What I'm Working On: May 2015 Edition

"Untitled" (In progress) Oil on canvas ©Tabetha Hastings

Here is a sneak preview of my latest painting. This is a slightly cropped version, and still very much in progress. (Not ready for the world to see that nose yet!)

This is the second painting in a series of intimate portraits. I'm compelled by the lines of the human body, as well as the interesting colors and textures of the skin that we're all wrapped up in.

My focus is largely on the female form; I want to express beauty in what is often overlooked. Sensuality above sexuality.

If interested, you can check out more of my work at http://tabethalandt.com

Day 21, 100 Happy Days: Blank Canvas

Before

A blank canvas is a wonderful (and potentially terrifying) thing. It represents pure potential. It's fresh and new, and has it's whole future ahead. It's all possibility.

When one is having a creative block, a blank canvas can be quite intimidating.

Luckily, I am anything but blocked right now. I couldn't wait to tear the wrapping off of this canvas today. And even though I was excited to start painting, it made me happy to just look at that beautiful blank canvas on my easel for a few minutes before diving in with the oils.

After (in progress)

This is what's happening to that canvas that I opened up this afternoon; I started a painting of this morning's sunrise. This is just the first layer, so it's very much a work in progress. But I'm pleased so far!

Day 16, 100 Happy Days: Being Present Through Painting

"Sunrise at Libby's" (In progress)

One of the things that I love about painting is that it can bring me directly to the present moment. All attention is on the painting in front of me, and the rest of the world melts away. I find the rhythm of the music, and somehow it feels that it's synced up with the paintbrush.

I've found my groove.

However, I can't get to that place when I'm teaching a class, or when other people are around (with the exception of a very few people with whom I've been painting for years). If I'm not painting much, or during times of high stress, it can take me hours to find my groove. I'm happy to say that with my daily practice I'm finding that place nearly immediately.

Bliss.

And actually, I would say that painting is very similar to meditation. It's like an active meditation. If you're stressed or out of practice, it can take a while to quiet your mind. But with daily practice you can get there quickly.

Again, bliss.

Tonight's music was courtesy of Eric Dolphy and Herbie Hancock. Very nice indeed. Here's Herbie...

Day 15, 100 Happy Days: Painting!

Current works in progress.

I spent six glorious hours in my studio tonight. Six hours in my studio is not that much when I'm teaching, but to have six hours to myself is very unusual. And wonderful!

Sure there were approximately ten thousand other things that I needed to do, but I also needed to paint. Even though my business is painting, painting my own work (as opposed to painting for classes) still gets pushed to the back burner sometimes. I spend a lot of time putting out fires, trying to get the word out about my classes, or crunching numbers, and painting for myself can seem like a novelty in the face of all that. Paying bills becomes priority, and painting a distant memory.

But I forget that painting is necessary for my peace of mind. It is necessary for my happiness, for my self preservation, for balance in my life, and it's necessary for me to paint in order to be whole.

Tonight was bliss. I have several pieces that I'm working on (you really have to when you paint in oils), and I worked on a few of them. Right now I'm a bit obsessed with the night and the early morning skies.  I'm enjoying having many paintings in progress with the same theme; it allows me to explore different approaches to similar images.

I listen to a lot of music while painting. My favorite cd's of the evening were Joshua Bell's Red Violin Concerto, and Dexter Gordon's Our Man in Paris and One Flight Up. Sometimes it's good to paint to music without lyrics.

Here is Dexter Gordon's Tanya. Brilliance.

The Trials of Finishing Paintings

In Progress: "Churning" ©Tabetha Hastings

I had a lovely day in the studio yesterday. It had been awhile - my studio time (aside from teaching) has been very sporadic this year. Part of the reason for this is that I got several paintings to the point of being nearly done. I have to be honest with you: this is not the most exciting stage of a painting. It requires more thought and decisions, and... frankly I'd rather just start another painting. (And I have a bad habit of not finishing things... I'm sure no one else can relate to that...)
The other reason I haven't been in the studio much, is that the pull to play has been strong - especially with the warm weather. Of course play is an integral part of the creative process, but still.

Yesterday I went to my studio with the intention of finishing "Churning" (above). Like so many things in life, the final stages of a painting always take much, MUCH longer than expected. I'll continue to work on it today. It's at that stage that the changes are subtle enough that there won't be any obvious differences, but the changes are necessary.

When I went to log yesterday's hours, I was surprised that I hadn't worked on this painting since January!! It's been far too long.

Looking forward to spending some quality time with it today.

Painting Final Layer of Highlights and Shadows: Video

It's been kind of strange not blogging for a few days after blogging for 100 days in a row. But I'm back! This time with a little video of me (or my hand) working on the final layer of my painting "Standing Alone".

