Closer

"I see myself as standing very much in battle against a whole lot of others who have found a way of working which for me denies the central essence of art, its humanity and its humanness.  Their art doesn't tell us about the deepest and most profound ideas of human beings in contact with other human beings."

 

-Leonard Baskin (1922- 2000)

 

A work by Leonard Baskin.

 

 

Over the past few days and several train rides of thought on the Max, I'm rethinking my approach to the September Issue series, or continuing the root of thought in a different direction.  Maybe this is a transformation of the series or maybe just a different viewpoint - one more personal.  I'm thinking going more personal is always a good thing - a closer view is more interesting than looking from a distance most of the time.

 

Today I'm not feeling as awesome as most days - a sore swollen throat and an achy head can do that.  I am confining myself to the comfort of our home and a couple of books I've been reading - the Audrey Flack one I mentioned a couple of posts ago and getting more education from "The Business of Art" by Lee Caplin (30th Anniversary Edition).

 

What have you been reading lately?  Hope you have a good day, and thank you for stopping in.

 

 



Slob

Today I ventured to the art store armed with a Trimet pass, a debit card, and a lousy sweatshirt.  It is an absolutely beautiful day today in the Portland area and a winter coat would have been too much.  I believe every sweatshirt I own now has paint on it, but at least I was going where paint smudged clothes are the norm.

I picked up a new tube of Flake White Replacement made by Gamblin, and a tube of Burnt Umber courtesy of Winsor and Newton.  I haven't used the Flake White Replacement yet, and so I'm wondering how it compares to the Flake White that I usually buy from Winsor and Newton.

A few months back, I bought a Monarch Winsor and Newton #00 round brush, and despite my torment, it has kept up nicely.  I decided to purchase the #2 short filbert today and will be using it tonight on a commissioned work.  I'll be interested to see how well it holds up over the next few months and I'm hoping for some good luck.  Brushes can be so expensive!  Regular retail price for this one was over $16, but Blick offers it for a little over $11.  This isn't even close to the expensive high quality brushes that are found online and in stores, but it's of good enough quality for now to get the job done...hopefully several.

Of course, no shopping is complete without checking out a bookstore.  I found Audrey Flack's "Art and Soul:  Notes on Creating" (1986) for $1.50 at Powell's.  Yes, please!  That's amazing.  I'm excited to read some of it tonight after painting.

Promptly when I got home I accidentally laid my purse strap into my pallete of oil paint.  Burnt Sienna and gold was all over!  Just when I thought I had it all cleaned up, I hung up the purse, and when I pulled my hand away, a huge smudge was on my hand.  I ripped the purse off the hook, and there a huge clump of oil paint lay on both the back of my purse and on Matthew's winter coat.

See how fast it can happen?

Anyway, the sun is shining!  Have you seen all of the buds on the trees?
(I am practicing my diversion tactic for when he gets home.) haha

I hope your enjoying your Saturday!  Is anyone else a terror to clothes?