HOW NOW

The little black calf continues.  Working on getting good, varied darks.


Since I'm not that happy with the wall behind him, I think I'll crop it closer.  (Why am I not happy with the wall?  Because it's too heavy with pigment.  Should have left it pure white with splatters and cracks only to define it.  A lesson learned...)

Now to do something light against dark for class...

I need to search through my paintings done last year and choose 2 entries for the 120th Annual Juried Exhibition for the Woman's Art Club of Cincinnati (WACC).  Early bird deadline is Feb. 15th and they are taking cds now instead of the artist taking their entries in, leaving them, going to pick them up (one or both) when the judging is over.  Much better, except for those who know nothing about creating jpegs and putting them on cds.  Everyone is being forced into the 21st Century, whether they like it or not.  If I have anything good enough, it will be small.  I haven't tried anything large for a while.  It's always interesting to look back at work you did a year ago and critique it with a less impassioned eye.  You know, you always are so attached and committed to a work when you've just finished it that it does you no good to critique it then - you should wait a month or two or three before looking at it again and really seeing if it's good or bad or if there is something it lacks.  I've found that what my previous year's work lacks is...wait for it!!...good dark values!! ha ha  Which is something that can easily be remedied, after the fact.

Take a look at your work from last year.  What works?  What doesn't?  What would you change to make it better?  Which pieces are your favorites, and why?  It's a good thing to do this once in a while with your own work, looking at it as if someone else painted it.  Then think about it hanging on a wall with other artwork in a show - would your piece have the power to make you walk over to it or would you just walk right by? 

Have a wonderfully creative weekend. 
And for those in the northeast of the U.S.:  Keep safe amidst the snowstorm that is coming your way.  Batten down the hatches and make sure you have plenty of food and drink, and something good to read when the power goes off.  Keep warm, think of it as a retreat from the world for a few days until they dig you out and clear and roads.