I opened this blog account many months ago and then failed to follow through! So many exhibits I've viewed and so much nature I've enjoyed and I never caught up with archiving it with photos.
Time to catch up... I'm a whole season behind!
Here a bit of the works in progress and happenings in my own studio.
I had some perfect days this summer for taking the studio OUTSIDE! Bob helped by cutting these circles from 3/4in plywood so I can make stretchers for tondos.
I soaked the lath strips overnight in the lake (tied to dock) to make them piable. Then clamped them around the 3/4 in. plywood forms while still wet.
Lotsa drilling and scewing here! ;)
Stretching and sizing with gesso. I hate painting on white canvas...so I color my gesso grey.
Stretching a round canvas requires a lot of "easing in"
Aaarrgh...wrinkles! I did not ease the canvas in, evenly. I will have to go back and restaple to tighten it all around!
Finally ... below, an actual "WIP" or work in progress
Left: stage one. Drawing it in a composition in keeping with the tondo shape.
Right: stage two. I began to give some shape to the stones ..
Sadly it is here that I stopped as I'm a bit unsatified with this start.
I am going to work on some other small painting and return to finish it ...
or maybe paint over it!