Update!

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth, yet. It's just that life is pretty hectic right now, what with the countdown to the final week and the exhibition, finishing up paintings, trying to squeeze everything out of three hours of printmaking a week, and all this tiresome self-exploration. I thought, though, that as a reward for waiting so patiently, I'd post some more art. As yooosooal. I am, however, including a few charcoal drawings (photographed as they hung/hang on the wall of my studio), and I'll throw in more drawings (from my sketchbook) when I figure out what the heck is wrong with this dumb scanner.

1) Portrait assignment - in two 40-minute sessions, get enough of a baseline face to finish the portrait sans model. I actually mostly finished it in the sessions, but had a lot of small tweaking to do afterwards. Thank you, Charlie Umhau!


1.5) Portrait of Charlie - detail. I actually changed a couple of things after I took the pictures, but they're pretty subtle.


2) Portrait, not assignment - from a picture (see below) of Gramma Yvette from May 1978. NOTE TO ALL: THIS PAINTING IS NOT UP FOR GRABS. Sorry, but I had all along known that the painting was created, and thus reserved, for Grampa Dan. It's currently at the frame shop - I'll pick it up on Thursday, and ship it off to Houston. But DON'T TELL! I don't think he knows. Dad might have told him, though.


2.5) Portrait detail. I love the tiny cutout of baby Daddy's Daddy pointing at his mom (actually out over the water, but this is better).


2.667) Portrait - this is the picture I painted from. Yes, it doesn't look like her, and yes, that's okay. I may have to try again, though.


3) First posted drawing! Sketch with charcoal (shadows) and chalk (highlights) on gray paper, for figure drawing. Emphasis on maintaining the midtones.


4) Drawing in highlights with white, from figure drawing. More practice with tonalities.



5) First saved drawing, from second class. Drawing the form as geometry, 101.


6) From a couple classes in - practice in foreshortening.


More later!

Signing off,

Egg

eBay.bidz.com.gr...Rachael style.

ALL RIGHTY! Here's the deal. Everybody should know, by now, that familials get first dibs on my art. To that end, we're going to have a little bit of a bidding war, to see who wants which art pieces, whether that be a painting, a poem (written in pretty handwriting, and mebbe illustrated?), a photograph, or some other tidbit from my time in Greece. That way, when I send out my artwork as Christmas/Hannukah gifts, I'll know people are getting stuff they're actually interested in. I will also provide, upon request, more thorough explanations of my inspirations and/or the locales in which I painted/wrote/whatever.

NOTE: I shall be gradually posting more and more photos of paintings, and mebbe even more photos of...um, photos. So, there will be more and more choices.

SO, on this post, under "comments," I want people to say how much they're willing to pay for the art. Now, I have a strict "family doesn't pay" policy concerning art, so you can imagine I'm not looking for money. I'd like to hear what you're willing to give me in terms of, oh, "I bid two hugs and a pretty flower," or "But, I bid two hugs and a picture of your cute lil' cousins!" If you don't care what you get, I'd like knowing that, too, or even, "I just want a painting, I don't care which one!"

We shall see how this goes. I mostly want to see who wants what :)

Bidding will start at "I'll tell you I love you!"

Moozik.

I've been compiling a list of music I want to get. It's either stuff I discovered while here, usually by way of a classmate, or stuff I rediscovered, loved, but never got around to actually acquiring. Soooo, I wanted to transfer the list from my notebook to the blog, since I don't always carry my notebook, so I can't always add to there. I'll write them as I think of them, or as I find them, or as I look in my notebook and copy them down.

Eddie Vedder - esp. "Into the Wild" soundtrack
Chocolat soundtrack - esp. acoustic
Lliam Storms - bloody genius, that one <3
Eels - esp. "It's A Beautiful Day" and "I Don't Need Sleep"
Madredeus - Antologia
Slightly Stoopid - "Closer to the Sun"
Joni Mitchell - "My Old Man"
Nina Simone - "House of the Rising Sun"
Simon and Garfunkel - ...more.
Hartman/Gillespie - "You Go To My Head"

Quotable ideas

I shall add to this as they come up, but lots of people here have lots of interesting things to say. Keep in mind, my having posted them, does not mean I agree with them, but only that they intrigue me.

