Philosopher

The easel is empty. There is a painting behind me, several on the floor and two on the table. These days I am working horizontally for the most part. I have liquefied my colours so that they puddle and flow. Controlled puddling. A great deal of time is spent watching what the colours do one against the other. Colours react to one another. I have discovered a wonderful combination: ultramarine blue and phthalo blue, green shade. We are getting very specific here. There is a red shade which would be too close to the ultramarine and yet not quite as purple…. The green shade sings with the violet hues of the ultramarine. That is what I like to see and hear: the music that colours make together. I am throwing a little quinacridone burnt orange into the mix because the complementary colours enhance the action. Once the puzzle is solved as to where each of the colours are placed and how much of each is used I put down my brush (imagine painting a 30” x 60” canvas with the tiny brush I am holding!) and I pick up my pen. I write a poem. Sometimes the inspiration comes to me as I am driving like the last one did. Sometimes it shows up in the bath, on a walk or as I am eating lunch. Once the poem is written I look for an appropriate Bible verse. A lot of them come from the psalms. Usually I can find the verse without a problem. I used the internet to locate the one I needed for the present image. I record it all in a book and begin the next panel. Finishing touches will be applied to each painting when I have completed the set. Finishing touches include writing the poem, my signature and the psalm with different pens into the painting, varnishing, recording all the information on the back of the piece and installing some wire for hanging. Then there is the paperwork. Even artists have paperwork. Life is good.