To Work Or Not to Work?

In the studio, that is......That is the question.

It is so hard to stay in the studio and work these days. I get up from a commission I am working on and look out at the garden and think ”Hmmmmm... those weeds need to be pulled. That clump of Wooly Thyme needs to be divided. The forsythias need to be trimmed.” So where do I end up? In the garden! But my philosophy is that it was a long cold winter and the good Lord has given me these bright days to work in the garden.

I have finished this attached watercolor, one of three watercolors portraying harness racing; that will be on exhibit at Equidea Gallery in Saratoga, NY this summer. It is called “In The Blue”. It is always a pleasure to get back into painting in watercolor after working in casein. The paint behaves so differently and serendipitously………

Old Horse - Old Barn

The rain is coming down at a steady clip today. From my studio window I watch the horses as they seek the shelter of their run-out sheds at our barn… and then as they trudge out between rain deluges to eat the new grass shots in their pastures. The fruit trees in our orchard are decorated in their spring cloaks of blossoms…white, pink and red. Everything is wearing green.

I have started a casein painting of an old horse and barn from a photo given to me by a new friend. Tim wrote, ”It is a photo of the barn, and one of the horses, on my Aunt and Uncle's farm, where I spent my summers growing up as a child. Maybe it will be of some inspiration to you.” Well, Tim…It is an inspiration to me… and I will be sending healing thoughts your way as I paint it. Thank you for your confidence in my portraying a part of your world that you grew up in. I think many folks can relate to this scene from the south.

I have started the painting with a chiaroscuro and this will dry enough to get into it with color in a few days…[or longer if it doesn’t stop raining!] I have attached it to today’s blog.
And now I will get back to finishing second watercolor of harness racing horses for Equidea Gallery in Saratoga, for the summer season.

Penned #2

Today you can see the second casein , 5 x 7", of the Penned series. This is "Penned #2".

Small can be good!!

Brevity can be good too, so back to the easel I go!

What Happens When Your Studio Is Small

With four horses to care for, a Corgi to walk, perennial gardens [that surround our cottage] that need spring cleaning and getting all details put together for a museum art exhibit I am curating……..Life has been a bit of a jumble lately. I do manage to get into my studio each day and work. The above image is a casein just finished……..”Penned #1” is one of two caseins finished of the same subject matter. In fact the second is a continuation of the first. Thus it is appropriately named “Penned #2”. These are small, 5 x 7”, but a number three will be coming soon and it will be bigger!
I have come to the conclusion that I do small works because my studio is small………the old ‘bell jar’ theory. That is why I am planning on working outside more this summer. With the sky above me, I shouldn't be hitting my head as I often do in my loft studio!Stay tuned!