Tuesday, October 20, 2009

My sojourn at Hambidge

Hambidge = amazing.
First, the setting. My studio.
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The bedroom.
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The view
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Let's check the stats. :biggrin:

My last baby in the Metamorphosis series, Herald Square, from raw 12x16” canvas to finished.
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Developed the first of the new series, South of Eden. I got the initial layer of paint on every one of its 30x40”. Many more to come, but it's a solid start.
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Completed not one, not two, but four new tomato paintings with...interesting knives, ready for the gallery.

I experimented with a new medium, egg tempera (using two colors, white and burnt sienna, loaned to me by another nice fellow, Blake). The result, a 12x18’ dodo skeleton. I am thinking of donating it to the Hambidge auction.
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Finally, I tried a technique called wet-in-wet, which is not my usual approach and knocked this 10x10” oil out in about 2 hours. I really really missed my dog.
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Stretched a canvas myself, taught by one of the other fellows.

Made friends with a local gun and knife shop owner, and took some tomato photos with a very cool civil war knife made by a blacksmith, and a very fancy filigree-patterned silver fish knife.

Wrote, practiced and have been critiqued by a dramaturge fellow, and am now prepared to perform my artist talk this coming Wednesday, complete with props.

Other than art, I hiked trails – nothing like marathon in length but some of them did basically go straight up. I got lost once on the mountain and ended up hiking into North Carolina until I could find a road I could walk back on. No kidding. Took me from 3:30 to 6. I thought I was going for a 45 minute stroll. Ha.
What I haven’t done has been as important for my work. I sneaked out and popped online a few times to take care of art business, but otherwise have spent very little time on the internet. Also, quit drinking coffee entirely, went back to tea, and feel decidedly mellow. No TV or phone, no interruptions, just one gloriously fun, goof-off weekend with my spouse.
I could stay longer. I am curious to see if I sustain, not the pace of work which would be brutal, but the clarity of mind.

I’m happy as a clam.
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