Connections 3

Connections 3 - Mixed media on 20" x 32.5" canvas

Connections 2

Connections 2 - Mixed media on 30" x 40" canvas

Connections

Connections - Acrylic on 25" x 42" unstretched canvas

So, I looked at this today and realized it is indeed finished so here it is! 

Frenzy

Frenzy - Acrylic on 36" x 36" canvas

Took some of the anxiety I've been feeling to the canvas today. It was quite cathartic! If you're worrying I'm going through something, don't - it's a cyclical experience if ya know what I mean. ;) And if you don't then you're too young to be reading my blog. Viva the rollercoaster that is being a woman! RARRRR!!

Dreamstate 2

Acrylic on 18" x 24" canvas, 2010.

I'm hearing that voice...

...and it's saying "that's it, you're done".

What do you think?

The Secret's Out

Acrylic on 30" x 40" canvas, 2009
http://www.jessicatorrant.etsy.com/

Raw, expressive, get it all out....

Blue Mountains

Blue Mountains - Acrylic and texture mediums on 30 x 40 canvas
Available for purchase at http://www.jessicatorrant.etsy.com/

This painting has layers of gritty pumice stone under the paint. Surrounded by all of the green foliage in the backyard, I'm just naturally drawn to using this color. Today has been a great day. I had a cool experience of going out to the studio to set up, getting giddy about the cleaned space and skipping back to the house to get something. On my way, this dark brown butterfly that I've seen every day since the first warm days of spring fluttered up to me and hovered a few inches away from my face. It startled me and I sort of dashed away from it. Seconds later I was saying out loud, "I'm sorry butterfly, I shouldn't have been scared of you". Once I got whatever I needed in the house, I headed back to the studio looking around for my butterfly buddy. I stood in the backyard looking around and then all of a sudden it fluttered towards me fast and I wasn't scared, I raised my hand up and it landed on my wrist! It stayed there for a good 45 seconds as I stared at it in awe whispering to the butterfly telling him how pretty he was. I took a step and he flew off, dancing above my head for a bit then flying off into the woods. It was a real connection and it boosted me up before I started painting. After that encounter I giggled realizing I all of a sudden had "The Sign" by Ace of Base in my head for no apparent reason.

Long Way Home

Long Way Home

Acrylic on 36" x 75" canvas, 2009

I've decided to include the Gallery Collection in my Etsy shop. That is where most of my buyers find me, so it just makes good sense. See the new section at www.livefunky.etsy.com.

WIP

Here's the latest work in progress shot of the biggie in the basement. In the last post you saw how I worked out the composition. Now it's getting to the color stage. First, I just fill in the spaces with whatever colors I've got around, it doesn't really matter (though I do end up having some kind of unintended harmony regardless). The second layer of color is when I start testing out the colors in my mind on the surface - like how would a lime green look here? - as well as getting more fine tuned in application. The first coat soaks into the canvas, the second creates that "plastic-y" acrylic film that I really love and the third (and forth, fifth, whatever) is sure to have the level of density that I'm looking for. As it stands now, I'm 95% finished with the second coat. Now I have to go down and start really thinking and tweaking things. Standing back and looking for a long time at the whole and it's parts and back to the whole again...

So don't get too attached to these colors as they will surely change with the final layers. Up towards the top, there is a strong horizontal line that cuts down in an angle to the right. I'm wondering if that's too solid, too heavily directing the eye down and off the side of the canvas instead of bouncing it around the whole surface. It feels too tilted. Maybe I can break up that line in some places and find a way to redirect the eye back into the whole...

Time to get back to work.

True Blue

I stayed up until the wee hours finishing up this new painting. It's a biggie and I'm so happy with how the colors worked out. The composition was working right from the start, but the lines were in red and the other colors were just - so off. My husband took a look at it, with both of our head's cocked to the same side.

ME: I'm liking the composition-
HIM: Yeah.
ME: -but the colors aren't working for me.
HIM: Me neither. I think you need some blues and purples.

I overhauled the palette with a layer of phalo over the whole canvas. That toned things down right away for me and then I got into the line work with black and filling in the other chunks of color with more shades of blue and purple. Then it looked a little too predictable in that all cool palette. Once I introduced the earthier tones I knew I was heading in the right direction.

This painting is available in my Etsy shop for now... www.livefunky.etsy.com.

This is the scale I want to work in for the Gallery Collection and it's also not "ready to hang" like my latest Etsy motto. But I'm impatient and just wanted to share it as soon as I could! I'll be taking this piece off the board and priming a new piece of canvas tonight. I'm still on the fence about what to do with these G.C. paintings - most likely they'll be split between Boundless Gallery and Discovered Artists. We shall see...