Tossed away.
In fall of last year I had an opportunity. A gallery owner in New York City saw my doodles on Flickr and invited me to join a group show in spring 2009. (Several artists on Flickr were asked to join.)
I rejoiced in being invited yet hemmed and hawed about whether I’d accept. In the end I signed up, making a vague notation in my brain about April being a key month for getting the paintings done. Then I went on with my life.
Thanksgiving and Christmas came and went, as did the new year. I made the intention to Finish what I start. President Barack Obama was inaugurated. I rejoiced again.
I bought canvases for the art show, gessoed them, set them aside in my writing room. Looked at them most days, noted that it was time to begin painting, procrastinated.
In early February I decided to get serious about starting the pieces. I cleaned off my work table, filed three months’ worth of bills. We took on a Mexican exchange student from February 7-21. A pinched sciatica kept me in bed for almost two weeks.
By the time I sat down to paint, I had frittered away four months. I looked up the date when the paintings needed to be in Manhattan. February 28. The show was in early April. I missed the deadline.
Second chances.
I have a new opportunity. Our community, which boasts an inordinately large number of artists and craftsmen, holds an annual art studio tour. This year the tour happens the weekend of May 2-3. I will be showing in a gallery with a handful of other artists—real artists.
Here is my chance to make the leap.
When Obama was inaugurated, I did a quick doodle. As soon as I finished it, I knew I wanted to do a series of Obama faces on 12″x12″ canvases for the New York City art show. My problem was never a lack of ideas; rather, it was a lack of follow through.
Showing up.
I picked up the paintbrush in March. When I started, I painted to the tempo of a little voice saying, I don’t know how to do this. I’ve never painted on canvas. If gessoed, I figured, canvas should act similar to gesso on wood. I was wrong.
Painting is a process. This painting, the first in a series, is a work in process. I thought it was almost done, but then I realized that I hadn’t learned how to control—or, rather, let myself lose control—of the paintbrush.
When I began thinking about painting on canvas, QM suggested that I do a post about my process. I agreed even though I had no idea if my ideas about process would work. I’m not done with this painting, but I can tell you this—it’s not the actual process that’s important. What matters is that you have one.
Learning process.
My original "quick and dirty" Obama doodle, done with pen and ink on graph paper. I enlarge it to fit my canvas, add a background, and draw the outline onto tracing paper.
I transfer the image outline to the canvas using good ol' carbon paper, the kind used in days past for typing mimeographs. This prep work takes a lot longer than I expect, about half a day.
I paint the first layer of gouache (watercolor) on canvas, starting with Obama's face. I don't like this color of blue; it's too purpley. I still haven't figured out how to mix colors to find the right one nor how to use my brush as a tool versus an obstacle.
I paint slowly. I'm afraid to make mistakes, and I notice that when I go bold I end up adding too much paint, like in the orange portion of the circle beside his head. I need to dig in but I'm stuck at not wanting to mess it up. I procrastinate again.
Finally, I pick up the brush after a hiatus. I add more and more paint and texture to the face. To create dimension---shadow and light---I go in dark with shades up to black and then use light paint to take away the dark. Now that the face is coming into focus, my ideas for the background are changing. Good thing gouache is maleable.
While watching American Idol, I loosen up. I'm trusting that I can fix mistakes, that nothing is permanent. Also, if the room is kind of dim, I have a better time seeing contrast. I notice that I have too much light paint on the tip of Obama's nose. I'll go in next time and put in more shadow at the bottom.
In my original doodle I forgot to capture Obama's mole next to his nose. I got it this time, although I'm not sure if I'll change it to blue to match his skin. I notice his eyebrow is too dark, but I can go in, lighten it and add texture to make it look more natural. (Although, is "natural" a consideration when his entire face is bright blue?)
His mouth needs work; it's clownish looking to me, and I've barely touched his teeth and gums. But I am enjoying his cheeks and those deep crevices he gets when he smiles. Also, I experiment using the brush the way I would a pen. Amazingly, painting is not that different than drawing.
