by Susan Lobb Porter | Art, Random Acts of Art |
I WILL write my post tonight. I will. I will. But there are SO MANY bright shiny objects distracting me in a good way…ahhhh…
So lemme tell you about my day. Holy crap, it was AWESOME!!! Bright and shiny awesome.
If you haven’t read Friday’s post yet, go ahead and do it. Because that’s what kicked my day into high gear. Okay, I’m standing here, arms folded, tapping my left foot. I’m waaaaaaiting for you to read all about my SHINY SPANKIN’ NEW RANDOM ACTS OF ART FACEBOOK GROUP. Ta-da…
Join it. Join it NOW because it’s so much fun! Just follow the arrow that’s not there. But if it WAS there, it would be pointing to the laughing Buddha to the right.
He’s laughing because he found one of my arty tokens. He’s laughing because he’s feelin’ the luvvvvv.
You don’t have to be an artist to join. You just need a spirit of adventure and generosity. And the desire to make a stranger’s day.
I started the group Friday and today the FaceBook faries sent all sorts of magical people knocking at the door. I spent most of the day on the computer…aawk…will have to get a handle on that, yes indeed. But I was meeting new people and, in my mind, each and every one of them was a bright and shiny distraction.
I finally tore myself away and went down to Studio Grande. I didn’t have a clue what I was going to do. I picked up a new canvas because preliminary layers are a no brainer. But I was feeling so good I figured, what the hell…I had the power, y’know…I could take on…THE CAT.
Crappy photo alert, both of ’em.
I hated the cat so much I don’t even have a photo of its nearly finished self. Just this, which is nowhere near where I left it. It was all w.r.o.n.g. Contrived. Uninspired. NOT ME.
Something I did because I thought it could sell. And it probably would have. But it didn’t feel right.
Guess I’ve been reading too much of that authenticity crap stuff.
So I was brave. Bold. Turned it upside down so it wouldn’t look so much like a cat. Then I loaded a two inch brush with black acrylic and had at it. Then I took a rag and wiped some of that away. Then I grabbed some colored paper and started cutting. And collaging.
All this time rockin’ out to Springsteen. Da Boss.
Which is probably why the first image that evolved was Catholic Girls Wear Plaid. I’m sure he must have a song about that somewhere.
What the—??? This is SO unlike what I’ve been doing. But…but…it feels RIGHT! Right for me now.
And then another cat entered the picture and …and…well, it’s still not done but I am SO EXCITED about this. I have an idea where I’m taking it. Which doesn’t necessarily mean that’s where it’s going to go. But I have an idea.
So come back Wednesday. It will be done by then. IT WILL. It will it will it will. Well, come back and see if it is.
And if it isn’t, hold me accountable!
In fact, you can begin that right now in the comments below.
And by the way, tell all your friends about the FaceBook group. The more the merrier.
by Susan Lobb Porter | Art, Life |
This weekend I learned a valuable lesson. I learned to paint like Matthew. He’s one of my students and you can read about him here. Go ahead. Read all about him. You need to do it to understand what I’m going to say. Do it now, I’ll wait.
CAN YOU STAND THAT SMILE??? OMG, I get PAID to hang out with him. Little emoticon hearts here. Lots if I knew how.
And by the way, that wonderful art program is a non-profit agency. Always strapped. Just sayin’…in case that smile made your give o’meter start ticking.
Now back to my weekend. I had the itch. And the only cure was STUDIO TIME. I needed to paint SO MUCH that I willingly braved rain and snow and a wind so fierce trees and birds were falling out of the sky.
I HAD to do it. There was a big canvas calling my name. And when a canvas speaks, it’s best to listen.
This one was 40×40, that’s inches for my Aussie friends. I’d done a number of layers on it a week or so ago. I didn’t have a plan, just knew it was time to add some definition. So I did.
Now, about painting like Matthew…I hooked my laptop to some speakers. Opened up the R&B folder in iTunes. Cranked up the volume ’till the walls shook.
I danced like no one was watching.
I sang like no one was listening.
And I painted like no one was home…
I. Did. NOT. Think.
The bird up above? He just evolved. As did the other shapes.
Evolved into this. Which is still a work in progress. Very much so.
