Poorly sized Canvas

Tomorrow I need to drop off a painting at Meadowlark Gardens for an upcoming show, but I have a serious dilemma. The first painting I finished for the show is 10"x14" which is not a standard frame size. I had arranged for my father to make a frame for the painting but there was some confusion and he brought the wrong size frame. Now I have a painting without a frame. I painted the edges and the sides do not have any stapes, but it does not look as professional as if I had a frame.

My other option is a painting I finished tonight. It is 11"x14" and I would be able to purchase a frame for it but the painting has two yellow flowers that will not be dry in time for the show.

 

 So the moral of the story is....DO NOT BUY ODDLY SIZED CANVASES or get a bigger framing budget.

 

Wiggle Alla Prima

This past weekend was the Art of the Portrait Conference and there were so many things that happened and so much to think about my mind is full. I do not think I can tackle covering all that I was inspired by, but I left with an overwhelming desire to get in my studio and paint.

I want to paint more often from life but with the littles it is so difficult to have a sitter that would fit in my painting schedule. Today I decided to tackle the impossible and paint my wiggly son during nap time. I place a movie at a strategic angle and got started. His head moved in every direction so my view kept shifting but I did my best to do a 1.5 hour alla prima painting of him.

I know that some things were not quite right but the movie is over and the Baby will soon wake up. My daughter wants me to paint her during nap time tomorrow, so for now I have some willing but wiggly subjects to work from.

 

99%

A little break

This past week has been a good time for a little break from nightly painting. I have folded laundry that had piled up, tackled some paperwork and spent some time with my husband. It can be very exhausting both physically and mentally to devote almost every evening to painting.

 

Spring has been here the past week and we have spent many hours outside. Planting flowers, visiting the playground, watching people fly kites at the park, and digging in the dirt pile in the neighbors yard.

Some painting progress.

 And Early stages on a painting I started in Jonathan Linton's class.

 

 

This is the ugly stage, all paintings seem to go through it. I just have to keep going with the faith that it will get better before I am done.

Tonights Progress

 

Once all of the canvas is covered with the first layer of paint it can take so long to finish a painting without much visible change for all of the hours of work. SO much time is spent perfecting all the little details.

Very Busy Week

11 Paintings went out of the studio in the last week and two mare are waiting on some paperwork before going to a gallery in Florida.

 

First Day of Ballet and A Quiet Moment were entered in the Vienna Art Society Spring Show "Music to my Ears." A quiet Moment won an Honorable mention in the show.

 

My friend Sarah's Wedding Present "First Dance" was put in the mail and I am just waiting for her to receive it and let me know what she thinks.

 

"Triumphal Entry" and "A Sword thru Mary's Heart" went to Kentucky for display during the Week before Easter. I am hoping that my dad has time to make a wooden from for "Triumphal Entry" before the show.

 

Four paintings went to hang on the walls of a dentists office and make those cleanings a little more pleasant.

 

On Friday a good artist friend and I both went to drop off pieces in "Art at the Mill" I am hoping that "On the Fence" and "Antiquing in Vienna" catch someone's eye and find new homes. It was a very fun day and we found the right place after a slight bit of confusion. I enjoyed having adult company and artist conversation during the 2+ hours of driving time.

 

On Tuesday I started a new class with an excellent portrait artist Jonathan Linton.

I believe this painting "A Mothers Embrace" is complete. The pictures were taken at night in pore lighting so I will have more photographing to do tomorrow.

 

21 faces = 1 painting

Twenty-one inch tall faces were quite a challenge in this painting, and I am glad that it is complete in time to dry and get in the mail. There are always more things I would change but for now this is going to be it.

 

What happens when I have to do something and leave Goose unattended for 3 minutes.

 

I decided to get back to working on this painting during my class last night with Jonathan Linton, I worked mostly on the face and have developed some of the details but once I got it back home I realized how different the light in my studio is from the light at the class. The painting looks far too red in the face here.

 

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I will post News approximately Monthly about new work that I have been working on, shows I will be in and any other things going on in my studio.

Email: debbybirdpaintings@gmail.com
Website: www.debbybirdart.com