August 17, 2008

Although the weather today was an absolutely fabulous summer day with blue skies and fluffy white clouds, warm sun and now cool mountain night air I did manage to pull myself from outside and paint a bit. The new painting that I have started is comprised of 9 circles, all of which may or may not exist when I finish this piece. I have worked a bit on the first two circles and rough gesture painted the third.

The first circle is "Fall from Grace" which depicts Eve collecting apples from the "garden". The Second circle is the tale of Santa, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. Portrayed is Santa lying in bed, full Santa get-up with a remote control in one hand and a beverage in the other. The third circle is of a troll and three billy goats clip clapping over a bridge, inspired by watching an "after his prime" musician perform with difficulty a concert.

August 16, 2008

I have been listening to Todd Rundgren faithfully since 1977. Last night was the first time/opportunity I have had to photograph Todd while playing on stage. Until recently cameras were strictly forbidden at concert venues but since the advent of cell phones that can take photos and cameras the size of a key case the banning of photography equipment is impossible to enforce.

Todd Rundgren along with several people he frequently tours with (Jesse Gress (guitar), Prairie Prince (drums) and John Ferenzik (keyboard), with Bo Brice (American Idol), Lou Graham (Foreigner) Denny Lane (Wings and Moody Blues), Christopher Cross, a small string and horn group and a remarkable bass player and keyboardist (Sorry don't remember their names) played the album Sg. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in it's entirety.

We arrived at the venue a minute before the band came on stage and I noticed that there was a small group of people standing at the security gate a few feet from the stage. No one seemed to be getting chased away and I had my digital camera in my purse. I seized the opportunity and took a hundred of so photos.

Above are just a few.

August 14, 2008

Jesus And His Band Of Pseudo Hippy Trash Go To Ma Mary's For Lunch
2000
acrylic on linen
24" x 16"

In the year 2000 I painted "Jesus And His Band Of Pseudo Hippy Trash Go To Ma Mary's For Lunch". The idea behind this piece was that ultimate women get stuck with food preparation for meals and if Jesus was wandering the desert with his band of friends eventually they would stop off at Ma Mary's to get bite to eat.

I updated Jesus' friends to look more like contemporary hippie types plus my daughter, Meagan, a contemporary hooker and myself. My daughter is in the long sleeve blue dress which was a blue dress that I made her so she could dress like Anne of Green Gables (there was a scene in one of the Anne books where Matthew bought Anne a long sleeve puffy shoulder dress that she wanted).

The woman hanging down in Carhardts carrying two heavy buckets is me weighted down by responsibility. Next to me is my deceased dog Jackson, and in the far distance is Meagan's dad with his computer.

The top left of the painting is the table being set by Mary and the bottom left has Joseph cashed out enjoying an afternoon nap.

August 13, 2008

Big Gulp
2008
acrylic on organic cotton and hemp
38" x 38"

A few glasses of beer last night with my friends, a late start to my day today as a result, lost glasses, mislaid backpack...

So with the exception of delivering a painting I just sold and making some yoga props today was pretty much a bust. No art created. No visions inspired.

A few days ago I did start a new painting which I will I plan to periodically post. The working title of this painting is "Collection of Stories" but that title is subject to change. It will be a series of different seemingly unrelated stories with hopefully a connecting thread.

The first story I'm working on is "Fall From Grace" which depicts Eve walking around collecting food to eat. The canvas is 38" x 38" organic cotton canvas. A 38" canvas is large enough that I can both sit and stand while painting.

August 11, 2008

Today was my daughter's 19th birthday. This year's presents included Penn State clothing, red toaster, red blender, weekend trip to Pittsburgh and a day at a local spa. We had some nice together time which I enjoyed as I haven't seen her but coming and going all summer. In two weeks she's moving into her first apartment (12 minutes away).

Last year I painted H.B. Birthday to commemorate her 18th birthday. It is made of three small canvasses framed together, each canvas telling the story of a stage in her life: nursing-baby years, Meagan dancing in her ballerina tutu and my version of me and her shopping at Urban Outfitters.

Meagan has been a subject in many of my paintings and it's like looking at a photo album for me to see the stages of her life represented on canvas.

August 10, 2008

One of my long time favorite writers is Jack Kerouac. Jack Kerouac was a prolific writer who passed on sooner than anyone would have wanted. Both Kerouac and I share a story telling style where we use(d) the same real "characters" over and over again to represent certain moods, traits or feelings that these people are chosen to represent.

I have three characters in particular that I use: a blue eyed tall male, dark haired curvy woman and curly red haired woman. The dark hair woman is usually me or the protagonist. Occasionally the character representing me or the protagonist will show up in a disguise such as Smokey the Bear in the painting "Fear Based Choices". The other female and blue eyed male are real friends of mine that I use their physical attributes to represent "fear, desire, confusion or compassionate, etc.- whatever the mood or feeling is that I want to convey.

To insert these people literately into the story would be wrong they are simple other views of myself. In the painting "The Mermaid and the Kitchen wench. The Mermaid (red haired woman) represents desire which the protagonist (dark haired woman in the galley viewed through a window) represents longing and looking for other possibilities. The three men on the top are oblivious to what is going on with the women involved as they are in their own scenarios.

August 8, 2008

On Monday my one and only child will celebrate her 19th birthday. Those of you who have kids will know what I mean when I say that my daughter has grown in a heartbeat. Meagan is a gifted dancer, has great style and a flair for the dramatic.

This weekend my daughter, her friend Carrie and I will be going to Pittsburgh to accomplish three goals: Have Ethiopian food, shop at a great consignment shop in Squirrel Hill and pick up her Gluten-free birthday cake from Gluuteny (a gluten and dairy free bakery in Pittsburgh).

On the actual day of her birth my daughter and I follow the tradition of "birthday spa day" which we do twice a year on her birthday and mine. She will be having a manicure, pedicure, facial and I most likely some waxing. I on the other hand am looking forward to a long massage. We began this tradition of "birthday spa days" several years ago when no one was around for her birthday. Summer birthdays are difficult in that people tend to travel in the summer and tend to be away in August.