October 23, 27 & 28 - 8 Hours

Background detail

 Lapse in blogging/lapse in motivation.  It's not that I don't have an incredible amount of stress motivation to finish my portfolio by the quickly approaching deadlines...because I do.  Life is starting to really conflict with studio time, and the unfortunate reality of having a time-consuming full time job is leaving me exhausted these days.  I'm trying to channel my undergrad lifestyle of going to class, working 8 hours and then going back to the studio for hours before sleeping for a few hours and repeating the same thing the next day.  Perhaps I'm getting to old for that?  Forcing myself to go to the studio is only half the battle; I have to make some progress too!

Soundtrack - Bear in Heaven (I Love You, It's Cool), Death Cab for Cutie (Transatlanticism), Amanda Palmer (Theatre is Evil), The Shins (Chutes Too Narrow), Gary Clark Jr. (Blak and Blu), Dry the River (Shallow Bed), Cat Power (Sun), Local Natives (Gorilla Manor), Washed Out (Within and Without)

Piece(s) worked on - Syndee; building/stretching/priming new canvases

I've always shied from landscapes because I'm simply not interested in painting leaves/trees/water, etc.  When something is difficult, it's a good challenge -- this is one of the reasons that I love painting the face.  So the challenge of a lake scene was...challenging...but also really frustrating and time consuming.  However, I'm very pleased with the outcome and how impressionistic it ended up being.

Background is finally finished!

Not a happy brush anymore - I am way too rough with these delicate instruments.

October 22 - 3 Hours

Monday - Another beautiful fall evening in the studio with my windows open....Sydnee came by to see my progress and it was a joy to have her sitting next to me while painting her.  

Soundtrack - Radiohead (Hail to the Thief, In Rainbows, Kid A, The King of Limbs)

Piece(s) worked on - Sydnee.  Things seemed to come together with the layers nicely today.  I'm quite excited about it :)

October 21 - 8 Hours

Sunday - Funday = Studio Day.  It was gorgeous, perfect fall weather today.  Thank you, windows for allowing me not to miss it.  Thanks also to my sister for bringing me lunch & her little urchins in to run around for a few minutes.  It was a nice break!

Soundtrack - The Beatles (Revolver, Rubber Soul, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band, Help, Let it Be, Magical Mystery Tour), Passion Pit (Manners), Phoenix (It's Never Been Like That), Meshell Ndegecollo (Weather)

Piece(s) worked on - Laurie; Nik; making new canvases.  I've had issues today keeping on task with one painting.  Good thing I have more than one going right now.  And nothing breaks up painting like stretching and priming canvases.  I stretched & gessoed 3 new ones and applied the first layer of ground on 5 others.  Felt good to accomplish something today!

October 19 - 2 Hours

Friday - After 3 days off in the middle of the week, today seemed like a Monday and a Friday all in the same day.  So confused.

Soundtrack - eeeeeh, Top-40-guilty-pleasure night apparently - Rihanna (Loud), Lady Gaga (The Fame Monster)

Piece(s) worked on - Nik.  But, Nik was done, right?  Yeah, about that...I decided I wasn't happy with the face.  So, much like I did with Lindsay's portrait, I started with a new layer of shadow color.  And then...re-did the entire face.  I realized I put 10 extra pounds on him.  {how terrible}  Also, working with a depth of field idea, I chunked up the paint a bit and am going to try to make the face more blurry and subdued.  Because, you know, I don't have enough to do and am not anxious at all about getting 20 done, I decide to re-do one.

newface

October 18 - 8 Hours

Thursday - The past few days I've been driving around Iowa, Illinois & Indiana looking at MFA programs.  The experience was incredibly valuable and has filled me with even more excitement to get this show on the road.  I got home earlier than planned and so had a day off at home today which led me to spend almost all day in the studio.  So happy/tired/excited.  Going to the non-art bill-paying job tomorrow morning is going to be that much harder.

Soundtrack - Neko Case (Middle Cyclone), Al Green (I'm Still in Love With You), Heartless Bastards (Arrow), Phantogram (Eyelid Movies & Nightlife), Beach House (Bloom), Lord Huron (Lonesome Dreams) 

Piece(s) worked on - Eric; Lindsay; Sydnee.  I finished Eric (and love it) and worked more (again) on Lindsay.  I didn't have the fleshy glow right in her portrait and I think I finally did get it tonight.  Pictures coming once the paint is dry.

Eric - done!

So happy with how this bit worked!!

So many canvases to make & prime:

Also got a good 1st figure layer on Sydnee's piece done.  

Sydnee in her place - running around Lake of the Isles

Flickr Portfolio

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephguidera

Sometimes my website is slow on the uptake.  In my flickr stream (linked above) are all the photos that *should* be on the website.

October 13 - 5 Hours

Saturday - Open Studio Day for Vine Art Center/Ivy Art Building.  The day was rainy, which is perfect creative weather.  Not so perfect for enticing visitors.  However, the slow foot traffic was conducive to a very productive day.  Thanks to all who came out (friends & strangers alike), your presence was wonderful!

My salon-style studio wall

Soundtrack - Grizzly Bear (Shields), The Lumineers (The Lumineers), Frightened Rabbit (The Midnight Organ Fight), Frightened Rabbit (Winter of Mixed Drinks), Tallest Man on Earth (There's No Leaving Now), Cat Power (Sun)

Piece(s) worked on - Eric.  Almost done.

October 11 - 2 Hours

Thursday - Another productive work-exercise-studio day.  This is a good routine.  Perhaps I'll stick with it a while.

Soundtrack - Band of Horses (Everything All the Time), Feist (Let it Die), Gotye (Making Mirrors)

Piece(s) worked on - Eric.  Getting more done on the first layer.  Maybe will only get one done this week :/

October 14 - 4 Hours

Sunday - I watched The Big Lebowski today and ate an entire pack of bacon.  And this blog just became way too personal.  So here's stuff about art I also made today.....

Soundtrack - Sharon van Etten (Tramp), Sharon van Etten (Epic), Lord Huron (Lonesome Dreams), Husky (Forever So)

Piece(s) worked on - Eric; Sydnee; Laurie

Almost done, for real this time.

Sketch/1st layer for Sydnee

Sketch/1st layer for Laurie.  Love this texture so much.

October 10 - 2.5 Hours

Wednesday - Today I forced myself to go for a run after work.  This was a good thing.  I had a rather productive evening with all that energy I acquired from being active.  Maybe it is true what they say?

Soundtrack - The Pines (Dark so Gold), Perfume Genius (Put Your Back N2 It, Learning, then Put Your Back N2 It again #obsessed)

Piece(s) worked on - Colin; Eric.  I know, I know, Colin was done.  But I just did some more beard work today.  NOW he's done.  And here's the update on Eric:

impressioning 

those lips!

October 8 - 2.5 Hours

Monday.  Ugh.  Getting back in the swing of things and dreading determined to make up for my complete studio failure last week.  2 paintings in one week; can she do it?!  Watch her try...

Soundtrack - Stars (North) lovelovelovelovelove this new album, Radiohead (In Rainbows, Kid A)

Piece(s) worked on - Colin (finished); Eric.  Sketch work on - Sydnee; Laurie.

Finished!  #beard

Good start! #feelingexclaimy

October 7 - 6 Hours

Well, that was easy to get a week behind...

Soundtrack - The National (High Violet), Elliott Smith (Figure 8), Neko Case (Blacklisted), Arcade Fire (Funeral), Django Django (Django Django), Rufus Wainwright (Out of the Game)

Piece(s) worked on - Colin; Eric.

Colin - done except for hair/beard highlights

Eric - my friends like to wear stripes