finished my commission!

a few months ago, i started this piece for Elizabeth...
i finally put the finishing touches on it last week and here it is! done :)

head on over to my art work blog to see more detailed pictures.

on Friday morning we arranged for me to deliver it to her...here are some pictures of her and the kids with the drawing...

James trying to get one of the babies to look at the camera...

i felt like such a basket case that morning...tired and slow...but Elizabeth gave me some coffee and just in time for me to leave i started feeling better! oh well. it was lovely talking to her for a bit...sitting in patio chairs on their new lawn, watching the boys swim and the twins play...Jewel made herself a cup of tea and pulled a chair out to sit near us.
a few more pictures from my time there...

























all in all the whole process was an honor and a blessing. every chance i get to be able to make any sort of living doing what i love to do most is a gift straight from the hand of the Lord.
thank you, Elizabeth!

~

kids

These are the 8th graders i helped my aunt Wren teach art to over the course of the last school year.
before they graduated, i had them sit for me one by one, drew their profiles, and made black cutouts of them. i also took a picture of each of them...but to their consternation :)
i'm putting up 12 of the pictures because they just make me really happy. all their different faces and spirits. how corny am i?? jeesh
there is cam in the first one, of course...



































dang it, i'm going to miss the kids so much.

Here is a picture of the majority of the profiles...

i'm really glad a lot of them will be going to Maranatha in the fall, because then i'll get to see them.
~

i felt like writing a little

there is a stamp of abraham lincoln on my left hand.
i saw a band called Woven Hand tonight, and though it wasn't the most amazing show i've ever been to, there were a couple of songs that were some of the most fascinating music i've heard live. i'd listened to a few tracks a while back and really liked what i heard, but never followed up. yet seeing a band live always makes me appreciate them more; so needless to say i'm going to have to bite the bullet and by an album or 3. if only to find one song they played that seriously melted my face off. (why else would i be hiding it in the picture?)(which by the way is reversed. mac photo booth does that. the stamp really is on my left hand. i did not lie/am not confused)

*meanwhile*...
i finally have a picture of the painting i did for Tom and Jeannie...



i'm also starting the final stage of my new project for elizabeth...a portrait of her 5 children!! i posted a preliminary drawing i did a while back...anyway here is the scary blank paper.
i've actually drawn a lot since i took this...but you don't get to see it.







mom is slowly getting better...it's been 2 weeks since the surgery; and as usual she is working way too hard. here she is working on a drawing in bed...i took this last week.
the picture is of her being good...99% of the time she is not good...she is up far too much for someone who can't sit or stand and it's making me crazy because she is in constant pain. i can't wait for the next 2 weeks to be gone!! last night (actually, tuesday night) we watched the last episode of season 1 of the original Star Trek. looks like i need to buy season 2...

sunday afternoon i drove cam home from lunch and as i lounged in the living room with him, i sneaked a picture of him playing the guitar...his newfound object of devotion. i thought it was cute.

Monday was Jeff's 31st birthday. a gathering was had at Wren's for fajitas and family togetherness. after dinner we went next door to see his new floors, and Reid promptly made excellent use of them...












As you see, he aquired a substantial audience for his newfound breakdancing talents. their enthusiasm just oozes from the picture, does it not?

i was almost too tired to even go see everyone on monday...but i was also too tired not to, if that makes sense.

i wish i didn't get so stir-crazy!!! i live, work. eat and sleep here. it's becoming a bit tedious.
work for the past couple of weeks has been intense, as we have had a nearly impossible amount of production to do on characters and locations for the animated film we are working on...compounded with mom being so unwell. Lord, please let her sleep tonight...

i got back from the show about an hour ago and as he drove me home pip asked me what things i wanted to do, to get done, this year.
make more art
move out (SOON)
get a steady job doing something awesome
travel more...including going to more conferences
save $$$
...you know. the usual stuff. writing a book and learning to play the cello would be rad too.

i don't know. i feel like i'm where i'm supposed to be right now...i just wish i knew i was moving towards something. i'm trying to be better at praying that i'll make the most out of where the Lord has me...because if i can't do that i'll never be content no matter what i'm doing.

