Weekly Scumble - 3/22 [Archive]

Kathryn Wilson

03-22-2004, 08:52 AM

Happy Monday everybody! The start of a new week on the scumble thread - post away with what's going on in your life this week. Joys, sorrows, problems, achievements, and just plain chat if you like.

Brrrrr . . . winter has returned with a vengance here today. Bitter wind and cold! We had a lovely weekend to reflect back on to keep our spirits up!

Talked to a gallery owner this weekend and she wants to see my work! But what the heck do you do when most of your work is small and you have a whole room to fill if they decide to present your work as "Featured Artist" for a month? I guess paint quickly? I have 3 full-size paintings - and that's it. :( Oh well, can't let that worry me -

S'all the news here now!

skintone

03-22-2004, 09:56 AM

Hey guys. Was suppose to go hiking again this weekend. It was wonderful weather, but too good to go hiking in. :) So I spent the time dong nothing instead. Finally showed my girl the painting of us. She liked it or so she said, then she asked me to fix her jaw line. :rolleyes: Oh well. She loved the chipmunk. :)

Hey Kat let me know where the gallery is. You are not that far away, and I would love to see your work in person. Good luck.

Josie

Kathryn Wilson

03-22-2004, 10:12 AM

"Hey Kat let me know where the gallery is. You are not that far away, and I would love to see your work in person. Good luck."

It's in a small town just north of Raleigh - Wake Forest - the gallery is a co-op gallery of 7 artists and they participate in their town's 2nd Friday Art Walk and they feature a guest artist each month. It would be so cool to meet a fellow WC pastelist! I'll keep you updated -

lozz

03-22-2004, 11:09 AM

I am totally loosing it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have to share this with you all!

I have just spent 20 minutes pacing up and down, turning the place upside down looking for my magenta pastel pencil! I've accused Jasmine of nicking it, she often steals my pencils and chews the ends off!!!

I've retraced my steps and could find it anywhere! I happened to be standing in front of a 7 ft wide mirror in the dinning room - I just looked into the mirror in desparation and cried "IF THERE IS A GOD! FIND MY PENCIL NOW!!!!!"

Guess what? ....

There it was behind my ear..... :rolleyes:

Jasmine's a cat BTW.....

lozz

skintone

03-22-2004, 11:14 AM

Well at least you know there is a God. Now apologize to Jasmine. :p

Paula Ford

03-22-2004, 11:21 AM

Guess what? ....

There it was behind my ear..... :rolleyes:

Jasmine's a cat BTW.....

lozz

LOL!!!!

Well, kinda cloudy and cool here in Texas today.

The bird got hosed again last night so I slept like a baby!!

Not much going on here. My boss is gone so it's gonna be an easy week.

Hey lozz, my cats just like to lay around on my box of pastel pencils or they like to walk over my paintings and get little kitty foot prints all over the place. You gotta love'em!!

Working on another painting. Will post towards the end of the week.

Hey Sooz, if you're out there...are you still loving your Yarkas? I'm thinking about buying some. Are they soft?

Have a GREAT week everybody!!

meowmeow

03-22-2004, 01:39 PM

That's exciting Kat! Let us know how it goes....and if you are going to do it then you better get painting!!!!
It has gotten bitter cold here again too...although the sun is out and it is supposed to warm up later this week so I won't complain.
I just picked Casey up from the groomers...he is all cleaned up and looks cute. Although...I usually like them better after a couple of weeks when some of the fur has grown back. I will try to take some pictures to show him off.
Bonkers is slowly going downhill. :crying: We have gotten his meds in transdermal form so at least we don't have to torture him stuffing pills down his throat. He hates it and this way I just rub the stuff in his ear. At least his last weeks should not consist of him running away from us and then having to catch him and hold him down. And then pick the pills up after he spits them out and do it again. But he is spending a lot of time sleeping. He eats, but not a lot. And he was down to 8lb. 9 oz. when I took him in to get him weighed last week. He weighed 12 lb 8 oz. before he got sick!!! On a good note, at least he is not in pain and doesn't seem to be suffering. As soon as there is any question of that we will take him in. :crying: Oh well! We do what we can for him in the meantime.
That's all the excitement around here...I am hoping to go start working on the Somerset black velour paper this afternoon.
You all have a good week!!!

