Still-life with Moo-cow

I bought this cow creamer a while ago, but had trouble fitting its long shape into a still-life. Putting the tipped over cup behind it offered the composition a similar shape which I think makes it work. That same cup with the spoon sticking out of it plus the curving and waving fabric added a lot of movement to the composition which was a lot of fun. That movement almost animates the rest of the objects, which makes it seem like the cow creamer is threatening to walk out of the composition. Which makes me think... if personification is "the attribution of a personal nature or character to inanimate objects" then is this animalification?

I  tried something of a new technique on the background. Since I was using a grey board and I wanted a grey background, I laid down a colored pencil the same color as the board: Dove Grey Coloursoft. This gave me a smooth texture to smudge other greys into by first scribbling them on, then swirling them around with a 1/2 inch bristle brush. I like the effect and it took less time than usual. 

Sorry for the blurry photographs (like usual) and you can click on them to see it larger. 

New Website

My official website has been down for a little while. Here is the story of why it was down and the beginning of a friendship with a new host. If you don't want to hear the whole sordid story scroll down until you see this symbol *. I don't mind.

Basically the trouble started when my host updated itself and stopped working with my old version of Dreamweaver. I loved Dreamweaver and had been using it since the 90's without having to bother my website savvy husband, which I enjoyed greatly. I called and called my host and could get it working again only to lose connectivity the next time I tried to log on. I looked into getting more current software but it is expensive.

So I decided to leave my host and find a new one - one that doesn't require software.

Then it happened.

I cancelled my hosting account with my original company, which we'll call SN. What I didn't know is that I had originally registered my domain name also with SN and when I cancelled my hosting account with them I also lost access to my domain name. & since my account had an email address that was also cancelled when I cancelled my account, I had no way to put in a transfer to a new domain name provider. Sigh. So I called them and had them change my email address so I could get the transfer code.

BUT when you change your email address with your registrar, your account gets flagged by I think Internic and they freeze you from transferring your domain I think for 60 days.

Are you following?

SO I went to that web savvy hubby and he got it up for now.

What I have to do is stay with SN for my domain until those 60 days are up and then transfer. In the meantime my domain with them is set to expire next month... so I'll have to renew it somehow (even though I technically don't have an account) so I can transfer it in March without losing it.

*  So my website IS back up at www.nicolecaulfield.com and also www.nicolecaulfieldfineart.com in case I lose my domain name next month.

Take a look at the new site. I set it up using Google sites which is a completely FREE service. I think its a great way to go for art sites!

& the moral of this story? Don't sign up your domain name at the company that you use for hosting your site!

Revelation

I think I gave the wrong impression in my post after the Thorne show notice from the comments that are stirring in that post. 

Actually not getting in the Thorne is exactly what I needed. 

First,  the idea of the series (that the ballerina girl is in) is just so unbelievably "me" in its weird sense of humor and ties to the past and illustration. The idea behind the series, as I've said before, is a re-imagining of Norman Rockwell's famous covers if they were done today, looking at the weirdness of what we are like now. It is deliberately in a illustration-like style with more "pop" colors than I usually use, partly because this series is based on illustration,but also because it reflects on the consumer/ad centered society we live in.  I plan on touching on issues like technology, roles of wives/husbands in families, etc. I'm kind of thinking of the series as post-pop, or maybe  steam punk fifties, lol. 

 Now onto why I made the comments I did questioning the validity of the series. I was struggling with the feeling of "WHY" when I started the series. I knew I WANTED to do the series and felt it would be fun to explore the psyches of today in a humorous way,  but  just because I really wanted to isn't always a good enough reason to make the drawings, when so much time and money will be put into creating them. The problem I was having was,  I needed to know who my audience was. This is what I was struggling with after finding out that I didn't get in... I needed to know what I should do with the series. Not getting in just made me have to deal with the thoughts I was already having. 

Anyway I've  figured something out.  I have to do this series, whether or not it fits into my current market that I have carved out for myself. I'm going to work on these at the same time as my still-lifes and "Zen" series and eventually will have enough pieces for a show or possibly to put in print.  Maybe this series would do well in a more digital format even... after I get more pieces ready I can explore my options. That doesn't mean I think they have no place in galleries, because I do, it just means they are different than my other work so I will have to figure out where they fit in when I have more of them. 


Anyway I would never stop exploring new ideas, techniques etc, because I know that is how I've gotten to where I am now. I also am not defeated by not getting in the show as I know how shows are judged and understand that it is not a reflection on my validity by not getting in or  by winning... I hope it didn't sound like I was whining, but rather I was doing a necessary self-reflection about the new series, which is such a departure from the work in my current venues. 

Anyway... I have made some progress on my preteen slumber party I've been posting and I did start a still-life today... just the sketch and set up so far though.... my day was cut short by a frenzied daughter who forgot that she was supposed to bring brownies for a bake sale today, so I was baking the first half of the day. Since there isn't much progress to show yet, that is what I will leave you with for today's picture... some behemoth brownies. :-) The recipe is on Bakers unsweetened chocolate boxes and are called cake-like brownies. 

Show at the Peterborough Library - Artwork Update

I just realized I didn't make a blog post about my show at the Peterborough library this month. I have several pieces displayed at the library in downtown Peterborough, NH through the end of January.  January 31st to be exact.

Most of the work is portraiture  but to fill things out I did put in a couple of still-lifes including the two above. I know I said I was going to bring the good luck kitty to the gallery, but I found I needed it to create this display.

I believe the town of Peterborough has dug itself out of the snow if you want to go check it out! <3

Bonus Day... otherwise known as Snow Day!

I know, I only work two days a week so a snow day isn't that big of a deal, but I did sneak in a little work. My husband and kids had a snow day too so it is pretty energetic around the house. I usually spend snow days out in the snow shoveling, snow blowing, sledding etc, but with my injured knee the family had to do that without me, leaving my tasks to filling the crock pot (with butternut squash soup) and readying the hot chocolate.

I also had some bonus time for my drawing. Before you say there isn't much more finished, keep in mind the size of this puppy (and please try to not notice the falling duct tape on the side of my paper). I started the girl in the back's pants and had to go back in and deepen the shadows on the shirt to work with the pants.

This had me thinking about the debate between people who work their picture's "as a whole" and people who work piece by piece like me until they are finished. The thing is... I think we are both really doing the same thing. If you work on all parts as a whole you put in basic color shades in large shapes around the paper then go back in and refine until you get to details. I would imagine as an artist put down those large shapes of color in the first step they may have to adjust a shape/color somewhere else on the page to work together (or maybe that is done in the refining steps).

When you work piece by piece its not that you work each part to conclusion and move to the next... you are always refining the parts you  put down to work with the rest. Just like in this instance where I put in the pants leg and had to deepen the shadows in the shirt.

I just trudged out into the snow to get the mail and found out that I did not get into the Thorne Sagendorph show this year. This is a regional biennial show that is a big deal in my area. At the last one my piece Zen won Best of Show and People's Choice. I was nervous this time about my piece getting in... I entered the ballerina from my Norman Rockwell series. I'm not sure how I feel about that... it does make me question this series... is it not "artistic" enough? Is there a place for humor in the gallery world? Maybe I need to use polychromos like in my Zen piece because it comes out more painterly and less illustration-like? Not sure.....