A New Wolf Painting … and by "new" I mean very, very old.

Inseparable – Wolf Duo
Oil Pastel On Museum Board
Image Size 14×16 inches

So I have had this oil pastel piece sitting in my backroom for years. How many you ask?

It’s been so long that I forget.

I have had more than one person offer to buy the thing but there was always something that was just a little off and so I refused because something was bugging me and I certainly can’t send a piece out into the world as long as something bugs me about it can I?

So since I’ve been wanting to work on “something” and not really getting anywhere with that I finally pulled it down and played with it some. It’s been so long since I worked the oil pastel that I quite enjoyed myself. In the end I tweaked it a little and cropped off a couple of inches to shift the balance and while I’m not thrilled with the piece it doesn’t actually bug me to look at it. And hey … isn’t that the goal?

So I have hopped right on it, ordered a frame and made some prints which are now available at Wild Faces Gallery. It comes in 2 sizes. The same as the original as well as the smaller open edition 11×14 prematted print.

If this piece looks familiar it’s because I did a portrait study White Wolf in oil pastel at around the same time as this.

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Biker Chick (bringing on the "Hotness")

So yesterday I ran out and got a new bike. I have not been on a bike in …. well let me see …. at least 20 years, maybe more.

For years I’ve had visions of riding a bike from the farm to work each day, which is a little over 4 miles. Totally doable right? Plus as an added bonus I would get all toned and sexy and be bringing on the hotness.

Now I already have a nice mountain bike from my post college years. But of course after sitting for 20 some odd years the tires and tubes are shot. So I ran to Walmart (The land of all things cheap and proudly made in sweatshops around the globe) and I was pricing new tires and tubes. For everything I needed it would be around $70.00. I turn around and look at a preassembled bike ready to go off the rack for $88. Now I may not be a rocket surgeon but I figure even if the thing breaks in 6 months I’ll just yank the tires off and put ’em on my old bike.

My old bike is a man’s bike and is oozing sexy warrior vibes in black with red and neon green slashes and called something The Terminator, or Road Rage. My new bike is all girlie in a soft pink-lavendar color. I don’t know what my new bike is called but it’s probably something like Summers Eve or Womanly Radiance. Get me a white wicker basket with daisies on it and I’ll totally be rockin’ the granny look.

So here’s the thing. I like to think of myself as being somewhat in shape. I currently walk 3-4 miles every day. I work in the yard and garden and regularly pitch hay and horse poop.

This bike has totally kicked my ass! I just took her for a test run to the trailhead (something like 4 blocks) and back. I actually got off the bike like 1/2 block from the gallery and walked it the final few feet because it was uphill. I was sweaty, my legs were rubbery, my heart was pounding, there was a faint buzzing sound in my ears and I think I may have blacked out at one point from the trauma.

The woman from a neighboring business popped out and informed me that I was supposed to “ride” the bike. I’m like “Ha ha very funny” and resisted the urge to flip her off. She’s just lucky I was too blurry eyed and weak or I would have gone all stabby on her butt.

So as I collapse on the gallery couch with a gallon of Diet Coke waiting for the sweat to evaporate, my vision to clear and my heart rate to slow. I realize that yeah … I am totally ” bringing the hotness” on my new bike. Just not quite in the way I thought I would be.

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Blue Rhino Prints Are Now Available at Wild Faces Gallery

Blue Rhino
Oil Pastel on Handmade Paper

Remember This Guy?
So the summer art events are fast approaching (way too fast) and I though since I am not exactly putting out tons of fresh new artwork, perhaps I’ll create prints from some older stuff. Since I’m doing the profiling and printing myself this has opened up many new options.

Note: The large sized limited edition print shows all those wonderful deckles but the smaller open edition prints do not.

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An Experiment Of Sorts

First let me say I’m sorry I’ve been MIA yet again. I’ve been having problems with my uploads and since I didn’t really have any text only posts … well there was a bit of a break. Also still working through my life stuffs.

Anywho, back now and with some new surprises coming up. But for today this is it.

I photographed this old Dodge truck several years back and fell in love. I wanted to experiment a little with laying down an orange base coat and putting my favorite chartruese-y greens over the top.

This piece was done on 110# Hot Press watercolor paper. I used Inktense pencil for my base orange and then used Neopastel II for the top layer.

I learned 3 things.

First there’s only so much layering Neopastels allow for.

Everything is way too smooth.

I can scratch through the Neopastel II to show the bright orange underlayer. While not specifically a technique I wish to employ in this piece, it’s good to know.

Make that 3.5 Things

I apparently have god-like strength because I kept snapping my Neopastels like toothpicks

My vision included some serious textures whether through mark making or surface paper. Neither could be achieved with this scenario. So my plan is to pick up some Cold Press Watercolor Paper next time I’m out in a city and try again. Sadly this most likely won’t be until my first art event which is like 3 weeks away. (Eeck!)

But I posted this to show that I am still trying to do something. I’ve also pulled out an old oil pastel which I plan to finish up this weekend. Will post a pic soon.

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