Beginnings and Tom Hanks

If you are an artist, how many pieces do you work on at once? Here's 6 paintings that are underway right now. 5 of them just have the first layers on. I just can't seem to start one and stay with it til the very end. There must be traveling around the studio to different tables with different materials at different stages of drying. And why not, I don't travel any where else.

All the acrylics here are little 8x8 canvases. The colored pencil on board is 22x22. Seems a little backwards doesn't it? I think the next acrylic is going to be 48x48 but I'll have to do a little rearranging in the studio to fit that on the easel.

Can you tell I like complimentary colors?

What's this doing here? Yes, I still do colored pencil. It doesn't look like much right now. This is the first scribble stage done last night. Very soon it will be smeared and pushed around with mineral spirits. If you want to try this technique, do it on cold press illustration board - works great, you can really move the color on this surface.

A softer palette to start, but you know there's brighter color to come.

Trying to figure out what to do next...... I might leave this one for a while and work on the others. First things first ~ do I listen to Etta again or switch to Adam Lambert? I could start the afternoon with Mozart and then play more high energy later when I need it. OR.... I could have Tom Hanks keep me company with an old movie. I think I spend just as much time figuring out who I want with me in the studio as what to actually do in the studio. This is important stuff, the right vibe is at stake.

Have a golden afternoon,

Peace,

Carlynne

Me and Etta

Mosaic 3

24x24

This one is now finished! I had a good time in the studio today ~ me and Etta James. Nothing like some music to help get in the groove. I'd love to know how in the world she did some of her songs. I love to sing along with whoever is in my CD player but there's some tunes that she does that just amaze me - like, Baby, What You Want Me to Do. If you haven't heard this, listen to it. If I try to sing this I end up in a coughing fit! Some things are just best left up to the pros.

Anyway, back to the painting ~I added some layers to this one. I did some glazing with the acrylic and I also added some layers of tissue paper. I thought this would add some depth. Any comments.... thoughts.... critiques.....

Hope you're having a good evening,

Peace,

Carlynne

Music & Art

I've been meaning to get back to blogging for a while now. So, 2 months and 2 surgeries later, here I am. I'm fine now and as my energy level picks up I'm getting back into the swing. After being out of commission for a while all I really want to do is swing a paintbrush around in the studio. I'm working on some new stuff for our exhibit coming up in Sept '10 (I'll give you more details on that later) and until I have those photos ready to share I'll show you a little of my Nashville trip. Back in early October I flew up to Nashville to visit a friend of mine that I haven't seen in 32 years - I know - amazing! What's even more amazing is that we recognized each other at the airport. Once we got done giggling like a couple of high school kids Sue took me on a tour of the town. This was my first time there and I have to say - I love Nashville!

Ok..... this is what happens when you take photos with a little digital camera that has no viewfinder, you can't see anything on the screen in the daylight so you have no clue if you're actually getting your subject in the frame - just a little FYI.

There were a couple of others statues of Elvis around town but I didn't get shots of those, just about a million of this one - don't ask why.

Can't go to a new town and not souvenir shop, that shirt was for my daughter by the way.

some very cool boots!

A festival of scarecrows, what wonderful, wacky stuff!

The AT&T building AKA "Batman"

I think this is one of the things I loved about Nashville the most. You see some fun stuff riding around the side streets where the music studios are. We also did the art walk held on the first Sat. night of the month. I wish I had pics to show you of the crowds. I was amazed at the turn out for the art galleries. I'd never seen anything like it! Nashville's not only about music, the art world there is wonderful too. We saw many galleries, too many to mention but my favorites were the Tinney Contemporary and Gallery One. Check them out if you're in the area.

There was so much to see. Some day I'll go back for another visit - hopefully it won't be another 32 years before I see my friend again.

Back to painting,

Carlynne

Mozart and Lenny Kravitz

Ridges

24x24

Acrylic on canvas

Just some thoughts running through my head. As I'm listening to Mozart violin sonatas and working on a painting I think back to my childhood and wonder what my playing ability would be like now had I kept on practicing the violin. I was a child who didn't understand what I was giving up. At the same time..... had I kept playing, would my time and attention now be divided between the bow and the brush? My creative focus has been the visual arts for many years to the exclusion of other worthwhile pursuits. As a teen I played the guitar - to be honest that was mainly to get the attention of a certain guy, and no, it didn't work - but still I played and practiced. I sang in choirs and still love singing but mainly I sing when I'm at the easel.

It doesn't seem to matter what I tried, from violin to basket weaving I always ended up back at the easel. Maybe my wiser, essential self, even as a young child knew there was something else I was supposed to focus my attention on - drawing and painting. OR is that just my way of not feeling the regret of missed opportunities in experiencing the other arts? Either way it's ok, I'll keep on listening to someone else's beautiful playing and paint while I do it. I'm still richer for having played the violin and guitar and maybe someday I'll pick them up again, and the singing still makes me feel great even if I'm the only one in the room. Right now I think it's time for some Lenny Kravitz.

Peace ya'll

Carlynne