Waiting for My Creative Muse...

So. This is what I have to do sometimes... just lay and wait for something to happen. It is often I show up to the "easel" and... begin to panic... over-think... worry... over-plan... try to control EVERYTHING about my painting or a show I am painting for. Well today I learned (from my fantastic friend and painter Lisa Lamoreaux) that you can't micromanage your creative muse. If you do, she doesn't show. You can't control her. And I have no business even trying. My job is to paint. That's it! Just show up, it's that easy.

So today, after spending a great deal of time worrying about what colors to use, what if I forgot how to paint, is this piece too big for the show, what will I paint next, blah blah blah... After spending as much time as I could in swimming in self sabotage, I finally shut down my over active inner critic and... guess what? - my muse showed up!

The following resulted after spending 5 hours of time NOT thinking at all:

Under-painting

Untitled Diptych

Oil on two wood panels

36x72"

The start to my new year has been wonderful! (except for the part where I got Pneumonia) I have moved into a new studio in Renton, WA with a wonderful friend and inspiring artist, Lisa Lamoreaux. This new space has a lot more walls that will allow for me paint bigger and work on several things at once. Additionally, my new studio mate and I are business buddies and accountability partners! It has been so amazing spending time with Lisa on a regular basis to share ideas, plan our year, and simply check in with each other on our goals etc... I think after spending the last three years painting at home really makes me realize now how important it is to be surrounded by other artists. It is super motivating. Especially because we share a lot of the same drive and passion for what we do... I look forward to new adventures this year indeed!

I have a full schedule again this year with 2 shows coming up this March and April at the Cole Gallery and Lucia Douglas Gallery. AND I am happy to announce that I will be featured in American Art Collector Magazine this coming April!!! Lots of new things on the horizon I will be sharing more later!

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Inverted

Why am I painting upside down you ask?

... Did I trade Bert in for a crayon?

... is Bert wearing a Halloween costume?

... Have I lost my mind???

All the answers to these questions and more... to follow ... after I sleep off my sore back from slouching for 4 hours while I painted this evening! I barewee tieward.

A Fresh New Painting Today

Plucked Bert outta his brush house this afternoon and we were rarin' to go...

This was the start of my painting. On this occasion I wanted to lay in my preliminary drawing first with conte pencil. I also started with a textured colored ground.

"Starting Point"

Oil on Gessobord

16x20

SOLD

This is the final, though there are many steps I documented along the way, I can't show them quite yet. I used a combination of Daniel Smith Oil paints and W&N Oil bars for heavier texturing. I have been hired by Ampersand Art hardbords to do an article for them on my process of painting oils on panel! Very exciting! So if I publish this one, all the steps will be available in the spring! This piece is inspired from wind-breakers situated along the fields of Eastern Washington. Not sure if I am finished with this painting yet, 

so I don't have a title picked out...any ideas?

 

 Bert in the rinse cycle... I am shooting for a painting a day, 

so we'll see what happens tomorrow!