Feb 9, 2016
One of the things I've been thinking about today as Patience and I get reacquainted is how pictures of loved ones would have been made in her time.
Clearly, it would have been a painted portrait, perhaps a miniature, and only really available to those who had plentiful ready cash.
Photography as we know it, even in it's earliest forms, didn't come along until the mid 1800's and certainly wasn't readily available then.
Someone like Patience most likely wouldn't have had a likeness taken during the course of her life.
In my mind, Patience was an army wife following her English Grenadier soldier husband in the most trying circumstances in here in the new world.
I took a sepia tinted photograph to help me thnk of her as she might have been in those days as I work on her portrait. I do need to keep an old time mindset.
In actuality, she would have faced directly forward and perhaps had her head strapped tightly to the chair to keep her from moving
since an exposure took a long time. No wonder everyone looks so miserable in the Daguerreotype photos.
Keep in mind, the time in which Patience really lived, was close on to 100 years before Daguerreotype and sepia photos made their appearance. I thought you might like to see the results of my experiment.
Tomorrow I'll be doing the first lay in of her face and adjusting the background a little more.
We're talking now, you see, about what she wants and needs to look her best self.
Patience in process/progress
Feb 8/2016/Alice Edwards#1009
Feb 8, 2016
Sometimes, I get to poking around in the studio and come across a piece I set aside during a move from one town to another.
Today, I fished this piece out and thought I'd look it over, then finish my knitter. She's from a 1760 reenactment battle staged in Tottenham a bunch of years ago.
I meant to finish this a while ago but got caught up in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge but today I made up my mind to just do it.
So she's up on the easel. Over the next few days of days I'll finish bringing her to life. She deserves that much from me.
My knitter has been patience personified, and so I've decided to name her Patience. It was an honourable name back in those days. She's quietly been living in the back of my studio storage area.
I took a black and white photograph to help me check the existing values, ( that's the light and dark areas), and made a few decisions about where I'll begin tomorrow.
I have a plan now.
Patience and I hope you'll join us tomorrow to begin watching her come to life under the brush
Patience in process/progress
Feb 8/2016/Alice Edwards#1009
Feb 7, 2016
Ideas are like bubbles. They are beautiful, seductive and all consuming. I love ideas. The more the merrier in my view.
I spent the afternoon with an artist who is not afraid of any idea. Her enthusiasm for life is infectious. I catch fire around her. Laughter is the order of the day.
Some of our mutual friends are convinced we are crazy but we have such fun. There isn't an idea that's too crazy to explore. One of us gets an idea and off we go.
Being able to bounce an idea off another mind that isn't closed is a gift direct from heaven. It is a symbiotic friendship that has gone on in one form or another for twenty one years. Some broken periods of time here and there and yet ... when we see each again it's as though no time has passed
But the ideas that come forward and are accepted without judgement often grow and expand effortlessly. Neither of us would dream of bursting the other's bubbles. All ideas are honestly examined without prejudice.
Soo... with that in mind here is today's treasure
Alice Edwards 1949 --
Bubbles
3 3/4" x 5 1/2"
ink on paper
Feb 6, 2016
Sometimes there is only a few minutes to catch someone staring off into space thinking deep thoughts.
Today was one of those times.
Actually, I had just mere minutes both times. Not really enough time to catch anything but done in Bond Head, ON in my favourite studio which made it worth while from my point of view.
Alice Edwards 1949 --
Meade
12" x12"
charcoal on paper
Alice Edwards 1949 --
Kathy
8" x 6"
oil on canvas board
Feb 5, 2016
Today, I spent some time with an interesting person who has a kind heart to boot. Good way to live, love, learn and grow. I am constantly astonished at the good fortune I have in my friends. Between them all they make me a very rich woman.
She fed me sweet potato chips, parsnip chips and beet chips All are new to me. It was not only a mind expanding time but a tummy sweetener too.
I like going there. I learn stuff. All kinds of stuff. In her previous life she was a librarian. That means she's got all sorts of knowledge tucked away in her head. She's an art lover and a collector. So, there's lot's of eye candy too.
The way I figure it, if I'm smart, I'll listen to and get a free education in a variety of subjects there at the BBS. How good it that? And I got nibbles too.
We were down a member. She ran off to do Granny stuff so all is forgiven, but next month she'd better show because I want to hear her take on things too.
I am so happy today, a dancer came forth. I'm pretty sure she'll become a painting dressed in her best and turning out a pretty leg.
I can tell I'll be back behind the easel pretty darn soon. Drawing is great fun but paintings have to happen. Shows are sneaking up on me at an astonishing pace.
Any day now I'll be painting my brains out in another sustained rush to a deadline.
Tomorrow though, I'm going to go paint at one of my favourite studios for a few hours, then off meet a couple of friends for a reunion coffee.
This is how I fortify myself for the next round of painting.
Good friends, some good talk, good food, and lots of ideas floating over them.
Here's today's treasure
Alice Edwards 1949 --
Tuttu
4 1/2" x 7"
Pencil on paper
Feb 4, 2016
There's the everyday jobs that got lost during the 30 paintings in 30 days.
Someone called to come yesterday to have a look around. I looked around and said sure come on over there's a few things you can look at. I hung up and then took another look around.
I realized that my entire studio was completely out of control. I can't move in here. No one else could either ... and someone was coming!
I threw things in boxes. Then looked around some more I had a pathway now. It was a beginning.
Sargeant said, At least I think it was Sargeant, he is a favourite of mine. Anyway he said, "Start with a broom and finish with a needle."
Sooo... duster in hand I started, ( my version of a broom ) ... and it took forever but it was worth it
My friend, the one who laughed so hard yesterday, grabbed these shots of me running amok dust mop in hand.
One down, 60 paintings to go! Oh! No!
Here I am in motion ...
Feb 3, 2016
Things are hopping The place is rocking.
I'm prepping my entry for the 20th International Women's Day Art Show.
An artist friend stopped by. She spent the entire visit laughing as she watched me rush about trying to get a bunch of things ready at the same time. I'll do the same when it's her turn.
Actually she helped out a great deal once she stopped laughing.
How is it that everything comes due at the same time? I just got offered another show. So I'll be painting like mad again shortly.
It always starts out reasonably. Then it goes to Hades at a pace which has to be seen to be believed.
New hardware has to be installed on everything else. It seems D rings are now de rigour as many galleries are changing or have changed over their hanging systems. Some are still using older systems.
You know of course, I have the wrong hardware on the wrong pieces.
Welcome to the weird and whacky world of art.
So while I fix that here's a little eye candy for those who like to see an artist's working space
