Just a random post

Outside Boulder Public Library.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 172 (Key Lime Pie)

Pastel on UArt, approx. 5" x 6".

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Things are still bad, as you can imagine. But...(cue dramatic music) the blog must go on! 

Oddly enough, I'm super creative in the studio right now. I have such a backlog of pastels now to post, I'm set for a long time. It's funny, I mentioned it to my acupuncturist when he asked about my creative energies at the moment, and he laughed and said another client of his who is also an artist, during the divorce process was also ultra-creative, but then once his life settled down again, his creative energy really waned. I told him he shouldn't have told me that. My take is, all the current riled-up energy is finding focus once a day, which is great.

I'm always amazed at how my blogger artist friends out there rally when any amongst us is having a tough time in their life. Thank you all. It is really helpful, all the emotional support.

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(Below) This is looking down at the floor in the kitchen while trying to cook. This is often the scene. It's hard not to step on him sometimes. He is such a total goof. He's also the only kitty I've ever had who finds the bustle of feet in the kitchen a great place to lie down, sprawl, and roll around.

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Random photo I took with my phone in the spring on the Pearl St. Mall. When I first moved to Boulder, I hung out there all the time. Now I rarely go, in fact kind of avoid it. It's just "where the tourists go" to me now.

$115.00 - Untitled 172 (Ready to Frame)

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 13 (oil)

36" x 36", oil on linen.
Sold.

This one, with a lot of glazing, was almost done quite a few months ago, but I got so disgusted with Liquin, Galkyd, et al (I find the fumes intolerable) that I put it aside while researching alternatives. I eventually found M.Graham's Walnut Alkyd glazing medium, nontoxic, no fumes, and (so far at least) works wonderfully. I can't believe there was an oil glazing product out there that wasn't harmful to one's health and I didn't know about it. But I am extremely glad to know of it now. It uses walnut oil as opposed to flaxseed (linseed) or poppyseed oil or safflower oil. Linseed is the most commonly used oil for paints, but the manufacturers tell us that it is okay to "mix" oils in a single painting (e.g., most of my oil paints use linseed oil). On the label it instructs the use of a maximum of nine drops of this medium per inch of squeezed tube paint. It seems to be a good amount; I've been using the full nine drops for a very sheer glaze. The photo is a bit glare-y.

I'm just amazed I can now glaze without killing my nervous system. It's great.

The weather has been so horrible for the last couple of weeks. It's doing what it did last spring, and which it never used to do...thanks, Global Weirding. It has been snowing!--second week of May and snowing!!--and raining constantly. Boulder used to be known for being sunny almost all the time. I'm hating it. Waah.

Tortured tulips.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com