Latte.....art?

I beg to differ, but I gotta pay the bills somehow! Even if it's not art it still looks pretty cool and I'm not too bad at it either.

New York

I went to New York and made some art.

A new poem

This poem is of course a metaphor for something in my life but also a general advice. It has the same theme as the large painting I am working on as well.

The night's sky is dark
Now it's depths are shown
As the mist settles
Wet, on a soft fresh bloom

Still, some stars shine bright
A heavy gloom weighs down
A cold wind instills
Awakening senses

Two poor beings stir
Lively in their struggle
Endure shaking earth
Trembling like their small hearts

No life arises
Until the breaking light
Clouds part quietly
As they wait in a fright

If the Sun rises
Would it not be in vain
What they might enjoy
Before the storm again?

It could not be so
For without deep shadows
Light would have no path
To make glow what's needed

Update

This is the current state of the art studio. Things are working out well.

As you can see the main painting is coming along and now it is only a matter of adding details, building texture, defining the color scheme, adding complexity and unifying the piece overall. Right now it looks a little too similar to a large scale painting that I did for my senior art show at Skidmore which was not intentional. I am not sure how I feel about that. Is that good or bad?

Here is the piece from my Senior Thesis which I was reminded of by the painting that I am working on now.

In addition I have started a side series about "Le Petit Prince". This is my vision of the rose abandoned on his planet and the line "tache d'etre heureuse"(try to be happy) is written in the soil of the planet. I would like to do more of these themed works and have them be a section in my exhibition this summer.
I drew this yesterday at Lake Buel in Great Barrington, MA while visiting a friend. I have wanted to revisit a vision of a river in Ukraine which I sort of unsuccessfully painted last year and this lake has certainly inspired me to revisit the mountains+body of water theme.

Changes

This is the state that my art studio was in a couple of weeks ago. I still hadn't started in oils and my final large sketch was looking pretty uninspired.

Although, I didn't waste time doing things like flattening curved paper with my record collection....

But now there is a fresh scent in the studio. The scent of turp! The oils have begun and I couldn't be happier.
I even have a new dried flower arrangement on the window to inspire me.

The final stages of the final sketch. I am still working on it while I start the oil painting.

New Project

I have started a new project that is now well on its way to being finished. It is a new idea for me as I have decided to include a figure in the landscape. Actually that is not a new idea it is just finally coming to life. Below you see a picture of me posing for the painting, taken by my boyfriend, in the woods of Acton, MA... grassy pond to be exact.

I will update with new posts as the painting develops.

Commissioned Painting

I did my first commissioned painting(seen above) this past fall/winter. It was a triptych of a woman's farm, house, and horses given to her by the commissioner as a surprise birthday present. I didn't much like doing it and since I was uninterested it took a very long time to complete. I also felt the need to stay true to the architecture of her buildings which forced me to use photos as references. Lesson learned: I wouldn't do it again for less money but at least it's more profitable than latte art....