"girlfriends" on day two /  by Philip Tarlow

girlfriends, 25x25” colored pencil & oil on stretched portrait linen

11:34 AM: i continued work on girlfriends this morning, adding colors to the girl on the right. i was in my groove, and stopped working once it evaporated. knowing when you’re in the zone is as important as recognizing when you leave.

i’m painting standing up, with the canvas flat on my painting table. for the umpteenth time, i’ll say just how superb this xtra fine portrait linen is, and how it allows the painting to paint itself.

1984 Grand Central litho / “girlfriends” day 1 /  by Philip Tarlow

girlfriends, 25x25” colored pencil and oil on extra fine portrait linen, as she looked at the end of day one.

5:48 PM: i’m starting a series of six paintings, all 25x25” on portrait linen. it’s the last of my 84” long roll of extra fine portrait linen. i should be getting a new roll delivered later this week.

unlike the recent paintings i’ve been doing, this one, for now at least contains only two figures, both viewed from above, both women sitting side by side on a wooden bench, one looking at her phone, the other with her phone to her ear.. i completed the drawing and began introducing flesh tones; i’ll take it further tomorrow.

Grand Central, 36x36” lithograph in an edition of 125

1:09 PM: i made this 36x36” lithograph in 1984, during the period when i was living in manhattan and showing at fischbach gallery on 57th street. it’s an edition of 125, some of which are in private collections and the reta are here in my studio. i made the studies for the piece on site and would take the opportunity to visit my dad in his office, just off 5th avenue. at the time i was living and painting in a 10th floor appartment on central park west.

it’s sitting atop my desk here in the studio, covered in plastic, which is why you see the reflection in the corner.

modifications to "1/6/26 oil" /  by Philip Tarlow

1/6/26 oil, 26x26” following my modifications this afternoon

4:51 PM: 1/6/26 oil seemed too bust to both mikela and i. so this afternoon, i had the juice to go back into it, and greatly simplified it. i think it worked!

2/5/26 "kifissia" becomes "skateboarder jump" /  by Philip Tarlow

skateboarder jumps, 6x18” watercolor & collage on arches watercolor paper, following this morning’s work

10:55 AM: this morning i did some more work on yesterdays watercolor/collage, hwich has become skateboarder jumps. and is a far more interesting and now piece, allowing just a bit of yesterdays watercolor/collage to peek through. included in the collaged bits is a photo from a karaghiozis (greek shadow theatre) poster by the great spatharis.

2/5/26 "kifissia" /  by Philip Tarlow

2/5/26 kifissia, 6x18” watercolor on arches paper.

2:59 PM: today i painted a new watercolor, inspired by photos i shot about 15-20 years ago when we were visiting my son, the actor/director/producer dimitri tarlow. this new watercolor, which i may or may not continue working on tomorrow, measures 6x18” and is painted on arches watercolor paper.

kifissia is a large suburb located just noth of athens, in the municipality of attica. it has many large, beautiful homes and in the downtown area, galleries and is home to the goulandris museum of natural history. in this photo-collage mikela, holding a cup of coffee, is seated on the right, in front of one of the many impressive homes with large, beautiful gardens.

baca#3 continued /  by Philip Tarlow

baca #3, 38x36” oil on portrait linen, as she looked at the end of my painting day today

baca#3, 38x36” as she looked at 11:30am today, following this morning’s work

11:35 AM: as is my preference, i’ve been working on this latest painting, baca#3, as it is lying flat on my painting table. i haven’t yet tacked it to the wall for fear of drips, so i photographed it from above, standing on my step ladder.

"baca#3" 38x36" /  by Philip Tarlow

baca#3, DETAIL, 38x36” oil on portrait linen, as she looked at the end of my painting day today

2:47 PM: i worked on the drawing i made yesterday for baca#3, completing the drawing and starting to add oil color. more tomorrow.