share your light

"Flutter"

15x30 - oil on canvas

I talked about moths in one of previous post, as I was painting this piece, so I wont go back into it.

BUT I will say that I think I made myself a little more comfortable with these guys in the process. One night a moth got into our house, and instead of smashing it out of fear, I chased it around my house, caught it and released it outside! I did scream the whole time, but hey its a step.

I had a hard time naming this piece. 

She ended up looking so sad, as if shes apologetic for attracted them. 

As they get too close they just end up dying.

Would you like to hold my baby?

"Darling"

20x24 - oil on canvas

This was inspired from old Victorian photographs. 

Proper little darling girls, their hair in perfect curls, in their best clothes.

But she has a different baby than the rest of the girls.  

April and I were talking about bugs (over lunch of course)

She was telling me about a book she read, I dont remember the name, but it was gross and maggots had something to do with part of the story.  We also came up with the title to our show then. 

Well when I got home I drew this sketch up.

Im not all to familiar with what a maggot actually looks like. And since it was going to be painted so big, I figured I had to know. So I google imaged "maggot".....I dont recommend anyone to do that. So gross.

I was having a hard time finding anything that wasnt making me feel ill, so I stopped my search and just did my best painting from memory. 

shes one of my other favorites.

She kind of reminds me and myself as a girl, with my beat up ragged doll. That I loved no matter how bad it looked.

sweet the sting

"Supersedure"

18x24 - oil on canvas

I may have mentioned my dislike of bugs before. 

I really dont understand why I scream like a little girl when a bug is near.

And of course the more legs the bug has the louder the shriek is.

Ive been trying to overcome this and embrace them. 

And although creepy, insects are so interesting!

 So I wrote bugs down in my sketchbook.

Im actually not to afraid of bees. Looking at them dosent give me the heebie jeebies.

So this wasnt too horrible.

This painting almost didnt make it. I Started it and didnt like it. So I put it aside and counted it out of the show pieces. But as the show got closer, I kept looking at it unfinished and felt like I quit, so I started back up with it, and       I'm happy I did. 

The title is the term for when the worker bees overtake the queen bee and kill her. Either because she is getting old, or not doing a good job. They surround her and roll her into a ball and suffocate her. 

I read about this after the piece was finished and was researching about bees, to find a title.

Which is odd because the dress I painted is based off Marie Antoinette's wedding dress.

so far so good

well this winter hasnt been too unbearable. I did take all last week off from painting due too the extreme cold in my studio. But things are starting to thaw out and Im getting back too it.  Heres a little sketch and a WIP shot. This particular piece is going towards our July show "Beautiful Monstrosities" .

great shows lined up so far for the year

Next up in April: Quentin vs Coen. oh yes!

oh and all the pieces from the John Hughes tribute show @ gallery1988 are now up and available online. here.

www.gallery1988.com 

becoming friends with moths

not really. 

For the show in July, there will be lots of inspiration from things that creep me out. Mixed in with things that I think are beautiful. 

Bugs creep me out. I have used bugs in a few pieces in the past, and I always hate searching for reference images.

While searching for Moth images, I kept getting goose bumps thinking they were flying around my head. 

But after looking at so many I dont get shivers. But they can still keep their distance thank you very much. 

dream #5

Ive been having nightmares every night for the past few weeks.

I seem to have a lot of dreams that I am a prisoner. Im captured by some weird cult or crazy person, and placed in some weird random place.

I dreamt last night I was captured and placed into a dark room filled with bugs and a deer.

I must have fallen asleep and when I woke up, all the bugs had made nests on me.

I remember the feeling of them bitting and digging into me as I tried to remove them.

I knew they would keep building their nests onto me and there was nothing I could do.

I remember talking to the deer and begging it to help me get out.

Most times my mind can conjure a way to get out, but this time I couldnt.

I hope these nightmares end soon. Im starting to dislike going to sleep.