Overcoming fear.
Here’s what I know. I’m the only person who’s ever stopped me from realizing my dreams. I’ve gotten out of my own way this time. Next time I might be right back in the middle of the road with my hands out in front of me yelling STOP! But not today.
My goal is to paint six pieces for the early May show. I have less than a month to go, and I can only paint in the evenings and on weekends. I went to a carpenter and asked him to make me wood boards to paint on. Canvas works, but I still like wood best.
Just painting.
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Gouache postscript.
Thanks to QM’s curiosity, I’m adding these excellent links on the topic of gouache.
- handprint.com: gouache and bodycolor —includes a history of gouache
- Kathy Robbins: Working with Gouache—an excellent process post on how one painter works with gouache
- Tate Collection: gouache—from the Tate Collection’s glossary, gouache defined plus some great pieces of art done in gouache
redravine.wordpress.com 
ybonesy, I’ve always admired your artistic eye and talent. You’ve been an influence.
MM
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Thanks, MM. You’re a creative type, too. I don’t know about you, but my creative side was for so long overshadowed by my professional life that I’ve had to work twice as hard just to sit down and do something that at one time was second nature to me. Isn’t that odd?
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I felt I used to be very creative in the classroom, but with our new corporate owners and their set-in-stone curriculum, there is too much pressure to get everything done by a certain date and not enough time to be creative and have fun.
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All the more reason that your creative endeavors outside of work should remain central to your life. Especially where you are now, you have so much time. I’m glad you’re writing and taking photos. BTW, meant to tell you that the photos are your blog are fabulous! There was one with a huge boulder and a tree or bush growing out of the top. Amazing.
I’m creative at work. Boy howdy. I feel like every day is filled with creative problem solving. But it’s so different. After meetings, I’m sometimes exhausted. Whereas after I paint, I’m relaxed.
I’ve been painting tonight. Already the background on my painting has changed. The big orangeish blob is almost gone. I’m still noodling on how exactly to go with the background. I get so excited, and then I seem to each time reach a point where I’m worried about messing up. I wonder if that’s a painting type thing. Although, as I recall, I also get stuck in writing and am kind of paralyzed by which direction to go next. The trick is to push through. Trust that it will work out. And know that whatever you commit to paper/canvas, it can be changed.
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ybonesy, first of all, congrats on your gallery show! I’m so excited for you. And I totally believe in you. After following your process with painting from the time I met you, until today, I have no doubt your work will go far.
And I admire that you haven’t been tossed away. You’ve got an incredibly busy life with family, work, writing, and art. And you’ve managed to schedule in time to paint and do your art. For me as well, that’s what it takes — structure and showing up.
I’m so glad you did this post. Posts about process are hard to write but I think they are invaluable to other artists. By the time we see a piece of art or painting, so much work has gone into it, so many hours. And sometimes that’s invisible to others unless we talk about process.
I like your idea of the carbon paper to transfer to canvas. I had a friend in art school who used a projector to get her images on to large canvases, too. The carbon paper though, I might use that idea for the mandalas.
I actually stumbled on an ancient box of carbon paper at a garage sale last year, got it for pennies. It will be perfect for this. I have a question about the gouache. Is gouache a certain kind of watercolor made for canvas? Or are you adapting watercolors that you might use on watercolor paper to canvas? And how do you like working with the watercolors as opposed to acrylic?
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Thanks, QM. I’m excited about the gallery show. This week I’ve been painting most nights. I stayed up until past midnight last night working on the background. Once I like what I working on, it’s so easy to lose track of time working on it. But the other thing I was realizing is that it’s taking me so long to do each painting that at this rate I’ll be lucky to complete two only. So I need to pick up the pace.
Juanito, my painting mentor, taught me about using carbon paper. It’s a great trick. Now for this series I’ll use the same piece of tracing paper that already has the image, erase the background and put in a new one, and then retrace onto a new canvas using the carbon paper.
