whats under the surface

love the blue in this piece so much that i cannot go to the next phase of creation.  it is leaning against my hutch in the dining room.  it has been there for three days.  i touch the waxy surface as i walk by.  afraid that the next thing i do may be the undoing of the calm. 

i have however been able to work on this piece this past weekend.  it started as this

progressed to this:

and now sits in the workspace looking like this:

it still hase some work to be done but i know how to get it where i want it to be.  hope its title will appear as it is completed.

not to wax too poetic but isn't life like creating art.  we start with fresh clean surfaces and start piling on the paint, wax, etc.  sometimes it is crap and sometimes beauty.  sometimes there is beauty under the crap and sometimes there is crap under the beauty.

WIP

 Working part time at the Library has really cut down on my art time.  My days off have been busy with home life.  I am working on my timing for housework, cooking, yardwork, library and art.  I guess they list pretty much says how I prioritize.  The above piece is a work in process.  Not much to see now but after a few more layers of wax and other things it should become what it needs to be

Got carried away with the graphite on this piece.  But I really like the bones and can't wait to work more with the wax.

I am going to try and post more work in process as I go.  There is something about photographing work that can change the perspective and values.

Gotta go to work for the paycheck for now.

Small moments in the work area.

 I thought I would share random pictures I shot in my work area in the old garage.  I started working in this area when I was moving my art supplies out of what is supposed to be the spare bedroom.  The problem is I can't quite get everything out of the bedroom because I am having problems with sorting and deciding what to purge and what to save.  I admit I have too much stuff!!!!!

I like the silver tongs holding the egg.  I had envisioned it on the tray with words but it just hasn't bloomed into anything but this. I wonder if anyone can guess the words I thought of when I was formulating this concept?

Don't know why this picture is upside down.  I love this old hymnal.  The worn red cover.  The binding is totally gone and the paper is very, very, fragile and some pages just tear when you turn them.

 My trusty drill and various drill bits.  Don't you love using a paddle bit and watching the sawdust churn up out of the hole.  It is very satisfying.  I thing I could drill holes all day.  Hmmm...  Maybe I need to do just that.

 This poor baby doll was one of my garage sale buys.  The head was used on the rust brothers.  Not sure what to do with the limbs.

Another picture that turned upside down.  A cup of rusted nails with an old pill bottle of assorted small items.  Always a good idea to have rusty nails on the standby.

This silk blossom found a home in the masking tape.  It may think its safe from the torch.  And I finally found my small magnifying glass.  I wondered where that went.  I've been looking at my house with the focused eye of a flashlight like they do on the CSI programs. 

And lastly my brushes.  I had someone joke about the number of brushes I have accumulated.  I buy cheap and I buy garage sale, estate sale art supplies.  I work hard with my materials.  I do make an effort to clean them when I work but there are occasional interruptions that leave brushes in water for days or the forgotten brush that dries with encrusted paint or other medium.  

Sadly, none of these items will be touched this morning.  I have promised to go to my mothers and help clean out her garage.  She has a junk man coming to pick up junk and furniture that she left behind when she rented her house that have turned to rust and kindling.

Enjoying the morning!

 I have been quite lazy this morning.  Sitting on the patio after deadheading the flowers I was overjoyed at the beauty of small moments.  The cool breeze.  My dog napping on the patio.  The birds eating the sunflowers under the trees.  A squirrel scooting across the deck.  The cat watching it all from under a chair.  Oh, I loved it!!!!! 

I didn't take pictures of the animals but I did decide to play with the filters on my iphone and snapped a few random shots of the flowers.

 I love the almost acid trip feeling of the daisys.  I bought them at clearance and don't know what their true name is but the pink and orange have become the main colors of the containers this year.

I love how the zinnias become a little ragged and forlorn but still oh so beautiful.  I weathered this photo and may make a card out of this image.   One of my favorites of the morning.

I hope you find some beauty and joy in your day!