Ranazul Show

Thank you to everyone would came out for my reception at Ranazul Restaurant. I really appreciate everyone that came!My show will be up until April 2nd. Visit www.ranazul.us for directions and hours.

On June 4th and 5th, Savage Mill will once again be hosting the Green Life Festival. During the fesitval, I will have an open house featuring my landscapes and seascapes. Lately, I have been working on some acrylic layered "sunflowerscapes". This is a rather involved process where I make petals on palette paper, and transfer them to the canvas. The result is very textural, and I like that.

Also in June, my work will be featured at Ahh Coffee!, in Eastport Shopping Center in Annapolis, MD. And in July and August, I will have some of my work at Salon on Cross St. in Chestertown, MD.

So things are busy, and life is good. Hope the spring weather is pleasing you, and here is to warmer days ahead!

Artfully yours,

Cathy Harville

March Show and Reception at Ranazul Restaurant

You are cordially invited to a champagne reception

for

Cathy Harville's art show

"Embracing Our Natural Places"

at Ranazul Restaurant

8171 Maple Lawn Drive

Fulton, MD 20759

on Sunday, March 13th from 4:00 to 5:00PM

Please bring a friend!

The show will be up from February 27th to April 2nd, 2011. For more information, contact Cathy at 443.286.3233 or cathy.harville@gmail.com.

The Fox and the Cat

The art "business" has been pretty slow lately. Part of the lack of foot traffic to my studio may be the economy, or the sad fact that two major "draws" moved to spaces in the main shopping building.

But once in a while, I get a visitor or so. A talkative man, named Joe, stopped by with his two granddaughters. While the granddaughters looked at my work, he told me an interesting story about his cat and a fox. His cat is a big, black hunter, and regularly kills small animals. They have a fox who frequents their yard, so there aren't many little critters running around.

One day recently, the fox and cat had an encounter. The fox walked confidently towards the cat. Instead of fleeing, the big feline started to charge the fox! The fox turned tail and ran.

The next night, Joe got up because he heard some noise outside. Looking outside he saw the fox and cat sitting near each other, looking in opposite directions. It seemed that they were hunting together! He could not believe his eyes, and woke up his girlfriend to take a look. I guess he wanted a witness, because it was such an unusual site. He watched for a while, and went back to bed.

He told the story much better than I ever could. But I thought it was worth sharing. I have the privilege of meeting a lot of interesting people. And Joe made my day.

Sunset Grasses

Attached is a wild waterscape that I completed recently, titled "Returning". The sun was setting as we returned from a day on the water. The grasses captured the colors of the setting sun, creating a display of color that just amazed me. The painting has a second name, "Grass Sunset".

To paint the tall grasses, I used a plastic pizza cutter. I just rolled the pizza cutter in a pan of paint, so it was coated all the way around. The results were very gratifying!

I often paint with odd things - my fingers, paper towels, and more traditionally, palette knives. Yes, I do use brushes, but I love to paint with my fingers. Clouds are especially easy to paint with my digits!

Sometimes a painting will paint itself - others are like hard labor. The ease of completing a painting really depends on two things - how well I "know" the subject, and how large the painting is. I seem to get stuck on larger paintings, probably because there are more problems to work out. Smaller paintings have less detail, and seem to go more smoothly.

I am working to get my completion rate up from about 30% to nearer to 70%. I think I need to put more thought into the process, and allow my brain to solve problems while I sleep. It always seems to help when I approach a half finished painting after a good night's sleep.

Then, there are gems like "Returning". With the goal clear in my mind, and the pizza cutter trick, this painting almost painted itself! Such gems are rare, and much appreciated.

Artfully yours,

Cathy Harville

www.harvilleart.com

Immersion

As a painter, I have experienced immersion in many ways:

- I am startled when someone walks into my studio unexpectedly;

- I often forget to eat lunch, or to eat at all;

- I make coffee, and forget to drink it;

- I constantly lose track of time, despite the very accurate "Whatever" clock I have beside me (all the numbers are falling off, so I really never know what time it is);

- I realize I was supposed to meet someone, and forgot;

- After a while, I realize I have been cleaning my brush in my coffee;

- My phone rings, and I am immediately annoyed;

- and, I put off bathroom breaks until the very last minute! (Just let me finish this one area!) Come on, I know you have done that, too!

