I suspect da Vinci has it right...

 ...when he suggested that 'Art is never finished, only abandoned.'  Goodness knows I've abandoned more paintings than I'd ever thought possible, although none are to be found in museums.  My latest 'abandoned' painting is the 3' x 4' painting that is meant for an outdoor patio wall.

This painting started back in May of 2023 and it's come a long way, and many layers since this photo:

The scripted card on the board above is the original concept for the piece.  It's a quote by Arundhati Roy:

Another world is not only possible,

She is on her way.

On a quiet day,

I can hear her breathing.

It's next to impossible to tell where one layer starts and the other ends.

With only the last spray-on protective layers and the hardware to go, I'm reasonably certain I can get it on the wall before September.  🤣  

There are still another couple of projects on the go and at least one is near-ready for abandonment - maybe next week?  In the meantime, wishing you the best creative week ever!

Whew! The days are...

 ...flying by as we near the end of the year!

I've managed to get some work in on the 3' x 4' panel, and that's a good feeling.  

Some of the details are really starting to make a difference.  Photo-heavy below:

And just to get your mind back on Christmas, I'm showing you a plate of goodies (all gone now, unfortunately!).  They were scrumptious!

See you next week as we really get into the spirit!  I'm wafting scents of Christmas baking in your direction now.  xo

The fun never stops...

...as an artist.  There's always something to do (especially working on the never-ending 3 x 4 painting).  You asked to see the painting as a whole at this stage, so here it is.

With an arsenal of paints, stencils, stamps and pens lined up, there are sure to be many more layers to come.

Adding details in pen is always fun, 

and certainly changes the look of things.

Whether the ink work is fine or wide,  there is depth added.

The start of stamping found a hint of a nest in the corner, so we'll see where that goes.

And given that fall has really hit in our area, you'll know that the gnarly look has arrived outside as well.

We found this mountain of pumpkins at Wloka's, the local fruit and vegetable stand, and it was just one of many.

I could have broken the month's budget there just for the beauty.  I don't dare return!

We're extraordinary lucky to live in an area so rich with orchards, farms, vineyards and lakes...bliss, indeed.  

May your week have been just as filled with autumnal splendor, as well as rivers of creative juices!

And the beat goes on...

...with some more layers added to the large panel.  By the weekend things were getting pretty dense.

And the layers were starting to thicken in some areas.

By now the initial quote is starting to disappear.

The edges are getting just as colourful as the front of the panel, and those hand-cut stencils are looking pretty yummy, too.

I've got a massive pile of stencils from which to choose,

and I'm interested to see which ones are calling to me now.

There's a definite organic feel arising.

And another quote from Ram Dass - Be Here Now - has been added to the mix.

I have a sense now of where this panel may be going, but sometimes the muse can play tricks, so we'll just wait and see, shall we?!

The break...

...was fabulous, with some heartful family time, Sunfest and Sculpturewalk in Castlegar, and the highlight of a Burton Cummings concert in Trail.  Just the best musician ever!  Oh, and the eating - goodness my family knows how to cook!!!!!

Of course, being away for much of the week meant there was little playing in the studio.  I did manage some work on the 3' x 4', though, and it's starting to look a little fuller.  It is now at (or strongly approaching) the ugly stage, and is likely to remain there for a week or six.

You can see I'm still sticking to the three original colours of Quinacridone Gold, Turquoise and Flame Red - isn't it amazing how many shades are created from just those three?

I've added some stencil work, 

in three different areas, 

painted some lines and added a wandering row of red crab-like creatures with the side of my hand.  Where did that come from?! 

I also managed to get to the July creativity prompt this week, which was to use only a dark-coloured paint and a light-coloured paint on brown paper, using as many tools as one could find.  So far, I've

used my fingers, a paint brush (both ends), palette knife, a plastic scrubbie, skewer, feather, credit card, eye dropper, paper towel, wax paper and more.  

I doubt that I'm finished yet, and being the rebel I am, I suspect that some white will be added to the mix.  Truly, I needed to use a much bigger paper!  

Hope your week has been outstanding as we head into summer.  Keep me posted in the comments, will you?

A busy week...

 ...and another to come means there has been just a bit of progress in the studio.

Additional areas of paint have been added to the 3' x 4' panel.

And I'm already enjoying the contrast of texture and colour.

The fabulous quote I found last week by Arundhati Roy has been scripted in to add its energy to the mix.  No doubt the bulk of it will be covered by subsequent layers, but the power, strength and spirit of it will remain and intensify.

I'm loving these ovals created by a well-used abused paint brush.

As you can see, there's a long way to go - it's clear this may not be finished in time to hang in the patio this summer.  ;-) 

Meanwhile, the birthday girl's painting is finished for this year, and is ready for gifting in mid-June.  Now I can start on the grandsons' paintings, both of whom have birthdays coming up in the fall.  Surely that won't arrive as fast as I expect, will it?!!!

This coming week we're off for a few days over the mountain passes to visit family, so I'll 'see' you after the upcoming weekend.  In the meantime, happy tail-end-of-spring-moving-into-summer!