The Paintings of David Oleski The Studio Journal
Winter of the Year 2007/08
See the Gallery for some exciting detailed images of the artist's work.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008Winter ended quietly enough. I finished the small study of a coffee cup and saucer, and spent the rest of the day arranging and rearranging objects. See the finished painting on the very small paintings page.
Today is my brother's birthday. Happy birthday, Darren.
The empty silence of winter has allowed me to explore some new directions with my work. I've started exploring the world of film, and I began a new experimental series of very small works. I've already discovered some exciting new things, and as always I look forward to seeing where things go next.
Read on...to Spring of 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008"I can't eat the rest of this sandwich, do you want it?"
Joey turned to him and nodded, his mouth too full to answer. "I'm not sure why my mom even makes such a big lunch, there's no way I can ever eat it all." He peered into his lunch box, picking through the contents. "And this morning she was all upset that he painted that stupid coffee cup and saucer again. She says he can't even paint his way out of a wet paper bag lately."
Joey couldn't stifle a laugh, and food sprayed everywhere.
"Dude, that's so gross, just say it, don't spray it".
"Don't make me laugh when my mouth's full, man" said Joey, finally chewing enough to swallow before laughing again. "He's not that bad, he said it was too dark to paint anyway."
"Yeah, I guess so. We'll see what he winds up doing next," as he unwrapped yet another sandwich.
Monday, March 17, 2008The door slammed, and she burst into the room. "You'll never believe it", she hurriedly set down her bags, "he painted a bunch of grapes".
Her husband picked up the remote and muted the tv, "Honey, we talked about this, we knew he might do something like this."
"Yes, I know, but it's still shocking. I mean, seriously, what artist doesn't paint grapes anymore?" She shook off her jacket and threw it down.
He sat up, and tried to look as concerned as possible. "Supposedly it's a challenge, they're translucent, and barely have a shine. I think he's just trying to prove he can do more than just apples and pears. It's just what he does." He looked at her, waiting for her response.
"I'm not so sure he's proving anything. I'd like to see him do a major landscape or something before I believe he can really paint at all. There's only so long he can pull off this 'I need to do another study' routine that he's been feeding us all this time." Her eyes glared at him, "You know, he's not fooling anyone"
His eyes went from her, and then back to the tv. He carefully took a breath, "Yes, honey, you're absolutely right."
See the finished painting on the very small paintings page.
Sunday, March 16. 2008He set the huge ledger down on the desk in front of him, and lifted the cover. Then he stopped, "You do know he's been doing some strange things lately, right?" he asked, looking over the top of his glasses at her.
"I know, I know, I just need to know what he's doing now." She was clutching a twisted and crumpled handkerchief.
"Well, let me see", and he started flipping page after page, scanning across the entries. "Look at this, I think he's back to apples again". He reached over and adjusted the light so he could see a little better. "I see a golden delicious apple and a granny smith apple, so it seems you have nothing to worry about after all."
She let out a deep breath. "Thank goodness, I don't know what I was going to do. I was afraid he would do something crazy, like a bunch of grapes or something. You know, he's been doing all these strange....things."
He reached out and patted her hand, "I don't think you have anything to worry about, there won't be any more surprises."
See the finished painting on the very small paintings page. I immediately started on a small study of a bunch of grapes, and tomorrow should see it snap into focus.
Saturday, March 15, 2008And then when nobody was watching, he very quietly finished a small study of daisies in a blue glass vase. See the finished painting on the very small paintings page.
Friday, March 14, 2008In the darkness, they could only hear each other breathing. "You don't think he actually drinks Yeungling beer do you?" she asked to nobody in particular.
"Honey, could we just sleep? He liked the color of the bottle, that's all. He's just looking for things to paint." He kicked at the sheets, trying to arrange them over his feet.
"Do you know he painted a small landscape today too?"
He stopped, and opened his eyes, staring up at the dark ceiling. "I guess I'm not going to get much sleep after all", and he sat up and switched on the bedside lamp. "I never expected him to start looking outside." He reached for his glasses, "this is something different."
