Edge

Edge
watercolor on Fabriano, 5"x 7"
matted and backed to 8"x 10"

I've spent a solid week writing an Annual Report complete with budget analyses and projections. I feel like I deserve a medal but I have to settle for a job well done. It's tough to put the time aside to paint when my creative juices are flowing elsewhere and my head is filled with reviews and plans and facts and figures.

Somehow I managed to make this piece from a sketch earlier this year and the title is fitting. I'm at the end of one phase of a great big project and at the beginning of the new phase. I'm beat, so I have to put aside feelings of being overwhelmed and inadequate, take a rest and know that I'll wake up with renewed enthusiasm and vigor if not tomorrow, then the next day. I think I'll put my feet up and go watch the finale of Mad Men.

As I was scanning this, I realized that, while painting, I was listening to the beginnings of Ken Follet's World Without End, his sequel to Pillars of the Earth. It just so happened that the chapter I was listening to described a horrid scene of children entering the forbidden forest, wreaking some havoc just before a knight pursued by two king's men wreaked further havoc. Now I look at the edge of the forest in this painting quite differently than I did in the original sketch! Synchronicity and X Factors are two things I love about life in the universe!

La mémoire de la réflexion

La mémoire de la réflexion
watercolor on Fabriano, 5"x 7"
matted and backed to 8"x 10"

This title is far better in French than in English. Maybe because it's such a Cocteau-like phrase... or Proust, for that matter.

Anyway, the weather here has been perfect and I had time to walk around Radnor Lake both yesterday and today. I was stunned at every turn by the beauty everywhere I looked. Just as well I forgot to pocket my camera on each walk — I would never have made it around the lake!

But I brought my memories home and this is a result of one.

Evaporation

Evaporation
watercolor, 5"x 7"

This painting gave me the feeling of all vapors being sucked up into the atmosphere. It reminds me of paintings I made in August of 2008 like Auvergne, Near Baden, 1904 and Drained.

I like humidity, in relative moderation. But now is the time of year when the air crispens and the leaves turn dry along with my skin and hair. Water. I'll just have to drink more of it.

For those of you who have been waiting with bated breath about the new roof I've been awaiting all summer, it went on one week ago today. It suits the house perfectly and my old chimney was carried away in buckets along with the remaining pennies of my home equity loan. But that's what those pennies were for!

Rain Fall

Rain Fall
watercolor, 5 x 7

Richard Diebenkorn once pointed out that the venetian blinds in his studio influenced an entire later series of his work. I can say the same for my back yard which serves as an influence to more than just paintings.

If you've been following over the past couple of years, you know that paths, ways, and courses of all sorts feature prominently in this ongoing series. But so do variations of my lovely and inspiring immediate landscape.

As some of you know, I've had unexpected but helpful renovations to the house this past summer. I've been waiting for a new roof since June but my roofer has been delayed by rainy week after rainy week. Here it is October and yet another rainy week. No leaks, so no complaints!

See photo posts from my back yard at My Great Day.

Satisfied Setting

Satisfied Setting
Watercolor Crayon, 5" x 7"

Wow, that's a lot of yellow! Well, the sun was going down on a beautiful day and I was filled with the good feeling of a job well done. I grabbed the watercolor crayons and went for it. Voila. I'll have to try these crayons on hot press. I bet they'll perform better.

Time for pizza.

The Shadow Clan

The Shadow Clan
Watercolor and Karat Aquarell, 5"x7"
Matted and backed to 8"x10"

I have a lot of anxiety to work out this week. Why not take it out via art? The healthiest way to vent, I say! Also, the coming season is closing in and I'm feeling like venturing back into nocturnes.

After much scribbling and playing with markers at the end of last week (see Studies and Sketches), I prepared several pieces of paper and went to town here with Staedteler watercolouring crayons and left over paint from Ripe. I almost overdid it but forced myself to stop when I ventured towards mud. I have the desire to make more of these. Now let's see if I can make the time.

Ripe

Ripe
Watercolor, 7"x10"
Matted and backed to 11"x14"

I threw myself into this then tossed it aside thinking it was a throw away. Then, as usual, once I let my dear partners - the watercolors, paper, and time - do their things, I discovered a piece that I like. Hope you do, too!

Sweater Weather

Sweater Weather
Watercolor, 5 x 7"
Matted and backed to 8 x 10

It was a perfectly gorgeous Sunday with the very first feel of autumn. After a long walk around the lake and mowing the lawn, I forced myself inside to work.

I am really on a drawing project and have lots of drawings to make before Thursday. Already late in the day, I procrastinated about drawing further by working on watercolors for a few hours. After so long out of practice, I'll just post the best of whatever I manage to make as I get my brushes wet again. I've switched to cold-press Fabriano block paper for a break from the Indian Village. As I find time to paint, I'll probably keep switching up the paper.

This is rather cartoon-like and reminds me of an old, snuggly, Missoni sweater.

Farewell Summer

Farewell Summer
Watercolor, 4 x 6"
Matted and backed to 8 x 10

     "There are those days which seem a taking in of breath which, held, suspends the whole earth in its waiting."
                       — Ray Bradbury, from "Farewell Summer"

Sweet September

Sweet September
Watercolor, 4 x 6"
Matted and backed to 8 x 10

Today is my birthday, I took the day off, spent the morning in bed with my favorite spy, swam a mile and, because of Rhonda Carpenter's well done post today, made sure that I sat myself down for a watercolor session because she's right — there is no time to wait. There's only now!

I have two full sheet watercolors in progress but have not had time to plunge back into either. My birthday wish to myself is that no matter how busy I am, I pledge to make time to swim more and continue with my little watercolors as best I can.

I love September and hope you're all enjoying yours!

In Passing

In Passing
Watercolor, 10 x 16"

My life, this summer, has slipped by like the image in this painting. As an example, this painting was made on July 12 and it's taken till today, August 23rd, to photograph and post it. I much prefer the way watercolors look online when scanned but this one is too large for my scanner.

In April, when I was traveling through North Carolina and in May, through California, I snapped random shots of the scenery while driving. Although this painting is from my mind, it's reminiscent of some of those shots though it really reminds me of a Colorado mining area above Telluride.

Some of my summer has gone to the garden, some to the house after lightning set the tone for new HVAC, attic insulation, refrigerator and soon, a new roof, to a part-time job, teaching, and every remaining second to my BIG NEW PROJECT. I keep wanting to make time to paint but must surrender to my current circumstance. Soon, soon...

Combustion

Combustion
Watercolor, 5 x 7"
Matted and backed to 11 x 14"
$100
to purchase this painting, email me

Nine days ago, my house was hit by lightning which took out my HVAC. At some point, my old refrigerator failed. This may or may not have been related to the lightning. I now have new, energy efficient central heat and air system, a new energy star refrigerator, and, just to be thorough, made an appointment to have my attic properly insulated next week. This afternoon, I learned that I was correct in assessing that I need a new roof. I have to get in line for my fabulous and very fair roofer, so by the end of another six weeks, I'll have a new roof with a nice venting system. As a result of this visit by Thor (Did you know that lightning is five times hotter than the surface of the sun?), I'm suddenly on a major home improvement tear! What the hell. Considering my electric bills over the last year, this is truly a blessing.

As far as watercolor goes, I think I mention somewhere that I've been fussing over my palette. I'm happy to write that I have finally settled on a slightly revised set of colors that I'm really pleased with. Have been playing with larger sizes. Frankly, I'm a bit tired of making tiny paintings (at least for the moment). I'll show and tell with some new examples soon. I've been in transition for a while now. These things don't happen overnight.

Life is such an adventure!

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