Before enlightenment, carrying wood and drawing water. After enlightenment, carrying wood and drawing water.

Or 'before the opening, going to the studio and painting; after the opening, going to the studio and painting.'
The Huff Harrington Fine Art opening was exciting. A nice crowd turned out, tons of chatter and hellos and waving going on. My ears were literally ringing when we left. I am not a big party goer, so my memories are a mash up of freeze frame glimpses, like a kaleidescope in a blender.

To reward myself for valor, I started Oilily Meets Vermeer at the Jordaan Market. The thing that caught me was how elements of northern renaissance - a musical instrument, an oriental rug on a table, a bolt of velvet cloth, copper pans, a brass footstool with an embroidered top - are in present in this modern context. They are in celebrated paintings all over Amsterdam, but here on market day they are castoffs. Possibly they're waiting to be rediscovered and restored, or maybe they are headed to the scrap heap. Oilily in the title because their very distinctive look came out of the Netherlands. Mostly it's color but also pattern. Orange, pink, and aqua, floral and stripes mixed. It's bright and busy, but somehow harmonious.The image I am painting strikes me as the same - cluttered but harmonious. Orange and aqua are in the rug, and the bolt of velvet is vivid orchid pink.

I'm almost done with the Library - it needs to sit quiet for a week and dry while I see where I can improve it. Meanwhile I'll be bouncing between the Kunst and this.

Meanwhile, Back at the Kunsthistorische

Some days a change is as good as a rest. I needed some perspective on the library painting, so I switched back to working on the Drawing Rembrandt at Kunsthistorische.
I deepened the cherry and rose velvet colors on the velvet sofa, put the third coat on the sketchbook pages, and worked on the marble behind the sofa and on the bottom of the pillar. Doing marble is very Zen, or maybe a little like doing a topographical map. Then I studied my original drawing of the Rembrandt portrait that will be going on the sketchbook page in the painting.
A good day.

Anacreon

Another long painting day, though I did break for a walk.
Did an Indian Yellow glaze on the back wall, did the lettering of the name on the plate, messed around on all the books. After I took this photo, I went in and painted my blue sketchbook in on the bottom right hand shelf.
Titles or author's names on books is next. Fooling around with that will be way too much fun.

Busted

Yesterday I made progress on the top shelf of books and the middle shelf on the right hand side.
Worked on the bust today - pushing the darks and lights. Very satisfying. I'll be making a Indian Yellow glaze and bringing a mango tone to the wall soon. And, every day, more books. Instead of 'bird by bird,' it's book by book.

hanging out in the library

Books cast a spell on me, even though the Kindle-d may inherit the earth.
For a recovering writer, the library is a shrine, a holy and sacred place where you can worship your ancestors and find inspiration for the future. One of the pleasures of working on this painting is spending time paying close attention to books.
Worked on the wall, the bookshelf, the window and the top shelf of books. It might take the rest of the month, but I can smell the oats in the barn.

incremental progress

Today was slow. I kept painting and painting - from 9-5, with a 30 minute break for lunch - and it felt like running faster to stay in one place. But I have faith that progress was made. Worked on a first coat for the rest of the books on the top shelf and a second round on half of the middle shelf. Oh, and just a bit on a gold-beaded border beneath the bust.

Library in the Palais Liechtenstein

I've been working on this new painting for about a week. Today I got started late for various reasons, not until 2pm. But then it just went like a rocket. The walls of the library are faux painted, as are the edges the bookshelves, and I am adding pattern to that as I go. I love the window niche in the upper left that has a flare of aqua light. It's my favorite thing in the painting.
I worked on the bookshelves behind and to the left and the wall behind the bronze bust of the Greek poet Anacreon. Not until I came home and Googled him up did I learn that Anacreon is famous for his erotic poetry and stanzas in praise of wine. The funny thing is he reminds me of my husband.

I kept painting after I lost the light, mostly blurring edges of the mottled wall.
This one really calls to me. I wake up happy because I know it's waiting for me on the easel. At some point I'll hit a wall and get frustrated over something, but not today.

bass and gilt chair

Refining today - changed the curve of the bass, finessed parts of the gilt chair, added the red behind the sheet music, began the woodgrain of the door (lower left so far). A good, steady day. I was explaining to my husband that this is the part of building that takes a long time and very little seems to show - like adding the quarter round and molding in a new house - but the cumulative effect is substantial.

Double bass and All Small Redux

Working along on the double bass and gilt chair. I am starting to push the values of light and dark.
Yesterday I gessoed two new canvases with burnt sienna. I started drawing the bust of Anacreon in the library of the Palais Lichtenstein and worked on the books - 62 of them so far- this morning.

I'm very happy that the six paintings I submitted for a juried show at the Dalton gallery in February have all been accepted. I found just the right frames as well - fine line black aluminum.
Here they are on a cookie tray - it's for a show titled All Small Redux and each of these works are 5x5"

Delft, updated

Finished the Delft, Updated group. I'm the one holding the doll. Daughter Emily. a creative geyser, is drawing with sidewalk chalk, son Parker is on the swing, and daughter Robin is blowing bubbles. It's been interesting to explore something outside my usual interests - like line paintings in classic Delft blue.
Also I started putting together a new a postcard with some of my latest works, this blog address and my gallery contact information.

I've turned in the six small (5x5") works for the audition to be in the Dalton gallery's All Small Redux show. I'll know by Dec 16 whether they were accepted.

I'm now working on the four small (8x8") paintings that are a twist on 17th century Delft tiles that feature children at play. The thing that hooked me is that the pastimes then and now are the same - swings, skating, dancing, archery, dolls. The other intriguing element is the figures are very small and centered on a pale neutral field.