You can see the study of a Yeungling beer bottle, and a small landscape study on the very small paintings page.
Thursday, March 13, 2008He turned the page and stopped. "So, I guess he still paints apples and pears."
She slowly turned, her face silhouetted against the glowing curtains in the afternoon light. "I don't know what you're talking about, I like his apples and pears." She took a drag, and watched the cigarette smoke curl lazily in the air, "and I think it's about time we have one of them."
"Yeah, I know. I just wonder sometimes what he's going to do next." He lifted his glass and took a drink, "there's just no way to know with this guy."
You can see the finished painting on the very small paintings page.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008"I'll be damned" he said, from behind the newspaper, his voice breaking the morning silence.
"What is it honey?" she asked, distantly staring into her glass of orange juice.
"I can't believe it, he painted a Campbell's soup can."
She lowered the glass and thought for a moment, "Why would he go and do something like that?"
His chair creaked as he leaned forward and reached for his coffee, "Who does he think he is, Andy Warhol? I just wouldn't expect something like this from him."
"Honey, he's just trying out some new things, he doesn't mean anything by it."
"Exactly," he said, "he has no business painting something like that."
You can see the finished painting on the very small paintings page.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008I finished the triptych of very small studies of Lindt chocolate truffle Easter eggs. You can see the finished paintings on the very small paintings page.
Monday, March 10, 2008Today I started a triptych of very small studies of Lindt chocolate truffle Easter eggs. Painting colored foil feels like something very strange and new, but bit by bit it's making sense to me.
Sunday, March 9, 2008Today I finished a small commission of two bartlett pears.
Click on the image to see a larger version.I immediately carved out a small study of a peeled mandarin orange. You can see the finished painting on the very small paintings page.
Friday, March 7, 2008I did actually finish the study of a mandarin orange and a porcelain pitcher. It was an endless study of white and grey and everything in between, painted on some of the most dull and dismally grey days. On the upside, I did learn some exciting things about all the different qualities of darkness and gloom, aside from all the great lessons I learned about trying to paint a stuffed purple monkey.
Click on the image to see a larger version.I wasted no time and started getting set up for a small commission of two pears. They're still too green for the commission, so I carved out a very small study just to get warmed up. In the next day or two they should take on some really rich color, and I'll begin working on the commission. You can see the finished painting on the very small paintings page.
Thursday, March 6, 2008I unwrapped a giant bouquet of white lilies today, and then spent some time just walking around and looking at it. I'm not sure why, but I just can't see myself grappling with such a delicate and complex arrangement. I've been thinking about how I might attack this subject for a few days now, and it just feels so strange and foreign. I have to admit, they do look great on my kitchen table.
I spent the afternoon trying to salvage the wreckage left over from the mandarin/monkey study. Instead of a monkey it's the porcelain pitcher, and I'm all but finished with this small study. I'll have a final look in the morning and see if I can sign it and move on.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008Last night a few of the spring peepers started whistling, one of the first exciting sounds of early spring. I'm trying to imagine those little frogs puckering up their sticky little frog lips and whistling, and then trying to imagine hundreds and then thousands of them all whistling together, all watching each other with their big frog eyes. Before long the sound of the frogs was eclipsed by the roar of rain as the sky opened up.
The big storm knocked over one of my trees, narrowly missing the house when it went down. Today I cut it up into manageable pieces, and tomorrow I'll drag it out into the forest.
In the relative quiet of winter I'm trying many new things, and today I tried my hand working with a big flat blending brush. Suddenly I was making apples curve perfectly, every color gently fading into the next. Immediately I scraped it all up and carved it back down with the biggest and baddest brushes I have. There's no place for calm and gentle blending in my world. You can see the finished painting on the very small paintings page.
