Cutter

Here is one painting that didn't make it into my show at Betty's (it didn't really fit—I had planned to make other quilt paintings and just ended up focusing more on the houses). The inspiration for it was one of the so-called "cutter" quilts I bought recently. A cutter quilt is one that has been so loved and well-used that it is falling apart in places... and they can be had for not very much money, as one might imagine. But, that status doesn't lessen the fact that their beautiful colors and patterns remain, even if some are faded or deteriorated. I obviously take a lot of liberties in my interpretation... I'm not interested in creating a realistic rendering but rather to showcase the aspects of the quilts that dazzled me so much in a more simplified, graphic manner.

This painting is 16" x 16", acrylic on canvas.



***

By the way, the opening for my show at Betty's went really well. So many people came out to show support, and I got lots of great, interesting feedback. Even sold one piece, and have interest in a couple others! That's always nice. Working with Kathy Sherin, the curator, was great. She really has a wonderful eye for grouping works together and making the show feel really cohesive. Unfortunately, I totally forgot to take photos. If anyone has any I'd be grateful if you'd share!

That said, I am glad it's out of the way and will be hanging through July. Next up is my show at ArtMission in Binghamton, where I'll be showing more house paintings—the batch that are already made (including the Betty's paintings, and the ones languishing in New Hampshire) plus some new ones, too. Exciting! But I am glad to have a break from any major art activity, aside from studio work.

Speaking of which, I am starting a two-week vacation on Friday! You can bet that I will be happy to spend a good portion of that time in the studio... I can't wait.

New Work! + Jen Sbragia

Stop the presses! Hold the phone!

I've made a few new little paintings (or drawings, or whatever you want to call them). These were all made with graphite pencil and acrylic paint as the eraser/ghost maker. I am thinking of these grisailles as my ghosts and would like to make a series of them, houses and people... for my solo show coming up at Betty's in May? Maybe title it "Haunted"? Or something.

Anyway. The work:


Ghost (1), mixed media on paper, 11" x 14", 2010.



Ghost (2), mixed media on wood, about 3" x 4", 2010.

These are obviously not the best photos—I took them while sitting in the parking lot of Big Orbit Gallery, where I was bringing them to submit to this year's members show. Always last minute, I am. But I got stuff done, and it felt great to be making art again.

Then there is the third "ghost". It's bordering on cheesy, I guess, sitting there at the dining room table making drawings of dead (and beloved and missed) rock stars. This one is Elliott Smith. I can't believe it's been almost seven years since his death! I always thought he had the best face and hair, I've been wanting to paint him for a long time. This was a fun little project to work on, and I'm happy with how it turned out. I think I will hang him in my bedroom.




Close up


Framed, with Nico the cat nosing around

***

Finally, since we're almost out of January and the thrill of the new year has all but passed, here is the lovely card that yet another inspiring, talented friend who is also an amazing musician and artist, Jen Sbragia, made! I'm almost certain it is stenciled and it is just so simple and cool. (My other friend that fits that bill is Tae Won Yu, who in addition to being an amazing artist and designer, was also in the band Kicking Giant in the heyday of 90s indie rock.) Jen, if you didn't know, was pretty famous back then, too, as one half of aptly-named The Softies and now of the All-Girl Summer Fun Band.




Funny, I seem to remember a fun photo of Elliott and The Softies that maybe Tae even took himself? But I can't find it anywhere. Too bad—that really would have tied this whole post together, yeah?

Anyway, I am so lucky to have cool friends like these who still send me cool stuff after all these years. Thank you for the encouragement and support and inspiration!!!

Acceptance/Rejection

Whew, I have been one busy bee this past week, and I am exhausted and halfway ill to show for it... man, I am too old for this kind of schedule. Maybe other people work ~60 hour weeks with no problem, but for me? Too much to take physically and emotionally. I need time to myself and/or with my family, it's so valuable to me.

