Endlessly Tweaking

If a painting stays around here past it's time, I keep painting on it. That's not always a good thing. Sometimes I regret the "additions" but it's not digital and I can't go back or use the "history brush". Yes, there's a painting in my studio like that right now. The one above. It's still not finished, I have to add one more photo in the bottom right hand corner. They just decided that today. This is for a construction company, and I used photographs of elements in their yard to create the abstract patterns. There are three photographs, but everything else is painted. The eagle in the top left is an award they won. It's a sculpture, and I painted it from a photo I took.

I really need this painting out of here. It's BIG and I need the room. Plus, it's distracting! I can't stop painting on it!

I'm going to have to push back a deadline for six paintings for a hotel in Detroit. I'm going down to south Texas to visit my dad this weekend, and consequently lose three work days. But, hey, it's just art, right? Problem is, I got the purchase order when I was in California, and I'm already late. I'm doing the best I can!


This is one of my photos from California -- such an inspiring coastline.

Taking My Time

Invariably I am swamped with projects before I leave for a trip. This time is no exception. I'll be gone for three weeks, and there are several deadlines during that time, which means I'm working like a madwoman! I have projects in every room of my house, not just the studio. I am printing on metal in my second office for the large registration installation, printing original photography for public spaces for another hotel in my main office, the front studio is full of platforms in various stages of completion, my slant wall holds an abstract painting commission, the table in the living room is covered with sketches for another carving, the kitchen holds glass bowls of colored water where I'm adjusting color recipes for the cast resin pieces, my back studio table holds the printed metal photography which is being coated with layers of clear varnish. So when I got another purchase order yesterday afternoon, I almost went over the edge! But how could I say no to this? It's the hotel in Arlington that I did etched glass for back in the 80s.

This is the original glasswork that I did in the 80s. At the time the wavy pattern matched the fabric on the chairs.

Door to the lounge, I sandblasted the logo back in the day! Soon to be replaced.

This is the colorboard for the new space.

This is the drawing of the photographs and installation of artwork for the new space. The photos are mine, black and white, which will be printed on 44" x 44" plexi and mounted with standoffs. Cool installation.

It's just so very odd that my work would be featured so prominently in the same hotel I worked on twenty years ago! I have original photography in every guest room, and according to the PO I just received, twenty large scale photographs for public spaces. Amazing.

The good news I received after that PO was a phone call that one project's deadline has been pushed back two months. Yay! I can finish it up after I get home, and can go visit my Dad in South Texas without worrying.

Today I'm in yard, it's time to plant flowers!

On Track

Painting #2 for Charlotte hotel. This is the one that is based on geometry.

I'm glad I have a trip coming up this week. A deadline like that is always motivating in all areas. I make sure my bills are paid, pick up the house, wash clothes, organize my camera equipment, clean my studio, make sure my laptop is ready to go.

Yesterday I transferred 70gb of photos off my laptop to one of my hard drives. At the same time I've been working on painting #3 of a project. I hope to finish it today. It's an abstracted landscape. I'll take a picture when I'm done.

I got approval on painting #2 yesterday, so it's a go.

I am supposed to be submitting imagery for a hotel in Burbank, but I haven't been there and don't really know what's appropriate. Guess I'll get more info about that today.

Thank you to everyone who has emailed me with great suggestions on what to see in New Orleans!

Inspiration for the Day: French Quarter

Using What You Got

I'm in my last phase of printing images for Texas Clinic. Instead of starting over from scratch developing new photography to combine with paintings for digital constructions, I am using photography that I already created for a different job. Why reinvent the wheel, right? I am creating these the same way that I do digital mockups, cutting and pasting, really.

It's good to be working on something that doesn't have the level of anxiety of the carving. I took photos of the final piece before I delivered it to the mold makers yesterday. This is a nerve-wracking process. First I have never worked in that medium before (foam carving). Second, I've never had this company make a mold, and third, we have a Nov 1 install date. Yikes! Even my client called me last night (after work hours) for reassurance that it's all going to be good. How the heck do I know? We're all doing our best and trusting in a good finale.

