Category: painting

sketchbook 6/18 – 6/24 and current obsessions

June 30, 2017

by annwood

The sketch book posts don’t usually get included in the blog page but I made an exception this week for a couple reasons. Mostly because I had a good week – I liked everything I made last week – that hardly ever happens. There’s even a naked lady.

And I wanted to tell you about my current obsession with Staffordshire Pottery and how that came about. I love looking at other people’s stuff. I want to look in your windows and open your drawers. I want to stop by when you are not expecting guests and look at everything. I came across this blog lately: The Bible of British Taste.

And I love everything about it – the houses, the art, the stuff, the textiles- on and on. This house in Scotland is my favorite post. That’s where I came across Staffordshire and there is just something about them – formal, sweet and quirky – all at the same time. You’ll also find some Chinese portraits there that have inspired.

Check it out – I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Also – For the next few weeks any way – I’ll be adding little paintings to the shop each Thursday.

my new favorite paint and songbirds on my work table

June 15, 2017

by annwood

I’m particular about paint. I like very flat color. I’ve been using Holbein acrylics for a while and the last time I went to pick some up I discovered something new – or new to me – from Holbein to try – Mat Acrylic.

They come in big tubes and the colors are flatter than flat. Very opaque too. They flow beautifully on paper and the finish of the paint when dry is almost paper-like itself. They are unlike anything I’ve tried before – the closest comparison I could make would be gouache which I find difficult to work with. Also – in case you are wondering – I paint my little squares on hot press watercolor paper. I like fluid 100 and Arches.

And lovely Sri indigos and teals. Teal is the color that is on my mind lately – smokey and mysterious. I’m working on things for the shop and will add these as soon as they’re finished – possibly tomorrow , more likely Saturday. I also have some rag doll experiments in the works, including some Fortuny rag dolls I’m excited about.

Thanks to everybody who entered last week’s book give away – the winning number (chosen by a random number generator) is 330. I’ll be sending an email your way Annie L. for address info. If you would like to order a copy of Stitch-Illo you can find it here.

painting and drawing everyday

March 1, 2017

by annwood

There are things that make my life and brain work better. Sketchbook – painting and drawing everyday, whether I want to or not, is one of them. So my daily practice is back. And I have three hopes for it:

1. That I can be consistent – that I build a solid enough habit that it doesn’t fall apart when I get extra busy.

2. That it leads me into larger work – my original intention was to turn the experiments I like into larger pieces – paintings, illustrations – maybe even fabric, I’ve yet to do that. I find the idea terribly intimidating.

3. And to increase my success rate. Last time I made 511 little squares. When I started I had no plans to sell them but I felt good enough about some of them to offer them in the shop. Only about 10% made the cut. As I begin the practice again I’m doing it with the awareness that I intend to sell some of them and it does change my feelings about making them. I think I’m much less likely to phone it in when I’m feeling lazy or distracted. It’s a little extra pressure I think I need. Series 2 paintings will begin to be available sometime this month. You can sign up here if you’d like an email notification.

After some initial misery and resistance and a lovely mix of self flagellation, anxiety and doubt I’m finding some rhythm and building a routine again. I did a few things to remove obstacles – make it easy for myself to show up. I spend some time Sunday cutting up the squares (hot press water color paper) so they are ready to go. And I make marks on some of them – splatter ink, scribble something or paint a background color – in case the blank paper is too much. So helpful. My paints and other supplies are organized and easy to get to. And ideally I like to start after 10 minutes of deliberate day dreaming – it usually puts me in the right brain place – a receptive place. So does my sound app – still Wind through Pines – it’s magic for me.

You can find my first week back at it here and I’ll post each week on Saturday. So far goats and pigeons are very much on my mind…….

small art

December 13, 2016

by annwood

Updated – I’ve just added about 20 more to the shop – the last of series 1.

For the first time ever – there are paintings in the shop – little paintings – things I created over a period of about a year and a half as part of my daily art practice. I took what was intended to be a short break from that practice in August – and you know how that sort of thing goes – I never resumed. I miss it – and I’m planning to start again in 2017 – still working out the details of exactly what the will be.

The little works are paint and pencil (occasionally some collage) on hot press paper or bristol – 4 and 1/2 X 4 and 1/2 inches and they arrives boxed.

Of the 511 little paintings I made I’m choosing my favorites for the shop – I’ve added twenty today and if this works out I’ll add more.

Letting go of them is a little painful. I’ve changed my mind about it several times but ultimately concluded that what I need from them stays with me and I would very much like to put paintings and drawings out into the world.

Click here to see all available the paintings.

patience

November 3, 2013

by annwood

I made this painting for the class I’m taking with Lilla Rogers Studio. My assignment this week was to create wall art in a limited palette and incorporating at least one word and botanical imagery. I made myself miserable for 24 hours and then I had a marvelous time for 24 hours.

drawing and painting

December 21, 2012

by annwood

I used to draw and paint a lot.

merriwether lewis 2005 (after the Charles Willson Peale portrait)

west side water park 2005

illustration for film poster 2005

And my begining here, this blog, was making marks on paper – the cardboard horse project.

And then all of a sudden I was sewing. A lot. And as I sewed more and more the drawing and painting went away. I miss that kind of work and that kind of expression but even though I feel inspired in that direction I keep not doing it. It is very easy not to. So I’m making it mandatory and planning a project in the 2 dimensional world for 2013. I have figured out what it’s going to be, the focus, and I’m excited about it but I’m still working out the particulars of how I’m going to share it – when I get that figure out I’ll tell you all about it.

roaring fire

January 27, 2009

by annwood

I made this painting a little while ago for Partners & Spade.

You can see it installed in the mantle in the NY Times today or in person at 40 Great Jones Street in New York.

dishes and brushes and things

June 24, 2008

by annwood

I thought they looked pretty this morning.

My mural is finished and installed at a soon to be open restaurant called Home (20 Cornelia St. between Bleecker and West 4th). If you’re in the West Village you can go say hello to the peaceful goats and have a glass of wine. Here it is being installed.

And the previous day being inspected by the willet before getting packed up to go.

landscape

June 16, 2008

by annwood

I’m painting a landscape mural this week working from pictures I took last week upstate at Olana and Clermont. I recomend visiting both, even though it was hot as balls I had a fabulous time. Here is some of the scarey looking underpainting.

This is the first 3 feet or so. The entire painting will be about 8 feet long and 30 inches high. When it’s done and installed I’ll let you know where. Here is the same section with the first of many color layers and a few details begun including some peaceful goats sketched in.

I haven’t painted anything in a long time and I’m way, out of practice and slow. Starting anything, especially large-ish projects and most especially painting, always makes me unreasonably anxious. This one gave me hives. I’m very happy in the middle of things but don’t care so much for the beginning or end.

Annette.

She is a springtime jolly and she went to Cog and Pearl here in Brooklyn yesterday with some other little birds.