The cold snap after last night's storm seems to have silenced the whistling of the spring peepers. Maybe they're all just quietly humming now.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008Today while doing too many other things, I only managed to finish a very small study of a lemon and a salt shaker. You can see the finished painting on the very small paintings page.
Monday, March 3, 2008Today I carved out a very small study of a cup of espresso. You can see the finished painting on the very small paintings page.
Once in a while I find something that I just can't paint, and I have to understand moving on as something other than giving up. Today I found myself defeated by a stuffed purple monkey. Around and around, building it up and scraping it back down, nothing could nail it down. A stuffed purple monkey will now be my Alamo, my Broken Knee, my Bay of Pigs. I will always carry the defeat of a stuffed purple monkey with me. It will be like an addiction, I'll always have a stuffed purple monkey on my back. I suppose you could say that everyone has a stuffed purple monkey. For some, shyness may be a stuffed purple monkey. For others, lack of education may be a stuffed purple monkey. But for me, a stuffed purple monkey is a still life subject that will always evade my abilities. So Frank gets his stuffed purple monkey back, and I scraped it out and started placing some different objects in its place. I'll be happy to put this canvas behind me.
Sunday, March 2, 2008Today I decided to start on a small study of a mandarin orange and one of Frank's toys, an odd little stuffed purple monkey. Suddenly I'm challenged with the new surface quality of purple fuzz, as well as a whole new color range and quality. No longer do surfaces turn with depth and richness, and instead the synthetic surface presents very few cues of form and color. Tomorrow should see this small study resolved, and I'll consider how much more I want to explore little fuzzy stuffed animals.
Saturday, March 1, 2008And suddenly March is upon us. All day I kept staring out the window, mesmerized by the patterns of the wind across the water.
Yesterday I spent the day in New York City at ArtExpo at Javitz Center. The business of art once again eclipsed the art of art, and I am again reminded of the importance of what I'm doing, here in the woods, far from the crushing noise of the big city.
Today I paired the unlikely combination of an apple with a dog biscuit. You can see the finished painting on the very small paintings page. I didn't have a chance to start on another large painting yet, but I do have a big bouquet of lilies on standby for what might be an ambitious new undertaking.
Thursday, February 28, 2008Today I did finish the study of a lemon and two strawberries.
Click on the image to see a larger version.I then revisited the Tabasco sauce bottle, after many years. You can see the new painting on the new very small paintings page.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008Today I carved out a tight little study of two strawberries. You can see the new painting on the new very small paintings page. It's funny, how trying something just a little bit out of my comfort range makes me feel like I'm nothing but a one-trick pony.
So, humbled by two little strawberries, I decided to attack a larger study of the same subjects, accompanied by a lemon. And of course I'm suddenly reminded again of how little I really know about yellow, again. This study might be finished, but I'll have another look in the morning just to make sure.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008Today I really did finally finish the study of pale orange tulips, just as their color was fading to being almost transparent.
Click on the image to see a larger version.It was one of those cold and miserable days that chills you to the bone. Of course it's Frank's favorite weather, when it's raining and dark and grey and windy. At the park he was having a blast, splashing through the grass, his tail pinwheeling behind him. Crazy dog.
Today marks the four year anniversary of my purchase of this property. At one time I was so intimidated by how huge this all was, and then I realized this was all just an extension of the empty vessel that is my life, and I learned the importance of filling this empty vessel with meaning. I still stare out the windows at the water just as I did in my first few days here, and I feel such a deep connection with so much forest and sky and water and light. It's just beautiful.
Monday, February 25, 2008The painting is finished. Almost. I think. I spent a good part of the afternoon putting a website together for a friend, finishing everything except uploading everything to his server. The sun was turning everything the color of gold by the time I was done, so I couldn't put the final layer of consideration on this study without adding a whole new element of light and color. I couldn't find another bouquet of tulips, so tomorrow I'll be on to something completely different.
Saturday, February 23, 2008I continued to build up a surface and define edges on this new study of pale orange tulips. Something about these colors feels like a comfortable range for me. Tomorrow should see this piece just about finished. I might do another very small painting, but I'm leaning toward just waiting until my new shipment of very small painting boards arrives early this coming week.
