2:44 PM: i made a few small but important tweks to by the creek, after which i started a new one : acropolis museum V.
"by the creek," continued /
by the creek, 89x94 cm./35x37” as it looks at the end of my painting day today
2:07 PM: i made more changes to by the creek today, reducing the harshness of colors and transitions of yesterdays version. the right section has elements from my most recent acropolis museum painting, next to which is the creek water and four figures who were there that day, with little boats. it reads as rather dark overall, which may change tomorrow morning. i loved adding those stripes of blue and yellow on the left.
the two themes: by the creek and the acropolis museum interior conjure a new reality, giving the viewer the opportunity to write their own story.
acropolis museum IV becomes "by the creek" /
3:23 PM: i did extensive work on by the creek, adding a new figure and making the background a warm grey. a little of the underlying drawing is still visible, but has mostly been greyed over. i’ll resume work in the morning, after my half hour mentoring session with a ukranian student who wants to improve his spoken english. we’ll be having these sessions on zoom twice a week, and this will be our first.
1:57 PM: i wasn’t happy with where acropolis museum IV was headed, so i’m painting over what i did yesterday and so far here’s where by the creek is at. i’m continuing work on it right now; more when i’m at the next stage…
acropolis museum iV /
acropolis museum IV stage 1, 35x37”, oil on linen
2:50 PM: after a zoom meeting we has with friends in n.y., i started acropolis museum IV. it’s really just a rough drawing in oil right now, but i should have my day clear tomorrow, and be able to do a lot more. as you can see, it’s like an enlargemnt of a section of acropolis museum III: namely, the figures.
acropolis museum III, day 2 /
the acropolis museum III, 35x37”/ 89x94cm. oil on portrait linen, as it looked this afternoon at the end of my painting day
2:14 PM: there was a certain simple beauty in yesterday’s version of this painting. after gazing at it for a few hours this morning, i knew i could take it further without disturbing; indeed enhansing that simple beauty.
the more i work on this painting, the more i am in awe of the brilliant architecture. it makes me want to go back and take more photos from above for future paintings.. i can omagine an entire exhibition simply titled the acropolis museum; views from above.
the fluidity of the bodies of the museum visitors is such a perfect foil for the geometry of the architecture and the almost trompe l’oeil effect of the transparent floor. my love of architecture and my passion for views from above have found their perfect meeting point.
starting "acropolis museum III" /
acropolis museum III, 35x37” oil on portrait linen, day 1
2:59 PM: today i started a new acropolis museum: acropolis museum III, inspired by photos i shot on our trip to athens last march. the placement of the figures of the museum visitors in the architectural magic, as seen through the transparent glass floor is a dream come true for me. as well, i’m now switching to my absolute favorite canvas: artfix quadruple primed extra fine portrait linen. nothing like it!
more tomorrow.
thursday poem / acropolis LL continued… /
acropolis II 35x37”, oil on linen, as it looked just now, at the end of my painting day
2:24 PM: i thought i was done with acropolis II, but no, there was more to do in the floor area, and i can see now looking at it, there’s more i’ll do tomorrow. i like the reflected lights, which i guess balance out the yellow surrounding the guy in white, on the right. i want it to POP a bit more, but not too much. it’s always a delicate balance. but some day, someone gazing at this painting in a gallery or museum will take not of and appreciate these subtle strokes.
12:56 PM: the brownies are in the oven, this time cooked softer. i’m cutting 4 of my best portrait linen rolls into 35x37” pieces for the new stretcher bars arriving today.
THURSDAY POEM:
one more
one less if you like
you like
mein chairi
eene scared
of the far where u
are diaphenous
plenty agrieved
you are
giv mee yor
hand to skweez
like i do
oh oh oh
how we
muve togethr
the acropolis museum II continued /
2:47 PM: acropolis museum, 35x37”, oil on linen following my addition of dark hair on the male figure to the left
2:45 PM: before leaving the studio for the house, i gave the male standing figure some hair.
the acropolis museum 35x37” oil on linen, as it looked following todays session
1:48 PM: today the nude female figure is now clothed. and i made a number of other tweaks. once again, we’ll have to see in the morning how it strikes me. mikela came in on her way to school and gave me some very valuable feedback, as always, which was instrumental in the work i accomplished this morning.
so now, as soon as she’s back, we’ll go for a walk. i still have to be careful and walk more slowly than her so my pressure doesn’t rise too much because of my LANAP recovery.
the acropolis museum II, next stage /
the acropolis museum II 35x37” oil on linen, as it looked just now, following another round of work
2:19 PM: so after gazing at acropolis museum II for a while, i felt the 4 figures were too deliniated, preventing them from becoming an integrated part of the composition. so i whited over them a bit, then scraped into them and went back in with some blue lines surrounding the figures so that they didn’t fade too much. here’s where it’s at right now; i’ll have to see how i feel about it in the morning.
what i did today makes me wonder if it would be valuable to revisit a few of my recent paintings, such as this one, the drummer, and do something different with that pinkish ground surrounding the figures so that, as with this one, thet are more integrated into the composition as a whole.
i spent part of the day creating a video for the organization for which i’m volunteering, as a coach/mentor for ukranians who want to improve their spoken english. if i’m accepted, i’ll be having zoom sessions with a ukranian multiple times a week. during the period when i lived in greece, i taught/mentored students in spoken/written english, so i have some experience with that. i’ll likely ifnd out in the coming week whether i’ve been accepted as a volunteer.
the drummer, 35x37” oil on linen
11:01 AM: this morning i brought a fresh energy to acropolis museum II. i got to work as soon as my talk with mikela ended; she was driving to her appointments at the high school, 50 minutes away. our tradition as for us to talk as she drives so that, when she arrives, it’s as if no time has passed at all!
the acropolis museum II continued /
the acropolis museum II 35x37” oil on linen, as it looked moments ago
1:34 PM: i have a zoom in 25 minutes, so i’ll be brief and continue later. i re-worked the acropolis museum II (previously the acropolis) so that we are now looking at the interior of the museum, with visitors gazing at the exhibits. the pink i had added yesterday, combined with the yellow, blue and green with a touch of red create a very playful, visually stimulating composition, which i’ll continue working on tomorrow. this is an example of how working in layers, with the previous layer peeking through, is exciting to me and had become my natural process of developing a painting.