Oscars - Exit through the Gift Shop

I had a family Oscars party last night, and in spite of the lackluster show, we had a glorious evening.  I cooked all day long and provided lots of foodie fare, complete with champagne.  (thanks Tastespotting!)

We had seen all of the Best Picture films this year and two of the feature documentaries, so we were pretty invested in the lineup.

One of my favorites was Exit through the Gift Shop. Its really a movie within a movie, that might just be a hidden conspiracy.

It starts out innocently enough, featuring a filmmaker who stumbles upon the shadowy world of graffiti artists - which is interesting within its own right. But then the film takes on a life of its own when the filmmaker becomes an obsessive collaborator and eventually a 'mass market' graffiti art world elite. Its a lot like falling down a rabbit hole.

The movie is produced by Banksy, a notoriously anonymous graffiti artist who is highlighted in the film. His work has heavy political and satirical tones, and one begins to wonder if the filmmaker in the documentary is just another one of Banksy's social commentaries about art and consumers. That subtle tension just adds to the color of the movie, and makes for a glorious romp.

I had really hoped that the film would win an oscar, and we might be graced with some of Banksy's spectacle onstage.

(Exit through the Gift Shop is available to watch on Netflix instant queue!)

Getting closer

I am getting a lot closer to being finished with this painting. The face has really given me all kinds of trouble and I expect it still will, but I'm feeling a lot better about the direction its heading.

I'm disappointed about not having it done in time for this months Nibblefest, but it was a worthy goal and I feel good about this piece as a whole.

I won't have much time to paint this weekend. My mom is coming over tomorrow to watch the Academy Awards with us and I want to cook something special for the event. So today is consumed with meal planning, shopping and deep cleaning the house. Not as much fun as arting, but like a completed piece, should feel great once its over!

Imaginative Bloom

How exciting!  Wallflower was just featured on Imaginative Bloom! Talk about making my day. :D

Postcard Friday

My son goes to school out of state, and I send him postcards every week. Its really my way of sharing pieces of who I am with him.


(this is my 100th post!)

Link of the day - 500 lines

A Sequence of Lines Traced by Five Hundred Individuals from clement valla on Vimeo.

How cool it is to watch the evolution of a line, through 500 different people tracing the efforts of the person before them. Such a simple action takes on a life of its own as the line gyrates, splits and spreads across the page.

Of routines and treasuries

if i could say it in words there would be no reason to paint... - etsy treasury

click to see the rest of the treasury


Yay - I've been included in two treasuries today! I've been working overtime to connect more thoroughly with other artists online, and feel like this is a first sign of success.

In that light, I'm really trying to hash out an art routine that fits into the rest of my life. This is turning out to be a lot more complicated than it sounds. How many hours a day do I spend on painting? How many do I spend on the business side? I tend to go feast or famine (currently in the overdoing it stage), but I really want some kind of middle road so that I don't burn out over time and neglect my other responsibilities.

I've been goaling to paint 2 hours a day, but have been working closer to 5 hours a day. Of course, I'm spending another 5 hours working on my blog, twitter, networking with other artists, prepping prints, and a whole lot more.

This makes me hugely curious about the habits of other artists. How much time do others spend creating versus building the business?


Longing for Ocean - etsy treasury

click to see the rest of the treasury

Wallflower prints available

I worked 6 hours on Saturday and over 11 hours on Sunday in an attempt to finish my Dreams painting. I got really close, but then overworked it in disastrous ways. Oh the trials and tribulations of creative life.

I took a break today after that grueling schedule and worked on figuring out how to use my awesome art printer. I learned all kinds of new things about Photoshop (and I've had it for 6 years!) as well as its interface with my Epson 1400.

This means I'm ready to make prints of my favorite paintings available now! I'm starting with one I identify with the most, Wallflower. I have it available as an 8 x 10, and several art proofs at steeply discounted prices. (It really did take me a while to figure out the printer. My learning curve can be your gain.)

Click here to see my prints for sale!

link of the day - pouring paint

After painting all day yesterday, and nearly going mad, I still haven't overcome my obstacles and finished my entry.  I'm still going to try today to pull a miracle out of my hat, so think good thoughts.

In lieu of a triumphant post about how beautifully everything came together, I give you a gorgeous video about artist Holton Rower's poured painting.

Race to the finish

I'm working furiously to finish this painting in time for the next nibblefest tomorrow. I'm getting close to being done, but have a few hitches that keep me working and reworking parts of it.

Gah! Keep your fingers crossed.

Postcard Friday

My 14 year old son is going to school, several states away, at UNCSA for their ballet program. We're terribly proud of him, but miss him horribly.

I've been making him postcards, and mailing them once a week. He loves getting them and showing them off to his friends. (which makes me feel all warm inside) Its really my way of sharing pieces of who I am with him.

Link of the day - Irena Werning

If you havent seen the work of photographer Irena Werning yet, you're in for a real treat. She's discovered old family photos and meticulously recreated them, with the original subject(s), many years later.

They are truly delightful. Full of camp, nostalgia, and sometimes downright embarrassing hijinks, these studies challenge our sense of identity and capacity to change.

New here

Hello there!

I am starting up my art blog again after a much needed break. I thought I would give Blogger a try and have enjoyed tinkering with the design. I migrated many of my old posts from my previous blog, so there is lots to look back through if you're new to my work.

I have a lot of projects underway and I really look forward to sharing them with you. Thanks for stopping by!