April 19, 2006

In Progress Wednesday
















I usually work on my paintings in my home studio, but sometimes I work in my classroom studio on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. Here is a painting I started yesterday of a garden path which was part of a dream I had. It is 18 x 24 inches and this underpainting is done in acrylic. I don't usually show things in progress, but I thought I would do so today. Also shown is a stoneware bird sculpture I have been working on the last two days too. It is about 8 inches high and fat. It started with two pinch pots which I put together to form the body. It has the little twiddle feather on top like a quail but has the body and eyes of a Saw whet owl. It was flying through the garden above, so that explains it's strange nature. How it could take off with all that body weight makes it a mystery....
It is in a leather-hard state right now, very chubby and will take some time to dry and burnish and finish. Birds and flowers have been invading my work. I guess it was a long winter? So, maybe late in the month you will see something in a more finished state from me. For now it is underpaintings, leather hard clay and unfinished business!

The word for the day is ... sprout ... as in bean shoot, emerging hope and something a beautiful shade of green.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Susan, these are wonderful!!!! I love the lollypop like flowers and bright colors of your painting! and what a sweet little bird, surely he will fly - his heart is so big!

Anonymous said...

Susan, these are wonderful!!!! I love the lollypop like flowers and bright colors of your painting! and what a sweet little bird, surely he will fly - his heart is so big!

Anonymous said...

I love your new in progress pieces ! Wonderful ! I also like how they both look side by side in these pics. The bird sculpture is awesome, I love him ! Keep us informed of your progress on these, please ! :)

Susan Schwake said...

hey E. what do you know? I ordered more pigment post haste for encaustic flowers. they scream, melt me why don't ya?
next week, full total no teaching studio week. wax on wax off...
will keep you all posted. :-)
thanks for lookin in!

Tongue in Cheek Antiques said...

sprout grow bloom you give us your all! thank you!

andrea said...

It's almost a shame to know what that little bird is. I thought it was so fantastically imaginative when I didn't know ~ not that it isn't now, too ~ but knowing what each thing is on it makes it appear differently. I still love it, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens to your new painting. The composition is very original.

Susan Schwake said...

ohhh not sure WHAT that little fatty is. Just that when it flew through the night of my dream garden above, it had some distinguishing features of a saw whet owl and quail...
(I am a card carrying member of the audobon society, so I noticed those features!)
I too am looking forward to what happens!:-)
thanks for the encouragement!

Anonymous said...

Susan, Let me know if your selling your bird Sculpture and the painting beside it ! :) Thanks !

sugar mama said...

thanks for sharing a sneak preview, it's so interesting to see the cycle of painting from start to finish...those fun flowers are just sprouting up and waiting to present themselves!

Anonymous said...

Susan: I love the garden. It's "fun." You can't help but smile to look at it.

Cally said...

I just love paintings that come from dreams, they have such a particular quality about them. Great colours in yours, mine always seem to be at night or in hte sea so a lot of blues.

thestraightpoop said...

Oooh!! I love love love the painting! I would buy it!! It's like a dream, indeed...