by Susan Lobb Porter | Art, Daily Painting
Thirty paintings. Thirty days.
California Impressions # 14
I figure I can revise a painting and call it a new one, right? Especially when it’s a BIG puppy.
And that’s why today I bring you California Impressions # 14 which is really # 13 revisited. And you know what? Except for the big old black section at the bottom, I like # 13 better. More spontaneous. Fresher. Tomorrow I’ll look at both of these photos and see if I can come up with a nice compromise.
Crappy photo alert: Taken under night lighting in a studio so cramped I was unable to get a straight on shot. Too much lens distortion for a decent crop. But you get the idea.
work in progress
And just in case you didn’t see yesterday’s painting–here she be.
California Impressions # 13 work in progress
Susan Lobb Porter
Yeah–definitely like # 13 better. Okay, I know what I’ll be doing tomorrow.
Until then–
by Susan Lobb Porter | Art, Process, Work in Progress |
Woot! Had some quality PLAY time in the studio today. A landscape was calling my name.
Or maybe it was calling me names, I dunno. I had my R&B list playing and this is what happened.
work in progress Susan Lobb Porter
Not a bad painting I guess. But not terribly exciting either. Ho-hum. Yawn. BTW, I think the photo is a bit heavy with the yellow. Can’t say for sure because once I got this far I decided the R&B was too…safe for the mood I was in. Which was (drum roll) a badass paintin’ mood.
AKA, a GREAT mood. Seriously, there is NOTHING better that a badass painting mood. Nothing. And if you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time (and I sincerely hope you have) you’ll know that a great painting mood (GPM) calls for high octane rock. Da Boss. Loud.
And adventure. All GPMs call for risk taking. So while Da Boss was blasting working class angst and the speakers were positively vibrating with passion, I took the tube of white and squeezed it directly in the middle of the sky. And then I took my hands, one of which is pictured above, and smooshed that paint all over with my fingers.
Note to self: Next time wear gloves. Or barrier cream.
There was No. Going. Back. And I didn’t want to, I was having waaaaaay too much fun.
Valley View, acrylic on canvas. 24 x 24 inches.
2014 Susan Lobb Porter
This is where it stands now. It’s a completely different painting, one that I personally find to be more interesting. Is it done? Maybe. Everything in the studio is fair game. Nothing is ever considered done–or safe–until it belongs to someone else. So there’s a chance you’ll see this one again…with more improvements.
So what do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
And meanwhile, remember this:
As always–
by Susan Lobb Porter | Art, Blogging, Work in Progress |
You may have noticed things look a bit different over here at Arty Life. You may be thinking to yourself that woman changes the look of her blog more often than she changes her underwear. And you’d be right, sort of. I mean, about Arty Life. But as for my personal hygiene, well…I’m NOT gonna discuss that on the interwebs.
WOOT! So once again Arty Life has a new doo. She is an ever evolving work-in-progress. Be sure to click the home tab up above–that’s where the change is more dramatic. Like red shoes dramatic. It’s still not completely finished, still has some quirks but I’m getting there.
Meanwhile, here’s what I did in the studio this week–besides all the cleaning, sorting, putting away/throwing away I’ve been doing under the fierce organizing-your-art-biz whip of Alyson Stanfield, that is. Yes, I made time to paint. To finish a few small oils.
Remember this?
work-in-progress
I showed it here a few weeks ago. Well, maybe it was the country playlist blasting from itunes today that inspired the change. This is what it looks like now that it’s done.
Southwest Impressions # 1 oil on cradled wood 10″x10″ 2014 Susan Lobb Porter
YEE-HAW! Back in the desert again, the place that feeds my arty soul. Oh my sweetums, there’s something about the light, the color and the harshness of the landscape that gets those creative juices flowing.
Today’s work was completed via palette knife. I like the way they smoosh the paint around. And they’re a heckuva lot easier to clean than a brush.
Got a couple more little works-in-progress to show you. These are little bitty things, 6×6 inches.
works in progress
All of these will be for sale soon on my big girl I-am-an-ARTIST!!! website. That’s also a work-in-progress but it’s next on the list and coming along.
