New Year’s Resolution - Cleaning

Let’s take a moment to laud the lowly stir stick.  Beautiful in their own right where would we be without them, after all?  As for me, I’d have very colorful fingers. Today is studio cleaning day which involves a lot of gathering and putting things into their rightful place.

The background is a handmade linen scarf we bought from a vendor in Belgium.  We were traveling on a particularly chilly day.  Gary bought a sweatshirt, I bought this scarf.  The two items made our day and we were nice and cozy after that!  I first laid the stir sticks on my desk, but the desk looks the same so it was like they were wearing camouflage.  Had to find a plain background! 🤭

This unsung paint sticks really ARE beautiful, aren’t they? And now I actually have them all in one place instead of scattered all over the house and garage.  Maybe.  Now... what else can I organize around here...

New Painting, Please Help Naming!

I need some help naming this; it reminds me of a river opening up and mixing with the salt of the ocean.  Two of my choices are ‘Delta’ or ‘Rivers to the Sea.’  Any help here?  Oh, and yes, I do have paint on our house.  So glad you asked.

This is one of my newest pieces which I am listing tonight. I really love the colors.  I took photos from different places so you could feel the warmth as the yellows and golds really leave a nice vein throughout and don’t show up in some lighting.  As you scroll I’m sure you’ll notice the difference.  

Oh man, I love these colors! They look very boho to me.  Maybe I should name it ‘Boho.’ ??

I hope you like it!  It will be listed at www.colorcatstudios101.etsy.com in about two hours.  18”x24” on gallery-wrapped canvas.

Art Show in The Woodlands

Last night Melody and I went to the opening of Argentine Art in Texas at Glade Gallery here in The Woodlands. We each chose a favorite painting.  Melody’s was a super thought-provoking piece by Ariel de la Vega.  It was done with pencil, cotton threads, ink and acrylic.  We both pretty much love it.  I chose a lush painting of peonies by Maria Marta Morelli.  If I had the patience to commit 200 hours to each painting, I’d paint like this; it is gorgeous! 

Super fascinating detail.

Oh, well, and the piano. Love. 

It was a fabulous evening (even if we missed the music.  Oh, well!)

An Artist’s Palette

Palette of the Day.  I think they’re beautiful just the way they are.  More than once I’ve thought I’d like to publish a book of studio images and palettes; really, I think it’s just all so beautiful.  I’ve been spending a lot more time in the studio these days, and one of my (multitudinous) goals is to spend even more time creating.  It’s a constant battle to get it all done, as I am sure you know.  Not sure about those books; I have a lot in me but finding the time to get it all out is a continual challenge.  Anybody else feeling this?

Bad Art

It’s what happens to half-finished bad paintings.

Step one:

Step two:

Paint it all under - now.  I’m free of it.  Time to begin again.

One thing a creative person does is stab out and do new things, even if scary, all the time.  And another thing an artist does is continually practice.  Practice, practice, practice.  One cannot be afraid to fail, one can only be afraid to not try.  This painting was bad.  NO big deal; I learned stuff.  I’ll take my ‘learnings’ and go on and continue to improve.  I acknowledge that it was bad, covered it up and go on a little bit better and a little bit smarter.  I guess that makes me the winner!

Happy New Year Artist Desk

Happy new year!  From my desk to yours.  My desk is sporting a lot of Golden paints, my favorite, Bubba!  When I get into the throes of painting I leave a wake of a mess behind me.  That’s what we’ve got here; I’m lucky to get the lids on straight.  Once finished with my work I go back and open each lid, clean off dry or oozing paint and get the lids on nice and tight.  As for the mugs?  The sock monkey has got to be my favorite student gift this year.  I think it came filled with cocoa or something.  Makes me smile every time I look at it.  The Nashville mug represents our church choir’s trip there this fall.  It was AWESOME!  We sang at the Ryman Auditorium, made a recording, went to the Country Music Hall of Fame, rode Segues all over town - SOO fun - toured Nashville in so many ways, went to the Johnny Cash museum, enjoyed the Dove Awards... and ate at Peg Leg Porker’s.  Wow.  Some of the best food we’ve ever HAD.

Interesting Finds

I’m thinking that I could intrigue someone well-versed in fluid mechanics with this, or, well, just curious people like myself.  Here is a closeup of a tiny spot in my 22x22” painting I just finished.  Do you see the absolutely perfect 9-pointed star?  That was complete happenstance which took place when I was manipulating the liquid paint.  I didn’t even notice it until I reviewed the video I posted yesterday and saw it in the video!  What are the chances of flowing liquids forming absolutely perfect nine-point stars anyway?  This tiny baby is about 1/2” in diameter, by the way.  Cool, huh?  It sealed my decision to name this piece ‘Hidden Gems.’

If there’s anybody out there that can explain what happened in layman’s terms, I’d appreciate it. :)