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Fall 2001 | Summer 2001 | Spring 2001 | Winter 2000/01
Fall 2000 | Summer 2000 | Spring 2000 | Winter 1999/2000
Fall 1999 | Summer 1999 | Spring 1999 | Winter 1998/99
See the Gallery for some exciting detailed images of the artist's work.
Sunday, March 19, 2006I've been building up a surface on this newest study of red and yellow tulips. It should start to look like something tomorrow.
Winter is suddenly over. Three months of working in silence has driven me right to the edge. I never thought I would be in a place like this, all alone, for an entire winter. I've had so much time to ponder the emptiness within me.
Read on...to Spring of 2006
Thursday, March 16, 2006Today I started mixing colors for a large painting of red and yellow tulips.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006Today I finished the painting of three yellow pears.
Monday, March 13, 2006Today I started another painting, a commission of three yellow pears against a yellow background.
Sunday, March 12, 2006The new painting is done. Tomorrow I think I'll start another painting.
Saturday, March 11, 2006I continued to slam down paint today, and my mother stopped by to visit this afternoon, until tomorrow.
Friday, March 10, 2006I started throwing down paint on a large study of three green apples against a dark teal background.
The spring peepers started whistling today.
Monday, March 6, 2006Today I delivered the big commission of six paintings to the corporation in Maryland.
As I crossed over the Susquehanna River and over the rolling hills I was reminded of the spectacular light in Maryland. The streaks of clouds diffused the sunlight into a perfect milky glow. It only made sense that I should study painting when I was in art school in Baltimore, because the light is just so rich and thick and solid. I imagine it's the proximity to the water, a certain quality to the air, the clouds, that bathed everything in that perfect creamy white light. The blue sky was always tragically blue, the white clouds were like illustrations on a stage set, the sunsets were like hell brimming over and incinerating the horizon with color. Those were great times, I was really going nuts back then.
Sunday, March 5, 2006The painting is finished, in time to go to the dog park again.
Saturday, March 4, 2006This study of apples is almost finished, I'm not sure what I'm doing now. I need to find something to paint, seek out something that can teach me something, find a lesson to learn, somehow, something.
Frank and I are going to the park again, I can almost smell spring in the air. I've made it through a winter alone in the forest, isolated from everything and everybody for months. The fabric of time remains soft and supple, time is an almost tangible substance that bathes everything like the sunlight that reflects off of the lake in the afternoon, rippling and dancing on the ceiling of the studio. The odd late winter light forms a glare in my eyes, there is always a part of the afternoon where I feel as though I'm going blind, I'm pushing against the painting, pushing my brushes into the surface, cutting at the paint with my knife, carving and peeling away the shards of light, hoping to see something under all the glare. If I can only tear a hole in this great curtain of light I might be able to finally see something. Sometimes it's just so difficult, I resist the urge to try slash my way through it all. It's only a palette knife, sometimes I wish it was a razor, or a machete, it's just not big enough, not sharp enough, not fast enough. My hands are wearing out, my head is wearing out, the mantra isn't working anymore, it's just a meaningless sound, I'm hearing too much noise welling up in the background, the things I once could see only form the holes in the static, the brief pulses of silence between the slamming crush of everything else. It's all getting so big and loud, not sure how to turn it all off again.
Friday, March 3, 2006I started on a painting of green apples, against a green background. Not really thinking, just painting.
Thursday, March 2, 2006The study of Thai chilies is finished.
I'm not sure what I'm doing next, I've been looking at some apples...
Wednesday, March 1, 2006I'm all but finished with this study of Thai chilies. I'll have a final look in the morning and wrap it up.
Tulips are coming up all over the property, spring is about to be sprung.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006 Fat TuesdayI started on the final painting of the commission series, of three Thai chili peppers. This will be an odd and abstract arrangement, and the challenge will be to create a sense of gravity within the expanse of white.
The past weekend at the show was difficult at best, and I'm glad to be home.
Thursday, February 23, 2006Today I nailed down two more studies, one of a single pear, another of a single apple. These should be done after a few hours tomorrow, in time for me to leave from my weekend show. Most of the loose ends are tied up, we'll see how much more I can do before I'm on the road to Ellicott City.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006I finished the painting of a single green apple, and somehow I'm going to start a study of chili peppers tomorrow. I have a few jalapeno peppers on a ventilation cover, drying nicely, and starting to change colors. We'll see if they are red enough by tomorrow to start a painting or not. I did pick up a package of brutally hot Thai chilies over the weekend, so I may just blow up a study of the tiny red Thai chilies instead. We'll see what I can see.
