my brain on theatre...........

This is my brain on theatre (actually it's the ceiling of a coffee house where I was having a break with one of my actors and I'm sure he thought I was off my nut because I just kept shooting pictures while we were talking - geez, could I just PLEASE put away the camera!)- I'm three weeks away from opening this show and as usual, most of the drama is happening off stage! Will not bore any of you with off stage egos and goings on! Unfortunately, this is the sort of thing that zaps creative energy away from the work on stage where it really needs to be!, but alas, comes with the territory I guess! That's my calendar on top of my script folder that has set design notes, blocking notes, sizes for costumes, etc. I see two video tapes waiting to be downloaded for a project I should have had done at the beginning of January. A movie from netflix is peaking out from under the clutter. Maybe tonight. I'm actually in my studio all day today finishing work that needs to be hung at the gallery tomorrow for Lisa's and my show! coming up next Saturday!



Since making visual art has been put on the back burner until opening night, I include this photo of the theatre walls with the blue that will be the final color choice with airbrushed clouds all over it!
Will be back later this week to post pics of our art show! Happy art everyone!

Installation

Yesterday, myself and my two design partners, Lisa and Teresa, did a big installation at a hotel. Teresa curated the artwork and Lisa and I did the design work. We were commissioned to hang the gallery, the lobby and the entrance. We chose to have the gallery painted red to show off these two artists work. I only took pics of the gallery install. By the time we were ready to leave last night, I was just to exhausted to pull out my camera. First pic is the gallery after they finished painting.



The rest of these pics are of various angels of the gallery. Some of these shots are a bit blurry. A true reflection of how I was feeling by the end of the install. I love the design part of the job, and the end results, always, but the actual physical labor is grueling sometimes. Thank god we didn't have very many heavy pieces on this job.









One of the best things about this job is that we got to install one of my favorite artists. Caroline Douglas. Her sculptures are work that I have coveted since the first time I saw them. I am actually negotiating my fee for a trade of one of her works. Fingers crossed! Caroline has a blog where you can see her work - Come Clay With Me. Get There!

stuff and a MEME....

Fast! That's how life has been lately. Finally on Sunday, Jim and I drove out to a nearby Fort and took a long walk in the woods. After we drove through heavy fog, it became one of those cold clear days that make you glad to be alive. It has taken me awhile, but I almost always carry my camera with me now. It was a really foggy morning and I snapped pics while we were driving. I'm amazed at some of the shots I was able to get while the car was moving. My header right now is a moving shot. These two shots were taken on our walk.
This is usually a place we can see the water and the town across the bay.

The sun was working really hard to break through the fog.

MEME:

I was over at Cynjon's Varietist Muse and he had the best idea. Here is what he is doing:

The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you.

This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:
- What I create will be just for you.
- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
- You will receive your item before the end of the year (or sooner).
- You will have no clue what the item is going to be.

The catch? Oh, the catch is that you have to repost this meme and make and send out five surprises of your own.

Of course I jumped on it! I have changed his original idea a bit to suit what I can offer. I love that there is no immediate deadline.

So I am offering the first 5 people that post a comment here something made by me for you!

Ready, set, make!

tough week....

It has been a tough week. Have been in rehearsal for two weeks, late nights, an installation project for a hotel and finishing up work for the February art opening. Creative energy spent pretty much everyday. I know for me, one way to refuel?, is to just go into my studio and paint! So that is what I did today. I had a couple of hours this afternoon and I didn't want to think about my house that looks like a bomb went off, or the role I still need to fill in one play, or the challenges of the hotel job. I just needed to paint. When I entered my work space, I didn't allow myself to think about what I wanted to do, I just grabbed the first old painting I bumped into, turned it upside down and then covered it up. Then I just worked. I'm not going for anything here. I just needed a place to process and refuel.

The first painting I bumped into.

Bam! gone!





This is what I left sitting on the easel. This was my refueling station. I can go to rehearsal tonight and work a very difficult scene with renewed energy. I may finish this piece or not. That wasn't the purpose for the work today or to be truthful, most days it isn't to make product. It's my refueling station. It's what keeps me centered.

about to make a change.....

As I was getting ready for Lisa's and my art show in February, I could feel a change of direction in the kind of work I want to do next. I have been painting abstract figures for a couple of years now and I think it has run its course for awhile. For the past 6 or seven months, I have been collecting images from my work, and it is all abstract related. That is how I began painting and I'm thinking it is time to revisit that world. Here are some of the images I have collected. These pics represent my favorite places on my paintings. A corner here, a center there, an edge that is really complex. It seems to be all about line, shape, and texture right now. I have been shooting compositions everywhere I go. The wall in the theatre is an example of what has been attracting my attention of late.



















Changes are afoot. I'm excited.

stuff.....

As I walked into rehearsal last night, I saw this great large scale painting on the far wall. Of course it is actually the wall after the last set was struck, but man! Wanted to take it home, so I did sort of, with my camera. Sometimes the best art is unintentional. The next pic is of my morning coffee cup!

So? Well, I was over at Daryl's 'on the m104' yesterday, and there is a 'sharing your coffee/tea cup' thingy going on, so here is mine! Two cups of this in the morning and I can function for a few hours! And do stop by Daryl's blog, it is a wonderful place to spend a bit of time. So let's see what you are drinking your coffee/tea out of! Lastly, Leslie is doing a give away on her site! Want a chance at a great piece of art?!, get there! Have a great week everyone........

Phase 2 - work in progress

A quick stop before I head to work in the studio. I worked on this negative space yesterday. I tried a few things and then I grabbed some fabric and stapled it to the stretcher bars. I covered the fabric with medium so I could add paint and then just began painting.


Always start with my stick figure.





I'm liking where this is going. It is definitely in the early phase, but it's challenging me right now.

Phase 1

I finally drug this painting out of the corner to work on.



I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted to cut out the elements that I am going to use else where. First the little creature. BAM!



Then the birdies!



and then the head.



Now I have a fabulous negative space to be used in a more interesting way. These individual pieces will become either solo pieces or incorporated into other work.



I leave you with the little creature taped to another canvas. He is going to get a home of his own. Will keep you updated as I move through this next month.