"Deeds Of Men" new drawing on coffee stained paper

New Leather Projects

Softie Skull Billfold Wallet and Bags..

I'm also making masks again. Here's a close-up of one. The hair is about 5 feet long..Funny thing happened on the way to oil painting..
My plan this year was to hone my oil paintings skills. Not just "hone," but take them to another several levels. I started by working on some oil paintings (that I'll post pics of soon.) I worked super hard on colors, technique (smoothness of blending), compostition, and concept. However, the concepts fell short. For some reason, the concepts didn't seem as as strong once on canvas, but I surprised myself with technique! However, they just weren't dark enough, didn't have enough to say. They were too polite.

Then I went wild working really large, without any drawings, just attacking the canvas. While those captured the movement and explosiveness I wanted, they still weren't up to part technically.

Then I listened to this weird voice inside my head that'd been saying for months "try gouache paint." Finally, I relented. All the colors were outside of my palette, and I grabbed the ones I was drawn to without analyzing too much. And I started to paint.
They are a difficult paint to work with, very chalky and not blendable...the very opposite of oils. They made me paint in a very primitive way. I was hooked! So I started painting images of my experiences with shamanism, reiki, spirits, etc. It was really free and fun- no photo references, no worries about light source, no perfection, just whatever was in my head. They painted themselves as I lost myself in 9 hours a day or more of just painting 22x30 and larger.

After this open studio, it's back to focusing on oil paintings. I've been working on their concepts and drawings during this primitive painting time. I've been learning all I can about techniques..now it's time to attack the canvas again with my first love: oil !
Oil paints have been my siren song, just like music, since I was a child. They've almost conquered me and driven me crazy, but now it's my turn to make magick...

New Work

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Super delayed on updates, but I've been entrenched in my painting studio. Lots of pics to post another day. Quick rundown: painted some new oils with new techniques. I've decided I'll not continue the subject matter, but I hope to apply what I've learned in new oils I have planned that will all be large sizes and very laden with imagery. I have almost completed about 20 acrylaGouache paintings on archival rag paper, 22" x 30" ( like the one pictured above) that I will put up for sale, framed, soon. These will be on display at my open studio in Berkeley June 5th and 6th. I've also got a handful of drawings that will be up for sale as well. Planning the large new oils as well. Whew. Pics soon!

Studio

Paints, paints, paints. I am obsessed with oil paints. I've been spending a minimum of 6 hours a day painting in my studio. Most days I like to reach for 7-8 hours. I'd like to work at least 10-12. That's my goal. I am almost finished with 3 new paintings. Very different style departure. This year my focus has been to choose a level I want to attain with my painting and figure out how to get there. I'm learning alot, but there's still so much to learn! I have an entire series planned out for this particular theme I'm working on..and then I will start to work on a series I have planned for the other subject matter I wish to express. I'm also wanting to learn how to draw super well. I've always just sketched out my ideas and gathered research in the past, working out the details while I'm painting. Yet, with these new paintings I am taking the time to draw out all details before I paint, so everything is worked out on the canvas with pencil before I begin the underlayer. This sensible technique delays the excitement of just attacking the canvas from the start, but it dramatically changes the painting process for me, allowing so much more control in the long run. No wonder artists do this! Taking much more time with underpainting is also something new for me. One thing I haven't changed is my oil technique. I use no turpentine or chemical substitutes. I used to use linseed oil, but have since switched to walnut oil exclusively. I've learned alot about brushes that work for me, and have since gathered very specific tools for my techniques. I'll post some photos soon!

Spring in the Air

Spring is peeking through the clouds here and it's making me feel inspired, feisty, electric! It's reminded me of this photo Davide took last summer..and made me think of how much life has changed in one year, two years...As I made a cappuccino to drink, I reflected on how I wasn't able to drink coffee for most of my life. Before I healed my allergies with Reiki (and my husband's love is also a great healer!) , I was not able to eat pizza, drink coffee, have dairy nor tomatoes, never a pastry for breakfast, and eating out was always a problem. I survived on raw veggies, brown rice, seafood, steamed green veggies...yet still I suffered from terrible skin rashes and other allergy symptoms. Now, I can eat anything I want. I told the universe I wanted to eat like normal people, and for the past year I have! More importantly, I asked the universe for my great love, a partner who loves me as I am, someone for me to love as he is, a perfect match..and indeed we are all this together and more. Ask and ye shall receive.

Through My Eyes

I've made a commitment to myself and my art to fully delve into painting this year. I should say, visual art of all sorts, but specifically I want to take my painting to the next level. Since I made this commitment and started moving things in life to accommodate a lifestyle where my focus is on painting, my mind is flooded with ideas and concrete concepts and series. I decided that seeing an idea is not enough when I try to paint it but can't get it where I want in terms of technicality. So, every painting must really count this year. As I'm working on pieces now, if I can't get something to look the way I want I am studying techniques of the Old Masters, studying other artists to learn how to paint something at the level I want now instead of "waiting" for that technique to develop on its own. I'm already seeing my paintings jump to a new level, so I am excited to see how far I can push myself. Mostly I am focusing on oil painting which is my passion, but I am also exploring inks and acrylic. I have several series of works that I want to do in completely different styles. I will be keeping my blog updated with progress images and reports from my new studio.