A Controversial Basket

Controversial Basket   oil on canvas   24 x 18 x 2.5

Like lots of folks, I am attracted to handmade items...those with a bit of quirkiness and imperfections that reveal the hand of the maker.  Being a maker myself, I think about the process of the weaving, the colors, the patterns and the satisfaction of the artist.  And, I like to shop...at least look at the myriad of beautiful things that perk up our lives.  At a wonderful look-only upscale boutique next door to one of my galleries, I spotted an amazing basket which could be a potential gift for friend or family.  I approached cautiously, hoping that it might be within my birthday gift range.  The oh-so-lucky sale price was in the high seventies...dollars that is.  Whoa.  Move on.  My trip home involved a stop at a discount store for a few grocery items and a quick spin through the closeout section.  This basket, similar to the boutique beauty, was $9.99.  Yeah!

Two baskets.  Both beautiful.  Very similar.  And yet, I have a sneaking suspicion that the craftsperson's wage was the same in each case.  Probably below the minimum wage standard in our country.  Probably work with no benefits.  Woe is me.

Don't Forget to Climb-ish

Don't Forget to Climb   oil on canvas   48 x 36

I try to use the "ish" method of self-critique all along the evolution of a painting.  Too neutral-ish.  Too bright-ish.  Too broken-ish.  Too wimp-ish.  Too vague-ish.  Etc. Etc. Etc.  This method helps me to evaluate the overall feel of the work without pinpointing numerous meaningless detail or the over-reliance on reality.  My first version of this work can be seen below...the blog entry for April 30.  After living with this "finished" work for a while, I realized that it was too soft-ish.  While I love soft...soft edges and a soft mesmerizing feel, the environment of this work has to do with climbing - rocks, boulders and all things hard.  So...it was difficult to go back in and re-feel my intentions.  The overall feel needed to preside over my personal inclinations.  I was at odds....this feeling needs to be acknowledged.

One of my resolutions involves the longer consideration of work...to try to fight the desire to be finished...

This is my final answer....I think.

Rusty Bucket

Rusty Bucket (at Carolina Beach)   watercolor   6.75 x 5

For me, painting is a solitary endeavor.  Many, many decisions to be made...even in the simplest of subject matter.  Making art, even sketching, while vacationing is an "iffy" activity.  It attracts attention from companions, and, in a way, separates you from them, which is not really a good thing.  Many folks assume that "painting at the beach" is something to aspire to.  Au contraire, pour moi.  The light is way too assuming, the subjects a bit trite.  And, truly, for me, the marrow is painting what you know, what you feel, in your everyday life...not in the idolatry of an exotic, while beautiful, location.  And yet the artistic soul revels in creation, and yearns for the moments to doodle both the pencil and the brush.  This small rusty bucket was perched on the picnic table at our Carolina condo.  An hour full of complete joy!  And...all the while...a storm brewing, the waves thrashing.  All of that became the memory encompassed in this rusty bucket.  A supremely sensual experience!

The painter must be solitary...For if you are alone you are completely yourself, but if you are accompanied by a single companion you are half yourself.

                                                                                                  Leonardo da Vinci