A Finished Object, at last!

I finished Lydia's portrait yesterday in painting class. I am so pleased with it -- I honestly had no idea that I could paint like this. It is SO satisfying to complete a project of this magnitude, especially one with so many potentials for disaster, not the least of which is my beloved daughter never speaking to me again!

I have already begun the undersketch for another portrait. This one will be taken from a very old black and white photo of my mother taken when she was a very young girl. I am looking forward to the increased freedom of *not* having to follow an already-decided-upon color scheme, as well as not having the model looking over my shoulder every week...

Here is where I am on the first of my mixed media collages...

I think it actually looks pretty cool as is. The teacher called for spray paint as the "cover everything" medium, but I am too cheap and also too in love with my new-found ability to throw paint at canvas. Lots of paint! Lots of color!!

This is the only one of its size I have to this point, but I have 2 more big canvasses, 3 medium size canvasses and 4 little bitty ones at various stages of completion. I just wish I knew what was coming next. I am dying to take the next step!

And finally, as if I had all the time in the world to get stuff ready for next week's bazaar, I went and began a new Eni Oken style piece. She posted a similar piece to her blog a week or so ago, and I just *had* to start one similar to it. Strike while the iron is hot and all that...

This is a dreadful picture, but I was too lazy to set up the light tent. These colors aren't quite true, but you get the idea. Beginning at the center, the stones are ametrine, aquamarine, amethyse, rose quartz, another aquamarine, and another amythest. Can you see the tiny green stones that cover the space between the stones? Those are the last of my peridots. I'm so glad that I found such an exciting piece to spend them on.

The wrapping is going much easier this time -- I must be getting the hang of it. There will be another wrapped ametrine and maybe a few other little things dangling from the central silver piece, but I can't start that part until I finish the wrapping, which gives me some time to ponder ideas for the dangle too... I can't wait to finish it. After all... I still have 9 days before everything ELSE has to be finished for the bazaar...

All the time in the world, right?