I framed one!!

Life is really getting in the way of art these days. I finally finished this large (30 x 36) acrylic painting.
It's not as if the composition is all that complex, but for some reason, the background just would not settle. I couldn't even bring myself to post my progress as it was a mess - and an embarrassment of murky shapes and strokes that just weren't working. I learned a great deal by pushing through the bad stages and forcing myself to paint and rework until it felt "right." Not sure where those backgroung colors came from - the terra-cottas and rusts are quite a departure for me - but I'm happy with the results.

And here it is framed:

It's painted on Masonite which I've found to be a really good surface for acrylics. Masonite is inert, and will not bleed through paint, though I use a heavy gesso ground anyway. I found the huge ornate frame (originally an off-white color) complete with the panel at a Habitat thrift store. Glued onto one side of the panel was a horrid reproduction of some famous painting that I'm certain is wonderful in its original state - but I could tell that instead of just cardboard, there was a reusable painting surface. Jackpot! (I'm always appalled that people will pay hundreds of dollars for crappy reproductions when there are so many wonderful originals out there in every size, style and price range.) Frames like this are incredibly expensive, and I was thrilled when they only asked $10!!

I could use some help with the title. I happened to finish this just in time for the newest show at the Sautee-Nacoochee gallery and I was trying to come up with just the right title as I drove up to deliver it today. I decided on someting and put it on the card but I must not have chosen a very good one - as by the time I arrived at my next destination, I'd forgotten what I wrote down!

When I arrived at the gallery with my moos (heh) I found this note: It says: THIS SPACE RESERVED FOR PATRICE'S COW. I cracked up. My cow had reservations.

You see: yesterday I went to pick up paintings from the last show and deliver some new work. I happened to have the then unframed bovine painting with me and the gallery director said he'd like to have it for this show if I could bring it this morning. He measured the painting including the large frame to be sure it would fit on the display panels. There was a crew hanging the show, but a great space was reserved for "Miss Moo" as this is the panel that faces the entryway to Gallery II. (Thank you, Jim!)

Here are a few more of my paintings on display this month. The color is off somewhat here, but as it's a show about spring florals and seasonal color, I'm letting it slide.