The opening was grand

Thank you Mason Murer for a great opening night!

Here's a photo I asked my son to take for me, that expresses my mood upon arrival.


Art lovers peruse the work.


Me with my daughter and two of her bandmates from The Back Pockets.


It was a blast, about 60 people I know turned up, along with new friends I hadn't met yet. I came close to loosing my voice from saying 'thank you for coming.' I am hoarse this morning, but I woke up smiling.

Come one, come all

I took the last painting in to Mason Murer yesterday for my debut show March 26, this Friday. It's a group show and the space is vast. There was some amazing work there, leaning against the walls.

I was very impressed by Thomas Boone, http://www.srcart.com/art_boone.html. His work for the show is so different - dark with gouged out melons on the tops of crumbling, carved plinths with a bird or squirrel so fully realized they seem to have a pulse. Just remarkable.

Karen Hollingsworth, who I've long admired and who used to be a Twinhouse with me has wonderful serene work people are lining up for. http://www.masonmurer.com/artists/hollingsworth_karen.htm Her paintings are on all the advertising.

Then there is James Way. http://www.masonmurer.com/artists/way_james.htm His work is on a monumental scale and just glows. I find it very spiritual.

Okay, I'm either going to be in two corridors at right angles to each other (main entrance and to the left of the main door) or in a room at the far right.

I have gone back and forth - not that it matters, because I don't have the final say - room or entry? Room or entry? The rooms feels more important, but more isolated. The entry and left hand corridor is immediate, thick of the action, first thing you see, but lacks cohesion.

What to do? Why, leave it to the gallery owner and be grateful he has experience and a wonderful eye.

harvet+time & Seasonal

Here's the bigger version of Seasonal - The snow has had a couple of passes, the strawberries just one which is why the fruit looks stuck on. The grapes aren't even started yet. Much shadowing and building of snow around the edges to come. I may back away from the current high key color.


Here's the progress on harvest+time. Still working on placing the leaves. Added the clock face and did another layer of the white background. I expect it will take at least three, maybe four layers to get it the luminous featureless glow I'm after. There's a leaf of kale that may be added to the front left of the basket. I keep thinking I want to add one more element. I have a scythe but it's much too big - throws the scale way off. Maybe a small sickle.


I couldn't varnish yesterday, due to cold rain, but it's gorgeous today and all three paintings that are going to the March 26 show are varnished.

carrots and kale

After working on three small paintings that aren't part of this series, I took a good nap, then up and back to Harvest. I worked on leaves, winter squash, chard and carrots. Added a rutabaga on the right. It's still just roughed in, but I have to place everything before I can refine it.

Beets and baskets

Worked on a leafy beet, few more leaves and the top of the old weather-beaten trunk. Discovered though a talented, knowledgeable friend and basketmaker that the one in this still life is a white oak Kentucky egg basket. "This particular style originated in central Kentucky around Cave City/Park City/Horse Cave....The history of this type basket goes back to the early settlers, many, many generations, and was handed down from one to the next within several families...There were about seven or eight extended families of basketmakers in the area."

Harvest + Time

Got going on this one today. Weeks ago I did the white of the window. Today I worked on the basket, the brussel sprouts and a turnip.


I love this stage when images are appearing, not fully connected to their context.

Bee Sweet

SIgned today!
I added a bee on a fold on the left hand side. Here's a close up.

Out of Season

Painting snow while it's snowing is something I never, ever expected to do, but it's snowing again here in Atlanta. Big fluffy flakes, just beautiful.


Here's the start of Out of Season. I took the photo during another rare snow last month. There are strawberries and grapes from Chile in the foreground. I haven't blocked in the fruit yet, just the pattern of the snow. It's still pretty high key (saturated color, less neutral). I may soften that.
What I really like is the pattern of the snow on top of construction truck tire tracks.

As long as I had the colors out, I worked on the original study for seasonal -

I added the grape stem, heightened the snow shadows. I added the leaves to the strawberries, another layer of scumbled color, clinging bits of snow and suggestions of seeds. The leaves need several more layers before the color deepens enough, but I do like this. I wonder if I can put it in the March show? If I do, it will probably be the smallest painting they've ever hung.

It's been a good day. Time to wash my brushes, maybe do a little reading by the fire.

limoncello

I've been working on a small painting for a friend who makes her own limoncello. I pour a lot into work that is intended for someone I know, and there is an extra frisson of pleasure in painting something for someone dear to me. We collaborated on the image, coming up the concept together. The friend did the photography, working on composition and light like a pro. The result will be something special to us both. Here's the beginning.
First the drapery, always fun.

Yesterday I laid in the rest. Off to the drying room, back for refinement, then salut!