It's raining

Today I feel quiet and it is raining off and on..I, of course, am at the Library. I attended a workshop on Clutterology...the same lady with one leg that I took a class on giving seminars with at Culver City some time ago..Nancy Miller...she has books and CD's to sell at $20 each..BORS (back of room sales) She gave a good talk for l hour and I thought to myself that it is a pretty good gig ... the room was full and so she probably made a few hundred dollars for the talk...at least more than $l00 Not bad for an hour and probably a couple of weeks preparation before to produce the book and CD, etc...maybe a Month. I learned that I already know how to de clutter and that there are a lot of people with the problem who seek help...Most of whom are smart enough to know that they already know what to do...only they don't..like I don't...what was most amusing was the number of people who left the lecture and headed straight for the used books for sale..is this an oxymoron? It is some kind of Moron for sure. I know, for I was there. I will go home soon and put some more stuff in bags to donate and I will mull over all this stuff in my head and in my Living room, kitchen and "junk room" ... All rooms are "Junk rooms" in my world...My world is changing..I am changing..and today I feel quiet and it is raining.

It's raining

Today I feel quiet and it is raining off and on..I, of course, am at the Library. I attended a workshop on Clutterology...the same lady with one leg that I took a class on giving seminars with at Culver City some time ago..Nancy Miller...she has books and CD's to sell at $20 each..BORS (back of room sales) She gave a good talk for l hour and I thought to myself that it is a pretty good gig ... the room was full and so she probably made a few hundred dollars for the talk...at least more than $l00 Not bad for an hour and probably a couple of weeks preparation before to produce the book and CD, etc...maybe a Month. I learned that I already know how to de clutter and that there are a lot of people with the problem who seek help...Most of whom are smart enough to know that they already know what to do...only they don't..like I don't...what was most amusing was the number of people who left the lecture and headed straight for the used books for sale..is this an oxymoron? It is some kind of Moron for sure. I know, for I was there. I will go home soon and put some more stuff in bags to donate and I will mull over all this stuff in my head and in my Living room, kitchen and "junk room" ... All rooms are "Junk rooms" in my world...My world is changing..I am changing..and today I feel quiet and it is raining.

So...the class at the Getty was the BEST! So Good! Egg Tempera, here I come! The cement pigments made no difference at all to Don's piece, so that was a bonus. We worked on top of the green face with several values of a dusky pink color made 4 or 5 steps to white. The work done with tiny cross-hatch strokes on top of each other. The darkest pink went first on the cheeks, nose, forehead, etc. for the dark tone which was then obliterated by more and more layers of succeedingly lighter layers. Mine is a little light, I think, but the overall effect is of SKIN. With the slight blush of color on cheeks, etc, glowing from underneath. I told the teacher about Beer glazes because she had never heard of or used them. She was interested. Anyway, I love the effect that I got with the Egg Tempera, and it was a wonderful day. I had fun and felt satisfied with what I accomplished. I will use the materials and technique in the future, I am sure. On Monday I attended the class that I did the blue tree in and we worked in black and white only with cut outs, chalk and paint. I was not as thrilled with the result I got, but I do feel stimulated to do more with black and white, only I like working in the Collage medium with it instead. Taking classes is stimulating me to do more work of my own, so that is a good thing...also, getting rid of Directv is helping even though I still watch the basic channels there is less of interest on so I get up and work...I am also, little by little divesting myself of excess stuff, especially books...we'll see...hope springs eternal in the human breast...Pandora wasn't all bad............

Now what...

So, today I am helping with Jake because Melly is sick...I spent the night...so No work on the Art for the last couple of days. I am, however taking a class at the Getty in Egg Tempera...also known around town as Egg Tempura...haha...and I went with Don to buy Artist Grade dry pigments and I gave him a catch up class in the first stage of the Icon painting we are working on. He had to miss the first class to do a family thing. I had to improvise about the green and use my cement pigments so we'll see if it makes a difference in the long run. Also, I sent for the color chart from Kesler? re: the historic and earth colors. I'm not sure it will be important to me to work with authentic stuff or if I will care more about final result of surface. I do love the surface. I like a lot the idea of Egg Tempera...the workability and the eventual permanence. It dries immediately but is water soluble for about 2 weeks until the yolk evaporates and hardens. Tiny strokes put together like pointelism side by side ...hatching and cross hatching. I have always liked that..I've worked in ink a lot and love building up darks with cross hatching, etc. I think that this Egg paint and ink may keep my interest for a long time. I really just want the freedom, financial and obligation - wise to work at my own pace with no pressure to produce and have the joy and wonder of discovery...to let my mind follow the threads that come up instead of snipping them off so I can take care of obligations real or imagined. I need a benevolent keeper. Maybe that's me. Can't wait to get back to work...Original Sin is calling.

