What Next

There are times when things just have to sit.  This is something I started a while ago and didn't like where it was going.  I had covered a panel with plaster of paris and carved some shapes into it with the intention go covering it with encaustic wax.  Then I saw some work from Carol Nelson of Colorado and went in an entirely new direction.  I am pleased with the results thus far but something is missing.

Part of me says I should leave it alone and the other part says it needs something dimensional.  Any thoughts out there?

New Work

I wanted to share a goofy sculpture I completed a short time ago.  It is all made with found objects.  I call this one Road Island Red.

Workspaces

I try to get to the studio at least twice a week at least to justify the money I spend on rent.  I do better when I go in with a plan and it also helps to take a couple of days off.  Today was one of those off days.

The weather was spectacular and I considered going to Newport but I decided to just hang around the city.  I took pictures and deleted most of them but I ended up with a couple of keepers.  Later in the evening I went to the Cable Car Cinema to see Six on the Camino.  Very interesting.

Today I thought I would share some pictures of my workspace.

We have a large open space with private studios but most people work out in this space.  It provides a sense of community.  Sometimes there is conversation but often we are in our own creative worlds.

I share my space with another artist who also uses it for storage and here it is:

Now you can see why I work out in the open space.

Attempt #2

I decided to rework a piece that I had done last year.  I bought this amazing canvas from Michael's and it just brought up a host of ideas.  However, this was not the result I had in mind but this is what I ended up with.

I thought it was an interesting concept at the time and I had always thought the collage image needed a good home but I also thought it had limited appeal.  So here is attempt #2:

Now this is what I wanted to do in the first place.  The pieces in the middle are from a piece of wood that I found on the beach and glued with a combination of Goop and PVA.  I would like to add a piece if glass or plexi bigger than the opening but I haven't figured out how to attach it.  I think some good glue would do it but I wonder if it would be seen since I am somewhat a sloppy gluer.

New Work

Here is what I have been working on for the past couple of days.  I started out with a piece of vellum bristol and just started putting paint to the paper.   I bought some new colors and just decided to have fun with them.  I don't have any pictures of the first stages but here is where I decided to stop and step back.

I thought it looked like Gertie, one of my studio mate's dog and just decided to go a little further with that.  Then I thought (perhaps a little too much) that the circle had to go because I didn't know if it belonged.  Some further thoughts made me realize that the line above Gertie's back didn't go any where either.  Both came out and here is where we are now:

I think I like it makes more sense now and I have to stop before it gets overworked.  I did change the color of the bottom "rung" of the street to be more blue and pink and I fattened up the bird's legs.  Time to leave it alone.  I gave it a title:  Gertie and Her Friend Go For a Walk

Something to Talk About

I just dropped of Pussy Cat Prius in Warwick and then decided to skip the studio since I did not have a good day there artwise yesterday.  I have a lot of computer work, which I hate, to catch up on.  What a time waster.

I did this piece a while ago having been inspired by some memory jugs.  This is fun to make and you get to use up those little things.

The process is simple but it takes some time.  I started with a vase and covered it in sections with 1/8 to 1/4 inches of air dried clay.  Then you simply imbed your objects.  You can use about anything such as buttons, beads, shells, small game pieces, pieces of pottery, etc.  I found it better to use a thicker layer of the clay so that the objects can be pushed deep into the clay.  If the objects fall off, simple glue them back in.  After I was done and the clay was dry, I put a wash of blue acrylic over the whole thing.

I would like to do more but I would use bigger pieces of ephemera, which would call for a thicker layer of clay but as you can see I got a little OCD.  I also recommend that you apply the clay in relatively small sections because the clay dries quickly.  Have a sprtizer filled with water handy and keep the unused clay in an air tight bag.  It also helps to store it with a damp paper towel if you need to keep the clay for several days.

New Show

Pussy Cat Prius made it into the Warwick Art Museum show.  I entered two pieces into Attleboro but neither got in.  Win some, lose some.  Of course the opening for both shows is the same night but in theory I could attend both openings.

In keeping with the car theme, I managed to pick up a hub cap on the street today.

Mercury Retrograde

Do you ever get the feeling that there is something odd out there?  People seem to be a little off and things just aren't going right and how everything you do puts you two steps backward?  Well that was today.  

The computer at the register gave its last breath and we had to run around more than usual.  I tracked down one of the girls to borrow her smart phone (because mine isn't) and confirmed what I had been feeling all day:  we are in a Mercury Retrograde cycle.

For those who are not familiar with the term, Mercury Retrograde means that the planet Mercury appears to be going backwards in the sky and since Mercury rules communication, there is often misunderstanding and confusion.  Machines break down and mechanical things do not run well.  The cycles run for about three weeks and occur three to four times a year.

So the lesson in all of this is to watch your words, listen carefully, and don't be surprised if your computer runs slow.