And of course now I'm looking at minimal sleep as I come down the home stretch to the first show of the season this coming weekend. So much to do...
Monday, February 20, 2006I finished the two studies of a single black plum, and started throwing down paint for a small study of a single green apple.
Sunday, February 19, 2006I am all but finished with the studies of a single black plum. I'll be wrapping this up tomorrow without any problem, and then I'll start my next painting in this commission series.
I've been brainstorming a new display system for my indoor show next weekend, and things are slowly coming together. Hopefully they start coming together faster soon, as I have a show next weekend.
Saturday, February 18, 2006I finished the paintings of bartlett pears, and started on two studies of a single black plum. As soon as I start, I realize how little I know about painting.
Friday, February 17, 2006Today sees the studies of bartlett pears all but finished. Tomorrow I'll wrap these up, and start on a study of a single black plum.
Suddenly it was warm and windy, and the forest finished emerging from the snow.
Wednesday, February 15, 2006I finished the small painting, and started on two small studies, of two bartlett pears.
Tuesday, February 14, 2006 Valentine's DayI hammered down a solid start to the first of the series of commission paintings.
Monday, February 13, 2006Today I finally finished the new study of yellow tulips.
Tomorrow I start on the first of a series of small commission paintings.
Saturday, February 11, 2006I continued to lay down paint, building up a surface, carving out forms and depth and light and space. Tomorrow should see this painting almost finished.
Snow started falling in the middle of the afternoon, and supposedly it will be an all night blizzard. Frank ran around like a madman, or at least a little more so than normal. I however, merely walked around slowly, pondering the view, like a madman.
Friday, February 10, 2006Today I painted, just like yesterday, and probably like tomorrow. I got some things done, and some more things need to be done.
Last night I went to a group critique at the studio of Jeff Schaller. My expectations were fairly low, as I typically question the ability of most people to give a truly impartial, objective and constructive critique. Everyone was very pleasant, and I had a chance to practice my ability to keep my mouth shut until I had succinct and properly formed comments to make. A good time was had by all.
Thursday, February 9, 2006Today I started throwing paint down. Of course it's all so rough and rude, but it's nice to be starting something again.
Wednesday, February 8, 2006Yesterday I spent the day on the road, for a repair and a delivery. Today I started mixing colors for another large study of yellow tulips against a yellow background. It's all just so yellow.
Monday, February 6, 2006Too many things came up over the weekend for me to properly resolve the new vertical format painting of yellow tulips, but the deep freeze in the garage all but stopped the drying process. Of course the actual tulips didn't fare so well, but I was still able to nail down the last few areas that troubled me. I scratched my name into the thick wet paint and yanked the painting off of the easel, and then I hurled it into the darkness of the garage.
Elvis has left the building.
Friday, February 3, 2006The painting is all but finished, but of course I need one more look at it before I'm ready to sign it. Once again, during the rush of the final minutes of sunlight, William Shatner was singing about common people. It's becoming my end of the session theme song.
Thursday, February 2, 2006 Groundhog DayI continued to slam paint down on this newest study of yellow tulips. Things are coming together, and this will be finished tomorrow.
My mother reports that when I was six months old, I was warm and fuzzy.
Wednesday, February 1, 2006Calamity struck last Friday when I broke the glass vase I've been using for the past 5 or 6 years. Unable to find a replacement, I'm making do with another vase, which is forcing me to rethink my compositions. Today I started throwing paint down on a large vertical composition of yellow tulips. We'll see how this flies, but so far it all feels so very wrong. Maybe after I build up an actual painting it will start to make more sense. Maybe everything will fall into place, and the sense of detachment and displacement will fade away, and I'll start feeling all warm and fuzzy again. I'm wondering if I ever felt warm and fuzzy. If anyone out there remembers me ever being warm and fuzzy, please let me know.
Thursday, January 26, 2006I finished this new commission of three red apples.
Click on the image to see a larger version.I immediately started mixing colors for a large study of yellow tulips.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006I started on a small commission, coming very close to finishing it. Tomorrow should see this get tightened up and completed. I still have a bouquet of tulips on standby, we'll see if they have survived to the next painting or not.
