Tuesday, February 23, 2010

the Shelf of the Forgotten and the Pedestal of My Best Creations


Pull up a chair kind reader! I improved upon the painting that heads this blog. That dates it as well, at least somewhat. I love this chair. I want it for my home. But at least it resides here on Outside Inside House. I painted the sides different as well- with nice furniture and lamps. Still haven't put the glass in- but I shall! Goodness I do like sanding. The most fabulous surfaces, the most remarkable abstract art are these walls in foreign countries- peeling and painted and sanded and chipping and painted again. So lovely.

Its quite possible that my work as an artist has saved me the silent discomfort of preferring or loving one of my sons more than the other. Sometimes when I finish a painting I feel so very fond of it. In fact I feel this way with most of my new born images. But over a few months, or sadly, even a few days, the joy of creating that new picture usually fades to a happy familiarity or possibly a disgruntled disappointment (Do you feel this way when you create? I know many artists who never like their finished art). For myriad reasons a few painting never loose their charm to me- I remain in awe that the emerged from my fingers. In fact these works make me feel more of a portal as though 'I' wasn't part of the equation or even the catalyst- the art came from elsewhere, from the Jungian waters of the group subconsciousness or some force, but definitely not me.

But my sons, though a gift, never end up on the shelf of the familiar and forgotten, nor on the pedestal of my best creations, and so are never one more loved than the other. They will always be my best creations but there is no way I can critique a creation that belongs so entirely to itself.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Is it Done Yet?

.Rower
2'X4' oil on carved wood

Another go at Rower. So much more interesting. Oh how I struggled. But- so often, the struggle adds such fabulous layers and depth to a painting- especially oil. Is it done? Maybe. But I'm setting it aside for a bit. A time out for this one. I do like the flat images mingling with the three dimentional/realistic ones. Been playing with this more and more in the last year.

Meanwhile there is a chicken in my bathtub. It had a bath, yes, and now is staying out of the mud (besides what it self-generates). We are off to Cloverdale early tomorrow. I have some pieces in a juried show there and Benjamin is entering his now clean chicken in the citrus fair. Wish us luck!

a close-up of the carved tree

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Beware of God

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Beware of God
2'X4'
Please click on image for larger view!

My son is very inquisitive about the universe and its many properties. He likes to discuss God. What is God? If God made us who made God. This sort of philosophical discussion. So I painted this one with benjmain in mind. It is a discussion painting- what is God? Is the tree God (and if it is is it dead or dormant or...)? Is the Boy God? The old mans eye in all its grey shades, or the black and white child's eye? Or is the art God (we used to make these in camp and for some reason, though it was not religious camp, the finished weaving was called a Gods Eye) ? Is the grass? Is the fence? Is the peeling wall or the broken cement?
And of course the warning- Beware of God. Of the notion of God? Or the attempt to identify God/define God? The following of a religion? Or Beware- as in 'be in awe of' God? Or just a silly sign. A sign from God? ha ha ha.
I'm not sure if the painting is done (particularly the foreground) but its going on a little journey friday so I thought Id post it.