That said, it's been an interesting week. Did I mention that I'm working as an artist's assistant for a while? The artist I am working for, Bingyi Huang, is preparing for a solo exhibition in Shanghai in November. The schedule is tight, so I've been giving her as much time as I can. I love that I am getting such an intimate view into another artist's creative process; she works quite differently from me and it is very inspiring. I really admire her paintings and her work ethic... she is quite prolific and manages to put out these amazing, surreal images... I don't know where they come from. Me, I like to have something to refer to, whether it is a photo or a model of some kind. It's very hard for me to just pull something out of my head and spew it out onto the canvas.

This is like getting a supplemental education, in a way.

But it is tiring, as I said. This week I have off from the studio until the weekend and will be working on updating her website. Then, hopefully when Saturday arrives I will feel refreshed and ready to work more hours in the studio with her.

Here is one of her paintings:


Epitaph, oil on canvas, 2007.

Just gorgeous stuff. I feel so fortunate to be working with her.

***

Acceptance: I recently found out that two of my paintings will be appearing in the Winter 2010 issue of Calyx, A Journal of Art and Literature by Women. This is a great publication, and I am very excited for this opportunity to have my work seen by its readers.

Rejection: I got my rejection letter on Friday from the committee of Beyond/In Western New York, the regional biennial. I have since found out that the competition was VERY stiff and that many prominent local artists didn't get in, either, including most of the faculty of the local university. That makes me feel a little bit better, but I admit that I still had high hopes this time around. The past year has been so full of little successes, I figured it would just keep going... well, never assume. So, I am a little bruised but it is something I will certainly get over and move on from. I do wish all the artists who did receive an acceptance letter my heartiest congratulations, truly.

Maybe next time, if I am still in town.

***

Working for Bingyi has sparked my own creativity. She's got me working on paintings that will eventually become something else entirely—something of her own, obviously... but as I said, it's been a little hard for me trying to work in a totally different way, it's like being without a net. I don't think what I am making is as good as I know I am capable of, but I think another part of the problem is working in front of someone else, especially someone I am working FOR. It's worse than the times I was taking a painting class and having the professor hovering over you looking for mistakes (not that Bingyi does that—she is worried about her own paintings). It paralyzes me. I have no idea what I am doing. I tell her as much, and she replies that she doesn't think any of us do.

I feel like a fledgling baby bird.

Turn of Events

Things took a crazy-ass turn this weekend! I have suddenly become a part-time artist's assistant. Here is the story.

So, on Friday night I was just browsing Craigslist, as I often do. I look at just about all the for sale sections and the jobs sections, just in case something good is out there. Actually, scratch that: In the jobs section I usually only look in the arts/media/whatever and creative sections. But Friday, I looked at everything, including general labor. There I happened upon an ad that was titled something like housekeeping/art assistant position... my curiosity was definitely piqued, and I figured, I'm not proud, I'd do some cleaning if it also involved some sort of art or just for an art kind of person. So I responded with a short note...

The next morning as I was getting ready to leave for my little Saturday teaching gig, I got a reply. Turns out it is one of my professors from UB (grad school), a young art history professor with whom I took a museum studies course. She's also a painter. I have really admired her, enjoyed her class very much, etc. and so was excited to find out that it was her, and that she was excited to hear from me, too!

The ad stated that she was looking for ~5 hours a week, but it turns out that she is getting ready for a big solo show in Shanghai and has a ton of art-related stuff to get done. So, she wants me to do a lot of painting for her, plus other sorts of prep like cleaning antique frames that she'll be using and whatever else. The other major thing she's having me take care of is her website, for which she wants a complete redesign.

And since this the exhibition in Shanghai is in November, this is all VERY time sensitive. So she wants me to work as much as I can to help her get ready. I started on Saturday afternoon and put in several hours yesterday, too. It's pretty crazy.

