by Susan Lobb Porter | Art, Studio
October? Already???
Oh my sweetums, I have been neglecting you. Truly I have. After thirty new paintings in thirty days, being a complete creative overachiever I went cold turkey on the blog.
But I had a good excuse, had to get ready for Open Studios.
This year I took full advantage of the studio patio, setting up a display outside
So I could free up the inside for painting demos. Lots of painting demos. That’s why the table’s a mess, ’cause I was working. Making art.
I’ve been doing Open Studios for a few years now and I think this was my BEST one. Had a decent turnout, great people, lots of good feedback and some solid sales.
Most of all, I had FUN! OMG, yes!!! So much fun talking with people, answering questions, demonstrating techniques. Open Studios feeds me–and no, Im not referring to the Halloween candy and oranges you see up above (although that too). It feeds me in that feels-good-spot in my creative soul.
Note to self: Remember this next year. Pluh-eeze. Especially the month before when you’re pulling out your hair and going batshit crazy and wondering why the hell you’re doing this again.
Ahhh… so yes, two weekends of positive social interaction. And painting. And money in the bank. All good stuff. And now I’m back to making more art. Here’s what I finished today.
The Garden, Late Afternoon.
Mixed Media on Canvas 24″x24″
2014 Susan Lobb Porter
This started life as one of the 30/30 paintings, day 16. It was an ok painting and then I had this brilliant idea to glaze the lower half. But I used the wrong medium. Or maybe it was the wrong brush. It ended up looking like crap. So for one of the demos I threw on some gesso and tissue and began something totally different than what you see up there. No problem, it’s all about layers, right? Yesterday I pulled it out again and did a fairly representational view of my garden. And then, just when I finished last night, I stepped back, looked at it and said, “Ummm…no…”
Because I’m all about simplifying the image these days.
Before I could change my mind I grabbed a tube of Cadmium Yellow Medium and squeezed a big fat line of it it right onto the canvas. Then I took a squeegee and started moving it around. Made myself all kinds of happy. Finished it up today.
And Tuesday it’s going to the gallery.
Umm…life is good!
Until next week–
by Susan Lobb Porter | Art, Studio, Work in Progress |
Autumn is here. Blew in a day early, when summer was just on the way out. Came in with rain and wind, lightning and thunder. She who wears flip flops all summer now wears thick socks. Hoodies. Tonight I heard the coyotes yapping somewhere out in the forest beyond the back fence. It was early. Not early as in 2 AM. Early as in 7 PM … and it was almost dark.
So long daylight, see ya next summer….
But even more than the turning leaves, more than the mice moving back into the pantry, more than the extra blanket on the bed … the biggest sign of autumn for me is Open Studios.
To be more specific, the frenzy before Open Studios.
O. M. G. Breathe…
She who has more than enough paintings always feels she needs to make more more MORE. Like da Muse is on steroids. Somehow she is not called upon to clean the studio, not until the day before last minute.
But in the end it will all come together. Paintings will be finished (or not). Prints will be printed (or not). Matted (or not). The door trim I’ve been meaning to paint since last year will be painted (or not).
Did I ever tell you this is my FAVORITE time of year?
And now for a work-in-progress peek behind the process. I almost want you to close your eyes and don’t look at this first photo because it’s so b.a.d. but that would defeat the purpose of the rest of the post. So go ahead and look at it and know we all make mistakes.
This was a sucky painting. Oh, indeed it was. That’s because my head entered the picture. Said, hey do a river scene for the Open Studios. Ka-ching. Ka-ching. A nice abstract river thing that someone will B.U.Y. Because everyone loves our river.
So I did this thing of turbulent water and boulders. Cold wax and oils and it looked like shit not what I envisioned.
So the next day I went back and eviscerated the sucker. The top layer of oil and wax was still tacky, easy enough to remove. There was no moving the earlier layers but I liked the way they stained the plaster. This is on a plastered cradled board, BTW.
I scraped it down to the nubbins. All except an arbitrary triangle of gray that said Oh no! Not meeeeeeee!
When a painting talks, you MUST listen.
This bears repeating.
When a painting talks, you MUST listen.
And then, since I had NO IDEA where this was going, I began scribbling. Pardon moi, making marks.
Because marks are my creative breathing space. This is the point where the music and the physical movement of the mark making take over. I’m singing loudly, most likely off-key. I’m dancing around and frantically scratching into the painting with pencils, skewers, a scrub brush…whatever’s handy and GET DOWN with da muse.
Sunrise Over the Mountain
Susan Lobb Porter
This is where it stands now. Is it finished? Bets me, probably not. Am I happy? Oh my sweetums, I am indeed.
Blatant Plug #1: If you’re anywhere in northern California the first two weekends of October take a nice scenic drive to the gold country. Because really, what else are you doing when you could come and see me. There’ll be chocolate. And art. Lots of art, my own and that of 73 other artists all tucked away in our mountain studios. It’s free and if you didn’t already click on the link above you can download the map here.
I can only guarantee the chocolate at my studio.
Blatant Plug #2: This January I’ll be launching my first e-class. Holy crap, YES!!! I’m doing it! YAY!!! I’ll tell you more in future posts.
As always, I’d LOVE to hear from you in the comments below.
XOXO
