Wah?

So, today was another day where I didn't feel so well. I woke up at 5 a.m. and couldn't get back to sleep so I had breakfast. Then I went back to bed by about 7 because I just didn't feel like I could stay up. My stomach was feeling really badly. So, I went back to bed and slept until about noon.

That's just the truth. A lot of times I just don't write about how crappy I'm feeling. I never know when I'm going to have a good day or a bad day. I had few days in a row where I actually felt a bit better, was planning on starting to exercise, but now I'm aching and, bah. . . .

But, I did get another painting almost completed today. It should be done tomorrow.

George started talking with me about selling the house (as much as I want to move out of here I know he won't be left with much to put down on another house and I really don't want to move lower down on the socio-economic ladder than I already have to go to school.)

But then, I guess you can't go lower than below poverty level.

O.K., so now it's almost 2:20 a.m. and I really do have to get up tomorrow and get something done. So, it's off to oxygen bed with me.

Everything's gonna be O.K., I just have to put my trust in God again, and again, and again.

I'm up! Don't ask me why.

At almost 7:30 in the morning (a Sunday morning) I am wide awake and my back is already killing me.

Oh well, I imagine I will find something to do to take my mind off that (since my BFA show is in about a month and I need to make more paintings to fill those gallery walls.)

I just love painting.

Right now, I'm working on a self-portrait from 1989. Back then, I was a svelte, tan, long-haired babe. And, I looked so fabo in my strapless silk dress and big, gaudy rhinestone earrings. What a great time in my life this was. I felt good and I looked good too! A winning combo for sure.

George and I were in Orlando, Florida, at the time this painting will reference, attending a convention. I remember going to the convention and then hanging around for an extra week to visit Universal and Sea World.

I'd have to get in shape now to do all that walking . . .

I'm glad I have an appreciation for that now that I'm slowly decomposing (while I compose on the canvas.)

O.K., enough complaining about my cranky body and off to the paint!

So, the latest painting

I finally took a picture of this painting that I meant to post last night.

This oldie but goodie is from 1963, and my first communion.

Here goes . . . .



I know the colors don't come across on the monitor as they look in person. I think this painting is my favorite yet . . .

A Bad Day in Art School Is Still Better Than a Good Day in the Cubicle!

I got to the studio around 1:30 p.m. and started to work on my latest self-portrait; a pic of me from back in 1963, when I made my first communion.

My dad, bless his heart, is not the best of photographers. And, true to form, my eyes are half closed in the original picture.

On top of that, being that it was an old black and white photo, it's all scratched and dented, so to speak. But, I was able to transform it into a living-color-self-portrait and it kind of freaked me out.

Why? Well, because it felt the closest to conveying a feeling that any of my other work has.

And, I'm sorry to leave you all (who ever you are) in suspense, but I forgot to bring my camera with me to the studio today so you'll have to wait until tomorrow to see a picture.

And, that's just as well, since I need to add some finishing touches tomorrow anyway.

Ciao!

Saturday night . . . Work In Progress

I'm still wrapping up the wonder years. . . but I guess I'm getting a bit too obsessed about the clothes in this portrait. Stripes! Yikes!

Here's the latest:



I had a good, if short, day in the studio.

Now that I take a closer look at it, compared to my source photo, I've got to go back and reshape a part of the head. . . . .dang!

So, I'm going to head up to bed, turn on the oxygen and hopefully get a good night's sleep.

Problems with Oxygen

So, I've got this oxygen tank in my bedroom now and apparently I still haven't figured out how to properly use it. How do I know this? Well, if I have the thing hooked up properly before I go to sleep at night I awake in the morning feeling refreshed, and, if I don't have it hooked up properly then I don't wake up in the morning, I end up waking up in the afternoon, feeling half-dead, which makes my day all screwed up according to the chronological clock by which the rest of the world works.

So, today I did the latter which is why I'm typing this blog at 5:15 p.m. (after just having had my morning cereal and tea.)

I've got exactly 7 weeks until my senior show at Alfred University. I'm not freaking out though. It seems as though my health problems have come as a sort of blessing (no surprise there) that takes my mind off my first exhibition and makes it seem unimportant in the greater schemes of survival.

Not that I'm not putting my full effort into my show, it's just that I've learned to trust that all will be O.K., just as it always has turned out to be.

Case in point: I submitted my senior show application without a partner and got my own PRIVATE (or semi-private) exhibition space! I don't know of anyone else who has a space to themselves. . . well maybe one other person.

My plans are to complete three more 16 by 20 self-portraits and then one larger one of me standing, clad in my graduation day outfit that overlooks the whole exhibition.

And yes, I know what I am wearing to graduation and my senior show.

Today's task is to get to the market and pick up a few things, come home and paint and pack up some stuff to take to the studio tomorrow.

Think I can do it? Oh yes.

So, long time . . . no post!

Well, I've been under the weather, and running around here and there to find out why.

It's one of those projects that I almost wish I hadn't undertaken but maintenance on the plant gets more and more complicated as the equipment ages.

The latest 'discovery' is that I have sleep apnea. So, now I have an oxygen machine in my bedroom. Now, at least I can get up and stay up for the day not being quite as exhausted as I've been feeling for a while.

Thanks to finally finding a decent MD (actually, she's really fabulous, caring, and has a great personality) I've been able to find out what's going on internally and take some steps toward better health care (and hopefully, better health.)

So, I've been working slowly on the latest self-portrait. This one is from the beginning of the 'wonder years'. I think I was either ten or eleven-years-old in this portrait. And, although I still believe it's from the most physically hideous time of my life, it turned out to be the best portrait so far.



And besides the portrait I also found out that I'll have my own INDIVIDUAL exhibition space at the senior show. Cool, eh?

So y'all, let me know what you think.

And remember, if you can make it up to Alfred, N.Y. the senior shows start on Saturday, May 8th!