Sandy

eileenclaire

03-22-2004, 02:08 PM

Sandy, glad to hear your Bonkers isn't in any pain, and you don't have to chase him around to medicate him. That makes it easier on all of you.

lozz, I can relate! I'm always losing that one pastel that I need, and it's usually staring me right in the face! Of course I find it after I blame my kids for taking it. :D

Kat, that's great news! I guess you'll be pumping out some bigger paintings now.

skintone, I knew she would like it! She has great taste in art!

The two little girls I babysit part time will be leaving in another week and a half. Their mom is quitting her job to spend more time with them. So I came up with the idea of doing a portrait of them as a sort of goodbye gift. Even though I don't like the idea of a deadline, and I've never done a double portrait before, I'm going to give it a shot. If it doesn't turn out, she'll never know!

Kathryn Wilson

03-22-2004, 02:12 PM

Thanks for the well wishes guys - I'll need you all to keep me from chickening out - :)

Sandy - Bonkers needs a hug {{{hug}}}}

Eileenclaire - your project of a double portrait will be interesting since we have another pastelist wanting to try one again - WIP??

sassybird

03-22-2004, 05:20 PM

I know I haven't been active the past few weeks. Getting ready for another show has been taking up all my time. Now I am taking a break until Thurs to go visit my grandson. I'll be back in the saddle after that:)

I want to thank two of our members for trading with me for some pastels. Their generosity is greatly appreciated:)

Sooz, I love the Creatacolor pastel pencils.

SweetBabyJ, thank you for the Senniliers. They are perfect for my wet technique:D

E-J

03-22-2004, 05:41 PM

Sandy, I'm sorry to hear about poor Bonkers :(

Kat - is there a size restriction on what you can put in the gallery? What is 'full size'? Can you not supply lots of smaller pieces rather than one or two larger ones? How many pictures do you need? How large are the larger paintings? Will I ever stop asking questions?

My friends were thrilled with the double portrait I did some weeks ago - it's now hanging in their living room and may well have nudged me closer to a couple of commissions. It looks as if my first might even be a dog portrait ... ironic for me, the most undoggy of people! But I'm sure it will be excellent experience and it's good to have this vote of confidence from my friend.

skintone, will you work some more on the double portrait to fix the jawline - or attempt another one? :eek: Your chipmunk is a really detailed piece of work. Do share it when it's framed.

Maggie P

03-22-2004, 06:47 PM

I'm cruising WC! to avoid framing. I got one painting framed this morning and need to move on. Lots of excuses, though. Don't have glass for this one, can't do that one til it's photographed, need to cut mats for this other one, and so on. Much more fun to sit at the computer.

End of the week, I'm going to torture myself with figure drawing. I'm a landscape painter, you know, but firmly believe drawing the figure is good for the ol' drawing skills. Since the sale of The Pastel Journal and the beginning of the occasional free hour, I've been saying I should get into a regular drawing class. Haven't done it. (Lots of excuses for that too.) But now my friend Sam Goodsell, who was the grand prize winner of the Pastel 100 competition a year ago, is coming to town to teach a 3-day class of figure drawing/painting in pastel. In a foolish moment I signed up. Now I'm going to humiliate myself in public. Oh well it will be good for me, won't it?

Deborah Secor

03-22-2004, 07:03 PM

Maggie P

03-22-2004, 07:07 PM

Yep Maggie, it will be good for you--humbling, but good... ;) Notice I won't be there, even though I should be. I was actually toying with the idea of signing up with Leo Neufeld--but not soon. I suspect since he works in oils it would make me crazy. Maybe we should get together a couple times a month and hire a model and just practice...at your place! Okay, I'll go lie down now. Obviously I've been out in the sun too much today.