The whole thing is pretty bizarre, but it's fun (though very tiring). Yesterday I finished priming an old frame, and then worked on a large painting the rest of the time! The painting I worked on amounted to painting a portrait of her on top of an old painting of hers, and then she will possibly work on top of that. She ended up really liking the painting so far and said she may just include the painting in the exhibit as is, as my own. I don't really care either way, which I know must sound strange, but... I am producing things for her show under her direction. I don't really see what I am making in her studio mine at all, does that make any sense? And I feel totally comfortable with that. Yesterday's painting was very different and new for me because she currently only has a limited palette to work with, so I was forced to use colors that I normally wouldn't; and the scale is larger than most of the paintings I can make at home, so that was different, too. I see my experiences working with her very much fueling a whole new approach that I can use in my own art—it's like this forced breakthrough.

Very, very strange. October is going to be a intense month and my life just a whole lot busier, to say the least.


My painting/not my painting. About five feet square, acrylic on canvas. In progress.

***

I'd also like to point you over to my lovely friend Cathy Cullis's blog, where she is doing a Week of Painting. I'd also planned to do a week of painting and make new work available for sale, but considering how things are now, I'm not sure how far I will get with that. But I will try! Maybe some small tabletop-sized works on paper in gouache... hm...

I like these "Week of..." events. The one at Poppytalk the week before very much inspired me, and now Cathy's. It helps me to have a focus, a goal. I plan to do my very own "Week of..." in the future, as well as perform some in tandem with Cathy.

I will keep you posted on the exciting developments!

Sarah F. Burns says, Collect Art!

Sarah F. Burns is an artist I found on Etsy a while back and whose blog I follow (though apparently not closely enough, since I missed, like months of great content!). She is not only a talented painter but also a good writer. As I was playing catch-up today, I found her blog post about collecting art that I thought was spot on; couldn't have said it better myself, by a long shot. So, if you are a collector or have always wanted to start your own art collection, definitely read what Sarah has to say on the subject!

Visit Sarah's Etsy shop.

Visit her website.


Dottie Damsel, charcoal on paper, 18" x 20", 2008


One Rock and Two Shells, oil, 9" x 12", 2009

Such lovely and thoughtful work!

Autumn Color Week: Brown

Drop, oil and colored pencil on wood panel, 2007


Two Questions, oil and colored pencil on canvas, 12" x 18", 2007


Include Me Out, acrylic and colored pencil on wood panel, 2009

***

In other news, this morning I had the pleasure of teaching a small group of students from the Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts over at the Buffalo Arts Studio a little workshop making movable paper puppets! A while ago, I discovered the book Paper Puppet Palooza and started making some paper pals of my own. It's a really fun, fairly easy and not-too-messy creative activity that is actually quite addicting! So, I was happy to share my new obsession with the seven students and their three teachers. We didn't have much time together, but true to kid form, they all dove right in and got quite a bit accomplished—from a tiger and a wolf to a robot, and more! I'll have to take some photos of the ones I've recently made— a vintage-styled Mexican Lucha wrestler with interchangeable heads and a running horse.

Each time I end up working with youngsters, it fuels my desire that much more to become certified to teach K-12. I find them so interesting and inspirational! I guess we'll see what the future holds, there is so much I'd like to do... in the meantime I at least have the opportunity to work with area arts organizations to fill in that gap in my artistic life.

I feel lucky.

Autumn Color Week: Yellow

This is rather unusual for me, but I have decided to follow along Poppytalk's Autumn Color Week. It struck as a fun way to try to blog here a little more regularly, and maybe get involved with something bigger than me and the blog, even for a week. I've been keeping myself rather isolated these days... what a nicer way to break out a little?

So, today is YELLOW day. I'm featuring a painting I did a few years ago and was subsequently collected by a dear friend and brilliant writer, Teri. It's titled, "When I Was 27, Everything Was Lined in Silver". Acrylic and colored pencil on colored paper. The drawing was based on a photograph I took of myself... you guessed it... when I was 27. Looking back, it seems like an odd, magical time but I also know it was a difficult time overall, too... very transitional and uncertain. As perhaps 27 is wont to be.

