omg a week?

i've been trying to do this next layout and sort of floating
so that accounts to the week gap between posts

the weather's changed to cold too now
good sleeping weather-however it's sort of cold (ahem....SORT OF? i got three shirts on and a wool hat) in the studio

now i am working also on more of the eastern europe/arctic myths of the feminine series
working on the second 'spirit'
also sanding and prepping boards for silverpoint

i have to decide something---- do i set up the next phase of the web presences for my work with a studio name? or in my real life name?
if i go with a studio name then i have to do a DBA......oye
what do you folks think?
i got a partial webpage put together that is optimized for mobile-
i am thinking of a FB page as well to go with
as well as society6 and fine art america

i know i have to do something... i'm not really getting enough exposure right now, and folks do actually like what i do!
so any thoughts anyone have.... there is an email button or you can comment (remember i approve comments so if you say something ....only i will see it -and you can ask to not be published)

the cold weather continues.....good sleeping weather.
it's rather dark out right now so i am sort of expecting rain, and since it's 2pm, i got time to paint before having to wake bernie and start supper

that is basically catching you all up in a fast fly by post
ok?

take good care

froggie froggie

i'm working on my 5th frog in the series
in looking back, the early 3 frogs i put the background paint on....and then sprayed it with water to soften it up, and make it 'watercolor washy'
these last three........yeah no
hard edges and tons of speckly splattery colors

since i do'nt know which way i like better, i may do another series only with turtles or newts
and do 3 of each

now, the weather is cooler, we actually had a frost warning last night, but no frost.
i did however, bring in the delicate plants.
everything seems ok
at least on the deck plants...the rest of the landscape isn't so lucky.
our yews and rhodo appear to be dying for no reason.... we don't think it could be drought as we had a lot of snow cover and then some rain
i'm not sure why else though
and the yew by the front door has a robins nest, bernie felt three eggs and they are blue
that made me happy