For large canvases, the projection method sounds good. For one thing, in order to draw on a large canvas, it would have to be upright on a wall versus lying on the ground.
I’ll post a comment about gouache separately, as there’s much to say about it.
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ybonesy, I just thought of a couple of other things about your post that struck me. Watching American Idol allowed you to loosen up. And I find that to be true as well. I would often have the TV on in the background when I was painting or rolling out a slab of clay to work on. And also when I was coloring the mandalas sometimes. It sounds like a weird combo, but the TV is a distraction for my intellectual Monkey Mind. So while the Monkey is watching TV, I am doing my art! I’ve found it really works for art. But not so much for writing. I have to have it almost completely silent to write. Or at least have on mellow music with no words in it.
I was writing about it yesterday in a Writing Practice — writing is a heck of a lot of work for me. While doing art or photography is a joy and I can really relax or have music on or have fun with it. Totally different processes for me. EXCEPT, as you mention, the structure. I need the structure to get anything creative done. And the practice. Doodling or sketching or taking notes on the writing ideas.
Hey, about the boards you are having the carpenter make, what are they made of? I remember seeing your paintings on boards last time I visited your home. I remember they are smooth, but can’t remember what they are made of. Also, how will you present the boards in the gallery? Add frames or flat?
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QM, thanks for asking about gouache (rhymes with squash). There are some great links about it, which I’ll add as a postscript to the end of the post. I should have done that but didn’t think of it.
Again, I’m grateful for Juanito, who introduced me to this type of paint. Gouache is like watercolor (and it is color in water), although technically it’s different. It is color pigment in water with white added in. It also has a gum substance to make it opaque and vibrant. Gouache can be deep, bright, light, rich…pale, faint—all of the above.
Watercolor generally relies on the white of the paper to show through the color and reflect light in the image. But with gouache, you cover the surface completely, not allowing the white from the paper or canvas to show through. If you want a lighter version of a color, you add white. (With watercolor, you add water. This also works with goauche—you dilute the paint with water, but because the surface is covered, where you need highlights you’ll need to go with a lighter color.)
With gouache, you build up layers, similar to oil. The paint dries quickly but gently. It’s maleable, unlike acryllic. If you’ve gone too dark, just use water and a brush to take away the paint. That’s what I’m doing now with the background. I’m going in and taking away paint, and then I’ll add more. (You can also wet a cloth and gently wipe away the paint if you’re removing large areas.)
I made the mistake in a few places of adding too much paint, which with gouache, will cause the paint to crack. So in those areas I will use a brush that is slightly wet to thin out the layers.
Juanito buys powdered color pigment and adds water. That’s both economical and you get a different effect with the paint than using the tube variety. The effect of Juanito’s paints is that they’re more like a water dye, and perhaps more like watercolor in that the surface can show through. But as you build them up, they get very rich and deep in color.
It’s the most wonderful type of paint. Besides perhaps spraypaint, which I love to use on wood (and filing cabinets—I need to take a picture of my filing cabinet), I would never use any other paint.
BTW, when I started painting, since I had no one to guide me, I used acryllic. It was cheap (a small tube of gouache costs up to about $8 at an art supply store, cheaper from a catalog, and a large tube is twice that—but they last a long time), mainly.
But how do you remove it? Once it’s committed to paper, it’s there. You can soften a line—or I can’t, at least. I’d love to hear from painters who use acryllic, because there *must* be a method to using them effectively. I’d love to learn more, as I have a bunch of acryllics (probably dried out) that I had bought early on, plus someone gave me a set and I took without realizing that I wouldn’t later want them. I let my girls paint with them.
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OMG, I just wrote a mini-post on gouache. 8)
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QM, you and I are both such process-philes. We could talk about this for days, couldn’t we?
