Water Pistol Wednesday.

Spring is amazing. Every day I open the windows and flowers fly up my nose. The days are spent in gypsy skirts and half-naked wanderings to the corner store. Heat beating on my back. Bees screaming out my name.

Art is still here.

But I'm having a tough time being inspired.
Silly, no?
What with all the beauty abound.

Water Pistol Wednesday.
24x24" on AG.
Scale shot included.

It's Nothing!

The Cancerous threat.

Boy laughed and said 'pfffft'. And this is from a nurses son who is neurotic about all the things I'm not...so that means it's A.O.K. *grin*

I'm EXHAUSTED.
It's BEEN A WEEK FROM HELL.

I think I'm going to the supermarket later to get cheese and bread.
I already have some delicious wine in the fridge.

I'm taking the night off and putting my feet up.


Oh! BTW...the city art festival was an all time bummer. The most artistic thing there was a multicoloured dog that was wandering around and tripping people up. But at least my feet got tanned!

Oh no wait....

*rub*

Oh, that's just dirt.

Yes, But What Does That Mean?

I notice on the side of my Absorbent Ground:

"Warning: This product contains a chemical known to the state of California to cause Cancer."

Yes, but...what does that mean? Does it mean not to eat it? Or not to touch it? Because you know I've had that product drizzled all over my hands and then some. Does it mean not to inhale it? Because I can tell you exactly what it smells like. Does it mean not to be around it? Because I hang out in my studio while it's drying on my boards.

So I google 'Absorbent Ground, Cancer'. Fourth entry on the google page? MY BLOG. That's how well covered this product is. *boing eyes*

And, ironically, I decided a week ago to give up diet soda due to the cancer/artificial sweetener aspects.

Hmmm.

Production....halted?

In other news, Art Festival this afternoon. I'll take the camera and take some photos.

In other other news, HAPPY FOUR YEAR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY to Brennen and Sarah.



Bliss!

I Took the Day Off.

I'm going to be very busy tomorrow.
With the exception of setting up a new account to advertise Share Your Tears, I took the day off today.

I just really needed to.

Back to work in the morning.

**
edited to say, a couple of hours of model searching before bed. I now have some great compositions for tomorrow.
I hope sleep comes easily.
I'm tired.

Here is Something Beautiful.

From postsecret.com.

SCREAM!

The NEW 'Share Your Tears' will be going live TODAY!!!

*screams and runs off to eat breakfast cereal excitedly*

I'm taking my laptop to bed.

My eyes are fuzzy. It's only 12.30am but I've been working on the computer for a fair few solid hours.

Step 1: Go through a YEARS worth of photos trying to collect originals of 'share your tears' photos (I take THOUSANDS of photos in a year...this was a killer task)

Step 2: Photoshop EVERY 'share your tears' you pull from files. Resize, alter colours, alter sharpenings, save. For EVERY PIECE.

Step 3: RELOAD every 'share your tears' painting and turn them into itty bitty thumbnails.

Step 4: (what we're up to, folks!) spend the next hour writing html code.

Is anybody else sick yet?

In other news I took photos at the Waverly Boogie today to post. I'm too busy right now but maybe tomorrow. The arts were extremely lacking and the sun was so strong it was impossible to sit in the field and watch the bands. It was good to get out, at least. Saw a few peeps. Went home. Jumped into a fridge full of beverage.

But I digress....
I have code to be writing....
I'm taking my laptop to bed!

SYT's.

Art Stuff.

9pm on Friday night and I'm exhausted after a day in Atlanta. I was contemplating going to a 10pm movie but I may be too tired. What a nana.

Had 2 hours sleep last night.
Busted my butt painting yesterday, 11am to 3am. I painted five new Share Your Tears submissions...need to upload when I can see straight.
Also spent morning scanning works for my IC submission, which I just emailed off.
Wish me luck.

Tomorrow is a little arty festival thingy here in a neighbouring town. It's all music and local art. I think I will go just to check out what's new but I'm not sure if I'll be staying too long. Sometimes looking at other peoples art just makes me crave my studio. Also I've lots of work to do....

I have to go to the hardware store and buy supplies to make some boxes to paint on.
And then I have four commissions to draw up.

This weekend started off busy and looks like it shall end that way too.

You choose.

Am I a bee or a beaver?

*shrug*

There is a ladybird on my laptop.
What a beautiful way to end my day!

Up the Water Spout.

I don't feel very well today.
Plus I can't really do the work I want to do until I go to the hardware store. I need more lumber. And then, when I've built my frames, it'll still take awhile for for them to dry after they're painted.

