Texture Town And A New Work In Progress . . .

Don't have too much to show you this week as far as painting.  Have been stressed out yet again this time its because Lou's german shepherd Toby is failing.  He was diagnosed with cancer a few months ago but he is 13  years old and his back legs are no longer working.  It is just so sad to watch it all unfold.  It has not even been a year since we lost Bosco.  No matter how old they are it is still so heartbreaking.  

Anyway, I was able to get a new canvas started the other night.  I am taking yet another online class, my third with Julie Prichard and Chris Cozen over at the Land of Lost Luggage.  This one is called "Texture Town".  How cool is that name!  I am having fun watching a marathon of videos as they are all available when you sign up.  The classes are so affordable and there is never a time limit and you always get very prompt instructor feedback no matter how long the class has been up.   You can check out the available classes they offer HERE.  If you have not taken a class with them I highly recommend  it!  

Not sure where I am going with this canvas but wanted to share where I am at so far!  I got frustrated and stuck so this is where I am at for now.  I love brown and dark blue's together.  I am thinking that is the direction my colors will be heading.  

I will keep you posted on how this progresses!  

Sharing over at Paint Party Friday.  

xo

Wordless Wednesday

                                        © cathy bueti

Leave Me Alone Lady . . .

I am guessing Rocky did not want to be disturbed 

for this photo op!

What do you think??

Angels And Poetry . . .

I sketched this angel Thursday night during my late night creative rush.  So as promised here she is!  I worked very fast and find her to have more emotion in her face than I can typically express when I sketch.  I haven't sketched angels in forever.  I like her.  I tried to keep it loose and even laughed when I started adding scribbles to her wings.  lol

I also wrote a few poems inspired by an exercise in Misty Mawn's book "Unfurling".  I used to write poetry all the time years ago.  Typically late at night, listening to music in the dark, getting out my angst.  It felt good to get back to it.  

Petals in the sky

tell a deeper fire

hands cover the river

on the long journey home

I sit and wait in solitude . . . 

I am sharing this girl over at Sunday Sketches.  Wishing you a lovely day.

xo

Crimson And Raw Umber Palette I Wasn't So Sure Of . . .

untitled

12x12 mixed media on canvas

available on etsy

I wish I had taken photos of this piece in progress.  Sometimes when I get in the zone I forget to grab my camera.  Oh well.  The finished piece will just have to do this time!  These are two colors that I would never had thought to try together.  This color palette is for sure out of my current comfort zone.  But I pushed through and do like the results.  This painting has many layers and was done on a 12x12 wrapped canvas.  It is now in my etsy shop.  :)

I just love using the white out pens for scribbling.  If you have never tried them you should!  So much fun!  And I find that they are more bright white than the sharpie white paint pens.  

Last night I stayed up late writing poetry, sketching an angel, and working on another abstract piece.  I was inspired when I picked up Misty Mawn's book "Unfurling".  I hadn't read through it in a long time.  Once I grabbed it off my book shelf I fell right in.  I was up till after midnight but the house was quiet and it was just me and some art supplies!  I will share some of the that work soon!

Today I am sharing this piece over at Paint Party Friday.  Do stop by if you never been! 

Click HERE!

xo

Man's Best Friend . . .

                                © Cathy Bueti 

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Wordless Wednesday

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An Inspiring Little Girl . . .

A friend of mine posted this video on facebook yesterday.  I just had to share it with all of you.  This is Aelita Andre, a 4 year old artist creating a painting.  What struck me was how in the moment she was just letting  the paint lead her.  She was following her heart.  Just enjoying the moments.  

We should all create this way and live our lives this way savoring each moment.  That is an ongoing struggle for me especially this year.   I hope you take the time to watch this it is so worth it!!

xo

Abstract Undone

I haven't painted much lately but last weekend I grabbed some of my favorite colors, payne's gray, raw umber, titan buff, and white, used my fingers and just played.  I actually haven't used a brush in a while.  I wear gloves though cause I don't want to deal with all that paint on my hands but it still feels good to move the paint around with only my hands.  I wish I had taken progression shots so you could see how this began.  Typically I do but it went so fast I just wasn't paying attention to photographing it along the way.  

Funny that I completed the whole piece horizontal.  And after stepping back I decided that I hated it!  Then I turned it around and it just felt right.  The finger prints in the upper right corner looks like the top of a tree and below the two circles I see a dragonfly.  So cool how that happens.  I scratched into the paint as I went along.  I am not sure if it is completely finished.  I feel like I need to add some letters or numbers with my stencil somewhere.  Hmmmm . . . 