About the boards, the carpenter took a good grade of plywood, 1/4-inch thick, sanded it, and then attached it with teeny tiny nails (so small they must be more like a pin) to a 3/4-inch thick frame. So picture this—the wood board is exactly like a canvas—but instead of the frame being covered with canvas, it’s is topped with a wood surface.
He ever-so-slightly sanded the corners, not so that they’re round but rather so that they’re not so sharp that they will scratch you. And where the wood surface connects with the frame, he glued it and sanded down the glue so that it’s invisible. Since it’s a frame, you can hang it on a nail, just like you can a canvas. Or, you could string across a wire if need be.
I know he makes these types of boards for one of my artist friends. He may make them for others, because, boy, they’re perfect and he’s fast. (His shop is pretty big—a few people working for him, so he probably didn’t make them himself.)
BTW, even working on the canvas last night, I’m figuring out how to work with the canvas as part of the painting (the way I do with gesso on wood), so I’m less down on canvas this morning than I was even yesterday. (So fickle, Gemini.)
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YB: I love the Obamas! I remember my sister telling me (she is an artist-silkscreen) that she could produce just fine when she was just doing her thing and taking it to art fairs. When she solicited and got a contract with a hotel chain to do prints, she struggled mightily to get any done. In October, a literary magazine rejected one of my stories but solicited an essay from me on Las Vegas. I have been struggling and struggling to go to the place that produced the stories but because I was writing on demand, it was killing me! Finally, I took off for two days to the coast, and with meditation (walking/sitting) and writing practice, I got it done and am now revising it. I don’t even know if they still want it. But it’s done. Miss you all.
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Thanks, Franny. And congratulations on the Las Vegas essay. Hey, if the literary magazine doesn’t want it any longer, we’ll publish it. Seriously! (Or, if it needs to be shortened to fit more the blog medium, then a version of it. There’s also the magazine Creative Nonfiction, which I love; if that’s not the one that asked for it, you might try them too, again, if the original magazine has changed its mind.)
I’ve heard that a lot about writers and/or artists who are working on commissioned pieces, that it’s so much harder than just doing what comes out naturally. That’s why I have so much respect for writers who work for magazines like the New Yorker or Atlantic. I subscribe to both and read their essays and other pieces all the time, and I am constantly amazed by how these writers consistently produce engaging pieces.
I don’t know if I’d be able to produce commissioned art. Just having a deadline is stress enough; imagine having a deadline and an imposed theme. But, the upside is, clearly you’re making it once you get to the point where people who are willing to pay are soliciting your work.
Good luck on the piece, and keep us posted. (p.s., Your life is made for memoir.)
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I love this story about the fits and starts of process. And the quote: “I’m the only person who’s ever stopped me from realizing my dreams.” Boy, isn’t that the truth.
I also love that although you missed the first deadline, you dove headfirst into the second chance. And I totally resonate with that critic voice yelling at you as you step out into something you haven’t done before. And despite the inner noise, you forge ahead.
I also like the grace and kindness with which you treat yourself. You can add the mole, work on the mouth, add shadows around the nose and enjoy the crevices around the mouth. Because you are a PAINTER, none of this is SET IN STONE — it’s applied in paint and can be adjusted. What a forgivable medium! And — though I have only seen American Idol a handful of times — I love that this pop show helped you loosen up! Inspiration comes where we find it!
I haven’t painted in a long time myself, but reading your essay stirs a little excitement in me about what it would be like to try it again!
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ybonesy, great information on the gouache and the building of the boards. Sounds like you’ve found a gem of a carpenter. A painter friend here in the studio building also has a person who makes her frames and stretches her canvases for a pretty reasonable price. It can really help cut the costs to find people who specialize in such work. I’ll check out your links.
As for process, I can’t help myself — I study process. It helps with writing, too. Breaking down the structure of books I like or great literature helps to discover the secrets of pulling a book together. Or a painting. Or anything. Not that I will do it the same way, but we can all learn from each other. At least for me, process is really important.
