Monday, August 14, 2006

"Sweet Gum"


Sweet Gum (8" x 7", oil pastel, 2006) is another one that has been "in progress" for way too long. Originally it was larger, but I couldn't make it work to my satisfaction, which was probably why it took so long to finish. I finally whacked off a couple of inches and changed a few areas, and here it is. For such a small work it was a lot of trouble. I would have just ripped it up and done another version, but really liked the colors and didn't want to trash them.
In case you aren't familiar with sweet gum trees, they are the ones with the spiny "gumballs" that make walking torture underneath them when the seed pods have dropped. The leaves are truly glorious in the fall, though, ranging from a deep blue-black to flaming red.
I've been having so much trouble with "This page is not available" lately that I haven't been able to get to my web site to update it, so I'll add a plug here for my new adventure. One of my works (Purple Crocus) is now available on a mug, journal, and greeting cards at http://www.CafePress.com/staffordart . There is also a small print offered there: the image is approximately 8" x 6". If there is enough interest, I will have more "art stuff" available soon.