6/6/26 jacob’s pillow on day 1 / found on our morning walk today /  by Philip Tarlow

2:43 PM: this afternoon i started the next in my jacob’s pillow series: 6/6/26 jacob’s pillow. she’s a size up from the previous one: 11x17” and has 2 joyous dancing figures with matching red & black plaid shirts. between the two is a pattern you will see on the photo below, which is inspired by a beautiful, tiny plant i got on our morning trail walk & brought back to the studio. the pattern on this flower seems to have been created by an artist, which it was: nature! i stopped because i felt too tired to continue today, so i’ll pick up where i left off tomorrow.

6/6/26 jacob’s pillow, 11x14” watercolor/gouache on bristol

10:58 am: about an hour ago we took our usual walk up the spanish creek trail. on the way down, i found this gorgeous plant, which i now have on my desk.

"Jacob's Pillow 3" /  by Philip Tarlow

5:15 PM: this afternoon i started my next jacob’s pillow painting: jacob’s pillow 3. it’s an 11x14” watercolor & gouache on bristol paper and is pretty far along. when i get a good start, day 2 is always scary.

mikela just saw it for the first time and said, emphatically, “leave it alone!” and you know she’s always right!

6/5/26 jacob’s pillow, 11x14” watercolor & gouache on bristol as she looked at the end of day 1

"jacobs pillow 1" : modified today then returned to the original /  by Philip Tarlow

jacobs pillow 1, 16x18” oil on portrait linen returned to it’s original state this afternoon

5:33 PM:after adding blues and greens a few hours ago, i went back to the studio before eating dinner and wiped out whatever i did earlier. it has a greenish hue, which i’ll fix tomorrow.

3:46 PM: i took a break a few hours ago and went to the house with mikela. i didn’t expect to come back, especially since a thunderstorm was brewing. but i did, and when i came in, my eye went to jacobs pillow 1, 16x18” oil on linen, which i last worked on may 31st. she was begging for more, so i gave it to her.

jacobs pillow 1, 16x18” oil on portrait linen following todays modifications

6/3/26 jacobs pillow 2 /  by Philip Tarlow

12:26 PM: i took 6/3/26 jacobs pillow 2 to the next level today. i’m taking it a little at a time to maintain the delicacy of this 11x14” watercolor/gouache.

6/3/26 jacobs pillow 2, 11x14” watercolor/gouache on bristol

6/2/26 Moonlight Pizza drawing /  by Philip Tarlow

6:54 PM: we were in salida this afternoon and had dinner at moonlight pizza, where i made this colored pencil drawing of a guy at the next table.

the pizza by the way was delicious!

6/2/26 drawing made at moonlight pizza restaurant today

5/31/26 Jacobs Pillow 1 /  by Philip Tarlow

2:43 PM: today i started the first in my new jacobs pillow series of paintings: 5/31/26 jacobs pillow 1. work will continue tomorrow.

5/31/26 jacobs pillow 1, day 1, 16×18” oil on portrait linen

5/27/26 Met Adventure, day 3 /  by Philip Tarlow

5/27/26 Met Adventure, 36x38” oil on portrait linenas she looked at the end of my painting day today

2:21 PM: i felt the need to do a bit more on this painting but i stopped just now because i was afraid i was screwing it up. i’ll gaze at it some more and see how i feel tomorrow.

BELOW: yesterday’s version is on the left

5/27/26 Met Adventure on day two /  by Philip Tarlow

Met Adventure, 36x38” oil on portrait linen, as she looked following today’s modifications

1:10 PM: this morning i too Met Adventure to the next level. i simplified the right 3/4 og the composition, moving some goldfish down there, painted over the central figure with the red thermos and made some other changes, adding more white spaces, which brings it more into alignment with the smaller ones i’ve been doing over the past month or so. which i believe improved the overall painting

5/27/26 Met Adventure, 36x38" /  by Philip Tarlow

Met Adventure, 38x36” oil on xtra fine portrait linen, as she looked at the end of day one

2:36 PM: yesterday i stretched a piece of 36x38” portrait linen with no idea what i might paint on it. this afternoon i started Met Adventure, inspired by photos shot from above of visitors to the Metropolitan Museum in nyc as well as other images including, as of now, a seated figure holding a red thermos, green leaves and a bowl of goldfish.

it’s an interesting beginning, and we’ll see where she goes tomorrow.