Ah, Spring! Seafare 2012, March Interview. . .

In light of Huntsville's unpredictable early spring, my imagination is romping enthusiastically through breezy days, clumps of daffodils, and boughs heavy with white, lilac, and pink blooms, but wildly fluctuating temperatures and humidity have left my canvases sluggish. I currently have two water-based oil pieces and one acrylic in the works, but they remain so wet and sticky that I must proceed uncharacteristically slowly to avoid cracking.

That having been said, when I was recently offered the opportunity to paint a buoy [above] for The Huntsville Arts Council's spring fundraiser, "Seafare 2012", I was more than happy to not only support an excellent local arts organization but try out a new surface (and have yet another project to work on while the others still refuse to dry). Many artists have contributed hand-decorated buoys to go on auction tomorrow, some of which can be viewed on The Arts Council's Facebook page. The surface, a slightly bumpy plastic, was intriguing, as was the shape, and while it took four coats of acrylic to cover it evenly (and it also remained sticky far longer than expected), determining how to work with its shape and texture was quite pleasant. I gave "Louisiana Romance" [top photo] a base warmed with metallic gold and used a ballpoint pen for finishing touches. Since the theme was water- and ocean-related, I drew on my memories of vacations to the Gulf Coast for inspiration, wanting to create a thematically relevant piece that still oozed Southern charm and a sense of history.

In other notes, I have just today posted this month's Huntsville Art Blog interview with NA Crafters founding member and local jewelry maker Jessica Moon. In it, she talks about her role in the group and how others can become involved-- she and a few fellow members have also worked together to decorate a buoy for the Arts Council fundraiser, which, along with the full interview, can be seen by clicking here.