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| Sister SoLean, w/c on arches, 14x10 |
I went to Sister SoLean
Who sat against the wall
Who sat against the wall
Her table was tilted
Her hand covered the ball
Her hand covered the ball
And I saw what she saw
Lillies--yellow and bold
Lillies--yellow and bold
"The future's iffy" she said
"You've reached the age OLD"
"You've reached the age OLD"
I put down my dollar
and jumped out of her trailor
Then went to the Pub
and danced with a sailor.
and jumped out of her trailor
Then went to the Pub
and danced with a sailor.
Today I am 70. I thought I'd be depressed. I'm not--I am just as semi-sane as I was yesterday; nothing changed. I will admit to eating just Mrs. Smith's Blackberry Cobbler for dinner.
I've been playing with this watercolor for some time because I couldn't spend quality time in my workshop. I was undecided--paint the faded Good Will photo of a tiny lady or paint my photo of a yellow lily on a blue bowl. I chose both and tried everything you shouldn't try with watercolor. Then I needed a story.
My husband's having out-patient back surgery on Monday so I may be "on-call" for a while.
Posts
I think your decision to go dancing was an excellent one. Just don't stop creating with paint and written word! This is the best age ever to be exactly who you are by sharing your innermost visions and doing what "feels" right. I really like this one and all that you do.
ReplyDeleteSteven
Happy Birthday Hallie!
ReplyDeleteI think you are one of the most sane people I've ever met. Perhaps semi sane is the appropriate way to cope in today's world.
Your watercolor is fabulous! I really thought it was acrylic. You handle composition and color so well. I LOVE her dress and that her head is a yellow lily on a blue bowl gives this work the famous Farber touch!
You poem is delightful.
I hope D.'s surgery goes well. I'll keep him in my prayers.
Hi Steven and thank you. Unfortunately, there aren't many dancing sailors in my town. I couldn't be depressed today after hearing of all the losses from tornados--I have to count blessings.
ReplyDeletePAMO--hello. That dress--I didn't like the pink color; I added yellow; then I added ultramarine shadows, then I covered most of it with brown (or maybe indian red). I suspect that I don't really like bright clear colors. At the bottom are my "color-checks"--I left them as flowers or whatever.
ReplyDeleteLots of "Whoops" with watercolors, especially when I'm sitting on my bed around midnight, surrounded by little cups of water and paint.
Happy Birthday, Hallie... what a wonderful dinner you had! I actually laughed out loud when I saw the painting, then read your poem and laughed again. Your art is such a joy, and so is your humor. I really do love the dress detail and richness from all the colors but the yellow lily head is so.... Hallie!
ReplyDeleteHi Robin. Maybe old people need fairytales. I might have broken an ankle if I had actually jumped from a trailor (or is it trailer?). I should have used spellcheck.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, Hallie! I know many 70 year olds...they are all quite young. My Mom thought she got younger with each passing year...why not! I love the painting you did for your birthday post.She looks like she'll never be "old" and like she'll always want to dance with sailors. My kind of gal!
ReplyDeleteIt's very classy to give presents on your birthday. You gave us a painting Dali would love, a poem as good as the best limerick and the biggest chuckle of the day. It's a real pleasure to know you. Hallielulia!
ReplyDeleteBest wishes to you and to the patient.
Hallie, I've got to say that I just love the way you think and love seeing it come out on canvas (love the new header art too!). Well, not canvas, but paper. You know what I mean.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! I love this painting and the story about it :) So creative and unusual and fun.
ReplyDeleteThanks Celeste. I know a lot of 70-year-olds, too; mostly old friends, and we act like we're still in high school. When we start acting like 3rd-graders, someone should stop us.
ReplyDeleteSamArtDog--thank you for the birthday cake on your blog; it looks delicious.
ReplyDeleteCrimsonLeaves--I'm sometimes surprised at what comes out on canvas or paper; usually, I can find an explanation.
ReplyDeleteRhonda (RHCarpenter). From your blog, I'm learning about watercolor and the right way of doing it. As a birthday gift, my daughter sent a pair of earrings--one says "in one ear;" the other say "out the other." I think she knows me.
Hallie,
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday!
The only thing I regret about my past is the length of it. If I had to live my life again I'd make the same mistakes,only sooner.
Everette McGill
Hallie you are such an artist, love your incredible work and your spirit, and being semi- sane is the best way to be! HAPPY BIRTDAY and many happy returns of the day !! So we are both pisces ( for what it's worth).
ReplyDeleteBest wishes for your husband. xox
P.S. Your watercolors are just as amazing as your oils !
Happy Birthday Hallie!
ReplyDeleteI remember one time I forgot my wife's birthday, I got out of it by saying "how do you expect me to remember your birthday when you never look any older".
Hope Hubby does well.
Everette Mcgill
Jane, thank you and happy birthday to a fellow Pisces. And your oils are as amazing as your watercolors.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous Everette. Always the politician--but your wife is as sharp as a tack. I know she fell for that line; you'll never know the true cost of it.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday!! A flower on your head for your birthday!! This reminds me of the little watercolor I did once where I placed a paper bag over a man's head because he looked like a cave man. Only yours is mysterious and full of deeply-coded meaning I am sure. When you are discovered 40 years after your death at 100, some art historian will have a perfectly reasonable explanation for this painting and he will be right I am sure - art historians are always right.
