Summer 2013....

"Lily of the Valley in Crystal"

Oil on Canvas Panel   14" x 11" 

"Pink Rose and Syringa in Mixed Bouquet"

Oil on Canvas Panel   14" x 11"

"Sunshine"

Oil on Gallery Wrapped Canvas    6" x 6" x 1 1/2"

Other than a commissioned piece which is almost finished, and one or two unfinished pantings, these three little paintings are my entire summer production of paintings.... A bit of a crisis of confidence..... Perhaps it is over, perhaps this is the end.... Or perhaps I am just getting started....

GREAT evening!

To begin the evening, at about 6:00p.m. thunder began rumbling. I have never experienced this sort of storm.... the thunder was an incessant, though distant, roar for about 40 minutes! It was accompanied by rain like I have only seen in the Orient (Hong Kong and Manila). I wish I could have watched it from above the clouds. It must have been a spectacular show! Now that we have enjoyed a good soaking, of course our Idaho wind has begun....

While it was still raining, I went out to the studio and stretched a small canvas. During the time that it took to listen to a recording of a Beethoven String Quartet, I was able to get it stretched and the first coat of gesso onto the canvas.

This is significant only because of the rough few weeks have have spent questioning if I, by painting, am adding anything to life or only adding to the world's piles of stuff. I remember suggesting to a friend whose wife was complaining about his time spent in studio work, that if he COULD quit, perhaps he should.... He continued, and so will I.

There is no possibility that I will be able to stop seeing the world through color relationships, shapes and visual ideas. My vision may be too ordinary, as I have been told several times in different situations. but I will continue to make what I hope is art....

Then to top it all off, as I walked back to the house a most wonderful red sunset met me!

Begining stretching

All stretched!

First coat of gesso applied! Ready to complete on Monday!

Wonderful red suset! Perfect evening!