Diary of a Residency, Day 31, March 18, 2009

It’s good to hear from the few people who are reading this Journal. When I’m writing it, I sometimes get stopped, trying to decide who is my audience. I never definitively decided, but you’ve decided it for me. So I’ll watch my language and try to be a lady.

Hi guys, good to hear from you.

Another day at the Studio with a visit from a couple from Massachusetts, who had Questions. Most of the questions I could answer, even civilly, but when the gentleman asked, in a rather aggressive tone: “What do you do with all these paintings?” I did not say “I hit guys like you over the head with them.” But I thought it. But no, I am always perfectly amiable, in part because I’m so happy for the interruption. So I smiled at him, thinly.

Before the interruption, I began the day by taking the last, large, unpainted section of canvas roll I had left and putting a thin layer of color on it. I’m all out of acrylic, so I had to use oils, thinned with mineral spirits. But it didn’t take long to dry in the Nevada sun and air. It’s about the same size as the other big canvas and fills up the last space in the studio. It must be almost time to go home — I’m out of room to hang things. I could, of course, throw some away or paint over them, but hey, give me a break!

Jer helped me tape the canvas to the cement blocks on the empty wall space when he came to pick me up.  I hope it sticks; I’ll know tomorrow. I haven’t decided what’s going on it — more rocks, I’m sure, but which ones, I’m not sure. I’m tempted to paint the Beatty Joshua Tree with its big rock, stop sign, and satellite dishes, but I suspect I won’t.

As usual I tweaked first. I’m happy with the latest, perhaps last, version of Golden Canyon:

Golden Canyon, 18 x 24″, oil on board

The photo, as usual, has a hot spot — the photographing conditions aren’t very good because I won’t shut the barn doors just to photograph (maybe on the next to last day I’ll do so….) But I had fun finishing this because for once, I knew pretty much exactly what to do. That doesn’t happen often.

I also finished my wonky Exchange Club painting — it is recognizably Underwood Urban:

The Exchange Club (aka Free Parking), 12″ x 16″, Oil on board.

I tweaked Shorty’s Rebellion (made the mesquite tree, looking quite mournful, look more so) but it isn’t worth showing again.

And I worked the big back wall canvas. It isn’t finished yet, but my arm got very tired and my eyes weren’t focusing too well:

Canyon, Oil on canvas, about 5′ x 5′ , Work in progress

I really couldn’t photograph it well — it faces the big barn doors, which were wide open and the glare was terrific. But since it isn’t finished, I didn’t think it worth while to close them for this one, either. But when I finish it, I think the doors will have to get shut. Of course, I could photograph it before I rolled up the doors in the morning, but I’d have to actually be thinking, which isn’t what I do first thing in the AM.

Oh, and I was inspired again by the light on the Bare Mountains, and at the very end of the day, changed that painting — naming it done, but this time, putting a date on it. So if it gets changed again, at least I’ll be able to distinguish between the drafts:

Bare Mountain, pm. 18 x 24″ oil on masonite, 18 x 24″

This is the one Suzanne liked before it was, well, edited (changed? Tweaked? Refurbished?) At any rate this is how it looked at 5 pm today.

Reported from Beatty, Nevada, which might not have a Dairy Queen but does have marshmallows. And I bought some China Ranch dates in Furnace Creek (China Ranch is just down the road a piece, in Shoshonne) and remembered today to eat some. They are Wonderful.

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