I started another piece yesterday and the force driving the artwork is this gorgeous metallic pewter I found at the store. Its grey, blue and green at the same time and the metallic finish makes me drool. There were already a bunch of ups and downs on the first day, mainly with composition and picking the rest of the palette since all I honestly wanted to do was keep layering that one color. 

Here are a few early detail shots followed by how the piece looks after the pewter was added. More to come soon!

Usually, I don't have trouble making a decision on whether a painting is complete or requires additional work but with this last piece I've been working on titled 'Fragility. Myth' I spent hours staring at it before I decided it was complete. The assumption I made on why it took me so long had a lot to do with the absence of drama in the painting. By instinct, I have a  tendency to reach out for bright, contrasting colors to form palettes that are vibrant and have lots of movement. This time around though, I went with a far more subtle palette, with the simple intention of exploring how the end product made me feel. 

I photographed the piece and stared at the image as I was running errands all day yesterday to validate my decision of deciding it was done, and surprisingly the more I stared at it, the less I liked it. So after I wrapped up my errand runs, I rushed back to the studio to take a look at it in person, and the second I saw it, I fell in love with it all over again. So confusing. I'm guessing I decided that it was OK to have a piece of artwork that is different from the rest as opposed to questioning why it was different and not feeling attached to it because of its difference. Food for thought. 

Here she is. Acrylic, Ink, and Marker on Canvas. 36in square.

I finished the first part of the pin-up inspired diptych I'm gifting my friend but before I continued work on the second part, I decided to take a short gap and put some paint down on canvas. Since I've only made 2 other pieces on canvas this year (been working small on paper and of course all the digital work), I started with a 36in square and decided to use the piece with hues and tones that I don't usually get to play with. The piece I'm working on has a base of silver and I've been building layers of blush and teal on top of the silver. 

I'm still unsure if I want to stick to that palette or give the painting a chance to ask for more diversity, and will have a chance to figure it out when I head over to the studio today. Until then, here are a couple of shots of a few details from the piece.

When I was in Nevada earlier this year for a reunion, I visited the lovely home of a beautiful friend who just got married last year. You can be assured that the only thing on my mind was to hunt for a crisp wall to hang some art on. Her husband is a huge Mad Men fan and their home had a Mid-Century flair to it with pops of Lime and Coral.

There was a nice wall behind the bar where I thought a diptych would work and so I began to discuss ideas with the couple. At the end, we decided to move forward with a retro inspired/pin-up styled  illustration. I thought it would be awesome if I could have the artwork printed on wood so as to tie in the design elements of the home. I think my most favorite part of creating the artwork was that adorable tattoo of vintage swallows and those victory rolls! (I'm not going to lie, I would do anything to wear my hair like that after drawing it!) Here is what the piece looks like at the moment and I've started to draw out the second part of the diptych already. 

I just got back from California after almost 3 months and the change in scenery always startles me. Now that the jet lag is wearing off, I've been working a lot more and its awesome to see productivity go up. The year began wonderfully with the Dubai Art Season. I visited Art Dubai on Saturday and then headed to Sikka yesterday. Both were just amazing. I've been attending both fairs for a few years now, and I keep seeing them get better. They couldn't be more different from one another: Art Dubai being the sophisticated sibling and Sikka oozing quirk but its so satisfying to see people gushing over the set ups and artworks at both venues. 

The good news is that two of my pieces (Warped & Let Her Be) are hanging in the Creatopia room at the Al Serkal Foundation House at Sikka. As thrilled as I was to see my works in person at the gallery, I was equally excited to roam the maze at the Bastakiya. A few really nice images reflecting the awesomeness below :) 

The past week has been nuts. Filled with errands and more hunting and gathering followed by a 16 hour journey back to Dubai. Now that I'm back, the jet lag is kicking in and I was awake all night feeling super unproductive. I ended up remembering this motivating article I read some time last year about accumulating drawings for days you feel like creativity isn't quite present, and so, I began to draw.

The lace, which I decided to include in my unfinished illustration is super intricate and was going to be pure labor so I got to it last night. I'm still uncertain about the background, and other elements I think need to be present in the artwork. A part of me enjoys the darkness and minimalism and feels like the lace and detail in the torso is sufficient, and another part of me wants to splatter and introduce texture. Lets see how I feel about it tomorrow. 

before I make any decisions about the overall aesthetic of the artwork, I have to get back into the lace work and start highlighting creases to bring more dimension. Wonder How long that would take. For now, here's what she looks like.