MAGIC CARPET RIDE

Today was a good art day for me. I woke up with nowhere I had to go, no chore I had to do (but bottle feed 2 little kittens), and no lunch to cook for Sweet Farmer! I've learned to cherish days like this and so, of course, I got my paints out. I painted this from a boring old photo of my tom-cat. YOU CAN'T IMAGINE HOW MUCH FUN I'VE HAD! I had my music going, bubble gum to chew and fat little kittens running around my feet. And I just took off -on that magic carpet ride of absolute abandon. WHAT A RIDE!

Then I played with what I played with.

I love to add words to my paintings.

Sweet Farmer hates it when I add words to my paintings.

Cropping can be so dramatic!

I asked Sweet Farmer while I was giving him a morning neck rub- "Where would you be today if you could be anywhere you wanted to be?"

He said, "Right here."

whuuu baby- I totally agree. It was so nice to take a ride and stay right here.

Searching for Sophistication

I've been doing what I love to do on the side:looking at art magazines, looking at art books, watching art videos, until I get my work done and I can paint myself.

This is a new watercolor. I'm still trying to paint without drawing, without a composition in mind, and letting the paint and the process take me along.

But I'm a little discouraged with my art these days. I know I must keep working it out. I wish I had a good mentor besides my own self-exploration.

For instance, why I do I like this version better (digitally altered)? The composition and design elements are much more interesting to me. Am I crazy? The other seems so elemental.

How do I get from there to here? I won't be satisfied until I can paint with a brush dynamic and sophisticated images. But how do you gain sophisticated images when you have an elemental artist's mind? That's my dilemma. Well, back to the art magazines, books, videos, classes, etc. And I'll take any suggestions.