new items in the shop

we finally got the last of my september challenge photos off the camera and into the shop, including the final painting.

i present to you, "lady of the lilies, unfolding"

find her print, here

her tote

makes a beautiful throw pillow

and a pretty appropriate shower curtain

more items with this print are in the shop as well

here is "challenge 6"

the print

tote

all over print shirt

and more!

and finally, "challenge 7"

print

travel mug

and duvet cover

find these and much more in my shop!

until later,

jenny

the end is near!

i can see the finish line to this painting, and it's coming in exciting ways.  today i was inspired to cover a lot of the background with a transparent yellow.  that was scary, but i knew if i didn't like the result i could spray it with water and wipe it away.

i also worked her hair again, making this girl one of the most changed paintings, hair-wise, as i am!

here she was yesterday...

and after some good changes...

i have included a large drop at the top, symbolizing many things in my life.   i knew this symbol would be included somewhere in this painting, but had no clue it would be so prominent.  i like how it helps move the eye around the canvas.

i can see where i will work tomorrow, a small change, and i will soon bring her upstairs to sit with me a while.  she may give me more whispers, or she may silently speak of her completion.

i'm so happy with her!  hopefully i can get a bright, calm day to get good photos of her to put her in the shop in the near future.

until later,
jenny

a slowing down

fall is underway.

we've had a few days of indian summer and a few biting chills that foretell the coming bitter months.  but it is here, and with it comes a slowing of my creative blood.

i ask to play with my muse daily, i wish to dabble and throw glitter in the air so to speak.  and i'm so close to finishing my latest painting i can taste it.  but my muse apparently has attention deficit disorder and doesn't want to linger in the details of finish work.  she wants to splash and drip again.  we have too many unfinished paintings to complete, can't we just finish this one?  just the one, and then we can go play with a new canvas as a reward...

so, today i begged again, and she said if i make it another challenge to the end of the month she may play a bit more with this canvas.  i won't bore you daily with this small challenge, because the tiny differences won't be apparent to anyone but myself.

except today.  i'm gonna bore you with the minute details today.

here she was last time i blogged about her;

i have dabbled here and there on the girl and the focal flower without blogging for the same reason. small changes are boring.  i'm trying to get more depth to the girls features and make the lily sparkle a bit more.  i've changed her hair and eye color a couple of times and have been working on both again today.  the eyes still need more for me to be happy with them.

i think i'm finally happy with the depth of her hair color.  several layers of several colors and a glaze over it all.

the main focal point

before;

after;

a few days ago i added an iridescent pearl over each petal to see if i liked the sparkle.  i did, but it wasn't what i had expected of the color, so i added a glaze of the quinacridone magenta i used to begin with, and that did the trick.  this lily is a beautiful rich sparkling color that i am thrilled with!


i know that getting to the finish line with this painting is going to take some work.  i'm not only battling my own 'junk' getting to the studio, i have my almost 16 year old pup, pita, who must be by my side but hates being in the studio for some reason.  when i bring him down, he runs around, trying to get my attention, tap dancing like he has to go outside.  we have done this routine so many times.  he goes crazy, i bring him upstairs in order to go thru the house to the dog area outside, only to have him run to the living room instead.  as soon as i let my guard down and ignore his tap dancing, he will go pee on my studio floor.  i am always on edge with him, and he refuses to settle down.  if i leave him in the living area of the house he will run around barking and i worry about his heart issues.  it's just a frustrating situation right now with him in his old age.

i have been very busy while the pups and i form a cuddle-puddle on the couch.  it's getting close to the end of the year for my yearlong Life Book workshop, and i need to make sure all video content and pdf's are downloaded before the beginning of next years workshop!

i have a couple of other art workshops i'm taking, and each class has it's own download page to make sure i'm up to date.  it's good to be organized, and it's something i can do while pita stays happily by my side on the couch.

until later,

jenny

new products in the shop!

we finally stopped life long enough to catch up on the photos from my september challenge and put them in my store!

there are five challenge prints total so far, with a few more still in the camera.  and, of course, when i'm finished with the canvas that will be going up as well.

back to the goodies;