Deborah

At least I only signed up for 3 days! If you do a class with Leo, it's WEEKLY humiliation!

Maybe your idea isn't a bad one. If we had a couple of other artists on the west side and we all shared a model fee....oh no, now I'm back to weekly humiliation! But let's talk when I get back from the UK...
:)

Kathryn Wilson

03-22-2004, 07:20 PM

E-J: Now I'm about to humiliate myself in front of Maggie and Dee - but I sure don't know the first thing about a gallery show. This would be a first for me. When I talked to the gallery owner, she was pleased that I was a pastelist (1 up for me), that she was enthusiastic (2 up for me), but when she showed me the room, it looked like a daunting place to fill up :eek: .

Of course, I've not even been accepted yet - so I'm not going to worry about this yet - but I'd best get myself in gear.

Maggie and Dee - please join us in the New Thread about framing (and anyone else who wants to participate). It's titled "Let's see your . . . favorite frames.

skintone

03-23-2004, 05:13 PM

skintone, will you work some more on the double portrait to fix the jawline - or attempt another one? :eek: Your chipmunk is a really detailed piece of work. Do share it when it's framed.

I don't think I have much of a choice. It looks like her, only not as thin. So I will be spending time making her thinner. LOL I don't know what I was thinking in the first place.

Just think I hated that chipmunk for a whole month. Now I actually like it.

Maggie P

03-23-2004, 09:25 PM

Kathryn Wilson

03-23-2004, 10:04 PM

Wow...a gallery owner who's pleased to talk to a pastel artist (instead of whining about work under glass!). You're off to a good start there.

Good luck - hope you get accepted!
:)

Thanks Maggie! It was actually an unplanned visit to the gallery and my husband and I were talking about the pastels by one of the artists and the owner came to talk with us and she asked how I knew so much and I told her that I was a pastelist too. She was very gracious and said that not many people in the area do pastels (do I ever know that!) and would I be interested in dropping by my work/portfolio. (It also helped that I knew the photographer who was the current month's Feature Artist - :D - and that we had been in a few shows together.)

Maggie P

03-25-2004, 11:42 AM

Today is Thursday and the start of the 3-day figure drawing class I signed up for. I was both looking forward to it and anxious about whether I could polish up my rusty figure drawing skills, and had bought all the supplies on the supply list. Then yesterday I woke at 3 a.m. with a fever and raging sore throat. My husband had had the bug the week before but when I didn't get it at the same time, thought I had escaped. No such luck. Miserable day yesterday; high fever, and with the knowledge of how long he'd been sick, I cancelled out of the class. Today I'm still feverish, dull, can't think, can't paint, but can't breathe lying down and so can't sleep. Whine, whine, whine. Wish I was at the drawing class!
:crying: Oh well at least I can sit here and read stuff on WC! That's a class of its own.

bnoonan

03-25-2004, 11:54 AM

Maggie, I'm so sorry you are sick and that you missed your class. I hope this comes as a cheerful reminder that there is creativity in rest... even if forced upon you.

Feel better soon and Bob Gerbracht sends his regards as well. I told him you said hi last week and I forgot to write back... Hello back!

Kat - CONGRATULATIONS Do let us know how this turns out.

Sandy - sorry to read about Bonkers. You're in my thoughts.

Dee - don't rest - get out there and figure draw. It's humbling!

EJ - so glad your double portrait was so well received. congratulations.

Skintone - glad you hear you like the chipmunk now. It's a good one.

As for me... it's a good thing we don't have web cams at this point on WC.

I'm slowly working on a commission piece and finding that the large size of this work is really taking a toll on my neck and shoulder. Perhaps I'll go walking again to try and work it out. My classes this week are producing some odd results of work - perhaps I'll post them later.