Deadline Monsters

Texas Clinic grid painting, 120" x 60", in progress

I'm scared of a deadline. But it's a healthy fear that completely motivates me. Over the years I have found that lacking a deadline I don't do much. These days I'm in overdrive. I really did not fully grasp how long printing these 900+ images would take. I was up at 4:15 this morning changing paper in one of the printers. I still don't know if I'll make the deadline. These are big images and take almost 20 minutes to print one. That means 8 12 hour days for the batch! I'm running the printer longer than that, but still it takes time to tally, to change ink and paper, to pack, etc. I decided not to sign them just because I didn't want to spend the time to do it.

I do feel like the printing is under control, though, and I'm back to the studio painting. The picture above shows the progress of the grid painting for Texas Clinic. I usually design these paintings digitally, make a printout, then change things as I feel it. I've marked off the grids, and started underpainting. Since this painting is already finished in my mind I'm relaxed and enjoying the process.

Got a call from the framer yesterday and everything for the solo show is completed, so that's off my mind, too. I install Oct 2 and the show runs through Nov5 at the Smith Art Gallery and Scott and White hospital in Temple, TX.

Painting, Traditional and Digital

Texas Roundup, 4' x 4' acrylic on canvas

Another day of multi-tasking. Moving between a canvas on my studio wall and the virtual canvas of my monitor.

I never expected my client to call and ask me to create a catalog of digitally created images. When computer generated art was first developed, it was looked at with scorn. Now there are companies who sell only that. Amazing! And the pitiful (to me) example I whipped up with a photograph and Photoshop was so well received by my client that they are clamoring for more. Like a whole catalog of imagery they can mix and match.

Digital Art

I actually am encouraged to do exactly that, since looking over the recent bid package I received for a massive hotel/resort project. It's mostly digital art!

I'm getting panicky looking at my deadlines looming. I have to install my solo show on Oct 2. Yikes!

Daylong Decision-Making

I got another commission today, for fifteen small paintings. Almost abstract line drawings, really, on a painted background. I was told they will all be framed with tiny black frames and hung side by side in a three row grid over a kingsize bed in an elaborate residential setting. I was asked to do mockups for each one, which I will do digitally, but not today.

Today I've concentrated on Texas Clinic, what goes in, what doesn't. What goes where so that it looks fabulous and all flows appropriately from one space to the next. The mixed media painting above will go over a double water fountain in a niche. I'm almost done placing everything, my challenge now is to design the originals that will grace the main entry on the first floor. There will be three large paintings in addition to the large Texas grid painting that I posted a few days ago. There's also a large painting to design for the second floor elevator lobby. So out of eighty pieces (actually I've added a few to that) I only have about six left that I haven't visualized yet. Still, I have less than two months to go, so time is of the essence!

Sixty Sheets of Silver Leaf

Silver Box, 40 x 40 x 2

This is the "painting" I've been working on while running the big print job. Started with the box, two coats of gesso, then a texture coat. Glued on the nuggets and jewels after that, then coated them with gesso. A heavy coat of blue paint came next. Then I applied skeleton leaves randomly at the bottom. When that was dry I applied the leaf adhesive. It dries pretty quickly in the summer, so I didn't have much working time to apply the leafing. Of course the hardest part was getting it applied to all the jewels and leaves.

The painting is not finished yet, it gets a coat of sepia glaze next. I'll have to do a couple samples to determine the best way to apply the glaze to get the look I'm trying for. But all in all, should be done today, and will deliver all the flower prints for San Diego, plus this big silver painting tomorrow. Another deadline met.

Solving Technical Problems

Dahlia I, guestroom art for San Diego hotel, 22 x 22

It wasn't my fault. Trashing so many ruined images inspired me to research every possible solution to my printer problem. I dug through the Epson website. I read blogs. I gave up.

