[i] LoveLife

Yikes.

We accomplished our goal of getting vaccinated. Our neighbour and one of his daughters came along and the lines were short. Less than 20 minutes. Truthfully - it was so easy it felt like we were leading lambs to slaughter. All three little ones handled the vaccines like troopers. Super Penn didn't flinch or peep. At the clinic's suggestion - I got it, too. Easy. In the post-shot waiting area I was leading the group in some happy arm exercises. Until I started coughing so hard I couldn't breathe and had some kind of scary reaction to the shot. Nurses jumped in. Thank goodness for nurses. It's a good thing our neighbour was there. It's a good thing they got me in my non-painting arm because I can hardly move it. Funny how things work out.

Today: I'm sick.

True.

I had a good painting day yesterday. I'd call it a good day because I was fighting with a ruddy duck (see yesterday's post) and I felt like quitting on it, but I didn't. And it worked out. It's not done yet (surprise, surprise!) but it is heading in a direction that is 180 degrees nicer than where it started. I call that a good day. I've got the worst cough EVER. I also kind of feel like I'm being haunted. Haunted in a good way so I will not complain about it. All things moving along - just stay the course.

Today: I am going to try to go to get the girls vaccinated for H1N1, but if that doesn't work out we are going to go to the zoo and eat donuts and feed ground squirrels. Truthfully - every time I read an article in the media it makes me think that the people running the show around here are idiots. We got shut out last week because the lineups were too long and the frenzy was too high. Then the clinics were closed because they ran out of vaccines. Now they are open again because extra vaccines were magically 'found'. Sounds like a boondoggle to me. I was on the fence - off the fence - on the fence - off the fence - and now I've got two healthy girls and a strange inkling that I'm damned if I do - damned if I don't. Either way - the sun it back and we are off in search of an adventure.

GO!

Getting out of a ruddy.

Still lots of work left on this little guy.

Three truths.

Another painting day and I would ALMOST say that I'm getting the hang of the interval-training lifestyle. Almost. The girls and I had a pretty awesome day yesterday playing and sipping a latte in the coolest bookstore of all time. We were loving life. No painting. No checking emails. No list-making. NO DORA. Just spending time having fun. So much fun. Penn has definitely crossed over from baby to toddler. She's walking along furniture and initiating games with me. Oh, be-still my heart. I cannot get over what a privilege it is to see these two become themselves.

Truth #1: I have never taken a painting lesson in my life. So, thanks for all the compliments. I've been painting since the eighth or ninth grade and I just make it up as I go along. I've taken drawing classes and design classes and art history classes and typography classes and at the end of it all - I have never taken painting. It kind of makes me feel like some kind of evil rogue and I like it. I mostly use round brushes. I'm sure there are all kinds of goodness within the other styles, but I heart round and recently I have been liking a nice mop brush.

Truth #2: I am a nicer person when I paint. I don't know what the science of magic is behind that, but I feel happy and worthy. And that rippled out into the rest of my life.

Truth #3: When you take drawing lessons - you start by reproducing what you see and the more accurately you do that - the more attention you get. The hard part for me - is reminding and remembering that I am not a photocopier or a camera. I'm an interpreter. I struggle with letting go of the need to make an owl look like an owl... I read some amazing stuff about Charley Harper today and now I have a major crush on him. My favourite thought:

Charles asks the people who enjoy his art to "remember that I didn't start out to paint a bird - the bird already existed. I started out to paint a picture of a bird, a picture which didn't exist before I came along, a picture which gives me a chance to share with you my thoughts about the bird. Once you accept this seemingly simplistic but really quite profound premise, you will appreciate the many varied approaches to the making of pictures, all of which start where realism leaves off, but all of which require an understanding of realism for their successful execution."

Frame House Gallery excerpt, 1977 (Source here.)

It kinda makes me want to weep with joy. After I give him an enormous Triple Arm Pump, of course.

I begrudgingly left this AMAZING BOOK at the bookstore this morning because the holiday season is approaching and everyone in my family complains that I am so hard to buy for.

Today: I paint. 

GO!

More peeking.

I promised a peek into the progress (it feels a bit like I'm standing here naked). The bottom photo isn't actually the final shot and the paint is still wet on the right side of the canvas.... but you get the idea. This painting is at the point where I sign it and sit on it for a day or so so I can make a list of the things that I want to adjust. While I was making a list of adjustments I also figured out the perfect set of phrases that I will tuck discreetly in between feathers. I'll do that tomorrow. I also wanted to note that I had the size wrong... it's 40 x 30 inches. I also wanted to note that for the bird show - I planned to work on smaller canvasses because it's harder to find homes for giant pieces... but, the pieces just keep getting bigger and bigger.

Check.

After rifling through over a hundred brushes yesterday I decided that a new system is in order. It's time to part with my painting buddies if they are no longer usable. Well, I'm not actually going to PART with them - that's ridiculous. I'm too sentimental for that. I'm just going to put them in a place of honour so they aren't getting in my way. I FINISHED the Great Great Owl. I did. I have a bunch of in-progress shots that I will post up this afternoon. I love him. AND I'm triple in love with the story that unfolded without even guessing it would. So cool. Without getting too weird about it - I'm definitely getting help from people who aren't with us anymore (thank you Grandpa Kaz).

Today: my ladies and I are going to head out to play. I think it's high time to get outside and get fresh air and get used to the fact that the white sparkly stuff out there is FROST. And soon it will be snow. And that's winter. And that's awesome.