Just learned this summer I'll be chairing a show in July for the San Francisco Women Artists Association I'm a member and hold a board position with. I think we've come up with a theme but perhaps that will wait a bit.

Ok - off to paint. I'll check back in later.

Barb

Kathryn Wilson

03-25-2004, 12:15 PM

Maggie is ill, but she still took the time to post a very helpful thread - my hat's off to you!

Barb - congratulations on your appointment! I know you'll be up to the challenge - :)

Thinking about participating in an oil pastel workshop - :D but finances are tight - what to do, what to do - :(

meowmeow

03-25-2004, 12:20 PM

I'm sorry you are so sick, Maggie! I just saw your demo and thought it was wonderful...and I had not idea how sick you were when you did it! You take care of yourself and get better...be sure to drink plenty of fluids. My daughter just had this and had to get some IV fluids because of dehydration.

That's exciting news Barb! It should keep you busy this summer...probably well before as you get ready. Good for you!

WE are heading up to Maine for the weekend shortly. I hope I get to do some painting up there but not sure the weather is right yet for real plein air.

s.

Maggie P

03-25-2004, 12:33 PM

I'm sorry you are so sick, Maggie! I just saw your demo and thought it was wonderful...and I had not idea how sick you were when you did it! You take care of yourself and get better...be sure to drink plenty of fluids. My daughter just had this and had to get some IV fluids because of dehydration.

Fortunately I had done the painting BEFORE I got sick. All I did today was edit the images and do the post! It does help to have something to think about other than how yucky I feel. I am drinking gallons of water and will avoid the dreaded IV.

Thanks for the sympathy. I'll try to quit whining now.

bnoonan

03-25-2004, 12:34 PM

Sandy - bundle up. My sister in Portland told me it was 9 degrees the other night. Yikes!

chewie

03-25-2004, 12:59 PM

hi all! too bad for those in bad weather, ours here has been sooo great! too good really--been riding my mare instead of working on art! normally that'd be no big deal, but i am doing a 2-woman show the 10th of april and just want this last painting to be in it, to take over the space of one that i am not real fond of! and too bad maggie, being too sick for art?! that's awful! where did you post that wip? i guess i missed it, too much sun?!

the show is with my friend who does pottery, both wood fire and elec. (great stuff) we did one last year in our own tiny town, and it was an unbelieveable success! (we are still stunned!) now we moved it to another town, close but yet not right at the same place, for fear of saturating our local market. so now i am worrying (like that helps?!) that we wont' do as well because we aren't as known there. its only 45 mins. away however, so those who'd like to come agian this year, easily could. (here, 45 mins. is a short trip, we live in no-man's land) and i too am working on framing and matting and all the icky parts! (and am also using this as a procratination destination!!) its been great hearing all your chatter, nice to know what else is going on with everyone. take care!

E-J

03-26-2004, 05:02 PM

Well, I'm here to whinge. I am having a frustrating week! I always find it hard to get started on a new painting but for the past few days I feel particularly unproductive. When I get home in the evenings I am simply too tired to pick up a pastel ... my concentration is shot. All I want is to sink into the sofa - or sink into a nice gin and tonic. Since I finished my portrait on Monday I have managed just one sketch :(

Tonight I turned down a trip to London to stay in and spend an evening painting, but didn't produce a thing. In the end I toned a canvas board with splodges of acrylic paint, and a sheet of Colourfix paper with similar but in gouache, and they are drying now so I'll least have a couple of surfaces to play around with tomorrow.

I know we all go through phases like this. They really suck, though, don't they.

Kathryn Wilson

03-26-2004, 05:29 PM

E-J: I don't know why this happens - and sometimes I think it works out for the best - maybe our brains need a rest once in awhile from creating. I'm sure you've noticed that we've all gone through this from time-to-time - just keep posting and listening and reading.

