future endeavors

This is what I did today. I played with napkins, eggs and apples. I've been trying to get back in the groove of the Michigan Avenue painting, but I just can't get into it. I think I get to a point where I get intimidated by the sheer detail of it all, and instead of just jumping in head first, I start contemplating new paintings. After several hours of waiting for the sun to come out if only even for five minutes, I decided to move the egg/apple party indoors and try to get some shots with some even halfway decent light. These photos were taken on my kitchen table with a big black illustration board as a back drop. I don't think they turned out too badly.

I think this one would be my favorite if it weren't so blurry. But maybe that's not such a horrible thing. That's the nice part about being a rookie, I can only go up from here!

I wish the second egg shot was as sharp as this one. Or if I had moved one of the eggs over, so they weren't in such a cluster on the left side of the picture. It makes it seem heavy to me.

Okay. On to apples. I was inspired by this lady, whose blog I found through another artist whose work was shown on Karin Jurick's DSFDF blog. I'm totally digging the wide brush strokes in Carol's work, the oranges of the apples in some of her paintings, and really just about everything with her compositions.

I could definitely see having some fun with these.

And yet another angle. I might try this one first just so I don't feel like I'm completely copying Carol's work. It's hard to determine at times what the difference is between being inspired by someone's work and what would be considered blatant plagarism. I don't think any works I create from these photos are going to be anywhere close to what Carol is doing, so I don't think I'll be called out on copying her anytime soon, although I would consider it a compliment for sure!

i bet you want to lick your computer screen, don't you?

Just a quick ten minute post to share what came in the mail today. Two fabric stacks from Anna Maria's shop, which I've been wanting to order forEVER but talked myself down each and every time the urge hit. I can't remember what made me click the shop button that day, as I read her blog often, but don't visit the shop much, because I'm trying to back off the craft supply that is my heroin, my meth, my white sugar, if you will. Of course when I clicked, I saw her Garden Party and Drawing Room collections (my faves) are marked down 10%. You'd have thought they were 75% off, as fast as I clicked the BUY button! This could be, as experts describe it, as a cry for help.

Of course this sweet, sweet fluffiness didn't come from Anna Maria. It came from my LYS, and if was buy one get one free. LOVE that. I made the penguin mittens out of this hank's sister/brother/cousin. Although I love those blues, this one is my favorite. Even though I haven't really ever been a big fan of purples, I'm rethinking my opinion of them. This color is so bright, so nice and current, you know? I know I've seen it before somewhere....

Riiiight. The verbena that still insists on blooming even though we've had some pretty chilly days and even though it's still in its same Home Depot plastic container...I love that kind of stubborness!

did you know...

it is very difficult to photograph mittens? It is. Especially if for some reason you thought you'd be able to do it with both mittens on at once without the camera slipping out of your hand.

So I placed them on one of the trees. Still weird looking.

Oh! Hey new neighbors! Not really. There wasn't anyone around. At least I hope not.

I realize the thumb on these need to be fixed, desperately. They kind of look like they could've been made for Danny Devito's Penguin character in one of the Batman movies, I can't remember which. While although they feel great, my extra long thumb sleeves look completely ridiculous. So I'll be reworking that for sure. And of course, these were made up as I went along, no pattern to follow or to blame for strange looking thumbs.

But don't you just love that wool?

hexagons

I don't know why they're so addictive. Big ones, little ones, all joined, bright and cheery. At least, once you realize hexes have six sides, duh.

I've had this afghan finished for a while, using a free online pattern for inspiration, but making it my own with much more color. It also helps that I have (had) a huge acrylic stash to bust.

And because we have more than enough afghans to last us a lifetime, I'm thinking I'm going to place this one on Etsy. I've had a store forever, but nothing in it! Something I really need to work on doing, because I literally have two shelves full of projects completed that I'll never get around to using!

wordless wednesday

liberated

After weeks of procrastination, I finally quit my painting classes. I am so completely relieved I can't begin to tell you. I went back and forth trying to decide what to do, and ultimately what made my decision was the response I got from others when I explained to them exactly what had been progressing over the last several months during class. Which is, to say, nothing. Nothing happened at all. I think the final straw for me was during our last class, my instructor came over to see what I was doing (only because her dog was giving birth and was placed behind my chair - And of course I'm serious.) and noticed I was working on the SUV in the scene. I had decided to paint it out in a greyish-purple tone to first get the values right, and then will add more color when I'm happy with what I have down.

Without her asking, I described my approach to her, to which she responded with, "That's the way the Masters did it, too. It's called, (something I can't remember)." Please don't get me wrong. I know I am no Master, nor am I on my way to becoming one. And I know that right now the shape of my SUV is wonky and off. HOWEVER. At the risk of sounding like an egomaniac, if I'm just by some stroke of luck approaching a painting like someone who even remotely knows what they're doing without being told, WHY AM I THERE?

So yeah. That made the decision easy for me. That, and the fact that I told myself I could take the money I've been speding on classes each week for supplies! I'm going to start stocking up on oils, woot!

Five side a gons?

So the next time I set out to make what I think will be a really cool afghan with large, large (the ones above aren't nearly big enough) hexagons, I'll be sure to confirm that what I'm whipping up is, in fact, a hexagon. Hope your crafting is going better!