Spring Is In the Air...

So, where've I been?  Well, busy as usual - getting one child ready for high school graduation and another enrolling in high school, proofreading the annual research papers for my 5th and 8th grader, running my mother-in-law to and fro on errands...the usual.  Not to mention daylight savings - can't get used to that one!  I've actually been productive on some art projects with some newfound springtime motivation - I just haven't been able to get the laptop away from my teenage daughter lately to download my pictures.

Kids presenting research paper summaries to the Writing CoOp

The weather is getting to where I can work in the garage again, so I spent all day yesterday clearing out the piles that have built up and reorganizing the workspace (post-mural).  I picked-up a 30"x40" canvas for the study I recently did (shared in the previous post).  I wouldn't be able to work that large in the corner of my small bedroom.

Garage work space ready for new projects...

I actually did have a request for some artwork for a friend and the charity organization that she's involved with.  There is an upcoming fundraiser for Royal Family Kids and she asked me to do a design based on their Old West theme to be printed on placemats along with their logo.  Maybe a little something for the portfolio...

Letters and Leaves...

Spent a good part of today kneeling and lying on the garage floor painting...and repainting...letters.

I think I already mentioned that I wasn't excited about painting letters and, yes, I did overfuss it.  The more I tried to refine the letters, the less I liked them (and the more they seemed to draw attention away from the mural).  In the end, I went back to fairly loose letters (sans serif).  The title simply reads:  Celebrate the Harvest - Santa Maria Valley (across the bottom of 3 panels)

I also worked on detailing the leaves around the pumpkins and building a little more contrast in that area.

Now, I'm a little more excited about working on the mural again.  I will be moving some panels tonmorrow to (finally) detail the field beneath the wave.  There'll be a little bit of greenery and some dots of red (strawberries) to pull a teensy bit more color into those first two panels.

At least I won't have to lay on the floor for the next phase!

Greetings From ...Somewhere Else

I guess there's an alternate universe in my garage.  It's full of giant strawberries and grapes, and in this place, there is no time.  I step out here to do a little painting and the next thing I know, it's midnight!  For a little while, I was joined by husband, Smitty, and the youngest kidlet (who are now asleep).

That's Smitty on bass and Lindy (the pirate) on tennis racket.

I'm glad the weekend is here because the 4th panel will require some time - lots of grape leaves and clusters of grapes and figures for which I have not mixed any paint colors yet.  I knew the people would slow me down - as an illustrator, I've always been able to take liberties with the way I depict subjects like people.  But, I don't want to go too cartoony for the mural - the composition is already rooted in fantasy, and I'd like it to have a foot in reality.



Study for mural - some adjustments to be made, but you get te idea

Soooooo, I've been working on some small studies beforeI tackle the certain characters or scenarios.  This evening, I spent time on the Dionysus character - the Greek god of wine and winemaking (or Bacchus, if you happen to be Roman).  He's the guy up in the trellis among the grapes (in case you were wondering).  I haven't done a lot of figurative painting in a looooong time and I need to brush-up on my color mixing when it comes to flesh tones, highlights, and shadows.

Thanks to the person who invented this - I have now made peace
with acrylic paints.

I also wanted to try my Masterson Sta-Wet palette that I got for when I'm working on detail work and don't need to mix containerfuls of paint.  One of the things that has always driven me nuts about acrylic paint is how quickly it dries and how I constantly seem to be remixing paint (I used oils in college - they stay wet forever).  Well, so far the verdict is AWESOME.  I never once had to remix a color because it had dried to uselessness in the (apparently) many hours I worked on this.

So, How Do You Fit a 20 Foot Mural in a 1-Car Garage...

...very carefully (and you park the car on the driveway)!

The panels are really heavy, so I won't be able to move them around without help.  I've disabled the garage door opener and lined most of them up along the garage door.  The 2 end panels are angled or turned along the side walls.  Not the ideal, but I'll make it work.

Almost ready for the fun stuff!

Ready to transfer the design, but until then, it will serve double-duty as a stage (show's over for her once the paints come out)!

How about a Studio Tour...

I'm always impressed by some people's studio photos that I've seen posted - gorgeous rooms with beautiful paint jobs, and nice (sometimes coordinated) furniture and organizing systems. They're picture perfect.

My space, however, is in a corner of the garage since there's no extra space in the house for one. So, it's the only place I can get away from the distractions of family and television. It's nothing fancy (to say the least). And, obviously, I didn't bother to tidy up what I took time out to snap this shot.



As you can see, the garage is wallpapered with my husband's prized punk band flyer collection from back in the day. If you were to pan left, you'd see the parking place for the lawnmower and the recycling bins. To the right, I have a small table with my glass cutting supplies (I went through a period of doing stained glass - would still like to, but there's no time).
Also to the right is a nice north-facing window which gives me some wonderful light.



So, it's a studio shared with the washer and dryer, assorted bikes and sports equipment, my husbands bass guitar and amp, boxes of holiday decorations, etc. etc. It would probably be nice to have a "swan" studio rather than an "ugly duckling." More shelves, drawers, or flat files would certainly be nice. Heating in the winter would be a plus (I have a space heater), but at least I live in a mild climate. This works. When I've got the music on and I'm involved in a project, I really don't notice what's around me.

By the way, despite how it is in the picture, I am well aware of the dangers of setting my coffee mug next to my paint brush water cup.