One Propuesta Down... 2013-W13

Lemme tell ya, it's great to be back home and sleeping in my own bed: there is no substitute for your own pillow!  And I am eager to paint after being otherwise occupied for a couple Saturdays.  As I contemplated what to paint, I felt like today would be a good time to tackle the third and final intepretation of Propuesta 5—the backstory of which appears in the 2013-W04 and -W09 posts in the Archive.

Upon reflection, the first two paintings in the series seemingly depict the storm first as it gathers and then second as it rages at full force.  In the interest of completeness, for the third version I should probably aim to convey a spent storm that is ready to yield to sunnier skies.  I always think that's a cheerful time.  I love how the birds get right back to work; what a good example they set for the rest of us!

And that seems like a good point to wrap up this post.  I wrote it up on Friday before I made the painting, so we can all peer below and see how well I achieved my intentions... I'm not thrilled (especially not by the way the lower right appears much more teal in this photograph than in real life), but I am satisfied, and I'll take that.  Happy Easter, and enjoy!

Let the Sunshine In

The Polish Patient 2013-W12

Technically, the week 12 blog entry posted in week 13 but we will have to live with that.  My days have been hectic while at the same time very sedentary lately, but I'm happy to say my mother is improving and has moved from the hospital to a rehabilitation facility to complete her recovery.  Thanks for your well-wishes and prayers!

If you would ask her, "are you Polish?" she'd reply "you bet your sweet dupa".  Polish speakers will recognize this as an emphatic "yes".  This time of year, in preparation for Easter many Slavic peoples make what are called pysanky (or something similar) — colorful and intricately designed eggs.  I made this sketch of a pysanky at Sara D's house during the January sketching party.  It has a Christmas theme, which I had never seen before.  Dig that crazy egg holder!  I will repost this sketch another time with a better picture and another sketch or two from that event.  Meanwhile...

A couple or three decades back I had a passing interest in the art of pysanky.  For a while I used to crank them at a pretty good clip.  And not unexpectedly my Mother scooped up the bulk of them for her collection.  Since I am in her house today, I thought I would select a few of my favorites and photograph them to share with you.  That was a challenge in itself.

It's hard to believe that these eggs were laid in the waning days of the Reagan presidency.  (Let's not dwell on that thought!)  Though not a painting, I hope you find these pysanky artful and enjoyable.

Three Pysanky, made circa 1989

And Know They Love You 2013-W11

I don't want you driven crazy; the title comes from the 70's classic "Teach Your Children"... and that song has been running through my thoughts the past couple days.  I am not posting a new painting today because our family has rallied around our mother's bedside as she struggles with a sudden crisis of health.

I made today's painting for her 75th birthday.  Now, as you view it, I ask that you send her your positive thoughts for her recovery and well being.  Thank you.

Still Pure at 75

How's that Again? 2013-W10

Today at Salon deWinchester I got around to painting something left over from last fall's "maybe" pile.  My young friend Luca (potrayed in My Gallery, Luca Laughs) was working on his presentation about China to the 2nd grade.  I made him a painting of the national bird of China (further down in the gallery) but I skipped the national flower.  If you peeked below, no prize for guessing it's the peony... one of my favorite garden blooms.

Many years ago, I consulted on a project down in Montgomery, Alabama, y'all.  It made for a novel and interesting life experience, plus while it lasted this yankee made a point of frequently eating some of the best fried chicken ever.  Another team member had been sent down from Arkansas — one of those lovely southern ladies who spoke in a honey dipped drawl.  Early on, she commented on how she missed being home because her payOHnees were blooming.

I had never heard of these, or so I thought until it dawned on me she was talking about peonies.  Her way of saying the word was so odd.  And infectious.  For a while there, I said the word as she did, with the funny front vowel and accent on the middle syllable.  Fortunately that did not last!  I had forgotten all about payonees until today as I was painting, and the memory brought a smile to my face.  And now you know the thought behind the title of my painting today.  Enjoy!

Payonee Resplendent

Better Never than Late 2013-W09

Evidently my comment a few weeks back about our very tolerable winter snow experience has triggered the jinx effect.  Lately we've enjoyed a handful of snow storms and I've gotten well acquainted with my brand new shovels.  This week's big storm had plenty of gusto left in it after having walloped Amarillo, and here it laid down half a foot of "heart attack" snow.  Wicked.  I don't know why I find these storms more hateful on the brink of March than in January, but I say when it comes to snow:  better never than late.  On the brighter side, perhaps it took some edge off our regional drought.

Although providing plenty of exercise and tedium, these storms didn't furnish much in the way of picturesque inspiration for my second go at Propuesta 5, a creative exercise on painting "atmospheres" in the meteorological sense of the word.  But after digging around I found some suitable reference and then set to the task of translating the exercise.  (For as you may recall the book containing it is written in Spanish.  Ay carumba!)  My Spanish is a little rusty, but serviceable; on the other hand, the only thing I can reliably remember how to say in Russian is лучше поздно, чем никогда —that is, "better late than never".  I'm not sure that qualifies as irony, but regardless it closes this week's blog... please enjoy Propuesta 5, second interpretation.

La Tormenta