Art Cars in Joshua Tree

The best thing about living in Joshua Tree, (besides the beautiful surroundings) is that there is always a cool, art-related activity to experience.  Musicians, circus performers, actors, writers, and visual artists all seem to be drawn here.  Downtown Joshua Tree, The Art Queen, last night:

I only got to stay for a few minutes, as I was headed to life drawing.  But I did want to share a few photos of the art cars for those who didn't get to see the Art Cars in Joshua Tree.  Fun!  If you want to read a nice little article about art cars, click here.  (Thank you, wikipedia.  Oh, and feel free to donate a bit of money to wikipedia, if you are so inclined.)   I didn't expect to be as fascinated by these cars as I was.  It is such a pleasure to see creative expression exploding out of gallery and museum walls.  It kind of makes you want to create an art car, doesn't it?

The studio keeps sucking me in.  Because I like to paint around the edges of my canvases, while my oil paintings are drying, I have to set them on cardboard and lean them against cardboard.  Those of you who don't paint probably aren't aware that oil paintings can take a long time to dry, depending on how thick the paint is, how humid it is, how hot, what colors were used, etc.  Unlike an acrylic painting, which can dry in a matter of minutes with a thin layer of paint, some oil paintings will take up to 6 months or a year to dry.  I don't paint in extremely thick layers (called impasto), but there is still some drying time involved.  With M gone, and the whole house to myself, I have now claimed the living room for part of my studio space.  I like having the works in progress out in the main room, where I can see them while washing dishes, eating, and going about my "other" work.  That way, I can think about them.  I decide if I am fully satisfied, and if I am not satisfied, I can think about why.  It is helpful to have time to really study the work in progress, or even the ones I consider finished.

New paintings, in various stages of completion, drying in the living room.

It remains unseasonably cool and windy here.  I am happy to hear that it is supposed to warm up by Sunday.  I know many of you welcome cooler temperatures.  I do not.  I fear the cold.

This weekend will find me helping to hang a new show at the Red Arrow.  Deborah Martin has a wonderful new collection of paintings of Wonder Valley.  The gallery crawl is Saturday night from 5 to 8 pm.  Maybe I'll see you there.  If not, have a good one, whatever you do.