Of Visions and Studies

Cast of Diana for study

I have been in Portland, OR for the weekend where I celebrated my birthday, dropped off my Silent Ones painting, visited family and friends, and ate myself silly in all the wonderful Vegan food establishments that Portland has to offer. I haven't really had much to show or to post about and didn't have the time to dig up interesting art tidbits to offer so I apologize for falling off my blog schedule, yet again.

I have been busy setting up still lifes and studies as I feel the need to put in a bit more study time to continue to grow my skills. I have mentioned that I want to paint portraits. I had planned to start doing just that but I feel I need a bit more skill under my belt before I tackle a full rendering of a portrait. To aid that goal, I will be doing several cast drawings, getting back to basics. I am also going to draw and paint a few self-portraits as the model is free and more or less does what I ask of her. None of this is glamorous stuff but I will share the progress as that is what this blog is mainly about. 

I have also planned a series of paintings that combine landscape and still life. I am working on building the main prop for that, and for the weather to improve, before starting in on that project.

To make things even more interesting, I was innocently studying music theory to go along with my cello playing when a simple drawing of an unusual musical notation system in the book unlocked a staggering artistic vision.  Sometimes an idea for a painting or series of paintings is the work of painstaking research and development. Rarely, in my life, has an idea is dropped into my head like a bomb which explodes into a grand exciting scheme. I have been having a hard time sleeping! I pretty much figure that if I have been clobbered over the head by an idea such as the one that visited me the other day, I probably need to act on it and not put it off. I have set that vision in motion and of course I will be documenting the progress on it. I will just say that it is a musical/artistic collaboration between my husband and myself. He has even already done the first part and wonderfully at that. 

Things might be a bit slow winding up but there should be quite a bit of material coming to this blog as it all unfolds. 

Wishing everyone good visions, dreams, and idea bombs. 

-Renee