Momentum to start and finish

"Red, Red Wine" 16x20 acrylics on canvas

I have been sickly this year.  It seems when I suddenly got sick last December, I haven't really fully recovered.  Most days I've woken up feeling as weak and in pain.  But some days I wake up as if I never felt sick at all.  Those are the days I make sure I painted even though my stamina seem to only support just a few hours of energy.

It takes too much time to get my momentum going sometimes it's so frustrating!!!  So when I saw Heather Sim's photo of the wine she and her husband had been bottling lately, I too wanted to bottle up my urge to paint it!  Fortunately for me she agreed!!!  She's a wonderful artist so I wouldn't be surprised if she too wanted to paint it.  But she was generous as always.  My painting above was possible because of her photograph :) Please visit her website http://www.heathersims.com

This is how I began to draw her photo.  But it went flat quickly for me and I wasn't able to go back to my easel for a while because I didn't feel well and I knew this was not how I wanted to paint the photo.  Lines were too clean. 

I have very few regrets in my life, very few.  I can count them in one hand I think.  This is because I do pretty much go for what I really want to do when I have the opportunity.  One was I missed the Supermoon this month :(  We live among trees and I simply couldn't spot it.  The other thing is I haven't played my guitar all day long like I used to.  I have different priorities?  I guess college days my priorities were simpler: go to class and meet deadlines.  Mom cooked and did laundry etc.  So I was afforded extra hours of doing whatever else I wanted to do.  And this is how the next painting was born.  Above image was how I attacked the canvas.  As you can see I couldn't decide how the heck I should position the made up figure.  My friend Linda happened by and I made her sit on the floor so I can see if I had the figure impossibly twisted.  Apparently I was ok hahahaha  I pretty much make people do something for me when they visit :)  I don't have a decent photo of the painting yet, too big to scan for me.

© Cassi Lapp/ Weekly Vista

I was recently interviewed by our local paper.  It worked out so it was the day I delivered my new paintings to Gallery Square.  The reporter, Cassi Lapp was kind enough to transport the paintings for me so I was able to wheel over to the gallery to meet them.  Above is gallery director Terry Crowe Semler.  Thankful for the art community in my new town Bentonville, Arkansas and always thankful for loved ones, good friends, good people :)