Celeste - Finished Painting

I spent a good deal of my day today painting and it felt so good!

Meet Celeste. She really speaks to me. She is so calm.

I'm not sure what she is looking at or studying, but it certainly has captured her attention. Maybe she is at a concert and looking at the program...

I know I've said it before, but painting on a layer of plaster of paris is wonderful. It is so smooth and gives the whole painting such a different texture and finish. I love it!

Celeste
acrylic painting on plaster of paris
8 x 10 inch canvas baord

Available here in my Etsy shop.

I hope you had a great Tuesday!! I'm off to take a peek at your blogs...

❧ Silke

Underpainting and Rocket Launch!

After two days in the kitchen cooking and baking, last night I had the overwhelming desire to paint again. I had the feeling this might happen. Being in the kitchen always sorts everything out for me.

So, this morning I sat down and did this underpainting. I worked for about an hour and it felt like five minutes - that's what I love about painting: getting totally lost in the process!

So far so good. This afternoon I'll start working over her with some color. Oh, and I LOVE painting on the plaster of paris. What a great texture. So smooth. 

Now, something completely different because the Mars Rover Curiosity successfully landed on Mars a few hours ago. 

You can see my dad and me in the crowd of spectators

Daniel, my dad and I were lucky enough to witness the launch of the rocket that would take the rover to Mars on November 26, 2011.

It was one of those bigger than life moments!

And then it took off!

We watched it for a good long while before the first sound waves reached us.

 What a roar! You could feel it!

It was amazing!

 And back then we talked about how long it would take for it to reach Mars.

And now it has landed and is sending the first images back to earth. Incredible!! 

Daniel did a beautiful little watercolor sketch of the launch. Click here and it will take you to his sketch blog. 

Wishing you a Magical Monday!!

❧ Silke

Back to Center

Thank you all who left comments on my last post with such great suggestions on how I could regain my inspiration. The one I heard most clearly was: don't force it. Just have fun with it all! That's when I realized that I simply don't feel like painting at the moment. I might again this afternoon or tomorrow or in a month, but right now, I don't. 

And then I thought about what always brings me back to center. Always! Even as a teenager. And that is baking. It doesn't really matter what. Baking puts me right back into my happy place.  It's the process that calms me, that orders my thoughts, that allows me to be in the moment.

And nothing more so than bread. Not the quick bread I usually make (see here for recipe), but the slower method.

It's the measuring, mixing, kneading, waiting while it rises, kneading again, forming the loaves, waiting again for another rising, and again while it bakes that is so soothing to me. I can't really describe it. It gives me the feeling that all is well with me and world around me.

The resulting loaves of delicious, fluffy, crunchy bread are just a happy side effect of the process I love so much. The bread I made here uses 7-grain-cereal and is wonderful! Click here for the recipe. It's well worth making!

This morning I had a slice of it toasted with some honey. Heavenly!!

And with that I wish you a most wonderful start to your weekend!

❧ Silke

Sketch for New Painting

After my last post I did go up to my studio to start on a new painting on the canvas board I prepped with plaster of paris (click here to see). I LOVE the surface after I sanding it for a bit and giving it a layer of gesso.

And I like the sketch just fine and am looking forward to doing the underpainting, but somehow I'm not feeling the inspiration that usually takes a hold of me.

I feel as though I've lost my art mojo... and it's freaking me out a little bit.

So, my fellow creatives, here's my question to you: What do you do to get your inspiration back?

❧ Silke

I'm captivated ...

... by our two datura plants at the moment.

When we lived in New Mexico, we had a couple of bushes of the simple white datura in our yard.

They grew wild there and flowered prolifically. Each day, I would cut a flower and bring it inside. They only stayed fresh for a day, but the scent was intoxicating!

This spring, a friend gave us some little datura plants she had grown from seeds last year and now they are blooming.

They are so stunning!

And they smell just as good as the simple ones we had in New Mexico.

And with that I am heading up to my studio to make some art! 

Wishing you a terrific Thursday!! 

❧ Silke