Monday, May 20th, Today is Lulu and my 13th wedding anniversary...bliss...river is starting to rise and is encroaching on our backyard fence. I may have to cut the peonies early. Got some work in on Saturday and is below. I'm thinking as a set of three. White background/black/yellow clouds- yellow background/black/white clouds It is pure homage and I don't care...Mark Rothko has profoundly changed the way I"see" color and form. All Art is homage to something or someone.

                                                        "I Ching" v.1 16"x24" oil, acrylic and oil sticks

Oops. Forgot to add this. Finally done- whatever that means but for now, I can walk away and say , find a home. "Good Friday." 36"x48" oil, acrylic and oil sticks, printers ink.

Saturday 18, 2019

Good work last night in studio. This finally came into focus after a half dozen iterations. In the end, the painting tells you what it needs to be.

Small painting 16"x24" but big ideas. "Blue Rain." Oil, acrylic, printers ink and gesso.

Wed. May 15th...No admonition from Willy the Shake about the Ides of May but it bears hard on me as I cast this final skin and leave the world of so-called education. I have six more days as a high school teacher and my candle has been burned to its end.

I would like to share with you the evolution of my process. My last post was the first draft on a lovely piece of canvas with an 1 1/2 inch frame. Working title was "Venice" (don't ask).

So we start with orange/deep yellow speed ball printers ink and add  some lovely red, yellow and titanium white oils.

Needs some counter balance- lamp black and orange oil

Yikes..maybe getting muddy, buddy-quick grab the orange-no rhyme...

OK...starting to choke here..what the fuck have I done...looking like Halloween Part #9 walk away, dude...

OK- I have really mucked this up... walk away..no...run away...

Painting, for me, is about creating tension, dilemma, crisis and attempting to resolve. Welcome to "Resolution"-(formerly  Venice) I'm good with this...  after numerous scape offs  and a dash of magic magenta. Have a good day!

Saturday, May 11th, 2019.

Have enough money to finally upgrade canvases and the difference is huge. No more bloody crossbars with the 1 1/2" deep frames. The bounce is incredible! This is 30" x40" with a deep yellow speedball ink background and the other colors are oils.  First draft of "Venice" (working title). Going in today to do second coat of contrasting colors. Don't forget Mom tomorrow...much love to Anni and Olga.

Wed. May 8th...counting down the days. Doing small work. This is oil on paper 11"x14"

"Blue Spring"

Saturday May 4, 2019,

Counting down the days until I finish teaching and can focus full-time on painting. Spring is wet but here.

I've been struggling with the 3rd and 4th quadrants of this but I think I've got the 3rd sorted with the Cadmium Yellow. The last panel still needs work but all in all, I'm OK with this. Don't forget Mom next Sunday May 12th.

Sunday, April 28th-Been busy...have a couple of studies going and the large pieces seem to capture my intent . Not quite finished but I'm feeling good about where they are headed.  It's all about the color and composition is all I can really say. Either it sings or doesn't. But it's also about mood which would explain them being titled after composers.

This is the 16"x24" study for "Debussy" which is kinda oblivious but works. I really love the Provence Blue at the top and the Pale Cerulean at the bottom ain't bad, either. Photos don't do the work justice- the nuances  are lost but I think most can get the drift

This is the 3ftx4ft version very early days yet...the colors need to fade and blend.

This originally started life as "Colorado" ( see earlier blogs) and after numerous sessions of subtractive painting has become "Sibelius" 3ftx4ft

Early days-working title, "Ravel"

This is the working study for a difficult piece (makes sense given the title) "Wagner." What appears to be black is in fact Indigo and the top is Cobalt Blue on top of a turquoise undercoat/ Both the study and 3ftx4ft need a lot of work abut I'm looking forward to see how they turn out. 

"Sturm and Drang," hopefully. Love the German Romantics.

Better photo of the work study and large version of "Debussy."

I think this is finally finished and named. I thank my sister-in-law, MaryAnne, for the title.

"Good Friday" 3ftx4ft oil on canvas