The problems you face on the canvas are the problems you're facing in real life right now. (Jane)

All ideas are stolen. (Monique)

Never date anyone - when you break up, you inevitably lose stuff. Often, much more than you'd think. (Bryony)

You can't love anybody else if you don't love yourself. (Cori)

What wound did ever heal but by degrees? (William)

"Style" niche

I refuse to find my personal style. Jane mentioned this. Find your own style, and you become convinced that must be how you create art, you begin to copy yourself, and all your creative energy drains away in the face of your need to conform to your own skill set...or so you believe. I revel in my competitiveness, and my inability to attain satisfaction. I am developing the ability to know when to stop, to know when a picture is good enough - that is, when, despite my own continuing frustrations, I can know the rest of the world will find my art adequate. However, I have no desire to suppress my competitive instincts to the point that my ego bloats, and I can no longer learn from my colleagues. I stare at Chris' gorgeous landscape, and immediately the painting which, only a second ago, I had been quite proud of, becomes a kindergarten project, not even worthy of attention. Almost instantly, my self-preserving psyche kicks in, reminding me that he thought my painting was beautiful, and that my belief in his superiority is nothing more than a chance to learn. I'll see Jules' tomato, and wonder at the insufficiency of my own pomegranate, before remembering that she loves her tomato no more, or even less, than I love my pomegranate, and I look at her painting with new eyes, analyzing her skills to see what I can learn from her, what I can draw from her experience and personal techniques. Not a single one of my paintings looks like the other, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

If they ever make an art book of my work, only the signature will tie the pieces together.

And even that changes day to day.

To one of the most magnificent women I have ever had the pleasure to know.

Gramma,

I will miss you terribly, every time I think of spitting from heights, applying to college (or law school), making candles, or empresses. I love you with all my heart. I will sing for you, wherever you may be, be it heaven, limbo, or flying among the stars. I know without a doubt that you lived a life worth living, a rich life full of fun, good family, and unending love, both given and received. I want to thank you for always wanting to see me, for asking about me whenever you talked to my Dad, who I know you loved to no end. I want to thank you for every goofy story about my dad, daddy's daddy, and great uncles, and for teaching me about what it means to be a powerful, self-confident woman who knows who she is, embraces it, and embraces everyone around her, just as fully. I truly admired and admire you, and seeing you was and will always be a joy.

I miss you already.

All the love I can give,

Rachael

The world is full of awesome things.

I just found this site. I love it.

My new goal is to read one thing from it every two weeks, at least.

It's a good pick-me-up :)

[and helps to see the good in little stuff...which is one of my favorite things]

1000 Awesome Things

Oil Painting, round two!

1) Still life (assignment no. 1) - Earth palette (black, white, burnt sienna, yellow ochre) plus ultramarine blue, later on. First of two constantly infuriating still lives, but I think it turned out okay.


2) Still life (assignment no. 2) - more Earth palette. Still infuriating. Same vase, totally different look. Confused about own style. Irritated by canvas folds. Eventually, Jane told me to "not even look at them anymore." Moved on.


3) Fourth impressionist piece - experiment in painting landscapes, painting more from life. Difficulty in fixing the painting post-facto after having left the beach, with the picture vaguely in my head, but no desire to return to the actual scene and the impracticality of a windy cave for painting. Love the water and the clouds, though. Heavily edited.


4) Second impressionist painting - redone foray into impressionist painting to ensure it wasn't a one-off success, beginner's luck, whatever. It wasn't, and I still love it. Painted stylized tree...not a really exciting topic, but fun, nonetheless.


4.5) Picture of impressionist tree, or Shawn's "hugging tree."


Do enjoy, yes? More soon - I'm in love with this new still life splatter thingy I did, but just finished it, so neeeeeed to photograaaaaaph.

Signing off,

Egg

Oil painting, round 1.

'Tis time for the first round of Rachael's painting postings!

1) Experiment in construction - i.e. can I make a painting in strips? Answer, yeeees, but it'd be more practical to cut an already painted canvas up. We'll see how it looks off the stretcher.


2) First attempt at painting the night sky - semi-impressionist style, but faaaaar too light, so will be trying again, soon.


3) Reflection assignment - paint something, anything, that involves a reflection of some sort. I taped a yellow plastic Christmas ornament on the top of my easel, and painted the reflection of my studio behind me. Very satisfying, and a cool memory, to boot!


3.5) Reflection assignment - detail.


4) Impressionist assignment - paint something from life in the impressionist style, which emphasizes optical color mixing, and texture, among other things. Look it up, it's really cool. My favorite painting yet!


4.5) Impressionist assignment - detail.


4.667) The front door of the school, which is what I painted for the Impressionist assignment! [Also viewable on the website, aegeancenter.org]


More later!

Signing off,

Egg

Mostly for my wonderful family members, but in honor of all veterans...

HAPPY VETERAN'S DAY!

With love from Greece,

Egg

More Grecian pictures!

These pictures are all from the first few hikes, specifically the first and third. Somehow, I always end up on the odd-numbered hikes, and miss the ones in between...

Happy Birthday, Arno! (plus some pictures of my art!)

...better pictures of my paintings coming, I promise. And mebbe more poems, or prints, or something, but they're less exciting.