I made some progress on the "last three", and also went into the Witches Grave/grace again. Now i have 4 in progress again. :)
I am a bit nervous, my portable drive won't open and it has all my images on it. I know I know, dumb, but i moved stuff off the computer and forgot to back up the portable. I hope it's only a cord, I'll see.
The podcast is sounds of the process today. Paint goes on, paint comes off, scraping, mark making, more painting, it's all a part of the work.
Yesterday I took a walk in my neighborhood. I saw a few things, and of course, my journalistic, documentarian self took photos of "what I noticed today". #whatinoticedtoday
The orange tree blossoms, so fragrant, caught my sensory eye. Reminding me of my Farmor's backyard, and my dad.
I did a bit of a podcast today, remembering my father, he would be 80 today.
I realized today, that these three are the last of the original 9 pieces I began about 6-8 months ago.
Three came back from a show this week, and so all 9 are back in the studio.
I took my bold steps yesterday, making large changes again on each, leaving them again in a place I know they must be worked further to resolve. Before, I could have just as well said they were finished, as nothing bothered me about them in particular, but they just didn't feel finished to me.
Now, the Egeskov piece feels more unresolved than the other two, which is a shift. The Odense:HCA (Hans Christian Andersen) was feeling more unresolved before I took a mix of blues to it and the others.
Egeskov
Odense: HCA (wip)
I feel a distinct need to start two more, fresh pieces in the series before going further, because I am still unsure of finishing work to be done on these.
I have been observing our continuous stream of refugees over the last several years, the Syrians, those from Libya, Yemen, Gaza . . . I weep.
Today I looked at some of the abstractions I did last year in my "topical spaces" series. Eerily still very present and relevant. But today oddly, the three I looked at looked better in the upside down orientation. So I am posting them here with some music in the "upside down" orientation. As I look at them today, and like many in this series, they appear as "painting sketches" for future work. For now I am naming them within the series: Refugee Today 2 (above), Refugee Today 1 (middle) and Refugee Today 3 (bottom) Somewhere in 2017.
This piece came up early this morning, after waking up in the early hours of today. Political musings but insightful for me as my life has been influenced politically forever.
This piece is a self-portrait, inspired first by Frida Kahlo's self-portrait of herself painting in front of a canvas and a mirror. This too started that way. It shifted into a work that was more developed into a more psychological look into my feelings about war and military and love as a mother.
Here is the long rambling (about 24 min) of my insight this morning on a podcast I did on an audio podcast. I'm feeling introducing my own voice, the sound of my voice into my work is an important new step into my work. I am trying out a new platform called "Limor", I think it's out of Ireland. Anyway, it may only be accessed via mobile device, I'm not sure, would like some feedback if that is true or not.
It was interesting for me to revisit this self portrait in light of my feelings behind it and also where I am now regarding politics and wars. Also, to acknowledge my long respect for Kahlo's life and work.
I explored a walk today with audio podcasting. Exploring the format is good fun. Trees and creek flow are good for the soul. I worked a bit on the "odense: HCA" piece. A bit at a time. I've adjusted my way of working so I won't get so tired and sore. It's new, isn't as fast a pace in my usual painting manner, but I have to take care of my physical needs now more than I have.
Here's a collection of musing/rambling from my day today.
This is one piece of the 11 in my Denmark series. The series is named "Hygge". I've been looking at this piece for a few months now and I'm not feeling it needs much more. I have another piece called, "Ashøjoe: Witches Grave", it's still in process. This piece is 36 inches square on wood panel.
While in Denmark, in the town of Hurup, where my great great Grandparents came from, this forest, Ashøje, was planted near the family farm. Beech trees I think. In Thy, there are many beautiful trees and the light makes it's way through the leaves leaving a kaleidoscope reflection, angles and symmetry. It is a joy to be there and walk in the quiet of those that live there. The bugs, the wind, and all you cannot see.
I am putting a Ted video here because I truly believe there is communication in these forests. I went here daily during my visit to Thy, and during my art residency there in 2015.
I hope to return and do a series of work for all the seasons in that little forest. Small but grand in my memory and visual language from that experience.
I happened across an exhibit in Los Angeles going on right now, not seen it myself, but lately I've been looking at Mexican art and artists. I was specifically looking at Kahlo's work lately, and today finding this talk on Zuniga's work was exciting. He has captured so curiously the distinct beauty of women, their strength and sensuousness. Take a look at his drawings here too.