I also experience immersion while I am kayaking - no, not in the water, but in the act of observing nature. I will often sit, and listen to the wind rustling the trees and grasses. I hear the beating of a swan's wings as it screams at my approach. I watch the reflections in the water change like liquid mercury. I watch the schools of minnows move across the surface of the water, as a bigger fish is hunting them, no doubt. If the light is right, I take some photos. (It is too hard to paint in my kayak!) And, I forget all about everything, except the moment I am in.

This nature immersion serves me well in the studio. I can easily recall the smell of the water, and the taste of the air. I can recall the light shifting, and reflections gleaming. And although I have my pitiful reference photos to work from, it is the immersion I experienced on the water that helps me to capture the essence of the scene I am painting.

Thank goodness for immersion. Like yoga, it is an opportunity to escape, and just be.

Namaste,

Cathy Harville

Fixing Things

I am a very messy painter. Almost every piece of clothing I own has paint on it. My studio looks like it blew up. Even my "office" area is strewn with papers and handwritten notes.

Chaos leads to mistakes - and accidents. While preparing the ground for one piece, I get the gesso on another piece. Paint flies, drips, and smears. All of this leads to all kinds of chalenges - and adventures in fixing mistakes.

The worst "mistake" I ever had was when I had run out of horizontal space to put a painting covered in acrylic gel to dry. So, I sat it on the rug on the floor. I went out to the restroom, came back, and stepped right in the wet goo! Not only did I step in it, I slid several feet, so prussian blue was everywhere. I spent the next hour cleaning off paint off the floor, and my shoe. I gave up on my clothes and the floor!

Determined to save the art, I pushed the wet gel back into place, added some more, and giggled the whole time. It really was a mess, and it is such a shame no one else got to see the event! After several more "surgeries", I completed the piece, called "Layers of Sunlight". It was the first piece I got accepted into a show at the Art League in Alexandria!! The jurors were quite baffled as to how I created the piece. I told them everything, even the accident part, and they got a good laugh.

If it wasn't for mistakes, my growth would have stopped sometime as a toddler. Mistakes are learning moments, rich with "I will never do that again", or "this looks better than what I planned"! Not many people understand the chaos that surrounds my creative space - except for other artists, of course!

Artfully yours,

Cathy Harville

Artists' Block

Like every artist, I have experienced painter's block. I seldom have any problem with subject matter, and reference material. In my leisure time, I take lots of reference photos, and sometimes get to paint on site.

Since my blocks usually happen before I put the brush to the canvas, I simply put the brush to the canvas. Then it gets easy - until I hit a point where the composition isn't working, or the paint is so thick, that covering it creates confusion. The decision to abort is easy, as acrylics can be covered with a luscious layer of gesso. Sometimes it takes three or more attempts to nail it. Sometimes, I just can't nail it, and i move on. And maybe someday, I will go back to the blasted thing I just can't seem to paint, with more tools in my box.

Inherent in blocks is little voice of failure, looming in the background. I don't listen to those negative little voices. The voice that wants to have fun, experiment, and play is the only voice I listen to while painting.

I recently experimented with some new layering techniques, using gels and mediums, and gluing acrylic pieces to the canvas. Everything was going great - until I stepped in the wet creation. Instead of crying over spilled milk, I used it as a learning experience, and ended up fixing it. While I was reviving the gooey mess, I did another piece, and made sure I didn't set it on the floor! And it turned out pretty cool! I have plans for two more pieces, using different backgrounds and techniques. I guess the moral of the story was that I could have given up with a shoe full of goo, or I could move on to create something even better.

And rest is important. Nothing good comes out when I am tired. I save those times for non-creative chores - or a good nap!

Artfully yours,

Cathy Harville

Finding My Muse

Artists often talk about their "muse", a mysterious, and mischievous force, that helps us to create. My muse shows up when it feels like it. Lately, it has been sticking around longer, and I find I am painting every free moment I can!

To lure my muse to me, I often listen to music while I work. Sometimes, I break out in singing, followed by a fake microphone performance, and then dancing. I find it loosens me up, helps me to think less, and enables me to put out more paint than I will ever need - which is a good thing!

I never watch the clock -which explains why I am chronically late when I am in the "zone". The world becomes my studio, with me at the center. I actually enjoy the quiet of the Mill during the week. I get much more done than when onlookers interrupt my flow. For those days when I have customers (thank goodness), I do administrative stuff and clean up, so my muse can think up more dastardly, crazy stuff for me to paint.