ART SHOW UPDATE: 29 days to go. I'm okay with that. I found a groove. Ask me how I feel about that on Friday and

GO!

Another peek + a big release.

Oh Monday. Oh, man. I need coffee. Really bad. Dear Mr. Time Change - babies don't give a rip about daylight savings (with all due respect).

PEEK: Since today is a painting day I decided to start with a peek at a painting I was working on this weekend. I am not normally one to share peeks because I learned at a very early age that most people TOTALLY don't understand the magic that is a painting coming to life. Layer by layer. By the time I get to the top right photo I have done lots of mulling and researching and thinking and dreaming and getting to know the painting in my head. So when I bring Dan down to excitedly show him what I see as something taking on life - he usually responds with a look of disgust. And a sigh. And I can almost hear the wheels in his head saying 'maybe she's going blind - maybe she has had a stroke!'. And then I usually get all deflated because he can't see that it's coming along perfectly. And then I snap at him because OBVIOUSLY it's on the path to AWESOME. Geez man! Poor Dan. He usually comes around when I get to the last photo and then he pretends like he always liked it. Either way - sometimes it helps me to take photos to get a little perspective on what I'm doing because it's hard with the lights and the lack of space to back up and see the big picture. You also might notice that the top left photo has the workings of a grid - I usually sketch something and then use a loose grid to transfer it to a large canvas because I find that I tend to distort as a draw upwards and the grid keeps me in line. This painting is 46 inches wide inches and I plan to finish it today.

RELEASE: It is my pleasure to release 4 new Limited Edition prints. I get about an email a day asking for either the Little One or The Birch Trees. I also get questions about Here and Mavis. They are now available as prints. Get them before they are gone. Because they will be gone and then you will be shucks out of luck.

Today: I paint. Actually, I need to paint and paint and paint. I want to finished the Great Grey Owl. I have nothing else on the agenda besides popping some ibuprofen for my sore body. Actually, that is not true. After a healthy dose of java - I am going to drink green tea like it's going out of style because I have a bad cough and I'm starting to feel achy. Blech.

ART SHOW UPDATE: 30 days and counting. LOTS. TO. DO. (Please tell me you will be there.)

GO!

Treats!

Oooooh. Scary! I got out a steak knife with the awesome intention of carving a pumpkin likeness of Norman and then Crash. The thing is - after I got the Norman version done - I was totally over pumpkin carving... The nice part about the pumpkin is that there were a few boys that actually recognized that the pumpkin was a portrait of our little dog. Cool. Crash - next year it's all you, buddy.

Falling leaves.

Well, it's almost time to say SO-LONG October... that was so fast. I didn't post this morning because I jumped right into painting and spent most of the day fighting with a grey heron that, in the end, was the victor. I just couldn't get into it. Truthfully, I spent most of the day wrestling with my own brain - deadlines, H1N1, media hysteria, Christmas logistics, holiday travel, H1N1, crying babies, oh man... Hey! Pilot's costume arrived in the nick of time. Halloween was saved!  She is a delighted little cat (eventhough it was a tad too short) so we took a practice run at wandering in the neighbourhood incognito. She has no idea what it all means - but, she was excited. I'm sure everyone on our street could here her shouting TWick-TWEET!

Tonight: relax on the couch with my cute husband and save energy for a fun and festive Halloween day tomorrow. We're gonna eat a bucket full of Halloween candy. Rest. Snooze. Read. Hopefully, I will be able to squeak in some painting time tomorrow morning because I am starting to feel the urgency that says YOU ARE HAVING AN ART SHOW IN 4 WEEKS AND YOU ARE NOT EVEN HALF WAY TO YOUR GOAL. Ouch.

Happy Halloween!

Progress peek 3.

Another peek. At this point the pelican painting is ready to be set aside for a week or so while I get fresh eyes and figure out what writing I will include and where. And why. The bird collection will have less words... I'm after a nice balance of not saying too much and letting nature be awesome. I'd probably feel better if I just took each piece to completion and crossed it off my list entirely, but I like to let things mull for a bit before I go in with a few more details and fine touches. And signatures.

A couple of Thursday FAQs:

Do I work from photographs or from my brain? It depends what I'm working on, but for an animal like this - in this size - I like to work from a series of different photographs to get details right. My photographic memory is more of a feel-o-graphic recollection and although I'm usually pretty bang on with the colours and mood I am often lacking perfect details. It's kind of embarrassing when someone points out the pelicans do not have five heads - for instance - and I would like to keep the awkwardness at the show to a minimum.

What medium am I working in? The last chunk of large paintings I've done have been in acrylic enamel although the birds are not. They are in regular acrylic paint. I like them both. I think I might actually enjoy the enamel acrylics a little more although the regular acrylics are much easier to photograph. I switched it up because I couldn't get the acrylic enamel that I was using being in the colours that I was using before. BOOO.

Today: my girl tribe and I are going to attempt to go to the art store and pick up more canvasses. And get Halloween candy for the weekend. And maybe even stop for a rock around the mall so Pilot can run a bit (and let's be honest so that I can get a vanilla latte and look at all the pretty fall sweaters). Dan and I are going to a fancy dinner to celebrate a special lifetime achievement award winner (Congrats Mr. Hanson!) and I am a wee bit excited that no one there will be sitting in booster seats. Sweet! Sounds like it's shaping up to be a nice day.

GO!