10 Minutes 'Til Sleep: NYT Crossword Puzzle

If I am not drawing ten minutes before falling asleep, then I am working on a New York Times crossword puzzle.  I have a year's worth on a calendar.  As you can see, I'm already on July 15 of this year - a little ahead of myself.


10 Minutes 'Til Sleep is a series of ink drawings created from my bed just before going to sleep.

10 Minutes 'Til Sleep: Ceramic Bulls

Sleeping at a friends house, I had a wonderful pair of battling ceramic bulls to draw.  They are two separate bulls that were posed battling each other.

10 Minutes 'Til Sleep is a series of ink drawings created from my bed just before going to sleep.

10 Minutes 'Til Sleep: Lamp with Wonky Top

It is a swing arm lamp and the finial on top is very wonky.
10 Minutes 'Til Sleep is a series of ink drawings created from my bed just before going to sleep.

Drawing: Red Pepper in Ink

I've been busy drawing lately. This is an ink drawing of a red pepper that I had previously made a painting of (see here). Obviously, you can't tell its red.  You'll have to trust me on that. You'll also have to trust me when I say that the image is slightly blurry because the ink bled on the paper, not because the scan is wonky. It gives the original an interesting look.

Oil Paint: Beer Bottle Top

This is a 3.5" x 2.5" oil painting on canvas. At a birthday party/house warming party, a friend gave me a bottle of home brew.  It came in a bottle with a metal clasp corking the bottle.  The stopper is white with a pink gasket sealing the bottle.

I am enjoying making these small paintings.  I am currently working on a 2" x 2" painting of a bottle cap. They are quick and need to be simple in composition to work well. The internet gave rise to the ACEO, which stands for "Art Cards Editions and Originals." The only rule to ACEO paintings is that they are 2.5" x 3.5" in dimension. You can now find these small white canvases sold in art stores.

I continue to work on larger works, too. But they take longer and the small paintings give followers an update on what I am doing more often than the larger works.

Oil Paint: Salt and Pepper Shakers on Old Gesso Surface

A 4" x 4" oil painting on panel. The gesso on the panel is from an old recipe using hide glue and plaster. It is old school and I love the surface it creates.  Sometimes, with the new pre-gessoed panels I find the surface too slick. The pre-gessoed panels are spray painted with a latex or chemical based gesso that has additives to make it sprayable.   This allows for uniformity and efficiency.  Having painted on this old style surface, it feels to me like a fresco.  The paint draws into the gesso instead of sitting on top of it - almost as if it stains the surface. I can see how oil paint can layer (glaze) and create depth into the panel instead of paint building up on top of the surface. Very fascinating.  I will be experimenting more with this substrate as I can find the time to make more panels.