Day 290

"Venetian Pear II"   Acrylic on canvas, 48 x 48"

OK, this may look familiar to you. Encouraged by the reaction to the painting I posted on Day 277, I decided to try something I have been contemplating for a while: a really big pear painting. So, yes, this is the same image, but it's more than twice the size. At 48 X 48", it's THE biggest painting I have EVER done. Here is a picture of me working on it, to get an idea of the scale:

This is my makeshift studio in the basement. I miss the nice studio I used to have, but where there's a will...

Day 283

"Bull". Art journal, watercolour  

I see animal-like shapes in this watercolour doodle, so I called it "Bull" (in honour of Donald Trump's usual barrage of lies during tonight's debate).

Day 282

"October Surprise"  Art journal, acrylic and watercolour

A doodle named for today's news from the presidential campaign (although it wasn't all that surprising, was it?).

Day 280

"Hurricane Matthew"  Art journal, mixed media collage

The pieces are stuck down rather precariously with double-sided tape. It was a technical issue (I didn't have a good strong adhesive at hand), but it's an apt artistic metaphor for fragile structures in the path of that monster storm.

Day 276

"Sunday Paper". Art journal, mixed media.  

I started on a new acrylic painting today, which I hope I can post tomorrow. The paper in my Sta-Wet palette was getting to be too messy and needed to be changed. After I wiped the residual paint off onto a big canvas (a "waste-not whatnot" in the making), the paper looked like an abstract painting in itself. So I cut a piece of it out to put in my art journal, added a few little things, and voilà! 

Day 273

"Red Sheppard Pepper". Art journal, pencil  

I tried today to sketch people in a waiting room and on the subway, but no one sat still long enough. At least a red pepper doesn't move while you're drawing it!

As I was "posing" it and lighting it, I was struck by how much like a person it actually was: a nude, to be exact, with curves and shapes resembling a back, a waist, and so on. The longer I gazed at it, the more beautiful it seemed. I think drawing or painting captures that beauty better than photography can (at least, MY photography). 

Day 271

Art journal, watercolour

Today I begin another year, and a brand new art journal (sketchbook). I did some negative space painting this evening.