03/31/2021 Anniversary

This is one of five abstract pieces I am doing to submit for an exhibition by Krealyx.com. 

03/27/21 OOOOOOOoooooooooo!

 

03/16/2021 Candlestick

 

03/15/21 Iconaccidental Study 2—Final

 I was not satisfied with this as it was. She looked like a zombie to me. I added shading/contouring/highlighting/color and tweaked the saturation and am much more satisfied with this version. Still not really realistic, but I guess that’s what cameras are for.

3/14/2021 Elk River

Imagined in a room:

03/13/2021 Elk River Sunset—In progress

 Will fit an apple in here eventually. Watercolor sunsets are not easy. 

03/08/21 Five Birds

 Here’s the apple that Three Birds was missing + some other tweaks.

My therapist was in favor of a detail just focusing on the yellow form (originally from an art therapy Group work related to a variety of specialty honey that has great meaning for me—Basswood Honey. If you haven't tried it, you are missing out on an essential life experience.) So here is that as well.

Here is the original art therapy piece:

03/03/2021 Three Birds

So I realized on 3/7/2021 that there is no apple here. Not to fear.  See 3/8/2021’s post  

2/28/21 Forget Me Not—Final

 Added shadows + some other refinements.

2/27/21 Forget Me Not

 

2/23/21 Quick basement painting

 My view from the couch.

02/15/2021 Flotsam—More waves

 Gee, it didn’t seem so dark when I was doing it. 

02/12/21 Enough

 I just really like this detail and the composition of it cropped this way. 

02/11/2021 Enough

 

01/28/21 Woman (series)

This series uses a full-figured white middle-aged woman as a paper doll to explore the reception of the appeal of such a woman in late 20th century American culture and the Goddess archetype. 

I grew up entrenched in “thin/young is beautiful” socialization and am now curious about the disconnect between who I was, what body type and age I learned were “acceptable,” and my own current body.

I’d put these images up on my social media, but this morning I took them down as they weren’t getting much of a response and I am not confident enough to keep them up there.  I guess they were too personal and despite my pleasure in them, apathetic response was a little too painful. Yes yes, all my art needs to be just for me. I know. There’s a dopamine hit from people’s “likes.” And I’m an affirmation junkie. But this site is for me (and you, dear viewers, though I know there are precious few of you), and so we shall gently hold them here.

They are:

Woman Marketed (the one with the mannequin)

Woman Ignored (yoga pants!)

Woman Unveiled (unadorned)

Woman Revealed (the unseen)

1/28/2021 Woman—In Progress

So this painting seems to want to be one of a series. Not much progress today in terms of change to the main image. today’s work is behind the scenes, including time spent creating the other images, messing around in ProCreate, and experimenting with lightning and star sparkles. Here’s a detail:

01/26/21 Untitled—In Progress

 

1/27/2021 Untitled—In Progress

I am working on a number of pieces with the idea of celebrating the mature woman’s body and perhaps imagining a right of passuage where to attain such a body would be desired, celebrated, and admired because those who attain such a likeness, akin to that of the “earth mother” archetype, would be seen as having achieved a level of greatness, like “leveling-up” in a game, because they more approximate Her. What if the proven, survived, mature woman’s body were prized over that of the unproven, inexperienced, nubile female body? So, just showing part here as it’s in progress.

1/19/2021 Playing with ink

 

01/16/2021 Wish You Were Here. Love , Grampa