Keep working

So, Ive been working on more collages. I worked out the black and white one and used the xerox again on a second black and white and now I'm distilling the second black and white even further. The first one uses the blue tree in black and white and a arm and apple and a couple of figures...Original sin...and the second plus ones use the tree with a mystical lady and a snake...one will have a butterfly and another will be a small square with just the lady and the snake..and maybe some more with some of the same imagery. I still haven't put any color in but I will. I did use a pencil to beef up some of the black parts and then xerox again. Lots of cutting and looking and thinking. I also copied the blue tree in color and cut it out so that will be another part of the series. The blue tree feels symbolic. Of what, I can't say , but symbols don't always have to be explained in full. In fact, I am in charge of the whole works and I am saying that I do not have to define the symbol and that in spite of no definition that it is, in fact, a symbol. I cancelled my Directv so that I will not be seduced by all the choices..we'll see if it works. I am serious about living the choices and invoices that I actually believe in. It is really hard, however, to be disciplined and correct in behavior according to what I believe when there is no one to applaud my effort. Hard to be alone and keep myself motivated and happening. Hard to live without the ATTAGIRL that I wish for. Somehow, an ATTAGIRL from yourself is less exciting. Anyway, I am still working on my ART. Better late than never. With or without applause. I am working!

Here we go...

So...I am feeling pretty good. I took the blue tree that I did in the art class and put it in the printer and made copies...the copies deleted part of it because it is bigger than the screen. Anyway, I glued the xerox (black & white) onto a canvas and then I fooled around with some of the stuff I have cut out...found a few things that worked and copied them, cut them out and put them on the xerox of the tree in collage form. I like the monochromatic look of it. It was 2:00 AM by the time I finished that part. This morning @ 6:30AM I put a coat of varnish on it and also a last coat of varnish on my last collage. Now it's protected and I can paint into it. I may not get to it today because of errands and bids...stuff. I feel that I am really feeling my way into this piece...it became, of course, about Original Sin because after all, when you're working with a tree---the next thing that comes to you is an apple and once the apple is there, well, it's just original sin all over again. Probably wasn't even an apple in Eden..maybe it was an orange or a kiwi or a cherry or whatever. Anyway, the apple thing is stuck in my head and at this age.....So, I am excited about painting into these images and also a little scared it will wreck it because I DO like the black and white...maybe I'll make 2. Is that cheating? Bye for now.

Here we go...

So...I am feeling pretty good. I took the blue tree that I did in the art class and put it in the printer and made copies...the copies deleted part of it because it is bigger than the screen. Anyway, I glued the xerox (black & white) onto a canvas and then I fooled around with some of the stuff I have cut out...found a few things that worked and copied them, cut them out and put them on the xerox of the tree in collage form. I like the monochromatic look of it. It was 2:00 AM by the time I finished that part. This morning @ 6:30AM I put a coat of varnish on it and also a last coat of varnish on my last collage. Now it's protected and I can paint into it. I may not get to it today because of errands and bids...stuff. I feel that I am really feeling my way into this piece...it became, of course, about Original Sin because after all, when you're working with a tree---the next thing that comes to you is an apple and once the apple is there, well, it's just original sin all over again. Probably wasn't even an apple in Eden..maybe it was an orange or a kiwi or a cherry or whatever. Anyway, the apple thing is stuck in my head and at this age.....So, I am excited about painting into these images and also a little scared it will wreck it because I DO like the black and white...maybe I'll make 2. Is that cheating? Bye for now.

New week, new post

So, Today I went to a new class thru the Emeritus (senior) College. The exercise was to work with blue, white and black and first create colors in piles, then create a sky, then go outside and paint a tree. She suggested painting or drawing with paint instead of pencil. So, I came up with a fair tree and sky and the experience was good for me. I had forgotten that I can actually draw. Maybe because my critic has so much to say about the quality of my drawings, or maybe just fear or maybe just lazy. I really want to get away from the analysis of my work, my thoughts on my work and especially on myself. It really doesn't matter why or how I do stuff, only that I keep trying and doing. The more I analyze the more mired I become in the old crapola. So, what I'm trying to say is that it was good to paint a tree. I didn't think so before I started, but I say so now, IT WAS GOOD TO PAINT A TREE. Everyone said mine was the best and that felt good too, but that wasn't the reason I.......STOP THE ANALYSIS! Thank you. I loved mixing the blues and got lost in the DETAILS (hello, Andrew) of putting in highlights and shadows. Highlights and shadows are the most important part of my collages, as well. I like doing them. That's all, If I say anymore I will ANALYZE I think I spelled Analyze wrong but what the fuck.

New Work

I was able to get here because I just learned that it makes a difference if I use Andrew's attachment or put the address in myself at the top. The access is different on each. Anyway, I am working on 3 collages...very time consuming, because there is lots of layering and shadowing with paint and highlighting, etc to get them the way I want them. Did not work with the cutouts , but I will. The 3 collages are very much self-portraits...but inside jobs. More about me, my life and feelings and thoughts than a visual record of me on the outside. I once made an inside/outside box..where the outside of the box was what I believed that people saw me as...how I was percieved and the inside was more of the truth about me, about my thoughts and my own perception of myself. Anyway, the collages are like the inside box. Maybe I'm going somewhere.