I think I can

"Hilltop", oil pastel drawing on paper

Day 317: Hilltop, a drawing

Several people who are close to me seem to all be going through some of life’s trials and tribulations. Though I’ve always enjoyed snarkiness and cynicism for the laughter factor, I am fundamentally an optimist. I try to help people see the bright side of things even when it’s hard, as they have done for me in the past. Today’s drawing is a steep hill bedecked with some pretty little red trees that I created as a kind of metaphor for the ‘uphill’ feeling of life’s challenges. Hang in there, guys. It can only be uphill for so long.

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Doctor Pirate Alert!

5x7 and pretty as a popsicle.

Day 182: Pastel Hill #3

Sometimes the window in my studio can be a distraction. For instance, my neighbors across the street put some assorted freebies out on the curb yesterday. It isn’t the pile of stuff getting my attention; it’s the odd birds amongst the yard vultures. Two in particular stopped me in my painting tracks.

The first was a woman who, despite wearing spandex shorts and an ill-fitting tie-dyed tee undoubtedly curb-fished on an earlier occasion, pulled up inexplicably in a Mercedes SUV and removed almost all the items in a haste impressive for her diminutive size. The second was what I need only describe as a “doctor pirate”, and I’m certain you’ll envision what I witnessed. I’ll give you a moment….Are you picturing a dude in green scrubs with an eye patch? Yep. I swear on all that is holy, that’s exactly what I saw today. Doctor Blackbeard hunting for suburban treasure. Could I even make something like that up if I tried. No, dude! DOCTOR PIRATE.

Candy-colored triplets.

Anyway, I finished that linocut instructable I mentioned around the crack of midnight yesterday. It’s here. Check it out!

Today’s art is Pastel Hill #3, a third warm-toned cityscape (happily, pirate-free). I’m the proud mother of three darling little girls. It was a grueling 36 hours of labor, yes, but after popping out these lovelies, each prettier than the next, I’d say it was worth it. Wouldn’t you? 😉

I sure hope you guys aren't getting tired of these, because I'm not! 🙂 I am out of small canvases though. So there's that.

Sea of Pretty

Don't mind that black smudge on the wall behind the painting. It's a small studio. 😀

Day 180: Pastel Hill

I love being in San Francisco. I confess the mission district is my favorite. There’s so much vibrancy, so much color. I set up my pieces on the walls in City Art Gallery today for the July show, so I was in the area, admiring the murals and delicious paint colors of the buildings. A fuchsia thrift store here, a dark gray and yellow shop there, bright yellow, deep blue, sumptious coral… it’s a feast for artist eyes.

Getting there, on the other hand, is not pure joy. Coming from Sacramento, I take 80 straight through to the Bay Bridge, which was pretty light traffic until I hit the Berkeley interchange. It’s a seriously clogged vehicular artery. The fact that there’s a sign up saying “speed limit 65” is laughable; I’ve driven through there at almost every time of day when I was attending college in the area, and it’s always bumper to bumper. Why? IMHO, there isn’t enough signage.

Just couldn't put down the charcoal.

All of a sudden the freeways converge into a few lanes that are specifically allocated to split off into several new routes, only they neglect to put the sign up until the last minute, so unless you know exactly which of the 12 lanes you need to be in within the next quarter mile, it’s kind of a panic zone. I myself have been forced to do the quick multi-merge many a time, so I am always patient with the other freaked out drivers trying to make it over to the left lest they get stuck on the bay bridge for an hour. There’s certainly no uturn option there.

So I try to enjoy it, and today I really did. The cool bay air kissed me on the neck as my car creeped along, a refreshing change from the hot breath of Sacramento, the dusk blended luscious gold orange seamlessly into blue as lights twinkled in the hillside and I was grateful for the old romance of SF. Today’s painting (which I did when I got home this evening) reflects that in a warm, pastel-y palette of coral, gold, tan and blue. I know it’s still kind of bright, but I’m working on this refinement thing, okay? Cut me some slack. 😉

Pastel Hill- Cityscape of SF on 5x7" canvas in acrylic.