Urge to say Hey

Hey,
How are you?

I just had the urge to pop in.  Something about the connection I guess.

Also I want to know if little stacks of various papers and stuff follow you around.  I don't know what it is but I seem to attract them.  I even have little flat trays to collect them in. You know what it is.  Mail, receipts, recipes, napkins, collage scraps, collage papers, photos, tags, pieces of lace, cards, and anything else that floats by.  I spent a lot of the weekend going through piece by piece and stack by stack and I can say in one room, my studio, I have cleared the stacks.  Feels good and for the most part it is something I can do while in the chair zone.

After that, I did another favorite "chair zone" thing.  I stitched a little progress on Tim's quilt.

Sketching to paint

Monday I took a sick day and yesterday a holiday and tomorrow a weekend.  What a crazy week.

But yesterday was great,  I started out with the sketch in my moleskin that I have never done anything in except try to cover up the white.  White stops me cold in journals.  Anyway, I did a practice sketch from the model that is blocked out right above the sketch.

 Then I sketched again on the canvas.  Some of you have asked about fixing the charcoal.  Well, the truth is I don't have any spray fixative on hand.  Years and years ago when I oil painted, I remember that sometimes we would fix our sketch with Aqua Net.  Our store didn't have Aqua Net so I got Suave and tried that on the charcoal sketch that I painted last weekend.  It was not totally successful but I managed.  I just wanted to sketch to hold long enough for me to lay in a wash of lights and darks. 

On the above sketch, I used a clear acrylic spray that I have and that was OK too but not really as good as a fixative would have been.  Fixative is on my shopping list because I am really enjoying charcoal sketching.  I do it in the chair zone.

 "Shadow Dancing"

8 x 24 canvas

I would like a holiday day off every week but y'all can have that sick day because that was a zinger!
Have a great weekend.
Sharon

Painting in progression

 My model

 My charcoal sketch

Finally a new painting.  It seems like quiet a while I guess because I have been painting in my journal.  This one is on canvas and I do plan to have some originals for sale in my Shop soon.  I will announce the sale as I am not quite ready.  Right now I have collage sheets for sale and I'm thrilled at their success.

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I also wanted to share with you my friend Zorana has made several collage sheets that are fabulous.  And this weekend she has added this Digital Collage Kit for making ACEOs and ATC cards.

Check out her blog here and watch the video she made demonstrating the fun she had making ATCs.
I think this is the coolest idea.

Be back when I can,

Sharon