If at first you don't succeed . . .

I've started working on my next picture book and this one I'm doing a little differently. Instead of one painting for each page like I did with the First Pearl, I'm doing several smaller paintings and hope to put them all together digitally at a later time so that I have more flexibility for edits. This is one of those smaller images (done in acrylic).

Now for the fun part. I'm going to show you how this guy started. Please don't laugh. Okay you can laugh, but don't tell me you laughed. Below are three starts in my sketchbook. Notice I actually wrote the word BAD beside each image. I guess I do this in case a hundred or so years from now, when someone is going through my old sketchbooks, I want him/her to know I knew it was a bad sketch. Sometimes I'm ridiculous. I may have mentioned that before.

Next is the winner:

I thought this guy was pretty cute! (Notice I wrote the word - Better. I need an eyeroll emoji right here.) The challenge was now going to be coloring it. It is a black kitten, looking at a glowing pumpkin. Using the sketch above, I got out my iPad and worked out his coloring.

 He's a little creepy, but with both of these images I was ready to get out my acrylics.

Much better, but not as happy as that little sketch in my sketchbook, so I opened his mouth a little, threw on a bit more highlighting and added digital whiskers. The whiskers and a spot of highlight on the eyes are the only things that are digital in the final piece. Nothing worse than trying to add something like whiskers over the top of the painting and messing them up. Acrylics are not forgiving.

I wanted to share how crappy some of my starts can be. There are just times I feel like I can't draw to save my life and then with patience and perseverance it falls into place.

Flower Shop in the Rain

17"x11" acrylic and oil on illustration board (rain added digitally)

This is an idea that I've wanted to work on for a long time. Four and a half years ago I was riding along in the backseat of a car, in Florence, Italy, and passed a beautiful little flower shop all lit up, sitting by itself in a dark park on a rainy night. Really. The vision was stunning but I was unable to stop to take a photo so the image has just sat in my mind, waiting. Below is the digital sketch I did on my iPad a couple of weeks ago when I was under the weather and all I could do was sit on the couch. 

I think I'm missing the reflections from that digital sketch - they were pretty cool.

 Below was the first step - an acrylic base coat.

Logo/Homepage Design

Wow! Look at me! I finished something! 

Below I share my progress. It took quite a turn from the original idea. 

Now I'm second guessing myself. 

Did I go too far? 

Does the perfect design lie somewhere in-between?

AAAAHHHHH! 

Just move on, Tracy! 

Original Idea

     Last Wednesday I talked about all the pieces in my studio that are unfinished. I've done some soul searching and the truth is that all of those unfinished things are driving me crazy. This morning I hid them from view. I left out my current picture book (a very large project), one large 24"x36" painting that started beautifully and deserves my attention, and the flower shop in the rain that I shared last week. That's it. That gives me flexibility to do what I'm in the mood to do, and helps me to avoid the dreaded OVERWHELM that tends to cripple me. 

    Once in a while I see photos of other artists' studios. Mostly, like mine, they are nicely cluttered with supplies, works in progress, books, etc.  If I'm honest, I think I might thrive in a very sterile, white room with only one thing on my art table and just the supplies necessary for that one project. 

     Maybe I need closets! Or a white sheets to hang up all over the place.

     See ya next week!

One WIP (Work In Progress) After Another

There is one (maybe more than one if I'm being honest) thing that drives me crazy about myself. I have an idea for an art piece, get started, make good progress, have another idea, get started, make good progress, have another idea . . . you see where I'm going here. I could repeat myself at least 15 times. Fifteen is the number of unfinished projects in my studio within my current line of sight. 

The above piece is an idea that I've wanted to work on for over 4 years. Four and a half years ago I was riding along in the backseat of a car and passed this beautiful little flower shop all lit up, sitting by itself in a dark park on a rainy night. Really. The vision was stunning but I was unable to stop or take a photo so the image has just sat in my mind, waiting. I finally sketched it out on my iPad a couple of weeks ago when I was under the weather and all I could do was sit on the couch.

Here's the actual painting I started last week. It's 17" x 11". This is the base coat done in acrylics.

Dear Painting, I promise to finish you. You've waited long enough already.

I've mentioned before that I will be getting a new website in the not too distant future. I've been trying to work out a logo/home page image for several weeks and here (above) is where I am with my latest idea. Dear Logo/Home Page Image, I will finish you too.

Please stop by next week. Who knows? I may have something done!