I changed paper, and everything is running smoothly once again. Forty more prints and I'm done with printing guestroom art for a Mission Valley, San Diego hotel. Whew. I'll be returning the two rolls of paper that would not feed through my printer to my supplier next week. They have promised a refund.

Thank goodness I've also been painting during this ordeal, otherwise I would have gone crazy. Painting is so soothing to me, and when my hands were busy my mind was investigating different possible solutions.

The sun came out yesterday for the first time in a long while. Today may be my first day in the pool this year. Amazing weather patterns.

An Off Day

It was bound to happen. Not every day can be spectacular. Today I've had a run of bad luck.

I'm having trouble with a print job. Repeated paper jams, after the image has completely printed. I've thrown away 9 images today because they got stuck in the printer and ripped. These are big - 23 x 23 - full color, so we're talking $$. Ouch!

Every time the printer jammed I had to reboot my computer to clear the print spool. My computer doesn't want to shut down and restart anymore. Several times it just refused. I got very nervous.

I've called a computer repair place who does office calls. I think I'm going to have to do three things. 1. Reload Windows on my old computer. 2. Get a new computer. 3. Get a new printer.

My Epson 9600 is five years old and it's well used. New 9800's came out last year, and I think it's finally time to upgrade. Epson is offering nice rebates right now, almost $1000, which really makes it attractive.

So what else went wrong today? Since my images didn't print right I had to hand trim several of them, and sliced off a piece of of my left index finger with a razor blade. Why did I use a razor blade? I always do - nothing unusual about that.

What else?

My client called (about 10 times today) looking for photos that I don't really have. I didn't have time to do much of a search, because I've been rebooting most of the day. So that's a job that's passed me by.

I also didn't have time to reply back to three other things they asked me for.

Sigh.

Tomorrow will be better.

Working Weekends

I don't have the luxury of days off right now. After completing the Art Placement and Budget for Texas Clinic, I am doing the physical layout of the project on the floor plans. Everybody likes a visual. This way the owner can clearly see the original concept of 15 pcs and the new one of 79 pcs! Yes, quite a difference.

I have broken the budget into thirds, 25% due with budget approval, 25% with art approval, and 50% on delivery. Believe me, I need every minute of the next 3 1/2 months to complete this project. No summer vacation or artist residency for me this summer. In all honesty, I much prefer a four month period of constant painting to traveling off to an exotic location trying to think of something meaningful to create. This is better than a residency - I have long walls of public spaces to fill with art!

With Texas Clinic floor plans on the table in the living room as project No.1; I have project No. 2, three more paintings for Mercury Grill, with three layers of gesso hanging to dry; and No. 3, three photo paintings for the Worthington hotel also in progress. Here at the computer is project No. 4, 10 photographs to print for the Worthington, and project No. 5, the digital creation of image #2 for the golf resort, now that the first image has been approved.

Oh, and I have to have something ready soon - a concept at least!- for my solo show in October.

Maybe I'll take November off.

Past the Tipping Point

Mercury 3, 18" x 66"

This is the third in the series (of the largest paintings). Happily, things are moving along much smoother now. The first one of anything is always the hardest, but I always forget when I am in that state of a project.

Mercury 3 detail

This detail shot shows the texture of the three gesso layers, then the inscribed lines, and the lines created by the oil pastels.

Yesterday was much more relaxed. I used my mantra, had my studio cleaned (uncluttered), and got a massage. I have finished companions to these three pieces, so that's nine total completed. Only three to go, which means I WILL make my deadline on Monday.

Thank you to everyone who has responded positively about this series, I appreciate the support.

My schedule is rapidly filling. April is over for me for all practical purposes. I have painting deadlines, and a workshop in California. Have nothing in May so maybe that would be a good time to drive down to the south Texas coast, do a little lying on the beach and visit my dad. I wanted to go in April for his 92nd birthday, but things got away from me.

June I'll be going to Oregon for a photography workshop. July is a family trip to Pennsylvania where we will spread my sister's ashes. I'm combining that with the great tourist attraction of all time, Niagara Falls.