19 Years, plus a Week

Has anyone ever asked you "How long did it take you to do that painting?" I have!

As I paint, I like to take photos of the progression of the work. It helps me see the development of the piece. As an instructor, it also helps me with my lesson planning.

Here are a few of the many steps in creating this piece:

I spend a lot of time working on the design, Once I have that figured out, I paint the outline then cover the entire canvas with a base coat, usually of quin gold or Indian yellow.

Next I block in some of the elements, usually working on the sky first. Since I had blue on my palette, I went ahead and started on the water.

Next came the rocks, trees and foreground water.

I enjoyed fine tuning the trees, working back in forth between the sky and trees.

Even though it wasn't in the original photo, I wanted to add some motion and interest to the water. That was fun to do.

My finished painting 

"Remote Possibility", 24 x 24", acrylic on canvas

Next time someone asks me how long this painting took me, my answer will be 19 years + a week.


Till Next Time ...

From the Prairies, to the West Coast and Beyond...

Susan

Painting and Organizing my Studio

I decided that February was the perfect time to clean, paint and re-organize my studio / office.

I started the arduous task of taking everything out, so I could strip the wallpaper trim (ugh), and wash the walls. The wall colour was a minty green.

Once the room was emptied, and cleaned, my husband Jeff lovingly painted the walls. I struggled a bit choosing the perfect paint colour.

I did a google search; 'best colour for studio.' Some sites suggested a plain colour like beige, other suggested neutral grey. What? Then I thought "Ha, this is my space, I spend the most time in here, so why not paint it a colour that I like?" I choose the same warm terracotta that we used on the bottom half of our living room. It's from my favourite colour palette and ties in nicely with the rest of the house.

The reorganizing took a bit to figure out. I didn't want to put everything back the way it was. This was also a good time to go through and get rid of 'stuff'.

The wooden bookcase was moved over to the left and became part of my paint station. It also blends in with the wall colour.

Behind the bookcase and out of sight is a shelving unit that Jeff built specifically for my canvas.

Last but not least, I thought that I could eliminate the white book case from the room, freeing up some more space. I asked my husband to retro fit the bookcase, so it would slide into the closet. It is usable, but once you close the closet doors, voila it is out of sight.

I absolutely love the new look. Now...back to work!

Till Next Time ...

From the Prairies, to the West Coast and Beyond...

Susan

Doing Something GREAT!

Each new year we flip our calendars to January. A new year - a fresh start. It's a year of doing something great!

As I go through my day, a thought keeps popping up - this year I want to do something GREAT!
What shall I do?

When walking with my spouse one morning, I told him that I wanted to do something GREAT this year. He said, It won't be any different then last year. You do something great every year. Ah!!! Thanks honey.

That got me thinking...what do I do?

I paint, and paint and paint. When the painting is finished, sold and off to it's forever home, I am filled with gratitude, knowing that it makes someone feel GREAT!

I design my publication, Island Arts Magazine. I try to make each ad design individual and fantastic. When I put the issue to bed, I say to my husband, "This is the BEST issue EVER." And it should be, shouldn't it? I've been doing this for 10+ years and I still love the process. That's GREAT!

This year instead of having thoughts of doing something GREAT, like climbing a mountain (ugh) or going on a pilgrimage (no thank you), I will just continue to go through each day...doing the best I can ... and being the best person I can be. And I think that is GREAT.

Till Next Time ...

From the Prairies, to the West Coast and Beyond...

Susan