Garden of the Gods

The Ute people in Colorado have considered the Garden of the Gods as holy ground for millennia. The spectacular sandstone formations jut out of the soil in parallel rows and in razor back shapes. Sculpted by wind and rain they have taken on individual personalities. The contrast of deep orange against the jade green of the juniper trees and other flora surrounding them forms a breathtaking view. I so enjoyed the opportunities to paint that our little sojourn into the south afforded. Painting en plein air presents its own unique challenges. This image appeared on the first day and it is the strongest of all the paintings I did during our vacation. Having planned to spend some time in the open I packed my larger watercolour backpack. It fits nicely into a medium suitcase along with the camera tripod and a chunk of plywood cut to fit with a tie nut set into its center. The plywood and the tripod permit me to set up a level table on any terrain and provide a large enough surface to hold my medium sized palette with a couple of jars of water and the quarter sheet of watercolour paper. I use large clips to hold everything to the plywood so should there be a wind it will not disturb the setting. The brush case usually ends up on the ground. I am always thankful for my fingers as they separate the half dozen brushes at work. I intend one brush per colour or set of colours. For this piece I really paid attention to the notan under structure. Likely that is why I am more pleased with it than the others. Somehow I managed to ignore the little beasties biting me... I was standing on an ant hill, it had the best view... Life is good.

Projects everywhere

O.K. I admit my studio looks as crowded as it did when I was in the middle of painting the mural. I really like having more than one project on the go even when I am faced with deadlines along the way. I took the time to determine how many paintings would be necessary to fill the space for my upcoming solo in March next year. Apparently I will need about twenty-eight fairly large sized canvases. I have about twelve that have been prepared and initiated, so that leaves only sixteen that are still in their packaging. How long does it take to do a painting? The one on the easel had its beginnings a couple of years ago, maybe even three or four….. I might have to pick up the pace a little…. One thing I have decided is even if we move this fall, which is a likely possibility, even a probability, I will remain in my present studio until after the PAVA exhibition. That being said the schedule of hours spent in there will also be adjusted to accommodate the time required to complete the work. And yes, three or four years per painting will be reduced drastically. How many hours will I need to finish? Well, I once painted seven large canvases in six weeks…. I don’t think I will wait for January to begin….

Artwalk

Some people make all the difference to a day. They come in with sunshine on their faces and in their hearts, lighting the way for those around them. Such a person is Martha Grell.  Martha and I hosted the Artwalk last Thursday at the Bookstore on Perron. It was a delightful evening. We shared stories about adventures and family while accommodating a steady stream of people who passed through the door. We embrace the same philosophy about life in the respect that it is too short to quarrel or take offense. Quarrelling takes too much energy and there are other ways to get to where we want to go. We enjoyed explaining our various works of art to those interested. Not everyone was interested when they stopped to peruse our chef d’oeuvres. There were some who were obviously chauffeurs, caught in the web of looking at uninspiring things, wishing they were somewhere else.  We can wish away so many hours during one lifetime instead of savouring the moment. We do not have to bow to circumstances; we can choose to find the joy in the now. Martha and I could have been upset with circumstances that evening. They were not what we were expecting. Having chosen to seek the joy, we opened to the possibility of having fun and taking pleasure in the delight surrounding us and in each other. Delight tends to hide when we cloud the air with complaining. A smile or two brings her out. Life is good.