I roughed in the oriental rug this week. It was my Aunt Ouida's and has been in the family a long time, as they say. Threadbare in many places, but dear to me. I used to play on this rug and make up stories. The design was a kind of map. When I grew up and learned that many patterns were meant to evoke the gardens of paradise, it made perfect sense to me. I let the thin paint be rough, and scrubbed edges together with a palette knife instead of a brush to keep the coarse, warp/woof & thread feel.
Yesterday was all about the red drape. Astute viewers will see there is more specificity to the cards and the plaid backs are in place. Today I'm working on the stack of books.

More Tarot

Worked on fine details of the cards.


Here's a detail. They aren't finished, but they are heading in the right direction.


Cleaning the brushes, getting ready for a relaxing, quiet evening.

Tarot

Good painting day today. Blocked in four of the tarot cards. The first layer of paint is a kind of couch to lay color onto in the next round. They are more cartoon-y than I realized - the images are mostly outlined - there will be a lot of going back and mimicking the drawing effect.
I do love have little paintings in my paintings. Don't know why, just love to do them and to see them. These Tarot cards add a pop of color and of complexity, and they are flat in a 3-D setting. The top card is the Wheel of Fortune, upside down. The Fool is in the center - it wasn't in the original photo, but I added it in. It's so appropriate for publishing - the well-dressed fellow on a precipice, unawares. The Star is on the bottom center and The World is to the left. The falling card is The Sun. I was thinking of the Baltimore Sun at the time.
Here's the end of the day pic.

Playing the Artistic License card

Evidence for why I am having too much fun.
Exhibit A
Here's the "Prediction: Endangered" painting with the headlines and copy. The headlines are accurate; 'Major Markets Hit Lowest Since 1997', and 'Ex-officers apologize for deadly raid' on the left, 'Obama Turns to Budget' on the right.


Exhibit B
Here's a detail of a a subhead that I made up.


Exhibit C
The real cover story lead was 'Neal Street Shooting'. My cover story lead refers to the headline, 'Obama turns to budget'

Publishing's Bleak House

That's the working title of this new painting.
Week before last, I started by blocking in the background (wallpaper in my den) then the drape. I love the drapery, but I have to be patient. Alizarin crimson is transparent and it will be many layers before the darks begin to properly deepen. The background pattern will get hazier and closer in value.


It went in the drying room while I concentrated on Didus and Omen so they'd be done in time for the "Points of View" show at Huff Harrington Fine Art this Friday.

Today I blocked in the books, key, hourglass and the beginning of the oriental rug pattern. Those blank rectangles are falling cards. Working on the tarot cards that make up the house will be like painting little portraits. No doubt it will be painstaking work, and one of my favorite things.
This is the companion - in size and theme - of Prediction: Endangered. I hope to have them both done by June so I can enter them in a juried show.