Hogan the Bricklayer

"Hogan the Bricklayer" 16"x 20" oil on Panel is complete and framed ready for an upcoming show at the Lake Ann Reston Community Center. Now I need to finilize my price and hope that someone makes a purchase.

Sidewalk Paint

Today the kids enjoyed painting on the sidewalk with some sidewalk paint. It was easy to make, and kept them busy for about an hour.

1 cup corn starch.

1 cup water

food coloring

My son experimented with jump painting, and they ended up with a lovely mostly grey painting on our sidewalk.

Studio tour

The last several days have produced only minor painting work but I spent time in my studio organizing and straightening up. I am not sure any real organization took place but it certainly has more clear space and looks neater. These photos still make the studio look crowded and busy but the amount of floor space I cleared out makes it alot easier to move around. I also got alot of my inspiration and artwork hung on the walls to help keep me going.

Pregnancy has been wearing me out and I have needed some time off to rest and to get the kids together with their friends.
My husband has been traveling and working a lot of overtime so I am having a hard time getting into any sort of a routine. Both housework and artwork schedules keep getting blown off course by unexpected overtime and trips. I would love to get into a rhythm that can withstand the shifts in schedule and still keep me on track with all the things I need to get done.

Do you have any suggestions for me on getting into a routine?

The eyes of an artist

I am always amazed at the things we notice and pay attention to. When I worked as an architect and designed signs for one project I suddenly started noticing signs, everywhere. How many times a day do we read signs but never really look at them. Suddenly I couldn't not look at signs, I would notice what they were made of, the lettering used, how they were located on the site, how large they were.

When I designed lighting I began to notice all lights and would make comments out of the blue to my husband about the lights at the restaurant we were eating at.

Now that I am painting I see colors everywhere. I analyze them and think about how I would put them on canvas with my brush. It is really a wonderful way to see the world. It just is reminding me how we really do see the world with different eyes. Even from stage to stage in ones life we can see so differently.
This makes me think more about the way my children see. How am I forming their vision now when their mind is growing and developing so rapidly. If we teach our children to see and think about colors now will they have different vision in the future.
If we teach them to see Gods hand move in the world now how much better will they be able to see him in the future.
Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.

Mardi-Gras Gleenings begun

I started a new painting today based on a photo of my daughter at Mardi Gras in Mobile Al.
My mother-in-law wants me to do a painting from the photo but it will be a difficult photo to work from.
It has a direct and harsh because the photo was taken after dark. The smile while great for a photo will be difficult to paint. and parts of her arm are covered up in the photo by Daddy who is holding her.
I will also need to buy a moon pie because the one photographed is the wrong color and turned the wrong way for the painting.

I worked for about an hour or two and got some color blocked in but have a long way to go still on this one.

Hogan ongoing

Amazingly I was able to find some time to paint today while the kids were up and active. They played happily in the playroom which has been a welcome recent development. They also worked on a little coloring of their own on the easel in my studio. My son liked the painting of Hogan but wondered why I did not have the banjo in this painting.