IF:Early

Oh, Illustration Friday, how I've missed you!  The theme this week is "early."  Click on the image for a better look.  And here's a better detail for good measure:

I'm in the final push to get ready for my show.  Happily, it seems (not to jinx myself here) to be coinciding with the second trimester "burst of energy" I've been hearing so much about.  Pretty sweet timing, if you ask me.  There's a lot happening on my work table: 

This newest painting is becoming a sort of tribute to my stepdad, who is currently deeply engaged in his second annual chipmunk relocation program:
Here's a peek at all three paintings that will make up this little series:
So you can get an idea of where I'm going with this:)

Simple Pleasure of the Day

Today I found myself wondering, "what simple pleasure is better than the process of brushing layer after layer of transparent paint onto a panel or piece of watercolor paper?"  I came up with two top contenders, both of which are (surprise, surprise) food-related: ginger ice cream, and plain cheese Pizzeria Regina Pizza (from the actual North End of Boston, not the mall).  What arty process is your favorite simple pleasure?  And to what non-art delights does it compare?  Extra credit will be given to all food-related responses.

Little Bits of Progress, Little Insecurities

Today I started mounting my little sparrow series on panels:Conceptually, I'm not entirely sure what they're about yet, but they strike a chord with me so I know that they're about something.  The house imagery on the panels is a form I borrowed from an older series that I created in 2007.  Ah ha!  I just figured out what these are about.  I'll let you interpret them in your own way though.

I also finished these two paintings over the last few days:

I've been suffering from a teensy little bout of insecurity.  This sometimes happens to me when I go a few months without a painting sale or a new commission.  I'm also getting nervous for my upcoming show.  How will the work be received?!  What if I don't sell a single piece?!  Ugh.  These are things I don't like to worry about.  But it would be disingenuous for me to pretend that I don't think about them, or that they don't matter;)

Afternoon Trees

I worked more on these guys today.  I'm calling this group The Afternoon Tree Series.

I've been cracking myself up with the titles of the individual pieces: Muriel Among Magnolias, Rhoda With Rhododendrons, Dottie Up the Dogwood (that's where I start to cackle), and Louisa in the Lilacs. 
Here's a closer look at Rhoda.  I finished her today.  You might also notice some speckle-y evidence of my lazy photoshopping around the edges of the image.                                                                     

Hopefully I'll finish this group tomorrow.  Just as long as I can get my pesky eyes to stop constantly trying to close themselves while I'm trying to get things done.

New Work and Long Walks

Yesterday I worked more on these:
I finished this one:This one is still in progress:

I've been enjoying cut paper wizard Jayme McGowan's exceptionally generous blog.  I love that Tree Top has allowed her to post glimpses of their ad campaign as her work progresses.  If I liked apple juice I would buy some of theirs during my trip out to California in July:)

Since Bikram Yoga is off-limits to me until early December (so as not to hard boil the spawn), I've been taking a lot of long walks around our hilly neighborhood for exercise.  Before now, my walks were about getting from here to there in a pleasant, airy manner.  But these walks are about seeing what there is to see, which I find not only pleasant, but also endlessly interesting.  I'm fascinated by people's living spaces and by tiny, short-story glimpses into their lives, so much so that I think I might be turning into a sort of speed-walking, eavesdropping, peeping tom.  Yesterday I caught a glimpse of an inside front staircase covered in decoy ducks.  And last week I saw a man's hand pulling a front door closed behind him as a child's tiny voice just inside the door was saying, "I had a great day at Donna's house!"

A Fruitful Day

Today was a lucky day, a fruitful day......a luckily fruitful day.  Things seemed to come together easily and turned out just the way I'd hoped they would.

I finished The Woodland Chronicles:

I think that turkeys are extremely hilarious.  And also wonderfully textured.

I finished the day by working on a new series–this group of cut paper collage paintings:

The two larger panels make up a diptych that I created a while ago.  I've decided that it could do with some friends. 

Twinkle, twinkle....

...little bat.

Next

Can you tell who will be joining the gang tomorrow?  The one on the left might be hard to make out, but I'll give you a fill-in-the-blank hint (courtesy of my stepdad): 

If _________s thought, they'd run away

Just before Thanksgiving day.

But __________s can't anticipate

So now there's __________ on my plate.