An update

Well I haven't been painting lately that's for sure, but that doesn't mean I haven't been creating.

I've been working non-stop in my new position scheduling and planning logistics for deployment of several crews province wide.  It's been a steep learning curve but so far I seem to be holding my own.

I've been working on a dollhouse for mom for Christmas, and it's almost completed.  This should atone for the one I butchered when I was little and impatient and didn't want to do a good job, just a job :)

And to top it all off I'm moving this weekend.  I realized that I haven't even been out of the city yet this summer, so next weekend I am so getting the hell out of Cowtown, it's a personal goal now lol.

I will also try to keep this more up to date once I get to the new digs, I'm hoping having an office again will make it easier to stay on top of this stuff.

And here in its unscabby final glory is the finished fishbitch chestplate.

The New Ride

A little late in posting this, but better late than never (or such was my motto whilst using transit).  I purchased my first brand new set of wheels about two months ago.  I had been spending 3 hours a day on transit to get to work and finally had enough as winter rapidly approached.  My timing was rather impeccable, I picked up the car the day before our first snowstorm :)

It's a Focus coupe, I had been looking at the avengers but they just didn't fit right.  I had seen a few of these coupes flying around town but they were notoriously difficult to come by.  Lucky for me, the one I managed to find was fully loaded, leather, auto, AC, power everything, heated everything, SYNC, high-mount spoiler, 17" rims, fits a 6'3 frame great .. as long as said frame doesn't have to go in the back for any reason.  I can't say I'm thrilled about car payments for the next five years, but they're still less than fixing the old beater.

Chest plate progression

I endured another sitting for my chest plate yesterday - and it's finally starting to take shape!  It was the longest sitting by far at 5 hours, and the most excruciating.  You will have to pardon the plasma sheen that's covering it right now as the pic was taken a few hours after I hobbled out.

It should be finished in May with the anchor water and clouds being filled in along with any touch ups.

The Kids

I have had the pleasure of meeting someone who's certainly a bigger green geek than I am.  Said someone is also a personality that tends to bring out my competitive side.  Fashioning myself a bit of a green thumb for no other reason than any plant I ignore thrives or at least lives (the minute I turn my attention to them is when they meet their ultimate demise you see), I have found myself collecting more and more houseplants.  I suspect the cat may even start to be getting jealous as my daily ritual of spritzing and watering has replaced the traditional "throw the toilet water soaked mouse toy" game of yester-year.

My first new addition was a tiny orchid I will here name Hugo.  A tiny frail thing, I was informed that it would die within the month of root rot and that I should relish living in an age of disposable beauty.  I was of course appalled that someone would add to their carbon footprint in such a manner (as if fashionable at this time) and more-so motivated by my affinity towards the underdog .  It became my mission to keep this tiny orchidling alive - nay - thriving against all odds.  I promptly started to ignore it.

Hugo bloomed and bloomed and bloomed his little heart out.  When he stopped I promptly snipped off his flower thingamijig to the horror of everyone around me.  I figure he can use a rest from the pressures of blooming and concentrate on living.  As the months went on it became apparent that Hugo was outgrowing his tiny pot.  He was literally spilling over the sides so I decided - against all advice given - to repot him in the dead of winter. After such a radical burst of attention I shall have to put him in a room by himself and never so much as peek in if he's going to survive.

As Hugo had finished with his blooming and he had to be ignored so that he may live, I collected an assortment of other plants.  A cycad, several succulents, a purple fuzzy thing that grows fuzzier every time the cat nuzzles up to it pleading for it to play toilet mouse, and two more orchids, and a pineapple top.

I will add pictures of the other two orchids so that we may now all bask in their glory - for I have just re-potted them as well and this splendor is sure to be short-lived.

Nestled in there you will see there's also an African Violet as well..

As stated prior, I am also attempting to rear a pine-apple.  Easier said than done in the harsh winter climate of western Canada.  They're a touch tedious to start but a remarkable plant once they get going.  All one has to do to have their very own pineapple is .. well... buy a pineapple.  But after you buy it and before you get to enjoy it, you rip the top off and peel back the bottom 3 - 6 rows of leaves.  As you remove them you will expose roots that the fruit has already started to develop in anticipation of landing on tropical soil.  Firmly push the pineapple top into a pot of moist, moderately packed soil, and water.

The pineapple top will slowly begin to look terrible.  Cut the terrible bits off as they form and soon you'll have a stumpy looking thing much like this.  Patience however is key, for after this ugly stage the top will begin to turn back to green from the sickly nursing home beige you've grown to abhor by this point.  New growth will begin near the centre and then it's only a matter of time until you have a dark green broad plant.  The leaves on the healthy plant are extremely sharp, be forewarned.



And that, dear friends, is how I keep myself busy when I am feeling too damn lazy to work on any of the canvases laying scattered around my house.

Current Work in Progress

My current work in progress is a city-scape.  I have always loved paintings of cities (except those involving "matchstick men" - more on that later).  If a canvas is able to capture the energy that comes from millions of people living in a small area, well it's a brilliant thing to behold.  This painting was inspired by another work I had seen in a gallery not so very long ago, and thankfully it has taken on none of the energy of that canvas becoming something rather more unique.  I'm so glad I can't copy well :)

It started as experimentation, the sky painted in with acrylic and blended with water, then a liberal coat of urethane and the buildings placed on top of that.  All the work was done with a 3" brush so detail wasn't an option (which is a leap for me).  I added the buildings in layers towards the foreground and then blended the structures together with woodstain, salt, and acrylic paint.  It is still a work in progress (WIP), but thus far I am quite pleased with it.

What I like most about it is that it's not bright and sunny, but it isn't overly depressing nor jaded either.  The warmth of the canvas doesn't detract from the grittiness that comes from an urban space.  

Update: Jan. 22

I've attempted to take away the "stacked book" feel of the front row of buildings by building up a more complex texture, in this case wood shingles and brickwork and tinted the woodstain to bring in more colour.  I've also added metallic silver paint to some of the buildings to contrast them a touch more from the sky.  This canvas looks amazing in the evening but I can't quite get it to look right in the high noon sun.  Sadly, still a work in progress.