Franny, so great to hear from you. And congrats on the essay. One thing I remember about your writing from Taos, it is ALIVE! ybonesy’s right, your stories are ripe to be told; your life is made for memoir. 8) What you say about taking a few days and going to the coast, meditating, slow walking, I was listening to another creative person yesterday, a musician, who says she does the same thing sometimes — heads to the beach for a few days. Here in landlocked Minnesota, that means Lake Superior. But close enough. Miss you, too, and it’s always a pleasure when you stop by!
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You know, it keeps striking me about the procrastination piece. I think Lesley mentioned it yesterday, too, how when we procrastinate and the pressure builds and, finally, we either get our butts in gear and make the deadline or miss it altogether and have to reach toward the next goal. I experience a certain amount of procrastination every day when I get to the studio, fussing with this and that, making phone calls, putzing around, until I FINALLY get down to business. That building pressure of procrastination, what is that about? It can drive a soul crazy.
I remember in one of her books, Natalie talks about heading to a coffee shop (or was it when the Harwood was a library and she would go there?) to write one of her books. If I remember correctly, she would slow walk to the building, order the same hot chocolate and cookie every day, sit at the same table, do a few writing practices and get down to work. But she also had times where she would do everything else first — everything but write. I have read a lot lately from other writers, too, who say they eat the same thing for lunch, drink a cup of tea, write from 9 to 2, do the same routines, so they at least have that part of the structure in place — they are showing up. Then I guess you have to let Monkey Mind play for a while before finally getting down to work. Some days though, by the time I’m ready to write, it’s time to head home. Frustrating!
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Cleaning my work space is one of my favorite procrastination exercises. And doing dishes. And cleaning kitchen counters. Disorganization and clutter bother me to no end when I’m painting. I guess it’s because I get everything cluttered with paints and brushes and paper towels and everything else, I just can’t stand all that other stuff in the way.
I also procrastinate if I don’t like the direction things are going. That’s more of a stuck kind of procrastination, the one that benefits from what Franny talked about—a break, preferably somewhere beautiful.
QM, that daily routine sounds key. What has your daily routine been of late?
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Hey Lesley, re: American Idol, I’ve never seen it before but usually knew what was happening because my parents kept me up to date on who they loved. (And Mom always asked me if I was watching it, and what did I think of so-and-so, and I got tired of telling her that I wasn’t watching it.)
Well, something snapped this season. I got not only into American Idol but also Dancing with the Stars and The Bachelor!–ugh, that one disgusted me to the point that I didn’t see the ending but read about it and knew of all the parties involved.
American Idol has been great. Young, talented contestants. And I love watching how they change each week as they get more coaching, mentorship, back-up singers, stylists. I mean, it shows how all that extra stuff, plus lots of work, can make a person go from Good to Great.
So, yeah, it’s fun to watch. QM, I think you’re on to something with the idea that Monkey Mind can stay occupied with the TV while Wild Mind gets to create.
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Liz and I watch American Idol. It’s a great guilty pleasure. This season is great. What about that 16-year-old girl? Whoa, can she sing up a storm. We are sucked in! Yeah, it’s good to keep Monkey Mind busy. Or he gets in the way of progress. I can’t stand The Bachelor. You are so right — disgusting how these women treat each other and themselves. And have you ever noticed how the relationships never pan out? Sorry anyone who likes it. But I think it sets women back about 100 years!
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This week I got up with Liz, she went to work, then I headed to the studio like I was going to work. It’s been working pretty well. Once I get here, a few hours on job-search related items, 3 or 4 hours of writing, research, family tree, memoir-related stuff, then if I get time, some art-related things. Haven’t gotten much to the art yet. But I really want to paint next week. I want to set aside some time for it. Just to relax.
Liz came over to the studio tonight after work and we are still here. Heading out soon. I’m exhausted. Seems like I’ve been here forever. But it’s fun on Friday nights. We are listening to Cloud Cult, I just posted something, she’s over there reading and working on photos and organizing. Works well as a family outing. I’ll keep you posted over time. I hope I can continue to get some things done rather than worry!
