Hope Springs!

Today I received my sketchbook from Art House Co-op's Sketchbook Project 2012.  This will be my latest attempt at creating art.  With our continued effort to move and sell our previous home, we've been too busy and a bit stressed about the whole "downsizing" effort.  So far all my art supplies are filling up the 2-car garage  yikes!  Yet I don't think I have an art room to speak of in our new (older) home.  It does cause me to question if I want to continue being a visual artist!  It takes so much supplies and space to do this unless I want to limit myself to small format or nothing bigger than 8x10 - then fork out the money to have everything custom framed.  I just can't express myself well in those tight dimensions.

In the meantime we can only focus on what's here.  That there's too much and there's only the two of us who will mostly have to sort through it.  For now, I'll throw out a question to the universe if I really should pursue this thing called Fine Art or go explore a different creative outlet.  For now, I will participate in this Sketchbook Project just to have a small string tethered to the fine artist in me.  My theme is "Hope" :)

http://www.arthousecoop.com/users/artbyerika/artwork

 Somewhere here is projected to be a space for my art creation.  It's windowless and dark.  I know this whole plan is good.  I will keep a look out for more direction :)

By the way I am uploading some images for merchandising in my Zazzle store.  They have a special until Nov. 6 for 50% on cards  code:4EVERYMOMENT  http://www.zazzle.com/artbyerika  <--my Zazzle store :)

DPW flower and reflection challenges

Since I all my plans didn't quite work today, I was determined to at least get some painting done finally.  So I braved the 98°.  This challenge put forth by James Coulter on Daily Paintworks, instructed outdoor painting for an hour only.  It was almost 10AM when I finally stepped out the door to paint my blackeyed Susans which were planted by my neighbor Shirley for me by the gazebo.  They looked tired so I watered around first to give them a chance to perk up a little bit.  After I carried everything I needed outside I realized I was using a different tripod/easel which was not compatible with my artbox.  So I ended up just holding my artbox on my lap and proceeded to paint after I set my mobile phone timer to 60 minutes. 

 "Blackeyed Susan in 98° Heat" 12x9 oil on canvas

This next photo was the beginning and after that, 30 minutes later I had what I thought was gonna be the finished painting within an hour.  But I actually feel pretty good about the painting after 50 minutes of working in the heat and the ants that made their way to under my sundress.  I now realize one doesn't wear sundress plein air painting.  But I enjoyed being outside, hearing soft movements among trees and ground from birds and other moving things.  Butterflies visited the flowers but I didn't bother to paint them in.  Of course I actually could have painted them since they were so wiped out by heat and were very thirsty.  But my brushes wouldn't have done them justice.  I still have 10 minutes I didn't use, I wonder if I should tweak a bit more?  I finally got in the house after hauling everything back in at 1PM.  Suffering for the love of painting outdoors is fun as long as I have air-conditioned house to come home to ;)

 

^^First stage of the painting^^

 "Cherries and Cream Reflections"  2.5"x3.5" watercolor on paper

I painted this last week for the DPW Reflections challenge.

I am brave enough to report that I've failed my 30-day painting challenge.  I had to forfeit because my dear artist neighbor Shirley sold their house and were moving to another state.  I helped her for two weekends at her garage sale.  She had given me artist furniture and other supplies and I had to make room for them in my art room.  And since my art room was already busting at the seams, I had to move most things out so I could rearrange and sort through things.  When I decide to organize, I try very hard not to just pile everything back in.  I really sort. 

Above is the new development.  I moved my desk at the corner where I am now surrounded by windows on two sides.  These pics are actually from last week.

This the artist furniture Shirley gave me.  I had been DREAMING of having something like this!  What a wonderful gift! :)

One view of the old pile.  It doesn't look half this bad anymore.  But my rotator cuff problem has flared up again.  As I was painting today it reminded me of watching Serena Williams play tennis with a lot of grunting.  But all I was trying to do was raise my hand up to my eye level.  Hey, the painting looks pretty good though :)