So art isn't flourishing today.

Instead, I've been gluing magnets to plastic spiders and have been putting them all over the fridge.







I can't wait 'til boy gets home.

The Tallest Flower.

New Work.

New figure work done on new medium/boxes.

NOTES ABOUT ABSORBENT GROUND:

1) It BLEEDS a lot more than paper. So you can never stay within the lines of your drawing
2) You CAN TAKE PAINT OFF a lot easier than paper...so you can fix those bleeds you make
3) The paint dries FAST but you can lift it after it has dried
4) Frisket will sometimes pull the paint off your painting, unlike my experience with paper
5) The COLOURS look dull UNTIL you spray with varnish. Annoying to not entirely know what the finished product will look like

I am trying a new work now and after that I'll give my final verdict as to whether I am switching from paper or not.

Watercolour Canvas Sucks BUTT.

It's the truth. Watercolour canvas DOES NOT ABSORB WATER.
I know, I know. A more moronic thing I have not come across. Soooo, because it does not absorb water, you have to smear all your paint on the canvas in a thick and muddy fashion. Which completely destroys the transparency of it all which - to me - is the very *point* of watercolours.

I experimented on two blocks today. One covered in canvas and one covered in Absorbent Ground.

The Absorbent Ground I think will work *really* well. At this point I still like paper better but I'm pretty sure that's just because I'm used to the paper. I think if I do a few more works on the AG I'll positively love it.

So, examples of today's work...
The blue and orange flowers (posted first) were done on CANVAS (I have a whole pad if anybody wants to waste their time...). I have included a photo of the exeperimental work and then a close up of the layering...you can see how muddy it is (and wet-on-wet is IMPOSSIBLE to accomplish).
The purple and yellow flowers were done on Absorbent Ground. Again I have included the overall work and close ups on the layering - much more crisp and clear than the canvas.













Tomorrow I will be painting a human figure on the AG. I look forward to it and am sure it will work out well. I have it composed so I will draw it up tonight.

I also can't wait to apply varnish to the AG works.

With love,
Sarah.

Grindhouse & the Curse of White Skin

Okay, this post will probably not be for family or for those much more sophisticated and much less crass than I. It may contain swears. *nods head* That being said,

GRINDHOUSE KICKED ARSE!

I swear to GOODNESS!

And I will therefore indulge myself and turn this 'art' entry into a 'Grindhouse' entry (well, at least the *first* half)

I went to see Grindhouse tonight. And it's the first time in FOREVER that I have been properly entertained by something that is meant to be entertaining. Sure, movies in the past have kept me captivated with story telling, interesting ideas and beautiful art. But that's been the extent of it...a new point of view, a new thing to mull over, another way to spend the evening. So now I just trollop into the movie theatres somewhat excited but never really...elevated.

Well! Who knew it would be the guts and gore of Rodriguez and Tarantino that would have me laughing out loud, clapping my hands and joining in with the rest of the crowd.

And maybe...maybe that's it. We had a REALLY good audience. I haven't had a really good movie audience in a long time either. But tonight everybody laughed at the right places, everybody clapped for the good guys and hissed for the bad guys. It was stellar. The movie was taken the exact way it should have been taken and I think *everybody* was entertained.

Well done boys!

(oh! the movie also contained a kiwi, so I was much impressed. I wanted to steal her pounamu, though. I haven't seen minein a year and I'm afraid after watching this flick I'm about to tear the house apart for it)

i n . o t h e r . n e w s

I used to love my fair skin. I was always incredibly pale growing up and never bothered trying to tan in the summer. Then, eventually, skin cancer became uncool anyway and I didn't have to worry so much about fashion and trends because pale girls suddenly became 'intelligent' girls.
And I loved the contrast of my skin. I love the way it glowed, especially in dim light.

I bought a watercolour magazine today because I was quite impressed with the lady's 'self portraits' (Carol Ann Schrader, click here to see her site). I admired again the ability of using oneself as a model, something I used to do but had to give up. And I gave it up mostly due to the fact I'm so pale. It's *very* difficult to pick colour out of my skin and I'm addicted to using colour. Even though I was cheap, flexible and 100% on call, I fast became an unsuitable model when I turned to watercolours. I looked at Ms Schrader's photo and as small as it was, the colours in her face lept out at me.

It makes me sad.

And so I ask.
Has anyone out there got any way to inject colour into pale skin?
Maybe I should exercise and take photos in selected poses after that?
Maybe I shall wait until 4am when I get lightheaded and the blood runs to the bottom of my toes?

I don't know.
But there has to be SOME WAY to use myself as a model again.
It has nothing to do with vanity, I just know what I want to paint best.