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Actually, I have to confess I HAVE seen AI a few times….most recently in January when visiting family in Phoenix who wanted to watch. I enjoyed the contestants, but not the pleasure in expression disapproval or derision. But yes, there are some talented people out there and people with SPUNK!
Re – procrastination, etc…..I seem to go through a period of creative dis-ease before some sort of project where I am either in total chaos or panic (not all projects….often those where I need to do some kind of public speaking or such; I seem to be much calmer about writing projects, have more faith in them); just don’t see how things will come together. But then…..they do. They ALWAYS do. It’s kind of a deadline thing.
When I first started working and had to meet deadlines (they were called DEADlines for heaven’s sake – just to underscore the gravity of the matter) I would have extreme anxiety about them. But after a few years, I realize, hey, they always get met. It doesn’t matter how chaotic the process may look at the beginning or middle — they always get met. I even wound up assuring my editor of this at one point in the old days working in trade publishing in NYC.
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QM, the 16-year-old is amazing. Is her name Ashley or Alexis? I always confuse the two—I think Alexis Grace was one of the early eliminations, so it must be Ashley. That doesn’t sound right.
What did you think about Meghan Joy getting eliminated? I kind of liked her voice, I liked her look, but she seemed awkward with her moves. One of the things that you realize is that pulling it all together is really key. You have to have the rhythm and the look and the voice and the personality. If you’re missing any, it’s evident.
Lesley, I seem to never miss deadlines in my professional life. I thought for sure the pressure of a deadline would help me in getting—for the first time—paintings done for a show. And even though I committed to the NYC gallery, I stood them up. How bizarre is that? I stood me up. That’s what kind of blew me away.
Hey, I have a friend who is a journalist and editor with our main newspaper—she contributes and comments here at times—and what I’m noticing about her is that she’s got a writing ethic that you can’t believe. I think writing under daily and/or weekly deadline does that to a person.
She enrolled in an MFA program, and now that she’s got these deadlines for packets, I think she’s written about 200+ pages—maybe more like 300–toward her memoir. She’s already revised several chapters based on instructor/advisor feedback. She is jammin’.
I’ve asked her to write a piece about the MFA program because it also is a fabulous international program. And mostly I’m in awe of her writing work ethic and how it’s being applied to something she’s wanted to write for a long time. (She’s written about six other books in the mean time, although they were commissioned and not on the topic that she’s been wanting to write.)
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yb, so good to hear that other creative people self-sabotage at times. Makes me feel not quite so odd.
Enjoyed Franny’s comments about writing on demand and how hard that is. I have shied away from writing anything other than what I want to write (except for friends who ask me why I don’t write about certain topics 😉
Does you friend whose written 6 other books on topic that were commissioned have any secrets on writing to other people’s demands? I would be interested to know.
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yb, I haven’t commented on your posts lately, but have always been a fan of your doodles. You know how I feel about them & congrats on the offer bestowed on you! You deserve more recognition for all of your talents. I’m signing off now, but wanted to let you know I visit here & have been a fan of this sight because you & QM have created a wonderful community with this blog. Always something new to enjoy. D
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Thanks, diddy. I’d noticed you weren’t around much this past week. Glad to see you’re back, and I appreciate so much your comment. And just your presence.
Well, it’s about 10:30. I just washed my brushes and palette and put away my paint materials for the night. I worked a lot this weekend on this painting, and I think it is finally done. Just need to spray it with a finish so the paint will be fixed.
It was so much more detailed than I expected. I probably overworked the face. I tend to do that in writing, too. It’s hard to know when to stop.
But, one down, another started. Feels good.
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Bob, I am certain she would have insights and tips on writing on demand. Every time I marvel at her ability to produce, whether her own memoir or any of the other books she’s written, she reminds me that she’s been a journalist for a long time. That’s their training.