"challenge 2" as a card

"challenge 3" gets cropped as a colorful shirt

heres the print of "challenge 3"

 "challenge 4" looks like a nice halloween card!

 some items we liked the crop without the 'moons'

and a favorite crop, "challenge 5", as a print

and a tote

we must have uploaded these to society6 at *just* the right time on *just* the right day with the stars in alignment *just* the right way, because people were promoting a few of them like hotcakes.  when you get enough promoters quickly enough, you get your work in the actual society6 shop, where there is a better chance for others to see your work.  i got word last night that two of these, challenge 4 and challenge 5, were selected to be included in this elusive shop!  i was dancing in my seat, let me tell you!!!

until later,

jenny

"technical difficulties"

i'm battling my demons and it is hard work. it's frightening, knowing that the fog of seasonal depression is wafting your way. i have things i'm looking forward to in the near future, things to keep me busy as long as the motivation is near. it's just difficult to stay positive and keep the movement going when you are standing in quicksand. mark is a most wonderful husband.  i know he does all he can to keep my head above the ooze, and he will be the first to say "welcome back" when the leaves start to bud in the spring.

in the meantime, i know that i'm unfolding

today i plan on doing more work to my canvas.  it feels good knowing that this beautiful piece is waiting for me.  this is something that i created.  i had no help at all- except from my muse and she rocks!    knowing this came from my hand blows my mind.


until later,
jenny

day 30, challenge complete!

i'm so proud of myself for finishing this 30 day challenge with only 5 days of rest!  not only that, but this painting is going to be one i will cherish forever.  the skills i am using in this canvas are new and i'm just thrilled that i am achieving a level i never thought i'd get to.  onward and upward for me, as long as i keep the practice up, taking classes to gain new knowledge and opening my heart to the worlds wonders.


in the beginning of this challenge, day one, we saw me bringing words to the canvas.  words that i hoped to achieve or that i already am.  these were only positive words, as i open myself to all the good that is coming to me.

remembering day 1

and here we are at day 30

not done with her, yet

love!

she's getting there...

until later,

jenny

day 29

i'm still feeling 'off', and while i didn't do much physically to the canvas today, i looked thru some magazines to audition face shapes, eyes, lips for my lady.  i even found some legs that will help me re-shape the knee and thighs

these photos will help me with shape and shading of the facial features.

i added some white acrylic with pen and let some green india ink drip down the mid-point of the painting.  i then set it on the floor to settle.

and pita helped

ONE DAY TO GO!!!

until later,

jenny

i bit the bullet, day 28

i'm so proud of myself today!

my main subject in this painting will be a girl inside the largest lily and i have been having some anxiety over painting her.  today i found a pose i liked in croquis cafe and did a quick sketch in my sketchbook, then threw caution to the wind and started painting right on the canvas.  i knew that any wrong turns with the brush can easily be painted over or wiped away with a spritz of water and paper towel, so i just did it.  it took a little bit of time to get the position right with legs and arms, and i'm letting her rest while i rest myself.

 getting the pose

she's just a thought and a brushstroke away from what she will become, i have things to fix and fill in, but i'm already thrilled with her!

until later,
jenny

day 27

i did actually "do a mark" on the canvas yesterday, but didn't get a photo before todays slight mark-making.  still feeling run down and not too creative, so i did something just to do something both days.

yesterday i used the neat trivet i found at the store sunday

i tapped my pallet knife into lime green paint and smoothed it over the honeycomb lines, and i'm happy with how easy and smooth the pallet knife worked.  it didn't get globs of paint inside the pattern like i thought it would.  i put my new stamp to the canvas in different places, dripped some orange india ink, and called it a day.

today i was just as lethargic, so i thought about how to rectify the orange india ink issue i made yesterday.  it had taken a muddy turn that isn't too noticeable for others, but it bothered me.  i decided to take out my yellow india ink today.  i'm still loving the way the ink rivets down the canvas.  then i mist it with my moon water and enjoy watching it play in all the texture as it meanders.

 honeycomb texture and drips

i'm loving the busy-ness of the background and i will keep playing with the lilys to make sure they stand out more when i am closer to finishing the piece.

