I have been working through a series with a model named Adele over the last couple months. I completed my life reference session with her late last fall. At that time, she was sporting a glossy, light bay coat, with pale rose highlights. In some light, she reflected metallic copper; a challenge to re-create on canvas. I have titled the series Splash, as I found myself experimenting with different ways to ‘Splash’ color together. Some pieces were splashed with a palette knife, others with Brayer tools.

Copper Splash (above) plays with values that are close together, but of different colours. Light mauve, raw umber and scarlet red, over a warm white background. The subtle texture was applied with a brayer and a stencil. This painting is currently being sold in Daily Paintworks Auction. Click HERE to bid.

Splash II was splashed with a vibrant green, reminiscent of aquamarine. I used my handy scraper tool to manipulate the mane, which does not need to be over-defined in order to come across as hair. Softening the edges alone helps create this a hairlike mane. This painting is available through my studio under the Available Paintings tab

Then I went a bit bigger with a full-body pose. I wanted the head to be the focal point so it received the most detail. Brayers and scrapers swept across the background and legs adding texture, pattern and movement. Splash III is also available on my Available Paintings tab.

Lastly announcement, some of you who know me personally, know that I’ve been struggling in my Sellwood studio space. Last year, the landlord leased the space directly below me to a children’s dance company. The building is old and has no sound insulation in the walls or soft surfaces within the space below to capture any sound. Noise drifts into my space at an amplified level. I can hear and feel the vibrations of every dance class coming through my floors and walls at varying levels of volume, despite my pleas to have a set volume level that is tolerable to work through. This has severely limited my hours which I can truly focus, let alone have guests, students or clients into my space. Frustratingly, the landlord is uncooperative to address the issue to any capacity. Being in a month to month lease situation I am unable to take any legal action.

This situation has been truly heartbreaking. My own studio was my space that I earned each and every month. I took care of it, paid my rent on time, was respectful to my neighbors and supported local businesses within Sellwood. My studio was a place of solitude for focus and creativity in a great village location with excellent light. I had it set up exactly as I desired, it was functional, and affordable. However, after spending the last couple months with mounting anxiety and anger from frustration that no one would help resolve the problem, I decided to let this studio go. It is no longer my haven and not worth any further lost time devoted to my creation of art, or my hard earned money.

I spent a full week scouring the city looking at studio space, difficult in a city that is facing gentrification. However, I finally did luck out in the area of 24th and Holgate with a 450 sq.ft. space with an entire floor of artists. Now, I can to be excited that I am moving to a space with more artists and starting a new chapter. Goodbye to the stresses that have been bogging me down for so long now. The new landlord seems to really care (Yay!) and I look forward to being in a building among other creatives. I will get my keys April 1 and will move over the month from Sellwood to Reed area. It is stressful financial times as an artist with the virus situation unfolding daily so help me weather his storm and BUY ART! 😁 Thank you for your continues support and messages of kind words. They keep me going. ❤️