To Do List Update, Before I Bail!

Study#213, 2010, Oil on Birch Panel, 5x7

I meant to post yesterday but a ghost somehow downloaded almost 200mgs from the internet on Thursday morning (I was the only person on the computer during that time and all I did was open Facebook and look at a few news articles, I swear!) putting us over the top of the dreaded Fair Access Policy. So little to no internet for 24 hours, which is always a blessing, even though we all grumble about it.

Anyway, here is the update for Wednesday and Thursday.

Wednesday:
Wrote a blog post on Wednesday and then spent some time answering emails, paying bills, etc.

Doug and I took a much needed walk around the country block on a very foggy and cool day. Took some pictures too in which I mostly look stupid but he looks good. Posting the most decent one of us together: (in real life, our heads are about the same size, just in case you were wondering)

In the studio I painted the edges on some small paintings, finishing them up so that I can put them in a drawer, hehe.

I finished up two more of the initial ten paintings on my to do list. I would have gotten more done except the first one that I did was VERY pesky and I had to to wipe the paint off and start over several times. Bleh. It ended up pretty good though.

And I worked on the curtain hems again while I was watching TV on Wednesday evening.

Thursday:

I did two more paintings which leaves me with just two more out of the ten. My lunch with a friend/social life item was replaced with taking our cat, Hermine and our poodle Mr. Wilson to the vet. I did speak to four people (which is four more than I talked to all week) while I was there so I think that qualifies as a social outing!

And in VERY exciting news, I finished the curtains Thursday night. Took me a bit longer than I expected once I got out the sewing machine that I haven't used in about 6 years. However, after pushing a bunch of buttons, I eventually figured out how to run it without even having to refer to the owner's manual. Luckily the bobbin had enough thread in it, otherwise I would still be trying to figure out how to load that up. After I got everything set up, it only took me a few minutes to do the actual sewing part. It ALMOST made me want to dig out the quilt that I started when my daughter was born in 1997......

So today, I had planned to work on the other studio stuff, the underpainting for a portrait, drawing and starting a few Black Paintings. But I gotta be honest here; it is a drop dead gorgeous and very warm day outside and so I think I am bailing on most of my to do list today. I do plan on getting out in the garden and planting a few seeds (maybe tomorrow) but mostly I am just going to putter around in the yard and maybe take a walk. My son has a friend over and so there will definitely be chocolate chip cookies to bake later, so before I get to that I am going outside!

I will get back to all this productiveness/motivation/to do list silliness next Monday. Have a good weekend, everyone!

Progress

Frames#1005, 2010, Oil on Birch Panel, 16x20

I made moderate progress on Tuesday. Um, despite spending a little bit too much time on the computer. But it was less time than usual so I will look at the bright side on that.

It was a lovely, rainy day (I like rainy days) so it was easy to stay in my studio and work. I finished prepping all ten panels and after my little computer binge, I managed to finish up two of the ten paintings that were on my to do list. There are six left, and I think I can make some progress on several of them today.

Also, last night while I was watching American Idol (LOVE Crystal, Lee and that Casey is a real cutie pie), I started the whole curtain project and I think tonight (during Criminal Minds) I can get all of them prepared for the sewing part.

And bonus task yesterday was cleaning out the sink in the kid's bathroom. Normally, I would have one of the kids do it, but I use it during the day for cleaning my brushes, and it was starting to bug me so I just took a few minutes to do it.

Oh AND I wrote a BLOG POST!!!!!!!!!

Baby Steps

Frames(Structure)#1002, 2010, Oil on Birch Panel, 20x16

Ok, it seems like the act of making the list and posting it on the internet has gotten me feeling a bit more energetic about things in general. I made some progress yesterday and also it was so awesome to get such encouragement about continuing the blog from my lovely readers. Thank you!

So this is what I did yesterday:

I made all my phone calls and I now have appointments to take two pets to the vet this Thursday, a meeting at the clinic in Syracuse concerning my daughter's insulin pump, and I also rescheduled my upcoming dentist appointment.

I finished the backs of the ten panels that I am prepping and this morning started the priming on the front and sides. The prep doesn't take so much time, it's mostly the drying, sanding and having to run downstairs to clean the brushes that can really drag things out here......

