March 30, 2008
Really Finished Now
I took my lovely Katie's advice and added some more yellow to my last Exalt piece. I like it better like this. Not only so, but I did a small version of my star bird, one I'm pretty thrilled with. The new one's 5"x7". I'm again following my dear Katie's example and I'll be making more of these smaller affordable pieces. Gideon's the one who wanted me to do the robins and he's thrilled at the idea of lots of tiny new ones. Both of these paintings are at my new etsy shop if you're interested, though they're involved in a show about to start so won't be available for shipping until this summer.
Exalt 2 (11"x14") Really finished this time.
European Robin (5"x7")
March 27, 2008
Latest Finished Art & A Really Gross Puss Ball
I'll start with the art first so those of you who are easily grossed out can bail out before the puss ball description. It's the least I can do. Really. I had done the background purple wash and the sketch on the canvas at the beginning of December but couldn't do more on this piece b/c I was so sick w/the newest little one. So I picked it up again yesterday and finished it last night. I thought I wouldn't want to revisit this bird after I finished Exalt (I was so sick of it!), but after doing the Labor piece I wanted to do this little guy before I hit the belly in the tub again. And I really enjoyed it.
I've got to get better at taking pictures of my work. One's too dark and the other's too washed out.
I just think this is the cutest little birdie!
Here are details in order clockwise: top left, top right, bottom right, bottom left. I enjoyed playing around with the lines and dots. Andy says it looks like the robin's on some alien planet. It's a happy, bright alien planet.
And now on to the puss. Last night I realized Bela our cat hat a huge swollen spot on his forehead between his ear and his eye. It was the size of a golf ball and was bruised and cut and had a little bit of puss coming out of a spot. It looked like it needed draining so I held Bela and gave the ball a little squeeze. Holy cow. I have never seen so much puss in my life. And that stuff SMELLED! I had to wash my hands about six times before the smell went mostly away. I wish I'd worn rubber gloves. Andy and I ended up squeezing the puss out for a while, revealing a good sized hole in his head - about the same diameter as a pen or pencil. He'd been gotten good and I'm not sure when. I could have sworn the spot wasn't there earlier when I'd snuggled with him, but I must be wrong cause there's no way that could have gotten that bad in a matter of a few hours. We medicated it and debated whether to get stitches or not. We ended up getting out the medical super glue and trying to seal the hole. Probably not a good idea, but it does look better this morning so hopefully we didn't do any worse damage. I'm gonna call the neighbor today and see how his cat fared. Bela always seems to win so I'm guessing neighbor cat's not in great shape. Sorry I didn't get any pre-puss pushing pictures maybe you'll be lucky enough for me to get some pics of the puncture today.
March 25, 2008
Labor - Finished Painting
So I think I'm done with this. I started it about a week and a half ago, worked on it about five hours, was unhappy with it and let it sit until today. I'm still not all that pleased with it but I'm done. I'm probably going to do another one or two with this sketch, at least one on canvas instead of board like this one.
I'm having a little trouble getting subjects for the human trafficking pieces I want to do. It's understandable what with the nature of the crimes and allowing your face to be pictured in association with that. I have one lead that looks really good but others have fallen through. Pray God's miraculous hand in this project that my work in particular will be what He wants and that our show in general will bring consciousness of this subject to our area.
March 19, 2008
Quickening
Yesterday Andy finally got to feel a couple movements from our new baby. Twenty-two and a half weeks along and Daddy says, "So you're not making all this up, huh?" *pause* "Unless you've got some sort of magnet system set up in there." Only an engineer.
Today Gid kept his hand firmly pressed to my belly for a long while in hopes he'd get to feel our baby, too. He felt a small flutter but nothing satisfying, so he stayed put, waiting. After a while he looks up at me with a sweet smile, "Do you know what I'm starting to feel?"
"What, honey?"
"Impatient." Oh, I love that boy!
Marissa L. Swinghammer's The Quickening
It's a woodblock print on Japanese paper. Isn't it breathtaking?!!?! I want, I want, I want!
March 14, 2008
Spotlight: Gid
Gid spent a good deal of time filling up the memory stick on the camera the other day. Here's my favorite series. I call it Up and Down the Stairs.
And here's one I took. A couple days ago he skipped his nap and played hard outside all day. He went in to poop and didn't come back for a good long while. I went in to check on him and found him sound asleep in the middle of a poop! Please also note his high style choices for riding the bike and digging in the dirt: wool scarf, no shirt, practical brown pants and triple-hand-me-down cowboy boots (I think they started with cousin Sam who's 11 now).
March 10, 2008
My Four Sons
Got you excited, didn't I? No, we're not finding out the gender of this next one (until the birth!). One of the neighborhood boys, Jerome, who is four has pretty much been living w/us when he's home lately and my boys love him. He fits in well with my boys, is well-behaved and kind so I simply can't complain at having another playmate for my little guys.
On another note, one thing I love about my husband's blog is that when it's abbreviated while the computer's thinking & looking it up, it shows up as "the eternal stud. . ." And oh, he is!
Phin just turned two and he's full toddler - not a baby anymore. *sniff, sniff*
I've finally gotten started on my next painting. I did the preliminary sketch last night.
I think I'm gonna crop it for the painting, though. Dunno.
Oh, and side-note: I'm in the process of getting in touch with some formerly trafficked women to talk with them about their experiences and see how they feel about me using their images for paintings on human trafficking. Pray!