- Seems I've been rather negligent in keeping current with posting new entries here on my blog page. Yes, shame on me. So just what has kept me from indulgently blathering on endlessly about absolutely nothing important and providing morning coffee reading material for my fan base? *hee hee* I'm sure y'all are wanting the truth, right? Eck! Sadly, the truth is boring.
- I've been painting. The pressure is on to finish one of the commissioned portraits. Connie's (subject of portrait) birthday is Sept. 28th. I have to give Phil time to take it and get it framed. As that could take a week, I need to have the painting finished no later than the middle of next week. I'm close, but not quite there yet. The portrait has two people ... Connie and grandson, Nathan. The background is all foliage - and I have issue with painting foliage; they are sitting on a wooden bench; Nathan is sitting in Connie's lap. Cute, typical family type snapshot. Sounds easy enough, right? No.
The problem is this - the photo I'm working from was taken with Carlee's (Nathan's mother) digital camera with the settings having been set to computer display mode. This means the original photo, sent via e-mail from Carlee to Phil to me, is 230 dpi yet only 1.59" x 2.69". While this is great for computer display, it's absolute crap for trying to paint from. When you enlarge such a tiny photo it pixelates horrendously. I'm trying to paint this image to 16" x 20". I'm virtually having to "fake" in detail because the enlargement simply doesn't have any. It's all fuzzy weird squares in crucial places like the eyes, the nose, the mouth, etc.
Of course, I've printed out a 5" x 7" of the image as well, which helps somewhat with figuring out detail - but not a lot. I'm fortunate that I know Connie enough that I can tell whether or not what I'm painting looks like her. Nathan I've only seen other pictures of. And he's two years old. His face is constantly changing, so his appearance in the pictures I've seen varies greatly. This creates problems. Not to mention he's got this super pale pinkish-white skin tone that is making me nuts trying to mix color for. It's got subtle hints of blue, lavender and also a reflected yellow cast from the bright yellow shirt he is wearing. Gah! I won’t even go into the strange color of yellowish-gray of their hair!
The other commissioned portrait is, as to be expected, temporarily on hold while I’m working on Phil’s. Not a problem with that because the client wants it as a Christmas present as in no hurry. As long as I’m done within in the next couple of months I know she’ll be happy. Personally, I want to get it finished and move on with other stuff I have in mind to paint. I’d really love to get back to working on my Kwan Yin. She’s sitting over on another table, patiently waiting. I’ve also had a number of other images pop into my head and they aren’t being so patient. *sigh*
I’m still waiting to get the call from the printer to let me know the Reiki brochures and business cards are done. I’m feeling a little concerned that I haven’t heard anything yet, but I told them I wasn’t in a rush for them. I’m hoping that’s the only reason I haven’t gotten a call. If there had been a problem with the file or something I’m sure I would have definitely heard something ... I’m keeping my finger’s crossed that they aren’t having a difficult time with printing the colors. I know they are using their laser printer/copier to print them and while laser printers have upsides, they also have down sides to printing things with full bleeds, etc. They aren’t the best for color reproduction either. If I ever get into a financial position of being able to afford a large format printer, you can be sure it won’t be a laser printer. Ink jet, Baby, ink jet.
Speaking of the Reiki business, things are moving along slowly but surely. Paul has gotten the walls of the space painted, the floor scrubbed nicely and is now working on the lattice panels that create the wall between our space and the rest of the “room”. I would very much like to put up a solid wall, which we have permission to do, but we can’t afford it right now. We have the essentials: Federal EIN, NC State registration, two Reiki/massage tables, lamps, rugs, consultation/Tarot reading table & chairs, filing cabinet, client information forms, receipt book, CD player, CD’s, salt lamp, art for the walls, etc. It all just has to be placed where we want it as soon as the “walls” are up. There are still a few things yet on the list to get but I need to start making some income from the space before I get anything else. Hopefully within the next week the space will finally be ready for use and we can start getting the word out. “Build it and they will come.” Works in theory ... let’s see how it goes in practice.
The acrylic painting class started this past Monday evening. Will be ongoing - Monday nights from 5:30pm ‘til 8:30pm for the next eight weeks. Most of my students are older folks ranging in ages from 40's to 80's.. Thirteen in all. They have varying degrees of familiarity with acrylics, meaning absolutely none to one being an “artist”. The first class was preliminary stuff, and as is typical, established rather quickly for me who I'll have difficulty with and who will be enjoyable to have in class. Inevitably there is always one who won’t listen, jumps ahead, asks stupid questions or holds up the rest of the class because he/she can’t shut up long enough to listen when I’m explaining technique, etc. and has to be given the instructions again. Honestly, that really irritates me, but it’s just part of the deal.
What else is happening in Carol’s World? Actually, that’s about it. Life is just moving along. I’m not feeling especially excited about anything right now with the portrait deadline looming over my head. Everything seems to be on hold until I get it finished.
On that note, time to go back into the studio ...
Namaste, y’all ...
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