Instead of tiny Dutch children, I wanted to use contemporary American figures. First I pulled Dick and Jane (of the eponymous beginning reader books) images off of the Internet, then I looked through old childrens' books. I kept making drawings, but something, some personal spark was missing.

I had an aha moment a couple of days ago. I have thousands of photographs of children. I am using my own children (and one of me, at age five).

I spent many hours sifting through our photo albums and shoe boxes of photos. I found maybe ten to twelve good references to work with. I took the finalists to Kinkos and made copies reduced or enlarged so that the figures were approx two inches high (that's the ratio in the original Delft tiles of figure to tile size). Today I edited down the choices to four - it may change again, but right now it's Robin on the swings, Emily rollerskating, Parker with a bow and arrow and me cradling a doll.

Having a wonderful time with the subtle neutrals and the cracked, chipped, and worn surfaces of the tiles. I have a couple of layers of nicely mottled paint and two canvases have the crusty grouted edges painted. I was able to do considerable detail wet-on-wet. I'm working on distilling the figures into simplified shapes in two shades of Delft blue. I'll start taking photos tomorrow so I can post them when at least one is far enough along.

I hope to have them finished Monday-ish.

three shows in three months

Since I last posted, I've been working on an unplanned series paintings that have me so juiced up and excited that I hate to waste time sleeping.
Here's what happened-
I made up my mind last week to throw something into the MOCA GA (Museum of Contemporary Art, Georgia) pin-up show that opens tonight. I took a sheet of papyrus paper and gridded it with chalk and did a small oil painting of Rembrandt's staircase. It's all dark earthy reds and honey colored woods rising into the dark, with a thick ship's rope for a handrail. The limit of size for the show is 12x16," I left the edge of the papyrus raw. Working on an unfamiliar surface was really freeing. And it's doing something that's completely from my heart, and which carries three meanings for me - Rembrandt (art), steps (progress) on Papyrus (writing).

Another small works exhibition is going to be at the Dalton Gallery (a local non- profit college museum) and the deadline to submit work is Monday, Nov 24. Up to ten pieces, but nothing larger than 6x6." I bought 6 5x5" panels and am doing a series. These will be tiny, like a pages from a book of prayer. I've painted four and have two more to finish, photoshop, burn to a disc and get over to the gallery by Monday. Exhilarating to work this fast and this hard. No time for doubts or second guessing though, so in some ways it's easier.

Meanwhile my gallery, Huff Harrington Fine Art asked for some 'smalls, ( 8x8") for their December show. I am thinking about a wall of Delft tiles I saw in A'dam of children playing games. I'd like to do a set of four and somehow update the central figures while keeping old cracked and mottled 17th century cream background, and the Delft blue. Most of the fun will be in creating the surface textures of a three hundred year old cracked and chipped tile. Due the end of the month or as soon as I can send them over.
So - that's why I haven't blogged and that's why I'm headed into the studio right now.

paintings in progress

This is a cherry red velvet sofa in the hallway by the grand staircase of Kunsthistoriche museum. I spent today working on the whipped cream- colored view out of the window. There will be a drawing of one of Rembrandt's self portraits on the open page of the sketchbook. Working on the patterns in the marble, and have blocked in most of it, but there another layer or three of paint to come. The big challenge will be convincingly rendering the wall mounted sconce light behind and to the left of the sofa.

three on an easel

Since I've been home from my trip I've started three paintings:
•a shelf of vellum-bound sketchbooks in Rembrandt's studio
•my sketchbook propped open on a red velvet sofa in the Kunsthistoriche museum
•a cello lying on its side behind the gilt chair of the musician in the ballroom of the Palais Leichtenstien
The first is nearly finished, the second is halfway done and the third is barely started, but paint is on the canvas.
They each have companions waiting to jump on the easel - an image of books in the Leichtenstien library goes with Rembrandt's shelf. The cello speaks to two other images - a gypsy band's instruments (two violins and two guitars) leaning against the wall of San Paolo's in Venice, and a battered violin for sale in a market in Amsterdam. The sketchbook on the red velvet sofa connects with the sketchbook next to the San Marco chair.
It feels so good to have this well of inspiration to dip my cup into.

'Rembrandt's Shelf' in progress.

Amsterdam

1.People zip out of nowhere on bicycles, often texting on their phones while pedaling at manic speeds. Jump out of the way, or die.
2. Rembrandt. Vermeer. Jan Steen. Hals.
3. It's a young town. About half the people look under forty and 90 percent of the street population looks twenty-ish. The other 10 percent is pregnant.
4. Sausage plus croissant makes a brodje, the national food. Unless you are into raw herring.
5. Staircases are carpeted spirals that go straight up - or down, if you are unwary.
6. You can cross without warning into the red light district. A clue – street level picture windows that feature a metal kitchen chair with a handy stack of towels and bored looking women wearing lingerie. The red neon light overhead was another tip off.
7. The tram conductor that piloted the tram to Central station called out the various stops along the route using different voices and sound effects. At the end he sang a little Frank Sinatra ('My Way'). He was either a man happy in his work, or one who took his break in the local "coffeeshop." Fortunately he didn't have to steer, just stop and start.
8 At a local street market I bought a set of cards, drawings done of the canal row houses. The artist who made and sold them, a big, burly guy with a full beard, wore a lumberjack LL Bean type shirt, tights and a denim skirt.
9. Vermeer's maid pouring milk painting absolutely glows. It is in a room with nothing but masterpieces, including other works by Vermeer, and it is radiant. It shines. You can't take your eyes off it because you don't want to.
10. The Dutch have their own style. Nothing like the sleek, slightly sinister Italian bella figura. More Oilily than Armani. Colorful, cheerful, practical. Good for pedaling bikes and painting. I like it.

Seeing Rembrandt's studio has changed my life. And I'm in love with Breughel.