Done???

I think he is finished. I am leaving for Miami tomorrow, and when I return, I will take another look and see how I feel about him them. Some distance will bring me a bit of clarity.

So far today...

Today's progress: More details. Defined foot more and just placed in a generic background for encaustic tomorrow. I really hope this works, cause I enjoy working in oil and am so excited about coming in with the wax.

Silly Birds

I didn't get as much artwork done this past week as I would have liked. I hoped to be finished with my Samson piece by now, but things just kept coming up. But I have a whole day today and the rest of the week to finish him up before leaving on Friday for another unexpected, but welcome, trip to Miami. Saturday my friend Ruthy and I have scheduled a Spa day. We are getting facials and massages. I can't wait.

This morning as I was sitting out back, drinking my coffee, I heard an all too familiar sound of a bird hitting my back window. This happens so often. It is so sad to see these birds fly right into my windows. Many end up breaking their necks and dying in my yard. Usually the birds are a smaller variety, but this one was pretty good sized.


I have these 3 really large window facing out to the ocean and the birds think they can fly right through. My dog Riley heard the thump also and ran out to investigate. I had to run quickly to keep him from attacking the poor bird, who lay still on the grass below. I did notice that it's eyes were still open and there was a whisper of movement, so I was hoping it would not die there and just take a breather to get over the shock. After about a minute or so, I noticed it's eyes had closed and I was dreading having to box it up and bury down below. I went inside for a few more minutes and heard Riley barking again and ran out to make sure he wasn't ripping the poor bird to shreads. The bird was gone. Whew, I was grateful that the bird was only stunned and headed back to wherever it had come from.

Yesterday there was an interesting post and much debate over on Ed Winkleman's Blog regarding an exhibition in Costa Rica. I reserve making comments, but the thought that this exhibition took place, really turns my stomach. Reading his thoughts and the thoughts of others got me thinking about how far an artist and gallery will go in the name of art.

More progress

Samson lived when God was punishing the Israelites by giving them "into the hand of the Philistines." An angel from God appears to Manoah, an Israelite from the tribe of Dan, in the city of Zorah, and to his wife, who is sterile. This angel predicts that they will have a son who will begin to deliver the Israelites from the Philistines. In accordance with Nazaritic requirements, she (as well as the child himself) is to abstain from all alcoholic beverages and all unclean meat, and her promised child is not to shave or cut his hair. In due time the son, Samson, is born; he is reared according to these provisions.

Studio time

I had a good day in the studio yesterday. Finished a new piece in hommage to my finch that died last month and got started on a new larger piece that I have wanted to do for a while. I got the drawing done on canvas and now I am ready to start with the painting. It is my Samson painting. It is a larger piece, 26 x 36, than I the small pieces I have found myself doing recently. I love painting large, but I have a hard time storing the larger pieces when they are complete. I have my small gallery space, 8' x 8' at the gallery, but it can only hold smaller pieces, for the most part. I am trying something new with this new piece. I am working on canvas, beginning in oil, then going in with the encaustics, which is what I have wanted to learn to do when I started working in wax. With my husband in Winston-Salem till Sunday, I get lots of studio time at night without feeling guilty about neglecting him. Today I am doing a favor for a friend and will be gone most of the day, but can't wait to return home to begin working.

Va conmigo

Oil and encaustic on Clayboard

After a week of running around and traveling, I am finally ready to get back into the studio tomorrow. I am really getting withdrawals from not working in a while. I received my new order of beeswax along with some microcrystalline wax that I am going to experiment with. The beeswax is a little too soft for me and I think if I add a bit of microcrystalline to it, I can get it to a better consistency for me. I am still playing with formulas to find just the right one.

I am sitting in the Ft.Lauderdale airport on my way back home. After a week of shopping and parties and a beautiful wedding under my belt, I am so ready to return home to get back to work. It seems like forever since I have been home. While sitting and surfing the net to pass time, I came across this interesting article on Eric Fischl. I also ran into a fellow artist here at the airport and I am looking forward to catching up with her on the way home.

After a crazy week of receiving artwork, hanging a show and preparing for next month's jurying for our annual (EEAG) show, I am exhausted. I head out tomorrow early for Ft. Lauderdale, where, this weekend, my friend will be getting married. I won't have any studio time until after I return on the 9th. I will get to work out some ideas for some upcoming paintings in my sketchbook with some travel watercolors I have for such times.