Thursday, November 18, 2010

painting, so far



Making slow progress on the train table backdrop.

I've got things down to a science. I can fit two of the big boards on our kitchen table at a time, hanging off the ends. I keep my brushes in a jar of water and don't bother to wash them in between. I have a bunch of little containers with colors mixed up so I don't have to keep messing with that. The actual painting part has been pretty hit-and-miss, though. I can paint while Andy's asleep, and after he wakes up I can keep him contained in his highchair with a snack and a video. Some days it just doesn't work out. Andy hasn't been napping well this week, and seems crankier than usual. I think I've gotten about one hour of painting done all week. This is not good.



I've discovered the overdrive audiobooks at the library. I don't know how these had previously escaped my attention. Since my painting-outside-idea didn't work out so well, I've just been listening to them on the computer while I work. I enjoyed the first six Artemis Fowl books. (Doug says they seem to be full of techno-babble and overly detailed action sequences. I suppose this is true, but the narrator is very good.)



The sunset was looking pretty cool but there was something about it that wasn't quite right, so I've been re-working it.

We had a talent show at church last Friday. I took my unfinished painting. This was the first time I'd had all the pieces together. It was kind of disheartening to see how much I still have left to do.



(This was right at the end, after they started setting up chairs for a training meeting the next morning.)

Yeah, I'm a little stressed about this. But I think it'll be very cool when it's done, and it'll look great on the train table.

4 comments:

Heather T. said...

This is just amazing, Helena!!! It's a huge project, so I can imagine how much time you've put into it, but it looks really really wonderful! That will be the best-looking train backdrop EVER!

Kathey said...

Wow. That's amazing. Is there someone you could trade children with who could take Andy now, and you pay back later after you're finished? It's gong to be gorgeous, but you need the time to work on it. Having something like that unfinished must be really stressful.

Love, Mom

Helen in Australia said...

That looks great.

(But please don't get stressed!)

Why am I here??? said...

That sunset peeking through is my fav. AWESOME WORK AS ALWAYS!