Painting

Nov 26 2013

New Dining Room Painted Rug, Part 1

By melissasasichambers My Artist Home

It would seem there are very few projects lately which can be accomplished in one day, making this whole daily blog post ambition, well, ambitious. I wish I could accomplish things as quickly in real life as I can in my cartoon fantasy brain. Guessing I’m not alone.

So, today’s project (which will probably take up to four days but I will attempt to cram into two because I also have Thanksgiving and decorating the house for Christmas to get done in the same four days) was painting the “rug” on the floor of our new cozy dining room. The same room which used to be Mike’s studio.

Today’s post is going to be short and to the point because I’m just going to show you my progress so far:

There, I just saved you 5,000 words. Part 2 tomorrow, assuming real life doesn’t get in the way of my cartoon fantasy plans.

Nov 22 2013

Discumbobulation: Phase 2, Part 1

By melissasasichambers My Artist Home

Remember this?

Well now it looks like this:

I realize to the uninitiated that may not look like an improvement but in fact what you are looking at is Part 1 of Phase 2, or the set up of Mike’s studio in what used to be Logan’s apartment.

This basically triples Mike’s studio space and gives him a working kitchen too which is great for washing brushes, inking block prints, and taking peanut butter breaks.

Tomorrow we’ll bring down the big dining room table and set up the side of the studio where I can join him and spread out big projects, or where we’ll have dinners with more than 4 people. Tres bohemian, no?

Pretty pictures tomorrow for Phase 2, Part 2, I promise.

Nov 20 2013

An Ordinary Tuesday, Wednesday and Probably Thursday Too

By melissasasichambers Ordinary Days

Yesterday was the first day of the rest of our lives — now that Mike and I are empty-nester artists — and though there was a bit of to-ing and fro-ing getting Logan settled in it has been mostly just what I expected. Lots of concentrated time painting, still in separate studios as we have yet to do the big studio switcheroo (Action Girl is pushing for this weekend), without any squealing car chases or ear shattering explosions from Logan’s video games to provide the soundtrack.

To tell you the truth, I didn’t even notice it was quieter. Of course the Nikita marathon I watched while I painted probably made up for it.

So when I say concentrated painting time, and Nikita marathon, I am not exaggerating one bit. Yesterday became today and is fast becoming tomorrow and I am still working on the same painting. It needs to be finished by day after tomorrow and I suppose I should eat and sleep and maybe even do a blog post or two between now and then. I’m starting to regret my choice of a #5 (very small) brush.

Here’s my life, yesterday, today, and the way things are going, tomorrow too:

And finally, a “parting shot” for all of you who Instagram:

Action Girl, Up, up and away!

Nov 13 2013

Linked

By melissasasichambers Art Two Hearts, Personal Her-story

One of the things that happens when you decide to start a blog is you suddenly discover you have taken on a new full-time job on top of your current full-time job, which if you are an artist and your studio is your home means you are already working two jobs (making art and making home), so now you have three. That’s kind of a downside.

The upside is that this process is a bit like conducting an archeological dig on your own life. It’s way cool sifting through the layers and rediscovering old work, old memories, and seeing how all those parts are linked and have formed who you are now and why your art is like it is today.

Maybe not every blog is like that, but I want to present a whole picture of who I am, my art, my home, the whole catastrophe. If you imagine that concept within the boundaries of time, then you’ll need to look back in time with me, AND see where I am right now. And the future? We’ll see.

Today I want to share part of my past, my present, and God willin’ and the creek don’t rise, my future — the most important and consistent “link” in my life: Mike.

Mike is a true Renaissance man,

a serious artist,

a complete goofball,

and my one and only.

Spend some time with his blog, Michael Chambers Paintings, and get to know him a little bit. That will help me with that “whole picture” I’m working on presenting to you…and free me up today so I can go get some work done on my two other full time jobs!

Nov 11 2013

An Ordinary Monday

By melissasasichambers Ordinary Days

Today was one of those days. Just one of those ordinary days. An ordinary Monday. I did the laundry. Thawed a flatiron steak so I didn’t have to shop for dinner. Listened to some NPR while I folded the clean clothes. And I got started on a new painting I want to finish by the 22nd so I can submit it for the Treasure Valley Artists’ Alliance Foray III Exhibition.

I’m using canvas this time because framing is so expensive. This canvas has a 2″ gallery wrap edge which I will paint black. It won’t cost me any more money, will look professional, and be ready to hang.

After I drew the outlines of the hot air balloons with pencil on the canvas I started painting using acrylic paint and a #5 (pretty teeney) brush).

All of the hot air balloons will have quilt patterns. Patterns in general, and specifically quilt patterns show up all the time in my work. It’s that Domestic Art thang that resonates with me. Quilt patterns always have descriptive names. Descriptive names resonate with me too. This pattern is called “End of Day.”