God has been telling me a lot of stuff. i wish i wasn't such a coward as to always keep it to myself.

~~~

nuther drawring

so, thought i'd post the a drawing i did for my aunt wren of her son, Cameron, when he was a baby. (it's for Christmas so shhh don't tell her)...

Cam
9x12
graphite on paper

This piece was an learning experience...i was given a blurry photograph to work from, first of all, which is kind of the #1 way to make something a lot more difficult than it needs to be. Doing the under-drawing was a pain in the arse as a result. After 3 days of frustrated sketching i kind of threw in the towel...i didn't touch it for about 2 months because i was so fed up with it.
But time heals all wounds, they say...and the adage held true in this case. When i picked it up again a few days ago i took advantage of my fresh eyes and did a couple of minor corrections, which is all it really needed. Then i sat down, did the whole render in one evening and got it framed the next day. :)
~~~~~

just for fun...here's cam now, 13 years later (i stole this from his facebook):


kids.

~~~

finished and working things

well, i finally finished my drawing of rebekka...here tis...


and i'm also doing a commission for the lovely Elizabeth of her 5 lovely children. i did the preliminary sketch for it...

i used a couple of different pictures she gave me to make this composition (which is quite imperfect) but it's nice to see it all...well, drawn out! hahaha!!


i likes making stuff :)

~

and the seasons, they go round and round

i think it's safe to say that things are overwhelming right now. just not enough hours in the day...but things keep right on going.

Thursday night was the opening of the Fairhaven Show that i am in. it is the most beautiful collection i have ever been honored to be a part of...

there's my painting, down at the end...

gwen. she's pretty great.

here's a video of Wren and Anna singing to her...

oh yeah, and California is on fire again. i have a sore throat and headache from the smoke and ash clogging the air. fun!

i drove to Santa Ana this evening to pick up my painting from the show, and while passing through the area of Yorba Linda, even with the inside air on, i had to cover my face with a sweatshirt. The smoke was so thick.
aaand it's 90 degrees. in november. sigh. oh what i wouldn't give for some real fall...! a mere few days in a row is all i ask!

oh, and i've been painting, too. which is just smashing.

~

validation!

i was just accepted into an fantastic exhibition for LCAD MFA and alumni. the flyer is below...dates and all. i'm very excited!!




my painting of edan will be on display.

thank You Lord~!

~

Dear Lord,

is there a way i could draw people, write, sing, and/or travel for the rest of my life? is there?
please let me know soon. if not, could You show me what to do instead? Thank You...

love, colleen

ps...Beach House was wonderful. Thank You Jesus for the beauty of music...


~

yeah i could use a beer.

at first, i thought it might be kind of cool and freeing to be without a cell phone for a few days.


no.
no no no.

it wouldn't be so bad if i was in pasadena, because at least my family would be there, along with the house phone. but instead i'm in laguna beach, living by myself, without even a land line phone, and no internet access (i have it right now b/c i'm in my studio)...only being able to get in touch with people where there is a hot spot or i can find someone to let me use their phone. aaagh it's terrible! i don't know what i'm going to do tomorrow...someone i know is having a party...how will i co-ordinate anything?? what if no one can find where i am??
i'm feeling physically anxious right now. good grief look what technology had done to me!!

i'm all salty because waves attacked me today. Danny and i went plein air painting on the beach. and i sat on a really big rock and did a stinky little painting that got so wet i couldn't use the oil paint anymore. but it was really lovely. we visited a guy named john who has birds. Danny is kind of in love with parrots and cockatoos. this guy here that he's so involved with is named Harley...

Harley spent years living in an Albertson's truck, so he will randomly spout off on tyrades, saying..."the engine won't start! the truck's not going anywhere!" or "damn pedestrians!" mostly, while Danny and i were with him, he said "sup, bird" and mumbled in gibberish that was so ridiculous, Danny and i doubled in laughter.

then we went painting.

feet

as you know, yesterday i went to the norton simon and then mes amis came over for dinner.

here are alec, liz, tiffany and elizabeth all looking at books over dessert...today is Liz's birthday, and everyone's gathering together or something so i'm going to finish her card and head over in about 15 minutes.

oh sigh
i'm very restless and discontent right now. somebody slap me. no seriously, if you see me freaking beat me up!!! it'll make me feel better!


~~~

furry balls

i'm learning how to paint on photoshop.

this is what i did today...




my art skills finally put to practical use!


~~~~~