The bulk of the painting is done, I was just touching up some highlights and shadows on the branches. Not the best painting video ever to exist, but not too bad for my first attempt.

I must say: holding an iPhone in one hand and painting with the other is a bit of a challenge. What I really need is a Google Glass. I'd make good use of that thing! Anyone want to buy me a pair? Anyone...?

Happiness Project Day 98: Artistic Breakthrough

Okay, artistic breakthrough may be pushing it slightly... it smacks of a broad-reaching breakthrough. This was more like a breakthrough that I made on this particular painting.

This painting, "I Stand Alone" (the latest working title), is one I started a few years ago. Once or twice a year I pull it out and look at it, and sometimes work on it. It hasn't quite known what it wants to be, and consequently has gone through several stages over the years. There are many layers of paint on this one. And I keep thinking that it is just about finished but... the painting has a mind of it's own. (And even as I look at it now I see something I want to work on.)

Anyway, the breakthrough came when I added another little hill to the middle ground on each side of the painting. Actually I more discovered it than created it. It was kind of a happy accident. Artistic accidents are pretty much par for the course, and I consider them a part of the creative process. The key is to recognize and work with them, which involves letting go of control of what you wanted it to look like. Just like life, right? Things may not turn out the way you envisioned, but they work out. And sometimes much better than what you pictured.

In the case of my painting, I think the extra hill adds depth and interest to those sections, and the overall composition. I was quite happy to discover that hill!

And here is what I was listening to...

Happiness Project Dy 78: Getting My Soul Fed Through Paint and Sigur Ros

"Headed Towards The Light" (in progress) ©Tabetha Hastings

I'm really trying not to repeat things that make me happy for this 100 day journey, but sometimes it must be done....

I spent this evening painting in my studio, and my soul has been fed. It's strange how sometimes six hours of painting can feel like three, and other times three hours can feel like six. Tonight was the latter, but in a really good way.

I decided to give myself a break from the intricate, detailed painting that I do in my tree bark series, and instead worked on an older piece (big brush strokes is what I was looking for).

If you've been to one of my classes or Paint Club in the past few months you may have seen this painting hanging on a wall, waiting for some love. The truth is that it's been sitting in my back room for YEARS waiting for me to finish it. I finally decided to pull it out and hang it on the wall in hopes of some inspiration.
The picture above was taken after I finished for the evening (and I must say I'm pleased - the picture doesn't do it justice). Conceptually, it was the same before I started painting on it tonight; I just added some more layers and depth and dimension to it.

One of the things that I love about painting is that it is such a great analogy for life. You can drop an issue that you're having trouble with - something you need to work out. Like relationship issues, a friendship, or even a book that you can't seem to bring yourself to finish. Then you go along in life - it could be for a few weeks or a few years. All the while you're gaining life experience and new skills and learning how to deal with things. Then one day you go back to the relationship issue, you call the friend, or you pick up the book, and the same issues are still there. But you are different. With any luck you've gained the skills and life experience to tackle the problem in a whole new way. You're looking at it from a fresh perspective.

It's the same way with painting. I get stuck on something, and the painting waits patiently for me to figure it out. It waits for me to improve my skills, or to purchase the right color or brush. Or it waits for me to see the right sunset, nature documentary, or have the right conversation, to gain the needed inspiration to finish it.
Pretty freaking cool, no?

I listened to several cds tonight, but as I was finishing up, this song from Sigur Ros came on. It felt like my painting, somehow. The name of the the song is Ekki Mukk (Sigur Ros is from Iceland). I just looked it up on youtube to post the video, and in parentheses after the song title it says... Moving Art. Of course it does. lol (And interestingly, AS I was listening to this song, I was imagining my painting animated - and I had no idea the song was called Moving Art!)

New portraits in progress: Marilyn Monroe and self-portrait

I'm working on two new paintings right now - oil dries so slowly it's good to have more than one going at any given time (and that fits right in with my ADD...) Both of these are nearly finished:

Marilyn: she's the first in my Hollywood series.

I'm still looking for a title for this self-portrait...ideas?

Stop Making Sense!

I love the Talking Heads.

When I saw their concert film "Stop Making Sense" the year I graduated high school, I felt like my eyes had been opened. We would go to the midnight movie at the Esquire in Denver and dance our asses off in the aisles.
Recently I started a painting based on the cover for the album of the same name. I tend to get a bit obsessed when painting musicians; I listen to their music constantly.  At the moment I'm on YouTube revisiting videos from the film, trying to decide which one to post. They're all so good! But I'm going with Girlfriend Is Better (aka Stop Making Sense) because he's wearing the big suit. (Why the big suit?) Scroll down to view painting in progress...

Enjoy!


Here is the painting I'm working on, and the original album cover below...