Oh, curse my pale skin!

I Lost a Day.

I'm very sad to say I lost a day today.
I was so excited to work, for my new experiments.
But there was a lot of drama in one area of my life and I had to attend to that.
It took more than hours, it took years crammed into one day.

*sigh*

Now I am frustrated I tried to sort things out and wish I had just turned to Aethecus instead.

Also, as a result of this, I have no paintings to share with you.

But I did happen across this in a conversation today, and it is beautiful.


More tomorrow, with any luck.

Love,
xxxS.

A Wonder Woman Uniform.

u·ni·form (yū'nə-fôrm')
n.
A distinctive outfit intended to identify those who wear it as members of a specific group.

When I painted acrylics I had aprons. Well, one apron and one paint smattered lab coat. Such beautiful beasts they were. In the summer I would paint naked, except for my aprons. Then when I moved onto watercolour...there was no need for them. Or at least no justifications. I didn't have goopy paint and I didn't need to wipe my brushes on myself, so I hung my aprons up. But...I missed them.

A few months later I decided I needed a uniform. I needed something to replace them. Something to define working time from non-working time.

Creator of NaNoWriMo and author of 'No Plot No Problem' feels the same about his writing. He has a viking helmet as his uniform! To my delight he states:
"For me, when I don my plastic Viking helmet, I know I've left the real world behind and am sailing off to the shores of my fictional Valhalla. The hat reminds me that I am Elsewhere, and I will be staying there until the ships reserves of Dr Pepper and Starburst run low."

(good book, you should check it out)


Anyway I was very excited to pick uniforms. About half a year ago I got some black fingerless fishnet gloves as my uniform. I love them! But then...

Well.
I was in the store and it was there.
And I wanted it.
And I had no jusitifications for it.
But I wanted it.
And I thought 'camping hat!'
And I wanted it.
And then I got it.
And then I wore it.
And then I KNEW.
I KNEW.
Painting hat!

And so here it is.
My new painting uniform.
It's Wonder Woman on my head in all her glory.
And the MoJo is amazing.



Beautiful, ain't it?
*grin*

Presentation Experimentation.

Huge grin.
Well!
Now that I know how to saw, glue, nail and fix boxes, it comes down to how I want to present my paintings.

1) Boxed frame covered with canvas.
2) Boxed frame covered with wood and painted with Absorbent Ground
3) Boxed frame covered with wood and spray painted.

The first two options would require painting directly onto my working surfaces. The last option would require painting onto paper, mounting work onto card and mounting card onto the box frame.

It's all very exciting.
Either tonight or tomorrow I will be experimenting with my new mediums.

In the meantime, here are the three boxes I made recently and painted with absorbent ground.




I can't wait to see how well it does (or doesn't) take watercolour.

Look At What I Can Do!

"No big deal" say all the artists.
"Looks pretty easy" say all the audience.
"SO DAMN COOL" Says I.

*grin*

Next paycheck we are making a workshop bench in my studio and a proper wall for my growing tools.

I am a Painter, Not a Pervert.

Actually, at the Wild Animal Safari I was absolutely transfixed with the family in front of me. There was a grandmother, two mothers (sisters) and their children. They all had the most *remarkable* noses. But more than that, they all had a very 'wet' look to them. Their eyes were so liquid and it looked like if you took a pin and pricked their lips a river would burst forward. I was fascinated that they all carried the same features *so* strongly, that you didn't even have to be introduced to figure out who was siblings with who and who was related where.
But I was especially *especially* fascinated with the little girl in front of me. She was glorious. The sun reflected out of her liquid eyes and watery skin like nothing I had ever seen before.
Of course we were on a tour bus and should have been looking at animals, but I spent every spare moment drinking this family in. I saw painting after painting. How perfect to paint such a liquid family in watercolours! When their heads were turned I took photos. *hangs head in shame* I kept trying to take the little girls portrait without any of the other family members noticing. I'm not sure I didn't get caught, actually.

Which leads me to my new favourite t-shirt that I have to create.

Reading simply, "I am a painter, not a pervert'.
I'm sure many would misconstrue it to mean that I'm justifying any future (or past) crass works. But I'm hoping secretly that anyone who finds my gaze lingering on them a little too long in public will take it as a written apology and smile.

Art FUNKY.

This is a Zonkey, yo. A cross between a Zebra and a Donkey. Picasso made this beast.

They also had Ligers! ROAR!

Muahahahaha.

Tip Tap.

Iniciative Colectiva.

I was very excited to find this email in my inbox this morning!


