For a limited time, I'm going to sell these washy oil paintings on my smaller works blog. I realize they're not big happy paintings and they'd probably be terrible gifts for an aging relative, but if you're into washy oil paintings depicting empty swimming pools, check them out.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Enjoyable and Productive.
I am taking a break. Technically, most of the afternoon was a break, My friend Susan was in town so I picked her up from Union Station and we came back to Culver City so she could see my studio and we could catch up. Prior to that I had a productive morning in the studio working on some new small oil petches/skaintings to hawk over at my smaller works site. I love painting. Really. I just do. I love to paint. I still amaze myself at how captivating it is to slosh pigment around and have it make sense.
I RSVP'd to a friend's super tony opening and had every intent on stopping by on the way back from dropping Susan off at Union Station this evening, but the velvet roped line of people out front of Royal T deterred me. I had no idea I would have to stand in line or I would have dressed for the affair. Instead, I was wearing vintage 501's and a Gap shirtdress that looks like a hospital gown. I was comfy, but not exactly high fashion. I felt bad. That's 2 out of 2 friends whose openings I didn't make out of being totally exhausted or otherwise deterred by obstacles. If I ever get to the point where people have to stand in line to see my art, I will totally forgive my friends who aren't into standing in lines. I promise. There are enough people in the world who like to stand in lines, so it should work out perfectly.
Thus I had more time to work on the smaller works site and upload a couple of new images from the iPhone prints before bedtime. I'm pretty excited that the iPhone prints may at one point become small lucid paintings. Have I mentioned I love to paint. Yes, I think I did.
Whew. That might not look like a full day, but after spending a couple of hours in traffic on the LA freeway system with a brief stop at the grocery store, it filled out quite nicely.
Okay then, from now until the first of the year, I plan on shamelessly self-promoting my smaller works blog as well as The Fine Art Department website.
Labels:
art
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Really.
First off, The folks behind Blogger are amazingly f'n dimwitted. The new updated post editor does not- get this, DOES NOT, have a spell checker! WTF? I mean, sure, I think we should spell things all proper and look words up in the dictionary. Builds character. But to NOT have a spellchecker in an UPDATED version is like mind-bogglingly mind-boggling. Okay. it's useless to rant about it. I went back to the old post editor.
Tracy took action and prompted everyone on The Fine Art Department website to update their info, upload new works, etc etc. Part of the etc etc was asking everyone for their facebook fanpage. Ugh. The dreaded fanpage. Sure, Fang can have his own fanpage cuz he's a dogstar, (The real deal, not Keanu Reeves' band.) but moi? I tried to have followers on this blog and after only 4 people were following me, I removed it. I am self-conscious, even in cyberspace.
So, in case you weren't listening on facebook and missed my opening this weekend, here's a decent pic of Mike Vegas and I in our space. We had never met before, so it was fun to meet someone new. That's Mike in front of his photograph. I will take liberty here and assume it's titled, Super. That's me in front of SOSSOL. I love that painting. It will find a good home one day.

Monday, November 16, 2009
Act I
I tend to fuss and fidget when I have a million things to do. I also tend to exaggerate. I don’t have a million things to do. Maybe ten, but they're time-consuming.
The house and studio were hit by a hurricane last week. Not literally of course, but I like the analogy. I now have to clean and straighten, and put like with like.
The ARTRA exhibit was fun. I met some artists I hadn’t met before and of course, The Public. The Public was nice too, though some people in the public were a little too attached to their public persona. I noticed. With my Quiet Observational Skills. She said.
Now that it’s after the fact I will confess a couple of things. My mailing list is in need of updating and streamlining. I was unable to email everyone on my ML about the exhibit this past weekend. I had to prioritize tasks and the ML merge did not get accomplished. Instead, random invites were sent. If your first name started with an A, B, C, D, E, or F, I think you got an invite. I also sent the mass FB invite, which is the social networking equivalent of leaving flyers on parked cars. Today I began the delete phase of my ML- cutting places no longer in business and people whose emails bounce back or who I can no longer recollect how I got their name. Phase two is adding all the names and emails I have collected over the past couple of years, but have not entered. Phase three will be uploading the emails to a ML subscriber service like MailChimp.
