Daily Painting

Not From Life

10"x10", oil on canvas, from a watercolor painting.  Not working from life leaves so many blank spaces.  The relatively quick drying watercolors rely on details that I cannot achieve in oil with my impatient demeanor.  So I growl and fuss and stand stumped at my easel.  I think last one worked out because I did it in a few sittings, letting it dry in between. The watercolor original for this paitning is featured along with me in an article, "A Providence Artist in Marrakech" by Renee Doucette for the East Side Monthly.

Right Before My Eyes

Some times it is very difficult to settle and work on something; my eyes move from one project to another in the studio and in a moment I have a clear picture of all that I want to do but only the tiniest fraction of time it would take to do it all in.  Then I am flooded with disappointment in all that I can't accomplish and my work time is up.  I battle furiously to get past the visions of what I would like to achieve in a particular hour (and a notion of magic time in which that hour might last a month) and just paint something.  This clementine mercifully delivered me from those other perseverations last night.

The Souks

An oil version of this sketch.  10"x10", oil on canvas,

Door and Tiles

Both 10"x10", oil on canvas.  Part of a series of 6 10"x10" canvases.  Can't get over these tiles.

Mo Shawl

Look!  Fortunate me, this is my new, beautiful snuggly: the Mo Shawl from casapinka!  Pattern here.  Thank you my dear Pink.

 

In Your Own Living Room

I wrote this craft article forRhode Island's always helpful kidoinfo.  Wanna get away? You can travel anywhere in the world from your living room rug.  Enjoy a fantasy travel sketch workshop with your family with these simple guidelines.

Watercolor, Pen and Ink

I sometimes sort beads with my jewelry making neighbor while Captain Spectacular plays legos with her son. I feel as if I am wallowing in treasure.  The seaside town is Essaouria, Morocco, where, in March, I plan to go explore the town, search for baubles in the shops and enjoy the seafood! 

More of the Souks

From the long watercolor block.

Splendid Pooch

A charming woman (who happens to have the most inspiring handwriting I have ever seen) asked me to memorialize this fine hound a few weeks ago.  Yesterday, finally!, I discovered that the angry spirits whove been guarding my easle had moved on to fret over something else.  whew.  (They seemed to have moved on to block my ability to ship packages.)

Imagining a Book

I put some of my moroccan sketches in a blurb book, Imagining Morocco, here.  Elizabeth and I are suggesting that participants in the Moroccan Sketchbook Retreat use an online publisher to print their own books of sketches, photos and notes from the trip.