Untitled 287

Untitled 287.  Pastel.  Approx. 6" x 8".   Purchase information: jala [at] jalapfaff [dot com]

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I've never bought a cat bed before--I mean, cats sleep anywhere and everywhere. But my vet said a heated cat bed might help Gadjo with his FHS. 

So I ordered an inexpensive "self-heating" (has a layer of that silver space-blanket stuff in it, no electricity or anything) bed. It does get warmer than if it didn't have that layer, although I'm sure an electric one would be even warmer. But I figured they would like it no matter what, since it has cozy padding and is kitty-sized.

I read the description online (19" diameter, "fits one medium-sized cat") and estimated that that would be just about right for Rumi and Gadjo together.

This bed is rarely unoccupied.  I knew these two were gonna love it:

Fennec uses it less often... My theory is that he produces a lot of heat already--you know, all that mass--merely in the act of existing.  Made me laugh to see how he doesn't even really fit in it.  He has to sit on it rather than in it:

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 234

Pastel on UArt, approx. 6" x 8".

Art purchase inquiries: please email me: jala [at] jalapfaff [dot com].

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In the alley.


More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Self-portrait study 2

Burnt sienna toned ground, then a palette of burnt sienna, lead white, ultramarine blue, yellow ochre, and burnt umber. I really liked this palette (though it was strange to have burnt sienna as one's only "red"), and only barely began to discover all the different subtle combinations that can be created. Very happy with how this turned out. This was about 2 hours, alla prima with a mirror.

I have to figure out a better setup, though... I can't seem to manage a way, yet, to have the spotlight (and it's awfully hot under that thing; artists' models, I empathize!) on my face without it being either in my eyes or too bright on my canvas, or both.

Also, I'm a bit bummed that alla prima self-portraits are pretty much limited to the straight-on view. Unless I'm majorly misunderstanding something or there are some tricks using multiple mirrors, there's no way to paint one's own profile (for example) alla prima...no?

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In India. Traditional wooden block-print stamps for textiles.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

New Delhi

Experimenting with a very different palette to suit the mood.

I'm still feeling pretty lousy, but have made it for some limited time into the studio! It's so great to be back in there, surrounded by all the colors of pastels and the smell of linseed oil.

How to ooze. Step 1: Prepare.

Step 2: Let it all hang out.

Tea plantation worker (near Munnar).

Temple offerings.

A former temple decoration or offering, now left to gently and ineluctably become part of the roadside trash.

Tea pickers in the near-perpetual Munnar mist.

A mahout with his magnificent charge.

$115.00 - New Delhi (Ready to Frame)

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Sam's studio zinnias and other mysteries

Every time I go over to art/friend/neighbor Sam's house, I find something else to poach that I want to paint. This time it was three zinnia flowers in a vase. She was nervous about lending them to me, because they were sentimental, having been given to her by someone else. Of course I assured her nothing would happen to them. Brought them over to my studio, painted them late last night, finished at 2:30 am (that's pretty normal for me; I'm a total night owl).

Went back into the studio today to take a photo of this painting to post...and gasped as I saw that one of the zinnias--of course, the biggest and most vividly colored one--appeared to have a broken neck! It looked awful. Strangely, the whole stem (neck) of it seemed to be thin and collapsed...like a zinnia-hungry chupacabra had been at it in the wee hours.

I felt so bad, I gave her the painting, so she could have some more "zinnias" to look at.

That's Miss Lemon on the left, and my girly-girl, black Cleo on the right. She's developed a really strange habit this summer. She brings these big green pods into the house (see bottom photo). I don't know what tree they're from, but what weirds me out is what must go through her mind. She drags them in from somewhere outside our property (because we don't have any trees like that), all the way back to our house, then through the little cat door, then she drags them up the stairs and leaves them for me, one at a time, next to my bedroom door. It started out several weeks ago as maybe twice a week, and has increased to the point where it's about four times a day.

God, cats crack me up.

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Yellow flowers in glass

Another Mark Leach-inspired pastel.

I am cat, therefore I ooze.

Sold

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com