Look out, Vermeer, here I come.

I'm ready for my next form of therapy. On my lunch break, I bought a 30 x 48 inch 'gallery wrap' canvas upon which I plan to brush a masterpiece. Well, that's the plan. I'll be using a technique known as glazing, for which Johannes Vermeer was well known. Without boring you with too many details, glazing is a method by which colors are placed on a canvas in very thin layers using an oil-based medium. After a layer has dried, and another placed on top of it, the colors become not physically but optically mixed, thus creating a luminosity in the painting.

The key words there are 'after a layer has dried.' This project is meant to be a work of patience, above all else. My tendency to rush things is legendary, and I'm hoping to prove I can wait. A little.

This is why I'll be painting in my husband's heated 'shop' - the same place my cat resides. The wood stove keeps the place at an almost constant, arid 80 degrees. It's hard to say whether oils will dry faster in those conditions, but I'm betting on it.

And if not...well...I'll be patient. What's the hurry?

Another Etsy Discovery: D. Prizzi

I've been downhearted baby
Ever since the day we met
Our love is nothin' but the blues
Baby how blue can you get...

My new favorite artist at etsy is D. Prizzi. While it may have been her blues that first attracted me, it was her skill as an artist that made me fall in love.


Do you not want to gobble up this delectable tart? Is your mouth watering? Look at the light reflected in the berries, that hint of gold around the rim of the plate. Just beautiful.


This painting makes me want to be British and drink more tea.


I love the juxtaposition of colors here. The Granny Smith green with the turquoise of the plate. And that warmth of red beneath. There's a great deal to be said about the composition, too, if I really knew anything about composition. I only know that it looks exactly right.

The artist appears to be quite beautiful, herself. You may see more of her work on her lovely blog.