ReplyDeleteGood luck to your husband with his surgery. Glad it is outpatient - that's a good sign.
If you'll pardon the second comment, I just read your response to Pamo - I agree that it looked so vibrant, that I thought it was acrylic too. But what I really want to say, is that with all of the colors you added, it still looks very well painted - no mud here. You know how to handle your watercolors!
ReplyDeleteHi Dan. I have a bag-over-the-head print of a drawing I did after being shocked at seeing myself in a hotel mirror at age 64. I was at an art supply show so I had conte and paper--no camera (I hope those art historians don't find that one).
ReplyDeleteI think the dress is probably accidentally glazed with colors--I worked on it in bits and pieces of time so the paint dried. Then I thought she needed oomph so I added the red. The table and drape are mud--but I sort of like mud.
I've been practicing my Kathy Bate's in Misery nurse's role today--it may speed my husband's recovery.
Happy Birthday Hallie. The water is fine this side of the seven oh. I hope all goes fine with your husband too. The painting is a knock-out as is the poem. You are so original. I envy your imagination--mine might have evaporated with my estrogen?
ReplyDeleteHAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU,
ReplyDeleteHAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR HALLIE,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
I hope all went well with your husband's surgery.
Take care.
LWRoth--Linda. You're right; the water is fine--no big change and I just renewed my driver's license. VA allows renewal online--I'm good until 2020--scary.
ReplyDeleteYou are original; who else would paint pies and closets? My husband had a fractured vertebrae; it was repaired with a small incision and GLUE--he's walking straighter. Nurse duty has been light.
Thank you Carol. It actually was a nice birthday; I like quiet ones.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Hallie! I think most artist have gone sane while the rest of the world is still as crazy as ever.
ReplyDeleteThis is a work Magritte would have done but you have given it you own twist. Quite frankly, most 'fortune tellers' have no heads anyway.
Hi Hallie, I like quiet B'days now too. I can remember, I really can, when I loved loud, rowdt B'day parties. The more the merrier as long as they brought their own alcohol. Geez,it has taken far too many years for me to find myself. I will be 62 this summer. I will think of you as I eat my cake.
ReplyDeleteLifeArtist (Davida), thanks. You may be right--artists are sane and eveyone else is spouting off about politics--such nastiness. I thought of Magritte after I finished this. I've actually had a couple of "readings" for fun--I paid $20, which means the fortune teller was smarter than I.
ReplyDeleteHi Sue. It would be nice to have memories of rowdy birthdays. Mine have always been quiet; maybe my rowdy days are ahead!
ReplyDeleteHappy Belated and so much love for your new year!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a grand solution to the delema of 'what to paint' Sister SoLean breaks the rules and delights the eye!!
Oh...and cobbler for dinner on the 70th YES!!!!
...may all go well for your mate's procedure.
Like a fine wine!
ReplyDeleteH.B.- H.W. many more, its only a number, I know you could probably knock off 30 and no one would be the wiser!
Keep up the fine work, best of luck on the on-call duty, hope he recovers quickly
Thank you DONNA. I've been away from my blog for a few days--not age-related; maybe, sluggish-related to that cobbler.
ReplyDeleteJ.B. HA! I was just dancing to the radio when I saw the FedEx guy at the open front door. He was very wise--he looked shocked; he's probably still laughing.
C'est une très belle composition Hallie, les doutes d'un peintre restent toujours présents et c'est peut être cela qui nous fait avancer dans la peinture, puis reviens l'instantané du geste de la création qui nous guide comme par 'magie' c'est l'inspiration, la laisser nous transporter vers notre création du moment...
ReplyDeleteJ'aime ton travail!
Bonne journée à toi Hallie
cath.
Hallie, I was sure I left you a comment yesterday, but I guess it didn't "take."
ReplyDeleteThis piece says you've mastered watercolor. The intensity of the dress is wonderful -- letting those layers dry avoided mud. The unique subject is very Hallie and I love it!
You've just given me the formula for celebrating my 70th in December -- visit a fortune teller, dance with a sailor, and eat cobbler. I'm good to go!
Weekend. Yes this spur-of-the-moment seemed to work (the lady in the photo had a very tiny head). Thank You.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mary. I had no choice but to let those layers dry--no large chunk of time to work on this.
ReplyDeleteI don't think my form of celebration is for you. You'll probably bike ride for at least 25 miles, check into some great hotel, have a seven-course dinner, then go for some ballroom dancing. Thank you for commenting; I was away from the computer for a while.
Happy Belated Birthday, Hallie... I was on a little sabbatical of sorts and missed your post. I hope your husband is recovering well from his surgery.
ReplyDeleteSister SoLean is So Cool! When I first saw her sitting there I was reminded of Degas' "Absinthe Drinker". I think it has to do with the style of dress and attitude of solitude. Kudos on making such a wonderful piece of art by breaking all the watercolor rules. You're a rebel without a pause...
-Don
Thanks Don. I hope it was the kind of sabbatical you can enjoy. This painting does remind me of something, but don't know what--I'll google "Absinthe Drinker." I have been pausing frequently during the past couple of months.
ReplyDeleteLoved that you just ate just cobbler for dinner. Sometimes that's just necessary!!!
ReplyDeleteHi DownTheLaneWithDaisy. I haven't eaten cobbler since--but I will.
ReplyDelete