Paintings in progress

Some artists work exclusively on one piece at a time. I'd love to have that kind of concentration and dedication, but I just can't do it. I've got to have options on what to work on, I get frustrated with things, put them aside for a while, then come back when I have some fresh eyes. At any one time, I probably have about ten pieces in the works. Here's a small group of them:

This was actually a HUGE reworking of a painting that I was never crazy about. I don't think it'll ever go up for sale simply because it's an overpaint that I never did correctly. I still play around with it every now and then - it's been "in progress" for six months.
So far, this hasn't had a bit of paint associated with it, but this was an initial sketch from a picture I took of my "little" brother Blake. I'm a little iffy on the composition of it, the paper I drew this on is a lot more square than the canvas I want to put it on - it's hard to translate it onto a different space.
This isn't showing up as well as I'd like, the color is quite a bit off. I found the reference picture associated with this while looking through an old high school friend's myspace page, and I took a bit of creative license to it. Some days I'm ready to trash the whole thing and start over.

This had a lot of promise when I started... I found the reference picture - a friend had taken it of a poppy field in France - the same day my friend Claire told me the story of how she started her obsession with poppies. She was having a really rough time a few years back and was driving a lot between Knoxville, Tennessee, and Lynchburg, and one day, she was having such a hard time, she just pulled over to burst into tears about everything. When she finally looked up, she noticed that she hadn't even looked over on the side of the road, and right there was a huge, beautiful field of poppies. It hadn't been there the day before, and may not have even been there the next day, but she kind of adopted it as HER flower. I loved the story, and I think I might have kept it in my mind as I worked on this for a while. Unfortunately, however, the lighting has driven me a little crazy. I can't seem to give it depth. I'm going to pick it up and finish it pretty soon here.

I'm hoping to finish all of these BEFORE I move back home. I'll update as some of them get completed.

Goal in Progress: #94.

I've been working on my 101 goals list, and here's one:

94: Organize blogs for effectiveness.

Jeez, I didn't even use effectiveness when writing that one goal. There's lesson #1. I meant to say to organize and separate into shorter, more focused blogs, but whatever. I knew what I was talking about. So I did it. I've got a few.

1. Ooh, Look at That!
Reviews. Stuff I like. Stuff I love. Stuff I want. Stuff I bought. If you have ideas of things for me to review, let me know.

2. See Molly Go
Travel. Where I've been, where I want to go, stories that result.

3. Are we up to code yet?
My ongoing adventure with renovating the house in Lynchburg. My editor saw the pictures of it and wanted me to write on it. I think it's because he is in the process of renovating his own urban space, but I'll bite.

I'll update them soon, let me know if you need a link!

A clean environment makes a clear mind

After a weekend of cleaning and organizing, I attempted to get back to work while getting the last of the stuff on my list done. Procrastination is not an easy habit to break, I tell you.

I'm working on a couple of pieces that I need to finish before I even think about leaving Philly. It's kind of a tough thing - I know I'm going to still have work up here when I leave, and with gas having jumped 15 cents in the past week with no end in sight, I guess I'm going to be eating a lot of expenses when I'm gone. It's amazing how much you expense when you're working for someone else, but when you're working for yourself, you'll do anything to avoid spending what little money you've got "invested." I put that into quotes because in reality, I'm investing everything I make back into further work. Anyway, I started a couple of things that I'm hoping to get done within the next couple of days so that I can get it off my mind at the very least.

I have a gift card with an art supplies website that I have avoided spending for quite some time. First of all, I usually need art supplies the EXACT day I buy them - I run out to buy something when I discover I'm out of it. With pastels running at $5 a stick, oils upwards of $50 a tube, and paper at $2 a sheet, it adds up...especially when I feel like I waste a lot of materials on stuff that will never see the light of day. Second of all, the website in which I have the gift card is a bit more expensive - leading to a bit of a pickle. Do I spend the giftcard on stuff that I KNOW I could get cheaper locally? Or do I save it for a time when I might find a deal with them? I have no idea.

Aaaaannd now I feel like I'm rambling about nothing. I think I'm in a funk. SOMEone, get me out of it. I need some good news.

Results: Procrastination Elimination Staycation

It's 11:40 and my long weekend is just about up. Productive? Sure. Did I get everything done? Jury is out. I wish I could have, but old habits die hard, my friend.

For anyone that cares (the status of my wardrobe shuffling and house-cleaning, while thrilling to me, is probably not breaking news in anyone else's world, I know), this is what got done:

1. Get my winter clothes downstairs in storage. - Done.
2. Put summer clothes upstairs. Sorta done. I'm deciding how much room I actually HAVE in this place for summer clothes. I miss my old closet.
3. Clean the kitchen, living room and bathroom - top to bottom. Done except for the bathroom. That's getting done tomorrow. I hope.
4. Assemble stretcher frames. Yeah right.
5. Write my assignment for the other website I write for - an essay on "I have never been more drunk than that night..." In the editing process.
6. Call my grandmother. Dammit! Tomorrow.
7. Get my friend April a baby gift - any suggestions? Done.
8. RSVP for April's shower (Ha! maybe it will bring may flowers? Kidding, she's due in late June) Ummmm...I already told her, does that count?
9. Clean out the fridge. Done.
10. Start cleaning out the studio. Cold Day in Hell, my friend. A Cold Day in Hell.
11. Get a list of stuff I'm going to sell before moving - anyone want a big-screen? TV, couch.
12. Find the $20 I got out of the ATM the other day. What money?
13. Do some SERIOUS work on this business plan I'm working on. I DID find my workbook from my New Venture Creation class in grad school. That's like halfway there.

Seriously, I thought I had gotten a lot done, but I think I only FINISHED like four of them.

Do I just take on too much? I dunno.

I am, and always will be...a work in progress.

Que Sera...

Designing my own bid-ness card

Look what I did!

I put x's on the contact info because there's apparently spammers and telemarketers who patrol blogs, but here you go...

Let me know what you think.

You can't do this when you work for the Man...

I'm going to post another couple of things later today that I've been working on lately, but I need to go running right now to take advantage of this glorious day and get myself in shape. I spent most of it drawing, going through sketchbooks to plan future work and laying out on my deck trying to get my pale self a tan.

That's part of the job that I love - I worked, all day - but I worked in a bikini. Remember when you were in school and the teacher would occasionally take class outside? Yeah, I get to do that. Whenever I want. Last week, me and my roommate lugged a cooler of beer, an easel and a mini-picnic over to Washington Square and laid out there.

Take that, cubicle.