I almost forgot to post. It’s 9pm in Rabat and I almost went to bed thinking it was Tuesday. But lest you begin to think I am slacking off, I am staying up late and getting it done. This week, I rated almost everything 5 Van Gogh’s and under.  But that only means that next week will be spectacular because my blah streak can’t go on forever.  Here’s the run down…

First, I became obsessed with a newly purchased orange-leaning color called “Cadmium Light Red.” It’s striking. It’s beautiful. I will use again. I didn’t love what I did with it, but I am sure I can improve on this. (Note, the colors aren’t quite right because, due to my confusion about what day it was, the photos were taken at night without natural light.)

March 3, Oil on oil paper

I thought it couldn’t get any better than Cadmium Light Red, but then I accidentally mixed a pale, yet deep blue/green on my palette that is maybe the most beautiful color I’ve ever mixed. I started thinking about it at night when I should have been sleeping…how to replicate it…what to name it…if should I throw away all my other colors and paint entirely in monochrome for the rest of my life.  So naturally, I mixed this color and Cadmium Light Red and got a mediocre result.  Good experiment though.

March 3, Oil on oil paper

On Friday, I received this flower below.  It was a beautiful iris, as irises tend to be, but I botched the yellow areas.  I thought about trying again with a different technique, but by then, the flower had wilted.

March 1, “Iris,” Watercolor

On Saturday, I tried sketching in watercolor.  It didn’t work out like I had hoped, but I might try it again.  No pencil lines, no preplanning, just sketching with paint.

March 1, Watercolor

We had one nice day without rain, so the kids and I went outside.  I sketched this daisy on cardboard.  Blah.  Nothing special.

Feb 27, “Daisy,” Mixed Media on Cardboard

Then I sketched my husband looking down from a weird angle.  He wouldn’t stay still.  And that’s why I’m blaming my failure on him.  I assure you, he doesn’t look like Woody Allen in real life, and his nose is actually very non-descriptive.  Matt always has at least one positive thing to say about my work.  This time, it was, “you got the glasses right!”

March 4, “Not My Husband,” Pencil in Sketchbook

And lastly, to follow up on my teaser last week about my mom’s first pair of running shoes (read the story here), behold, the final product:

Feb 28, “Nike Waffle Trainer 1978,” Oil on Oil Paper

I used an acrylic underpainting, then oil on top using brushes.  I’m pleased.  Perhaps there will be more running shoes in my future.