For me, it seems all the stars and planets have to be lined up just right for me to be real creative - :D but, then, life can get in the way sometimes and just doesn't cooperate. Patience is key - if I push myself, I am disappointed with what I have tried to do.

[[[[hugs]]]]] kat

Deborah Secor

03-26-2004, 06:03 PM

I've quoted it before but I had to laugh when Albert Handell called one day and asked me how things were going. When I told him I was making nothing but garbage, that I was totally blocked and figured my career was over this time, he said, "Well, the good news is the older you get the less you believe it will never go away." Fact is, those blocks go away finally--and I've gotten enough older as a working artist to know that his words are true. Somehow I have more faith that I'll get through that phase now than I did when I was younger. One of the few gifts of aging for me...confidence it isn't over till it's over!

chewie, your show sounds like it will be great. Good idea to move it to a nearby town. 45 minutes is nothing to drive where I come from too...I suspect you'll have a good response.

Okay, I have to go back to writing. Deadlines seem to come far more often than issues do with this magazine...

Deborah

prestonsega

03-26-2004, 08:03 PM

I came here to whine but it seems EJ has taken away my thunder (preston whines even louder now).....lol.
My week started out with my new digital camera freezing up with the zoom lens partially extended, so now it is in the camera hospital on the other side of the country. I never thought I would become so atatched to an inanimate object.
As for painting, what's that.? I did start a large picture, but even after hours working on it, I want to use it as fire starter. Needless to say I'm as irritable as a sore tail rattlesnake....... but as deborah just pointed out, I am now old enough to realize that this is just a transient episode and each passing minute puts me that much closer to a day full of creativity and productivity.
Gosh, I feel much better now....thanks ya'll!

Paula Ford

03-27-2004, 12:16 AM

Hi All, Just had to share these pictures with you. The first ones are of Oscar playing in the tree with his little buddy. They went round and round until finally Oscar went and laid in the grass and took a nap and the squirrel laid flat on a branch with all of his legs dangling over LOL.

I hope all of you are well and happy.

Stoy Jones

03-27-2004, 12:30 AM

Paula, is this the same lazy cat that won't get rid of your noisy bird?? :confused: Lol! Very funny pics! Gives new meaning to "cat & mouse" games! We have plenty of the same action here. My wife put out a squirrel feeder just to give our cats something to do.

Stoy

bnoonan

03-27-2004, 11:25 AM

Hmm... and all I have to watch in the city are the pigeons.

Looks like fun! Love the series of photos you took Paula.

B

Maggie P

03-27-2004, 11:30 AM

Paula, those pics are great! The first one could be basis for a painting...eliminate the deck rail and put the whole squirrel body in...oops, I'm sorry, I get carried away and think everything should be a painting. Your kitty looks like quite a character!

I think I'm recovering. No fever since yesterday afternoon! I may try to get to the easel soon....I rarely catch colds or flu so I'm fairly pathetic when I do get something. I promise to stop whining (about that) soon.

Happy weekend everyone! :)

E-J

03-27-2004, 11:33 AM

Paula, what a gorgeous cat - and great photos :)

Kat, thanks for the hug. I appreciate it, and the reminders from others that these feelings do pass.

I slept amazingly well and got Saturday off to a creative start. My husband took me out to look for a spotlight for my still lifes - got a really nice one, and on the way I picked up my delivery of Colourfix paper from the depot. Came home and spent a couple of hours pastelling over the ground I prepared yesterday ... so yes, I feel much more positive today and really all I needed was a rest!

Preston, is your picture a pastel? Have you posted it up for advice?

Have a great weekend, you lot.

Kathryn Wilson

03-28-2004, 01:49 PM

Hmmm . . . just catching up on all this week's news -

Maggie is feeling better - hooray!

Looks like Dee is through with her deadlines - :)

Chewie is getting ready for an important show - :music:

Sandy is up in Maine freezing her "ahem" off - :eek:

Preston did an exceptional portrait in the WDE yesterday!