My ego began kicking in around the same time the light got bad. Figured it was time to call it a day. Don’t know if I’ll be able to get back to it until next weekend. The night lighting in Studio Grande sucks. Ahhh, but the soon-to-be-new-Studio-Grande will have lighting conducive to working all through the night…if I’m ever so inclined.
So after a day of music and painting I curled up on the sofa with Mr. Spouse and a couple of dogs. Basketball. March madness. The Final Four playoff. He was very much into the game. And I was very much into the players. Umm…hmm… Sweaty young men…great shoulders…. What’s not to like?
by Susan Lobb Porter | Art, Ponies |
Lots of time in the studio today. Made some progress on a couple layered canvases. These are works-in-progress, far from finished but I thought you might like to see the progression of one of them.
The horse was the first thing to pop out in this piece and then all inspiration s.t.o.p.p.e.d. So I put it away for awhile. I wasn’t thrilled with the lack of movement in Mr. Pony. And confused by my need to put a face in there. My literal mind was going umm…this doesn’t work.
And then I looked at it today and saw a sleeper. A dreamer…But there was one problem. A BIG one. Ponies don’t stand around in dreams. They RUN. And they run FAST.
So I was BOLD. And BRUTAL. I dispatched Mr. Pony. Just like that. Took my brush and cut him into three ponies. Action. Energy. Ponies worth dreaming about. And then I claimed another from the area above her head. Because I could.
Got a ways to go with this but if life doesn’t get too much in the way I might finish her this weekend. We have a solid week of winter weather rolling in beginning Sunday. YAY! That’s great. We need it.
But it also means I’ve got to spend some hours down in the barn, spoiling my real life ponies with fluffy dry beds. And when the storm comes, I will dream easy, knowing that they are dry and warm.
by Susan Lobb Porter | Art, Ponies
Ponies yesterday…
Ponies today.
This one was photographed in natural light and is closer to the right color than the one from yesterday. Maybe it’s somewhere in between the two. There will be some glazes but other than that I think this one is done.
Now…studio news. Mr. Spouse spent a good deal of the weekend walking around the roof. Hammering and sawing. Getting ready for Mr. Bob who will install the skylights this week. I helped by keeping out of his way. At his request. We make a good team, Mr. Spouse and I. A good team.
Next weekend it’s the roof.
Here’s an interior shot. Stuff going on, wires. Gas pipe. Nothing dramatic as far as photos go…but necessary boringness.
by Susan Lobb Porter | Art |
Yesterday I was brave.
I didn’t want to be. Because I was stuck. So I spent way too much time online. On facebook. Avoiding the studio until I couldn’t avoid it any longer. Then I went down and picked up the big canvas, the 3’X4′ canvas with lots of layers. Some interesting marks. And some not so interesting.
And I was still stuck.
I was NOT fond of this canvas. Too much energy. Had a frantic feel. So I took a couple of brushes and wrote on it. That’s right, wrote. As in words. Love. Joy. Happy. Peace. Over and over because it needed some better mojo. Then I sprayed it with water and watched half the words melt away, leaving behind some interesting remains.
But I still couldn’t get a handle on it. Still couldn’t see the painting within the painting. I turned it every which way but the only part I even remotely liked was the edge that runs up the left side of the photo above. So I went there first. I popped it out with some blue and black paint. Then I turned it every which way again. Gave it the squint test. Tried to see what it wanted to be.
Sometimes you just gotta step away. So I went back on facebook. Fed the horses. When I came back I saw another part I liked and then…a horse appeared. And then another and another and….
Crap.
I like horses. I really do. I’m barn slave to three of ’em. Well, two and a half, depending on what you call the donkey. But I like ’em, you know. And there is a market for horse paintings. So what’s the big deal?
I just did one, that’s the big deal. Am I getting myself into a horse series?
Umm…probably yes.
Today I put in over eight hours. Standing on my feet. Painting. Dancing. I’m so close to being finished but I had to stop. It was dark and the studio lights are all wrong for painting. Something that will be corrected in the new studio.
So where’s the photo? Sorry my sweetums, you’ll have to wait. Probably tomorrow, depending how much painting time I can squeeze in while helping Mr. Spouse do construction things. I will tell you the almost finished painting looks nothing like the ones above. I’m really liking it.
But if you want to see a photo of something deliciously wonderful that I did finish tonight…
…this was dinner. Fresh spinach. Raviolis. Oil, parmesan cheese, garlic and tiny tomatoes.
It was wonderful.