Maybe she can weave some of those tips into her piece, or maybe she’ll have to write more than one piece. Although she’s under the gun to produce for her MFA, so I don’t expect her to prioritize the blog piece/s for a while.
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This was so inspiring, ybonesy. Overcoming your own disappointment in yourself, then taking us through the learning process. It was really interesting to see the painting evolve, and you were generous to show your outright fear and uncertainty. I think a lot of people have that, but it’s hard to admit it, so we come up with other excuses for why we don’t live (or even attempt) our dreams.
Fantastic. Now.. don’t lose your momentum! Even though you’ve kind of already gotten a work of art out of this effort, in the form of this post.
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Thanks, amuirin. Gosh, I have spent many years dreaming of doing certain things, knowing that I could if only I tried, and yet questioning whether I really could. Those two voices, one that knew, one that was afraid.
So far so good on the momentum. One painting is finished, although I look at it each day and try deepening the color. I need to have one of my artist friends look at it and tell me if it’s done or if it needs this one little bit of painting in the background that I kind of think might make it pop. I also took a quick digital of it and sent it to a political poster shop. I’m getting a quote on making an 11×17 poster of that one.
Then I started a second in the series, and I love the background. However last night I got impatient with the face and made it all too dark. So I’ve got to slow down on the face. But I know I’ll get that one done by the gallery opening.
And the ideas are starting to flow for the others. I have to say, though, that painting every day while holding down a FT job, keeping up with my girls, being part of my family, helping Jim now and then with the yard—it’s exhausting. I am so tired at this very moment, I would fall asleep instantly if I had a chance to lie down. I think I will only paint during Idol tonight and then get to bed early.
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ybonesy, your last comment about being exhausted from painting, writing, work, family, gardening, reminds me of one of the questions we asked Natalie in the interview we did with her.
red Ravine: You also chose to be a writer and an artist. How do you balance those passions, and do you ever feel that you are more one than the other?
She addresses you directly at the end of that question. And I really like when she talks about how things unfold, they happen when we are burning for them. We don’t always get to choose when the iron will strike; our creative passions choose us. I think you are burning for painting right now. Everything unfolds.
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I have to say, I had to give it a break last night, QM. And we skipped Idol, tuning in only at the very end to see who was eliminated.
I am burning for painting right now. I just wish I could put the rest of my life on hold. 😦
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[…] to posts This, That & The Other, The Making Of A Painting Painter, and haiku 2 […]
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ybonesy, one other thing before I sign off..isn’t this weekend your Art Gallery show? Are you ready to go? Are all of your paintings framed and hung? Where are you in the process? I’m very excited for you!
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It is, it is. Some finishing touches tomorrow (signatures and fixatives) and then we hang them in the afternoon. I’ll take photos and let you know how it goes. Postcards and Moo business cards arrived today. So fun!
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[…] and the materials she chose – you can see it here in ‘The Making of a Painter’: https://redravine.wordpress.com/2009/04/02/the-making-of-a-painting-painter/ A couple of weeks later the finished project appeared here – scroll down to ‘The […]
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[…] It is a brilliant idea and one that I am thinking about hosting for my friends who’ve expressed interest in learning how to make resin jewelry. Communal art-making. What a concept! I will check in occasionally on red Ravine–to let you know how the show went and to report on my progress toward this new direction. It will be slow going, but it will happen. ‘Cause I really like peanut butter and chocolate. -Related to How I Plan To Spend My Oodles Of Spare Time and The Making Of A Painting Painter. […]
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[…] -Related to post The Making of a Painting Painter […]
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Aloha, I was wondering If I could use Obama painting detail 3 to detail a poetry slam for my community… Please let me know if this is not okay… I will credit and link you. Mahalo.
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[…] Making Of A Painting Last April, ybonesy from red Ravine posted a blog entry about her process to create her first painting: “In fall of last year I […]
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