A week of table top drawing and painting

Three Vases
colored pencil drawing on black paper

Do you ever set limits for yourself that you later realize are somewhat arbitrary and perhaps more than a little silly? I seem to be good at that one. Case in point -- for a long time, I've had the idea that I am not interested in still life drawing and painting. Maybe it's because I had to do so many still life drawings of boring subjects (cones, balls, cubes) in drawing classes long ago. Anyway, because I enjoyed Diane Culhane's Between Speech and Silence Class last summer, I couldn't resist signing up for her latest class, "Table Top Drawing and Painting."

We've been drawing what's on our dinner table in our sketch books, gathering up fun items to draw from around our homes and in general having a fantastic time with what I used to think was boring. I'm seeing more things around me every day to draw and paint.

This painting, done in acrylic on gessoed watercolor paper is giving me hope that I am making progress with acrylics. Diane is teaching us to glaze, using gel medium, leading to some beautiful transparency and luminosity.

I'll be sad for this class to come to an end, but thrilled with the new inspiration it's given me to have fun with drawing and painting the things around me in my everyday life.

Thanks for stopping by! I always appreciate your comments.

To Sell or Not to Sell?

I'll admit it - I'm a little afraid to try selling my art. I go back and forth about it, toying with the idea, dabbling in it a bit, but not wholeheartedly trying to sell. The business side of it terrifies me -- I'm just not that interested in numbers -- surprise, surprise -- as I'm sure many artists feel. I have sold a few pieces here and there, more by accident than by clear intention on my part. It's scary to put yourself out there! So today, I've taken one small step in that direction. I've listed some of my work at Society6. I'll be updating my profile there and hopefully adding more work soon. It's a cool site, very easy to use.

I'd like to sell originals of my work, but that also terrifies me. There is so much to learn about the matting and framing side of it, not to mention figuring out where to sell and how to price my work. I guess I am easily overwhelmed. And, like most artists, I'd much rather be happily creating and not bothering my mind with the pesky details of business.

Do you sell your work? How did you get started? What has been the best part of this process for you? Any advice to the inexperienced seller?

Night and Day: Mixed Media Altered Book Pages

It's been a blustery, stormy week in my neck of the woods. I'm busy with work now, and summer seems like a distant memory. I'm thinking back longingly tonight as I look at the paintings I did in Diane Culhane's excellent Between Speech and Silence Class. We were supposed to be painting on wood panels for this exercise, but decided that an altered book I'd started way back when would be fun to use for a side-by-side spread, one cool and one warm.

I found some wonderful patterns browsing through an old Real Simple magazine that became fabulous leaves for my trees. Then came adding the figures to suggest dialog, in this case a bird and woman resting by a tree. I don't usually consider myself a storyteller with my art, so this was a new direction for me. I love creating the suggestion of a story for the viewer to complete with their imagination.

Did I mention how much fun I had doing these paintings? Looking at them now makes me want to drop everything and get my paints out. The weekend is almost here!

I'm linking this with Paint Party Friday. Thanks so much for visiting my blog. I always enjoy your comments.