Tuesday, November 27, 2007
I was asked how my Russian Doll project is coming. I must admit that it’s coming slowly because it takes me so much effort to paint small (and I’m not really that good at it), and even doing a little one like the one in this entry is about two hours of work… I expect about twenty-five hours in the whole project. Anyway, I am working on it, and here’s the bird!
The picture doesn’t do it justice because it’s painted in iridescent paints and shimmers from tone to tone from different angles.
Update: And the dog too…
Monday, November 26, 2007
So I was thinking about businesses that we could open on Cape Breton Island, and I had the thought that a nice idea might be to open a “Children’s Art Gallery” — an art gallery for and by the young at heart. It would feature [fine] art with children as part of the intended audience, as well as art created by young people (perhaps by students at the gallery if it was also an art school). With Cape Breton Island becoming an increasingly significant tourist destination, I think the idea has potential (and of course it could also exist online). I wouldn’t be surprised if it could be started with grants, and I’m sure there are many artists that would be open to the idea of donating paintings and other artwork. Definitely something that I’ll think about…
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Because the temperature just dropped and the first snow storm of the year happened today we rushed the balcony plants into the house, making this place even more insanely cluttered than usual. It’s not that it’s dirty or anything — I do the dishes and all that — but there are always so many projects on the go that it’s a literal maze of wonders. I think even if I had an aircraft hanger-sized space to work in I could very quickly fill it up. I hope to have a little more time to work on it this weekend but I’ve started filling in the background on Cold Water Extraction (which really needs a less mundane title I think) and am opting for a bright and garish theme.
I’ll also mention that The Toronto Winter Swim Club is back in action for it’s second season. We went yesterday and it was wonderful, and will be swimming again on Saturday November 24th at 2PM 6:30PM at Cherry Beach. Anyone who’d like to join us is very welcome. It’s enormous fun. To paraphrase the Russian philosopher Porphiri Ivanov, I agree that the main reason that humans live in a constant state of sickness, both mentally and physically, is that we wall ourselves off from that which keeps us healthy. By living in exile in isolated and controlled environments, away from nature in unhealthy little cocoons, we are unable to exist as functional members of the larger ecosystem of which we are intended to be a part, and can not face our role in the universe. Winter swimming is an excellent first step in immersing oneself in the reality of being truly alive.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
I think the theme of my latest paintings is “things I’ve been accused of” or something like that… I bought some new canvases today — this is being done in 42″x48″. I also got a 54″x42″ which isn’t committed to anything yet, and a couple smaller ones as well that I’ll do stuff with Nefarious on. I’m not sure yet what colors I’m going to do this painting in… on one hand I want to go bright and psychedelic, but on the other hand I want to stay true to the feeling of the kind of high you’d get from an opiate extraction and stick with mellow, warm tones. In any case, that’s my next large piece. As I write this it’s still for sale.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
This is a collaboration with my daughter Nefarious: 24″x48″ acrylic on canvas.