i can't believe i'm almost finished with my canvas challenge of making a mark a day on this mighty canvas!  i've only missed a handful of days, which i'm so proud of.  i seem to be slacking on getting my main subject into the painting, but i'm having fun with the background and lilies right now, and thats the point.  i'll know when it's time to concentrate on finishing.

until later,

jenny

day 23 and the weekend

day 22 was a bust.  i was run down and lethargic and didn't get to the studio.  but i was back on it on friday, day 23.   taking baby steps is still going forward!

i dripped more purple ink and i worked on putting more color on each lily.

pita pup helped

saturday i went to a day retreat.  it was a full day of yoga, writing and art.  i went knowing it would be good growth, and it sure was.  i knew nobody there, except for a local Facebook friend that i hadn't met yet, so this was a huge stretch for me.  at one point, not long ago, i was agoraphobic.  i wouldn't even go outside in my own yard because the neighbors or people in cars would see me.  i'm much better now, but still am seriously closed off from the world.

it was THE best group of gals that could have been there.  a small group of about 7 guests and 2 facilitators, all were gentle and understanding of any feelings that could crop up.  the workshop was well organized and the day went quickly.  so quickly that i got no photos.

i did get messy, though

 i used charcoal from the burned logs at the fire pit. 

 later i found faces in the scribbles

 heres what those messy hands made

and another background started at the workshop

AND... there were goats!

the day ended with new friends and a fresh soul.  i learned a lot about being vulnerable in a safe, accepting and loving space, and the writing prompts were enlightening and engaging.  i highly recommend OPEN Art &Yoga, and plans are underway for a second weekend long retreat in the spring!

sunday was yet another rest day away from the canvas.  it was a busy day, but i could have eeked out some time if the body didn't feel so abused from being off the couch the day before.  the yoga that day had been gentle and felt so good as i did it, but the fibromyagic muscles aren't used to that much use.  i knew going in that the next day would be rough, but it was well worth it!  hubby and i slowly walked the flea market sunday morning, and that helped loosen things up.  

i also found a trivet at walmart that i got all excited about and had to have;

yep, it will be used as a stamp for backgrounds on many future canvasses!

i'm not sure what today will hold as far as my canvas challenge.  part of me is hesitating to continue with how i want the canvas to unfold, because of the old fear that i will 'mess it up'.  i know what i want to happen and what i want it to look like, but the artist problems are kicking my butt.  

on that note i'll leave you with some writing i did at the workshop.  

this prompt was about my inner critic;

this bitch has pearls on 

and is looking down her nose at me over her glasses.  

she thinks she knows everything 

and that whatever i do is trash, 

or that i will fail or get hurt.  

she thinks that she is saving me from being hurt 

when in fact she is doing the hurting!  

i don't need her screaming in my ear 

every time i leave the couch 

or if i am in front of the canvas.

i don't like her very much.  

and another prompt about my muse;

she wears flowing fuchsia dresses

and has wild hair.

she adores that i am here today

and loves that i am taking my art on a heart quest.

she wants me to keep doing what i'm doing,

take chances,

be adventurous,

and grow.

she loves that i am taking classes and wants me

to experiment

with

       all 

           of

                it.

she loves me!

i need to listen to my muse more often.

until later,

jenny

day 21

i'm feeling in a great place emotionally, like the universe and i are acting as a team these days and all good things are coming to me.

this morning i got word that i would be able to take part in an art and yoga day that is being hosted nearby in a few short days.  i hadn't thought i would be able to work it out but things are falling into place and it's a go!

i took my happiness to the studio early in the day and some happy colors, textures and combinations exploded on the canvas that will need to be photographed with my good camera in hopes for a spot in the store.

i was still not digging the bright copper, so i dripped purple india ink over the areas, letting it drip for a while and then setting it flat to settle into other areas.  i also added the purple to the white areas.  then i concentrated on the lilies, adding another layer of color to them.

heres where it stopped yesterday;

and todays progress;

"i am a child of the universe

i shine and sparkle 

wherever i go

i am important in someones life

i attract abundant good

and my dreams are coming true"

until later,
jenny