Keep it in Your Pantry

I’ll never forget the first time I heard the song entitled “Keep it in Your Pantry.” It’s the title of a song by Lyle Lovett. The lyrics crack me up. And, who doesn’t need to have a few laughs these days? But before I continue, let’s welcome new readers to this blog and explain it’s purpose.

Small Spaces Special Places

Each year, I select a theme for my weekly paintings. This year’s theme is “Small Spaces Special Places.” One of the reasons I chose this theme is I have been surprised, even delighted, with the small spaces in our house that have captured my eye. For example, our hall bathroom has beautiful light streaming in. So the first week of this year, I shared that painting in a post here.

I also love to venture out on walks with our dog everyday. You would be amazed at the glimpses of beautiful moments I see. Sometimes I take a photo to reference. Other times, I just make a mental note. And, yet, each morning, rain or shine, I love getting outdoors and looking for glimpses of special places.

This week I had grand plans to get outdoors and do more paintings there. But Mother Nature sent cold weather and a ton of rain our way. So I dashed out for dog walks but looked at what’s right in front of me indoors for paintings. And, here’s a glimpse of the paintings I did this week. I hope they make you smile and offer you a visual respite.

Keep it in Your Larder

Gah! Larder just doesn’t have the same ‘zip’ as the word pantry, does it? Oh well! Each is a storage space for food. At our house, the windows in our kitchen are east facing. So the light that comes in near the stove and pantry shelves in the morning is fresh and bright.

That’s one of the reasons why I chose that view for this week’s painting. It’s a glimpse of one section of that space. Was this fun to paint? Heck yeah! Why? Because who doesn’t love a honey jar wedged in between some Costco brand Vitamin D and spicy hot sauce? This painting is ~6×8 inches on Bristol paper. And, it’s for sale for $100. Contact me here if you’re interested.

Ideas

A Facebook friend recently asked me if I wanted a photo she had taken so I could paint it. I was grateful for her thoughtful offer but replied thank you but no thank you. Why? Lately, my eyes and head are brimming with painting ideas. Everywhere I turn, I see an object or fuzzy critter and some light and voila the possibility of a painting. Here’s a quick study I did over the weekend.

We had just finished dinner and I wandered back to the studio with my nearly empty wine glass. The wine bottle was empty and about to be pitched into the recycle bin. I grabbed it and had to paint this quick sketch. I can tell you there is no accounting for time as these sketches unfold.

Do you want new ideas

If you are stumped trying to think of new ideas for whatever circumstances you are in, consider a quick walk. Walk? Yes, there’s nothing like a brisk walk to stir up new ideas. Even a walk in the pouring rain helped me frame an idea for tackling this week’s painting. How so?

Initially, I confess I was intimidated by all the stuff on my pantry shelves. I decided to spend several days doing some short, quick color sketches of different views of the pantry.

Smaller studies

With each small sketch I used a timer, a view finder and a big brush that felt uncomfortable. Why? All of these tactics: timing, view finder and brush size, forced me to work differently. In fact, I felt really, really uncomfortable most of the time I was doing these studies. Gah!

Here’s what one set of these four sketches look like.

But as I did these sketches, I gained confidence and figured out the painting I wanted to do. So then, I could actually paint the 6×8 version with enjoyment and ease. And, I told myself if I applied the same thinking to the larger painting, I could reward myself.

What’s my idea of a reward? Eeee! It’s a nerdy little brush with a chiselled edge. I told myself if I blocked in the painting with big brushes, followed by medium brushes, followed by smallish brushes, I could treat myself to this little chiselled thing at the end. Here’s a picture of it.

This sweet little brush really helps me refine shapes and edges. Here’s to rewards, eh? So, you can bet I will continue to combine these sketches and rewards in my weekly practice. If you are inspired by this work I do, please make a donation in this virtual tip jar here. Your donations will support me as I purchase new (and nerdy ;-D) brushes, paint and paper, too.

Onward

That’s this week’s update on painting shenanigans and work, dear reader. How about you? Are you trying something new to help you grow and learn in your workspace? If you are, please do tell in the comments below. I would love to hear from you! Thank you for reading and take care for now.