Reasons why people without cars should only make small paintings:

I have this frame:

which I assembled at my house, and which weighs a terrible lot for something that's technically empty. And I have this painting:

which is at my studio across town.

Somehow they need to meet at the same location and from there get themselves to a gallery. How? It's a mystery.

Works in Progress and an Exhibition

The last few days in the studio have been spent working on pieces I've already posted. I painted the goldfish in the bowl of my juggler, as well as working on the rest of the painting. It's getting closer to being finished. Here's its in progress image:

I also worked on my new Sebbie painting, although it's barely beyond block in stage. Here's that one:

Today I also found out two of my paintings have been accepted into the National Small Oil Painting Exhibition 2010, held at the Wichita Center for the Arts. The exhibition opens September 10th, you should go! The following paintings will be there:

"Sebbie and the Small Horse"

"The Magnifying Glass"

Fish studies

I finally adopted a goldfish! I imagine most goldfish won't hold still for portraits, but I seem to have adopted a particularly hyper one. I've named him Ruthie. Here are studies I've done of him so far:

And some close ups:

My juggler will finally get fish in his bowl!

Getting there

I got in some work on my portrait today. The likeness is getting better. But I'm still short a goldfish.

Keeping busy

Today I started a new Sebbie painting. It's a small one, but I've wanted to do it for a while. Hopefully it will go quickly so I can start on the boat. Here's my set up and block in:

Goldfish portraits

Yesterday I went to the fish store to adopt a fantailed goldfish. There must have been a run on goldfish right before I got there, though, because they only had gray ones left. And while the gray ones were very pretty, they wouldn't do for my painting. I am really excited about the fish because it should be really hard to paint, seeing as it won't hold still. The gold fish is for a portrait I'm working on which I seem determined to make as hard as possible on myself. Here is the in progress image:

There is, obviously, one of the many reference photos I have for this painting taped to the canvas. The goldfish, perhaps also obviously, go in the bowl on his head. I still have a very long way to go with this painting, not the least because the portrait doesn't quite look like the model yet. I'm hoping that by posting this in progress image, my perfectionist self will be goaded into working more diligently on the painting, so I can post a much better image soon.

Out with the old, in with the new!

Today I tried to finish my current Sebbie painting. Here it is:

I'll have one more look at it tomorrow, and then I have to move on! I already have the next painting planned, and to add to the hurry, I now have the one after that in the wings. My dear friends, and fellow painters, Matt and Magda Almy, gave me this beautiful wooden boat for my birthday:

Seems an ocean voyage is in order for Sebbie.

New Beginnings

Today I finally started a large landscape of Alaska, a triptych. It was my birthday and there were many other things to do so I really only spent about an hour actually painting. I think, though, that I got a good block in. Here's my baby:

Landscapes about the studio

I was digging around the studio last week and came across some landscapes I'd rather forgotten about. Both are of views from Skye:

I also worked on a landscape this weekend from a photograph. I was having a bit of a recovery and found I didn't have the energy to stand up and paint, but as I really wanted to get something done, I pulled a chair up to my easel and did a start of a study of this Irish landscape:

It's a view from Clare Island, County Mayo. I seem to have a thing for islands.

Fish and chips

It was a very hot day in the studio today. I had sweat running down my back while standing still, more activity than that was out of the question. I worked more on my Sebbie painting, but as it looks more or less like it did in my last post, it doesn't need a new picture. I also spent a fair amount of time on a portrait I've been working on for months. I think I'm finding it so very difficult because I know the model so well, I always have an easier time getting a portrait on a stranger than a friend. But I'm determined to get it right, as this is a portrait I've wanted to do for years, ever since I met a man in Paris, by Montmartre, who was juggling with a large bowl of goldfish balanced on his head. At the time I was having a horrible day; I kept getting lost, which is something that happens to me so seldom, it shakes me up, especially in a city I know so well. And just when I was ready to cry, there was this man, with the goldfish, and everything seemed ok with the world again. I've placed him in Edinburgh, instead of Paris, and I've yet to adopt the goldfish I need to finish the painting, but I'd determined to finish the painting by the end of the summer.

I also have been stretching the studies I did in Alaska. It's easier to travel with unstretched canvases, so I'm stretching them now. Unfortunately, the art supply store has been out of ten inch stretcher bars since I've gotten back and I need a fair number. At least it's too hot to want to stretch more canvases just now anyway. Here's my collection of 'to be stretched's:

The small ones are all from Alaska, the big one is an old, unfinished painting I found while going through things in my studio. I thought I might have a go at finishing it, maybe. Maybe not, I'm much more excited to do some larger paintings of Alaska.