Gesso Love

Today I fell in love with black gesso.

It's true.

It goes on so easy, covers so well... and it's going on the back of the new work, so I'm not concerned about fading. I never planned to fall in love. But I started some new forms this week, to be used specifically for the earrings. (Except some of them looked distinctly like candy dishes, so I'm going to let one of them go ahead...) After I'd already gessoed the forms with white, I thought I'd do the inside (what will be the backs) with black. I'll only have to paint the front of the jewelry pieces this way, and nobody sees the backs anyway (unless they're standing very, very close to you and staring at the back of your ears... and that would be creepy).

When I was done, I loved the way the black looked. LOVED it. The forms are so graphic. (once a graphic designer, always a graphic designer...) I think I could go off on some different directions here, but for now I'm going to focus on the earrings and necklaces (okay, and the candy dish) because my Underground Arty friends and I are going to be doing some holiday Open Studio dates very soon. (I'll post dates here shortly.)

I'm also in love with my new bike. It's so pristine! I can't imagine taking it out and getting it dirty, but it IS a mountain bike, so I guess there's nothing for it but to get on it and ride! Maybe tomorrow. My kids are still off with my husband, riding their bikes in the bay area. (There's tons of trails here, but he's on "vacation" (between the seasonal jobs) and I guess he feels like he has to go somewhere...whatever). That leaves me alone to work in blissful, uninterrupted quiet, and do things like eat cookies for breakfast. Not that I would. I'm just saying.

Uphill Art

AAARRRGGGHHH!

I guess I'm back at that point where I go into the studio to begin working again, and nothing works. It's a clumsy, uncomfortable time, but it's beginning to feel familiar. Which is actually good, because it means I'm working more and more. It's okay. I'll get back into the swing of things. It's like in my mountain biking class: it's that steady, difficult uphill part during which I am cursing my otherwise very likeable teacher, and myself, for being foolish enough to think this would be fun...and then, then! I get to the top of the hill, and there's a slight downhill and I can shift into third, and start to cruise...and all of a sudden, hey! this is fun! this is great! I take back all those horrible thoughts of violence I had only moments earlier!

Haha!

Here are some photos of the mayhem that is currently ensuing in my workspace...I didn't get much work done, but I had alot of fun with the camera, giggling to myself in one could almost say a maniacal way.

LAST is Not a Four Letter Word

Ok, so I went to the mountain biking class.
We rode far, and I made it the whole way, ON my bike, even though I WAS last (or close to it) all the way.
And, (extra bonus!) I learned a few things about biking. (They apply equally well to art):

The ride might get hard, but if I keep going, I'll get through it.

After I get through a hard part, I'm able to go further.

And, I had geeky lights and stickers on my bike that needed to come off.

So, all in all, an afternoon well-spent. And I don't even feel bad about being last, because I feel good that I did it.