I finally finished one of the two paintings I’ve been working on for so long. It feels like it’s been “so” long, anyway. I’m just happy one of them is done, and I can move on to the red and white dress in the one on the birch panel. 

West Valley Fiction – in progress. Oil on birch panel, 24 x 24 inches.

All I have left here is painting red around each of these white dots. I probably should have done the red first, let it dry, then made the white dots, but I’m not smart enough to do that. Besides, it may look better to go around the white to try to make them squares, not dots. Although that might be a trick (for me). I’m not that great of a painter, and my eyesight sucks, even with my up-close glasses on. My prescription just gets stronger and stronger. I even just changed it very recently, but I still can’t see, dammit! Ha ha!

When I work on my drawing table, I use my glasses, plus a magnifier light. Sometimes, I even use a pair of professional science glasses that magnify things even bigger. I had to use those when I made those 48 embroideries for my last show. Those gave me a lot of pain in the back of my neck, but at least I got those done. 

I’m thinking about laying this painting flat on the drafting table so I can see it better. Plus, I bought a plexiglass “bridge” to lay my hand on so I don’t get painting on my hands. However, I don’t know when it’s going to arrive. Tracking says “delayed.”

Anyway, here is the 30 x 24-inch oil painting on canvas, now complete. 

What Love, 2025. Oil on canvas, 30 x 24 inches.

I also painted the stripes to wrap around the sides of the canvas, so when it hangs, it will be kinda interesting from the side. 

So, I posted my Career Narrative up on Netvvrk so I could get feedback, but Paddy Johnson’s right-hand person did an editing job on it and basically tore limb from limb. Not only did I think it was great, so did Hannah, who is hard to impress, and two other artists who regularly apply for grants. I spent all day yesterday rewriting it. At least, I wrote the first two pages. The editing was only done to the first two pages, but that’s because they typically review these documents for only one or two pages. 

It’s four pages altogether. I wish it were three, just because I wanted it to come in under two and a half pages and no more. When I imagine a panel having to look over thousands of these, I don’t want to overwhelm them with more than what’s interesting. However, I have to plead my case for why I deserve the fellowship. That is super difficult when I think about the competition. It is really stiff!

I’m already pretty tired today. I just wrapped up about half an hour ago, but I started painting at 5:00 AM. Those outlines took a while, and I had already completed some of them. Now, I have to figure out something to eat, even though I’m not hungry. Ha ha ha.