Happiness Is …

…papaya with a poached egg & raisin bread toast.

 

Have a beautiful, wonderful day! ~rose

Work In Progress

Today I experimented with burnishing the painting below. I used a stainless steel spoon and applied it in a circular motion to the dried surface of the painting. This process makes the pigment shine, giving the painting a lacquered effect, which creates a rich luster and warm glow.

The paint must be completely dry before burnishing, I used this process on the plant pot, the womans eye, and the darker background areas. It gave the dark area of the eye a mysterious glow, which my camera did not capture. However, you can see the effect on the plant pot.

Tomorrow I plan on adding more layers of color and detail to the background, etc.

The image below is a close up photo of a portion of the painting.

Lady & Nature – Acrylic & Watercolor – 9 X 12 inches

“There is a way that nature speaks, that land speaks. Most of the time we are simply not patient enough, quiet enough, to pay attention to the story.” – Linda Hogan

“Everything in nature contains all the power of nature. Everything is made of one hidden stuff.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you.” – Frank Lloyd Wright

We’re Having a Heat Wave!

Can you believe it’s 7 am in the morning and it’s already 84 degrees outside. The weatherman says we can expect triple-digit temperatures today. Our average temperature for this time of the year is 74 degrees.

This morning as I was watering the garden, Mr. Merlin (scrub jay) showed up for breakfast. He is such a character, he actually taps on our kitchen window with his beak when he wants to be fed. As I was finishing up, I saw him frolicking in our water fountain. At least he has found a way to keep cool!

Mr. Merlin in the Garden

Erratic Day

The day was a little erratic, with taking our dog to have his nails trimmed, giving him a bath, and trying to get some painting done.

I did manage to squeeze in a couple of hours of painting. The image below is a cropped portion of the painting I worked on today.

Secrets – Digital Combined Media – 16 X 20 inches

“We dance round in a ring and suppose, while the secret sits in the middle and knows.” – Robert Frost

“If you reveal your secrets to the wind you should not blame the wind for revealing them to the trees.” – Kahlil Gibran

Just Showing Up

When the weather is as beautiful as it was today, I wanted to be anywhere but in the studio. Then I reminded myself what Woody Allen once said, “80% of success is just showing up.” With that in mind, I grabbed a cup of coffee and headed towards the studio.

Once I got started, I couldn’t stop. I put in at least 6 hours of work today, and loved every minute of it. Later on, I did manage to get out in the fresh air and enjoy some sunshine on my lunch break. Afterwards, I worked on the painting below.

Hope Springs Eternal – Acrylic, Mixed Media on canvas – 11 X 14 inches

Dragonflies in the Garden

I went out to water the garden this morning, and was greeted by lots of dragonflies in our backyard. It was so magical watching the dragonflies darting here and there. What a wonderful experience!

Later back in my studio I began working on a painting, which is almost finished. There are still a few areas which need work, but it needs to dry before I can continue.

One might ask oneself, “Is a painting ever finished?” This is a question artists have been asking themselves for eons, and it seems as if everybody has an opinion on the subject. Personally, I agree wholeheartedly with Rembrandt, “A painting is finished when the artist says it is finished.”

I also worked on the painting Unity, and started another canvas. I felt inspired to paint a likeness of my aunt Dorothy. All in all it was a pretty busy day.

Aunt Dorothy – Acrylic, Mixed Media- 16 X 20 inches

Unity – Acrylic, Mixed Medium – 16 X 20 inches

Figurative Abstract

I had some extra time today to work on my painting, so I began adding three abstract figures and collage elements to the background.

The inspiration for this piece came from some reoccurring dreams I’ve had over the past year, in which these very elongated tall abstract figures float over the landscape. They usually travel together in family groups.

Unity – Acrylic, Mixed Media – 16 X 20 inches

“I offer you peace. I offer you love. I offer you friendship. I see your beauty. I hear your need. I feel your feelings My wisdom flows from the Highest Source. I salute that Source in you. Let us work together for unity and love.”
-Mahatma Gandhi

“Let children walk with Nature, let them see the beautiful blendings and communions of death and life, their joyous inseparable unity, as taught in woods and meadows, plains and mountains and streams of our blessed star, and they will learn that death is stingless indeed, and as beautiful as life.”
-John Muir

“I am the country, my eyes the sky, my limbs the trees,
I am the rock, the depth of water.
I am not here, in order to control nature or exploit her.
I am even nature.”
– Hopi

Monday In The Studio

I spent the whole day in my studio working on a new painting, and was feeling pretty guilty about not working on some of the other canvases waiting in the wings to be finished.

I couldn’t help myself. Inspiration hit and my muse came out of hiding, as I gleefully proceeded with my art project. I was dabbing and splashing color on the canvas as I completely immersed myself in the moment.

It felt so good to set aside my somewhat structured way of doing things, and let my creative child out to play.

Work In Progress Update

I really enjoyed the gorgeous sunshine this morning when Rupert and I took our walk. He sniffed every bush and flower along the way and had a great time barking at two very large dogs we happened to run into.

Afterwards I made a pot of Earl Grey tea, poured myself a cup, pulled my chair up to the easel and began working on the Kuan Yin painting.

Several hours later I noticed people walking their dogs and heard children’s laughter from next door. I suddenly realized it was time for me to stop and begin preparing dinner. Where did the time go?

Without a doubt, time flies when you are having fun!

Kuan Yin – 16 x 20 Acrylic & Mixed Media on Canvas

“Time is the most undefinable yet paradoxical of things; the past is gone, the future is not come, and the present becomes the past even while we attempt to define it, and, like the flash of lightning, at once exists and expires”. ~Charles Caleb Colton

Work In Progress

I spent the afternoon working on this painting, using acrylic glazing and layering techniques. The glazes were done by diluting the paint with acrylic glazing medium.

I love the way glazes create softness and subtle shadings, these are caused by the overlapping layers of color added to the painting.

Work In Progress