It's been busy in my little studio this fall...my favourite season and the time of the year when I have to most energy which works well as it tends to coordinate with a busy season for me.  There are several projects that I have been invited to take part in, so now I have to decide how it fits into my priorities which are my family, painting (which includes exhibits) and studies (slowly & happily trudging along).
 I feel so fortunate to be able to pick & chose where my attentions lie. But I also realize that success in certain areas of my life demand that I focus in this way. It also means that I am the happiest because of making these choices.

Working on a commission can be a challenge, but one that I don't mind. Initially I like to see a few images of my work that connects with the patron, and then send a few sketches just to make sure we're on the same page. As I've been painting this piece, I realized that I needed to make adjustments in order to align to the original sketch more closely. So, even though I felt so far ahead, today is adjustment day. I'll be in my studio if anyone needs me. :)

This is a painting that I recently re-worked after giving it much thought. When I originally painted it, it was picked up immediately by a gallery in BC then went on to another in Calgary. Once it was returned to my studio recently, I found that there were a couple of things that I didn't like...or  maybe connect with...like the tree that was initially in the background and the shape of the canoe (see below).

It was a great opportunity to try out a new acrylic ink that I had picked up by Daler Rowney as well as some of the Golden OPEN acrylics that I've been wanting to try out. As as as the FW ink, I think I will probably stick to the Liquitex acrylic ink as I found the Daler Rowney to be harder to clean out of my Iwata airbrush and after allowing the ink to cure for a day, it still mixed into the colours I layered over the top of it (something that is an important part of my process), especially the white. 

The Gold OPEN acrylics felt a little sticky to me, and since I do love to work in many layers, the slow drying time was a bit of a challenge for me. I guess I'm just a Liquitex girl...the acrylics are familiar to me and I love how they work together.

In spite of the changes I made to the painting, it still feels like Autumn to me...particularly that 'murmuration' of swallows.  I just made certain to add more back into the piece after re-working it. All-in-all I'm very happy with the final results.