Delivered and Moving On

I couldn't have been happier to deliver the 6 1/2 foot long double-sided resin box on Tuesday. I started it before I went out of town so the resin would have a chance to completely cure, and that's what saved me on that project. But the last step was pouring resin on the top, and I'm afraid I got a little cocky since everything had gone so well, and poured too much resin on the top, and it started running down the sides. I cursed loudly while grabbing a roll of paper towels and a bottle of alcohol. I caught it before it did any damage (thank goodness), but I was terrified at that point, thinking how close I came to ruining the whole thing. I was much more careful after that, and once the resin was spread, I closed the room up in plastic, and left it to cure. I applied car wax on it before delivery, and it looked really great.

There were five large paintings for that project, too, but they were photo paintings that I can do with my eyes closed now that I've done so many. Now it's delivered and invoiced I feel much better!

So it's on to the three other commissions I have in the studio. One is a 7' x 4' grid painting for a construction company. I've got the background painted, but haven't finished the design work. There's a second grid painting for a suite at Texas Clinic, it's a little smaller, 36 x 60. And the colors are completely different, as is the subject matter.

The third is a commission I finished yesterday, a 30" x 30" in the Glorieta series, for a law office downtown Dallas.

Also have been working on a lot of concepts for two large hotel projects. Developing new images is really hard. I have to create something from nothing in order to differentiate myself from other artists. I want to stand apart, but in a good way. There's a fine line. But I always love a challenge.

Wouldn't You Know

The designer has finally approved the sea shell casting. I was in such a hurry to get the samples to her that I didn't even take a picture! I'll have time for that later, but for now, the one she chose was the first pour, the one with a distressed surface from using too much mold release! It did create an interesting texture, so I think it was a good choice. I just hope it can be replicated. We'll know today, when the second set comes out of the molds. (fingers crossed)

I did get a two month extension on my major project, the 22 pc installation for the registration desk, but since I was already in the big middle of it, I haven't entirely put it away. Everything involved has multiple steps. I'm getting as many done as I can, so every layer has a chance to dry completely before the next step.

Yesterday I got approval for the next carving, to replace the one I did last fall that was not approved by the hotel owners. This is the sixth design; it was a struggle to get something that was acceptable to both the designer and the owner. I hope to be carving it tomorrow. And with the experience I got the last time I did this, I'm doing it outside so I don't have that terrible mess in my studio. The dust from carving foam has a static charge that won't let go.

36" x 36" carving

Also yesterday my client called to ask if I had any photography of colorful bowls. I said no. Then she emailed me what she had in mind, and in digging through old travel photos discovered that not only did I have exactly what she wanted, it was as though the photo she sent me as reference was mine, since it was in the same market in Istanbul, Turkey!

Had a great meeting with my new medical clinic client, and we chose all the artwork for the suite in two hours. Amazing! She understands that I'm traveling and then she's traveling, so I don't need to stress about deadlines with this project.

Have another project in the works for a large grid painting for a construction company, will meet with them next week. It seems it's always like this before I take a trip.

The Final Final

The promised photo of the Texas Clinic grid painting. Another thing I thought of regarding my deadline extension is that my solo show comes down on Nov 5, which means that whatever didn't sell out of that show I can use in the clinic. That gives me even more breathing room.

On the table in front of it is one of the giclees I've just printed for a hotel in Fort Worth. There are two of those and I've varnished them this morning so they will be ready for delivery tomorrow.

I'm going to take more personal time today, and maybe go to the Greek Festival. It feels great to be more relaxed and not under so much pressure. whew

Finishing Feels Good

Texas Clinic grid painting, 120" x 60" x 4"

I completed the Texas Clinic grid painting yesterday. I've looked at it a hundred times, and still happy with it, so it will come down off the wall, so two new canvases can go up. They are the last two to be painted for this project.

I'm going to the framers today with photographs for the same project. The deadline is getting nearer, but I'm making good progress.

I worked in a couple of photo shoots yesterday, and today will do the same. Although the TC is a major project, it's not the only thing on my schedule right now, and I still have to keep up with those things.

Painting a Cow

First thing this Sunday morning I painted a cow. It's not quite as neon colored as it looks on my monitor. Maybe it will look different on yours. I did intentionally make him/her more colorful than my reference photo, though, because I decided that overall the painting needs more color.

I'm still printing, and will run out of ink again before tomorrow morning. At least it will be Monday and I can make yet another run to the ink store. At least I'm collecting all this valuable data and can plan better next time. I hope. I think I'm going to make my deadline, yay!

Painting and Printing

Current shot of the Texas Clinic grid painting. I've moved it to my top row of nails so I can paint the bottom.

It seems like a never ending cycle. And I'm really having trouble multi-tasking. There are three major components to my artwork production right now. Digital mockups,( including processing digital photographs), printing, and painting. I can't move between painting and printing because of contamination. Paint, I mean. If it gets on me, it will surely travel to a print easily. Can't have that.

I'm enjoying the painting process so much I let the printer stop. I have to take a shower and scrub myself before I can start it up again because I have completely lost track of how many images I've printed. I have to count and pack, and get them out of the way so they're protected.

I'm planning to get out of the house for awhile today and attend the 40th Anniversary celebration of Southwest Gallery. Several of my friends will be there and it will be nice to be social for a change.

Getting My Hands Dirty

In preparation for attacking this big white canvas I had to clear the studio of all the digital printing I've been doing for days. Once again I lost track of how many of each I printed, and came up short by 22. Those are printing right now. The rest are in a safe place.

It's a good thing because my first step in painting one of the grid series is throwing paint. Yes, literally. My preferred background color has always been quinacridone gold, and I'm using the very last little bit of it on this painting. The color is not being made anymore, and my stash is depleted. Nothing else (including Nickel Azo) I've found has come close to the color and staining abilities. Ah well.

