I’m actually working on two paintings at the same time. One, which I’m not going to show yet, is for the Mid-Atlantic Pastel Society meeting next week. I’m doing a little demonstration (in 15 minutes) on how I do my glass pictures. I think my best bet is to take lots of progress photos and print them out right up to the point in which I will put on the final touches on the glass which I will actually demonstrate. So, photos from this project will pop up sometime next week in a different post.

Also in a future post (maybe even later today, but probably tomorrow), my painting buddy, Daphne Benton, and I got our two woman show “Womens’ Work in Oil and Pastel” hung at the Northumberland Library as part of the Arts Alive Program there. The Friends of the Library plan to host a reception for us. Depending on the weather, as we are expecting snow, it will either be Saturday or another date to be announced. I’ll make another post when I find out for sure.

I’m also continuing work on the still life with the little wooden Buddha statue. I’m enjoying this so much, I think I will have to follow with still life set ups with other religious icons and statues.

Here is where we left off the last time:

I did decide to stick with what I knew and did put on an alcohol wash; but I was very, very careful and tight with it. Of course, I forgot to take a photo of just the wash, but in the first photo I have only brought up the elephant bell and the Buddha and a little bit of the bowl in front of the Buddha.  I’m very pleased with the colors in the brass elephant bell.

I’m looking forward to getting that elephant done. The ginger plant is coming to life as well.  The two little stones next to the Buddha need some careful handling or they will be too confusing. I will have to be careful about not letting the apple become to vibrant as it is almost entirely in shadow. I’m not completely happy with Buddha yet, but he is close. I can see I squared off his head too much in the second one, but I can fix that. I need to work out the shadow areas of the little bowl. In the photo and in real life, the red pot with the orchid (on the right) is very intense. I have to decide if I want to go with that or keep it down a bit. I’m not sure yet.

I got six paintings back from the framer on Wednesday. I’ve opted to go with the same frame on all of them with Museum glass. Cost for all 6 was just over $600 which I think is a great price, but it means I will have to increase prices on them when I show them for sale. Even if they never sell, I really like them and I’m happy to have them on the wall in the living room. Two are destined for the upcoming MAPS show to be judged by Elizabeth Haywood-Sullivan. Yikes, but I look forward to her insights.

I’ve also entered two pastel paintings in the 30th IAPS Juried Exhibition. I have no idea what it takes to be considered for this, but figured it was worth a shot. If I am accepted, I’ll be scrambling to figure out how to ship a framed pastel to New Mexico… but again, it would be so worth it!

In family news, my dad is out of the hospital and back at the community where he and mom live. He’s in the nursing care unit now and I got to see him Wednesday. Let’s just say it’s hard to see him so helpless but they are taking good care of him.