Friendlier Paintings

I'm still pushing paint around these bits of paper and loving it. Each little work seems a new challenge, but so far so good-I have hit no brick walls and all seems fluid-sometimes moving at a slower pace, but moving nonetheless.

I worked a bit tonight, which is off my usual schedule-mornings seem to be my better time. I've got five paintings going and each one seems to allow me back to it, to rework and add to it as see fit. This is a big change from my past-I could never seem to find a groove-a way to work that did not feel absolutely stiff and meaningless. I can't say that I'd be much good at showing you the meanings inherent in any of my abstracts, but that doesn't leave them meaningless to me. None of the recent work seems stiff to me-when a painting does, I put it aside to do a major rework on it or paint it over right then and there. The key to my recent love of this painting thing is that it is all flowing and moving. With little time to give to this 2D work, that suits me just fine. there are days that putting the brush down and cleaning up is just the worst, but that also leaves me burning to get back to it. The ring of fire.

This one is called The Faun.

Applying for a rebate

That's what I want for Christmas-a rebate.

This season has almost completely passed me by. I miss so much of what I used to do holiday-wise (Christmas was a huge deal in my former married life), which is now almost next to nothing.

Having ailing parents has not helped at all, either.

I've spent a great deal of my spare time lately dealing with them and their doctors. My Dad developed a gangrenous condition a month back-dealing with the surgery (big toe amputation) and the recovery involved could almost be a full time job for several people. I have to say that the hospital that he is in (Mountainside Hospital in Montclair, NJ) made a lot of this problem easier by getting my mother and I clear information much of the time.

Johnny, the new hound, has been really easy to have around. His demands are few and easily met. He does suffer from car-sickness, though-this is something I never gave even a second thought before, having dogs that seemed well attuned to driving around. I am going longer distances, though-commuting regularly 60 miles to my Mom's and then another 70 miles (on top of that) to Laura's place up in Westchester. Poor guy has probably spent very little time in a car before. BTW, settled on the name Johnny as it seems to fit him but, as usual, he has many names, most of them working well. He just doesn't like it when I raise my voice, so I'm making a concerted effort to not do that at all. He gives me absolutely no reason to raise it as he is an almost perfect gentleman.

Please put up a little corny or kitschy ornament for me and know that I'll be back next year, much like Santa, to hopefully enjoy my holiday a little more fully.

The New Salesman's Dog...

has no name. I thought briefly of naming him "dog". He came with the names Johnny Dollar, Blue Moon, and Buck...ok, so where to from here?

Had a similar problem with the last adopted dog (Skye, who did not last with me for one week because of her health issues) and here we are again. Well, the name ain't so important. This little guy (he's about 55 pounds) has a meaty head with a very trim and fit body. He is slightly off kilter in the head area, as he was purportedly shot in the neck-how and why, I do not know, but can't imagine that it was for a good reason. to me, he seems part beagle mixed with lab or golden retriever, but I'll never know for sure. One thing for sure, like most dogs, he sure likes to get fed and to be petted!

Over this past weekend, I had an open studio, attended by just a few folks-certainly enough people to make it worthwhile, but a paltry few considering everyone who said that they'd be there. It is a tough time of year for this sort of thing-next time I might try one before Thanksgiving, to make it easier on everyone's schedule.

Thanks to everyone who came, especially to Steve, who brought along Anna and Thompson, who both thoroughly enjoyed Liza, the standard poodle I babysat over the weekend, as well as the artwork.

My parent's health has been deteriorating further and, although I'm constantly on the phone with my Mom, I still feel guilty and not "there" enough for them. Dad was diagnosed yesterday with gangrene in his foot (feet have truly been an Achilles Heel for this man, pardon the weird punning-he's always had some sort of issue with his feet-from a rash that kept him out of active duty in WWII to breaking his ankle on a construction job after years of working at the top of skyscrapers) and my Mom has had a running battle for the past month with a fast heartbeat (altohugh she has a pacemaker). S'pose all these problems have done even more to keep me from thinking any holiday thoughts at this time-I just want to hunker down and deny the whole thing, despite the twinkly lights and trees all around me. Humbug? Maybe not, but just count me out of the Christmas sing-along and tree lighting.

BTW, this dog brings up absolutely no memories of my previous dogs, which I suppose is a blessing-he is so different from either of them, which is truly a good thing.

OOPS!

I did forget to mention-and this is probably too late for ya'll, that I'll be haivng an open studio this coming Saturday, December 4th from 10-5pm. My studio is located at the old Vail Grange Hall-47 Vail Road-if you are using a GPS, punch in Columbia, NJ as that's how it's mapped out.
Sorry for the very late announcement, but my secretary has been on vacation for the past few weeks.