As always, I’d love to hear what you have to say in the comments below. And if you like what you see, please share with your friends.
Most of all, remember this…because it’s true!
by Susan Lobb Porter | Art, Work in Progress |
Or birthin’ a painting.
Once upon a time there was a canvas. A big puppy, 48 x 48 inches. She came into this world Artic White.
On the color charts, that is the next step below blinding.
So I fixed her good. With black. And gray. Hints of red oxide. Some pretty light blue. And all manner of marks and scratches. This is a closeup, a small sample of the overall look.
Which soon changed as I tied it all together with Titian Buff. Another small sample.
Then layers and more layers, knowing in my heart that red would play a major roll in her look. Like a slash of carmine lipstick.
This is where I left off today. I’m not finished yet. Before I left the studio I flipped the canvas upside down.
Ahhhh…that was MUCH better. The weight of the red needs to be on the bottom. You have to trust me here, the camera would not cooperate. The battery was exhausted. No lie, EXHAUSTED. That’s what the notice on the screen said.
If you have good insurance you have my blessing to crane your neck or turn your monitor upside down so you can see what I mean.
Or you can come back later in the week to see the finished painting. That’s probably a better idea.
As always, I’d love to hear from you in the comments below. Unless you’re complaining about your neck and/or the broken monitor….I don’t want to hear about THAT at all. 
by Susan Lobb Porter | Art |
I’m stretched out on the sofa after a long day in the studio. Sophie is licking my feet. And I like it. Maybe too much.
Umm…is that TMI?
Sophie is a dog, by the way. Does that make it better? Or worse…
Open Studios Tour is the next two weekends. I’ve been so busy doing other stuff, getting ready stuff, that art, painting, has been on the back burner. But today was ART. ALL. DAY.
Oh my, it was heaven. Pure heaven. I believe Jesus said that very thing. In fact, I KNOW he did. Give a girl a painting, she hangs it on the wall. Teach a girl to paint and she feeds her creative soul, if not her body, for EV-AH. He said that, really. Or he would’ve if he wasn’t so busy doing miracles and pissing off the Pharisees.
But back to MY day, here now in the 21st century. In a word or three it was LALALALALA!!! Wonderful!!! Happy happy time in Studio Grande. First, there was MUSIC. Hours and hours of uninterrupted rockin’ out with the iTunes library. Springsteen! Umm…and other guys!!! And Springsteen!!! LOUD.
The new! improved! Studio Grande has GREAT acoustics. Oh my, yes! Concrete and high ceilings, doesn’t get any better than that.
I started out with this. 40×40 inches of pure possibilities.
And ended up with this. 40×40 inches of work in progress. Layers. More possibilities.
But what else did I do? Oh, thank you for asking. Because I work on multiple canvasses at the same time. A combination of making good use of paint drying time and a short attention span.
This canvas has been hanging out for years. Literally, years. I made a trip upstairs this afternoon, the land where I rarely venture because it was and still is inhabited by offspring. Went upstairs and discovered this hiding out behind a dresser in the hall. Pretty good size, I think 36×40 inches.
I had to dust it off before painting. Imagine that. And notice the empty wall to the left? Not in the top photo now, is it? That’s because I get a little … enthusiastic while mark making. Paint flies EVERYWHERE. I decided it was prudent to remove paintings from the direct line o’fire.
This one needed more paint and dribbles. Here’s where I left it. Don’t know where it’s going but I SEE PEOPLE.
My daughter says me and no one else. She says seeing things like that is creepy.
She’s moving out soon.
And remember the journal page I flashed everywhere? Well, I decided to do it bigger on canvas. Played with it today. Still not done but almost.
So that’s why I’m sitting here letting the dog lick my feet. Those poor tootsies were dancing around on concrete all day. They worked hard and they’re tired. Good tired. Now I’m going to make some popcorn and call it dinner. I think that’s perfectly acceptable, don’t you?
Remember, if you’re remotely local, i.e., the western hemisphere, north of the equator, I hope to see you during Open Studios.
Love to hear from you in the comments below. If you’re a blogger and check the Comment Luv box, the magic CL Fairy will run and fetch the link to your latest post. How cool is that?
