Fish World 4 (sans fish)

Just about finished with Fish World 4.  Ah, Springtime!

Green

Fish World 2 (sans fish)

Fish World 3 (sans fish)

The color green is proving a challenge this year. In the past I have been uninterested in it, and largely ignored it in favor of yellows, reds, blues (which are stiill my favorites.)  But this year it wants to break out, it seems, or rather . . . break me down. It is always too blue, or too yellow, or too brown, or too bright.  I spent weeks on the green in "Fish World (Glory)" that I have on exhibit at the Edison Eye, painting over it again and again.    (Tim says the human eye can perceive more variations of green than any other color.  Damn!) 

I try mixing from scratch, using ultramarine blue, cerulean blue, cobalt blue, yellow ochre, Hansa yellow (medium and light), cadmium yellow medium, transparent yellow oxide . . .or I try toning standard shades of green: green gold, emerald green, phthalo green (yellow and blue), Hooker's green,Jenkin's green, permanent green (dark and light), veridian, chromium oxide, even -- if I get desperate -- teal, turquoises, cobalts.

But nothing works.

I turn the studio lights on, turn them off, place a light directly over the painting, and even take the painting outside into natural spring light. 

Nothing works.

I glaze with yellow and red oxide . . .

Variations of green now comprise over half of my total inventory of paint.  And I still don't like the color.

Water

"Nights Without End: -- maybe 20 years old . . . 

The reverse side, showing it rotted off its stretcher bars!!!

A week or so ago, as I was looking at some small sketches and paintings of maybe 20 or so years past, I discovered that a leak in my studio roof had been dripping, dripping, dripping water on some of that older work.  It was so bad that that canvas on the paintings had completely rotted off their stretcher bars!  Now the works destroyed were not that accomplished (haha!) nor important, I guess, but they held great value to me . . . especially a small painting called "Nights Without End (Anais and Friend Meet Brancusi)."  A crude technique, but still an important part of the series of Anais Nin themed paintings (Anais and Artaud -- "My Love for You is On Another Plane";  Anais at the Turkish Bath;  Anais and School Bus, etc.)  that concluded with the large triumph (at the time) "Frederico as Henry Miller (with Anais and June)" a painting that bridged the Anais and the more artistically successful Frederico series of paintings.

So now I am a little reluctant to examine my storage of large paintings to see what else water, mold, or rodents may have done . . .

So it goes . . .and it is good that there is always the next painting . . . 

When I'm Not Painting, I May Be . . .

splitting the wood that Eliot cut up, and hauling it over to his house . . . sometimes a great joy in white, clean-splitting alder on a sunny day in Springtime . . .

Charlotte's Sunday Party

Playing with her Dad, Charlotte loves her colorful tunnel--
a gift from her big brother, Eason!

Some lovely ladies in the sun.

Kyra's beautiful cake! 

Charlotte had her first birthday party yesterday.  Sun, gifts, party, play and family!

Lori writes: Our friends cattle going through downtown Twisp. About 200 or more head cow and calf. Got to round up a lost calf ourselves! That was fun but it is better to Chase a calf,on a horse not foot!

Friend has a house on the old Twisp Carlton rd. We have wanted to watch them run the cattle,for years and never made it over. They run the cow calf pair's to higher fields each spring

Fish Show

John with "Fish World (Glory)"

The Bro's, Spencer and Eliot with fish on shoulders

Panorama of the smaller gallery room, Fish show

Last night, the Edison Eye hosted its last ever art show, a benefit for Skagit Valley Fisheries.  I have been exhibiting with this seasonal gallery for over 20 years!  Spencer came up and attended with Julia and I.  Eliot, Kyra and Charlotte dropped by and checked things out, listened to the music.  "Bye-bye, Edison Eye . . ."

Old man of the forest. Discovered with Eason.

Charlotte's First Birthday!

April 14th at her house with Eason . . .

Man, April 13th, Natalie Merchant cranked up in my studio, likewise my jet-engine noisy propane heater, and a really really hot painting on my easel, and I am still feeling chilled...

Sat

Cutting logs for Winter.  Yeah!

Ten bucks an hour in Mazama!

Talk about Sublime!

The new copper counter at Shiah and Leia's Copper Glance bar.  Opening soon.

In Methow Springtime

Silver white aspen, yellow arrowleaf balsomroot, spring grass, blue sky.  Sublime, self-lit.