It is time you all see the true madness that is Tracey Clarke when it comes to oil painting.
So, way back, losing several days work here at the end of the week. It has been a rather frustrating day. I went for a run after throwing a few things this morning (don't tell me you guys don't do that, too) and came back fearful of confronting my mess. In hindsight (why can't it ever be foresight?) I failed to listen to my gut and not only painted the birds too large but also chose the wrong birds.

In painting over the birds I have to repaint the background, so all the transitions have to be reworked from left to right. I am only fairly certain I have completed the left side. It will have to wait until tomorrow to be sure. Because of the crap afternoon light, the right side is way off in color.

Man, do you ever just have one of those days?..... I give myself a headache.

Painting Update

More fun at Michael's today after a morning coffee with a friend. I haven't been in some time and needed a can of picture varnish. It wasn't until I got home that I realized I picked up retouch varnish. After the long check out line of little elderly ladies buying fake greenery, I am terribly resistant to returning for an exchange and repeat. I do have a few cans of Soluvar around , so will have to use that in a pinch. "Chosen" is going to its new owner this weekend and needs varnish. It is about 30 degrees out today, so this will be an interesting project.

I felt the necessity to walk away from my current painting today. I feel rather frustrated and see that I must take a few steps back in the process. Throughout the afternoon I have walked into the studio for one thing or another and glanced over at the easel. My response is an emotional one, first of awe at what I see coming to life on the canvas, the second is dread over the elements that have to go or be reworked. Can I pull it off?......

Another issue pressing me is the studio lighting, which is poor. A string of headaches in the afternoon alert me to this problem. I understand that this can be easily remedied. If anyone in my artist family has any ideas or would like to share their own lighting situation I am sure I would be greatly helped.

Painting Pain

All I going to say is my left brain won the war today (see below.)
I let out an "Arrrghh.!!".....and retreat a few steps on this painting today.

Yesterday's Painting

Now we're rolling......I wasn't quite sure of the size of the birds yesterday. This obsessive thought created an unsettled mood most of last evening.

My left brain states in this manner: "Shouldn't the birds be the appropriate size in relation to the actual size of the baboon? You need to take out your ruler, measure and adjust accordingly." Blah, blah, blah. Somebody shut that thing up!

Being an equally left and right brained person, this surely is the source of my madness. This morning on first viewing my right brain cheerfully answered the annoying question with:
"Its called make believe, Tracey! All of it! Not any of it is really real! How 'bout that?!"
So, as of Wednesday morning the birds remain as they are.

Every day in the studio....

In the middle of painting this morning I look over to my left to see this scene which presents itself daily. Each weekday morning I get up, have breakfast, take Reuben out for a walk, feed everyone, have quiet time and then on to the second bedroom/studio, coffee in hand followed shortly by Reuben, Shane and Eli. The studio doubles as a dog and cat lounge. I can't count the times I have stepped on tails and paws. But it is a comfort to have my babies with me. While I do my thing, they do their thing.

Painting Update:Yesterday's work

I painted another layer of blacks and glazed a few elements on the face yesterday. As well, I started to put in the birds....More of the same today. Craig made me put the distant islands of grass back in.

Needle felted dyed batting

I spent the weekend with some friends and one of them had a needle felting machine. I have never worked with one before but I knew the Rit dyed batting I brought was going to be perfect. I cut 9 squares and 9 circles from warm and cool colors and layered them alternating warm circles on cool squares and cool circles on warm squares on top of a piece of buckram.

I filled in little gaps with strips of different colors and added roving to the circles for highlights and shadows. It was SOOOO much fun. I love the painterly quality.

I had to keep playing and made another simple composition. Now I see why people want a needle felting machine after they try one out. I do not think I need to add one to my collection of tools just yet, but I would love to work on one again sometime.

In the morning I head off to do a lecture at the North Suburban Needle Arts Guild, north of Chicago. On Wednesday and Thursday I am also teaching two workshops for the guild; painting fabric for whole cloth quilts and using Tsukineko inks.