Where I've been the past 2 months!

OK, I know I've been missing in action or something for too long. I do have my reasons though! I've been looking for a new and permanent place to live and this is what I've found. Currently there are many houses, town homes and condos on the market. This is especially true on the west end of Atlanta. True you have to be a bit cautious and adventuresome to look over there but the fact is that now is the best time to invest in that area. Why you might ask! Well because the city is literally giving money to people who want to buy there in the form of 15 year grants. Yes, grants not loans. You can check with HUD and the Atlanta Housing Authority for more details but for a bit of your time on the weekend you could net up to 120K in grants. I'll be happy to share what I find out as the process moves forward. Like any government program there are hoops to jump through and not all properties qualify so it's best to start early and ask a lot of questions.

So here is what I've settled on and currently in the process of buying. Wish me luck! The house was built in 1914 and is a true Arts and Crafts transitional house. It has all of the craftsman details with a bit more formal Victorian floor plan. Yes, it's a big house, more room to work in! The rooms are very large and for the most part will remain just as they are. The first floor is in great shape with little to do.



This is a series of photos of the house including some detail shots of the architectural elements of the home. Double click on the photo for a larger version.


The following 3 drawings are plans of the house layout. The floor plan is accurate as I've measured everything in the place. The Kitchen area is a planned improvement as well as the 3rd floor bath area.





Butlers Pantry between Kitchen area and Formal Dinning Hall.



The second floor will remain unchanged except the removal of carpet and refinishing some floors.




The 3rd floor is the main reason I'm buying the home. It has a large well lit open space for a studio area. It needs a bit of cleaning up but is functional and ready to go!



I fell in love with the light in this space. It is constant much like North light throughout the day. It really doesn't change much and the space remains comfortable throughout the day without air conditioning. They knew how to build them back then!

I'm looking forward to having drawing groups over and sharing the space with all the artsy folks I know. I'm looking forward to a few halcyon days!

Better day, moving forward.

I ended yesterday with a few hours painting and produced a good solid little painting of avocados around midnight. Not a bad way to end the day!  

I had woken up early and got right to painting after a hard day yesterday. I started with a tangelo which I peeled in a spiral. I took some time looking at it from various angles with extreme lighting and settled on a composition that was landscape in nature. I started quickly checking the proportions and blocking in the shadows and light areas. Then moved into the mid-tones which pretty much completed the painting. I hit the painting again with the final layers of strong light and then found and restated the darkest accents in the piece. In all I was pleased with the result.  Even better the piece sold 5 hours after I had completed it.

Tomorrow brings the gallery opening reception and a chance to meet a larger circle of friends. If you read this please feel free to leave comments and any thoughts you might have. Your feedback is always welcomed.