Strolle....

well...i guess i'm not doing so great with that getting in the studio to paint thing. it's been a crazy week, the tribune coverage actually worked out very nicely as i sold the featured painting and i've received several checks for postcard requests.

so what i did do was finish a commission - this is Strolle, or Strolch - a schnauzer owned by a very nice german couple here in chicago who also have a home in Germany. last  year i painted their irish wolf hound: Gorda.  i put a lot of time into the sketch process going back and forth with edits for the client. once the sketch is approved i project the image onto the canvas as shown above on the left (you can see my little projector in the background). this saves me much time when it comes to recreating the proportions. next i go in with color ...essentially blurring it and finish by bringing it back into focus with black paint.  so i did work on some other paintings already in process...i can never work on just one at a time and i hate to waste leftover paint.

Free Press

I was thrilled to wake up Sunday morning and find a little article about me on the front page of the Home & Garden section of the Chicago Tribune! I couldn't have asked for better placement...top right hand side corner - wow. It was all a result of my April Newsletter blurb about my postcard being used as a prop in 'The Number 23'. I am a lucky gal...and very grateful.

day 2 in the studio

Perhaps this blog will not only help me to better document my work - but actually DO the work. My new goal, post 2 entries each week featuring work done in the studio. It will keep me accountable and keep me painting. I know my posts are pretty 'dry'. For someone like me who wears her heart on her sleeve, I feel very self conscious sharing in this format, maybe this will take the edge off.

So, I'm really happing with how these paintings are progressing and am very tempted to leave them in the 2nd step phase of my work which is basically color fields - my final process is to go back in and re-outline all with black paint...stay tuned. (just wanted to add that the size of the painting on the easel is 24"x48" and the top right 18x24 and the one on table 8x24 or so.)

The Joy of Painting...

Lucky me, I got to paint today! (this does not happen often enough, I seem to spend all my time and energy in my office running my art business.) I started three new paintings based on images I created on clay tiles...I can't wait to get back at it tomorrow. I hereby declare my intention to start spending a lot more time in my studio...hold me to it. Commission paintings don't count!

Citrus

Illustration Friday theme = Citrus

A few years back I painted this fiberglass chair, "California Dogs" for the opening of The Dogs Gallery, the chair featured thematic canine scenes from all around the state - the seat is a pup snoozing in an orange grove. This chair was auctioned off for charity - the proceeds split between The Brittany Foundation and L.i.f.e. Animal Rescue. I also painted a chair titled "Izzy in L.A." - my beloved muse in Tinseltown.

Neighbor

Illustration Friday Theme = Neighbor.

Back in the late 90's, when bucktown was still very edgy, we had a bad neighbor...it made for a rough couple of years.

Be Kind To Animals...

I just biked down to City Hall to see the banners I designed for Chicago Animal Care & Controlfor Be Kind To Animals Week.It's always a wonder to me that a digital file that I never saw largerthan 10 inches on my screen can hang over my head, 8 feet tall. Everytime, I breathe a sigh of relief that it worked! I also donated bannerdesigns for Be Kind to Animals week back in 2005 they featured Alice. Not that you need to be reminded, but be kind to your 4 legged friends and if you are ready to add to your household please adopt ... there are hundreds of cats and dogs waiting for homes in Chicago today.As I left City Hall I saw this beautiful mosaic mural across the street at 120 N LaSalle. It is called "Flight of Daedalus and Icarus" by Roger Brown, It's27 feet highand 54 feet wide and of course all original. There are hidden gems likethis all over  Chicago. I count  myself lucky to have spotted this onetoday.

Artropolis

Last weekend I made the short trek downtown to visit Artropolis -the annual mega art event here in Chicago, stemming from the originalArt Chicago. I made the mistake of trying to see everything. As a result, I cannot recall what Isaw in the last hour, as it was just too much stimulus for the eyes, brainand soul to handle. But my first 2 hours were a treat. My favorite show was the Bridge Art Fair where the highlight wasseeing the works of Beverly Ashein person and then getting to meet her and having her tell me she knows my work!Wow. I have admired her paintings for years via the internet - a chancefind early on of the gazillion or so hours of surfing I've done. She was exhibiting with her gallery Strange Weeds. I discovered a few new favorites: the painter, Scott Redden with Dillon Gallery and from the the Intuit Show, the works of Franz Kernbeis from Galerie St. Etienne and Theresa Disney of Checkered House Gallery. I just don't do the gallery thing often enough, I am so inspired and happy when I do - this was a big reminder...note to self.