For many years, close to 10(?) there was a group of folks who would meet and do figure drawing in an office off of Warm Springs Road in Boise. We met for years there off and on, maybe four to six times a year. There, I met several wonderful artists and figure models--one of them I have tried to stay in touch with over the years. He and I ended up sharing a studio space at the GEM Center for the Arts in Boise this summer--and today I just got to move my stuff into the space. Studio 322. It feels pretty amazing to have my own studio, like a fancy pantsy arr-teest.
The piece I started to work on there is a for an upcoming event in Carson City, Nevada. One of the organizers has been communicating with me frequently as there have been some hiccups along the way. As such, she was kind enough to send me a few photos and given me permission to paint them for part of the event. Having never been there yet, but taking a lot of time to scoot around on GoogleMaps and doing some research, I feel like I can get a good vibe. I hope so, because I have been super excited about this trip, without having been there yet this is a trip I am really looking forward to. I am using a large piece of Claybord from Ampersand. Its a thin layer of clay on top of masonite. I started with several washes of light color to get the spacing right for this, as there is a lot going on and a few adjustments to be made along the way. The clay allows for me to "erase" the watercolor from it with added water, wiping, and re-application. I've been listening to The City We Became by N.K. Jemison. It's the perfect story to listen to because it is about people becoming one with and channeling the power of cities. I hope that I don't misread Carson in this, but I guess I will find out soon enough.
