The Plan

This is a box with 435 pieces of 3" by 4" gessobord (yes, that's how it's spelled). They were 3" by 5" pieces, but I cut them down to be more properly proportional.


















This is a wet painting carrier David and I made today to hold at least twenty pieces of said gessobord. I can now take at least two weeks of painting material with me pretty much anywhere.

It is my intention to paint at least one painting a day. Failing that, I will paint however many it takes to catch up and still make my goal of 30 finished paintings a month for the next year.

I will paint at least one of these 3" by 4" gessobords a day. If I get more than one, or go for something bigger in addition, good for me.

I will attempt to post a picture a day. Again, if I fall behind, I will make it up.

Tomorrow starts the grand adventure.

Pray for me. :)

Poblano Pepper

"Poblano Smirk"
8" by 8"
Oil on Canvas












Here's the results of yesterday's trip to HEB Central Market. I've got one more painting of this pepper, but I don't like it as much.

I'm having trouble dealing with greens. Hmmm. Guess I need to paint more green peppers.

Tomorrow I will reveal my major plans and schemes for the painting year to come.

Much preparation was made today. More will be made tomorrow.

Tonight, off to beat the whippersnappers who work for my husband at Lazer Tag.

Old age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill.

Christmas flowers, pt. 3

"Christmas Poinsettia"
3" by 4"
Oil on Masonite













My Mother had this weird little scraggly poinsettia as a centerpiece on the dining room table for Christmas dinner. It was kinda the 'Charlie Brown' version of a poinsettia. And it was all pinks and yellows and greens rather than your traditional Christmas red.

I liked it, so here it is.

New Years is just around the corner and I'm chomping at the bit to start the painting a day.

Christmas flowers, pt. 2

"Big Mike's White Bogainvillea"
3" by 4"
Oil on Masonite













This is the single bloom on my Uncle's white bougainvillea bush on Christmas Eve 2007.

The bush (actually little more than a twig) was left at my parents house when my Uncle moved to Arizona. My Father attempted to care for it as best he could in it's tiny little plastic pot.

About a month ago, he couldn't stand how root bound it was so he re-potted it into a huge terra-cotta planter with new soil and good drainage. In return, the plant gave him a single bloom on Christmas Eve.

Christmas flowers, pt. 1

"Pink Bougainvillea"
3" by 4"
Oil on Masonite













Trying out the new format.

These tiny little canvases are a real challenge!

I painted three of them over the Christmas holidays. Here's the first.

And then there were three

"Crazy 3"
8" by 8"
Oil on Cradled Masonite











Here's the last of this series. I probably won't be posting for a few days due to the holidays, but I have resolved to start painting a painting-a-day for the next year.

I have a lovely box of 425, 3" by 4" pieces of gessobord. I intend to supplement this with larger pieces in addition, but the main goal is to have 365 finished pieces of 3" by 4" size, framed and ready to show.

Now to talk my Dear Husband into pledging to make the frames!

Happy Holidays!

Two of three

"Crazy 2"
8" by 8"
Oil on Cradled Masonite













I really enjoyed heavily stylizing these peppers. Hope someone else likes them too.

The fluidity of the lines is very important to me.

I'm wondering how far I can push it.

Back to peppers!

"Crazy 1"
8" by 8"
Oil on Cradled Masonite













I got a bunch of this Cradled Gessobord from Ampersand.

It's great! No frame needed! Just paint, varnish and hang.

So I did a series of crazy peppers to start. Here's the first.

Enjoy!

Dr. Sketchy X-Mas! Part four!

Untitled Unfinished Sketch
Oil on Masonite
9" by 12"














Well, here's number four. I started putting in the backgrounds on one through three and decided to take pictures of the process.

It's quite cool. I thought about posting them here, but decided I should keep this blog for finished work with just the occasional sketch.

As soon as they're finished, I'll post them here.

Tomorrow, we're back to peppers!

Dr. Sketchy X-Mas! Part three!

Untitled Unfinished Sketch
Oil on Masonite
9" by 12"














Here's sketch number three and the most unfinished of the four.

I had to start over on several as I had the bad habit of starting too far up the panel. Thankfully, I could wash the oil paint off with some Gamsol as it was mainly Liquin wash at this point, and reuse them.

Man, I love oil paint!

I took fourteen panels with me. I made four sketches I was happy with, two that were total failures and three that got wiped. The two total failures I set aside overnight to reexamine with a clear head the next morning (something I highly reccomend with a painting you're not sure of). They would have been too much trouble to fix, so I tossed them and decided to concentrate on the four ones I liked best.

Next time, I'll be better prepared and do better!

Dr. Sketchy X-Mas! Part two!

Untitled Unfinished Sketch
Oil on Masonite
9" by 12"










Here's my second sketch. I think this was a five minute pose.

I can't wait to start putting in the details!

Dr. Sketchy X-Mas! Part one!

"Fandancer"
Oil on Masonite
9" by 12"
Unfinished sketch








Last night David and I went to our first Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art class.

It was a blast! They had this incredibly beautiful burlesque dancer by the name of Cardinal Cyn posing.

I can't tell you how many too thin or too fat models I had to sketch in college. . . Bleh.

Cardinal Cyn was drop dead gorgeous and every pose was better than the one before. On average, each of these poses were held for five to eight minutes, so I had to work fast! It was such a challenge!

Here's the first sketch, and the one I'm most pleased with. I'll post the others all this week.

I hope to sit down and paint finished versions of these sketches soon.

I'm so psyched to do this again! I can't wait for next month's Dr. Sketchy!

Color Variation

"Ocho 2"

Oil on Masonite

9" by 12"

Decided to try another color option on my Ocho design. I'll probably try another two or three colors, so don't be surprised. I'm also working on a a squid!

The sun's shining bright here, so I'm trying to get caught up on all my picture taking. I've got another four or five peppers to show y'all as well as some new and exciting stuff.

Stay tuned!

Back to Cepholopods

"Ocho"
8" by 10"
Oil on Masonite

$75











From peppers back to octopi.

Isn't he fun? All painting should be this fun. :)

Don't worry; I painted a bunch more peppers this weekend.

More pics to follow!

Habenero Heros

"The Three Habeneros"
7" X 10"
Oil on Masonite

$75






Still more peppers!

I think the produce people at Whole Foods are getting suspicious.

I dug through two boxes of habeneros to find just the ones with the most interesting faces.

I've got another half dozen to paint yet!

Buckle up, it's only going to get weirder!

More Peppers!

Happy Habenero
8.25" by 8.25"
Oil on Masonite

$75










Hope you like peppers, 'cause I sure do!

Here's the latest with more to come!

This weekend I'm bringing this guy and a whole bunch more to Mother Egan's Pub on 6th street where I'll be selling paintings and scarves.

I'm so excited!