and centered...like I know it is for many of you.  

I also have taken the time to set up my studio (lights, cameras, action) to be able to continue teaching my mixed media classes from Art On 30th on Zoom starting in another two weeks.  I'm really excited to be back with my students and friends even if only online...it will be great to be painting together again.

In sight of that...I thought I better work out a couple of lesson plans, so I started on a painting.  Lots of back and forth...finding my way in and out of it with lots of decisions in the beginning stages.  I thought it would be an abstract floral...though when I asked my art buddy Susie Zol for a critique...she suggested I make the flowers...look like flowers!  

Brilliant idea Susie!

Below is my start...of course as a mixed media artist...lots of papers have to go down first.

Then there is alot of cool details that are easy to get attached to and hard to let go of once the painting layers start to happen.  

I always have trouble with this...I fall in love with the details 

and  struggle with which ones I need to cover up for the sake of a better painting.

Here's a little video tour of some of my favorite details.

Once again...the start is above...and below is where I think I'm headed...

though many things could happen on the road to completion.

I'll be videoing the whole process and posting it to my YouTube channel next week...

stay tuned!

One more cool thing I love doing...

once I'm done painting for the day, I drag my brush over my tracing paper palette to create some really wonderful papers that are color fast, 

archival and beautiful collage papers for future paintings.

(paper hoarder)

Thanks for checking in with me this week...

I know there are so many things to be worried about...

and I hope this was at least a bit of a distraction from it all.

Be happy • Be safe • Be Peaceful