Monday....

True to my word I began working on a new piece based on the pics from my photosafari in Ames this weekend. I've gone ahead with these because my current commission customer will be traveling for the next three weeks. She's going to try to get her husband to meet with me. Hopefully that will pan out. I'd like to get moving, but in the meantime I HAVE TO WORK. Obsessed? Perhaps.

Here's the preliminary sketch. I've gone straight to canvas (which is usually how I do it) and plan to start laying down colors tonight.


I've also begun working on another new one based on some pics I shot immediately after The Roots finished up their performance at this year's 80/35 music festival here in downtown Des Moines. Got some gorgeous shots that night, but I really loved this one. I'll drop the actual photo down later.

Both of these will be smaller-format pieces. I've made a recent switch to working small due to a few reasons. Firstly there's the expense. For those of you that have worked large you know that the cost of stretchers can be daunting. Plus there's the cost of paints, the time involved in working large, and hassels of transportation to contend with. Second, there's the economy. Art is one of the first things to get written out of any household budget when money's down. People may be more likely to put down the money for an original if it's more modestly sized/priced. That's not to say that large-format work won't sell. It will, but it's not gonna fly off the walls. Endure these conditions tho. Things have a way of coming back around.

Speaking of wich: Keep an eye on these pieces. I'll be posting updates as they progress. When they're done I'll be offering them up for sale at a discounted price for a limited time before they're taken to the galleries for display.

I do have one other commission waiting in the wings. I should probably get started on that one as well. I'm within my accepted time frame, but I can't let procrastination get the better of me.

Off to the day job...

R