I'm in an argument with the canvas of the girl and the dragon in the woods. I'm not sure if it's salvageable or not. That's always tricky, don't you think? When to decide that a painting is doomed and to let it die an honorable death, or to keep beating away at it and see if you can pull it out of the nosedive by the end? Tricky, tricky.
While that canvas is going poorly, the Cheshire cat is doing fine, but I was so mad at the other canvas that I left my studio in a huff and snagged my watercolor blocks and sketched out two pieces during a rather weird and energetic bout of insomnia. I'm a natural night owl, living in an early bird world, so I've long been forcing myself up at 5:45 AM (to exercise), and then dropping for an awful nights' sleep around 11PM. However, if my body had its way, I would be up until 2AM, and sleep wonderfully until about 10AM. That makes me energetic and happy, but it just isn't possible (I have plans to try living my normal again once the kids are off to college, but that still leaves me with about eight years to go. *yawn*)
So, imagine my surprise when I couldn't sleep and instead worked well into the night, finally dropping off at just shy of 3AM, and then popping back up around 6AM with no alarm and quite awake. Awake enough to work, and go for a run, and clean. That's not normal for me, at all. Whatever it is that got into me? I need more of that. Well, sleeping normally would be nice, but I haven't felt that energetic in... a decade?
Now I'm back to my normal *yawn* exhausted self. Phooey!
I sketched these two out:
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| This one is actually mostly full length, I don't know why I snapped the photo so close. It's a larger painting. |
Layered in the backgrounds (I don't know why I love the floating orbs so much, but I really do. I can't seem to help it, I just have to have them in my fairytale watercolors right now!):
And then I started working. I took a wrong turn with the purple elf, and I thought I had killed it. But, after long hours working away tonight, I somehow managed to pull her out of a nosedive.
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| I've taken over the kitchen table again. I figure if I do it often enough, eventually I'll get a bigger studio. (Yes, wishful thinking. I know.) |
She's a bit rough, and I think it's due to this paper that I've been frustrated with (the shedding) and the masking, which seems to have roughened it further and actually made it more absorbent. GAH! Anyway, I don't hate her, and now all I have to do is her gown. I'm torn between blue, or silver. Or a silvery blue:
I also made good progress on the other one, and I have to say she is turning out to be one of my absolute favorites:
So that's where I've been for a week. Not sleeping well, in a fight with inanimate objects, and taking the kitchen table hostage!
Seems I had some sort of same experience these days! And also caught a nasty cold!! I love your last 2 paintings, love the idea of the dragon on the shoulder.
ReplyDeleteI hope your cold goes away!
DeleteOh wow, you sound so much like me it's scary! Lol! I've had plenty a fight with my paintings, and basically every other inanimate object that resides in our home. The TV takes the brunt of it (still not sure why I talk back to the TV - it's not like they can hear me! Haha.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, I really like both of these so far, and am still in shock that you're really just using watercolors and masking fluid. It's mind-blowing! As for the dress, if it were my painting, I would do a white gown with silver detailing on the sleeves and corset area. And since it'd be white, you'd still be using greys and blues, and even purples to get in the shadow areas, so you really might get the best of both worlds from that path. But maybe I just like that because in my mind it looks almost like a wedding gown, if that makes sense. Either way, whether you pick blue, silver, or silvery blue, I know whatever you choose will be awesome, and I seriously can't wait to see how they turn out! Have a good night! =0)
Yeah, those inanimate objects are the worst troublemakers! :) I like the watercolors, but sometimes the roughness of the rendering is hard. I'm thinking more and more about digital works too. I layered in the dress in blue and now I'm not sure that going silver is the answer at all. Of course, the problem with watercolors is that once you commit, you are in for the long haul with the color you put in first!
DeleteYou are adorable...a bundle of creative energy buzzing with ideas, conversations with your self, with your art and making all kinds of magic in the process!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely lots of ideas! Execution maybe a little shaky! :)
DeleteI simply love all your creations! How can a person not? They are amazing! I love creating at night time too! I would paint all night if I could ;o)
ReplyDelete