Staged - FINALLY Finished

I started this painting in early March. Eight weeks is a long time for a painting for me, though I should probably not be too hard on myself considering that I did go on vacation, finish two smaller paintings and a drawing, set up some new exhibition opportunities and write up press releases, etc., during that time. I've been keeping myself busy!

I'll post a schedule of upcoming events in the next day or two. A couple things are still up in the air, but I do have a few for-sure openings to announce.

So Close!

Just a little more work on the background, and she'll be done.

Staged - More Updates

All the changes on this one have been small, but time consuming. I've worked on the legs (did more on the feet after the picture below was taken, but the adjustments were slight) added the fringe on the legs and the tattoo on the chest.

The fringe was tough not only because of how intricate it is, but also because it casts a shadow onto the leg.

The difficulty with the tattoo is obvious. Many of the lines are very thin, and I was using a tiny liner brush to work on this. It took me 3 - 4 hours last night to put this in, and I purposely left out some details that are in the actual tattoo. Also, it is difficult to see here, but the whole tattoo isn't solid black, and actually lightens in the light. That effect might not be strong enough, so I might find myself coming back to this part again.

Ophelia II

New work-in-progress:
"Ophelia II" Oil on Canvas 36" x 24"

I started this painting yesterday, working many hours to get to this point. I am happy with this first layer, but I didn't think I would be when I started! Mostly, though, at this point I am pleased with the composition. It took me a long time to get this composition just the way I wanted it, and seeing it all blocked in on the canvas now I feel it was worth the time I spent sketching, pondering and rearranging.

Nautilus II - Completed

Except for the signature, this one is finished. Unfortunately, the jpg here is not showing some of the color the way I wish it would. For example, on the lit edge of the arm, you should see a strong 'optical red' which is also present in the edge of the hair and shadow on the lower arm. I'm not sure it is showing up as brightly as it should, nor are some of the other hues in the light areas. Oh well, I suppose you will just have to see it in person at my June show at Hilliard!


Announcements will be coming soon about upcoming shows. I have a lot in the works, including my solo show here in town at Hilliard, a group show out in St. Charles, MO, a relationship with a new gallery, and perhaps one or two other events!

Nautilus II - Updates

On this painting I've added the seat, the blue background, and continued to build depth from the shoulders to the midsection and near the elbow. I think this painting will come along relatively quickly, partially because it's small and partially because the paint is going on thicker and faster than on "Staged." It's heading in the right direction, but I need to get a few nuances and details in that are just generalized at the moment.

Staged - Updates

While I have made some progress, there is still a lot more to do on this one. Everything needs at least one more coat. At this point, I've still been focusing on the flesh. The rest goes faster than skin tones do; they need to be built up in layers.

You can see that here on the leg, the marks I originally had down for the fringe on the shawl are still visible. This will help me place them as I do the next layer. I anticipate doing another layer of both flesh and fringe here, and finally another layer to clarify fringe on top of that.

I worked a lot on the face, and while it's pretty much right on, I may need to add a bit more color to the face. However, if you've ever met the model, you know how porcelain pale she is.

Again, I've worked on the hands, and though I am fairly satisfied, the paint is just not thick enough in the light areas. Also, I really like to work adjacent areas at the same time to avoid the cut-out look that most of this area currently has, and I wasn't able to do that in this layer this time. The black paint takes so very long to dry that I like to work with it primarily in the first and last stages, so that I can get as much as possible done in the intermediate sessions without having to wait for it to dry. It's very important to pay attention to the edges so that they both describe spatial relationships and lead the eye through the painting.

Ask and You Shall Receive!

So, last time I posted (it seems like forever ago) I complained about my working and familial schedule. Lo and behold, the schedule is changing! My husband's working hours are going to shift, and this should restore the working schedule that I had about a year and a half ago. It worked out really well then; let's hope it works out really well when the new hours start this weekend.

The last week has *not* been as productive as I would have liked. The painting above has more layers on the flesh areas, excluding hands and face, and I started the painting below. I've made a new goal to get at least 3 paintings totally finished by the 30th. Will someone here please hold me to that? ;-)


Sometimes, I wish I could leave a painting in this stage, white background and all. Though, she could use having the object she's seated on put in so she doesn't appear to float. Which reminds me, I watched a program on PBS last night about levitation. It was fairly interesting, much better than the infomercials that were on as I was finishing up my work at 2:30 am.

Nautilus - Finished

"Nautilus"
Oil on Panel, 14" x 11" $1000

Nautilus - Nearing the Finish

I'm thinking this one is pretty close to finished. I still haven't gotten a 2nd layer on the top hand or the background, but they should be fairly quick. There were some other progress photos taken in between posts; perhaps they will end up in a demo on my site.

I have a confession to make: I am sick of painting at night. Lately, I have gotten a few sessions in during the day and might have to make that a general habit. I don't seem to be able to focus as well as I used to in the evening because familial routines have changed over the years. Besides, there's so much more light during the day! I'm not sure yet how it will work out to shift my painting hours, but I'm going to give it a try.

Anyway, in the next several weeks I am going to update and slightly expand my website. I should be adding a couple more demos and hopefully some other informative stuff. If there's anything in particular you'd like to see, send me an email at Lacey at Lacey-Lewis dot com! No guarantees that I will actually incorporate your suggestions, but I am honestly very curious about what you are interested in most.

