Out of the Blues



Holding Back the Drought?
Speech of the Era?
Encore?

OR

Descent?
Hydrus Watercolors on Aquaboard, 12x12

I played with these watercolors--dripping, scrubbing, painting over, spraying with water, etc., until I had an underwater scene.

I can't pinpoint the source for the remainder of this painting:  I watched a Lakefest Idol contest at our local Fine Arts Center (my old elementary school), I was mesmorized by President Clinton's speech at the Democratic Convention, and my brother has a wonderful 4' tall wide-armed blue man sculpture whose eyes watch everything.  All of the above.  When I walked out of my studio a few minutes ago, I saw long hair instead of shadow in this and glimpsed Mona Lisa--made me laugh.

I've been AWOL from painting and blogging, and was gambling in Atlantic City last week (once every five years can't be considered a habit).  I picked my lucky machine at Trump's Taj Mahal and sat down to either spend my money or win a $500,000 progressive jackpot.  I was winning when a stage nearby opened their show.  LOUD music--I tried sticking my finger in my left ear and playing max with my right hand.  After an hour of deafening music and machines, I cashed out (at a profit) and went up to my room, read Vanity Fair on my iPad.  I overslept the following morning so no time for gambling--I brought most of my money back home; I guess that's a win.  I saw the Atlantic, the Boardwalk, and lots of Jonathan Livingston Seagulls.  During the 800-mile roundtrip, I saw Richmond, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, Annapolis, and Amish country in southern Maryland.  My studio is now looking very inviting.     

Reading and Breathing and Drawing



Hmm, pencil sketch on cheap paper, 12x9



I've been reading.  I get lost in the books; while reading, my only other activities are breathing and drawing (which are the same thing--I can't do one without the other).

First, I read Color and Light by James Gurney--an excellent book--so good that I made notes.  Now I realize that I'll never find those notes when I'm painting; hopefully, I'll be able to locate the book.  I also read Oil Painting Step-by-Step, a 1953 book by A. L. Guptill.



pencil, 5x4





pencil, 5x4

 I tried to discard a February 2009 issue of Vanity Fair but there were some great full-page closely-cropped photos of the previous administration and a 25-page article titled "Farewell to All That."  I had to re-read the article and drew (No. 2 pencil) a couple of the photos by Philippe Sands--I skipped the President, the Vice President and Rove.  These two were enough.

pencil, 12x9

From the magazine George I copied the arm from the photograph "Redhead" by Paul Outerbridge, and re-read the article.  (No. 2 pencil)

3-Legged Woman, ink on yupo, 10x8

Then I tried Yupo for the first time, using walnut ink and the end of a crochet hook (couldn't find the bamboo stick).  The paper is very slippery and the ink runny--thus a 3-legged woman.