I am sharing over at Paint Party Friday.  If you haven't checked that out yet I highly recommend it!!  There is always such great work being shared and each week an artist is featured!  

Click HERE!

Wishing you all a lovely weekend!

xo

Empire State Building . . . A Before And After

As you can see I am on a photography kick.  Thanks for all the great comments on my orchid post!  Today I thought I would share another before and after this time using one of my NYC photos.  

I took shot this image of the empire state building a few years ago.  I loved the composition of it.  Lou and I were in the city celebrating my 40th birthday and on the way from the restaurant I happened to look up and saw this.  I was glad to have had my camera with me. 

I processed the image in snapseed.  Love this app!  

Here is the original image below . . .

Which one do you prefer?

I will be back tomorrow with a new abstract painting!

xo

Orchid Love . . . A Before And After

                                         

I have a friend who just loves orchids.  I am not an orchid person but when I saw these in the store the other day I just couldn't resist getting them for her.  She loved them.  I took some photos of the orchids in her office.  I was struck by the blue color.  I  had never seen them before.  Neither had she.  Here is the original image . . . 

                                                                      

So gorgeous!  Well, despite how pretty they already were I wanted to amp them up a bit in photoshop.  So I took this image, added some texture, and inverted the image (which I often love to do).  Despite my love of the blue I really love the changes in colors that happened from inverting.  So cool!  

Thought you would enjoy the before and after.  I will be adding the top image as a print to my etsy shop soon!

Hope you are all doing well.  Me and my arm are still on the mend.  I know, its been so long already!  Hard to believe my surgery was april 23.  I had another issue over the weekend with more oozing and it ended up being a stitch trying to fight its way out.  So yesterday it was back to the doc to get it clipped!  I am hoping this is the last leg of this journey.  I haven't spent this much time at a doctor in 11 years!  UGH!  Anyway, it looks much better now and I am looking forward to saying goodbye to bandaids very soon!  lol

xo

My Fav Palette And A New Class!

I am taking yet another new online workshop! lol  This time it is with Juliette Crane.  I just started her "How To Paint A Girl" course.  I have been an admirer of her artwork for sometime now and thought it would be fun to get back to some whimsical girls.  

This piece is on an 8x8 canvas panel.  I went back to my very first favorite palette . . . payne's gray and burnt sienna.  Oh how I missed seeing them together.  I was going for a landscape type scene.  As you can see I tried to incorporate my recent love of scribbles with the scratches I made using my palette knife. So fun to scribble.  I tried some drips as well.  And then I splattered some white paint thinking how much it looked like snow.  I couldn't help add some of the abstract techniques I am learning into the landscape.  I wondered how it would look and I like the results.  

I originally made this as a background for a girl but I think I like it as an abstract landscape.  

What do you guys think?

Sharing over at Paint Party Friday.

xo

Wordless Wednesday

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Missing My Girls And Hearts . . .

I only have a few more days left on these antibiotics and I will be very glad to be done.  I am not tolerating this one well.  My poor digestive system is in a tailspin.  I have even lost my appetite which is so unlike me!  Not much sleep last night so I am a bit cranky today.  I did however grab a pencil and notebook to try and sketch.  I miss these girls.  My favorite part of this one is her hair with the hearts weaved through it.  

Hope you are enjoying your weekend.  I apologize for not responding to all the wonderful comments lately.  I read each one and appreciate them oh so much.  I am just not myself as I have said before.  I haven't wanted to blog but I force myself to because it feels better when I do it. 

Sharing at Sunday Sketches.

xo

Black And White With A Splash of Red

"in the city"

mixed media on watercolor paper

© cathy bueti

Something about black and white that I love.  Maybe its the drama, or maybe its because it goes with everything.  I have done many pieces in black and white with altered photos so this time I decided to try a messy abstract piece with those colors. I completed this whole piece using my fingers instead of brushes.  And then lots of white out pen and black sharpie markers.  I like the splash of red too. 

I painted this last weekend just before I headed to the doctor for my emergency arm thingy.  And haven't painted all week.  I am feeling pretty crappy with this super antibiotic I am taking.  I am halfway through the 10 day cycle.  I will be glad when that is done.  The abscess is healing but my post traumatic stress continues.  I need more art.  I hate feeling so out of sorts.  I need to be kinder to myself. This too shall pass . . . 

Sharing this today at Paint Party Friday. 

Wishing you all a nice weekend  xo