Katie Jeanne Wood

Mixed Media Artist - daily painter of portraits, flowers, abstracts and birds

Update on large abstract painting

Katie Jeanne Wood - Large red abstract

This is the large abstract painting that hangs over my couch that I’ve been working now for..um..too long. I’ve painted another 4-6 hours since this photo, but I purposely didn’t record the process. Stopping every few minutes to click click makes it more about the photos than the painting.

The lighting isn’t the best in my studio, so I have to constantly monkey with my camera settings, and move the easel around. Taking one good photo can take 15 mins or longer, which is distracting. I wanted to stay present when painting, and give it my full focus.

Can’t say it helped much. 

After spending weeks painting this one, wasting time and lot$ of high quality paint, I’m feeling exasperated with a huge sense of failure creeping over me. I don’t have much to say other than – where’s my gesso, so I can cover this thing up, and start over? 

You can see the progress I’ve made by reading part 1, part 2, and part 3. I give myself an A for effort, but it’s time to put the palette knives and brushes down, and walk away. 

I hope you have a lovely weekend. xo I’m going to leave you with this quote from someone whose guidance I miss a whole lot since he passed…

You can be still and still moving.
Content even in your discontent.

Ram Dass 

 
PS: A quick note about the Etsy sale I’m having..when listings expire I’m going to start painting over the art I don’t like. I’m doing the same with my eBay listings. I’ve pulled about 20 down so far this week, and more will disappear each day. So, if you’ve had your eye on something at either venue, you should buy it asap because it might not exist soon.  
 

Large abstract painting WIP update part 2

Katie Jeanne Wood - Large abstract over the couch

I wrote about this large abstract which hangs over my couch a month ago. This was where I left off at that time. I had put down some blue to use as a layer, and had pretty much given up on the idea of making the painting look like my art journal page. 

Katie Jeanne Wood - Large abstract over the couch

Another layer..pale pink this time. 
I thought it might be finished at this point,
but I was wrong. 

Katie Jeanne Wood - Large abstract over the couch

I had no idea what I was doing at this point, but I suddenly wanted to put some squares in the painting. When something speaks to me, I obey..at least when I’m painting abstracts..sometimes. 

Katie Jeanne Wood - Large abstract over the couch

Turns out, I didn’t like the squares, so again, I covered most of it up with another layer..white this time. 

Katie Jeanne Wood - Large abstract over the couch

The last thing I did was draw a horizontal line across it using my t-square. I still have no idea where this is going. I haven’t any sort of plan or vision in my head. All I know is I don’t like it so far, and I have to keep working on it until I do like it. 

At this point, I think I’ve given up the notion that this painting will be back on my living room wall for the summer months. lol Maybe I should just go ahead and make it a cold wintry themed abstract instead? I need some direction or something to focus on, and “summer” just isn’t cutting it. 

I’ll update you as soon as I have a clue what I’m doing. 

 

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Good excuse(s)

Katie Jeanne Wood - Large abstract paintingLarge abstract painting
work in progress 

Figures..just as soon as I think I have a blogging schedule in place, I screw it up. I missed yesterday’s blog, but I have good excuse(s). I rebel against rules I set for myself. haha! ALWAYS! Also, I had to get all the photos of the masquerade mask paintings edited, and it took alllll day. This is like day 6 billion I’ve been working on these mask paintings, I swear. I’m getting rather tired of them, but other than having to reshoot two of them today, it went well. Now I have to list all of them, which will take me another week.

sigh.

My online friends wonder why I keep disappearing..this is why. I can’t even begin to tell you how backed up my office work is, UGH!! I could be at my desk all day, every day for months on end, and still never catch up with myself. Such tedious, boring work. I’d much rather be painting, but what can I do? It has to be done. 

Katie Jeanne Wood - Large abstract paintingLarge abstract painting
work in progress 

This abstract painting was started a few months back. I ended up moving my easel out of my studio because it’s too crowded in here, so I haven’t had a chance to get back to this painting yet. Hopefully soon I’ll be finished with the mask paintings forever, so I can concentrate on my other shop for a change. It’s been sadly neglected for a while now. 

 

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