Good turpentine is good.

Everyone remembers vics vapo rub, but do you know that one of it's main ingredients is turpentine? (it is a part of that good smell). Turpentine can also be found in lipstick and many other everyday products that no one is afraid of.

I use turpentine. Not the crappy kind that comes out of China though. Instead of tapping living trees to make the good stuff- China has been grinding up the whole tree- stumps and all. Then they boil it and do who knows what to it.

"Just imagine what sort of maple syrup you would get if you boiled up roots, branches and leaves."
~ Rob Howard

If you have smelled any of this, it would be understandable to think that turpentine stinks. This bad stuff is really bad for you- and unfortunately it has the same name as the good kind. People read the health warnings about the bad stuff and think that it applies to all of it- it does not.

You are welcome to stop by my studio and smell my good turpentine. Compare it to the the crap that you buy at the hardware store, and too often lately, even at the art supply store. Mine smells so good that I defy anyone to complain- unless they just like complaining.

You can buy some of Studio Products great smelling turpentine here.

Still Percolating......

Well, and it is the holiday season. I do go to the studio and work. I did a few color studies this week and a nice little painting. I am not showing my crap anymore though. I believe what is said about us being judged by our last painting. My last few have been pretty bad by the standards that I am working toward. BUT- there are big ideas percolating.

I have also committed to doing a new self portrait this month. The last one that I painted was still a WIP when 9-11 happened. After sitting on the couch watching the news for a few weeks, when I finally went to the studio to finish it, I was too changed to complete it. There were a few mirror head from life paintings since then- but they were not so much self portraits as head practice. I have a few ideas about how I want to go about this new SP, which I hope to start this week. (if my family would get out from under my feet:-)

Art for Sale

It is still Christmas shopping season- which means that you find me hiding out- disgusted with what has become of this beautiful season. I am in the studio today- working on drawing and also working on something new...

A Store! (I know, building a store is an unusual way to protest shopping :-) I have been thinking about a store for me for a long time- but have been so busy building sites and stores for other people, (it is what I do when I am away from the studio) that I never got around to it. So far, no decision has been made exactly what will be sold at the store- I am open to ideas. Probably it will be used to sell my own original work as well as prints. There is also the possibility that it will represent artists- but this idea is not quite worked out yet.

Anyway- not open for business yet, am still hacking the software to get it to do what I want. But watch for updates.

Merry Christmas!

I have been working, but not very hard.... actually, mostly percolating, an important part of my job, I think.
I did finish a nice little portrait today, and will try to get a picture of it tomorrow (if I still like it when I get to the studio:-) The best part of the little portrait was that I limited the palette to Yellow ochre, Pyrol Ruby and black- with just those colors, along with some studioproducts optical white, I was able to nail my fleshtones very easily.
It is snowy and cold here, which is working wonders toward putting me in the mood for Christmas. I would really love it if it were not for all of the gift BS. I am looking forward to the Christmas, (and it is coming) when I say NO to all of the shopping and buying a bunch of crap for people that I love but who need nothing. Since I am still kind of stuck with shopping, I am very grateful for the internet again- this time for keeping me out of the mall.


I hope you have a great week, full of the love and peace of the season, and not too much shopping...(unless you are one of those people who like shopping.)

Grey Dots- they match the sky

The sun came out for a few minutes today. We have had nothing but dark days for a while now, and a few days of ice storm. I was so excited to see the sun that I ran out and snapped a picture.

The weather has me getting to the studio later, and cuddling up with a book and a warm drink when I get there. I have a few things on the easel, for future unveiling, but for now, I can share this little exercise. I know it looks simple, but mixing the grays to the right value was the exercise, and I am pleased with how it turned out. In this picture, it is hard to see the difference in the higher values. I will try to get a better picture- because the steps are there, perfectly munsell too.

I saw a picture of something like this somewhere on the web, a Reilly demo or page about Munsell, I don't remember where I saw it, but it looked like a valuable lesson. And I am not one to pass up a painting lesson. If you know where I got this idea from, let me know so that I can give someone the credit.

BANG BANG! bangbangbang BANG bang bang BANG!!

Ah, Christmas at the Dole. Carriage rides and pictures with Santa. The various Orchestras played all day. There were dancers and little kid choirs. The chef mad some wonderful dainty foods.

This week in studio I worked on a few drawings, did a pastel portrait and did three hours of life painting from a model. I also cleaned and prepared for the Christmas at the Dole. Friday was the first day, and an opportunity to show my work to the people who like to wander the building.

I offered my studio for space for a Saturday activity and was given Home Depot. The folks from home Depot were great, and the kids were fun too. The Bang bang bang of the hammers from 9:30 to 3 was an interesting experience, (there was never a moment when they were not hammering). The different surfaces to hammer on, hollow plastic table, wood table and cement floor, and the difference in hammering technique gave me the chance to really practice going to that "Zen Place".

It was fun- glad it is over.