The very act of putting on my painting apron gets me going. Working in a series also gets my adrenaline rushing. Lately, I have been painting petals on glass, and scraping them off to make layered sunflowers. Between using too much gel, stepping in my painting, and not waiting for things to dry, I have learned a lot! The mistakes I make throw me into high gear, to correct or start over fresh. Either way, my muse is laughing up a storm, as I frenetically make more petals, and paint over gel-whitened areas.

Sometimes, my muse throws a temper tantrum when I try to do laundry. I often listen to it, and just let the clothes say in the washer. I know it's time to get back to reality when I have no clean underwear!

Artfully yours,

Cathy Harville

PS - I apologize for the quality of the photo of "Layers of Sunlight II". It is so glossy, that I have to go back and apply a satin gel to it, to get a good photo. In case you were wondering, I stepped in "Layers of Sunlight I" while the gels was wet, sliding across the surface, and making a very admirable mess. The painting went through intensive care, and is healing nicely. I wish we could heal as easily!

Messiness

I have been a physically challenged, cluttered person my whole life. Even if I manage to spruce up a room, you can rest assured the drawers and storage areas will be a living nightmare.

Yesterday, my clutter gave me an awakening jolt of reality. I had glazed a painting with a thick layer of "self-leveling" gel (which, BTW, did not really level out). I sat it on a rug on the floor in my studio. I left to get a cup of coffee. When I came back, I stepped on the painting, resulting in a mess of gel and paint of epic proportions.

After a slew of quiet curse words, I spent the next hour cleaning the floor and my shoe, and cursing myself for being such a slob. But in the end, fate might have done me a favor - the mixed media piece was an experiment from the very beginning, so I did learn what not to do on the next piece. And I also realized that I had not really wasted several hours working on it - that I learned a great deal, and the next effort would be better, and even more creative.

I also realized that no matter how much space I have, it will never be enough. The world tends towards chaos, and I do my fair share to make sure that happens. Pieces of me can be found everywhere I go. My mess will be my legacy - and I think how exciting it will be for a future descendant to "discover" all my hidden and lost treasures.

In life, one has to spend the time to put a positive spin on things. I seem to do a lot of that these days!

Hoping for more order,

Cathy

To Draw or not to Draw?

Below is a response I sent to Robert Genn, author of "Painters Keys" and "Love Letters to Art". He recently published a letter on drawing, and I thought I would share my response with you.

Greetings Robert,

I hope you are happy that I agree with you about drawing. (LOL) I love to sketch very loosely, more like a controlled doodling, but drawing is, well, boring to me. I am not good at it, so I make elaborate grids, and take lots of measurements. By the time I am done, I feel like I have done a math project! And then I have this constrained drawing to fill in, like a paint by number. I painted with watercolor this way for a year, and I always had neck aches. It was far from relaxing.

All kidding aside, I do wish I could draw better. In my own defense, I have had no formal training, so I use that as a lame excuse. But it must be so gratifying to capture something with just a pencil and sketch book in hand. But I also like to focus on producing work that I can show the world. No one, not even my mother, sees my sketch book! I buy beautiful sketch books from time to time, hoping their craftsmanship will inspire me. Instead, they either collect dust, or are given away.

When I paint, I use a pastel pencil to get straight horizons, and to block out large shapes, to get the perspective right. That's it for the pencil. Then I have at it with a brush! I draw the details with a palette knife or rigger, if there are details. They are more fun to use than a pencil or pen, and the effects are much more interesting and unpredictable.

I used to work in pastels, and I used them more like a brush, making marks. I think there are mark makers and drawers. I definitely fall into the mark maker category.

Attached is a beach scene I did, where I drew in the horizon, and fences with a pastel pencil before painting. The fences moved, got painted in and out, until the original drawing is a but a fleeting memory. ("Saving the Dunes", 24"X36" acrylic on canvas by Cathy Harville, c 2009.)

I think I will photograph the progress of a piece, from the initial pastel pencil "drawing" to the finished piece. It would be cool to see how different artists approach the progress of a work, wouldn't it. Could we make this a project among our readers? What fun! we all have to find our own way!

Artfully yours,

Cathy Harville

Being True

Last night, I watched a documentary on Monet, and his role in impressionism. Monet was the primary artist responsible for impressionism, and it changed the art world forever, in a very good way.

Besides the creation of stunning paintings, Monet gave the art world truth. Until he came along, the art world was stagnant and snobbish, with no room for new ideas, or new ways of experiencing art. In fact, Monet was not juried into many shows in Paris, because his work was not considered up to par.