Friday, February 22, 2008Today was dark and dismal, and it rained and snowed throughout the day. Rather than try to continue trying to find color in this lively bouquet of flowers, I decided to do a small quick study of an apple and a ceramic pitcher. See the new painting on the new small paintings journal page.
Thursday, February 21, 2008Last night I stood outside with Frank, staring up at the lunar eclipse. Seeing the shadow of the earth looking so small, and so far away, makes things fall into perspective. Fast forward to today, and I started throwing paint down on a new study of pale orange tulips against the same gray background. I was about to start on something else, but last night I saw these tulips at the grocery store, and now it's like an obsession for me. If I see them, I need to paint them. Soon enough I'll be onto something else.
But in other news, I decided to start another artist's journal to show a new series of very small paintings, and an exciting new venue to sell these diminutive works via the modern technological miracle that is Ebay. My first posting is an older piece, just to figure things out and see how it all works. I have some small linen boards on order, so next week I should be diving into some bold new territory. I may use these as sketches for larger works, or they might stand on their own. We'll see as it all comes together.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008I'm finally finished with this new study of red tulips.
Click on the image to see a larger version.It seems like these tulips studies are taking longer and longer to finish, but I am having some good educational experiences. It's interesting how my final critical inspection at the end of one day's session feels nothing like the first view of the study when I start the next day's session.
I'm seeing the passing of the day in a new light, now that I'm capturing so much on video. The varying textures that the wind creates on the surface of the lake keep captivating my attention, and I'm suddenly aware of all the changing colors as the light of day starts to fade. I'm always watching for the colors of the sky to ignite in the final minutes of the sunset, or the sun sometimes just fades into a great sea of blue. Tonight the light of the sky shifted from sunset to moonrise in one brilliant movement of color. The full moon lit up the forest like some strange version of daylight. Frank seemed to think it was daytime and playtime again, running in circles and carrying a stick, behaving like some kind of animal.
Monday, February 18, 2008This new study of red tulips is all but finished. I should have this nailed down tomorrow without any problem, and possibly moving on to something else.
Saturday, February 16, 2008I continued to build up a surface on this new study of red tulips. Tomorrow should see things start to really come into focus.
Friday, February 15, 2008I threw some paint down on this new study of red tulips. A quick drive into the city to pick up frames wound up cutting my session short, but tomorrow I should be back on track, laying it down and spreading it out, just like icing a cake.
Thursday, February 14, 2008 Valentine's DayToday I started mixing colors for a new study of red tulips, on this day of red hearts. The sky was clear and bright, and all of the colors came alive.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008It's been dark and overcast for days, one day it's snowing, the next day the forest is buzzing with the sound of sleet, and today the world is being encased in ice. I haven't been able to get started on this bouquet of red tulips, although the forecast for the next few days is for a brighter sky. In the meantime, I've been busy with a few other things, including putting together another short film.
Sunday, February 10, 2008This study of white tulips is now finished.
Click on the image to see a larger version.I have a bouquet of red tulips on standby for my next endeavor.
Saturday, February 9, 2008This study of white tulips is almost finished.
Friday, February 8, 2008This study of white tulips is starting to come into focus. I should see this piece completed before too long.
Thursday, February 7, 2008 Chinese New YearI continued to build up some surface and definition on this new study of white tulips. Tomorrow should see this piece starting to really look like something.
I started dusting off and assembling my old music studio, after so many years that it's been in storage. I'd like to dig through my old archives and come up with some more soundtrack material for my next short film. So far it's pretty overwhelming, to have this towering monolith of electronics looming over my workspace.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008 Ash WednesdayToday I started throwing down paint on this newest study of white tulips. For the first time in two months I'm working on something other than a huge canvas. I liked the idea of finishing nothing but giant paintings every week. Everything feels loose and generous when I'm pushing out pounds and pounds of paint with each session, and this smaller piece is already starting to feel like something tight and delicate. I'll do what I can to keep things exciting.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008 Fat TuesdayI started mixing colors for a new study of white tulips. Tomorrow I will start throwing some paint, although these tulips look like they've been abused at some point in their lives, and some of them may not make it through the next few days.
