I used to paint a lot more than I do now. I was also quite a competent sketch artist and muralist. Those things aren't true anymore. I'm too far out of practice. I didn't paint all throughout college because of all the stress related to my unrelated degree. Whelp, its been three years since I could last use that excuse, so I decided to make a more concerted effort to resume a more regular practice. In this post I have a tour of all of my in progress projects and all the completed ones I have for the time being.
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My goal was to spend just 15 minutes on painting every week night. This is completely different from my previous habit which was sitting down for a 2 to 4 hour session one day each weekend. I was pretty happy with the results. I painted this wine and cheese scene that I traced from a photograph.
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| Wine and cheese painting June 2014. Status: semi complete |
I think that I can do a little bit more work on the crackers, but I'm ready to hang it and and stop touching it. I'll wait a few more months to lacquer it but for now I am going to leave it alone.
While I was at it, I decided to retouch my old grecian flower painting from May 2012. I am not done with yet, but I think the blue background will be so much nicer than the yellow I am trying to cover up.
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| Grecian flower painting Status: incomplete. |
I gave the this flower painting to the Dodge family about 5 years ago. It ended up back in my studio when I was asked to touch up the edges again. Its nice seeing my old paintings again because I think this one really was a stunner.
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| Iains Orchid from 2009: Status: Complete |
This painting has a lot of sloppy edges and unresolved features, and I really want to work on it some more. Unfortunately, I am completely scared off that I started it in Oil and am terrified of continuing. I also lost the source Image. I think the colors came out nicely, so I can't wait to muster up the courage again.
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| Alex sitting on the couch. Status: incomplete. |
I am seriously considering painting over this one. It is currently hanging in front of my front door. there is something distracting about the composition that looks incredibly ugly to me. I think the colors are nice but it looks like a crayon drawing or something. I suppose I won't paint over it until I run out of canvases, but still, its on my short list to go.
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| Joshua Tree Painting. Status: Complete, Until I paint over it. |
This painting is everyone's favorite and I still haven't painted the edges or lacquered over the top. I think even if I decide to continue I wouldn't know where to start. this was a lovely short project that will forever remind me that more time on a painting doesn't necessarily mean a better painting.
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| Sitting Cow in a Field. Status: Complete |
I painted this one in an afternoon using photographs that I blacked out and printed for tracing. This project wasn't so much of a painting as it was an arts and crafts project. I finished it in an afternoon and it remains one of Alex's at least favorites. I don't like it as much because it didn't really take any skill, persay. I would call it incomplete because I'm still looking out for stencils at an art and crafts store to really formalize the type in the painting.
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| Family Silhouette. Status: incomplete. |
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This rubanesque confection is a rather poor reproduction of a cropped rubans piece. I got nice and lazy at the top of the painting, but I think it really harkens back to my older style. I haven't lacquered it yet, but I will soon. I'm done with it.
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| Rubanesque. Status: Complete. |
This painting is probably my most impressive technically. It was done during high school, when I peaked. Painted on wood, its my heaviest and most beautiful painting. Its also lacquered so I couldn't touch it up even if I wanted to.
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| El Greco's Baroque.Status: Complete |
This one was one of my first paintings that survived my peak years. I think I did a good job on the dress, but in general a very weird job with the hands. This painting is one of my smaller ones.
I have a few ideas brewing up for a painting I'll work on next month. I am thinking about something accordion themed.
I'm excited about reigniting my old hobby!
Maria
