Ongoing progress for a watercolor/gouache painting that I am working on.
detail
Much more to go, a quick run, then back to the easel.
Be well, Lg
Category: watercolor paintings
The Maize God Emerges
I’m working on a new project, I will post progress periodically.
Safe to say it involves sacrifice and resurrection.
And of course the Maize God.
detail, gouache and watercolor on paper
preliminary sketch of Maize God, graphite on paper
Good night,
Lg
Back To Class, First Proofs
The Fall semester began this week and one of my courses is Printmaking III- I cannot believe how quickly time has flown. I am still very much the novice, but I do feel I have a better grip on this elusive medium. This first week of this semester I have focused upon two plates : one a relief print on lino ; the second an intaglio drypoint on copper.
I am determined this semester to achieve a better grasp of intaglio , I find it so challenging. The following are early proofs, the lino being the more successful of the two.
Redemption of the Father
Artist’s Proof # I
relief print,lino on paper
plate 10″ by 12″
St Anthony of the Desert
Artist’s proof # II,
drypoint, copper plate, 6″by 8″
As I said the intaglio needs a lot of work. Given that I am determined to work solely in drypoint for this print, the “burrs” are causing me some trouble. I will this weekend rub them out, adding more marks as needed. This is when I wish I had a home press, I am burning with a desire to resolve this problem NOW!
But I must practice patience, taking deep Ujjayi breath. Printmaking is not an immediate art, at least with out a home press.
The inspiration for the relief print, which is close to complete, is the following watercolor ( a VERY immediate medium ).
Redemption of the Father
Ariadne’s Thread
The latest in my ongoing fascination with the Minotaur/Theseus theme…
Ariadne’s Thread
watercolor on paper
11 by 18 inches
detail of yet another randy blue demon, the Minotaur
detail of Theseus
that’s it for now, heading back to oils for the remainder of the week and on Tuesday back to printmaking, the semester begins!
Until next time, take care,
LG
Icarus
I was recently asked by a friend to enter work in a group show, the show is based loosely upon the theme of disability. Given my friend had fashioned a lavishly eccentric wheelchair as the centerpiece of the show, I figured I had some creative wiggle room.
My interest was in exploring the very notion of disability and society’s need to “fix” the disabled. This I felt to be a touchy subject, one in which I hadn’t any authority to assert as I am not disabled. I do have a very dear friend who spent much of her life with a disability which later in her life was rectified by surgical procedures. But from listening to my friend I gathered the stigmatization of her condition and the (over? ) protective concern her parents felt for her, imposed limitations ,physical and emotional, far beyond the constraints of her actual condition.
In this image I wished to depict the disabled as a beautiful youth who lacked the conventional wings of his society. I also wanted to express the complexities of society by using harpy like figures, uncomfortable, a bit haughty, awkwardly watching as he falters. I have found myself in this position, it has only been with maturity that I have found the will to greet a wheelchair bound person in the eye. That is a sad fact.
In this image the youth does stumble, his prosthetic feathers have done him little good. Has our attempt to fix him only broken him?
I haven’t clarified all of my thoughts concerning this image or the topic, it is still evolving. Please consider Icarus to be an evolving discussion within my head.
Icarus
watercolor and gouache on paper
18 by 24 inches
detail of Icarus and his soul-spirit
detail of Society
Of course it isn’t much of a stretch to consider Icarus to be an allegory of other folks that make society squirm, gays, women, people of color, the list goes on an on.
Note to self : stop pigeon-holing.
Until next time, take care,
LG
Argle Bargle
In honor of today’s extraordinary, dream-come-true , heady Supreme Court ruling AND Grumpypotomus Antonin Scalia’s strange and archaic rant, I quickly cobbled together this silly water color.
Argle Bargle right back at you Scalia!
For my friends outside the US, the link that follows explains the Argle Bargle reference,Argle Bargle link.
Well now David and I will not be the strange marital exception in California, Prop 8 is dead, DOMA is dead, and dinosaurs like Scalia have to die out sooner than later.
Hoorah for justice.
Until next time, take care,
LG
Our wedding cake , prior to the passage of Prop 8 , July 3rd 2008.
Hosting Grief
Last week I stumbled upon a half-finished watercolor painting from a nearly a year ago. I had completely forgotten about it. It pleased me and I was determined to finish it, which I have just a moment ago.
The subject is a phrase my wise friend Rosa has used, “Hosting Grief”. I won’t take the liberty of speaking for Rosa, but I understand this phrase to be that moment when sadness, grief and mourning become more habit than genuine experience. The destructive mindset bent upon a wearying darkness, a mindset I am often way too familiar with. With this painting I wanted to poke fun at my own melodrama, Grief’s headdress tickles the crap out of me, I would certainly wear such a confection if I could .
