I’ve been able to spend a lot of time in the studio over the last month or so, and that’s good, because I have a lot of painting to do! I’m getting something more than a dozen completed paintings photographed this Friday in preparation for my Open Studios show, which goes up September 27 and stays up til the end of November.

I also have a show of my Earthly Desires works going up this weekend at the Variety Screening Room - the reception will be Thursday, August 5, I believe 5-7pm, and the show will be up for August and September.

This photo is of my favorite brush, which I’ve recently retired but haven’t been able to get rid of completely. I call it the Velveteen Rabbit brush, because it’s been so loved that it’s pretty much not there anymore. I guess that makes it real. I wish I could buy brushes pre-aged (maybe not this far gone, but not nice and shiny-smooth). I like when my brushes are on the roughened side, to give some texture to the paint - I do a lot of dry-brushing and really scrub at the surface and generally maltreat my poor brushes. I try to wash and condition them well, but eventually they do wear out and become useless.