I had some emails to attend to yesterday, in addition to a good chunk of online time (oops) so I got started painting a bit later than I should have. But it ended up ok, I managed to get two smaller pieces done and will get back to the easel as soon as I am done with this post.

And bonus! After dinner, instead of glancing at the disgusting, dusty, greasy range hood, sighing and then ignoring it yet again, I decided to just take a few minutes and clean the dumb thing. This might have been the most encouraging thing I did all day; I have been ignoring stuff like that for weeks.

Will be back tomorrow!

Spectacularly Unproductive

Frames #1001, 2010, Oil on Birch Panel, 12x16

Well. Ahem. Yes, it has been three weeks since I last posted. Every single day, I thought about posting, but didn't. Couldn't? Not sure which anymore. I can't say I have been too busy either, as I have been spectacularly unproductive lately. And while I don't want to end this blog, it does periodically occur to me that maybe I will.

But today is Monday, a good day to turn over a new leaf and I am going to try again and get my mojo back. For the blog, for my work, for my life in general. Sounds dramatic, eh??? Well, like I said; spectacularly unproductive lately. Not only am I not working in the studio enough, I am not even doing the projects around the house that I usually complain about not having enough time for, even though I have had all the time in the world lately.

So I have decided to start with to-do lists. Public to-do lists. I don't normally keep a formal to do list, but well, desperate times here. I do NOT like being spectacularly unproductive. The plan is to post a to-do list for each week, on Mondays and update my progress each day. I am hoping that this will get me posting here again and also help me get some stuff done.

Well, here we go. My list of things to-do this week (in addition to regular stuff like driving kids, making dinner, scooping cat litter and feeding chickens and um, keeping up with Facebook):

Studio

Finish the 10 paintings that are in progress, starting with the six that have been sitting here, halfway finished for at least three weeks.......

Finish prepping panels.

Do some drawing for at least a half day.

Start at least one new 'People You Know' painting.

Do seven more Black Paintings on the 6x9 inch panels that have been sitting here for a whole MONTH.

Load new paintings on to my sales blog, and do some other things, like ordering supplies, etc.

House

CLEAN the house.

Hem the new curtains for my daughter's room, the curtains that are still sitting in the shopping bag on the dining room table, exactly where I set them down when I got home from buying them 3 WEEKS AGO.

Make a few appointments that I have been lazy about making. Dentist, vet, etc.

Have lunch with a friend. I have been spectacularly antisocial lately as well.

Get out in the garden and plant spinach and lettuce seeds in the cold frame.

This seems like a lot to me, especially since I am pretty much starting at zero. Heh. But it's nowhere close to what I used to accomplish in a week and it is stuff that I really do need to get done, so this is my list and I am sticking to it.

PS. I do realize that I would be spectacularly productive if I had anything whatsoever on the exhibition schedule for the upcoming year, but that is a post for another day;)

What To Do Today!

Good Foundation, 2009, Oil on Birch Panel, 8x19

I have much to do today people!

1. Finish up the "spare" painting that I had done for the show, but never showed to the gallery. Now though, they have sold one painting already and need another one to hang in their front window. I sent jpegs of several larger sized paintings that I have on hand, but you know they'll choose the one that isn't quite finished, right?

2. Clean the entire house! We have a sitter coming to stay with the kids overnight while Doug and I go to the opening and I don't want her to run shrieking from the house if she happens to stumble upon what is currently happening in the kids bathroom. Heh. Also, some friends of ours are coming with us and we all decided to make it an overnight trip. They are leaving their two kids with our four and my hope is that if the house starts out somewhat clean, it won't be a horrible mess by Sunday, right?

3. I have to make a dessert for my daughter's swim team party this evening. Oatmeal Caramelitas; an oatmeal and brown sugar crust, sprinkled with chocolate chips and drizzled with caramel, then with more of the oatmeal mixture on top. Easy, right?

4. I have to run into town to make a (very small) bank deposit. And while I am there, I may as well stop at the grocery store and stock up on some things for the kids this weekend, right?

5. I have to rummage through my closet and find something nice to wear, something that actually fits AND makes me look awesome somehow. Black always does that, right?