It barely feels like winter, except for some intense blasts of cold wind from time to time. Crocuses started coming up by my sidewalk, some trees are actually starting to get buds, we'll see if winter ever actually happens.
I'm either going to learn how to weld, or I'll be hiring someone to weld a new cover for the overflow pipe for the lake. I've watched the iron waste away over the past 2 years, until now there is barely anything left of it.
Tuesday, January 24, 2006The diptych is done, and I immediately started laying out a new commission. Of course I'm behind on posting the images of these last few paintings, but I will get it together soon enough.
Monday, January 23, 2006Today was dark and dismal, but I continued laying down paint on this diptych. It should be done with no problem tomorrow.
Sunday, January 22, 2006I started slamming down paint on this new commission of apples. Things are coming together and taking shape.
Last night at a dinner party I met David Bielick, a Philadelphia artist. We had much to discuss, and a collaboration of some sort may be in the works. We shall see.
Friday, January 20, 2006The painting of tulips is indeed done, and I'm starting on a small commission of a diptych of apples. Time is twisting and sliding for me, not sure where the days are going.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006This new study of white tulips is now screaming down the home stretch. This will definitely be nailed down by the end of tomorrow's session.
I figured out how to imbed music in the website, to enhance the David Oleski website viewing experience. Of course I'm wondering if anyone likes this idea, or if it's just annoying. If you have a chance, please let me know.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006I continued to throw down paint, although today things are starting to look like something for a change. It's odd, how I get blind sided from only looking and studying and laying down color, and suddenly things start to take form. This will really start to tighten up tomorrow, and hopefully start coming down the home stretch.
Yesterday my new granite krok hin arrived, a massive mortar and pestle. I immediately made a great pot of tomyum soup, and set my entire head and face on fire for hours.
The crescendo of the session was closing everything up, the sky was a stripe of crimson across the horizon, William Shatner was singing about common people, Frank wants to go outside, maybe I can keep up...
Monday, January 16, 2006I continued throwing paint around, today is that day when no amount of effort can yield any better than totally heinous results. It's beautiful outside, in a stark and brownish grey January kind of way.
Sunday, January 15, 2006Today I managed to start throwing down color on this newest study of white tulips. Of course it only felt like I was slashing wildly at a blinding white canvas, but by the end of the day it seemed that I had something finally started again. It all suddenly becomes fun and exciting again.
Thursday, January 12, 2006I finished stretching another canvas and started mixing paint. I'm probably going to start a study of white tulips tomorrow. Tonight Frank and I were at the dog park, running around, lit only by the brilliant moon. The fog was rising from the lake when we got home, looking like a movie set, shafts of moonlight shining through the trees.
Tuesday, January 10, 2006The first painting of the new year took no less than eleven days to finish, and it looks like nothing short of a total train wreck. I'm not sure what I'll do next, nothing seems to be falling into place. Something will come together.
I still have a ringing in my head from my trip, everything still feels different, part of me never did come back, I don't know what's going to happen, the sense of displacement and disconnection is deep and profound.
And at this time I'd like to give a shout out to all my homies in Thailand. UN, dude, you rock, and Sangtum, you just sit there and don't say anything, and happy birthday last week to my dear sweet Worrapan. Sawatdee Khraaaab.
Saturday, December 31, 2005 New Year's EveToday I managed to throw down some paint on a new canvas. The last day of the year was spent starting something new, pushing color across a vast white surface, creating something from nothing. It's a good way to end one year and start another, with new beginnings. Nothing will be easy, everything shall be a challenge. I will continue to observe, and learn, and grow.
Tuesday, December 27, 2005And now it is winter.
Here we are, riding on the edge of the great clock face, clinging to the sweep second hand, dust rises in the lazy afternoon sunlight as all of the gears and levers snap and grind and click into place, and the great row of digits across the giant odometer of time start to all turn together, all lining up, approaching zero again.
I cleaned off my palettes, polished my knives, squeezed out some paint. I started mixing some colors, figuring out some things, studied the light. My heart isn't in it, my heart isn't even here, my heart is so far away right now, in another place, and another time.
Brilliant sunset.
If you find yourself hungering for yet more dramatization of the angst of a painter, see Fall 2005 for the previous season's struggles.
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