Today in the Studio

  listening to Marvin Gaye & Al Green + painting in a sunny studio =

A Perfect Day!

Well, as perfect as they come in my world.

Despite fighting a cold (I started getting a sore throat last night), I got into the studio around 10 this morning. One of the advantages of working in a home studio is that it's a lot easier to go to work when you're sick AND you can work in your jammies. It worked for me today.

I put some tunes on and went to work. I pulled out some canvases that I had started working on earlier in the month. They are all part of an abstract series with a predominantly gray palette.

I am trying to get as much work as possible done on this series this winter. One thing I have learned about my painting habits is that my palette of colors changes with the seasons. When the seasons change, I instinctively shift the colors I work with. During winter months, I like working in grays. Payne's Gray is one of my favorite colors...it has wonderful bluish tones.

The paintings I worked on today included two 30x10's and two 20x20's. The previous work I had done on these paintings included laying down some base color and texture. Here is where I started today:

The top photo is pretty much the finished product. I like the layering of paint on top of texture (detail below).

I painted till the afternoon light was starting to fade--over 5 hours of painting.

It was an awesome day.

Holiday Open Studio

Next week I will be hosting an open studio at my place. Here are the details:

Friday, December 2nd     6-9 p.m.

300 Broadway Street    Studio 107

St. Paul, MN

This event will take place as a part of Lowertown First Fridays and so a number of artist studios throughout Lowertown St. Paul will be open as well. It's a great opportunity to check out the local art scene and pick up a few individually created gifts just in time for the holidays. Tis the season to buy local!  But more importantly, this is an evening that I open my doors to friends and supporters to share my artwork and some holiday cheer. There will be plenty of treats! I hope you will be able to stop by.

Joining me in my studio December 2nd will be encaustic artist, Tara Tieso--one of her pieces is pictured above.

What is Encaustic? The word “encaustic” comes from the Greek, meaning “to burn in”.  In painting, a medium is created from a mixture of beeswax and resin, melted and pigmented.  The molten paint is then fused between each layer with fire.  The technique is one of the oldest painting techniques known, dating back to the first century.  Tara's encaustic pieces are abstract in nature and incorporate the use of charcoal, intaglio technique, oil paint, and of course, beeswax.

 Missed the Mark 24"x30"

I will also have two paintings in the Lowertown Artist Show, opening December 2nd (including the piece above). This is a juried art show of 50 artists who live and work in Lowertown St. Paul. Artwork will be on exhibit at the AZ Gallery and Black Dog Coffee and Wine Bar from December 2nd thru January 15th. If you are unable to make the December 2nd opening, please note that an artist reception, with live music, door prizes and refreshments, will be held the evening of December 10th.

Learning to Play...

Earlier this summer I was in a bit of a creative slump. I decided the best way to work my out of that slump was to surround myself with creative inspiration and to shift my focus from finished product to the creative process itself. It has become a summer filled with creative play and experimentation.

It was a struggle at first. I mean, when I'm painting I'm usually focused on creating a final piece that is polished and ready to show. It's hard to shift that focus. But as I started making my primary focus the creative process itself, I began experimenting with different techniques and products. Painting started feeling a lot more like play than work.

With that came a bunch of ideas and inspiration for new pieces. I still have to battle with feelings of being "stuck" and fear that I'm not creating anything that's "finished", but when those self-doubts hit I try to go back to my original concept--focus on the creative process, not the finished product.

Two months in, the shift in focus is paying off--not just in how I feel about painting, but in regards to creating a new series of work I think I will be ready to show this fall. I'm determined to stay focused and keep producing...but also to enjoy the process along the way.