But Monet did not give up. He painted outdoors, and he painted light. He learned that detail is not as important as the impression and light of a fleeting moment. He learned that shadows are not black. He pushed color to create moods. He painted things many times, in different lights, and different weather conditions. He experimented, and continued to paint until he was well into his eighties, with failing eyesight.

With 10 other artists, Monet's work gave art a sorely needed gift - - truth and authenticity in expression. By not conforming to the status quo, he taught the world that all of us see and feel in different ways, and they are all worthy. He taught the art world that without growth, and true human expression, art is but a mechanical craft.

As I look at some of my more outrageous work, I am heartened that I am pursuing my own truth. By honoring my own style, I am honoring my true self. I can always tell when I am honoring my own "impressions" - the work feels right, and it flows.

May you have flow and truth in your work,

Artfully yours,

Cathy Harville

Reflections

I have been painting a lot of water reflections lately. I have been doing a lot of reflecting. Even when the water is still, the reflections of the trees, sky, and grass are never exactly the same as the actual image. Water reflections tend to be less defined, and defy borders and logic.

Painting reflections is a very freeing experience. It doesn't have to be "right". Moods can be created that are tranquil, active, mysterious, or curious, depending on how the reflections are rendered. I often use unusual colors and patterns, to draw attention to the reflections. Minnow schools create "swirlies". Boats create ripples and waves. The sun casts shadows and light. It is all very cool. The reflections are like liquid mercury, always changing and evolving.

Floating in my kayak, I take lots of pictures of micro-environments, usually in the late afternoon light. (I am not much on sunrises, since I like to sleep!) I have been thinking about jumping fish lately, and how to suggest that in the water reflections, without actually rendering the fish.

I am also experimenting with a new method of creating depth and mystery. By using thick, clear medium between paint coats, a really interesting, 3-D effect emerges. While time consuming, and hair-pulling, I am practicing the technique, and will post the first notable effort sometime next week.

I think setting aside time to reflect on life is really necessary in these complicated times. Yoga is a great help. And painting reflections is another.

Artfully yours,

cathy harville

You never know!

I recently painted two small autumn paintings, as part of an experimental period I am undergoing. I posted them on my website, and they sold within 24 hours!

You just never know how or when sales will occur. Sometimes I think it is the phase of the moon, or an ebb tide, or the art gods just may be in a good mood. But fate is fickle - it can often bring together elements in the universe in strange, but wonderful ways.

As I move through life's journey, the world is indeed getting smaller. Things click together more, and connections are more easily made. 

Yesterday, I was in my studio for five minutes, and a woman came in, happy that I was open, and bought a few small things, and also ordered a print.  You just never know!

I had a meeting with an artist friend at the Mill, and she offered to include me in an upcoming, very visible local art event. Such gifts can happen at any time, as long as we are open to receiving them.

So, i think I will do some more experimental work. It is good for my soul, and apparently, is helping with sales! You just never know what is around the next corner.

Artfully yours,

Cathy 

Declined

I am going through a run of rejections at art shows - or, to put it more politically correct - "declineds".

One never knows what a juror may value. Even after reading their bio, and looking at their work, it is difficult to choose pieces that might actually get in. it is more than difficult - it is impossible!

But, for every show I have been rejected from, there are other shows where I am showing work, and, at a few of them, I have sold work. What is also interesting, is that I often sell work quickly that has been rejected from shows! Sweet!

One thing I recognize is that my adventures with acrylics are still in their infancy. I recognize that I have a lot of growing to do, and much to learn. So, I have decided it is time to take a workshop - to immerse myself in the creative process for several days, and just paint, paint, paint. While remote workshops are pricey, perhaps I need some time to learn a few new tricks, and to watch other artists in their creative processes. If new ideas could come in the form of an injection, I would be the first in line!

As an artist, I also need to learn to honor the process of hit or miss. Without struggling, there can be no progress. I have this one painting that I have painted over so many times, that it has an inherent texture.  

So, today I go to pick up my declined paintings. I already have ideas for the next show!

Artfully yours,

Cathy Harville 

Snowed In

I love being snowed in! The whiteness of the snow reflects so much light, that I can't help but smile!

Snow is one of nature's natural anti-depressants. It seems that when the snow covers the landscape, spirits are lifted in Northern climates. My family in Ithaca, NY believes that it is the continual snow cover that makes their winters bearable, and beautiful.

