mountain house

it's been a heck of a month.  after my last post about my doggie, there was another surgery.  that makes three times that they have opened him up.  and all due to some pesky peach pits.  i truly think he is on the mend for good this time.  he is eating like a logroller (AKA labrador), and has the sparkle back in his eyes.  who would have thought that a month later we were still dealing with the after effects of a backyard snack??

the good news about nursing a dog back to health, is that it keeps an artist home.  and in my case, being home is a good formula for getting artwork done.  this weekend i finished my large painting, and also got some game piece boxes done.  i will post some pics of the boxes when they are 100% dry.  they need a day to set up completely before i can seal them and photograph them.  my plan is to take them to a friend's gallery to sell.  

in the meantime, here's a picture of the painting.  the right side is cut off a tiny bit, and you can't see the sides of the canvas, which i have left cadmium red medium.  that's also the color of the underpainting.  

i'm going to hang it for a few days to see what might drive me crazy.  anything look like it needs a change to you?

what a week.

it's been a hell of a week here at the fweger household.  no artwork was being made, that's for sure.  we think we are finally out of the woods...cross fingers and toes.  long story short, our adorable and voracious labrador decided to have a peach picnic.  he ended up in the dog hospital, and after a week including surgery, X-rays, ultrasounds, a barium swallow, and many days on IV fluids, is finally ok.

needless to say, not one hour was spent in the studio.  i did manage to pack up work to send to one show, and apply to another.  but that was it.

yesterday and today i have finally been painting.  here is a sneak preview.  it has a long way to go. to compound that, the canvas is huge--36 inches square.  so far, it's the largest painting i have ever done.  i am a couple of hours in, and expect it to be a long time in coming to fruition.  

after the painting, i am going to concentrate on more prints.  i haven't decided whether to re-apply to the cherry creek arts festival, but i am going to spend the next two months getting ready, just in case.  i have some ideas that involve multiple prints, using thread as a drawing tool, and mounting work on cradled hardboard vs. matting and framing.  so we will see...

i really liked doing the CCAF, but it was pretty intense.  i'll see if i have the stamina this year!!  i honestly don't know how many of these artists spend so much time on the road.  it's hard enough shuffling the work and the tent and the other necessaries when you live 20 minutes away.  i can't even imagine driving 500 or more miles.  i had a tough enough time balancing kids, dogs, and one weekend. i have a truly new appreciation for the arts fair people.  they are some tough cookies.

ok, here you go:

brush is moving again!

i've had a bit of a dry spell.  i think i needed a little break, as i had been going non-stop making art for over 2 years.  we decided to have our invitational this holiday season, so there was really no need to push for the  winter show.  so i made ornaments for the shop, and stopped there.

my husband asked me the other day if i might consider making some art for christmas presents this year.  and since it was snowing today i decided to stay in and paint.  nothing grand, but it was good to get the brush moving.  i decided on a small piece using gouache on black paper.

the first two shots show the work in progress.  i draw with graphite on the black paper, and then fill in color on either side of the line, leaving the black showing.  it's a really fun process.  i will tell you that my eyes are crazy tired when i am done, though.  the last step is to erase all of the pencil so it looks finished. i like the almost naive look the slightly undulating black line gives.  this one is about 5x5 inches, and took me a couple of hours.  i use acrylic gouache, which is like really nice tempera paint.  it's really opaque and has a matte finish, which i love.

that's all for now.  time to put it in the frame and wrap it for the receiver!!

good news/bad news

the bad news?  my class with lynn perella was cancelled this week in taos.  i was really looking forward to a week-long retreat with other collage artists.  dang.  it seems like the weather in west texas screwed up the transmission of natural gas in the pipeline to new mexico.  so most of northern new mexico has had no gas since thursday. (today is sunday).  this is just awful, because most people depend on gas to heat their homes.  i am hoping that the end of this happens very soon.  we truly don't know when the gas will go back on.  so i'm saying a little prayer for the people there.

the other bad news is that my dear husband is sitting in our house in taos with no heat.  he left on friday, and is still waiting for the gas.  i guess they finally turned off the meter late last night (saturday), and hopefully they will be around sometime today or tomorrow to turn it back on.  they say that everything must first be turned off, then the pressure in the lines need to be restored, and then they have to once again go house to house and re-light the gas.  with over 30,000 people in need of these steps, it's gonna take a long time.  

the good news?  our pipes were saved by my hero from being frozen.  he has space heaters in the bathrooms and laundry room keeping it warm.  he's a bit chilly in the larger living spaces, but he has an electric blanket, and has figured out to heat water in the coffee pot to wash with.  he says he's bored silly, can't really leave the house because if he does he might miss the gas workers.  and if you aren't there when they come, they tag your house and then you have to make an appointment to get a re-light.  i know everyone is trying their very best, but it's a gargantuan mess.

the other good news?  well, you can see it in the photo above.  my most recent junk trip. i went to the antique mall and found all of this for under $20.  i am feeling quite proud.  i don't exactly know what i will do with all of these treasures, but they will show up somewhere in the near future.  

lulu

this is the second one. her name is "lulu". i know that because the old photo she was inspired by tells me so. it's inked in on the border of the picture. she is collaged on canvas and then spray painted on top using stencils. i think there were about 5 or 6 stencils in total. the background is collaged with paint chips from the home depot. (don't tell them). i had fun with her. my favorite part is her skirt, which is made from a piece of hand-made paper from india. 12x30"

i have still been a bit down lately. i don't know if i'm having trouble adjusting to not teaching, or what. when i left school i was afraid i would miss the interaction with people, and i think i do. i am a introvert at heart, but i like being in the presence of people when i am working. i have spent lots of days alone, which is nice because i get a lot done, but some days i miss the camaraderie. i also think that i am having a hard time adjusting to not having ben around as much. he is a lucky guy, having lots of friends and a full social calendar. but he is not home as much. i am really glad for him, and swell with happiness that he is having fun. but i still miss him. i know i need to get used to it. in 3 short years he will be away at college, working on completing the transition to the wonderful mature person he will be.

ok...time to work. i cut a series of stencils yesterday for another spray paint/collage piece. it's a house, and i plan to make a large piece using the house stencils with the stencils from the two women i have already finished. i think i will do a piece with only the house, too. we'll see how it goes.

little boxes

a new painting that measures 12x30". it's acrylic on a deep wrapped canvas. i like the whimsical look and the bright cadmium red. not too serious.

i had two days in a row in the studio. i have been putting out the prints like crazy, and decided i needed a break. i divided up the canvas, and worked out the color scheme of the boxes. i kept trying to get an abstract painting. for a whole day i painted and painted, experimenting with layering and dripping. it just wasn't working out. on the second day i was walking to the bank and got the idea of the houses in each box. i wanted them to be simple (there's a lot!!)

so i just started putting them in each box (i needed to paint all of the drips out first, which really was a big pain in the butt). the end product came out pretty cool. it's a bit folksy but still modern. and i like the fact that everything is a little off and crooked. and it was fun!! isn't that the goal? to enjoy what one is doing? well, i sure am!!

btw, i tried to download the whole painting but because the blog edits the dimensions of the photo, the whole thing won't show. too long and thin for the space. sorry. i will try to get a full shot on the website if i can figure it out...check it out on sk3tchbook.com

(later) i did it!! i was able to finally put a full-sized image on the site! you have to click on the detail, and then it will come up on the next page. call me brilliant, huh?