underpainting

Above is a sneak peak at the new canvas in progress; it's quite a bit larger than the other Amsterdam pieces (30" x 40"), and it takes considerably longer to even get down washes for a base. This is just a faint beginning. I haven't worked on a canvas this size since the grotesques, and- damn!- that was several years ago. This initial phase of underpainting was completed last evening, amid other pursuits; Kim was over for an art night, and we worked on ideas for her web site as well.

And, below, a nice little portrait of Nancy. She came here to stay while TL and Deb were out west on vacation. She was a delightful house guest, and it was nice to have someone to talk to in the kitchen! I'd gotten rather used to her being there, and then *poof* she was gone again. That little dragon ate a lot of crickets.


Nancy, my house guest from earlier this month

In other news (a post script) the fishes' water has nearly all cleared up, after doing serious water replacement twice in as many days. I also learned (after further investigation) that (1) some types of bacteria overload can be bad, and (2) I have been severely remiss in salt reaplcement for several months! Luckily, salt is one of the treatments for bacteria, so two birds and all that. Both fishes are looking very happy at the moment-- even Tres, who'd been sitting glumly on the bottom of the tank for a few days. :)

heat index

They're saying today will be a scorcher. I felt it coming on last evening, and so closed off the front room and started up the AC; it has remained quite cool (though i turned it off this morning), as I haven't opened the windows to let in warmer air from without!

The past couple of weeks have been optimum sleeping weather, though- cool at night with only a window open. Between that, and my new mattress (very basic, mind you but a vast improvement over the decade-old futon mattress I'd been using), I find I've been hitting snooze a lot lately! Additionally, of late I have a seemingly bottomless well of strange dreams that are particularly active in those 10-minute chunks of sleep between the alarms. I wish I was still in the habit of writing upon wakening, as some of them have been pretty interesting (in that logic-has-no-place-here sort of way).

The fishes' water is still somewhat cloudy, as I've been (1) waiting for the Ph to drop a bit in hope that that will kill off some of the rampant bacteria, and (2) well, lazy. But the web link assured me that this bacteria is not harmful. I presume it is precisely the sort that causes ponds to go all hazy and murky in warm weather, in which case those two should feel quite at home. But, to be honest, they don't seem pleased. I will exchange a large amount of water today.

reading

It's Saturday noon, and I have been reading a friend's blog. I have read a few in the past couple of months, and I am always so impressed with people who get very personal in their writing. With details. The whole blog phenomenon is strange, and I still am not quite sure of the point (perhaps part of it is just the feeling of being connected somehow to a larger world?). But still in awe of the ones who truly share. I am just such an editor; even when I feel as though I have typed something personal, I realize later how obscure and abstract my entries are (unless about the fishes or politics). I barely allude to some of the most life-altering experiences!
But, this is a public experiment after all, and those who need to know, do.

Meantime, I am an excited geek- a new book arrived, gotten with my IgoUgo gift certificate! The Children of Hurin, another posthumously-published work by Tolkien, at long last put into cohesive form by his diligent son. I must finish current novel first, but am very much looking forward to reading this. Whoo hoo!

challenges, opportunities.

I never did expound upon that statement, begun in a previous post this day.
(technically yesterday)

The situation in which I find myself is one of both challenge and (hopefully) opportunity, as summer hits.
You see, I recently learned of [somewhat dire] financial troubles of one of my clients; a situation leaving me (and several trusted colleagues) somewhat bereft for the moment. But-- it is summer after all, and summer is the bane of so many freelancers; so I have decided to take it in stride. Decided, consciously, to not panic. I never panic! (That has proved, over the years, to be both a strength and a weakness.)

The flip side of this untimely (or timely?) development, is that it has (1) come at the exact time during which I'm finally taking my future as a "fine artist" (I shouldn't use quotes) seriously, and (2) is, bizarrely, serendipitously, allowing me to actually do so.

All that in mind, I have been using my daytime- normally working hours- to CREATE! To begin, work on, and in fact actually finish many projects, in a way I have only allowed myself to imagine heretofor.

* yay for that! *

new enterprise...

This is one of my new plans. Living in Park Slope, there certainly must be a number of residents in search of interior augmentation, but perhaps not having the time nor experience to do such things. I have had the time and opportunity to play with spaces, having lived in many apartments during my time in NY-- moreover, (and importantly) it is something I enjoy. So, we shall see what sort of response these little fliers bring. (note: I have left off the phone number, as this is a local experiment; a project that really only makes sense on a local basis. However, I am not opposed to travel-for-work! :) )

forms & structures

challenges, and opportunities.

The fishes' tank water is cloudy, and has been so for a couple of weeks now. Today it appears to be a little better, but I have yet to unravel the mystery of what's causing it.

Lately viewing:
BBC Brain Story documentary series
PBS Guns, Germs and Steel

Lately reading:
The Alientist, by Caleb Carr
The Dance of Time, by Michael Judge
A Guide to Heraldry, by Ottfried Neubecker

For a group show in Chelsea in which I will be exhibiting some small paintings, I have decided upon a series of saint Icons, after the manner of the Middle Ages (but more in the style of my Grotesques).

bleeaaaahhh!

It is never anything but disturbing to spy vermin in one's abode; it feels like an intrusion, shaves a bit of the comfort off of one's comfort zone. Sometimes, makes one's skin crawl, awakens the heebie-jeebies. Ugh! i just had an unfortunate run-in with the largest cockroach I've seen in years, save those night crawler types that you see on the street in this town. And he was lying on his back, legs akimbo, only a few inches from my stove. Bleeaarghh!

This damn bug is no less than 1.75" long of body , with another 2 or 3" of antennae. As I cautiously approached with a flat of cardboard (mistakenly presuming him to be not only prone, but also dead), the bugger's limbs started to twitch and flail (more garbled sounds of disgust from me).

Now, on a quick side note, I have two heavy boxes of mis-printed matter sitting on my kitchen table; 1000 brochures doomed only to be recycled, as I wait for the correctly-printed brochures to be sent. Their presence causes some dismay at the sheer wastefulness, and at poor service on the part of the printers (in this instance) they represent. But! getting back to the uninvited guest causing me even more dismay...

I quickly realized what I must do. I grabbed one of the boxes and swiftly dropped it on top of the wretched thing, hopefully ending its struggle, and most assuredly easing my mind that this land-lubbing crustacean would have no further explorations in my kitchen. (Though I suspected that a beast of that size might come in handy to carry out the recycling, if only it were trainable, surely it wouldn't be able to lift 8 pounds of paper off its buggy abdomen...)

Eventually, I will have to remove the box and clean up whatever carnage is beneath it. (Yet more sounds of disgust emanate). On a more positive note, however, I finally found a use for those damn brochures.