(You can click on the image for a larger view.)

Art Moving Sale!

Life has been a little crazy lately.

I haven't been making much art these days, but instead mentally preparing for a move, among other things. Soon, I must start packing and cleaning and just generally putting my life in major upheaval.

But, hopefully it will be worth it in the end. We're moving back to the country, to a house that has a couple acres, and perhaps most importantly (and certainly most relevant to this blog) a huge garage inside which we'll be building an art studio for me! I am very excited about this. Just imagine, making art above ground again! In light! Wonderful.

The move probably won't actually take place for another little while, but I do hope we'll be in our new digs by Thanksgiving. In the meantime, I want to clear out as much inventory from my studio as I can. Hey, the less I have to transport, the better it is for me!

So, if you have been considering acquiring some of my work but haven't yet, this is a great opportunity. Have a look at my website and see if there is something that floats your boat. If so, let me know and we can go from there. Generally, my smaller works on paper range from $100-$500 (framed, less unframed if you prefer) and $300-$2000 for my paintings on canvas. I have more work available that I hope to get up on the site... you can also look at my Flickr art set.

If you have any questions or would like to make me an offer (I am open to reasonable haggling), you can email me at amy.greenan at gmail dot com. Happy collecting! (Oh, and I would happy to make layaway arrangements, too!)

Here are just a few selections of what I have to offer currently:


Heart & Lungs, Knees & Toes, 2008, mixed media on paper, 10.5" x 16.5". $300 (framed).


Gertrude and Francis, 2007, oil on canvas, 60" x 48". $2000.


Untitled, 2004, acrylic on paper, 8.5" x 11". $150 (unframed).


Two Questions, 2007, oil and colored pencil on canvas, 12" x 18". $400.

Rejection, Part 2

Breaking news as we receive it!

I just got an email from an artist residency program that I was pretty excited about. It was a rejection letter, alas, but it was a really great rejection letter.

The bulk of the email read:

I am sorry to let you know that we are unable to offer you a residency at **** this summer. We were very impressed with your work, but unfortunately can never accommodate as many artists as we would like to.

Best of luck to you in the coming months, and with your practice. We hope that you might find a way to come to **** sometime in the future and encourage you to apply again either for our upcoming fall program or for a future summer residency.

Aw! What a nice rejection. Well, I was planning to reapply anyway, if this happened. At least I know now that I have a sliver of a chance.

***

In other news, I now have a 4 or 5 month wait to get a rejection letter from THE big exhibition in town, a biennial. I just submitted my materials today and just... the wait. Torture me, it will. I want to think that I could be accepted this time, but I am steeling myself for the big R, if you must know. But I guess we'll see! Ah, the life of an artist.


Anything Could Happen, Mixed media, 7"x9", 2009.

Inspiration

Yesterday I went back to the museum where my current show is hanging. I had set up an informal Q & A session for those who didn't make it to the opening — nothing official, just a Facebook-invite sort of thing. No one ended up coming, which was OK since I live just literally a few minutes away, but I made good use of the time, wandering around and having second looks at things, both in my exhibition and in the other areas of the museum. I took photos because there were a few things I really wanted to remember — though for shame, I didn't take down the names of the artists on a few. Anyway, here's what I saw and really liked.


(Self-portrait in a Rauschenburg)


(One of my all-time favorite painters, Alice Neel)


(I love this beautiful wooden sculpture... need to find out who the artist is)


(Ah, Jed Jackson!)


(Ralston Crawford)


(SO gorgeous! Phillip Elliott)

I think it is interesting to see what art really grabs me, seeing it in a group like this, and comparing the group to my own art — not that I am saying my work compares to the work of these artists, just looking at individual elements: color, composition, concept, things like that.

