Workin'

With the semester winding down for me, I'm finding a lot more time to work on paintings.

This one is almost done, I'm waiting for it to dry a bit before I add the eyes, highlights, and fix the shadows a bit.  

I'm mostly done with the kitten painting as well:

Midway through-

And mostly finished-

16x23.5"  Oil on Canvas

All that's left to do is put another layer of paint on the ground and background.  

I've been having a lot of fun with these. :)

On the Road

Recent photos taken through my car window going here, there, and everywhere these last few months. :)

Painting

I am waiting for paint to dry.
My studio is a bit cramped and I find it hard to work on more than a few paintings at once - especially when I am working in oil.  I am almost finished with a couple of paintings I've been working on for a while so I started a new one today.

Here is my wonderful model:


She's really excited.

I usually start my still life paintings with a charcoal or watercolor sketch.  It helps me to figure out my composition and familiarize myself with the subject.  You can see my sketch on the wall, and my quick layout on the canvas.

After I started this quick layout, I decided the kitten was too high in the picture frame, so I moved everything down an inch or so.

In the process of doing so, I discovered a four-eyed cat.

I pressed on and finished the quick underpainting:

Now if only this paint would dry a bit faster.

Also, I've got some great news to share with you about some upcoming shows - but more on that later!

Inspiration

Nate and I bought a new DSLR with video capabilities.  I've really been wanting to play around with doing some video work.

Here's some videos that have been uber inspiring to me lately:


The Unseen Sea from Simon Christen on Vimeo.

{Stop motion film by Simon Christen - you should really look at these on Vimeo so you can see them in HD}



Earth | Time Lapse View from Space, Fly Over | NASA, ISS from Michael König on Vimeo.

{Michael Konig - Fly Over of Earth - Found this video via Ramis Kim}


Mound by Allison Schulnik from garaco taco on Vimeo.

{Mound by Allison Schulnik - Totally creepy and totally amazing}

And last but not least - my first humble attempt with my new camera - obviously I chose to capture my cat Rascal:

Ongoing Projects

"Infinite"

5x7" - Colored Pencil on Bristol
Part of my ongoing project with Joe Briggs

In the Studio

Still working on the King Kong painting - it is going along at a good clip, but it feels so slow compared to the smaller paintings I've been doing.



I also finally made myself a Mahl Stick.  For those of you unfamiliar with painting, it is basically a stick with a ball at one end that you rest against your painting so that you can stabilize your painting hand.  I just wrapped cotton yarn around the end and spread some glue on it every now and then as I made it into a ball.  It works like a charm and makes detail work MUCH easer.



This is Kong so far.  I've got to wait for the paint to dry a bit before I go back in and really start the crazy detail work.

I've also been attempting to organize my studio - it is a slow and grueling process!



In progress:

On the Hooks and Needles

Cold weather is knitting weather!



I started these legwarmers Saturday night while knitting with some good friends.  I'm thinking of writing a pattern for these.  I love the little houndstooth design. :)



I also took the time to (finally) weave in all of the ends on this beast.  I think it took me longer to weave the ends in than it did to crochet it!



It is a cowl made from an acrylic/cotton blend I picked up earlier this summer.  It is so soft and cozy!



It is nice to be knitting and crocheting again.  Especially with all of the looong car rides we have ahead of ourselves this holiday season!

Hey guys,

For those of you in the Sioux Falls area, please consider heading out tonight to join me at the opening of Artifact at Ipso Gallery.  It is an exhibition where local businesses and local artists team up to create a piece!  I can't tell you who I've made my piece for, or what it looks like (until after the opening) until our sponsors see the pieces.  The proceeds are split between the artist and a charitable art cause in the city.  This year the proceeds are going to the Sioux Falls SculptureWalk.  

If you can't make it out, I'll be taking pictures, so don't fret! :)

I can't wait to see what the other artists came up with, and to meet my sponsors!

The opening starts at 6:00 and is located a 400 N. Main Avenue in Sioux Falls.  Hope to see you there!

Links:
Ipso Gallery
Graphic Content
Article in the Argus Leader 
Fresh Produce

Here's a tiny snippet of my piece as it was in progress:

Matt & Amber's Wedding

Last weekend we were in Wisconsin to stand in my brother-in-law Matt's wedding to his beautiful new wife Amber.  They had a perfect ceremony and perfect weather, not to mention they are completely right for one another.  I also did some of the photographs for them (along with Nate's cousin Ali) with the help of my sister who took shots during the ceremony.  Here are some of my favorites so far:


It doesn't hurt that they are both extremely photogenic! :)

Lovebirds.

Congrats you two!  :)

In the Studio

Yesterday I got a full studio day (with a quick break to catch the Brewers play - Go BREW CREW!!).  This is the result:

I finished the under-painting for my still life of King Kong.  Big thanks to my friend Andre Jordan who lent me his King Kong figurine from his Etsy shop: Iamanastronaut.  Check it out, he has great stuff!

As you may remember, I built a bunch of canvas frames recently, and last week I finished stretching them, and priming the canvases.



Look at those sexy corners:


Here's the process of this painting thus far:

{charcoal sketch - I put archival spray fixative over this so the charcoal doesn't bleed into the final painting)


{mixing mixing mixing}




{ Rawr!!}

And last but not least, my studio buddy:

Whenever I am in my studio, Rascal HAS to be in there.  If I close the door on her, she claws relentlessly at the bottom of the door like a psychopath.  I've figured out that if I make a little blanket nest on the floor, she will readily curl up in there and watch me without trying to climb up my easel. :)

Take the Day 2011 at the Washington Pavilion

Yesterday we made the short trek to Sioux Falls to be a part of this year's Take the Day at the Washington Pavilion.  I was honored to be one of 44 regional artists invited to participate this year.  The event calls for artists to create an artwork from start to finish during the day while visitors can walk through the galleries and interact with the artists.


{Me - working on my still life painting}

I worked on a painting of a ceramic bear - it was the most fun to talk to all of the kids who came out with their parents.  I had one girl ask if she could paint one little brushstroke (and I let her), and another who I gave my layout sketch to at the end of the day. They were so adorable!

My husband, Nate Edwards, also participated:

He worked on composing a sound piece.

It was such a great experience for us, and I hope it was just as fun for those who came out to say hi!


{Giles Timms - working on an animation}




{Andres Torres}


{Steve Bormes - working on a lamp}


{Alan Montgomery}



It was a great day!

{My finished painting - Grizzly - 18x18" - Oil on Canvas}


If you didn't get a chance to stop by yesterday, the Visual Art Center at the Washington Pavilion is exhibiting the finished works from October 7th - December 11th.

Building Away.

I've been caught up in the world of canvas assembly lately.  Here are my 2x2"s with quarter round molding glued  & tack nailed to the surface.

These canvases are 22x22" and larger.  I love making my own stretcher bars - it saves money and I've found that they don't warp nearly as bad as commercially made canvas bars.  Once I cut them down to size I glue them together using a ratchet strap to hold it snugly together.  

After they dry for at least a day, I'll drill holes and secure the corners with 2 1/2 inch wood screws.  Tomorrow, I'll start stretching and priming!  

In other non-power-tool-related news, I've been watching this spider outside of my porch window for days:

It is a female Garden Spider, and she is massive!  Her abdomen measures close to an inch long and with her arms she could almost span my palm. 

Before photographing the spider I had to check to make sure it didn't have miraculous jumping powers so I poked it with a stick.  It didn't jump but it grabbed on to the stick and pulled back!  Creepy!