In Anticipation of Summer...

In anticipation of summer I begin my blogsite. I just finished a mural commission for a client in south Georgia. It was fifteen feet long and five feet high. I spell out the numbers to emphasize the size. It took three and a half years from start to finish. Now it is done! Here is the link if you want to see it finished: http://suzanne.harryally.com

While I was working on the mural I had to devote all painting thoughts and energies towards the mission of the mural. My client wanted a Charles Wysocki-ish 4th of July scene, lots of children celebrating with sparklers, a couple in a boat on the lake, cows and sheep and town homes and shops, barns, flowers, trees and birds! It was like doing a puzzle, making everything fit together, the requested items, the specific colors, balancing everything with design and color, & preserving the celebratory but quaint atmosphere.

As I would paint, unrelated ideas would spring up in my mind. I kept wishing I could explore the nature of the water-mixable oil paints I was using, but I had to keep a uniform texture or the painting would be over-the-top! I loved the way colors would build on each other and develop a history quickly, but again I had to control my urge to detour into experimental mode. I have always been attracted to negative space and edges, the lines that are formed between two overlapping objects. Although it is clear I waltzed around the edges of everything with sometimes complimentary and sometimes analogous colors, I did suppress the urge to go totally nuts with a samba; I had a lot of items themselves to compose and orchestrate.

Now that the painting is done I am like a racehorse chomping at the bit, inspired to begin new paintings and explore newly discovered curiousities. I began a small painting of a philodendron - all those edges to dance around! All that negative space! Woohoo! But a small problem: I am in Georgia with Harry. I have to put the painting on hold & let it dry before we pack up to head back to Ohio for the summer. Ah... but the summer ahead... painting! Exploring negative space and edges and colors to my heart's content!!! Maybe I can sell a few paintings, too. Wouldn't that be great?!

A friend emailed me some info about artist Carol Marine's success with her "Painting-a-Day" blog & Ebay site. I really like Carol's work. I googled and found lots of artists doing the painting-a-day thing. So, hmmm, I think I will give it a try. What a great deal for both art buyers and art-makers! For a hundred bucks you can buy a very nice little painting! And the artists can paint to their heart's content and buy groceries, too!

So for now, I am setting up this Blog, my Etsy, and my Ebay. Soon I will be home in Ohio and begin painting. I am so eggg-cited! Come back soon and see how it's going!