the evolution of a painting...

sketch & background beginnings...

easel I

on the easel II ~ changes taking place...

in progress ~ full version

closer

closer II

still in progress

by the time I took this pic this morning she was getting camera shy, she'd had enough, so in progress she remains...

image is 11 x 14 acrylic on canvas...

the evolution of a painting...



this painting was/is being created while listening to the soulful music of Melissa Etheridge, which can be found via my playlist below...

studio mish mash...

a basket to hold miscellaneous paint & sculpting tools

handy flower pot that doubles as a brush holder (tan one)

canvas brush roll-up case ~ keeps my finest brushes safe and sound...

expanding studio shelving

close~up prairie storm

prairie storm
12 x 24 mixed-media on masonite

these are just a few pics from my expanding studio. i am having fun creating a larger working studio. i have several ideas in the mix. tools of the trade are numerous. i can find many of my art supplies at my local hardware store and at a nearby art store. various things inspire like my brand new (delivered today) PotteryBarn catalog. i love and use their wall paint colours. the problem is each time i paint a room, PB comes out with an even better colour. i am a colour junkie. oh i digress...what i love most about this issue is the architect's drafting table for $999 and I have one even sturdier that i refurbished years ago simply for the cost of sandpaper, paint and wood stain. it's priceless to me...someday, i'll photograph mine and post it. i am adding a new easel, the H frame style that will hold much larger canvases, and a full size sculpting stand. i'm a happy girl! :)

have i bored you yet with my musings about my studio and tools of the trade? nah! the other great find is containers, baskets galore that look just like PB baskets only a heck of a lot cheaper. i have many and one of the coolest studio cabinets i have is an 'inherited' Panama Jack sun care pine wood display cart on wheels. it has tons of shelves and houses many of my goodies. my latest find is a Dorm Storage Tower with an adjustable to 9' tension pole from BED BATH & Beyond ~ so cool and handy and it's black to match the black wrought iron on my drafting table and my black shelving.
i like things that coordinate (my inner designer requires this ;)

until next time...and please visit my last post for another new painting ~ see below.

opening to love...

close~up
opening to love
12 x 16 acrylic on canvas

opening to love can be blessing or a true journey into vulnerability.
yet, we must love, we must allow ourselves to feel, to unite with another. certainly we may get hurt in the process, sometimes we love the wrong person, or the right person at the wrong time. but we must always be willing to continually open up to love. to me this is the very reason we are here; to love, to share, to become our best US through relationship with another. one of my favourite quotes that you will see me quote often, by Ravi Shankar:

"love is not an emotion, it is your very nature."

fool me once...

fool me once... ~ close~up

fool me once...

my latest~ i am finding myself drawn to this very limited palette, time after time. i find a rawness to these colours. perhaps, if pain had a colour, it would include these...this also seems to be the palette of my original colour scheme for both of my blogs yet (combined). i am 3/4 of the way through yet another painting with this very same palette.

i have always felt one day i would find my niche' or my style with regard to my work. i think i am finally finding my way there, little by little, step by step...

© 2009

i am my own crown of thorns...

i am my own crown of thorns
16 x 20
acrylic & mixed-media on canvas


close~up

window ~ close~up

often times in life, we fight the inevitable, and change, as well as, our pain and/or circumstances. at times, we get in our own way. at other times, we go to extremes and wallow in our grief and sadness. there is a balance to be found, in all things. this painting was sketched quite some time ago and i am so pleased to have completed her over the weekend. she symbolizes much for me, personally. she is strength, she is love. she is the Empress. she sheds a tear for herself, for you and for all. she symbolizes humanity and the window symbolizes an opening to a new way, to a way of peace and love. a way into new experience and creativity. it is birthed inside of her and only needs a shred of light to be seen for her to know that all is good. it's on its way to her, to you, to all of us.

© 2009

perspective...

vacant heart
gazing at the midnight moon a work-in-progress
and a bad imitation of Vanna...lol

messages of the hawk

still life exploration

uncertainty

often when i am viewing art online, i find it very difficult to imagine the size of the actual pieces. this is one of the reasons why galleries and showings exist. so, here is a mini-showing of some of my work
with me standing next to them. felt funny doing these, felt like a bad imitation of Vanna White ;0 - but you get the idea and those that inquired about photos. here they are!

* and looking this over I think i gave 'perspective a shot, but failed miserably'...i cut off each and every painting...ah, well,
back to the drawing board!

much love~
~Calli

the morning after...

~ Alexandra~

~Logan~

hope you all had a lovely 4th. i think this year was the best one yet!
we had a fabulous time up on the hill in front of my home at the neighbors pond. they were having a huge family reunion this weekend and because (we) are treated like family we were there.

as usual, my camera was finicky (or maybe the operator of said camera - more likely ;0)
anyway, took several shots and only got lucky a couple of times. after the fireworks i commented to my friend Jason (the conductor or big kid firestarter), "hey awesome job"..."loved your finale"..."loved your encore"..."but dammit, didn't capture it on film." ..."battery was exhausted about 10 minutes into it,... "i forgot to charge it"...his response, "THAT'S NOT LIKE YOU!" - oh, some people know me so well! :)

i don't ever post pics of my kids, but today i break my own rule.
they had a blast, but it was COLD OUT! tho the bonfire helped!

have a great day!
~Calli
ps~ came home to a visibly shaken havanese pup, named Oliver, but i soothed him
back to his comfort zone, in mommy's arms.