Are You Gonna Eat That? Confessions of a Starving Artist

Swim at Your Own Risk
 Oil pastel on vellum,   Laura Z

There are so many cliches and stereotypes that surround the word "artist." Just because they are often true doesn't mean they aren't also problematic, both for the artist's identity and how s/he is perceived.

Usually when I tell people I'm am artist, I get THE LOOK. Most people won't come right out and say the word crazy, but I can tell it's rattling around in there somewhere, along with questions like:

         "Is it contagious?"

         "Should I avoid eye contact?" 

         "What does an artist eat in the wild?"

HELP! (Calling all Expert Organizers)

Organization does not come naturally to me. I've never quite understood why I should clean up just to make a new mess.

But when I began to think about blogging and sharing my creative process, it became apparent that I would need a more photogenic studio space than the usual tidal wave of materials that only makes sense to me (and not much sense at that).

News From the Oddball Art Laboratory

Breaking EarthPaint News!

Here in the Oddball Art Laboratory, art is also a science, with lots of accidental discoveries. Today's observation is a major breakthrough!

Organizing Chaos

A tidy studio space: for me, this usually means one in which art is not being actively created.

Overdue Changes and Updates

I have finally updated a few of the main blog pages, so they won't appear in the blog feed, but if you will look to the top left column of this page you will see links for "About Me" and two updated Gallery pages. Please check it out, and as always, I'd love some likes, shares, and comments!

These are the links:

About Me

Gallery of Works: EarthPaint

Gallery of Works: Weirdo Edition


And here's a picture of me, dressed up like a gypsy in the last stage play I did. For no reason. (Well, maybe two reasons...)

Is it odd that my "costume" actually consisted of my own clothes?

I don't think so.

Guest Blog post - Leah Fanning Mebane at www.fanningart.com

I've been so busy working on Nostril Woman, I almost forgot: I would like to thank artist and blogger Leah Fanning Mebane for giving me my first opportunity to do some Guest Blogging on her wonderful blog, Natural Earth Paint.

Works-In-Progress: Studio Update July 27, 2016

Since my last blog post, I've been working nonstop on one of the most challenging projects I have ever done: writing and illustrating a children's book. It is called “The Adventures of Nostril Woman (The Worst Super Hero EVER).” Here's one of my favorite excerpts:

Last Sunlight: Rain on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Last Sunlight: Rain on the Blue Ridge Parkway
EarthPaint on Canvas, 6" x 6"
Laura Z 2016

I am blessed to live about 5 minutes from the spectacular Blue Ridge Parkway in Maggie Valley, NC. This is based on a photo taken a few days ago, shortly before dusk, Rain and mist crept up Water Rock Knob, while a nearby ridge was bathed in the most beautiful puddles of sunlight. What a breathtaking sight it was! This area is without a doubt among the most beautiful places in the world, in addition to providing me with a wealth of mineral colors for my palette. The illuminated ridge was done in a lovely sparkling yellow-green mineral (I think it is olivine but I'm not sure) that I found beside the highway outside of nearby Waynesville, NC. It is a gorgeous soft lichen color, very powdery and full of sparkle. I find all kinds of mineral treasures around here: I'm convinced that I could not have developed this medium anywhere else in the world.

Apple Blossoms

Apple Blossoms
EarthPaint on Canvas 6" x 6"
Laura Z 2016
PRIVATE COLLECTION

This is based on a photo I took of an apple tree outside my home. One day I will paint one that also incorporates the beautifully rusted 1927 truck that sits under it. The combination of the apple tree and the old truck is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen,