These are small paintings in a series, inspired by a Wallace Stevens poem, “Anecdote of the Jar.” The poet placed a jar in the Tennessee landscape and of course everything became focused there. These paintings are an offshoot of a larger painting I tried years ago. What took dominion was not a jar but a condom–an item found too often littering beaches and in the woods. (I made Ed go out and buy a condom so I’d have something to work from and that’s what you see in the middle painting.) These are more abstract than most of my work and come from cannibalizing the earlier painting–using a view finder on small portions of it and painting those. The show I’m having next summer asks for “family appropriate” art so I hope the circle and square are not too obviously a risque subject. I’ve thought these would look good glued to a nicely-finished board, all five together.
It Took Dominion 1 oil on claybord 5 x 7 $100 unframed
It Took Dominion oil on claybord $100 unframed
It Took Dominion 3 0il on claybord 5 x 7 $100 unframed
It Took Dominion 4 oil on claybord 5 x 7 $100 unframed
It Took Dominion 5 oil on claybord $100 unframed
This is a painting I just took in for the Christmas show at the community art center/gallery. It’s completely out of my head, a palette knife painting, and I had a wonderful time smearing it on. I have been mightily impressed lately by the paintings of Ben Frank Moss now on display at the Hood Museum at Dartmouth–landscapes all done from memory, very abstract. He’s just retired from the art dept. at Dartmouth. Last night we met him at a dinner party–a nice, thoughtful man. I don’t think I could ever paint the way he does but his work does inspire me to free myself up some.
Over the Ridges 12 x 16 oil on masonite $450 framed
This is not a painting I did while we were in Franconia. It’s a view from our motel and the light lasted only a few minutes. I did get a good photo . I’m using thicker paints these days and finished this painting in one session. It does remind me a bit of Georgia O’Keefe. The light on the mountains makes them look very western to me. I’m pleased with the way it turned out. The title is from an A.R. Ammons poem.
Immanence of Evening Light 18 x 30 oil on masonite $600 unframed
Here’s another painting from our trip to Franconia. It’s a 200-yr. old iron smelting furnace on the Gale River that went out of business around 1865. It was not far from our motel and I liked having a completely different subject. Plus–I thought I’d found a perfect secluded spot on the bank of the river among some trees. Having people come up while I’m painting drives me crazy. I know some painters enjoy it but I hate breaking my concentration and especially hate anybody seeing the early stages of what I’m working on. Anyway, I thought I’d be left completely alone but my spot turned out to be just off a walking trail. Many people stopped and wanted to take my picture and a picture of the painting. I sound like a misanthrope. They were all extremely pleasant people but I just don’t understand why anybody would want to photograph a stranger working on a painting. The stones are not really as blue in the painting as they appear in the photograph of it. What I really liked about the scene was the shadow on the side of the furnace.
Iron Furnace oil on masonite 12 x 16 $200 unframed
Ed and I have an ongoing argument about getting a dog. I’d really like one and he really wouldn’t. So it was a little consolation that I did get some livestock today. A friend offered me some of her red worms and I was delighted. Ed drilled holes in the bottom of plastic storage container and we filled it with shredded newspaper (vegetable ink), peat moss and dirt. I had thought I’d be able to get a photo of all of them but they were buried so deep in the dirt and compost they came in, I only saw a couple. Apparently nothing is better than worm compost for perking up plants. My plan is to use it on the house plants this winter and in the garden next summer. It will be great if they multiply enough to eat all the fruit and vegetable parings we generate. It’s a cold trip through the snow to the compost bin in the winter so keeping it all in the house would be a huge bonus. Right now I have the bin in the guest bathroom where it’s easy to get at. I haven’t named them yet…….
This painting is one I did while Ed was across the road visiting the Frost Place. I didn’t have time to take the tour as well as paint so guess which I chose. The view was lovely and I had a fine time painting the afternoon light while Ed entertained himself by chatting with the tour guide.
Across from Frost’s Place 9 x 12 oil on masonite $150 unframed
I’ve been painting up a storm but for some reason have been resistant to sitting down and blogging about it. Now that the weather is consistently cold I should be more consistent about getting my stuff out there. I think I’m going through a period when I’m questioning the direction in which I want to go. I had thought that this winter would be a time just for experimentation but then I was offered a solo show in Hanover next summer so I need to produce 40 paintings between now and then. I can use older pieces that won’t have been seen except at the retirement community gallery but I’d like as much new work as possible. My wonderful gallery in Quechee is going out of business, alas. The economy doesn’t bode well for artistic sales!
In mid-September Ed and I made a short trip to Franconia, NH. It was beautiful there. We hiked and I did three paintings in two days–such fun! Here’s the first one, done at Echo Lake Park with Franconia Notch to the right. I was pleased because I slapped this one down with almost no editing after I got it home.
At Echo Lake 9 x 12 oil on masonite $150 unframed