On another kind of inspiration, a beautiful abandoned house I'll be painting in the near future. This one was just off Niagara St. near downtown, Buffalo, NY.





I'm sitting here trying not be gloomy about the impending Monday morning that will be upon us soon! A little cheer, perhaps.

Rejection

It happens to every artist, multiple times throughout their career.

The dreaded rejection letter.

At this point I feel fairly immune to the effects of receiving one. I've trained myself to expect it only because then it doesn't hurt at all -- not to mention that when I get a positive response, it feels that much better, too. But I must admit, it does sting a little bit, no matter how well I train myself otherwise.

In January I sent out maybe a dozen packets to be considered for shows at various galleries. Most were responses to open calls at galleries throughout New York state and New England. I have yet to hear from almost all of them, but yesterday brought my first rejection letter from the batch.

It wasn't a terrible letter; I am gleaning a little hope from it. It said that the gallery welcomed future proposals and that if I had any questions to please feel free to contact them.

And, you know, I think I might, eventually. I'll certainly send out another, more well-thought out packet. Some of the things I know were not quite right with that batch of packets was including images of work that doesn't quite all go together (i.e. I included my collage work and my paintings, both figurative and houses -- confusing, no doubt!), and maybe my cover letter was too long and personal? Probably, knowing how verbose and squishy I can be sometimes. And maybe a shorter form of my resume would be a better choice.

I chalk it up to learning. Making mistakes, taking missteps, but also taking care to not repeat them and move forward. It's OK.

I've got to keep submitting proposals, sending packets, refining my presentation, and most important: making new work.


A Supposed Day Like Any Other, acrylic on canvas, 2009.

Something I've been thinking about

Drifting around on the internets one day not long ago, I came across a blogger who was making a Dear Jane quilt. What, you ask, is a Dear Jane quilt? Well, there's not exactly a short answer, but in nutshell it's a quilt that lots of folk have been making based on the design of one made originally by one Jane Stickle in 1863.

See?

I've always been interested in handcrafts like sewing, knitting, and quilting. This quilt is really gnawing at my craw for some reason. It's a project, when undertaken, will occupy its maker for years to come. Yet I really want to get the book and become engrossed in the whole online community that surrounds it.

Unfortunately, there's no way I could fit it in, not really. Then again... doing one little patch at a time, one or two a month while I'm sitting watching TV or something? I could just make it a process, a lifetime endeavor which I never really plan to finish...

In the meantime I need to get cranking on some house paintings. I've been seeing many lovely candidates out in my daily travels that I need to photograph and bring into the studio. I am trying to stay focused on those houses that are run-down, or totally abandoned, but I have also been drawn to houses that may not really be run-down but just a little tattered, but with interesting lines, or lines that I have a hard time finding beauty in. And not just houses! I am noticing so much more "regular" architecture than ever before. I need to take a photo trip one of these weekends.

In the meantime, there is this poor little house that I would love to buy and take care of. She's my next muse.

New work up on my Etsy shop!

That's right -- new work is available at my Etsy shop. One small painting and one mixed media piece are for sale. Interested? Check them out!



"My Wandering Days Are Over," acrylic on canvas, 18" x 12". This one won an honorable mention award at the 2009 Big Orbit Members' Show in Buffalo, NY.



"Trouble in the Underworld," mixed media, 7" x 9.25".

News from the Trenches

February 1st quickly approaches, and my curator has been getting ready for my show, too. His latest request was for a title and a few choices for the image that will appear on the invitation. (Ooh! Invites! Exciting!) I am happy to announce the title for the exhibition will be Nothing Was about to Happen. Thanks to all my friends who weighed in on this important decision and gave me awesome feedback.

