Necklace

I went for my second fitting to the wonderful seamstress, Lady Jane, who Christy told me about, and there was the most perfect necklace for my wedding dress. And I might even wear it again!

Oh, Boy!!

Here is the new weather forecast for Burbank, and I am so excited because there is an 80 degree day and it has (oh, boy!) RAIN!!! That is so exciting to me.

New Favorite Kitty Pic

This is my new favorite picture of Cato and Clouseau. Cato is so expressive. And Clouseau is in one of his usual spots, by the water dish, guarding it as if it was treasure. Right after I shot this, Cato came over and bit the camera lens. I took a picture of it, but you can't tell what it is.
Notice the chewed up Q-tips on the floor? That is Cato's new obsession. He found the box of Q-tips one day, mananged to fish out one, and ran away with it in his mouth like he had just found the most amazing thing EVER. He cried for more when he chewed the last one to bits. It was so fun to watch him try to get the Q-tips out from the flap in the package. Best cat toy.

more paintings

Here is a sampling of some more traffic paintings. These are both around the corner from my apt. It has been so hot lately that I haven't been painting as much as I would like, and it is taking a toll on me. Besides not liking the heat, I feel down from not painting everyday. I have to do some studio painting instead; do larger versions of the best plein air paintings I have.
I have updated my website, click here to check it out. There are now Florida and LA paintings on there. More to come!

Cato in a Clouseau Pose

Here is Cato in a pose usually done by Clouseau. Cato seems to love the heat because he goes to the one UN-air conditioned room in the house, lays down on the down comforter, and sleeps there every day. And on the very hot days, he strikes this pose as if to absorb more heat onto his skinny little body.

new sketch

This is my sketch from last night's group. The model was terrific, and had on this whole costume of pantaloons, a corset, bows, and vintage shoes. I would have swore she was from Victorian times! I tried a drawing of vine charcoal on some cream drawing paper first, but that was not working, so I went back to my tried and true method. I am very habit forming when it comes to materials. I like to work with very specific things. If for some reason I use different brushes, paints, charcoal, etc than I am used to, it's like I am completely lost. It's like asking a musician to perform with someone elses instrument, I guess.
I had to work quickly on this sketch because I used up time on my first attempt. Hence, I drew the face very simply, and I like the result.

weather forecast

Here
is the 10 day forecast for Burbank, which is exactly like the past five 10 day forecasts, and will be just like the next five 10 day forecasts. It's freakin' HOT and I am getting bored and tired of sweating.

Here is one of my favorite pics in the world because 1. it has Boo in it, and 2. because it has snow in it. I miss snow so much! Especially now! Oh, powdery or slushy, the kind with the crust on top, the kind that is perma-frosted to the sidewalk, the kind that swirls around in the wind and tingles your cheek, the big fluffy kind that falls so lazy and soft, the kind that glows under the moonlight. Sigh.

I miss you Boo.

Clouseau and Weak Moments

I am having a small meltdown, but I will be okay.

It all started when we had to rearrange the closets because of Clouseau. Clouseau has been 'communicating' his dislike of the litter box situation by peeing on the bathroom floor. At least it is not on the laundry basket anymore. (I hear all you cat non-lovers' comments.) Cats are very good communicators. Clouseau certainly got his point across. So now there are two uncoverd litter boxes (two cat households are supposed to have three, but we could not think of a third spot), one each in a seperate closet. One has clay sand and one has pine pellets. We are fastidious, nay, obsessive about cleaning out the poopies from the box at least three times a day. We change and disinfect the box every 4-5 days. So WHY does Clouseau still complain?? Kitties like to be so clean, and are very particular about their bathroom habits. We had been using a single covered box in the bathroom. Convenient, just scoop and flush. But nooooo, not good enough.

So we took all the sheets, towels, and coats out of the closets and decided to give away some old stuff. I tried on some old clothes to see if I still liked them enough. Most of them didn't zip or button up. So in my fragile hormonal state, this is apocalyptic. To make it worse, I weigh myself. WHY do I do this? I guess the same reason I press on a bruise to feel the dull pain, and then press again. For the past two weeks I have worked out over an hour a day, six days a week, eating nothing but salads and fish. I count every gram of fat, protein, and carb. Before that it was working out five days a week and eating salads, fish, and brown rice. It seems as a result, I have gained three pounds. And in all I have gained six pounds since March. I don't know why. I eat nothing that tastes good, nothing I actually WANT to eat, dammit. I am so, so tired of seeing super-thin people and wanting to look like them, and never being able to without fasting. It seems so easy for so many people, but not possible for me.

So woe is me, poor me, waah, waah, waah. And I pray that I will either miraculously lose all excess body fat, or miraculously not care anymore.

Cato says good morning

new drawings (caution: nudity)

Here are the drawings I have done in the Los Feliz drawing group. Both models were great and exuded energy.
That is the most important thing for me. If someone is sitting for a portrait or for figure sketching, there is an energy that I pick up from them. And if that energy is good, I am so psyched and hope the drawing conveys that energy flow.

new paintings

Well, my friends, forgive me for not posting in so very long!
I have been overwhelmed with wedding plans, painting, and running, etc. Oh, yeah, and working. And I just got used to having one less responsibility. Here are some new works I have done. These scenes are all within walking distance of my apartment, as are most of the traffic paintings I have posted. I wanted to paint the carwash, but couldn't find an angle that I liked until I saw this one. I wanted to paint it as the sun went down and their red neon sign turned on.
I painted another while standing on the on-ramp, and almost got a ticket. I guess pedestrians are not allowed on on-ramps. You have been warned.
The other is a view at the entrance to the ramp. The signs have since fallen down, and have not been fixed in over a month.