Periodical Blues done!

Done. Off to the drying room. Retouch varnish in a week or two.


Of course, I am bound to see things - an angle here a detail there, something that will require intervention. Happens every time. It's like putting copy away in your drawer and pulling it out a week later and finding all the typos and infelicitous phrases.

Periodical Blues with lettering in place

It was lettering day. Or 'day when I hold my breath so I don't jiggle the brush.' High anxiety on the front end, but it's worth it to me.
I'm really excited about the HHFA show Sept. 24, when all three of the bigger Metamorphosis paintings make their debut together.


Here's the overall look of the lettering so far. It's not complete - More to do on the front of the New Yorker and a few more lines on the PRINT card. Also, the fortune in the 8 ball. One more pass on the crystal ball, possibly a deep blue glaze on the drape and it's done.

Periodical Blues, progress

On schedule - added more detail and texture to the globe, worked on the spines of the magazines and strengthened the values of the hourglass.

Periodical Blues, progress

I put in the abstract reflections in the crystal ball, and outlined the cover cartoon. Sometimes people ask me how long it takes me to finish a painting and the unsatisfactory answer is, of course, it depends, but what I did today took three hours of steady work.


Plus a couple of close-ups.

Periodical Blues

Here's today's effort - the edge of the magazines, the handle on the right and another layer on the wooden chest. Still to go, the crystal ball and the embroidered gold stars on the background. Then it's lettering, and refining of the globe etc., in time for the September HHFA show.

Periodical Blues

Redid the drape (it was driving me crazy!) and first round on the hourglass.

Subscription cards

Spent the morning working on Periodical Blues - filled in the three subscription cards, and most of the New Yorker cover.

Behind the Magic 8 Ball

This morning I worked on my pro bono, non-profit Hand to Hand pieces, adding red acrylic painted edges. I am going to add a snippet of barbed wire to each one, so they will be my first mixed media pieces as well.

After a restorative nap, I worked on Periodical, painting in the Magic 8 ball, and the binding cover of the dictionary


Here's a detail. I think it went pretty well.

Periodical Blues

Great painting day. Worked on the dictionary, the chest, and the lock. This stage, when you're turning blank canvas into image feels so productive. Once there's paint all over, it goes back to looking rough and sketchy, but now it's like galloping along with the wind at your back.

Periodical Blues

Worked on roughing in the blue drapery, and the blue and gold star background. After a week of painting images of the Iraq war, I'm enjoying returning to my series on journalism.

Paintings x 7

Here's one of the first flower paintings. I went back over the leaves this afternoon, but white takes slightly longer than forever to dry, so refining the petals will have to wait. I hope I can keep the soft, gauzy feel when I deepen the value changes. I want all the creamy edges to melt.


And here's some backgrounds I've blended for a painting of hydrangeas, falling through the frame like it's raining hydrangeas, and another magnolia. I'm not sure the opalescent colors will read on this photo, but you get the idea.

There is something very relaxing about doing small paintings with a single focus, after working for months on large, complex paintings.


Here's Blood & Knavery Hot - I added the burnt match and the wisp of smoke from the candle, all the detail of the B&K plate, and brightened up the book pages yesterday.

B&K Cold is lagging a little behind, but not far.

And today I mixed a dozen blues for Periodical Blues, and started on the background drapery

At last count, I'm working on seven paintings. By the 18th I'll be working on 13, counting the six small works for the Hand to Hand project. I've gessoed the wooden cut outs and am ready to start.

My goal is to finish all of these by the end of August. Meanwhile, I am not starting anything else, no matter how tempting the idea is. I feel like Ben-Hur during the chariot race.

On the positive business side, HHFA sold the Delft Swing, and last Friday we shipped Rembrandt at the Kunsthistoriche to Hawaii.

Home from the north woods

Back from the north woods of Wisconsin and happy to be up to my elbows in paint again. Finished drawing Periodical Blues yesterday; blue drapery and background, with The New Yorker and Art in America magazines beside a globe that's next to a huge Webster's dictionary, a Magic 8-ball and a crystal ball. Subscription cards are falling, similar to the falling tarot cards in Publishing's Bleak House.
Also did a life-size drawing of a magnolia on a 10x10" canvas. I mixed petal colors (about 20 variations on 'white', plus green for the leaves) all morning. I'm got the neutrals of the vague drapery background blocked in.

all the balls in the air

My life as a painter is blend of old tools and new technology, big projects and small experiments. I like that.
Lots of paintings and drawings in progress -
•B&K hot is nearly complete.
•I revisited the Tarot card painting and sharpened up some edges of card and reflections, plus another layer of color and texture on the rug.
•Gridded a new linen canvas gessoed with clear gesso (!) for the Periodical Blues.
•Picked up the photos of magnolias, hydrangeas and mimosas I shot this week. They look simple and fun to experiment with. I have to decide what size to make them and whether to paint them on canvas or board. I am thinking of them as little vacations from the big Metamorphosis project.
*I'm excited to be part of Cecelia Kane's Hand to Hand project. http://www.handtohandproject.com/
My task is to pick a news story about Iraq a day from any source (radio, online, newspapers) and create one glove or hand art in response for Monday July 13 through Saturday July 18. I'm to use my normal media (oil) and preferably come at the war issues from the angle of the imagery that I am already using in my art. I'm supposed to date the gloves and can be literal or abstract with the headlines. Being me, my images with be representational and in oil on board. Robert cut six (plus two for back up) glove shapes out of wood for me. Somehow I will have to find a way to make the imagery I choose personal as well as about the war.
•Tomorrow I gesso the cut outs and work on the drawing of Blues.