Back in the studio...

...after an illicit runaway day on Mother's Day, I'm inspired to play once again.  

Right now I'm drawn to those delicious metallic colours of Inka Gold, and can't seem to get enough of them.  

'Changing Landscape' 5" x 7" mixed media on gallery wrap canvas  © Win Dinn

Well, of course John thinks I've got enough of them, but he obviously can't be trusted with the real skinny, so let's not tell him, right?

They come in so many lustrous colours that I find myself putting them on nearly everything I do these days - sometimes over the whole of a piece,

sometimes in tiny accents that go almost unnoticed,

'Confluence' 10 " x 8" mixed media on cradled wood panel © Win Dinn

and sometimes from the background to the foreground and everywhere in between.

'Midnight Garden II' 8" x 6" mixed media on cradled wood panel © Win Dinn

And of course, the studio looks its usual wild self, with projects lined by by the score.

Looking at this post, you'd think that someone had taken a full 32 oz. jar of black gesso, and exploded it in the room.

Come to think of it....

I'm addled...

...today, what with all the crazies going on here, and that's not even counting the studio.

This weekend (tonight and Sunday afternoon) are the concerts we've been practicing so madly for, and the week has been one of practices, tech rehearsal and dress rehearsal. They will be amazing concerts, with choir, brass, videos, soloists, ensembles and so much more.  If you've not attended in the past and you're within driving distance get your tickets NOW.

To add to the fun, there's a huge trailer parked in the long driveway, waiting to accept dead shingles from the roof that blew a fuse last week.  If the rain stops, the crew can actually peel and re-roof. It's a good thing I don't need to get out of the studio door right now.

I have managed a few moments in the studio as well, trying my hand at creating a stamp from an over-sized eraser in honour of Balzer Studio's  #CarveDecember challenge.  She's carving a stamp a day in her studio, and invited other artists to play along.  This is day one for me (on December 11th or so), and at the rate I'm going, it's likely to be the only one I'll manage - this year.

I managed to actually finish a piece that was started way back when in July.  On a pastel pink canvas, the alcohol inks started the process.

 Somewhere along the way I added some Inka Gold texture with an abstract stencil.

 I layered a clear gloss medium gel in all-over garden pattern, textured it and then let it dry.

 An addition of more Inka Gold in three different colours served as highlight for the raised flowers.

'Red Hot' 8" x 8" mixed media on canvas  © Win Dinn

It must be getting close to Christmas - the predominant colour in this post certainly says so.  What are you doing to get ready for it?  Have you got your Christmas creating done?  Started?  Mused about it?  I'd love to hear about it in the comments below, with links to what you're doing.  Happy creating.