the new prius is averaging 49-51 mpg........ i was so hoping for much better mileage (it's getting what it's rated for though-but the prius forum some folks get better mileage)
i had forgotten how small and NOT A VAN that car is....and asked bernie to bring me home pallets from work
yeah that isn't going to happen
and no tow package so no towing a trailer with them either
gees i so miss my van
i thought maybe we put the seats down and tarp the back????
bernie said no
~~~sigh~~~

well that's the update from here
how is all of your summers going?

isn't there a way to save the heat for winter?

cause it's hot as hell today

humid too

ok.... the news here is:
art supplies have landed
and bernie made the save after the town (not mine) post office decided not to bother to deliver
and were about to send it back

i have tried the paints
cobalt teal is now my new love
i am trying to see if i can use the ground on my twinrocker 200# hot press paper so i can do silverpoint

and the muse has deserted me for a while ....... at least as far as the goddesses and mythic females go

meanwhile
we had the first real salad off the deck lettuce bucket
we have about three more cuttings on that one....then there are the other plants

what else? .............idiot uphill neighbors were burning the other night, in-spite of it being not only the wrong DAY (as in between 9 am and 4pm saturdays) .....but also we are under a red flag wild fire watch......
so naturally they are above that all.....
and they burnt garbage for about 3 hours (we're only allowed to burn papers.....not the household garbage and even mattresses they burn)

i was up watching the fire incase it got away from them

then had nightmares cause they are low lives so i didn't know if they'd try to burn my house down to retaliate

let's see what else?
oh i put up a 'faux' hornets nest
made out of a brown paper bag
to attempt to deter wasps and yellowjackets
meanwhile we are finding more and more bumble bees dead for no reason we can see
it's alarming

we aren't seeing a lot of butterflies either.... which also is worrysome....
normally we're overrun
i have water out for the birds and the bugs too

anyway..... i need to get back to work now
i hope everyone had a good weekend

i swear i need a manager

i am overwhelmed again

painting is happening
right now i am working on a spanish water spirit
first in a series
i have to decide if i continue this series in this palette or do i move on from the restricted palette i'm working with to a full palette (relatively speaking of course)

summer appears to be here
it's HOT out there
we went from 40 to 80 in a few hours
so everything is popping now

meanwhile
some art supplies i really couldn't afford and sorta didn't actually need... are on their way
i am going to do some silverpoint work
which is using .999 fine silver to draw with on a specially prepared paper
however it WAS onsale and i got 25% off that and free shipping
i am figuring silverpoint is a good option for me considering how i work
so would egg tempera.....
but right now no extra $ to lay out
the other thing i am DYING to try is painting on vellum (calf vellum)
the botanical artists are flaunting their vellum paintings all over and i am getting really interested in trying it

but meanwhile i am still slowly healing from that fall in december, and i am still painting
still pushing the envelope of what i do and how i do it
and still challenging me

i hope your spring is good where ever you are

averaging 51MPG

not too shabby huh?
bernie is enjoying his gas mileage
today we went over the mountain to giants for chicken, and on the way back he excitedly watched the MPG climb to 76.4!!!!
but we average between highway and city about 51.
so it looks like the prius is going to pay it's own payment in a way.....
with what we save on gas....
it uses 7 gallons a week to commute and also for running around (with a round trip down the valley for either the book store or the art supply)
so we are thinking that he's most likely use about 7 gallons a week during the winter (without the extra round trip down the valley)
bernie was using between 27-30 gallons a week with the kia just commuting to work and small around town errands so that's a huge savings- and it may not only cover the car payment but also some odds and ends (like snows) for the prius
so this maybe was a smart move- with an eye to the bottom line


my two grips with the prius is...it's too low...i feel like i am sitting in a pot hole
and there isn't a passenger left arm rest so my arm hurts on a long run
if it were a bit taller...... and i had an arm rest i would totally adore this car
even though it's not a van

and i guess in two years we're going to see what strides have been made in car technology and either get a second car for me, if i am still mobile.......or trade this in on a new more efficient (and taller?) vehicle?

meanwhile the warm weather seems to have a positive effect on my continued healing
although i am suspecting that part of my back pain may be a kidney stone
cause i did NOTHING to have this weird pain by my kidney
and it's getting worse not better

we also have to figure a way to get money for wood and oil.... for winter
the oils is about out...and there isn't any wood......we need at least three cords NOW to season and three cords in august
oye

meanwhile i'm painting
so that is where you can look for me....at the easel

happy mayday

first of may
raining here

april doesn't seem to have showers anymore, it seems that showers are now moved to may
it's overcast and cold
it's really cold in the house
i put the heat down to 65
so it's very chilly in the house, i'm wearing a light jacket and hat

working on layouts for aloja (water spirit) in the moonlight
and wondering how on earth i am going to get this to be interesting to the viewer as well as interesting to paint with enough detail to keep my occupied
so that is going to be part of the challenges for this painting..as well as painting moonlight and a scene that doesn't exist with a person that doesn't exist
the lighting of course is going to be the biggest challenge
and i'll be having to mute my normally bright palette.....

i decided on 9x12 portrait for this one..... on quarter sheets of watercolor paper
and a palette based on cobalt blue

i am hoping to start transferring a layout by sunday..... so far my layouts are crap
(this is the time i wish for a drawing tablet attached to the computer --- which was always part of the plan.... for the future)
or at least a better handle on paintshop pro (i think an upgrade for that is also a plan for the future, as this one is 15 years old now)

other then that i am slowly transplanting lettuce seedlings to other planters on the deck... i transplant two and have to sit- the weather change is getting my knees bad right now
but at least so far it's not touched my back so i can deal with it

if i could get out i would be bringing in violets and daffs to paint but i can't get out there
i am so hoping when the weather stabilizes i can
however we do really need the rain so i shouldn't complain too much huh?
better then the massive wild fires we had about a week or so ago down the valley

ok i'm off