Somewhere in Wyoming – Notes to Myself

Broken bones aside, I want to paint.  Moving house to accommodate workers over the next two weeks aside, I still want to paint!  I tell you, chaos exudes in my studio at the moment.  Most of the shelves are empty, books are packed up, art supplies are vanishing hither and thither, and I feel like I am living in a tornado – and will be for a while as repairs are underway in the back half of the house as floors are replaced, walls painted, bathrooms repaired and updated.  It’s really a mess.

This morning, I finally found some time to do a few things with this painting.  Choosing colors and values with swishes of watercolor across the ink drawing showed me I had non-waterproof ink on the paper.  Oh, well,  such is life.  Here are this morning’s labors – in a monochrome study and some colors for consideration.  Messy but useful, like my house.

Notes:  In future sketches, have a margin for testing colors or shades.  Move house to left.  Tree and mountain in background too close to same tone.  Don’t use water soluble ink!

Notes:   Use a margin around edge of painting to test tones or shades.  Barn / house move to left.  Trees – need some variation in color compared to grass above road.  House too similar in color to red rock mountain behind.

 

Healing and House Repairs

Two weeks ago today I fell over one of our dogs and broke my right wrist and a finger.  Timing couldn’t have been worse as we are in the middle of repairing our house from a flood – small though it was – that is requiring new flooring, bathroom shower stall, and repairs to damaged walls.  This means 3 bedrooms need to be moved into the living room, things taken off closet floors, vanities demolished, toilets replaced, and a new shower stall door.  So, in the process, this also means buying hardware, such as shower drain, shower valve, and shower head, and while we are at it, bathroom fixtures and towel racks and so on (and on, and on).  The proverbial $20,000 for the new toilet.

And that comment is true – I have heard it from others, and now I am seeing it in action.  In a way, it was the kick in the pants we needed to get some things around here fixed.  Things were okay, but rather shabby, such as the original bathroom vanities from 40 years ago.  Taking things apart has revealed some interesting things – rather like an archaeological dig:

  • Josh found a flyer for “edible body paint” under one of the vanities – very 1970-1980s!
  • He also found that the master bathroom vanity top was originally too long, so the builders pounded it into the drywall under the window – leaving about an inch-deep indentation.  If they hadn’t done it, the shower would have had a vanity shelf in it.
  • The tile setter showed us how poorly constructed and improperly done was the sealant and prep below the tiles he removed.

Despite my broken wrist, I am able to help pack things up.  It just requires some thought and not lifting anything heavy.  I’m glad I can help because one man shouldn’t have to do it all alone while I rest in my delicate condition.  Yay, Josh!

Somewhere in Wyoming

Last summer we spent a couple of weeks traveling around the western part of the US, visiting states such as Wyoming and Arizona and Utah.  Open space, loneliness, long drives through incredible country.  This is a photo I took out of the car window on the way from Laramie, WY, to Grand Teton National Park, where we stayed for several days.

I pushed the colors in post production, to pull out greens, reds, and blues.  The view of the house / barn was fascinating – and I expect the view from it is even better, rather than zipping by in a car.   Anyway, I’ve decided to do some sketches, in ink then color, and hopefully an unlined watercolor based on elements of this photo.  Below is this morning’s sketch.