Paula's getting Squirrely - :D

And E-J is back working hard!

Me, I am procrastinating again - I want to paint an apple orchard to go with my blooming magnolia tree and I can't find a good reference photo and the orchards in North Carolina are in the mountains and not blooming yet. :crying:

Paula Ford

03-28-2004, 03:18 PM

My babies...Oscar (the one playing with the squirrel), Fancy, Peanut, Sally, and Alex.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/28-Mar-2004/1978-oscar1.jpghttp://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/28-Mar-2004/1978-Fancy1.jpghttp://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/28-Mar-2004/1978-peanut1.jpghttp://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/28-Mar-2004/1978-Sally2.jpghttp://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/28-Mar-2004/1978-alex1.jpg

Maggie, so glad you are feeling better. My husband told me to tell you he loves your paintings. I showed him the Pastel Journal. OH, and I LOVE THEM TOO!!!

Hope all of you are well and having a great weekend.
Paula

Kathryn Wilson

03-28-2004, 03:20 PM

Paula Ford

03-28-2004, 03:25 PM

Paula - those are beautiful cats - and they look well-loved too.

Can you tell me what issue of the Pastel Journal Maggie's paintings are in - I started a new subscription and received the February issue, but nothing since. Has a new issue come out?

Thank you...they are like spoiled little brats!!

Yeap, the Pastel Journal I have is the April issue that just came out and it has some of Maggies beautiful paintings in it. They are wonderful!!

Kathryn Wilson

03-28-2004, 03:34 PM

My magazines go missing all the time - can you tell me when you got yours?

Maybe Maggie can tell me when they were shipped out - but then again, maybe not - :)

Paula Ford

03-28-2004, 03:36 PM

My magazines go missing all the time - can you tell me when you got yours?

Maybe Maggie can tell me when they were shipped out - but then again, maybe not - :)

Got mine I think on Friday or maybe Thursday.

Deborah Secor

03-28-2004, 04:03 PM

Isn't the April issue a dandy one? I love the contest issue. And I'm personally quite fond of Maggie's work, too!

I usually find the magazine comes out about a month earlier than the month that's listed on it. In other words the April issue is out about March 1 or so. It takes a while for it to get distributed, though, so it's hard to say when it will hit your mailbox. It used to be Jan/Feb, Mar/April, May/June, etc. Now they just use the latter date, but it still comes out every two months. I wonder if sometimes people 'borrow' a good magazine like the PJ from mailboxes...

Paula, you have to show me a close-up of Peanut's face! l love his/her markings. Looks like a chevron. I had a kittie one time called Curtain--Curt for short--and you can guess his markings.

I finished the article--a week early!!! Now have to send the illustrations, but the writing is done, done, done. You all are going to laugh when you see this one... I can hear it now, "Oh, so THAT'S why she was asking all those questions..........!"

I've been cleaning all afternoon. I'm going to pay, as allergy season is in full swing so I'll likely sniffle all evening but it was worth it (I think.)

Deborah

Paula Ford

03-28-2004, 07:58 PM

Oh Goodness, Deborah, I love your paintings too. They are so beautiful. (Haven't read your article yet though.)

When I received my Pastel Journal, I was saying to my husband "LOOK, here's Maggie Price, Deborah Christensen Secor, her name is Dee Artist... there's Mark Hanson..." Gently pushing up my hair as if I was saying "See, I hang out with famous people." LOL, I guess I do huh?

Here is another picture of Peanut, who looks a bit grumpy at the moment, and the kitty tent in our back yard. I found Peanut when she was about a week old and she looked more like a baby skunk. She fit in the palm of my hand, just like a little peanut. She is now about 13 years old and can run circles around my other kitties. Our babies can go out into our fenced-in yard, supervised of course, and when it rains or the birds are dive-bombing them, they can go under the kitty tent.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/28-Mar-2004/1978-peanutbug.jpghttp://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/28-Mar-2004/1978-kittytent.jpg