Lemon Squeezy

#16 of 100 bouquets ~ 6x6 on Yupo paper ~ Lemon Squeezy

Happy New Year! I'm a bit behind adding the bouquets to the blog...oops. I'm working on numbers 19 through 23 simultaneously. Two of those are biggies (22x30 and 36x24).

I'll be showing a large number of them at Center Gallery in Glen Arbor, MI during the month of June. The gallery is right across from Cherry Republic (mmmmmm cherries). So if you are lucky enough to be in the Glen Arbor area in June....stop in! You can let me know, and I'll meet you there. :-)

whirling dervish

3 at a time.... 

Paint has been flying... and I've been prepping for a couple of classes this week. More Acrylic Fun... (oh yes... way more fun) and Mono printing with the Gelli Plate. Both will be in Leland at the Old Art Building.

This new work is having a mind of it's own.... sort of. The one on the wall is the most complete...Working title is "Wind Dance"... it's been giving me fits actually.... stating then obscuring... there is a lot of action on that canvas.

black eyes with stripes

"Black Eyes With Stripes" 12x12 Acrylic and Oil Pastel on Acrylic Paper

And here is the second of the two paintings I painted live at Oliver Art Center's 'fun-raiser' last Friday evening. It was a terrific night. Lots of fun was had by all the Art Center Friends....And though it was a bit intimidating... I lived to tell about it. :-)

caution tape

Caution Tape
6x6 Acrylic Collage with stitching

I stole this title. From our youngest son's new song... of the same title. The song is not yet mastered or mixed... if it was I would definitely share.

paper quilting

Paper Quilt 6
6x6 Acrylic collage and stitching

Slightly new direction..... Still playing with the paper printed with the Gelli Plate!

gazing

Gazing
6x6 Acrylic Collage with stitching

I think I'm out of that gorgeous turquoise paper... Time to use the Gelli Plate again... So much fun.

sunbeams

Sunbeams
6x6 Acrylic Collage and stitching

Still at it..... Cutting. Pasting. Sewing. Mini bits of fun.

a good egg

A Good Egg
6x6 Acrylic Collage with Stitching

Slipping into a more vibrant palette.... A bit circus-y?

cabana

Cabana
6x6 Acrylic, Collage, Stitching,

Still using the reams of paper I made using the Gelli Plate. I'm enjoying this process...It's a nice combination of painting, collage and quilting-ish. Some of these will be available at Synchronicity Gallery in Glen Arbor, MI this season.

true confessions

Lake View 2
12x12 collage
this is where it is at the moment.....trying to salvage.
I'm not sure if I'm done or not...I'm mad at myself.

Where it was yesterday....
after I had the bright idea mid painting, to turn it into a landscape.
Geesh.

One of my constant struggles in painting is having an idea or concept, and sticking with it. The smart thing to do when these "other" ideas come up is to write them down and try them on the next painting. Stay the course. But if I'm the least bit distracted.... I veer off course into another idea. 

The trouble with this, for me anyway, is 

1. I never complete the original idea...which is sometimes a good one.

2. Because the base of the second idea is on top of a different idea...it's not a good solid place to start.

I've been lazy. 

The best way to stop this flighty behavior is to actually write the concept down on tape or a post it...and have it right near my palette. 

To remember the WHY I'm painting this in the first place. 

Where's that sticky note pad?

sailor's delight

#89  Sailor's Delight ~ 6x6 ~ acrylic, collage and texture medium

I've been painting rocks... You'll be seeing a flurry of these over the next few days. A rock pile! hehehe

I've always been a rock hound. Can't leave them lay...always feel the need to adopt them into my collection. I have rocks from Ireland, Africa, France, California... any time we visit a place, my souvenir is a rock. I'm a cheap date.

support

#86 "Support" 6x6 Acrylic on canvas panel

We all need it. :-)

mack-in-ations

#84  "Mack-in-ations" 6x6 ~ acrylic on canvas panel

A study in neutrals... and made up stuff. Remember the game Mouse Trap?  Can you tell I was thinking about it while I was painting?  hehehe

Playing Catch-up

#76~ "B is For Ball"  5x7 Mixed Media

#77 "Chutes and Ladders" 5x7 Mixed Media

#78 "Parade Route" 7x5 Mixed Media

#79 "Pick Up Sticks" 5x7 Mixed Media

Got behind on my challenge...(6 paintings a week for a year) So having fun playing catch-up. :-)

living and learning

#72 Big Poppies~ 28x18~ Acrylic on Collage
(c) 2013 L. Everett Finn

Now that I've completed this larger piece... (with the wrinkled paper applied to watercolor paper... then painted with watery acrylic...) I think the process lends itself better to the smaller scale. While an interesting texture... it's not enough texture at this size. Living and learning.

(Big Poppies are going to try to get in a show this week... we'll see if the juror agrees with me... hopefully not.)

Tumbling Beach-balls

#69 Tumbling Beach-balls~ 6x6 ~ Acrylic on canvas panel

I've always liked pencil line scratched into paint. Think I'll play around with that for a bit. :-)

icelandics

#68 Icelandics~ 7x5~ Acrylic on collage

Still pretending it's spring here in the studio. :-)

Poppies Abstracted

#66 Poppies Abstracted ~7x5~ acrylic on collage

I have a larger (24x18 inch) one of these begun...I decided to test out some background colors on a smaller size. (Getting smarter in my old age, right?) This process has no do-overs. Gesso won't help. (Though it would make an incredibly textured surface to do something completely different on.) But these watery pure and transparent effects...it's a one shot deal. Yikes stripes.

Deconstructed Poppy

#28 Deconstructed Poppy  5x7 collage

While moving and unpacking the studio, I found 3 poppy petals that I had preserved with acrylic gel medium. They turn a nasty taupe color when dry.... but a bit of acrylic paint fixes that. The black/brown spot stays as is. I'm seeing how far I can go, pushing the subject off the page. We artists are always seeing how far we can push things and get away with it. :-D

Love is a Shiny Thing

#26 Love is a Shiny Thing   6x6 acrylic on embossed foil, glued on panel

This one just doesn't photograph well... The way it changes as you walk by, gives it a life of it's own. On Sunday, I sat at the family room table and doodled on a couple of 2 foot lengths of heavy duty aluminum foil. I learned that it takes a loooooong time to fill 2 foot lengths of aluminum foil with doodles.