Drawing

Three paintings are still wet, so today I drew the next in the Metamorphoses series, a still life of metal printing plates, movable type, wooden printing blocks, two old leather books and a candle. One of the metal plates is an illustration of a medieval butcher in his shop and is titled 'Blood and Knavery.'
I did a fairly detailed drawing on a toned canvas, gridded with chalk. There is something so calming about drawing.

Swept away by the process. Again.

I had all kinds of errands and gardening planned for the morning, or at least on a list, but the studio won. I am still dressed in my running clothes (that I never ran in). How did it happen? Well, here's where I started; around 8 am I was just going to clean up my palette and paint a couple of the magazines - the darkest and lightest.
That led to -
reworking all the wood of the chest - top and front
added highlights to the lock and handles
all of the twine and added some bristles
top plastic of the bags on the center newspapers
the stack of newspapers - darks and light
a couple of the magazines - the darkest and lightest
a few diagonals on the letters the magazine name
the lightest streaks on the crystal ball
the yellow haze on the curtain behind and to the left of the crystal
every feather from the neck down
widened the neck and left wing

Here's a detail:

The next thing I knew, it was 4pm. Now I am drinking a pot of tea and thinking about doing a little bit on Didus Ineptus.

feather and domino spots

Feathers and domino spots and some more detail in the folded newspaper.



I'm feeling the momentum. Sometimes painting is like stepping into the edge of the ocean and being smacked down by a wave. Other times, it's like being pulled out to sea by a riptide. The thing is, you go willingly. At the end of the day, you paddle wearily back to the shore of your other life. The one with dinner to cook and laundry to fold. It's a good life.

Omens and Prediction

Worked on the newspapers. When it's really really really dry, I'll take on the lettering.


Blocked in the bird. Resisted the strong temptation to delineate each feather's rows of brown bands. It would just turn the under painting into murk. Who knew you needed as much patience as skill or ability?


I wonder if I can make the April 30 (dry, signed and wired) deadline for the May 8th show?

Great day at the easel

Some days I paint. Some days I kick painting butt and take names. This was the latter.
After a sweet morning working in the yard (adding a new arbor and skating shrubs around to better places) I came inside and set to work, hoping to get the upright newspapers started.

I have just set down my brush and have the newspapers, the twirls of plastic bags, the dominoes, the crystal ball on its silver stand, the lock, the handles and the twine all laid in. They will all need more layers and much refining, especially the top of the plastic bags, but I rejoice. It was a great day at the easel.

Selected for the Decatur Arts Festival Fine Art Show

Trastevere, Espresso Finito was accepted for the Decatur Art Festival's Fine Art juried show.

It will hang in the Dalton Gallery, May 19-31.
I need to get busy writing my artist's statement for them. It will be a heartfelt one. This particular painting from my Table For One series commemorates a last meal at Trattoria da Lucia, across the Tiber in Trastevere, after I had knelt before a St. Francis in the church of Santa Maria and prayed for my daughter who was lost to be found.
And she was.