A fun and sexy aside...

A friend of mine has been planning to have me do some body-painting on a model he's been working with for a while, but the three schedules (his, mine, and hers) haven't "meshed" 'til today.

Liora and I (along with his girlfriend, and a couple of the model's friends) got together at his studio this morning, and I did some body painting, and my friend did some ropework, and the ladies took pictures.

Everyone had fun, and we vowed to do it again, soon.

Don't know if this is going to lead to anything "professional", but it sure wasn't a bad way to spend a Saturday morning!

out of the blue

I opened my FaceBook account today, and there was a message from the curator at a local gallery, asking if I would be interested in exhibiting there next February - March.

I said "Yes", of course--but it really hasn't sunk in, yet. (This could be really good!)

Several years ago, I approached a local gallery about scheduling a show, and they wanted to see all of the work I would be exhibiting, before they would put me on their calendar. Now, it's always easier for me to "get to work" if I have a deadline. Yes, I'm always making art, but I am far more "dedicated" about it, if I have an "event" looming ahead.

So, this is amazing. I have seven months to prepare work for this show. (And, it's a BIG space; I'm going to need as much work as I can possibly create!)

And the best news is, I talked to an artist this afternoon who has shown in this space several times, and (at least according to him) the gallery is cool with "edgy" stuff. I've been wanting to take at least some of the next "spider" paintings in a slightly creepier direction, so I'm relieved that I won't have to put those ideas aside, to do this show.

I know there are artists in this town who seem to have trouble finding places to show their work, as well as artists who pay to exhibit in cooperative galleries (or other types of "vanity" spaces), etc. (And, until the last year or so, I was one of the ones having trouble finding places to show!)

But, the universe and I seem to be aligned (at least right now), and I'm going to take full advantage of this, and create some amazing stuff over the next seven months.

(And yes, you'll see it here, first!)

I (for one) can't wait!

Think first, draw next, THEN (and only then) paint!

I can't believe it's May already. I really can't believe my show closes in three days!

As always, mucho work to do; poco time to do it.

I've known for some time (but the point was driven home to me unusally hard as I was working on--OK, struggling mightily with--a section of The Presentation of Spiders Sunday) that the reason it has taken me so long to finish this painting, is that entire sections of it were not drawn before I started painting!

I have a couple other paintings lying around the studio that have similar problems, and although I'm sure I could struggle through with them, too, I'm seriously considering if they're worth the effort.

Honestly, it would be easier to simply start them over, and do it right this time!

I have a very bad habit of thinking that, becuase--occasionally (OK, rarely!)--a shoddy process "works", I can "get by" doing it the same way, again (and, maybe even, again). One painting in ten (painted without a "tight" preparatory drawing) might turn out all right, but I should consider myself lucky (and--oh--the time I've wasted on those other nine!) that even one made it through such poor studio practice.

So, it is possible that Presentation won't be finished in time for Friday's closing.

That's too bad; it's going to be one hell of a painting!

But, c'est la vie!

I want the painting done, but only if it's done right. Further, if I truly learn my lesson this time, and start the next three to five paintings off the right way, I'll be better off, in the long run.

So, next week, I'm going to start some new drawings. And, I'm not going to put any paint on them until I'm satisfied that I have a solid foundation in place, to take the painting straight through to completion, without any unecessary "detours".

Wish me luck.