Here in Maryland, we don't often get significant snowfall. So it is a welcome sight, when the earth is sleeping. For some reason though, I am not a snow painter. I prefer to paint color, and the colors in snow are so subtle, that it is just not my ball of wax.

As the end of winter nears, I can feel my painting well getting low. The sweet green of spring promises new inspiration, and warmth. At Savage Mill, we will be having a Green Life festival, on May 2-3, 2009. All the resident artists are busily preparing for our Greenscapes art exhibit, with half the proceeds going to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

So even though the landscape is white, check out the Historic Savage Mill website, www.savagemill.com, to see our upcoming spring events. For me, spring is the official start of a new year. And despite the poor economy, each new year holds a special promise of a new start.

Artfully yours,

Cathy

Major Life Events

greetings everyone,

I subscribe to Robert Genn's Painter's Keys. He recently had an interesting quote:

PS: "Major life events can paralyze your creativity. If you uncover what's going on behind the 'big picture,' though, you can bring yourself back into being in the moment and loving your life." (Guillermo Cuellar)

I agree with Robert, and with Cuellar - major life events, even good ones, can greatly affect creativity.

When I read this quote, I must say I felt a bit relieved. Over the past two months, I have had my share of illnesses, and I am still a bit under the weather with a sinus infection that won't let go. And during this time, my creativity has suffered. On the flip side, I have had more time to think, and let ideas percolate.

My husband and I went to the Florida Keys this past week. I wasn't sure I even wanted to go, but I am glad I did. One of the highlights of the trip was having a first encounter with Key deer. These miniature deer are only 26-32 inches tall, and they only live on a few of the Keys. Naturalists think that these deer were separated from the mainland deer during the last ice age, about 12-13,000 years ago. Their small size matches the land area and vegetative growth they need to survive. As an endangered species, the deer have developed a fondness for people. Although it is illegal to feed them, many of the locals do give them bits of vegetables and fruit. And instead of being nocturnal, they are on the same time schedule as humans.

Our first encounter was with three deer. They all licked my fingers. My husband spent several minutes scratching the ears and face of a small male. After they realized we had no people food to give them, they went about their business. We went into the refuge, and around every curve, we saw deer, eating and laying down, soaking up the winter sun. None of them seemed to fear us.

The Keys are mostly an unspoiled landscape (except for Key West, which is a real tourist trap). I took a few hundred pictures of the clear water, the mangrove trees, and coconut and palm trees. Presently, I am working on a series of palm frond paintings. The light on the fronds was beautiful, and I hope I can do them justice.

Back to major life events - even though I was not feeling well most of the trip, the experience was unforgettable and nourishing. For a little while, I forgot all of my petty problems, and experienced the harmony and healing beauty of nature. I really didn't want to come home.

It snowed this week. Another beautiful gift - the whiteness of the snow provides a tremendous amount of reflected sunlight - just what we all need in the dead of winter - lots of light!

As I continue in this New Year, I can feel a major shift in my thinking, and I am learning to channel negative events into my right hemisphere, and find the positive message. I think that is a good way to approach the winter cold and darkness - to find the light and warmth.

paint yourself a great day,

Cathy

Autumn and Older

Okay. "I am the worst blogger on the planet".

There, now let's move on. It's autumn. It's rainy, and it's cold. It seems to happen every year. But this year, it seems different. I am 50 years old. I get the AARP magazine. I take vitamins for 50+. I am going through menopause. I am officially all gray.

But wow, life seems so fresh and new. I realize I don't have to impress anyone. I don't have to settle for bad service. I know who my friends are. I like my fingernails naked.

And the colors of fall seem more amazing, magical. Everything does. My puppy is getting big girl teeth. It is like magic. Life seems to be one, big, magical mystery.

No, I am not stoned, I am stone sober. But happy. Happy that I have a lot of experience to pull me through the inevitable irritations of life. Happy that I have seen so much change in the world. Amazed, in fact. But also saddened that so many things haven't changed.

My paintings are entering a new phase. I don't know what it is, but I'll get back to you when I figure it out.

And I will try to make it soon.

Peace,
Cathy

Obsessions

Let's face it, we all obsess at some time or another about something. It is easy to obsess, but not so easy to avoid the trap of replaying tapes in our head over and over again. Eventually, enough is enough, and we move on.