I have good news: I got a much better shot of my portrait from yesterday. Unfortunately, I have bad news, too: as I was coming back inside from taking its photo this morning, I slipped on some ice and dropped my camera on the driveway asphalt! Horrors! I am so sad about this. The one good thing is that I was able to retrieve the photos I took and get them on my computer so I could send 'em to the museum. Thankfully. Most thankfully. And I do have a backup camera that I lent indefinitely to my mom, but still. That's one waste of a fine camera. :(

So here, I will share the new and improved photo of the painting I have now titled Lady Godiva's Operation as well as a few small collages. Enjoy!


"Lady Godiva's Operation", Acrylic on canvas, 42" x 32"


"Don't Settle", Collage and acrylic on wood panel, 5.5" x 7.5"


"Insomnia", Collage and acrylic with woodcut print on paper, 8" x 11"


"Heart & Lungs, Knees & Toes", Collage and acrylic with linoleum print on paper, 5" x 12"

New work!

Augh, I probably shouldn't share these photos as they were taken in the dark basement very quickly and carelessly, but I must admit: I'm a little excited. I've been working on some new paintings in the past week and want to share. Believe me, I will get much better photos up eventually -- I want to put my best foot forward, but no one said patience was my virtue! In the meantime, here. These paintings are all acrylic on canvas and around 30" x 40" or so.

Some landscapes inspired by the train ride through the Hudson Valley:




Detail:


The first painting in a pair of portraits inspired by Renaissance profile paintings:


Deatil:


These may or may not be fully realized at this point... I'm always continuing to fuss, but overall I am pleased with them as they are. I have several more large canvases and ideas ready for the next few -- churning away! More portraits, and some architecture (i.e. old houses) on the way. And probably another funny Hudson hill, extra large.

Thanks for having a look! Back to our regular programming next time. :)

On the Creative Muse

Sometimes it is hard to get my creative juices flowing. Sometimes, I will go without making anything for weeks, even months! But then, I'll get back into it. Sometimes there is a reason -- say, need to make work for an exhibition *cough cough* -- and sometimes it's just plain time, you know?

It's always been like that for me, and it made things rather difficult in grad school, because obviously, you were there to make art! Having a few months' worth of dry spell during the two years it takes to get through a typical program sucks. Trust me, I know. During that time, I never really figured out how to work through it and get past it to create an "artificial" productive period, so I struggled through the end, when the pressure of my thesis shows kicked in and I turned into a painting factory the last month or so. Fortunately, I work quite well under pressure.

I've had a similar experience recently with my first big post-academia solo show quickly approaching on the first of February. Waited, waited... did a little here and there... ack! I need to get my ass in gear! I have gotten my ass in gear.

But I think I have finally found the secret to pulling inspiration out of your... *ahem* when it just feels like nothing: Just do it!

How cliche! How athletic!

It seems to be true, though. Last night I had a few ideas floating through my head, but wasn't sure how to approach their execution. I hemmed and hawed a bit, worked on something little, took inventory. Finally, I decided to just mix up some colors and get what I call "foundation layers" on a couple canvases. It was great! It felt wonderful, and I got a lot done. The biggest thing was that I was letting myself do the work without fear of making something ugly. Sometimes you just have to let go and not worry about the pretty, you just have to worry about getting it done.

I know that sounds funny, talking about making art and letting yourself make something that you're not happy with! But, as I said, I was putting down the first layer of the picture. I've got something to work with. It's kind of like when I am writing my artist statement -- something that puts the fear of God into many an artist -- I let myself kind of throw up all over the page first. Then I go back and refine and revise until it's just right. Sometimes it is the only way to get yourself going, and it really works. It always works for me, only I never thought of applying it to my art-making.

Maybe now, from now on I won't have to wait for the creative muse to grace me with her presence. I can just take my own feeble, unrefined ideas and work with them in the meantime. In my latest statement -- the one I will be including in the catalog for my show -- I talk about how disappointments and shortcomings, at the heart of the human experience, have served as jumping off points in my creative practice as I make use of old "discards" in my studio to make new works. This new realization adds a whole, 'nother layer to that. And I am grateful for it.