An important lesson I learned earlier this year is to cover myself with liquid gloves. Really does a good job in protecting my skin from the paint that inevitably makes it way to anything uncovered. Yes, I should cover my hair, but I don't. I do lay newspaper down on the floor though, and that helps a lot with drips....because after the paint throwing comes the spray bottle!

Then I use water soluble crayons to write on the canvas. Sometimes prayers, sometimes things about the painting itself, sometimes numbers, just whatever comes into my head. I always say my mantra at this point, and often it goes on the canvas, too.

I'm happy to be painting. I've spent too many hours at this computer doing mockups for hotel rooms, and all this digital printing that's still going on. At least I'm down to one printer now, which frees up the other one to print photography for Texas Clinic. I hate to jinx it by saying this out loud, but I think I'm on schedule to meet all foreseeable deadlines!

I Saved $90

The last time I had a huge canvas transportation was a big issue. I finally paid a local delivery service $120 to bring it to me from about 8 miles away. This time I was more prepared, had searched out individuals with pickups who advertise on Craigslist. A nice guy and his wife delivered this beauty. It's 120" x 60" and will be a custom grid painting for Texas Clinic. He only charged me $35, so with a $5 tip he well deserved, I got a real deal. That's my dog Dempsey you can barely see. Wanted to show the scale of this thing.

But how can I turn off the studio lights and pack for NYC with this enticing surface seducing me? No, I won't do it. I won't get out the paints and dirty it up. I'm packing. The work day - heck the whole work week- is over for me, and I'm outta here!

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!

Texas Sized Approval

Texas Clinic grid painting, 90"w x 50"h, digital mockup

Got approval on another painting for Texas Clinic. This time the client says "I love it!", so that makes me happy. It will be stretched on 4" bars, gallery wrapped, no frame, installed in the elevator lobby on the first floor. The signature piece.

Inspiration of the Day: Completion

Painful Lessons

Ouch! The lessons you remember the best are the ones that hurt the most - and I'm hurting today!

It's doesn't help that it's entirely my fault. This canvas is 60 x 90, stretched. It started as a painting by somebody else that I've had for many years. One day recently I painted over it, thinking it was an ugly painting, but a great textured surface. I layered several coats of gesso, then painted the background as you see above. I gridded it off, and started the painting. It's a travel theme, and the first square was Niagara Falls. I used some really strong tape to tape off the edges of the Eiffel Tower square, and when I pulled it off, not only the paint but all the texture down to the raw canvas came off. Looks like it was prepped with joint compount, which has now turned all powdery. There's no connection at all between any of the previous layers of paint (the old painting) and the canvas surface. I'm trashing it.

On top of that, I was submitting photography images for a project, and when I resized four of them to email, I accidently saved over the original files! Yikes! I do have a backup, so I'll be okay, but I sure felt like ... well, you know.

I have received the new power supply for my external hard drive. It's very intimidating. The tech guy assured me that it's very easy to install "just 12 screws". But the way the day is going, maybe I should wait til tomorrow.

Published Again

Sunrise on Hawley Lake

Twice in a week I've had my work published as illustrations for books. Last week it was a painting for the catalog of University of Massachusetts Press, this week a photograph is used for one of the chapter headings in the highly entertaining and insightful new book from Scott Berkun, "Myths of Innovation" (available at Amazon). Both times they found me on the internet. Amazing!

The image above is neither one of those, but one that I took in Arizona in the White Mountains. A client has a need for Arizona photography so I'm looking through my inventory and came across this idyllic image.

I'm working on my newest grid painting today. It's based on travel, and the first square is Niagara Falls. Fun!

Went to the gym this morning, trying to work out some of the soreness in my back from all that purging I've been doing.

20 Spa Paintings

No rest for the weary!

My studio had to be cleaned up in between projects, because of incompatible materials. Didn't take five minutes to mess it up again. Done with the backgrounds of all twenty paintings, took three layers of paint for each one to get the right color and blend. Next are the symbols. Some letters, insects, and shells. They will be stretched and framed in a deep shadowbox, arranged in a grid, for a hotel spa in San Diego.

Revisiting Old Series

"Skysquares 10" 24 x 24 acrylic on paper

When I got a call from a client in Denver I wasn't excited about doing a few new pieces of Skysquares, a series I had long since retired. I found new energy once I started them, splashing the sky colors, but tinting them to more current tints. Then I noticed they were grids!

Then when I did the grid overlay I decided on transparent interference colors instead of the opaque metallics I used in the past. It made all the difference. Now the grid of squares dances in the light and comes in and out of focus depending on the angle of view. I love them again!

More Artist's Conversations

I love when I can meet up with artist's friends to talk about our favorite subjects, painting, techniques, galleries, you name it. We covered a lot of that tonight when I had dinner with Nita Leland and Cheryl McClure. We couldn't stop talking, one topic quickly leading to the next. Nita is in town giving a workshop at Artist's Showplace, where I was once part owner. I still don't regret walking away from that (too much work kept me out of the studio) but I do miss the community of friends. It's not far from my house, and I really have no good reason that I haven't kept up with anyone, except that if I'm in town, I'm working.

I did get approval from the mockups I delivered on Tuesday, so that's a go for four 18" x 66" paintings, and eight 18" x 15". They will be installed in sets of three, a small one, the long one, then another small one, to create a long horizontal. And they'll be hung in Mercury Grill, a high end restaurant in North Dallas.

Also got color approval for the 20 small paintings for a spa in San Diego, they will be framed in floater frames and hung together in a grid. A nice periwinkle blue. So that's also a go. Both of these projects have short turn around times, so all of a sudden I'm really busy.