Whatever happened to Red?

There Was an Answer, no. 6;, originally uploaded by leyaevelyn.

Once upon a time, red was my default color. In fact, red was dominant in my life for a long time, years and years. If in doubt, use red. Then I had an exhibit I joyfully called Red. Now, to my amazement, I find red a very difficult color. The problem seems to be I want to use it like I always have, but currently, nothing wants to be the same. The sands are shifting under my feet. The default color, right now, wants to be celedon green (a pale bluish green) and variations on it. I guess I’ll just have to see where this takes me.

Welcome the light

IMG_1675, originally uploaded by leyaevelyn.

Steve, who takes photos of my work, has consistently insisted I needed better light in my studio. Every time he comes over, I see the paintings in a new light, one that is much better than the halogen floods I’ve used to paint with. A couple of weeks ago, I splurged. I bought one track of LED floodlights. It was, indeed, a shock. I can now see what I am doing. The LED floods are unforgiving. I can’t get away with muddy without purpose. Muddy can be interesting as a foil to clarity. But without the clarity, it’s just muddy.

So now, just past the winter solstice, light is coming into my work as well as the days. In fact, I’m finding it easier to paint in lighter colors with high contrasting lines and “Imagery”. It is the high contrast, the drama, I’m enjoying so much. Steve comes to take photos this Thursday morning. It will be interesting to see what his lights do to my work this time.

Happy Happy

P1030860, originally uploaded by leyaevelyn.

So it’s another year and, other than having to remember to write it on checks, it in many ways felt like just another day. Until I went to a party in the afternoon and somehow, the feeling of celebration changed the way I saw the new year’s date on the calendar.

Yes, a lot is different. The world feels like a more fragile place in many ways and yet we still have our hopes and dreams. There were many people at the party whom I hadn’t seen in a long time. I was asked at least five times if I was still painting. I refrained from my usual “does a bear sh*t in the woods” and just said “yes, definitely.” But I do wonder what would ever make me stop.

A walk on the sunny side

Ashburn Golf Course, originally uploaded by leyaevelyn.

A few days ago we were buried in snow. Today the sun was bright, the air clear and everyone was smiling. Tomorrow, rain. Never dull here.

The day after

The day after, originally uploaded by leyaevelyn.

Merry Merry

 

 

Snow-dreams

Snow 12.23.2011, originally uploaded by leyaevelyn.

We were told it would be 2 to 5 cm. of snow. It’s been at least 10. It’s a damp snow but not too hard to clear. I’ve shoveled twice so far and will have to again when the snow comes off the roof. The snow will probably last a few days.

I don’t know why people want a white Christmas. It means difficult driving conditions. Lots of shoveling as well. But then, it is so very beautiful. Just like a postcard.

It makes me wonder once again about beauty. Why do we call a white Christmas beautiful, why is the snow so lovely when it can also be so treacherous, what makes a painting beautiful to one person and not to another. And also, is beautiful a desirable end.

What I really want is for the power of the painting to be the message, not the beauty. I’ve actually started trying to use different colors, not just the pure, pretty ones, but ones that are more dissonant, discordant, even perhaps ugly. Still, the end result has to have a cohesiveness that carries the weight of the art.

Maybe it’s the power of nature that makes the snow so beautiful.

Rapids

IMG_1635, originally uploaded by leyaevelyn.

The other day I discovered a new place to go for a walk. It’s out route 333 on the way to Prospect and Peggy’s Cove. I didn’t quite capture the magic of the water. Maybe next time.

There Was an Answer

There Was an Answer, no. 6, originally uploaded by leyaevelyn.

I had a conversation with my friend Brian yesterday. Wondering why we keep going: are we crazy or just making art. It it becomes easy, it isn’t worth continuing. It’s the challenge that makes it interesting.

So now my work keeps changing. I picked up a couple of paintings from last summer’s exhibit at the Jo Beale Gallery. I hadn’t even remembered what they looked like. No photos; no memory. I was surprised. One of them is now very different. Reworked, or you might say, continued, more work on it. I’m really getting into the bold, heavy lines, lines that come and go, that overlap and redefine. It’s still challenging.

The B’Day

Bayswater Beach, originally uploaded by leyaevelyn.

Birthdays are such interesting events. It seems there is often a duplicity happening: you want the attention, you call it a special day, or if you don’t, others do but then, on the other hand, getting all that attention for just being alive another day seems a bit odd, maybe even embarrassing.

Then there is that amazing creation called Facebook. Where all the people I rarely see wish me happy birthday. It seems the perfect use for FB. I don’t hang out there much. I prefer old-fashioned email. But it has its uses. Announcements, finding people, links, and especially, the Birthday.

Yesterday, the Real Day, was fun: Aaron & Joanne joined me for a game of miniature golf. The course, indoors, is like an underwater, psychedelic event, winding through an underworld of fantasy. Joanne won, great hand-eye coordination even with the many distractions of screaming children and odd decor. Then we went for dinner and my friend Val joined us.

So here’s to another year!