Creative Every Day This Week

Posted on | November 16, 2008 | 6 Comments

Contentment - 4' x 4' abstract acrylic on canvas

Wow. It’s been a busy week, filled with creative endeavors. There is so much to share!

This first painting I worked on for several hours yesterday. It has been a work in progress for well over a year. It started as a grid-based painting, in which I added some garnet gel and some gesso for texture.  I painted each of the grid spots individually and then it sat. It was dark and brown and not exciting to me – though friends and family loved it. It sat there, literally for months at a time. Then, a few months back, I added heavy gel medium in random swirls and painted it with more of a reddish base. It sat again for months.

Yesterday, I was inspired to tackle it. I added some yellows and oranges and it was starting to come together, but I wasn’t sure. Then, in an attempt to better reach the edge, I turned the painting 90 degrees. Well, that did it. I was able to see this figure coming out of the painting. And this is what it turned into. It’s sort of turned into a Miro-Picasso-esque painting. It makes me happy to look at it. I think we’ll hang it today somewhere in the house.

Angie and Me

This week, I also went to the Desert Botanical Garden with Angie. We had a lovely time taking photos, enjoying the garden, and watching them set up the Chihuly exhibit. It is amazing how many pieces go into one piece of art. The one behind us in the photo to the right was not nearly finished when we got there, nor was it near done when we left! We will be going back in a few weeks to see the entire exhibit completed. We’re both so excited about that!

Our shadows in the morning sun

We walked around for over an hour and found a quiet spot to sit and paint. Angie was so focused on the cactus she was painting that she didn’t even notice that I was photographing her here. I love the concentration in her face when she draws!

Angie Drawing in the Gardens

I drew the knot in one of the trees above Angie. And, while I’m not exactly thrilled with the drawing, it did give me a starting off point for the painting below. It’s not quite finished yet, but I think it ill be a fun piece for Dave’s office. Most of what I’ve painted for him are dark paintings that have anatomical drawings as the base. This will be a good counterbalance to that one. Dave likes it because “it looks like a dinosaur” from the side. That’s what I love about abstract renderings!

Knot in Tree Trunk 16" x 20"

I also spent Wednesday evening with some very creative women at the West Valley Mixed Media group. We’re a new group, and this was the second meeting. Lots of people attended, and I think we’ve got some great new things to share with each other. It’s just good to meet others who are interested in mixed-media work.

Wednesday afternoon I met my friend Sharon for coffee. I donated a bunch of supplies that I no longer need to her pre-school. It felt great to be able to donate things to a great cause… not to mention the space it created in the studio. Of course, that meant some de-cluttering and some organizing, which was another creative pursuit this week.

This week Dave and I are attending a benefit for one of the free clinic programs his office sponsors. I have donated a tote to the silent auction. I’m hopeful that it will bring in some money for the cause. In the meantime, I’ll be doing more art here in the studio!

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