I frequently have obsessions in subject matter for my art. Seems I fall in love with something, and paint it over and over again, changing the size, the palette, or the composition. I don't fight this obsession; I just go with the flow, until something else catches my attention.

For a while, it was beaches - beaches in the day, at dusk, with people, with dogs, natural beaches, grassy beaches, Hawaiian beaches, beaches with palm trees, and beaches from different perspectives. Then it was river grass - in pastel, in acrylic, big format, small format, long paintings, small paintings, multiple panel paintings.

I have "moved on" to forsythia, and I can feel it developing to other colors besides yellow - small panels, big panels....you get the idea.

I don't dwell on why this happens, and why I succumb to these "obsessions". Perhaps they are not obsessions as much as explorations. The more I paint, the more I want to explore the subject matter in different ways, until I tire of it and move on. It is not that I think I have mastered anything, or caught the essence - usually, something else just catches my psyche, and I find myself going down a different road.

Life is about taking winding roads, and roads that sometimes seem to go nowhere. But usually a road goes somewhere. And just maybe that pot of gold is down that road. Usually though, I just find cool stuff, stay for a while, pack my bags, and drive on.

Life is a journey, and the more roads we explore, the richer our lives can be. Perhaps that explains why I have so may art supplies for ideas on roads not yet traveled. Thank goodness in life journeys, there are no rising gas prices, no expensive cars, no traffic lights, and no accidents. But there is also no insurance that we make the "right" choices, because there are no right or wrong choices. There are only the choices we make.

Happy traveling,
Cathy

Surface protection

Lately, I feel like I have been inhaling a lot of chemicals - fixative and varnish, mostly. My daughter painted a huge oil about two years ago, and I am just getting around to varnishing it. Her thin layers of paint needed protection against the ravages of time, handling, and framing. While spraying is the easiest approach, I can tell I am a novice at this stage of a painting's life.

This is truly a labor of love. While oil paintings endure for years, conservators know that protection of the surface is vital for insuring a lasting treasure.

As I apply the sixth coat, I think about what humans need to do to protect our environment. We seem to be able to protect our valuables - we insure them, we make sure we lock our doors, we clean them regularly (well, not so much, maybe). Some of us try to take care of our bodies and souls. Then why is it so difficult for us to take care of our natural resources? Why do we continue to practice destructive behaviors, by driving gas hogs, by not carpooling, by leaving lights on, by eating lots of red meat, or by applying more fertilizer than we really need? Is it that we think our world is so vast and unlimited that mother nature can clean up after us forever? Or perhaps we are simply at a loss - we got ourselves into a lifestyle that is at odds with nature, and we don't know how to get out of it.

As I varnish this gem that my daughter created, I think about how we can protect the gem we live on. My art work tries to capture the beauty that we now have. But the very act of making artwork also creates pollution. So ironic. I am glad I don't think about this stuff too frequently, or I would be crazier than I already am. But I do my best - turn off lights, shop at nearby locations, buy local produce, hire local repair and service companies, and keep my thermostat at uncomfortable levels. And I reuse frames, glass, canvases, and recycle paper and plastic.

This is what happens when an artist works in solitude for too long! Back to varnishing, and preserving a part of my daughter's legacy. Hopefully, her descendants will have an earth to enjoy as much as we do.

Peace.
Cathy

Photographing Artwork

Although I am on sabbatical for a few weeks, I could not stay away from my computer! So, I thought I would share some not-so-novel revelations about photographing artwork.

While working in watercolor and pastels, I was able to take reasonable photos of my work, for note cards, small prints, and show submissions. Then came the acrylics - what a different ball of wax!

One of the things I like about acrylics is the juicy, glossy texture that is easily created. That very property makes photographing acrylic paintings a challenge. Since the work is often too large for me to scan, (which doesn't seem to work well either), I have tried to photograph my work in a variety of conditions and settings. The result is that the glossy areas are glaring, almost daring me to capture their likeness.

Now I understand why photographers and giglee printers make the big bucks! Since my acrylics are still in the experimental stage, I am reluctant to spend a lot of money on professional photography of my pieces. So, while explaining the shortcomings of my own expertise behind the camera, I humbly post new work with the warning - "you just have to see it in person". Lame, yes. But it will have to do for a while.

Any advice will be embraced. I have considered a mat finish, which will make the task enormously easier, but I just can't bring myself to tone down my work. Eventually, I will have to find another way.

Enjoy another beautiful day in paradise! Cathy