Life is an odyssey to be explored...... canvas is my ship..... oils my crew... brushes guide me toward unknown lands..... serene, dangerous, exhilarating...I travel with purpose toward Ithaka; one painting at a time

Monday, August 13, 2007

A Walk in the Forest

Oil on Gessoed Board 42 x 52 cm, 16.5 x 20.5” After many days of phone calls, reservations, rushing to clean and ready villas on turn-over days and fulfilling needs I so desperately needed a walk in the forest.... I couldn't, since I must stay here for the summer business. The forest is too far away in my physical reality.... painting this need for rest, quiet and stillness was even better than if I could have done the real thing. Here the wild Self (yours and mine) pads barefoot on the moist earth... no clothes to hinder her.... no cell phones to alter and intrude on the space around her.... just her, or you, or me..... I started this painting with a palette knife but as I lost myself I found myself finger painting. It was inspiring.... like chucking the garb of daily life (clothes and cell phones).... I chucked the paintbrushes and knives and got right into the paint. It's very liberating..... ... you should try it sometime.... (and I don't just mean the paintbrush and knife)... Be well....

Sunday, August 5, 2007

Village

Oil on canvas

64 x 80cm, 25 x 31.5″

Finally finished.

I kept pulling this one out and setting it on my easel and then taking it down again. It needed something, but that something wouldn’t come through until recently. Since I haven’t been able to paint with the incredibly busy season, I felt stiff whenever I took hold of my brushes. One morning I simply walked over to my painting area… pulled out this painting, squeezed all sorts of colors out and… well… dove right into painting. I moved too fast for thinking and editing (I have a strong editor in my head who had grown stronger with the lack of painting) and in doing so dipped into that lovely creative stream once more…..

This is now hanging in one of the rentals.

Be well……