I'm not obsessed with Shatto Milk Company. Really. Though it might seem so since I've painted their packaging, buy their products (yum), my kids work there, they sell my prints, and we just had my daughter's wedding reception there. Other than that there is no connection for me. Well, except this last weekend I spent the day painting there for their Family Day on the Farm. Yeah, except for all of that, there is no obsession. Right?

Anyway. Here is a slide show of the painting i did. I haven't painted like that, at a public event while people pass and talk while you paint, before. At Shatto they do a lot of farm related things that day and I was there to add a little something different to their farm. I thought it would be fun. And it was. I'd do something like that again.

Do you have a company you obsess over?

I did something yesterday that I haven't done in, oh, a couple of YEARS. That's painted from a live model. Which artists should do all the time but in reality we don't. Or I don't. I talked to Sarah 2 1/2 years ago about sitting for me. Ughhhhhh, two and a half years! I don't know what happens to time. Anyway, she helped with the weddings, (actually she is my son-in-law's sister, she was in one of the weddings) and we talked about actually having her come to my studio. We set the appointment, again, and I still almost cancelled. But, I didn't. And here is about a little over an hour's worth of time. 

I almost didn't post these for several reasons, 1) because I am embarrassingly rusty,  2) because it doesn't do Sarah justice 3) because I struggled so much that I didn't catch her essence and 4) because I am embarrassingly rusty. Grrrrr

But, I did it. And I finally kept my 2 1/2 year appointment. I think I still have another 2 1/2 year appointment to fulfill. I told her brother at the same time I'd like to paint a study of him too. Well, he's in the family now so I better make good.

The upside is Sarah is scheduled to come back next Wednesday. Any other takers to be a live model and keep me going? 

It is wedding #3 this week so I have to stay focused but I had to do a very quick post. I haven't been doing much creating when it comes to paintings. (Though I have been very wedding creative these last couple of months.)  Thought I'd share what I wish I could finish.

I thought it would be a very cool idea to paint a painting for my kids when they got married. That was the plan. The reality - 3 DIY weddings in 1 1/2 months just made it a crazy idea. If only we lived in a perfectly timed world. Anyway, here is the only one that I got started - Logan and the Lion Tamer. It's the underpainting. I'm hoping that I get a life back after this week and finish it (and start the other two).

I'm teaching a student today a private lesson. I'm going to talk about the Rub Out Method in painting. These are a couple of photos of a small study I did for a larger painting.  

          • Start with an underdrawing of varied detail or just draw freehand
          • Pull paint off the canvas with brushes, cloth, q-tips, anything that works
          • Leave paint in areas that you want the darkest values
          • Usually it is done in umbers or siennas

This helps in numerous ways

          • Helps establish values before color
          • Creates an underpainting to "follow" when adding additional paint
          • Without a lot of invested time/supplies a composition can be established and re-worked

Here is another example Oil Painting Studies • I Love You Painting 

These are paintings in progress and aren't finished. I started them a while ago. 

Sometimes I get stuck. It's hard not to judge a painting before it's finished. I shouldn't, but I do.  When something's in the making it's usually not pretty, but it's all you see. (Kinda like kids, but that's another story.) So, I judged, and got very discouraged. I put the bottom one aside and started the top one. I'm 'feeling it' better with this one. 

It's not the models. They are both beautiful! They also happen to be my sisters. 

I think now I've halted because of my paintings skills, or lack thereof. I know some of you are going to go, "oh right, she can't paint, not. I can't draw a stick figure". But from my point of view, I'm still a beginner and don't have everything down, so I hesitate. Paintings are reflective by nature and take time. But, not that reflective. And shouldn't take that much time. 

So, I'm posting - just to get them on my mind again and to maybe see anything or have something come to me.

I'm very excited about the progress of this painting. Except. Except, white takes FOREVER to dry. And I have to wait for it to dry to go on to the next layers. I hate waiting. (Bonus if you know which movie that line comes from.) But, wait I must. And because misery loves company, you have to wait with me. *crickets*

Here is a series of photos from an oil painting study I did recently for a larger painting I'm doing later .
Painting title: I Love You.