Summer Vacation has Begun!

Toxic - sketchbook

I woke up this sunny Monday morning and for the first time in way too long I had nothing I had to do! Ahhhhhh Freedom! Naturally this meant an expensive trip to Michaels and paint all over the kitchen cabinets.
The last two weeks I have been busy with dance shows. Tutu's, sparkles and angle wings were all around me and it was a blast. There is nothing more rewarding than 5 year-olds in pink performing their ballet dance with passion and pizazz and it was nice to get my own butt back on stage with my favorite people! But after the craziness of the last few months, my body hurts and I am in need of a little break.



This week I have been focusing on an old painting I have never been satisfied with and working some things out in my sketchbook. I'm taking some time to relax and letting my mind wander before re-focusing on my art goals and more serious paintings. I will be updating this blog more frequently over the next two months since I have lots of time to sit and paint!

Series of Pointe Shoes

Last week I completed a small pointe shoe painting. The past year I have slowly been painting a series of ink paintings of my pointe shoes. It's a classic ballet subject matter and I find them surprisingly interesting. Even though the shoes are all similar I have a lot of fun with the ribbons and their different arrangements. I have been using india ink for the majority of the painting and then some white ink for highlights so the satin looks shiny. When I was a kid all I wanted was to dance on my toes like a real ballerina. Getting pointe shoes is a right of passage for most young dancers. It is the reward for all those hours standing at the barre doing plies and rises, fixing posture and squeezing those turnout muscles. I have kept every pair of pointe shoes except for a few that have become sculptural art.Each pair represents my hard work and dedication to the art and if you peek inside some of those shoes there is blood to prove it!
These particular shoes are Grishkos, which are hand made in Russia. Although there are now some machine made shoes on the market I have not been impressed by the style or durability of the shoes. I have also been greatly disappointed with the latest Bloch and Capezio shoes that seem to fall apart before they ever have a chance to break down.
Some of these paintings are still available in my Etsy shop, so stop on by if you are interested!

May Sketchbook

Despite May being a crazy busy month I have still managed to get some work done in my sketchbook! Dance/teaching is currently causing me a lot of physical pain so I have been spending my free hours working in my sketchbook with a heating pad wrapped around me. My goal is to work primarily in the sketchbook till things calm down in 3 weeks and then I will be ready to start some new projects and paintings!