Chautauqua and Mayville

Mayville   oil/canvas   14 x 11 x .5

 One of our summer forays was to

 Chautauqua Institute.  We had been curious for many years as its mention pops up now and again.  In a visually beautiful surround, the institute houses the trifecta of artistic and creative experiences. Plays and symphonies and galleries, oh my!  ...along with pleasing bike rides.  The food, environment and entertainment in She Sings Cafe in Mayville was both sweet and stimulating.  This painting was done with the help of reference photos in Mayville, one of the towns that borders Chautauqua Lake.

Wrinkled

 

Wrinkled   watercolor   14 x 11

Here is something I rarely say:  I love this watercolor!  

Yes, the subject is humble....who wants a painting of an iron?  But the paint quality is what I strive for in each attempt.  The white have been preserved.  The dark values create a pattern that moves downward.  The light values create a pattern that moves upwards.  And.....drumroll, please....the imperfect shapes and strokes actually create the notion of wrinkles.

After all, isn't it the wrinkles, creases and lumps that make our lives colorful and interesting.  Perfection is not only unattainable, but the closer we get to it, the more life is squeezed out of the work.

Wabi Sabi.

Let's hear it for wrinkles!