I swear, i’ll be here more often

Jeeeezus. Time flies. I’ve been quite busy the last month. Painting, building, shooting. I haven’t been doing much on the website as I’ve been proritizing art production over site time, and full-time work. But as all things do, when you neglect them, they nag you. At least they do for me. So today, before getting frame materials for the new paintings (more on that in a sec), I’ve decided to come on here, do a photo dump, some show-and -tell, and then get back to creation. Oh, and one more thing, after I get the new set of paintings done, I’m doing a big push for getting the Store back up and running again, with new cool things to take home with you, originals, select limited photo prints, etc. So exciting.

So right before finishing the Paul Reubens paintings, I was already on top of getting the next one set up and ready to go. I already knew I wanted to paint Joan Rivers. She was just too funny and too important to fade into the history books as a black and white photo and a caption, so I knew I wanted to celebrate her through visual art. I specifically remember how much she made me laugh. Watching her host Fashion Police was the best because almost everything she said was a jaw-dropping controversy. Anyone could scoff and whisper in response, “omg, can she say that?” I’ll do a proper write-up on this in the Gallery at another time. Her stand-up was wonderful as well. Here’s some shots of the creation process:

Like I said I’ll do a proper write-up on this at another time. Overall, this project went by a little faster than the Paul Reubens. I already had all materials on-hand. Same this time for the next one. I’ll fill you all in on that when that starts to happen.

Another thing I did at the same time while getting Joan Rivers’ paintings done was get the paintings of Paul mounted on their frames. I got to make those, too! Here’s how that process went!

I still have to take the digital master photos of these but I was glad to get the canvases on their permanent homes in the meantime. I stretched these over their frames with a canvas stretcher - the same one I use for making the screens. There were a couple of ripples that needed to come out. They easily came out by placing the canvas face down on a hard flat surface. I use a smooth, flat work board (not pictured). Then I mist the back of the canvas with water not to saturation. Then I put a clean dry washcloth over it, flatly, not folded. Over that goes a hardcover book. Finally over that goes a sandbag approximately 25 lbs in weight. I use one of two that hangs on my big studio light stands. Or use both for different spots/different paintings at the same time. Anyways, about 6 hours under the flat weight fixes warps and ripples. It’s nice.

Last thing for pictures, I took pictures! I did a photoshoot with Makayla (IG @modelingwkayla) again. This time an indoor shoot. She does a lot of clown stuff, so I was on board. I gotta do things glitz and glam, though, so I suggested more editorial and fashiony, while keeping the clown as the original “thing”. I loved the shots we got. Here’s some edits, and some BTS shots:

I still have to finish editing these shots, along with…everything ELSE!!!

So what's on the horizon? The Store. I did mention that. I started chopping up 6 magazines to add more goodies to the collage supply folders. I’ve been chewing on some ideas for that. I also just want to get another collage done. Because even without a specific vision in mind for a piece, one I start playing with items, backgrounds and colors, something magical always happens.

I haven’t quite decided on a new subject for the next series of paintings, but I did have a couple names in mind. Lenardo Dicaprio, Brendan Fraser, Keanu Reeves and Jon Lovitz. I’m torn. I mean, I’ll probably end up doing them all anyways, it’s just a matter of which one next.

In other news, I did a sponsored post on the Rocky Horror jacket on IG and it got a good response! The first couple of days not so much. Then a bit more the last two days. Did I get any orders out of it? No. BUT! The nice thing is I did some good coversations and good responses from it. And the Almighty Algorithm has a better idea who to push my sponsored posts to in the future. Ah…that reminds me, my other IG page (@eric.ross.art.store) will finally have activity once the store goes Live again.

So till next time, I leave you with one of the last sunbeams before the grey took over the PNW. I love it, though. Oh….and me.