October

We've been working hard the last few months with school, albums, shows, exhibits, and teaching. Nate is in the middle of recording his next album, and I'm in the middle of making work for my next show. Our weekends have been filled with side-jobs, gigs, and prepping for school. October always ends up being one of the busiest months of the year for both of us.

Last weekend Nate had two gigs and I participated in Studio 301 at the Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls. This is my third year participating in the event, and I always feel both accomplished and exhausted after it is finished. During the event, which features 35 regional artists, artists are challenged to complete an artwork in one day. I worked on a 12x16" oil painting of a horse figurine, and just barely finished it within the allotted time.

The finished piece will be exhibited for the next few months in the main gallery at the Washington Pavilion.

 I'm almost done with this guy too:

He's been such a patient model. Sometimes I can finish a piece in a few weeks, and other times it drags on for months. This one has been the latter situation. I'm 99% finished with the painting and will soon fill this space with another figurine.

 
I also am working on the second layer of this huge painting. Soon I'll have to bring it inside as the porch is getting a bit too cold to paint in.

 
In addition to the oil paintings, I've been making a bunch of small abstract pieces.  I cut down scraps leftover from other paintings and play around with color, form, space, layering, textures, etc. They are a nice meditative break in between the larger paintings and are helpful to work on when I get the urge to create something but don't have a chunk of time large enough to dedicate to working in oil.

I also celebrated my 30th birthday this month. With it I'm trying to organize/prioritize/plan what I want out of the next few years. I almost always look at birthdays as a time to take stock of what is important, what is working, what isn't, and make changes for the better. Wish me luck!