Year One, Done!

Today's Final Review...stealth photo by Katrina Funk

Today I had my final review of the semester in front of eight faculty members. It went well, a highly constructive critique. Got some really thought-provoking comments and advice. Yesterday I'd turned in the last term paper and did my presentation for Theory seminar and so now I AM DONE! In fact, so done that I lay down on the floor when I got home at the end of a long, intense day. My sweet husband had planned to take me out to celebrate but he got us takeout instead. Crawling into bed early tonight!

Hard to believe I am halfway through this program (the M.F.A at PAFA.) It's simply flying by!

I was reminded of how much help I have been getting from my wonderful friends and family. Excellent Eliza Auth loaned me extra clamp lights and even bought me some more while I was frantically trying to get the paintings dry for this review (see last post!) Amazing Alexandra Tyng actually came over and drove me down to PAFA with the (newly dry) paintings early this morning (did I mention that both of the Downs-Miller family cars died last week? Within three days of each other. Like a long-married couple!) Peerless Paul met me at the station this evening and got in delicious Indian Food as a celebratory treat, not to mention his 1001 other helpfulnesses during the year.  Friends Sarah Barr, Mary Walsh and Carol Peterson and sons Peter and Henry, and many other wonderful people, posed for paintings and etc. It obviously takes a village to get me through grad school. ‘I can no other answer make but thanks, and thanks, and ever thanks…’

Sun Drying Oil Paintings!

Front yard full of wet oil paintings drying (I hope!) in the sun

With PAFA MFA program Final Reviews coming up quickly I have been galvanized into actually trying to finish up a few pieces! Unfortunately, with Henry just at home for a long and late two full week spring break from his special needs school, I found it hard to snatch more than a few hours here and there. I did my absolute best but it was not enough (that always feels bad!)
This week, despite Paul being overseas on business, I did manage to squeeze in lots and lots of hours at the easel (and at the computer! I also have a large term paper and presentation due. OMG. Deep breaths.) Unfortunately, this past week was wet and cold and dark and the paintings have simply not been drying. I am not a wet-into-wet painter, and despite my use of drying medium and occasional sessions in front of hot lights, the paintings are still maddeningly gooey. And yes, unfinished!

Another angle

Today has dawned cool but sunny and I am hoping that although the air temps are not super warm, perhaps the steady rays of the springtime sun will help speed up the process a little! I hope?
I suspect my lovely neighbors are bemused by my family and this front yard full of oil paintings is just one more incident of oddness for them to wonder at. Oh well! Keep shining, sun!

Son Peter gives the thumbs up to the unfinished portrait of himself and Henry

Let Us Try

"Let us try what Love will do." ~ William Penn
(from this evening's walk with Henry and Paul.)

A Belated Friend Friday!

Ay yi yi...things are crazy here with Henry home on long spring break and my end of semester press of work but it just occurred to me that I have so many friends doing such amazing things right now that I absolutely need to do a shout out, however brief! In first name alphabetical order:

Friend Alexandra Tyng has so many irons in the fire this month that I am probably leaving a few out by mistake! But here are two exhibits she is participating in (along with some other friends!)

This group exhibit at the Haynes Gallery runs April 13 thru May 9

I'm thrilled that Alex's portrait of me "Star at the Edge" will be in the show.

Alex and many other friends (pictured) are also in "The Expedition and Beyond" at Principle Gallery opening April 13 

Dale Roberts has a magnificent show of encaustic landscapes at Rosenfeld Gallery this month, April  1-29th. Don't miss it, Philly area friends! Above is his piece "Clear Day."

Eliza Auth is showing paintings this month at the Cosmopolitan Club in Philadelphia

Holly Brigham is in "Homefront Heroes: Women of WWll" at Penn State Lehigh Valley thru April 28th. Above is her piece "'W.A.S.P Bea I. Wolf'  

Jo-Ann Osnoe is in a two person show at Artists' Gallery in Lambertville, PA: April 6-May 6th

Last but not least, my friend Rachel Simon's wonderful book "The Story of Beautiful Girl" has just been chosen by the UK's equivalent of Oprah's Book Club, Richard and Judy, for their spring 2012 book club! This is a huge, and well-deserved, honor.  If you haven't read Rachel's book yet I enthusiastically recommend it!

Henry is Home for Spring Break!

The Henry is in the House!

Henry came home yesterday from his school, for two weeks of Spring Break. Here he has torn Mommy away from the computer and gotten agreement to a late night  car ride...ah the joy! Being driven in the car for hours listening to loud music is his favorite past-time. If only I could get my school work done at the same time!

Two for Two!

Ay yi yi yi...

So, P's Ultimate Frisbee injury of last week which was originally thought to be one wrist strained the other sprained, and treated just with one lightweight removable cast, has now been UPGRADED to one wrist broken, and the other possibly broken even worse than the other, with TWO casts! We'll know how bad the second one is tomorrow after the MRI. Poor guy, he's really being a good sport about it but, as you might guess, this really sucks.

He does get out of doing dishes for the next six weeks, though! (I'm really scraping for something positive to say...!) Cute picture courtesy of our neighbor Hiroshi Iizuka.

Horsey!

Last week I spent an afternoon with a horse named Jim. Peter Van Dyck invited me to sit in on his animal drawing class at PAFA while the horse was scheduled to be there, as I had expressed interest in this opportunity last semester. I love drawing animals, and horses are so "architectural" that it's a special pleasure to draw them. Last time I painted a horse I was sitting out in a field broiling and swatting stinging insects, so having a horse come on in to the great indoors was a real treat!

Jim's arrival via freight elevator was a thrill! He himself was perfectly calm.

My first study...unfinished as the model decided to stop grazing.

My second study, very unfinished but I like how I caught that Jim was tiring. After a few hours of standing he had sort of "sunk" in  a bit, in his back and at his hocks (right word? I mean what look like his ankles.) And his whole expression became somewhat resigned.

Somebody just asked, so yeah, these are quick little oil sketches done from life. That was the whole point. :-) I brought my camera and I took some photos thinking I might work further on my sketches later from reference shots, but turns out I did not in fact get exactly the same angles as I was painting, and angles are key in horse painting. So, we'll see. These will most likely just remain unfinished studies. 

First Day of Spring!

George Inness (1825-1894) Spring Blossoms, Montclair, New Jersey. Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1891

Happy Vernal Equinox to you! It was a beautiful day, so warm and sunny that I actually peeled off a layer at some point...a first for this season! In fact it's been so mild here on the East Coast of the US that the spring blossoming trees seem to be  blooming all at once...no slow succession of almond to crabapple magnolia to cherry etc. Just a mad froth of color and petals...like a very big and frou-frou wedding party!

I'M ON SPRING BREAK!

You were expecting maybe a bikini? Hahahahaha....sob! Actually, this has been a wonderful week, despite the lack of coconut-scented body products and drinks. I've been able to catch up a little, both at home and in both my studios, home and school. It's been heavenly to finally feel able to get work done without the distraction of classes and other school-related events. I did have to attend one meeting at PAFA but to make that day more fun I arranged to meet up with two friends for a tour of the terrific Henry Ossawa Tanner exhibit. Here's a spring-break-ish shot my friend Carla Tudor took of me in front of a piece in the exhibit African-American Artists Since 1940 a really amazing and inspiring show all in its own right. Right upstairs from the Tanner...worth the walk (or just take the elevator!)

Group Show Opening this weekend

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