6:14 PM: back at the house, having just had dinner, i’m contemplating the process. so take today, for example. i arrived a bit late to my studio; about 11am. after making and eating my breakfast, which i ate while reading one of the books i have about li gonglin (1049-1106 AD). aside from my deep interest in his paintings, i learned that political drama was just as intense and power driven as it is today, and deeply affected his life & work. so that he and his buddies had to pick up and run for the hills, literally, when a new emperor came to power.
so then, after putzing around for an hour or so, having a conversation with mike, director of space gallery, where i’ll be showing in april, i got back into olympic celebration 3. how do i do that? by letting go of my logical mind and allowing my body take over. but if you know you’re letting go then you’re not. that’s probably why i putz around for about an hour. as soon as i pick up a brush and apply the first bit of watercolor, i’m immersed in the process, aware that i have a limited time in the flow. i take little breaks to tack the painting to the wall & gaze at it. i make some ginger/tumeric tea & have a little yoghurt with fruit & nuts, all the while casting glances at the painting tacked to the wall. at some moment, i see where i need to go next and go back to my brushes & colors.
it’s a process. can’t be planned.
at work today on olympic celebration 3
olympic celebration 3 at 3pm today
2:48 PM: I continued work on olympic celebration 3 today, adding a couple of collaged elements, which haven’t yet integrated into the composition as a whole. I may go back into it for another hour or so. we were going to walk up to the stupa this afternoon, bit the temperature hasn’t risen above 15F, so we’ll wait till tomorrow, when it warms up a bit.