The Domino Parlor

The Domino Parlor
24" x 20"
Oil on Canvas

Ahhh! Finished! Now its on to the next one. Yeehaw!
(Please excuse the glare, it is still very wet.)

I was a little nervous about all those straight lines, but my anxiety disappeared as I let go more and more of having to retain control of the outcome of the painting. And THAT my dear friends is the secret, at least for me, of getting into "the zone." Let go. Relax. Take a deep breath. In the words of our darling Jason Mraz, "hold your own, know your name, and go your own way." Trust the inner self.
I am merely a channel for creativity, and when I let it have its own way, when I put my trust in the unseen muse- he/she does all the work for me. Man, life is good!

Kind of off the subject but not really, I picked up a print of a Juli Adams's watercolor piece, "Internal Compass," many years ago and loved it. I was way out of tune with my own intuition at the time, but the idea and the painting both appealed to me. I love that painting. Her work has changed a lot since then, but I still love it. It has progressed into a quirkier style that really resonates with my imagination. Juli could create whole Alice in Wonderland type universes with the dreamlike and slightly depraved innocence of her subjects. Oh, I love her work!

Back to the main... Fun painting. I really enjoyed it.

Next stop: landscape central! I would like to do some more architectural pieces as well... As soon as the weather warms up just a bit I am going back onto Main and to Sycamore to paint some more of our adorable town's history!

Varney's, AKA The Domino Parlor - WIP

OK. I'm giving in. It's the Domino Parlor. Every one that sees it says "Oh! Its the Domino Parlor!" Even people on the street when I was working on location. Gotta tell ya, though, I am lovin this painting regardless. Really enjoying the process. Looking forward to seeing it completed!

Varney' Chemist Laden - WIP

"I do wonderful work in a wonderful way, my wonderful work feels like wonderful play, I give a wonderful service for wonderful pay."

We have the greatest jobs in the world folks! I had so much fun tonight. I felt so free and excited running up and down Main Street looking for the perfect painting spot tonight. It is rainy and cold out there, but man oh man, I had fun. The shop that currently resides in this building is called something like Granny's attic, but it will always be Varney's to me. My mom saw the painting and said "Oh! It's the Domino Parlor!" I remember that name too, but when it was Varney's Chemist Laden it was crammed with the cutest, softest stuffed animals, barrels of funky smelling stuff in the middle of the room just as you walked in, and one very special wall that seemed lined floor to ceiling with jars of old fashioned candies. I would go there with my best friend one summer and we would get Swizzle Stix- colored, crystallized sugar in wooden sticks with a varnished wooden ball on the handle- i loved the look f them just as much as the glory of pure sugar on the tongue. They also had this pale gray and white cat that looked so perfect he would take people by surprise when he moved among all the stuffed critters in the shop. He would sit at the window in the evening, after the store had closed, and watched the people walk by. He was so so soft. Mmm... good memories! Every time I walk past that place, I feel like a teeny bopper again.

I am looking forward to going out again tomorrow! What a wonderful painting experience.

HAY!

Hay!
9" x 12"
oil on canvas board (linen)
Click here to purchase.

About a month ago I was driving down Friendship Lane and saw all these wonderful pot-bellied hay bales lounging in the fields on either side of the road. I took some pictures and used them for the first time last night. I had originally set up my easel off the back porch, but it was soooo hot and the sun was soooo bright that I wimped out and decided to work from a photo instead.

I hadn't painted since I went up to Washington to pack my stuff for the move, so I was feeling a bit rusty. I have to admit, I was not mentally in the best of places while working on this one, but I found forcing myself to focus on the process of painting to be good medicine. It was a good reminder to ditch the "tossers," as my friend Simon puts it, and move on. Unpleasant people and unhappy thoughts are not worth wasting my time and energy on, especially when I can put my energy toward something as amazing as creation.

Art and laughter are the best medicine.

And chocolate.
We cannot forget chocolate!

Uppers and downers... but mostly uppers!

So I'm running without a camera this week. Its in the shop. (Canon has excellent customer service, by the way)

But that really doesn't matter much because I have done very little painting. I have been assembling canvas panels, cleaning brushes, trying to figure out what I did with that other tube of yellow, and sketching a lot, in a very mild attempt to plan the next painting.

And... I get to spend six weeks in Texas visiting family -starting Monday!! So I've been a little preoccupied with planning for that as well. My brother-in-law (Brad's doublemint twin) and nephew are coming up for a visit this weekend so I will probably get to paint on Saturday or Sunday. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Some really good news: I got a formal invitation today from Whistle Pik Galleries to participate in their 2009 Christmas Miniature show. The show will run for the month of December in the "Main Street" gallery, and the Show Reception/Artist's Wine Reception will be from 6 to 8 pm on Friday December 4. I will be there if anyone wants to come say howdy. I'll be posting the info again the closer we get to December.

And just when you think the deal couldn't possibly get any sweeter, it does. I get to see my family again when I go down for the show! Awesome! Its not exactly "home for the holidays," but its close enough. I haven't been in Texas in December in years and years. Maybe I'll get lucky and be there when the Kristkindl Market/festival is going on. How fun!

I get to be a tourist in my hometown! I appreciate the touristy stuff in Fredericksburg so much more now that I don't live there... aint that the way, though?