"VYD ZVERKHU LL" flipped /  by Philip Tarlow

VYD ZVERKHOU II " flipped this morning adjested moments ago, at 4:30pm

1:03 PM: when i entered my studio this morning on a cloudy, cold rainy morning and cast my first glance at the two new paintings i’ve been making over the past few days, i was bored. not good.

so, having had an excellent sleep last night and full of contrarian (is this a word?) playfulness, i flipped VYD ZVERKHOU I 360° and began painting into it, using a few of my musician photos as guides, and my paper towels as blotters and subtle mark makers.

BIRTHDAYS a group of about 25 of us who have mid-may birthdays are gathering at af friend’s home for a dinner/celebration this evening, so that should be fun.

vyd zverkhu i and ii /  by Philip Tarlow

vyd zverkhu I as it looked following todays session

vyd zverkhu II following todays work

2:31 pm: today i continued work on both VYD ZVERKHU I & II. it’s always helpful for me to go back & forth, so that discoveries i make on one can migrate to the other. thusfar, that’s especially true, for these two, which now look like brother & sister.

vyd zverkhu II / A PAINTING BY MY 2 YEAR OLD GRAND DAUGHTER IN ATHENS /  by Philip Tarlow

vyd zverkhu ii 24x28” oil on linen, as she looked at the end of my painting day today

2:55 PM: after starting the drawing for VYD ZVERKHU II yesterday, i began introducing color to the drummer this afternoon. it’s too early to get a sense of the composition as a whole, but the drawing, in grey pencil, will give you a hint.

i’m still unsure about vyd zverkhu i and whether to leave her as is or continue working. that’s one of the great advantages of starting a new one; it allows me to continue assesing and perhaps be influenced by discovieries i may make in this new one.

as matisse said, let the painting tell you where it wants to go. (i’m paraphrasing)

my son dimitri sent me this photo of a painting made by my 2 year old grand daughter in the benaki museum, where they provide kids with painting materials, smocks, etc.

VYD ZVERKHU /  by Philip Tarlow

1:17 PM: VYD ZVERKHU is ukranian for view from above, which is the title of my new series of 24x28” paintings in oil on linen, which i started today. (VYD is pronounced voéet) so this is VYD ZVERKHOU 1.

"celebration XII" 16x20"-modifications /  by Philip Tarlow

celebration XII , 16x20” following the changes i made earlier today

1:10 PM: celebration XII was last worked on this past march 29. this morning, in reviewing the series of 16x20” paintings i made during that period, we both felt that this one needed more work. so i worked back into it earlier today.

BELOW: celebration XII before (left) and after todays modifications

un-pinking "still life with refugees" /  by Philip Tarlow

3 PM: so that’s it for today. it started out as a clear and beautiful morning and now the sky is thretening and the wind is gusting to 45mph! i did more to still life with refugees this afternoon and i’m ready to stop. it’s getting richer and juicier, but it ain’t there yet. i’m glad iun-pinkified much of the composition…i’ll have to see how she strikes me in the morning when i’m fresh.

1:03 PM: that pink was just too pervasive, so i’m re-working the painting using some of my creek photos and introducing water, ripples and reflections and tree branches. here’s how she looked moments ago. still painting…

collaging still life with refugees /  by Philip Tarlow

still life with refugees 42x42” oil and collage on linen as it looked following todays collaging

3:01 PM: today was collaging day. i took a roll of white drawing paper, made some drawings in black peppered here & there with color, and collaged some of them onto the surface of the painting. it’s tricky to get all the air bubbles out, but i think i did a pretty good job.

my vision was to open the space, eliminate some of the pinks, which i was inspired to do after gazing this morning at one of my more successful paintings hanging in our entryway.

BELOW: before (left) and after todays collaging

“still life with refugees 2” / tweaks to “Pine Peak” /  by Philip Tarlow

still life with refugees 42x42” oil on linen, as it looked following this mornins session

at work this morning on still life with refugees 2, introducing black & deep pink

12:19 PM: continuing work on still life with refugees 2 this morning, using black and deep pink/red

3:04 PM: i made a few small but significant tweaks to pine peak, all in the upper right portion of the composiiton. that green rectangle was too dominant, so i took 20% off the bottom and introduced a swish of off-white to break it up. i’ll have to sit with it to determine if that worked, and maybe bring it to the house & gaze at it hanging there.

pine peak, 42x42” following this afternoons tweaks to the rectangle on the upper right.

still life with refugees 2 /  by Philip Tarlow

still life with refugees 2, 42x42” oil on linen

BELOW: yesterdays version is on the left

1:24 PM: i made some tweaks to still life with refugees 2, which i’ve been working on the past few days. i feel that it has improved. if you compare yesterdays version with todays, BELOW, see if you can locate the areas i worke don today and if you agree.

still life with refugees 2 /  by Philip Tarlow

still life with refugees 2, 42x42” oil on linen

4:07 PM: i spent most of today on still life with refugees 2, which i worked on yesterday. this one is demanding more time than i had expected, so i’ll continue tomorrow morning.