Painting of a different kind...

I've been very slack this week where my art is concerned. I haven't worked on my paintings at all. Pablo's "The Dream" is still awaiting final touches, and my next painting idea is on hiatus until I can I can take pictures and do some sketches. That's not to say I haven't actually "painted", but instead of sitting down at the easel I stripped out my bedroom and started cutting in on the walls.

I haven't done any home decorating for some time. There's something revitalising about changing your environment, and most definitely about improving it. I've been looking at puke green bedroom walls for so long I thought it was time to change them to something lighter and brighter. Boy, what an undertaking it was though. I'd forgotten about all the preparation involved - moving furniture, cleaning, and just the general upheaval of not having things where they're supposed to be. Then there's the disagreements, the heady paint fumes, and the tired, achy arms. A project I thought would only take a day ended up taking four, and for three nights I had to sleep on the couch. I hate a messy house.

The bonus of course is that now I have a nicely painted bedroom and I'm no longer cringing at the sight of it. Even better, I'm going to Ikea this weekend, that great Scandinavian home store, and buying new table lamps and a mirror (plus a few other odds and ends I'm not telling my husband about). That's something to look forward to.

So, although I haven't exactly been expressing my creativity this week, I've been busy. I don't think I did a bad job either. All the same, I think I'll stick to painting pictures. Next time we're hiring a professional.

Stormy weather

"Beach Gossip", 8x16"

It poured down today. Luckily the darkness lifted so I was able to paint with natural light and finish "Beach Gossip", the painting I started on Friday. It took only two days to complete this piece, which is typical for a painting this size. I like to work quickly, blocking in color and making any adjustments to the composition first, then finally adding detail and any finishing touches. With the days getting shorter I had to work the last few hours with the aid of my artist lamps, so I'll need to review the painting tomorrow when the light has improved.

A painting day

I was finally able to do some painting this week. My new piece "Reflecting" has been sitting on the easel in my studio waiting to be worked on. It's frustrating when I want to paint but don't have the time.

It's only a small painting at 6x8". The scene is of the dining room at the Bed & Breakfast my friend used to own. It was a beautiful, stately place with a wonderful atmosphere, and on looking back at photographs my husband took I thought I'd try capture some of that ambiance.

Reflecting

I was finally able to do some painting yesterday, which was my first and last painting session for the week. I've had such a busy time of it lately. I began a small painting I think I'm going to call "Reflecting", based on a photograph my husband took several years ago of a friend's Bed & Breakfast in New Zealand. It's an atmospheric interior that I may develop into a series of interior paintings, something I've wanted to do since painting "Bishop's 4th Street Diner", pictured below, in 2004.