Not Art - Bad Driver

Hi,

I painted today on the Ladrones, but made no headway. Didn't like the rainbow attempts. I worked on prints, brochures, etc. Gene rode his bike pretty early.

Then, we went to dinner at Grace Miller's in Bastrop. A new, quaint restaurant on Pine Street, just off Main. We had dinner (salmon and chicken cordon bleu) and live music outside and the weather cooperated for a nice evening and great meal. But ... on the drive home, a lady passed us on the right just before our turn off to McAlister Road, no turn lane, she was on the paved shoulder. I had the camera out taking photos of the evening sun and caught this, but she pulled too far ahead to get her license plate number. She was in one, big, hurry! Wow. People just don't think.

Later,
Jo

Shiprock

Wednesday, Yesterday, I painted this Shiprock painting. Shiprock is an amazing sight, so huge. It just rises up out of the plain and is visable for many miles. This is one of my favorite views from the highway near the Colorado border looking south from a distance of at least 25 miles. I hope to do some more paintings of it. I would very much like to do a plein air. Maybe this summer??

This paintng is 8 x 10 inches on sand colored Ampersand Pastelbord. I like this surface very much. You can use a wet underpainting with water or alcohol and you can wash it off and start over. The only drawback is since it is on board you can get dents on the surface or scratches. Sometimes they are not noticeable until you start painting. The company is in Austin, Click here, and if you want, you can special order large sizes. Other art stores usually carry the 5 x 7, 8 x 10, 11 x 14 and 16 x 20 inch sizes. It comes in several colors, a grey, green and sand. Ampersand makes all kinds of art panels and offers some samples.

Today, I'm not painting. It is the last Austin Pastel Society meeting in Austin for the summer. I will go to Austin and do some shopping (I need some sky blue to finish the Ladrones painting and some other supplies for my show in Magdalena, NM) and meet Regina at the meeting. Regina and I try to do some art related thing once a month. We try to get together to paint, but sometimes it just doesn't work. It is always inspiring to work together.

I'm trying to get computer work, brochures, cards, etc. done today. Never enough time.... (Speaking of time, I am editing and posting this again at this late hour for clarification. As Gene says, "If you don't have time to do it right, what makes you think you have time to do it over? Arghhhh.)

Later,
Jo

Link to Lea's page

Painted on the Ladrones today and worked on things for my show.

I'm putting on a new link here to Lea's page. She has been an art friend since we moved to Bastrop. She shared a studio with me downtown in the gallery building. Amazing person, has her family and foster teenage girls. A great friend and artist. Inspiring to me as she is such a good, honest, open person. Check out her wonderful bluebonnet pottery and other "stuff".

Later,
Jo

Start of Ladrones painting

Today is hot ... temperature wise not as bad as the last few days, but humid and muggy. We golfed early trying to beat the heat. We went to Austin for Father's Day lunch/dinner and stopped by Jerry's Artarama and picked up some Kitty Wallis paper to replace the piece I ruined. And, a few other items. A couple of frames, one I don't like and will return. Gene cut my paper this morning and I started a painting of the Ladrones Mountains, the flats between Socorro and Magdalena, New Mexico, for my show on July 8. It is about 17 x 23 inches. May end up with a rainbow, there was a beauty that day, see if I can put in the light rain and the arco iris, would be a first. Anyway, here is the start.....

Later,
Jo

Father's Day

Gene, Happy Father's Day!

I painted yesterday and Gene cut paper for me, then I promptly ruined it. It was some sanded paper I had had for years and I tried an alcohol underpainting on it and it disolved the grit. :( But it must not have been that good to start with. Hmmm. As I recall, it was pretty expensive for the time. Oh well. You always learn something.

This is a small 5 x 7 on navy blue Daler-Rowney paper. I like their bright colors in paper. These are flower pots from Bolivia and I always think they look like the ladies with their babies on their backs, just waiting and talking. You get a glance from the corner of your eye and they look alive. I have done several paintings of them and gave away the ones Gene liked, so here is another.

Have you been watching the College World Series? We are sad that Texas is not there. The games have been something. WOW! Check it out on Joanna's page

The World Cup is on as well. The USA-Italy game was not great. The officiating was awful. :( Go USA!


Later,
Jo