Monday, February 4, 2008Today I finished the commission of purple tulips. I have a bouquet of white tulips on standby for tomorrow's session.
Click on the image to see a larger version.
Sunday, February 3, 2008 Super Bowl SundayWhile the entire United States is gathering for the annual viewing of the championship of modern gladiators, I was busy trying to finish this new commission of purple tulips. Most of it is fairly tight and solid, but I have to address just a few more transition areas and carve out a few more spaces within the bouquet.
Lately I've been trying to figure out how to create an RSS feed from my journal, so people can subscribe to receive updates, rather than dig through my website to look for them. So far I'm having a hard time getting my brain around this bold new concept. Many aspects of web design have always been challenging puzzles for me. Just as some people do crossword puzzles and word games to exercise their mind, I try to dissect and reassemble HTML code to create the smoothest and cleanest user interface. Long ago I should have handed the reigns of my website over to someone else, as well as the magazine ad layout, photography and now the cinematography and production of my new series of short films. Over the years I've figured out perlscripts, javascripts, favicons, Flash animation and layout, Windows streaming media, java push and ftp upload of images and video, and all the while finding ways to integrate it seamlessly into my website so none of the struggle and hardship is visible. In the end, you, the viewer, should be able to easily navigate through a logical path to access information. I always believe that the newest hurdle will be the last, but only until I discover yet another new and exciting portal into more information. So...we'll see if I manage to figure this one out. All of this makes painting seem easy, and it's really not easy at all.
Saturday, February 2, 2008 Groundhog DayYesterday it was dark and raining all day, so the the light reached a fleeting peak at about one in the afternoon before dropping off into ever deepening gloom.
Today the sun was brilliant and bright, and I managed to make some good headway on this new commission of purple tulips. Tomorrow should see this piece start looking close to being finished.
Thursday, January 31, 2008I started throwing down paint on this newest commission of purple tulips. It's an ambitious start, and tomorrow will see it start to take on more definition.
I submitted my new short film to the West Chester Film Festival, just to see what happens. Suddenly I had images of what I would say if I won an award, who I would thank, who I would mention, on and on. I saw myself hanging out with big stars and directors, networking for my next big project, planning to "do lunch", and "have my people meet with your people". Maybe I would buy a winery and have my own label, maybe I would live quietly in a small village on the coast, overlooking the ocean. Maybe I would start my own film festival, high up in the mountains, inviting guests to stay at my ranch. It's amazing how the wheels start spinning once you start them into motion.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008I woke up this morning to the sound of the wind howling. I noticed a large tree had fallen in the forest by my house during the night, but for some reason I never heard it. Isn't there something about a tree falling in the woods? I'm not sure if it even made a sound.
I was about to start throwing paint on this new commission of purple tulips, when I realized that the tulips aren't really the right purple. It didn't occur to me how many variations of purple there could be, until it was time to get to work. I managed to find another bouquet with the right color, so tomorrow I'll pick up where I left off.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008The new study of white tulips is actually finished, and I immediately started mixing paint for an odd sized commission of purple tulips. I'm excited to start throwing some paint tomorrow.
Click on the image to see a larger version.I put together yet another short film, featuring the completion of this study of white tulips.
Monday, January 28, 2008The weekend went by like a blur, so much to do, so much food, so many people, so many decisions, on and on and on. I managed to get some short sessions in on this study, but never enough to actually feel good about resolving anything. Finally today I do believe this new study of white tulips is indeed finished. I'll have a final look tomorrow, and then I'll get some shots of it and move on.
