More Work(s) in Progress

In the midst of working on the moose painting for my mom I decided to start a new painting. I wasn't pleased with the way things were going (perhaps it was because the style and medium were/are out of my element) so I grabbed an empty canvas and jumped in. Feet first. For some reason, the freer I am, the less strain I place upon my head, the smoother things run and I'm usually happier with the outcome. You may have noticed this piece lurking in one of my previous photographs from my studio. It was covered by its stencil. I started painting this and decided it needed some chrome. It was past midnight and I had every color under the sun but silver. Disappointed and wound up, I decided it was time to call it a night.

The next day I snagged some old, 'chrome' spray paint from my parents shop and went back to work. The spray nozzle on the can combined with it's near empty state produced an interesting sputtering. I tested the can first (as I always do) and I stood there a minute trying to decide if I wanted to go for it or use the new can. I was feeling spontaneous and a bit inhibited so I followed the road less taken. I feel like it was a winner. There is still work to be done but I get warm fuzzies when I look at the affect of the chrome. Smile. I think my mom would really like this piece. If I can get it to a point of contentedness by next week it's all hers. Perhaps it will replace the moose if she doesn't like it?

While we're on the topic of gift giving, I want to share these 'littles' with you. As you may know, (if you run at my speed) two of my dear friends are avid knitters. We are suppose to exchange gifts this evening so I made these little sculptures that will evolve into stitch markers this afternoon. They characters represent inside jokes and special moments of our friendship throughout 2009. I made them from a paper clay (it's all I had) and I painted them with acrylic paint. I plan on varnishing them today on my lunch break and hopefully getting them laced up this evening before our gift exchange. I hope she loves them. Either way, I had a great time reflecting on our wild trip through 2009 and thinking about the good times to come! That's what gift giving is all about. Happy Holidays!