Hey, I decided to start a new blog with a similar name. You can now find me here at http://workingcatstudio.blogspot.com. See, I told you it was the same. I don't know why I just didn't change the name of this blog. Oh well, it's all a learning process. See ya on the other side.

I Keep Working...

A few projects that I have been trying to get ready for a June showing at the library. My first show-at the place where I work. I will be incognito but not really. I will use my first name and my middle name. We shall see how it goes...

So here's the backdrop of one of my projects. Hopefully it will be ready by June.

I think this one is finally finished but I think I will have to rename it. I especially like it in natural lighting.

This one I like the background but I think the tree in the foreground is too big. I think I will paint it out and make a new smaller tree.

Was working on her today. Wasn't quite the face I was going for . I think she is judging me. Definitely older than I thought she would be... Not done. More judging me I think.

I really didn't like this when it was a normal tree. It was sooo boring in green and brown. So I decided to mess it up. Daughter #3 calls it a cotton candy tree. I like it.

A new background for a painting. I am thinking a blond lady. Don't know where I am going with this.

Same thing except for the blond lady. Maybe a mermaid with black hair?

Snow...Again

Here we go. Another snowy weekend-another snowy painting. Wondering whether this one could use some more color. Maybe some hot pink or day glo orange....Just kidding, but not about the extra color.

Courtesy of Mizz C....

Jewelry rack

Have to give a thank you to my friend Mizz Carrie for this month's craft project. She sent me a Pinterest shot of the original of this project. It is meant to hang your necklaces on. My creative cohort Annemarie and I spent the afternoon learning how to use a drill and painting these things. She likes going big-so she made three. This was after we had fortified ourselves at the local brunch place with coffee, eggs, and biscuits. Crafting does not happen on an empty stomach.

Treed

Afternoon Snow

Not done

When I'm not painting strange women, I find my self painting strange trees... Well at least the bottom one is. Not quite finished with it yet... Wondering where to go next.

Start of Something New...

Winter storms are certainly conducive to painting. Hunkering down in your studio with a cup of coffee and something sweet. I can and I do spend hours there. Good thing we have plenty of leftovers or we al l would be starving. Here is something that is evolving from too many hours staring at Pinterest boards about geishas. I don't know why she is standing in the ferns...but we will see what happens.

The Eyes Don't Have It...

Not mine--hers. There is something about her right eye that is killing me. My mentor, daughter #3, says she feels like she does eyes over and over again. Not very inspiring. Perhaps an eyepatch would do...I just want to put on her rusty crown, finish up and move on. Then there is the fear that her crown will just fade into the background...Oh well. I guess she'll be hanging with me a while longer.

Into the Garden...

Well she came about when I was watching Titan A.E.on Netflix and trying to cover up a less than wonderful painting. I don't know what happened. I started out thinking I was going to paint a shadowy undefined woman with a bunch of stenciled ferns over her and then "she" showed up. I think she has a very garden of Eden air about her. I would love to place a very rustic dark wood frame about her with maybe some ivy or jungle ferns hanging from it...

After the snow...

Well I've spent the last few days pretending that it didn't snow too much and neglecting any painting to be done...Of course I have rid my studio of extraneous magazines, set up a jewelry making area and moved all supplies over there. Amazing how every jewelry project I start requires just ONE more thing. I have a lot of stuff, but apparently not enough. I also have geeked out a lot. I installed an app on my Kindle fire that allows me to show exactly what s on my mac monitor on my tablet. Good for photo reference since I don't want to pull the easel all the way over to the monitor and dump paint all over it. It's the simple joys in life...

Before this all began, I went on a road trip with My artistic friend AM and picked up these babies....

Still messing with her. Daughter #3 says I must work on her drapery...I just want to start adding weird crap around her.

 Raise your paw if you don't want to get any work done...

Uh oh...

Added cat escape route

Studio cats having nothing to do with winter weather...BTWs, my blog is blocked by the Chinese according to Daughter #2

Status Report

Cat on a cold asphalt roof...

I'm outta here.

Home again, home again, jiggety jig...

sketch book practice.

Eventually she will be done...

The End of the World as We Know It...

Well daughter #4 thought this redecorating project signified the end of the world when she came back from college and found her big sister's room repainted and purged of all the crapola. Her comment,"It's as if you erased her.." Not quite but we have a very calming guest room now. Open to all visitors.I wished I had a before shot of daughter #2's bedroom. The difference is significant.

Next project-those dirty stairs. You try scrubbing and soaking and you still have dirty risers. Not anymore I don't! How about some lovely blackboard paint?  And I can write stuff on them too...

Since the end of the world is tomorrow, the husband and I celebrated at lunch with this beer. 9% alcohol. I had to counteract the alcoholic effect with my first real caffeine in about 4 yrs. I don't know which is worst-taking a long nap in the middle of the day or having your heart race like a jackhammer.

And finally I have been doing some painting in the studio. Made this little painting the other day. Wishful thinking I guess. There is no real snow here yet.

A Little Detroit Inspiration...

In between working on various pieces, I stop for 1/2 hr breaks and wander the web, stopping at various blogs, getting stuck on Pinterest, Stumbling and Tumblring. Today, I was on James Gurney's blog and he had this video on how artists and young people are revitalizing Detroit. It is not all doom and gloom. Pretty inspirational. Almost makes me wish I was in my 20's again. Almost.

Other Projects....

Here's how the terrarium turned out.  A shot of the outside,

and a peek on the inside....

Then a head on shot of my shopping breakdown purchase.  If you look closely, you can see me in the mirror with the camera.

And then off to the side for the full effect.

Mission: Moss

Actually ventured outside today. I did have a mission in mind. Not anything I was supposed to do, of course.  I was forest bound to collect moss for a terrarium I want to create. I've been reading a book  called"Tiny World Terrariums" by Michelle Inciarrano & Katy Maslow and have been scouting the studio for bits and pieces I want to add to it. Daughter #3 received a kit to make a small terrarium from daughter #1 last Christmas and I've been jealous.  So I grabbed a ziploc, gloves, and my Japanese gardening knife and headed out back.  Stopped by the chicken girls to throw them some scratch and a few late raspberries.  Looks like the husband had been there first as they were wallowing in mounds of leaves.

 Commenced to make my circuit of the woods and collected two bags of moss which I left in the garage for the night with the hopes that any nasty creepy crawlies will be dead by the time I actually get around to adding the moss to the terrarium. 

Went back outside and decided to tidy up the potting shed for the winter. An hour later, feeling very worthy, I retired to the warmth of my studio.

Last rose of the season... 

Dripping paint and spraying water does not always work!

I do like this. Very Ghostly. Will stare at it for several weeks to determine what to do next. 

 I have been experimenting with several different projects since it helps me avoid the ones I am supposed to be finishing. Also brainstormed in the sketchbook about several other new projects.  Woo hoo! Queen of procrastination!

Painting Practice

 What am I doing now that they have granted me less hours at work? Practicing. Practicing skin and hair so I can put it on the naked one down below. Although now that I look at the one above...I should've at least given the poor girl some eyelashes. Or at least make up some background story of a rare vitamin deficiency that made her eyelashes fall out.

 Working on the background for this lady and in doing so, I realized that my dark background is going to swallow up her rusty halo.  What to do, what to do? A nimbus of light surrounding her? Isn't there a proper term for the glow of light that accompanies saints and angels and such? Also I just made a sketch of her. I never considered what color her gown and eyes should be....

And my least favorite thing to do-trying to get the proportions right in another drawing.  And then my favorite thing to do-searching the internet for references for the beginning of another project.