Lost At E Minor

My work was featured today on Lost at E Minor, an "online publication devoted to pop culture — art, photography, design, music, the Interweb, and whatever else makes us as awe-struck and twinkle-eyed as newborn monkeys." I'm certainly honored to be included!

Even more flattering, I was described as one who paints, "amazingly realistic nudes with taste and sophistication." Can't get any better than that!

Nautilus - Progress

Of course I am giving more attention to this painting, because it is smaller. I always imagined (before I was a 'real' artist) that I'd want to almost exclusively focus on really large scale paintings. While I do have some large projects I want to tackle in the future, especially if I can work from life for them, these smaller pieces are just so satisfying. Perhaps they go faster.

Anyway, hopefully you can see the changes from the last posting. I've worked on the ottoman, her hair, and the area from her shoulder to her waist, stopping at the spine. Not satisfied yet but it's getting there!

Starting "Nautilus"

New painting still on the easel. This one feels like it's going to be easy. 14" x 11" oil on panel.

Painting Progress

Earlier this month I showed the start of this painting; here is some progress! The lower section is still blank canvas, simply because I need somewhere I can grab the painting to move it. I like the yellow and black color combination, but now that I am painting it, the background reminds me of a stage. Perhaps I will call this one, 'Staged.' Any thoughts on that?

Back from "Vacation!"

Last week I had a little vacation. My folks were in town, and we spent the week gallivanting around and eating lots of food! We went to Manhattan, KS, the Oz Museum in Wamego, KS, the KC Zoo, and I topped it off with a 4 mile race on Saturday. My husband and I got to go out with some friends in the evenings.

I didn't do a drop of work the whole time.

The above drawing was mostly complete more than a week ago, but I just put the finishing touches on it tonight. I need to get back in gear now!

Working on Some Nudes

At the moment I have a nude drawing and painting going. I hope to finish the drawing above (which is actually showing up as blue this time!) and start up another drawing and/or painting in the next few days, so I have a lot around to work on. Usually I have one or two projects going at the same time, but I feel like trying to have more than that in progress for a change. Due to my limited space, it can be difficult to have too many wet paintings at once, but now that I have most of my work out of the house I wonder if it might help me move along faster if I have more choices on what to work on each day. I certainly have enough ideas to give it a try!

This is after one night of work. Very rough and general, but serves as a map and starts to cover that awful blank canvas! The last few times I have started a painting, I've remembered how I used to like to paint on a toned ground, but it's too late at that point. Perhaps I should go tone a couple tonight before I get started on anything else.

Facades - The Opening

Opening night for Facades was a lot of fun! Above is a shot that looks straight through the section of the gallery was dedicated to my paintings. The guy in the front and to the left is Jay Nelson, art pusher extraordinaire, and I am off to the right.

I spent the night chatting with art lovers and artists, some of whom I hadn't met before including the elusive Jon Keith Swindell, and sampling from the fabulous buffet Strecker-Nelson provided. There was a lot of great work in the other sections of the gallery which I highly recommend! Unfortunately, I did not get to introduce myself to Lisa Grossman or Lori Wright, either because they were already engrossed in conversation or I was being shy.

All in all, a good time and a great show. Stop in if you are in the area! Stay tuned; more art in progress is on the way.

Facades Opens Tomorrow!

Opening Reception tomorrow night from 5 to 8 pm for Facades - Nudes and Narratives at Strecker-Nelson Gallery in Manhattan, KS! I'll be there to chat with everyone who stops by.


The past couple of days, I've been working on this drawing. It's on blue toned paper, though it looks more gray on my monitor, and eventually I'll bring in some white highlights. As soon as I am done with the reception at Strecker-Nelson, it's time to get cranking on work for a solo exhibit here in KC at Hilliard.

Final Preparations for Facades - Ophelia

"Ophelia"
Oil on Panel 24" x 18"

I'm just now finishing up all my preparations for the show. Final framing, labels, and a disk with jpgs of all the paintings. I've had some late nights finishing up the above painting, and I have yet to find the time to digest my thoughts on it. For sure it was a different experience for me with the lack of strong shadows. This is actually still a little wet in some areas, but already framed and ready to go!

My friend and fellow artist Rachelle Gardner is doing me a huge favor and is heading out with me to Manhattan in the morning so I can deliver the last of the paintings, even though I think I am coming down with a cold. (Isn't she fabulous?) The thought of spending four hours round trip alone in the car terrifies me. In fact, if she wasn't willing to come with me, I was literally going to force my [almost] 10 year old son to endure the trip with me! Please cross your fingers that I am not sick, or at least not too sick, so perhaps we can enjoy conversation and lunch during this long trip!

Crunch Time for Facades

If I have neglected to call, or email, or respond in any way, I apologize! Give me a week and I'll get back to you. :-) I am dealing with the aspects of art right now which I loathe... the varnishing, the framing, the mistakes I constantly make so it takes twice as long to finish things. Yes, I am a complete klutz.

I'm also working on one last painting I hope to finish in time to deliver for the show. Please keep your fingers crossed for me, or better yet come to the show!