Fun With Closeup 05

Now that the paint has dried on this 12" x 48" oil painting, I think it's time to have some digital fun.
Yeah, that's satisfying.

In Step

Another blessed session in the studio, and I've been having tons of fun. I am really thinking that everyone should try this! If everyone could put all the destruction and mayhem on hold, and just give creativity a try, oh what a world we would live in!

In Process

I had the good fortune to spend most of another day in the studio today, with considerably less frustration than I experienced in my last session. In addition to tapping back in to the fun factor, which I consider to be critically important, I explored a host of unorthodox techniques, with, I believe, some success. I was able to get from stage to stage in the process with satisfaction.

Is the painting done? Probably not, but I feel that I am closing in on this one, and given that it has been some time since I completed an oil painting, that really feels good. Today, once again, I also recognized the value of the creative process, with respect to the logistics of crafting something, that is, in the moment to moment thought processes of evaluating proportions, light and dark, color applications etc., and then applying those thoughts into action. Yes, this is good for the soul.

I feel the excitement that comes with wondering how I will view this work in progress as the hours advance. Several days ago, I wondered if I would have to cut the canvas out of the frame, a rare but unfortunate necessity if a canvas reaches the point of no return on account of it being entirely over worked. This is a pleasant turn of events.

Process

Today was the first day back in the studio in quite some time. Well, it has been anything but some kind of normal year for me. I have had creative endeavors, but in recent months, those haven't been while standing in front of a canvas.

This morning I was primarily occupied with covering several unfinished canvases with a layer of gesso, followed by a rather long episode of creative frustration, which I wondered if I should learn to love, if not embrace, as part of the creative process. I finished the session with the above sketch, done in charcoal and gesso on canvas, with limited satisfaction.

Yes, I think I am still processing my recent trip of wonder to the Peoples Republic of China.

Look Now

As words cannot mean the same thing today, as they did yesterday, so too, images cannot evoke the same feeling today as in days past.

What do I see, when I look into this image from my sketchbook? I see both the splendor and the isolation of the road.

Yes, both are keenly felt.

Reflection

A garden, centuries old, complete with trees, pagodas, and excavated lake stones. A stunning architectural wonder. The perfect place for reflection, meditation and peace, and all in the center of Shanghai.

A carry over from a previous world, and a blessing in the modern world.

Art of the Sword

The elegant moves learned by this old master in his youth, still come naturally to him in his old age. His dance is in the gardens that lead to the Temple of Heaven, in Beijing, Peoples Republic of China.