My other confession is that I did not feel compelled to rent a truck and bring any of the big paintings. The unit was a 1BR loft, and after working in a cramped 2-car studio garage, it was nice to see some wall space around the pieces. I showed some of the smaller works and they got a good response. I was appreciative at the end of the second day when a painter whose work I like, but who I had not previously met, complimented the small paintings and commented how small paintings were difficult. I like when people notice that I work hard and that my hard work is successful. I am partial to the small paintings for a myriad of reasons, which I will address more in depth after the intermission.
All the hipster artdogs were out with their hipster artdog owners. I considered bringing Fang on the second day. I entertained that thought for about 30 seconds. Then I entertained the thought of someone dropping a pretzel on the floor and trying to pick it up before Fang got to it.
{intermission}
The house and studio were hit by a hurricane last week. Not literally of course, but I like the analogy. I now have to clean and straighten, and put like with like.
The ARTRA exhibit was fun. I met some artists I hadn’t met before and of course, The Public. The Public was nice too, though some people in the public were a little too attached to their public persona. I noticed. With my Quiet Observational Skills. She said.
Now that it’s after the fact I will confess a couple of things. My mailing list is in need of updating and streamlining. I was unable to email everyone on my ML about the exhibit this past weekend. I had to prioritize tasks and the ML merge did not get accomplished. Instead, random invites were sent. If your first name started with an A, B, C, D, E, or F, I think you got an invite. I also sent the mass FB invite, which is the social networking equivalent of leaving flyers on parked cars. Today I began the delete phase of my ML- cutting places no longer in business and people whose emails bounce back or who I can no longer recollect how I got their name. Phase two is adding all the names and emails I have collected over the past couple of years, but have not entered. Phase three will be uploading the emails to a ML subscriber service like MailChimp.
My other confession is that I did not feel compelled to rent a truck and bring any of the big paintings. The unit was a 1BR loft, and after working in a cramped 2-car studio garage, it was nice to see some wall space around the pieces. I showed some of the smaller works and they got a good response. I was appreciative at the end of the second day when a painter whose work I like, but who I had not previously met, complimented the small paintings and commented how small paintings were difficult. I like when people notice that I work hard and that my hard work is successful. I am partial to the small paintings for a myriad of reasons, which I will address more in depth after the intermission.
All the hipster artdogs were out with their hipster artdog owners. I considered bringing Fang on the second day. I entertained that thought for about 30 seconds. Then I entertained the thought of someone dropping a pretzel on the floor and trying to pick it up before Fang got to it.
{intermission}
Labels:
art
Sunday, November 15, 2009
DAY 2: ARTRA "HERE AND NOW" 12-5 Loft #332.
Thanks to everyone who came out yesterday, and in advance, to those who plan on making it out today.
Yesterday's event was pleasant. I forgot a sweater. Nine years in LA and I still imagine California to be a tropical climate. Foot traffic was good. The automated espresso machine in the courtyard was a lifesaver.
Yesterday's event was pleasant. I forgot a sweater. Nine years in LA and I still imagine California to be a tropical climate. Foot traffic was good. The automated espresso machine in the courtyard was a lifesaver.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
ARTRA "HERE AND NOW" TODAY 12-5
Super quick post before I load up last minute necessities and lumber out the door.
bar stools √
pretzels √
water √
cherry coke zero √
Tota lights for when it gets dark √
new paintings to show special people, and aren't all people special? √
iPhone√√√√√
laptop √
cords √
camera √
PictureMate and paper √
ego √
thick skin √
quiet observational skills √
Okay, Team MAH, let's lock and load.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Real Painters Use Paint.

#35 Get off the Couch
Yes, so I'm in the real studio today cleaning my real painting table off and have another painter coming over to take a look at the pool paintings-the real ones that smell like oil paint.
I'm stymied by my lack of interest in making abstract work on the iPhone. It just doesn't hold my interest right now. I think it has to do with it being virtually impossible to make an honest abstract mark on the iPhone. It LOOKS like a painterly blob, but it's not created the same way as a painterly blob. The abstract painting on the iPhone is simply a image of what an abstract painting would look like, not what it actually is. That, and I'm really into the the banal images representing my life right now.
Labels:
iPhone
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