Hosting Grief
watercolor on paper
18 by 24 inches
(clicking on the image enlarges detail)
My love of Egyptomania was indulged in this painting; that I happen to be taking a summer course, a survey of the art of ancient cultures, notably Egypt and Greece, only fueled my imagination.
A final detail, tarted up by Instagram.
My regular solution to Grief follows, one of my beasties is sure to make me chuckle with some ridiculous antic, in this case Viola looking at the world upside down.
Must close, but until next time, be well and avoid hosting Grief,
LG
From Today’s Notebook: the Pilgrim and the Owl
I have a dear friend, more sister than friend, her name is Rosa.
Rosa is on a journey, dare I say, of enlightenment . She would never say such a thing, she is far too modest, but it is a fact I am witness to. Rosa who is an Episcopalian priest, lives in our old Fort Lauderdale neighborhood with her husband Sherod, also a priest, our priest. I miss them terribly, if anyone can help me have faith in man and god it is this duo. I see far too little of them and their daughter Maria but I do keep abreast of Rosa through her musings on her blog, Cenizas, Estelas y Senderes: Ashes,Trails and the Wake We Leave Behind.
Recently Rosa wrote about her rather frequent encounter with owls, most likely a saw-whet owl, her post entitled I Don’t Believe in Angels, describes the seemingly chance appearances of these nocturnal sentinels just when she needs them most. Rosa is an avid walker, for health both physical and spiritual.
Rosa describes that when the weight of life seems most impossible this little bugger shows up, she doesn’t believe in angels but what the hell is this? She describes meeting what she believes-wants to believe- is the same wise little fellow. I found this detail inspirational, as well as her description of owls as being something she is “…so grateful for, the beautiful presence of these creatures who are as mystery-filled as the darkness we meet it.”
There is a painting in this.
The following is an idea I have for just such a painting.
watercolor sketch for The Pilgrim
I’ve taken liberties with the pilgrim, initially I was going to fashion the figure after Rosa, but I happen to be reading an incredible book by Tom Sparbauer The Man Who Fell In Love With The Moon. It is a wonderful tale of a young berdache youth , his treks profane and sacred. One of his encounters is with a shaman named Owlfeather. The exchange between the two characters resonated with me, reminding me instantly of my friend and her own pilgrimage. I hope Rosa doesn’t mind being fashioned after a rather randy, bisexual, heavy drinkin’, “star dust” smoking , cussing berdache boy- but knowing my friend I am pretty certain she would be delighted. I did give the fellow a Rose.
I’ve played around with the characters quite a bit, the pilgrim below is from an early quick sketch.
I’m going to start this painting soon after class, which ends next week. I have St.Anthony almost completed, having another in the wings, so to speak makes me happy.
I’m going to end with this adorable image of a northern Saw-whet, they were always a delight to encounter, happy Rosa has such fine company on her evening romps. To follow Rosa on her journey her blog Cenizas, Estelas y Senderes is on my blog roll.
Until next time,
take care,
LG
From Today’s Notebook, The Dead Mother
As David and I have very little time together, just the weekend, we try to find ways of integrating our interests. Lately David has been joining me in the workroom on Saturday evening , I paint, he chats, drinks wine, but sometimes he reads an analytic article that piques his interest. This weekend the theme was the Dead Mother by the French psychoanalyst Andre Green.
I will not pretend that I comprehend much of the complexities David found so thrilling ; but it did strike a chord- like many folks I have issues.
My instinct was to create a painting around this archetype. After discussing the Dead Mother with my own psychologist, I was determined to at least get some idea on paper. Ultimately I would like to create a small secular, analytic icon, gilded ground with glowing green figures; but for now, this sketch will suffice.
For David, The Barren Breast.
The Barren Breast
graphite and watercolor on paper
Until next time, take care,
LG
Black Smoke, White Smoke, Same Old Bigotry
Moments after the papal decision, one of the first tidbits that surfaces about His Holiness is his active engagement in opposing same sex marriage.
Nice.
Can’t I have just one small moment of optimism, that maybe this new fellow will be a generous chap and not a bigoted asshole?
I guess not.
I had been frantically trying to finish up a small watercolor I had begun last evening, working against CNN and its breathless coverage of the gathering of Cardinals. Alas pretty Anderson Cooper beat me to the finish line.
So now, several hours after the election of Francis, I post this little daub in honor of the new pope, hoping against odds he will shy away from the Church’s traditional stance of misogyny and homophobia and instead focus on what the Church does best, honoring the poor and the forgotten.
For Francis
Holy Smoke
watercolor on paper
13 by 19 inches
2013
For Clive,
St. Ignatius of Loyola
Peter Paul Rubens
Norton Simon collection, Pasadena, CA
http://www.nortonsimon.org/collections/browse_artist.php?name=Rubens%2C+Peter+Paul&resultnum=6
Boondocks Babylon 