I started and got pretty far on my second birch tree themed painting today (much to my own surprise). There are days when I'm pumped up and know that something good is about to happen on the canvas then there are other days when I've been doing other projects and am already drained when I approach the blank slate. Today was the latter, however, something was happening on the canvas all its own. Like I was on autopilot and just let things develop as they may, leaving the end result to chance, fate, or providence.
I'm really pleased with how the priming and under layers of paint came out. I've got a photo for you here to see below. I'm feeling so good about this one that I might pull and all-nighter and see what else comes to the surface.
FYI, this is a 48x48 canvas. Not exactly a size to just fool around on because these babies are expensive and I use the best acrylic paint there is (the cobalt blue I mixed with three other colors to get all of the tree forms costs $20 for 2oz, just to give you an idea). So, there's where your money goes when you buy my art. The good news is that any reputable professional artist is going to use archival, museum grade paints so that you can enjoy your purchased painting for the next two hundred years or more....hopefully you'll still like it then.
Thank you for following along...stay tuned for results of the all-nighter....
***The Fall Show at Maryland Federation of Art (Circle Gallery, Historic Annapolis, 21401) begins in a few weeks, September 19th (I believe). For that show I will be submitting a farmscape that is 48x48" with a really great color scheme.
***This painting above will be at the West Annapolis Art Works fall show. Send me an email if you are interested before it's released to the gallery on September 17th. The painting is $1200 and will be $1500 after September 17th. Why? Because galleries serve a need in the community and get artists out there for all to see. Much work goes on behind the scenes of a good show, and the commission that artists pay to the galleries keeps them afloat. I suppose you could categorize the relationship between artist and gallery a classic case of codependency. Only, in a good way.