6. Clean out the car so our friends don't think we are slobs. Although I could always blame the kids for the banana peels and empty juice boxes that have been under the seats forever, right?

7. Drive into town AGAIN at 4pm to talk to the Girls on the Run organizer about Ginger. I lost her forms and while she opened the letter and supposedly gave them to me, I don't specifically recall her doing that and it would be wrong to blame a 9 year old for missing paperwork, right?

8. Drive BACK into town (this is a three trips into town day) Go to my other daughter's swim team end of the season swim party at 6pm. Lots of food, kids, friends, should be fun, right?

9. Get the overnight bag out and start packing. Put the bag back and get out the small overnight suitcase. A girl should be prepared with many different clothing and shoe options for an overnight trip even if her husband will make endless fun of her, right?

10. There are about a hundred other things I could add here to make an even ten, but I am too overwhelmed to choose just one and today's clock is ticking. I suspect that I may bail on more than a few things here on this list today, but the world will continue to rotate, right?

See you all on Monday! And yes, there will be pictures and surely at least one story about something dopey that I did at the opening. Heh.

PS. All of the work in the show can now be seen here.

This Week's To Do List

Autumn Scene, 2007, Oil on Panel, 8x10

Since Monday, I have been very busy putting the last touches on 25 paintings, doing the related paperwork and packing them up for shipment to Boxheart Gallery in Pittsburgh. The last batch is going out today but unfortunately I will not be taking a break, not even for a day. This is what I have to do this week:

1. Today I have to do some underpaintings today for a project that I am incredibly behind on. A friend of ours (he and Doug knew each in high school) and for the last two years he has purchased a painting from me in order to use the image on the holiday cards for his company. This year, I had trouble getting an appropriate image painted, because of my show schedule but Steve has been kind enough to push back the deadline to the last possible minute. I have until November 15 to do several winter themed paintings so that he can choose one for his card.

2. I have to prepare the panels (usually takes at least two days) for a "sort of" commission for a client that bought a horizontal 9x18 landscape. She would like another piece that is the same size, but has no specifications regarding the image. My favorite kind of commission! Again, with this project, I will do several paintings so that she can choose one that she likes.

3. On Thursday, I have to ship out four small paintings to Gallery 100 for their annual small works holiday show, "Significantly Small". I have two small flower paintings ready and I will include two water related pieces. I meant to do a few more flower paintings, but to be honest, they did not go well at all and now I don't have enough time to resolve them. Moral of the story: always have at least a few paintings on hand.

4. On Friday, I have to begin a whole new batch of paintings for a solo show at The Harrison Gallery in January, I'd like to get as much of the work done for this show as soon as I can so I won't have to be working too much around Christmas and during the kid's holiday vacation, like I did last year. Right.

Clearly, I have no time this week, or for the next two months for a proper post show meltdown. I will be ignoring all the signs of that this time and hopefully that won't backfire. Heh. Actually, I will be going to Pittsburgh next weekend for the opening at Boxheart and that will have to suffice as a break and/or brief breakdown.

To Do List:

The Pink Side. 2006, Oil on Panel, 16x20






Friday
do 7 underpaintings for next week's work
fill out forms for competitions
errands, post office, video store, bank
hardware store in town to rent a tiller for the weekend
drive 45 minutes to Home Depot to buy some plants, garden pots etc, get back by 3:30
go to neighbor's to take care of their pets (they are out of town)
pack up son's backpack for weekend boy scout camping/hiking trip
pick up daughter from soccer practice
drop son off for his trip
3 mile walk
dinner
scoop cat litter
watch dvd

Saturday
9am soccer game #1
11:30am soccer game #2
deliver girl scout cookies
clean and reorganize girl's room
clean house
3 mile walk
neighbor's house
dinner
scoop cat litter

Sunday
prepare frames for finished paintings
tidy up studio
work in garden, weed, plant shrubs
pull out railroad ties in our secret garden, so we can till a new garden area
help with tiller
3 mile walk
neighbor's house
pick up son from camping trip
laundry
dinner
scoop cat litter
prepare underpaintings to begin color glazes on Monday
watch Cold Case, Grey's Anatomy
BED!!!!!!!!!