3 Tries

The Chicks Along The Canal show came of pretty well. I never expect to sell much locally, since there is such a small population here in upstate NY. I was surprised to sell one piece and one of my hand bound books! In fact, I made as much in art as I did in antiques. This was really cool, but basically it was a slow show.
I didn't sell any relatives. Actually, I cringe when I look at this series. I feel like they were sell outs...art for money. Pimp art. Something I hate, and usually avoid, since what I think the public wants, is usually wrong! So stick to your intuition, I told myself. And that's where my head is at now.

I am working on watercolor pieces that I can later on expand on and create collages from. It's tedious. It's concentration busting! It's hard! But I love the challenge, and I believe that this road will lead to interesting mixed media, once I get enough of my own art in stock to work with.
I am trying to gain some discipline, by working on pieces over and over until they are what I want them to be. So far, after 3 tries on one particular scene, I can see improvement, but I can't say I have reached on paper what I can already see in my mind!

Tall house on Blaine Rd. # 1
Trying out Arches cold press. I am usually a hot press kind of girl.
Washed out work! The building poses serious problems.
Sense of value is missing.



Tall house on Blaine Rd. #2
AAAh. Hot press paper! I like it better...but it seems like an altogether different process than working on textured cold press.
I am attempting to create a vignette...a shadow around the outside. It almost worked.
These are darker colors....so some value was achieved. However, I lamely copped out to pen and ink to see if I could get a better building. Obviously this didn't work.
I was enjoying painting these trees, but now they look contrived.


Tall house on Blaine Rd. #3
Went to see Wyeth paintings at the Hyde. Upon looking at the very first painting, I realized what my work was missing...100% value! This was the first piece I did after viewing his work.
I like it better than the others.
Lost the vignette idea!
The building is still quite lame, but at least no pen and ink this time.


I want to get a very desolate feeling in this piece. So far, I am not there. I think it has to do with the placement of the objects against the paper space. I need bigger paper, so these objects can appear smaller...and more isolated. The next attempt will be on larger paper. These were on 9 x 12 Arches Hot Press...next time it will be 11 x 14 L'Anaquarelle hot press. Not sure I am ready for huge paper yet. That creates all new problems, and I really want to land this so I can move on!