Saturday, December 22, 2007

Done

Flatland, 2007, Oil on Panel, 8x10

I was assuming that I would be working pretty much through Christmas and right up until I have to deliver everything to the gallery in the first few days of January. However, after looking at my list of finished pieces I think I can safely say I am done! Yayyy! I guess I was in such a painting frenzy that I lost track of where I was. And there have been so many interruptions to my studio time, I just assumed that I hadn't gotten enough work done. I had four pieces finished before I got sick in November, plus seven that were at the underpainting stage. In the last three weeks, I finished those seven, plus eight more, including a 36x48 piece. So all of those, plus four that came back from another show and which fit in perfectly with the new group gives me a very healthy twenty three paintings for a solo show. I am tempted to do one more large landscape as I feel the group is a bit heavy on barns, but that might just be showing off. Heh.

It's good to know that I can pull together enough work for a show in a month but I do need to make an effort to NOT cut it quite so close, because things can happen (like pneumonia) to throw me off. On the other hand, I work better and can create a more cohesive group of paintings if I do everything that I can in a mad rush of creativity and energy. So a balance must be achieved, with work and life.

11 comments:

Maddy said...

So glad you managed to pull it off, we too have had a touch of the plague and it certainly makes it all the harder to get your act together.
Cheers

This is my calling card or link"Whittereronautism"which takes you straight to my new blog.

Melody said...

Hey Tracy....thanks for sharing your work with all of us. I love reading your blog. I wish you and your family a peaceful, happy holiday

Angela Wales Rockett said...

Whew! That's a lot of work!

Glad you can enjoy the holidays without deadlines hanging over your head.

Hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas!

Natalya Khorover Aikens said...

now you can have a relaxing and wonderful Xmas... enjoy that..
peace...

Suzanne McDermott said...

I love this painting. I really love it. Happy Christmas.

Kesha Bruce said...

Once again you have inspired me to get my sh*t together.

Your work ethic is certainly something to aspire to!

Chris Ousley said...

Googled Mark English and your blog came up. Beautiful work here.

Lisa Call said...

Congrats on getting them done!!

Merry Christmas!

Sheree Rensel said...

Oh my, oh my!! You are so lucky! I WISH I could look around and say "I am done!" Inevitably, I think I am done, I hang a piece, and look at it for weeks. THEN, I start to diddle with it. I know...It is a curse!! I am glad for you though! Congratulations on the COMPLETION of work and your upcoming exhibition! :-)

Anonymous said...

happy New Year now, and thanks Tracy for the non-blog family report and pics!

Tracy Helgeson said...

Thanks Maddy, sure hope your plague has passed and you are right-sure makes it tough to get down to work!

Melody, You are more than welcome and thanks so much for finding me and my work even remotely interesting:) I hope you have a happy holiday as well!

Hi Angela, Thanks and I am relieved as well, we did have a very relaxed holiday.

Natalya, the studio has NOT been calling out to me for the last few days and I have to say it has been lovely:)

Thanks Suzanne! And wow! I loved reading about your studio!

Kesha, glad to be some kind of inspiration:) Hey, I am thinking about that drawing marathon for 2009 too, we should go to the same one!

Chris, glad you stopped in to say hi and thanks for the compliment. I am a big Mark English fan.

Thanks Lisa!

Sheree, well, I might tend towards doing that as well, but when I feel like I am done, I either put the piece away or send it somewhere. Outta sight, outta mind works for me! But your work is great so whatever you are doing, works.

Thanks gary, hope you and Maude had a lovely Christmas-I am sure you did.