Friday, January 25, 2008Just when I thought I might be finishing the study of white tulips, I wound up spending the day outside in the frigid wind helping a friend shoot some booth images. In the last few hours of sunlight I could feel my head ringing from the cold as I continued to build up a surface and sharpen some edges.
Tomorrow I'll be gone all day, jurying applications for the Rittenhouse Square Fine Art Shows, so I won't be back on this study again until Sunday.
Thursday, January 24, 2008The new study of white tulips is moving along, and tomorrow should see this all but finished. It's almost feeling too easy, but I'm sure when the end is in sight I'll find myself scrambling to tie it all together
Earlier tonight I had the group critique and discussion at the studio of Jeff Schaller, and it was good to relax with some of the local artists from Chester County, including Antonio Puri, Brian Richmond and Laura Barton.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008I woke up this morning to a strangely silent house. On this calm and sunny morning, the power was off for some reason. Shortly after noon the entire house suddenly buzzed back to life, while I was busily doing all the things that don't take electricity. I had cold chai tea, cold breakfast, played acoustic guitar for Frank, and started throwing paint at this newest study of white tulips. I quickly built up a nice surface and got everything up and moving, and I continued to shoot images and video of the whole process for my next film.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008I started mixing colors for a new study of white tulips against a lavender background. I decided to give the tulips another day to relax a bit before I start throwing paint. Tomorrow will be fun as the paint starts flying.
Monday, January 21, 2008Today was a very busy day. I prepared a large canvas for my next study, figured out how to put an abbreviated version of my website on a CD, and I put together another short film, featuring my most recent study of purple tulips.
Saturday, January 19, 2008In the dim, dark and overcast afternoon I sharpened everything and cleaned up some colors, and the study of purple tulips is now finished. This is probably the heaviest painting I've ever done; it's amazing how much paint is hanging on the surface.
Click on the image to see a larger version.And now I'd like to direct everyone's attention to my good friend Richard Harrington, and more importantly to Richard Harrington's Field Notes of 100 Horse Studio blog. For years I've been trying to drag this guy kicking and screaming out into the light of posting his thoughts on painting and on life, and finally he's done it. Richard is one of the greatest painters that I can also call a close friend, and if you ever manage to get caught in a conversation with him at a show you'll realize he's also one of the nicest (if not one of the most talkative) guys you'll ever meet. So...take a moment and explore his world of light and water and fishing. Oh yes, and horses.
Friday, January 18, 2008Suddenly progress on this new study is slowing down. The paint is setting up, sticking and clinging like chewing gum, strings of paint are pulling away each time I pull the brush. Now it's a race between finishing it by intent or by default. It's so close, but my edges are a little rough and some colors are still a little muddy.
Thursday, January 17, 2008As soon as I started painting, the sky grew dark and snow started to fall. My world quickly became a winter wonderland, as the heavy wet snow clung to every tree branch. I watched a fox sit at the edge of the property, watching Frank scamper around like a puppy in the snow; obviously I spent a good part of the day staring out the windows at the beautiful forest. I did manage to push the study of purple tulips very close to being finished, tomorrow will see me just tighten up a few more areas, and then I'll be done...I think.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008The new study of purple tulips is now snapping into focus, all the edges are cut in, and I have to start blocking in some simple clarity in the sculpting of the leaves. Tomorrow will see this study very close to finished.
I've been shooting some video clips of different stages of this study, so when I'm finished I'll put together a short film to show the progress and completion of this piece.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008I continued to build up a surface on this new study of purple tulips, and sure enough it's starting to look like something. I'm learning so much about all the blue qualities of green as I study the color relationships of the leaves against this background color. I'm excited to see it all start to come together tomorrow.
Monday, January 14, 2008Today I started throwing down paint on this newest large study of purple tulips against a lime green background. I managed to get everything covered and blocked in despite the day being fairly overcast and dark. Tomorrow will see things start to take shape.
