Monday, March 2, 2015

Painting Daily here ...always available model


     Ignoring the serial snowstorms, Joe drops me at the Boston MFA every Thursday to paint a series, in my case, self portraits. I love my classmates and teacher. Sadly, there are only two more classes. When I get home, I paint some more, all in acrylic. NO MORE. I am transitioning back to oils, alkyds (faster drying oils because of the resin) and maybe encaustic.  I ordered a cardboard carrier for wet paintings, and it will be a joy to return to this easier medium.

      Whereas I painted 18 self portraits, two were a different size and not included in these photos. These are all 9 x 12's, on cardboard backs of legal tablets or in the last few, on canvas boards. I won't have any problem tossing, but in deep concentration, I learned something on every effort. After class is over, I will either return to a bigger canvas and my engagement with art history subject matter (see LindaHicksweb.com) or enjoy the suggestions of Carol Marine in her book Daily Painting for a 6" x 6" painting a day. This is a fabulous book that I bought yesterday and highly recommend...relevant to many creative endeavors. Click on the photos to enlarge or scare yourself. Do you have a favorite?



         Since my blog is a storage site for my crafts that I return to see how I did something years ago, I will add that Erika had a birthday on Valentine's Day and is now nine. We gave her a small guitar (she often fiddles with Joe's). She likes to see herself on her quilted birthday card so I printed photos of her on EQ Printables, cotton lawn inkjet fabric sheets. Pardon the photography. I developed the soft birthday card in Comic Life software and sprayed the batting with a glue (bad idea). Then I simply sewed around the two photo fabric sheets, batting between, and added stick-on rhinestones. I cut the edges with pinking shears which you can see only at the bottom of the poorly cropped photo, but it looked very nice "in person" for a quick, simple, but attractive finish. I also finished Erika's crocheted scarf, "the draft dodger"!  Click on photos to enlarge.Thanks for visiting if you did!




13 comments:

  1. My favrotiteS are the two middle ones of the bottom set. Especially love the one of you with paint brushes, but the one with white background is very nice, too. All are interesting and good and what a fun project! So glad you're back to work with your painting! Loved the Erika photos/cards too.

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  2. I love seeing all of the " yous" lined up together! DJ

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  3. Linda, my dear friend, PLEASE paint yourself with that beautiful smile on your face!!! I have never seen you any way in real life but happy and pleasant, and I need a fix. I love you and admire you and appreciate your sharing your talent with me. Thanks! (from Ruth Anne)

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  4. As I repeatedly tell you, I am a big fan of all you do. You have a great talent.

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  5. Love seeing your work and anything with your granddaughter. AND, I agree with the post about painting yourself with a smile on your face! The studies of you are interesting and no doubt followed what the instructor was requesting. Stay warm and dry and inside and I'll send you wishes for spring to arrive soon for the Northeast. Mark comes this weekend to see his CA relatives.

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  6. You are great! Keep painting daily and inspire me to write the same. Keep on, keep on! You make me smile.

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  7. Oh! And I like the last one. So many possibilities!

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  8. They are all amazing ( OK, a couple a bit frightening !!!! ) but, as someone else mentioned, none with your warm and happy smile ( which is how I think of you! )

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  9. If you come to NY, I am going to commission you to do my portrait with the Doglette. Would that be possible? C C C-L

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  10. You do an exceptional self portrait! Would be fun to challenge artists in this venue... I don't know if I'd have the nerve to follow through! KJ

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  11. Really like this ---it's great
    GSC

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  12. Loved all of it, Linda. Erika's card is delightful. As I have told you, I especially like your portraits in reflection.
    NM

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  13. I love your lead self-portrait. The blue of your eyes and your white hair...so attractive. The second portrait, left side, on the second row is still my favorite, and the first portrait on the second row (left side) where you have your chin on you hand is my least fav....it just doesn't look like you.
    Erika's pictures: so thoughtful, so sweet. Congratulations.
    NM

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