6/28/26 drawing/collage, 11x14” colored pencil & collage on bristol
12:23 PM: i was in a drawing/collage mood, so i grabbed by block of bristol 11x14” paper and made a drawing/collage, using colored pencils in parts of the drawing and my new favorite fountain pen, by asvine. the asvine fountain pen moves like magic on the smooth bristol surface. i like to continue some of the black lines in a collage using the asvine, and allow it to move where it wants.
studio playday, 25x25” oil on linen, following thuis mornings modifications to the climber’s face, hair, arms & shirt.
click on the image below left, then click on the right arrow on your computer screen or swipe left on your iphone to view my modifications
10:40 am: after gazing at studio playday for a while this morning, and following our morning trail walk and making mikela’s coffee, i went back in to this painting, which i worked on yesterday, and made some important modifications, especially and mostly to the climbing figure. i focused on his face, hair, arms and shirt.
i think as a result, this painting is significantly improved. you can view the changes in the before and after photos above.
12:30 PM: after whiting over studio playday, today i took it in a new direction: a guy in an orange shirt climbing a big rock near the blue ocean. didn’t take very long because i love the new image so much that my brushes flew over the canvas in painterly dance moves. i may leave it as is and not fill in the rocks to his right. the violet shadow was a lot of fun to paint.
guy climbing, 25x25” oil on portrait linen
9:41 AM: when i entered my studio this morning, i took a look at the work i did yesterday on studio playday, and i wasn’t happy with what i saw. so i decided to take it outside for 2 reasons: a) when i rub out what i did on a painting with solvent and i’m standing over the painting, it’s hard on my sinuses and b) it’s a gorgeous day!
i left one little rectangle un-whited, and we’ll see what role that will play in what i do next. i’m going to leave it outside all day, where it will dry faster, and in the mean time start something new. a little before noon we have to leave for a meeting in town, so my painting day will be broken up, which often turns out to be a good thing!
11/23/26 studio playday, 25x25” as she looked at 11:40am
studio playday, 25x25” oil on portrait linen, as she looked at 4pm
12:42 PM: yesterday afternoon i sketched in the drawing for what has become studio playday, 25x25” oil on portrait linen. this morning i begun applying oil colors in what i would describe as a playful spirit.
the red snake is a result of my experience on june 16th, when i spotted a beautifully patterned snake just outside my studio door.
the snake outside my studio
a beautiful sunset sky yesterday
studio play, 25x25” oil on portrait linen
11:46 AM: studio play has a very delicate balance, so i took it slow and easy this morning, and listened to my body when it chose to stop. it helped tremendously that the previous painting, which was whited over yesterday, shows through just enough to play a role in what i did today.
so far, i feel it’s a breakthrough painting. i’m leaving it as is. we have guests from paris arriving tomorrow fro a short visit, so, depending on when they arrive, i may or may not be able to continue tomorrow.
11:17 AM: i once again whited over studio play for a change, and began a totally new flower composition. i might stop here for the day, since i used my morning energy to create a fresh image, and pick it back up tomorrow.
the trick is to keep it fresh and not get caught up in details irrelevant to the energy of the composition as a whole. best to do that first thing.
studio play, 25x25” oil on portrait linen
1:40 PM: i did more work on studio play today, adding to the composition on the right with leaves, checkerboard patterning and green dots.
studio play, 25x25” oil on linen as she looked moments ago
studio play, 25x25” oil on portrait linen, as she looked at the end of my painting day today.
today i continued work on the 25x25” canvas i started on the 14th, titled studio play. as i’ve said before, i just love painting on this portrait linen. it’s a surface that makes me want to say that the painting is painting itself!
we’ll see where she goes tomorrow.
