Diary of a Residency, Day 30, March 17, 2009

Today was my birthday. Spent mostly at the Red Barn, churning paint. I got started a bit late, but had no interruptions. Not even Betty and Fred stopped by, and the tourists seemed uninterested. Or maybe I was too far back in the barn to be seen — I worked mostly on the Back Wall canvas.

Small things first: I upgraded the Barrick Mine, which I now think might be done. Or might not be. But it’s better:

Barrick Vat Leach Mine (still in progress) 18 x 36″, oil on board, 2009

All I really did was extend the telephone pole on the left to the bottom of the board and lift up the mountains on the right a bit. The pole doesn’t really bend like that but I’m having trouble with the lighting and Photoshop and my camera, so my corrections sometimes don’t take out the wonks.

I also finished Shorty’s Rebellion, which just needed the addition of Icara’s Flight. I could call it Icara’s Flight, but I like Shorty’s Rebellion — maybe I’ll add an AKA:

Shorty’s Rebellion, AKA Icara’s Flight, 18 x 24″, oil on board.

This is the one that I tried on a longer board and had to turn to the wall. The shorter board works much better.

Aside from a few other tweaks, I  pursued the back wall canvas. This is how it looked at 10 AM:

This is how it looked an hour or so later:

I rather liked this stage. A bit like Cy Twombly or Klee.

But this is how I left it at 5 pm:

Golden Canyon Revisted, 5 x 5′, OIl on canvas, 2009

On my computer, the photo looks too dark. But that’s OK, I’m perhaps going to darken the dark areas more anyway.  Now, as friend/teacher Jef would say, “I can start to really paint.” I want to make these into forms and shapes rather than lines, suggesting rock faces, but not imitating the photos. It’s a take-off on Golden Canyon. I liked doing it so much I’m thinking of laying out another big piece of canvas, giving it a layer of color (no more acrylis, alas, so it will have to be very thin oil), and painting it. Maybe try for spare, which I love, but don’t think I can do.

And so, another day has gone. We are off to KC’s to see if Carol has any sweets left and to sniff at the evening air a bit. After all, it is my birthday — I’m 67 today.

Reporting from Beatty, Nevada, where there is no Burgerville or even a Dairy Queen to quench one’s ancient hunger for sweets.

Next