Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Yes, Linda, there is a Santa Claus

       Major stress follows a house fire. I was only inspired to draw after I looked up "hell mouths" in old medieval paintings. I will have to add paint to the sketch below.  But son Jim made our day by taking a 35" x  60"painting I had given him about the Museum School. He removed the frame and stretchers, rolled the linen canvas with the oil side out, drove from NYC a third time to our temporary home to reassemble it and hang. We missed having paintings. Blanche was correct: "Yes, Linda, there is a Santa Claus."



               Eureka, there are more....thus all the angels and saints (thinking of Jeanie) in the hell mouths sketch!

        Paula Brown dropped by with a wonderful portrait she had made of me (my serial selfies were lost in the fire). I was thrilled. Paula's imagination and original works knock my socks off: paulapitmanbrownart.com  She once recommended we draw each other with careful observation. We did many versions using Micron Pigma Graphic pens. My drawings of Paula were in the basement studio and lost along with my selfies. She inspires a Phoenix wannabe.


       Christmas Eve, Neal presented me with his repaired whirligig he made long ago of our house, myself painting and the pets, that was somewhat crumbled and broken apart in the putting out of the fire. Brought tears to my eyes. So heartwarming to have it back home!

       I made sketches of the house flying up as I tried to reach to grab it. I sketched the Charles River walk across the street with its beautiful trees and leaves. But I just can't get started painting. I have a mini projector to hook to my iPhone to make fast the sketching of some other ideas...but you still have to paint. Maybe tomorrow, now that I have gathered my paints and posted this blog. I will have no more excuses. Sebastian Smee's book The Art of Rivalry is also pushing me along. I regret my poor photography. Click to enlarge photos.