****
REQUEST FOR SUBMISSION

Hello Sarah!

My name is Nicole and I am the Creative Director for Iniciativa Colectiva, an online magazine for artists, by artists.

Iniciativa Colectiva started just last year and we are a growing publication. We want to showcase the best of the best within all fields of design and photography.

We are working toward organizing an exhibition at Miami's Design District with the year's best pices submitted to the magazine and before doing anything we will ask the artists who are chosen to participate and if chosen, to send either a print of their work, if possible.
If not, we will print the piece at a low price but hope to get sponsors to cover the printings.

Also, we are researching to have the magazine published in a book form so we can have the magazine as a hardcopy for people to buy soon.

Again, the magazine is solely to showcase the artists work so all copyrights will remain with the artist. We hope this event will generate a buzz and a following as well as generate a buzz with the artists chosen.

Please check out the website as we are approaching the deadline for the May issue this April 20th.

Submissions are now open for all in the disciplines of digital art, illustration, fine arts, fashion, graphic design, photography and anything that may interest you .

Take a look at our previous issues to see the kind of work we are looking for.

Please spread the word and participate in our project!


Thank you and keep up the good work and on the lookout for great things to come.
Sincerely,

Nicole Andujar
Creative Director

Iniciativa Colectiva
info@iniciativacolectiva.com

http://www.iniciativacolectiva.com
****

The deadline is April 20th.
I already have 7 commissions I'm working on.
And last night I designed an entire new series I am eager to start.
But my GOODNESS am I excited to enter this funky little competition!
So my thinking cap is on.
Perhaps I will even start my new series and select a work from *that* to submit.
For I am ever inspired.
If it wouldn't spill the magic I would say more.
As it is, just know that I am pumped.

*runs off to work on stuff*

Recipe for Magnificent.

New Tools:
Jigsaw
Miter Box and Hack Saw
Corner Clamp

New Toys:
1x
Wood Putty
Wood Glue
Masonite

Old Toys:
Ruler
Pencil
Clamps
Absorbent Ground
Staple Gun & Staples
Watercolour Paints
Acrylic
Varnish


Mark a little. Chop a little. Stir a little. Leave to set.
Cover a lot. Cover again. Leave to set. Grin.
Decorate.
Cover again.
Add a touch of Spring air.
Present.


A woooooo woooooo!
Tre Magnifeek!

A New Signature!

I have a new signature.
I'm very impressed.
I've wanted a new signature for a long time but it's so hard to *change*.

Well!
It came to me.

So I am happy and I cannot wait to sign my next work!

Squee.

She's Stirring.

Everything is Alive.

I walked my father halfway to the shops. The walk back by myself was amazing. Every porch with an animal. Every yard with a critter. Every bird singing. Every cloud waving. Every tree shuddering.

Everything is alive.

The azaleas threaten to take over the house. Do it! I whisper, Do it!

The Noni plant is the only plant not in bloom. It's one blossom lives in New York. I wonder if I shouldn't cut the heads off and remake the scene.

Here.
My porch slowly being taken over by art. I must switch it, tidy, twirl it around. So I can swing again, on the swinging thing.



And the flowers that climb in my ears and crush out my brain.





But surely now my frisket must be dry.
I am painting the largest watercolour I've ever painted today.
It makes me grin all over.
It's everything I walked past today.
It's the tingle in my fingers.
And the grin on the inside of my left cheek.
It's what I want to eat.
And a thousand years of sleep.
It's over my head and under it.
And it's calling, I must go.

Two New Commissions.

*squeal*

I am VERY excited! My friend has a new house and she is decorating it in my art! Such an HONOUR that she wants to buy from me! She already has a few pieces but today she contacted me about more!

She liked the Kafka/Faulkner/Borges/Marquez series and would like two of her own. Jack Kerouac and Walt Whitman. So I am very excited to get started on them as soon as possible.

I shall be painting them (with any luck) on watercolour canvas and need to go to the store to see what they have.

I'm also knee-deep in the large Eve commission.

Looks like another *beautiful* month for art.
I bow down to the world and then some.

Birds chirping, flowers blooming, smiles giggling, the rank smell of the papermill wafting through my window....

No other place I'd rather be.
Happy creating out there, my lovelies!

xxxS.

You Did It Wrong.

It is there, written in text! You pinched and punched on March 31st. For shame!
Today *points up* it is clearly written 'April 1st'. And so, Happy Artist, it is *I* that pinches and punches you!

My roots are from the Pacific? Are you sure? I am quite sure I am not of this world. But it's a good alibi, so I use it.

Happy April, Mam.

*sparkle*