Sunday, January 13, 2008Today I started mixing colors for a large study of purple tulips against a yellow background. Something about this color combination seems to be fairly challenging, but there are always some interesting color relationships that happen between the blues of the leaves and the coolness of the yellow. Today I got most of my colors mixed, and tomorrow the paint will start flying.
Friday, January 11, 2008I did actually finish the study of green apples, and I spent the afternoon moving things around, mixing colors, looking at things, but basically getting nothing accomplished. Such is life.
Click on the image to see a larger version.Just for the fun of it, I created my first major motion picture. For those of you that are using an Apple computer, or on a slower dialup connection, use this link instead.
Thursday, January 10, 2008The study of green apples is suddenly almost finished. I'm spending more and more time just looking at it, and I'll have a final look in the morning to see if I really can just sign it and be done with it.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008I continued to throw down paint on this new supposedly quick study of apples. Just when I think I've learned enough about green, a simple apple proves it can teach me just one more thing. There's so many directions that green can shift and change. I can think of cadmium yellow as having the yellow version of the effect of red, compared to lemon yellow having the yellow version of blue, and alizarin crimson has more of a blue effect of red, and allows cadmium yellow to become a complimentary color that darkens everything. Now white acts like blue, and immediately makes everything flash with a cool brightness, and yellow is now the color of light. Back and forth, around and around, there's no end to it.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008I did indeed finish the study of pale orange tulips, but of course by now they're looking more like faded and wilted orange tulips.
Click on the image to see a larger version.For some strange reason I decided to throw down a quick study of three green apples, just to see how it feels to move a lot of paint again. I spent some time reading some of these "Painting a Day" blogs, and realized that my journal is starting to look like a "barely got a damn thing finished today" blog, so I'm going to try to step things up and show a bit more productivity. Of course I don't want to do anything that makes this any less fun than the angst-ridden trouble and turmoil that it's been for the past nine years now.
Monday, January 7, 2008I managed to almost finish this new study of pale orange tulips, after a series of short sessions. The weekend was a series of stops and starts, and today was the first day I was able to get several solid hours of work on it. I'll have a final look in the morning and see if this is indeed finished.
Thursday, January 3, 2008I continued to build up a surface and define my edges on this new study of pale orange tulips. I'm finding some interesting color combinations in the silvery undersides of the tulips. My painting teacher in art school, Peter Collier, would always say, "It's not the color, it's the color relationships".
Tomorrow should see this start to really tighten up and start coming down the home stretch.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008I started throwing down paint on a large study of pale orange tulips against an off-white background. The sunlight is bold and bright, and the day is bitterly cold. I had a nice talk with Richard Harrington, and as always he gave me some refreshing perspective on a few of the options that are ahead of me.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008 New Year's DayOne year very quietly passes into the next, and I barely have time to reflect on where I've been before I'm making plans on where I'll be next. The first day of the year is spent mixing colors, plotting my next painting, getting ready to start everything.
Saturday, December 30, 2007The lake is still, with barely a ripple, almost like a mirror, the ringing silence clings to the surface like a mist. A great breath has been drawn in, and in this short pause, the entire year is about to turn over. The sun is almost breaking through the clouds, I can hear geese circling high up above the trees. They spotted the huge silver mirror in the forest, and they're circling around to start the final descent. In the final hours of 2007, everything is circling slowly, everything is coming in for a landing, it's all about to touch down...
If you find yourself hungering for yet more dramatization of the angst of a painter, see Autumn of 2007 for the previous season's struggles.Previous issues:
Fall 2007 | Summer 2007 | Spring 2007 | Winter 2006/07
Fall 2006 | Summer 2006 | Spring 2006 | Winter 2005/06
Fall 2005 | Summer 2005 | Spring 2005 | Winter 2004/05
Fall 2004 | Summer 2004 | Spring 2004 | Winter 2003/04
Fall 2003 | Summer 2003 | Spring 2003 | Winter 2002/03
Fall 2002 | Summer 2002 | Spring 2002 | Winter 2001/02
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
Gallery - - Exhibition Schedule
