"Le Tigre"

I finished up this guy last week and he's all sealed and ready to go. I'm fairly happy with the results, as I haven't painted anything in months (and gotten my head zapped so who knew if I would remember what to do!).

He'll go up for sale tomorrow, Tuesday, January 25th at 12pm EST in the shop. Enjoy and good luck!

My Poor Meatball

While walking through B&N looking at magazines I noticed a cover that had a plate of spaghetti. 'Well, now why haven't I done a little meatball boy with a swirl of spaghetti on his head?' I know now. Spaghetti and meatballs are hard.

So I present a little sample of where I started, a video of my progress and where it all ended up. Enjoy :)

I wanted to get specific photo reference for this one so I made up a little batch of meatballs and spaghetti to play around with. A few toothpicks, some strategically placed sauce and about 30 photos later I came up with the first photo. Then on to Photoshop to get the details finalized along with an appropriate background and shadows.

With that done, I printed out a version that was sized to my plaque, traced it and then began to paint.

The finished piece, with some closeups below. The fat reflections on the top of his head are my favorite.

It always amazes me that I have no idea what I'm doing or how I go about painting - I hope for the best and it just happens. Thank goodness it worked out once again ;)

Imps and Monsters, oh my!

Perusing Super Punch this morning and found the art of Justin Hillgrove. I had never seen his work before and am thoroughly in love with it now :D

"Wampa Encore" from his show going on right now, Black and White And Read All Over at Mineral.

"Group Hug" from Imps and Monsters

"Every Little Bit Helps" from his Robot collection

He's so darn prolific it's amazing! Definitely going on my list of loves and inspiration :D

Promise

I promised another of the last two paintings I had done for Art Amsterdam, which is going on right now. I humbly present, "Make Like a Banana...". Another large one for me, 14" x 9.5". Once again my dad helped me out by cutting the plaque :)

And as an added bonus, while painting I had a thought to take photos as I went along. I always love watching progress videos and thought I'd take a shot at it. I also wanted to thank Ed for putting together all the photos into the video, complete with soundtrack, while I was sleeping. You're the best :D Please enjoy!

Please Stand By...

...we are experiencing technical difficulties.

Ed, my husband, in all his great wisdom this morning said, "It's like you're gay and in the closet. Except you're depressed and are afraid to tell anyone."

But how full of myself am I, that I'm not only a painter, but an artist, and a depressed one at that.

"I am very depressed and deeply disgusted with painting. It is really a continual torture." (Claude Monet)

The past few weeks have been exhausting on both myself and my family. I feel every bad thing in the whole world then nothing at all.

"I am in that temper that if I were under water I would scarcely kick to come to the top." (John Keats)

I slug around, moping and sleepy and can barely do a single thing in one day.

"Every act of life, from the morning toothbrush to the friend at dinner, became an effort. I hated the night when I couldn't sleep and I hated the day because it went toward night." (F. Scott Fitzgerald)

I struggle to express what's going on in my head only to mumble a bit and...

"To have gone to all this trouble to get to this is just too stupid! Outside there's brilliant sunshine but I don't feel up to looking at it..." (Claude Monet)

If I were to look at me from the outside, I'd kick myself in the arse and go shopping instead.

"What's the use? The people are too stupid. They do not understand." (Winslow Homer)

I am taking my life moment by moment. I do not know what I will eat for dinner tonight. I don't even know IF I will eat. I'm not even clear on what I'm doing now. I got up today and that's about the best I can offer you right now.

"Keep painting your demons." (Jack Beal)

I'm trying. 

All I ask of you, dear reader is to give me a moment to collect my thoughts and stick around a bit longer as I'm sure the medicine will kick in soon enough and I will be painting quicker than you can say...

Many thanks to http://quote.robertgenn.com/

If you would like to know more about dysthymic disorder or major depression, I've found this article to be helpful and comprehensive.

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/290686-overview