I will leave you now with a photo of a few little paintings I had in a small, rather impromptu show a couple months ago in Buffalo. (Note to self: must retrieve paintings, soon!)

Amy Earles

Oops, I guess I said "yesterday" the day before, which makes me a day late. Sorry about that!;)

Today's featured artist is Amy Earles, about whom I know very little but who makes beautiful images. Unfortunately, her website is under construction at the moment, and her Etsy shop isn't very revealing about her person, but I guess when the work is this good who cares? (Well, I do... but it doesn't make me hold anything against her or anything, of course! I just like to know some personal info about artists, and/or the stories behind their work) Anyway. I discovered a little painting that was featured in one of those major design blogs one day, which led me to her shop, and my subsequent purchase of said painting, of a little witch girl and two tiny ghosts...

Anyway, she has an interesting variety of things available: original paintings, prints, postcards, and paper dolls. Here are a few of my favorites.


"Persuasion", paper doll with painted background, $280


"Benevolence", print of an original painting, $17


"Red Cape", original gouache painting, $50

This leads to me to think, Hm, perhaps I should try and do an interview here and there with an artist? Stay tuned.

***

In the meantime, I may leave you with an image of one of my own little works. This one is actually from a year or two ago, but having revisited it recently, I have fallen for it all over again. It's a drawing made in white pencil and acrylic paint on black paper, with a splatter of light blue paint here and there. The image was inspired by a photo I had taken of a former classmate when one day I was especially struck by her outfit and hair. Her name is Veronique, and the title in my fractured French way is to mean either Veronique dreams, or the dream of Veronique, or simply a dream Veronique. I always wanted to call her "Vero" but she wouldn't have it. So now I do. I think she will go into my February show.


"Vero Reve", 13" x 6.5" (2006)

As always, you may click on each photo for a closer, larger view.

Holidays are for Art

For making art, that is! I was off almost all of last week and had quite a productive time, which is great considering how much work I have yet to do for my upcoming solo show in February! I thought I would take this opportunity to show you where all my creative activity happens... in the underground studio! (aka The Dungeon aka The Torture Chamber, aka a little room my 1927 bungalow's basement!) While this is not my optimum set-up, admittedly, it is the first time I have had a space in my house where I can totally make a mess and not worry about appearances or kitty safety. I hope eventually to expand and finish this room in my basement I call my studio, but for now I make it work.

And no, I don't get scared at night or anything! It's pretty much all good vibes down there. Sorry for the less-than-great photos -- it's rather dark down there. Yes, I need better lighting. NB: You can click on the photos for bigger versions. :)

Here is the door to my studio. It's painted a celadon green with an orange square at the latch -- came that way when we bought the house. Someone had an artistic bent, I think.



Here is where all the magic happens, so to speak: my workbench. I like to make my collages and small paintings here, and I am able to just take all my scraps and throw them all over the place, waiting to be discovered.



Little tschochkes and cigar bands galore:



More stuffs:



You can see that I am rather cramped into a tight space, but I do make the most of it. Plus, I really enjoy being surrounded closely by things that visually stimulate and excite me -- keeps the creative juices flowing. It's a great space for making small work, so the one thing I don't like about working down here is that it's going to be hard to work on my larger canvases. I am still trying to figure out how I am going to manage that. But I'll work something out.

Finally, I will leave you with a few shots of my most recent larger painting (though this one is relatively small at 40" x 18").







I'm also excited about a little cat-as-person painting I made for my friend Teri, but I can't share it here until she gets it up in Montreal. It turned out really well and can't wait to see what she thinks of it! In the meantime, here is the painting I did of my cat, Nico, a few months ago, in a similar style:



Well, that's it for today! I hope you have enjoyed my little tour! Tomorrow I'll be back to sharing another awesome artist with you.