What is my stomach saying?

The latest Lascaux Society assignment is an interesting one. Apparently one of our members, as a child, used to wonder what her stomach would say if it could describe what it was eating.

I am trying to translate that to a painting. With balsa wood box primed in gray gesso I was set, or so I thought.

The meal I was reflecting on was from a Turkish restaurant in Sanford, Efes. Wonderful food and a wonderful view of Lake Monroe and the St. John's River.

Buddy, MK and I shared a hot appetizer platter. We began to muse on what we were going to create for our next Lascaux Society meeting. The detritus from our lunch sat before us...it was too obvious. Lemons, tomatoes, spinach stuffed pie, and a few lettuce leaves were all that was left.

The feeling of satiety, the reds and yellows are all part of what went into this work in progress. I will confess that the first time around the people looked disturbingly like South Park characters.

Stay tuned for the finished product.

By the way here are the portraits MK and I did of each other for a past assignment for Lascaux. On the left my portrait of Mk. On the right the painting and collage of me by MK Shaw. I love it.

Checking in with friends from the past.

As the summer heat bakes Florida I thought it was a good time to get away. Of course if I had my druthers I would find cooler climes, but instead opted for a family and friend kind of trip. To Austin and Houston I did go.

One of the highlights of my trip was to see the opening of my college roommate's show in Houston at the Jack Meier Gallery. Honora and I were roommates at University of Texas in the glory days when Austin was really still weird. We shared her sister's wonderful house, studied art history, and did what college kids did.

Fast forward to seeing her show. Honora's art is beautiful. Feminine images tell stories all women can relate to at some point in their lives. I wanted to pack each one up and carry them home. To be surrounded by these paintings on a daily basis would give me such joy. Do yourself a favor and click here on this link and tour Honora Jacob's website.

I have returned to Florida and begun a graphic design project for another dear friend. In going through logo designs I came up with this idea. The heart is created with the masa paper I painted several weeks ago. Something light and spontaneous and memorable for a logo.

Masa Paper Tutorial

Several members of the Lascaux Society met at my home a few weeks ago for a workshop on the use of Masa paper. Our teachers are artists who use this inexpensive paper in collages and as paintings alone. Each 21.5" x 31" sheet costs less than a dollar. One side is smooth the reverse has a little bit of "tooth".

Step 1. Crumple paper then smooth it out on a flat surface.
Step 2. Spray with water to moisten surface.
Step 3. Paint loosely with diluted watercolor or acrylic paint.
Step 4. Blot, wrinkle again, fold again...flatten again.
Step 5. Repeat painting and wrinkling until you have the desired effect.
Paper dries in about 20 minutes, either start over, add ink, use as desired. You may also use a mask to protect some unpainted areas. This is fun and freeing.

I used some of the paper to fill in areas on the bird. I tore it and applied it with acrylic medium.