While The Paint Dries

Aug 5, 2023

Time to clean up. The paintings have been completed, and they are drying on the easel as I write to you. Now, I see what else has been surrounding me. Palettes for each painting brimming with color, rags, tissues, brushes, cats, boxes. Creative chaos. When I have a painting going, I don’t see that stuff. In the end, I get the paintings and the mess.

Cleaning up behind a painting gives me time to think of the new ones to come. The paint in each palette will be cleaned and transferred to new palettes with the new paintings in mind. I went over six new paintings in the composition stage today down at Stormwater Studios. Anticipation and enthusiasm. What a high.

Dirty palettes and paint tubes everywhere. Time to clean up!

Want to see inside all the palettes? Each painting has its own. Go to my video on my YouTube channel HERE. Ha! Can’t believe I have a YouTube channel, but there you go. I am dipping my toe in. Another way to share directly with you.

Don’t forget to hit like and subscribe. Shooting for 25 subscribers as my first goal! ROFLOL

Each palette must go from this…..
To this.
Each painting has it’s own palette.
These old cigar boxes shut tightly. Keeps the paint wet longer and out of harms way.

Let me give you a studio tour. I have a studio at Stormwater Studios in downtown Columbia, SC on Pendleton Street. www.stormwaterstudios.org I am in lucky Studio #7. Here are a few photos of what’s going on down there.

My studio is just to the left of the blue upright.
When my door is open, please come in! Robert had his leather goods displayed for Art Day!
This was my view today.
Preparing for the last week of the Summer Session: Landscape Workshop.
We learned quite a bit and had a good time doing it.
The easels are waiting for regular painting classes to resume in September.
Here’s the door through to the gallery and the working art studios.

Now, I am back home and in my “salon.” Yes, why not have a beautiful painting salon in your life? It’s a nice room off the deck with high ceilings and windows on 3 sides of the room. Life is but a dream….. Here is where the paintings are drying.

My salon. Life is but a dream….
Watching paint dry.

The salon is a much smaller room, but has the distinct advantage of having two studio cats. Please indulge me….

Chill Charlie
Fierce Frida

They have plenty of personality!

Here in the salon, I can also work on my website and social media.

That has been top of mind this week.

Thank you, most sincerely for your support. Each time you allow me to share my paintings and studio practice with you is precious to me. Please take a look at my painting archive HERE, and linger over the paintings. Each one has a story. My part of the story is just the beginning. Every viewer, collector, art lover will bring their part of the story by what they see from their perspective. The magic of art at it’s finest.

Don’t Stop Dreaming. More next week.

Michel

Posted in , , , ,

8 Comments

  1. Robert McNinch on August 6, 2023 at 10:12 am

    Great Job!!



    • Michel McNinch on August 6, 2023 at 10:42 am

      Thanks, honey. I have always enjoyed making you proud! ; )



  2. Renee on August 6, 2023 at 10:20 am

    Love the tour!



    • Michel McNinch on August 6, 2023 at 10:44 am

      Thank you! I started out working in a closet that I took the bi-fold doors off of and shoved a desk in. Come a long way baby. Like a dream come true.



  3. Pam on August 6, 2023 at 1:34 pm

    What a great tour! Auspicious times when your dreams turn into reality!
    Fierce Frida and Chill Charlie are wonderful patrons of your arts😆👏🏻❤️
    Congratulations 🎉



    • Michel McNinch on August 6, 2023 at 2:56 pm

      Thank you. Charlie and Frida definitely inspire! See you soon.



  4. Dianne Meadow on August 7, 2023 at 8:32 am

    I enjoyed your studio tour. This inspires me to clean up my own “painting salon”!



    • Michel McNinch on August 12, 2023 at 4:06 pm

      Thank you! It always feels better in the end. But then, I don’t know where anything is!



Share this post

Recent Posts

Consistent blog posting took a hit; missed 3 weeks! My sincere apologies. My painting had me under its spell. This painting is one that has long been on my mind and in my “to be painted” file. I kept thinking it would be finished for the week’s blog post, but it wasn’t. But it is ready for you now…. “The Stitches we Know,” oil, 24x30 - Collection of the Artist The subject of the painting is my niece, Bek (a/k/a Rebekah). She was taking down her childhood room and is transitioning to her adult life. I found it poignant that her elementary days are represented and the family’s ancestral home is there as well with the picture of the widow’s walk. There are hints to her siblings and even the family’s favorite meal her Mama makes. The photo was taken as a message to me. She is holding up a granny square I crocheted for her (my stitches) while wearing a t-shirt with her “Stitch” on it. We know and think different things, but we share them with each other. So, as you can see this painting brings up many things to my heart and mind. But now dear viewer, I leave it to you. Please enjoy it however you wish. There is a video on my YouTube page that shows the process used to completed the painting. Please take a moment to view it. I have reached my first goal of 25 subscribers (no snickering!). My new goal is 100! Please share if you know anyone who would be interested in seeing the work. Insert link to YouTube Thank you for following my painting practice. It is my hope you will enjoy learning about art from a working artist’s perspective. Next up on the easel is my beloved Robert! Stay tuned. Also, completing this painting for an upcoming show. (Insert Vista Lights link.). Hashtags #Stormwaterstudios #Vistalights #holidayseason #Stitch #stitches #childhood #adulthood #oilpainting #michelmcninch #paintwhoyoulove #artlovers #paintinglovers #theviewer #figurativepainting
"Helios," 48x24, oil on canvas. Minor revisions gave this painting a little more drama. Am I finished? I'll look at it this week and decide.
"Blue Mesa Memory," 24x48, oil on canvas. This is the final painting. It has been in my studio on and off the easel for a long time. It is finally ready to sing it's song.
"Spring Up," 12x12, oil on gold leaf. Original painting by Michel McNinch of Columbia, South Carolina.
Subscribe Now