June 3, 2011

The weather has changed for the better. I probably won't get to the studio until Tuesday to work more on the box. I am hoping that I won't be so worn out after my shifts to not get art done..but for now..I crash and burn!
Eating better, already lost a few pounds, found my orthotics for my shoes and hope that makes a big difference. I would hate to have to quit my job over bad feet. I love this little job.
Yesterday I sat on a bench in the sun and sketched a bit. Mostly I just soaked up the rays as I ate lunch. Such a lovely place. And I have said it before but the caliber of people who work here is like no other place I have worked before! If niceness were a disease then these people are definitely infected with it. Not to the point of being cloying..just professional and happy to be where they are. It shows in everything they do. I honestly have never worked with people who love their jobs like this group. And I have worked since I was 12..(do the math).
Yes I wish I could afford to stay home and paint the day away..but this is a very great 2nd!
Are you tired of hearing about this little job? I know..but it is unusual to find so many people happy in their work. And already Shannon, who is with the National Park Service is thinking of stealing me for a ranger job next year!
Wow..I could get a Smokey the Bear Hat and have a 7 month job..I would love it!!! Now I just need to get the physical me in better shape..
I have spent a lot of time thinking of how to finish the box, what to do for my 3 pieces for the Hive Gallery and what to take to Ogden for the Statewide show.
I know many artists use a sketchbook to design their works with but I never got into it much. I mostly work out my art problems in my head. Early mornings are good for that. I have decided that the animal figures for each side of the box will be somewhat stylized and colorful..think Australian Aboriginal styles, or Pacific Northwest Coastal Aboriginal. Recognizable as the animal but colorful and flat. I would have loved to make them separate from the box and attached so shadows form but instead I am going to paint them to appear attached as flat panels against a background of red rock and petroglyphs. The sky section will be done similar to my watercolor mixed media works as a nighttime cosmos scene. It will be busy, colorful and hopefully eye candy for whoever encounters the box on the street. I am itching to get to it.
I want to do the three works for the Hive Gallery as the same sort of animal images and maybe with some collage and mixed media. They have to be 12" x 12". My Hubby has yet to build the cradled panels for those.
As for the Ogden show..I am thinking of taking up my gouache paintings of the Black Dog series. I will post them here..can only take 2.

I hope you all have a great weekend!