Sultan's Girl

This video has been around a while- an old favorite. I love to watch it for it's muse like qualities. And whenever I watch it it reminds me that I must live in London before I die. If you enjoy it, there are several more videos about the Sultan's Elephant on youtube.

Full Box of New Crayons

Goofing around in the studio today. Rick was in working on his own project while I was playing with bright colors like a child.

Only have about an hour and a half in this study- 8x10 painted from life.

Re: Hillary Clinton's negative campaigning. She recently suggested that McCain would be a better choice then Obama! Is she trying to be his vice president? Her 3 am telephone call ad was just too much for me- and then I remembered when I loved Bill for saying this: (you tube has everything :-)

Monday Evening Post (actually Tuesday Morning :-)

I finally got back to the studio tonight. Some family obligations have kept me away for close to a week, until yesterday when I went in and prepared a stack of panels. Today was presidents day, a day off of school, so I hung out at home.

Tonight I got to play in the paint with a student, trying out different glazing techniques. Fun fun fun. And it went well, student left excited to do more experimenting. I have not been using a grisaille for several years now, though I used to. Getting out the books and reading the many ways to do one thing. Showing how I did it, and how others do it- squeezing out paint and trying things out- that is the fun part of learning with others. While we are learning, it feels just like goofing around.

The rest of the week will be all studio all the time.

Hope all is well with you, and have a great week!
Lori

12 to 14 inches of snow!

If you live where it snows- you know that when you look out at the driveway that needs shoveling of the foot and a half of snow- the weather man will come on and say that you got 3 inches. The way that they measure snowfall is different than the way that you measure it (with snow shovel and back muscles). The schools here are closed for 12 to 14 inches of snow expected. That might look like 3 feet of snow on the driveway.



So I am staying home from the studio today- not because I can not get there now, but more worried about getting home later. The way that the parking is at the studio, I can imagine myself getting plowed in and stuck there.

I do have a few panels here to sketch out- so work to keep me busy. My computer is still sort of hanging on. But the Apple Store Genius Bar guys don't hold out much hope for it lasting very long.

Yesterday I did a nice painting of a teapot from life. Good exercise- but forgot to get a picture. I am still working on my 2008 self portrait and another Norma painting. Neither are finished- but here they are so far, (t does not look like it, but they are both the same size, 24" square).

Stay warm, friends.

Another move...good-bye, great space!

Another year, another move. This is my fourth, and last studio in the building. Not only am I tired of moving, but the building is filling up. I heard that there are only 11 more spaces available, and all of them are way too small for me. Here is a recap of the time since moving into the Arts Park in June of 2005:

My first studio was up on the very lonely third floor. When I moved in, there was hardly anyone in the whole building. No one on the second floor, just one guy in the basement and one woman in the tower. I would often go a week or two with out seeing a person anywhere. The huge old building was empty and creepy. I stayed in the first studio for 6 months.


Then the tower was offered to me. It was actually smaller than my studio, but felt bigger, with more windows and a private bathroom. I loved it in the tower, but at 13x13, it was too small. Being up on the third floor was lonely and it was hard for some to visit my studio. I stayed in the tower for a year, and when a space was made available to me in the garden level, I was delighted to move downstairs.


I have been very happy for another whole year in my large garden level studio. I did some really great paintings here. The light is perfect. Everything about it is perfect. But, it is so large and so well placed on the front of the building, I just kept thinking that it needed to be used for classes, that it was too large for just one painter. It is the biggest rentable space in the building, and having so much space was messing with my head. This wonderful studio will now house the Foreign Language Network.

I am moving in across the hall- the room is smaller, (about half the size of my last studio) and the light will need a lot of work, but the space is just exactly the right size. I have a lot to do, yet- moving in. But I have painted one little study here already.

Stop by and say hello when you are in the building- I will be happy to show you around. I will post some more pictures when I get moved in.

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.

Grounded- Not about paint

I am grounded this week- have hardly been to the studio at all. We are in the middle of a bathroom makeover- and it has taken over our lives.

Rick thinks that we bit off more than we could chew - and decided to hire a guy to do the tile work. Bummer, I was looking forward to the tile work. But after going a few weeks with out a main floor bathroom, I am thrilled that the man will be fixing us right up and should be out of here by Saturday.

Don't worry though, I am using my time wisely - preparing my next few paintings- and will hit the studio floor running on Monday. :-)

This is a picture of Fred Last month doing the demo.